🎬 Getting Expensive 😰

👋 Good morning! Kevin Costner recently revealed that he spent almost $100M on his Western epic ‘Horizon,’ a significant jump from the previously believed $20M. This massive investment places him right alongside Francis Ford Coppola, who also poured a fortune into his latest film. We loved hearing what Coppola had to say when asked about his hefty investment—check it out here. 👈👀

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:

• Cannes Enters Day 9

• Scarlett vs. Sky

• AI Savings or Spendings?

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

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Cannes Day 9
Highlights & Reviews

Market Update

As Cannes enters its ninth day, high asking prices have buyers hesitating. Independent producers are spending more to retain talent post-strike, pushing up costs, and forcing sales agents to raise prices to recoup investments. Inflation and outdated sales estimates are also driving up prices.

Buzzworthy films like Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Perez’ and Coralie Fargeat’s ‘The Substance’ have seen significant price hikes, highlighting the financial strain and complex landscape of international film sales. US buyers remain cautious due to the lack of robust pay-1 deals, which are crucial agreements for the exclusive first window of broadcast rights after a film's theatrical run. This caution impacts international buyers as well.

Despite these challenges, there is still strong interest in new content, with significant acquisitions and market activity reported:

• A24 secures U.S. rights to Michael Sarnoski’s ‘The Death of Robin Hood,’ starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer. (more)

• Ron Howard's all-star survival thriller 'Eden,' starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, and Sydney Sweeney, has sold major territories to Amazon Prime Video. (more)

• Dolph Lundgren, Michael Jai White, and Charlotte Kirk are set to star in the action thriller ‘Fight Or Flight,’ with Saban acquiring North American rights. (more)

Competition & Screenings

🎬 The Apprentice

• Ali Abbasi’s ‘The Apprentice’ dives into the origin story of Donald Trump, with Sebastian Stan playing the future president and Jeremy Strong as his lawyer and mentor, Roy Cohn.

• Mixed reviews—some are calling it superb, while others are saying it has little depth.

• Trump, who has threatened to sue the filmmakers over alleged inaccuracies, calls the movie "pure fiction."

• Standing Ovation Meter: 11 minutes 👏

🎬 The Shrouds

• Horror auteur David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’ presents a fascinating premise with Vincent Cassel starring as Karsh, a Toronto businessman who invents a technology allowing people to watch their loved ones' corpses decompose in real time. Diane Kruger plays his deceased wife and her identical sister. 

• Despite the intriguing concept, the film falters with critics, earning mixed reviews and criticism for its convoluted plot. 🫤

• Standing Ovation Meter: 9.5 minutes 👏

🎬 Anora

• Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ follows Ani, a Manhattan stripper played by Mikey Madison, who marries a young Russian playboy, leading to a wild clash of cultures and class.

• The film was praised for Mikey Madison's standout performance and the film's energetic, chaotic storytelling. However, some critics noted its jarring tonal shifts and overstuffed plot.

• Neon acquired North American rights to ‘Anora’ back in November, and is aiming for a U.S. release sometime this year.

• Standing Ovation Meter: 10 minutes 👏

🎬 Parthenope

• Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘Parthenope’ follows the life of a Neapolitan woman, reflecting the city’s beauty and complexity, starring newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta and Gary Oldman.

• Despite its exquisite visuals and strong performances, the film received mixed reviews, criticized for its convoluted narrative and excessive opulence.

• The film secured global distribution for Pathé ahead of its festival premiere.

• Standing Ovation Meter: 10 minutes 👏

Other ICYMI:

• Christophe Honoré's ‘Marcello Mio,’ starring Chiara Mastroianni as herself channeling her father Marcello Mastroianni, receives a standing ovation of over 8 minutes. (more)

• Metrograph Pictures acquires North American rights to Julien Colonna’s ‘The Kingdom’ following its standout debut. (more)

• Altered Innocence acquires North American rights to Kaveh Daneshmand’s ‘Endless Summer Syndrome,’ a provocative French family drama, with plans for a late 2024 theatrical release. (more)

🗣️💬 ChatGPT's new Voice Mode sounds strikingly like Scarlett Johansson's AI character from 'Her.' The internet was buzzing with people remarking on the similarities. Johansson revealed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman contacted her last September to voice ChatGPT 4o, which she declined. This month, OpenAI reached out to her reps again just before releasing the bot, but without a formal response from Scarlett's team, OpenAI released Sky two days later. Shocked by Sky's demo, Johansson hired legal counsel, prompting OpenAI to pause its use. Johansson's lawyers demanded details on the voice creation process, leading to its removal. OpenAI maintains Sky's voice is not an imitation but belongs to another actress. Johansson calls for transparency and legislation against deepfakes, highlighting the urgent need to protect identities and ensure ethical AI use. Much of Hollywood including SAG-AFTRA has come out in support of Johansson since.

🎬🤖 On that note…don’t count on AI to cut costs in Hollywood. Industry insiders argue that integrating AI will likely increase production expenses, much like past technological advances. At the AI on the Lot summit, Matt Nix compared AI to previous tech innovations like orchestral simulators, stating that while new tech can streamline tasks, it often enhances production capabilities, thereby increasing costs. Large-scale AI integration would be expensive, requiring skilled workers and potentially impacting executive roles more than creative ones, challenging the idea that AI will significantly reduce production costs​​​​.

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Development 🗒️

• Marvel Studios is ramping up its live-action ‘X-Men’ movie with Michael Lesslie as the screenwriter, following the success of the animated series ‘X-Men '97.’ (more)

• DC Studios and Fathom Events will release the documentary ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ in U.S. theaters on Sept. 21, 2024. (more)

• Steve Carell will star in and executive produce a new HBO comedy from Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses. (more)

• ‘Yellowstone’ has started production in Wyoming for its final episodes, set to air in November. (more)

• Aaron Eckhart and Devon Sawa will star in the crime thriller ‘Thieves Highway,’ directed by Jesse V. Johnson. (more)

• Jerry Bruckheimer confirms that both a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ reboot and a Margot Robbie-led spinoff are still in development. (more)

• Disney's exclusive Club 33 is getting a movie adaptation from 'Goosebumps' writer Darren Lemke, produced by Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment. (more)

• Glen Powell is set to star in a ‘Heaven Can Wait’ reimagining at Paramount. (more)

• Adam Wingard will not direct the next ‘Godzilla x Kong’ sequel, with David Callaham set to write the script. (more)

• Mark Ruffalo is in talks to join Chris Hemsworth in Amazon MGM Studios' adaptation of Don Winslow's ‘Crime 101,’ directed by Bart Layton. (more)

• Emma Törzs' YA novel ‘Ink Blood Sister Scribe’ will be adapted into a fantasy series titled ‘Ink’ by Bronwyn Garrity and Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company. (more)

• Genesis Rodriguez joins ‘Lioness’ S2. (more)

• Simon Kinberg is in talks to produce a new ‘Star Trek’ origin story movie. (more)

• Joel Edgerton joins the star-studded cast of Ruben Östlund’s ‘The Entertainment System Is Down,’ alongside Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, and Daniel Brühl. (more)

• Fabel Entertainment joins to develop and produce a drama series about Adidas founder Adi Dassler, exploring the brand's rise and the Dassler family rivalry. (more)

• Holly Hunter is set to star in ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ at Paramount+. (more)

✅ Renewed & Cancelled ❌

• 'Walker' is cancelled by CW after S4. (more)

• ‘Worst Roommate Ever’ is renewed for S2 at Netflix. (more)

• Shane Gillis’ comedy series ‘Tires’ is renewed by Netflix two days ahead of its premier. (more)

• ‘Primo’ is canceled by Amazon Freevee after S1. (more)

• ‘Unicorn Academy’ is getting a second season at Netflix. (more)

Business 🤝

• Indian Paintbrush founder Steven Rales acquires Criterion and Janus Films, with leadership and mission remaining unchanged. (more)

• Pixar cuts 14% of its staff, laying off 175 employees as part of Disney's ongoing spending reductions. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Comcast's new StreamSaver bundle offers Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ for $15/month. (more)

• The Art Directors Guild has elected Dina Lipton as president and, for the first time, has an all-female top leadership team. (more)

• Horror, Inc. is expanding the ‘Friday the 13th’ franchise with new games, immersive experiences, merchandise, and more, marking a new era for the Jason universe. (more)