☀️ SONY Doubles Down on Will Smith, Matt & Ben Re-team
NBA Finals miss for ABC / SPC gets Linklater-Hawke pic / LGF gets movie investor
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, June 19, 2024.
Where the NBA Finals may have been a downer for ABC this year (more on that below), but kudos to the EDMONTON OILERS for keeping ABC’s primetime sports finals programming alive!
They have now won 2 games in a row to put their Stanley Cup series at 3-2, with game 6 back in Edmonton on Friday night on ABC.
OK YES: I know it’s ice hockey in the middle of June . . . but it’s the last major U.S. sporting event for 5 weeks, so just gimme this one (and that sound you hear is Elaine yelling “Uh hello, Wimbledon!!” at me from the sidelines).
AND: Add soundtrack musicians and supervisors to potential jobs affected by AI — GOOGLE’s AI division DEEPMIND is getting close on a tool that pairs AI-generated music and sound effects with AI-generated videos. Something that totally doesn’t sound like it was trained on copyrighted material.
👌: NETFLIX is crossing digital business metaphors with its 2 new NETFLIX House activations at malls outside of Dallas and Philly, which are taking over spaces that formerly housed large department stores put out of business by its #bigtech brethren.
But rest assured — NETFLIX is keeping it on brand for the streaming business, by not utilizing the multiplex in the PA King of Prussia mall footprint as a part of its activation (although, perhaps theater owner REGAL said #hardpass).
TODAY IN HOLLYWOOD IS OUT OF NEW IDEAS: Add a Spaceballs sequel to The Great 2024 Remake List. Thinking they may wait and see how The Naked Gun movie does next summer first? Especially as this follow-up is described as in “early development” at AMAZON MGM (2026 would be the 40th anniversary).
Josh Gad will star & produce (and is also a script co-writer). Mel Brooks is also producing, and if it’s not called this 👇 . . . well that’s just a missed opportunity.
AND: A happy Juneteenth to all — depending on the level of news activity today, TBA if there’s a Wakeup tomorrow.
PLUS: A rest in peace goes out to a sports and California icon, Willie Mays, the oldest living MLB Hall of Fame player who died at the age of 93 this week. I highly recommend the HBO doc Say Hey, Willie Mays! (link here) which did a great job not just with the baseball, but even more so with his cultural relevancy. Okay yeah, but still a pretty amazing catch.
IN TODAY’S EDITION
The big day in TV & film project news, the big weekend in sports TV audiences, the active day in the executive suite — and the big project at HULU that . . . somehow only has a pilot order which says a lot about #Streaming2024 vs. #Streaming2021.
Plus it’s Wednesday, so the latest NETFLIX Films numbers to know, with the shark and Godzilla having very different weeks.
YES: I’m a day late on this one, but a great Jon Stewart this week:
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
