🎬 Getting Physical

👋 Good morning! Effective July 1, FilmLA, the organization responsible for all things filming permits in LA, is hiking up its fees by roughly 4%. The reason? A significant dip in production and the increasing cost of keeping their team up and running. FilmLA’s President, Paul Audley, assured everyone that they’ve already trimmed the fat where they could, but this fee bump is essential to maintaining their quick permit processing and stellar community relations.

Welcome aboard the Dailies. As you sip your morning brew, we’ll get you caught up with the fast-paced world of Hollywood - no need to chase down a newsstand, we’ve got everything you need right here.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Gibbs Steps Up at WBD

• Netflix Gets Physical

• AMC’s Rough Week

• Last Looks: 👀 Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

🎬💼 Obama’s ex-press secretary, Robert Gibbs, just landed a new gig as Warner Bros. Discovery’s communications chief. Trading political briefs for blockbuster dramas, Gibbs steps in during a crucial period for WBD. He replaces Nathaniel Brown, who left during the ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ debacle. Gibbs faces WBD’s $45B debt and backlash from nixing big projects like ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ While these cuts were good for the balance sheet, they upset the creative community who believed they had theatrical potential. CEO David Zaslav is betting on Gibbs to steer the ship through these choppy waters, but some skeptics are raising an eyebrow at his lack of Hollywood experience. With his political savvy and corporate comms expertise, Gibbs aims to guide WBD through its financial and creative challenges, keeping the studio’s magic alive.

✨📍 Netflix is getting physical—literally. The streaming giant is set to open “Netflix House” immersive venues in King of Prussia, PA, and Galleria Dallas next year, turning former department stores into interactive fan hubs. Based on the success of 50+ previous live events in 25 cities, Netflix House will feature attractions from ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Bridgerton,’ along with themed dining and exclusive merch. Imagine dancing on a ‘Bridgerton’ set or taking on the ‘Squid Game’ Glass Bridge challenge. Without a theatrical release model, it looks like Netflix is serious about finding innovative ways to leverage its popular IP and give fans a tangible, real-world experience.

📉😰 AMC Networks (not the movie theater chain) has had a rough week. Their stock plummeted 31.1% after announcing plans to sell $125M in convertible senior notes, likely to pay off debt, but also for some vague "general corporate purposes" (aka, keeping the lights on). With rising interest rates and slumping sales, investors are spooked about the added debt and potential share dilution. This isn’t AMC’s first tumble—just four months ago, the stock dropped 20.7% after a weak earnings report. Even though AMC+ is making some headway with its ad-supported tier, the company is struggling with the shift from traditional TV to streaming. It's a harsh reality for cable TV-reliant players like AMC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery. As Q2 earnings loom, the pressure is on for these media giants to adapt to the streaming era or brace for more turbulence.

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Development 🗒️

• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will star in the crime thriller ‘RIP,’ directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by their company Artists Equity. (more)

• Jordan Peele’s fourth film is set for release on Oct. 23, 2026. (more)

• Francis Ford Coppola’s epic ‘Megalopolis’ will be released by Lionsgate on Sept. 27, 2024, following its Cannes premiere. (more)

• A ‘Spaceballs’ sequel is in development at Amazon MGM Studios with Josh Gad starring and producing alongside Mel Brooks. (more)

• Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane star in Ryan Murphy’s new Hulu sitcom ‘Mid-Century Modern.’ (more)

• Joseph Kosinski’s Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, produced by Apple and distributed by Warner Bros., hits theaters Jun. 27, 2025. (more)

• David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes join Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan in Netflix and Amblin’s adaptation of Richard Osman’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club,’ directed by Chris Columbus. (more)

• Mel Gibson confirms that he will direct and star alongside Danny Glover in ‘Lethal Weapon 5.’ (more)

• Richard Linklater reunites with Ethan Hawke for ‘Blue Moon,’ acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and set to film in Dublin this summer. (more)

• HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks: In Season’ will cover the AFC North teams starting Dec. 3, featuring the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers. (more)

• Will Smith is set to star in Sony’s adaptation of ‘Resistor’ following the success of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die.’ (more)

• Tatiana Maslany will star in and produce ‘The Nightbeast’ for Amazon MGM Studios. (more)

• Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest will star in Netflix’s adaptation of ‘My Oxford Year.’ (more)

✅ Renewed & Cancelled ❌

• ‘Access Hollywood’ is renewed through 2026 in syndication. (more)

• ‘Resident Alien’ has been renewed for S4 and will move from Syfy to USA Network. (more)

Business 📃

• Paramount’s stock drops below $10 for the first time since the Viacom-CBS merger, highlighting ongoing financial struggles and stalled merger talks. (more)

• Hannah Minghella joins Netflix as Head of Feature Animation and Live-Action Family Film, following her tenure at Bad Robot. (more)

• IMAX and Wanda Film expand their partnership in China to upgrade 61 theaters, renew 37 locations, and add up to 25 new IMAX theaters over the next three years. (more)

• Details leak about Netflix’s five high-value sponsorship packages for its NFL Christmas Day games. (more)

Deals 🤝

• Hulu signs a first-look deal with journalist and documentarian Jennings Brown for new investigative projects. (more)

• Vertical acquires North American rights to the Milli Vanilli biopic ‘Girl You Know It’s True,’ set for release on August 9. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Streaming viewership reached a record high of 38.8% of TV usage in May, with YouTube leading at 9.7%, followed by Netflix at 7.6%. (more)

• ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ secures a simultaneous release in China and North America on Jul. 26, with some censorship cuts expected. (more)

• Viewership for the 77th Tony Awards dropped 14.8% from last year, drawing 3.51M viewers amid record low Sunday TV usage. (more)

• The ‘House of the Dragon’ S2 premiere drew 7.8M viewers, making it Max’s biggest single-day audience to date. (more)

• NBCUniversal and Group Black are launching ‘E!+’ on Peacock, a multicultural content hub featuring new original content and NBCU library shows, aimed at engaging diverse audiences and advertisers. (more)