Innholdsfortegnelse for Thursday, January 4, 2018 i The Hollywood Reporter

What a difference a decade makes. In 2007, Paramount won the coveted market share race at the domestic box office, but the balance of power among the six major Hollywood studios was one of relative equality. Paramount’s 15.5 percent share was less than a percentage point ahead of Warner Bros. and five points ahead of the sixth-ranking studio, Fox. In 2017, there was a 17 percent spread between studios, with Disney commanding nearly 22 percent of all domestic box-office revenue (it was 26 percent in 2016). More alarming, attendance is likely at its lowest level in 22 years. Now consolidation is looming. The frayed studio system is headed for reinvention as boxoffice fortunes become ever harder to find under the canopy of a tentpole- centric business. Companies now must spend…

Source: Box Office Mojo. *Still in theaters. The indie box office has been wrestling with its demons for several years now, but the final stretch of 2017 saw a flurry of films do impressive business, from Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird to Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, which is still playing in only four theaters. In terms of global rankings, Focus Features’ Victoria & Abdul was the top specialty release of 2017, earning a royal $42.6 million overseas and $22.2 million in the U.S. The Big Sick, from Amazon Studios and Lionsgate, was the top specialty earner in the U.S. ($42.9 million) despite a summer bow. Focus distribution chief Lisa Bunnell says she’s hoping for more releases like The Big Sick. “We have to spread the…

BEST PICTURE Get Out Jordan Peele’s horror film continues to transcend its genre trappings: The Producers Guild of America tapped the film for its 2018 Stanley Kramer Award for tackling “the problem of race in America,” then the jury at Italy’s Capri, Hollywood Film Festival named it best picture. All the Money in the World Ridley Scott got plenty of props for successfully reshooting Kevin Spacey’s scenes with Christopher Plummer, but the movie itself has failed to catch fire. Its Rotten Tomatoes rating stands at just 77 percent, and it collected only $14.3 million in its first eight days of release. ACTRESS Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game Aaron Sorkin presented her with the Chairman’s Award, the top honor at the Palm Springs Film Festival’s Jan. 2 gala, where she addressed the…

A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc was “hitting the slopes in Utah,” and also caught the Rockettes in NYC with her nieces, a family tradition. … Bob Greenblatt boarded a cruise ship in Argentina for a trip to Antarctica to see “penguin colonies and other wildlife” — part of the NBC exec’s plan to visit all seven continents. “Only one more to go (Australia).” … Quips Modern Family creator Steve Levitan, “Home the entire time with my German shepherd protecting all my belongings.” … Veep’s Sam Richardson hit Tulum. … Lionsgate TV’s Sandra Stern headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, with “big plans to try and read Sapiens and Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari and not consider them for television.” … Frances Berwick, Ken Ziffren and Susan Rovner all were in…

For The Dick Van Dyke Show, I was looking for an actress to play a woman writer because we always had a woman writer when we were doing Your Show of Shows. So I went to the Morris office, and the agent said, “I got her, she’s right here.” And sitting there was Rose Marie. She’s the one who suggested Morey Amsterdam for Buddy. I was thinking of somebody more strapping, like Mel Brooks, but Morey was a joke machine. She had a misunderstanding about the show the first season. She’d been told it was about TV writers. But I’d written a show about the home life of one writer. So that first year was really tough on her; she didn’t have enough to do. The next season, every once…

The final scene in Joe Wright’s World War II drama Darkest Hour features Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill delivering a rousing and pivotal speech in the House of Commons in an effort to rally Parliament to fight on rather than negotiate with Hitler. The words are familiar — in fact, they are also heard near the end of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk — but cutting the scene together was tricky, according to film editor Valerio Bonelli. Wright had a sweeping crane shot that closed in on Oldman as he exhorted, “We shall fight on the beach, we shall fight on the landing grounds.” But the editor explains that as he and Wright worked on the scene, “We went back and said, ‘No, I think we need to stay on this close-up…

Margot Robbie waited until filming was just about to begin before she and director Craig Gillespie took a trip to Portland to have lunch with the woman she was about to play. Their second meeting came nearly a year later, when Tonya Harding joined Robbie on the red carpet for I, Tonya’s Hollywood premiere. The following day, on Dec. 6, Robbie sat down with Harding, 47, for a wide-ranging conversation about the disgraced Olympian’s life now with her current husband, Joe, and their 6-year-old son, Gordon, as well as the highs and lows of her days on the ice. While Robbie switched between roles as interviewer and interviewee, Harding spoke candidly about her fraught relationships with both her ex Jeff Gillooly, who spent six months in prison following the 1994…

What sound does a German Stuka make when strafing British Tommies? Christopher Nolan was pondering that very question — along with scores of others, like how much sand gets blown up when bombs land on the beach and what type of wool was used to make British army uniforms in 1940 — as he prepared, in early 2016, to shoot Dunkirk, his meticulously authentic nearly $100 million re-creation of the famous World War II rescue operation that saved 400,000 British troops from certain death. It’s the most technically ambitious and obsessively historical film the British-born director, 47, who split his childhood between London and Evanston, Illinois, has attempted — even more challenging to shoot, he says, than Inception, with its building-bending dream sequences, or the truck-flipping mayhem of his Dark…

Workplace Time’s Up Decoding the antiharassment crusades p. 26 ↑ Television Hoda’s Take Why Today’s new host won’t make Lauer money p. 32 Tom Rothman The Sony Pictures chairman’s gamble on a Jumanji reboot pays off as the Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart hit approaches $350 million worldwide. Andrew Creighton and Mike Germano The Vice president and chief digital officer are suspended after The New York Times reports multiple accounts of sexual harassment. Ted Sarandos Thanks to new tax rules, the Netflix content chief’s base salary jumps to $12 million in 2018 from $1 million, with a stock option allowance worth more than $14.2 million. Sam Haskell The Miss America Organization CEO resigns after the reveal of vulgar emails he sent about former contestants as Gretchen Carlson joins the board. Showbiz Stocks…

Hollywood has had three months to respond with a solution to the rampant sexual misconduct unearthed after Harvey Weinstein’s misdeeds were first revealed. The industry now has a plan. Several, actually. From wearing black at the Golden Globes on Jan. 7 to promoting legislation to eliminate the use of nondisclosure agreements as a silencing tactic, the various anti-harassment initiatives are being aggregated under a single banner dubbed Time’s Up, a group of A-listers revealed Jan. 1. The leaderless (for now) campaign characterizes its sprawling efforts as a “hub-and-spokes model,” according to a rep. That Time’s Up counts more than 1,000 artists and executives turned activists and advocates speaks to both the far-ranging ambition of its mission as well as the challenges ahead in coordinating actions. “It’s a leaderless volunteer organization…

Neither Patty Jenkins nor the seven other women who directed a top 100 domestic-grossing film in 2017 had done so in the previous decade. That’s a problem, says Stacy L. Smith, director of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which released its latest study on film directors Jan. 4. Three more women made a top film in 2017 compared with 2016, but “most female directors are ‘one and done’ when it comes to helming popular films,” Smith notes. “Real change means that we see women working across multiple years.” Source: Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Examining the 1,100 top-grossing movies since 2007, the study also found that only 5.2 percent of directors were black and 3.2 percent were Asian. And just eight of the sample’s 1,223 helmers (many films had director teams) were women…

Just days after Hurricane #MeToo made landfall, Frankie Shaw unleashed Showtime’s SMILF — her Boston-set, semi-autobiographical ode to the struggles of single parenthood (which also deals with sexual harassment and abuse). Her timely take, adapted from her 2015 short film, has the 36-year-old comic up for two awards, for best comedy and for her performance, at the Jan. 7 Golden Globes. Shaw, who married producer Zach Strauss in 2016 and is the mom of one son from a previous relationship, reveals what the climate in Hollywood means for her show — and why she took on Woody Allen in its Dec. 31 finale. Your series could not have been more timely. Do you feel the harassment discussion at any point hijacked the conversation around your work? No, it feels unifying.…

“[It’s] like fracking — you get the best return right now, but you wreck the Earth.”JODIE FOSTER The actress-director, in an interview with Radio Times, comparing studios’ reliance on “theme park”-like releases — i.e., superhero movies — to the destructive oil-collecting practice. “He was sweet this morning. Certain texts popped up, and there was one from Matt: ‘Congratulations!’”HODA KOTB The new Today co-anchor, telling E! News about a supportive message she got from Lauer, whom she replaced. “That’s a good return for putting up with your father for 20 years.”CLAIRE ENDERS The media analyst, speaking in The New York Times about the $1 billion stake in Disney that Rupert Murdoch’s son James stands to get when Disney acquires much of 21st Century Fox. “It’s the family I suppose that she’s…

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had Sunday brunch with their daughters at Soho House West Hollywood. Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White was also there. Ty Burrell stopped by on a different day. … At The Polo Lounge, Ron Howard shared the room with Gotham Group’s Stacey Lubliner and music video director Diane Martel (who was on Skype during her meal). … Arnold Schwarzenegger lunched at the Rooftop by JG at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. … Larry King held court at Craig’s. … Vanessa Hudgens celebrated her birthday with brunch at Estrella. … Taika Waititi checked out La Poubelle. … The Weeknd had late night eats at Luchini Pizzeria & Bar in Hollywood. … Nigel Lythgoe popped by Freds Beverly Hills at Barneys New York. Best Girl The Quick…

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence ESPN is worth about $36 billion, with Disney’s 80 percent stake valued at roughly $29 billion, according to research firm B. Riley FBR, though the network would surely fetch a premium if sold outright. While subscriber losses are mounting at ESPN, the damage has been partially mitigated by rising fees, which remain the highest in the cable-satellite industry by far. Plus, Disney says a stand-alone streaming service will launch in the spring, which should help stabilize the leader in sports television.…

850 LINDA FLORA DRIVE Designed by architect Michael Kovac, this five-bedroom, 8,177-square-foot home was first listed in April for $19.5 million by Hilton & Hyland’s Jeff Hyland (the price was dropped in October). “Certainly [the fire] has had an emotional impact,” he says. “But this is L.A., where people are resilient. We have seen this before.” 1100 CASIANO DRIVE Berkshire Hathaway’s Larry Young and Ernie Carswell and Douglas Elliman’s Christopher Pickett share the listing on this 5,246-square-foot five-bedroom, built in 1941, with saltwater pool and hot tub. “The neighborhood suffered an overwhelming amount of fallen ash and debris, but it has been removed and cleaned,” says Carswell.…

NEIGHBOURS 2008 Prior to heading to the U.S., Robbie made a name for herself in her native Australia for playing bisexual teen Donna Freedman in the long-running hit soap opera. She left the series in 2011. PAN AM 2011 The ABC period drama, initially billed as Mad Men for the airline industry, marked Robbie’s Hollywood debut. Despite hefty promotion and decent reviews, the series lasted only 14 episodes. WOLF OF WALL STREET 2013 She turned a conventional role as the bombshell wife in Martin Scorsese’s Wolf into a standout. Not long after, Robbie became the industry’s latest It girl and was offered roles and spokesperson gigs. Z FOR ZACHARIAH 2015 Robbie campaigned aggressively to play Ann Burden, a farm girl in Craig Zobel’s sci-fi indie — and a vastly different…

It’s easy for Hollywood photographer Jeff Vespa to calculate how many events he’s shot during his 20-year career. A simple search on WireImage — the photo agency and wire service he and eight partners founded in 2001 and sold for $200 million in 2007 — yields more than 300,000 images snapped at more than 4,400 events, from the Golden Globes and Oscars to film festivals like Venice, Toronto and, his personal favorite, Sundance. But Vespa, 47, is now shifting his focus to his Vespa Pictures, where he’ll create video content for brands and media; shoot portraits and ad campaigns; and pursue his true passion, filmmaking. (He’s in postproduction on his directorial debut, Paris Song, starring Abbie Cornish.) But no more event photography for him. As he leaves a job that,…

HODA NABS MATT’S TODAY JOB, BUT NOT HIS BIG PAYCHECK Deal of the Week After ending the year firing network star Matt Lauer for “inappropriate sexual behavior,” NBC News’ first move of 2018 is a make-good. On Jan. 2, the division named Hoda Kotb Lauer’s permanent replacement as co-anchor of Today’s first two hours, a move co-anchor Savannah Guthrie called “the most popular decision NBC News has ever made.” “Broadcast executives sometimes do the smart thing, and they sometimes do the right thing. In this case, they did both,” notes Barbara Cochran, a former NBC News and CBS News executive, echoing raves from present and former Today colleagues, including Tamron Hall. Kotb, 53, who will continue to co-host the 10 a.m. hour with Kathie Lee Gifford, has been filling in…

Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs, Jan. 2 All the Money in the World Beverly Hills, Dec. 18 Downsizing Los Angeles, Dec. 18 Party Crawler Palm Springs Heats Up “This has been a nice evening,” declared PSIFF Film Awards Gala icon award recipient Willem Dafoe (2). “Long, but nice.” Marathon was the word of choice from host Mary Hart to describe the 29th annual event. In all, 11 awards were handed out at the desert city’s convention center including trophies to Sam Rockwell (7), Mary J. Blige (1), Allison Janney (4) and Gary Oldman (7) — who drew roaring applause when he revealed his decision to move to Palm Springs. Honoree Jessica Chastain (6) had the distinction of closing the show: “Before I leave you guys tonight, I want…

VIRTUAL REALITY GOES TO THE DOGS Every CES brings a fresh crop of new VR headsets and gadgets, but with FoxNext scheduled to participate, it’s hard to imagine that Isle of Dogs Behind the Scenes (in Virtual Reality), based on Wes Anderson’s upcoming Fox Searchlight film, won’t play a role in this year’s show before the VR experience bows at Sundance. HULU’S NEXT STEPS New Hulu CEO Randy Freer was announced as a speaker alongside Turner’s John Martin well before the news that Disney would — after merging with Fox — become the majority owner of the streaming service that had launched as a studio joint venture. Freer’s Jan. 10 keynote will now be scrutinized for insight into what unified ownership will mean for Hulu’s future. AUGMENTED REALITY BECOMES REALITY…

Labels often are just journalistic shorthand, a quick way to differentiate one object from another: When Sony Pictures Classics acquired Luca Guadagnino’s new film in advance of last January’s Sundance Film Festival, the headline on THR.com read, “Sony Classics Takes Gay Love Story ‘Call Me by Your Name’.” A rep for the picture immediately called to ask for a headline change. The movie was more than just a gay love story; it was a coming-of-age saga, a tale of first love, etc. etc. But none of that made for a succinct headline and didn’t distinguish the movie from dozens of other Sundance pics about sexual awakenings. And so the headline stood. On the other hand, labels often are just as restrictive and, potentially, dismissive. Phantom Thread, for example, may be…

ALTERNATIVE HERBAL HEALTH SERVICES, WEHO The dispensary opened its doors in 2004; proprietor Dina Browner was the inspiration for Nancy Botwin on Showtime’s Weeds. Boldface bakers Snoop Dogg, Kathy Bates, Charlie Hunnam HOLLYWOOD HILLS WELLNESS ASSOCIATION, L.A. The outpost was created in 2015 by couple Rob Rosenheck and Cindy Capobianco to sell their Lord Jones cannabisinfused topicals and edibles (gumdrops at $30 for nine are best-sellers). In January, Lord Jones will open its first flagship store at the Standard Hotel Hollywood. Boldface bakers Olivia Wilde, Sarah Paulson, Justin Bieber, Busy Philipps MEDMEN, WEHO ↓ The consulting firm with its string of dispensaries since 2010 (including Beverly Hills) is not named after the TV show Mad Men but is a play on ModMan, an earlier marketing agency created by founders Andrew…

Before Margot Robbie set out for Hollywood, an agent in her native Australia advised her to prepare to answer a question she’d inevitably be asked when she arrived. “What do you want out of your career?” Robbie, then 20 and starring in a local soap opera, took the advice seriously. She began scribbling pages and pages of notes before ultimately whittling her answer down to just three words: “Quality, versatility and longevity.” Nail the first two, she thought, and the third will follow. Not a half decade later, Robbie had exploded into Hollywood with her breakthrough performance as the fiery wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort in the 2013 box-office smash The Wolf of Wall Street. She’d taken what could have been a forgettable role — described in Terence Winter’s…

Friday, Jan. 5 AFI LUNCHEON Four Seasons Los Angeles, noon Featuring a special award for Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War, the event also honors 10 top films and TV shows. ESQUIRE Private home Mike and Irena Medavoy will host the likes of Armie Hammer and Sylvester Stallone for the party in partnership with Maserati. Saturday, Jan. 6 FILM INDEPENDENT Boa, 11 a.m. The indie film crowd’s brunch, hosted by John Cho and Alia Shawkat, honors Spirit nominees. BAFTA Four Seasons Los Angeles, 2 p.m. The annual tea honors U.K. Globe nominees including Saoirse Ronan, Ridley Scott and Daniel Kaluuya. ICM PARTNERS Poppy, 5 :30 p.m. The agency will honor its clients behind The Handmaid’s Tale, including author Margaret Atwood and creator Bruce Miller. SEAN PENN’S J/P HAITIAN RELIEF ORGANIZATION Milk…

Once discreetly tucked beneath shirt cuffs, men’s status watches may be among the most highprofile fashion statements at the Golden Globes. “Because so many men are expected to wear black this year, a great watch is their opportunity to inject personality into their look,” says star stylist Jeanne Yang, who theorizes that the more ornate pieces favored by athletes and rap artists may start to find their way onto awards-show red carpets. To ensure that a timepiece can be seen, she “asks Anto, the great shirtmaker in Beverly Hills, to add just a quarter-inch more room in the shirt cuff,” she says, while an Ermenegildo Zegna shirt with a widerthan- usual cuff helped when her client Alexander Skarsgard won for his supporting role in Big Little Lies: “He held up…