🎬 Retro Revival 🍿

👋 Good morning! Imagine jogging along, only to come face-to-face with apes on horseback. Actor’s donned in eerily realistic ape costumes were spotted trotting along in San Francisco, promoting Disney’s upcoming ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.’

Welcome aboard the Dailies. As you sip your morning brew, we’ll get you caught up with the fast-paced world of Hollywood - no need to chase down a newsstand, we’ve got everything you need right here.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Hollywood’s Retro Revival

• AMC Doubles Down on Distribution

• TikTok’s Ticking Clock

• Last Looks 👀: Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, it’s Friday, so let’s take a look at what people were watching this week… 👀

TOP STREAMED THIS WEEK

📽️ Hollywood’s Retro Revival 🍿

In an era where streaming platforms dominate, movie theaters are drawing crowds (particularly young ones) by turning back the clock. Theaters have been dusting off old reels across the nation, re-releasing classics — and it’s a hit, especially with Gen Z. Here are just some of the films that have been or will be re-released:

• ‘Interstellar’

• The ‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy

• ‘Run Lola Run’

• ‘Hereditary’

• ‘Split’

• ‘Spirited Away’

• ‘Oldboy’

• ‘Stop Making Sense’

• ‘Coraline’

• ‘Amélie’

Why the sudden flashbacks? Last year’s industry strikes and production delays left a gap in new releases, nudging theaters to fill screens with nostalgic hits. But the trend is more than just a strike-induced fluke; it’s a strategic move by distributors like Neon and A24. Recently at a CinemaCon panel, Neon pointed out the success of the ‘Oldboy’ rerelease, which pulled in $2.1M globally, attributing its success to young viewers eager to experience cult classics on the big screen for the first time.

A24 is now diving into its archives to reintroduce films like ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘Uncut Gems.’ These blasts from the past require minimal advertising and have quick setups — a great way to hook a new generation on the A24 aesthetic and create excitement for upcoming releases.

Revivals are no longer just confined to cult B-movies or midnight showings at indie theaters. Mainstream cinemas are now on board, discovering the value in these special screenings not only to draw in missing older demographics but also to establish a habit among younger audiences.

Theaters and distributors are finding a symbiotic relationship, rejuvenating the movie-going experience and fostering a new generation of cinema lovers. It seems that in Hollywood, what’s old can be new again, and quite profitable, too.

🎥🎶AMC Doubles Down on Distribution: AMC Theatres, already a trailblazer with its impressive box office runs for concert films like ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ and ‘Beyonce: Renaissance,’ is doubling down on this successful model. They've launched an ambitious expansion of their newly established film distribution team, starting with the hire of Stephanie Terifay as VP of Distribution. Terifay, fresh from Fandango with a rich background spanning the Sundance Institute to the LA Clippers, is tasked with forging new music industry partnerships to channel more concert films directly into AMC cinemas. This move not only diversifies AMC's content offerings but also strengthens its position as a key player in an evolving cinematic landscape.

📱⏰ TikTok’s Ticking Clock: The entertainment world is bracing for a potentially big shift in marketing strategies as President Biden signs a law that could ban TikTok, unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its stake. TikTok has been instrumental in promoting recent movies and shows like ‘Anyone But You’ or Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer.’ Should ByteDance refuse to comply, TikTok's 170M U.S. users—and its integral role in engaging the elusive Gen Z demographic—could vanish, leading to significant losses in direct consumer engagement and advertising dollars, leaving $14B of ad revenue up for grabs. Meanwhile, platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are waiting in the wings, ready to fill the void. Still, it remains uncertain if they can capture TikTok’s unique viral magic. Hollywood is waiting to see what happens next, ready to pivot fast to keep up with where the eyeballs are moving.

Development 🗒️

• John Logan will adapt Cormac McCarthy’s ‘Blood Meridian’ for New Regency. (more)

• Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang will star in a remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 film ‘The Wedding Banquet,’ directed by Andrew Ahn. (more)

• Pierce Brosnan is set to star in ‘A Spy’s Guide to Survival.’ (more)

• Brian Tyree Henry joins an all-star cast in Universal's Pharrell Williams/Michel Gondry 70’s Virginia Beach musical. (more)

• Steve Carell reunites with Tina Fey for Netflix's 'The Four Seasons.’ (more)

• Sam Raimi collaborates with '10 Cloverfield Lane' writers Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken on the new series 'I'm the Grim Reaper.’ (more)

• Netflix joins Chris Columbus and Amblin’s ‘Thursday Murder Club.’ (more)

• Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society is developing ‘T-Minus,’ an action thriller for Amazon MGM Studios. (more)

• Jennifer Aniston is producing a reboot of the 1980 comedy '9 to 5' at 20th Century Studios. (more)

• Julia Garner joins Josh Brolin in Zach Cregger's horror thriller 'Weapons.’ (more)

• New Line Cinema is poised to acquire a Chris Farley biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser, directed by Josh Gad. (more)

• Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes join Danny Boyle's '28 Years Later' for Sony Pictures, marking a star-studded continuation of the '28 Days Later' series. (more)

• Chris Pratt and McG are set to adapt Jocko Willink's novel 'Way of the Warrior Kid' into a film. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘The Equalizer’ is renewed for S5 at CBS. (more)

• ‘Law and Order: Organized Crime’ is nearing a move to Peacock for S5. (more)

Business 🤝

• IMAX, Roku, YouTube, Peacock announce Q1 earnings.

• Village Roadshow extends its fruitful partnership with Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel. (more)

• Warner Bros. Discovery launches ‘Olli,’ a data-driven advertising tool aimed at optimizing marketing strategies across TV and digital platforms. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The Writers Guild of Canada has overwhelmingly voted to authorize strike action. (more)

• OSHA investigates an on-set accident during the filming of Amazon MGM Studios' ‘The Pickup’ in Georgia, resulting in multiple crew injuries. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Challengers: Romantic sports film starring Zendaya, directed by Luca Guadagnino

• Unsung Hero: Christian drama directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone.

• Boy Kills World: Sam Raimi-produced action comedy-triller starring Bill Skarsgård.

📺 STREAMING

• Knuckles: (Paramount+) Miniseries based on ‘Sonic the Hedgehog.’

• Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance: (HBO) CNN doc focusing on Beyoncé and her foray into country music.

• Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: (Hulu) Music doc chronicling four decades of the iconic rock band.