This weekend should really represent a come-to-Jesus moment for both AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA to reach terms. That’s because it’s truly a rich one at the box office, with studio estimates pegging $217.4M for all films, a record for the last weekend of July. It’s also +122% from a year ago, and +34% from pre-pandemic 2019, which was led by the second frame of The Lion King.
The weekend was just 30% down on the previous one's massive $311.2M and it's not like this one was led by a mega-opening Marvel movie, but rather a holdover.
Warners' forecast $95M for Barbie this weekend, but she looks like she’s coming in more in the $91M-$93M range at 4,337 theaters. That's still the best second weekend the studio has ever seen. Whichever end of the spectrum Barbie comes in at, she will beat Dark Knight's weekend 2 of $75.1M. >>>Bittersweet Moment |
|
| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
|
Terror Revisited - A second major transatlantic drama series on the Lockerbie bombing terror attack is in the works — this time at the BBC and Netflix. The British broadcaster and U.S. streamer will co-produce Lockerbie, a factual drama that will explore the joint investigation into the 1988 disaster by Scottish and American authorities. Line of Duty producer World Productions is making the series, which was initially developed by MGM Television and Night Train Media alongside filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths. >>> 35th Anniversary
High Potential - Drew Goddard's ABC remake of TF1's High Potential is one of the highest-profile French series to be remade in the U.S. The detective show about a cleaner with an exceptional mind will soon commence production and the original creative team behind it opened up to Deadline about advising on the U.S. version and forging a global brand. >>>Goddard Takes The Reins
The Film That Lit My Fuse: Justin Simien - Miramax Presents The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists. This week’s subject is Justin Simien. The Houston-born director this weekend opened his first big budget studio film in Haunted Mansion, the Disney narrative adaptation of its venerable theme park ride. >>> Creative Mojo |
|
With their incredibly atmospheric and compelling debut feature Talk to Me, a fairly gory supernatural title out of Australia, twin brother filmmakers Danny & Michael Philippou have set themselves up as the next great A24 success story. Ahead of the release of their first feature, the filmmakers hopped on Zoom with Deadline to discuss how they’re making the most of this pivotal moment, digging into the “mythology bible” they put together for Talk to Me and directions they’ve already mulled taking with a sequel, while capturing Australia in a horror pic in a way they hadn’t seen done. >>> Dive Deeper |
|
Exclusive
Bella Thorne (Divinity) and Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto) have been set to topline The Tower, one of 102 projects to have been granted a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement following the launch of the actors strike. Also set for the fantastical drama, from filmmaker Adam Sigal (Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose), are Cam Gigandet (Violent Night) and Chris Mullinax (Chariot).
Exclusive
A two-day, invitation only reading of the in-development musical adaptation of John Berendt’s 1994 non-fiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will feature recent Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot) as Lady Chablis, the real-life transgender pioneer depicted in Berendt’s book. Joining Ghee will be Steven Pasquale as Jim Williams (the role played by Kevin Spacey in the 1997 film adaptation), Austin Colby as Danny Hansford, Amber Gray as Minerva, Jennifer Laura Thompson as Vera Strong, Harriet Harris as Serena Barnes, Paul Nolan as Joe Odom, and Lance Roberts as Bobby Lewis. The readings will be held in New York City on Thursday August 3 and Friday August 4. |
|
BY THE NUMBERS
$8,000 - The amount Sean William Scott said he was paid for the first 'American Pie' film, which went on to gross $235 million worldwide theatrically |
|
More News
⚖ A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN, litigation centered on references made by on-air figures to “the Big Lie,” or the former president’s unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
⏳ Days Of Our Lives, which streams on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform, is going on an unplanned hiatus. A rep for Peacock confirmed to Deadline that production on the long-running daytime drama has been suspended. The current hiatus will last one week, we hear. The decision comes in the wake of Deadline’s report earlier this week about the misconduct investigation against longtime co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr and its aftermath.
🏆 The hammer fell over the weekend on the one and only Oscar won for Citizen Kane, the 1941 movie many still consider the greatest ever made. Heritage Auctioneers' “Hollywood Entertainment” auction featured several items from the career of Kane’s star, director and co-writer Orson Welles. The prize get was his 1941 Oscar for Original Screenplay, which Welles shared with Herman Mankiewicz. The Welles statuette had a starting bid of $250,000 and sold to an unknown bidder for $645,000 (inclusive of buyer’s premium). |
|
Trending  “Shark Week,” Discovery Channel’s week-long celebration hosted by Jason Momoa, was back for its 35th year on July 23. The event drove the network to rank #1 in primetime for all of television with Adults and Men 18-49 and #1 across cable television with Adults and Men 25-54, Adults and Men 18-49, and Adults 18-34.
🔻 The San Francisco Department of Building and Inspection says it has been unable to inspect a new black “X” logo on the roof of Elon Musk’s social media company formerly known as Twitter for two days in a row after the company declined access to the structure. On Friday, a large black X was erected on the roof of the building without a permit, prompting a notice of violation filed with the city. |
|
OBITUARIES
🕯 Inga Swenson, the versatile actress best known for memorable portrayals of combative women on the TV hits Soap and Benson, has died. Her son confirmed the news to TMZ. Swenson was 90. 🕯 Lou Alexander , a comedian who worked the national nightclub circuit in the U.S. and Canada in the 1950s and 1960s before becoming an agent and manager, died earlier this month in Beverly Hills. He was 91 and no details on the cause were available, according to his friend, Jeremy Vernon. 🕯 Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries |
|
On the Radar
Tue - U.S. Women's National Soccer Team faces Portugal
Wed - Winning Time S2 debut
Thu - WBD earnings; Taylor Swift kicks off SoFi run
Fri - Masterson pre-sentencing hearing |
|
Reunion - Kerry Washington posted several snapshots with her Scandal costars Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young on Instagram on Friday. The reunion showed them filling out picket signs in support of the strike initiated by SAG-AFTRA. “Volunteered with some fellow @sagaftra members that I LOVE today,” Washington captioned an image of her holding a sign that read, “Guild vs. Evil.” |
|
|
