🎬 Sundance Moves On

👋 Good morning! If you haven’t heard, Quentin Tarantino ditched his much-anticipated project, ‘The Movie Critic’ earlier this week. Not the finale fans expected, but when has Tarantino ever played by the rules? Instead, he’s heading back to the drawing board, perhaps to plot another twist in his storied career.

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:

• A24's AI Marketing Backfires

• Sundance Festival on the Move?

• No More Subscriber Count For Netflix

• 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 WORLDWIDE

🎬 Distorting Reality 🤖
AI Tech Gets Tricky in Hollywood

Artificial intelligence is no longer just knocking on Hollywood’s door—it’s barged right in. A24’s marketing team is currently in the hot seat, having kicked up a storm with their latest AI-generated posters for ‘Civil War.’ 

The images in question depict devastated U.S. cities, and are not only absent from the film but also venture deep into the 'uncanny valley' with their eerie and slightly off visuals. Critics argue these movie posters dupe moviegoers about what's really going on in the film and spark heated debates on the ethics of AI in advertising.

The uproar has whipped up quite the storm of attention, possibly fueling the film's surprisingly strong debut weekend, captivating both left and right-wing audiences. Ironically, the film's director, Alex Garland, is the visionary behind 'Ex Machina'—a film that serves as a cautionary tale on the perils of AI.

Netflix, too, has ventured into AI with its true crime documentary, ‘What Jennifer Did,’ tweaking images of Jennifer Pan to cast her in a cheerier light, despite her grim role in a 2010 murder-for-hire scandal.

This manipulation of real-world figures has introduced a troubling trend of distorting factual content, leading to potential misrepresentations of serious criminal matters. This artistic liberty marks a concerning trend of truth-bending where real events and personalities are being reshaped by generative AI technology, not just for creative flourishes, but in depicting actual people involved in serious criminal cases.

In the eye of this tech storm, the Archival Producers Alliance (APA) has stepped in, proposing draft guidelines for AI use in documentaries. Discussed at the International Documentary Association’s Getting Real Conference, these guidelines aim to preserve the historical accuracy and integrity of archival materials, demanding transparency, consent, and legal oversight in the use of AI. They emphasize the importance of transparency, consent, and legal checks when using AI. The APA aims to ensure that while AI can enhance storytelling, it shouldn't distort the facts.

🌄🎬 Sundance Festival on the Move? After nearly four decades, the Sundance Film Festival, founded by Robert Redford and celebrated in Park City, Utah, might soon call a new city home. As the contract for hosting Sundance in Park City expires post-2026, the festival organizers have initiated a bidding process to explore potential new venues across the U.S., focusing on inclusivity and sustainability. Despite this, Park City remains a contender, actively seeking to renew their longstanding arrangement. As the festival has grown, echoing the evolving needs of the indie film community, this move aligns with Sundance's mission to adapt and thrive in the digital age, even as local stakeholders and the Utah Film Commission express their desire to keep the festival within the state, highlighting its substantial economic impact.

📉🎬 No More Subscriber Count For Netflix: Netflix is changing how it plays the numbers game. Starting from Q1 of 2025, it's curtains for the quarterly subscriber count reports. The streaming giant says they’re going to focus on metrics like revenue, operating margin, and user engagement rather than just subscription numbers. Netflix, which recently celebrated a subscriber base of 269.6M thanks to a 9.3M increase, is also moving away from reporting average revenue per member. This pivot reflects its evolving business model, which includes multiple pricing tiers and added revenue streams like advertising and an extra member feature. While Netflix will still share major subscriber milestones and provide annual revenue guidance, this marks a significant shift from the growth metrics that once defined the streaming wars.

Development 🗒️

• The reality show ‘America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ has landed at Netflix (more)

• Comedy Central has ordered a 10-episode animated series based on the Sega video game ‘Golden Axe.’ (more)

• J.J. Abrams is reportedly in talks to direct a film that pays homage to 'Back to the Future,' potentially starring Timothee Chalamet. (more)

• ‘Project Hail Mary,’ a space adventure starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is set for a Mar. 20, 2026 release. (more)

• Lionsgate Television and director Park Chan-wook are developing an English-language TV series adaptation of the acclaimed film ‘Oldboy.’ (more)

• ABC Signature is developing a limited series on Al Sharpton, ‘The Redemption of Al Sharpton.’ (more)

• Andrew DeYoung is set to direct and executive produce HBO's comedy pilot 'The Chair Company,' created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, with Adam McKay also executive producing. (more)

• National Geographic has ordered ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking The Truth,’ a three-part docuseries from the producers of ‘Trafficked.’ (more)

• HBO and Bad Wolf are developing a 'Succession'-style series based on Orlando Whitfield's memoir 'All That Glitters.' (more)

• An animated TV series based on the video game ‘Super Dragon Punch Force 3,’ featured in Bill Skarsgård's film ‘Boy Kills World,’ is currently in development. (more)'

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘The Witcher’ has been renewed for S5, which will conclude the series. (more)

• ‘Fallout’ is renewed for S2 at Amazon. (more)

• Apple has renewed ‘For All Mankind’ for S5 and is expanding the franchise with ‘Star City.’ (more)

• ‘Elsbeth’ is renewed for S2 at CBS. (more)

Business 🤝

• Sony Pictures may join Apollo Global Management's $26B bid to acquire Paramount. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The 2024 Tribeca Festival unveils its film slate. (more)

• 'Ridiculousness' writers secure their first union contract with support from host Rob Dyrdek. (more)

• Max's docuseries 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' becomes its most-watched streaming title ever. (more)

• Skybound Entertainment, known for 'The Walking Dead,' launches an unscripted division led by Brent Jacoby. (more)

• Netflix significantly surpassed expectations by adding 9.33M subscribers in Q1 2024. (more)

• The Seth MacFarlane Foundation collaborates with Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation to restore a historic collection of animated shorts from the 1920s to 1940s. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Abigail: Modern reimagining of the 1936 film ‘Dracula’s Daughter’ starring Giancarlo Esposito, Angus Cloud and others.

• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: New Guy Ritchie spy action comedy.

📺 STREAMING

• Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver: (Netflix) Direct sequel to Zack Snyder’s epic space opera.

• Conan O’Brien Must Go: (Max) Travel show starring the former late-night host Conan O’Brien.