☀️‘Hunt’ DOA for AMAZON/MGM; UNI/BLUM ‘Black Phone’ Rebound
HIGHER GROUND prez departs / PAR layoffs loom end of month / A24 adds to ‘October’
Evenin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LINKEDIN here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on SUNDAY, October 19, 2025.
Where finally there is a movie screening built for me! Sadly, it’s in L.A.
FOCUS is holding a ‘baldies’ screening of Bugonia at the Culver Theater on Monday only for people with shaved/bald heads (either via clippers or genetics), with a barber standing by to give a free shear for anyone unfortunate enough not also to be “folliclely challenged.”
AND: Here’s your SNL for November:
THEN: It’s NBA premiere week! And yes, the NBA knows you think the 63 outlets where the games are airing this year sucks — so they’ve added a “Tap to Watch” button inside the NBA app and all team apps, which will bring you right to where any game is streaming. Third-party sites and social platforms will be worked in as well.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Kudos to The Black Phone 2 bulls! Nicely done, nudging out the win over my fellow 17% cohort.
HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:
I’m having a knee scope done on Tuesday . . . at some point, so depending on the timing there and how things go afterward, I may not be here Tuesday or Wednesday.
THANKS!
To the folks at MONTCLAIR FILM for the opportunity to participate in the Montclair Film Festival this weekend, a source of Jersey pride! A special thanks to UNDER THE INFLUENCE Productions’ Ryan Hawke, WME’s Jamie Pillet and KINO LORBER’s Lisa Schwartz for joining Rushfield and me for a great conversation on stage about the state of independent film.
AND: Just a big thanks overall to Evie & Stephen Colbert for all they do for the NJ movie-loving community throughout the year with MONTCLAIR FILM, and for helping to support the creation of the next generation of our industry.
I’ll second what this year’s Visionary Award recipient, Jersey’s own Pam Abdy (and fellow former JERSEY FILMS intern 🤝), said — I wish we had something like this when we were growing up here! But I’m very happy that today’s younger generations have it.
🎥 THE BOX OFFICE
