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Welcome back to The Dailies. It's Friday, the Oscars are this weekend, and there's a lot going on. Grab your coffee and let's get into it. 👇
TOP STREAMED
📊 What U.S. audiences were watching this week…
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| HOW LAST WEEK'S RELEASES ARE STACKING UP… | |
 | Marshals CBS Luke Grimes' 'Yellowstone' spinoff debuted to 9.52M viewers on premiere day per Nielsen, then grew to 20.6M total multiplatform viewers over its first seven days per CBS. That makes it the most-watched network original series premiere without a football lead-in since 'Young Sheldon' in 2017. CBS has already renewed it for S2 after just two episodes. |
 | War Machine Netflix Alan Ritchson's action film opened to 10.3M U.S. views in its debut weekend per Luminate. Globally, it logged 39.3M views in the same frame, making it Netflix's #1 English-language film worldwide for the week. A strong launch, though still a notch below recent Netflix original 'The Rip,' which opened to 13M domestic views. |
 | The Dinosaurs Netflix The Steven Spielberg-executive produced docuseries opened to 2.6M U.S. views and 8M hours watched in its debut weekend according to Luminate. Globally, it pulled 10.4M views per Netflix, landing at #2 among English-language TV titles for the week, just behind 'Bridgerton.' |
 | Young Sherlock Prime Video The new series debuted with 1.8M U.S. views and 12M hours watched in its first week. That's a step above recent Prime Video titles like '56 Days' (1.3M views, 8.4M hours) and 'Steal' (1.9M views, 9.2M hours), though not a breakout by any measure. |
Sources: Top streamed chart (U.S.) via FlixPatrol; new release viewership data (U.S.) via Luminate.
CLOSEUP
📅 Universal just did a 180 on theatrical windows…
Donna Langley, chair of Universal Film Entertainment Group (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The studio that sparked Hollywood's window wars by cutting exclusivity to just 17 days during COVID is now trying to put the pieces back together. Starting this weekend, Universal is committing to a minimum of five weekends of theatrical exclusivity in 2026 and seven weekends starting in 2027, closer to the pre-pandemic norm of around 45 days.
It's basically an admission that keeping films in theaters longer is good for business. Exhibitors could use the win:
AMC posted a $632M net loss in 2025 and is actively closing locations
Ticket sales are still down roughly 22% from pre-pandemic levels
Studio research found short windows had quietly conditioned audiences to wait a few weeks and watch at home. Pavlov's moviegoer.
It also helps clean up what had become a pretty chaotic distribution landscape. Last year, Paramount alone had three different window lengths across its slate, while Warner Bros. swung anywhere from 17 to 52 days. Confused customers stopped planning around theaters at all.
One exception: specialty label Focus Features stays on the shorter window. Its arthouse titles essentially use theatrical runs as expensive marketing for PVOD anyway, so the calculus is different.
The bigger picture: Hollywood seems to be reaching a quiet consensus that longer windows are just good business… or at least that's what everyone's saying: both Paramount and Netflix made the same pledge during the Warner Bros. bidding war, though both had reason to tell filmmakers what they wanted to hear. First up under the new policy: 'Reminders of Him' this weekend, with Nolan's 'The Odyssey' and Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' among the titles to follow.
INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
🏆 Put your money where your Oscar ballot is…
You've watched the contenders. You've clocked the campaigns. You've had the same argument about Best Picture approximately eleven times since October. At some point, the only move left is to actually put something on it.
Kalshi is a prediction market where you trade on real-world outcomes (Oscars included). Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, and more are all on the board. If your read is right, you get paid. The Dailies is giving readers $10 free to get started. Trade responsibly.
ICYMI
⚡️ Quick hits…
Cast of ‘I Love Boosters’ during its SXSW premiere yesterday (Hubert Vestil/Getty Images)
🤠 SXSW kicked off its 2026 edition in Austin last night, celebrating 40 years of the festival overall. Boots Riley's 'I Love Boosters' opened the film fest to standing ovations, with Apple TV+'s 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' headlining the TV premieres. The fest runs through Wednesday.
🏗️ Annapurna's revival is gaining momentum: the company is launching an international TV division out of London with former New Regency exec Ed Rubin heading it up. The studio, which produced last night's SXSW opener 'I Love Boosters,' has more hires expected as it ramps up across film, TV and theater.
🔒 The Oscars are beefing up security after the FBI flagged a possible Iranian drone threat targeting the West Coast. The White House has since walked it back, saying no such threat exists, but producers say they've got plenty of security in place for Sunday's show regardless.
📱 Google is making a push into microdramas through 100 Zeros, its production venture with management firm Range Media Partners. The initiative has already lined up 'The Bachelor' creator Mike Fleiss, McG, and Kenan Thompson. The platform is open to creators as well, not just commissioned projects. The format keeps on booming.
LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️
Netflix has confirmed a sequel to ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans returning. (more)
Susanna Fogel will write and direct Netflix romantic comedy ‘Primal.’ (more)
Billie Eilish is in talks to star in a film adaptation of ‘The Bell Jar,’ with Sarah Polley set to write and direct. (more)
Christopher Landon will write and direct supernatural horror film ‘Final Boarding,’ for Sony’s Screen Gems. (more)
Kate Winslet has joined Andy Serkis’ ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’ (more)
AGBO has set a new big-budget film project with ‘The Bluff’ writers Frank E. Flowers and Joe Ballarini. (more)
TV Development 📺
Tommy Lee Jones has joined S2 of FX’s ‘The Lowdown,’ starring Ethan Hawke. (more)
Fox and Hulu have ordered two seasons of ‘Stewie,’ a ‘Family Guy,’ spinoff from Seth MacFarlane. (more)
Hulu has ordered comedy pilot ‘Lex’ from ‘Severance’ writer Sean Clements and ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ producer Paul Simms. (more)
Hulu has ordered drama pilot ‘Durango’ from ‘Y: The Last Man’ showrunner Eliza Clark. (more)
Grace Van Patten will star in Hanna Gray Organschi’s Sundance-backed debut feature ‘Rubber Hut.’ (more)
Business 🤝
Netflix is reportedly paying up to $600M to acquire Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup InterPositive. (more)
Lionsgate is restructuring its worldwide TV distribution group with new hires, a self-distribution unit, and limited layoffs. (more)
Brandon Sklenar has signed a first-look film producing deal with Lionsgate through his Vista Lane Pictures banner. (more)
Premeditated Productions has extended its first-look film and TV deal with Amazon MGM Studios through 2032. (more)
RELEASE RADAR
📅 This week’s new releases…
🎥 THEATRICAL
Reminders of Him: Colleen Hoover romantic drama, starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers.
Undertone: A24 horror film starring Nina Kiri as a paranormal podcast host haunted by mysterious recordings.
📺 STREAMING & LIVE
🏆 The 98th Academy Awards: (ABC/Hulu) The annual awards ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien, live Sunday at 4 p.m. PT.
The Madison: (Paramount+) Neo-Western family drama from Taylor Sheridan starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.
Scarpetta: (Prime Video) Crime thriller series starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, based on Patricia Cornwell's novels.
🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW: Not a lot of drama at the top this weekend. 'Hoppers' should cruise to a second-frame win around $25M, with no real challengers in sight until April. 'Reminders of Him' should open around $15-18M, and after all the noise around 'It Ends With Us,' it'll be a good gauge of where the Hoover brand stands.
VIDEO VILLAGE
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And that’s all we’ve got. If you’re watching the Oscars Sunday, secure your snacks, find your people, and enjoy the show. If someone forwarded this to you, hit subscribe below. Have a great weekend!
-The Dailies Team