Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKEDIN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY December 22, 2022.

Where here on the eve of the annual celebration… this year’s Festivus Pole award definitely goes to “Harry & Meghan”. Frank Costanza would be proud.

PLUS: Any Studio looking to shave a few bucks in 2023 - I have good news! Bloomberg counted how many new CHRISTMAS movies Streamers put out this year. 150. Yeah this sounds like money well spent.

AND: SONY’s Whitney Houston biopic got a couple of strong raves in the trades yesterday (Variety, and THR), especially for a film that whose review embargo was set til the day before the film hit theaters… although oddly the usually very uh, enthusiastic Deadline was a pan.

Tuesday Poll results:

“Will the WWE be an independent company at the end of 2023”

• 46% no, 30% yes, 24% have $$ on 2024

“Is DISNEY stock a good 6 month investment right now?”

• 65% of respondents are buying DIS 0.00 holiday presents this year

Holiday Box Office Poll:

OH: AMC THEATERS stock is currently taking a large hit this morning after announcing a reverse stock split (essentially lessening the value of each share of AMC stock you own). But - new APE shares are also being issued so… hey the way this stock ‘works’ - it could be +20% by the closing bell.

IN TODAY’S EDITION:

• A look at NFL NETWORK Saturday games ratings comps vs. what AMAZON PRIME’s been doing this year so far.

• Guillermo Del Toro rules the Global NETFLIX Film chart… but a 2013 WB movie takes #3 on the English language chart alongside “Bullet Train”, even though both have very limited distribution.

  • Plus SONY pics are apparently even more limited on the service.

• How does a $2.5 Billion a year price tag remotely work for NFL Sunday Ticket? Time to break out a new napkin and do the math.

• Some Spring Box Office release date tweaks, a look at the new things to stream over the holiday weekend and more.

ALSO: This is a wrap for the week as my fingers will be too cold to type for the next 3 days on the East Coast.

• Next week will be Wakeup-less, except for a Tuesday for a Box Office roundup, and maybe one late in the week. Or if you’re on the Jersey Shore too, I’m happy to deliver an in-person version for the price of a beer 🍻. Or course email me to say hello anytime - seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com

BUT: You can save yourself a trip to the Jersey Shore in balmy 28 degree weather, and just SUBSCRIBE TO The Ankler to get the full Wakeup newsletter in your inbox going forward… which hopefully is much warmer (along with full access to The Ankler archives, and full suite of newsletters and podcasts).

AND: Gotta say it’s super refreshing to see an actor who clearly does it because she loves it (and is one of the best), and who is also clearly so far from being concerned with the “brand building” aspect of celebrity… that she thought “Avatar 2”… in which she shot her role 4+ years ago, already came out and she just didn’t hear about it.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN