Home//The Hollywood Reporter/Friday, July 19, 2019/In This Issue
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Can YouTube Fend Off Rivals for Top Influencers?The marine layer was burning off above the Santa Monica Mountains as some 160 influencers descended on Malibu’s Calamigos Ranch for the second annual Facebook Creator Day on July 9 to learn about building audiences and making money on the platform. The social giant just unveiled new ways to take advantage of the platform’s 2-year-old revenue sharing program, including more flexible ad placements and a fan subscription feature. Over the past year, Facebook vp entertainment partnerships Sibyl Goldman has watched creators like Jay Shetty (25 million followers), a motivational speaker, and rapper Prince Ea (15 million followers) take off on the platform. Now, she tells THR, she’s focused on giving them more tools to understand how their videos are performing.On the next day, July 10, thousands of established and aspiring…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 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).BACHELORETTE: ABC/MARK BOURDILLON. LIES: COURTESY OF HBO. HILL: FRANCISCO ROMAN/SHOWTIME. COLE: STEVEN FERDMAN/GETTY IMAGES. MALONE: MAURICIO SANTANA/GETTY IMAGES. CRAWL: SERGEJ RADOVIC/PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ENDGAME: COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS. HOME: COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES (2).…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Lou Pearlman Biopic Shows the Con Behind the MusicBig DealAs music biopics continue to trend post-Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, one controversial mogul will get the spotlight.The meteoric rise and epic fall of boy band impresario Lou Pearlman will be told in Transcon, produced by Edward Pressman (Wall Street), former Village Roadshow CEO Greg Basser, luxury fashion marketing guru David Anton and hitmakers Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson. The latter duo penned several ’90s pop hits and will write new music as well as integrate songs associated with Pearlman’s artists for the film’s soundtrack.The producers have optioned Bryan Burrough’s Vanity Fair story “Mad About the Boys” and Tyler Gray’s nonfiction book The Hit Charade to serve as the basis of the true-crime tale of glory and greed.Although known as “Big Poppa,” Pearlman by some estimates swindled investors out of…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019‘I’m Having the Conversation Everyone in the World Is Having’Marianne Williamson made a big impression at the June 27 Democratic debate, as her out-of-the-box thoughts on everything from moon shots to parenting captivated — and perhaps confused — an already bleary electorate. Self-help aficionados have long been well-acquainted with the 67-year-old candidate, who’s authored 13 books — her most recent is A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution — and has been championed by no less than Oprah Winfrey, who first hosted her on her talk show in 1992 and remains a friend. (“I think part of being her friend is respecting her privacy,” says Williamson when prodded for Winfrey’s thoughts on the campaign.) Dismissed as everything from a kooky hippie to a dangerous anti-vaxxer — the first label she accepts, the second she rejects…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Rambling ReporterJeffrey Epstein Doc Scrapped: Too ‘Distasteful’Is it possible Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes are so despicable, not even Hollywood will cash in on them? A long-in-the-works doc about the billionaire sex offender has been nixed because its filmmaker decided the material is just too gross. “As I dug into the story, the subject matter became distasteful,” says Barry Avrich, 56, whose films include Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project. Avrich, who started working on the movie in 2017 after bumping into Epstein while vacationing in Florida, tells THR that he “believes there’s not much of an audience” for such a film. Netflix, however, will test that theory; the streamer is producing a four-part docuseries (from Radical Media) that was in production before the latest headlines, based on the 2016 book Filthy Rich,…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 20191931-2019Rip TornHe was the kindest, sweetest man, but there were all these crazy stories about him, like how he once smashed [Norman] Mailer with a ball-peen hammer [on the set of 1970’s Maidstone] or how he got in a big fight with Dennis Hopper [on Easy Rider]. But there was never anything like that on our set. He was a really good bad boy, but he was never a bad guy. Rip would support you no matter what. One time I had a scene where I had to sing and I just couldn’t belt out a song. I’d done five or six takes, and I was really bad. So Rip comes over and pulls out a snifter and he’s like, ‘Take a snort of this.’ I took a hit. I don’t…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Hollywood’s New King: ‘Virtual Production’Director Jon Favreau says he spent more than two years roaming the African plains to make The Lion King, his photoreal all-digital remake of Disney’s 1994 animated classic. But aside from an early trip to the continent, much of Favreau’s work actually took place in the Playa Vista area of Los Angeles, viewing his expansive locations through virtual reality headsets. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and his crew had their Steadicam, crane and other camera supports systems on the stage, but they too were planning their shots by looking at their locations in VR.A retelling of one of Disney’s most iconic animated stories was always going to come with sizable risk, so the filmmakers employed bleeding-edge technology to seamlessly meld CG imagery with live-action production techniques. Favreau used similar methods to…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Vegan? Paleo? Gluten-Free?! How to Throw a Hollywood Dinner Party to Please All GuestsWith today’s shifting smorgasbord of dietary allegiances and restrictions — vegan! glutenfree! paleo! — throwing a dinner party in Los Angeles can be like running a gauntlet. “I’m sympathetic since I’m one of those picky eaters,” says interior and fashion designer Jenni Kayne, whose new book, Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining, positions her as a West Coast Martha Stewart (who wrote the foreword). “I’m a vegan who eats fish and eggs” but no other dairy, explains Kayne with a laugh. On a recent Wednesday evening, the lifestyle guru and her husband, real estate agent Richard Ehrlich (who doesn’t eat red meat), hosted a “typical” dinner for 16 on the lush grounds of the Brentwood home they share with three children, two dogs and two rabbits.So how does an expert hostess…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Koreatown’s New Residential PopThe Friday night line outside night-club Mama Lion on Western Avenue provides an excellent glimpse into the shifting mien of L.A.’s Koreatown. There’s the standard quotient of attractive 20- and 30-somethings — mostly Asian. But there’s also a contingent of white, Latino and African American patrons, many of whom would have blown past this address a few years ago on their way to more reliable haunts in Hollywood. “Koreatown has evolved,” says club co-founder Robert Ahn. “Mama Lion was created specifically as a mainstream venue to reflect the growing diversity of Koreatown.”Home to the largest concentration of Koreans outside of the Korean Peninsula, L.A.’s Koreatown is also one of the densest neighborhoods in the country. Culturally, it’s a marvel — a fully immersive place where you can sample world-class Korean…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019THR’s Cover Stars Dish on What They’re Eating, Cooking, Watching and Screwing upBEST THING I’VE EATEN THIS YEAR“There was a sardine roll at this sushi bar in Japan that was so much better than it should have been. It’s always the things you don’t expect.”David Chang“Probably at Bavette’s, the steakhouse in Las Vegas. As chefs, we envy others, and the way Brendan Sodikoff can execute the classics is pretty amazing.”Roy Choi“The whole-plate short rib at [Chang’s] Majordomo is pretty awesome.”Jon Favreau“At Margo Henderson’s Rochelle Canteen in London, they have these hot, fluffy madeleines. They were magical! I got my Proust moment.”Samin NosratBIGGEST ON-CAMERA DISASTER“Trying to make dumplings with tapioca powder, not flour. I was mortified. It turned it into glue. I maintain that it was sabotage.”Chang“Oof, that stale box of beignet mix in the first episode of Chef Show.”Choi“I cannot tell you…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Felix Trattoria“I probably shouldn’t say this because it’s already hard enough to get in here,” says Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Evan Funke’s Italian hotspot. “I love their cacioe pepe. God bless America, it’s that good.” Adds CAA culinary chief Andrew Chason: “The handmade pastas are absolutely perfect and I dream about the meatballs and focaccia. It sounds corny, but you can literally taste the passion in his food.”ANDRÉS: MIKE COPPOLA/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE COVE, PARADISE ISLAND. BROWN: PARAS GRIFFIN/GETTY IMAGES FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. COLICCHIO: CARMO CORREIA/BRAVO. OLIVER: THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES. RAMSAY: ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES. DRUMMOND: MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY IMAGES. STEWART: NICHOLAS HUNT/GETTY IMAGES. GARTEN: AMANDA EDWARDS/WIREIMAGE. LAWSON: DAVE J HOGAN/GETTY IMAGES. WOODWARD: DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES. DE LAURENTIIS: DAVID LIVINGSTON/GETTY IMAGES. CHANG: TAYLOR HILL/WIREIMAGE. HART: LEON BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES. FELIX: ALAN GASTELUM.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019‘SHUN, DON’T SHAME’: SEATING DISGRACED DINERS IN THE #METOO ERAWe still don’t know if all these #MeToo offenders are going to try to work in Hollywood again. But they are definitely going to try to eat here again.So when a Bryan Singer or a Brett Ratner sits at the table next to you, how should you handle it? Maybe a Harvey Weinstein sighting requires a long toss of your napkin and stomping out the door? Does Louis C.K. deserve a strong side-eye before each course? Do you avoid eye contact completely with T.J. Miller for fear that he’ll come over and tell you his side of the story?Two women saw John Lasseter at the Eleven City Diner recently and their reaction, according to both, was a very strong “like, errggh.” When Les Moonves ventured back to the Polo Lounge,…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019SECRETS (AND SPICES) OF A STUDIO COMMISSARYFor 40 years, Pauline Kessinger served Hollywood lunch. Sometimes breakfast and dinner, too. As doyenne of Paramount Studio’s Continental Café — its commissary for decades before it was shuttered in 1983 to make way for the Zukor Building — she cooked for everybody from Jerry Lewis (whose table-cloth-yanking antics drove her crazy) to William Holden (who, for some reason, always sat with studio lawyers) and even the famous horse Trigger (who once kicked a hole in the commissary wall). Before she died in 1995, she poured her recollections — sprinkled with the stars’ favorite recipes — into an unpublished and untitled memoir, which not long ago was unearthed in the studio archives. “I know a Pandora’s box full of events that overtook people, sometimes flinging them to fame, sometimes dashing…5 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019WHY TARANTINO OWNS HOLLYWOODLeonardo DiCaprio stands at the top of the A-list mountain as the world’s biggest movie star. His Once Upon a Time in Hollywood helmer also is breathing rarefied air among the director set.Sources say Quentin Tarantino’s deal for the Sony film sees him owning the underlying copyright outright after 30 years. That puts the Oscar winner among a tiny pool of directors who have negotiated ownership stakes in their films, including George Lucas, Mel Gibson and Richard Linklater.Some directors who have managed this feat did so because they put up the film’s budget, like Gibson, who reaped hundreds of millions of dollars from his self-financed The Passion of the Christ. Others took a gamble on either time or their upfront payday. Linklater negotiated for the copyright to his coming-of-age drama…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019NBC Tried to Make a Sitcom Star Out of Emeril in ’01In 2001, NBC launched a sitcom revolving around the behind-the-scenes life at a cooking show starring celebrity chef Emeril John Lagasse, but the comedy soufflé didn’t rise. Then-NBC president Jeff Zucker was a major fan, and the pilot scored high in test screenings, but only 10 episodes of Emeril were made and just seven aired. “I love Emeril,” says creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason. “But he was expected to become an actor overnight, and it just didn’t work. You can’t script Emeril.” The Hollywood Reporter arrived at pretty much the same conclusion in its review. “When it comes to acting in a sitcom,” said THR, “Emeril is a great chef.” To add to the show’s difficulties, it premiered two weeks after 9/11. “This just wasn’t the time for light, silly fun,”…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Shari Redstone’s Merged Empire: How It Will Try to CompeteIn 2005, the parents of Star Trek divorced, with CBS winning custody of the TV shows while Viacom got the film franchise, courtesy of its Paramount Pictures. It’s all but certain, though, that a reconciliation is in the works and an announcement of their intended reunification, sources tell THR, is due Aug. 8, the day each is set to report quarterly earnings.Some insiders — only on deep background, but with a straight face — say that putting Star Trek back under one roof is, indeed, one important reason to reunite Viacom with CBS, much like Disney has worked hard to keep as many Marvel characters as possible in its singular House of Mouse. For that matter, Mission: Impossible also could use some continuity, as Viacom has the films while CBS…5 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019STX Seeks Cash From Saudi Arabia and ChinaFollowing a string of box office duds, STX Entertainment is looking for a lifeline with an investment from Saudi Arabia. Sources tell THR that a deal between the country’s Public Investment Fund and STX is nearly complete. That would make the indie studio, run by Bob Simonds, the first to take Saudi money since the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in October.The 5-year-old studio, whose model is making midbudget films anchored by a star, has largely struggled since its inception, with some notable hits including Bad Moms ($184 million worldwide) and the Amy Schumer vehicle I Feel Pretty ($95 million worldwide). But the recent flop UglyDolls ($28 million globally) added more strain.Though TPG has the largest equity and debt position in STX, the studio has relied heavily on…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019HBO Reclaims the ThroneTV Studio TallyHBO DOMINATES AMONG MAJORS, BUT DISNEY TV STUDIOS, BOOSTED BY ITS RECENT ACQUISITION OF 20TH TELEVISION, ALSO FARES WELLPlatform Performance: Who’s on the Rise and Who’s WaningHBO sees a massive boost thanks to Thrones, Netflix and Amazon rise but NBC, FX and Showtime suffer declinesDouble (and More) Acting NomineesPERFORMERS WITH SIDE GIGS ARE REWARDEDPATRICIA ARQUETTEThe Act, Escape at DannemoraALEX BORSTEINThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Family GuyJONATHAN BANKSBetter Call Saul, Better Call Saul: Employee TrainingJASON BATEMANOzark (lead actor, directing)NATASHA LYONNERussian Doll (lead actress, writing)SANDRA OHKilling Eve, Saturday Night LiveAMY POEHLERMaking It, Russian Doll (writing)ADAM SANDLERSaturday Night Live, Adam Sandler: 100% FreshFIONA SHAWKilling Eve, FleabagPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGEFleabag (lead actress, writing)BILL HADER (3)Barry (lead actor, writing and directing)JOHN MULANEY (4)Saturday Night Live (guest and writing), Documentary Now! (original music and writing)JAMES CORDEN (5)The…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Rights Available!The Empty Birdcage (TITAN BOOKS, SEPT. 24)BY Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anna Waterhouse AGENCY IconomyThe latest in THR contributor Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse’s Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes series arrives as the detective is having a Hollywood resurgence, with Sherlock Holmes 3 moving forward at Warners and Legendary producing Enola Holmes.The Enlightenment of Bees (THOMAS NELSON, JULY 9)BY Rachel Linden AGENCY MacGregor LitLike an Eat Pray Love for a woke generation, Linden’s story follows a recently dumped and unemployed woman who finds a new lease on life while traveling internationally on a humanitarian mission. An additional romantic element makes it ideal Netflix fodder.GABLER: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES FOR MARCH OF DIMES. REID: SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAGES. MURDOCH: BRYAN BEDDER/GETTY IMAGES. MYCROFT: COURTESY OF TITAN BOOKS. YEUN: JB LACROIX/GETTY IMAGES. ROSS: DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES. PORTER: FRAZER…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Venice Icon Falls into Limbo Again After Joel Silver SaleBy almost every measure, Joel Silver failed to deliver on pledges he made to officials and residents when he purchased the Venice post office building in 2012 with plans to convert it to Silver Pictures’ new headquarters. The construction at 1601 S. Main St. has been stalled for years and Silver’s vision of transforming the Windward Circle area into a creative hub never materialized. So when London-based real estate investment firm Allied Commercial Exporters purchased the building in June — shortly before Silver exited Silver Pictures, the company he founded in 1980 — it seemed like a chance to get the project back on track.It turns out the new owners will be bringing their own controversy to L.A.’s beachside community. ACE was founded by billionaire Jack Dellal, an investor and…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Power DiningDrake checked out TAO Los Angeles. … Ben Affleck was at Barton G. Los Angeles. … Bradley Whitford sat for dinner at Vernetti. … Justin Bieber was at The Polo Lounge. … Busy Philipps had dinner at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. … Amy Poehler enjoyed dinner at Nobu Restaurant at Caesars Palace in Vegas with her production team Kate Arend, Kim Lerner, Jordan Grief and Olivia Johnson. … David Duchovny was at R+D Kitchen. Hylda Queally lunched at Malibu Farm. … Kristen Stewart was at Little Dom’s. … John Burnham, Jeremy Zimmer and Brad Krevoy shared the room at Toscana.SantuariThe Quick PitchA film reel’s toss from the Warners lot, the Toluca Lake Tennis and Fitness Club has revamped its members-oriented dining room into a Mediterranean destination that lures execs with…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Lilly Burns and Tony HernandezWhen word got out that Tony Hernandez could make a critically acclaimed comedy for under $400,000 an episode, the veteran line producer suddenly found himself very popular.Calculating budgets from a single glance at a script and helping creative partners stick to the bottom line by troubleshooting during physical production, Hernandez’s upstart shingle, Jax Media, soon boasted auteur hits such as Louie, Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer. But as that portfolio has grown — 11 current TV productions, reaping 18 Emmy noms — so have budgets, creative involvement and ambitions. Alongside partner Lilly Burns, who has worked in the writers room on Jax series Search Party and is the daughter of documentarian Ken Burns, the pair are eyeing the next act.The New York-based duo, married since 2015 after meeting four…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Stars Want Their Streaming MoneyWord that The Office and Friends will be leaving Netflix for Comcast and WarnerMedia’s forthcoming streaming services came as little shock to the industry — but what did raise eyebrows were the hefty price tags attached to the deals. With NBCUniversal’s direct-to-consumer platform paying $500 million for exclusive streaming rights to The Office for five years and WarnerMedia ponying up $425 million to move Friends to its HBO Max service for the same length of time, the high valuations were a welcome surprise to several creatives. Many have been keeping a close eye on how the companies are determining fair market value when selling internally and how the revenue is being accounted for and paid to profit participants.“So far, so good,” says veteran entertainment attorney Cliff Gilbert-Lurie of Ziffren Brittenham,…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019‘The Ultimate Rooftop’: Outdoor Dining in L.A.In spite of our 280-plus days of sunshine in Los Angeles, there’s something tangibly different in the air as summer hits our city. Whether spurred by the electrifying sun or the coastal wind, L.A. is alive with the call to be creative and to trade deep thoughts on rooftops under stringed lights. It’s a powerful draw, this merrymaking at our finest outdoor hangouts. Here are a few of my favorite, free-pouring outdoor spaces this season:FOR OLD-SCHOOL CALIFORNIA COOL The terrace of Little Beach House Malibu from Soho House is the perfect place to lounge and sip spirits while overlooking the ocean. Depending on the time of day and weather, a summer co*cktail at this vintage SoCal cool space with friends, family and colleagues never fails to put me in a…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019HOLLYWOOD’S INSATIABLE HUNGER FOR FOODWhen the Food Network debuted in 1993, 30 years after Julia Child prepared her inaugural omelet for an audience of bemused Bostonians watching the French Chef pilot on public television, it wasn’t clear how a cable channel could fill an entire schedule with cooking.Doubting the thrall of food now is laughable. Unscripted TV’s fastest growing subgenre, culinary-minded shows occupy the entirety of two cable networks (Food Network and The Cooking Channel), more than 10 percent of the Fox primetime schedule (four offerings starring Gordon Ramsay) and, most tellingly, an increasing number of new shows coming from streamers. Peak TV has wrought Peak Food TV, where camera-friendly chefs are as coveted as seasoned showrunners.“When you’re looking at categories of programming that people respond to globally, food and cooking shows are on…8 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019HOW TO SWING AN INVITE TO PHIL ROSENTHAL’S SUNDAY MOVIE NIGHTWhen I moved to L.A. in 2006 as an aspiring comedy writer, there were three invites I coveted. But even if I could meet Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon, I couldn’t afford his poker game. And I was too unathletic to play in Garry Shandling’s basketball game. But I could eat pizza, and I could watch a movie. Which left Sunday Movie Nights at Phil Rosenthal’s.Seven years later, I was writing a sitcom pilot for Brian Grazer, and we were looking for a supervising producer. We met Rosenthal, the co-creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. He didn’t sign on, but he did invite me to lunch the next week. I was on my best behavior. A few weeks later, I was parked outside his giant house in Hanco*ck Park, nervously waiting inside…6 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Has Netflix’s Soaring Growth Finally Hit a Wall?For years, the biggest question surrounding Netflix has been: How long can the good times last? The streaming giant has watched its stock soar nearly 500 percent since 2014 as sequential quarters of subscriber growth made up for its mounting content spend, estimated at $15 billion in 2019. Then, on July 17, Netflix reported its first loss of U.S. subscribers since its bungled 2011 Qwikster launch, sending the stock down more than 10 percent.While one quarter wasn’t enough for observers to sound an immediate alarm — research firm Pivotal sent a note after the earnings report warning not to “make a mountain out of a molehill” — it was enough to signal that Netflix’s rapid expansion won’t continue forever, especially with competition from major media companies like Disney, WarnerMedia and…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019‘Stuber Should Not be the Same Price as Avengers’On its first Tuesday (July 16), the troubled action-comedy Stuber took in a surprisingly strong $1.4 million, up a huge 72 percent from the day before and not all that far behind the $2.2 million it earned on Sunday. The secret behind the number wasn’t a post-opening marketing blitz waged in hopes of salvaging the R-rated Fox film, but a “discount Tuesday.”In thousands of theaters across the country, the cost of a ticket on that day can be a third of the normal price — as low as $6 in New York and Los Angeles, the two most expensive U.S. moviegoing markets, where a ticket now costs upward of $17 or $18 (and that’s for a no-frills format). The overall revenue generated on Tuesdays is substantial, fueling new momentum behind…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 20197 Days of DEALSFILM Storm Reid (CAA, Management 360, Felker Toczek) has joined James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.Taika Waititi (CAA, New Zealand’s Gail Cowan, Manage-ment, Morris Yorn) will direct Thor 4.Girls Trip’s Malcolm D. Lee (Paradigm, Del Shaw) will replace Terence Nance at the helm of Space Jam 2.Greta Gerwig (UTA, Management 360, Felker Toczek) and Noah Baumbach (UTA) will write Warner Bros.’ Margot Robbie starrer Barbie.The Raid’s Joe Taslim (ICM, GSB) will star as Sub-Zero in New Line’s Mortal Kombat movie.Harry Styles (CAA, Full Stop) is in early talks to play Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake, with Javier Bardem in talks to play King Triton.The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen (the U.K.’s United, Management 360) will play the title role in Blumhouse’s The Invisible Man.Steven Yeun (CAA,…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019MAD ABOUT YOUI have never seen The Towering Inferno. But I know the whole movie. Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, O.J. Simpson and the cat. Produced by Irwin Allen. It seems like a fine movie. But I don’t ever need to see it because I read Mad magazine’s “The Towering Sterno.”In just a couple of pages, I knew everything I needed to know about infernos and towers thanks to writer Dick DeBartolo and artist Mort Drucker. Drucker could make an actor look more like themselves than they did in real life, and he could not only draw funny, but every 9-year-old I knew will never forget the nude scene in Kramer vs. Kramer. Not the movie — we weren’t allowed to see it — but the way Drucker drew JoBeth Williams in “Crymore…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Hitched, Hatched, HiredWeddingsAyla Karlin, publicist at BWR, married Bruce Shetler on May 25 in front of 275 guests. The bride walked down the aisle to Jimi Hendrix, and guests heard a rendition of The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” from the MUSYCA Children’s Choir after the ceremony. The newlyweds honeymooned in Bora Bora.BirthsTHR executive editor television Lacey Rose and husband Andy Katz-Mayfield, co-founder and CEO of Harry’s, welcomed daughter Isla Rose Katz-Mayfield on July 8 at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.CongratsABC Studios named Jonnie Davis president and promoted Carolyn Cassidy to president of creative affairs and Josh Sussman to executive vp business affairs July 10.The MPAA named Emily Lenzner executive vp global communications and public affairs July 17.BET+ named Devin Griffin GM on July 10.Lionsgate promoted Erin Westerman to…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019‘The Billboard Has Become King in FYC’More than 700 shows vied for Emmy nominations announced July 16, but the real winners may be the outdoor advertising companies seeing massive increases in demand for L.A. billboards and inventory shortages.While replugging content during awards voting is old hat, in the past three years competition for billboard space has become “almost quite onerous,” says Ryan Laul, president of Outdoor Media Group, which works with CBS and HBO to place ads. Streamers and traditional networks, fighting to attract top talent in a landscape of megadeals, are shelling out for six-figure signage along the Sunset Strip to show their commitment to stars and creatives.“The billboard has become king in FYC campaigns,” says Showtime director of awards Austin O’Malia. “It’s a statement to everyone that sees it that this is a real…4 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Thank U, NextBAGS: COURTESY OF HERMES (2). PLATE: COURTESY OF HUDSON GRACE. BOX: COURTESY OF ANDREW VIPPOLIS. OIL: COURTESY OF GOOP. STRAWS: CORTESY OF MODA OPERANDI. ENVELOPE: COURTESY OF BRAND.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Power ShoppingGame of Thrones’ Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Alfie Allen have shopped separately at Fred Segal Sunset recently … Ted Sarandos was spotted at Erewhon by The Grove … Trevor Noah settled on three pairs of white sneakers at Nordstrom at The Grove … Emma Stone browsed at Goop in Brentwood … Shelli Azoff, former BET chairwoman Debra Lee and Phylicia Fant, head of urban music at Columbia Records, have been seen at Platform shopping complex in Culver City … Ryan Murphy and husband David Miller checked out Brentwood’s Diesel bookstore and Toy Crazy with their sons.LITTLE: DAVE BURK/COURTESY OF LITTLE BEACH HOUSE. TALLULA’S, SIMONETTE: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. ELEPHANTE: JAKOB LAYMAN (2). ALTA: ANDREA D’AGOSTO. GOGGINS: DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES. STONE: KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019LEGAL NOTICEPLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public auction pursuant to Section 9-610 of the Uniform Commercial Code will be conducted by The Credit Junction (the “Secured Party”) of the film library assets of Bellum Entertainment available at Bellum’s offices and at Bonded Services, a media storage facility. The film library assets relate to television programs and episodes across various genres such as educational and informational and crime and thriller, and include materials such as master tapes, licensing agreements, distribution contracts, other associated materials and related intellectual property rights (the “Collateral”). Further information regarding the Collateral will be accessible starting on July 22, 2019 in a data room (the “Data Room”) to which prospective bidders will be granted access upon execution of a non-disclosure agreement and satisfactory completion of a diligence questionnaire.…2 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019THE 20 POWER Players OF FOOD MEDIAJosé AndrésTHE IMPASSIONED MAGNATEThe legendary chef, activist and food ambassador has come a long way since arriving in the U.S. in 1991 with $50 in his pocket — from hosting Made in Spain, the 26-part PBS series that shot him to celebrity status a decade ago, to consulting on what a modern-day Dr. Lecter might serve for NBC’s Hannibal. Andrés, 50, oversees an empire of more than 30 restaurants, including three Bazaars, the Michelin-starred Somni at the SLS Beverly Hills and the new $40 million, 35,000-square-foot Mercado Little Spain food hall in New York’s Hudson Yards. A constant guest presence on the morning shows, he lately has also made headlines for activism, pulling out of a restaurant at D.C.’s Trump Hotel over the president’s Mexico policies, feeding furloughed workers during…15 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Del Frisco’sThe new Westfield Century City Mall outpost of the Del Frisco’s Double Eagle steakhouse chain might have been called “comically opulent” by Eater, but Good Morning America star Michael Strahan says “they have the best crab cakes you can ask for.”GARTEN: NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY IMAGES. GELB: ERIK VOAKE/GETTY IMAGES FOR NETFLIX. HALL: CHANCE YEH/WIREIMAGE. LAWSON: NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES. RAPPAPORT: SYLVAIN GABOURY/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES. SIFTON: GARY GERSHOFF/GETTY IMAGES. ROSENTHAL: MICHAEL BEZJIAN/WIREIMAGE. BROOKLYN-99: COURTESY OF DAN GOOR. GOOR: GREG DOHERTY/FILMMAGIC. DEL FRISCOS: THOMAS MCGOVERN. STRAHAN: GREGG DEGUIRE/WIREIMAGE.…1 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019THE LASTMOVIE STARIN NOVEMBER 1997, SIX-PLUS WEEKS BEFORE Titanic opened in the U.S., 20th Century Fox launched the movie at the Tokyo Film Festival in hopes of generating some early buzz in the largely untapped Asian market. Paramount chief Jim Gianopulos, who was running international distribution at Fox at the time, expected the theater to be crowded. After all, the film’s star, Leonardo DiCaprio, already enjoyed a budding global popularity thanks to the studio’s 1996 release Romeo + Juliet, which had earned $148 million worldwide — 69 percent of its haul coming from overseas. But Titanic’s Japan bow was something more akin to Beatlemania.“It was pandemonium. The entire area of Tokyo basically shut down, with fans coming out to see Leo,” Gianopulos recalls of the James Cameron-directed epic. “He started to be…10 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019Veronica MarsIf you judge Veronica Mars on the gap between its creative peak (a near-perfect first season in 2004) and trough (a flaccid 2014 film), you get a disparity almost unprecedented in recent TV.To be a fan of Veronica Mars — which aired initially on UPN then The CW — indeed is to be forced to embrace inconsistency.Given that, devotees should be prepared for the show’s latest incarnation on Hulu. In their best moments, these eight new episodes coast on the charm and pluckiness of star Kristen Bell and a decently curated cast of returning and new faces. At their worst, they struggle to generate tension around a thin, dull seasonlong whodunit arc and frustratingly draw out necessary character growth.With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and…3 min
The Hollywood Reporter|Friday, July 19, 2019The Lion KingThere perhaps has never been as surefire a hit film as Jon Favreau’s new The Lion King. The original 1994 animated feature was a global smash, the 1997 musical adaptation stands as the third-longest-running show in Broadway history, and its many spinoff productions have grossed more than $8 billion.The property serves, in other words, as the ideal Disney template, a cash cow not to be messed with. What this means for the latest big-screen take — entirely animated but to such a realistic degree that it could practically pass as a live-action film — is that it may be the least risk-taking film of the current century. Nearly a scene-by-scene remake of the original, albeit a half-hour longer, it will be gobbled up by audiences like the perfectly prepared corporate…4 min
