Sony's Succession, Lionsgate's Severance
Sony's Succession, Lionsgate's Severance
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
In The Industry News, Sony’s Severance, Lionsgate’s Succession, DirecTV’s Aquisiton.
Actor Spotlight: Evan Peters finds the beauty. Katy O’Brian kicks ass. Danny Trejo B-Movie with a twist.
Festivals: Six Nicholls.
Indie Filmmaker Spotlight, Mubi’s Pavement, No Whammies! And a feel-good film.
Let’s go!
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THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra will step down on Jan 2nd, 2025.
He will be succeeded by COO Ravi Ahuja.
During his time at Sony, beginning in 2017, Vinciquerra made a number of strategic moves:
Got out of linear TV, selling the majority of the company’s 110 cable networks
Became a content “arms dealer” to streamers
Navigated the company away from building its own streaming service
Vinciquerra remembered:
“When we made the decision not to get into general entertainment streaming, we also made the decision to get into genre-based streaming which is where Funimation and Crunchyroll came from.
He continued:
But we knew that there’s no entertainment company in the world that can supply all the content needs necessary to compete either as a broadcast network 35 years ago or a streaming service today. They all need outside creative forces to help them to be on their game, to be competitive, to be sharp. I think this strategy will be fine as long as there are competitors in the streaming service.”
Vinciquerra, who will leave Sony with strong financials (annual revenue grew by 5.21% to approximately $89.8 billion, up from $85.4 billion in 2023), said the incoming CEO, Ravi Ahuja:
“Has very good EQ and IQ. He’s much smarter than I am. And much better with people than I am.”
Ahuja is also the Chairman of Global Television Studios in addition to being the President & Chief Operating Officer of SPE.
As the lionshare of the Sony revenue is coming from TV this seems like a smart choice.
As one company rises, another falls. Lionsgate offers its US employees “a voluntary severance and early retirement program.” This will allow Lionsgate to “adapt their workforce to the disrupted business environment.”
Lionsgate shared their reasoning for the job cuts in a memo:
“As we continue to move toward the full separation of the studio and Starz in a challenging operating environment, Lionsgate’s Executive Committee has approved a multifaceted strategic plan to enhance productivity and achieve greater cost efficiencies.”
Reading between the lines, Lionsgate has had five back-to-back bombs at the box office (not counting Megalopolis, which Coppola self-funded):
Borderlands (released: Aug 9)
Box Office: $33 M
Budget: $115 M
The Crow (released: Aug 23)
Box Office: $18.6 M
Budget: $50 M
1992 (released: Aug 30)
Box Office: $2.8 M
The Killer’s Game (released: Sept 13)
Box Office: $5.8 M
Budget: $30 M
Never Let Go (released: Sept 20)
Box Office: $8.4 M
Budget: $20 M
For the other Lionsgate employees, it's all hands on deck. Everyone above an EVP level will be required to be in the office 5 days a week starting Jan 2nd, 2025; all others must be in the office 4+ days a week.
DirecTV acquires EchoStar (Dish’s parent company) to take on streamers. As part of the deal, DirecTV will assume Echo’s $9.75 bn in debt.
DirecTV’s CEO stated:
“With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”
EchoStar’s CEO stated:
“Enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network... We expect Dish and EchoStar bondholders to benefit from two companies with stronger financial profiles…”
It’s a much-needed move, given the big subscriber losses to both companies from 2016 to 2024:
DirecTV
25.5 M → 10 M subscribers
Dish
14 M → 8.07 M subscribers
Combined, they will have a total of 18 M subs and will be a stronger force against streaming.
Roofman adds cast. Here’s a quick guide to the latest and greatest:
New cast: Kirsten Dunst
Previous cast: Channing Tatum
Dir: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine)
Production Company: Limelight (Palm Springs)
International sales rep: Film Nation
Domestic sales rep: CAA Media
Official synopsis:
The story of the rooftop robber, Jeffrey Manchester, and his time evading capture.
Read our cover story on the project a return to form for Cianfrance: https://theindustry.co/p/blue-valentine-to-toys-r-us
Tidbit:
Inside Out 2 nabs 30.5 M views in 5 days on Disney+. The film enjoyed a long 100-day theatrical release and is currently the 8th highest-grossing film of all time with $1.687 bn worldwide.
Emilia Pérez (Cannes 1st runner-up) has a glorious new trailer. Here’s some more details on the film:
Dir: Jacques Audiard
Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez
Premiere: Cannes Film Festival
Previous Awards
Cannes: Jury Prize
Cannes: Best Actress
Distributor: Netflix
Release date November 13th.
The Marvels’ budget leak reveals that the movie actually lost about 100 Million more than originally thought. The MCU's biggest box office disaster so far, losing up to $300M, far exceeding initial projections. Production costs reached $378M, with extensive reshoots. The movie was slammed for cheap-looking CGI and a weak villain, along with a weak script. But most agree Iman Vellani was a bright spot in an otherwise bad movie. Disney might be rethinking some things with how it treats its chash cow franchise.
Two films have wrapped:
Dir: Guillermo del Toro
Dir: Chloe Zhao
Frank Darabont (dir: The Shawshank Redemption) will direct two episodes of the new season of Stranger Things. It is his first directing project in 11 years.
Does evil come from within Rob Eggers (Dir: The Witch)? His latest gothic nightmare, Nosferatu, has just dropped a full trailer. Releasing Christmas Day. Check out our full cover story on the film: https://theindustry.co/p/love-death-and-a-vampires-kiss
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
D.B. Sweeney stars in Coppola’s Megalopolis. He’s one of two actors in the film who shared the distinction of also working with The Godfather director at the beginning of their careers (the other being Laurence Fishburne, who appears on the boat in Apocolypse Now.)
Sweeney was chosen from a pool of two thousand actors, getting his big break starring role as a soldier desperate to go to war in Coppola’s Gardens of Stone (1987, trailer).
Sweeney smartly kept in touch with the late great producer Fred Roos, who he personally asked to cast him in Megalopolis. And it worked! He was cast as the police commissioner.
During the rehearsal process, Sweeney made a pretty bold ask:
“We get to page 69, where my character is killed by the falling [SPOILER]. And then, for the rest of the movie, I’m a statue. So we got to the end of page 69; Francis goes, is there anything else on 69?”
Sweeney continued:
“And I go, sir, I would like to respectfully request that my character doesn't die on page 69. Everyone is like, “you can't say that. That's not you're not allowed to ask for that.” And Jon Voight is looking at me like, “you're out of your effing mind.” And Francis kind of rolls his thumbs. And he goes, “it's a good idea. That's what we're gonna do. We'll figure out what the journey for the character is the rest of the movie.’”
Sweeney’s persistence is laudable, and he is fantastic in the film.
For a full deep-dive on his journey and the ad-lib-friendly on-set environment that Coppola created to birth this stunning dystopian and utopian piece of cinematic glory, check out the full podcast interview: https://theindustry.co/p/ep-004-megalopolis-actor-db-sweeney
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Where there’s Ryan Murphy, actor Evan Peters is usually not far behind. FX has ordered a new 11 episode Ryan Murphy drama titled The Beauty. Frequent collaborator Evan Peters, one of the stars of this summer’s blockbuster Twisters, actor Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope (Murphy’s Hollywood), and Ashton Kutcher (who most recently starred in B.J. Novak’s Vengeance) are all attached to the project.
Synopsis:
A society where beauty can be achieved through a sexually transmitted disease. However, two detectives, Vaughn and Foster, soon discover there’s a high cost to becoming beautiful, like the lives of the people the disease infects, as it’s actually a government plot.
Peters starred in the titular role of the notorious Ryan Murphy serial killer drama Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022, trailer).
Peters just before showed some of his range in a slightly lighter role, playing the charming and sweet detective opposite Kate Winslet in HBO’s successful drama Mare of Easttown (2021, scene).
Produced by 20th Television, the upcoming Murphy/Peters series is said to begin filming this fall.
Ray Romano stars in No Good Deed, a dark comedy debuting December 12 on Netflix. He plays Paul, an empty nester alongside Lisa Kudrow, whose attempt to sell their century-old L.A. home uncovers dark secrets. Romano's character must confront the past while navigating the chaos of eager buyers. Those eager buyers lend a whole ensemble of star power, including Dennis Leary, Linda Cardellini, Abbi Jacobson, and Luke Wilson, among many others.
Check out the teaser. Like Ramano, it's a bit dry, but I am sure it will be a fun, star-studded affair when it releases on Netflix on December 12th.
Katy O’Brian kicks ass again… probably. She will co-star in undisclosed roles with Sydney Sweeney, who will play Christy Martin, e.g., the female Rocky, in Itching To Start Training, directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom).
O’Brian’s latest role was as a no-fucks-given, sensual bodybuilder who gets wrapped up in criminal violence in Love Lies Bleeding.
Ben Foster (Hell and High Water) is also joining the cast.
Filming is currently underway in NC.
Tidbit:
Timothée Chalamet gears up for A24’s Marty Supreme as a ping-pong hustler with a lightning-fast forehand and quips.
Here’s him looking a little dopey on set (Still)
Here’s him bursting out of a doorway (Still)
For a deep dive into the film (and a clip of the person on which Chalamet’s character is based), go here:https://theindustry.co/p/safdie-brothers-uncut-sports
New action indie feature Dirty Hands announces actors Michael Beach (Tulsa King), Kevin Interdonato (The Bastard Sons), and Patrick Muldoon (Marlowe) are attached to star.
Official Synopsis:
When a routine drug deal goes bad for the Denton brothers, they must fight for their lives if they're going to survive to see the next day.
In addition to starring, Interdonato penned the screenplay and will be directing the film.
Oscar-winning Cillian Murphy is seen for the first time reprising his iconic role as Tommy Shelby, an infamous Birmingham gangster, in new first-look photos from the set of the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie. Show creator Steven Knight’s highly anticipated feature adaptation of the BAFTA-winning series has just begun production in the UK, expecting a 2026 premiere on Netflix.
See Murphy and Knight on set together again here.
Jason Clarke, who starred in Zero Dark Thirty, has been cast in Kathryn Bigelow’s latest feature, her first since 2017.
Here’s the synopsis:
The White House’s real-time response efforts to an incoming ballistic missile attack on American soil.
The film is said to be one of the first that Netflix’s new head of film, Dan Lin, is greenlighting. It also stars Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee, Tracy Letts, and Moses Ingram.
Sony’s revival of the action horror film Anaconda (1977) adds Road House (2024) actress Daniela Melchior, who will star alongside Paul Rudd and Jack Black.
Here’s the re-booted synopsis:
A group of friends facing mid-life crises remake their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest only to find themselves into a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
The Suicide Squad (2021) actress has just wrapped an indie film, American Sweatshop. The upcoming Anaconda is said to take more of a comedy route compared to the original, which makes sense for Rudd and Black but will be new territory for Melchior.
The latest Danny Trejo B-movie is Seven Cemeteries (trailer), which will be in theaters and on demand on October 11th. Notably, it was produced by Bob Weinstein (Harvey’s brother), who ran Dimension Films (Scream, Spy Kids) for many years. However, his new company, Watch This Entertainment, is uncredited.
FESTIVALS
The most prestigious screenwriting contest, the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships, mints six winners.
Here’s a breakdown of their projects:
Miss Chinatown (Los Angeles)
Writer: Alysha Chan and David Zarif
Logline:
Jackie Yee follows in her mother’s footsteps on her quest to win the Los Angeles Miss Chinatown pageant.
Fake-A-Wish (Waco, Texas)
Writer: Colton Childs
Logline:
Despite their 40-year age gap, and the cancer treatment confining them to their small Texas town, two gay men embark on a road trip to San Francisco to grant themselves the Make-A-Wish they’re too old to receive.
Gunslinger Bride (Los Angeles)
Writer: Charmaine Colina
Logline:
With a bounty on her head, a young Chinese-American gunslinger poses as a mail-order bride to hide from the law and seek revenge for her murdered family.
If I Die in America (Brooklyn)
Writer: Ward Kamel
Logline:
After the sudden death of his immigrant husband, an American man’s tenuous relationship with his Muslim in-laws reaches a breaking point as he tries to fit into the funeral they’ve arranged in the Middle East.
Based on the SXSW short written and directed by Kamel.
The Superb Lyrebird & Other Creatures (West Chester, PA)
Writer: Wendy Britton Young
Logline:
A neurodivergent teen who envisions people as animated creatures, battles an entitled rival for a life-changing art scholarship, while her sister unwisely crosses the line to help.
A total of 5,500 scripts from 80 countries were submitted for the 2024 competition.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Mubi has acquired Alex Ross Perry’s documentary-musical-biopic Pavements, about the '90s indie band Pavement, following its Venice Film Festival premiere. Securing rights for the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, and Canada, plus exclusive U.S. streaming rights, where Utopia will handle the theatrical release. The film, blending formats like stage musical, biopic, and documentary, features band members scenes acted out by stars Joe Keery and Jason Schwartzman. No full dates yet, but check out Joe Kerry playing lead singer Stephen Malkmus.
No Whammies! IFP Films and Saspan Studios buy the US rights to The Luckiest Man in America starring Paul Walter Hauser (Naked Gun reboot, Fantastic Four, Chris Farley biopic), who plays the wildest game show con artist since Quiz Show (1994). Hauser will play Michael Larson, who famously memorized the pattern of flashing lights in the Press Your Luck game board and walked away with $110K, the largest prize in game show history at that time in 1984.
The similarities between Hauser (first look still) and Larson (still) are uncanny.
The film, also stars Walton Goggins (Fallout) and Johnny Knoxville.
No word on the release date
Acclaimed 78-year-old filmmaker Claire Denis’ new film The Cry of the Guards (previously The Fence) is set to begin production in January 2025 in Senegal. Actors Matt Dillon (Crash), Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six), and French actor Isaach de Bankolé (Chocolat) are attached as the leads.
Official Synopsis:
As project supervisor Horn is welcoming his young partner Léone into the hut he shares with young and impetuous engineer Cal, a black man called Alboury appears outside the railings surrounding their quarters. Inflexible, hovering like a ghost in the darkness, he is determined to stay there until they return the body of his brother to him, who was killed on the site.
The French auteur was raised in the French colonies of West Africa. She debuted with a film about African colonialism, Cholocat (1988), a prior collaboration with de Bankolé.
Her most recent work:
Both Sides of the Blade (2022)
French language romance
Stars at Noon (2022)
Margaret Qualley led A24 thriller
Suzanne Lindon (Spring Blossom) and Andrew Litvack (The Sisters Brothers) co-wrote Denis’ newest film.
James Wan's Atomic Monster: James Wan is quickly becoming Universal’s go-to guy for its rouges gallery of monsters. Since Wan's production company merged with Blumhouse, he introduced his previously announced series 1313, which will dip into Universals Monsterverse.
Now Wan is set to direct a modern retelling of Creature From The Black Lagoon (rumored to star Scarlet Johansson). With the script now being written by Sean Tretta (Star Trek Picard). The film, a priority for Universal since their 2019 strategy shift towards filmmaker-driven monster movies, will focus on visceral horror while honoring the original classic. Wan, known for his success in the horror genre with franchises like Saw and The Conjuring and the very water-based Aquaman, will be a fantastic fit, and we look forward to seeing his take on such a classic.
Tidbit:
Sometimes, it’s nice to watch a feel-good movie. Patrice: The Movie revolves around Patrice, a Special Olympics athlete who is currently a school cross-guard who falls in love with a disabled man, Garry. However, an arcane US law prevents them from getting married or living together unless they are willing to forfit a majority of their government benefits (trailer).
Streaming Sept 30th only on Hulu.
China submits The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru as its official entry for Oscar’s Best International Feature. It’s a graphic documentary of a hidden piece of WW2 history, the sinking of a ship near China with many prisoners of war (trailer).
China has never won an Oscar in this category.
ON THIS DAY
1968. Night of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero, premieres in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
See you tomorrow!
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.