Fubo hits 1.62M subs / BBC BritBox takeover / "Road House" screenwriter lawsuit / "Griselda" holds #1 Nielsen spot

Plus today's calendar, "Last of Us" adds 4 to cast, Netflix orders medical drama "Pulse," "Hacks" returns in May, and more

Inside Streaming For March 01, 2024

Happy Friday and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief. This Road House lawsuit is pretty confusing to read about, honestly. I have no problem believing that Amazon WOULD POTENTIALLY TRY to use AI to get around a copyright issue and screw a screenwriter out of money that was coming to him. That's not inconceivable to me. But I'm unclear on why the guy who wrote the original "Road House" believes he now controls the rights to the finished film, or why Amazon would have to rush production in order to dodge his claim. That's just not usually how these things work. If United Artists (since purchased by MGM, then re-purchased by Amazon) really did hire him to knock out a script, as seems to be the case, that would seem fairly open and shut. Typically, they'd own the movie. Obviously, I have no inside information here, and maybe there's another twist in this story that's not immediately clear from the article... Just worth maintaining a bit of healthy skepticism around these claims, at least for now. Lon p/lon-harris

1 As part of its Q4 2023 earnings report this week, Fubo revealed that it now has 1.62 million paid subscribers, a 12% year-over-year improvement. Revenue for the quarter was up 29%, to $402 million. More: Fubo is not profitable, but narrowed losses to $71 million, down from $96 million in Q4 2022. Fubo's management team predicts that the company will be cash flow positive by 2025. In a conference call with investors, Fubo CEO David Gandler accused Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery -- who plan to set up a collaborative live-sports streaming platform -- of operating as a "sports cartel" and engaging in "borderline racketeering." Gandler suggested that Fubo would have already turned a profit in 2023 if not for "anti-competitive practices" by rivals, forcing them to negotiate unfavorable deals in order to license key sporting events.

2 BBC Studios purchased ITV's 50% stake in the BritBox streaming platform for $322 million. BBC Studios now has full ownership of BritBox, which it valued at a total of $631 million. More: As part of the deal, BBC agreed to extend the platform's licensing deals with ITV, which will keep its content on the service for now. BritBox will be merged into BBC's Global Media and Streaming division, which also oversees BBC.com, the BBC Select ad-free service, and the subscription podcast platform, BBC Podcast Premium. BritBox features a line-up of current and classic UK films and TV series for international audiences; the library includes "Line of Duty," "Luther," "Shetland," EastEnders," "Coronation Street," and more. The service is currently available in eight countries, and has about 3.75 million subscribers worldwide.

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MARCH 1 SPACEMAN: 2024 sci-fi drama from director Johan Renck ("Chernobyl"), based on the novel "Spaceman of Bohemia" by Jaroslav Kalfař. Adam Sandler stars as a lonely astronaut on a long mission in space who befriends a strange extraterrestrial creature (Paul Dano) that has stowed away on his ship. Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini co-star. [Netflix] SOMEBODY FEED PHIL: The food and travel series, featuring "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal eating his way around the globe, returns for a seventh season. This year, Phil takes trips to Mumbai, Washington DC, Kyoto, Iceland, Dubai, Orlando, Taipei, and Scotland. [Netflix] BLOOD & WATER: English-language crime drama series from South Africa about a teen (Ama Qamata) who transfers to an elite high school and meets a fellow student (Khosi Ngema) she believes may be her long-lost sister, who was kidnapped shortly after her birth. Season 4 premieres today. [Netflix] YOU ARE NOT ALONE: FIGHTING THE WOLF PACK (NO ESTÁS SOLA: LA LUCHA CONTRA LA MANADA): Spanish documentary examining the gang rape of an 18-year-old woman that occurred during the San Fermín celebrations in Pamplona, Spain, in 2016. The case drew international attention and triggered a reconsideration of Spanish laws around sexual assault. [Netflix] FURIES: Debut crime drama series from France, starring Lina El Arabi as a young woman who gets sucked into the Parisian underworld, and meets the powerful woman (Marina Foïs) who holds it all together and keeps the peace. Mathieu Kassovitz co-stars; "Kepler(s)" vets Jean-Yves Arnaud and Yoann Legave co-created. [Netflix] MAAMLA LEGAL HAI: Debut Hindi-language legal comedy series from India, set among the lawyers, judges, and other staff of the fictional District Court Patparganj. Ravi Kishan, Naila Grrewal, Nidhi Bisht, and Anant V. Joshi co-star. [Netflix] MY NAME IS LOH KIWAN: 2024 romantic drama feature from Korea, based on a novel by Hae Ji Cho, about a North Korean defector (Song Joong-ki) seeking asylum in Belgium, where he falls for a troubled athlete (Choi Sung-eun). First-time filmmaker Kim Hee Jin wrote and directed. [Netflix] SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL EXTREME: 2023 horror anthology feature from The Philippines, featuring three segments from different filmmakers. "Glitch" centers on a '70s kids show that comes to life; "Mukbang" finds a group of influencers turning into monsters; while "Rage" concerns a deadly virus that spreads during a meteor shower. [Netflix] ANÍKÚLÁPÓ: RISE OF THE SPECTRE: Six-part epic fantasy series from Nigeria, spun off from the 2022 film "Aníkúlápó," in which traveler Saro (Kunle Remi) returns to the Oyo Kingdom to complete a seemingly impossible task. Kunle Afolayan returns as director. [Netflix] THE COMPLETELY MADE-UP ADVENTURES OF DICK TURPIN: Historical comedy series from the UK, offering an alternate biography for the real-life 18th Century English highwayman and horse thief. "Mighty Boosh" vet Noel Fielding stars as Turpin; Hugh Bonneville, Asim Chaudhry, Tamsin Greig, and Mark Heap co-star. [Apple TV+] BMF: The crime drama series, inspired by the exploits of the real-life '80s Detroit crime syndicate Black Mafia Family, returns for a third season. Demetrius Flenory Jr. (portraying his own father) and Da'Vinchi co-star as BMF co-founders "Big Meech" and "Southwest T." Russell Hornsby, Michole Briana White, and Eric Kofi-Abrefa co-star; "Power" vet Randy Huggins created. [Starz] MEGAMIND SPINOFFS: A film and TV series following up on the 2010 DreamWorks animated comedy "Megamind" both hit Peacock today. The feature "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" finds the newly-minted hero's former team returning, forcing him to pretend he's still a villain. It leads directly into the 8-episode series "Megamind Rules!" in which he learns superheroism while on the job. Keith Ferguson, Laura Post, Josh Brener, Maya Aoki Tuttle, Emily Tunon, Scott Adsit, and Tony Hale provide the voices. [Peacock] SELLING THE HAMPTONS: The Discovery+ reality series follows the real estate agents of Nest Seekers International in The Hamptons, the same group profiled in Netflix's now-canceled "Million Dollar Beach House." It's back for a second season. [Max] ROYAL CRACKERS: Animated sitcom from Adult Swim about a dysfunctional family from Bakersfield, California, that runs a formerly successful cracker company. Jason Ruiz created the series and stars; the voice cast also includes Andrew Santino, Jessica St. Clair, and Maile Flanagan. It's back for a second season. [Max] SIDE HUSTLERS: Debut reality competition series in which hosts and mentors Ashley Graham and Emma Grede help three female entrepreneurs who are hoping to quit their day jobs and pursue their "side hustles" full-time. By the end of the season, Graham and Grede will decide whether or not to invest in each of the competitors' companies. [Roku] LYLA IN THE LOOP: Debut animated series from PBS Kids about a seven-year-old and her close-knit family dealing with everyday problems in the big city. A collection of Season 1 episodes premiere this weekend on Amazon. [Prime Video] DARK SIDE OF THE 2000s: The Vice TV docuseries looks back at celebrity gossip, tabloid scandals, and true crime sagas from the titular decade. Season 1 aired last summer and hits Hulu today. [Hulu] SATURDAY, MARCH 2 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The NBC late-night comedy/variety series returns with a new episode this week, featuring first-time host Sydney Sweeney and musical guest Kacey Musgraves. [Peacock] SUNDAY, MARCH 3 THE NETFLIX SLAM: Live tennis special, streaming at 12:30 pm PT on Sunday from the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, featuring a headlining match-up between pros Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernández, and Patrick McEnroe provide analysis and commentary; a Spanish-language stream will also be available. [Netflix] THE REGIME: Satirical political drama miniseries from HBO and Sky, starring Kate Winslet as the chancellor of a fictional Central European country whose autocratic regime faces challenges on multiple fronts. Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton, and Hugh Grant co-star; "Succession" and "The Menu" vet Will Tracy wrote the series and served as showrunner. [Max] OWN SPOTLIGHT: OPRAH & ANGELA BASSETT: The Oprah Winfrey Network chat series returns with a one-on-one conversation between Winfrey and actor Angela Bassett, who will receive an Honorary Oscar at this year's Academy Award ceremony. [Max] SMALL TOWN POTENTIAL: The HGTV reality series finds real estate agent Davina Thomasula and builder Kristin Leitheuser helping clients find and then renovate their dream homes in New York's Hudson Valley. Season 1 aired last year on cable and comes to Max today. [Max]

4 The writer of the original 1980s "Road House" filed a lawsuit this week against Amazon Studios, accusing them of copyright infringement. Though he was apparently hired by United Artists to pen the original film under a "work-for-hire" agreement, screenwriter R. Lance Hill nonetheless filed a petition with the US Copyright Office in 2021 to reclaim the rights to "Road House." More: Under the work-for-hire deal, United Artists -- acquired by MGM Studios, which was then acquired by Amazon -- would retain the rights to "Road House." Hill argues that Amazon ignored his copyright claim and then rushed the remake into production, even utilizing generative AI to recreate actors' voices and continue work during the Hollywood strikes. In a statement, Amazon MGM Studios denied using AI to replicate or recreate the voices of "Road House" cast members, and argued that the studio's copyright on the film has not expired.

5 According to Nielsen, Netflix's scripted true crime drama "Griselda" remained the most-streamed show in the US in the first week of February. The series hit 1.7 billion viewing minutes between January 29 and February 4, an improvement from its premiere week. More: "Griselda's" hold on the top Nielsen spot is particularly notable, as it has only 6 episodes, and is competing against shows with much larger back catalogs. For example, the CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon," which held on to second place with 1.3 billion minutes viewed, and the animated kids' favorite "Bluey," which also surpassed 1 billion minutes viewed for this week. The Prime Video spy comedy series "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" debuted on February 2, and clocked 964 million viewing minutes by the 4th, making an impressive debut, particularly as it only has eight episodes. HBO's "True Detective" landed in the #10 spot on the overall charts, with 648 million minutes viewed; Nielsen started lumping all "True Detective" seasons together this week, after previously separating out Season 4 due to the addition of the "Night Country" subtitle.

6 Four more actors joined the cast of HBO's "The Last of Us" ahead of its second season. Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord all joined the post-apocalyptic horror-drama's ensemble. More: Season 2 goes into production this spring and is expected to premiere in 2025. A number of Season 2 cast additions have already been announced, including Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, and Catherine O'Hara. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will reprise their lead roles as Joel and Ellie for Season 2. Ramirez will play loyal soldier Manny, Barer signed on as young doctor Mel, Gabrielle will play military medic Nora, and Lord co-stars as the gentle, peace-loving Owen.

7 Netflix ordered a first season of "Pulse," its first-ever original medical procedural drama series. The series, from "The Equalizer" vet Zoe Robyn, is set in a busy Miami trauma center, and centers on a young ER doctor who's unexpectedly promoted to chief resident. More: "One Day at a Time" and "Horror of Dolores Roach" vet Justina Machado will co-star in the series as the center's chair of surgery and emergency medicine. Robyn will co-showrun the series along with "Lost" and "Locke & Key" vet Carlton Cuse; both will also executive produce. Cuse's prior streaming credits include Amazon's "Jack Ryan" and Apple's "Five Days at Memorial."

8 QUICK HITS Business Owners who took Visa or Mastercard from Jan. 1, 2004, to Jan. 25, 2019, apply to see if you are entitled to a portion of a $5.6 billion payout.* Max's Emmy-winning comedy series "Hacks" returns for a third season on May 2; the timing means it will just barely qualify for award-season prizes. "Tulsa King" co-creator Terence Winter will return to the Paramount+ crime drama as a writer for Season 2, after stepping away from his duties as showrunner; the show will proceed without a conventional showrunner, and will instead be supervised by co-creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan, along with a director/producer whose deal is still being negotiated. A number of notable actors signed on for supporting roles in Lena Dunham's upcoming Netflix comedy series "Too Much," including Richard E. Grant, Stephen Fry, Janicza Bravo, Andrew Rannells, Rhea Perlman, and Rita Wilson. Scott Foley took the lead role in Netflix's romantic comedy feature "La Dolce Villa," from "Mean Girls" director Mark Waters; he'll play a businessman who travels to Italy to help his daughter restore a crumbling villa in which she has unwisely invested. The British comedy series "Big Mood" -- starring Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West as lifelong best friends whose relationship is at a crossroads -- will stream exclusively on Tubi in the US and Canada, starting in April. The Prime Video dark fantasy-action series "The Bondsman," starring Kevin Bacon as an undead bounty hunter with a demonic new mission, added four actors as series regulars: Beth Grant, Damon Herriman, Maxwell Jenkins, and Jolene Purdy. "Rick and Morty" EP Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder chatted about the Season 7 finale and their future plans for "Evil Morty" with Variety. Uncover the trends shaping the business landscape in 2024. From building trust to leveraging tech, our report shares crucial developments for success.* *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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