Innholdsfortegnelse for Wednesday May 30 2018 i The Hollywood Reporter

Harvey Weinstein was greeted by a throng of news media when he surrendered May 25 at a lower Manhattan police station on two felony counts of rape and a third felony charge for a criminal sex act. But legal observers noticed what didn’t greet the once-powerful movie mogul: After a seven-month investigation, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance did not have an indictment prepared, which experts say is quite remarkable and perhaps suggests that the DA was feeling pressure from news leaked less than 24 hours earlier — that federal prosecutors were eyeing their own Weinstein case. After all, Vance already had endured criticism for not bringing charges against Weinstein in 2015 despite a damning audio recording of him with model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. To be usurped by the feds would…

Analysts say they’re concerned that Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts might be too willing to take on a pile of debt to beat his rival Disney as the companies gear up for what’s likely to be a ferocious battle to gain ownership of Fox. Debate about the potential debt was reignited May 23 when the cable giant — after being rejected in its attempt to buy the Murdoch-led company in late 2017 — said it was preparing an all-cash bid for the parts of Fox that Disney had agreed to buy in December in a $52.4 billion all-stock deal. Those assets include the 20th Century Fox studio, Fox’s cable networks (minus Fox News) and its international assets, including its stake in Sky. Since April, when news of Comcast’s interest…

Crafts Work “People have gone from not really caring if a prop is period accurate to wanting it to be dead-on,” says Ross MacDonald, whose encyclopedic knowledge of typesetting and detailed work have made him Hollywood’s go-to for “graphic props” — think posters, magazines, maps. MacDonald, 60, who’ll speak May 31 in conjunction with a show of his work at New York’s Type Directors Club, has crafted everything from mop patents for 2015’s Joy to passports for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Upcoming projects include 2019 World War II drama Greyhound, with Tom Hanks, and HBO’s CIA drama Torture Report. Connecticut-based MacDonald has seen demand, and the stakes, rise for his work. “DVR is driving this as people who have super high-res TVs are pausing frame by frame. You can’t get away…

Moreno’s Moment “I never thought that I would live to see something like this happen in my lifetime, and it has, and I am so thrilled beyond words,” said Gracie Lifetime Achievement honoree Rita Moreno (8) at the 43rd annual Beverly Wilshire ceremony, held by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. The fact that her honor coincided with a moment when women are making a concerted push toward greater gender equality made it more meaningful, she said. “The #MeToo movement is not a gimmick. This is only going to grow and expand, as it should.” The event, hosted by journalist Lisa Joyner (with an opening assist from her husband, Jon Cryer), also feted dozens of other honorees and was capped with a performance by country music artist Kelsea Ballerini.…

Going Green Environmental activists Jenna Dewan, Jaden Smith (9) and Bill Nye were among the guests at Montage Beverly Hills for the 28th Environmental Media Association Awards, which highlighted the urgency of the work that needs to be done to protect the Earth and all its inhabitants, A-list or otherwise. Host Amber Valletta helped dole out the honors to a number of films and TV shows that promoted positive environmental messages, including Adam Ruins Everything, Vice, The Blacklist and Lifetime television movie Flint. Writer T.A. Barron concluded the evening with a reading from his Merlin saga book series that extols the virtues of listening to and being close with nature.…

Weddings Christopher Donnelly, a talent and literary manager at LBI, married Dana Harris, a talent agent at CAA, on April 21 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in front of 80 guests. The couple, who became engaged in Los Angeles in 2017, will honeymoon this year in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Births Jen Coyne-Hoerle, director of awards at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and husband Jonny Mgrdichian welcomed son Mylo Douglas Mgrdichian on May 7 at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. Matt Martin, motion picture literary agent at CAA, and wife Kristal Fox, COO of model Miranda Kerr’s Randamay, welcomed daughter Isabella Lee Martin on May 19 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. Congrats Original Productions hired Jeff Hasler as president May 21. Fox News Channel appointed Dan Realson vp…

RÉSUMÉ CURRENT TITLE Chief lifestyle brands officer, Discovery PREVIOUS JOB Chief programming, content and brand officer, Scripps Networks BIG HITS Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, House Hunters on HGTV; Cupcake Wars, Chopped, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network Kathleen Finch’s trajectory has been anything but ordinary. Born in San Francisco and raised in lower Manhattan, the TV executive has bohemian roots that did not prepare her for a life in Tennessee. But that’s where the 56-year-old former CBS News journalist, who first joined Knoxville-based Scripps Networks Interactive in its New York office in 1999, has spent the past decade, strengthening the company’s cable portfolio (see marquee properties Food Network and HGTV) into one that Discovery Communications spent $14.6 billion to acquire in 2017. With the dust settled, Finch finds herself in…

If it’s not clear from my shows over the past 16 or 17 years, I like movies. I love movies. On Parts Unknown, we reference films frequently — and whenever possible, invite filmmakers I admire to talk about their work and the places that inform it. I’ve been lucky enough over the years to have had a number of great artists on camera: Francis Ford Coppola (for Puglia and Basilicata), Darren Aronofsky (Madagascar, Bhutan), the late, great Vilmos Zsigmond (Hungary) and Abel Ferrara (Rome). In an upcoming episode, we sit down with Jim Jarmusch and Amos Poe. I have long been particularly besotted with the work of Wong Kar Wai’s frequent collaborator and director of photography, Christopher Doyle. For me, he was always the Big Kahuna. For years now, every…

Just over a year ago, Hollywood’s development scene — real estate, not film or television — was trending bleak. The district was ground zero for Measure S, aimed at halting construction across L.A. that was gaining steam. The area’s biggest development project — the Millennium Hollywood towers next to the Capitol Records building — was intractably stalled after a 2014 court ruling, and the talk of the area centered less on the newest luxe amenity and more on newly discovered seismic fault lines. Today, Measure S is a footnote after floundering at the polls in March. The Millennium Hollywood, now known as Hollywood Center, is back on track. Next door, 114 apartments in the 18-story Argyle House are on the market. Rents for the glass tower’s units, designed by Marmol…

It’s 8:20 a.m. on a recent Thursday in Brentwood, and Heidi Fugeman Lindelof is rearranging granola parfaits and lox platters. “I’m always in the mood to talk about reproductive rights,” says the activist and wife of TV and film producer Damon with a laugh, as TriStar president Hannah Minghella and producer Amy Baer file into the living room, where photos of the Lindelofs with such high-octane politicos as the Clintons, the Obamas and Nancy Pelosi pepper the built-in shelves. This gathering is not about snagging a selfie with Hillary. The 30 women — members of a Westside PAC called the Los Angeles Women’s Collective, co-founded by ICM Partners political strategist Hannah Linkenhoker — have shown up before heading to their office or studio lot to talk policy issues with Maya…

Rose McGowan “I, and so many of Harvey Weinstein’s survivors, had given up hope that our rapist would be held accountable by law. Twenty years ago, I swore that I would right this wrong. Today we are one step closer to justice.” Heather Graham “It’s about time: Harvey Weinstein turned himself in this morning. Today, instead of focusing on him, I will be celebrating all of the powerful women out there.” Sean Young “That’s one down and three to go. I know of at least three abusive men out in Hollywood who are still out there living their successful lives, who I wouldn’t dream of outing for fear of losing my life.” Sarah Ann Masse “Harvey must pay for his heinous crimes. Those who surrounded him, supported him, were complicit…

Family Feuds “The story of the family is really a metaphor for what is going on here at the moment,” said star Brian Cox (4) at the Time Warner Center premiere of Succession, which has echoes of Hollywood’s Murdoch and Viacom-CBS feuds. The HBO drama from writer Jesse Armstrong (3) and producer Frank Rich follows the Roy family as each member strives to amass power in their billion-dollar media conglomerate. Said Rich of the show’s appeal, “The Redstones, the Maxwells, the Murdochs — even though they are billionaires, there is something universal about a family that is warring over love, power and loyalties.”…

Jesus Christ Could Bestow a Triple EGOT Should NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert be nominated for an Emmy and win, there will be three new EGOTs, adding to only 12 people who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. Audrey Hepburn, Mike Nichols, Whoopi Goldberg and Scott Rudin could be joined by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyricist Tim Rice and John Legend — with multiple GOTs among them — who all served as exec producers of the April 1 production. Webber and Rice’s Superstar collaborations date to the 1970 rock opera — “the worst idea for a musical,” said the composer at a May 21 FYC panel, adding, “Frankly, the Broadway production was vulgar and horrible.” Webber approved of Neil Meron and Craig Zadan’s version, which could…

On May 17 at 9:30 a.m., WWE executive Stephanie McMahon and her husband, Paul Levesque — better known as the fearsome wrestler Triple H — walked into a conference room on the 44th floor of 21st Century Fox’s Manhattan headquarters. They were ready to rumble with Fox execs, who were eager to acquire WWE’s programming, which includes the weekly Raw and SmackDown Live. Both shows have been fixtures on NBCUniversal cable networks, and NBCU was fully expecting to keep things that way with a new 10-year deal. But Peter Rice, chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, knew that NBCU’s exclusive negotiating window was due to lapse May 16 and had his moves planned. By the end of the meeting, the two sides had shaken hands on a five-year deal…

1. Jordana Spiro OZARK (Netflix) Who should play you in a biopic? Lady Gaga would be able to give me some new colors that I didn’t know about myself. We’re both nice girls from New York. 2. Brendan Fraser TRUST (FX) What inspired you to act? Charlie Chaplin. I thought, “I want to do that.” I can’t do that, but I want to find a way that I do what I do the way he does what he does. 3. D’Arcy Carden THE GOOD PLACE (NBC) What’s a role you’d love to play? Eleven on Stranger Things. There’s emotional and funny parts and she gets to be powerful and do cool magic-y stuff. 4. Hilary Duff YOUNGER (TV Land) Who was your first TV crush? Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home…

TV’s latest wave of shows sympathizing with the plight of the grotesquely wealthy reaches a crest of sorts with HBO’s Succession. The Roys, the clan at the heart of the new series, are more powerful than the Carringtons (Dynasty), chillier than the Gettys (Trust) and even more dysfunctional than the Bluths (Arrested Development). The reptilian characters and a tone that balances expletive-laden farce and Shakespearean tragedy will prove a tough sell for some, but those who stick around will find plenty to savor — particularly in the performances and dialogue. Brian Cox plays Logan Roy, patriarch of an empire that includes TV, newspapers and a movie studio. Approaching his 80th birthday, Logan is contemplating retirement — a process that might be easier if his children and potential heirs weren’t such…

The Las Vegas of today owes much of its glitzy reputation to Ocean’s 11 — the cinematic progenitor to the all-female Ocean’s 8, out June 8. The quintessential “Rat Pack” film starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop as a gang of World War II vets who plot a New Year’s Eve heist on five casinos. Lawford first heard the idea in 1955 and bought the outline for $10,000 ($85,000 today). Sinatra caught wind of it and brought it to Jack Warner, who liked it enough to order a script and offer the singer-actor a salary of $700,000 ($6 million today) to star. Sinatra cast the movie with members of his hard-drinking entourage who billed themselves then not as the Rat Pack but “The…

Oct. 5 The New York Times publishes an investigation with testimony from actresses like Ashley Judd, alleging Harvey Weinstein is guilty of three decades of sexual harassment, during which he’s reached confidential settlements with at least eight women, including Rose McGowan. Weinstein, saying he’s taking a leave of absence from The Weinstein Co., tells the Times, “I sincerely apologize,” but later that day, he threatens to sue the paper, telling the New York Post he is the victim of “reckless reporting.” Oct. 8 The Weinstein Co.’s board of directors fires Weinstein from the co-presidency he shares with brother Bob. Oct. 10 The New Yorker publishes its own investigation, with allegations from 13 more women — three of whom, including actress-director Asia Argento, accuse Weinstein of rape. Through a spokeswoman, Weinstein…

Heist movies don’t have a gender,” says Ocean’s 8 scripter Olivia Milch, 29, who was tapped by director Gary Ross, a friend (they share a love of Civil War history), to help plot Warner Bros.’ female Ocean’s spinoff, which follows a scheme to steal a Cartier necklace from the Met Gala. “The sheer impossibility of scheduling was insane,” she says of the cast, a murderers’ row of talent: four Oscar winners, an Emmy winner, a YouTube phenom and Rihanna. “One of the things we’re proudest of is that they are each distinct characters,” Milch explains, “because we gave the audience time to get to know each of them.” (Still, the film came in at just 110 minutes.) Milch — the daughter of NYPD Blue and Deadwood creator David, who made…

Party Crawler Power of the PEN The annual PEN America gala at the American Museum of Natural History honored author Stephen King (2); jailed journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo; publisher Carolyn Reidy; and Parkland, Florida, students Cameron Kasky (1) and Samantha Fuentes (1) as well as anti-gun-violence activist Zion Kelly (1). Accepting his honor from the 96-year-old organization, which defends the freedom to write, King emphasized the importance of education, especially under the current political administration. “From my earliest days working as a high school teacher, I’ve been telling kids that those who read can learn to write, and those who can do both will succeed in the world,” he said. Teen activist Fuentes mentioned those affected by the Santa Fe, Texas, shooting: “I know what it feels…

How long does it take for a historic scandal to go from raging wildfire to merely cold ashes? For executives at Walt Disney, it took just about eight months. Yes, eight months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke and #MeToo spread faster than California’s Thomas fire, Disney is considering bringing animation guru John Lasseter back to the company. The Wall Street Journal reported he could return in a “reduced” role after taking a six-month sabbatical for behavior that included “grabbing, kissing and lurid comments.” What exactly does a reduced role mean for Lasseter? No hugging? No kissing? He can shake hands, but he must wear gloves and avoid leering? Maybe he works from his laptop in a secluded location? This could be a precedent that shapes the future for many…

With the opening of Reykjavik Studios in April, Iceland’s Baltasar Kormakur — whose Adrift, starring Shailene Woodley, opens June 1 (he also helmed Contraband, 2 Guns and Everest) — moves a step closer to mogul status. Here, he details the road to building a studio: While working as an actor, I bought a bar in 1995. I figured it would be cheaper to own a bar than pay my monthly bill. Kaffibarinn became a big thing in the ’90s; Damon Albarn, of British rock band Blur, was part owner. Fortunately, I changed my habits and sold the bar in 2007 just before the Icelandic financial collapse — I got lucky. With the profits, I invested in a precursor to Reykjavik Studios as well as RVX, a visual effects company. Since…

There are few things that can make a sextet of generally loquacious actors freeze up faster than an open-ended question about gender pay parity. Unlike their female counterparts, many of whom have not only forced the dialogue but also demanded action via the Time’s Up movement, the men gathered for The Hollywood Reporter’s annual television Drama Actor Roundtable find themselves looking awkwardly around the table, waiting to see who will bite. On this afternoon in late April, it’s Ozark’s Jason Bateman, 49, who jumps in first; but it doesn’t take long before The Americans’ Matthew Rhys, 43, interjects, diffusing any tension with a joke — which, to everyone’s delight, changes both the tenor and the direction of the discussion. Fortunately, the group — which also includes J.K. Simmons, 63 (Starz’s…

For the June 5 California primaries, local Democratic activists are focusing on eight Republican congressional districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016. While Hollywood is eager to support two buzzed-about Democrats in particular, Katie Hill and Mike Levin — whose wins could help flip the House of Representatives — both candidates face unique challenges in pleasing would-be constituents and industry supporters. Political newcomer Hill, 29, who is vying for Republican Steve Knight’s seat, may be based in Santa Clarita, but she has attended more than 24 fundraisers at entertainment insiders’ homes in Hancock Park, Brentwood and the Westside. (Kristen Bell, screenwriter Michelle Mulroney and attorney Marcy Morris are supporters.) Says Hill, “I’ve gotten some criticism for spending time outside” California District 25, encompassing Simi Valley, Palmdale and Lancaster. “But many…

AMC’s Dietland would still be culturally notable if it were merely a timely and trenchant drama about “fat acceptance.” Adapted from Sarai Walker’s bestselling novel by creator Marti Noxon (UnREAL), the series follows Plum Kettle (played by Joy Nash), an advice columnist ruled “morbidly obese” who plans on becoming the woman she always wanted to be via gastric bypass surgery. Then, like a fairy-tale protagonist, she’s chosen by a magical godmother of sorts to fulfill her real destiny. Plum’s fate isn’t to look like a Disney princess but to help all women feel like one — through whatever means necessary. And those means, as it turns out, may include working with an all-female vigilante group. Dietland is a riveting whirligig of a show: a tale of self-discovery, a manifesto about…

At the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter partnered with DIRECTV and Swarovski to host two very special events. On May 9, THR and Swarovski hosted a screening of the documentary, about Swarovski’s water education and conservation efforts across the globe. Following the screening, THR senior film writer Tatiana Siegel moderated a panel with Nadja Swarovski, project mentor Lucy Walker, and UCLA theater, film and television dean Teri Schwartz. Guests then enjoyed a reception on the terrace of the iconic Carlton Hotel overlooking the Croisette. On May 10, THR and DIRECTV hosted a star-studded event celebrating the announcement of Jessica Chastain’s new all-female espionage thriller 355. The A-list cast including Chastain, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Fan Bingbing and Lupita Nyong’o, along with director Simon Kinberg, attended the party…