Innholdsfortegnelse for November 17, 2021 i The Hollywood Reporter

The Walt Disney Co. is taking a gamble on sports betting. The entertainment giant, notoriously conservative when it comes to protecting its brand, will use ESPN as its entry point into the fast-growing sector. “Given our reach and scale, we have the potential to partner with third parties in this space in a very meaningful way,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek told analysts during a Nov. 10 earnings call. The decision to pursue a multibillion-dollar betting deal is something of a strategic pivot for the company, which for years said that the only role sports betting had at ESPN was as one more piece of its TV programming. It was on May 14, 2018, that the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for legalized sports betting in the U.S. via its…

BEST PICTURE King Richard Following the Nov. 9 publication of Will Smith’s memoir, Will, the “Fresh Prince” did a wave of promotion for his Warner Bros. best picture hopeful Nov. 14, culminating in an AFI Fest premiere and Sunset Tower party at which he shared the spotlight with Venus and Serena Williams. Swan Song On Nov. 12, AFI Fest unveiled this futuristic tale about a dying man who is cloned. The tearjerker from Benjamin Cleary (2015 Oscar winner for the short Stutterer) features two solid Mahershala Ali performances but seems likelier to generate Apple streaming clicks than Oscar love. BEST ACTRESS Nicole Kidman Being the Ricardos Distributor Amazon, writer-director Aaron Sorkin and this leading lady had plenty to celebrate Nov. 13, when SAG Awards nominating committee voters and pundits went…

When Soho House opened in West Hollywood back in 2010, the private members club was an immediate hit, with its inviting garden restaurant and stunning views of the city perched atop 9200 Sunset. What the WeHo location does not have, though, is hotel rooms, an amenity that is on offer at Soho House’s clubs in such cities as London, New York and Miami (and at 2-year-old Soho Warehouse in DTLA). “Our members have always asked for a place to stay with us while they’re here,” says Soho House founder Nick Jones, who is also CEO of parent company Membership Collective Group. Starting in early 2022, they’ll have that option — at least nearby — when Soho House opens a Little House hotel in the former Palihouse building in West Hollywood…

The world premiere of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut, a film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick … Boom!, kicked off AFI Fest on Nov. 10. Miranda was joined at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre by stars Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Vanessa Hudgens and Judith Light, with a Q&A moderated by Rian Johnson, during which Miranda recalled his instant response after being asked to direct: “I’m the only person who can direct this movie. If they only let me make one, this is the one I understand.” Got tips? Email rambling@thr.com…

Are you interested in how I got dog poo on my face when truffling?” asks Nicholas Hoult one chilly October morning, seated at a tucked-away eatery in North Hollywood. Something in the way the 31-year-old Englishman says it — brightly, eagerly, as if he’s offering a tea cake — makes it sound not entirely unenticing. So this is how Hoult got dog poo on his face when truffling: It was spring 2021, and the actor was in a forest somewhere outside London filming the second season of The Great, Hulu’s breakout dramedy about the rise of Russia’s 18th century ruler Catherine the Great, which returns Nov. 19. Hoult plays her spoiled and volatile man-child of a husband, Peter III — a bravura performance that earned him Golden Globe, SAG Award…

Years ago, before Aaron Sorkin made Molly’s Game or The Trial of the Chicago 7, producer Todd Black and his then-executive Jenna Block requested a meeting. Block had written her college thesis on Lucille Ball, and the two felt strongly that there was a movie in Ball’s story, and that the Oscar-winning screenwriter was the one to tell it. Sorkin wasn’t so sure. “It was about a year and a half before a yes,” he acknowledges now, though he also says he almost always labors over such decisions, as movies are gargantuan commitments of time and, before pen hits paper, he wants to be reasonably sure he can deliver. (The Social Network was the rare exception, says Sorkin: “I heard about the lawsuits against Mark Zuckerberg, and I said yes…

Encanto is, well, enchanting. It’s tricky to make an animated film so infused with exuberant sweetness without it becoming cloying. But this whimsical dose of magic realism set amid the lush greenery of the Colombian mountains benefits as much from the purity of the storytelling as the stunning vibrancy of the visuals. Aside from a quick nod to the inescapable Frozen anthem, “Let It Go,” and a funny throwaway gag about valet parking for burros, there are remarkably few of the usual winking cultural anachronisms designed to pander to contemporary kids. Instead, this is a film that commits to the timeless folklore of its South American setting to a transporting degree. The Disney project is led by two of the directors behind Zootopia, Jared Bush and Byron Howard, with co-direction…

When Tick, Tick… Boom! — Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut that stars Andrew Garfield as Rent creator Jonathan Larson — premieres Nov. 19 on Netflix, it will be the first time that Hollywood has tackled the life of the brilliant composer, whose sudden death on the day of Rent’s first off-Broadway preview remains, 25 years later, one of theater’s most tragic and poignant legends. The film is based on the three-character show of the same name, originally mounted in June 2001 at the 280-seat Jane Street Theatre in the West Village. (The space has since become the ballroom of a boutique hotel.) That production was in turn based on an autobiographical solo musical that Larson had written (and occasionally performed) before Rent. Larson described the work as a “musical monologue,”…

While members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) voted to ratify a new three-year Basic Agreement with the studios and streaming services, the divisive deal just squeaked by thanks to a delegate voting system, even as 50.4 percent of the popular vote rejected the contract. (Ratification vote results were revealed Nov. 15.) Now, the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are set to implement an unpopular agreement amid a reinvigorated labor movement and concerns over key issues such as funding of the MPI Pension and Health Plans, livable wages and rest periods among the membership. During the unveiling of the ratification vote results, the union’s international president, Matthew Loeb, acknowledged that it had been a “close election” preceded by “vigorous debate.” Gains…

While it’s still early in the Oscar race, there already are a few titles on everyone’s must-see list. Among them is The Power of the Dog, written and directed by Jane Campion — best known for her Oscar-nominated direction of The Piano 28 years ago, which made her the first female director to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Campion looks like a strong bet to land a best director nomination for the Netflix Western. That would not only be a rare triumph, given that women have so often been overlooked in the category, but also would make history, as no woman has ever been nominated in the category twice. Indeed, only seven women in 93 years have ever been nominated for best director — and only two have won.…

It’s hard to imagine a cash crunch involving mega meta AT&T, but that’s exactly what was going on at WarnerMedia in 2020 and 2021. The crunch required adjustments to be made to HBO Max planning, and the big question that had been asked since AT&T had taken over in 2018 — whether its streaming service would be able to compete directly with Netflix or be a smaller, and thus not direct competitor — seemed to be on the verge of being answered. Netflix was spending $19 billion on programming, HBO Max, $7 billion. And that was before cash became (relatively) scarce. Once the crunch came, there were two parallel tracks inside WarnerMedia for the future — one if new money arrived; the other, which was shorter and much less ambitious, if…

This story is about what came before the Grand Slams and gold medals. King Richard is a look at Venus and Serena Williams’ prelude to tennis superstardom, buoyed by an ultra-supportive family network led by the unrelenting drive and vision of their parents. Will Smith is a producer of the movie and stars as Richard Williams, who infamously drafted a 78-page plan to take his girls — Venus is played by Saniyya Sidney and Serena by Demi Singleton — from running drills on Compton tennis courts to volleying with the world’s best at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and beyond. “The most dangerous creature on this whole earth is a woman who knows how to think,” Richard reminds his daughters. Equal parts biopic, family melodrama and sports drama, director Reinaldo…

“THIS ISN’T A ‘WE GOT OUT OF COMPTON’ STORY. THIS IS A ‘WE ARE FROM COMPTON’ STORY.” REINALDO MARCUS GREEN FILMMAKING IS GREEN’S THIRD career. Armed with a master’s in education, his first act was teaching elementary school, and his second was serving as director of educational programming at financial behemoth AIG, in the firm’s fledgling diversity and inclusion department. “Of course, once the financial crisis hit in 2008, the first thing they cut was the diversity department,” Green says. While his particular job survived the downsizing, the experience left him feeling put off by Wall Street, at which point he looked to the career of his older brother, filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green. “The stories he was telling were our stories, the stories I had experienced as a kid, about…

After weathering more than a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, most music schools in the U.S. are getting back to in-person classes and ensemble performances with vaccine requirements for students, faculty and staff. While instructors and students alike are breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of a return to relative normality, Patrick Kirst, interim director of the USC Thornton School of Music, points out that a full school year incorporating remote classes via Zoom actually resulted in some permanent changes that were advantageous. “I felt for sure that I could show certain things on Zoom that I couldn’t show otherwise in the classroom, things that are very studio-specific,” he says. “I think overall, we gave them at least the same experience as we have given…

At 19 years old, Toronto-born Josh Richards has already amassed 25.6 million followers on TikTok and 7 million on Instagram. He’s also founded CrossCheck Studios, a production company, with business partner Michael Gruen and former ICM agent Chris Sawtelle, in partnership with Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas; formed a Gen Z marketing agency called HawkeZ; started Animal Capital, a $15 million venture capital firm; co-founded caffeinated drink brand Ani Energy; and launched a podcast. Known for his lip syncing and dance videos — along with video skits made with friends — Richards first gained traction on the musical.ly app (which became TikTok in 2018) at age 14. He signed with a manager three years later. Recently, it was announced that Richards will executive produce and star in CrossCheck’s first film, Halloween…

Team Squid Game Runs the Hollywood Marathon To add fuel to the awards conversation around Squid Game, Netflix invited creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Haesoo, Jung Ho-yeon and Lee Byung-hun to Los Angeles for a multiday stay that had them rubbing elbows with Leonardo DiCaprio at LACMA’s Art+Film Gala and dining privately with Ted Sarandos at his Hancock Park home. THR has learned that model turned actress Jung also broke away for a business dinner at San Vicente Bungalows with UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer. Hwang admits to THR that he’s busy processing his global fame, saying through his interpreter, “I loved LACMA and I loved meeting famous people and celebrities, but I have to say one of the most amazing moments was on my first day here,…

Weddings Dear White People actress Ashley Blaine Featherson married sports agent Darroll Jenkins on Sept. 5 at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley, California. Guests included her castmembers Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell and DeRon Horton; Lena Waithe; and NBA star Draymond Green. Births WME partner Mira Yong and Danny Moon, a product manager at Oculus, welcomed Charlotte Jumi Yong Moon on Oct. 19 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Congrats Nathan Gary was promoted to president of Annapurna on Nov. 5. Lori Rovner became COO and general counsel at Concordia Studio on Nov. 5. Jamal Haughton was hired as executive vp and general counsel at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group on Nov. 12. Jenny Tartikoff was named executive vp global communications at Paramount Pictures on Nov. 10. Former…

One of the major influences behind Lady Gaga’s look in House of Gucci was Italian actress and international siren Gina Lollobrigida, who inspired style choices for the character of Patrizia Reggiani Gucci, including a white lace coat, jacket and dress worn at the Lake Como birthday party of Aldo Gucci (played by Al Pacino). As British costume designer Janty Yates details, “Ridley [Scott] wanted Lady Gaga to look more like Gina Lollobrigida than Joan Collins of Dynasty, so basically we looked at all the photos of Gina in her prime in the ’60s, and I did a later-’70s version of the lace dress.” (To create the outfit, the costume team’s hand cutter Dominic Young individually applied every piece of lace.) Patrizia’s Italian wedding dress, with its high-low hem and sweetheart…

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON Licorice Pizza The Boogie Nights writer-director returns to the San Fernando Valley of the 1970s for this coming-of-age comic drama about the friendship between an aimless young woman (Alana Haim) and a teenage actor (Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman), inspired by his own Valley upbringing. JOANNA HOGG The Souvenir: Part II Actress Honor Swinton Byrne returns (along with her mother, Tilda Swinton) for Hogg’s sequel to her semiautobiographical 2019 drama about a young film student discovering her identity as an artist following a tumultous relationship with a manipulative older man. JASON REITMAN Ghostbusters: Afterlife The Oscar-nominated director of Juno and Up in the Air takes the helm of this sequel to his father Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. The son’s iteration stars Finn Wolfhard…

Paul Thomas Anderson’s return to his native San Fernando Valley — the setting of Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love — finds wonderful generation-spanning alchemy in the lead casting of another celebrated child of that urbanized Los Angeles County sprawl, Alana Haim. The youngest of the three sisters who form the pop-rock band Haim, she time-travels back to the 1973 Valley to play Alana Kane, a too-cool-for-school 25-year-old floating through experiences in romance, retail and politics, in Licorice Pizza. Creating a character whose warmth and humanity are tempered by hilarious deadpan humor and prickly detachment, Haim makes one of the most exciting screen debuts in recent memory. The intoxication generated the instant Alana saunters across the widescreen frame — rocking a skort and a center-part drape of silky-straight Cher hair…

When it comes to this year’s International Emmys, David Tennant is having quite a year. The Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens alum is the only English-language actor contender for the 2021 International Emmys — nominated for his chilling turn as real-life Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in the British drama Des, which is also up for best TV movie or miniseries. But Des isn’t the only Tennant project competing. His BBC series There She Goes, in which he plays the father of a girl with a severe learning disability, is nominated for best drama series, where it will go up against Apple TV+’s Tehran, the Amazon/Gaumont soccer drama El Presidente and the Indian series Aarya. This year’s International Emmys are the most cosmopolitan to date. There are 24 countries…