🎬 Signs of Life?

👋 Good morning! ‘Wicked’ is hitting theaters today, and if you're the type who can't help but belt out ‘Defying Gravity’ in the shower, Universal's got you covered: they're launching sing-along screenings across 1,000 theaters starting Christmas Day.

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:

• Potential Spec Script Renaissance

• European Films in a Tough Spot

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, it’s Friday, so let’s take a look at what people were watching this week… 👀

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

CLOSEUP
🎬 Is the spec script market showing signs of life?

An unknown writer just landed one of the biggest spec deals of 2024.

Fifth Season and Makeready have snatched up ’Alignment,’ an AI thriller from writer Natan Dotan, in a deal worth up to $3M. The script sparked an intense bidding war, with more than 20 producers vying for rights. Even Hollywood heavyweights Damien Chazelle and Matt Damon expressed interest. What makes this deal particularly remarkable is that Dotan had no representation just a week before the sale, marking one of the rare Cinderella stories in modern Hollywood.

Worth noting: While the last couple years have been mostly quiet for specs, there were a few splashy deals: Zach Cregger's horror script ‘Weapons’ sparked a bidding war and sold to New Line, and Julia Cox's ‘Love of Your Life’ landed at Amazon last month for seven figures with Ryan Gosling producing.

But this kind of success story is increasingly rare in today's Hollywood. The numbers tell the brutal story:

• 1995: A whopping 173 spec scripts sold

• 2010: Down to 55 deals

• 2023: Just 11 specs sold (ouch!)

After the 2023 WGA strike, many industry insiders predicted a spec script boom similar to what happened after the 1988 strike. That boom never materialized—2024 is shaping up to be another quiet year for specs.

So what happened to the spec market? The story is simple: studios got scared. With marketing costs for theatrical releases now routinely hitting $100M+, betting on unproven stories became too risky. Instead, studios doubled down on what they saw as sure things: sequels, remakes, and anything with built-in audience recognition. Why gamble on the next ‘Pulp Fiction’ when you can greenlight ‘Fast & Furious 17’?

Looking ahead... While the ‘Alignment’ sale doesn't signal a return to the glory days of spec scripts, it does suggest the market might be entering a new phase. With Marvel's box office numbers dropping and audiences showing signs of franchise fatigue, could we be seeing the first signs of a spec script renaissance? After all, this latest multi-million dollar deal proves one thing: a great original story can still spark a bidding war.

CLOSEUP
🎬 European movies are an “endangered species”…

A sobering new industry report shows European films are stuck in a bizarre twilight zone: critics are swooning over prestige pics like 'Emilia Pérez' and 'Conclave,' but audiences aren't showing up. The European Audiovisual Observatory's latest data reveals an industry making more movies than ever, while getting crushed by Hollywood at the box office.

The scoop from the report:

• European films grabbed just 6% of global ticket sales in 2023 (Hollywood: 56%, China: 26%)

• Only 41 European films hit 1M+ tickets globally (down from 72 pre-pandemic)

• U.S. audiences dropped from 33M tickets in 2015 to just 4.8M in 2023

• China's even worse: plummeting from 35M to 1.3M tickets

• Europe's still cranking out movies though—3,300+ last year (that's half of all films globally!)

So why's it all happening? Europe's stuck in a pre-streaming mindset. Picture this: a French hit might drop in Paris in January, wait till summer for Germany, then finally reach Italy by fall—each country with its own distributor running its own marketing campaign. In a world where viewers can stream anything instantly, this fragmented release strategy is killing momentum. It's like trying to create buzz for last year's news.

Looking ahead... The silver lining? Films that break through, like ‘Triangle of Sadness’ (3M tickets), are the ones ditching the old playbook. By coordinating release dates and marketing across borders, they're proving European cinema can still pack a punch—if it's willing to play by digital-era rules. The message is clear: adapt or fade to black.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Anne Hathaway will star in Amazon MGM Studios’ adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller ‘Verity,’ directed by Michael Showalter. (more)

• Robert Pattinson joins the star-studded cast of Christopher Nolan’s next film, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway. (more)

• Ol Parker will direct Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein in Netflix’s ‘Office Romance,’ a romcom co-written by Goldstein. (more)

• Jesse Eisenberg sets a new untitled musical comedy starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. (more)

• ‘Baby Reindeer’ star Nava Mau will headline ‘The Dregs,’ a comedic thriller set in Tuscany, marking Connor Martin’s directorial debut. (more)

• Bill Burr teams up with Skydance Sports to write, direct, produce, and star in ‘Born Losers.’ (more)

• Edward Berger and Austin Butler team up for the hotly anticipated time-travel project ‘The Barrier.’ (more)

• David Spade and Theo Von team up for ‘Busboys,’ a self-financed buddy comedy about two friends navigating chaos as waiters in a border town. (more)

• Gabriel Macht reprises his role as Harvey Specter in NBC’s ‘Suits: LA,’ connecting the spinoff to the original hit series. (more)

• Philip Barantini will direct ‘Enola Holmes 3,’ with Millie Bobby Brown expected to return for a darker, more mature installment in the Netflix franchise. (more)

• Lionsgate teams up with Imagine Entertainment for ‘Rager,’ an adult comedy directed by Jon Kasdan. (more)

Renewed & Canceled ✅ ❌

• ‘Have I Got News For You’ is renewed for S2 by CNN. (more)

• ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ is renewed for S2 at Netflix and BBC. (more)

• ‘It’s Florida, Man’ is renewed for S2 by HBO. (more)

• ‘From’ is renewed for S4 by MGM+. (more)

Business 🤝

• Craig Zobel inks a multi-year first-look deal with HBO following his success as lead director of ‘The Penguin’ and Emmy-winning ‘Mare of Easttown.’ (more)

• Francis Lawrence inks a first-look deal with Lionsgate, solidifying his role in expanding ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise. (more)

• Fox Entertainment and Hulu extend their multi-year partnership, ensuring next-day streaming of hit shows like ‘The Simpsons,’ and ‘Family Guy.’ (more)

• Cynthia Erivo’s Edith’s Daughter signs a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. (more)

RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Wicked: The beloved Broadway musical comes to the big screen starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the witches of Oz, with the first part directed by Jon M. Chu.

• Gladiator II: Ridley Scott returns to ancient Rome with Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington in this highly-anticipated epic sequel.

📺 STREAMING

• The Piano Lesson: (Netflix) Gothic family drama adapting August Wilson's play, starring Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington.

• A Man on the Inside: (Netflix) Comedy starring Ted Danson, created by Michael Schur (‘The Good Place’).

• Based on a True Story: (Peacock) S2 of the dark comedy about a couple who start a podcast with a suspected killer, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina.

• The Sex Lives of College Girls: (Max) S3 of the college comedy series returns with longer episodes, starring Pauline Chalamet and Alyah Chanelle Scott.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

‘Wicked’ has already racked up $20M from previews and fan screenings, pointing to a massive $130-150M weekend ahead. Critics love it too, with a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes. ‘Gladiator II’ looks ready for a $65-75M domestic launch after already banking $87M overseas. Though they share a release date, they're drawing different crowds—families and musical fans for ‘Wicked,’ action fans for R-rated ‘Gladiator.’ While some call it ‘Glicked,’ don't expect many moviegoers to catch both like they did with ‘Barbenheimer.’ Still, this could be one of 2024's biggest box office weekends yet.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest trends & viral moments