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Friday Briefing

Friday Briefing #19: The Last Studio Standing

The bidding war for Warner Bros. enters its final stretch. Plus: Presidents Day box office, SAG-AFTRA talks, Spirit Awards, and why micro-dramas are a billion-dollar problem.

Bradley Hope
Bradley Hope
February 20, 2026 · 10 min read
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Wuthering Heights movie poster featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi
Wuthering Heights topped the Presidents Day weekend box office.
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An R-rated gothic romance topped the Presidents Day box office. Netflix and Paramount are in an $83-billion bidding war for Warner Bros., with a Monday deadline. SAG-AFTRA is back at the bargaining table, pushing an AI tax named after a digital actress. And Charli XCX scored an Emily Bronte adaptation.

This week: box office results, four signals shaping the industry, what's new in theaters and streaming, two cultural moments worth noting, quick hits from the Oscar race to micro-dramas, and a deep dive on what the fight for Warner Bros. means for the future of theatrical exhibition.

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