Innholdsfortegnelse for Wednesday April 25 2018 i The Hollywood Reporter

Striking a confident note onstage at CinemaCon on April 24, National Association of Theatre Owners president John Fithian hit back at the idea that “disruption” is necessary to “save” the film business. “The movie industry is not a zero-sum game,” Fithian told exhibitors in Las Vegas. Left unsaid in the theater chief’s remarks was any mention of the meteoric rise of MoviePass, the subscription service with the potential to disrupt the exhibition industry, if not the entire ecosystem of film. Since Helios and Matheson first invested in MoviePass in August, double-digit gains, and drops, in its weekly stock price have been commonplace. The MoviePass parent company, which provides customer data to companies including BMW and TD Waterhouse, has been trading publicly on the Nasdaq exchange since 1997, and in the…

6% of moviegoers 18-to-74 are MoviePass subscribers 48% of moviegoers 18-to-74 are aware of MoviePass More male That compares with a 50-50 split for nonsubscribers. Among male subscribers, 10% are between the ages of 21 and 24. Diversity profile 10% of subscribers are Asian, compared with 4% of nonsubscribers 8% of subscribers are African-American, compared with 15 percent of nonsubscribers They’re parents 42% of subscribers have children, compared with 28% of nonsubscribers Not just millennials 44% of subscribers are between the ages of 30 and 44…

With the launch of a new top-of the-digital-line laser projection system, Imax is hoping to raise the bar in theaters to draw audiences away from their couches. The large-format company demonstrated the system to exhibitors, studios and filmmakers in closed-door sessions before CinemaCon in Las Vegas. And it's striking deals with Cineworld/Regal and AMC. Cineworld/Regal will add 26 new Imax screens and upgrade 29 of its existing projectors in the U.S. and Europe with the system. AMC will upgrade 87 of its Imax projectors. With the deals, these exhibitors have renewed 12-year-lease terms, with systems expected to be installed within four years. AMC and Imax are investing roughly $125 million in the rollout, according to AMC chairman and CEO Adam Aron. The 87 Imax at AMC locations will operate under…

Big Deal Stephen Curry has many years left in the NBA (he signed a five-year, $201 million deal with the Golden State Warriors in June), but he already has launched his next act. Curry, 30, unveiled production shingle Unanimous Media on April 23, along with a wide-ranging, multiyear pact with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The first-look deal will focus on faith- and sports-themed projects in the scripted and unscripted film and TV space and encompasses opportunities in partnerships, electronics, gaming and virtual reality. It’s not unusual for athletes of Curry’s visibility and appeal to rake in endorsements; boosting brands including Under Armor and JPMorgan Chase earns him a reported $35 million annually. And many athletes have found post-playing careers as game analysts or dabbled in producing (see: Oscar winner Kobe Bryant).…

SOCIAL ACTION Things feel overwhelming,” says Mark Duplass of L.A.’s growing homeless crisis: The number of people without homes in L.A. County rose 23 percent from 2016 to 2017 and now is nearly 58,000, according to county authorities. To stem the tide, the actor-filmmaker began working two years ago with the nonprofit PATH (People Assisting the Homeless); this year he’s chairing its Making It Home campaign (May 1 to June 30), which since 2013 has moved 6,694 people into permanent housing. “You see the impact directly,” says Duplass, 41, who has helped eight families move. “Some of the most helpful [moments] are when these kids just play with my kids and my brother Jay’s kids, giving the space for the parents to have that emotional moment while we move in.”…

“Thank you for last night! You are both delicious women.”ALLISON MACK The former Smallville star, in a 2013 email to actress Samia Shoaib reprinted in the New York Post. Mack allegedly attempted to induct Shoaib and a friend into the Nxivm sex cult; she was arraigned April 20 in New York on federal sex-trafficking charges. “In the preparation for this film — what did you weigh?”JESSE KORNBLUTH The journalist, at a Tribeca Film Festival Q&A, asking Michelle Pfeiffer about how thin she looked in the 1983 film Scarface. The question drew a round of boos from the audience. “It’s Macaulay season. I try to go out less and less around that time of year.”MACAULAY CULKIN The actor, telling Ellen DeGeneres why he stays home at Christmastime, when fans often ask…

For such a small man — all of 2-foot-8 — Verne Troyer made a huge impression on Hollywood. “I remember meeting him at an airport,” Tom Arnold tells THR of his first encounter with the actor who played Mini-Me in two Austin Powers films. “I was with my 3-year-old son, and he wasn’t sure what to make of him. He thought Verne was some sort of animatronic thing. He asked if he was alive. But Verne was the sweetest guy. My son just loved him. And Verne ended up being amazing in the Austin Powers films. He wasn’t just a prop — his character became essential.” Seth Green, who also appeared in the Powers comedies, has equally fond memories. “When Verne and I met, we bonded over music,” he says.…

Kevin Hart checked out Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills. … Amy Adams was at Ocean Prime Beverly Hills. … Guillermo del Toro stopped by Buffalo Club for dinner. … Tom Pollock rubbed elbows with John Branca at Mr Chow. … Tia Mowry was at Casa Vega. Valerie Bertinelli was in the next night. … Larry King had breakfast at The Nosh of Beverly Hills. … Lakers coach Luke Walton lunched at Freds. … In New York, Anderson Cooper sat with Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, at Bar Centrale. … Greta Gerwig broke bread with Noah Baumbach at the Polo Bar. Joy The Quick Pitch Silver Lake’s Taiwanese hit Pine & Crane now has a nearly identical twin in Highland Park from the same owner, Vivian Ku. An arty crowd — with…

Get the Juices Flowing in the Writers Room An upgrade of that writer-room favorite, LaCroix, Sprig citrus-flavored soda — powered with 45 mg of THC cannabis oil for mellow inspiration — is $5 per can; check drinksprig.com (as with all sites here) for availability. Ease Nerves in a Pitch Meeting For fresh breath and more, Petra sugar-free mints in Moroccan mint or eucalyptus contain 2.5 mg of THC per mint for an extra boost of focused energy; $20 to $22 at all MedMen retail locations in Los Angeles Calm Red-Carpet Jitters Better than a Xanax, Lord Jones’ old-fashioned gumdrops in citrus and berry flavors contain 20 mg of CBD per piece — precisely dosed to avoid edibles’ “I don’t feel anything yet” regret; $45 for a box of nine at…

LESS THAN ZERO The series adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ 1985 novel follows a college freshman home to wealthy, decadent L.A. for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend and his drug-addicted best friend. From Fox 21, written by Craig Wright (Lost) and executive produced by Ellis. INVISIBLE MAN Marcus Gardley (The Chi) is adapting Ralph Ellison’s seminal 1952 novel about being a black man in early 20th century America. John Callahan will exec produce, with the Ralph and Franny Ellison Charitable Trust — which owns the rights to the book — also involved. SHRILL Lorne Michaels reteams with SNL’s Aidy Bryant for this comedy about an overweight woman who just wants to be accepted for who she is. Author Lindy West is adapting her own 2016 memoir with Bryant…

Leonardo DiCaprio will be on hand April 26 at the TCM Classic Film Festival’s opening night to present his frequent director Martin Scorsese — their work ranges from 2002’s Gangs of New York to 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street — with the fest’s inaugural Robert Osborne Award. Named in honor of the longtime THR columnist and TCM host who died in 2017, the honor recognizes Scorsese for his work in film preservation, including the 1990 creation of the Film Foundation, which has helped restore more than 800 movies.…

Gabrielle Union Breakthrough Producer of the Year Taron Egerton Action Star of the Year Jodie Foster Lifetime Achievement Award Ryan Coogler Director of the Year Anna Kendrick Cinema Spotlight Award Felicity Jones Award of Excellence in Acting Jonah Hill Vanguard Award Samuel L. Jackson Cinema Icon Award Kate McKinnon Comedy Star of the Year Benicio Del Toro Male Star of the Year Jack Black Visionary Award Dakota Johnson Female Star of the Year Tiffany Haddish Female Star of Tomorrow…

↑ Academy Board Struggle A fiery resignation exposes internal rifts. p. 12 Labor Agents vs. Writers The WGA wants new terms for talent agencies. p. 12 Beyonce Queen Bey reigns over two weekends at Coachella in performances that solidify the chart-topper’s status as the most influential figure in music. Sean Hannity The Fox News star is revealed to be a client of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen as The Guardian reports he benefited from a federal mortgage guarantee program via a shell company for real estate. Lars von Trier Seven years after being banned from the Cannes Film Festival for saying he could “sympathize” with Hitler, the controversial Danish director gets the green light to return. Charlie Corwin The Imagine CEO quietly exits the Brian Grazer- and Ron Howard-led company after…

FILM Kevin Costner (WME, Rod Lake, Ziffren Brittenham) will voice Milo Ventimiglia’s dog in Fox 2000’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. Sam Rockwell (Gersh, Untitled) will join Scarlett Johansson in Taika Waititi’s Nazi Germany satire Jojo Rabbit for Fox Searchlight. Lorne Michaels (CAA, Hansen Jacobson) has left Paramount to ink a first-look deal with Universal Pictures and renewed his NBCUniversal TV deals. Edgar Ramirez (CAA, Impression, Hirsch Wallerstein) will join Dwayne Johnson in Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Universal has won a bidding war for Stephen King’s Tommyknockers, with James Wan and Roy Lee producing. A Quiet Place’s Noah Jupe (CAA, the U.K.’s Shepherd, Grandview, Hansen Jacobson) will play young Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy. Guillermo del Toro (WME, Exile, Hirsch Wallerstein) inked an exclusive deal with DreamWorks Animation. Steven…

Less (LEE BOUDREAUX BOOKS, JULY 2017) BY Andrew Sean Greer AGENCIES CAA, Janklow & Nesbit Winning the Pulitzer should get the novelist off the sidelines in Hollywood; his four earlier books have seen options come and go. Here, Arthur Less avoids his 50th birthday and ex’s wedding by accepting invites to the world’s most offbeat literary festivals. The Wolves of Winter (SCRIBNER, JAN. 2) BY Tyrell Johnson AGENCY ICM Partners This postapocalyptic debut set in an America wracked with pandemic and nuclear winter is 2018’s hottest debut. Evoking Station Eleven and The Hunger Games, it follows a woman whose life in the Yukon is disrupted by a stranger with links to her past.…

The death of Swedish DJ/producer Avicii (real name: Tim Bergling) at age 28 on April 20 left a worldwide fan base struggling to come to terms with the loss of one of dance music’s brightest stars and bravest trailblazers. After earning two Grammys for “Levels” and the David Guetta collaboration “Sunshine,” Avicii found crossover success fusing folk and country elements with electronic music in 2013 with the hits “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother.” He retired from touring in 2016, citing health issues and alcohol abuse that forced the removal of his gall bladder and appendix. “Everybody thought he was in a better place, especially the past two months,” says “I Could Be the One” collaborator Nicky Romero. “It was a shock to everyone because it felt like he was picking…

Marijuana fashion and accessories have moved out of head shops and into boutiques. In Hollywood, Ariel Stark-Benz’s Mister Green boutique is less leaf than lifestyle, with $3,500 marijuana-themed watercolors by artist Kim McCarty for sale next to apothecary items such as the shop’s own smoky, woodsy “Hippie Shit” fragrance ($89/30 ml). For 4/20, L.A. knitwear guru Greg Chait of the Elder Statesman rolled out a new $1,885 “High End” cashmere sweater. Jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche, whose fans include Rihanna, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, has used the pot leaf as a design motif on her Sweet Leaf collection since before legalization. This year, she’s expanded into ceramic lifestyle accessories: “I felt like it was a missing component.”…

The night of the Oscar ceremony March 4 brought another triumphant moment for The Walt Disney Co. when Coco scored two awards, including best animated feature. The win marked the 12th top Oscar in the past 15 years for Pixar Animation Studios or Disney Animation Studios, and with ticket sales of more than $780 million worldwide, Coco was another box-office win, too. The acceptance speeches included thanks to many people, but one name was conspicuously omitted: John Lasseter, the absent chief creative officer of both pillars of Disney’s animation empire. “He who must not be named,” marvels one animation veteran who, like many, won’t talk about Lasseter on the record. Lasseter, 61, was on what Disney described as a six-month “sabbatical”; in an October memo to staff announcing the leave,…

DAYS OF OUR LIVES 53 years on the air 3 wins for drama series 25 nominations this year GENERAL HOSPITAL 55 years on the air 13 wins for drama series 26 nominations this year THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL 31 years on the air 3 wins for drama series 18 nominations this year THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS 45 years on the air 9 wins for drama series 25 nominations this year…

He stirred up a hornet’s nest,” says one Motion Picture Academy insider of studio chief turned producer Bill Mechanic’s explosive resignation letter from the organization’s 54-member board of governors that became public April 17. Seemingly aimed at Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, it illustrated a long-simmering divide. Hudson, who has pushed for change since her 2011 appointment, enjoys the backing of what one board member describes as a “sisterhood” led by Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy, actresses Laura Dern and Whoopi Goldberg, writer Robin Swicord, composer Laura Karpman and Fox Searchlight co-chief Nancy Utley — plus Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. On the other side is a more tradition-minded contingent that feels Hudson is moving too quickly. They helped elect current Academy president John Bailey and, according to sources, are believed to…

Deal of the Week In another era, it might have been shocking for an ex-FBI director to make the late-night rounds talking about sensitive legal investigations. But in Donald Trump’s America, James Comey, on tour to promote A Higher Loyalty, was just the latest character in the political melodrama with his own tell-all. “All presidents generate books, but Trump has been unusual in being so divisive right out of the gate,” says longtime conservative publisher Adam Bellow. “In Trump’s case, the revolving door is spinning off the hinges, resulting in a bonanza for publishers.” The latest deal: an oral history of the 15 years leading up to the launch of Trump’s winning presidential campaign in 2015. Vanity Fair contributor Allen Salkin and former New York Post reporter Aaron Short’s The…

There are two worlds here in the U.S, especially in L.A.,” says Eugenio Derbez, who moved from Mexico City to Beverly Hills three years ago with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. “I am a huge star for part of the population and a nobody to the other part.” In fact, many Americans got their first exposure to the Mexican megastar at the Oscars, when he introduced the Coco song “Remember Me” with the reminder, “In the afterlife, there are no walls.” Now walls could come down for him with the May 4 MGM comedy Overboard, a gender-swapped remake of the 1987 Goldie Hawn-Kurt Russell comedy; Derbez, 56, produced and stars opposite Anna Faris. He’s been working for his American breakthrough since he was 12, when he told his mother, Mexican…

Glamour Shots Jackie Kennedy at JFK’s funeral, a near-naked Brigitte Bardot lounging on a film set in France — as a Life magazine photographer in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, Henri Dauman (father of former Viacom CEO Philippe) snapped everybody who was anybody. And from April 28 to May 12, L.A.’s KP Projects Gallery will put those shots on view in a show that’s a throwback to “before publicists controlled everything,” says Dauman, 85. “I once spent a week on a train with Elvis Presley. That kind of access would never happen today.”…

Weddings Dule Hill married fellow Ballers actor Jazmyn Simon on April 21 at the Convento de las Capuchinas in Antigua, Guatemala. The couple became engaged in April 2017. Births Grant Derkac, international & independent film agent at ICM Partners, and wife Rebecca Nelson, founder of the cannabis company Budhive, welcomed son Chase Nelson-Derkac on April 11 in Los Angeles. Nathan Kahane, head of Good Universe, and wife Carly Kahane, executive at Jill Soloway’s Amazon company Topple, welcomed sons Arlo Reeves Kahane and Bear David Kahane on April 13 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Congrats Michael Nyman exited his post as co-chairman and CEO of PMK*BNC to launch the investment venture Acceleration on April 18. Mattel tapped Ynon Kreiz as CEO on April 19. Elizabeth Cole, executive producer of…

Four months after recreational marijuana became available in California, new products and experiences offering a high-end high are blooming, and in some corners, cannabis is becoming as much a part of the L.A. lifestyle as juice cleanses and hiking Runyon. You can work it out at Higher Self Yoga, where vape pens are distributed at the beginning of class to help “ease into the sacred”; treat yourself to a Canna-cure pedicure at Bellacures; score an $889, one-of-a-kind, hand-carved Argentinian blue onyx pipe from pot lifestyle boutique Mister Green; then hit Alfred Tea & Coffee for a CBD-infused peach ginger iced matcha. “The theanine in the tea works in harmony with CBD to produce a super-zen like feeling,” says Jordan G. Hardin, food and beverage director of the Kardashian- and Jenner-loved…

Look for the building with the big mustache on it,” instructs the security guard, gesturing over his right shoulder. “Can’t miss it.” There’s little subtlety to Steve Harvey’s new presence on the Universal Studios lot. The 61-year-old comedian, media giant and seemingly ubiquitous TV host fully relocated to Los Angeles from Chicago in 2017 to relaunch his popular daytime talk show (now with an ownership stake and backed by WME) inside the San Fernando Valley complex — and while his many unscripted gigs may take him all over the map, from West Hollywood (Little Big Shots) to Harlem (Showtime at the Apollo), this mustache-branded studio and office is the unofficial base of operations for a portfolio that can’t stop growing. “I don’t know that there’s anything that I want to…

TCM Classic Film Festival April 26-29 Hollywood I’m a walker,” Cicely Tyson, 93, says by way of explaining how she learned her way around Los Angeles after moving to California in the ’60s. That’s how she happened upon what was then known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. “All of those incredible movie-star names. I never thought that one day I’d be asked to plant myself there.” But the TCM Classic Film Festival has decided her name belongs there as well and will celebrate the actress April 27 with a hand and footprint ceremony of her own. Ahead of the event, THR asked Tyson about her career, which ranges from such classics as 1972’s Sounder and 1974’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, which resulted in the first two of her three…