ROKU hits 60 Million users, stock -26% as revenue growth slows

OSCARS now require vaxx. for most / Hanks & Zemeckis reteaming / CONDE hits profitability

Feb 18, 2022

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY February 18, 2022.

Where the OSCARS have changed their tune… requiring all 2500 attendees to provide proof of vaxx and 2 negative tests, including all nominees.

However any performers or presenters…. yer all good on the vaxx thing, will just need to “undergo rigorous testing”. For some reason.

AND: SNL set the next round of guest talent:

MARCH 5: Oscar Isaac & CHARLI XCX
MARCH 12: Zoe Kravitz & ROSALIA
John Mulaney returns to host next Sat, Feb 26.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

Tom Hanks & Robert Zemeckis reteaming for movie about graphic novel “Here”

Writer Eric Roth rounds out the “Forrest Gump” reunion, story is set in one room, centering on the numerous people who inhabit it over several years.

Out to bidders, so we’ll see what size check APPLE writes. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

A24 sets Nathan Lane, Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Thee Mullalley and Bowen Yang for musical comedy “F*cking Identical Twins”. Larry Charles (“Borat”) directing, described as a “subversive” spin on “The Parent Trap”. Currently shooting. /THR
SKYDANCE ANIMATION gets next project from director Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”, “Ratatouille”), a movie called “Ray Gunn” that DEADLINE provided absolutely zero details on. Former PIXAR head John Lasseter among the producers.

IN THE HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE SUITE

GERSH promotes MP Lit co-head Eric Garfinkel to partner, promotes 6 others to agent. /Deadline

📺 THE TV SET

APPLE TV+ adds Amanda Seyfried to “The Crowded Room” series starring Tom Holland

Amanda plays a clinical psychologist facing the most challenging case of her career while trying to balance life as a single mom, Tom plays a character based on a real guy who was the first person acquitted of a crime due to multiple-personality disorder.

Akiva Goldsman writing and showrunning, Kornel Mundruczo (“Pieces of a Woman”) directing. 10 episode order. /Deadline

FX sets Olivia Colman to lead cast of “Great Expectations” limited series based on the Dickens book

She’ll play “Miss Havisham”, 6 episodes, now shooting in London, written by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”). /THR

HBOMAX orders “Girls on the Bus” series from Greg Berlanti / Julie Plec

Based on NY Times writer Amy Chozick’s book about reporting throughout Hilary Clinton’s political office runs, will center on 4 female journalists following the campaigns of flawed presidential candidates.

Was previously at NETFLIX and TheCW. Plec (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Chozick are writers on it, Berlanti producing. /THR

ALSO IN TV FX NEWS

“Atlanta” ending with Season 4. Upcoming seasons 3 & 4 are already shot. Donald Glover has already moved on to a new deal at AMAZON. /THR
Orders “Fargo” Season 5. Will shoot late this year, and be set in 2019. /THR
“Dave” renewed for a Season 3. /Deadline
FX’s upcoming “Alien” series will take place toward the end of this century, and begin on Earth. No characters from the films will be incorporated. Well other than the Alien. Won’t shoot until next year though. /THR

AND ELSEWHERE

AMAZON renews “Mrs Maisel” for 5th and final season. Currently shooting in NYC. /THR
AMAZON sets July 1 premiere for Chris Pratt-led action series“The Terminal List” with Taylor Kitsch and Constance Wu. All 8 episodes will drop at once. /THR
CNN+ & NY TIMES producing docuseries “The Murdochs: Empire of Influence”. 6 parts, will premiere this Spring TBD. /THR
NETFLIX doing docu on legendary NBA star Bill Russell. Sam Pollard (“Citizen Ashe”) directing.

IN OTHER WORDS…

“We do not need to meet each other. We do not need to speak.”
- JOHN OLIVER’s message to incoming WARNER DISCO CEO David Zazlav in VARIETY, asking the new company to “Leave us the f**k alone.” like AT&T did.

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

ROKU stock plummets 26% as of pre-market today on Q4 revenue target miss

Supply chain issues in making and selling ROKU TV’s were cited as the reason for the miss, and decrease in revenue growth year-over-year to 33%, vs 51% growth in Q3, and 81% growth in Q2.

Q1 2022 is projected to drop further to 25%. Still great… but you know how Wall Street does.

Active ROKU accounts hit 60.5 Million, slightly ahead of expectations.

That’s +3.5 Million from Q3 and makes Q4 its biggest growth quarter in 2021, which it tends to be most years. #ThanksChristmas /CNBC

CONDE NAST returns to an annual profit for the first time in a hot minute

No idea how much… but revenue was close to $2 Billion in 2021. /WSJ

ALSO IN MEDIA

Recently retired NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL longtime sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya has a lot of interesting race and Covid views coming to light as she turns to becoming a larger figure in the FOX NEWS crowd. /WaPo
SNAP will let you change the username on your account starting later in Feb. /The Verge

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

ALTICE -17% (11.83)

ROKU -10% ($144.71)

DISH -5% ($29.88)

If you don’t already… subscribe to THE WAKEUP here:

The Wakeup
Get the key Hollywood + Media Biz news to know by 8:30am EST each morning.
By Sean McNulty

👩‍💻 THE FSS FEED:

(new Stuff to Watch this weekend, Friday - Saturday - Sunday)

WEEKEND LISTENS

Bill Clinton’s podcast is back for a Season 2 - enjoyed this chat with Jason Isbell for any other fans out there, including a chat about shooting his role in the upcoming APPLE TV Scorsese movie “Killers of the Flower Moon”. SPOTIFY here, APPLE here

FRIDAY

IN THEATERS:

SONY“Uncharted” - Only in Theaters
MGM “Dog” - Only in Theaters

STREAMING:

MOVIES

NETFLIX “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” - STREAM HERE
HBOMAX & HULU “The King’s Man” - HBOMAX HERE, HULU HERE

SERIES

AMAZON PRIME “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” - Season 4 (2 eps a week x 4 weeks) - STREAM HERE
APPLE TV+ “Severance” - 2 eps today - STREAM HERE (getting a lot of really strong reviews)
APPLE TV+ “Lincoln’s Dilemma” - 4pt docuseries on Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery - STREAM HERE
NETFLIX “Space Force” Season 2 - STREAM HERE
PEACOCK “The Amber Ruffin Show” returns - STREAM HERE

SATURDAY

NBC - All OLYMPICS… all the time.

SUNDAY

CBS new “60 Minutes” at 7p
NBC WINTER OLYMPICS end
EPIX “FROM” - Series Premiere at 9p
AMC+ “Killing Eve” - Season 4 / Final season premiere - STREAM HERE (hits AMC on Feb 27)
HBO “Last Week Tonight” - Returns at 11p
FOX Daytona 500 - begins at 230p
ABC “Summer of Soul” - Network premiere of the HULU docu at 8p
TNT NBA All-Star Game at 8p. TBS will air a simulcast called by the Inside the NBA gang, and WARRIORS player Draymond Green.

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

WB “Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis” trailer - Directed by… eh think you got the gist. Austin Butler as Mr Pressley, co-starring Tom Hanks. In theaters June 24

SHOWTIME “The First Lady” series trailer - Anthology looking at the women who have led the other arm of The White House over the decades. Premieres April 17

AMAZON PRIME “Lizzo's Watch Out For The Big Grrrls” series trailer - Competition series to be dancers on LIZZO’s upcoming tour. Premieres March 25

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

If you came of age listening to rock in the late 90’s… remember these guys? Heard this song for the first time in a long time last weekend, so - sharing the love.

If you need some new tunes:

THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

Email me anytime - just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.

-SEAN MCNULTY

@theseanmac on TWITTER

@TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM