☀️PAR's Big Comedy Hope; DIS' Franchise Push
Streep in ‘Narnia’ talks / ABC’s fall comes into shape / NETFLIX’s new ⚽️ good fortune
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKEDIN if ya like or email me seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY, April 4, 2025.
Where I’ve been stuck in a casino for 4 days, what’d I miss? My 401(k) is what? Okay, back to the craps table it is, where my moneymaking odds are better.
Eh, I’m sure FOX NEWS covered things just as it would have in the Biden administration, right? BTW always great to start the day with another -4% drop to the S&P 500 in about 60 minutes.
WELL: Make that 2 cable TV-era defining brands leaving the bundle in September:
First ESPN Flagship D2C launches around then (exact date TBD).
Next, the MTV VMAs are coming to CBS (and finally to PAR+ as well) on Sunday, Sept. 7 — aka the first NFL Sunday of the season.
It’ll be returning to the UBS ARENA on the Queens/Long Island border (it’ll also still be on MTV too).
HUH: SONY’s One of Them Days hit NETFLIX on Tuesday . . . about 2.5 months after its theatrical release. Usually SONY movies wait about 5 months. I’ll break down the results on Wednesday.
AND: Radhika Jones is leaving her EIC position at Vanity Fair.
ALSO: The olds have definitely found streaming, folks. Gunsmoke made the NIELSEN top 10 at #8 for acquired series in the week of Mar. 3-9 (it streams on both PEACOCK and PAR+). Although no data on how much of that is people falling asleep in the barca lounger with autoplay enabled.
Add this to the YT data from NIELSEN in February that the share of people 65+ watching YT was pretty close to kids 2-11 (15.4% vs. 16.9%), and yeah — by the time the NFL gets to NETFLIX in 2029, they should be very well versed in how to find it.
YEAH: I’m sorry celebrity booze — it’s been real. True visionary Glen Powell knows that the real action 🤑 is in . . . condiments. He’s launching a SMASH KITCHEN line of ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayo, mustard and more.
BUT: Not so fast — Ryan Reynolds is dipping back into booze again (in a business sense), with his MAXIMUM EFFORT launching a boxed wine line called UGLY ESTATES in partnership with GALLO, which knows a thing or 2 about cheap wine.
Reynolds is using the dog from Deadpool as the initial UGLY ESTATES spokes . . . dog.
ALTHOUGH: Who’s ready for 7 Springsteen albums? I mean, the man does have a movie to promote after all . . . but gotta love a collection including albums he recorded “even to the point of being mixed and not released."
THEN: The KC CHIEFS have made a request to the NFL that they become the Christmas Day team every year (a la the LIONS and COWBOYS on Thanksgiving) according to The Athletic.
The CHIEFS are also thought to be the likely opponent for the CHARGERS in the opening Friday night game in Brazil that is currently up for bids.
AH: Gotta love AMAZON testing an AI-powered function that allows you to buy from other websites via the AMAZON site itself (your AMAZON account/payment system). I’m sure AMAZON won’t be looking to take a cut of that transaction at all.
Or basically a version of AMAZON CHANNELS (one stop to subscribe to/watch to all of your streaming apps!) but for like, all of e-commerce.
OH: The EU is likely fining TIKTOK over $550M for sending EU user data back to China. Eh, I’m sure they’re not doing that in the U.S., right?
FINALLY: I’m just putting this one up here today — very reassuring and exciting for theatrical comedy on Aug. 1 (we saw a bit more at CINEMACON and I think we’re in good hands here). Guaranteed to be the comedy of the summer. Literally.
RUSHFIELD & MCNULTY, LIVE FROM VEGAS
Richard and I recapped the movies that made the biggest impression on us after watching . . . oh I dunno, 75 trailers in 4 days at CINEMACON?
We also dive into the themes that stood out most in our conversations, and the candy that popped in Richard’s schwag bag.
I could use some honest feedback on this one if you have a sec (all opinions welcome, please!) — I’m wondering if these quick-turn podcast convos on the news of the moment could be fun to add into the mix here at The Wakeup, but I could also be told otherwise. Drop a note to me here on LINKEDIN or email me: seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com
WAKEUP POLL
Okay Minecraft — do your thing! Which apparently . . . could be anything. I’m going with the 27% here myself.
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODE
PARAMOUNT: Farewell, Marquee Franchise — Welcome Back! to Another
