🎬 Record Smashed

👋 Good morning! There’s a dragon on the Empire State Building! 🐉

Yesterday, a giant dragon inflatable wrapped itself around the Empire State Building, catching the eyes of New Yorkers and social media users alike. This dragon is part of a promo for HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ S2, the highly anticipated prequel to ‘Game of Thrones,’ which started streaming last night.

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• The Cannes Lions Festival Kicks Off

• Michael Kassan’s New Venture

• Tonys Highlights

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

But wait, there’s more! 🥳 We have a winner for our IMDb Pro giveaway: congratulations to E Oliver! We’ll be in touch with you on how to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Now, let’s take a look at what happened at the box office this past weekend!

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🧠 Inside Out 2: Pixar’s sequel shatters expectations with an impressive $155M domestic debut, the second-highest domestic opening for an animated film behind ‘Incredibles 2.’ Globally, it achieved $295M, making it the highest global animated opening ever. The film charmed critics and audiences alike, boasting a 92% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” CinemaScore.

2. 🚔 Bad Boys: Ride or Die: Holds strong with $33M this weekend, hitting $112.24M domestically and $214.6M globally.

3. 🦍 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Slips slightly with $5.2M, adding to its solid $157.8M domestic total.

4. 🐾 The Garfield Movie: Lasagna-loving Garfield claws in $5M, bringing its domestic tally to $78.5M and $217.8M worldwide.

5. 👀 The Watchers: Grabs $3.67M, now sitting at $13.67M domestically.

6. 🧒 IF: Crosses the $100M mark domestically, adding $3.45M this weekend, with a global total of $173.6M.

7. 🚀 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Pulls in $2.42M, bringing its domestic total to $63.1M.

8. 💪 The Fall Guy: Earns $1.5M this weekend, reaching a $87.9M domestic total.

This weekend was 2024’s biggest at the box office, raking in an impressive $213M. For a bit of context, last year’s same weekend pulled in $164M, 2022 saw $165M, 2019 had $136M, and 2018 hit a whopping $271M with ‘The Incredibles 2.’

This weekend’s win calms industry nerves and will shape future decision for studios and theaters. There’s a glimmer of hope that the worst is behind us, and with the right movie lineup, audiences will flock back to theaters. Even with this boost, 2024’s total earnings might still lag a bit, possibly reaching around $8B. But with major titles like ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on the horizon, the momentum looks set to keep rolling.

🇫🇷🦁 The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, (a.k.a. the advertising industry’s most influential annual gathering) kicks off today. This festival isn’t just about ads—it’s a crystal ball for the broader creative industries, encompassing marketing, public relations, design, and branded content. Here’s a look at what’s making waves ahead of this year’s edition:

• Hot Topics: Discussions center on the business of sports, streaming, and AI innovations, reflecting the future direction of these sectors.

• Streaming Dominance: Platforms like Amazon Prime Video and YouTube lead the charge, now accounting for 37% of U.S. TV viewing and promising significant ad revenue.

• Star-Studded Attendees: High-profile figures like Elon Musk, Queen Latifah, and various sports stars are converging to share insights and network.

• Economic Impact: The creative economy is projected to surge from $250B to $480B by 2027.

• Diversity and Inclusion: Initiatives like Empower Cafe aim to improve diversity and equality, reflecting the industry’s commitment to inclusive practices.

Also at Cannes Lions Festival… Michael Kassan, the mogul behind MediaLink, is ready to shake things up with the launch of his new venture, 3CV. But wait, isn't MediaLink the company Kassan founded and sold to UTA for a cool $125M back in 2021? Yep, that's the one! MediaLink played a major role in turning the festival into a star-studded extravaganza, attracting A-listers from every corner of the business. So, why the sudden change of heart? Well, let's just say things got a little messy between Kassan and UTA. UTA claims Kassan skimmed a whopping $2.3M from company funds, while Kassan says he resigned from his leadership role at the agency. Talk about a he-said-she-said situation. Now, the fate of 3CV hangs in the balance, with a Nov. 15 arbitration hearing set to decide if Kassan's noncompete clause will rain on his new venture’s parade. One thing's for sure: this showdown is going to be the talk of the town at Cannes Lions!

🏆🎭 Broadway’s brightest stars gathered for the 78th Annual Tony Awards in NYC last night. The evening’s celebrations were hosted by Ariana DeBose at the David H. Koch Theater. Here are some highlights:

• ‘The Outsiders’ won Best Musical, marking Angelina Jolie’s first Tony as a producer.

• ‘Stereophonic’ took home Best Play, earning five awards in total.

• ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ was awarded Best Revival of a Musical.

• Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe both received their first Tonys, celebrating their roles in ‘Merrily We Roll Along.’

• Jeremy Strong and Sarah Paulson both delivered moving speeches, with Strong acknowledging theater staff and Paulson reflecting on the depth of the human condition.

• Alicia Keys and Jay-Z lit up the stage with ‘Empire State of Mind,’ and Eddie Redmayne wowed with ‘Willkommen’ from Cabaret.

• See a full list of winners here. 👈👀

Development 🗒️

• Miles Teller will star in Paramount’s modern remake of ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’ (more)

• NBC orders 5 more episodes of ‘St. Denis Medical,’ expanding its first season to 18 episodes. (more)

• Martin Scorsese is set to film a documentary about ancient shipwrecks in Sicily, reconnecting with his Sicilian heritage. (more)

Business 🤝

• Magna raises its 2024 U.S. and global ad forecasts, expecting a strong market rebound despite a projected decline in traditional TV ad revenues. (more)

• ‘Interview With the Vampire’ showrunner Rolin Jones signs a multi-year deal with AMC Studios. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Hollywood unions push to expand California’s film and TV tax credit program in initial negotiations with studios and streamers. (more)

• Charles Barkley announces he will retire from TV after the 2024-25 season, ending his iconic run on TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA.’ (more)

• Columbia Pictures and George Gallo settle their copyright dispute over the Bad Boys franchise, ending four years of legal battles. (more)

• Pat Sajak’s final week on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ drives the game show to dominate the linear TV charts, placing five episodes in the top ten. (more)

• Hollywood studios will now cover drone camera crews under the IATSE Local 600 Agreement, following recent arbitration decisions. (more)