Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY August 22, 2022.
Where seriously, who drops Aidan SATC news on a Summer Friday afternoon?? Come on HBOMAX!! 🙄
ALSO: I totally forgot to run my “How soon will this headline be written by one of the trades on Sunday night?” pool on Friday didn’t I? (9:25pm ET last night for the record)
PLUS: Sorry if email is a little late today, I’m just getting back from Affleck’s Savannah house from the uh, ‘official’ (🤷♂️) Bennifer 2.0 wedding in Georgia this weekend (who knew tax credits apply to Hollywood weddings too?).
The cocktail hour was sponsored by DUNKIN’ which was nice, although apparently Casey Affleck had to make a STARBUCKS run in CA that he just couldn’t miss (with TMZ stalking in tow) as… he didn’t go. FWIW a source told People that he had “family, parental obligations at home.”
And he posted among other things (at 7p last night with this choice of pic): “Welcome to the family. Get ready for some real dysfunction! Kidding. I am kidding”. So I guess he was kidding.
AND: Sadly I thus had to send my regrets to Sheryl Sandberg for not being able to make it to her WYOMING wedding to consultancy founder & former NBC News producer Tom Bernthal this weekend – but enjoy the “His & Hers” iPhone protectors you two! Ya know I really had no idea TIFFANY’s made those… 🤔
IN THIS EDITION
“Cobra Kai” braintrust attempting “Ferris Bueller” spinoff at PAR that… actually sounds like a lotta fun!
#2 US movie theater chain stock now $.06, bankruptcy future ahead
OWN leadership axed at WBD
2nd JJ Abrams/BAD ROBOT series stopped before it starts, now at APPLE TV
eONE’s future at HASBRO under new management sounds… a bit shaky
HBOMAX trims BigBird’s presence as part of new library cutbacks, and more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
BOX OFFICE
1. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” – $20 Million
IMAX was a big 17% of the gross here, and ‘large format’ screens overall were 40% of the total… certainly helping to hit that high $20+ Mil number.
Audience was 75% dudes #shocking, and 70% under 35.
2. “Beast” : $11.6 Million ($22 Million global)
Audience was nearly 60% Black & Hispanic moviegoers according to exit polls.
Age split was evenly above / below 35 years-old. An OK “B” Cinemascore.
#FunFact – Idris’s daughter auditioned for the role of his daughter in the film and came close to the role, but Idris trusted his director, and producer Will Packer with making the final call.
3. “Bullet Train” : $8 million ($69 Million US, $150 Million global)
-40% drop from last weekend
Budget was around $90 Million, so SONY will break even on paper in the US (excluding revenue splits to movie theaters), and int’l money will put it into the black.
4. “Top Gun: Maverick” : $5.9 Million ($683 Million US, $1.4 Billion global)
-17% drop
Now the 9th highest grossing movie ever globally, and passed “Avengers: Infinity War” on the US chart.
Just as it hits PVOD $20 home purchase-only / no rentals tomorrow.
5. “DC League of Super Pets” : $5.8 Million ($67 Million US,$30 Million global)
-18% drop from last weekend
Also having strong-ish mid-week box office as kid Summer Vacations come to an end ☹️.
6. “Thor: Love and Thunder” : $4 Million ($332 Million US, $737 Million global)
-25% drop from last weekend
7. “Nope” : $3.5 Million ($114 Million US, $133 Million global)
-34% drop
This will come in at a good $50 Million below “Get Out” and “Us” at the US Box Office.
ELSEWHERE AT THE BOX OFFICE
A24’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies” took 10th place with $2.4 Million (-23%), as it expanded to 2500 screens. Total is now $7.4 Million
LIONSGATE’s “Fall” dropped 47%, with $1.3 Million. Total is $4.7 Million
“Cobra Kai” team producing a “Ferris Bueller” spinoff at PARAMOUNT
Ok this actually sounds A) smart and B) like it could be a lotta fun – “Sam and Victor’s Day Off” will center on the 2 car garage attendants who take Cameron’s dad’s car for a joyride in the movie.
“Cobra Kai” writer Bill Posley is doing the script, so hopefully this merits a greenlight. /Deadline
📺 THE TV SET
A BUNCH OF STUFF REALLY, new WBD cuts first:
Starting at OWN whose future will be decidedly different… raising further dedication to diversity of voices questions at WBD no doubt.
This has been a preview of today’s edition of THE WAKEUP.
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