Innholdsfortegnelse for June 30, 2021 i The Hollywood Reporter

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook, led by its founder, hits a $1 trillion market cap after antitrust complaints by multiple states and the Federal Trade Commission are dismissed by a judge. Jenna Bans Talks to renew the creator’s critical darling drama series, Good Girls, for a fifth and final season implode at NBC, which canceled all four of its bubble dramas. Eva Longoria/Sid Ganis The actress is elected to the board of trustees and the producer is named honorary trustee at the Academy Museum, which is set to open Sept. 30. Ma Huateng Amid China’s regulatory crackdown, tech giant Tencent, led by its CEO, has seen a sell-off of $1.4 billion worth of shares in June among the country’s traders, per Bloomberg. Showbiz Stocks $21.41 (+0.2%) IMAX (IMAX) Universal’s F9 had the biggest…

Amid a gold rush for advertising in podcasts — total ad revenue is expected to exceed $1.3 billion this year — Spotify and Apple are both rolling out new creator tools in an emerging area: subscriptions. In April, Spotify staked a claim by unveiling its service through Anchor, the podcast platform it acquired in 2019, allowing creators to set a monthly price of $2.99, $4.99 or $7.99 for consumers. Apple countered June 15 with the launch of its own tools, allowing creators to set pricing starting at $0.49 per month. Creators keep 100 percent of their revenue (aside from processing fees) with Spotify’s service — which is available only to U.S. creators — until 2023, when Spotify will begin taking a 5 percent cut. Yet on Apple — which is…

Big Deal James Murdoch’s venture firm Lupa Systems is funding a growing list of tech and media companies. French digital media brand Brut., which makes “socially conscious” news and entertainment videos for Gen Z and millennials, is the latest company to secure its backing. On June 29, it raised $75 million in a Series C financing round from a who’s who of investors, including Lupa, François-Henri Pinault’s Artemis and French telecom firm Orange Ventures. The Paris-based media outfit, led by CEO Guillaume Lacroix, employs more than 150 people and targets a global audience of young adults focused on news and feature-based shortform content. “Brut. has been developing an original way to connect with Gen Z and produce video content that resonates and helps make sense of today’s world,” says Murdoch.…

Growing up in Uganda, Whitney Peak didn’t watch much TV. That all changed when her family moved to Canada when she was 9 and she discovered the Disney Channel. “Lizzy McGuire, That’s So Raven — all of that was my shit,” she says. So when she was 13 and heard a radio ad offering kids a chance to get on the channel, Peak begged her mom to let her audition. She went and quickly signed with an agent — or so she thought. She was told her family would need to pay a monthly service fee for her representation. Months down the road, and many checks later, she realized it was all a scam. Still, the actress, who’s appeared in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Molly’s Game, somehow credits the…

June 27’s BET Awards marked the first awards show to return to the pre-pandemic norm, rolling out the downtown L.A. red carpet for the likes of Issa Rae, Cardi B, Andra Day, Lil Nas X, Jennifer Hudson and Megan Thee Stallion. Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, with Queen Latifah receiving the lifetime achievement award, the show welcomed an in-person, vaccinated audience to celebrate its theme, “Year of the Black Woman,” which H.E.R. told THR is also “the year of really giving people their flowers.” Got tips? Email rambling@thr.com…

“I wouldn’t have felt comfortable knowing I was making more.”JENNIFER ANISTON The actress, on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show, discussing why the principal cast of Friends opted for collective bargaining throughout the show’s 10-season run. “Peace. Happy Pride!”QUEEN LATIFAH The singer and actress, accepting the lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards and giving perhaps her most public view of her private life, thanking longtime “love” Eboni Nichols. “What is this nonsense?”BILL MAHER The host, on Real Time, pushing Quentin Tarantino about his claim that he’s retiring from filmmaking after he directs one more movie. “We had a range of scenarios from best to worst, and this is right there as the best.”DONNA LANGLEY The chair of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, in The New York Times, assessing the decision to push…

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which turns 50 on June 30, got mixed reviews upon its release (THR declared that “a pleasanter, more captivating … musical for children this year is difficult to conceive,” while The New York Times dismissed it as “tedious and stagy with little sparkle and precious little humor”) and achieved modest box office success (it pulled in $4 million on a $3 million budget). But through repeat TV airings, the Paramount release earned its reputation as a film classic — the “scrumdiddlyumptious” tale of a group of (largely obnoxious) kids who win a tour of a mysterious candy factory from which “nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out” — and would forever impact the lives of its young cast. Peter Ostrum was 12…

FILM Lily Collins (CAA, LBI, Sloane Offer) will star in a live-action Polly Pocket adaptation for Mattel and MGM, written and directed by Lena Dunham. West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler (ICM) will star as Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Olivia Wilde (CAA, Ziffren Brittenham) and Tobey Maguire (WME, Management 360) have joined Damien Chazelle’s 1920s Hollywood drama Babylon for Paramount. Scarlett Johansson (CAA) will produce Tower of Terror, a Disney feature based on the classic theme park ride. Vanessa Kirby (CAA, the U.K.’s Hamilton Hodell, Linden, Ziffren Brittenham) will star alongside Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern in The Son, Florian Zeller’s follow-up to The Father. Nicole Beharie (ICM, Artists First, Hansen Jacobson) and Conphidance (Gersh, Sy) have joined the satire Honk for…

For more than a year, most offices have been closed and, for many, homes became workplaces. Weekday style went from workplace-appropriate to more like casual-adjacent. Now that people are venturing back to office life, THR asked Hollywood insiders what pandemic-comfort clothing item they’ll miss most. MIA BARRON, actor “I played a lawyer in a Law & Order miniseries about the Menendez brothers murders [in 2017]. When shooting was over, I was happy to never think of [those] brothers again. As a wrap gift, they sent this sweatshirt that says ‘Menendez.’ I thought it was odd to wear, but with the pandemic, I was like, ‘I’m just going to slip this on.’ It is crazily the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn.” ANGELINA CHEN, literary manager, Energy Entertainment “These cheap…

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck stepped out for a date night at Avra Beverly Hills. … Nicole Richie, stylist Jamie Mizrahi, hair guru Jen Atkin and Baby2Baby co-founder Kelly Sawyer had a group dinner at Mr Chow.… Management 360’s Chris Huvane was spotted at San Vicente Bungalows, where Olivia Wilde also was seen that same week. Days later, he was with a group at Nobu to celebrate client Storm Reid’s surprise 18th birthday. Also at Nobu: Michael B. Jordan and girlfriend Lori Harvey. … Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen and YouTube’s Derek Blasberg shared drinks at New York City’s Boom Boom Room. Matū The Quick Pitch From Jerry A. Greenberg, the founder of L.A. favorites Sugarfish, Uovo and HiHo Cheeseburger, comes Beverly Hills’ Matū, the first steak restaurant exclusively serving 100…

AUG. 1, 2020 “How the hell would I steal something?”JAMIE SPEARS Calling those who wished to end his daughter’s conservatorship “conspiracy theorists,” Britney Spears’ father told Page Six that he didn’t profit from managing the pop star’s life. In a bombshell June 23 court statement, the singer recounted being intimidated and punished by her father, said he “should be in jail” and asked a judge for renewed control of her finances.…

Out on Netflix as of June 26, Wonder Boy stands out in the fashion documentary genre as uncommonly revealing. Of course, as it follows a year in the life of Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, there’s glamour and glitz aplenty, from runway shows to cameos by fans of the house like Kim Kardashian West and Jennifer Lopez. But the main arc of the movie concerns the designer’s search to uncover the story of how he came to be adopted, poignantly capturing the ache he feels about never knowing his biological mother and the tears that flow when he finally learns a few details: that his biological dad was Ethiopian and his mom Somalian, and that she became pregnant with Rousteing at age 14. The film — directed by Anissa Bonnefont,…

One bonus of Magnolia Network’s extra runway from the COVID-19 delay is that the July 15 bow on Discovery+ brings with it a rather full slate — 26 original series featuring such eclectic makers as interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, baker and cookbook author Bryan Ford, and Atlanta-based farmer Jamila Norman. Chip and Joanna Gaines approached populating their schedule like they do Magnolia Journal, their quarterly magazine. “It’s not about me and Chip being on every page,” says Joanna. “It’s about curating content that gets to tell other people’s stories.” Complementing shows focused on cooking, home design, renovation and family-friendly reality is a stand-alone app. In addition to the Magnolia Network series available on Discovery+, it features longform workshops with much of the same network talent on such topics as…

After 37 years as an actress and singer, Charlotte Gainsbourg’s motivation for making her directorial debut was not professional ambition or artistic longing — she wanted to spend more time with her mom. “I needed to get close to her, and I couldn’t without an excuse,” Gainsbourg says of her mother, English actress and singer Jane Birkin. “So the excuse was to get a team together and ask her if I could film her. The idea was to be able to look at her really with the eye of a daughter.” The result is Gainsbourg’s documentary, Jane by Charlotte, an impressionistic portrait of Birkin as a mother, wife and artist, that will screen in Cannes’ new Premiere sidebar before receiving a theatrical release in France (the film does not yet…

VICE MEDIA 21st Century Fox Before Disney acquired its assets, the Murdoch-led firm nabbed a $70 million stake in August 2013, months after Vice’s Shane Smith told THR: “If people are valuing us at a billion dollars, then fine.” A+E Networks The joint venture of Hearst and Disney invested $250 million in August 2014, valuing Vice at $2.5 billion as it eyed an entry into linear TV. Walt Disney Co. In 2015, Bob Iger invested $400 million for a 10 percent stake as Vice rebranded a cable outlet to launch Viceland. That bet didn’t pay off: By 2019, Disney ended up writing off its entire stake in impairment charges. GROUP NINE MEDIA Axel Springer The German media giant, owners of Business Insider, participated in investment rounds with Discovery, with an…

Although Netflix boasts 207 million global subscribers, the company is still viewed by Wall Street as a disrupter. Better-than-expected sub growth has made investors swoon for the stock; shortfalls have chilled it. Yet, as analysts expect Netflix to miss sub expectations again when it reports its latest results July 20, another indicator for the streaming giant is emerging. Earnings and average revenue per user, helped by price increases, are becoming more important to Netflix’s performance, argues Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall. In the U.S., Netflix plans range in price from $9 to $18 a month. Even if sub gains hold steady in the 20 million to 25 million per year range, “the math makes annual net adds a decelerating percentage on the growing base” of its revenue, Cahall explained in…

Deal of the Week Electronic Arts, led by CEO Andrew Wilson, pulled off an M&A hat trick June 23 when it unveiled its $1.4 billion acquisition for Warner Bros.’ game studio Playdemic, known for producing the mobile title Golf Clash. The Redwood City, California-based video game giant’s third major buy in the space since December comes amid a rush to secure rights to sports franchises. The race is largely between EA and Take-Two Interactive, which owns rights to NBA and PGA Tour franchises and posted a 9 percent revenue improvement for its latest fiscal year. Over the past year, notes Cowen analyst Doug Creutz, the companies have been in an “escalating” battle for franchise rights and studio acquisitions. EA, which has deals in place for flagship titles like Madden NFL,…

Rep Sheet Shailene Woodley, who will star in the comedy feature Robots, signed with Range Media. Donald Elise Watkins, actor in Amazon’s The Underground Railroad series, signed with UTA. Nefetari Spencer, BET Awards head host writer, signed with M88. Joss Stone, singer-songwriter and recording artist, signed with ICM. William White, TikTok star, signed with WME and IMG Models. THR, Esq. CASE UTA vs. Vigilant and Federal Insurance WHY IT MATTERS UTA’s insurance suit over COVID-19 claims has been dismissed with prejudice. The Jeremy Zimmer-led agency said shutdowns cost it $150 million, but the court found the losses aren’t covered. A judge on June 23 followed the lead of other courts, finding the “physical loss or damage” provision in the coverage wasn’t triggered, in part, since “COVID-19 hurts people, not property.”…

Weddings Shari Lewin, brand partnerships partner at WME, married Ralphie Aversa, host and producer of USA Today’s Entertain This!, on May 29 at Sea Cliff Manor in Sea Cliff, New York. Births Verve agent Melissa Fried and Peter Fried, manager of indie film at Netflix, welcomed daughter Molly Fried on April 12. Congrats Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos A. Panay were named co-presidents of the Recording Academy on June 22. Alejandro Duque was named president of Warner Music Latin America on June 21. Allure editor-in-chief Michelle Lee joined Netflix as vp editorial and publishing June 21. Mike Ford was upped to chief technology officer at Sony Pictures Imageworks on June 22. Gabriel Marano was hired as executive vp scripted television, overseeing the development of Hasbro IP, for Entertainment One on…

In 2004, Darnell Strom was seated in the wings of a Boston arena for the Democratic National Convention, watching an Illinois state senator named Barack Obama give the evening’s keynote address. Strom, then 23 and a year out of college, was the “lackey,” as he put it, to DNC committee chair Alice Huffman, which is how he found himself sitting next to future first lady Michelle, as well as the young Sasha and Malia, thinking, “Wow, that guy’s going to be president one day.” Throughout a career that has spanned politics, philanthropy and Hollywood, Strom, 40, regularly finds himself identifying the potential of talent ready to take off. Now the head of UTA’s newly formed culture and leadership division, he acts as a bridge between the entertainment industry and those…

1 Hillcrest Estate The largest of several Gaines-designed rentals that Magnolia operates, this five-bedroom mansion sleeps 12 and averages $1,145 a night. 2 Hotel Project A 53K-square-foot building in downtown Waco, the Gaineses’ first hotel (opening 2022) will be within walking distance of their market. 3 Magnolia Market Magnolia’s 5-acre epicenter boasts nine stores, a coffee shop, a bakery, an athletic field and a lot for local food trucks. 4 Magnolia Table The Gaineses’ first sit-down restaurant, with a menu featuring Joanna’s biscuits, seats 210 and regularly has a two-hour wait. 5 Little Shop on Bosque The pre-Fixer-Upper home to the Gaineses’ retail foray and construction office, this 2003 acquisition is now a Magnolia factory store.…

Josh O’Connor has a theory. Had the lockdown not happened, had so many people not seen season four of The Crown while he, like the majority of other Brits, were mostly stuck inside, he thinks he would have noticed a gradual increase in people spotting him on the streets. “But because of COVID, we’re suddenly all out of lockdown and … it’s a real shock to the system,” he explains. “Before I wasn’t recognized at all, and now I am. It’s so weird!” The reason this theory has been raised is because the waitress in the pub where we’re meeting (around the corner from the North London flat he used to share with his partner — more on that later) has just let out a loud “Oh my God” (complete…

Despite a year of COVID-19, virtual markets and online-only releases, the independent film business has found ways to make and release movies worldwide. Sales at the Virtual Cannes Market in 2020 — the first online-only film market held after the pandemic hit — were near record highs, and online-only versions of Toronto and AFM were similarly bullish, leaving sellers heading into Cannes’ 2021 Marché du Film, which runs July 6 to 15, in an upbeat mood. “Demand from buyers has held up, supply hasn’t really been affected. It’s been a weirdly positive year,” says Nick Spicer of XYZ Films, which has racked up six Netflix No. 1 releases in the COVID era, including this year’s Anna Kendrick-Toni Collette starrer Stowaway and 2019’s Anthony Mackie-led Synchronic, released in 2020 in the…

Build it and they will come” has — for the past few years, at least — been a hugely successful strategy for the U.K.’s bustling studio industry; with the intense demand for space, new facilities barely have the time to crack open a bottle of champagne or cut a ribbon before they’re filled with film or TV productions. But the frenetic pace of shoots heading to the U.K., especially in high-end TV as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+, Sky Studios and others ramp up their local slates, has made build speed something of a priority, an area where a new operation is looking to capitalize. Stage Fifty recently opened two 22,000-square-foot soundstages in Farnborough, southwest of London and best known for its annual air show (the facilities are on the…