Innholdsfortegnelse for Wednesday, March 27, 2019 i The Hollywood Reporter

From inside the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, on March 25, Apple’s top executives outlined a vision for a future in which live sports events, breaking news, prestige hourlong dramas and kids cartoons can all be accessed through one hub that is available across multiple screens. If that future sounds a lot like cable television’s present, well, that’s because it is. As streaming becomes the primary method through which many households access film and TV programming, Apple is at the center of a new fight to own the living room — not so much directly taking on Amazon, Hulu and forthcoming services from Disney and WarnerMedia, but potentially competing on an even bigger scale with the goal of aggregating content from all those platforms. “Today, there is so much…

In 1997, when James Cameron needed six more months than planned to finish Titanic, he bumped into Rupert Murdoch on the Fox lot and promised the mogul his costly epic would be “good.” “It better be a damn sight better than good,” Murdoch told Cameron, granting his studio’s star filmmaker the time he wanted, a decision that paid off with nearly $2.2 billion in global box office, 11 Oscars and the “I’m the king of the world” speech. Cameron’s relationship with the Murdochs was unusually strong. Now, days after Disney closed its $71.3 billion Fox deal, the Avatar director finds himself in business on the sequels with a very different company, one where intellectual properties like Star Wars and Marvel are valued higher than any star, and where the kind…

In December, Tiffany Haddish posted a chipper Instagram video of herself wearing a fox fur vest while explaining, “I’m going to wear fur every day until they stop killing black people. When the police stop killing black people, I’ll stop wearing fur. It’s my new protest. So sorry PETA, don’t be mad at me, be mad at the police.” The post drew both support and ire in the name of “free speech.” In recent weeks, the meaning and limits of free speech have been challenged on the sports field, in Hollywood and in the halls of government. The NFL settled the lawsuit that alleged collusion in suppressing Colin Kaepernick’s and Eric Reid’s right to kneel during the national anthem. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) questioned the extent of the U.S.’ allegiance…

JAKE BLOOM Bloom Hergott John Hughes’ cult hits and action classic Die Hard defined the ’80s, and it was Bloom who cut deals for Hughes and Bruce Willis. JOHN BRANCA Ziffren Brittenham Branca’s roster is a veritable music hall of fame: Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones and, yes, Michael Jackson. JOHN BURKE Akin Gump His work for Bank of America on Glengarry Glen Ross solidified his status as a go-to for Hollywood bankers. He still is. MELANIE COOK Ziffren Brittenham Cook repped It girl Molly Ringwald at the height of her fame and has advised Tim Burton and Keanu Reeves for decades. BERT FIELDS Greenberg Glusker The Beatles put Fields on the map, and since then his docket has been filled by the likes of Tom Cruise, George…

Trusting Tim Burton with a live-action remake of Dumbo was risky. Edward Scissorhands was probably the last of his films in which the sentimental core felt personal as opposed to manufactured. But perhaps what Disney had in mind was more in the strange-and-fantastical Burton realm, a circus fantasia viewed through a nightmare filter? That’s what it has ended up with, and if it’s not going to supplant the 1941 animated classic for the generations exposed to it at a young age, there’s likely enough here to keep today’s children absorbed — though it’s hard to imagine it haunting their psyches into adulthood. This is another frustratingly uneven Burton picture, with thin characters, an overstuffed visual imagination and an appetite for gloom that all but tramples the enchantment of a tale…

There will be plenty for theater owners to discuss at CinemaCon, their annual Las Vegas tete-a-tete with Hollywood studios, including consolidation and the push by many majors into streaming. In between, exhibitors will be treated to a slew of footage from films including Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Lion King that could translate to another record year at the box office. National Association of Theatre Owners president and CEO John Fithian spoke with THR about this year’s most pressing issues. CinemaCon will look different this time with the Disney-Fox merger and the absence of Sony. Any concerns? We’re going to have movie content of one form or another from 10 different companies, so the schedule will be packed. Disney and Fox will be a combined presentation. Sony has…

The makers of reality TV have seen the future. And it looks an awful lot like the past. Across the world, nonscripted TV formats long thought dead are being dug up, dusted off and rebooted for a new generation. In January, USA went back to Temptation Island, reviving the controversial 2000s-era dating series in which unmarried couples test the strength of their relationship by living with singles in seclusion. After six weeks of solid ratings, USA picked up the show for a second season. Viacom has ordered a new version of Wife Swap — which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010 — for its Paramount Network, with the new incarnation set to premiere April 4. Fox is rebooting its early-2000s unscripted competition series Paradise Hotel, with SallyAnn Salsano’s 495…

Disneyland’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride boasts a noble heritage. It’s based on the 64-minute 1941 Walt Disney film that won an Oscar for best score and which The Hollywood Reporter called the “gayest and most hilarious feature-length cartoon he has ever created.” The movie — which Tim Burton has remade into a CG/live-action film out March 29 — was such a big deal that Dumbo was supposed to be on the cover of Time in December 1941. But after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was replaced by Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto. As for the ride, it got off to a slow start. When Disneyland opened July 17, 1955, on 160 acres of Anaheim orange groves, the Flying Elephant ride — with its 700-pound Dumbo-shaped fiberglass vehicles — wasn’t ready…

Dedicated to the enduring love affair with NYC, The Hollywood Reporter’s ninth annual New York issue will profile the Big Apple’s most influential people in media. These are the individuals who have a major influence in news coverage and analysis and are at the top of their game. Advertise in this issue to congratulate the most powerful people in media while reaching an influential audience of Hollywood power players and talent as well as one of the world’s most discerning audiences: New Yorkers. BONUS DISTRIBUTION: THR’s ninth annual New York Power Event 4/12, Billboard Latin Music Conference 4/22-4/25, TCM Festival 4/11-4/19 ON SALE: 4/11 Issue Close: 4/3 Materials Due: 4/4 CONTACT: Los Angeles: 323.525.2245 New York: 212.493.4049 THRPublisher@thr.com Print, Tablet, Digital, Mobile…

TV Disney Castoff Fox 2000 chief Elizabeth Gabler may join a rival p. 22 Tech Game On Apple, Google back streaming services for gaming p. 26 Jordan Peele The Get Out filmmaker’s follow-up, Us, cements him as a brand-name draw with a $71.1 million domestic debut, the best ever for an original horror pic. Jeanine Pirro Fox News yanks the firebrand host for two weeks amid an advertiser exodus after she suggested that a hijab-wearing Muslim lawmaker is anti-Constitution. Jussie Smollett Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against the Empire actor over his claims about being a victim of a hate crime. Michael Avenatti The ex-Stormy Daniels lawyer and cable news star is charged with four counts of extortion in New York and federal wire fraud and bank fraud charges in…

There’s no hiding behind dark glasses. After years of steady decline, box office revenue from 3D screens in North America went into freefall last year, hitting its lowest level since 2008 (the year before Avatar) as more and more moviegoers refuse to pay an extra charge of $3 to $4. The findings were included in the March 21 annual report from the Motion Picture Association that provides a snapshot of theatrical spending and habits around the globe. In 2018, 3D box office revenue in the U.S. and Canada totaled $800 million, down a whopping 38 percent from the $1.3 billion collected in 2017. The number of wide 3D releases declined year-over-year from 34 to 27, but that also reflects a retreat from the format. The dip overseas, which has propped…

The frantic barrage of headlines has slowed, but the Hollywood impact of the country’s biggest college admissions scandal continues to emerge. L.A. students, parents and counselors are feeling raw about the scope of the betrayal — and anxious about what may come next. Prosecutors have sent subpoenas to schools with names of students whose parents have not been charged, which indicates that more indictments are in the offing in the coming weeks. “There’s a sense that there could be more parents caught up,” says one private school parent, “that the list of people indicted is not the complete list.” One high-powered Westside couple with ties to the music industry has told other parents they’re concerned about what the next phase of charges might bring for them. Says a Westside mother…

Us New York, March 19 Gang Green Nickelodeon’s annual slimefest, the Kids’ Choice Awards, once again honored the year’s best while covering A-listers Chris Pratt (1), Will Smith (4), Adam Sandler (2) and host DJ Khaled (5) in green goo. The show also offered glimpses at summer’s most anticipated films, revealing new footage from Disney’s reboot of Aladdin and the first trailer for Dora the Explorer’s live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Mena Massoud, who plays Aladdin, flew into the show magic carpet-style with Smith and said, “I think people are going to love the film.” Joey King, Zachary Levi and Janelle Monáe (3) also made appearances on the orange carpet, and Eugenio Derbez, a KCA first-timer, admitted of the show, “I like it, but I’m a little…

Weddings Jonathan Chang, a postproduction engineer at HBO, married Gillian Smith, executive director of online publicity at United Artists Releasing, on Feb. 9 at Millwick in Los Angeles in front of 75 guests. The couple will honeymoon in Italy. Juli Weiner, a writer for HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, married Michael Grynbaum, a media correspondent for The New York Times, on March 23 at the National Arts Club in New York. Births Ari Lubet, a manager at 3Arts Entertainment, and wife Jenna Lubet welcomed daughter Filomena Doris Lubet on March 6 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Congrats Fox Corp. named Jeff A. Taylor executive vp and chief litigation counsel March 22 and added former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Formula 1 chairman and CEO…

All it took was a phone call from his best friend and fellow chef, Michael Symon, and Bobby Flay was all in. Las Vegas’ Palms Casino Resort, amid a $690 million refresh, would be the home of Flay’s first new restaurant in five years and his debut fish concept. And when he caught sight of British artist Damien Hirst’s massive shark sculpture The Unknown (Explored, Explained, Exploded) swimming above the Palms’ center bar, also a Hirst design, inspiration struck. “When I saw the shark, I knew that was going to be the name of the restaurant,” Flay says. Opening April 1, right on time for the Cinemacon movie theater conference, Shark is just one of the desert city’s new hotspots. WHERE TO EAT Next door to Shark, Las Vegas now…

IT’S a Friday afternoon in February, and the view from Chris Evans’ house in the Hollywood Hills consists mostly of fog. He bought this place for $3.2 million in 2013, back when he was two hit movies into his seven-film stint as Marvel Studios’ Captain America; there’s a Zen-ish garden inside the front gate, and a stone Buddha sits by the door. Evans banishes his dog, Dodger, to the guest room, shuts off the TV in the family room (CNN on mute), cracks a can of Modelo, and takes a seat on the couch. His arms are insane, as thick as thighs. Evans has a movie coming out in a few months — an intimate little passion project called Avengers: Endgame (April 26). It’s the sequel to last year’s Avengers:…

Why he matters During the early 2000s, struggling filmmaker Wan was given a choice by a movie’s financiers: $20,000 upfront or nothing upfront but backend in a movie that may go nowhere. “To a struggling student, $20,000 is a lot of money,” recalls Wan. Seeking advice, he turned to an attorney he had recently met, Myman Greenspan’s David Fox (alum of Western State College of Law), who advised him to bet on himself. Wan took the backend deal. The movie? Saw, one of the most profitable horror franchises of all time. “He’s my Yoda,” Wan says. Now Fox is helping Wan navigate his post-Aquaman success and continue growing the billion-dollar Conjuring horror universe. Elsewhere, Fox made deals for Christopher McQuarrie to write and direct back-to-back Mission: Impossible movies and got…

On april 3, actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, along with Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, will appear in Boston federal court for their roles in the notorious college admission cheating scandal. All three are charged with the same crime — conspiracy to commit mail fraud — but their defense strategies could vary due to their respective roles in the scheme in which rich parents allegedly bribed college insiders to get their kids into elite universities. Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly spent more than $500,000 in bribes as their daughters were applying to USC. The task of representing them falls to white-collar criminal specialists Perry Viscounty, Sean Berkowitz and B.J. Trach at Latham & Watkins. Huffman, who made an appearance in federal court in L.A. on March 12 and was…

Before he gained fame as sen. kamala harris’ husband, entertainment litigator Doug Emhoff made headlines for his connection to another famous face: the Taco Bell Chihuahua. Around the turn of the century, “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” was a familiar refrain thanks to a series of ads featuring the live-action pooch that was developed by his client TBWA. The quirky creature sparked a lawsuit from a Michigan company named Wrench, which said it had created the “Psycho Chihuahua” character for Taco Bell. Wrench sued for breach of contract and was awarded $42 million. Taco Bell tried to pin the bill on its ad agency, but in 2009, after multiple trips to the 9th Circuit, Emhoff kept TBWA off the hook. Emhoff’s legal career has put him on the path toward potentially becoming…

1 UCLA School of law (20 alumni) Nestled minutes from some of Hollywood’s biggest studios, the Westwood-based school provides hands-on learning opportunities through its Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law (named for Power Lawyer Ken Ziffren). “UCLA provides seminar opportunities with entertainment lawyers who actually practice in the entertainment industry at the highest levels,” says alum Jason Sloane. “That type of access is invaluable.” Alumnae Sandra Stern of Lionsgate and Catrice Monson of CBS are two examples. 2 Harvard Law School (19 alumni) “One thing people often don’t realize about Harvard Law is that it’s the second-largest law school in the U.S.,” says alumnus Jamie Feldman. “There is a massive scope of different subjects, people and opportunities.” For Hollywood-minded students, the Ivy League program offers the Harvard…

The DC Comics universe has taken to heart the criticism that its movies have been too dark. The more lighthearted approach worked beautifully with Wonder Woman and was carried to a wackier level with 2018’s Aquaman. Now comes an effort, based on a relatively little-known comic book character, that proves so determinedly ebullient you begin to think they’re pumping laughing gas into the auditorium. The most kid-friendly DC movie so far, the film is undeniably entertaining. But like its central figure, a 14-year-old able to transform into a superhero by uttering the titular incantation, Shazam! often gives the impression of a kid playing in the adult leagues. Directed by David F. Sandberg, this is an origin story of the title character and also of villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong),…

Thirty years ago, a modestly budgeted, dialogue-heavy romantic comedy called When Harry Met Sally … debuted in theaters — and caused a paradigm shift in the dynamics of grown-up dating. The movie, which late screenwriter Nora Ephron based loosely on the life of its recently divorced director, Rob Reiner, introduced a number of modern romantic notions we now take for granted (like, for instance, the term “high-maintenance”). It also made major movie stars of its two leads, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. In honor of its 30th anniversary, the film will open the 10th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on April 11, with both stars and Reiner in attendance at the TCL Chinese Theatre screening. The following day, Crystal, 71, will add his hand and footprints to the theater’s iconic…

TIM COOK, Apple CEO “Our vision … is to bring together your favorite shows, movies and sports and make them available on all devices.” Sesame Street The slate will feature live-action and animated shows and development on a puppet series. Little America Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon are writing the eight-episode anthology. Little Voice Sara Bareilles is teaming with J.J. Abrams for a 10-episode half-hour musical dramedy. Oprah Winfrey Her deal includes scripted and unscripted originals, podcasts and her book club. Amazing Stories This episodic anthology is a reimagining of Steven Spielberg’s series that ran in the 1980s. Morning Show Steve Carell, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston star in this drama about TV wars. See The eight-episode epic is set in a dystopian future and stars Jason Momoa and…

On the afternoon of March 20, Fox 2000 president Elizabeth Gabler was summoned to a conference room on the Fox lot, where Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn and president Alan Bergman delivered the news: There would be no future for her 20-year-old label now that Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox had closed. Sources say she was blind-sided and had been assured that Fox 2000 would have a home within the Magic Kingdom. Now, a tug-of-war likely will ensue for Gabler’s services, pitting former Fox film co-chiefs Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman against each other. Both Gianopulos, who heads up Paramount Pictures, and Rothman, chairman of Sony’s Motion Picture Group, are said to be interested in luring the executive behind such breakouts as The Fault in Our Stars, The…

The Sunset Boulevard hotel once slated to be a James, which instead became The Jeremy, will segue fully into its new identity, 1 West Hollywood, as of May. While it has hosted guests, diners and industry events since August 2017, the 1 — West Hollywood’s first ground-up new hotel in nearly 30 years — has been redesigning its 286 rooms and public spaces in the brand’s eco-conscious luxury style. Think native greenery, organic bedding and a minibar stocked with products from local purveyors (rooms will start at $450 a night). The final elements to be unveiled will be the Sunset-facing plaza — dubbed “the Canyon” — and the lobby restaurant, 1 Kitchen by Chris Crary, helmed by the Top Chef alumnus and former executive chef at Hyde. The Canyon features…

Is the Beverly Hills Hotel Boycott Still On? Remember the Beverly Hills Hotel boycott? That’s OK, nobody else does, either. At least that’s the way it looked March 17, when Lady Gaga, Kate Hudson, Juliette Lewis, Courtney Love and Queer Eye’s Tan France filed into the hotel for The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Los Angeles Awards. A few weeks earlier, on Feb. 23, Margot Robbie, Kristen Stewart, Lupita Nyong’o, Miley Cyrus and Alfonso Cuarón piled inside, as well, partying at a pre-Oscar event hosted by Chanel. Five years after Jeffrey Katzenberg started the boycott by pulling the MPTF’s Night Before party in protest of the hotel owner, the Sultan of Brunei, imposing draconian anti-gay policies, the cause seems to be sputtering. “We were nervous,” one insider tells THR about holding…

If the Writers Guild of America doesn’t come to terms with the major talent agencies by April 6, its members may soon fire their agents en masse. If that happens, the guild is suggesting to its writers that they should ask managers and attorneys to step in to assume the agents’ duties. The problem? That maneuver might not be legal. In an unprecedented move, the WGA issued a letter March 21 authorizing managers and attorneys to substitute for agents. But that letter is legally ineffective, say two attorneys contacted by THR, and it won’t protect managers and attorneys from the consequences of violating state laws against acting as an agent without a license. That’s because federal labor law doesn’t pre-empt statutes such as California’s Talent Agencies Act that limit procurement…

Real estate TV shows like Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing, now in its 11th season, adhere to a simple formula: Episodes are heavy on aspiration — a wide-eyed look at how the one percent buy and sell homes — and light on verisimilitude. But when Aaron Kirman’s show debuts on CNBC in May, he’ll trade some of that aspiration for hard realities. “We’ll be having real conversations about why certain homes aren’t selling, whether it’s price, location, design or architecture,” says Kirman, a Compass broker whose clients include Rihanna, Jeremy Piven and Orlando Bloom. When asked why his new show, Listing Impossible, deviates from the feel-good norm, Kirman says: “We’re in a funky moment.” Funky is one way of putting it. After seven years of jaw-dropping growth, L.A.’s real estate market…

* = New † = Returning after absence CORPORATE Tom Ara† DLA Piper LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL Why he matters Ara now co-chairs DLA Piper’s burgeoning L.A.-based entertainment practice after joining the firm in the fall. He quickly found himself involved in the biggest deal of the year: representing Disney in part of its $71 billion deal to acquire most of Fox. He also repped Korean giant CJ Entertainment in a joint venture to exploit music competition format Show Me the Money in the U.S. Favorite place to celebrate a win “Terranea with my wife and two toddlers.” TALENT Karl Austen Jackoway Austen HARVARD LAW SCHOOL Why he matters Austen is one of the town’s top deal dogs for TV renegotiations, scoring big raises for an army of actors on Game…

Enemy of the people!” goes the rallying cry from the leader of the supposedly free world. President Trump hasn’t yet lived up to his campaign pledge to make it easier to sue the media, but emboldened by his war on “fake news,” some of Trump’s followers are trying anyway. When these individuals get to the courtroom, they often find one particular law firm on the other side. Davis Wright Tremaine is hardly universally known, but as media finds itself increasingly under attack in the Trump age, this firm has become its best line of defense. Its fingerprints are present across the media spectrum. Jokes told by late-night comedians? Often vetted by its lawyers. #MeToo stories published over the past 18 months? Quite frequently, a DWT attorney responds to threatening letters…

DAVID BYRNES Ziffren Brittenham In addition to Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, Byrnes now reps Michelle Obama on her speaking tour. DAMIEN GRANDERSON Davis Shapiro Granderson largely flies under the radar despite working with chart-toppers Cardi B, Migos and J. Cole. DAVID LANDE Ziffren Brittenham Lande’s touring A-listers include Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Shakira. DINA LAPOLT LaPolt Law LaPolt was a fierce advocate for the Music Modernization Act and reps Vegas favorites Britney Spears, deadmau5 and Galantis. KENNY MEISELAS Grubman Shire Meisalas advises a slew of hot music talent including Lady Gaga and Bebe Rexha. DONALD PASSMAN Gang Tyre Industry vet Passman advises Taylor Swift, Adele and Stevie Wonder. JESS ROSEN Greenberg Traurig Rosen is retained by country favorites Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line. AARON ROSENBERG Myman…

“The headline is vague enough that it might protect the publication from a legal claim — it’s not a quote attributed to either Aniston or Pitt. Also, the fact that both subjects of the story are public figures, they would have to meet the higher malice standard to prevail in any defamation action and show that they were damaged by the false story.” “It’s unclear who they are purporting to quote, but the intention likely was to make readers believe that either Brad or Jen said those words. A false attribution could give rise to a defamation and/or false light invasion of privacy claim.” “The magazine added the word ‘re-creation’ in barely legible small print in the bottom right corner of the photo. While typically a disclaimer needs to be…

Up close, deadly close, a tiger’s scent is “piss and pheromones,” says Chris Lawrence. While it’s a uniquely pungent thing, imagine burnt buttered popcorn, or a whiff of a truck’s muffler. You never forget it. When Mantacore — a 400-pound, 7-foot-long striped white male tiger — bit and held Roy Horn in his mouth during a performance at Las Vegas’ Mirage hotel 15 years ago, animal handler Lawrence was there, grabbing the tiger, desperately attempting to pull the cat back by the furry nape of his neck. A moment earlier, Lawrence, whose responsibilities included the daily care of Mantacore (often misspelled as “Montecore” in the press), had found himself on his back, expecting an imminent demise. Soon, as Horn’s decades-long partner, Siegfried Fischbacher, cried out and the evening’s audience of…

Any film buff seeking a shortcut guide to the work, life and style of Pedro Almodóvar could do worse than his new film, Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria), which opened in Spain March 22 before a likely festival tour and U.S. release this fall. While this thinly disguised autobiographical take on the Spanish auteur’s personal and filmic past — as seen through the eyes of an aging director — falls decidedly short of his best work, there’s still plenty to admire. Antonio Banderas plays 60-ish Salvador, a filmmaker in a creative crisis brought on by ill health. Salvador is about to be the subject of an homage by the Spanish Cinematheque, which prompts him to contact an actor, Alberto (Asier Etxeandia), whom he hasn’t spoken to in 30 years.…

MIPTV, the annual international television market that’s rolling out its 55th edition in Cannes in April, is at a crossroads. Or maybe even a dead end. Originally set up as a market for U.S. networks and independent producers to pitch their shows to international buyers, MIP is struggling to find a new raison d’etre amid seismic disruptions in the global TV industry. “MIPTV is primarily an acquisitions market, and it’s having trouble negotiating the shift in the TV industry toward production,” notes one European executive who will not be heading to the Croisette this year. Major international broadcasters that used to stock their schedules with imported shows — mainly from the U.S. — have shifted budgets to in-house production, focusing on creating primetime events that will make them stand out.…