Good morning! Melania Trump is MIA, where the new Pope stands, and CAA's Maha Dakhil is optimistic about this summer's box office.
- Summer Smash. News that President Donald Trump wants to put a 100% tariff on films made outside of the U.S. couldn't come at a worse time for Hollywood, as the movie industry is already trying to climb out from underneath an unprecedented streak of bad luck. Covid-19 shut down theaters and production, strikes prolonged the recovery, and then Hollywood was caught, quite literally, in the middle of the Los Angeles fires earlier this year. At the same time, viewers became increasingly accustomed to watching films from the comfort of their homes, where they can add subtitles and pause to use the bathroom as needed. Despite all the headwinds, one top industry player remains optimistic about what's to come.
Over the past few weeks, something feels like it’s shifting in Hollywood’s favor, says Maha Dakhil, managing director and co-head of Creative Artists Agency's international film group who represents A-listers like Tom Cruise. The recent success of films like Ryan Coogler's Sinners, an R-rated horror film that has become a movie-going event, has reinvigorated the industry, she says. So far, Sinners has grossed nearly $245 worldwide, making it one of the most successful original scripts in years, and it is set to be re-released on IMax screens due to overwhelming demand. Much of the success is being attributed to word-of-mouth from other theater-goers, a major coup.
