Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY April 16, 2021.

Where I think “we are better off as friends” 😢

Though I could kinda see that actually happening no? I’m sure J.Lo makes a great wingwoman. And - a movie idea is born… 🤔

Also quick plug - if you’re on CLUBHOUSE, I’m doing another fun REWIND chat talking the week that was in Media, Hollywood & Tech at 12noon EST/9a PST Today with my former HBO colleague Caroline Giegerich.
Join us here/add this to your CLUBHOUSE calendar!

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

Carey Mulligan joins the next Adam Sandler NETFLIX movie, “Spaceman”

Based on a book, Sandler’s an astronaut sent to the edges of the galaxy to collect space dust and his life begins to fall apart on Earth. His only help is from the voice of a creature from the beginning of time lurking in his ship. Insert The Waterboy voice here.

Carey is playing his wife, Johan Renck (“Chernobyl”) directing, Channing Tatum among the producers. /Deadline

NETFLIX sets Pete Davidson to play Joey Ramone in biopic

“I Slept with Joey Ramone” will be directed by frequent Pete collaborator Jason Orley (“Big Time Adolescence”). Ramone’s estate is involved with the film as well. /THR

Paul Greengrass books next project at UNIVERSAL

“Night of Camp David” based on best-selling book from the 60’s. A US Senator comes to believe the President is sliding into paranoia as he increases ties to the Soviet Union, believes a media cabal is out to get him, and wants to annex Canada.

Script is being written… but just change Canada to Greenland and I think you’re good to go. /THR

ALSO IN MOVIES

• Mads Mikkelsen joins “Indiana Jones 5”. Role not disclosed, of course. /Deadline

• Snoop Dogg, Meagan Good join Jamie Foxx’s NETFLIX vampire killer movie “Day Shift”. /THR

📺 THE TV SET

George RR Martin reveals another cast member for HBO GOT prequel ”House of Dragons”

Fabian Frankel (“Last Christmas”) will play Ser Criston Cole, “a member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard”… so hopefully that means something for you GOT folks. /THR

CBS renews”NCIS” for 19th Season, Mark Harmon staying on for one more year

“SWAT”, “Blue Bloods”, “Bull”, “Magnum PI” all renewed for the Fall as well. /THR

ALSO IN TV

• HBO adds Gabriel Luna (“Terminator: Dark Fate”, “Agents of SHIELD”) to “Last of Us”, their series adaptation of the post-apocalyptic video game starring Pedro Pascal. /Variety

• HULU buys docu on transgender high school athletes, “Changing the Game”. Will drop on June 1. /Variety

In the HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE SUITE:

• CBS combines CBS News and CBS Local Stations divisions, names 2 new co-heads: Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon. Wendy previously ran ABC’s Local Station group, Neeraj was an EVP of HEARST Newspapers… but previously a producer at 60 MINUTES in the early 2000s.

  • Current CBS NEWS head Susan Zirinsky stepping down, still in talks for a “significant role”/production deal there but kinda sounds TBD. /THR

• Chris Albrecht hires NETFLIX exec Jennifer Breslow as EVP of TV & Digital Content for LEGENDARY. /THR

• LIONSGATE names Craig Piligian head of Unscripted TV, but he’ll also still run his company Pilgrim Media Group (“Wicked Tuna”, “Ghost Hunters”), which LIONSGATE owns 2/3rds of. /THR

• FREEFORM names Lindsey Kasabian to head up casting. /Deadline

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

NETFLIX has lowest monthly subscriber churn rate (2.5%); APPLE TV+ the highest (15.6%) in new independent analysis

These numbers come from ANTENNA Research and noted media analyst firm MOFFETT NATHANSON… and as APPLE TV+ keeps tacking on free months for their existing subscribers, it certainly holds weight.

But as Joe Adalian at VULTURE pointed out this week - APPLE TV+ spent nice $$ to get their own button on the new ROKU remote, which may be a significant step in the right direction as ROKU has at least 3X the amount of streaming users than the APPLE TV device (where APPLE TV+ has a home field advantage). Since many APPLE TV+ subscribers got the service for free thanks to buying an APPLE product, keeping the brand front of mind on the ROKU remote could help usage/churn.

List of churn rates for all major services in the link. /MediaPost

AMAZON PRIME now has over 200 Million subscribers globally, +33% in 15 months

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO comes along for free of course, so it technically now has about the same amount of subscribers as NETFLIX. But - Advantage: NETFLIX.

Here’s a (somewhat) brief dive into why AMAZON PRIME and NETFLIX are not equal in this week’s WAKEUP Bonus industry analysis for those inclined.

ALSO IN MEDIA

• REUTERS putting up a $35/Month web paywall. You’ll get 5 free articles a month then have to pay, no timeline yet for when it goes up. /Variety

• TWITCH uncovers over 7.5 Million bot/fake follower & viewer accounts. Popular users await the hit to their follower counts… /cNEt

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

ROKU up almost 4%, +6% on the week.

SPOTIFY up over 4%, +8% on the week.

AMC MOVIE THEATERS up almost another 6%; recovers from the “Top Gun”/July 4th news that started the week, now back pretty much where it started.

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

AMAZON PRIME“The Underground Railroad” limited series trailer. From director Barry Jenkins, Premieres Fri May 14.

NETFLIX “Selena: The Series” Part 2 trailer. Hits the service on Fri May 4.

👩‍💻 THE FSS FEED:

(new Stuff to Watch this weekend)

FRIDAY:

IN THEATERS:

Uh… Have you seen “Godzilla vs Kong”? Nothin new goin on this weekend.

BUT if you’re in NYC - Film at Lincoln Center re-opens today. Starts with the Michelle Pfeiffer/Lucas Hedges movie “French Exit”.

Also their NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS fest tix go on sale today - buy em here. Begins April 28 both IRL and Virtual.

MEANWHILE IN CHINA: Apparently they pushed the“LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring” re-release back one week at the very last minute. So - it now hits theaters today instead of last Friday. The 2nd film (“The Two Towers”) will open next Friday… but they’re curiously leaving the 3rd film undated. You can make your own LOTR fan / undated remark on that one.

STREAMING:

DISNEY+ “Big Shot” - New series from David E. Kelly, John Stamos as disgraced college basketball coach who takes job coaching at all girls private school.  10 episodes (not sure how many launch today) Watch or add to your list here

AMAZON PRIME “Frank of Ireland” - 6 episode comedy series about a 30-something guy living with his mother outside of Dublin, who needs to get his act together in life. Watch or add to your list here

APPLE TV+ “Mythic Quest” special episode - Based on the team’s return to work at the office, post-covid.  Anthony Hopkins provides the VO.  New season launches May 7. Watch or add to your list here

HBOMAX “Wahl Street” - Ok technically this dropped yesterday… but thankfully in the streaming world it doesn’t matter that I had it down on the wrong day. 6 episode docu-series giving a look inside the entrepreneurial world of Mark Wahlberg, which I’m already giving the award for Best Docu-series Title of 2021. Watch or add to your List here

ON TV:

No premieres, but Sharon Osbourne is a guest on Bill Maher tonight.

SATURDAY:

NETFLIX “Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist”. Special featuring interviews with those he worked with and who knew him best. Oddly NETFLIX doesn’t have a link for it yet…

SNL is off.

SUNDAY:

HBO ”Mare of Easttown” - 7 episode limited series starring Kate Winslet, with Guy Pearce. Premieres at 9pm

EPIX “Godfather of Harlem” - Season 2 premiere at 9pm

SHOWTIME “Couples Therapy” - Season 2 premiere at 10pm

CBS “ACM Awards” live from Nashville at 8pm

🙋‍♂️ MY ONE ASK THIS WEEK

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🕵️‍♂️ THE WEEK AHEAD

MON - Snoop joins “The Voice”

TUE - APPLE “new products” event (will likely center on iPads but 🤷‍♂️)

THU - PEACOCK’s Ed Helms show “Rutherford Falls” premieres

FRI - WB tests box-office appetite again with “Mortal Kombat”

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

DAYA “Bad Girl” - Hot pop song gaining some momentum over the past month - gotta say that’s one sleek catchy chorus.

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THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

Have a great weekend and Email me anytime - just hit Reply to this email or click my name to connect on LINKED IN.

Thanks!

-Sean McNulty