Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Warner Bros.’ Lights, Pete Davidson’s Karate, and a Lucky Strike.
Let’s go!
If you enjoy today’s edition, please hit the like button or leave a comment.
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Lights Out 2 is moving forward at New Line.
A judge has paused the Nexstar-Tegna merger for 14 days.
Pete Davidson will co-write and star as mafia killer Tommy Karate.
Dylan O’Brien joined Apparatus
John Hannah (Rachel Weisz’s bro character) is returning for The Mummy 4.
Glen Powell will voice Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Sean Hayes joined Season 5 of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show.
Mubi picked up Nicholas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell in multiple territories
Roadside Attractions and Saban acquired NA rights to war thriller Lucky Strike.
Disney+ struck a deal with Spain’s RTVE.
Yesterday’s correct answer: Slasher genre of Tom Hanks first role, He Knows You're Alone (1980).
18% got it right.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
David F. Sandberg’s directorial debut, Lights Out, was, for its time, a refreshingly original modern horror film that produced some genuine scares. Nearly a decade later, Sandberg is ready to play in the dark once again.
While a sequel has been in development for years, the writer behind Ben Affleck’s upcoming Animals, Connor Osborne McIntyre, has been tapped by New Line (Weapons) to pen the official screenplay. Sandberg will produce, with no word yet on whether he’ll return to direct, but given the film is based on his original 2013 short, it’s safe to assume he’ll remain heavily involved.
Lights Out follows a young woman haunted by a supernatural entity that only appears when the lights go out. It’s the kind of premise that doesn’t lend itself naturally to a sequel without feeling over-explained, but the original was hugely profitable for New Line, earning $149M worldwide on a $5M budget.
All plot details are being kept in the dark.
Lights Out (2016, trailer).
Lights Out short film (2013, trailer).
Halt! U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley has ordered a 14-day pause on the Nexstar-Tegna merger while antitrust issues are reviewed.
DirecTV successfully lobbied for the orders. And for good reason, Nexstar’s value is $6.3bn with 200 local stations, and Tegna’s value is $3.2bn, with 64 local stations. If approved by the FCC, the combined companies would own 80% of local stations across the US.
Mini Tidbit:
Barry Caldwell has died at 68. He was a long-time animator at Warner Bros.’ Cartoon Network, lending his zany hand to Animaniacs (1993-1998), Pinky and the Brain (1995–1998), and Osmosis Jones (2001).
Renewals:
NBC’s Chicago Med (for S12)
NBC’s Chicago P.D. (for S14)
NBC’s Chicago Fire (for S15)
Cancelled:
CBS’s Watson (cancelled after 2 seasons)
CBS’s DMV (cancelled after 1 season)
AMC’s Talamasca: The Secret Order (cancelled after 1 season)
Trailers:
Bleecker Street’s Stop! That! Train!
Dir: Adam Shankman (Hairspray)
Star: RuPaul
Release: June 12
Mubi’s Rosebush Pruning
Cast: Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Pamela Anderson, Riley Keough, Lukas Gage, Tracy Letts
Premiere: Berlin Film Festival
Release: Late 2026
Rialto’s The Salt Path
Cast: Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs
North American release: May 22
Release dates:
Warner Bros.’ Animal Friends
Cast: Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa
Release: Jan. 22, 2027 (pushed 6 months)
Backyard Sports (the animated Special)
Ep1 now available on Prime
Falcon Scout Media’s Sleeping Dog (Doc)
Subject: Jeremy Corbell (UFO researcher)
Release: Mid-May
First look:
Netflix’s Kennedy
Cast: Michael Fassbender (Joe Kennedy)
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round)
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Pete Davidson gets his Bill Hader moment.
Davidson, an SNL alum, is playing a ruthless mafia man and serial killer, Tommy Karate (pictured above).
If ever there was a high-stakes role for Davidson to nail his dramatic chops, this has got to be it.
Even SNL alum Bill Hader struck a self-effacing tone in Barry. But Davidson will need to tap into his inner darkness in Tommy Karate, which is a pure crime thriller.
Robin Williams did it in Insomnia, Steve Carell did it in Foxcatcher. But these are two of the greatest comedic and dramatic actors of all time.
To succeed, Davidson will need to strip away elements of his personality and hone in on his inner darkness. He has this in spades, but he uses humor as a defense mechanism, which makes his performances sometimes unexpectedly poignant, like in The King of Staten Island (trailer).
He will be aided on screen by Paul Walter Hauser, who will play the DEA agent chasing him down.
Gramercy Park Media (We Bury the Dead, Tow) is the production company. Davidson is co-writing. Justin Chon (Blue Bayou) is directing. Based on this book.
Tidbits:
Dylan O’Brien has really found his niche in queer relationship films with wild power dynamics. He has just been cast in Apparatus, where he plays a successful entrepreneur who sells handheld massagers, which enthralls a rideshare driver, Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams. O’Brien recently crushed it in Twinless, an astonishing depiction of codependency. With two equally lost characters (O’Brien and James Sweeney), a parasitic relationship blossoms even as it is tinged with maliciousness. We can’t wait to see O’Brien in this one. Produced by Daniel Bekerman (The Witch, The Apprentice, Ready or Not).
Jonathan is back! John Hannah, the actor who played Rachel Weisz’s character’s brother in The Mummy series, is back for The Mummy 4. Hannah was one of the best parts of the first two films (clip), he was dweebish, excitable, panicky, and sometimes a little brave. All was driven by his unwavering love and adoration for his sister. There was a purity to that part of his character that really helped us believe Rachel Weisz was capable of great things. We can’t wait to see Hannah back in action. Warner Bros. is releasing on May 19, 2028.
Do a Barrel Roll! Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) is set to voice Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026). McCloud, the protagonist of Nintendo’s Star Fox game series, is a veteran star pilot who leads a righteous mercenary team known for taking down any threat to their Cornerian star system. This is the first time that a character from another Nintendo game franchise crosses into the Mario Bros. film Universe, perhaps hinting at an upcoming Nintendo Cinematic Universe and even a Super Smash Bros. adaptation. But until then, we are excited to see Powell once again in the cockpit, channeling the same cocky yet charming energy that made him so memorable in Top Gun: Maverick.
Mini Tidbits:
Warner Bros.’ Shiver, starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Tim Miller (Terminator: Dark Fate), adds Stefan Kapičić (Deadpool). No word on his role, but here’s our full breakdown on this project.
Brandon Wilson is back on the run. Wilson, the star of Nickel Boys, is leading Pockets of Heaven, which follows three youngins, one privileged but in rehab, and the other two homeless, as they navigate the wildfires in LA. Cast includes Oscar-nominated Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave). Finishing post by the end of the year.
The Morning Show is becoming a ‘90s NBC reunion. Will & Grace actor Sean Hayes is cast in the fifth season of the Apple TV drama in a recurring role, joining other big additions like Jeff Daniels and Jesse Williams. The Tony winner has a long history with The Morning Show lead and Friends actress, Jennifer Aniston, both having represented NBC during the network’s “Must-See TV” era.
Three Obits:
Ed Bernard (NBC’s Police Woman)
James Tolkan (Back to the Future)
Mary Beth Hurt (Six Degrees of Separation)
Read the above obits here.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Mubi’s Private Hell. Mubi is on a roll, making its second buy in a few days with Nicholas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell for the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Latin America. Neon has North America.
That trend of Neon picking up domestic with Mubi picking up foreign is a winning combo, as evidenced by the duo’s previous pick-ups:
No Other Choice (2025)
Sentimental Value (2025)
It Was Just an Accident (2025)
The Secret Agent (2025)
Sirat (2025)
Her Private Hell is highly anticipated to premiere at Cannes.
No plot details available, but it’s going to be filled with, in Refn’s words:
“A lot of glitter and lot of sex and violence.”
Just the way we like it.
Sophie Thatcher (Companion, Heretic) and Charles Melton (May December) star.
We love Refn, but sometimes his desire for bombastic, neon-drenched imagery comes at the expense of story (Neon Demon, Only God Forgives). But if he’s able to nail the edit in a way that keeps us aligned with following the main character into the dark (Drive, Bronson), we’ll buy a ticket.
Hell, we’ll do it anyway to see what he comes up with.
Tidbits:
Roadside Attractions and Saban pick up North American rights on Lucky Strike. The film follows an injured American soldier (Scott Eastwood) who is trapped behind German lines during the Battle of the Bulge. We love Eastwood for this. In Guy Ritchie’s underrated Wrath of Man, he plays the coldest killer of all (Jason Statham tragic clip), so we have no doubt of his insane endurance. Colin Hanks and Oscar-nominated Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor co-star. Releasing June 26.
All or Nothing is the newest musical biopic centered on Hall of Famer Steve Marriott and his 60s British band Small Faces. A prolific musician, he was even asked to join Led Zeppelin, but Marriott’s story, despite his influence, has really never been told. The film will unfold through the eyes of a dedicated young female fan, whose lifelong devotion to the charismatic frontman reveals the true nature of his brilliance. The film will be directed by BAFTA winner Adrian Shergold (Funny Cow).
Mini Tidbits:
Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice acquires Cousins for US release. The South African drama series premiered on Canal+’s MultiChoice. It’s about cousins that disappear, triggering a wild search (trailer).
Watermelon Pictures (The Voice of Hind Rajab) picked up the short film Mobius Loop (trailer) for its streaming platform Watermelon+. A feature film is in the works.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Influential German filmmaker Alexander Kluge has passed away at 94. Kluge is credited with helping spark the New German Cinema movement, winning Venice’s Golden Lion award for his avant-garde documentary-like drama Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed (1968). The pioneering director will be greatly missed.
From RTVE to Disney+. After a linear premiere on the Spanish national public broadcaster RTVE, many shows will be available on Disney+. This new agreement covers shows like the Spanish version of MasterChef.
Netflix’s appeal against rules requiring investment in local production has just been rejected by Belgium’s Constitutional Court. The appeal made last summer states that streamers operating in the region are to invest up to 9.5% of their turnover in local content.
French director Éric Gravel is starting production on his new social thriller Before the Storm, reuniting with Be For Films, which produced his Venice-winning sophomore feature Full Time (2021). Before the Storm unfolds over the course of a single day, a group of middle-class people is brought together due to an incoming violent storm.
ON THIS DAY
1937. Warren Beatty born in Richmond, Virginia
Written by Gabriel Miller, Madelyn Menapace, and Tony Jaeyeong Jeong.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
Follow us on: Facebook | Instagram
Want to advertise with us? Email: clarke.scott@theindustry.co