Para-WB Exec Wars; Wasserman Final Round; Netflix Pod Sellers’ Guide
Plus: Stars’ new playbook for social media glory
A pair of YouTubers are giving Hollywood something to talk about as the industry cheers the box office bonanza for Backrooms and Obsession — both closing in on $200 million worldwide, and both from Gen Z filmmakers who got their start with social video.
Sean McNulty broke down exactly what these hauls mean (and don’t)
Ashley Cullins ran the numbers on horror’s history of eye-popping multiples
Matthew Frank, who reported on this phenomenon before it even happened, broke it down in an interview with France 24 that spread worldwide
Coming this week: Look for Ashley’s collab with Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey as they reveal the next wave of digital creators crashing the big screen — and how they’ll shake up showbiz dealmaking.
Natalie had another sharp deals take with her Netflix podcast sellers’ guide, a deep dive into what kinds of shows the streamer is looking for — and what it’s paying to lure top talent away from YouTube in this booming arena.
Meanwhile, ahead of Friday’s news that several state attorneys general, led by California’s Rob Bonta, will sue to block Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Lesley Goldberg took a look at the seismic impact on the internal power ranks if David Ellison’s merger does go through. In our top story of the week, she games the odds on Bloys vs. Holland and the other key battles to come.
But heyyy, Hollywood, the shows must go on! And Team Ankler took the stage at two standout events this week that were all about great storytelling — first, on Wednesday, our Prestige Junkie Live screening and Q&A with the stars and showrunner of Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, hosted by Christopher Rosen; and then, on Friday evening, YouTube’s FYC-palooza, where Katey Rich — introduced by Janice Min — sat down with top creators Brittany Broski, Kareem Rahma, Julian Shapiro-Barnum and Cleo Abram. Read more about both happenings in Prestige Junkie this week as Emmy campaigning heats up.
Now, ICYMI, the rest of our best of the week:
Series Business
Microdramas: Writers’ AI Canary in the Coal Mine Elaine Low on how vertical production is accelerating use of the disruptive tech (even among writers), with hard lessons for Hollywood.
TV in 3: Amazon’s Data Drip; HBO Max’s Bare Shelves Plus, Lesley weighs if Netflix’s Pop Culture Jeopardy daily drops paid off.
Dealmakers
Wasserman’s Final Knife Fight — and the Horror Chart You Have to See Ashley reveals who’s still in the fight as binding offers for The Team come due. Plus: Breadwinner director Eric Appel on why comedy needs a Blumhouse.
Richard Rushfield
Bari Weiss and the Trojan Horse Plan for Hollywood Showbiz outrage over the CBS News teardown hides a far uglier truth, Richard Rushfield writes: An industry that has lost its way as deeply as this one invites the wolves in, and they are here.
Crowd Pleaser
Old Dogs, New Clips: How Stars Are Turning Past Roles Into Fresh Fame Matthew Frank goes inside the new playbook for turning a catalog of film and TV work into a modern social-media following.
Reel AI
Call My Agent: Hollywood’s Data Wants a Deal New middlemen are breaking the standoff between studios and Big Tech, Erik Barmack writes, and bringing in millions for clients.
Prestige Junkie
Inside Task & Brad Ingelsby’s Delco Crime Universe Katey chats with Ingelsby, the creator of the Heat-inspired drama, about its powerful sense of place in Pennsylvania.
Braced for Violence: The Traitors Scene That Had Everyone on Edge Katey tells all from her backstage peek at the reality hit’s wild season four finale.
Plus, Euphoria’s and The Four Seasons’ Colman Domingo spoke with Katey about his extremely busy season (including a turn in Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day), and The Girlfriend’s Robin Wright reveals how she kept audiences engaged as star, director and EP says of the Prime Video series:
Industry Almost Ended. Then It Blew Up Bigger Than Ever Chris goes deep with Industry creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay on their explosive HBO drama, and not caring what the audience thinks.
Chad Powers & the Sports Comedies That Go Beyond the Game Co-creator Michael Waldron tells Katey how the Glen Powell Hulu comedy took inspiration from Succession & Tootsie.
The Wakeup
Backrooms/Obsession mania is trickling down to the rest of the theatrical business, too. Sean lays out AMC & Cinemark’s huge May boosts and the NBA Finals studio marketing surge:
Friday → ☀️ NETFLIX Pauses Denzel Pic, PEACOCK Revisits All Her Fault Well
Thursday → ☀️ Upfronts Budgets Trimmed, Big NBA Movie Ad Buys
Wednesday → ☀️ Hollywood’s Testosterone September at the Box Office
Tuesday → ☀️ Movie Theater Stocks Pop, NETFLIX, HULU, AGBO Exec Moves
Sunday → ☀️ Indie Horror Summer on 🔥 with Backrooms, Obsession
🎧 Podcasts
Ankler Agenda
Elaine, Sean and Natalie dive into the YouTube revolution, then examine the growing disconnect between what Hollywood says about AI in public vs. how creators and more are really using it:
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