Mornin! It’s TUESDAY January 26th, 2021. Where legalized weed went on sale for the first time over the weekend in Arizona, so if Grammy and Grampy sound a lot more chill about politics this week…. well. There ya go.

No major Top Stories dominating today, so breaking down into Movie, TV and Media Biz news for this edition.

Email me at Wakeupodcast@gmail.com with any ideas to make this email work better for ya. - Sean

MUSIC TO READ BY

The new song from DJ powerhouse SILK CITY featuring ELLIE GOULDING on vocals, “New Love” (YouTube link)

THE SILVER SCREEN

± Robert DeNiro & John Boyega doing NETFLIX movie called “The Formula” (Deadline)

About a Formula One racing prodigy turned getaway driver to save his family.

± Jason Clarke, Michelle Monaghan, and Jai Courtney to star in the first movie in producer Basil Iwanyk’s deal to make action films for REDBOX (Deadline)

It’s called “Black Site” and centers on what goes wrong when a detainee at a CIA black site escapes.

REDBOX made a deal to produce 12 movies over 3 years budgeted at $10-12mil, intended to stream on Redbox’s website and go out on DVD in Redbox IRL kiosks.

ALSO in MOVIES:

• “Lovecraft Country” creator Misha Green to write and direct next '“Tomb Raider” movie at MGM with Alicia Vikander.

• SOLSTICE STUDIOS removes Mark Wahlberg movie “Joe Bell” from February release calendar, now TBD. They bought it at TIFF for $20 mil.

• EXECUTIVE SUITE: Justin Wilkes upped to Chief Creative Officer at IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT. Previously headed up their docs dept.

IN THE TV SET

± APPLE TV+ ordering 6 part Taron Egerton & Paul Walter Hauser limited series “In With the Devil” written by Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River”) (Deadline)

New Orleans set True Crime story was previously set up at HBO years ago, Richard Plepler among producers via his deal at Apple.

ALSO in TV:

• HBOMAX looking to make a “Harry Potter” TV show happen (it’s in very early development, as in “they’ve taken some meetings on it” but no deals imminent development).

• Alan Cumming joining Catherine Zeta Jones & Michael Sheen on “Prodigal Son” season 2 at FOX.

• Demi Lovato doing comedy pilot at NBC (who will pay a penalty if they don’t order it to series), called “Hungry”. It’s about friends who belong to a food issues group.

• Scott Michael Foster (“My Crazy Ex Girlfriend”, Cappie from “Greek”) joining season 3 of “You” at NETFLIX.

• “The Weakest Link” renewed for 13 episode season 2 on NBC with Jane Lynch.

• FOX buys 2 seasons of Canadian TV law show “Diggstown” from eOne.

• WWE / PEACOCK deal reportedly worth $200 mil a year over 5 years (or a Billion dollar deal if you really want to make a headline).

OVER TO THE MEDIA BIZ

± INSIDER INC revenue up 30% in 2020 (WSJ)

The owner of BUSINESS INSIDER and who also bought MORNING BREW at the end of 2020… had a great, profitable pandemic year, adding 200 employees.

Seems relying on Programmatic ad buying vs. direct ad deals helped, but the WSJ has more details for the inclined.

± VERIZON FIOS loses 72k TV subscribers in Q4 2020, adds 92k broadband subs (THR)

Now has 3.8mil TV customers, 6.2mil broadband.

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TRAILER HOUSE:

APPLE TV+ “The Snoopy Show” premieres next Fri Feb 5th.

FX “Hip Hop Uncovered” profiling 5 people from the underbelly of the hip hop scene who helped make it what it is. Premieres Feb 12th.

PROGRAMMING NOTES

ABC “To Tell The Truth” new season tonight at 8p, “Mixed-ish” returns at 930p

PBS FRONTLINE “Trump’s American Carnage” 9p or stream on PBS app.

Have a great day ya’ll! See ya tomorrow.

-Sean McNulty / wakeupodcast@gmail.com

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