☀️'Bad Boys 4' Silences the Haters, Gives Box Office HopeWBD picks up French Open / Amazon's star-studded sheep movie / NBA & NHL game 1 #s come in low
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY, June 10, 2024. Where yes, today is the day that we’ll be completely blown away when we see just how AI is going to change the world at APPLE with WWDC day . . . but meanwhile, the folks at MICROSOFT are having a small AI pivot. It reversed course on making its new Windows AI-backed “Recall” feature automatic on all new Copilot Plus PCs. The AI-backed software takes screenshots of your computer every 5 seconds so you can kinda ask it to find anything you’ve ever done. After the announcement, industry security folks kindly pointed out that anyone who hacked or broke their way into someone’s computer (I mean, that never happens, right?), would then have access to anything that person had ever entered on their computer, from banking information to — well, what you do on your laptop is your business . . . but I’m certain you don’t want that being someone else’s business. Always reassuring when this kind of thinking comes after an announcement of a supposedly well-vetted corporate product (users will now have the choice to activate it or not).
CONGRATS!: To Poland’s Iga Świątek, who won her third straight French Open this weekend, and is now 5-0 in Grand Slam tournament finals. She is also $2.6M richer.
OH: The NFL picked a stadium in São Paulo, Brazil where the color green is banned (it’s the team color of the main rival of the soccer club that plays in the stadium) to host an opening week game with 2 teams who have green throughout their uniforms (EAGLES and PACKERS). CORRECTION FROM FRIDAY: My sincere apologies to Sandy Cheeks, whom a reader pointed out to me is in fact a she, not a he. Her movie premieres in August on NETFLIX. Also note, putting “sandy cheeks” in a giphy search definitely yields some interesting results.
TONY’S WEEK IS HERE! 🎭To celebrate one of NYC’s core artistic industries in advance of this Sunday’s big show . . . thought I’d share a daily song to get in the spirit and recognize some talent! I have 2 of the 5 slots booked, so if you’re working on a show and want to have a song from your show featured — drop me a note! seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com Today’s is from a show co-written by a Wakeup reader, and features Tamika Lawrence putting a great spin on a classic from Huey Lewis & The News from The Heart of Rock & Roll show. 
Ankler on the Town!
The Ankler x Thom Powers Documentary Spotlight event in L.A. Sunday drew an SRO audience at NeueHouse. Here, the all-star participants gathered onstage for a group photo. Top, from left: Sam Lipman-Stern, Adam Bhala Lough, Alex Gibney, Matt Tyrnauer, James Carville, Sarah Gibson, Andrew Jarecki, Jasha Klebe, Kathleen Lingo. Bottom, from left: Erin Lee Carr, Janice Min, Thom Powers, Bao Nguyen and Zac Stuart-Pontier. SEAN ON THE TOWN: Okay granted, I’m no Todd . . . but a thanks to NETFLIX for the invite to check out the Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution doc on Friday night at the TRIBECA FESTIVAL (with my pal Judy Gold doing a brief set before the screening 👏).
AND: To the folks at UNI / ILLUMINATION for the invite to check out Despicable Me 4 yesterday — adding Ferrell and Colbert to the already stacked comedy lineup almost seems unfair. Played well with the kids, as did the schwag-filled reception afterward. So much #BigKidEnergy 😩
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLLWhile I wouldn’t totally take this as the full return of “Will Smith: bankable movie star” . . . it certainly helps his crusade to return. More importantly — Bad Boys 4 gives some much needed juice to the 2024 summer box office, with another powerhouse on deck this Friday in Inside Out 2. The summer is still in the basement, but at least it climbed a few stairs. Again, we have another big hole on June 21. But god bless the 8%! Stay strong folks . . .
BUT: The bears smelled The Watchers out rather well.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
BOX OFFICESo, who had . . . Will Smith as the person giving life & hope to the 2024 summer box office back in 2022? It’s a fun business, isn’t it? Sadly, horror’s deadly 2024 continued at the box office — with some pretty mind-blowing numbers on the volume that still awaits us this year . . .
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