1
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,080
Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast in

2
00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,600
Speaker 1: which we speak with some of the brightest minds working

3
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:20,280
Speaker 1: in the business today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with variety. Debuting

4
00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,840
Speaker 1: in theaters this weekend is the horror flick Abigail. One

5
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,560
Speaker 1: of the logos you'll see on screen before it begins

6
00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 1: belongs to an indie production label you've seen attached to

7
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,840
Speaker 1: one of the big success stories in the genre over

8
00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,879
Speaker 1: the past few years, Project X Entertainment company behind the

9
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:44,120
Speaker 1: Scream franchise. On today's episode of Strictly Business, William Sherrick,

10
00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,560
Speaker 1: one of the principles at Project X, discusses their distinctive

11
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,360
Speaker 1: approach to horror and what's next for the folks at X.

12
00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:04,760
Speaker 1: We'll be back in just a moment, and we're back

13
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,880
Speaker 1: with William Sharrick, who is back on the Strictly Business

14
00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,920
Speaker 1: podcast almost exactly two years after his first appearance when

15
00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 1: Project X released it's very first project, the Jake Gillenhall

16
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,920
Speaker 1: action movie Ambulance. Welcome back, William, Thanks for having me

17
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,839
Speaker 1: so staying with the vehicular metaphors, What has the ride

18
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,960
Speaker 1: been like for Project X the past two years.

19
00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,680
Speaker 2: Look, we've had we've had a ton of fun with

20
00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,160
Speaker 2: getting to make a bunch of movies and a TV show,

21
00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,640
Speaker 2: and you know, it's for us, it's how do we

22
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,640
Speaker 2: just keep finding stories we love that people are letting

23
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:43,200
Speaker 2: us go tell.

24
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,000
Speaker 1: And let's talk about those movies and that TV show

25
00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,520
Speaker 1: we talked about Ambulance Off the Top. What have been

26
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,560
Speaker 1: some of the others that you've produced over that time.

27
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,600
Speaker 2: So we were fortunate enough to get to make Scream

28
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,440
Speaker 2: five and six. We just finished this movie at the Gale,

29
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,640
Speaker 2: which comes out this weekend for Universal. We had Night Agent,

30
00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,920
Speaker 2: which was a TV show that Sean Ryan created on Netflix.

31
00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,880
Speaker 2: We had a little movie called Bedrest that STX and

32
00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,640
Speaker 2: two B took out, which was a ton of fun.

33
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,320
Speaker 2: And now we just you know, keep trying to move

34
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:19,360
Speaker 2: forward and make more stuff.

35
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,520
Speaker 1: Sure, and we'll talk a bit about all those projects,

36
00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:28,079
Speaker 1: but let's start with what's coming to theaters. Abigail, tell

37
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,280
Speaker 1: us a little bit about this project, how it came together,

38
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,960
Speaker 1: and what drew you to put this one together.

39
00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,919
Speaker 2: So in our quest to continue to find great stories

40
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,680
Speaker 2: to tell with radio silence.

41
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,160
Speaker 1: Tell us what about radio silence?

42
00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,760
Speaker 2: So radio Silence the filmmakers behind Ready or Not that

43
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,359
Speaker 2: I produced five years ago, now, I guess. And then

44
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,960
Speaker 2: we put them on the screen franchise on five and six.

45
00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,600
Speaker 2: We were looking for another movie to do with them,

46
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,680
Speaker 2: and I was talking to Peter Craig at Universal and

47
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,040
Speaker 2: they had this script that he loved that wasn't wasn't

48
00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,120
Speaker 2: there yet, and he told me this idea about a

49
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:14,639
Speaker 2: bunch of criminals who kidnapped a kid and some craziness ensues,

50
00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,080
Speaker 2: and they sent me. He sent me the script and

51
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,640
Speaker 2: I said, look, it's such a good idea. Here's what

52
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,120
Speaker 2: we would want to do to make it a story

53
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,120
Speaker 2: that we think works for us and radio silence. What

54
00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,399
Speaker 2: do you think? And he said, if you can pull

55
00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,280
Speaker 2: that off, we'll make the movie. And we went away

56
00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,800
Speaker 2: and we brought in Guy Busick to work to work

57
00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,000
Speaker 2: on the script and take it to where it became

58
00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 2: the draft that we shot, and we got it there

59
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,600
Speaker 2: and Universal came through and let us go make it.

60
00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,480
Speaker 1: And I mean, no offense, What is it about that

61
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,480
Speaker 1: premise that was so irresistible? Because I mean, I don't know,

62
00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,240
Speaker 1: doesn't doesn't scream to me, so to speak, pardon the pun,

63
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,920
Speaker 1: a project that that was such an irresistible premise.

64
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,120
Speaker 2: Look, I think for us, For me especially, I think

65
00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,480
Speaker 2: in the genre space, getting to tell really fun stories

66
00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,039
Speaker 2: inside horror is something that I just enjoy and I

67
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,800
Speaker 2: think as a group, our whole group enjoys doing. And

68
00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:27,279
Speaker 2: that idea of kind of mashing up a horror movie

69
00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:33,479
Speaker 2: and a kidnapping heist movie and what happens when those

70
00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,760
Speaker 2: two meet was just a really fun idea. And then

71
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,560
Speaker 2: at the center of that, you put a thirteen year

72
00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,560
Speaker 2: old ballerin a vampire who set the whole thing up.

73
00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,960
Speaker 2: Is just so insane that it felt like something we

74
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,719
Speaker 2: can have a ton of fun with. And the idea

75
00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,359
Speaker 2: that a group of criminals who are in the real

76
00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:01,080
Speaker 2: world find out they've kidnapped this specific person and that

77
00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,440
Speaker 2: person then turns the tables. Watching that experience, for me

78
00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:06,880
Speaker 2: is just crazy fun.

79
00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,080
Speaker 1: You had me at Valerine a vampire, right, maybe that

80
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,599
Speaker 1: should have been the title of the movie.

81
00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:13,919
Speaker 2: Well, it's definitely the marketing campaign.

82
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:19,039
Speaker 1: But fun and horror and that mashup. Talk to me

83
00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,440
Speaker 1: about that, because you know, it's no secret that horror

84
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,200
Speaker 1: is one of the few genres that seems to be

85
00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,440
Speaker 1: fairly reliable in theaters these days, and that's saying something.

86
00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,760
Speaker 1: But what is it about that mashup of fun and horror.

87
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:40,960
Speaker 2: Well, I think for me going to a movie right,

88
00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:42,720
Speaker 2: and to tie back into what you just said, which

89
00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,640
Speaker 2: is it's one of the genres that really seems to

90
00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:50,039
Speaker 2: be working theatrically. The communal experience of going to a

91
00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:56,000
Speaker 2: movie for me is genre wise, the enjoyment of something,

92
00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:01,280
Speaker 2: regardless of of the journey, is something I like when

93
00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,280
Speaker 2: I leave a movie theater. So for the things that

94
00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,720
Speaker 2: I want to develop, regardless of the journey I go on,

95
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,640
Speaker 2: at the end of the day, when I leave, I

96
00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,520
Speaker 2: want to have had a really good time. That's not

97
00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:14,760
Speaker 2: to say I don't enjoy movies that don't do that,

98
00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,320
Speaker 2: the ones that I want to develop, and I want

99
00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,720
Speaker 2: to develop stuff that I have fun with. So the

100
00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:25,599
Speaker 2: mashup of those two genres for me is the ultimate

101
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,200
Speaker 2: experience when I leave a theater, which is I could

102
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,520
Speaker 2: be scared, I could be sad, I can be worried,

103
00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,280
Speaker 2: but at the end of it, there's this cathartic experience

104
00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,680
Speaker 2: where I had a great time. That's what the fun

105
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:37,719
Speaker 2: of the mashup is for me.

106
00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,720
Speaker 1: Well, there's you and me, a bunch of middle aged guys.

107
00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,680
Speaker 1: I would imagine that's not the target audience. I would

108
00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:50,280
Speaker 1: imagine fun and horror is about attracting people who are

109
00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:55,160
Speaker 1: our kids' ages, and that's really what appeals to universal

110
00:06:55,240 --> 00:07:00,919
Speaker 1: and studios. It's about getting an audience that turns out that's,

111
00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,000
Speaker 1: you know, half our age, that comes in groups that

112
00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,600
Speaker 1: maybe wants to see it more than once. Is that

113
00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,960
Speaker 1: really what's appealing about this genre and why it's a

114
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:11,960
Speaker 1: reliable draw.

115
00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,120
Speaker 2: I don't know how to answer that. I think that

116
00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,120
Speaker 2: from I think there's probably a couple of answers. I

117
00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,320
Speaker 2: think on the development side, you have to develop the

118
00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:26,480
Speaker 2: stories that you love, right, because you have to spend

119
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,320
Speaker 2: a lot of time with it, and you hope that

120
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,680
Speaker 2: that translates. I think that the fun of horror, even

121
00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,320
Speaker 2: though you bring up a much younger demographic, which is true,

122
00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,800
Speaker 2: I think that they work across demographics. Right. The question

123
00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,000
Speaker 2: is is my generation going to the theater as much?

124
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,320
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know those statistics. The younger

125
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,480
Speaker 2: generation is definitely the generation going opening weekend, right, That's

126
00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,880
Speaker 2: that's what you're marketing, Toure. But I think horror, the

127
00:07:54,960 --> 00:08:00,400
Speaker 2: genre of horror, spans all the age groups. So to

128
00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,880
Speaker 2: pretend that I know what the kids want today. I

129
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,080
Speaker 2: just I don't know that I can answer that question honestly.

130
00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,680
Speaker 2: As much as it is, I believe if you make

131
00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,960
Speaker 2: a really great genre movie, all age groups can like

132
00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,200
Speaker 2: it and all age groups can enjoy it. And that's

133
00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,360
Speaker 2: when that's where casting comes in. If you look at

134
00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,840
Speaker 2: our ensemble cast, I think that it appeals to multiple

135
00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,840
Speaker 2: age groups. I think that having you know, a fourteen

136
00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,920
Speaker 2: year old ballerina vampire is a very specific choice, and

137
00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:34,920
Speaker 2: all those things tie back to why I believe it

138
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,160
Speaker 2: works theatrically right every one of those choices.

139
00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 1: Well, we're having this conversation a week after a Ghostbusters

140
00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:49,120
Speaker 1: sequel opened up pretty strongly number one movie. There was

141
00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:54,360
Speaker 1: some concerns that it wouldn't do as well as the

142
00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:59,560
Speaker 1: previous film did, which didn't do as well as some

143
00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,240
Speaker 1: might have hope. From the kind of ip that Ghostbusters was,

144
00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,319
Speaker 1: I think it seemed to have been positioned more as

145
00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,640
Speaker 1: a horror movie this time than as a comedy, and

146
00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,640
Speaker 1: I think, to some degree, maybe you'll disagree, was also

147
00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:19,200
Speaker 1: sort of like a mix of horror and comedy. So

148
00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:25,480
Speaker 1: are you feeling good based on how Ghostbusters opened? Or

149
00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,960
Speaker 1: am I making a false comparison.

150
00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,240
Speaker 2: I don't think that's a false comparison at all. I

151
00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:34,120
Speaker 2: think it's a I think it's a fair comparison about

152
00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,319
Speaker 2: the state of the business. I don't know if it's

153
00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:42,320
Speaker 2: a fair comparison movie to movie, right. Ghostbusters obviously a

154
00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,840
Speaker 2: very very well recognized piece of IP right been around

155
00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,360
Speaker 2: for a long time. It's hard to compare that to

156
00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,800
Speaker 2: something that we're starting from scratch, and a marketing department

157
00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,480
Speaker 2: has a much different hill to climb. I think Universal

158
00:09:55,559 --> 00:10:00,320
Speaker 2: is crushing it in our campaign. It's they're the iconic image.

159
00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,440
Speaker 2: They came up with it for me as spectacular, and

160
00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:04,640
Speaker 2: I think they've done a great job. But I think

161
00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,880
Speaker 2: it's hard to compare a movie to movie. But I

162
00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,120
Speaker 2: think what you are hitting on is a what I'm

163
00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:15,040
Speaker 2: hoping is a cultural feeling of I want to go

164
00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,120
Speaker 2: back to movie theaters and I want to have a

165
00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,080
Speaker 2: good time. I don't want to be I don't need to.

166
00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,079
Speaker 2: I don't need everything to torture me. I don't need

167
00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,400
Speaker 2: everything to be depressing. I don't need everything to be

168
00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,760
Speaker 2: super dark. I think we're in this place where if

169
00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,720
Speaker 2: you're going to spend the time and money to go

170
00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,080
Speaker 2: out with groups of people. Let's go have fought, And

171
00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,000
Speaker 2: I think that's where the two movies you can have

172
00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,079
Speaker 2: a comparison to. I think past that, it's hard to

173
00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,880
Speaker 2: compare those two as movies just because an IP alone,

174
00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,560
Speaker 2: you know, Ghostbusters, feels like such a big Now, partly

175
00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,520
Speaker 2: that might be because of my childhood, and I'm a massive

176
00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:53,840
Speaker 2: fan of that franchise, and I thought they did an

177
00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,600
Speaker 2: amazing job on this new one, so I'm just a

178
00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,400
Speaker 2: fan of that. But it's hard to compare because when

179
00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,680
Speaker 2: you're starting with zero from an IP standpoint, you're just

180
00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:04,640
Speaker 2: a it's a different hill to.

181
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,880
Speaker 1: Climb, and here we are, I think starting from zero

182
00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:14,280
Speaker 1: with IP in Abigail. I mean, look, you you rebooted

183
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,280
Speaker 1: the screen franchise so brilliantly, but you're not starting from

184
00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,720
Speaker 1: zero there. You could conceivably just play it safer and

185
00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:28,640
Speaker 1: reboot a bunch of old IP. Why even roll the

186
00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,720
Speaker 1: dice with something new? Or is the whole point here

187
00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:36,560
Speaker 1: that you do this right and you've got Abigail one, two, three, four,

188
00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,760
Speaker 1: five coming out and that's the whole point.

189
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,560
Speaker 2: I don't know that I look at the world that way.

190
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:47,440
Speaker 2: I think that's it's a fair question. We we at

191
00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,600
Speaker 2: Project X, and then especially when we're working with Radio Silence,

192
00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,400
Speaker 2: you know, this was our fourth movie together. I think

193
00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:59,079
Speaker 2: that the IP thing is a corporate strategy, right, or

194
00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:03,000
Speaker 2: a business strategy versus just a creative strategy, and I

195
00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,560
Speaker 2: think that they can coexist together, right. The idea when

196
00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,560
Speaker 2: you see a piece of IP, if you have access

197
00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:11,600
Speaker 2: to it or you can grab it or get involved

198
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,240
Speaker 2: in it, Absolutely, it's a great business strategy. And if

199
00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,240
Speaker 2: you have a story to tell to relaunch something or

200
00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,480
Speaker 2: you figure out a way in that you believe will work,

201
00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,120
Speaker 2: great business strategy, great creative strategy. But that's for us

202
00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,040
Speaker 2: at least at Project X. You can't just do that

203
00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,720
Speaker 2: soly because there's not enough IP out there that everybody

204
00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,400
Speaker 2: has equal access to. And then on the other side,

205
00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,200
Speaker 2: producing is also opportunistic. When you hear an idea that

206
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,680
Speaker 2: you love, or you come up with something that you

207
00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,079
Speaker 2: want to develop, you run with it and the hope

208
00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,600
Speaker 2: is you can turn it into something. And this fell

209
00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,160
Speaker 2: into that category, right. We heard an idea that there

210
00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,960
Speaker 2: was a script that we thought was super cool, that

211
00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,120
Speaker 2: could be something awesome, and then universal God loved them,

212
00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,560
Speaker 2: gave us the chance to do it and here we are,

213
00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,079
Speaker 2: so I think they can those two ideas can coexist.

214
00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,400
Speaker 1: We'll be back in just a minute to talk more

215
00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:16,439
Speaker 1: strategy with William Sharrick. And we are back with William

216
00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:21,040
Speaker 1: Sharrick of Project X Entertainment. William, how are you feeling

217
00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,800
Speaker 1: here in the as we close the first quarter of

218
00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:29,240
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four about the theatrical business in general? There's

219
00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:34,640
Speaker 1: always concerns about the viability of this business. Yes, there's

220
00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:38,800
Speaker 1: been the Barbenheimer's of the world, but we're still not

221
00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,719
Speaker 1: quite where we were pre pandemic in terms of the

222
00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:49,000
Speaker 1: viability of theatrical especially versus streaming and the like. And

223
00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:51,800
Speaker 1: so I'm curious how you're feeling about the business.

224
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:57,160
Speaker 2: Look, I think that I'm an optimist by nature. I

225
00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:58,800
Speaker 2: think you kind of have to be as a producer,

226
00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,440
Speaker 2: because no movie gets made because it should, right, You're

227
00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,520
Speaker 2: constantly trying to get stuff made. So I'm an optimist

228
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:12,480
Speaker 2: at my core. I will always think the theatrical experience

229
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,160
Speaker 2: is an experience that is not going to die. I

230
00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,120
Speaker 2: just don't believe that. I wake up not thinking about

231
00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,000
Speaker 2: the world that way. What I do feel as we

232
00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,760
Speaker 2: develop the stuff we're developing, we're working with the studios

233
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,920
Speaker 2: and the different streamers and the different financiers that we

234
00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,360
Speaker 2: have the pleasure of working with. You do feel that

235
00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,680
Speaker 2: there is a sentiment right now that people inside the

236
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,960
Speaker 2: industry really want it to work, right, Like people really

237
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,080
Speaker 2: want theatrical to continue to work and grow again, which

238
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:53,200
Speaker 2: is great. The opportunity I think is sitting out there

239
00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,520
Speaker 2: right now is how can you do things differently right?

240
00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:02,720
Speaker 2: How can you come up with interesting models to build

241
00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:07,200
Speaker 2: a movie, make a movie, finance a movie where theatrical

242
00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,600
Speaker 2: is part of the equation from start, whether that's inside

243
00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,280
Speaker 2: the system or outside the system, and then taking it

244
00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,080
Speaker 2: into the system from there right whatever that is. I

245
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:22,280
Speaker 2: just feel like people are willing to be creative right

246
00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:28,520
Speaker 2: now in the structure conversation, which to me is a

247
00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:32,640
Speaker 2: really good sign. As you start talking to filmmakers, talent

248
00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:37,520
Speaker 2: talent agents, filmmakers agents, everybody just feels like, Okay, how

249
00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,440
Speaker 2: do we build this to make sure we go theatrical

250
00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,320
Speaker 2: because that experience is just fun and I think we

251
00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,400
Speaker 2: all want it to work. So I'm super positive and

252
00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:49,240
Speaker 2: optimistic about it.

253
00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:55,120
Speaker 1: And I would imagine that strategic philosophy animated your recent

254
00:15:55,160 --> 00:16:00,680
Speaker 1: alliance between radio Silence and MRC Yes, that was.

255
00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:07,760
Speaker 2: Born while we were on set for Scream five. Actually, me,

256
00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,680
Speaker 2: Matt Tyler, Chad who Matt Tyler and Chad of three

257
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:17,200
Speaker 2: partners at Radio Silence. We're having a conversation about how

258
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,360
Speaker 2: cool it was that we were able to work with

259
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,560
Speaker 2: them on Ready or Not and then get them to

260
00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,000
Speaker 2: be able to direct Scream and what that jump was

261
00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:34,520
Speaker 2: and our access to the next generation of them, right,

262
00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:39,680
Speaker 2: of these young, younger horror creators in that genre, and

263
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,160
Speaker 2: how much fun would it be if we could create

264
00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,440
Speaker 2: a business that developed that talent at a fun price point.

265
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,640
Speaker 2: And MRC just they're unbelievable partners. They think about the

266
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,040
Speaker 2: world the same way we do in terms of making movies.

267
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:57,480
Speaker 2: And we went to them and said, what do you

268
00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,760
Speaker 2: think about giving us a platform to be able to

269
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,200
Speaker 2: put a bunch of movies that kind of fit our

270
00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,480
Speaker 2: DNA as we find new stories to tell in the

271
00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,720
Speaker 2: genre with new filmmakers, And they were all in. So

272
00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,119
Speaker 2: it just felt like the next evolution of how we

273
00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,200
Speaker 2: all get to keep working together.

274
00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,720
Speaker 1: Okay, speaking of evolution, you know, last time we talked

275
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:23,280
Speaker 1: two years ago, you seemed like you were out there

276
00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:31,960
Speaker 1: looking for opportunities to grow the project X business. From

277
00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:37,439
Speaker 1: an emin sorry, from an M and A perspective, you

278
00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,720
Speaker 1: seem to be on the hunt for a content library

279
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,720
Speaker 1: as opposed to just being in the producer for higher business.

280
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,439
Speaker 1: Is that ambition still on the table?

281
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,119
Speaker 2: Where are you with that one hundred percent? I think

282
00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,600
Speaker 2: that the hardest part is there just aren't that many

283
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:59,359
Speaker 2: libraries available. You know, they've been gobbled up by different places.

284
00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,080
Speaker 2: But from an M and A perspective, we're constantly looking

285
00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:07,119
Speaker 2: at stuff. I think there are some really interesting service

286
00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:13,320
Speaker 2: businesses that you could look at to create a pipeline

287
00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:18,000
Speaker 2: to deliver movies better, faster, cheaper, smarter inside the system

288
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,000
Speaker 2: and outside the system. And you know, some of my

289
00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,080
Speaker 2: resume in the past, having run parts of the Deluxe

290
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:30,080
Speaker 2: Entertainment Group in the service business, lends itself to looking

291
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:35,199
Speaker 2: at those opportunities. So for me, I we look at

292
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,120
Speaker 2: it and say, at any moment, what is the right

293
00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:45,400
Speaker 2: opportunity to grow assets to be able to allow filmmakers

294
00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,800
Speaker 2: and storytellers to tell their stories. So we will continue

295
00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,399
Speaker 2: to look for those assets as they show themselves. You know,

296
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:56,800
Speaker 2: the pandemic was an interesting blip. The strike was an

297
00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,200
Speaker 2: interesting blip, and as as we look to the future,

298
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,439
Speaker 2: will just continue to track these opportunities and hopefully, hopefully

299
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,000
Speaker 2: that M and A from an M and A perspective specifically,

300
00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:08,640
Speaker 2: they'll continue to show themselves.

301
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,760
Speaker 1: You've also got some interesting projects coming up that don't

302
00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:17,680
Speaker 1: feel like the typical genre stuff that I would consider

303
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:23,520
Speaker 1: the specialty of Project X. You've got things like the

304
00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:29,840
Speaker 1: Nuremberg Project, a Fountain of Youth project with John Krasinski.

305
00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,080
Speaker 1: Are you guys heading to oscar Land? Is this kind

306
00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:34,800
Speaker 1: of a departure for Project X.

307
00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,879
Speaker 2: No, I don't think it's a departure. I think it

308
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:45,320
Speaker 2: is evolution as you continue to grow and build a slate.

309
00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,000
Speaker 2: Right when you look at how you start, right, we

310
00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,760
Speaker 2: started from zero with no projects, as most companies do, right,

311
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,000
Speaker 2: unless you start with a library. So you build your slate.

312
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:59,040
Speaker 2: You start with your core friends and family for lack

313
00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,159
Speaker 2: of a better term of you know, writers, directors and

314
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,719
Speaker 2: those scripts. And then as you grow your slate you

315
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,480
Speaker 2: start to round out with just stories that you love.

316
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:15,360
Speaker 2: And we have the benefit of a best in class

317
00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:20,359
Speaker 2: screenwriter as a partner in Jamie Vanderbilt, that that brain

318
00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:25,600
Speaker 2: never stops from an idea generation and putting words on

319
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,040
Speaker 2: a page in a ton of genres. So it automatically

320
00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:35,400
Speaker 2: leads you into a bigger slate of diversification.

321
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,960
Speaker 1: And you know, we shouldn't allied too easily over what

322
00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,080
Speaker 1: you've got going in the TV space. I remember two

323
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,040
Speaker 1: years or ago talking about The Night Agent, like it

324
00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,800
Speaker 1: was like, oh, yeah, you're also in TV. The Night

325
00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,320
Speaker 1: Agent is a massive hit on Netflix. And I said

326
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:57,400
Speaker 1: to you at the time, like, listen, isn't TV kind

327
00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,159
Speaker 1: of a better business to be in the movies? And

328
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,239
Speaker 1: lo and behold, You've got this huge hit here. And

329
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,720
Speaker 1: so I kind of repeat the question I made to

330
00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,120
Speaker 1: you two years ago. Why not just be focusing on TV.

331
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,440
Speaker 1: You could turn The Night Agent into a big franchise

332
00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:14,400
Speaker 1: onto itself.

333
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,479
Speaker 2: Look, I think for us we love the TV space,

334
00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,800
Speaker 2: we really do. But at the same time, on a

335
00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,439
Speaker 2: producer level, we are non writing producers in television, so

336
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:30,760
Speaker 2: it requires great showrunners to come in and build it.

337
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,800
Speaker 2: And you know, Night Agent, for all the work we did,

338
00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:38,199
Speaker 2: do it really is in Sean Ryan. We trust, and

339
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:45,760
Speaker 2: he is just a genius and the level of creative

340
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,120
Speaker 2: and operational expertise that he brings to it is why

341
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,320
Speaker 2: that show is what that is right, And so it's

342
00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:58,440
Speaker 2: about finding the right ideas, the right properties, the right

343
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,400
Speaker 2: projects that we can take to our friends and colleagues

344
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,560
Speaker 2: like a Sean to create more of those, as opposed

345
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,359
Speaker 2: to just saying we're now one hundred percent focused on

346
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,640
Speaker 2: the television business. It's a very specific space for us

347
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,120
Speaker 2: and requires those partners.

348
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,720
Speaker 1: Well, it's a high class problem to have. I guess

349
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,520
Speaker 1: let's just focus on the short term. Good luck with

350
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:30,000
Speaker 1: Abigail this weekend, and appreciate you coming back on the Podwell.

351
00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:39,320
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, good luck, take care, Thanks for listening.

352
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,399
Speaker 2: Be sure to leave us a review at Apple Podcast

353
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,520
Speaker 2: or Amazon Music. We love to hear from listeners. Please

354
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,800
Speaker 2: go to Variety dot com and sign up for our

355
00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:53,200
Speaker 2: free weekly Strictly Business newsletter, and don't forget to tune

356
00:22:53,240 --> 00:23:05,760
Speaker 2: in next week for another episode of Strictly Business.