🎬 Netflix is the New Cable

👋 Good morning! Jeremy Allen White is doing his own singing as Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming biopic 'Deliver Me From Nowhere,' joining Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet in the "I actually sang it myself" club. Co-star Marc Maron revealed that Springsteen was on set and sometimes couldn't tell if he was hearing his own voice or White's. The film centers on the making of the 'Nebraska' album and hits theaters in October.

Happy Friday, and welcome to The Dailies. Grab your coffee and we’ll get you caught up on the latest Hollywood news. 👇

TOP STREAMED
📊 What U.S. audiences were watching this week…

CLOSEUP
🤝 Netflix is becoming the new cable TV…

For the first time ever, Netflix will carry live TV channels, starting in 2026 in France. The streamer struck a deal with France's leading broadcaster TF1 to integrate its channels inside the Netflix app, letting French viewers watch live TV, daily soaps, reality shows, and sports coverage alongside ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Wednesday’—all without ever leaving Netflix. It makes perfect sense for the streaming giant:

• Subscriber growth has reached saturation levels in mature markets like France, forcing Netflix to find new revenue streams beyond just adding more subscribers

• Engagement is the new battleground—by offering live TV and always-on content, Netflix keeps viewers glued to the platform all day, not just during primetime binge sessions

• Instant content library expansion without the massive production costs—why spend $200M+ on the next ‘Stranger Things’ when you can get hundreds of hours of proven content through one partnership?

• New advertising ecosystem—while financial details remain unclear, the deal creates fresh opportunities by merging Netflix's younger audience with TF1's traditional TV advertising

What's in it for TF1? TF1 essentially gets a direct pipeline to the younger, cord-cutting demographics that abandoned traditional broadcasting, while reportedly keeping control of their ad sales.

The bigger picture: Netflix is testing the Amazon playbook in France—what started as an online bookstore became the everything store, and what started as a DVD-by-mail service is becoming the everything entertainment store. Netflix wants to be where viewers start their entertainment journey with everything they need in one place.

Looking ahead: Don't expect this model to hit the U.S. anytime soon—major broadcasters like NBC, CBS, and ABC already have streaming partners. But we might see similar deals in international markets where Netflix dominates and broadcasters are desperate to reach cord-cutting audiences.

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

LANDMAN, the hit drama starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm, explores how roughnecks and billionaires are fueling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics. The Chicago Sun-Times raves “Thornton gives a Top 5 career performance in headlining an outstanding ensemble”, and NPR calls the series a “masterful bit of storytelling magic.” Emmys eligible in all categories, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Now Streaming on Paramount+.

WIDESHOT
🎬 Kung fu classics, FilmLA, and Gen Z…

🥋 China's kung fu classics are getting the AI treatment. Chinese studios announced plans to digitally remake 100 martial arts films using artificial intelligence, including Bruce Lee's ‘Fist of Fury,’ Jackie Chan's ‘Drunken Master,’ and Jet Li's ‘Once Upon a Time in China.’ The government-backed "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project" (quite a mouthful) comes with $13.9M in funding to upgrade image and sound quality and reshape visual aesthetics while preserving original storytelling. One partner is creating what they claim will be "the world's first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film" based on John Woo's ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ complete with a cyberpunk makeover. While Hollywood navigates complex AI implementation discussions, China is pushing forward rapidly with state-supported AI film production.

📃 Hollywood's permit office is under fire. This morning, L.A.'s Board of Public Works will decide whether to renew FilmLA's five-year contract—the nonprofit that handles all film permits for Los Angeles. A coalition of industry workers called CA United is pushing back, arguing that FilmLA's expensive and cumbersome permitting process has contributed to productions leaving the city. The group wants FilmLA to actually help bring more filming back to L.A. and prove it's working before the city automatically renews its contract. FilmLA's president Paul Audley counters that his organization has already submitted 17 reform recommendations to the city and helps filmmakers navigate city policies rather than setting them. But with production increasingly leaving L.A., critics want real change now.

🧒 Reese Witherspoon split off a brand just for Gen Z. Her production company Hello Sunshine launched Sunnie, a completely separate media platform targeting young women with original content, education partnerships, and real-world events. Hollywood has notoriously struggled to figure out how to connect with Gen Z: 75% of Gen Z women say current advertising doesn't reflect how they actually talk, dress, or act. As entertainment companies increasingly wake up to that disconnect, some are building entirely new ecosystems that blend shows with education and community rather than just putting younger faces on the same old content. It's Hollywood's latest attempt at talking "with" Gen Z instead of "to" them.

LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• Netflix is in talks with James Bobin to direct ‘Dragon’s Lair,’ a Ryan Reynolds-led adaptation of the classic 1980s arcade game. (more)

• ‘Meet the Parents 4’ is officially a go, with Paramount joining Universal to co-produce and handle international rollout of the 2026 sequel. (more)

• Sony Pictures Classics has acquired ‘Nuremberg,’ starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek and Michael Shannon. (more)

• ‘Hate the Player’ casts ‘John Wick 4’ star Shamier Anderson as sprinter Ben Johnson in a satirical series for Paramount+ Canada and GameTV. (more)

• Cory Michael Smith will lead A24’s Halloween-set fugitive thriller ‘October,’ directed by ‘Green Room’ filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier. (more)

• Carla Gugino will star opposite Lou Taylor Pucci in ‘Winthrop,’ a horror film adaptation of cult podcast ‘Knifepoint Horror.’ (more)

TV Development 📺

• BBC sets drama series ‘California Avenue’ from Hugo Blick starring Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, and Erin Doherty. (more)

• X Games is teaming with Bunim/Murray for ‘X Games Battleground,’ a new unscripted competition series featuring 30 top action sports athletes. (more)

• Webtoon is developing hit series ‘Teenage Mercenary’ into a TV anime, following its massive 1.8B-view global success. (more)

• BBC Comedy greenlights ‘Twenty Twenty Six,’ with Hugh Bonneville reprising his satirical role as Ian Fletcher alongside a new U.S.-set cast. (more)

Business 🤝

• IAG has promoted longtime agent Kyle Loftus to president, expanding his leadership role across all departments. (more)

• Netflix has signed a four-year deal with Create Denmark, ending a rights dispute that had paused Danish scripted productions since 2022. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Blumhouse has acquired a stake in ‘Saw’ from Twisted Pictures, reuniting the horror franchise with original creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell. (more)

• Alcon Media Group has acquired Village Roadshow’s film catalog, including ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘The Matrix’, in a $418M deal. (more)

• YouTube Shorts now averages 200B daily views, with AI model Veo 3 set to boost creative tools later this summer. (more)

• Trump Administration will again delay enforcing a TikTok ban, granting the app 90 more days to find a non-Chinese owner under U.S. law. (more)

RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• 28 Years Later: Post-apocalyptic horror sequel directed by Danny Boyle.

• Elio: Sci-fi adventure from Pixar directed by Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, and Madeline Sharafian.

• Bride Hard: Action comedy directed by Simon West, starring Rebel Wilson.

📺 STREAMING

• The Gilded Age: (Max) S3 of Julian Fellowes' historical drama starring Carrie Coon.

• The Waterfront: (Netflix) Drama series following a family's secrets in a coastal town setting, starring Holt McCallany and Maria Bello.

• We Were Liars: (Prime Video) YA psychological thriller adapted by Julie Plec and Carina Adly McKenzie, starring Emily Alyn Lind.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

'How to Train Your Dragon' should hold the top spot for another weekend with $40-48M after its strong $84.6M opening. '28 Years Later' is tracking for a $35-45M debut, while 'Elio' is looking a potentially disappointing $20-30M opening that could mark one of Pixar's weakest theatrical launches. Looking ahead a few weeks, James Gunn's highly anticipated 'Superman' reboot is tracking for a $135M domestic opening, though opinions are divided with some suggesting a range as low as $90-120M or as high as $175M.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
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