🎬 Missing in Action

👋 Good morning! Earlier this week, the CA state Senate passed Assembly Bill 2602 that could put some guardrails on using digital doubles of actors without their say-so. SAG-AFTRA's cheering from the sidelines, calling it a "huge step forward" in protecting performers' rights in our increasingly digital world. The bill would stop employers from using AI versions of actors to replace work they could do in person, among other protections. Now it's headed to Governor Newsom's desk where he'll either give it a thumbs up or send it back for rewrites.

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:

• Venice Stars Snub Journalists

• Major Piracy Site Closed

• National Cinema Day is MIA

• 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

🎭🚫 Venice Film Fest's star-studded lineup is giving journalists the cold shoulder. A-listers like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and George Clooney are snubbing press interviews, leaving international media out in the cold. This "no interview policy" has sparked outrage among freelancers who rely on exclusive celeb chats to fund their festival coverage. Over 50 journalists penned an open letter protesting the studio-led strategy, calling it a "disaster" for their profession. While 'Joker: Folie à Deux' stars are playing ball, most VIPs are sticking to red carpet soundbites and official pressers. Veteran publicist Charles McDonald warns this trend could jeopardize the entire festival ecosystem: "Without the media, the festivals don't really exist." Eyes are on Venice's artistic director Alberto Barbera, who's promised to "look into it."

🏴‍☠️🎬 Vietnamese authorities have shuttered Fmovies, dubbed the world's largest piracy ring by the Motion Picture Association. This Hanoi-based streaming syndicate, which included sites like bflixz and myflixer, attracted a staggering 374M monthly visitors. The takedown, orchestrated by Hanoi Police and the MPA's Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, disabled hundreds of affiliated sites that had amassed 6.7B visits between January 2023 and June 2024. While this marks a major victory against illegal streaming, it comes at a time when Hollywood is paradoxically flirting with strategic piracy as a marketing tool. Recent blockbusters like ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ have seen unauthorized clips flood social media, seemingly with tacit studio approval, to build buzz among Gen Z audiences. This tightrope walk between combating piracy and leveraging it for promotion signals a complex new chapter in Hollywood's digital marketing playbook.

🎬💸 National Cinema Day's gone MIA. The popular $3-4 ticket extravaganza that packed theaters in 2022 and 2023 is missing its usual pre-Labor Day slot, leaving movie buffs puzzled. NATO (that's the National Association of Theatre Owners, not the military alliance) says they're "exploring opportunities to expand" but details are scarce. Behind the scenes, it's a tangle of logistics, cautious distributors, and scheduling conflicts. With actual new releases daring to drop around Labor Day, no one wants to dilute their opening weekend with bargain prices. November and December are potential new dates being considered as the industry debates the future of this crowd-pleasing discount day.

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Development 🗒️

• Barry Keoghan joins Cillian Murphy and Rebecca Ferguson in Netflix’s upcoming ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie. (more)

• Gwyneth Paltrow returns to star opposite Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie’s upcoming A24 film ‘Marty Supreme.’ (more)

• A Steve Harvey biopic is in the works at Objectively Good Media. (more)

• Samuel Goldwyn Films acquires North American rights to WWII drama ‘The Last Rifleman’ starring Pierce Brosnan. (more)

• Teo Yoo (‘Past Lives’ breakout) will star in Lionsgate’s action thriller ‘Karoshi,’ directed by Takashi Doscher. (more)

• Apple TV+ releases ‘Napoleon: The Director’s Cut,’ featuring 48 minutes of new footage from Ridley Scott’s historical epic. (more)

• Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry’s musical film ‘Atlantis,’ set in 1977 Virginia Beach, will be released on May 9, 2025. (more)

• Yvonne Strahovski will star in and executive produce the series adaptation of ‘A Woman of Intelligence’ for UCP. (more)

• Greta Lee and Andrew Scott will star in Lili Horvát’s English-language debut, ‘My Notes on Mars,’ a sci-fi romance set to shoot in 2024. (more)

• Chad Stahelski is set to direct a TV series adaptation of Jonathan Maberry’s ‘Joe Ledger’ novels. (more)

• Simone Miller and Jason Diaz join the cast of MGM+’s series ‘The Institute,’ based on Stephen King’s novel. (more)

• Uma Thurman joins the cast of the indie action film ‘Ballerina Overdrive,’ currently in production in Budapest. (more)

• Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte join Jennifer Lawrence in Lynne Ramsay’s thriller ‘Die, My Love.’ (more)

 Venice Film Festival 🇮🇹

• A24 acquires U.S. rights to Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ starring Daniel Craig. (more)

• Netflix has acquired U.S. rights to Pablo Larraín’s biopic ‘Maria,’ starring Angelina Jolie as opera legend Maria Callas. (more)

Business 🤝

• Content Partners LLC is expanding by launching a credit investing division, led by Alphonse Lordo, to finance entertainment projects across film, TV, and music. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Nikki Glaser will host the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, 2025, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. (more)

• Want to level up your writing? See why screenwriters are using this tool. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• 1992: Drama set during the 1992 LA riots, starring Tyrese Gibson and Ray Liotta. Directed by Ariel Vromen.

• Afraid: Sci-fi horror about a family terrorized by their smart home AI, starring John Cho and Katherine Waterston. Directed by Chris Weitz.

• Reagan: Biographical drama about Ronald Reagan's life and presidency, starring Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller.

• Slingshot: Sci-fi psychological thriller starring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne.

📺 STREAMING

• Emilia Pérez: (Netflix) French musical crime comedy about a cartel leader's gender transition, starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez. Directed by Jacques Audiard.

• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: (Prime Video) S2 of the pic fantasy series based on Tolkien's works.

• Terminator Zero: (Netflix) Sci-fi anime series set in Tokyo, featuring Timothy Olyphant as the voice of the Terminator.

• The Deliverance: (Netflix) Supernatural horror thriller about demonic possession, starring Andra Day and Glenn Close.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

As we head into Labor Day weekend, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is looking to take the top spot for the sixth time, with projections of $8-12M. Not far behind, ‘Alien: Romulus’ aims to keep audiences squirming in their seats, eyeing a $6-10M haul.

The new horror entry ‘Afraid,’ from Sony and Blumhouse, aims to break into the top three with a projected $6-10M opening. This AI-themed thriller could potentially surprise if it connects with audiences seeking late-summer scares. Rounding out our lineup, ‘It Ends With Us’ keeps tugging heartstrings, while Dennis Quaid channels his inner Gipper in ‘Reagan,’ aiming for a $5-7M debut.