🎬 It Has Begun 🙌

👋 Good morning! Happy Friday, and welcome aboard the Dailies.

Whether you're a seasoned subscriber or a new arrival, we're thrilled to have you here. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we'll deliver the most important industry scoops directly to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Sundance 2024 Begins

• BAFTA 2024 Nominations

• ‘Anyone But You’ Resurrects Rom-Coms

• TV’s Taking a Tumble

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

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

TOP STREAMED THIS WEEK IN THE US

🎥✨ Sundance 2024 Begins: The Sundance Film Festival kicked off yesterday in Park City and Salt Lake City, and will run through Jan. 28. The festival is poised to be a pivotal platform for the next wave of indie hits and Oscar contenders. A staggering 95% of this year’s festival lineup is world premieres, and 80% await distribution deals. The festival received a record-breaking 17,435 submissions from 153 countries, despite the backdrop of last year’s industry strikes and complex landscape for indie film makers. Jason Blum, a Sundance veteran, emphasized the festival’s crucial, yet often under-appreciated role in shaping the U.S. entertainment scene in a discussion earlier this week. Blum expressed his positive outlook, suggesting that last year’s disruptions might actually benefit Sundance films, allowing them to transition quickly from festival screens to global theaters, filling the gaps in the current release schedule.

🌐🏆 BAFTA 2024 Nominations: The BAFTA Film Awards, which primarily focus on British and international cinema, have unveiled their 2024 nominations. Here’s a snapshot of the key highlights:

• 🎬 'Oppenheimer' leads with a stellar 13 nominations.

• 📊 'Barbie' faces underwhelming international support, only securing 5 nominations.

• 🏆 Disney and Searchlight received a combined total of 22 nominations.

• 🎭 'The Holdovers' emerges as a potential underdog in the best picture category.

• 🌍 Universal secures a commendable 21 nods.

• 🍏 Apple Original Films makes a mark with 14 nominations, emphasizing its growing influence in the film industry.

• 🎥 Netflix bags 12 nominations.

• 🎬 Notable omissions in the directing category include Martin Scorsese, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Greta Gerwig.

• 🏆 Sandra Hüller's possible historic double acting nominations for non-English language performances and Lily Gladstone's notable snub for 'Killers of the Flower Moon' spark discussions.

These nominations not only set the stage for an exciting BAFTA event, but also shape the narrative for the upcoming Oscars. See all the nominations here. 👈🏻

🎬💘 ‘Anyone But You’ Resurrects Rom-Coms: In an era where streaming seemed to have claimed the rom-com genre, Sony’s ‘Anyone But You’ has emerged as a winner at the box office. The Shakespeare-inspired film is moving towards a potential $100M domestic gross against its modest $25M budget. The film, which was initially met with lukewarm reviews, found its magic bullet on TikTok. Fans are taking part in a viral trend where they recreate the film’s end-credits dance sequence to Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten,’ turning the movie outing into a communal experience (similar to the Saltburn trend). The film’s success challenges the notion that rom-coms are just for streaming, and underscores the influence of TikTok in reviving genres and shaping audience engagement.

📉📺 TV’s Taking a Tumble: A recent Luminate report revealed a significant drop in new TV shows in 2023. With only 1,784 TV programs premiering, we're talking a 21% decrease from the previous year, which translates to nearly 500 fewer shows lighting up our screens. This decline, steeper than even the pandemic year of 2020, hints at an industry scaling back in response to dual labor strikes and tighter purse strings. Comedies and dramas took the biggest hit, while unscripted and animated series managed to keep the show going despite the tumult. The data, suggesting a possible end to the Peak TV era, leaves us wondering if our binge-watching habits might need to adjust to a new, less abundant TV landscape.

Development 🗒️

• Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler are teaming up again for Coogler's first original spec script since 'Fruitvale Station.' (more)

• Taylor Sheridan, creator of 'Yellowstone,' will write and direct 'Empire Of The Summer Moon.’ (more)

• Selena Gomez and David Henrie are set to return for a ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ revival at Disney. (more)

• Domhnall Gleeson joins the cast of Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain of Youth’ at Apple and Skydance. (more)

• David F. Sandberg is set to direct ‘Until Dawn’ horror video game adaptation. (more)

• Universal Pictures is developing a biopic based on Anthony Kiedis' memoir 'Scar Tissue,' produced by Brian Grazer. (more)

• Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon & Jemaine Clement join the cast of Warner Bros’ ‘Minecraft’ movie. (more here and here)

• Andrew McCarthy directs 'Brats,' a Hulu documentary about the 1980s Brat Pack. (more)

• Radio Silence and Project X Entertainment secure a deal with MRC to produce a series of horror and thriller films. (more)

• Forest Whitaker joins the MGM+ drama 'Emperor of Ocean Park,' marking his second project with the network. (more)

• Blumhouse's 'Speak No Evil,' starring James McAvoy, shifts its release to Sept. 13. (more)

• Rachel Maddow and Adam McKay collaborate on a documentary about Lev Parnas. (more)

• Rosa Salazar joins Mark Wahlberg in Amazon MGM’s ‘Play Dirty.’ (more)

• Bravo is expanding the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ universe with spinoff ‘The Valley.’ (more)

• Lionsgate acquires Chandler Baker's werewolf thriller 'Big Bad' for Chris Landon to direct post-'Scream 7.’ (more)

• Oscilloscope Laboratories acquires Ethan Hawke’s, ‘Wildcat.’ (more)

• Anna Faris joins the cast of ‘I, Object.’ (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• Issa Rae’s ‘Rap Sh!t’ is cancelled at Max after S2. (more)

• ‘Schmigadoon’ is cancelled after S2 at Apple TV+. (more)

• ‘House of Villains’ is renewed for S2 at E! (more)

Business 🤝

• Trian Fund Management nominates Nelson Peltz and James A. Rasulo to Disney's Board, escalating its push for management changes. (more)

• Paramount+ expands in India and the Philippines through branded hubs and content licensing deals to enhance global reach and improve cash flow. (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios signs a multiyear first-look deal with Tastemade. (more)

• Diamond Sports Group, facing bankruptcy, secures a crucial financial and content deal with Amazon. (more)

• Amazon Prime Video partners with The Wonder Project for faith-based series 'House of David,' expanding into spiritually-themed content. (more)

• YouTube is cutting 100 jobs as it restructures its content and creator teams. (more)

• Amazon Prime Video Southeast Asia is reducing its originals team and shifting to a leaner model, focusing on licensing content rather than producing local originals. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Joel and Ethan Coen are “working on writing something” together again. (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios is opening a production base in Toronto. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Origin: Ava DuVernay's biographical drama based on ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.’

• Founders Day: Erik Bloomquist’s satirical political slasher.

📺 STREAMING

• Death and Other Details: (Hulu) Mystery drama by Mike Weiss and Heidi Cole McAdams.