Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY July 24, 2023.

Where it’s estimated 18.5 Million folks bought movie tix for just the top 2 films this weekend #Barbenheimer, the biggest top slot(s) tally since Spider-Man: No Way Home a year and a half ago. Also – 4 films grossed (almost) $20+ Million each.

Man, it’s really too bad “people” just want to watch movies at home after the pandemic.

ALTHOUGH: These will be the last 2 films for the foreseeable future with real, fully star-driven Marketing campaigns. After all, HOLLYWOOD does love nothing less than shooting itself in the foot…

BUT: I’ll be my usual foolish pragmatic optimist self in putting forth the notion that this undeniable example of what’s possible when you combine Original Ideas + the Studio system + Hollywood star power will be further motivation for the ‘Traditional Studios’ to get back to the negotiating table #NoActorsNoPromo.

Re – NEXT SUMMER: This notion gaining traction that Studios will not “have a Summer” next year if the SAG strike continues into the Fall… 🙋‍♂️ – um first… they may not have a Fall!

If you think MGM moving Challengers from Sept to the end of April is an outlier, yeah not so much.

• In which case, Studios may actually have a Summer next year! It would just be full of previously-scheduled Fall and potentially Holiday season movies. How many Studios will drop a $100 Millin to $200 Million film this year with… no stars avail to promote it? All due respect to the directors involved.

• Aquaman 2 will work just as well in May as it would have in December.

PLUS: I think TWITTER is now called X… or something. Either way I’ll still only spend 5 minutes a day on it. Err. Weekdays only.

ALSO: Just me 🙋‍♂️or was it really nice to NOT have an inbox full of “alerts” on a COMIC-CON weekend?

AND: A congrats to Brian Harman on his decisive win at the British Open, his first Golf major tournament title (on a very wet UK Sunday).

Correction on a correction: NETFLIX does not let you add 1 member outside of your household with a Standard subscription… you have the option to pay to add 1 member outside of your household (but just 1, and 2 if you’re PREMIUM).

• For the record – here is the current language on the website re: the benefits of the Standard plan, which… to me, could use a polish:

WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL Results:

Kudos to the 23% of Bulls in the voting body!

IN THIS EDITION

• #Medianerd🤓 will be in full effect as Q2 Earnings Season has its first full week… so, a lot number & earnings report breakdowns ahead.

  • A Q2 Earnings preview of what to expect this week, and some questions that analysts should be asking.

  • FWIW: The major Ad Agency holding companies did not report great numbers at the end of last week.

• The full Box Office breakdown, from the latest questionable Specialty numbers to the #Barbenheimer breakdown, and the DISNEY pic whose narrative keeps changing as time goes on.

• DISNEY reportedly explores ESPN’s “strategic partner” option that no one was thinking of, and more.

• SPOTIFY confirms price raise.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN