Semi-regular guests Aaron Neuwirth (of 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla and OutNow With Aaron and Abe) and Brandon Peters (The Brandon Peters Show) reprise yet again to discuss the confluence of Tinseltown terrors and real-world horrors that makes a $64 million domestic and $97 million worldwide debut for Spyglass and Paramount’s Scream 7 feel… less than cheerworthy. Max Deering couldn’t make it because… I guess fighting off zombies in and around Racoon City takes priority over (and makes me doubt his dedication to) The Box Office Podcast. All agree that A) the so-called “boycott” was never anything more than a few social media hashtags and B) most folks viewed the seventh Scream film as just another installment of a recently revived horror franchise whose past two sequels played to relative fortune and glory. And, speaking of vexed train engines, all participants agree that Skydance now (probably) owning both Paramount and Warner Bros. is an almost-certain-to-be cataclysmic event. Brandon Peters argues that those pissed about Melissa Barrera being fired from Scream should have put their energy into boosting the likes of Your Monster, Abigail, and her (Simu Liu-starring) Peacock streaming show, The Copenhagen Test. Lisa Laman offers a few recommended films by Palestinian filmmakers. She argues that the same Hollywood suits that ignored the outcry over Barrera’s firing should also ignore online calls for inclusivity in franchise films and shows. Jeremy Fuster notes Paramount’s genuine marketing success in selling a new Scream movie, seemingly pitched at older fans, that nonetheless attracted strong viewership among the younger demographics. Come what may, at least the kids didn’t feel like the olds had snatched away their Scream franchise. Aaron Neuwirth discusses the uniqueness of the Scream property beyond just whether an installment centers on Sidney Prescott or Sam Carpenter, leading into an extended digression about the unexpected endurance of the Insidious saga, which horror franchises comparatively belong to “today’s kids” and whether or not Texas Chainsaw Massacre can actually even be more than an IP-for-IP’s sake whiff. Hint: “On your left!” “Do your thing, cuz!” Scott Mendelson notes how Scream 7 plays like a proverbial Creed IV that fired Michael B. Jordan and recentered Sylvester Stallone while gaslighting audiences about its successful, acclaimed Rocky-free predecessor, while mourning a current pop culture that metaphorically watches Ben Affleck’s final scene in Hollywoodland and declares, “I want that, actually!” As for the “Skydance now owns WB and Paramount” situation, there’s little reason for hope or optimism. It’s not as heavy an episode as that all might sound, although there’s a certain “laugh so as not to cry at the end of the world” mentality. Jeremy fears for the future of theatrical, doubts Ellison’s promises to release 30 movies a year, and mourns the coming consolidation bloodbath. Lisa worries about quality and variety from studios potentially owned by a guy whose idea of a “good movie” is Ghosted and The Fountain of Youth, and who is prioritizing conventionally macho fare, no matter what the marketplace dictates. Brandon notes the potential peril for physical media while wondering if this is the grim endgame foretold way back when The Exorcist made exactly enough money in 1973 to start attracting the attention of the corporate world. Aaron notes that Skydance’s hires, such as Brett Ratner, John Lasseter, Johnny Depp, and Max Landis, feel more punitive than coldly calculated, and may be merely SEO-friendly distractions for even less-ideal hires or plans for the studio(s). Finally, Scott again wonders why the hell Warner Bros. keeps being bought by and frankly abused by a series of seemingly smaller companies. Recomended Reading… Scott Mendelson argues that, as long as Disney and Pixar’s animated sequels and live-action remakes continue to make buckets of box office, it should barely matter whether originals like Hoppers, Elio or Hexed make all that much in theaters. Lisa Laman dissects the complicated new normal of determining what still qualifies as a box office bomb. Jeremy Fuster digs into everyone’s genuine terror over the Ellisons potentially controlling 1/3 to 1/2 of the big-deal entertainment ecosystem. Ryan Scott raises a glass to Jeff Nichols’ terrific sci-fi melodrama Midnight Special on the eve of its tenth anniversary. Aaron Neuwirth’s latest podcast episode details his time at this year’s Santa Barbara Film Festival. Sadly, unlike last year, Kevin Costner did not bring along the latest chapter of Horizon: An American Saga. Brandon Peters’ newest ongoing series dissects the 1960s Batman show — episode by episode — on the eve of its 60th anniversary. I popped in for the fourth installment to discuss Mr. Freeze’s surprisingly “grounded” and “dramatic” debut. If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com (which I finally fixed so that it’ll forward to my personal business email, natch). * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop and Puck News * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap * Lisa Laman - Dallas Observer, Pajiba, Looper, Comic Book and Autostraddle * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm and Fangoria * Max Deering - Fangoria and Action For Everyone * Aaron Neuwirth - The Code is Zeek and We Live Entertainment * Brandon Peters - The Brandon Peters Show Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe
