AMC THEATERS only doing about half of 2019 business

DICAPRIO to play 70s cult leader at MGM / Massive YELLOWSTONE premiere #s / MIDNIGHT RUN remake to star Regina Hall

Nov 9, 2021

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY November 9, 2021.

Where if you’re also desperate enough for another new ADELE song 🙋‍♂️ that you’ll sit through a 2 minute AMAZON PRIME ad telling you that “Kindness is the Greatest Gift this year” (Prime members only), her new song called “Hold On” is playing under it:

ALSO: Travis Scott is covering the funeral costs for everyone who died at ASTROWORLD on Friday, and is refunding all tickets, as 18 lawsuits have now been filed according to CNN.

AND: STATE FARM is standing by / keeping Aaron Rodgers as a spokesperson (not sure how lying about vaccination status pertains to violating a morals clause in a court of law). But the WSJ notes that only 1.5% of STATE FARM ads during NFL games this weekend featured Rodgers, when the number is usually about 20%.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

gotta think this role was good prep for this one. via Giphy

MGM setting DiCaprio to play cult leader Jim Jones

Script written by Scott Rosenberg (“Con Air”, “Jumanji” movies), looking at the infamous 1970’s figure and his religious cult leading up to the mass death of over 900 people.

No director attached as of yet, Leo’s deal in final stages/not 100% done. /Deadline

UNI sets Regina Hall to star in “Midnight Run” remake

DeNiro involved as a producer, Aeysha Carr (”Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) is writing, though no details on what the new take is on the 1988 classic… but very big footprints to walk in for sure. /THR

DISNEY removes Patty Jenkins’s STAR WARS movie “Rogue Squadron” from production calendar

It was to shoot in 2022, with pre-production starting soon… but they’re citing an unnamed production commitment that now is taking precedence for Patty which won’t give her enough time to shoot this STAR WARS movie next year. For some reason.

"Wonder Woman 3” is the obvious candidate, but she also has a “Cleopatra” movie at PAR in the works… though not a lot of specifics here tbh - take a read for yourselves to see if there’s something I’m missing in the tea leaves.

FWIW “Rogue Squadron” is still on the release slate for Christmas 2023 as the next STAR WARS movie, but perhaps that’ll change this Friday on DISNEY+ day? /THR

ALSO IN MOVIES

OPEN ROAD picks up FOO FIGHTERS horror movie called “Studio 666”. Will release on 2000+ screens on Feb 25. The band holes up in an Encino mansion to record an album, when evil forces enter Grohl’s consciousness - releasing the creativity… and blood!!! Seemed like that required 3 exclamation points no? Whitney Cummings, Jeff Garlin, Will Forte also part of the cast. /Deadline

📺 THE TV SET

“Yellowstone” Season 4 premiere gets 8 Million viewers

Biggest scripted cable TV audience since a 2018 episode of “The Walking Dead”, double the Season 3 “Yellowstone” premiere. 5 Million of those viewers were over 54 years-old.

Including encores and airings on other VIACOM channels, audience was 11.2 Million on the night. /Deadline

Emilo Estevez clarifies his departure from DISNEY+ “Mighty Ducks” TV show was over creative differences

Says it was mostly that and a contract issue (in that the issue was that DISNEY did not pick up his contract option… sure).

Also reveals that he actually had a long-haul Covid case early in the pandemic, and that he’s not anti-vaxx… But does not indicate that he got a vaccine. /Deadline

PEACOCK sets Jeff Wilbusch (“Unorthodox”) to lead new David E. Kelley series “The Missing”

Based on an Israeli novel about a NYPD detective who begins to question his own humanity when a routine investigation turns south.

8 episodes, and the author wrote a series of books centered on the detective character. /Variety

ALSO IN TV

APPLE TV+ adds Ed Norton, Keri Russell to 8 part climate-change themed anthology series “Extrapolations” from “Contagion” writer Scott Z. Burns. /THR
ABC renews “Tamron Hall” for 2 years thru 2023-24 season. /THR

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

AMC THEATERS Q3 revenue beats expectations, hits $763 Million with 40 Million tix sold

Stock up 8% after hours, also said they have enough cash on hand where they don’t foresee needing to borrow or raise more $$, at least over the next year. /Deadline

HOWEVER:

That 40 Million in Attendance is less than half the audience in Q3 2019 (87 Million).
That $763 Million in Revenue is only a little above half of Q3 2019’s $1.3 Billion.
They lost $224 Million in the Quarter, vs $54 Million in Q3 2019.
The average movie ticket price was up 17% vs this time last year.

But I’m sure selling popcorn in mall retail stores & food delivery services will make up for it.