Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, gearing up for a packed week ahead of WIH
activities…
We’re nearly locked on the guest list for Puck’s Stories of the Season event on Tuesday in Hollywood. TV Academy and guild members can attend the talent panels and my live taping of The Town with David E. Kelley by emailing Fritz@puck.news. In addition, on Monday I’m hosting a Puck Private Dinner with McKinsey and some top business and strategy executives. Then on
Wednesday, I’ll be at the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills moderating the “Script to Screen” panel with Drew Goddard, Cord Jefferson, Rory Kennedy, Adele Lim, and Amy Redford. Say hello!
Tonight, it’s my third annual summer movie report card, as judged by a group of high school kids. They’ve always got smart (and biting!) insights into whether Hollywood is producing movies and movie stars they
want to see, and this year they do not disappoint. Plus, a Michael star’s pay-disparity dispute, Disney’s latest Kimmel blowup, and more…
Discussed in this issue: David Zaslav, Zendaya, David Ellison, Anne Hathaway, Nia Long, Graham King, Christopher Nolan, Larry Ellison, Michael B. Jordan, Josh
D’Amaro, Gaten Matarazzo, Ryan Gosling, Sunny Sandler, Brendan Carr, Millie Bobby Brown, Denzel Washington, Nicholas Galitzine, Bryan Singer, Kevin Hart, The Rock, John Branca, Dexter Fletcher, Miles Teller, Jimmy Kimmel,
Timothée Chalamet, Sydney Sweeney, Steven Spielberg, Mike Cavanagh, Tom Holland, James Gunn, Leo DiCaprio, Ron Burkle, Matthew McConaughey, Denis Villeneuve, Antoine Fuqua, Greta Gerwig, Colman Domingo, Glen Powell, and… the wisdom of teens.
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yet? Just click here. Got a news tip or an idea for me? Just reply to this email, text me, or message me on Signal at 310-804-3198.
Let’s begin… |
- Zaslav’s
greatest grift ever?: Leave it to Warner Discovery’s David Zaslav to not only blow past the already inflated 2025 compensation packages for media C.E.O.s but to more than double the $72 million awarded to Comcast’s Mike Cavanagh. Our guy Zaslav took home an absurd $165 million package, per today’s filing, thanks to some employment-contract chicanery last summer that boosted his stock options. Somehow I think Zaslav would have pursued a
sale-friendly split of the company even if the WBD board hadn’t altered his deal to provide $109.6 million in options as an “incentive” to do so.
And remember, that split of Warner Discovery never actually materialized, thanks to the Ellisons taking all of the company off the table. Yet Zaz still gets to keep the options. And since the stock was in the single digits back then, it easily met the strike price when shares shot up amid the Netflix–Paramount
bidding war.
This situation would be comical if it weren’t so tragic. You’d think the WBD compensation committee would award those outsize shares only if the split were consummated, but hey, it’s just $100 million of potential shareholder money to a guy who already stands to extract more than $500 million when the Ellison deal closes. At a time when spending at Warner Discovery is basically frozen, and employees asking for even 5 percent raises are typically turned down because money is
so tight. As usual, there was no explanation or apology from Zaslav today—and no recourse for employees of the company he’s basically looting in broad daylight. (Usual disclosure: Through our Air Mail acquisition, Zaz is a de minimis investor in Puck.) - D’Amaro’s easy decision: Odd that so many are characterizing Disney’s latest Jimmy Kimmel–F.C.C. dustup as a “big test” for new C.E.O. Josh D’Amaro. Honestly,
this one seems pretty simple: You back Kimmel over Trump’s calls for his firing simply by letting him do his show every night, respond respectfully but forcefully to F.C.C. chair Brendan Carr’s move to expedite review of ABC’s eight TV station licenses, and know that, ultimately, the law is on your side—as even the most conservative commentators have noted. Once the National Association of Broadcasters blasted the “unprecedented request” that “creates
significant uncertainty for all broadcasters,” Disney knew it likely wouldn’t have issues with conservative station groups like it did with Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk flap last fall. So this is a legal fight—albeit an annoying one, with the potential for months of annoying media coverage—but Disney has plenty of lawyers. Sure enough, by today, Carr was already backtracking, claiming the review is “based on D.E.I. conduct and not speech.” Okay… but Disney likely wins on that front,
too.
- Who will direct ‘Michael: Part Two’?: I teased this yesterday on The Town, but it’s true: Michael producer Graham King has floated the idea of stepping in to direct the sequel, once it’s officially greenlit. That might sound nuts given that King has zero directing credits, but he was very
hands-on in coordinating the reshoots and assembling the final cut after legal issues required a total overhaul of the first film. Plus, if King and Lionsgate want Michael: Part Two to shoot later this year for a 2027 release, that will require replacing Antoine Fuqua, who directed Michael but is committed for the rest of this year to Netflix’s big-budget Denzel Washington epic about Hannibal (the general, not the
cannibal).
Fuqua shot a bunch of additional musical performances and long sequences at Neverland Ranch (hence why Ron Burkle, the owner of Neverland, is a credited executive producer on Michael). That footage was not used when the original three-hour story was truncated to end in 1988, but given his familiarity with everything, King might make sense to step in and direct, with Fuqua serving as a producer, rather than King bringing in another filmmaker to combine
the existing footage with new stuff. (Ironically, that’s exactly what happened on King’s Bohemian Rhapsody, when director Bryan Singer was fired and replaced with Dexter Fletcher for the final few weeks of filming.)
Fuqua isn’t the only Michael talent with scheduling issues, of course, so punting the shoot until 2027 may still happen. A follow-up film will also require negotiating new deals with all the principals, who, now that
Michael opened to a massive $219 million worldwide, have tons of leverage. And unlike on the first film, whose budget ballooned due to a legal oversight by the Jackson estate, co-executor John Branca is unlikely to want to foot the bill for the additional footage needed for a second film. (A rep for King declined to comment.) - And speaking of ‘Michael’ pay…: Nia Long, who plays Jackson’s mother,
Katherine, in Michael, is quietly fighting Lionsgate over her compensation on the movie, according to three sources. Long had a “favored nations” clause in her contract, meaning she could not be paid less than her co-stars, and she is said to have learned that both Colman Domingo and Miles Teller earned more than she did. Not great, if that’s true. She’s now threatening to take the studio to mediation over the discrepancy. Before you
note that Long appeared far less in Michael than Domingo, remember that the movie changed significantly from what she signed on for, and in the original script I read, Long’s part was bigger, including a key scene at the end of the film. Lionsgate declined to comment, and reps for Long did not respond to my email.
- Box office over/under: Disney has successfully eventized Devil Wears Prada 2, a 20-years-later sequel to a midrange Fox
hit, with tracking now surging to $76 million domestic, per NRG. I’ll take the over.
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Now to the wisdom of teens… |
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My annual sit-down with a candid group of teen moviegoers, who share their brutally
unfiltered thoughts on the stars and stories that do (and don’t) get them into theaters—from Spider-Man (“always gonna hit”) to Spielberg (“He’s no Nolan”) to Sydney Sweeney (“like… no”). |
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They’re back! For the past few years, I’ve been sitting down with a group of high school kids for their takes on both the upcoming summer movies and their theatergoing habits in general. Given the disconnect between the C-suites of Hollywood and the people who actually consume their product, the conversations are often surprising
and illuminating. (I ripped off this bit from an old L.A. Times feature by Patrick Goldstein, updated for the social media generation.)
Their takes are especially relevant now since the sentiment toward this generation has shifted lately. Previously considered lost to their Netflix algorithms and clip culture, high-school- and college-age moviegoers are back in favor after a series of studies showed they actually like going to theaters and want more
reasons to do so. If my highly unscientific panel is any judge, that’s true. These kids are generally excited about the summer movies.
Yes, my panelists all live on the Westside of L.A., and a couple have parents in the business, but this year’s crew (a few repeat participants, some new additions) is surprisingly savvy about movies, movie marketing, and how they’re being marketed to on their feeds. In exchange for some AMC gift cards, they shared unvarnished thoughts on
everything from Marvel’s status (“trying to rebuild themselves”) to Timothée Chalamet (“He got canceled recently”) and Sydney Sweeney (“like… no”) to whether they’re familiar with He-Man and Masters of the Universe (“He’s in, like, arcade games?”) and whether Spielberg matches up to Nolan (“not anymore”).
So on this eve of the summer movie season, let’s turn it over to our panel of experts on summer movies,
featuring three guys: Daniel, 18, Jacob, 17, and Wyatt, 17; and two girls: Elise, 17, and Noa, 17. I edited our conversation for length and clarity. |
Spider-Man
“Feels Like an Event”
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Matt: So, how’re we feeling about the summer
movies?
All: Good good.
Jacob: The Odyssey. That’s my number one for the summer.
Elise: I wanna see Spider-Man.
Noa: Spider-Man for sure.
Do you feel there are more movies this summer for you than normal?
Jacob: Yeah. More that I’m looking forward to, for sure.
Daniel: The past couple years haven’t really had a lot of movies that interest me,
that feel like an event. Like Infinity War and Endgame. Odyssey is pretty interesting to me. Spider-Man, going off of the last three, it feels like an event—sort of.
A recent study found 87 percent of Gen Z had watched at least one movie in theaters this past year, the highest share of any age group, including Millennials. It surprises people that teens and college kids are interested in movies in theaters, given you grew up with infinite
screens and phones.
Elise: I probably go to a movie once a month. The content in movie theaters is more high-quality and produced, so theaters seem more refreshing.
Wyatt: Especially when they’re good, like Project Hail Mary. I saw that twice.
Elise: Project Hail Mary. I probably would not have watched that but everyone’s like, “Oh my god, this movie is so good. You need to see Project Hail Mary.” If I see that
on social media, that makes me want to go to the theater.
Does it surprise you that the number one reason cited by people your age for going to movies is the social gathering aspect of it?
Wyatt: That’s not surprising. We all went as the whole school to see [A Minecraft Movie] last year.
Jacob: Oh, I have a video of that! Check it out. [Shows me a “Chicken Jockey” pandemonium video.]
Video game or superhero movie,
which do you prefer?
Daniel: I think superhero.
Elise: I say superhero also.
Jacob: I think superhero, just because the video game movies are aimed toward younger audiences. I don’t think any of you guys think the Minecraft movie was better than Spider-Man, Iron Man or anything.
Others: No…
Only one Marvel movie this summer, and it’s
Spider-Man. Do you wish there was more?
Daniel: No.
Wyatt: I think that’s a good amount.
Elise: Marvel’s trying to rebuild themselves, and Spider-Man’s always gonna hit. The last one was a while ago—I think it was when we were in 7th grade, 2021—and it had all three Spidermen, so there’s a lot of anticipation for this one. Tom Holland and Zendaya have grown so much in
popularity since the last movie.
DC or Marvel, which is in better shape right now?
Daniel: Marvel. I’m not as excited for anything from DC right now. The James Gunn lineup, I’m not so interested in, personally. |
Is there any star that will cause you to go to a movie just because they’re in
it?
Elise: I like Zendaya. I saw The Drama and I would probably not have seen that if it wasn’t her in it. And I think she has so many good things coming out this year.
Jacob: Minus One Battle After Another, I'll go see any Leo movie. Definitely. Ryan Gosling, probably. Matthew McConaughey and… no, that’s it. I was gonna say Timothée Chalamet, but it’s just
Dune.
Daniel: The story matters more. I don’t really care about the stars or who’s in it.
Elise: I think [Chalamet’s] good, but I liked the projects he picked at his beginning better than his projects now. I just feel like he’s trying to be too… he wants to be this great actor in all these great movies that are so critically acclaimed, whereas in like 2019 or 2018, he was doing Little Women and Call Me by Your Name, and these movies got
acclaim not because they were so artsy but just because they were good movies.
Noa: I agree. I definitely like his older stuff more. I think he’s trying to be cool in a way where it feels like he’s trying to be Leonardo DiCaprio, and he’s maybe not totally there yet. And he got canceled recently.
Do you care about that? [Chalamet said during his Oscar campaign that opera and ballet are “dying art forms” and “no one cares about this
anymore.”]
Noa: No, I think it’s pointless. But I think a lot of people do [care], which makes it also seem like he’s trying to be cool.
Jacob: I think he’s just playing into the media.
Wyatt: You gotta do what you gotta do.
Okay, how about directors you’d go to the theater for?
Jacob: I’d definitely go see any Christopher Nolan movie. After I saw Oppenheimer, I’m even more excited about
The Odyssey because he’s directing it.
Wyatt: I really like Denis Villeneuve. Dune, and Arrival, and Sicario. Those were all great movies.
Elise: I like Greta Gerwig. I’ll see anything that she directs. And I think she chooses her projects very carefully.
Jacob: Alex Garland is making an adaptation of my favorite video game, Elden Ring. I think they just
started development though.
Does Spielberg matter to you guys?
Daniel: Not anymore, no.
Wyatt: Oh, Disclosure Day. I’m excited for that one. Yeah, Spielberg’s a great director too. I’ll see that.
But he’s not Chris Nolan.
Jacob: No.
Wyatt: Not anymore.
How are we feeling about Star Wars?
Daniel:
I like the old stuff, but the new stuff… nah. I’m not too excited for The Mandalorian. I never watched it, personally.
Jacob: Anything that came out after I was born isn’t that great.
Wyatt: Star Wars has been quiet lately, but I liked Andor a lot. What is the new one that they’re—
Elise: Baby Yoda is creepy! At the Oscars he looked like an animatronic.
Well, I hate to break it to
you…
Elise: But in Project Hail Mary, Rocky looked like he was like an actual entity that could be a part of the movie, and it didn't take me out of it. But when I’m watching the trailer for Mandalorian and Grogu, I’m like, “This is taking me out of it,” how bad it is. |
“They’re Running
Out of Ideas”
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Does Masters of the Universe mean anything to
you?
All: No.
Do you know what He-Man is?
Jacob: He’s in, like, arcade games? No, I have not interacted with that franchise. Other than going to the arcade when they barely existed when I was like 6.
The star is this guy Nicholas Galitzine.
Elise: I like him.
Noa: Yeah.
Jacob: What’s he from?
Elise: He’s from an Amazon movie—two Amazon movies,
actually. He was in Red, White & Royal Blue. And then—
Noa: Purple Hearts?
Elise: Oh yeah, Purple Hearts. And he was in the Anne Hathaway movie. The Idea of You. He’s in some cringey stuff.
Noa: Yeah.
Elise: I think He-Man is probably his most theatrical released movie. But I’m just not going to go see it.
Jacob: They’re running out of ideas.
Wyatt:
You know what’s a really good movie? I really loved Pizza Movie.
Pizza Movie?
Wyatt: The Hulu movie. Straight to streaming.
Elise: With the guy from Stranger Things [Gaten Matarazzo. Logline: “High college students face an unexpected journey when they must navigate two flights of stairs to retrieve their pizza delivery, turning a simple task into a surreal
adventure.”].
Wyatt: It’s supposed to be really bad.
Elise: It had a lot of hype on social media.
Where do you find out about movies?
All: TikTok.
Wyatt: TikTok or YouTube. I see them on billboards sometimes, at bus stops.
How often do you see trailers or commercials on regular TV?
Wyatt: Like… cable? I don’t have cable.
Jacob:
Cable?
Wyatt: Or you mean the streaming services that have ads now?
Are you more excited for Toy Story 5 or Minions and Monsters?
Noa: Minions.
Elise: Minions.
Jacob: But the last one they did was so bad.
Wyatt: Yeah, I walked out.
How about the live-action versions of
animated movies?
Elise: Like Moana?
Noa: It’s too soon.
Elise: Moana came out in our lifetime!
Wyatt: I also feel like with the live-action versions of the animated movies, most of them are just fairy tales.
Jacob: It’s not even a franchise that they’re adapting or a throwback. They’re just running out of ideas and trying to milk it. People are gonna bring their 5-year-old daughters to
watch that—they don’t have a choice. They just have to make that movie because they know it’s gonna make money… but it’s gonna be terrible.
But the Rock is in it. You don’t like the Rock?
Elise: I don’t think he picks the best projects.
Jacob: He’s not that great of an actor.
Elise: He did Jumanji and then Moana, but his big project, the wrestling movie he did last year [The Smashing Machine] that
got like no buzz and that was supposed to win him his Oscar?
Wyatt: Didn’t he get like a 15-minute standing ovation? I heard that somewhere. At the premiere?
He did. It was at the Venice Film Festival and he cried.
Jacob: The only Jumanji that’s good is the one he’s not in. The one about the board game not the video game.
Does Devil Wears Prada interest you and your
friends?
Elise: I’ll watch it.
Noa: Yeah, I’ll watch it.
Jacob: Wait, how long ago did they make the first one?
Twenty years.
Jacob: They do not look 20 years older! That’s ridiculous. Those actors have been in like, cryogenic pods. That’s crazy.
I just got a press release about Netflix’s summer movie slate. They have Enola Holmes
3 with Millie Bobby Brown, a Kevin Hart comedy called 72 Hours, a Michael B. Jordan animated movie called Swapped, and a movie with Adam Sandler’s daughter, Sunny Sandler, called Don’t Say Good Luck. Do you get excited for specific Netflix movies, or do you just watch whatever they serve you?
Wyatt: I haven’t really
watched Netflix recently. Doesn’t Netflix have the rule where they repeat what’s happening over and over and over again?
They say they don’t do that.
Wyatt: But they do. They’re formulaic.
Jacob: Those movies all sound especially bad. I think the [Netflix] series are good.
Elise: But they always have at least one movie a year that they really push for Oscars. Like KPop Demon Hunters, Emilia Pérez—which was
a really bad movie. |
How much do you prioritize seeing movies in large formats like Imax?
Wyatt:
I’ll try. I saw Oppenheimer in Imax 70mm at the Chinese Theatre, which was awesome. I saw Interstellar when it came back there, too. And the first time I saw Project Hail Mary was in 70mm as well, so I’ll do my best because it’s a cool experience to say you got to do that. Especially if it’s a classic like Oppenheimer, and Interstellar, and maybe Project Hail Mary.
Jacob: I skipped school the first day Project Hail
Mary came out and I saw it in a Dolby theater, and then I saw it again with a friend in the regular one and it was a big difference.
So what kind of movies is Hollywood not making enough of?
Elise: There’s not enough rom-coms. Just now there was You, Me & Tuscany, but there’s not enough.
Wyatt: Like the Sydney Sweeney–Glen Powell movie?
(Laughter.)
Elise: Which
I didn’t see.
How are we feeling about Sydney Sweeney these days?
Elise: Like… no.
Jacob: Her jeans are blue. (Laughs.)
Wyatt: Her jeans are blue.
Jacob: I don’t really care [about her].
Wyatt: She’s just another actor.
Jacob: If you can call it that.
The Housemaid did really well. Did you see
that?
Wyatt: I saw a YouTube video that summarizes it.
Would you rather watch YouTube, TikTok, TV, or a movie?
Jacob: It depends. There’s some series that I would instantly watch. And there’s some movies—like this year—that I’m super excited about. Last year I wasn’t that excited for a lot of movies. I watch a lot of TikTok and Instagram Reels but I would never say that’s a priority. I hate all of my TikToks. They’re so
bad.
Noa: I would rather watch a movie in a theater than do social media, but I wouldn’t watch a movie at home. It’s just so much more interesting, and I’m so much more focused on it, if it’s in a theater. |
See you Monday,
Matt
P.S. My colleague Julia
Alexander did a sit-down with the women of the Taylor Sheridan universe, in partnership with Paramount+. Check it out here.
Got a question, comment, complaint, or a biting catchphrase for Don Jr. on Amazon’s ‘Apprentice’ reboot? Email me at Matt@puck.news or call/text me at 310-804-3198.
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