🎬 Why Studios Suspended Deals Before Negotiations ✋

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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: Hollywood Hits Pause

• Heavyweights Dive Into WGA & AMPTP Talks

• Netflix Splurges at TIFF

• Bill Maher Reverses Course

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

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

MOST STREAMED THIS WEEK

Hollywood Hits Pause
Why Studios Are Suspending Overall Deals In Bulk ✋

The Scene: A Lingering Writers Strike 🖊️
The WGA strike is cruising into its 21st week. In recent weeks, we’ve been following as major studios have decided it's the right moment to put a pin in some big production deals. Among them? Warner Bros. Television, Disney, Apple, and others. This past week, Lionsgate TV is the latest to join the trend, suspending non-writing producer deals.

The Mechanics of an 'Overall Deal' 💰📃
Let's break it down: these "overall deals" are hefty agreements between studios and big-time producers / production companies. They take care of the finances – from salaries to the nitty-gritty overheads. Here's the catch - studios get exclusive rights to any content made under these deals.

Who's On the List? 🌟
Names you'd recognize even if you skipped the opening credits. Here’s just a few of them:

• Greg Berlanti @ Warner Bros. Discovery

• JJ Abrams @ Warner Bros. Discovery

• Dwayne Johnson @ NBC Universal

• Gina Rodriguez @ Disney

• Dr. Phil @ CBS Studios

• Adam McKay @ Apple

• Natalie Portman @ Apple

• Paul Feig @ Lionsgate

• And many more…

So, Why The Suspensions? 🎭
The timing of the studios' decision to hit the pause button on their 'overall deals' comes at an intriguing juncture. With the WGA and AMPTP gearing up to re-enter negotiations, one can't help but question if the timing of this move is purely coincidental.

The prevalent theory is that these suspensions serve as more than just temporary halts; they're possibly a calculated maneuver by the studios. The goal? To ramp up the pressure on the industry's A-list writers. By putting these major deals in limbo, the studios may be indirectly urging these influential writers to advocate for a middle ground, thus accelerating the resolution of the strike.

Suspension ≠ Termination 🤷
Unlike the WGA strike of 2007-08, we're seeing suspensions, not full-on terminations. These big guns will likely have their suspension periods added back to their contracts. However, there's definitely some concern for the mid-tier and emerging talents. The hope is they won’t get lost in this shuffle.

The clock is ticking, though; if agreements aren't reached within the next month, studios might start considering force majeure action come November. Doing so would allow them to terminate contracts without facing the typical penalties for breach of contract.

As always, we’ll keep you posted as the situation unfolds!

Heavyweights Dive Into WGA & AMPTP Talks, Updates Might Be Scarce 🎬🤫 The WGA strike is reaching critical stages, and the negotiations have added heavyweights: Netflix's Ted Sarandos, Disney's Bob Iger, Universal's Donna Langley, and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav have joined in at AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks meetings, which began yesterday. Their presence underlines the industry's drive for a resolution. Despite hints on CNN, California’s governor Gavin Newsom was MIA. A recent WGA memo indicates they might maintain radio silence during these talks. But their goal? A fair deal for writers, and they'll be back with significant updates. A brief update followed yesterday’s meeting: “The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining today and will meet again tomorrow.” In the meantime, they're urging members to stand united on the picket lines. Here's to hoping for some positive news soon! 🌟📝🤞

Netflix Splurges at TIFF 2023! 🎬💰 Well, Netflix went on a shopping spree at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year, dropping big dollars on Anna Kendrick’s ‘Woman of the Hour’ and Richard Linklater’s ‘Hit Man’ among others. 🍿 Most studios and streamers seemed a bit hesitant in the market, focusing on fewer, bigger buys. The trend in 2023? Studios are playing it safe, with concerns about potential controversies in key global markets and ongoing labor strikes affecting film promotion. But Netflix? They’re still keen on snapping up films, regardless of whether they're home-grown or not. But for filmmakers whose projects didn't catch Netflix's eye? Tough luck in a year that's looking like the era of "left behind" indies. 🎥😬

Bill Maher Reverses Course And Halts Show 📺✏️ So, Bill Maher has had a change of heart. After planning to restart ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ on HBO despite the writers strike, he's decided to put the show on pause after all. Why? Well, with the strike talks kickstarting again, he’s hoping for a resolution soon. This move comes hot on the heels of Drew Barrymore, who backtracked on bringing back her show amidst the strike too. Both of them got some side-eyes for not standing strong with the WGA. Maher took to Twitter/X to say the following: 👇

Development 🗒️

• ‘Winning Time’ is canceled at HBO. (more)

• Netflix set to adapt Roald Dahl's ‘The Twits.’ (more)

• Amazon Prime Video collaborates with Gaumont for their first French theatrical film. (more)

• Netflix green-lights sequel to ‘Troll,’ a record-breaking Norwegian film. (more)

• A24 secures U.S. rights for 'Sing Sing'. (more)

• Netflix and Higher Ground acquires Jon Batiste doc ‘American Symphony.’ (more)

• AMC renews ‘Dark Winds’ for S3. (more)

• The Golden Globes taps Oscar producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner to EP. (more)

Releases 📅

• Paramount+ sets Nov 22 premier for ‘Good Burger 2.’ (more)

• A24 teams up w/ AMC for ‘October Thrills & Chills Film Series’ every Wednesday in October, showcasing classic A24 horror films. (more)

• ‘Slow Horses’ S3 sets a premiere date of Dec 1. (more)

Business 🤝

• MAX will begin offering a live sports tier in October. (more)

• DirecTV and Nexstar reach a multi-year carriage renewal agreement, resolving a dispute that began in July and had left millions without access to key channels. (more)

• Paramount+ to launch in Japan in December. (more)

• Casey Wasserman's company acquires Brillstein Entertainment Partners. (more)

• Netflix inks a deal with France's audiovisual sector to boost its French content funding to 85%, with a focus on documentaries and animation, following a similar move by Amazon Prime Video in 2022; the agreement will be in effect until Dec 31, 2026. (more)

Dual Strike News 🪧

• Due to a lack of scripted content amid strikes, ABC will simulcast an additional 10 ‘Monday Night Football’ games initially set for ESPN only. (more)

• Meredith Stiehm was reelected as WGA West president amidst an ongoing writers' strike. (more)

• ‘Dancing with the Stars’ rehearsal face WGA picket lines this week. (more)

• Hollywood's WWE superstars John Cena and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson return to wrestling amid strikes. (more)

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What to watch this weekend? 👀

THEATRICAL 🎥

• EXPEND4BLES: Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.

• It Lives Inside: An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.

STREAMING 📺

• Barber: (Vudu) Val Barber, a private investigator, is hired by a wealthy widow to find her missing granddaughter.

• Flora and Son: (Apple TV+) Follows Flora, a single mom who is at war with her son, Max. Trying to find a hobby for Max, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster and finds that one person's trash can be a family's salvation.

• Superpower: (Paramount+) Sean Penn’s doc that follows the events happening in Ukraine and the truth about Russia's invasion of the country.

In an effort to raise funds aimed at supporting crew members facing healthcare benefits challenges amidst the strike, Hollywood celebs team up for a charity auction, featuring some interesting listings: 🤔👇

PLUS: The internet had some fun with this one… 😂👇🏻

• Toni Collette will scream at you from across a dinner table

• Staring contest with Cillian Murphy

• Varnish a cabinet with David Lynch

• Sit in absolute silence with Nathan Fielder for an entire hour