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BOX OFFICE CALENDAR hit by strikes
mgm's zendaya-starring 'challengers' and the emma stone-fronted 'poor things' have already moved; focus features 'drive-away dolls' and bigger titles like 'dune: part two' could be next |
Despite the champagne popping at Warner Bros. and Universal over the 'Barbenheimer' box office bonanza, distribution executives continue to sweat when mulling the possibility of a lengthy SAG-AFTRA strike. In fact, the work stoppage is already blowing up the fall release calendar.
Studio executives are hoping to huddle with the National Association of Theatre Owners in an effort to get the word out about how a lengthy strike could really do damage, not just to the motion picture business but also to exhibition itself after cinemas ate dirt during Covid. The news comes with No. 1 theater chain AMC running out of cash.
Oscar-bait adult-demo titles that squarely hinge on actors’ promotions will be the first to move off the calendar, which we saw with Luca Guadagnino's Challengers last week. The MGM film is heading from September 15 to the last weekend of April 2024.
Separately, Drive-Away Dolls is eyeing a move off its September 22 release date, largely because it is dated against awards-bait title Dumb Money, which will have the gas of TIFF behind it. New date for the caper movie starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal is TBD; if you glance at the Comscore calendar, Focus has October 6 on hold for an untitled feature.
As for Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two, it wouldn’t be shocking if the feature moved off its golden November 3 theatrical release date. Denis Villeneuve got stiffed with WarnerMedia’s theatrical day-and-date experiment, which prevented the first movie from being the Star Wars-style blockbuster it could have been; the pic still is one of the highest-grossing movies of the 2021 pandemic at $402 million worldwide and notched several Oscar wins. >>>Potential New Dates For 'Dune'
More B.O. News:
Emerald Fennell’s ‘Saltburn’ Eyes Thanksgiving Weekend Release
‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Fever Spills Into Monday: Greta Gerwig Pic Notches Warner Bros Record
‘Barbie’ Surfs Past $400M Global Box Office Through Monday; ‘Oppenheimer’ Tops $200M |
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| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
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Daytime Drama - Emotions have been running high on the set of the long-running soap Days of Our Lives. According to multiple sources, there has been shock, disbelief, disappointment and anger among cast and crew following the outcome of an internal investigation into misconduct allegations against longtime Days of Our Lives director/co-executive producer Albert Alarr. >>> Investigation & Allegations
TV Chef Bullying Storm - Brit TV chef James Martin is at the center of a bullying storm after he was accused of intimidating his crew on multiple occasions, a Deadline investigation can reveal. ITV told Martin to change his behavior after receiving a complaint about his conduct in May from some of the presenter’s closest colleagues. >>>"Repeated Incidents"
Venice, Zendaya and Roman Polanski - Venice Film Festival head Alberto Barbera spoke with Deadline soon after revealing his latest stellar lineup, including movies from David Fincher, Michael Mann, Bradley Cooper, Pablo Larrain, Sofia Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ava DuVernay. The festival was dealt a blow last week when MGM and Amazon pulled Zendaya starrer Challengers from its opening-night slot due to the strike. On the flip side, Barbera said Roman Polanski's new film will definitely be in the lineup: "Nothing has changed." >>> Read The Q&A
WBD's New DEI Officer - Lisa Collins is Warner Bros. Discovery’s new Group Vice President, overseeing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion employee initiatives across North America. She will report to Chief DEI Officer Asif Sadiq. Prior to Collins, Karen Horne served in the position before her exit in late June as the company rethought the DEI division. >>>New Duties
Sony's Parsons Departs - Sony Pictures Television is saying goodbye to veteran international production operations boss Richard Parsons. Parsons is stepping down after 12 years and his role won't be replaced. >>>Long-Serving Exec
'Haunted Mansion' Review - Disney’s Haunted Mansion, helmed by Justin Simien and penned by Katie Dippold, is a horror-comedy based on the famous Disneyland attraction. However, the ride this film takes you on is less of an enchanted journey and more of a haphazard tour through a dilapidated amusement park. >>>Valerie Complex's Take |
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More News
⚖️ Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty in his sex crimes trial in London. The verdict has just come in, thereby concluding the high-profile four-week trial. After 12 hours and 26 minutes, the jury panel acquitted Spacey of seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
✍️ Mattel renewed its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, continuing as the studio’s toy licensee in preschool, plush, dolls, vehicles, games and novelty toy categories. The deal, which extends a long relationship between the two, covers more than 50 brands and franchises including DC Universe, DC Super Friends, Batwheels, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Friends, Seinfeld and Ted Lasso.
❌ A drug dealer has been sentenced to prison in connection with the death of actor Michael K. Williams. Carlos Macci, the 72-year-old man that was arrested on drug trafficking charges, was given a 2.5 year jail term and will also have three years of supervised release with the first year as an inpatient in a drug treatment facility.
🤠 CBS is unlikely to be uttering the words “thank you, Chuck Norris” anytime soon after handing over some Walker, Texas Ranger dough to the octogenarian action star. More than five years after Norris sued the network and the studio for more than $30 million over profits from the eight seasons-plus of the procedural, lawyers and spokespeople for both sides said “the parties have resolved the dispute.” Norris pocketed a healthy sum in the end, we hear.
🎶 Spotify had its best quarter ever for new additions but revenue fell short of expectations and the music streamer booked a wider loss on severance and other business charges. Shares of the global platform, headquartered in Sweden, are down more than 12%. The latest financials follow news yesterday of price increases.
🎙️ Comedian Dave Chappelle will launch a fall stand-up tour with two nights at New York City’s Madison Square Garden next month. The fall run of shows for the Dave Chappelle Live tour, produced by Live Nation, begins Tuesday, August 22 at the Garden, with a second show at the venue the following night.
🎟️ Air-conditioned Broadway held its own as New York City plunged ever deeper into a hot summer last week, with total box office receipts keeping steady at $31,520,593, a tiny increase of 2% over the previous week. Total attendance for the 30 Broadway productions was 257,204, consistent with the previous week but up nearly 15% over the same period last season. |
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Trending  YouTube posted 4% advertising revenue growth in the second quarter as parent Alphabet smashed Wall Street analysts’ expectations. The tech giant reported diluted earnings per share of $1.44 and total revenue of $74.6 billion, compared with consensus forecasts for $1.20 and $65.4 billion, respectively. YouTube’s ad take came to $7.665 billion.
🔻 Snap’s daily active users jumped 14% year-on-year for the second quarter, the platform said today, to 397 million even as revenue dipped in a tough ad market and with little visibility ahead. Investors didn’t love the numbers and pummeled the stock, which was down nearly 16% in after-hours trade. |
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OBITUARIES
🕯 Randy Fullmer, a Walt Disney Animation Studios effects animator, VFX supervisor and producer who worked on such classics as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, has died. He was 73. The studio said he died July 10 at his home in Woodland Hills, CA, after a long cancer battle. 🕯 Ron Sexton, a comedian best known as the voice of Donnie Baker on the long-running syndicated radio series The Bob & Tom Show , died Friday in Ohio while on tour with his stand-up comedy show, according to posts from his family and the show’s stars. He was 52. 🕯 Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries |
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On the Radar
Wed - Mattel and Meta earnings; U.S. Women’s W.C. team faces Netherlands; Secret Invasion S1 finale
Thurs - Comcast and Roku earnings; Norman Lear turns 101
Sun - The Righteous Gemstones S3 finale |
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Still Rolling - Mick Jagger turns 80 today. The Rolling Stones frontman, who once famously said he couldn't see himself singing "Satisfaction" at 40, blew through that prohibition, but not without challenge. The band's 2019 North American tour was postponed while Jagger underwent surgery to replace an aortic heart valve. Its 60th anniversary jaunt last year had to be cut short when the singer caught Covid. Still, as Jagger hits 80 the Stones remain a potent force, packing stadiums. So what does one get Sir Mick for his birthday? "I don't know," he once told GQ. "Socks? I mean, what the hell do I need?" |
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