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 May 8, 2023.

Where it’ll be a gorgeous, sunny mid-70 degree week here in NYC (except for tomorrow – Tuesday you’re in a timeout), so be sure to sunscreen-up out on the picket lines… the white area to write your messages on picket signs can be more reflective than ya think.

ALSO: The MTV Movie Awards went with a pre-taped, basically clip/package show last night, and here are your winners.

👀: The TONYS are in about a month… no contingency plans are yet on the table, or attendee lists.
BUT: The WWE is humming along, with their 18th Backlash event this weekend in PUERTO RICO with Bad Bunny on PEACOCK (in the US & PR at least) becomming the most-watched Backlash ever, with viewership +28% vs. last year per the WWE, and Sponsorship revenue +98% vs. 2022’s event.

OH: AMAZON is assembling AI-focused teams to produce photo and video assets for merchants to use on the site, cutting out levels of Advertising creatives. Can’t wait to see the AI poster for the next Bond pic!

TODAY’S CORPORATE CALENDAR:

PARAMOUNT and WBD have their annual meetings.
DISH earnings at 12noon.

WAKEUP BOX OFFICE CREW: Guardians Vol 3

Ya’ll came up short this weekend… as 53% took over $120 Mil.
Kudos to the 33% of you who took the $114 Mil to $120 Mil – although given the number, we’ll also give it to the 17% who took Under $114 Mil too.

IN TODAY’S EDITION:

The weekend’s Box Office breakdown – sizing up the Guardians audience… to the 2nd weekend in a row of red ink at SONY… and A24’s Beau red ink… as the Specialty market continues to lack any big momentum.
CBS and SONY TV can’t make the numbers work for another S.W.A.T. season.
Guy Ritchie sets cast for next film.
Studios reportedly start suspending overall TV deals, as Streamers hold off.
PAR repurposing PAR+ series on linear PAR NETWORK.
VICE sale price and process enters next phase.
AMC THEATERS still can’t come close to a profit in Q1 as CINEMARK just misses the black.

🪧 STRIKE UPDATES

Studios are starting to suspend overall TV deals, notifying payment will stop post-dated to May 2… although some deals are reportedly being kept active for those writer/producers who have shows that are still shooting. NETFLIX/Streamers have not done the same as of yet. /Deadline
DIS/MARVEL’s Blade will not begin shooting the end of this month – according to a source cited by THR: “Time simply ran out,” presumably to get the script in final shooting form.
APPLE canceled their LA premiere of Michael J. Fox docu Still, as MJF does not want to cross a picket line. /Deadline
APPLE’s Maya Rudolph series Loot also shut down production on Season 2 after picketing began last week, UNI TV is the producer (as they are on the also now shut-down comedy Hacks). /THR
PAR+’s Evil Season 4 is calling it a wrap early, after a 3-person picket line shut down production on Friday, and an actor had to leave the show early due to a personal matter. /Deadline
SAG-AFTRA negotiations with the AMPTP begin on June 7. /Deadline

AND: That Stranger Things wrap-up is gonna be a minute NETFLIX.

📝 … SINCERELY, THE LEAGAL DEPARTMENT ❤️

“We want specifically to reiterate to you as a showrunner or other writer-producer that you are not excused from performing your duties as a showrunner and/or producer on your series as a result of the WGA strike.
– From a letter sent from DISNEY’s ABC SIGNATURE group’s Legal team to Showrunners who perform dual/hyphenated jobs on series (Writer-Producer, Writer-Director).
HBOMAX sent one out as well that was a bit more specific/qualifying about what it was telling Showrunners… that’s in the link too.
A similar tactic was apparently used in 2007… which turned out to be the saber rattling that it looks like and nothing more. It’s hard to see suing the Showrunner talent pool as a good long-term business tactic.