🎬 New Pay Structure

👋 Good morning! Remember when we were all scratching our heads about how theaters would tackle Coppola's fourth-wall-shattering scene in ‘Megalopolis’? Well now we’re getting some answers. Videos are surfacing of screenings where theaters are actually pulling it off—live actors standing up in front of the audience, engaging with Adam Driver's presence on screen. 'Megalopolis' hits theaters nationwide this weekend.

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:

• The Globes Face Backlash

• De Niro's Billion-Dollar Studio Bet

• Netflix’s New Pay Structure

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

🏆💰 The Golden Globes are facing backlash over new revenue-generating tactics under Penske Media ownership. After a 2022 boycott led to the dissolution of the controversial Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which previously ran the awards), Penske acquired the Globes. Now, Penske owns both the awards and major trade publications like Variety. The latest controversy centers on Variety's $70,000 "salon dinners." A leaked sales deck pitched them as intimate, curated gatherings between studios and 30-40 of the 334 Globes voters. Industry insiders call the move "insane" and ethically dubious, questioning the dinners' value given voters' global dispersion and the high cost. They see it as Penske exploiting its position, raising concerns about whether the Globes recognize merit or reward the highest bidder. Variety claims the leak was "misappropriated" and denies selling these dinners. However, many still see a conflict in Penske controlling both the awards and the media covering them. Some are even drawing parallels between these new practices and the HFPA's previous ethically questionable activities, suggesting the Globes may be reverting to the very behavior that led to its initial downfall.

🏙️🎬 NYC's film scene is getting a $1B vertical glow-up, courtesy of Robert De Niro. Developer Adam Gordon, starchitect Bjarke Ingels, and De Niro's son Raphael have teamed up to create Wildflower Studios, a 765,000 sq ft beast in Astoria. The studio stacks 11 soundstages skyward—a first for the industry. This architectural flex aims to solve NYC's scattered studio problem, giving LA and London some serious competition. De Niro emphasizes the importance of filming in NYC for that authentic Gotham grit and unparalleled talent pool. The facility boasts a carpentry studio and a commissary promising "world-class New York level food"—because why settle for craft services in the culinary capital? It's part of a wider NYC studio boom, with 130+ facilities popping up in five years, as the city lures more productions with juicy tax credits. De Niro's one of many actors following Tyler Perry's studio mogul playbook—Mark Wahlberg's backing a Vegas "Hollywood 2.0," Idris Elba's eying African locations, and James Corden's partnering on a UK mega-complex. As December's launch approaches, Wildflower may redefine "shooting in New York."

🎬💰 Netflix is pitching a new way to pay Hollywood talent. At a breakfast event yesterday dubbed ‘Netflix Explained’ at their Tudum Theater, the streamer reportedly laid out a proposal: instead of big upfront checks, they want talent to take a 20-30% cut on their initial pay, in exchange for a bigger piece of the back-end if the project’s a smash. It's a stark contrast to the current model where big names pocket hefty sums upfront, regardless of a show's success. Netflix's play aims to return to a more historical model: reward hits and mitigate losses on flops, potentially reshaping the industry's pay structure. The streamer's got leverage, with hits like 'Squid Game' proving star power isn't always necessary for global phenomena. As top brass from CAA, WME, and UTA chew on this over coffee, we'll see whether they bite or push back.

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Development 🗒️

• Sideshow and Janus Films acquire U.S. rights to David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds,’ with a planned 2025 theatrical release. (more)

• Michelle Pfeiffer joins the cast of Apple TV+’s ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ starring alongside Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman. (more)

• Max has greenlit ‘Fast Friends’, a four-part competition show set on iconic ‘Friends’ sets to celebrate the sitcom’s 30th anniversary. (more)

• Guy Pearce, Hannah Waddingham, Kaya Scodelario, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw join Keira Knightley in Netflix’s thriller ‘The Woman in Cabin 10,’ based on Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel. (more)

• Jessica Biel has exited Peacock’s limited series ‘The Good Daughter,’ with a search underway for a new lead to replace her. (more)

• Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, and Kaia Gerber are among nine cast members joining Prime Video’s college comedy ‘Overcompensating.’ (more)

• Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are set to star in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights,’ with Fennell writing, directing, and producing the film. (more)

• Kyle Chandler is set to star as Hal Jordan in HBO’s DC series ‘Lanterns.’ (more)

• Lady Gaga unveils ‘Harlequin,’ a companion album to ‘Joker: Folie À Deux,’ set to release ahead of the film’s debut in October. (more)

• MGM+ has greenlit a 10-part ‘Robin Hood’ series. (more)

• Matthias Schoenaerts has been cast as the villain in Warner Bros/DC’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,’ set to hit theaters in June 2026. (more)

• TriStar is developing a biopic on pioneering fashion designer Ann Lowe, with Serena Williams and Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter set to produce ‘The Dress.’ (more)

Business 🤝

• Warner Bros. Discovery partners with Google Cloud to implement AI-powered captioning for unscripted programming, aiming to reduce production time by 80% and costs by 50%. (more)

• Paramount Global has initiated the next round of layoffs, aiming to complete 90% of its plan to reduce 15% of its U.S. workforce. (more)

• Efran Films has been rebranded as Bright North Studios after its acquisition by RedBird IMI, with Jeff Zucker joining the board. (more)

• James Cameron has joined the board of Stability AI, aiming to explore the intersection of AI and CGI to revolutionize visual storytelling. (more)

• Joe Hipps has launched a production company and signed an exclusive TV development deal with A24 following his departure as Head of TV at Fifth Season. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The Tony Awards will return to Radio City Music Hall in 2025 after two years away, with the ceremony set for June 8. (more)

• SAG-AFTRA has called a strike against ‘League of Legends’ after accusing its producer, Formosa Interactive, of attempting to bypass the union’s video game strike by hiring nonunion performers through a shell company. (more)

• Ellen Stutzman has been ratified as WGA West Executive Director, and eight members were elected to the Board of Directors for two-year terms. (more)

• Max’s ‘The Penguin’ landed the biggest 4-day audience for a new series globally since ‘The Last of Us,’ with 5.3M U.S. viewers during its debut weekend. (more)

• Enjoying The Dailies? Check out some of these other newsletters. (more)*

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