Netflix House storefronts / Banks valuing Hulu / "Suits" drops out of #1 / Sarandos on SAG-AFTRA negotiations

Plus the weekend calendar, Netflix shares downgraded, NYCC: "Godzilla" and "For All Mankind" trailers, "True Story" renewed, and more

Inside Streaming For October 13, 2023

Happy Friday, Inside Streamers! Personally, I think the idea of Netflix storefront venues that help them promote shows and films are a great idea. One thing we've definitively seen from audiences in 2023 is that it takes a community effort to get people excited about something new. Your show or film or product or brand or whatever might have lots of benefits and individual appeal, but if you don't make people feel like they're MISSING OUT by not trying it... if you don't get a LOT of people in their social media feed or community talking about what you're doing... if you're not part of the DISCOURSE... it's very easy to be left behind. Even if the thing you've made is terrific! "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were good movies, sure, but they also hugely benefitted from being so widely discussed for weeks. Taylor Swift is a gifted songwriter, absolutely, but being in the crowd with thousands of fellow Swifties singing your hearts out collectively is a strong part of the Eras Tour appeal. It's probably worth whatever Netflix has to spend to open a few storefronts and play some interactive games with people, if it inspires them to share the experience on Instagram and pique their followers' curiosity. Have a great weekend! We'll see you back here on Monday. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Bloomberg reports that Netflix plans to open physical storefronts, known as "Netflix House," combining retail, dining, and live interactive experiences for fans. The first two immersive venues will apparently open in the US in 2025 before expanding around the globe. More: Though Netflix has experimented with live events (such as the "Bridgerton"-themed Queen's Ball), pop-up restaurants, and other physical destinations in the past, these will be its first permanent venues. According to Bloomberg, the company views Netflix House more as a promotional effort to support its shows and films, rather than a money-making enterprise. The venues will feature rotating installations, ticketed shows inspired by popular series, and restaurants serving food featured on the streamer's unscripted cooking programs. Netflix opened a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles earlier this year, dubbed "Netflix Bites," featuring food created by chefs who have appeared on the streamer's original series.

2 Comcast and Disney have brought in Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase to appraise the value of Hulu. Comcast currently earns one-third of the streamer to Disney's two-thirds; a 2019 agreement between the two companies allows either party to trigger the sale of Comcast's remaining stake to Disney next year. More: Each bank will independently determine what they believe to be a fair value for Hulu. The agreement was reached in 2019, after Disney acquired the majority of Fox's assets, including its Hulu stake. Last month, the two companies agreed to push the 2024 deadline from January to November 1. It's anticipated, according to CNBC, that one of the companies will trigger its option and push the deal through; at a Goldman Sachs conference last month, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said "we are excited to get this resolved."

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY: Limited drama series from creator Lee Eisenberg ("Jury Duty," "WeCrashed"), based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus. Brie Larson stars as a chemist in the early 1960s who gets a job hosting a TV cooking show after being fired from her lab. Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, and Beau Bridges co-star. [Apple TV+] GOOSEBUMPS: Debut live-action horror-comedy series, based on the book franchise by R.L. Stine. Five teenagers accidentally unleash supernatural forces on their hometown while investigating their parents' long-held childhood secrets. Justin Long, Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Rachael Harris, and Rob Huebel co-star. Rob Letterman, who directed the 2015 "Goosebumps" film, co-created the series with Nicholas Stoller ("Neighbors"). [Hulu and Disney+] NOCEBO: 2022 psychological thriller starring Eva Green as a fashion designer who develops a mysterious illness and comes to rely on a folk remedy provided by a mysterious caretaker (Chai Fonacier). Mark Strong co-stars; "Vivarium" vet Lorcan Finnegan directed. [Hulu] THE BURIAL: 2023 legal drama, inspired by actual events, and based on a 1999 New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr. Jamie Foxx stars as unconventional personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary, who helps an independent funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) take on a large corporation in court. Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, and Bill Camp co-star; Maggie Betts ("Novitiate") co-wrote and directed. [Amazon] EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS: Eight-part crime comedy-drama series from Italy, inspired by a real 2003 Belgian diamond heist. Kim Rossi Stuart stars as mastermind Leonardo Notarbartolo, who engineers an ingenious plan to steal millions of dollars in precious stones from the Antwerp Diamond Centre. Anna Foglietta, Gian Marco Tognazzi, Carlotta Antonelli, Rupert Everett, and Malcolm McDowell co-star. [Amazon] SHINING VALE: The comedy-horror series returns to Starz this weekend for a second season. Courteney Cox stars as Pat Phelps, a frustrated novelist who moves with her family into a creepy new home that's infested with demonic spirits only she can see. Greg Kinnear and Mira Sorvino co-star; Jeff Astrof ("Trial & Error") and Sharon Horgan ("HouseBroken") co-created. [Starz] JOHN CARPENTER'S SUBURBAN SCREAMS: Six-episode true-crime series relating terrifying incidents that happened in suburbia, from the perspectives of survivors and witnesses. The legendary "Halloween" director executive produced the series, and personally helmed one of the episodes. [Peacock] CREEPSHOW: The retro anthology horror series, inspired by George Romero's 1982 film, returns this weekend for a fourth season. Actor Tom Atkins, who appeared in the original "Creepshow" film, makes a special appearance this year; "Walking Dead" vet Greg Nicotero serves as showrunner. [AMC+ / Shudder] THE PUPPETMAN: 2023 horror film starring Alyson Gorske as the daughter of a convicted murderer who comes to believe her father's outlandish claim: that an evil force was controlling his body during his vicious crimes. Michael Paré, Caryn Richman, and Jayson Therrien co-star; Brandon Christensen ("Superhost") co-wrote and directed. [AMC+ / Shudder] RAID THE CAGE: Debut CBS game show, inspired by an Israeli original, in which two teams square off in trivia challenges, then race to claim prizes from an actual cage before time expires and the doors slam closed. Damon Wayans Jr. and Jeannie Mai co-host. [Paramount+] THE CONFERENCE (KONFERENSEN): Horror-comedy from Sweden, set at a team-building conference for various municipal employees. After accusations of corruption make the environment toxic, a mysterious slasher begins murdering participants one by one. Eva Melander, Katia Winter, and Adam Lundren co-star; Patrik Eklund ("We Got This") directs. [Netflix] IJOGBON: Coming-of-age adventure film from Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan ("Swallow," "Anikúlápó"). A group of teenagers from a remote village decide to keep a pouch of uncut diamonds that they find accidentally, putting them and their loved ones in danger. Bimbo Manuel, Gabriel Afolayan, Sam Dede, Femi Branch, and Adunni Ade co-star. [Netflix] SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The NBC comedy/variety series returns for its 49th season -- and first new episodes post-WGA strike -- with host Pete Davidson and musical guest Ice Spice. Newcomer Chloe Troast joins the cast this year. [Peacock] SYMON'S DINNERS COOKING OUT: On the Food Network series, chef Michael Symon prepares some of his favorite recipes in an outdoor setting. It's back this weekend on Max and cable for a fifth season. [Max] EMPIRE OF LIGHT: 2022 romantic period drama film from British writer/director Sam Mendes ("1917"). Olivia Colman stars as the lonely manager of a movie theater in a small coastal town in the 1980s who forms an unexpected bond with a new employee (Micheal Ward). Colin Firth and Toby Jones co-star. Roger Deakins' cinematography received an Oscar nomination. [Hulu] SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 BILLY THE KID: The Western drama series stars Tom Blyth as the infamous outlaw and gunslinger. It's back for a second season. "Vikings" veteran Michael Hirst created. [MGM+] CAMP COURAGE: Half-hour documentary short from filmmaker Max Lowe ("Adventure Not War"), following Milana, a young refugee Ukrainian girl, and her grandmother Olga as they visit a special summer camp in the Austrian Alps for families impacted by the Russia-Ukraine War. [Netflix] SLOTHERHOUSE: 2023 comedy-horror film about a sorority girl (Lisa Ambalavanar) who adopts a pet sloth to boost her popularity, then comes to suspect the animal is responsible for a string of grisly murders. Matthew Goodhue ("Woe") directs. [Hulu]

4 After nearly three months, "Suits" dropped out of the #1 spot on Nielsen's streaming charts. Netflix's romantic drama "Virgin River" moved into the #1 spot for the week of September 11-17, following its Season 5 premiere on Setpember 7. More: "Virgin River" was viewed for 2.05 billion minutes between Sept. 11-17, with "Suits" slipping down to 1.9 billion minutes, good enough for the #2 spot. In all, the former USA Network legal drama spent 12 weeks at #1 on Nielsen, setting a new record. According to Deadline, "Suits" creator Aaron Korsh is currently developing a spinoff series for NBCUniversal; the show will apparently feature original characters while being set in the "Suits Universe," similar to how the "CSI" and "NCIS" franchises operate. "The Morning Show" finished eighth among original series with 350 million minutes viewed; it's the third Apple TV+ series to make Nielsen's Top 10, after "Ted Lasso" and "Hijack." Pixar's "Elemental" also made a strong Disney+ debut this week, with 1.73 billion minutes streamed; that's around 17.1 million full viewings of the film.

5 Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos briefly discussed the current state of SAG-AFTRA's negotiations with the Alliance for Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) while speaking at Bloomberg's Screentime conference. Sarandos said the talks were progressing productively until SAG negotiators introduced the notion of a "levy on subscribers." More: According to Sarandos, actors wanted additional payments based on Netflix's 238 million subscribers, which he felt was "a bridge too far to add this deep into the negotiation." Sarandos did not provide specifics on the actors' request. SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said he was unsure why negotiations had broken down, terming the decision "very, very disappointing." According to Crabtree-Ireland, the core idea of payments based on subscriber levels was a response to AMPTP requests, as an alternative to residual payments based on revenue; he suggests that after SAG-AFTRA made this good-faith counter-offer, "their response was, 'we are walking away from negotiations.'"

6 Wolfe analyst Peter Supino downgraded shares of Netflix this week, triggering a stock drop. Supino wrote that, while Netflix is seemingly on course to build a strong advertising business, price increases could have a negative impact on 2024-2025 growth forecasts. More: Netflix has removed its lowest-cost ad-free subscription plan (which was formerly $9.99/month) in the hopes of driving more subscribers to ad-supported plans. Supino notes that, while this could help to "mitigate churn," it could otherwise cause the streamer's subscriber count to stagnate over time, particularly if Netflix goes through with reported plans to increase prices once the actors' strike is resolved. Shares of Netflix dipped by around 1.7% after the report, to $255; the stock is up around 20% so far this year. Netflix will report its Q3 earnings next week, on October 18.

7 At New York Comic Con, Apple released new trailers for two hotly-anticipated sci-fi series. A Friday panel presentation teased footage from "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," a new spinoff series that ties into Legendary's "Monsterverse" film franchise. More: The first two episodes of "Monarch," which picks up after the San Francisco battle between Godzilla and the Titans, premieres November 17 on Apple TV+. The Godzilla series brings together a number of veterans from Disney+'s Marvel shows; director Matt Shakman previously helmed "WandaVision" while co-creator Matt Fraction produced the "Hawkeye" series. Apple also debuted a trailer for Season 4 of the alternative history series "For All Mankind." The new episodes are set in 2003, and find world governments competing to mine valuable resources from incoming asteroids. "For All Mankind" Season 4 lands on November 10.

8 QUICK HITS Discover ideal customers with BiglySales.com's data segmentation and AI-powered Outreach.* Peacock renewed the dark comedy series "Based on a True Story" for a second season; Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina star as a down-on-their-luck couple who start a true-crime podcast along with an active serial killer. An upcoming Netflix special commemorates the 60th anniversary of The Improv branded comedy clubs; in addition to archival footage of early sets from comedy legends, the special includes brief performances by Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jo Koy, Whitney Cummings, and others. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is investigating seven British TV and film producers over potential breaches of antitrust law when hiring freelance crew members; companies under scrutiny include BBC, ITV, Hartswood Films, and Sister. At New York Comic Con, Toei Animation announced a new animated "Dragon Ball" series, "Dragon Ball Daima," launching next fall; original "Dragon Ball" creator Akira Toriyama is expected to be heavily involved with the production. The full 172-episode run of the 1980s NBC legal drama "L.A. Law" has been remastered in 16:9 HD, and comes to Hulu in November. In a new survey from CivicScience, 39% of current Netflix ad-free premium subscribers said they will "likely" cancel their subscriptions if the streamer raises prices again; 31% responded that they would likely switch to an ad-supported plan. On October 18, actor Elijah Wood and his producing partner Daniel Noah will present a free horror movie marathon on Pluto TV's Cult Films channel; Wood and Noah co-founded SpectreVision, which produces and distributes cult and horror films including "Mandy," "The Greasy Strangler," and "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night." The Cord SDK saved product teams at monday.com, BILL, and ThoughtSpot 12 months of developer time and $100,000s.* *This is sponsored content

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INSIDE STREAMING LEADERBOARD (ALL-TIME) 🥇 Jon Lusty (128) 🥈 Cesar Santamaria (63) 🥉 Ayhan Ergezen (60)

Lon Harris Writer 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." This newsletter was edited by Lon Harris

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