Peacock subs flat in Q2 / "The Witcher" pauses production / "Carry On" to Netflix / "Blonde" trailer

Plus today's calendar, Sky Go app, "Bad Sisters" first look, Martin skips "Dragon" premiere, Krumholtz joins "Santa Clauses," and more

Inside.com Part of   Network July 28, 2022

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Comcast reported $30 billion in revenue for Q2 2022, topping projections of $29.75 billion, but failed to add Peacock Premium subscribers for the quarter. Paying Peacock subscriber levels have stalled out at around 13 million. More: Peacock's revenue for the quarter totaled $444 million, but losses widened to $467 million. According to CEO Brian Roberts, Peacock had 27 million monthly accounts at the end of the quarter, a slight dip from the end of Q1. Comcast's earnings release noted that Q2 followed a particularly strong Q1 for Peacock, with growth fueled by streaming events such as the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl. Studio revenue at NBCUniversal jumped by 33%, primarily due to the return of theatrical revenue and content licensing fees around the release of "Jurassic World: Dominion." DEADLINE

Netflix paused production on the third season of "The Witcher" after star Henry Cavill tested positive for COVID. Cavill and his representatives declined to comment. More: The show also had to shut down production temporarily on its second season due to COVID, back in 2020. No release date for "The Wticher" Season 3 has yet been announced. There had been rumors that Cavill might make an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, to announce his return as Superman in the DC Comics film "Black Adam," but these stories turned out to be false. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, JULY 28 THE RESORT: Debut dark comedy-mystery series from creator and showrunner Andy Siara ("Palm Springs") and producer Sam Esmail ("Mr. Robot"). William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti star as a couple vacationing at a resort on the Mayan Riviera who find themselves pulled into an unsolved missing persons case from 15 years earlier. Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nina Bloomgarden, Nick Offerman, and Skyler Gisondo co-star. [Peacock] PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN: This brand-new revival of the YA mystery-drama series returns 20 years later to the blue-collar town of Millwood, where a new generation of Little Liars are stalked by a mysterious, unseen assailant. This is the fourth series in the "Pretty Little Liars" franchise, which are all based on novels by Sara Shepard. Chandler Kinney, Maia Reficco, Bailee Madison, Zaria, Malia Pyles, Alex Aiono, Mallory Bechtel, and Eric Johnson co-star. [HBO Max] HARLEY QUINN: Season 3 of the adult animated DC Comics-inspired comedy series finds Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) returning to Gotham after their "Eat, Bang, Kill" tour and reigning as the city's most popular supervillain couple. The voice cast also includes Alan Tudyk, Tony Hale, Ron Funches, Jason Alexander, and JB Smoove; Season 3 guests include Billy Bob Thornton, Harvey Guillén, James Gunn, Justina Machado, Griffin Newman, Sam Richardson, and Jacob Tremblay. [HBO Max] CITIZEN ASHE: 2021 documentary from CNN Films profiling the iconic tennis champion, with a focus on both his career in sports and his HIV activism. Sam Pollard ("MLK/FBI") and Rex Miller ("Althea") directed. [HBO Max] WELLINGTON PARANORMAL: Mockumentary comedy-horror series from New Zealand, spun off from the 2014 film "What We Do in the Shadows." Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary reprise their roles as Wellington cops, who investigate monster attacks and other supernatural goings-on in a disinterested fashion. The fourth and final season premiered in New Zealand earlier this year and hits HBO Max in the US today. [HBO Max] LOVE MONSTER: Animated British children's series, based on the books by Rachel Bright, following the misadventures of the Love Monster (Darren Foreman) and his friends. Season hits HBO Max's Cartoonito hub today. [HBO Max] KEEP BREATHING: Limited survival drama series starring Melissa Barrera as Liv, an attorney who's stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness following a plane crash. "Blindspot" vets Martin Gero and Brendan Gall co-created. [Netflix] OGGY AND THE COCKROACHES: NEXT GENERATION: The animated comedy series returns for its 8th season, subtitled "Next Generation." The new episodes follow Oggy the cat as he looks after Piya, a happy-go-lucky 7-year-old elephant. [Netflix] A CUT ABOVE (BARBA, CABELO & BIGODE): Portuguese-language comedy feature from Brazil starring Lucas 'Koka' Penteado as a dedicated son who reinvents himself as the "coolest barber on the block" to help save his mom's failing salon. [Netflix] ANOTHER SELF: Drama series from Turkey about three women friends who go on a healing journey together to Ayvalık after one of them is diagnosed with cancer. Tuba Büyüküstün, Seda Bakan, and Boncuk Yılmaz co-star. [Netflix] PLANET INSECT: Three-part nature series examining the lives and behavior of insects, including jet-propelled bugs, extraordinarily maneuverable dragonflies, and animals that feed on ice and snow. Kate Mulgrew narrates. [CuriosityStream] THE FAMILY BUSINESS: The crime drama series -- based on the books by author Carl Weber, and centered on the exploits of the wealthy and corrupt Duncan family -- returns for a fourth season today. Ernie Hudson, Valarie Pettiford, Darrin DeWitt Henson, Sean Ringgold, and Tami Roman co-star. [BET+]

Egerton, Collet-Serra Netflix announced its first new project in collaboration with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners. The streamer and the iconic studio will team for "Carry On," an action-thriller film from "Jungle Cruise" director Jaume Collet-Serra and star Taron Egerton. More: Egerton stars as a TSA agent who is blackmailed into allowing a passenger on board a Christmas Day flight with a potentially dangerous package. Amblin and Netflix signed an overall production deal last year.  Egerton currently stars on the Apple TV+ crime drama "Black Bird," and is also working with the streamer on a series about the development of the classic video game "Tetris." Collet-Serra directed this year's DC Comics adaptation "Black Adam," starring Dwayne Johnson. VARIETY

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Netflix released the latest trailer for "Blonde," director Andrew Dominik's biopic starring Ana de Armas as screen icon Marilyn Monroe. The film, based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, premieres in competition at the Venice Film Festival next month, then hits Netflix on September 28. More: The film reimagines and fictionalizes Monroe's life from her own perspective, and has been rated NC-17 due to "some sexual content." Bobby Cannavale co-stars as baseball legend Joe DiMaggio; Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel, and Evan Williams also make appearances. Dominik's previous films include "Killing Them Softly" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." VARIETY

The long-awaited Sky Go app is now available for Apple TV devices in the UK. Sky is the largest premium TV provider in the United Kingdom; the app allows subscribers to stream content entirely through Apple TV without a cable box. More: Sky is owned by Comcast, which released the similar tvOS Xfinity Stream app for US customers last month. Sky Go has been available for mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone, but never previously for the Apple TV. Not all channels available via the Sky cable box are also streamed through the Go app, but more than 100 channels are included. 9 TO 5 MAC

Apple dropped a trailer for the British murder-mystery series "Bad Sisters." "Catastrophe" vet Sharon Horgan created the 10-episode series and also co-stars. More: The series centers on the Garvey sisters, all of whom become primary suspects when their brother-in-law is killed. Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Green, and Eve Hewson co-star as the remaining Garvey sisters; Daryl McCormack, Claes Bang, Brian Gleeson, Assaad Bouab, and Saise Quinn also make appearances. "Bad Sisters" is based on a Belgian original series called "Clan." The first two episodes hit Apple TV+ on August 19; new installments will follow each week. AV CLUB

Steve Toussaint in "House of the Dragon" "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin missed the world premiere of HBO's prequel series "House of the Dragon" on Wednesday after contracting COVID at San Diego Comic-Con. The 73-year-old is currently under quarantine in a Los Angeles hotel room. More: In a brief YouTube video, Martin updated fans on his condition, noting that he had minor symptoms but overall was feeling okay. The "House of the Dragon" premiere was held at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. Martin was at Comic-Con for a "House of the Dragon" panel; the show is based on his book "Fire & Blood," about the history of the Targaryen dynasty. "House of the Dragon" premieres on HBO on August 21. USA TODAY

Deadline reported that actor David Krumholtz will reprise his fan favorite role as Bernard the Elf for the Disney+ series "The Santa Clauses." Krumholtz appeared as Bernard in the original 1994 film "The Santa Clause" and returned for the 2002 sequel. More: The series follows Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) toward the end of his tenure as Santa Claus, and follows his search for a replacement. In the films, Bernard is the grumpy but effective elf who helps to run Santa's workshop at the North Pole; no word yet on what his role will be in the series. Elizabeth Allen-Dick, Devin Bright, Austin Kane, Matilda Lawler, Rupali Redd, and Kal Penn co-star in the series. "30 Rock" vet Jack Burditt will executive produce and serve as showrunner. DEADLINE

QUICK HITS Jennifer Lopez and Aaron Rodgers's newest bottled coffee investment. Get 30% off two 12-packs!* Season 3 of the YA comedy series "Never Have I Ever" -- from executive producer and creator Mindy Kaling -- hits Netflix on August 12. This week's episode of AMC's "Better Call Saul" is titled "Breaking Bad," and likely features long-awaited cameos by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul; on the original series "Breaking Bad," Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) was introduced on an episode titled "Better Call Saul." Netflix released a trailer for Season 2 of the reality dating series "Indian Matchmaking," premiering on August 10. JB Smoove, Francesca Reale, and Maria Mancuso joined the cast of writer/director Rudy Mancusco's Prime Video romantic comedy "Música." The latest edition of the "V/H/S" horror anthology franchise -- titled "V/H/S/99" -- hits Shudder on October 20; the film features segments from directors Maggie Levin, Johannes Roberts, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, and Joseph & Vanessa Winter. Actors Mark Dacascos and Chelsea Muirhead joined the cast of HBO Max's martial arts drama "Warrior" for its upcoming third season. Netflix released a trailer for the latest installment of its "UNTOLD" sports documentary series, centering around the rise and fall of basketball apparel brand "And1"; the documentary arrives on August 23. HBO Max will once again lose all 8 "Harry Potter" films from its library on August 31; the full franchise will remain available to stream for the time being on Peacock, which added the films on July 1. The drama feature "On the Come Up" -- based on the novel by author Angie Thomas, and directed by Sanaa Lathan -- debuts on Paramount+ on September 23; the movie will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival earlier in the month. Your content management system could be doing more. Discover who has the best agile CMS for you and your teams with our checklist.* *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.

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