And they’re off! Fall festival season is officially on as Oscar contenders make their opening arguments at Venice and Telluride, where Ankler deputy editor Christopher Rosen is parked right now and says things hit a Rocky Mountain high with Friday’s premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. “Rarely have I seen a Telluride crowd more excited,” Chris says of the scene, where Oprah Winfrey and Adam Sandler were in attendance along with stars Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong and the Boss himself, who got a standing ovation before the screening.
MOUNTAIN TIME Chris and Ankler design director Kelsey Stefanson at the Focus Features brunch in Telluride on Saturday. (David Canfield)
Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can hear more of Chris’ takes today at 8 a.m. PT on his Substack Live with Katey Rich, plus he and Katey will post their Telluride wrap-up over at Prestige Junkie After Party on Monday (that’s a lot of awards-insider dish for $5 a month). And Katey will bring more analysis of both fests, alongside fellow pundits David Canfield and Richard Lawson, on Tuesday’s Prestige Junkie podcast.
Next up… Toronto! Richard Rushfield, Janice Min and more Ankler all-stars are Canada-bound. We’ll have:
Our first-ever Prestige Junkie podcast and portrait studio — led by Katey and Chris — where they’ll welcome talent from Hedda’s Tessa Thompson to Frankenstein helmer Guillermo del Toro and stars Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth.
A live Ankler & Pure Nonfiction conversation at the TIFF Industry Conference between Mariska Hargitay, about her documentary My Mom Jayne, and TIFF Docs Lead Programmer Thom Powers, on Sept. 6.
Meanwhile, summer sure isn’t ending how it started. You may have expected a Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement, but probably not Netflix hitting theaters with its biggest out-of-nowhere movie of all time (KPop Demon Hunters), or Donald Trump’s AI penis taking a starring role on South Park. And in these final dog days, and from the front lines, I want also to highlight two stories we weren’t talking about back in May that ended up among our biggest of the week — both indicative of how fast-changing the industry is (and why subscribing to The Ankler is invaluable).
The reimagined Wizard of Oz at Sphere in Vegas has brought out every big feeling about AI, theatrical and an industry’s historical canon. Reel AI’s Erik Barmack spoke to Tribeca Film CEO and producer Jane Rosenthal about how the project came together and what it means for our workforce, while Richard was ab-so-lute-ly blown away.
Meanwhile, at Like & Subscribe, Ankler Media’s creator economy bible, Natalie Jarvey ventured into the wild, wild world of TikTok Live — now second only to YouTube in livestreaming — where creators are doing things you wouldn’t believe and making BIG bank. More than 100 people subscribed to Like & Subscribe to read Natalie’s TikTok report alone this week; it’s time you join too.
Now, without further ado, ICYMI, here’s the rest of our best of the week:
Showbiz Dems are reliably on the front lines of progressive political activism. So why, as Trump bulldozes his way through universities, museums and every other institution in his path, is the town so eerily quiet? Richard issues a plea for action and a warning — Trump’s march toward despotism is coming for Hollywood, too:
Series Business: Job Search AI Hacks; Paul Lee Q&A
Elaine Lowdishes out intel from Hollywood Resumes’ Cindy Kaplan and Angela Silak Vargas on how to frame your career story as you look for your next gig; tricks for getting past the AI tools that filter resumes; and how to position yourself for opportunities outside of Hollywood:
As Amazon’s The Summer I Turned Pretty winds down, and HBO’s Task rolls out, Wiip CEO Paul Lee, whose company produces both, shares his candid take on M&A prospects for indie prod cos including his; his company’s “special relationship” with former owner CAA; and how global series (and Korean ownership) are shaping Wiip’s playbook:
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg tell Katey about their directing partnership on The Studio — and how they made the Golden Globes look a lot more glamorous than it does IRL. Plus: Katey chats with Giancarlo Esposito about his villainous turn on The Boys, and Relay director David Mackenzie on his ’70s-style thriller:
This Is How Netflix Finally Wins Best Picture, Plus Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on The Studio
An alarming number of theatrical releases this summer were sequels or new takes on existing IP. But there’s change afoot. Sean McNulty crunches the numbers on the reported feature spec and pitch sales since Q1, revealing which studios and streamers are finally betting on originals:
Monday Morning QBs: This week, on our live box office show, Richard and Sean assess the success of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters sing-along theatrical experiment — and why the streamer won’t be shifting its view on cinema anytime soon:
Rushfield Lunch: Richard welcomes Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, married co-creators of the Apple TV+ series Platonic, who discuss their show, their philosophy on connubial collaboration and their hopes for more comedy in theaters:
This week’s can’t miss-IP picks for your next film or series include a YA romantasy set in Seoul with a time-traveling plot, a spy thriller with a teen lead and an ‘80s setting and a potential sitcom about, no joke, Hot Dog U…
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