The Gen Z TV Crisis; Adult Animation is Alive!; Clock Strikes Midnight for WBD
Plus: Netflix a step closer to weekly drops; Oz scoop!
After decades of culture-defining hits from Friends and New Girl to Big Bang Theory and Insecure, TV geared to twentysomethings is stuck in a trough. Whitney Friedlander answers why in an era where HBO’s I Love LA and FX’s Adults recently scored second seasons, but neither has lit up Nielsen ratings. With Gen Z the population’s second-biggest demo (ages 13-28), it’s a cohort Hollywood absolutely must win yet can’t seem to get out of its own way to do so:
Which brings me to Hollywood consolidation. Fear, predictability and layoffs crush creativity and risk. On Thursday, bids for Warner Bros. Discovery came due with Paramount, Netflix and Comcast placing bets. Sean McNulty offered his signature sharp analysis on Netflix’s promise to keep Warners’ theatrical commitments (with no word on making new ones); Richard Rushfield noted both David Ellison’s edge (so tight with Trump he attended the state dinner for Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman), but also quiet whispers of talent grumbling about steering clear of Paramount — or at least extracting a hazard-pay premium on deals with the deep-pocketed player:
But there’s hope in the world, and for now it’s in adult animation. Elaine Low dug into the genre generating heat with TV viewers and buyers as Netflix, Amazon and more invest in IP plays and exciting, big original swings too:
Speaking of who has heat: Crowd Pleaser, our new collab with Letterboxd about audience, hosted the first Crowd Pleaser Live event on Thursday with Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll’s anime blockbuster Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle ($730 million worldwide). Crowd Pleaser author Matthew Frank welcomed attendees with tales of his epic cross-country 58 movie-theater odyssey (read about it here and check out his emotional Insta video here), and Elaine led a post-screening Q&A with director Haruo Sotozaki and director of photography Yuichi Terao (many thanks to interpreter Mikey McNamara and to Crunchyroll).
Now, ICYMI, here’s more of our best of the week:
Series Business: Netflix vs. Duffers Release Debate
As Netflix releases the final season of Stranger Things in three holiday batches, Lesley Goldberg scoops the conversation inside the streamer over cadence and strategy, what insiders say creators Ross and Matt Duffer wanted (but didn’t get) — and why the three-parter may bring Netflix closer to considering weekly episode drops. Plus, Lesley’s new column looks at Taylor Sheridan’s future at NBCU and more:
Reel AI: Get Ready for Tilly Norwood(s)
AI performers like the controversial Tilly Norwood are moving from fringe curiosity to front-of-camera force, and Erik Barmack explores how the tech could make sets safer and shoots faster for human actors even as it threatens jobs — and why unions, reps and lawyers are already behind the curve in the fight:
Notable: Oz Scoop! More Coming
Wicked music and lyrics writer and producer Stephen Schwartz, co-composer John Powell and executive music producer Stephen Oremus take Rob LeDonne inside the making of the film’s new soundtrack — and reveal the huge news that Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman already are developing “another idea” from the world of Oz:
10 Books to Read Over the Holidays
The Optionist’s Andy Lewis put together a holiday reading syllabus to help understand how we got to our dystopian AI present and what’s coming — fast. Andy’s sharp picks include policy insiders spelling out D.C.’s next moves, scientists warning what happens when the machines stop listening to us and the macro view Hollywood really needs right now:
Prestige Junkie: Jenny Han & Josh O’Connor
Katey Rich chats with Josh O’Connor, star of four movies this year including Wake Up Dead Man and Rebuilding, about his packed schedule — and plans to slow down. Plus, Katey sits down with The Summer I Turned Pretty creator Jenny Han to talk about the secret sauce behind the teen hit and recaps her night at the starry Governors Awards:
The Wakeup
It’s not just movie studios consolidating — it’s local TV, too. Sean makes sense of the news that Sinclair, the station group that helped foment the Jimmy Kimmel suspension, is in talks with E.W. Scripps for a merger. As Tegna and Nexstar also await approval for their $6.2 billion deal, it all spells severe trouble down the line for Hollywood and jobs:
Our Shows
Monday Morning QBs: Before Wicked: For Good takes over the box office, Richard and Sean break down why the Now You See Me franchise has staying power while The Running Man very much does not:
🎧 PODCASTS
THE ANKLER
Elaine, Natalie and Sean break down why a Paramount–Warners mash-up now feels less like speculation and more like destiny. Plus: As Disney becomes a luxury brand and even monthly streaming bills seem like an extravagance, has the middle-class been priced out of entertainment?
📱 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE BY NATALIE JARVEY
👓 THE OPTIONIST BY ANDY LEWIS
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