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👋 Good morning! Last night's FireAid benefit concert made streaming history as Prime Video, Disney+, and 23 other platforms joined forces to simulcast an all-star concert for L.A. wildfire victims. The five-hour show packed two arenas with performances from Lady Gaga to Stevie Wonder, while behind the scenes, several crew members who lost their own homes to the fires helped make the broadcast happen.

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:

• Lionsgate Gets a Streaming Boost

• Sundance Deal-Making

• Superbowl Playbook

• 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
🤝 Amazon just snagged Lionsgate’s theatrical lineup…

Amazon just inked a multi-year pact that hands them early dibs on Lionsgate’s theatrical releases starting 2026, plus cherry-picked 2025 films and a massive treasure trove of library content. We’re talking franchises like ‘John Wick,’ ‘Twilight,’ and ‘Saw,’ plus upcoming tentpoles like a new ‘Hunger Games’ entry and ‘Now You See Me 3.’

Why does it matter? Remember when streaming was supposed to kill theaters? Well, plot twist—now they’re best friends. Theaters get fresh content, Amazon gets market-tested hits, and Lionsgate—still nursing wounds from last year’s box office bruises—bags guaranteed revenue. Here’s the nitty-gritty:

• Release windows are getting smarter: Lionsgate releases will go from theatrical → STARZ → Prime Video. Each stop maximizes revenue and hits different audience sweet spots.

• Amazon’s doubling down on proven IP instead of betting the farm on originals—a cheaper, safer play in today’s tight market.

• Deep library content (think: every season of ‘Weeds’ and ‘Nurse Jackie’) gives Prime Video the kind of binge-worthy depth subscribers love.

• For Lionsgate, it’s a much-needed win, providing a cushy financial safety net for their theatrical ambitions.

Looking ahead… This is streaming growing up. As the streaming wars enter a more mature phase, expect the new playbook to look more like this: strategic partnerships, theatrical validation, and deep libraries. In a world where consolidation is king and content costs are crushing, it's not only about having content anymore—it's about having the right content, at the right time, across all the right platforms. And with Amazon's MGM acquisition still fresh, this deal signals they're not done building their entertainment empire.

WIDE SHOTS
🎬 Sundance & the Superbowl…

🌄🤝 Sundance 2025’s deal-making has finally kicked into gear. Park City’s market scene got off to a sluggish start, with LA fires affecting travel and everyone finding their footing with the new hybrid online format. Some are saying even Park City itself feels different, with prime dinner spots and hotel rooms surprisingly easy to score. But the energy's shifting now. 60+ films looking for homes are starting to find their matches—and while we're not seeing those infamous late-night bidding wars of yesteryear, a couple of major deals are breathing life into the marketplace.

• Netflix scooped up 'Train Dreams,' a buzzy period drama starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones for high-teen millions.

• Neon clinched worldwide rights to the body horror hit 'Together' (starring power couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie) for $17M after duking it out with A24 and Searchlight—look for it in theaters August 1.

• The documentary scene's heating up, with buyers circling standouts like 'Andre Is An Idiot,' 'It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley,' and the Jacinda Ardern deep-dive 'Prime Minister.'

• Magnolia secured 'One to One: John and Yoko' pre-festival, planning an unprecedented IMAX exclusive release on April 11 before its Max/HBO debut late 2025.

The festival wraps Sunday with winners to be announced later today.

🎬🏈 Studios and streamers’ Super Bowl plays are taking shape. After years of streaming giants and smaller studios ponying up for spots, only Disney, Paramount, and Universal are buying in at a record-breaking $8M per 30-second ad this year. While Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and smaller studios sit this one out, last year's plays proved why the big three won't quit—‘Deadpool & Wolverine's’ trailer nabbed 75.4M views before crushing the box office with a $211.4M opening. Meanwhile, streaming's new guard is muscling in differently. Fox's free ad-supported streamer Tubi is skipping the pricey ads to stream the whole game free, betting on a perfect storm: young cord-cutters who've ditched cable but don't want premium streaming bills, plus the massive viewership bump if Taylor Swift shows up to support boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs. They're wrapping the game in celeb-focused coverage that's catnip for both crowds—a savvy play for a service that's already grown to 97M monthly users. While legacy studios throw cash at mass marketing, streaming's rising stars are playing a craftier game. In today's Hollywood, you either spend big or get creative.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Samuel Goldwyn Films acquires North American rights to action caper ‘Killing Mary Sue,’ starring Sierra McCormick and Dermot Mulroney. (more)

• Megan Park teams with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and LuckyChap for YA drama ‘Sterling Point’ at Amazon Prime Video. (more)

• Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a supernatural romantic thriller from M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks, with a film and novel in development. (more)

• Peacock orders crime drama ‘Superfakes’ from ‘Beef’ Emmy winner Alice Ju, with A24 and the Safdie brothers producing. (more)

• Miramax is remaking ‘The Faculty’ with Robert Rodriguez producing and Drew Hancock writing the script. (more)

• Eddie Murphy will star as a retired superspy in Sony’s action-comedy ‘Blue Falcon,’ written by Chad St. John. (more)

• Hulu acquires Stavros Halkias’ dark comedy ‘Let’s Start a Cult,’ set to premiere on Feb. 4. (more)

• Annette Bening joins Anya Taylor-Joy in Apple TV+’s crime thriller limited series ‘Lucky,’ based on Marissa Stapley’s bestselling novel. (more)

• David Arquette returns to the summer slasher genre in ‘Kill or Be Killed,’ a high-stakes horror thriller co-starring Alisha Newton. (more)

• Sony sets Darren Aronofsky’s Austin Butler-led thriller ‘Caught Stealing’ for Aug. 29 while pushing ‘Insidious 6’ to fall 2026. (more)

• Netflix has ordered a ‘Little House on the Prairie’ reboot, with Rebecca Sonnenshine as showrunner and a fresh take on the classic story. (more)

• Focus Features and Hyde Park are teaming up for a new adaptation of ‘Audition,’ with Christian Tafdrup set to write and direct. (more)

Business 🤝

• Carlyle Group acquires a significant stake in Hollywood talent management firm Entertainment 360, home to Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig. (more)

• A judge orders Paramount to release Skydance merger records to an investor investigating potential corporate misconduct by Shari Redstone. (more)

• Andrew Schneider has been named EVP of Candle Entertainment, overseeing its expansion in scripted film and TV. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The American Film Market will return to Los Angeles in 2025 after its poorly received move to Las Vegas last year. (more)

• A judge declined to dismiss Michael Crichton’s widow’s lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery, claiming ‘The Pitt’ is an unauthorized ‘ER’ derivative. (more)

• A judge has granted Range Media Partners a temporary pause in CAA’s lawsuit over alleged “unlawful profits,” reversing a lower court’s earlier decision. (more)

• Sick of the news? Join the other 4M Americans and sign up for 1440 for free today. The best newsletter for unbiased reporting. (more)*

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RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Companion: Sci-fi horror starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid.

• Dog Man: Animated family comedy with star-studded voice cast.

• Valiant One: Special ops thriller starring Chase Stokes and Lana Condor.

📺 STREAMING

• The Recruit: (Netflix) S2 of the spy thriller returns with Noah Centineo.

• The Fall of Diddy: (Max) True crime docuseries on Sean "Diddy" Combs.

• American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson: (Netflix) O.J. Simpson doc series.

• Paradise: (Hulu) Murder drama starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden.

• Vietnam: The War That Changed America: (Apple TV+) Doc series narrated by Ethan Hawke.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

The first box office pulse of 2025 arrives with DreamWorks' ‘Dog Man’ eyeing $25M-30M from 3,800 theaters to lead the frame. Horror-sci-fi entry ‘Companion’ should land in second with $8M-10M at 3,200 locations, buoyed by stellar reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), while action thriller ‘Valiant One’ targets $2M-4.5M from 1,500 screens. Holdovers Flight Risk and Mufasa: The Lion King round out what should be a respectable late January weekend.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments