Innholdsfortegnelse for Wednesday, April 3, 2019 i The Hollywood Reporter

We don’t want to be running books,” said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. “That’s not our gig.” He was speaking at the NBA All-Star Tech Summit in February. He’s not the only executive who has felt compelled to clarify his company’s position on sports betting in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on May 14 to lift a federal ban. “We don’t see ourselves taking bets,” ESPN executive vp Justin Connolly tells THR. “That’s not our territory.” But for media giants like ESPN and Turner, the potential is sizable — gambling is an opportunity to drive engagement and tune-in to the games for which these companies pay billions. Turner Sports’ Bleacher Report launched its betting vertical in 2018; the app stream has grown three times faster than users of the…

The Old Drift (HOGARTH, MARCH 26) BY Namwali Serpell AGENCY UTA The generation- and genre-spanning novel tracks three Zambian families — black, brown and white. In a post-Black Panther Hollywood, Afrocentric genre stories are ripe for adaptation, with Michael B. Jordan acquiring popular title Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss (THE DIAL PRESS, MARCH 26) BY Rajeev Balasubramanyam AGENCY WME The Eat, Pray, Love-esque tale of personal discovery centers on a renowned economist who survives a hit-and-run after missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize (again) and heads to a Zen retreat.…

When Nahnatchka Khan set out to adapt Eddie Huang’s memoir for television, she had no plans of shifting any industry narratives. The veteran scribe just wanted her pilot, which focused on the famous Taiwanese-American chef’s childhood in 1990s Florida, to be seen by more than a test audience and a handful of executives. But four years after Fresh Off the Boat made its way onto ABC as broadcast’s first series to be fronted by an Asian-American cast in two decades — since Margaret Cho’s mid-’90s sitcom All-American Girl — the family comedy now airs in a very different entertainment landscape, one where a film like Crazy Rich Asians (starring Boat’s lead Constance Wu) can pull $239 million at the global box office. “We premiered February of 2015, which just so…

For Oscar-winning special character and makeup designer Joel Harlow, creating the demons, witches and Nazis in Hellboy, based on Mike Mignola’s comic book antihero, was a return to basics. “It’s all about the performance of actors in creative suits in real sets,” he says. “These are good, old-fashioned monsters!” Referencing the Guillermo del Toro films and Mignola’s illustrations, Harlow focused on “a grungier look, embedded with scars, skin imperfections, body hair” as well as aged teeth and, for the first time, hooves. That required three-plus hours of transformation for star David Harbour, who says, “I owe at least 50 percent of the character to Joel.” For Blood Queen Nimue, resurrected from the dead after 1,500 years, British costume designer Stephanie Collie (Peaky Blinders) says she flew to L.A. to meet…

Owner-chef Michael McCarty recalls that when he opened Michael’s Santa Monica in 1979, he was 25 and the area was a “wasteland.” But the upstart revolutionized California cuisine with open-air dining that was unlike the “European way — little caves with no windows,” McCarty says. “When I opened, I would have Lew Wasserman, then suddenly there were these new young Turks: ‘I’m Steven Spielberg.’ ‘I’m Michael Eisner.’ ‘I’m Barry Diller.’ ‘I’m Jeffrey Katzenberg.’” To celebrate the restaurant’s 40th anniversary, on April 28 from noon to 4 p.m., McCarty is bringing back seven generations of star alumni chefs — Jonathan Waxman, Brooke Williamson and 13 others — for a patio tasting experience to benefit No Kid Hungry (tickets are $150 online): “I asked them all to do a dish that came…

It’s approaching dusk on a December evening, and the entire cast of Veep, along with nearly 200 crewmembers, executives, spouses and children, is huddled around a bank of monitors on the Paramount lot in Hollywood to watch Julia Louis-Dreyfus perform her final scene as vulgar, self-obsessed politician Selina Meyer. Soon, showrunner David Mandel, 49, will carry out the unenviable task of calling wrap on the six-time Emmy-winning star and with her the HBO comedy that supplied one of the savviest satirical portrayals of D.C. culture. But before he does, a cadre of producers is trying to shield Louis-Dreyfus, 58, from the hurricane of emotion that’s swept over video village. A portable playback monitor is rushed over so she can avoid any unnecessary distractions as she lands the beloved series. Speeches,…

After the debacle of 2012’s screen musical version of Les Misérables, Andrew Davies (whose credentials as small-screen adapter of literary doorstops include War & Peace and Middlemarch) aims to restore some of the grandeur and detail of Victor Hugo’s classic novel in this solid, respectful take for PBS’ Masterpiece. At six hours, it still trims away many of Hugo’s digressions, but extra time devoted to the book’s heroes and myriad villains deepens the most soul-crushing beats of the epic tale. The core of this Les Misérables remains the conflict between Jean Valjean (Dominic West), an ex-convict deter-mined to live a life of virtue, and lawman Javert (David Oyelowo), whose refusal to believe people are capable of change is a catalyst for all the titular misery. The miniseries introduces iconic figures…

THR’s Power Lawyers Breakfast Beverly Hills, March 28 NAACP Image Awards Hollywood, March 30 Party Crawler Legal Dream Team When asked how Roma producers convinced Netflix to sign off on a theatrical release for the film, Participant Media CEO David Linde (5) responded simply, “Magic.” That line, during the exec’s keynote discussion with THR editorial director Matthew Belloni (10), drew a laugh from the ballroom of top entertainment attorneys at THR’s 13th Power Lawyers breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. The room was rapt as Belloni pressed Linde about Netflix data on Roma viewership — to no avail. “In a room full of lawyers who are undoubtedly familiar with contracts made by large media companies,” Linde said with a chuckle, “I will say they were very open.” In addition…

Weddings Josh Glick, manager at Grandview, married CAA agent Jessica Graboff on March 23 at the Rosewood in Santa Barbara in front of 300 guests. The couple will honeymoon in Italy. Births Disney publicist Janna Bettencourt and husband Sean McClenahen welcomed son August Manuel McClenahen on March 7 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Derek Van Pelt, a partner at Mainstay Entertainment, and wife Meghan Van Pelt welcomed son Timothy George Van Pelt on Jan. 30 at Cedars-Sinai. Congrats Lionsgate tapped Marisa Liston as head of global earned media and communications March 25. Jennifer Caserta was named chief transformation and people officer for AMC Networks on March 27. Netflix hired Krista Smith as a consultant on projects related to awards, events and talent relations effective April 15. Amy Neben was…

Since Netflix took its streaming video service truly global in 2016, the company has pretty much had the market to itself. But things are about to get very crowded, very fast. While Disney and Apple roll out their own services — with WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal hot on their heels — scores of local players, in Spain and Singapore, Britain and Berlin, are pushing into the SVOD market, looking to occupy at least a portion of Netflix-controlled territory. RTL Group, Europe’s largest commercial broadcasting company, announced in March that it will invest close to $400 million the next three years in building up its video-on-demand services across the continent. The bulk, some $340 million, is budgeted for content production and acquisition. The BBC and Britain’s leading commercial network, ITV, have unveiled…

When the time came for the Huang family to leave the Fox lot for a “very special” vacation episode, the Fresh Off the Boat writers wanted their season three premiere to film in Taipei, Taiwan — a locale where no other U.S. comedy had filmed before. “Logistically, we had no idea if it was going to be possible,” recalls Nahnatchka Khan. ABC and producers 20th TV were OK with it if the team could swing the cost. “The studio and network were never going to just pay for the whole thing,” says executive producer Melvin Mar, who enlisted a producer friend who worked for Oscar winner (and Taiwanese bigwig) Ang Lee on how to get the government on board and make connections. With an airline (EVA Air) and hotel (Regent…

With J.J. Abrams being courted for what could be a record-breaking $500 million new overall deal, executives at his longtime home of Warner Bros. Television (and corporate parent WarnerMedia) are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the company retains his services — especially since at least two other media behemoths are looking to sign him. The courting process for Abrams underscores the ever-widening class distinction that has emerged in the shadow of the fight between the WGA and the ATA over packaging fees: As rank-and-file writers battle it out with the agencies over better representation (and, of course, more money), Hollywood’s top showrunners are landing eye-popping nine-figure overall deals with increasing regularity. Indeed, the lengths media giants are willing to go to to land (or keep) top showrunners…

Brian Huskey as Gary Walsh For bagman Gary Walsh, it came down to Tony Hale and Brian Huskey. Jones will never forget the moment it was decided: “Julia said, ‘As a character, it would be much more comfortable for me to take a tampon from Tony Hale than from Brian Huskey.’” So, Huskey became persnickety reporter Leon West instead. Josh Gad as Jonah Ryan Iannucci was inspired by a bearded, overweight D.C. staffer who’d told him: “Before I worked in the White House I was dating sixes and sevens, now I’m on eights.” Seeking that look, Josh Gad was atop Jones’ list but unavailable. Ike Barinholtz, Jesse Plemons, Paul Rust, Chris Gethard and Kyle Mooney read. Dan Bakkedahl as Mike McLintock To play dim-witted press secretary Mike McLintock, it came…

These two-dozen-plus executives know a thing or two about movie magic. Hollywood’s highest-ranking physical production pros, tasked with transforming scripts to the screen, are highlighted by THR for their prowess and wide-ranging portfolios. And on April 4, they will be honored (together with others in the field) at a brunch that’s one of the highlights of AFCI Week — the second annual confab hosted by the Association of Film Commissioners International, a group of 300 film commissioners on six continents. At the Physical Production Power Brunch, THR editorial director Matthew Belloni will moderate a panel with five of these pros, who will share some of their hairiest (and happiest) on-set adventures, a few of which they out-lined here ahead of their honor. MARVEL Victoria Alonso Alonso was key in getting…

The Beijing International Film Festival is approaching its ninth annual edition as a perfect storm of depressive forces bears down on the Chinese movie business. Bureaucratic to the core, the Beijing fest has been an occasion for political genuflection more than a pure celebration of cinematic art. But until two or three years ago, the prospective upside of making such gestures appeared to be enough, as Hollywood heavyweights of the past and present — Natalie Portman, James Cameron, Brett Ratner, Oliver Stone and others — all made trips east to curry favor and build their brands during the flagship film event of China’s capital city. In 2019, the broader climate and attendant incentives are drastically transformed — and the Beijing festival is feeling the effects. Since late 2018, there has…

A list of Manhattan’s greatest gatherings of wits would have to include the 1970s Saturday Night Live writers room; the late-1950s meetings between Mike Nichols and Elaine May; and the 1920s Algonquin Round Table. The last was a group of sharp-tongued literati that included Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, George S. Kaufman (who co-wrote You Can’t Take It With You and several Marx Bros. movies) and Robert Benchley. Beginning in 1919, the “Vicious Circle,” as they dubbed themselves, met daily for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street. They were portrayed in Alan Rudolph’s 1994 film, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. In its review, The Hollywood Reporter was a bit harsh about Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performance as Parker, saying her “delivery is such an insouciant muddle that it…

Thrones and HBO: A Global Subscriber March The premium network’s worldwide subs have grown by nearly 50 million over the course of the decade Game of Thrones has aired How Much Does GoT Matter to HBO? Have you ever subscribed to a streaming service exclusively to watch a certain show? TV Bulks Up on Genre Franchises Streamers, networks mine hits for ever more spinoffs in development…

Guest Column The rule for the evening: No phones allowed inside the Al Wajba Palace at the start of a three-day, headscarfo-ptional itinerary celebrating the new Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar and the inaugural Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) awards. For social media addicts, seeing paradise — beginning with the drive past beautiful gardens — and not getting to post about it was torture. Was anyone really there? Did it really happen? One of my well-traveled friends, who’s in a position to compare the palaces of the Middle East, said that Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s residence was the most beautiful she had ever visited. Think Versailles. Hotel du Cap on steroids. Elegance. Opulence. And birds — all kinds of exotic birds. At this small VIP welcome party March…

Mayor Pete (and Other Dems) Parachute Into Town A lot of people in Hollywood spent the past week learning to pronounce Pete Buttigieg’s last name. The Democratic presidential candidate, 37, was in town making the rounds March 29, starting with a visit to the offices of Brillstein Entertainment. Buttigieg (“boot-edge-edge”) spoke to some 40 employees, from managers to assistants, and took questions ranging from universal health care to what coastal elites could learn from fly-over states. Afterward, he headed to the home of former CAA agent Michael Kives and attorney wife Lydia Kives for a meet-and-greet with about 25 industry players (like Richard Lovett, Jason Weinberg and Marcy Morris) before going on Bill Maher’s show. Buttigieg wasn’t the only candidate in town: Kamala Harris held a couple of fundraisers (Amber…

U.K. BRITBOX In 2008, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 joined forces on an all-Brit SVOD service called Project Kangaroo that was blocked by regulators. Now ITV and the BBC are taking a second swing with this service, set to launch this year, which will focus on U.K. series. But ambitions are modest: ITV will invest just $86 million in BritBox during the next two years. Germany TV NOW European broadcasting giant RTL Group has committed to spending some $400 million on VOD programming in the next three years for this pan-European service, with much of the content coming from production subsidiary Fremantle, producer of American Gods and Deutschland 86. France CANAL+SERIES Less than a year after folding its CanalPlay subscription VOD service, CanalPlus is launching its latest Netflix rival,…

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Nobody wants to read a Killing Eve review with spoilers, but this much I can say: It’s still great. That’s having seen only the first two episodes; BBC America has proved that once it gets a zeitgeisty hit, it can be as stingy with advance screeners as anyone. But so far, the second season still goes down like a glug-glug-glugable cocktail — as effervescent and invigorating as ever. It’s also just as thrillingly twisty as it explores a tangle of obsessions linking a psycho assassin to the in-over-her-head agent on her tail. The glorious exclamation point of these first two episodes is that Jodie Comer proves everybody who left her off awards ballots last year got it very, very wrong. If you didn’t realize she’s as essential to the heartbeat…

As Netflix continues on its bullish path and Apple TV+ gets ready to launch, the annual National Association of Broadcasters Show, opening April 6 in Las Vegas, is determined to show that traditional broadcasters aren’t being left behind. The hot topics will be all the latest technologies changing the way content is created, distributed and viewed. HERE COMES NEXT-GEN TV Known as ATSC 3.0, the United States’“next-gen” broadcast system is designed to bring together internet and live over-the-air signals with voluntary options including mobility for delivering video-on-demand content, 4K and HDR. “Many stations will be launching in 2019 and 2020, and several major advances in implementing the standard have been made in the past year,” says NAB president and CEO Gordon H. Smith. “It has the potential to have a…