"Freddy's" sets Peacock record / HBO sockpuppet accounts / Nokia lawsuit / The "Crisis at Marvel"

Plus today's calendar, Kino launches Film Collection, Lakers streaming service, YouTube Sunday Ticket complaints, and more

Inside Streaming For November 01, 2023

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Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief! Variety's look at the troubles behind-the-scenes at Marvel Studios will likely not be news to fans, who have been aware of the wheels coming off that particular transmedia franchise for some time. Beyond all the specific woes facing Kevin Feige & Co., it's really a helpful lesson for anyone working in media or the creative arts. "Too much of a good thing" is very real. Audiences are notoriously fickle, and even if they absolutely love and can't get enough of something today, that's not a guarantee about tomorrow. Bob Iger seems to have staked literal billions of dollars over many years on audiences never tiring of superheroes, but maintaining interest in IP and franchises over the course of decades is never as simple as turning on a firehose. It's a delicate balance. You really do have to leave audiences wanting more or they get fed up and the thrill is gone. Enjoy today's issue! We'll see you back here tomorrow. Lon p/lon-harris

1 According to NBCUniversal's internal figures, "Five Nights at Freddy's" set a new overall Peacock viewership record in its first five days. The streamer did not release actual numbers, but confirmed that the horror film had surpassed record-holding debuts for the films "Halloween Ends" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," and the series "Bel-Air" and "The Best Man: The Final Chapters." More: According to numbers from Samba TV, around 450,000 viewers watched "Five Nights at Freddy's" on Peacock in the three days following its debut. Nielsen will release its figures for last week next month, allowing for some independent confirmation of the film's success. "Five Nights at Freddy's" debuted in theaters and on Peacock on October 27; it's based on a popular video game franchise.

2 According to Rolling Stone, HBO executives secretly used fake Twitter accounts to respond to television critics. Text messages in which executives discussed the plan have been released as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former HBO staffer Sully Temori against the network and producers of "The Idol." More: In a response to RS, HBO did not dispute the legitimacy of the messages. In one example exchange, HBO's then-president of original programming Casey Bloys took issue with a Vulture review that complained about the use of WWI flashbacks in "Perry Mason"; he then solicited senior VP of drama programming Kathleen McCaffrey to find someone who could point out "that's a pretty blithe response to what soldiers legitimately go through on [the] battlefield" on social media. Though this particular tweet was never sent, RS counts at least six instances of Bloys and McCaffrey making similar plans between June 2020 and April 2021. One Twitter account, claiming to be a Texas mom named "Kelly Shepard," was created in 2021 and used its first message to respond to critic Alan Sepinwall's review of "The Nevers"; the account used a stock photo as its profile.

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3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 BLACK CAKE: Debut period drama series, based on the novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. A dying woman leaves her children a voice recording that relates her tumultuous life story, taking her from Jamaica in the 1960s to California in the present day. Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Chipo Chung, Ashley Thomas, Stephanie Jacob, and Rupert Evans co-star; Marissa Jo Cerar ("The Fosters") created the series and wrote the adaptation. [Hulu] A CHRISTMAS FREQUENCY: Original holiday-themed romantic comedy starring Ansley Gordon as a radio producer who sets her host (Denise Richards) up on a string of blind dates as an on-air stunt, then falls for one of the eligible bachelors herself. Gordon also wrote the script; Lindsay Hartley ("Romeo and Juliet Killers") directed. [Hulu] ARTHDAL CHRONICLES: The South Korean action-fantasy series follows power struggles and politics in the mythical, ancient city of Arth. Season 2, which adds the subtitle "The Sword of Aramun," aired earlier this year in Korea and hits Hulu in the US today. Jang Dong-gun, Lee Joon-gi, Shin Se-kyung, and Kim Ok-vin co-star. [Hulu] THE INCREDIBLE DR. POL: The Nat Geo Wild reality series focuses on the life and practice of veterinarian Dr. Jan Pol and his wife, Diane, in Central Michigan farm country. Season 23 aired earlier this year on cable and hits both Hulu and Disney+ in the US today. [Hulu and Disney+] BEHIND THE ATTRACTION: The behind-the-scenes docuseries from Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions explores the development and creation of some of Disney Parks' most popular attractions. Season 2 spotlights Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and more. Paget Brewster narrates. [Disney+] THE THREE DETECTIVES (DIE DREI !!!): YA mystery/thriller series from Germany, spun off from the 2019 film "The Three Exclamation Marks," in which friends Franzi, Marie, and Kim form their own detective club and begin investigating local cases. Purnima Grätz, Bella Bading, and Lilith Julie Johna co-star. [Disney+] LOVE ISLAND GAMES: Debut game show featuring international veterans of the reality dating series "Love Island" competing in a brand new format, involving both team and couples challenges, for "a second chance at love." Maya James hosts; Iain Stirling narrates. [Peacock] UNCONDITIONAL: 2023 documentary feature from MSNBC and filmmaker Richard Lui -- produced over the course of seven years -- profiling families as they work together to confront and treat various mental health issues that primarily impact caregivers. [Peacock] HALLMARK MOVIE COLLECTION: A number of 2022 and 2023 Hallmark original films move over to Peacock today, including "Cases of Mystery Lane," "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New," "The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating," "Finding Love in Mountain View," "Love's Portrait," and "A Pinch of Portugal." [Peacock] INK MASTER: The tattoo artist reality competition series returns this week, exclusively on Paramount+, for a 15th season. Joel Madden returns as host; Ryan Ashley, Nikko Hurtado, and DJ Tambe serve as this season's judges. [Paramount+] LOCKED IN: Psychological thriller from the UK, starring Rose Williams as a newlywed who goes to great lengths in order to keep a secret from her wealthy but emotionally unstable mother-in-law (Famke Janssen). Nour Wazzi makes her feature directorial debut with the film. [Netflix] MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH: Docuseries examining some of the most notable artifacts and relics from throughout the history of Christianity and the Catholic Church, including such legendary items as the Veil of the Veronica, the Crown of Thorns, and the Holy Grail. [Netflix] WINGWOMEN (VOLEUSES): French action-comedy feature from star/director Mélanie Laurent. It's about two long-time thieves and best friends who take on a new protégé ahead of their final score. Isabelle Adjani and Adèle Exarchopoulos co-star. [Netflix] HURRICANE SEASON (TEMPORADA DE HURACANES): Spanish-language thriller feature from Mexico, based on a novel by Fernanda Melchor, about a group of teens who gain unsettling insight into their hometown and the adults around them after they discover a corpse floating in a local canal. Paloma Alvamar, Andrés Cordova, Ernesto Meléndez, and Kat Rigoni co-star; Elisa Miller co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] NUOVO OLIMPO: Romantic drama feature from Italy about two men who meet by chance in their 20s and fall in love, only to be suddenly separated; they then spend 30 years searching for one another. Andrea Di Luigi and Damiano Gavino co-star; Ferzan Özpetek co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] TILL MURDER DO US PART: SOERING VS. HAYSOM (DER FALL JENS SÖRING - TÖDLICHE LEIDENSCHAFT): True-crime docuseries from Germany, looking back at Jens Söring's 1985 conviction for the murders of his girlfriend's parents. The series features new insight into the case from Söring himself along with the original investigators and other experts. [Netflix] SAITAMA HOST CLUB (SAITAMA NO HOST): Debut YA romantic comedy series from Japan, starring Yamamoto Chihiro as a cool-headed consultant who's brought in to revitalize a once-popular nightclub that has fallen on hard times. Fukumoto Taisei co-stars as the "host" who can turn the club around if he can only learn some social skills. [Netflix] STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: PERFECT HOLIDAY: Feature-length holiday special, spun off from the animated WildBrain series, in which Strawberry and her Berry Besties prepare to celebrate Winterswirl Eve in Big Apple City. [Netflix] HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP: GINGERBREAD SHOWDOWN: Spinoff of the original Food Network "Holiday Baking Championship" devoted exclusively to recipes and desserts featuring gingerbread. Jesse Palmer hosts. Both seasons hit Max in the US today. [Max] HOLIDAY WARS: Food Network culinary competition series in which professional dessert artists and pastry chefs square off in a string of holiday-themed challenges for a panel of experts. The first four seasons hit Max today; Season 5 lands on Friday. [Max]

4 Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia filed international lawsuits against Amazon and HP, claiming the companies made "unauthorized use" of various patented technologies related to streaming video. Nokia filed the suits in the US, Germany, India, the UK, and the European Patent Office. More: Nokia claims that both Amazon Prime Video and Amazon's streaming services infringe on the company's multimedia patents, related to video compression, content recommendation, and other hardware issues. The company's chief licensing officer Arvin Patel said that Nokia has been in touch with Amazon and HP over the issues for years, "but sometimes litigation is the only way to respond." Nokia claims to have spent over €140 billion on research and development related to streaming technologies since 2000.

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5 Variety investigates what it calls a "crisis at Marvel" in a new cover story. In addition to assault allegations against Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star Jonathan Majors, and dwindling box office returns for the franchise's films, the piece suggests that Marvel series on Disney+ may have led to fatigue among fans. More: According to Variety, during the COVID pandemic, Disney executives attempted to boost the company's stock price by announcing a flood of Marvel content for the Disney+ platform. This rush to produce new narratively-interconnected shows proved difficult for the studio's creative team to manage and resulted in shows and films that required significant reshoots, along with "baffled" audiences. "The Marvels" -- a sequel to "Captain Marvel" opening later this month -- required lengthy reshoots and cost around $250 million to produce; it's tracking to open at around $75-$80 million, well below comparable films like "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and the original "Captain Marvel." Disney CEO Bob Iger has acknowledged that the Disney+ shows "diluted focus and attention" from Marvel films; Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has started taking a more direct and exacting approach with troubled projects, such as the upcoming "Blade" film starring Mahershala Ali.

6 Film distributors Kino Lorber launched a new streaming service, Kino Film Collection. The service is available for subscription via Prime Video and costs $5.99 per month. More: The collection features around 4,000 titles from the Kino library, some of which are recent releases. The line-up includes the 2014 festival hit "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night," the Chinese anthology thriller "A Touch of Sin," and the classic 1925 Soviet silent film "Battleship Potemkin." New movies will premiere each month; December releases include a new restoration of Hou Hsiao Hsien's "Millennium Mambo" and "Songs My Brother Taught Me," from Oscar-winning "Nomadland" helmer Chloé Zhao.

7 The Los Angeles Lakers NBA team announced the launch of their own direct-to-consumer streaming service. Spectrum SportsNet+ can be viewed via the NBA app or on NBA.com, and will deliver a 24/7 feed of Lakers-themed content. More: The subscriptions cost $19.99/month or $179.99/season, and are exclusively available via NBA.com; the content can be viewed on a wide range of devices, including Apple and Android phones, Amazon Fire, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The service is exclusively available to fans in Southern California, Hawaii, and Southern Nevada. Previously, local Lakers games were only available for cable or satellite TV subscribers.

8 A number of NFL fans complained over the weekend about lagging and buffering issues on YouTube TV during Sunday Ticket streams. This is the first season that Sunday Ticket has streamed on YouTube, after three decades on the DirecTV satellite platform. More: For the first seven weeks of the NFL season, Sunday Ticket has functioned as intended, and received few complaints. That all changed during Week 8, when a number of fans registered their displeasure with the service on social media. Buffalo Bills defensive lineman DaQuan Jones was among those complaining about Sunday Ticket streams on social media, posting "you pay all this money or streaming services... just so they don't work on the days you actually need them." In an X response of their own, YouTube said they were aware of the issues and "working on a fix."

9 According to Variety, Warner Bros. will likely release an upcoming film adaptation of "Salem's Lot" directly to Max, skipping movie theaters. The film, based on Stephen King's 1975 vampire novel, was produced in 2021 and has already been sitting on a shelf for over a year. More: "Salem's Lot" was King's second published novel, and was previously adapted into a two-part 1979 TV miniseries by "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" director Tobe Hooper. A source who spoke with Variety said that the decision was not based on the film's quality, but the difficulty of promoting a theatrical release during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The story concerns a writer who returns to his hometown and discovers the residents are being turned into vampires. "Top Gun: Maverick" vet Lewis Pullman stars in the new take alongside Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, and Alfre Woodard; "Annabelle" franchise vet Gary Dauberman wrote the script and directed, while James Wan produced.

10 QUICK HITS Are you getting the best discounts from leading cloud providers? This is your go-to resource for learning how to maximize multicloud discounts.* Media platform and streamer Plex announced a new social feature, "Discover Together," encouraging users to create profiles and share film and TV recommendations with friends and followers. Netflix plans to release the animated family film "Leo" to 150 screens in the US on November 11, a week before its streaming debut; this will be the widest theatrical release for any Netflix animated film in history. On Instagram, "Doctor Who" showrunner Russell T. Davies shared that he's unsure whether or not anyone outside of the UK will be able to watch the "Tales of the TARDIS" limited series next year; for now, the episodes will be exclusive to the UK's BBC iPlayer service. DreamWorks renewed the animated horror series "Fright Krewe" for a second season; the series, from co-creator Eli Roth, streams on both Hulu and Peacock. In the UK, Paramount Global plans to combine the Pluto TV and My5 platforms to create a new, "supersized" free streaming service. Netflix released a new trailer for the holiday body-swap comedy feature "Family Switch," starring Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms; the film, from "Charlie's Angels" vet McG, lands on November 30. Paramount+ canceled the Western drama series "Joe Pickett" after two seasons; the show started life as a Spectrum Original before moving to Paramount+ for Season 2. Variety took a look inside Hollywood's historic Egyptian Theatre, which has been meticulously restored by its new co-owner, Netflix. The Bollywood epic war film "Pippa" -- set during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 -- will stream on Prime Video around the globe starting on November 10. International anti-piracy group Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) shut down two of the largest illegal streamers in the former Soviet republic of Georgia; the two services received 140 million and 64 million visits, respectively, over the last two years alone. "Real Housewives of New York" vet Ramona Singer will not attend this year's BravoCon, after using a racial slur in a published text message exchange with a Page Six reporter. Create a winning SaaS business plan and calculate your break-even point. Join the 1-Page SaaS Blueprint Challenge to map out your startup.* *This is sponsored content

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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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