👋 Welcome to The Mail Cart. This is your spiritual guide and fake Hollywood therapist Warner. Connect with me here + follow our IG page for daily resources.
🎥 When I saw an article on Monday in Deadline drop saying a DreamWorks assistant sold a project to HBO after a 10-way bidding war, I for sure thought it was a meme. Too good to be true. After a quick google search (wow so old school! What’s next… Wikipedia??), it quickly became obvious it was very real and very cool.
4 hours later, after a DM and a quick email chain, Kalos Chu agreed to join me on AvA LIVE today for his first live interview. He joins at 1:30pm PT, after the creators of Adults, Shark Tank’s Daniel Lubetzky & more. Can’t make it live? Rewatch anytime when your boss isn’t over your shoulder.
📝 Fox and Roku are now tied for 2nd on TV streaming ahead of their 2027 merger. AMC announced a new indie distribution label focused on self-funded films. Audiobook sales are at an all-time high, and more.
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⭐ Trump wants to make Hollywood Film in America Again (sorry)
What’s happening: Trump is pushing Congress to create the first major federal tax credit for film and TV production.
The proposal: Productions could receive a 20% federal tax credit on cast and crew labor, potentially with extra incentives for filming in certain areas. Most jobs would likely need to go to U.S. workers.
Why now: Productions keep leaving the U.S. for countries offering cheaper costs and better incentives. Even Georgia, normally one of America’s biggest production hubs via Atlanta, is losing projects overseas.
Who is the biggest threat? U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with Ireland and parts of Eastern Europe also winning projects.
What happens next: A bipartisan bill could be introduced within weeks, but it still faces a major fight over cost. Supporters hope it could be signed before the end of 2026.
One major takeaway: Hollywood’s runaway-production crisis has officially become a national political issue. A federal tax credit could give every U.S. production hub a baseline advantage against those countries above, rather than leaving individual states to compete internationally on their own.
Chart Alert! We will track these trends as Q3 and eventually Q4/EOY data becomes available:
Credit: ProdPro
Credit: The Hollywood Reporter via ProdPro
⭐ AMC Theatres launched an indie distribution label, Leawood Films, that will be advised by 3 industry veterans from Warner Bros., Disney, and Apple
“This venture will focus solely on films fully financed by their filmmakers, or already completed films, leveraging AMC’s exhibition, marketing, and distribution expertise to expand the supply of movies for a broad array of movie theater operators across the U.S. and internationally.”
Why it matters: Theaters typically sit empty between blockbusters, and AMC is betting that financing-ready indie filmmakers can become its new supply chain. I’m bringing on Imani Davis, a film programmer at American Cinematheque, who puts on 1,600 screenings (!!) a year to discuss.
⭐ Fox and Roku are now tied with Disney for 2nd in TV time
Big Brain Fact: Fox bought Roku in a $22 billion deal expected to close in the first half of 2027.
Credit: Nielsen
⭐ Audiobook sales reached their highest number ever in 2025 at $2.43 billion.
58% of Americans (~157 million) have listened to an audiobook. Lovely little stat in a world consumed by doom scrolling.
⭐ The New York Post signed a first look film and TV deal that will include all of their current reporting AND archives.
The New York Post was founded in 1801 by Alexander Hamilton (yes that Hamilton) Crazy Legs Productions has a wealth of material to draw from.
⭐ Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell sued AI lab Anthropic for the exact reason you would expect.
⭐ WME has been named Talent Agency of the Year by the MusicRow Awards for the sixth consecutive year
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BEST HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANTS?? We are announcing our Assistants of the Month for August on today’s episode of AvA LIVE…
AvA LIVE Lineup Booked In Partnership With:
A Hollywood assistant sells a spec after a 10-way bidding war??? Here’s the tea:
Our new job board features 229+ early career roles in Entertainment, including:
💼 Music Partnerships - UTA - Apply Here
💼 Executive Assistant - Complex - Apply Here
💼 Music Royalties - Netflix - Apply Here
💼 Music Strategy - TKO - Apply Here
💼 Marketing - Warner Music - Apply Here
💼 Fan Engagement - Sony Music - Apply Here
💼 Campaign Development - SiriusXM - Apply Here
💼 Executive Assistant - UTA - Apply Here
💼 Production - Disney - Apply Here
💼 Licensing - BMI - Apply Here
💼 Sales - Paramount - Apply Here
💼 Marketing - AXS - Apply Here
💼 Licensing - Netflix - Apply Here
💼 Marketing - UTA - Apply Here
🎒 TV Publicity Intern - Disney - Apply Here
🎒 Business Intern - TikTok - Apply Here
🎒 Creators Intern - The-Team - Apply Here
🎒 Marketing Intern - AEG - Apply Here
🎒 Film Editing & Marketing Intern - MUBI - Apply Here
👋 See you back here on Friday
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