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👋 Good morning! Brady Corbet just confirmed he made 'The Brutalist,' a 3.5-hour historical epic, for a mere $10M. That's like making 'Oppenheimer' with the budget of a TikTok dance challenge. Corbet quipped, "We cut every corner we could to make sure that every single cent was on screen." Seems like the only thing that wasn't cut was the runtime. He added, "It was a Herculean effort, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, because it was just years and years of essentially working for free."

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Studios Assemble Superfan Focus Groups

• Franchise Fever Continues

• Hollywood Jobs Continue to Dip

• 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
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🃏 Joker: Folie à Deux: $40M domestic opening, $121.1M global debut. Stumbles hard with a "D" CinemaScore and 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.

2. 🤖 The Wild Robot: $18.7M domestic weekend (-48%), $63.9M domestic total, $100.4M global. Holding strong in its second frame.

3. 🪲 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: $10.3M domestic weekend (-36%), $265.5M domestic total. Tim Burton's sequel continues to charm audiences.

4. 🚗 Transformers One: $5.35M domestic weekend (-42%), $47.2M domestic total. Animated prequel rolls along in its third week.

5. 🤐 Speak No Evil: $2.8M domestic weekend (-33%), $32.5M domestic total. $15M budget makes this a solid performer for Universal.

6. 👻 Sam and Colby: Legends of the Paranormal: $1.75M weekend in just 302 theaters. Impressive $5,900 per-screen average for the YouTuber movie.

7. 🕊️ White Bird: A Wonder Story: $1.53M domestic opening. Prequel/sequel to 2017's "Wonder" struggles to take flight.

8. 🦸 Deadpool & Wolverine: $1.52M domestic weekend (-45%), $633.8M domestic total. Surpasses Barbie's domestic total in its 11th week.

9. 💊 The Substance: $1.34M domestic weekend (-34%), $9.7M domestic total. MUBI's horror film clings to the chart. Despite losing screens, it actually improved its per-theater average and looks set to quadruple its opening weekend numbers by the end of its run.

10. 🏙️ Megalopolis: $1.05M domestic weekend (-73%), $6.48M total. Coppola's epic fades fast in its second weekend.

The Big Picture: Hollywood's having a case of the blues this weekend with a disappointing $91.2M total, down 3% from last week. Talk about a double whammy—two of the year's most highly anticipated films have flopped simultaneously: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ hit a sour note with its $40M debut, way below expectations for the $190M+ musical sequel, while Coppola's 'Megalopolis' continues its steep decline. With toxic word-of-mouth, it's looking like a rough road ahead for the film.

On the bright side, family-friendly fare like ‘The Wild Robot’ and ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ are still chugging along nicely. An unexpected bright spot came from YouTube sensations Sam and Colby, whose 'Legends of the Paranormal' pulled in $1.75M in just 302 Cinemark theaters, hinting at the growing influence of online creators in traditional media.

Despite these big-budget belly flops, 2024's box office is somehow still outpacing 2023 by 4.8%. We're all watching to see if 'Joker 2' can pull a rabbit out of its hat or if it'll continue to sink with 'Megalopolis.’

🎬🔮 Hollywood's got a new secret weapon: superfan focus groups. Yep, studios are reportedly rounding up die-hard fans to weigh in on their beloved franchises. This move comes as franchises face increasing backlash from passionate (and sometimes vengeful) audiences. Remember the ‘Star Wars’ fallout after ‘The Last Jedi’? Rian Johnson's subversive take on the saga sparked a firestorm, with some fans decrying everything from Luke Skywalker's character arc to the film's diverse casting. Now, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is the latest victim of fan ire, with viewers feeling betrayed by its ending (we'll spare you the spoilers). These superfan panels are tasked with vetting marketing materials and even influencing creative decisions. As one exec put it: "They're very vocal. They will just tell us, 'If you do that, fans are going to retaliate.'" The strategy is already proving polarizing. Critics argue it could lead to pandering and creative stagnation, while others worry about potential leaks. Still, with franchise IP more valuable than ever, studios seem willing to risk it. The million-dollar question: Can you really predict what'll make fans cheer or jeer?

🎬🔄 Hollywood's locked in a tug-of-war between franchise fever and calls for fresh content. 2024 saw all top 10 box office hits from existing IP, driving $6.3B in domestic revenue through September (still down 11.3% from 2023). 2025's shaping up similarly: 50-70% of major studio releases are franchise-related, with heavy hitters like another ‘Avatar,’ a new ‘Avengers,’ and more ‘Star Wars’ on deck. The industry's betting on familiar faces to hit $10B domestically by 2026. But some are pushing back, citing successes like ‘Baby Reindeer’ and ‘Hacks.’ UTA's Dan Erlij advocates for creative risk-taking: "If you believe in an artist... give them the freedom to do it." His colleague Allan Haldeman sees a "healthier" market, noting increased buyer enthusiasm for pitches compared to six months ago. They're also mulling over new ways to pay talent—think profit-sharing and ownership stakes instead of just fat upfront checks. It's a sign that streamers are tightening their belts, but it could also mean more skin in the game for creators. As Hollywood finds its feet after COVID, strikes, and market consolidation, we'll see if it continues to play it safe or swings for the fences.

🎬📉 Hollywood's job market is singing the blues while the rest of the U.S. economy dances to a different tune. September saw a robust 254,000 new jobs nationwide, dropping unemployment to 4.1%. But Hollywood’s not feeling the love—employment in movies and sound recording dipped by 1,700, while broadcasting shed 1,000 jobs. It's a stark contrast to the broader economic upswing, with food services, healthcare, and construction leading the charge. This paradox paints a grim picture for entertainment workers: as the Fed's strategy cools inflation without triggering a recession, Hollywood's dealing with its own chilly climate. Major players like Paramount are slashing workforces, and ABC's recent 75-employee cut is just the latest verse in an industry-wide layoff ballad.

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Development 🗒️

• Fran Drescher joins Timothée Chalamet and a star-studded cast in Josh Safdie’s A24 film ‘Marty Supreme.’ (more)

• Anne Hathaway is set to return as star and producer for Disney’s ‘Princess Diaries 3,’ with Adele Lim directing the sequel. (more)

• Amazon has canceled both the ‘Who’s the Boss?’ sequel with Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano, and the ‘Bosch’ J. Edgar spinoff that was in development. (more)

• James Hawes will direct the first two episodes of DC Studios and HBO’s ‘Lanterns,’ starring Kyle Chandler. (more)

• Paramount has shifted several 2025 release dates, including ‘The Running Man’ starring Glen Powell, ‘Vicious,’ and an animated ‘Smurfs’ movie, while also setting a new date for the ‘Naked Gun’ reboot. (more)

• Billie Lourd joins Harvey Guillén and Josh Brener in the upcoming comedy ‘That Friend,’ with production set to begin in December. (more)

• Teyana Taylor and Sasha Calle join Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Netflix’s upcoming crime thriller ‘RIP,’ directed by Joe Carnahan. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Meta introduces ‘Movie Gen,’ a text-to-video AI tool that generates 16-second clips, entering the competitive space alongside OpenAI and Google. (more)

• Give your newsletters VIP treatment with a dedicated reader outside your inbox. (more)*