🎬 It's Over

👋 Good morning! Ever wanted to spend a weekend at the hotel from ‘The Shining’? Well, pack your bags (and maybe a nightlight). This weekend Blumhouse announced that it’s turning The Stanley Hotel into a horror themed exhibit, right where Stephen King’s nightmare began. Just remember, if you start seeing twins in the corridor, it might be time to check out. 🚪👯‍♀️

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:

• Sundance 2024 Wrap-up

• Hollywood’s Decline in China

• DGA's Streaming Bonus Stirs Unrest

• 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
🎟️ DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🐝 The Beekeeper: Climbs to #1 with $7.4M, marking the lowest top spot earnings since 2022, totaling $42.2M domestically.

2. 🎓 Mean Girls: Slips to #2, down -37% to $7.3M, reaching a $60.8M North American total in 17 days.

3. 🍫 Wonka: Holds #3 with a -12% drop to $5.9M, nearing 2005's Charlie with a $195.1M total in 45 days.

4. 🐦 Migration: Stays at #4, falling -6% to $5.1M, crossing the $100M mark, eyeing Trolls Band Together's $102M final total.

5. 💘 Anyone But You: Maintains #5, dipping -11% to $4.8M, surpassing several recent rom-coms with a $71.1M total.

6. 🥊 Fighter: Debuts at #6 with $3.5M, marking Viva Entertainment's highest opening, yet trailing behind other recent Indian films.

🎞️ Sundance 2024 Wrap-up 🎬

As the curtain falls on the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the event leaves behind a trail of discussions, deals, and speculations. Known as the harbinger of cinematic trends, Sundance 2024 offered a unique lens into the evolving landscape of Hollywood. Here are the key takeaways from this year’s festival:

🤝 Key Deals & Acquisitions:

• Searchlight Pictures made a bold $10M acquisition of Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain.’

• Netflix expanded its portfolio with a $17M deal for ‘It’s What’s Inside,’ alongside securing ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story,’ a documentary about a daredevil couple's skyscraper adventures.

• Amazon MGM placed a significant wager on the coming-of-age tale ‘My Old Ass,’ investing over $15M. The film is slated for a substantial theatrical release before premiering globally on Prime Video.

• ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ is on the brink of being snapped up by Warner Bros Discovery in a landmark $15M deal.

• Netflix also secured ‘Ibelin,’ a poignant documentary about a gamer's hidden life.

• Sony Pictures Classics bought ‘Kneecap,’ a biopic on the Irish rap trio featuring Michael Fassbender.

• Full list here. 👈👀

📉 A slowdown in sales: The festival observed a slowdown in sales, indicating a more deliberate and cautious approach in film acquisitions, in stark contrast to the frenzied bidding wars of the past.

👻 Horror genre’s rise: The success of horror films at the festival, including ‘Presence’ and ‘It’s What’s Inside,’ highlighted the genre’s growing popularity and its potential profitability.

🌐 Streaming influence: Streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon played a pivotal role in acquisitions, reflecting the growing influence of digital platforms in the industry.

Amidst talks about the festival’s next chapter, Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute, hinted at upcoming negotiations for its future location while expressing affection for its current home.

Until next year, Sundance! ✌️

🍿🇨🇳 Hollywood's Decline in China: Hollywood is facing a box office slump in China, a critical market that was once a goldmine for American films. The sequel to ‘Aquaman,’ despite Warner Bros.' extensive promotional efforts, only garnered $60M in China, a stark contrast to the original's $293M success. This downturn reflects a broader trend: in 2023, no American movie made it into China's top 10 grossing films, a stark departure from previous years. Experts attribute this change to a combination of factors, including increased quality and appeal of domestic Chinese films, changing viewer preferences, and a growing focus on content that resonates with Chinese nationalistic themes. Hollywood's previous strategy of bending to Chinese tastes and censors seems to be losing its effectiveness, signaling a need for a reevaluation of their approach to this once-lucrative market.

🎬🤝 DGA's New Streaming Bonus Stirs Hollywood Unrest: The Directors Guild of America (DGA)'s recent decision to add a streaming performance bonus to its contract, matching that of the writers, is causing ripples of discontent across Hollywood's labor community. This move, revealed to be retroactive and somewhat clandestine, blindsided other guilds and even caused internal friction within the DGA. Despite public congratulations from sister unions like SAG-AFTRA, many see this as the DGA benefiting from the prolonged, painful efforts of writers and actors during last year's strikes. The controversy highlights the nuanced and often fraught dynamics of union negotiations in Hollywood, with the DGA's strategy raising eyebrows and stirring discussions about fairness and solidarity among the creative community.

Development 🗒️

• Amazon MGM Studios has acquired the Jason Statham-led action film ‘Levon's Trade’ for theatrical release. (more)

• Netflix has acquired the rights to reboot ‘Temptation Island.’ (more)

• The 'Wicked' movie musical adaptation starring Ariana Grande has completed filming. (more)

• Matthew McConaughey is set to star in the wildfire survival drama 'The Lost Bus,' directed by Paul Greengrass and produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jason Blum, with Apple in talks to acquire the film. (more)

• Kate Hudson will star in and executive produce Mindy Kaling's upcoming Netflix basketball comedy series. (more)

• Amanda Seyfried has been cast as the lead and will executive produce ‘Long Bright River’ for Peacock. (more)

• Pharrell’s Lego movie inspired by his life is getting a fall release. (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios is developing ‘Razzlekhan,’ based on the true story of a couple's $3B crypto theft, with Lili Reinhart among the producers. (more)

• Burt Kreischer signs a deal with Netflix for two more stand-up comedy specials. (more)

• Tatanka Means joins the cast of Netflix romantic drama ‘Ransom Canyon.’ (more)

• Disney is considering a theatrical release for ‘Young Woman and The Sea,’ starring Daisy Ridley, following high test scores. (more)

• James Vanderbilt's historical drama ‘Nuremberg,’ adds Richard E. Grant, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Lydia Peckham, Wrenn Schmidt, Lotte Verbeek, and Andreas Pietschmann to its cast. (more)

• Dev Patel's directorial debut ‘Monkey Man,’ originally set for Netflix, will now be released theatrically by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw and Universal on Apr. 5. (more)

• Zöe Kravitz and Channing Tatum's movie, previously titled 'Pussy Island,' has been renamed 'Blink Twice.' (more)

Business 🤝

• Jonathan Glickman, former MGM executive, is in negotiations to become the new CEO of Miramax. (more)

• Cineplex faces two proposed class-action lawsuits in Canada, accusing the company of not transparently disclosing additional online booking fees for non-CineClub members. (more)

• Axios launches entertainment division, debuting with 'The Money Game' on Amazon Prime Video. (more)

Other News 🚨

• WWE founder Vince McMahon has resigned from his role at parent company TKO Group Holdings and WWE following a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and trafficking. (more)