🎬 WB's Speedbump

👋 Good morning! Park Chan-wook wants Robert Pattinson to make Oscar history. The legendary ‘Oldboy’ director is so impressed with Pattinson's dual clone performances in Bong Joon-ho's ‘Mickey 17’ that he's petitioning Academy members to "give him both!!" the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor trophies.

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Warner Bros’ Strategy Hits a Speedbump

• Mark Duplass Bypasses Streamers

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

CLOSEUP
🎬 WB’s auteur strategy is hitting a speed bump…

Warner Bros' bold bet on prestige directors is facing mounting skepticism after back-to-back disappointments. Last fall's ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ musical experiment fizzled at the box office, and now Bong Joon Ho's ‘Mickey 17’ has opened to a dismal $19M domestic debut with a lackluster B CinemaScore. Industry sources predict the $118M sci-fi oddity could lose well over $100M—putting a spotlight on film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy's ambitious filmmaker-first strategy.

Their strategy? Giving acclaimed arthouse directors massive blockbuster budgets to create original films—essentially betting that critical darlings can deliver commercial hits when armed with A-list stars and marketing muscle. While ‘Mickey 17’ was initially greenlit by previous studio chief Toby Emmerich, it became a key piece in De Luca and Abdy's auteur-driven slate vision.

The behind-the scenes drama paints a troubling picture:

• ‘Mickey 17’ reportedly bombed in test screenings, but Bong dismissed worries by noting his Oscar-winner ‘Parasite’ also tested poorly (though that film cost a mere $10M)

• Warner Bros. created an alternative cut that tested 10 points higher, but Bong's final cut contract prevailed

The strategy is now facing intense scrutiny with more high-stakes projects in the pipeline:

• Paul Thomas Anderson directing Leonardo DiCaprio for $130M (his highest-grossing film made $76M)

• Ryan Coogler's $90M horror film ‘Sinners’ arrives next month

• Maggie Gyllenhaal's leap from $5M indie to $80M horror film ‘The Bride!’

Looking ahead... The biggest casualty here might be final cut privileges. Insiders say WB is already rethinking director-friendly contracts. The next few months are make-or-break for Warner's filmmaker-first gamble. If Coogler's ‘Sinners’ underperforms, cost-conscious CEO David Zaslav might pull back on the auteur experiment entirely, pivoting toward safer IP bets by year's end.

CLOSEUP
🎬 Mark Duplass is bypassing streamers and going DIY…

Mark Duplass is tearing up the Hollywood rulebook. After streaming platforms gave his series 'The Long Long Night' the cold shoulder, the indie filmmaker is taking distribution into his own hands. Here’s the scoop:

• Duplass is independently releasing ‘The Long Long Night’ through a hybrid model combining crowdfunding via Seed&Spark and community screenings through Kinema.

• The 6-part series premiered at Tribeca last year but couldn't land a streaming deal despite Duplass's industry clout.

• Traditional streamers passed because the show about "two white males taking up space" didn't fit their programming strategies.

The Sundance-to-Netflix pipeline that once promised indie filmmakers their big break? "That's over," according to Duplass. While everyone now has the tools to make content, distribution remains the biggest hurdle for independent creators.

Looking ahead… Duplass's show will roll out in stages—early backers get access starting April 14, with public release on April 28. But this isn't just about one show—it's about building a new ecosystem where creators can own their content, access audience data, and build direct relationships with viewers. For Duplass, it's about creating leverage: "Brick by brick, you start to build something that is indestructible."

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LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot deal includes a massive $20M payday plus 20% backend. (more)

• ‘Landman’ breakout Michelle Randolph and comedian Jimmy Tatro have joined the cast of ‘Scream 7,’ set for release on Feb. 27, 2026. (more)

• Jack Huston will direct ‘Joseph Merrick’ for Phoenix Pictures, with production set to begin later this year. (more)

• Steve Buscemi replaces Mark Ruffalo in Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine,’ joining Sam Rockwell in the Searchlight film. (more)

• TDE Films, Top Dawg Entertainment’s new film division, is producing the sci-fi action horror ‘The Zone’ directed by Dallas Jackson. (more)

• Shudder has acquired the home invasion thriller ‘Push,’ starring Alicia Sanz and Raúl Castillo. (more)

• ‘Dead Lover,’ Grace Glowicki’s campy horror-romance, has been acquired for theatrical release by new distributor Cartuna x Dweck. (more)

• Simon Rex and Natalie Lind will star in ‘Halloween Store,’ a campy horror comedy, with Kenan Thompson and John Ryan Jr. producing. (more)

• Netflix has acquired ‘The Perfect Neighbor,’ the Sundance-winning documentary about the 2023 shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens. (more)

• Netflix is developing a new film adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Cujo,’ with Roy Lee producing and a search for writers underway. (more)

• Sony’s ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,’ starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, has been pushed from May to a Sept. 19 theatrical release. (more)

TV Development 📺

• Rola Bauer joins Amazon’s ‘Totally Spies!’ and ‘Pompeii: A Day of Fire’ as executive producer. (more)

• NBC is developing a drama series based on ‘Fire with Fire,’ starring Jon Huertas and executive produced by ‘The Rookie’ creator Alexi Hawley. (more)

• Shannon Gisela, Brittany Adebumola, and Dylan Jackson will star in Peacock’s Miami-set crime thriller ‘M.I.A.’ (more)

• Gabriel Luna joins ‘The Terminal List’ S2 as CIA sniper Freddy Strain. (more)

• June Diane Raphael will play Elle Woods’ mother in ‘Elle,’ Prime Video’s ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series. (more)

Renewed & Canceled ✅ ❌

• CBS has renewed ‘The Neighborhood’ for an eighth and final season. (more)

• ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ is renewed for S3 at Max. (more)

• ‘Cruel Intentions’ is cancelled after S1 at Prime Video. (more)

Business 🤝

• Alix Jaffe has been named President of Television at Miramax, succeeding Marc Helwig and overseeing global TV operations. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Disney is downsizing the ‘Snow White’ premiere amid controversies over Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. (more)

• Sick of the news? Join 4M Americans who get clear, unbiased updates from 1440's free newsletter. (more)*

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📺 Latest trailers

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