☀️'Quiet Place' Roars as 'Horizon' Whiffs on Heartland Bump
TPG re-enters talent rep biz / FUBO gets COMCAST-CHARTER love / NETFLIX adds Forte to comedy series
Evenin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on SUNDAY, June 30, 2024.
Where if you need yet another example about why making ultimatum-like statements about the sealed fate of the box office and America’s moviegoing habits is a fool’s errand — look no further than May & June alone.
May? One movie opened over $50 Million.
June? A movie made at least $50 Million every weekend.
It’s a long summer, folks. Remember — at this time last year, we were all wondering just how huge MI:7 was gonna be, and saying, “Gee, I really hope Oppenheimer makes its money back 🤞. . . oh and that Barbie movie looks fun, no?”
AND: Gotta love an audience of 51M people for a Presidential debate (across 17 networks), which was -30% from 2020, and the smallest audience for a Presidential debate since 2004.
Yeah, the election is not gonna be quite the audience engagement bump for TV networks that it typically is — and I’m sure advertisers are just lined up to be involved in this slow-motion train wreck.
The only real TV viewership size comp for this debate is that it was about the size of an NFL Conference-level playoff game (the ones before the Super Bowl).
But just like the NFL . . . unfortunately, the demos matched the on-screen talent:
18-34s: 4.5M
35-54s: 10.9M
55+: 34.2M
Top networks per the NYT:
CNN: 9.5M
FOX NEWS: 9.3M
ABC: 9.2M
BTW: Have any writers seen a bonus check via the WGA for your Q1 streaming film hit, as defined under the new agreement?
If a streaming film (or series) is viewed by 20 percent of a platform’s domestic subscribers within the first 91 days on the platform, it qualifies for the bonus. (Writers get a 50 percent bonus on top of their existing residual).
As part of the agreement (for which Q1 was the first full quarter), AMPTP members had 90 days from the end of Q1 to share the data with the WGA about which folks achieved a bonus . . . and that 90-day point is pretty much right about now.
Anyone got any intel, drop me a note! seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com
A REST IN PEACE: Goes out to someone who had too many great credits to mention, and always had one of the best senses of comedic timing — Martin Mull, who died at the age of 80. Yes — this is Keaton’s famous joke, but the whole scene doesn’t work without the perfect counterbalance to land it just right. #WhateverItTakes
AND: To journeyman actor Bill Cobbs, who died at the age of 90. Not a household name, but definitely a “that guy” as the Rewatchables pod would put it, one that most viewers would recognize fondly — I personally always remember him from New Jack City.
PLUS: To longtime ABC exec Stephanie Leifer, who died at the age of 56 from cancer.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
It’s the month for the optimists! Well done 20% (and way to balance out the 20% pessimists). I take my defeat with my fellow 25%-ers with humility.
The bears were quelled here too . . . so the crown goes to me and my fellow 28%-ers.
HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:
I’m taking this week off, except for a mid-week Wednesday edition (the NETFLIX Films chart would get lonely without me).
Enjoy your holiday week!
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
One weekend, 4 movies over $10M! Knew we could do it — just the 3rd time this year, although the weekend of Jan. 5 came very close too.
It’s funny what happens when you offer up an action-comedy, family film, a sci-fi doomsday pic and a Western at the multiplex!
Imagine if we had a comedy too! Uh, at any point this summer 🤦♂️. Here are the numbers to know as we enter July 4th week 👇.