| RYAN GOSLING FILM'S U.S. OPENING BREAKS MULTIPLE RECORDS |
Amazon MGM Studios' Project Hail Mary had a blessed Saturday, chalking up $27.1M, just -18% off Friday/preview’s $33.1M. That stellar showing rocketed the Ryan Gosling-starring, Lord & Miller-directed production to an estimated $80.6M debut. Its worldwide opening is near $141M, tops by any MPA title so far this year.
While that’s the second-best domestic start for a non-franchise movie after Oppenheimer ($82.4M), it’s the best opening for a non-franchise movie in March (ahead of Jordan Peele’s Us ($71M).
Interestingly enough, the trajectory for Project Hail Mary is very similar to that of Oppenheimer, which posted Friday/previews of $33M but dipped -21% on Saturday with $26.2M. Oppenheimer's Sunday was $23.1M. If Project Hail Mary winds up north of that when actual receipts are tallied, it will be the best start for a non-franchise movie at the domestic B.O. The film, which was produced by Amy Pascal, Rachel O’Connor, Andy Weir and Aditya Sood, is estimating its Sunday take at $20.3M. >>> Amazon MGM Studios Domestic High
Related:
‘Project Hail Mary’ Co-Directors Break Down How They Got Meryl Streep On Board With Surprise Cameo Voice Role |
Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
Love On The Rocks - The future of two of the biggest unscripted shows on television hangs in the balance as the Taylor Frankie Paul contretemps continues. The Disney-owned broadcaster is now figuring out whether it will ever air the Paul-fronted season of The Bachelorette, and if and when it will restart production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, of which Paul is also a part. >>>Tough 12 Months
Related:
Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Mormon Wives’ Co-Stars Denounce Domestic Violence
Love, Timothée Chalamet & AI - Warner Bros. Pictures has closed a film-rights deal for the New York Times bestseller Playground by Richard Powers. The book explores love, friendship and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Plan B, Timothée Chalamet and Brian Swardstrom are attached to produce. Chalamet has first crack at starring as the central character. >>> Being Developed
New Mega Deals On The Way? - Wall Street is upbeat about the impact of Nexstar‘s $6.2 billion acquisition of local TV rival Tegna, mainly because it could trigger another wave of consolidation. That’s also the prevailing view across the industry, even among Nexstar’s biggest rivals. >>>" Exceptionally Helpful"
More Naked And Afraid - The Discovery Channel plans a new take on long-running hit Naked and Afraid. The big news is Naked and Afraid: Global Showdown (w/t). It will feature survivalists from all over the world including Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and the United States, representing their homelands in a 40-day primitive bushcraft competition. >>> 8th Spinoff |
HBO's The Comeback is taking the concept of long gaps between seasons to a new level. Its third season premiered on Sunday, 11 1/2 years after Season 2, which, in turn, was released more than nine years after the first season.
In an interview with Deadline at the premiere, Amy Gravitt, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, spoke about The Comeback’s return with an AI-themed storyline, as well as the broad appeal of Rooster, from Bill Lawrence, creator/co-creator of ABC’s Scrubs and Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, Shrinking and Bad Monkey, and star Steve Carell. Gravitt addressed a possible Rooster renewal after strong premiere viewership, and a California tax credit for Season 2.
She also talked about the renewals of two writer-performer-driven series that launched last year, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s The Chair Company and Rachel Sennott’s I Love L.A., as well as the Season 3 status of Nathan Fielder’s docu-comedy The Rehearsal. >>>Q&A |
QUOTABLE
"The news is broken" - Former CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acosta |
ExclusiveCameras are rolling in Japan on Takashi Miike’s untitled Kyoto movie starring Charli xcx, Milly Alcock and Norman Reedus. Hailey Benton Gates, who recently starred with Charli xcx in A24’s The Moment and has the same studio’s Zendaya-Robert Pattinson pic The Drama out next week, has joined the cast in a key role.
ExclusiveThe Last of Us has cast two key roles from the second game, siblings Yara and Lev. Bridgerton's Michelle Mao and Kyriana Kratter (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) are joining the upcoming third season of the HBO post-apocalyptic drama.
ExclusiveCardinal star Karine Vanasse has boarded Death of a Diplomat, the Series Mania-bound thriller series from Eliza Reid, the former First Lady of Iceland. Canadian streamer Crave and Iceland’s Síminn have both acquired local rights the TV drama. |
BY THE NUMBERS
226,000 - Number viewers on Sky for the debut episode of 'SNL UK' |
MORE NEWS
📆 Disney has claimed theatrical dates for several untitled pics in 2028 and into 2029. No guidance on what future titles will fall on which dates from the studio, which updated its calendar Friday.
⚖️ A day after Nexstar said that it had closed its deal to buy Tegna, creating a broadcasting giant, California and seven other states filed an emergency motion to stop it. The motion for a temporary restraining order was filed in Sacramento, seeking court action to halt integration and consolidation of the two companies.
🏆 Greg Davies, the British comedian who presents Taskmaster, will host the BAFTA Television Awards in May. Davies, whose other credits include The Inbetweeners and The Cleaner, will take over from Alan Cumming, host of the 2025 BAFTA TV ceremony. |
| OBITUARIES
🕯️ Nicholas Brendon, known for being part of the Scooby gang on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died. He was 54. 🕯️ Robert Fox, who rose from being a film studio runner to assisting directors at London’s Royal Court in the early 1970s to the highest echelons of theater production that saw him presenting Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren and Vanessa Redgrave in new plays and classics in the West End and on Broadway, has died. He was 73. 🕯️ Carrie Anne Fleming, a Canadian actress best known for her work in TV shows like iZombie and Supernatural , has died. She was 51. 🕯️ 2026 Deaths Photo Gallery |
| ON THE RADAR
Mon - NewFronts: Google
Tue - NewFronts: Tubi, TikTok; BAFTA TV Awards nominations
Wed - MLB opening day
Thu - NewFronts: Meta, YouTube; Amanda Peet on Seth Meyers |
First Episode, Last Supper - The first episode of SNL UK met with mixed-to-positive reviews, though Deadline's Baz Bamigboye was not a fan. Among the standout sketches was a take on The Last Supper hosted by David Attenborough that featured Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, Freddie Mercury and Lady Diana as guests. |
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