Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY May 31, 2022.

Where if after watching “The Conuring” your main thought walking out of the theater was “Ooh how much for the house??” - first, we really gotta have a talk.

But apparently you’re not alone since the 3br / 1.5 bath / 4 death RI “Conjuring” home just sold for $1.5 Million… $300k over listing, which if there was ever an ONION headline about an overheated Real Estate market, I can’t think of a better one.

PLUS: UK police have ceased all investigations of sexual predation and bullying allegations against Noel Clarke, not finding enough evidence to make any criminal cases. He is currently suing THE GUARDIAN, GQ and BAFTA for defamation.

BUT: Kevin Spacey will voluntarily appear in UK court to face the new sexual assault charges he faces there.

AND: Johnny Depp spent his first post-trial weekend… on stage giving a concert. Yeah that tracks. He took the stage at 2 JEFF BECK shows in Sheffield, ENGLAND. Here’s a bit of a “Little Wing” cover for any inclined for some JD-JB musical stylings.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

BOX OFFICE

(4.5-day totals - incl “Top Gun” Thurs night “previews”… so basically it was released Thursday night)

1. “Top Gun: Maverick” : $156 Million ($280+ Million global)

   • Biggest MEMORIAL DAY weekend opening ever, almost making back its $170 Million budget in its first 4.5 days in the US alone.

     • Of Note: MARVEL pics don’t open on MEMORIAL DAY weekend.

     • While not “Doctor Strange”/”Avengers” territory, this is on par or higher than quite a few MARVEL pics over the past 5 years.

   • 3-Day total was $127 Million.

   • 45% were under 35 years-old, 55% were 35+.

   • Makes all the talk of Cruise’s impending serious “women under 34 yrs-old problem” for this movie look even dumber than it was a month ago.

   • IMAX & “Premium format screens” were 37% of global gross.

     • IMAX alone was 13% of US $$.

   • May saw 2 films open to $156 Million and $185 Million. It’s really too bad the pandemic caused everyone to change their moviegoing habits forever and the movie theater business is over.

2. “Doctor Strange…” : $20.5 Million ($375 Million US)

   • 3-day weekend to weekend drop of just under 50% again.

3. “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” : $15 Million

4. “Downton Abbey: A New Era” : $7.5 Million ($30 Million US)

   • Fri-Sun total was $6 Million, a 63% drop - so… looking more like a sequel most weren’t asking for situation vs. some judgement on older audiences and the movies. Although again - it’s really whatever narrative you wanna pick.

     • Either way - this franchise and a Part 3 - likely not so much.

   • Budget was $40 Million so it’ll reach that in the US, and be profitable with International… but nowhere near the original’s $194 Million global total.

   • Will hit $20 PVOD home rental after this weekend.

5. “The Bad Guys” : $6 Million ($83 Million US)

   • Still a very slight 25% decline, and still the only Family pic out there for 3 more weekends.

   • Pic has also been avail for $20 PVOD rental at home for a few weeks.

6. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” : $3.2 Million ($58 Million US)

AND: A24’s “Men” dropped 63% in week 2 with $1.5 Million for the 4-day weekend, stands at $6.3 Million total.

AMAZON buying next Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) pic “Saltburn”

No price indicated, but deal isn’t final yet. Will star Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, and Barry Keoghan and shoot this Summer. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

• Here are your 2022 CANNES Award winners 🏆, with the Palme d’Or going to NEON US acquisition, the satire “Triangle of Sadness” featuring Woody Harrelson.

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📺 THE TV SET

Tim Robbins and Leslie Mann both depart AMAZON series “The Power”

This is another one of those projects that started and stopped right as the pandemic hit, and recently started up again.

Both roles will be re-cast (and re-shot), no specifics on reasons for each departure.

It’s a 10 episode drama based on a book, in a world where teenage girls suddenly develop the power to electrocute people which uh… yeah causes some role reversals around the world ⚡️. /Deadline

ALSO IN TV

• Alexis Bledel not returning to HULU’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” for Season 5. /Variety

• HBO’s “Avenue 5” series from Armndo Iannucci likely to end with upcoming Season 2. It has a tenative Fall premiere timeline, and the options on the cast have been released. /Deadline

• PAR+ “The Good Wife” to end with its 6th Season, which drops in September. /THR

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

The Media Biz was too busy at parties I was not invited to in the Hamptons this weekend to make news…

OR

Wondering why they weren’t invited to Ari Emanuel’s wedding in the St. Tropez this weekend (although Diddy, Wahlberg, Emily Ratakowski and naturally Elon Musk all were. Plus Larry David who officiated the ceremony between Ari & Sarah Staudinger)

But no sign in the crowd of this guy who… kinda looks like he could be Sydney Pollack’s brother no?

But if you missed this photo in your social feeds - consider it today’s #POPQUIZ. Answer down at the bottom.

And a Slainté goes out to Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff who are now engaged 💍.

AND 2 READS

1. This Ted Sarandos piece with Maureen Dowd in the NY TIMES this weekend got a lot of notice amongst the media reporter, uh… literatti (🤷‍♂️) - not because much was said that was particularly newsworthy business-wise IMO, but more that Ted’s first big interview since the Q1 Earnings call fiasco was with… the NYT Styles section. So not a lotta talk about the new ad-supported service strategy.

2. A long excerpt from Ken Auletta’s highly anticipated Harvey Weinstein book coming out in July.

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

AMC THEATERS +18% ($14.43) #thanksMaverick

ROKU +9% ($96.46)

IMAX +8% ($17.39)

CINEMARK +6% ($17.14)

SNAP +5% ($15.58)

LIONSGATE -5% ($10.07)

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👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

HULU “Pistol” - Danny Boyle limited series about SEX PISTOLS - STREAM HERE

HBOMAX “Fantastic Beasts:  The Legend of Dumbledore” - STREAM HERE

FOX ”Lego Masters”, “Fantasy Island” premieres

🕵️‍♀️ THE WEEK AHEAD

WED - TNT “The Match” - Brady & Rogers vs Mahomes & Allen on the links ⛳️

THU - ABC NBA Finals Game 1 : CELTICS vs WARRIORS 🏀

FRI - Tom Cruise has the box office to himself but:

• AMAZON PRIME “The Boys” Season 3 drops, as does HULU’s “Fire Island”

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

No new Trailers today but if you haven’t seen HARRY STYLES & JAMES CORDEN surprise 4 young women in their NYC apartment to shoot a video for “Daylight”… this is just pure joy 🥳. You’ll be glad you watched this.

HARRY is also giving $1 Million in proceeds from his Summer tour to EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY, with his promoter LIVE NATION giving $1 Million to match as well. Let’s see who follows.

#POP QUIZ Answer

That guy would be… BRADLEY COOPER, in the first images released from NETFLIX for his Leonard Bernstein biopic (more pics here, including the Bernstein younger years).

If you need some new tunes:

THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

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-SEAN MCNULTY

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