Innholdsfortegnelse for 7/29/2016 i The Hollywood Reporter

IT HAS BEEN THE SUMMER OF DISCONTENT FOR Harvey Weinstein. In a little more than a single week in July, the legendary independent film mogul’s company abruptly pushed two anticipated projects from the summer schedule to early 2017. The first casualty was the Alicia Vikander drama Tulip Fever, which was jettisoned to Feb. 24 just nine days before it was set to open July 15. Then, on July 13, The Weinstein Co. shifted the Michael Keaton vehicle The Founder, about the origins of the McDonald’s empire, from Aug. 5 to Jan. 20 (it first will receive an Oscar-qualifying run in December). Yanking films from the release calendar at the last minute is unusual because theaters have been booked, marketing buys have been made and promotional media interviews arranged. The Weinstein…

NBCUNIVERSAL’S $3.8 BILLION acquisition of DreamWorks Animation appears to be rolling along at a faster-than-expected clip and could close as early as late August, according to sources. Once that happens, CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is expected to pursue a technology-centric venture at the intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, with offices close to his Beverly Hills home. Still unclear: To what degree will Illumination chief Chris Meledandri choose to be involved in running DWA? NBCU expects him to have “some type of role,” says an insider, but he is said to be conflicted about what that might be. DreamWorks animators are said to be somewhat anxious about the company’s future though perhaps also soothed by word that Universal will greenlight two DWA films a year. For 2019, sources say those will…

Oddities and Records Former The Office co-stars Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Oscar Nunez (The Crossroads of History) and Melora Hardin (Transparent) are nominated for the first time on their current shows. Alan Menken The only nominee who stands to achieve EGOT status if he wins, the theater legend is up for best original music and lyrics for ABC’s Galavant. Saturday Night Live After its 41st season, the NBC stalwart ups the all-time program nominations record to 209 noms and counting. STUDIO SCORECARD 53 20th TV/Fox 21 TV 47 FX Productions 32 Warner Bros. TV/Warner Horizon 29 Universal TV 25 Sony TV 17 ABC Studios 14 CBS TV Studios 1 Lionsgate TV Ryan Murphy series are responsible for 30 of the 53 noms; the others are spread among veterans including…

Don’t You Cry (MIRA) BY Mary Kubica AGENCY ICM Partners The Pretty Baby author weaves two parallel stories — a young woman looking for her missing roommate and a teen dishwasher drawn to a mysterious woman — in her latest, described as Single White Female on steroids. Sarong Party Girls (William Morrow) BY Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan AGENCY The Wylie Agency On the heels of movie deals for Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians and Janice Y.K. Lee’s The Expatriates, this fellow modern Asia-set tale is a satire that follows Jazzy and her BFFs as they try to land wealthy Western expat husbands in Singapore.…

KAREN FUKUHARA HAS NO IDEA how many Suicide Squad spinoffs or sequels she is signed on for to play sword-wielding superheroine Katana. But there’s no question about her commitment to the franchise. After all, she opted for a permanent SKWAD tattoo on her ankle during production. Fukuhara’s enthusiasm is understandable given the film marks her big acting break. The 24-year-old native Angeleno graduated from UCLA with a major in sociology and a minor in theater, and her years of karate gave her an edge during the Squad audition. She talks to THR about the role and her future. Were you a fan of the comics? No. I’ve seen all the Batman movies, but I had never read the comics. My first time was when I booked the movie. What was…

Who You Gonna Call? Budgetbusters! Director Paul Feig has said that cutting the Ghostbusters dance sequence starring Chris Hemsworth was “the biggest decision of my life,” but a source on the film tells THR that it was an expensive one, too — the scene cost in the low seven figures and took up two full days of shooting. Mixed test screenings of the scene, in which Hemsworth’s possessed receptionist leads cops and soldiers in a choreographed dance number to The Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing,” led filmmakers to move it into the closing credits. Sony and Village Roadshow surely would like to have that chunk of change back as the film, with a net production budget of $144 million, will have a tough road to profitability after a $46…

The first year I went to Comic-Con was 2004 for Shaun of the Dead, and nobody had any idea who we were. I liked walking the floor — it was fun. It was bustling and interesting and full of things to look at. It was a huge celebration of all things geeky — childhood for adults. But nowadays it’s hard for me to go anywhere in San Diego in July because a lot of what I’ve done has some relevance in that world. Nowhere do I feel more famous than at Comic-Con because if it’s not Shaun of the Dead then it’s Star Trek, and if it’s not Trek then it’s Star Wars. It’s incredibly hard to leave my hotel room because the moment one person sees you and asks…

1939: PAPERBOY “In high school, I was more like Peter Parker, only I wasn’t as smart. I was too skinny to be on the wrestling team, but I did play baseball, and I sold subscriptions to The New York Times. I made a dollar or two, which mostly went to my parents. It was the Depression, and my father was out of work most of the time. He was a dress cutter. I remember him sitting at home reading the want ads. The poor guy.” After 75 years in the comic book business, Stan Lee has picked up his fair share of souvenirs. His handsomely shabby office in Beverly Hills is cluttered with cool superhero swag. There’s a vintage Spider-Man pinball machine in one corner, a life-sized Spidey statue squatting…

JOHN LANDGRAF, FX Without the massive budget of Netflix or the genre breadth of HBO, Landgraf’s networks shatter the basic cable record with 56 noms across six series, including The People v. O.J. Simpson (22), Fargo (18) and the previously snubbed The Americans (5). GAME OF THRONES Amid frequent press about HBO’s drama troubles, the network reminds the industry it still has the biggest show around. The outstanding drama incumbent takes the crown with 23 noms. MR. ROBOT Its July 13 premiere ratings may have been tiny, but the USA critical breakout scores six noms, including best drama and lead actor (Rami Malek). Co-star Christian Slater isn’t as fortunate. UNREAL Lifetime would have liked its first drama series nom, but its critically adored show manages to earn Emmy love for…

THE STREAMING MUSIC MARKET just got even more crowded. On July 19, Paris-based Deezer launched its service direct to customers in the U.S. after initial stateside offerings via partnerships with Cricket Wireless as well as Sonos and Bose home audio systems. Already available in more than 180 countries, Deezer, which can be downloaded from the iOS, Google Play and Windows stores, boasts the world’s largest on-demand streaming music catalog with more than 40 million songs. That’s about 25 percent more than Spotify and Apple Music, though both rivals have more total paying subscribers (30 million and 13 million, respectively). By contrast, Deezer has 3 million paid subs (it costs $9.99 a month), but the company is confident its service offers more customization for its users. “We don’t believe in the…

“Ya I got pulled over. Big deal!” LADY GAGA The 30-year-old singer and actress, revealing on Twitter that she was stopped on Pacific Coast Highway — for missing plates on her “new pick up” — less than a month after getting her driver’s license. “Oh lol so that means if I hashtag something I save lives? No.” SELENA GOMEZ The pop star, responding to a tweet stating she hasn’t been supportive of Black Lives Matter. “People don’t like price increases.” REED HASTINGS The Netflix CEO, explaining to investors during an analysts call why subscriptions are slowing after the streamer increased its monthly fee to $10 a month. “I had no idea who he was. Not a clue. But he was obviously very important.” CHRIS PINE The Star Trek Beyond star,…

In of late at The Grill on the Alley: Jerry Bruckheimer with Matthew Weiner, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura with Jake Bloom, Steve Mosko with George Shapiro and Jerry Seinfeld. … Robert Downey Jr. rendezvoused with Joel Silver at Culver City’s meatcentric The Cannibal, where they ordered mostly veggie dishes. … David Boreanaz and his CAA agent Tracy Brennan convened at Soho House. … Rob Moore and Lionsgate’s Robert Melnik shared the room at Mr Chow. … ID’s Bebe Lerner and Mara Buxbaum convened at BLD. … Stacey Snider stopped by Hinoki & the Bird. … Manager David Gardner sat a few tables away from attorney Jon Moonves at South Beverly Grill. … Paradigm’s Bob Bookman dropped in to Porta Via. … Producer Steve Stabler visited Church & State. … Calvin Harris…

AS NIGHT FELL JULY 7, TELEVISION viewers watched in horror as a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas became the scene of a sniper attack with five police officers killed by a disgraced military vet. The following day, 1,500 miles away at USA Network’s Manhattan headquarters, the conversation already had moved from heartache to strategy. USA was set to premiere its series Shooter on July 19, and there were mounting concerns that debuting the now-unfortunately-titled drama, which opens with sounds of gunshots and images of real-life gun violence, as scheduled would be insensitive. That the series centers on a U.S. veteran (Ryan Phillippe) wrongly accused of a crime was a nuance that could not be communicated properly with the country in such a fragile emotional state. Four days after the…

WILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE SHOW UP? Yes, Warner Bros. will bring the obvious children — the casts of Suicide Squad (Jared Leto included) and Wonder Woman — but it needs to let fans know Justice League is in good shape after the disappointment of Batman v. Superman. It likely will do that July 23 by unveiling the cast and some footage. WILL MARVEL ROCK? Marvel traditionally closes the convention with a rock concert-like Saturday evening panel that whips everyone into a frothing frenzy. That doesn’t look like it will change with Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but even with Marvel’s mighty track record there is a bit of trepidation about showing off Doctor Strange, the studio’s first dive into the mystic side. WHY IS SNOWDEN HERE? The cool part: Oliver…

NOBODY EVER EXPECTED THAT throwing a virtual ball at Pikachu would reinvent a 1990s game franchise — never mind turn Nintendo into one of the world’s hottest entertainment prospects. Since its July 6 launch, Pokemon Go has been downloaded more than 15 million times, transforming the augmented-reality game into a cultural phenomenon. The effects have been immediate for Kyoto-based Nintendo, whose stock valuation more than doubled to $42.5 billion (catapulting it above the market value of Sony Corp.). Pokemon Go has become the biggest-earning app in all 36 markets in which it has been released, bringing in millions of dollars a day — and it could be set for sales well into the billions. The question now is what this means for Nintendo, a game maker that has languished in…

New Line in the past two years has released The Conjuring and its sequel as well as Annabelle and The Gallows. ON STAGE 6 AT WARNER Bros.’ Burbank lot, where the new horror film Annabelle 2 is filming, Father David Guffey was brought in to offer a blessing. “Evil hates to be exposed,” he announced as he made the sign of the cross and sprinkled holy water. “We declare the hexes and wards null and void. We ask you to protect us.” But it doesn’t appear the studio behind the tale of a demonically possessed doll will need much divine intervention when it comes to selling tickets. New Line Cinema, which will release the sequel in May, has been returning to its horror roots with much success. Other studios tend…

DEAL OF THE WEEK PERHAPS Reed Hastings, not Jeff Bezos, should have cameoed in Star Trek Beyond. After all, on July 18, Hastings’ Netflix nabbed international rights to CBS’ upcoming Star Trek reboot television series from Bryan Fuller — beating out Bezos’ Amazon Prime, which now streams the entire Star Trek TV catalog. (Financial details were not disclosed.) What that means for Netflix is the ability to air each episode of the new show, set to debut in January, to customers in 188 countries — minus the U.S., where users will need to sign up for the new CBS All Access streaming service, and Canada, where it will air on Bell Media outlets. Netflix also picked up worldwide rights to CBS’ Trek catalog, giving the streamer all episodes of the…

FILM Oscar Isaac (UTA, Inspire, Stone Genow) will star opposite Mark Rylance in Steven Spielberg’s The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara. Ben Stiller (WME, Gang Tyre) will star in Mike White’s comedy Brad’s Status, with Plan B and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment producing. Lionsgate and China’s Leomus Pictures will co-produce a Chinese-language spinoff of Now You See Me. The Big Number 200 The number of voluntary buyouts being offered to employees at AMC Networks, totaling about 6 percent of its nearly 3,000 staff positions. The Tony winner’s castings in Wonder and HBO’s Tour de Pharmacy were revealed July 15, the day of his final Hamilton show. Silicon Valley’s Thomas Middleditch (WME, Kirsten Ames, Schreck Rose) will join Keanu Reeves in the sci-fithriller Replicas. Hamilton alum Daveed Diggs (WME, Brookside) will join Jacob…

ESPY Awards Los Angeles, July 13 STARS AND ATHLETES SUCH AS Robin Thicke, Stephen Curry and Gabrielle Union braved the red-carpet heat for the 24th annual ESPYs at downtown’s Microsoft Theater. U.S. women’s soccer star Christen Press supported former teammate Abby Wambach, who received the Icon Award — presented by Justin Timberlake — along with Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning. But the emotional highlight was Zenobia Dobson, the Knoxville, Tenn., mother of 15-year-old football player Zaevion, who was killed in December when he shielded three girls from a spray of bullets. Said Curry when introducing Zenobia Dobson, “What you can’t forget is that every one of those people who dies has a story.” — ALLISON CRIST Star Trek Beyond New York, July 18 Four Seasons ’ Closing Fetes New York,…

CHASIN & BERMAN UTA Independent Film Group agent Yale Chasin married Marissa Berman, founding principal of Citizens of the World Charter School in Hollywood, on July 9 at the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake in front of 225 guests. The couple, who became engaged in August, will honeymoon on a road trip through Italy. WEDDINGS Lydia Storie, vp development at Muse Entertainment, married Andrew Jacobs, vp development at Atlas Media Corp., on June 25 at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, Calif. The couple honeymooned on Tokoriki Island in Fiji. BIRTHS Jennifer Betts, entertainment publicist, president and CEO of Innovative PR & Media, and her husband, film producer Ryan Conroy, welcomed son Jack Conroy on June 21 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. CONGRATS 20th Century Fox TV named Brandon…

TO KEEP YOUR SECRET IS wisdom; but to expect others to keep it is folly.” No, 18th century essayist Samuel Johnson wasn’t talking about viewership numbers for streaming services — but he might as well have been. Three and a half years on from Netflix’s first foray into original programming — and content chief Ted Sarandos’ simultaneous vow to keep its audience statistics private — a slew of companies are not-so-quietly gaming the system and outing stats from Netflix and its competitors. And while those ratings amount to little more than hearsay at the moment, they might soon find their way onto the negotiating table. The company that has received the most attention, seemingly out of nowhere, is San Franciscobased Symphony Advanced Media. The 5-year-old data firm prompted an industry…

NINTENDO’S POKEMON has had plenty of prosperity to spread — including some to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who hugged a stuffed Pikachu in 1999 while announcing that his site would sell more than just books. This came as Bezos wanted his company’s personalized product recommendations to “build an electronic soul mate for the customer.” Clearly Amazon wanted a financial soul mate in Pokemon, which eventually would amass total worldwide revenue of $46 billion; now, the new Pokemon Go quickly has become the biggest mobile game in U.S. history. But before the app was luring players off their couches and into public spaces (not to mention off cliffs), Hollywood had a taste of Pokemon prosperity. In 1999, three years after the original Game Boy version appeared, Warner Bros.’ Pokemon: The First…