☀️ SONY’s New Box Office Bet: Gen Z Stars

Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

Where I wish you all a happy “9-to-5” day — aka 9/25. Nice to see Dolly Parton get her day on the musical calendar next to NSYNC’s May 1.

As such, DISNEYFOX is celebrating by putting 9 to 5 back in theaters for a week starting Friday, Oct. 9 — with all ticket sales donated to The Dollywood Foundation to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

A great movie to see with friends and a way to support a great cause at the same time.

SO: The California judge in the WARNAMOUNT case granted the Block the Merger coalition’s motion to file amicus briefs around the deal, which was filed last night.

• As for the hearing yesterday — the judge had some questions for the state AGs regarding whether this settlement, uh, . . . ya know, addresses the actual concerns raised in the lawsuit (they get to keep all of those cable networks you were so concerned about a couple of weeks ago?), and to make sure the deal wasn’t the “result of collusion.” Ahem.
• She also asked both PSKY and the state AGs to respond by noon Monday to concerns raised in a letter from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) this week, saying the settlement process lacked an “independent public-interest review” and “a public comment period,” among other things.
• So stay tuned early next week to see whether that could lengthen the process and push into the Thursday, Oct. 1 ticking fee deadline, which is still very much intact at about $7M a day.

WELL: At least David & Sandra Ellison made time to get to D.C. last night to represent Hollywood at the latest Trump White House State Dinner for China, alongside other former Hollywood mogul Jeff Bezos, but no word if complimentary copies of Roll the Calls were somehow put under each seat.

• BUT: Better luck next time, CNN — sorry you were banned again, including covering the arrivals . . . but hopefully Ellison sent you a text on his way in.
• ALTHOUGH: I’m sure the FOX NEWS figures invited to the dinner could give you a download afterward . . . and hey, maybe that CNN ban will change real soon 😉.
• THEN: We also had the #BigTech Fab Four “S contingent” of Sam, Satya, Sundar and Sergey — although Elon, Jensen and Cook got the prime seats at Xi Jinping’s table (along with Lisa Su of AMD) — and, of course, a few Supreme Court Justices (you know, the good ones). Oh, and the uh, CEO of ZOOM — well played, Eric Yuan. Hopefully all of that PJ 🛩️ fuel wasn’t too pricey to get there, everybody. 😬

OH: As the New York State AG office is seemingly done with the PSKY matter at this point . . . that apparently has freed up some bandwidth to sue POLYMARKET for operating an unlicensed gambling operation.

• POLYMARKET has also countersued the state to try and block them from regulating them. No word on what the spread is for the outcome in the app.

THEN: Legislation has been officially introduced into Congress for a federal film & TV tax credit:

• 20% credit on labor costs, including above-the-line costs, and post-production / VFX work can also be counted (as long as it’s done in the U.S.).
• Project budget minimum of $1M, with 75% of the production shooting in the U.S.
• That 20% is on top of any incentives offered by individual states, which may not suddenly supercharge shoots in South Dakota . . . but could juice New Jersey, Georgia, New York and California quite a bit, as the numbers — if these hold — could well surpass those offered overseas (unless places like the U.K. and Australia adjust in kind).
• That federal credit could also accelerate up to 30% for indie films, including productions that shoot 30% of a project in “opportunity zones” like economically distressed areas or disaster-impacted regions, or that shoot in 10 or more locations around the U.S. while spending $10M+ overall.
• Reality shows are included, as are existing TV shows (come back from Canada, eh?), plus new ones and TV pilots, as long as they meet the budget stipulations.
• However, talk shows, social media series, sports production, news, soap operas, commercials and corporate videos would not be eligible.
• Full one-sheet here, and we’ll see how this changes as it winds its way through Congress.
• But if it passes later this year, when Congress is back in session, it would begin with any qualifying productions in 2027.

PLUS: In the “didn’t see this one coming” category — MGM RESORTS is considering a play for Barry Diller’s PEOPLE INC., according to the WSJ. This is just one day after Diller ended his negotiations to take a majority stake in MGM RESORTS (he currently has a 27% stake via PEOPLE INC.).

• This isn’t being considered because MGM wants more gratis copies of Southern Living for its casinos — but seemingly rather because PEOPLE INC is undervalued given the market valuation put on its 27% stake in MGM, and the math might work for this deal where essentially the whole “magazine business” is a bonus add-on for the price. We’ll see.
• MGM is about 3.5x the size of PEOPLE INC.

AH: Semafor is going to launch a daily video news show “very soon.”

FINALLY:

If you’re interested in working at The Ankler, we have a Senior Director, Social & Audience Strategy position open! I hear vast knowledge of gifs is a plus.

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🎥 The Silver Screen

SONY’s upcoming theatrical youth brigade is coming