The Wakeup

The Wakeup

By The WakeupNewsEntertainment NewsBusiness News
Download on the App Store

The Wakeup episodes

  • Is NETFLIX Underpriced, Alan Ritchson, Movie Star?

    As Wall Street contemplates PARAMOUNT's big move to essentially go to trial in the WARNAMOUNT deal in the U.S. -- what questions arise for the debt given the accompanying payments to WBD shareholders? Also, given that NETFLIX stock has taken a tumble this summer, is it underpriced?

    MOFFETT NATAHANSON Sr. Research Analyst Robert Fishman joins host Sean McNulty to give his insight into the biggest questions in Hollywood M&A as summer enters its final stretch ... and takes a look at what the soon to be publicly traded NBCU's numbers showed us in its Q2 2026 earnings report last week.

    Plus, THE RINGER's Sean Fennessey joins the pod to try and comp the moment Christopher Nolan is having right now with The Odyssey, and shares some thoughts as to why Hollywood studios haven't really come calling for Reacher's Alan Ritchson for a theatrical film, as his new indie Motor City hit theaters this weekend.

    Check out Sean Fennessey's newsletter Projections here:

    https://seanfennessey.substack.com/

    Read Sean McNulty's Wakeup column here:

    https://theankler.com/the-wakeup/

    And check out Fennessey's podcast with Amanda Dobbins, The Big Picture, wherever you listen to pods.

    44 min
  • How 'The Odyssey' Conquered the Box Office, What's Driving AMC Theaters' Record Q2

    AMC Theaters chose 'Odyssey' Monday to report its financials from Q2, and announced a record revenue quarter . . . while still not clearing a net profit. I dive into the transformation behind the theatrical business model that has taken place at America's biggest movie theater chain since Covid, alongside The Ankler's Christopher Rosen, and what it signals for the industry in the late 2020s.

    Plus, FANDANGO's director of movie analytics Shawn Robbins joins to break down just how 'The Odyssey' succeeded at exceeded everyone's expectations, some curious revenue comps to 'Oppenheimer,'  if Hollywood is missing an opportunity in not counterprogramming this time out and more.

     

    You can read my full box office analysis from the weekend here

    https://theankler.com/uni-odyssey-smash-by-the-numbers/

     

    You can find Shawn's newsletter here:

    https://boxofficetheory.substack.com/

     

    26 min
  • Netflix's Next Big Strategy Pivots, Disney's 'Moana' Opening Missteps

    As Netflix seems to be hitting its next big strategy pivot moment since 2022's introduction of the Ad Tier -- the WSJ's Jessica Toonkel joins The Wakeup's Sean McNulty to dive into both the strategies it has implemented this year and is discussing behind closed doors.

    Plus, what deals are out there on the horizon to potentially help the stock come out of its doldrums and shake up the marketplace.

    Then, Fandango's Shawn Robbins joins to dive into where 'Moana' went awry, how the 'Minions' magic hit a rough spot in 2026 and the state of the "Summer Movie for Adults" genre with The Invite at A24.

    You can find and subscribe to Shawn's newsletter at https://boxofficetheory.com/

    And read The Wakeup at The Ankler at:

    https://theankler.com/the-wakeup/

     

     

    40 min
  • Why 'Minions & Monsters' Fizzled, World Cup TV Audience Changes

    Typically July 4th weekend is a high point of the theatrical moviegoing calendar -- not so much this year. The Ankler's Christopher Rosen joins host Sean McNulty to dive into the mashup of factors that caused a nearly 25% drop in box office revenue YoY this weekend.

    At least Toy Story is still drawing crowds, and we look at the atypical audiences that showed up for the new George Washington pic from ANGEL which also proved to be a potent draw.

    Plus, the key changes to note in TV audience metrics around the World Cup that aren't being noted, and what to expect from Emmy nominations this week -- and its pending rights deal no one is really talking about.

    Check out The Wakeup at https://theankler.com/the-wakeup/

    Sign up to get The Wakeup here: https://theankler.com/subscribe

     

    31 min
  • NBCU's Growth Potential Outside COMCAST and WB's ‘Supergirl’ Folly

    Another Monday, another huge deal in Hollywood.

    WSJ's Ben Fritz joins the pod as COMCAST announces it's fully exiting the entertainment business, spinning off another division, consisting of NBCU & SKY, as its own publicly traded company as of summer 2027 and joining VERSANT outside of the COMCAST gates. 

    Dive into the strategy afoot, how Wall Street is driving this, the challenge at COMCAST after the spin and the opportunities ahead for NBC UNIVERSAL on its own.

    Then, take a look at DISNEY's digital future redux under Josh D'Amaro and a look at this weekend's box office with perhaps some strategy errors at WB on its new expensive bust with DC in 'Supergirl'.

    Plus, PARAMOUNT goes back into the 'Jackass' well one too many times, and the curious Tom Cruise push afoot for his new original movie this fall.

    You can read Ben's profile of Josh D'Amaro here:

    https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disney-ceo-josh-damaro-100-days-0b98897f

    And as always, subscribe to The Wakeup here, either via an Ankler subscription or on its own (just scroll to the bottom of the page for that option):

    https://theankler.com/subscribe/

    34 min
  • How 'Toy Story 5' Set Box Office Records In Its 4th Decade

    Sonny Bunch, Culture Editor at the Bulwark joins pod host Sean McNulty to dive into how Toy Story reached new box office heights in the 5th edition of the franchise.

    Plus, how audiences are reacting in weekend 2 of Disclosure Day seems to say a lot about its reception, Obsession's latest jaw-dropping accolades and more.

    Also -- a look at how the World Cup is really scoring for PEACOCK at NBCU in the early rounds of the tournament.

    You can find Sonny's great podcast and columns here https://www.thebulwark.com/s/screentime

     

    23 min
  • FOX Buys ROKU, The Ramifications for Hollywood

    Nothing like a $22B deal to start a week, as FOX was revealed as the mystery buyer for the ROKU business -- furthering its diversification from being heavily based in the linear TV ecosystem, to one with strong tentacles in the digital and streaming space.

    Business Insider columnist and Channels podcast host Peter Kafka joins The Wakeup's Sean McNulty to dive into the strategy, what this means for Hollywood streamers and more.

    Plus, The Ankler's Christopher Rosen joins Sean for a Monday Box Office conversation about the ... mixed opening for Spielberg's Disclosure Day and what lies ahead, as well as the big drops from opening weekend for Masters of the Universe and Scary Movie -- two pictures with vastly different fates at the box office.

    And, why Universal will still likely win the summer despite the cloudy outlook for 'Disclosure Day' and more.

    Subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter at https://theankler.com/subscribe/ either as part of an Ankler subscription, or scroll down on the page to find the link to subscribe to The Wakeup on its own.

    30 min

About The Wakeup

From the publisher's feed

Entertainment and Media industry analysis and conversations from The Wakeup columnist Sean McNulty with folks inside Hollywood and the many smart folks who write about them.