☀️ NETFLIX Global Film Strategy Paying Off in 2024
Power of broadcast TV shines in latest 🏀 numbers / More theatrical release changes / Colin Farrell + NETFLIX
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2024.
Where uh, NETFLIX — you okay, bro? 😬 This year so far, we’ve had:
Seoul turned into a “lawless badland” by an earthquake
A Swedish town sink due to a mine collapse
An exploding oil well threaten a small French town
Lest we forget, we blew up New York after a massive cyberattack to end 2023, and started 2024 with a deadly plane crash in the Andes.
And now there’s a shark . . . in Paris! Coming out June 8, a nice 7-week buffer to lead into the Olympics:
ALTHOUGH: As the SURFRIDER FOUNDATION found “alarming levels of bacteriological pollution” (e. coli and such, 💩) in the Seine river water where athletes will be swimming . . . maybe a shark isn’t too high on the list of likely dangers this summer.
Either way, I’m kinda scared to see what the rest of the 2024 film slate looks like at NETFLIX 🫣. Also odd that there was no Disaster film division in the new re-org, come to think of it 🧐.
PLUS: Neo, Elle Woods — you remember Bridget Jones, right? The hits of the early 2000s just keep coming . . . back, nearly 25 years later, as UNI & WORKING TITLE announced they’re the latest to join this “creative” trend and will do a 4th Bridget Jones movie, called Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson are both returning as well, with To Leslie director Michael Morris helming here.
However, while this will be a theatrical film abroad — it’ll be a PEACOCK movie here in the U.S., releasing around Valentine’s Day next year.
The third installment only did $24 Million U.S. in 2016, but made $207 Million globally, in case you want to follow the logic.
THEN: Jessica Alba is leaving her CCO role at her HONEST COMPANY to pursue “new endeavors.” She’ll remain on the company’s board.
OH: TIKTOK made $40B in EBITDA last year, up from $25B in 2022, in case you were concerned about their business.
META Operating Income: $46.7B
GOOGLE Operating Income: $74.8B
AND: Yeah that DISNEY Board voting wasn’t even close. The lowest % of the vote that any Disney-nominated members got was the one targeted by Nelson Peltz:
Maria Elena Lagomasino (63%)
The lowest anyone else got was 88%, with most well over 90%.
BUT: TRIAN’s nominees didn’t even come close:
Nelson Peltz (31%) and Jay Rasulo (12%)
The 3 BLACKWELLS nominees only got 2%
Can we please remember this next year when any of this chatter begins bubbling up and save ourselves some time?
CORRECTION: Thanks to Rick Ellis from AllYourScreens for dropping me a note on my what is SKYDANCE actually buying with PARAMOUNT piece yesterday, to point out that COMCAST indeed has a half-interest in a FAST service — XUMO, as part of its JV with CHARTER.
A service which they, uh, never talk about, so I’m glad I kept that policy going.
IN THIS EDITION:
The international disaster approach above at NETFLIX Films is paying off — take a look at the Q1 breakdown of their biggest opening weekends, as non-U.S. films dominate global viewing this week.
AND: The potential opportunity for production companies as NETFLIX Films changes guards at the top.
Yes, the women topped the men by far in March Madness TV audiences — but looking a bit further into the numbers is a reminder of the power of broadcast TV with NIELSEN numbers.
Plus a pop quiz: Who got more viewers this weekend — Bull Riding or the new UFL? Find that out and more (is anyone watching LIV ⛳️?) in the weekend sports ratings roundup.
Colin Farrell signs up at NETFLIX, theatrical release date changes abound, a busy day in the Hollywood executive suite and more.
REMINDER: Come hang with Tom Hiddleston and The Ankler x Backstage this Friday in L.A.!
