29 Shadow Advisors Behind WB War; ‘Heated Rivalry’ Casting Secrets; the ‘Melania’ Mess
Plus: Amazon TV after the trainwreck; the Peacock problem
Just when you think you know everything about Heated Rivalry breakout stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, Elaine Low comes along with a fresh angle — the people who actually found them. In a revealing interview, Toronto-based casting directors Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay walk Elaine through the self-tapes, chemistry reads and ineffable it factor that turned two waiters into “overnight megastars.” From instinct to risk-taking, it’s a candid, dishy look at how hits (and stars) actually happen — and why they’re almost never accidental. Elaine’s lively Q&A about a hit was one of ours this week — and in this business of hits, it’s a great reminder of the creativity, ambition, instinct and risk it takes to make one:
Speaking of creativity, Richard Rushfield found plenty on screens — and on the icy streets — as he wrapped up his bittersweet final Sundance dispatch from Park City:
From there, he turned his attention to other icy terrain: Melania Trump — more specifically, the Brett Ratner doc Melania that hit theaters this weekend after a White House screening hosted by Donald Trump where Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and others searched for some “safe middle ground.” '“There is no ‘I’m kinda Trump,’” Richard writes. “You either are or you’re not”:
Sean McNulty will have his full autopsy of Melania’s box office later today in The Wakeup. In the meantime, the very indie Iron Lung is shaping up as one of the weekend’s real surprises, tracking toward a $17 million finish — nearly double expectations — thanks to the gravitational pull of its writer-director-star, Markiplier (Mark Fischbach).
Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey talked to Fischbach about how he leveraged his 38-million-strong YouTube following into $7 million in ticket pre-sales and even a popcorn bucket collab with Regal Cinemas. It’s the kind of creator-economy intel Hollywood is still racing to understand — and Natalie’s been ahead of it for over a year as Like & Subscribe turns one. And now for two more days, you can get Like & Subscribe for 30% off.
Sale ends at midnight tomorrow.
Now, ICYMI, the rest of our best of the week:
Series Business: ‘Pitt’ Boss, Amazon TV Stakes
John Wells weighs in on originality vs. AI, The Pitt’s breakout success, and the WGA’s looming talks with the AMPTP. Plus, Lesley Goldberg also unpacks Peter Friedlander’s Prime Video reorg and what it means for Amazon’s TV strategy:
Warners Deal: Inside the Shadow Campaigns
As the Warner Bros. sale battle heats up, armies of advisors, bankers and spin doctors are mobilizing behind the scenes — including Kellyanne Conway and Jason Miller. Claire Atkinson reveals who’s pulling the strings in each camp.:
Reel AI: The Oscars’ Blind Eye On AI
The impact of AI on filmmaking is the talk of the town, but all the Oscar rules have to say about the tech is that it “neither helps nor harms” a film’s chances. Erik Barmack digs into what this silence means for the awards and for AI’s encroachment in Hollywood:
Prestige Junkie: The Up-for-Grabs Oscars
In a two-parter, Katey Rich evaluates the 10 Oscar categories still in play (some of them wide open). Plus, I join the Prestige Junkie pod to talk Sundance surprises — including the return of the bidding war:
The Wakeup: Layoffs; The Peacock Problem
Before tomorrow’s Disney earnings call circus begins, Comcast got the spotlight as Sean analyzed the continued billion-dollar losses at Peacock, how Wicked: For Good’s falloff affected NBCU’s margins and cable’s fortuitous cord-cutting slowdown:
📹 Ankler Shows
Monday Morning QBs: Does an Oscar nom still give good box office? Sean and Christopher Rosen take stock of the trend as Hamnet scores one of its best weekends during its ninth week of release:
Remembering Catherine O’Hara: ‘On the Mount Rushmore of Comic Actors’ Richard, Katey and Chris honor the star’s once-in-a-generation instinct, intelligence and utter originality:
🎧 PODCASTS
ANKLER AGENDA
Ahead of Monday’s pivotal Disney earnings call, Elaine, Natalie and Sean break down whether it will be Josh or Dana, both or an unknown:
📱 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE BY NATALIE JARVEY
👓 THE OPTIONIST BY ANDY LEWIS
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