WEBVTT - 'Abigail' Horror Flick Puts Project X to the Test

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast in

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<v Speaker 1>which we speak with some of the brightest minds working

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<v Speaker 1>in the business today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with variety. Debuting

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<v Speaker 1>in theaters this weekend is the horror flick Abigail. One

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<v Speaker 1>of the logos you'll see on screen before it begins

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<v Speaker 1>belongs to an indie production label you've seen attached to

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<v Speaker 1>one of the big success stories in the genre over

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<v Speaker 1>the past few years, Project X Entertainment company behind the

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<v Speaker 1>Scream franchise. On today's episode of Strictly Business, William Sherrick,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the principles at Project X, discusses their distinctive

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<v Speaker 1>approach to horror and what's next for the folks at X.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll be back in just a moment, and we're back

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<v Speaker 1>with William Sharrick, who is back on the Strictly Business

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<v Speaker 1>podcast almost exactly two years after his first appearance when

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<v Speaker 1>Project X released it's very first project, the Jake Gillenhall

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<v Speaker 1>action movie Ambulance. Welcome back, William, Thanks for having me

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<v Speaker 1>so staying with the vehicular metaphors, What has the ride

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<v Speaker 1>been like for Project X the past two years.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, we've had we've had a ton of fun with

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<v Speaker 2>getting to make a bunch of movies and a TV show,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, it's for us, it's how do we

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<v Speaker 2>just keep finding stories we love that people are letting

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<v Speaker 2>us go tell.

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<v Speaker 1>And let's talk about those movies and that TV show

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<v Speaker 1>we talked about Ambulance Off the Top. What have been

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<v Speaker 1>some of the others that you've produced over that time.

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<v Speaker 2>So we were fortunate enough to get to make Scream

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<v Speaker 2>five and six. We just finished this movie at the Gale,

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<v Speaker 2>which comes out this weekend for Universal. We had Night Agent,

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<v Speaker 2>which was a TV show that Sean Ryan created on Netflix.

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<v Speaker 2>We had a little movie called Bedrest that STX and

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<v Speaker 2>two B took out, which was a ton of fun.

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<v Speaker 2>And now we just you know, keep trying to move

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<v Speaker 2>forward and make more stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure, and we'll talk a bit about all those projects,

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<v Speaker 1>but let's start with what's coming to theaters. Abigail, tell

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<v Speaker 1>us a little bit about this project, how it came together,

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<v Speaker 1>and what drew you to put this one together.

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<v Speaker 2>So in our quest to continue to find great stories

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<v Speaker 2>to tell with radio silence.

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<v Speaker 1>Tell us what about radio silence?

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<v Speaker 2>So radio Silence the filmmakers behind Ready or Not that

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<v Speaker 2>I produced five years ago, now, I guess. And then

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<v Speaker 2>we put them on the screen franchise on five and six.

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<v Speaker 2>We were looking for another movie to do with them,

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<v Speaker 2>and I was talking to Peter Craig at Universal and

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<v Speaker 2>they had this script that he loved that wasn't wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>there yet, and he told me this idea about a

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<v Speaker 2>bunch of criminals who kidnapped a kid and some craziness ensues,

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<v Speaker 2>and they sent me. He sent me the script and

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<v Speaker 2>I said, look, it's such a good idea. Here's what

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<v Speaker 2>we would want to do to make it a story

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<v Speaker 2>that we think works for us and radio silence. What

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<v Speaker 2>do you think? And he said, if you can pull

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<v Speaker 2>that off, we'll make the movie. And we went away

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<v Speaker 2>and we brought in Guy Busick to work to work

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<v Speaker 2>on the script and take it to where it became

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<v Speaker 2>the draft that we shot, and we got it there

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<v Speaker 2>and Universal came through and let us go make it.

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<v Speaker 1>And I mean, no offense, What is it about that

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<v Speaker 1>premise that was so irresistible? Because I mean, I don't know,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't doesn't scream to me, so to speak, pardon the pun,

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<v Speaker 1>a project that that was such an irresistible premise.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, I think for us, For me especially, I think

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<v Speaker 2>in the genre space, getting to tell really fun stories

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<v Speaker 2>inside horror is something that I just enjoy and I

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<v Speaker 2>think as a group, our whole group enjoys doing. And

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<v Speaker 2>that idea of kind of mashing up a horror movie

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<v Speaker 2>and a kidnapping heist movie and what happens when those

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<v Speaker 2>two meet was just a really fun idea. And then

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<v Speaker 2>at the center of that, you put a thirteen year

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<v Speaker 2>old ballerin a vampire who set the whole thing up.

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<v Speaker 2>Is just so insane that it felt like something we

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<v Speaker 2>can have a ton of fun with. And the idea

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<v Speaker 2>that a group of criminals who are in the real

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<v Speaker 2>world find out they've kidnapped this specific person and that

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<v Speaker 2>person then turns the tables. Watching that experience, for me

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<v Speaker 2>is just crazy fun.

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<v Speaker 1>You had me at Valerine a vampire, right, maybe that

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<v Speaker 1>should have been the title of the movie.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's definitely the marketing campaign.

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<v Speaker 1>But fun and horror and that mashup. Talk to me

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<v Speaker 1>about that, because you know, it's no secret that horror

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<v Speaker 1>is one of the few genres that seems to be

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<v Speaker 1>fairly reliable in theaters these days, and that's saying something.

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<v Speaker 1>But what is it about that mashup of fun and horror.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think for me going to a movie right,

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<v Speaker 2>and to tie back into what you just said, which

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<v Speaker 2>is it's one of the genres that really seems to

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<v Speaker 2>be working theatrically. The communal experience of going to a

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<v Speaker 2>movie for me is genre wise, the enjoyment of something,

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<v Speaker 2>regardless of of the journey, is something I like when

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<v Speaker 2>I leave a movie theater. So for the things that

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<v Speaker 2>I want to develop, regardless of the journey I go on,

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<v Speaker 2>at the end of the day, when I leave, I

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<v Speaker 2>want to have had a really good time. That's not

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<v Speaker 2>to say I don't enjoy movies that don't do that,

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<v Speaker 2>the ones that I want to develop, and I want

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<v Speaker 2>to develop stuff that I have fun with. So the

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<v Speaker 2>mashup of those two genres for me is the ultimate

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<v Speaker 2>experience when I leave a theater, which is I could

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<v Speaker 2>be scared, I could be sad, I can be worried,

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<v Speaker 2>but at the end of it, there's this cathartic experience

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<v Speaker 2>where I had a great time. That's what the fun

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<v Speaker 2>of the mashup is for me.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, there's you and me, a bunch of middle aged guys.

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<v Speaker 1>I would imagine that's not the target audience. I would

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<v Speaker 1>imagine fun and horror is about attracting people who are

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<v Speaker 1>our kids' ages, and that's really what appeals to universal

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<v Speaker 1>and studios. It's about getting an audience that turns out that's,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, half our age, that comes in groups that

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<v Speaker 1>maybe wants to see it more than once. Is that

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<v Speaker 1>really what's appealing about this genre and why it's a

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<v Speaker 1>reliable draw.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know how to answer that. I think that

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<v Speaker 2>from I think there's probably a couple of answers. I

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<v Speaker 2>think on the development side, you have to develop the

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<v Speaker 2>stories that you love, right, because you have to spend

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of time with it, and you hope that

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<v Speaker 2>that translates. I think that the fun of horror, even

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<v Speaker 2>though you bring up a much younger demographic, which is true,

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<v Speaker 2>I think that they work across demographics. Right. The question

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<v Speaker 2>is is my generation going to the theater as much?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know. I don't know those statistics. The younger

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<v Speaker 2>generation is definitely the generation going opening weekend, right, That's

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<v Speaker 2>that's what you're marketing, Toure. But I think horror, the

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<v Speaker 2>genre of horror, spans all the age groups. So to

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<v Speaker 2>pretend that I know what the kids want today. I

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<v Speaker 2>just I don't know that I can answer that question honestly.

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<v Speaker 2>As much as it is, I believe if you make

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<v Speaker 2>a really great genre movie, all age groups can like

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<v Speaker 2>it and all age groups can enjoy it. And that's

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<v Speaker 2>when that's where casting comes in. If you look at

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<v Speaker 2>our ensemble cast, I think that it appeals to multiple

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<v Speaker 2>age groups. I think that having you know, a fourteen

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<v Speaker 2>year old ballerina vampire is a very specific choice, and

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<v Speaker 2>all those things tie back to why I believe it

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<v Speaker 2>works theatrically right every one of those choices.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, we're having this conversation a week after a Ghostbusters

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<v Speaker 1>sequel opened up pretty strongly number one movie. There was

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<v Speaker 1>some concerns that it wouldn't do as well as the

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<v Speaker 1>previous film did, which didn't do as well as some

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<v Speaker 1>might have hope. From the kind of ip that Ghostbusters was,

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<v Speaker 1>I think it seemed to have been positioned more as

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<v Speaker 1>a horror movie this time than as a comedy, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think, to some degree, maybe you'll disagree, was also

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<v Speaker 1>sort of like a mix of horror and comedy. So

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<v Speaker 1>are you feeling good based on how Ghostbusters opened? Or

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<v Speaker 1>am I making a false comparison.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think that's a false comparison at all. I

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<v Speaker 2>think it's a I think it's a fair comparison about

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<v Speaker 2>the state of the business. I don't know if it's

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<v Speaker 2>a fair comparison movie to movie, right. Ghostbusters obviously a

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<v Speaker 2>very very well recognized piece of IP right been around

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<v Speaker 2>for a long time. It's hard to compare that to

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<v Speaker 2>something that we're starting from scratch, and a marketing department

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<v Speaker 2>has a much different hill to climb. I think Universal

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<v Speaker 2>is crushing it in our campaign. It's they're the iconic image.

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<v Speaker 2>They came up with it for me as spectacular, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think they've done a great job. But I think

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<v Speaker 2>it's hard to compare a movie to movie. But I

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<v Speaker 2>think what you are hitting on is a what I'm

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<v Speaker 2>hoping is a cultural feeling of I want to go

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<v Speaker 2>back to movie theaters and I want to have a

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<v Speaker 2>good time. I don't want to be I don't need to.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't need everything to torture me. I don't need

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<v Speaker 2>everything to be depressing. I don't need everything to be

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<v Speaker 2>super dark. I think we're in this place where if

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<v Speaker 2>you're going to spend the time and money to go

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<v Speaker 2>out with groups of people. Let's go have fought, And

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's where the two movies you can have

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<v Speaker 2>a comparison to. I think past that, it's hard to

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<v Speaker 2>compare those two as movies just because an IP alone,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, Ghostbusters, feels like such a big Now, partly

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<v Speaker 2>that might be because of my childhood, and I'm a massive

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<v Speaker 2>fan of that franchise, and I thought they did an

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<v Speaker 2>amazing job on this new one, so I'm just a

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<v Speaker 2>fan of that. But it's hard to compare because when

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<v Speaker 2>you're starting with zero from an IP standpoint, you're just

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<v Speaker 2>a it's a different hill to.

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<v Speaker 1>Climb, and here we are, I think starting from zero

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<v Speaker 1>with IP in Abigail. I mean, look, you you rebooted

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<v Speaker 1>the screen franchise so brilliantly, but you're not starting from

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<v Speaker 1>zero there. You could conceivably just play it safer and

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<v Speaker 1>reboot a bunch of old IP. Why even roll the

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<v Speaker 1>dice with something new? Or is the whole point here

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<v Speaker 1>that you do this right and you've got Abigail one, two, three, four,

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<v Speaker 1>five coming out and that's the whole point.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know that I look at the world that way.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's it's a fair question. We we at

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<v Speaker 2>Project X, and then especially when we're working with Radio Silence,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, this was our fourth movie together. I think

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<v Speaker 2>that the IP thing is a corporate strategy, right, or

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<v Speaker 2>a business strategy versus just a creative strategy, and I

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<v Speaker 2>think that they can coexist together, right. The idea when

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<v Speaker 2>you see a piece of IP, if you have access

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<v Speaker 2>to it or you can grab it or get involved

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<v Speaker 2>in it, Absolutely, it's a great business strategy. And if

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<v Speaker 2>you have a story to tell to relaunch something or

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<v Speaker 2>you figure out a way in that you believe will work,

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<v Speaker 2>great business strategy, great creative strategy. But that's for us

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<v Speaker 2>at least at Project X. You can't just do that

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<v Speaker 2>soly because there's not enough IP out there that everybody

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<v Speaker 2>has equal access to. And then on the other side,

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<v Speaker 2>producing is also opportunistic. When you hear an idea that

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<v Speaker 2>you love, or you come up with something that you

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<v Speaker 2>want to develop, you run with it and the hope

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<v Speaker 2>is you can turn it into something. And this fell

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<v Speaker 2>into that category, right. We heard an idea that there

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<v Speaker 2>was a script that we thought was super cool, that

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<v Speaker 2>could be something awesome, and then universal God loved them,

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<v Speaker 2>gave us the chance to do it and here we are,

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<v Speaker 2>so I think they can those two ideas can coexist.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll be back in just a minute to talk more

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<v Speaker 1>strategy with William Sharrick. And we are back with William

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<v Speaker 1>Sharrick of Project X Entertainment. William, how are you feeling

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<v Speaker 1>here in the as we close the first quarter of

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty four about the theatrical business in general? There's

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<v Speaker 1>always concerns about the viability of this business. Yes, there's

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<v Speaker 1>been the Barbenheimer's of the world, but we're still not

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<v Speaker 1>quite where we were pre pandemic in terms of the

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<v Speaker 1>viability of theatrical especially versus streaming and the like. And

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<v Speaker 1>so I'm curious how you're feeling about the business.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, I think that I'm an optimist by nature. I

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<v Speaker 2>think you kind of have to be as a producer,

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<v Speaker 2>because no movie gets made because it should, right, You're

0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:06.520
<v Speaker 2>constantly trying to get stuff made. So I'm an optimist

0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:12.480
<v Speaker 2>at my core. I will always think the theatrical experience

0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:17.160
<v Speaker 2>is an experience that is not going to die. I

0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.120
<v Speaker 2>just don't believe that. I wake up not thinking about

0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:25.000
<v Speaker 2>the world that way. What I do feel as we

0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.760
<v Speaker 2>develop the stuff we're developing, we're working with the studios

0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.920
<v Speaker 2>and the different streamers and the different financiers that we

0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:35.360
<v Speaker 2>have the pleasure of working with. You do feel that

0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:39.680
<v Speaker 2>there is a sentiment right now that people inside the

0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.960
<v Speaker 2>industry really want it to work, right, Like people really

0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:47.080
<v Speaker 2>want theatrical to continue to work and grow again, which

0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:53.200
<v Speaker 2>is great. The opportunity I think is sitting out there

0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:57.520
<v Speaker 2>right now is how can you do things differently right?

0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:02.720
<v Speaker 2>How can you come up with interesting models to build

0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:07.200
<v Speaker 2>a movie, make a movie, finance a movie where theatrical

0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:12.600
<v Speaker 2>is part of the equation from start, whether that's inside

0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:15.280
<v Speaker 2>the system or outside the system, and then taking it

0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:18.080
<v Speaker 2>into the system from there right whatever that is. I

0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:22.280
<v Speaker 2>just feel like people are willing to be creative right

0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:28.520
<v Speaker 2>now in the structure conversation, which to me is a

0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:32.640
<v Speaker 2>really good sign. As you start talking to filmmakers, talent

0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:37.520
<v Speaker 2>talent agents, filmmakers agents, everybody just feels like, Okay, how

0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.440
<v Speaker 2>do we build this to make sure we go theatrical

0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.320
<v Speaker 2>because that experience is just fun and I think we

0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:48.400
<v Speaker 2>all want it to work. So I'm super positive and

0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:49.240
<v Speaker 2>optimistic about it.

0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:55.120
<v Speaker 1>And I would imagine that strategic philosophy animated your recent

0:15:55.160 --> 0:16:00.680
<v Speaker 1>alliance between radio Silence and MRC Yes, that was.

0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:07.760
<v Speaker 2>Born while we were on set for Scream five. Actually, me,

0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:11.680
<v Speaker 2>Matt Tyler, Chad who Matt Tyler and Chad of three

0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:17.200
<v Speaker 2>partners at Radio Silence. We're having a conversation about how

0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:21.360
<v Speaker 2>cool it was that we were able to work with

0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:24.560
<v Speaker 2>them on Ready or Not and then get them to

0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:28.000
<v Speaker 2>be able to direct Scream and what that jump was

0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:34.520
<v Speaker 2>and our access to the next generation of them, right,

0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:39.680
<v Speaker 2>of these young, younger horror creators in that genre, and

0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.160
<v Speaker 2>how much fun would it be if we could create

0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:47.440
<v Speaker 2>a business that developed that talent at a fun price point.

0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:52.640
<v Speaker 2>And MRC just they're unbelievable partners. They think about the

0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.040
<v Speaker 2>world the same way we do in terms of making movies.

0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:57.480
<v Speaker 2>And we went to them and said, what do you

0:16:57.520 --> 0:16:59.760
<v Speaker 2>think about giving us a platform to be able to

0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:03.200
<v Speaker 2>put a bunch of movies that kind of fit our

0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.480
<v Speaker 2>DNA as we find new stories to tell in the

0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:09.720
<v Speaker 2>genre with new filmmakers, And they were all in. So

0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.119
<v Speaker 2>it just felt like the next evolution of how we

0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:14.200
<v Speaker 2>all get to keep working together.

0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:18.720
<v Speaker 1>Okay, speaking of evolution, you know, last time we talked

0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:23.280
<v Speaker 1>two years ago, you seemed like you were out there

0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:31.960
<v Speaker 1>looking for opportunities to grow the project X business. From

0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:37.439
<v Speaker 1>an emin sorry, from an M and A perspective, you

0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:40.720
<v Speaker 1>seem to be on the hunt for a content library

0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:45.720
<v Speaker 1>as opposed to just being in the producer for higher business.

0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:48.439
<v Speaker 1>Is that ambition still on the table?

0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:52.119
<v Speaker 2>Where are you with that one hundred percent? I think

0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:54.600
<v Speaker 2>that the hardest part is there just aren't that many

0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:59.359
<v Speaker 2>libraries available. You know, they've been gobbled up by different places.

0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:04.080
<v Speaker 2>But from an M and A perspective, we're constantly looking

0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:07.119
<v Speaker 2>at stuff. I think there are some really interesting service

0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:13.320
<v Speaker 2>businesses that you could look at to create a pipeline

0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:18.000
<v Speaker 2>to deliver movies better, faster, cheaper, smarter inside the system

0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.000
<v Speaker 2>and outside the system. And you know, some of my

0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:25.080
<v Speaker 2>resume in the past, having run parts of the Deluxe

0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:30.080
<v Speaker 2>Entertainment Group in the service business, lends itself to looking

0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:35.199
<v Speaker 2>at those opportunities. So for me, I we look at

0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:38.120
<v Speaker 2>it and say, at any moment, what is the right

0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:45.400
<v Speaker 2>opportunity to grow assets to be able to allow filmmakers

0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:48.800
<v Speaker 2>and storytellers to tell their stories. So we will continue

0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:52.399
<v Speaker 2>to look for those assets as they show themselves. You know,

0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:56.800
<v Speaker 2>the pandemic was an interesting blip. The strike was an

0:18:56.800 --> 0:19:00.200
<v Speaker 2>interesting blip, and as as we look to the future,

0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:04.439
<v Speaker 2>will just continue to track these opportunities and hopefully, hopefully

0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.000
<v Speaker 2>that M and A from an M and A perspective specifically,

0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:08.640
<v Speaker 2>they'll continue to show themselves.

0:19:08.960 --> 0:19:11.760
<v Speaker 1>You've also got some interesting projects coming up that don't

0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:17.680
<v Speaker 1>feel like the typical genre stuff that I would consider

0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:23.520
<v Speaker 1>the specialty of Project X. You've got things like the

0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:29.840
<v Speaker 1>Nuremberg Project, a Fountain of Youth project with John Krasinski.

0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:33.080
<v Speaker 1>Are you guys heading to oscar Land? Is this kind

0:19:33.080 --> 0:19:34.800
<v Speaker 1>of a departure for Project X.

0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:37.879
<v Speaker 2>No, I don't think it's a departure. I think it

0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:45.320
<v Speaker 2>is evolution as you continue to grow and build a slate.

0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:48.000
<v Speaker 2>Right when you look at how you start, right, we

0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:51.760
<v Speaker 2>started from zero with no projects, as most companies do, right,

0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:55.000
<v Speaker 2>unless you start with a library. So you build your slate.

0:19:55.040 --> 0:19:59.040
<v Speaker 2>You start with your core friends and family for lack

0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:02.159
<v Speaker 2>of a better term of you know, writers, directors and

0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:07.719
<v Speaker 2>those scripts. And then as you grow your slate you

0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.480
<v Speaker 2>start to round out with just stories that you love.

0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:15.360
<v Speaker 2>And we have the benefit of a best in class

0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:20.359
<v Speaker 2>screenwriter as a partner in Jamie Vanderbilt, that that brain

0:20:20.440 --> 0:20:25.600
<v Speaker 2>never stops from an idea generation and putting words on

0:20:26.000 --> 0:20:31.040
<v Speaker 2>a page in a ton of genres. So it automatically

0:20:31.119 --> 0:20:35.400
<v Speaker 2>leads you into a bigger slate of diversification.

0:20:35.960 --> 0:20:40.960
<v Speaker 1>And you know, we shouldn't allied too easily over what

0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:44.080
<v Speaker 1>you've got going in the TV space. I remember two

0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:47.040
<v Speaker 1>years or ago talking about The Night Agent, like it

0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:49.800
<v Speaker 1>was like, oh, yeah, you're also in TV. The Night

0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:54.320
<v Speaker 1>Agent is a massive hit on Netflix. And I said

0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:57.400
<v Speaker 1>to you at the time, like, listen, isn't TV kind

0:20:57.440 --> 0:21:01.159
<v Speaker 1>of a better business to be in the movies? And

0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:04.239
<v Speaker 1>lo and behold, You've got this huge hit here. And

0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:06.720
<v Speaker 1>so I kind of repeat the question I made to

0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:10.120
<v Speaker 1>you two years ago. Why not just be focusing on TV.

0:21:10.240 --> 0:21:13.440
<v Speaker 1>You could turn The Night Agent into a big franchise

0:21:13.560 --> 0:21:14.400
<v Speaker 1>onto itself.

0:21:15.000 --> 0:21:18.479
<v Speaker 2>Look, I think for us we love the TV space,

0:21:18.720 --> 0:21:21.800
<v Speaker 2>we really do. But at the same time, on a

0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:25.439
<v Speaker 2>producer level, we are non writing producers in television, so

0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:30.760
<v Speaker 2>it requires great showrunners to come in and build it.

0:21:31.400 --> 0:21:34.800
<v Speaker 2>And you know, Night Agent, for all the work we did,

0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:38.199
<v Speaker 2>do it really is in Sean Ryan. We trust, and

0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:45.760
<v Speaker 2>he is just a genius and the level of creative

0:21:45.800 --> 0:21:49.120
<v Speaker 2>and operational expertise that he brings to it is why

0:21:49.160 --> 0:21:53.320
<v Speaker 2>that show is what that is right, And so it's

0:21:53.359 --> 0:21:58.440
<v Speaker 2>about finding the right ideas, the right properties, the right

0:21:58.520 --> 0:22:02.400
<v Speaker 2>projects that we can take to our friends and colleagues

0:22:02.640 --> 0:22:06.560
<v Speaker 2>like a Sean to create more of those, as opposed

0:22:06.600 --> 0:22:09.359
<v Speaker 2>to just saying we're now one hundred percent focused on

0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:13.640
<v Speaker 2>the television business. It's a very specific space for us

0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:17.120
<v Speaker 2>and requires those partners.

0:22:17.760 --> 0:22:20.720
<v Speaker 1>Well, it's a high class problem to have. I guess

0:22:21.000 --> 0:22:24.520
<v Speaker 1>let's just focus on the short term. Good luck with

0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:30.000
<v Speaker 1>Abigail this weekend, and appreciate you coming back on the Podwell.

0:22:30.119 --> 0:22:39.320
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much, good luck, take care, Thanks for listening.

0:22:39.880 --> 0:22:42.399
<v Speaker 2>Be sure to leave us a review at Apple Podcast

0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:46.520
<v Speaker 2>or Amazon Music. We love to hear from listeners. Please

0:22:46.560 --> 0:22:48.800
<v Speaker 2>go to Variety dot com and sign up for our

0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:53.200
<v Speaker 2>free weekly Strictly Business newsletter, and don't forget to tune

0:22:53.240 --> 0:23:05.760
<v Speaker 2>in next week for another episode of Strictly Business.