🎬 New Frontier 🏀

👋 Good morning! This weekend, Kevin Bacon turned a high school prom into a ‘Footloose’ flashback at Utah's Payson High, where the film was shot. Marking the 40th anniversary, Bacon not only danced the night away but also joined students in building charity kits for his foundation.

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:

• The Rise of Women’s Sports

• Horror’s Slump

• Blair Witch Cast Advocates Creator Rights

• 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. 🎖️ Civil War: Holding strong at the top, A24's ‘Civil War’ took in $11.1M domestically in its second week, totaling $44.9M. Globally, it added $1.9M on IMAX screens.

2. 🧛‍♀️ Abigail: Debuted at $10.2M domestically, missing expectations with a global start of $15.2M.

3. 🦍 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: Earned $9.5M domestically in its fourth weekend, totaling $171.6M.

4. 🥊 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Opened to $9M domestically. Despite an "A-" CinemaScore, it faced a tough battle without a UK theater release.

5. 👨‍👩‍👧 Spy x Family Code: White: Crunchyroll's release grossed $4.9M domestically in its opening weekend.

6. 🐼 Kung Fu Panda 4: In its seventh week, it made $4.6M, bringing the domestic total to $180M.

7. 👻 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: Gathered $4.4M in its fifth week, crossing the $100M domestic mark.

8. 🏜️ Dune: Part Two: Collected $2.9M in its eighth week, reaching $276.6M domestically.

9. 🐒 Monkey Man: Took in $2.2M in its third week, with a total of $21.7M domestically.

10. 📖 The First Omen: Earned $1.7M in its third week, nearing a total of $18M domestically.

🏀 The Rise of Women’s Sports ⛹️‍♀️

Women’s sports is having a moment — and not just as a fleeting trend. From basketball courts to soccer fields, women’s sports are breaking records and emerging as a major powerhouse in the sports and entertainment landscape.

Caitlin Clark Shines at WNBA Draft: The WNBA Draft spotlight shone brightest on Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick from the University of Iowa. An all-time high of 2.45M viewers tuned in on ESPN last week to see her join the Indiana Fever. This surge in attention has prompted WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to aim for doubling the league’s media rights by 2025, pointing to a bullish future for women's basketball.

NCAA Women’s Basketball Sets New Heights: The NCAA Women's Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina fetched an astounding 18.9M viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game on ESPN — ever. This historic viewership not only surpassed any men’s or women’s basketball game from the past five years but also stood out as ESPN's top annual event since 2019, football excluded.

Soccer and Tennis Score Big: The National Women’s Soccer League secured a $240M broadcasting deal, reflecting the growing market value of women's soccer. Similarly, the Women's Tennis Association inked a $52.5M annual deal with the Tennis Channel, highlighted by the Women's U.S. Open Final outdrawing the Men's by over 1M viewers.

As women's sports continue to climb in popularity, Hollywood and the broader media landscape are pivoting to capitalize on this growing phenomenon. Expect a slew of new productions, from biopics of women’s sports icons to gritty series about the realities of women's leagues.

Advertisers are also increasing their stakes, channeling more funds into a market ripe with potential and a dedicated audience eager for representation. This shift is also prompting networks and streaming platforms to diversify revenue streams by securing broadcasting rights, making strategic investments that promise long-term payoffs.

The narrative is clear — the audience for women’s sports is not just growing; it's thriving, engaged, and hungry for content that reflects their interests and realities.

🎬👻Horror Hits a Low: Last year's horror frenzy has decidedly cooled off as Universal’s child-centric horror, ‘Abigail,’ only managed to scare up $10.2M and land in the #2 spot this past weekend. It’s a far cry from last year's heavy hitters like 'M3GAN,' ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ and 'The Nun II.' 2024 has yet to see any horror film break the $11M mark on opening weekend, signaling a chilling slowdown in a genre that was all the rage just a year ago. There is one exception: 'Night Swim,' which earned a $54M total from a modest $15M budget. Still, it stands alone in a series of tepid outcomes, including 'The First Omen' and 'Imaginary.' Some insiders remain optimistic, pointing out that horror has a knack for bouncing back. With promising titles like 'A Quiet Place - Day One' and 'MaXXXine' on the horizon, the latter half of the year might just revive the scares.

🎬🧙‍♀️ Blair Witch Cast Advocates Creator Rights: The original cast of ‘The Blair Witch Project’ are making headlines once again, urging Lionsgate to dish out retroactive residuals and give them a seat at the creative table for the film’s upcoming reboot. The trio is also pushing for a $60,000 annual grant to support nascent genre filmmakers, potentially reshaping how talent is compensated and involved in franchise projects. This bold stance could set a new precedent in Hollywood, especially in an era where actors and creators seek more control and recognition for their contributions. As Lionsgate and Blumhouse team up to resurrect ‘Blair Witch,’ the outcome of this demand could influence future negotiations across the industry, promoting a model where original creators are more deeply involved in reboots and sequels.

Development 🗒️

• Molly Shannon teams up with Steve Koren for a new HBO comedy. (more)

• Hulu greenlights 'Journey to the Center of the Internet,' an adult animated comedy about two brothers exploring a vivid cyberspace. (more)

• Keanu Reeves is set to star in Ruben Östlund's upcoming satirical airplane disaster film, ‘The Entertainment System Is Down.’ (more)

• 'Space Mountain' movie enlists 'Cowboy Bebop' showrunners Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec to pen the script for Disney's live-action adaptation inspired by the iconic ride. (more)

• Rick Eid steps down as 'FBI' showrunner but remains an executive producer. (more)

• Elliot Page's production company options the sci-fi novel 'The Darkness Outside Us' for a film adaptation. (more)

• Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore are cast in Greg Daniels' new comedy set in 'The Office' universe. (more)

• Netflix wins a bidding war to develop 'Calabasas,' a series produced by Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts, and Marlene King. (more)

• Hulu is set debut two 'Family Guy' holiday specials this year, celebrating the show's 25th anniversary.(more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘CSI: Vegas’ and ‘So Help Me Todd’ are canceled at CBS. (more)

Other News 🚨

• BAFTA sets date for 2025 Film Awards. (more)

• Sesame Workshop writers secure a tentative deal to avoid a strike, gaining new protections and benefits in their latest contract negotiation. (more)

• IATSE Local 705 reaches a tentative agreement with studios on craft-specific issues, marking progress in ongoing labor negotiations. (more)

• 50 Cent launches G-Unit Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, expanding his entertainment empire. (more)