🎬 Showrunner Insurgency? 🚨

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Whether you're a seasoned subscriber or a new arrival, we're thrilled to have you here. Twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, we'll deliver the most important industry scoops directly to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Closeup: Showrunner Insurgency or Rumors Running Rampant?

• Drew Barrymore Hits Pause

• Disney’s TV Assets Spark Interest

• Navigating Hollywood & AI

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

The Nun II 🙏 The horror sequel slipped -55% this weekend, raking in $14.7M and securing the top spot for the second time. Overall, it's pacing behind the original, with a global tally of $158.8M, but hey, Mexico is loving it with a solid $14.9M! 🇲🇽

A Haunting in Venice 🎭 Kenneth Branagh is back with a $14.5M debut, landing just behind the first place. It's doing better than 'Death on the Nile' and has got the globe's attention with $37.2M. Special shoutout to U.K. fans chipping in $2.6M! 🇬🇧🔍

The Equalizer 3 🥊 Sliding down a bit with a -40% drop, it bagged $7.2M this weekend. At $132.4M globally, it's playing a little catch up with its predecessors. The U.K. audience seems to be diggin' it with a cool $7.9M. 🇬🇧🔫

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 💍 The comedy sequel took a hit this weekend, dropping to $4.7M. It's been a slower dance compared to the previous flick, but hey, it's all Greek (and fun) to us! 🇬🇷💃

Barbie 👱‍♀️ This comedy is still strutting its stuff, making $3.9M this weekend. With a whopping $1.41B globally, Barbie's not just a doll, she's a superstar! U.K. seems to agree, pitching in a fabulous $121.6M! 🇬🇧👠

Jawan 🎥 This action-packed thriller from India did surprise some, but it faced a steep -59% drop this weekend, scoring $2.49M. But in the Bollywood vs Hollywood game, Jawan's got some moves! 🇮🇳🕺

Dumb Money 💰 This comedy collected $217K, setting the stage for its wider releases in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on this one; it might just cash in big! 💸🍿

Showrunner Insurgency? 🤔
🤫 Or Rumors Running Rampant? 🤔

The Backstory: Not too long ago, major agencies were staunch supporters of the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Remember the agency-sponsored ice cream trucks 🍦 and pizza parties 🍕 at picket lines? A testament to unity and solidarity.

But fast forward to now? Seems there's a rift forming in this once-solid alliance.

The Plot Twist: A key meeting between WGA leadership and some of Hollywood's top showrunners was unexpectedly canceled last Friday. The WGA community is abuzz, pondering the reasons.

The showrunners who requested the meeting:

• Kenya Barris of ‘Black-ish’

• Noah Hawley, the genius behind ‘Fargo’

• Sam Esmail, the creator of ‘Mr. Robot’

• Dan Fogelman, the heart and soul of ‘This Is Us’

The Rumors: Word on the street suggests certain Hollywood agents have been subtly influencing their WGA clients, hinting that the Guild's demands might be too lofty.

Their potential motivation? With the ongoing strikes, agencies are facing significant financial setbacks. Ari Emanuel mentioned a staggering loss of $25 million every month the strikes persist.

And for those with a good memory, this isn't the first time tensions have risen. Cast your mind back to 2007-08 when bigwig studio bosses from Disney, Warner Bros., and other giants were said to have nudged their top writer-producers into some sneaky side chats with the guild. The aim? To give the negotiators a little nudge (or shove) towards sealing a deal.

WhatsApp Whispers: A WhatsApp group boasting 450 showrunners has become a hub for discussion. The consensus? They won't be swayed by agents' agendas and are pushing to confront them directly.

The Agencies’ Stance: Agencies are dismissing these rumors, labeling them baseless.

So, the million-dollar question: Why was the showrunner-WGA meeting canned? Although rumors hinted these showrunners were being recruited by agents to influence WGA's negotiations with the AMPTP, a timely email from a strike captain provided clarity: The showrunners, wary of the circulating rumors and their implications, opted to cancel the meeting to avoid any misconceptions.

Where Do We Stand? Through the turbulence, a recent picket displayed an unwavering unity among WGA members. Their commitment? Secure a fair deal.

Drew Barrymore Hits Pause on Show Due to Strike Controversy 🎬🛑Drew Barrymore has decided to hold off on bringing back her daytime talk show due to a hefty slice of backlash regarding the ongoing strike. The WGA and other notable figures like Alyssa Milano and Bradley Whitford expressed disappointment, with Milano hinting at weakening union solidarity. Barrymore spilled her feelings on Instagram, expressing her apologies and the tough decision to halt the show’s premiere. CBS Media Ventures, the muscle behind ‘The Drew Barrymore Show,’ chimed in supporting her choice. Barrymore isn’t alone though; As this unfolds, others in the spotlight like Bill Maher and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ are also under scrutiny for similar decisions. ‘The Talk’ and the ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ have decided to hit the brakes on their season premieres as well.

Disney's Linear TV Assets Spark Interest 📺 Byron Allen has turned heads with a significant $10 billion bid for Disney’s linear TV assets – we're talking ABC, a bunch of local TV stations, FX, and even the National Geographic Channel. 📡 While Byron's making headlines, Nexstar's also shown a keen interest. Bob Iger of Disney mentioned a while back that these assets might not be central to Disney's future strategy, likely sparking interest from several parties. And though Disney is hinting they haven't decided on any sales, they're not closing any doors either. 📰

Hollywood & AI: Navigating the Future of Personal Data 🌐🎭Metaphysic, a leading AI tech firm, just dropped some news about its game-changing toolset, Metaphysic Pro. It's all about helping big stars like Anne Hathaway, Tom Hanks, and Octavia Spencer take control of their personal data—think face, voice, and performance vibes. With AI reshaping Hollywood, the goal here is to let actors harness this tech and decide how third parties get to play with their digital selves. And given the current SAG-AFTRA strike, this is more relevant than ever. Thomas Graham, the big boss at Metaphysic, says it's all about making sure everyone gets their fair share in the AI-content world. And hey, fun fact: remember that deepfake Tom Cruise? That's Metaphysic's handy work! 🎬🤖

Development 🗒️

• The Rolling Stones are collaborating with the production team behind ‘The Kardashians,’ Fulwell 73, to release a behind-the-scenes documentary. (more)

• ‘The Wonder Years’ is cancelled by ABC after 2 seasons. (more)

• Donald Glover’s ‘Lando’ pivots from series to feature-length. (more)

• ‘Missing: Dead or Alive’ renewed for S2 by Netflix. (more)

• ‘One Piece’ renewed for S2 by Netflix. (more)

• BBC buys ‘Interview with the Vampire’ from AMC Networks. (more)

Releases 📅

• Taylor Swift concert pic is now seeing $65M+ in ticket presales. (more)

Buzz 🗣️

• Tom Delonge, the singer of Blink 182, makes his directorial debut with sci-fi film ‘California Monsters.’ (more)

• ‘Suits’ remains the top-streamed show for the ninth week on Nielsen's charts. (more)

Business 🤝

• DirecTV and Nexstar agree to temporarily restore stations as they finalize a new carriage deal. (more)

• Entertainment Partners, the company responsible for distributing many of Hollywood's residuals, laid off about 70 employees this week due to the economic impact of ongoing strikes. (more)

• Apple is the latest company to suspend overall and first-look deals with producers. (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios names Peter Oillataguerre head of feature film production. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Fran Drescher is urging SAG members to approve a strike authorization against video game companies. (more)

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