VICE cuts article volume 50% plus BLACK WIDOW lawsuit breakdown
Discover more from The Ankler.
VICE cuts article volume 50% plus BLACK WIDOW lawsuit breakdown
Nicholas Hoult + Anya Taylor-Joy at SEARCHLIGHT / Latest COVID office delays & shutdowns / New MOVIES & TV weekend preview
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY July 30, 2021.
Where if my mom is reading this today… 👋 Finally some news for you! HGTV ordered 11 new shows - Just click this link for the list and descriptions mom. No Wait- ahhh… she just took a screenshot instead. Eh, she’ll get there.
ALSO: In covid shutdown news…😷 PARAMOUNT+’s “The Offer” is on temporary pause due to a Zone A positive test, and HULU’s “Woke” had 3 incidents in the first 2 episodes, and shooting is now suspended indefinitely.
AND: GOOGLE has now pushed its office return back to mid-October (with proof of vaxx required then), LYFT has pushed their office return back to February, but AMAZON… doubled down on September return-to-office in their earnings call, no proof of vaxx mandated.
PLUS: BROADWAY has reached an agreement with their guilds for all performers and crew members to be vaccinated before coming back to work.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
Scarlett Johansson suing DISNEY over 💰 related to putting “Black Widow” on DIS+ $30 rental
Claims breach of contract. Essentially, ScarJo gets bonuses and likely a cut of “Black Widow” movie ticket sales… but not so much on the $30 DIS+ rentals. Or at least not as much. Her deal was made way back when to reflect box office success, and unlike WB who wrote some big checks to folks when putting their movies on HBOMAX… from most accounts it seems like DISNEY has taken a different approach.
She claims one of DISNEY’s motivations to put movie on DIS+ was to enhance the company’s stock price… which coincidentally benefits the execs who authorized the decision, given all of the stock they get as part of their compensation. Essentially… using “Black Widow” to line their own pockets and boost the company’s subscriber numbers at the expense of the existing contract they had with Scarlett, where she shared in none of that upside.
Her reps also cite an 2019 email from MARVEL’s top Biz Affairs person promising it would only be in movie theaters, and that if it wasn’t…
“we would need to discuss this with you and come to an understanding as the deal is based on a series of (very large) box office bonuses.”
Scarlett’s rep says they got a Who Dis? reply when they reached out to arrive at new said understanding this Summer.
Coincidentally… and/or conveniently for DISNEY, this was Scarlett’s last MARVEL movie on her contact (i.e. no motivation to sit down at the table due to looming future negotiations for more flicks).
DISNEY replied to all of this essentially saying Um, we’ve already paid you $20 Million (oh sorry - did we just drop your paycheck info there?), and your lawsuit has no merit.
It’s a good read, and feels like this is the lawsuit that the town has kinda expected to happen at some point with all the simultaneous Theater + Streaming movie releases… so here we are. And I’m sure The Rock’s reps placed a few calls yesterday as well. #JungleCruise
Although thinking about where the Delta variant may put the movie theater business by Fall movie season in another 4-6 weeks… it’s entirely possible “Black Widow” may be the highest profile film that plays in that many theaters at full capacity for a while. /WSJ
SEARCHLIGHT sets Nicholas Hoult to co-star with Anya Taylor-Joy in “The Menu” produced by Adam McKay
Young couple (Anya & Nicholas) travels to exotic island to an exclusive restaurant to have an extravagant meal prepared by a… unique chef, played by Ralph Fiennes. Hong Chau also co-starring.
“Succession” director Mark Mylod is… well, directing here. /THR
FOCUS FEATURES greenlights Michael Ausiello memoir “Spoiler Alert” starring Jim Parsons
Ausiello is the President of the TV LINE news brand (Parsons will play him), and it tells the story of his 14 year relationship with his partner, through lens of the partner’s 11-month long struggle with terminal cancer.
Ben Aldridge from “Fleabag” (he played the “Arsehole Guy”, mostly in S1) co-stars as Ausiello’s other half. Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”) directing. /Deadline
ALSO IN MOVIES
JK Simmons returning as “Commissioner Gordon” in HBOMAX “Batgirl” movie. /THR
Sebastian Stan joins Julianne Moore in APPLE TV+ / A24 movie “Sharper”. They play con-artists in Manhattan’s Billionaire society, Benjamin Caron (“The Crown”) directing. /Deadline
📺 THE TV SET
BET+ reviving “The Real Husbands of Hollywood” series for a 6 episode run
All talent returning, along with an impressive list of guest stars - Wait did that say Johnny Depp?? /Variety
NETFLIX sets Matt Bomer to co-star with Michelle Monaghan in “Echoes” limited series
That’s the show where Michelle plays twins who surreptitiously switch between each others lives over decades… until one of them suddenly goes missing.
Matt will play the husband of one of them. Brian Yorkey (“13 Reasons Why”) is co-showrunner. /Deadline
ALSO IN TV
NETFLIX renews “Sweet Tooth” series from Team Downey for a Season 2. Eight episode order. /Variety
TNT renews “Snowpiercer” for a Season 4. The show recently finished shooting Season 3. /THR
Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” cancelled in the UK by ITV after 15 seasons. /THR
IN THE HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE SUITE
ICM agency partner Steve Alexander is no longer with the company. He was among the execs in the LA TIMES piece earlier this year about misconduct at the agency, allegedly for exposing himself to a co-worker in 2016. /Variety
Longtime cable exec & INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY channel head Henry Schlieff departing the network at the end of the year after a 12 year run. GM Kevin Bennett also leaving. /Variety
Ava Duvernay’s company ARRAY has a new President - head of physical production Paul Garnes is stepping into the role, as current President Sarah Bremner is leaving for a personal hiatus. /THR
Priya Swaminathan, co-head of film & TV at the Obama’s HIGHER GROUND company is leaving of her own accord. She was their first hire at the company. No next destination given. /Variety
LIONSGATE’s CEO Jon Feltheimer got $19 Million in 2021 compensation (salary, bonus & stock). His compensation has tripled since 2019. As have the number of “Power” shows on STARZ, but that’s probably unrelated 🧐. /THR
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
AMAZON misses revenue per share guidance for first time in 3 years, stock down 7% last night
They took in $113 Billion from April thru June, and made $7.3 Billion in profit… but their earnings per share were off by 27% from Wall Street estimates, and they warned that the pandemic shopping spree is kinda over. Although maybe let’s re-address that in 4 to 6 weeks.
Still no meaningful AMAZON PRIME VIDEO or PRIME MUSIC #s.
Though of note, they now employ 1.3 Million people, +52% from this time last year and again, those who work in offices are still expected to return in September. Proof of vaxx… not required. /CNBC
VICE reducing written story output by 40-50% to increase video production $$ resources
Pertains to Vice.com and VICE owned REFINERY 29. Essentially… there’s more 💵 in video ads than website ads, and VICE is really trying to go public so… here we are.
This major shift will move money to hiring more video production staff for website & YT videos, and creating video for social media platforms. /NY Times
ALSO IN MEDIA
HBO re-added to satellite TV provider DISH’S offerings after 3 year dispute. DISH’s 8.7 million subscribers will also get an offer for a year of HBOMAX ad-free for $12. But the deal does not include making HBO avail to SLING TV streaming bundle customers. Then again if you’re streaming your TV, you can easily just order HBOMAX on your own. /NextTV
WWE indicates it’s programming may not be part of PEACOCK internationally. /Deadline
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
FACEBOOK -4% on their guidance for the quarters ahead in their earnings call. Remember when 38% of people on Earth using your product each month impressed people?
PINTEREST -6%, and then… -19% in after-hours trading based on their 2nd Quarter earnings - their US Monthly Active users dropped 7% from April to the end of June to 454 Million. The US unfortunately is also the country where they make the most per user by far. Global ARPU is just $1.31, for a 2Q revenue of $613 Million. Up 125% from last year… but that’s a damn low ARPU.
👩💻 THE FSS FEED:
(new Stuff to Watch this weekend)
FRIDAY
IN THEATERS:
DISNEY “Jungle Cruise” in theaters, or Watch at home for $30 on DISNEY+ here
FOCUS FEATURES “Stillwater” - Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin. Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”) directing. Oklahoman oil rig worker must go to France to help his estranged daughter charged with murder. Only in Theaters
A24 “The Green Knight” - Dev Patel as the nephew of “King Arthur” who takes on a quest to battle a mysterious giant who shows up a Camelot. With a +1 no less - some people… 🙄 Only in Theaters
SPC “Nine Days” - Winston Duke surrealist movie about a man who interviews five unborn souls to determine which one can be given life on Earth. Tony Hale and Zazie Beets among co-stars, had a pretty cool, trippy trailer. In NY, LA then goes wider next Fri.
STREAMING:
APPLE TV+ “Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson” - 6 part docuseries exploring technology in music, directed by Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom”). Watch or Add to your List here
NETFLIX “Outer Banks” Season 2. Watch or Add to your List here
NETFLIX “Myth & Mogul: John Delorean” - 3 ep docu on the legendary carmaker. Watch or Add to your List here
ROKU CHANNEL “The Demi Lovato Show” - 9 episodes (acquired as part of the QUIBI deal)
TV
OLYMPICS
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
More OLYMPICS
Also maybe worth another look… HBO’s“The Weight of Gold” docu with Michael Phelps looking at the mental toll on Olympic athletes. Watch or add to your List here.
If you’d like to help THE WAKEUP grow up to be somebody, share it with your team? 🙏
And if you don’t always get this email every weekday morning (assuming you want to) - be sure to add the address to your inbox, or if you use Gmail - move me out of the Promotions tab with the Bed Bath & Beyond emails.
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
MGM “House of Gucci” trailer. I know this is primarily a Gaga / Driver joint but… Jared Leto is just 🤯 . Wow. This should be fun come Wed November 24.
APPLE TV+ “See” Season 2 trailer. Looks pretty damn epic! And like a damn cold shoot… 🥶 Premieres Fri Aug 27.
NBC “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” final season trailer. First 2 episodes premiere Thu Aug 12.
🥳 TODAY'S FUN LISTEN
Matt Damon has been showing why he’s one of the best interviews in the business in his “Stillwater” interview tour - this one with my friend Josh Horowitz for his HAPPY SAD CONFUSED podcast was pretty great, including what “Good Will Hunting” would have been like if directed by Michael Mann, who actually shot some screen tests for it at one point. SPOTIFY APPLE PODCASTS
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
New NOTHING BUT THIEVES “Miracle Baby” - new track from the Brit pop/alt rock group, who have some bangers on their last album “Moral Panic” too.
If you need new tunes:
And if you want to send the newsletter to someone, here’s a button:
Email me anytime - just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.
-Sean McNulty
@theseanmac on TWITTER
@TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM
or I’m also here on CLUBHOUSE