☀️Rupert Murdoch got the last great Studio deal ever
FX orders new comedy series / ABC sets series return plan / Searchlight 👍 pic from 'Beef' director
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY Nov. 17, 2023.
Where… it’s never a good karmic sign when the first race in your “big race” weekend is stopped after 9 minutes.
Apparently a manhole cover damaged a FERRARI racing in F1’s Grand Prix race last night to kick off the big F1 weekend in Vegas, causing the race to be halted, and the entire track to now get a new full inspection.
Bloomberg also reported that tickets are going for about half of what they were priced at a month ago. Good luck with the… 10 p.m. PT /1 a.m. ET race on Saturday night/Sunday morning!
(#funfact: the driver on the team who counts Ryan Reynolds as a minority stakeholder will be wearing a Daredevil helmet).
ALSO: The FOX CORP annual meeting is 10 a.m. PT on the FOX lot - Richard don’t be late.
PLUS: The TV Academy elected Cris Abrego as its new leader - he ran unopposed.
THEN: A condolence goes out to Dana Carvey and his family, as his son Dex died at age 32 from an accidental drug overdose this week.
AND: This was unexpected (not much known other than this 👇).
THEN: Just some bigger picture economic items hitting this week to keep in mind:
Continuing unemployment claims hit their highest level since Dec. 2021.
Some categories at WALMART may see some deflation this Q4 - while the Fed’s done what it can with interest rates… the Federal government’s 1-2 knock out punch of making people pay their student loans again, while simultaneously removing Covid-era child care 💰 support for tens of millions - looks to have had immediate effects on discretionary spending at major retailers. We’ll see if it’s a blip… or more longstanding soon enough.
BUT: Perhaps not a great time to have a product raising prices.
Thanks for the email this week APPLE TV+ with the heads up.
OH: Miami - welcome to the effects of becoming “the new New York City”: highest inflation rate in the country right now.
THEN AGAIN: NYC is now closing public libraries on Sundays, freezing police hiring, and reducing some trash pickup as a result of the declining NYC tax base and the loss in government pandemic funding - but primarily because of the continuing costs of housing migrants from the MEXICO border.
THE WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL RESULTS:
IN TODAY’S EDITION
As Rupert Murdoch made his ‘emeritus’ status official this week and handed the FOX 1211 Ave of the Americas headquarter key ring to Lachlan, it got my brain thinking - will his DISNEYFOX deal be the last great deal to be made in Hollywood Studio history?
The evidence would highly indicate yes. A look back at the environment that existed in our business just 4 years ago and the larger factors at play that likely signaled Rupert’s hand, and the realities facing current deals. BTW anyone wanna buy a Regional Sports Network? #FoxSportsNetsRIP
PLUS: The Hollywood dealmaking gears continue to actively spin, with FX, SEARCHLIGHT and more giving the 👍 to new projects yesterday, and ABC setting the ‘return to life’ plan for their primetime lineup and more.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
