The all-new Hollywood Reporter offers unprecedented access to the people, studios, networks and agencies that create the magic in Hollywood. Published weekly, the oversized format includes exceptional photography and rich features.
In the days leading up to the Deadpool 2 motorcycle stunt that killed racer S.J. Harris on Aug. 14 in Vancouver, the crew was said to be growing increasingly agitated and nervous about the potential for something to go wrong. The 20th Century Fox sequel’s producers had been exerting pressure to have the 40-year-old Harris, who had raced professionally but had never worked on a film, perform that day’s stunt because, as an African-American, she was a believable stand-in for Zazie Beetz, who portrays Domino in the film. But several crewmembers warned the producers that Harris wasn’t ready, a production source tells THR. “She was improving, but I was watching her and, oh my God, I thought, ‘It’s just a matter of time before she crashes into a wall or…
Digital TV Takeover Facebook, Apple, YouTube prep war chests p. 10 ↑ Film Wonder Deal Jenkins to be highest-paid female filmmaker p. 16 Elle Reeve The Vice correspondent’s chilling Charlottesville: Race and Terror gives the media company tens of millions of video views and its first breakout moment in years. Channing Tatum His NASCAR heist film Logan Lucky targets Middle America but flops with a $7.6 million debut, with seven of the 10 top-grossing theaters in Los Angeles. Morgan Freeman The legendary actor, 80, will be toasted with the Life Achievement honor at the SAG Awards ceremony in January. Michael K. Williams The Force isn’t with the actor, who gets cut from the upcoming Han Solo spinoff after production delays cause a conflict with a preplanned indie movie shoot. Showbiz…
If there was any doubt about whether the industry has reached the outer limits of the age of Peak TV, it has been put to rest by a series of aggressive summer moves by stalwarts and digital newcomers. First, there was Apple’s surprise play to snag Sony TV top brass Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg as it prepares a $1 billion programming war chest. Then, Disney dealt a blow to Netflix, unveiling plans to remove its movies from the streamer and build a competitor. Netflix and Ted Sarandos, in turn, poached Shonda Rhimes from Disney-owned ABC with an overall deal estimated at about $100 million. Facebook rolled out its ambitious new video platform, Watch, after striking content deals with dozens of publishers and production companies. Meanwhile, YouTube has upped…
The Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, the industry’s gold-standard nursing home, stands accused of negligent care. A lawsuit filed Aug. 8 on behalf of a resident with dementia alleges she was groped in Harry’s Haven, the facility’s lauded Alzheimer’s unit, by a fellow senile patient with a purported known recent history of sexually assaultive behavior. The complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court claims that the 89-year-old woman — placed in the facility 11 years ago by her son, a longtime writer for Matlock — was violated on or about July 24 by a recent male resident arrival to the facility. (Both are named in the suit.) It’s asserted that between April and July, the man made inappropriate contact with at least seven…
Aday before Disney unveiled plans for a competing streaming service to Netflix, the digital giant made a pre-emptive strike in what may become a new intellectual property arms race, snapping up Mark Millar’s “mini-Marvel” imprint Millarworld. The prolific comic creator is said to have approached studios earlier this year offering a deal for his library and future stories. But because some of his marquee properties, such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman and Wanted, already are spoken for, it was difficult to determine the deal’s value, a studio source tells THR. Netflix, however, determined the answer was quite a lot. Terms of the Aug. 7 deal were not disclosed, but two sources pegged it in the $30 million to $50 million range. Complicating things were side deals Millar had to make with his…
If studios get their wish, a new premium VOD service could be introduced in the first two months of 2018. A likely scenario: Consumers would pay $30 for a film that has been in theaters for only 30 to 45 days, THR has learned. That’s less aggressive than some studios might want — there have been suggestions of making a movie available for $50 after 17 days — but it could help soothe the frayed nerves of theater owners as well as lure more consumers to hit the “buy” button. Talks with theaters are ongoing. Insiders say Comcast, Apple and Amazon are developing the delivery system for PVOD titles, including figuring out antipiracy measures. The other major cable providers and big digital platforms ultimately will be a part of PVOD as well, since…
