Digital ad marketplace / "Rings of Power" showrunner Q&A / "The White Lotus" Season 2 / Apple's "Causeway" trailer

Plus today's calendar, subscriptions survey from NRG, "Scooby-Doo's" Velma comes out as gay, "Love is Blind" S3, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network October 06, 2022

Presented by

Netflix and Disney+ are preparing to launch low-cost ad-supported streaming tiers in the midst of a restructuring of the digital ad industry. Local governments, third-party companies, and web browsers have imposed new caps on user data that's traditionally harvested in order to supply better, more relevant ads. More: Browsers including Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome have banned conventional third-party trackers that follow a user's movements online. This personal information collected from users and subscribers -- known as "cookies" -- powers the online ad ecosystem, but some advertisers and platforms are being forced to look elsewhere for options and get creative. NBCUniversal is looking to move away from third-party data entirely, developing a targeted advertising system that leverages more widely available information, such as streaming viewership and e-commerce purchases. Disney+ will launch its ad-supported tier for $7.99/month on December 8; initial ads will be tied to the estimated ages of viewers. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

First-time showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about producing the epic first season of Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" adaptation, "The Rings of Power." Despite "review bombing" by so-called internet trolls, the show currently has an 84% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and was viewed by around 12.6 million US viewers over the course of its first four days. More: Prime Video was apparently one of several networks and streaming outlets to pitch the J.R.R. Tolkien Estate on a "Lord of the Rings" series, starting in 2017. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO pitched a retelling of Middle-earth's entire Third Age, which includes the action of the books "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings," while Netflix "freaked out" the estate by pitching a collection of shows resembling Disney's approach with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Amazon's team won the day by pledging a close relationship between the estate and the project's creative team, and by outbidding Netflix by tens of millions of dollars. Amazon also heard pitches from a number of potential creators and showrunners, including Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten ("The Theory of Everything"), who compared his show to Shakespeare, and the Russo Brothers, who pitched "an Aragorn story." Payne and McKay, now in their 40s, met in junior high school and previously worked together at J.J. Abrams' production company, Bad Robot; they're both self-described lifelong Tolkien fans. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

A message from IMPACT Canva doubles growth with influencers and affiliates. You can too Since launching its partnership program with impact.com, Canva has focused on growth in five key global markets, and it has found that each one requires a slightly different approach. The impact.com partnership management platform allows the team to adapt its processes and degree of automation to cultural preferences. Using impact.com, Canva experienced: 2X MoM partnership growth 25+ contract types based on partner and goal 9K+ global partners established Read their full story here

DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY: Nine-part scripted true crime series based on the kidnappings of Jan Broberg (Mckenna Grace) at ages 12 and 14 by neighbor and family friend Robert Berchtold (Jake Lacy). Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton co-star; "The Act" vet Nick Antosca created. [Peacock] PENNYWORTH: THE ORIGIN OF BATMAN'S BUTLER: The crime thriller series "Pennyworth" -- based on characters from DC Comics -- moves from Epix to HBO Max for its new third season, and gets an extended title. (The show's full run is now streaming on HBO Max.) The series follows the exploits of a young Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon) in the years after WWII, as he works alongside Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz) to combat threats to the British government. [HBO Max] WAHL STREET: The reality series profiles actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg, following along as he juggles a hectic film schedule with managing his various companies, product lines, and the restaurant chain Wahlburgers. Season 2 arrives today. [HBO Max] FOLKLORE: HBO Asia horror anthology series -- originally created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo -- featuring stories inspired by folklore and regional superstitions from filmmakers of different cultural and national backgrounds. Season 2 includes entries from Liao Shih-han (Taiwan), Seiko Matsuda (Japan), Sittisiri Mongkolsiri (Thailand), Erik Matti (Philippines), Billy Christian (Indonesia), and Nicole Midori Woodford (Singapore). [HBO Max] MONSTER HIGH: THE MOVIE: Live-action fantasy-musical from Nickelodeon -- based on the Mattel doll and merch line -- about a young human-werewolf hybrid (Miia Harris) attempting to find her place at a new high school for teen monsters. "The Wizard" vet Todd Holland directed. [Paramount+] AFTERSHOCK: EVEREST AND THE NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: Docuseries from the UK looking back at the deadly 2015 earthquake that rocked the Asian nation of Nepal, home to Mt. Everest, featuring a combination of real-life footage and survivors' first-hand accounts. [Netflix] THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF YOUNG YUGUO: Half-hour documentary short profiling Chinese teenager Yuguo, whose passion for Eastern European romantic poetry inspires him to take a journey to Romania's Carpathian Mountains. [Netflix] KUNG FU: The martial arts action series stars Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen, who uses her Shaolin training and values to protect her local community. New Season 3 episodes air Wednesday nights on CW and hit the app and website on Thursdays. [CW] DEADSTREAM: Found footage horror comedy from writer/directors Joseph and Vanessa Winter. The story centers on a disgraced internet personality (Joseph Winter) who stages a live overnight stay in a haunted house as a comeback, but accidentally awakens a very real and vengeful spirit. [Shudder] SURREAL ESTATE: Syfy fantasy-drama series about a team of paranormal realtors who specialize in flipping haunted or possessed homes. Season 1 aired in 2021 and comes to Hulu in the US today. Tim Rozon, Sarah Levy, and Adam Korson co-star. [Hulu]

HBO dropped a trailer for the second season of the satirical anthology comedy-drama series "The White Lotus." The new episodes are set at a lavish resort on the island of Sicily. More: Jennifer Coolidge reprises her Season 1 role as White Lotus guest Tanya McQuoid, alongside co-star John Gries as her now-husband, Greg. New cast members include Aubrey Plaza, Sabrina Impacciatore, Will Sharpe, Tom Hollander, Meghann Fahy, Haley Lu Richardson, and F. Murray Abraham. Though Season 2 features an entirely new storyline, some of the themes and concepts from Season 1 -- such as marital strife and infidelity and recreational drug use -- will also feature in the new episodes. "The White Lotus" returns on October 30. PEOPLE

The A24 psychological drama feature "Causeway," starring Jennifer Lawrence as a military veteran with a traumatic brain injury, hits Apple TV+ on November 4. Lawrence plays Lynsey, a soldier who returns home to New Orleans to heal, physically and emotionally, following a tour in Afghanistan. More: The film centers around the friendship that forms between Lynsey and a local mechanic, played by "Atlanta" vet Brian Tyree Henry. Stage veteran Lila Neugebauer -- who also worked on Netflix's "Maid" and "The Sex Lives of College Girls" -- directed the film. This is the first project to emerge from Lawrence's production company, Excellent Cadaver. Most of the film was shot prior to the pandemic in 2019, but it was completed in 2021. PEOPLE

A new survey from the National Research Group indicates that, despite inflation concerns, most Americans are unlikely to drop their streaming subscriptions. Two-thirds of consumers polled said they were likely to decrease their overall spending due to inflation, but only about a quarter said they planned to cancel streaming subscriptions in the next few months. More: The report found the most loyalty among consumers for streaming services and home security systems, even outstripping food and gasoline. Of all subscription services, Americans were least likely to say they'd cancel Amazon Prime. Just over half of the respondents, around 51%, said "subscriptions" now make up a "significant" portion of their monthly spending. CNBC

A new direct-to-VOD animated "Scooby-Doo" film confirms that fan-favorite character Velma Dinkley is canonically a lesbian. The film, "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!," was released on Tuesday on a number of VOD platforms. More: In the film, Velma (Kate Micucci) develops a crush on a new character, monster costume designer Coco Diablo (Myrna Velasco). A number of previous "Scooby-Doo" creators -- including 2002 live-action screenwriter James Gunn -- have suggested that Velma was a lesbian in their shows and films, but were dissuaded from including overt references to her sexuality. The animated series "Scooby-Doo" first debuted as a Saturday morning cartoon in 1969. NEW YORK TIMES

The new trailer for the Netflix reality dating series "Love is Blind" introduces the Season 3 cast: 30 new singles from Dallas. Over the course of the show, couples go on "speed dates" without every looking at one another, with the ultimate goal of agreeing to get married at first sight. More: Nick and Vanessa Lachey return as hosts for the new season. Couples that emerged from the series to date include Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson, who divorced in August after one year of marriage; and Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones, who also announced their split over the summer. "Love is Blind" is back on October 19. PEOPLE

"January 6th," the new documentary from "9/11" vets Gédéon and Jules Naudet, debuts on Discovery+ on January 5, 2023, the day before the two-year anniversary of the attack of the US Capitol. The film relates the day's events from the perspectives of eyewitnesses, including first responders and survivors. More: This is the first January 6th documentary project made with the participation of both the Capitol and Metropolitan Police Departments. In addition to police officers and first responders who were on the ground that day, the film features insights from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DC Police Chief Robert Contee III, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and more than 50 senators, representatives, and staffers. The Naudet Brothers also produced the 2018 docuseries "November 13: Attack on Paris." DEADLINE

QUICK HITS Google Ventures(GV) leads a 35M round investing into Courier’s notification system joining Twilio, Slack, Bessemer and Matrix Partners as investors.* Netflix dropped a teaser for its "Money Heist" prequel series, "Berlin," coming in 2023. Sony's PlayStation 5 console added support for a new Disney+ app featuring 4K HDR streaming. HBO's original documentary "Mama's Boy" -- a profile of screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, based on his 2019 memoir of the same name -- will open NewFest on October 13 before debuting on HBO on the 18th. According to "Moonlighting" creator Glenn Gordon Caron, Disney is preparing to sell the digital streaming rights for the beloved '80s romantic mystery-drama series, which starred Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. The majority of "Star Trek" films have left the Paramount+ streaming service, with only the 2009 and 2013 reboot films still available; it's unclear whether or not the films are headed to another subscription streaming service, or when they will return. In his new National Geographic reality series for Disney+, "Limitless," actor Chris Hemsworth investigates the secrets to living a longer, healthier life; the series arrives on November 16. A number of actors joined the voice cast of the upcoming Hulu animated series "Koala Man," including Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, and Jarrad Wright; Miranda Otto and Hugo Weaving will make guest appearances. Amazon picked up the international streaming rights for the Korean fantasy-drama series "Island," based on the popular online comic of the same name. *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade.

The most powerful affiliate management platform.

767 Bryant St. #203, San Francisco, CA 94107 Copyright © 2022 Inside.com

Did someone forward this email to you? Head over to inside.com to get your very own free subscription! You received this email because you subscribed to Inside Streaming. Click here to unsubscribe from Inside Streaming list or manage your subscriptions.