YouTube tops 100M subs / Cook talks up Apple TV+ / "Fool Me Once" hits 3B minutes viewed

Plus the weekend calendar, Netflix's President Garfield series, NBC "Suits" spinoff, "Young Woman and the Sea," and more

Inside Streaming For February 02, 2024

Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief! In a rare move, Disney will actually give a movie they produced specifically for streaming a theatrical release. Daisy Ridley's new biopic, in which she plays the first woman to swim across the English Channel, apparently did well enough with test audiences that it's earned a limited run in theaters. It's a smart strategy, to base theatrical releases on whether or not a film is likely to satisfy a crowd, but it does also kind of imply that the content going directly to streaming is somehow LESSER than the studio's theatrical output. Which is obviously an implication that Disney would hope to avoid. So there's a bit of a Catch-22 here. You can't just funnel all the best stuff to theaters, even if it makes the most financial sense, without tainting your own streamer. Enjoy today's issue and have a great weekend. Lon p/lon-harris

1 On Thursday, Google announced that YouTube's subscription services topped 100 million subscribers. The figure includes trial subscriptions, and both the YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services, but not YouTube TV. More: In terms of paid subscribers, YouTube continues to lag behind major streaming services like Netflix, Spotify, or Disney+; the platform's primary revenue stream remains advertising. YouTube subscribers come from over 100 countries. Earlier this week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company earns $15 billion in annual subscription revenue, including the YouTube premium services, YouTube TV, and Google One. A YouTube Music subscription costs $10.99 per month; YouTube Premium, which includes ad-free streaming at higher bitrates, is $13.99 per month.

2 According to Apple CFO Luca Maestri, the company's "Apple Services" division -- which includes the Apple TV+ streaming service -- earned $23 billion in revenue last quarter, from "well over" one billion subscribers. That's an 11% increase over the previous year, and double the number from just four years ago, according to CEO Tim Cook. More: In addition to Apple TV+, Apple Services also include Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Arcade, Apple Books, Podcasts, Fitness, Apple One, and the App Store. Apple did not break down individual subscriptions by service. Cook focused much of his earnings call commentary on the TV+ service, and particularly the Martin Scorsese crime drama "Killers of the Flower Moon," which has earned 10 Oscar nominations. Cook noted that, across all Apple TV+ originals, the company has earned 2,050 award nominations and 450 wins to date. Cook also singled out the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, which will star Usher, and was produced by Apple.

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 MR. & MRS. SMITH: First-year spy comedy series from co-creators Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane, loosely inspired by the 2005 Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film. Glover and Erskine co-star as novice operatives working for a mysterious agency who disguise their true identities by posing as an everyday married couple. The extensive ensemble cast includes Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, Michaela Coel, Jon Turturro, Paul Dano, and many others. [Prime Video] PAST LIVES: Acclaimed 2023 indie drama feature from writer/director Celine Song, starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as childhood friends who reunite -- and rekindle their deep, unspoken bond -- after several decades apart. The film is nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at this year's Academy Awards. [Paramount+] THE TIGER'S APPRENTICE: Animated fantasy film from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon, based on the 2003 novel by Laurence Yep. It centers on a Chinese-American boy (Brandon Soo Hoo) from San Francisco who's entrusted with the protection of a powerful phoenix egg. Henry Golding, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Greta Lee, and others provide voices. [Paramount+] KOKOMO CITY: 2023 documentary from filmmaker D. Smith, in which a group of four Black trans women -- Daniella Carter, Dominique Silver, Koko Da Doll, and Liyah Mitchell -- discuss their experiences as sex workers in New York and Georgia. The film debuted at last year's Sundance festival, and will only be available for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers. [Paramount+ / Showtime] ORION AND THE DARK: Animated fantasy-comedy feature based on the children's book by Emma Yarlett, and adapted by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). Young Orion (Jacob Tremblay) struggles with anxiety until the physical embodiment of darkness itself (Paul Walter Hauser) whisks him away for a night-time adventure. The voice cast also includes Angela Bassett, Ike Barinholtz, Natasia Demetriou, and Carla Gugino; Werner Herzog narrates. [Netflix] LET'S TALK ABOUT CHU: Debut Mandarin-language romantic comedy-drama series from Taiwan. Chan Tzu-hsuan stars as Chu Ai, a vlogger who provides love and sex advice in her videos, but struggles with relationships in her own life.  [Netflix] GENIUS: MLK/X: National Geographic's "Genius" anthology of scripted historical biographies returns with a new season about the relationship between iconic civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre), based on both Jeff Stetson's play "The Meeting" and Peniel E. Joseph's novel "The Sword and the Shield." Weruche Opia and Jayme Lawson co-star as Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, respectively. Episodes air Thursday nights on cable and come to both Hulu and Disney+ on Fridays. [Hulu and Disney+] LOVE & WWE: BIANCA & MONTEZ: Debut reality series following the personal and professional lives of married wrestlers Bianca Belair and Montez Ford as they prepare for 2023's WrestleMania 39 event. The full first season hits Hulu in the US on Friday. [Hulu] FARMER WANTS A WIFE: US remake of an international hit reality franchise, in which hunky farmers meet and romance a group of eligible single women from the big city. It's back for Season 2. New episodes air Thursday nights on Fox and hit Hulu on Fridays. [Hulu] PIXAR SPARKSHORT: SELF: Pixar's first-ever stop-motion animated SparkShort follows a wooden doll on a journey of self-discovery. "Soul" and "Turning Red" vet Searit Huluf directed. [Disney+] BOSCO: 2024 biographical drama feature, based on the true story of Quawntay 'Bosco" Adams, who escaped from a federal maximum-security prison in an attempt to see his newborn daughter. Aubrey Joseph stars as Adams, who co-wrote the screenplay along with director Nicholas Manuel Pino. Vivica A. Fox, Thomas Jane, Theo Rossi, and Tyrese Gibson co-star. [Peacock] DICKS: THE MUSICAL: 2023 musical comedy feature from A24, based on Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson's off-Broadway show "F*cking Identical Twins." Sharp and Jackson reprise their stage roles as womanizing misogynist salesmen Craig and Trevor, identical twins who were separated at birth, meet up again as adults, and attempt to reunite their estranged parents. Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, and Megan Thee Stallion co-star; Larry Charles ("Borat") directed. [Max] SERVING THE HAMPTONS: The Discovery+ reality series chronicles the work and personal lives of the staff of 75 Main, a restaurant and bar in Southampton, New York, that caters to an elite, celebrity clientele during the summer months. It's back this week for a second season. [Max] CARE BEARS: THE QUEST FOR THE RAINBOW STONE: 2023 animated special, spun off from the most recent Care Bears series, "Unlock the Magic," and following new friend Togetherness as she's officially inducted into the Care Bear family. [Max] DARIO ARGENTO PANICO: Documentary profile of legendary Italian horror and thriller director Dario Argento, in which he looks back at his illustrious career while attempting to complete his latest script. Filmmakers Gaspar Noe and Guillermo del Toro make guest appearances, as does the filmmaker's daughter, actor/director Asia Argento. Simone Scafidi ("Fulci for Fake") directs. [Shudder] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The variety/comedy series is back Saturday night with a new episode featuring host Ayo Edibiri and musical guest Jennifer Lopez. [Peacock] MARVEL'S MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR: Animated series from Disney Channel, based on the Marvel Comics characters. Diamond White voices brilliant 13-year-old inventor Lunella Lafayette (aka Moon Girl), who accidentally transports a T. Rex (Fred Tatasciore) into present-day New York. Alfre Woodard, Sasheer Zamata, Jermaine Fowler, and Laurence Fishburne round out the voice cast. It's back for a second season. [Disney+] PUPPY BOWL PRESENTS: 20 YEARS OF PUPPIES: Retrospective special from Animal Planet, looking back at 20 years of "Puppy Bowl" events, annual adoption drives in which dogs square off to be named Most Valuable Puppy. Puppy Bowl XX airs and streams next week on February 11. [Max] SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4 THE 66th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS: The annual music awards ceremony airs live on CBS at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on Sunday night from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and streams simultaneously on Paramount+. Performers include Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, and U2; Trevor Noah hosts. [Paramount+] CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: The improvised HBO comedy series from star/creator Larry David returns for a 12th and apparently final season on Sunday night. Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, J.B. Smoove, Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, and Vince Vaughn co-star. [Max]

4 The Netflix mystery-drama series "Fool Me Once" was viewed for just over 3 billion minutes in its debut week, between January 1 and 7, according to Nielsen's figures. It's the first streaming original to cross that milestone since the Hollywood strikes and the reign of USA Network's "Suits" atop the Nielsen charts. More: Viewership on "Fool Me Once" exceeded the #2 and #3 titles combined; they were Amazon's "Reacher" in second place and the CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon," streaming on Netflix, in third. "Reacher" streamed for more than one billion minutes four weeks in a row, making it a considerable hit for Prime Video. Three more titles exceeded 1 billion viewing minutes in the first week of the year: the animated family series "Bluey" on Disney+, the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy, and the action drama film "The Equalizer 3," both on Netflix. The 2018 DC Comics film "Aquaman," which recently moved over to Netflix (and also streams on Max), was viewed for 955 million minutes.

5 Netflix ordered the period drama series "Death by Lightning," about the presidency and assassination of James Garfield. Michael Shannon will portray Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, while Matthew Macfadyen co-stars as Charles Guiteau, the former admirer who ultimately killed him. More: The series is based on the book "Destiny of the Republic," by author Candice Millard. "Bad Education" vet Mike Makowsky created the series and will executive produce, alongside "Game of Thrones" vets David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; Matt Ross ("Captain Fantastic") will direct. Macfadyen recently won his second consecutive Emmy for his role as Tom Wambsgans on HBO's "Succession"; Shannon recently co-starred with Jessica Chastain in the Showtime limited series "George & Tammy."

6 NBC ordered a pilot for the "Suits" spinoff series "Suits: LA." Production begins this spring in Vancouver, Canada. More: The series will center on an original character, former New York-based federal prosuector Ted Black, who now represents powerful clients in Los Angeles. No casting has yet been announced for the new series, and it's unclear whether or not any original "Suits" cast members will reprise their roles. "Suits" creator Aaron Korsch will write and executive produce the new series. The original "Suits" ran from 2011 to 2019 on USA Network; it dominated the streaming landscape for much of the summer in 2023 after moving over to Netflix, and now holds the record for most appearances in the top slot of the Nielsen charts.

7 The film "Young Woman and the Sea," originally produced for the Disney+ service, will get a limited theatrical release in May. According to Deadline, Disney opted to expand the film's release strategy after it tested very well among early preview audiences. More: The biographical drama stars Daisy Ridley as Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle, the first woman ever to swim across the English Channel; she completed the 21-mile journey in 1926. Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, and Christopher Eccleston co-star in the film; Joachim Rønning, who's currently working on Disney's hotly-anticipated sequel "Tron: Ares," directed. Ridley is best known for her role as Rey in Disney's "Star Wars" franchise; she's set to reprise the role in a new film.

8 QUICK HITS Skip the Valentine's Day lines but keep the love. James Allen offers hundreds of engagement ring and diamond jewelry options, all 25% off*, all at your fingertips.* Netflix released a sizzle reel announcing its full 2024 line-up of original series, including new seasons of "Arcane," "Emily in Paris," "The Diplomat," and "Bridgerton," the sci-fi drama "The 3-Body Problem," DC's "Dead Boy Detectives," and "Terminator: The Anime Series"; the streamer also announced a new line-up of Chinese language productions and a slate of films from Southeast Asia. Netflix acquired the Sundance documentary "Will & Harper," chronicling a cross-country road trip undertaken by actor Will Ferrell and his friend Harper Steele, shortly after Steele came out publicly as a trans woman; during the trip, the duo discuss their friendship, working together on "Saturday Night Live," and Steele's experiences with being trans in America. Ars Technica reports that Disney will officially begin its password-sharing crackdown for both Disney+ and Hulu subscribers on March 14. Sofia Coppola's biographical drama "Priscilla" -- chronicling the marriage of Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) -- comes to Max in the US on February 23. Netflix canceled the action comedy series "Obliterated," from the "Cobra Kai" creative team, after a single season. Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, and Paddy Considine all joined the cast of the Amazon original film "Deep Cover"; the British comedy centers on a group of London improv actors who help the police stage elaborate sting operations. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator/star Larry David roughed up "Sesame Street" mainstay Elmo during a guest spot on the "Today" show, then refused to apologize during an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." The FX hip-hop comedy series "Dave" is apparently on pause as creator and star Dave Burd (aka Lil Dicky) pursues other projects; the third season premiered in April 2023. Peacock announced two new projects from DreamWorks Animation, following up on the 2010 film "Megamind": a sequel film ("Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate") and a spinoff series ("Megamind Rules!"). "LOST" alum Naveen Andrews joined the cast of the Paramount+ Australian drama series "Last King of the Cross" ahead of its second season. The hit Korean disaster drama "Concrete Utopia" will stream in the US on the Rakuten Viki streaming service; a follow-up film set in the same fictional universe, "Badland Hunters," is now streaming on Netflix. The best brand experiences have a foundation of trust. Find out key elements needed for your Virtual Shopping Assistants.* *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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