☀️Stocks Fell but Top Exec Pay 🚀 in ‘22; EVIL DEAD shows Theatrical power at WBD
NETFLIX gets next Adam McKay pic / Corden finale #s show Late Night TV challenges / FOX orders another emergency responder series
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY May 1, 2023.
Where yeah - it’s May 🤯, and I can’t shake this feeling that May 1 was an important day for some reason, but… dang’it, I really should have written it down 🥁.
Note: the WGA has set a member mtg for Weds at the SHRINE AUDITORIUM no matter what the state of affairs… so don’t expect picketing tomorrow if midnight passes with no deal or extension.
SO: I guess I’ll just stay home and write a newsletter today, as I tried to get Richard to FedEx me a CINEMACON Barbie hat in time for the MET GALA tonight, but to no avail…
ALTHOUGH: That’ll give me plenty of time to think about how much money MSG NETWORK is leaving on the table tonight here in the NYC Tri-State area by not having their MSG+ DtoC app ready yet for the big RANGERS vs. DEVILS Game 7 at 8p, which I totally would have paid $10 to watch (the rate MSG+ will charge you to watch any individual NBA/NHL games in the Fall).
ALSO: It’s Steph vs. Lebron in the NBA Playoffs, as the WARRIORS and LAKERS both moved on to face-off in a Playoffs series starting tomorrow night for the first time since 2018.
AND: If you have any BOSTON sports fans in your life, tread carefully today - the NHL’s BRUINS lost their first round Playoff series in OT yesterday to… FLORIDA 🫣, despite the BRUINS having the best NHL Regular Season record ever this year.
OH: TWITTER will allow media outlets to charge by article on the platform starting sometime this month.
PLUS: My apologies for the bad link on Friday to The Cut’s look at NYC “It Girls” through the decades to today, from the 70s Icons… to 90’s ‘Power Publicists’ at Moomba & Lot61… to Page Six staples in the 2000s when we still (kinda) read print. Here’s the right one.
IN TODAY’S EDITION:
It’s the time of year where publicly traded companies must legally disclose the paydays for their top executives.
Some big paydays at NEXSTAR, (TheCW’s new parent company), ENDEAVOR (although nowhere near as big as last year’s, with those post-IPO stock grants), COMCAST, AMC THEATERS, and massive ones at LIVE NATION, in case you’re wondering where your concert ticket ‘fees’ are going.
PLUS: Over $40 Million in paydays for the top execs at AMC NETWORKS - yes, the same ones who are now no longer there, and who were in the front seat as the company drove right into a ditch… resulting in a 20% staff layoff #jobwelldone. Details below in THE MEDIA BIZ section.
Perhaps the WGA should start asking for writer compensation in Stock awards 🤔.
The full Box Office breakdown, as Evil Dead continues to prove Theatrical > Streaming, SONY & George Foreman get TKO’d, and the 😬 in Specialty.
NETFLIX unsurprisingly gets Adam McKay’s next pic, James Corden’s finale numbers show the challenges of Late Night 2023, and more.
🎧 PLAYING ME ON
As those (probably very few :) of you who actually scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter know - I end almost every edition with a new song (or throwback to a classic), and I’ve been really digging a lot of new songs in the past few weeks… so - thought I would highlight some here for everyone 🙌.
I also keep an (admittedly wide-ranging) SPOTIFY playlist of songs I reco here:
The latest ARLO PARKS drop called “Blades” is a great start to any day, chill-ish vibes that also get you moving around your kitchen in the morning.
90’s ROCK FANS: If you listened to the old 92.3 WXRK in NYC or ‘Alternative Rock’ back in the day - the new “Spirits High” from THE EXIES would have been a huge hit.
OASIS Fans Re-Unite: NOEL GALLAGHER has been keeping this music alive and well, and his new one “Council Skies” is one of my favorites.
Fans of the chill side of OUTKAST or CHILDISH GAMBINO, with a splash of MICHAEL KIWANUKA - DANIEL CAESAR’s new album has some great new songs, including “Do You Like Me?”
I’ve not listened to a new DAVE MATTHEWS BAND song in… yeah it’s been a minute, but a brand new one called “Monsters” has really stuck with me.
And this new ELLIE GOULDING song “Love Goes On” also gets me moving around the apartment between ARPU analyses.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
