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The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Heat IndexGreg BerlantiThe mega-producer’s record scripted TV haul grows to 21 with series orders at HBO Max for DC-inspired dramas Green Lantern and anthology Strange Adventures.Jim BellThe Tonight Show showrunner, who had been with NBC for nearly three decades, abruptly exits amid preparations for the network’s 2020 Olympics coverage.Catherine HerridgeCBS News hires the veteran Fox News reporter, the latest high-profile journalist to exit the conservative-leaning network after anchor Shepard Smith’s departure.David EllisonThe Skydance Media chief’s pricey reboot of Terminator crashes at the global box office with a $123.6 million debut, likely ending hopes for sequels.Showbiz Stocks$194.72 (+3%) FACEBOOK (FB)The social media giant posts quarterly sales and profit that exceed expectations; daily active users jump 9 percent.$41.40 (-12%) AMC NETS (AMCX)Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger reiterates his “underperform” rating after the operator of…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?As Disney+, HBO Max, Peaco*ck and Apple TV+ launch billion-dollar programming budgets in search of scale, will that leave small streaming services struggling? In this group, streamers from AMC Networks and WWE to nonfiction programmer CuriosityStream and indie purveyor Sundance Now are finding that there is no room for error as the field crowds. As MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson put it in a Nov. 1 research note, the question AMC faces is “whether it can make this strategic transformation, or build a ‘lifeboat,’ fast enough to offset the declines in the traditional business.”Clearly, these companies think the market is big enough to support their ambitions, especially with such smaller content spends. AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan told analysts Oct. 31 that the addressable market for its offerings, which include Anglophile-focused…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Comebacks, Letdowns and Hollywood Film Fest HonorsBEST PICTUREMotherless BrooklynEdward Norton’s long-gestating passion project, based on Jonathan Lethem’s novel — he adapted, directed, produced and stars in the $26 million Warner Bros. production — grossed just $3.7 million from 1,332 theaters, significantly less than analysts forecasted. Mixed reviews out of fall film festivals didn’t help.HarrietKasi Lemmons’ $17 million portrait of Harriet Tubman surpassed projections with a $12 million debut. The Focus Features movie outpaced 2018’s BlacKkKlansman release with a rare A+ CinemaScore. And on Nov. 3, star Cynthia Erivo picked up the Hollywood Film Award for breakout actress.Dark WatersWhile Harriet is a hit, Focus’ other drama — the issue-driven Dark Waters, which is based on a true story — began screening ahead of its Nov. 22 release, and early reactions are mixed. Directed by Todd Haynes, the…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Rights Available!Dominicana (FLATIRON, SEPT. 3)BY Angie Cruz AGENCY ICM PartnersThis 1960s-set coming-of-age tale about a 15-year-old girl who marries and leaves her native Dominican Republic for New York City could help address the recent USC study that found Latin characters represent just 4.5 percent of all speaking roles in film.I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying (HARPER PERENNIAL, AUG. 6)BY Bassey Ikpi AGENCY UTAWhile shows like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and You’re the Worst have portrayed mental illness onscreen, the best-selling essay collection adds the Nigerian-American immigrant’s perspective.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019‘I Like to Consider Myself the Godfather’About 80 miles south of Miami Beach, where Andy García grew up as the son of Cuban exiles, sits Key Largo. The largest of the Florida Keys, it was immortalized in the 1948 Warner Bros. film Key Largo, in which Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall find themselves stranded in a hotel during a hurricane when — to make a bad situation worse — they’re taken hostage by a ruthless mobster, played by Edward G. Robinson. The John Huston picture is one of García’s favorites. “The first time I saw it, I noticed the credits said it was based on a play,” he says. “I thought, ‘Wow, it would be great to mount that. It’s all in one place. You have the storm, these great characters.…’”A late-night inspiration several decades ago…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019HERE COME CALIFORNIA’S POT HOTELSFor those who imbibe and don’t like to drive: Enter cannabis hotels. By 2023, Coachella Valley will host two: Coachill Inn Resort in Desert Hot Springs (rendering above) and The Grape House boutique in Palm Springs. The minimalist Grape House, designed by Dan Brunn, will feature a dispensary, smoking lounge and restaurant headed by Michelin-starred Kristopher Esqueda, says Chris Santos (co-founder of now-defunct fashion label MyVice Sweats).Part of Kenny Dickerson’s 160-acre Coachill Inn Canna-Business Park, the resort with 154 eco rooms ($150 to $2,500 for the suite with hot springs river), opening in 2020, will feature hemp furniture, medical concierge, sweet leaf-shaped hot tub, sports complex, mocktail lounges, CBD delivery by robot and 2,000-seat amphitheater. Greenhouses and proprietary tech will be secured by retired military security and drones. Resort owner…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Rambling ReporterA Eulogy for Bob Evans’ Tennis CourtRobert Evans weathered tough times in his 70-plus-year career, but there was one constant: tennis. Evans, the producer and executive who died Oct. 28 at 89, hosted many stars on his Woodland Drive court in Beverly Hills, including Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Henry Kissinger and Serena Williams. Evans’ black-and-green court was “the number one action court,” says tennis instructor Darryl Goldman, 60. “They stopped painting courts that color years ago, but Bob had a sense of style,” he says. “Novak Djokovic loved it.” Of Evans’ skill, Goldman adds that he was “crafty and could beat players you wouldn’t think he could,” including Johnny Carson and O.J. Simpson “when he was just a football player.” Once Kirk Kerkorian stormed off the court because of an…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019BirthdaysNOV. 7Rebecca Eaton, 72Joni Mitchell, 76Morgan Spurlock, 49NOV. 8Richard Curtis, 63John Musker, 66Parker Posey, 51Alfre Woodard, 67NOV. 9Bille August, 71Fernando Meirelles, 64NOV. 10Zoey Deutch, 25Roland Emmerich, 64Tracy Morgan, 51Ellen Pompeo, 50Kiernan Shipka, 20NOV. 11Leonardo DiCaprio, 45Calista Flockhart, 55Demi Moore, 57Stanley Tucci, 59NOV. 12Ryan Gosling, 39Anne Hathaway, 37Megan Mullally, 61NOV. 13Gerard Butler, 50Whoopi Goldberg, 64Jimmy Kimmel, 52Chris Noth, 65…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Building a NeighborhoodWhen Mr. McFeely, the upbeat mailman on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, hands Tom Hanks’ Fred Rogers a package in director Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the original Mr. McFeely was standing behind the cameras, keeping a close eye on the scene.The involvement of David Newell, who played the character on the beloved children’s TV series, and others from Rogers’ world, help to up the authenticity of production designer Jade Healy’s meticulous re-creation of the set.Opening Nov. 22, Sony’s Beautiful Day, based on a 1998 Esquire cover story, dramatizes how an assignment to profile Rogers changed the perspective of a cynical journalist (Matthew Rhys).Re-creating the look and feel of Rogers’ world in 1998 was a labor of love for Healy and her team, assisted by Newell and Rogers’ widow,…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019The Complicated ‘Showdown’ and Cars of Ford v FerrariI wanted to shoot it like an old-style Western,” says James Mangold, director of Ford v Ferrari, the Fox feature that chronicles the 1966 battle between the two auto companies to win the world’s most prestigious car race, the Le Mans in France. “It’s a showdown between Ken Miles” — the Ford driver, played by Christian Bale — “and [Ferrari driver] Lorenzo Bandini, and I wanted it to have a touch of Sergio Leone,” adds Mangold of Le Mans, which is won by covering the greatest distance in 24 hours. In the movie, which cost just under $100 million and is out Nov. 15, Matt Damon portrays Carroll Shelby, the engineering legend who built Miles’ iconic car, the Ford GT40. “They rev the engines and … it’s almost like a…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019EXECSFILMMANDY BECKNER / 34Director of OriginalIndependent Film, Netflix With an eye toward breaking in new directors, Beckner is building out Netflix’s homegrown film slate after joining the company two years ago from David Heyman’s Heyday Films. She just wrapped principal photography on the first project she brought to Netflix, the horror film There’s Someone Inside Your House from Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps and James Wan’s Atomic Monster. On the horizon is Liz Garbus’ serial killer drama Lost Girls, the anticipated sequel to The Kissing Booth and the Édgar Ramírez-fronted crime thriller The Last Days of American Crime. The Washington, D.C., native lives in Culver City with her husband of one year, I, Tonya producer Bryan Unkeless (Next Gen Class of 2012), with their two dogs and tortoise.FOOD/DRINK I LOVE BUT…46 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019What I’ve Learned From My Millennial and Gen Z StaffJeffrey and I were very deliberate about building a company that was a reflection of who we thought our audience would be. Our target audience at Quibi is 25 to 35 years old, so we said, “What better way to get content for that target demo than hiring our target demo?” Over 70 percent of our staff is under the age of 40 and more than 30 percent is under the age of 30. We had the same demographic at eBay back in the day, so I’ve experienced this before.What I’ve learned is that this age group sees the possibilities. They’re not jaded. They haven’t lived through 20 or 30 years in a corporate environment where they’ve been told no. So they imagine that they can do things that sometimes…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019JOJO RABBITPretty much every actor Taika Waititi approached to star in Jojo Rabbit had the same reaction as Sam Rockwell. “I was a little reticent to play a Nazi,” he says.Understandably, the story of a 10-year-old boy in World War II Germany who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home and enlists the guidance of his imaginary best friend — a wacky, kid-friendly Adolf Hitler — was not a particularly easy sell. “There is no ‘in’ with that logline,” Scarlett Johansson, who plays the mother, notes with a laugh.But according to Waititi — the 44-year-old New Zealand director whose previous credits include quirky indies like What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as Marvel tentpole Thor: Ragnarok — a $14 million…10 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Can Indies Survive the Streaming Age?American Film MarketNov. 6-13 Santa MonicaFor the independent film industry — the motley crew of producers, financiers, sales agents and international distributors that descend on Santa Monica in early November for the American Film Market — it is the best of times and the worst of times. There’s arguably never been more money sloshing around the entertainment industry. New deep-pocketed SVOD services — Disney+, Apple TV+ and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, among them — have entered the market alongside established big spenders Netflix and Amazon. And a recent report by Ampere Analysis found global TV spend on content — including films — has exploded, growing nearly $50 billion in the past five years alone. But the traditional theatrical business, particularly in North America, is under pressure. Whatever you think of Martin…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Morphing Into MegynAmerican Cinematheque AwardsNov. 8 BeverlyFrom a desperate serial killer in Monster to a vengeful desert warrior in Mad Max: Fury Road to a dazed and depressed mother in Tully, Charlize Theron has built a career upon playing darkly fascinating women. Her latest role, as broadcaster Megyn Kelly in director Jay Roach’s Bombshell, is yet another portrait of female complexity. Theron, who also produced the Lionsgate film under her production shingle, Denver and Delilah, stars opposite Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and John Lithgow in the timely drama about the 2017 sexual harassment scandal at Fox News. Ahead of receiving the American Cinematheque Award on Nov. 8, Oscar winner Theron, 44, discussed her uncanny transformation into Kelly, her last-minute scramble for financing and the debate over whether #MeToo has gone too far.Your…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Wham! Recorded the Classic ‘Last Christmas’ in ’84In one eight-month period during the mid-1980s, the British duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, also known as the pop supergroup Wham!, made history twice: In April 1985 they were the first major Western pop act to visit Communist China (15,000 fans paid about $1.75 each to watch them perform at the People’s Gymnasium in Beijing), and in December 1984, they recorded their generation’s most enduring holiday song, “Last Christmas.” While not quite as popular in the U.S., “Christmas” was the 21st century’s most played holiday song in the U.K. and Ireland (until it was overtaken in 2015 by The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York”).It has been covered by dozens of artists including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani, and the music video generated 65 million views on…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Digital TV’s Great Subscriber Race BeginsWhen Disney+ launches Nov. 12, the new streaming service will begin what Disney CEO Bob Iger hopes is a quick journey to at least 60 million subscribers by the end of 2024. Six months later, on a still-to-be-announced date in May, HBO Max will take off on its own sprint to hit at least 75 million subscribers in 2025.Instead of the “streaming wars,” it’s more like a streaming race as each new entrant that launches strives to reach ambitious subscriber goals and carve out a piece of the overall direct-to-consumer video market. With U.S. pay TV subscribers expected to drop from north of 100 million in 2014 to 78 million by 2022, per research from Sanford C. Bernstein, every company has recognized an opportunity to lure those cable defectors (and…5 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019‘BEFORE YOU REALIZE THE SHOW’S OVER, I’M TELLING YOU WHAT’S COMING NEXT’Deal of the WeekExtra and TMZ may be at the forefront of a change in the TV syndication business.Fox Television Stations and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, which together syndicate the two daily programs, have agreed to a format change (along with multiseason renewals): Instead of an ad break following the end credits, each show will now flow seamlessly into the next. TMZ spinoff TMZ Live and talk show The Real, which both also earned multiyear pickups, will incorporate the tweak, already a long-standing practice for network primetime shows and national news programs. The changes will take effect in December.“You don’t want to signal in a linear world that the show’s over, go look for something else,” Fox TV Stations CEO Jack Abernethy tells THR. The four shows will still…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 20197 Days of DEALSFILMLady Gaga (CAA, Grubman Shire) will star in Ridley Scott’s untitled film about the murder of Guccio Gucci’s grandson, playing the slain heir’s wife.Peyton Reed (WME, Sloane Offer) is staying with the Ant-Man franchise to direct the third movie.Jiro Dreams of Sushi’s David Gelb (WME, Myman Greenspan, Ziffren Brittenham) will helm thriller Consume, based on his pitch, for Fox Searchlight and 21 Laps.Sue Kroll (Hansen Jacobson) is teaming with Masters of Sex creator Michelle Ashford to adapt Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls for Warner Bros.Vince Vaughn (WME, Jackoway Austen) andCatastrophe’s Sharon Horgan (WME, the U.K.’s United, Nelson Davis) will star in romantic dramedy The Last Drop.TELEVISIONQueen Latifah (UTA, Flavor Unit, Eisenberg Tanchum) will star in CBS’ reboot of The Equalizer.Grey’s Anatomy show-runner Krista Vernoff (Jackoway Austen) is developing Erin Brockovich…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019‘We Need to Protect This Seat’Without the support of the entertainment industry, Katie Hill never would have pulled off her upset victory in 2018’s midterms, in which she flipped CA-25 from a red district to a blue one. The same supporters reeled in shock — following sexual misconduct allegations against Hill, 32, who resigned Oct. 27 — before regrouping. “We may be brokenhearted about Katie Hill, but we need to protect this seat,” says Christy Callahan, wife of MGM Motion Picture Group president Jon Glickman, who with her husband will host on Nov. 10 the first of many fundraisers for Christy Smith. The assemblywoman said Oct. 28 that she’d be vying for Hill’s seat.Hill resigned after a conservative website published texts and photos, some nude, indicating that the openly bisexual congresswoman had been in a…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Yes, I Did Say That!“My 82-year-old bones hurt.”JANE FONDA The actress and activist, to The Washington Post, describing the night she spent in jail after being arrested for the fourth time protesting climate change in Washington, D.C.“It’s a disgrace.”JOHN FITHIAN The National Association of Theater Owners president, to The New York Times, about Netflix’s plan to screen Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman for only 26 days in theaters before releasing it on its platform.“That’s not defending free speech, Mark — that’s assaulting truth.”AARON SORKIN The Social Network screenwriter, in an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg in The New York Times, imploring the Facebook CEO to reconsider his policy of not fact-checking political ads.“What message is this sending to viewers and especially to women?”OLIVIA WILDE The Booksmart director, on Twitter, after discovering that Delta Airlines had…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Power DiningRegina King was at Norah.… Christian Bale and Scott Cooper shared a table at Katsuya Brentwood.… Jay Leno enjoyed Il Fornaio Beverly Hills.… Lana Del Rey was at Tutto Bene.… Scarlett Johansson, Jimmy Kimmel and Martin Short were in separately at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele.… Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio had dinner at The Draycott.… Larry David checked out Craig’s.… Barry Sonnenfeld popped by Jar.… Over in New York, Donald Faison and Allison Tolman sat with friends at Vandal.… Kendall Jenner was at Union Square Greenmarket.HOT NEW RESTAURANTAmerican BeautyThe Quick PitchRestaurateur Paul Hibler (Pitfire Pizza) has turned a strip mall Mexican market in Venice into a low-key, low-light steakhouse serving gentle riffs on classics, from calamari with shish*to peppers to a fried artichoke with kimchi aioli. Designer David Irvin (Gjelina,…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019John WellsJohn Wells is quick to remind guests at his sprawling headquarters about his 30-year legacy in television — or at least his greatest hits. Parking spaces greeting visitors to the Hollywood enclave are labeled with names such as Bartlet (Martin Sheen’s West Wing president) and Ross (George Clooney’s ER doc), a tip of the hat to some of the marquee series on the writer-producer’s TV résumé.Its interior carefully decorated with black-and-white photos and classic movie posters, John Wells Productions’ 3-year-old office bustles with 20 staffers working on two shows (Showtime’s Shameless, returning Nov. 10, and TNT’s Animal Kingdom) as well as a jam-packed development slate of 13 new projects. For Wells, 63, consolidating two writers rooms with a few floating offices, where scribes can work on practice pitches, into one…5 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Three Irishmen, Two Popes and One DivorceLast September, Netflix’s Roma, Alfonso Cuarón’s Spanish-language period piece, staked its place as the frontrunner for the best picture Oscar after winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the first in a battery of victories that looked likely to climax at the Academy Awards. In the end, of course, the movie fell short, earning laurels for director, cinematographer and foreign-language film but being outflanked for best picture by that feel-good drama Green Book, a movie helmed by Peter Farrelly, a cineaste more famous for Dumb and Dumber than awards entries.Now Netflix is back, this time with three heavyweight contenders.Foremost among them is The Irishman from director Martin Scorsese and the power combo of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. Ten years in the works, the picture…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Why Young Hollywood Is Still Signing NDAs — for NowHollywood jobs come with a few rites of hiring — the ID card, the HR paperwork, the nondisclosure agreement.From film sets to agencies to executive suites, NDAs still are in common use in the entertainment industry, despite coming under scrutiny recently for their application in high-profile sexual misconduct settlements at NBCUniversal, Fox News and The Weinstein Co.Young entertainment professionals eager for jobs are — so far — still signing the controversial confidentiality agreements. “People may grouse about NDAs, but it’s still the case that people want to work in this industry, and they will most often sign what they’re required to sign in order to do so,” says Ann Fromholz, an employment lawyer who conducts investigations into workplace misconduct.That’s certainly the case for actor Arvin Lee, 28, who has appeared…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019The CrownReturning to Netflix after a hiatus of nearly two years, The Crown always was going to be a series in transition during its third season.Not only was creator Peter Morgan replacing the entirety of his award-winning cast, but the time period covered — the ascension of Harold Wilson as prime minister in 1964 through the Silver Jubilee of 1977 — feels in many ways like a lead-up to a juicier fourth season promising the introductions of Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana.Even in transition, though, these 10 new episodes make for thoughtful, gorgeously produced drama. Accessibly austere and immaculately polished, The Crown remains a model for carefully crafted episodic storytelling and a trenchant examination of the nature of power. And the new ensemble — fronted by Oscar winner Olivia Colman, in…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Lady and the TrampProbably the dullest of the live action (or quasi-live) remakes of Disney animated films, Charlie Bean’s Lady and the Tramp further reveals the limitations of having real (or digitally realistic) critters stand in for the talking animals of yesteryear. Serving as the marquee offering of the Disney+ streaming service, it’s nearly personality-free, suggesting the studio will save features with real charm for the big screen.Kiersey Clemons and Thomas Mann play Darling and Jim Dear, a married couple celebrating Christmas with new co*cker spaniel puppy Lady. Darling gets pregnant, and Lady (voiced by Tessa Thompson) feels the couple’s affections shifting. She ends up sharing her concerns with a new dog in the hood, a mutt named Tramp (Justin Theroux).Many viewers won’t recognize the name Andrew Bujalski. But cinephiles will scratch their…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019THE MARKET: NON-ENGLISH TITLES THRIVE OVERSEASEven as American indies are proving a harder sell internationally, a new market is opening up for foreign-language titles, driven by the power of Netflix — and the People’s Republic.Reed Hastings’ streaming giant, in its aggressive push to localize in every one of the more than 190 countries it operates in, has become the largest buyer of non-English-language films worldwide. Recent acquisitions include international feature Academy Award contenders Atlantics (from Senegal), Joy (Austria) and Chiwetel Ejiojor’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (submitted for the Oscars by the U.K.), as well as Spanish-language sci-fi thriller The Platform, one of the genre hits in Toronto this year. At a recent industry conference in Zurich, Wild Bunch boss Vincent Maraval noted that Netflix has become “the biggest client of the French cinema…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019AMC CHIEF EARNS AN ACCOLADEHe’s a marketer and strategist who has been a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, the CEO of a cruise line (Norwegian) and helped to turn Colorado’s Vail Resorts into a luxury destination. Nearly four years after being named CEO of AMC Entertainment — owned by China’s Wanda and the largest cinema chain in North America — Adam Aron, 65, will be honored with the American Cinematheque’s Sid Grauman Award in recognition of AMC’s “remarkable evolution of the theatergoing experience,” says Cinematheque chairman Rick Nicita. Aron is only the fifth recipient of the tribute, which was created to honor pioneers in the exhibition and distribution business; previous awardees were Dolby Laboratories (2018), Richard Gelfond and Greg Foster of Imax (2017), Sue Kroll (2016) and Jeffrey Katzenberg (2015).…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Piracy Crackdown May Be Next Front in Streaming WarsHow will consumers afford Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Peaco*ck and on and on? To many industry analysts, the answer is simple: They won’t. Consumers will be selective in deciding which digital services are worthy of their money. Hence, the socalled “streaming wars.”But there’s another way to look at the issue. Thanks to rampant free-riding, one account doesn’t mean one viewer. Passwords will be shared, and platforms will be hacked. Under this framework, the streamers aren’t battling with one another. They’re teaming up against the grifters to fight Piracy 2.0.On Oct. 30, just a day after WarnerMedia’s John Stankey previewed HBO Max at a glitzy event, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment announced a working group to reduce unauthorized access to content, specifically mentioning “improper password…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Behind the HeadlinesBILLBOARD HOT 100: The week’s most popular current songs, across all genres, ranked by audience impressions, sales data and streaming activity by online music sources tracked by Nielsen Music. BILLBOARD 200: The week’s most popular albums across all genres, as compiled by Nielsen Music, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums).TERMINATOR: KERRY BROWN/PARAMOUNT PICTURES. JOKER: COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT. HARRIET: GLEN WILSON/FOCUS FEATURES. CHARLES BERGMANN/BET/TYLER VISION, LLC.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Murdoch Pacts With Studios — and SpielbergBig DealIt’s been a busy week for Elisabeth Murdoch’s movie ventures.First up: a multi-film deal between Locksmith Animation — which she co-founded in 2014 with former Aardman Animations executives Julie Lockhart and Sarah Smith — and Warner Bros. to develop and produce family features for worldwide distribution. Locksmith previously had a multiyear production partnership with 20th Century Fox (before its sale to Disney) and is currently in production on its first film, Ron’s Gone Wrong, which will be released by Disney in November 2020.“In recent years, animation has become a tremendously important part of our slate, and this deal with Locksmith dovetails perfectly with our plans,” Warner Bros. Pictures group chairman Toby Emmerich and president of production and development Courtenay Valenti said in an Oct. 31 statement announcing the new…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019$ 2.5B Big NumberApple’s commitment, announced Nov. 4, to combat the affordable housing crisis in California, topping Facebook’s prior $1 billion pledge.Rep SheetStacey Abrams has signed with UTA, as has legendary comic book creator Frank Miller and Broadway breakout Will Hochman (The Sound Inside).Major K-pop label SM Entertainment has signed with CAA.Oscar-nominated documentarian Ed Perkins, earning awards buzz for his latest, Tell Me Who I Am, has signed with WME.Jourdan Dunn has signed with IMG Models.Next Big ThingSean EvansREP WMEWHY HE MATTERSThe Hot Ones host, 33, is making the jump from YouTube to TV. TruTV has ordered 20 episodes of a game show based on his hit digital series, in which he interviews celebrities while they eat spicy chicken wings. Hot Ones: The Game Show, set to premiere in early 2020, will be…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019WHO EVACUATED WHEN BRENTWOOD WAS BURNINGFire ReportFor hours after a neighbor woke up Mara Buxbaum around 2 a.m. Oct. 28, the IDPR president and her husband, Greenberg Traurig partner Mathew Rosengart, watched on their phones from a Bundy Drive parking lot as the security cameras on their home off Tigertail Road showed the Getty fire encroaching. “The flames were so bright, the cameras switched from night vision to day,” she says. The house across the street was reduced to ash on the night the 500-plus-acre fire began consuming Brentwood.Buxbaum, who represents such clients as Michelle Williams and Bong Joon Ho, is one of several industry figures in the neighborhood, also home to LeBron James; CAA agent Fred Specktor, who evacuated with his houseguest and client Geoffrey Rush; and Slate PR partner Ina Treciokas. Disney CEO…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019The Red CarpetLACMA’s Art + Film GalaLos Angeles, Nov. 2Breakthrough PrizeMountain View, California, Nov. 3Party CrawlerArt and SoulLACMA’s ninth Art + Film gala earned the “Met Gala of the West” nickname for its A-list mix of fashionistas (thanks to sponsor Gucci), movie stars (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto) and museum backdrop ($4.6 million was raised). “It’s very chic and a different group of people,” says Salma Hayek, who singled out honorees Alfonso Cuarón (1) and artist Betye Saar (5). “It’s a rough moment we’re in — a year to the elections, California is on fire, and it all can get you down,” said Liz Goldwyn. “It’s nice to come here and experience joie de vivre.” After dinner, Billie Eilish (4) introduced Anderson. Paak (3), who gave a nightcap performance. “It’s so much more…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Hitched, Hatched, HiredWeddingsEllie Schiff, TV literary agent at Paradigm, married Adam Klein on Oct. 5 at The Harper in Newport Beach. The couple will honeymoon in Japan.Meg McAlduff, senior supervising producer for America’s Got Talent, wed Sean MacGregor, a camera assistant, on Sept. 21 at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, Massachusetts.BirthsNat McCormick, executive vp distribution at The Exchange, and wife Sara Peterson, production coordinator on Days of Our Lives, welcomed daughter Remi Nalea McCormick on Sept. 21 at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.CongratsJim Lanzone stepped down from his post atop CBS Interactive after eight years, and Marc DeBevoise was promoted to CEO to fill his role Nov. 4.Toby Emmerich extended his contract as chairman of Warner Bros.Pictures Group and Carolyn Blackwood was promoted to COO on Oct. 30.Jamila Hunter was named senior vp current…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Young Hollywood’s Student Loan CrisisI owe $104,530 in student loans,” says Brian Kemm, an aspiring screenwriter who also works as a production assistant on a variety of film sets and as a bartender. “And it will be higher by the end of this call.”Though Kemm understands that plenty of today’s Hollywood power brokers didn’t have a college degree — examples include dropouts Steven Spielberg and Ellen DeGeneres — he attended a master’s screenwriting program at U.K.’s Sheffield Hallam University. “I could come to L.A. with empty pockets and no connections or I could come to L.A. with empty pockets, no connections and a master’s degree that could tell someone reading a résumé that I am serious,” he says.Kemm, 33, is a part of a growing contingent of young professionals trying to make their way…7 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Outfitting Regal Sisters on The CrownAn early scene in The Crown’s third season finds Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II (Tobias Menzies and Oliva Colman) discussing a possible role for Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham-Carter) as the No. 2 in the monarchy. “It’s always been the dazzling Windsors and the dull ones,” comments the prince.As the dull and dazzling sisters continue their rivalry into the new season, which covers the mid-’60s through the ’70s, the buttoned-down Queen’s wardrobe gets a lift. Though the costumes never directly reference the minis, pop-art and space-age frocks that defined London as the epicenter of mod culture, royal looks were amplified for both queen and princess. Costume designer Amy Roberts (who won a BAFTA for 2005’s The Virgin Queen) chose structured, modern designs with wider lapels and ties for the men,…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Don’t Call ThemBOND GIRLSWhen Ana de Armas first arrived at London’s Pinewood Studios to shoot No Time to Die, the 25th installment in the James Bond franchise, she was a bit starstruck — though not when introduced to lead Daniel Craig. It happened as she was walking into a meeting with director Cary Joji f*ckunaga, who was chatting with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the British creator of Fleabag and Killing Eve who’d been hired to bring a fresh female perspective (and some humor) to the film’s script.“I saw Phoebe, and I just blushed — I got red like a tomato,” says de Armas, 31. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, can I hug you? I want to be your friend.’” De Armas’ co-star, Lashana Lynch, had a similar reaction when she learned of Waller-Bridge’s involvement.…14 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019My favorite podcast these days is …Culpable“I’m horrified and kind of fascinated by stories of gross incompetence or corruption on behalf of the government and law enforcement.”—Steven Brown, ICMWatch What Crappens“Two hilarious guys recapping episodes of The Real Housewives on Bravo. I don’t even watch the shows anymore, just listen to the recaps.”—Annie Lee, Gang TyreThe Rewatchables“It’s phenomenal and also makes me scream at my phone in disagreement regularly.”—Josh fa*gen, Point GreySong Exploder“I’m not musically inclined, so hearing how those who are make their magic is fascinating.”—Sadao Turner, Westbrook Media…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019ASK AND THEY SHALL RECEIVEPETER SARAFA BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODSomething that we all needed — which I wasn’t sure that we were ever going to get because it took years — were the rights to the show [Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood] and the music. We developed this project for seven years because it took that long to earn the trust of the people who worked with Fred [Rogers] and his family and the people who are charged with protecting his legacy, and they are, rightly so, very protective. There were many times when I thought we weren’t going to get the rights and that we weren’t going to be able to tell this story that we were determined to tell, but it was also one of the most gratifying challenges. Because out of the…9 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019Back to LifeThere is a magnificent economy in Back to Life, a BBC-produced British series to air on Showtime. It will get headlines because the show has some of the same producers as Amazon’s Fleabag and because it also has an extremely talented writer and star at its center: Daisy Haggard (Episodes).There is darkness and laughter here, just as there was in Fleabag, and the two series share a similar melancholy-filled mysteriousness — though Back to Life isn’t built to brilliantly spring a reveal on you at the end, as the first season of Fleabag did. It’s just a wonderfully nuanced story that’s both extremely funny and tragically sad but never leans too hard in either direction just to get a reaction.Haggard and Laura Solon (Hot in Cleveland) wrote all six half-hour…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019New Mexico Plots Life After Breaking BadLocation ExpoNov. 9-12 Santa MonicaIn states’ increasingly competitive bid for film and television productions, New Mexico has emerged as a formidable contender. Among its victories: Netflix’s acquisition of Albuquerque Studios, where it plans to spend more than $1 billion on production over the next 10 years, and NBCUniversal’s separate in-state studio investment, through which it plans to shell out $500 million over the same period. Appointed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to the post of state film director earlier this year, former locations manager Todd Christensen, 70, will be tasked with keeping the Southwestern state a top filming destination. Christensen’s efforts will be helped by newly passed legislation that raises the amount New Mexico can pay out to qualifying productions from $50 million to $110 million a year, as…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019The Morning Show Arrives Right on TimeSince it was announced in August 2017 — with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as co-stars and co-executive producers — Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, centered on a fictitious morning news program, has generated plenty of its own headlines. From Aniston’s and Witherspoon’s $2 million-per-episode fees to a creative dust-up that saw first-time showrunner Jay Carson replaced by Kerry Ehrin, every move on the tech giant’s first big original was scrutinized as keenly as the #MeToo scandals that helped inspire it (including Matt Lauer’s ouster from Today amid allegations of sexual misconduct).Based on CNN anchor Brian Stelter’s 2013 book Top of the Morning, the show premiered the first three chapters Nov. 1 (with seven more rolling out weekly through the end of the year). The trio of episodes dropped just…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Wednesday, November 6, 2019The One Where They Were SistersNineteen years before they joined forces for Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Witherspoon locked horns with Aniston on NBC’s Friends — she played Rachel Green’s sister Jill, who (gasp) goes on a date with David Schwimmer’s Ross. Where would the Green sisters be now? “Making The Morning Show,” jokes Aniston. Starting in May 2020, you’ll find Rachel and Jill on HBO Max; the WarnerMedia service locked down domestic streaming rights to Friends in a $425 million deal amid a library arms race that continues to escalate.…1 min
