Sayonara, Sundance

PRESENTED BY TIMEPLAST

Happy Friday, Future Party! Here’s something that wasn’t on our bingo card: best-selling author James Patterson and MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) have co-authored a novel tentatively titled The Most Dangerous Game — joining the curious ranks of Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and others who’ve written a book with the legendary author. It’s billed as a Squid Game-esque thriller, and a bidding war has already broken out in Hollywood for the film rights. Expect this to go for a huge sum of money… and for everyone to be very intrigued about this project.

The Sundance Film Festival — the world’s preeminent indie film festival — is officially moving from Park City, Utah to Boulder, Colorado in 2027, beating out offers from Salt Lake City, Utah and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Big Picture: Sundance is looking to grow — more money, more venues, more attendance, more lodging — so a move away from Park City was inevitable. But for a festival so closely tied to the small ski town, it’s a major vibe shift. Considering that Boulder is a booming college town with roughly 100,000 residents, Sundance may get an immediate influx of new cinephiles… and Boulder will be in for a major economic windfall.

Behind the Move: After over 40 years, Sundance is packing its bags.

Final Frontier: Even though attendance dropped from 116,800 people in 2020 to 72,840 in 2024, the Sundance Film Festival has outgrown Park City. It had become so impacted that agencies, studios, and streamers had recently started sending fewer staff to the fest, as lodging and transportation costs had soared due to high demand. That hurts the films looking for industry attention and distribution. If prices are significantly lower in Boulder, that could really amp up Hollywood’s presence.

Until then, studios, filmmakers, and longtime attendees can prepare for Sundance’s swan song in Park City next year.

Here are some scary truths: The world produces 450 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Microplastics are seeping into our oceans and food. And they even show up in our bodies. 

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Sean Manning, the new publisher at book giant Simon & Schuster, wants to turn the publishing house into a media giant with books at its center.

Why It Hits: The far-reaching influence of #BookTok — which was responsible for 59 million print book sales last year — has publishers turning the page on the tried-and-true narrative of marketing books. If individual authors can enjoy booming sales by going viral, publishers may consider experimenting with a similar strategy — turning themselves into recognizable brands to boost sales across their entire catalog.

Between the Pages: Manning wants Simon & Schuster to become the “A24 of books.”

Last Chapter: Manning told The Cut that since the publishing house releases a new book every Tuesday, the company has “a new author” it can tap as a “cultural tastemaker.” He questions, “Why aren’t we using them? Why are we so dependent on outside media?” That’s fair when publishers, agents, and publicists spend considerable time lobbying outlets to feature authors in the run-up to a new release. If Simon & Schuster can bring some of that marketing in-house, it has a chance to own the audience in a big way.

And considering #BookTok has fueled demand for more bookstores, the publishing house will have no shortage of stores to host Bookstore Blitz.

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81.4% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Have you ever seen a Broadway show in person?

“Just saw Hell’s Kitchen — it was amazing.”

“I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of seeing many, but my favorite memory has to be snagging tickets to Wicked the week it opened with my mother. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, along with the whole cast, were absolutely breathtaking.”

“I grew up in NYC and went to many shows — Mame with Angela Lansbury, Mary Poppins, and more.”

“No... as in, not yet. I do hope to travel to NYC this fall to see The Phantom of the Opera when it returns.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🎬 Jen Salke has stepped down as the head of Amazon MGM Studios. Now, head of film Courtenay Valenti and head of TV Vernon Sanders will report directly to Prime Video boss Mike Hopkins.

💰 Patrick Whitesell’s new Silver Lake-backed venture has made its first investment: a minority stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.

🎮 Ubisoft is spinning off hit franchises Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six into a new subsidiary backed by $1.25 billion from Tencent.

📱 Signal secured a 45% increase in downloads in the US and a 42% increase in Yemen after the story broke that top Trump officials used the platform to plan a military operation.

✋ Utah has become the first state to require age verification and parental consent before minors can download apps.

💸 Social trading platform eToro is going public on the Nasdaq at an undisclosed valuation.

🏈 Playback, a Twitch-like platform for sports, has scored $22 million in funding from investors, including Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six.

🎤 YouTube’s upfronts event, Brandcast, has booked talent like MrBeast, Lady Gaga, and Brittany Broski.

🧑‍💻 Facebook is re-introducing a “Friends” feed to give the platform some 2010 vibes.

BOXABL, the construction firm shaking up the building industry with assembly-line automation, has officially reserved the Nasdaq ticker symbol BXBL. Armed with patented tech and 53 patent applications, BOXABL is on a mission to revolutionize the trillion-dollar construction space.

Now in capital-raising mode, the company is developing 20x30 and 20x40 homes as part of its Phase 2 rollout. Shares are just $0.80 each, with a minimum investment of $1,000 — and over 40,000 investors are already onboard to help tackle the housing crisis.

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