WEST SIDE STORY disappoints, but ignore 2019 Box Office comparisons
WEST SIDE STORY disappoints, but ignore 2019 Box Office comparisons
SNL adding a UK edition / SIRIUS hires DISNEY+ lead tech architect / PELOTON claps back at SEX & THE CITY
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY December 13, 2021.
Where TIME went with Elon Musk as their Person of the Year (ok but how many newsletters did he start??), and yes, PELOTON did know they’d be featured in “And Just Like That” , but no… they did not know how they’d be featured.
But whatever check 💰💰 they cut Chris Noth for this mic drop response ad yesterday afternoon with Mr. Big and PELOTON instructor Jess King (who was featured in the AJLT episode) was totally worth it. 👏 Ryan Reynolds & his ad agency MAXIMUM EFFORT.
ALSO: Here’s a look at what’s ahead in the next 8 AJLT episodes (dropping weekly on Thursdays).
AND: The International junketeer GOLDEN GLOBE Awards are also moving forward with their nominations today at 9a East Coast time, despite not having an Awards show on TV in January or likely much industry support from nominees. The list will be here if that is of interest.
PLUS: Jack White is going on tour this Spring/Summer, starting in April. Ticket info is here, and he’ll also be dropping 2 new albums, one in April and one in July.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
UNIVERSAL picks up “Phantom of the Opera” project with John Legend producing
The spec script called “Phantom” is described as a reimagining, and is set in New Orleans. No director attached as of yet. /THR
BOX OFFICE
“West Side Story” : $10.5 Million ($15 Million global)
Roughly the same as “In The Heights” ($11.5 Million opening + HBOMAX). So I think I can just copy and paste my same lines from June’s newsletter here:
“Musicals never open big”
“A New York City set musical has limited appeal outside of the coasts”
“It had no major A-List stars & only the brand to rely on” etc
Opened in 2800 theaters, so - wide, though not super wide. BUT - A bit odd this didn’t take a limited release approach to get some positive NY / LA Box Office headlines, glowing reviews and award nominations, and then go wide at Christmas when its older target demo is most likely to come out to see it. Something that still may happen… but 😬.
It’s DISNEYFOX’s 2nd $100+ Million budget movie to open soft in 3 months (“The Last Duel”).
Approx $3 Million was from IMAX (screens go to “Spider-Man” this Friday).
The small $4.4 Million International gross was essentially from 5 major markets (UK, GERMANY, FRANCE, RUSSIA and NETHERLANDS)
“Encanto” : $9 Million ($71 Million US, $152 Million global)
A slight 28% drop from last weekend
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” : $7 Million ($112 Million US, $170 Million global)
“House of Gucci” : $4 Million ($41 Million US, $93 Million global)
“Eternals” : $3 Million ($161 Million US, $395 Million global)
ELSEWHERE AT THE BOX OFFICE
STX’s “National Champions” made just $300k from 1200 theaters (had $8 Million budget). Will hit PVOD in about a month to coincide with BCS COLLEGE FOOTBALL Championship.
“Red Rocket” gets $16k per screen avg across 6 theaters, $97k total
“Don’t Look Up” reportedly had a $700k opening on 500 screens ($1400 per screen); “Being the Ricardos” - $450k on 400 screens
“Licorice Pizza” stayed in just 4 theaters (1 LA, 3 NYC), had a $44k per screen average (about a 20% drop from last weekend). Now at $1.1 Million in 3 weeks from just 4 theaters
”Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers” dropped about 75% to $1.3 Million but now has a $13.5 Million total
A NOTE TO KEEP IN MIND: If you saw Box Office analysis in the trades or other newsletters yesterday citing that the weekend’s total BO was only about 1/3 of the same weekend in 2019 - important to note that “Jumanji II” opened that weekend, and both “Frozen 2” & “Knives Out” were still going strong in week 3.
So - while still yeah… not a great weekend here in 2021 - a lot of that is just reflective of the movie titles this weekend, not necessarily that “people don’t want to go to the movies anymore”. Also keep that in mind next weekend… when the comp will be the last “Star Wars” movie which opened to $177 Million.
ALSO IN MOVIES
“Eternals” will hit DISNEY+ on Jan 12, roughly 9 weeks from it’s theatrical premiere.
📺 THE TV SET
Frank Sinatra series from LIONSGATE TV now out to bidders
Bill Condon (writer of “Chicago”, “The Greatest Showman”) is writing / showrunning, Tina Sinatra / Sinatra estate & label UMG are on board so the music will all be there - will see who bites… /Deadline
COMCAST-owned SKY is looking to do a UK version of SNL
The show has apparently had versions in CHINA, GERMANY, ITALY and SOUTH KOREA. The US show just started airing in full on TV there last year on the SKY COMEDY network.
No word on who might oversee it creatively or a timeline. /Deadline
ALSO IN TV
Camryn Manheim joins NBC’s “Law & Order” OG revival. /Deadline
Olivia Rodrigo is keepin it real and returning for DISNEY+’s “High School Musical” series for Season 3. /ScreenRant
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
Chris Wallace leaves FOX NEWS for… CNN+
Will leave the Sunday thing for a weekday show, and will be exclusive to CNN+… but not much known outside of that. He was at FOX NEWS for 18 years. CNN+ still listed as a Q1 2022 TBD launch. /Deadline
ALSO IN MEDIA
TRAVIS SCOTT removed from his headlining slot at COACHELLA this Spring. /Deadline
SIRIUS XM hires DISNEY+ technology guru Joe Inzerillo as their new Chief Product & Technology Officer, as they continue to try and build a business outside the car. /WSJ
This story is a bit bonkers (thx @Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources Email for surfacing) - A Chicago-based publicist for KANYE WEST went to GEORGIA to warn and essentially threaten an election official into confessing to false rigged election claims back on Jan 3, 2021. /Reuters
“Diana: The Musical” closing on Broadway Sun Dec 19. /Deadline
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
AMC THEATERS down almost 7% ($27.44)
BUZZFEED managed to have an up day finally… +3% ($6.07)
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
ESPN Monday Night Football - RAMS at CARDINALS - good matchup! Starts at 815p
HBO “Street Gang” - Docu on the launch and early years of “Sesame Street”, airs at 10p
DISCOVERY+ “The Rise and Fall of LulaRoe” docu - link didn’t come up in a google search so you’re on your own.
If you were sent this newsletter or… just kinda found it:
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
STX FILMS “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” trailer - New Statham-Guy Ritchie joint, with Hugh Grant, Josh Hartnett and Aubrey Plaza. Pretty sure this is still in theaters Jan 21… but just says “coming soon”.
PARAMOUNT+ “Halo” Series teaser trailer - Premieres TBD 2022
BBC / AMAZON PRIME “A Very British Scandal” trailer - Claire Foy & Paul Bettany as the Dutchess and Duke of Argyle. Hits the UK Dec 26, not sure about the PRIME date.
SNL - Another solid episode on Saturday, this didn’t make the show but also another solid Please Don’t Destroy video.
🕵️♂️ THE WEEK AHEAD
TUE & WED… 🤷♂️
THU - “MacGruber” hits PEACOCK
FRI - New“Spider-man” hits theaters, likely begetting yet more think pieces about the state of the Box Office and whether “people” still want to go to the movies.
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
TAME IMPALA “No Choice” from an expanded release of their 2020 album.
And I’ll finish up with a Rest in Peace going out to Anne Rice, who died at 80 years-old on Saturday due to complications from a stroke.
If you need new tunes:
Email me anytime - just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.
-SEAN MCNULTY
@theseanmac on TWITTER
@TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM