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'Apprentice' Alums Recall Trump's Sexism; Billy Bush on the Brink; 'Vice News Tonight' Reviewed

October 11, 2016

Tapes or no tapes, Donald Trump's former colleagues on The Apprentice are speaking out about his sexist behavior. Plus: Clint Eastwood is tackling another true-life thriller, HBO's Vice News Tonight tries to reinvent the newscast and the story of the lost Fantastic Four movie gets told. — Matthew Belloni and Erik Hayden.

'Apprentice' Alums Recall Trump's Sexism

Now they're speaking out: Nearly a dozen men and women who worked with Trump on The Apprentice or Miss USA/Universe talk about on-set sexism, Kate Stanhope reports:

Based on the interviews, a picture emerges of Trump as a dominating presence who routinely made sexist comments. At times, he even exhibited racist behavior, these people tell THR.

► "I did hear what would be in a workplace considered sexist language or inappropriate language, but that was pretty normal, actually, and almost expected," says season four contestant Marshawn Evans.

► Season four Apprentice winner Randal Pinkett says he remembers being quizzed by Trump about which of his fellow contestants he would sleep with. "It was kind of common knowledge that Donald loved women, loved to compliment women, loved to talk about women's looks," Pinkett says.

► A former NBC staffer recalls Trump making specific requests for certain eliminated contestants to visit him in his office after they were "fired" from the show. “One of the stops along way was always Trump Tower and he would always make sure that if it was a pretty girl, we had to bring her by,” the staffer says. Much more here I Video.

↱ It may not be easy getting The Apprentice tapes. Eriq Gardner writes: The possible existence of "far worse" tapes than the Access Hollywood footage that has rocked Trump's campaign have become a target for reporters. And Mark Burnett and MGM released a statement saying that he "does not have the ability nor the right to release footage or other material from The Apprentice." But what is the cost to procure these videos? Hundreds of millions of dollars? Nothing at all? A legal analysis. ↲

And, Matt writes: Will Billy Bush be an NBC News employee this time tomorrow? Pressure builds on the network after more unfavorable stories surfaced Monday. A video of Bush jokingly asking for "Topless Maids" for Father's Day was circulating and Page Six reported he was bragging about the infamous Trump tape at the Rio Olympics.

Elsewhere in TV...

► Ken Bone remains undecided. Sporting the red sweater that — coupled with his mustache and genuine demeanor — made him an Internet sensation after Sunday’s second debate, the Missouri resident spoke live with host Jimmy Kimmel. Watch here.

► Ratings: HBO’s Westworld rises. The series opener of the pricey cable sci-fi series has now reached 6M subscribers.That tally, which combines HBO Go, HBO Now, on-demand and various network plays, is up 82 percent.

► Halt and Catch Fire to return for final season. AMC said that its quiet 1980s drama about the computer industry had received an order for a fourth season. The show hasn't been a ratings performer, but the cabler committed to the series as an addition to its growing originals library.

► Fox reteams with pair behind The Grinder. The network ordered a put pilot from writer-producers Jarrad Paul and Andy Mogel. The comedy centers on an office pitting an un-PC CEO against a new PC "sensitivity specialist."

↱ HBO's Vice News Tonight, reviewed. Critic Daniel Fienberg’s (mostly positive) take on last night’s premiere: “I think there's probably value in Vice News Tonight as almost a newsletter or digest point-of-entry into the absurd amount of content that the Vice empire generates every day. Even though those newsletters feel old-fashioned on the surface, all the cool media kids have their own and it would be just like the forward-thinking Vice to package theirs in the format of an equally old-fashioned newscast.” ↲

► After studio fire, History's Knightfall to resume shooting. The producers of the Barrandov Studios-based series say they are on schedule to wrap the first season by Christmas despite a summer backlot blaze that caused $4M in damage.

► 20th Century Fox TV promotes two execs. Robert Barron has been promoted to executive vp and chief financial officer of Fox TV group, while Jeff Acosta has been named executive vp of finance for Fox Broadcasting Company. Details.

► Column: Kim Kardashian schadenfreude. Stephen Galloway writes: "The brilliance of the Kardashians lies in how they toed a fine line, getting people to admire them without envying them. But now they’ve crossed that line. And it has nothing to do with parading one $4 million ring more or less. They haven’t changed, but the world around them has."

New! L.A. power dining this month. Senior writer Gary Baum unveils the latest THR ranking of hot restaurants: Say hello to Catch, Baroo and Michael’s. Meanwhile, Paley, Hanjip and Miro have fallen off the top 20. Full interactive map.

Lost 'Fantastic Four' Movie Story Told

It was never released, but today the original big screen Fantastic Four is finally getting it's due, 22 years later, Aaron Couch explains:

Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four, the anticipated doc detailing the drama behind the fabled 1994 Fantastic Four, is being released today. The doc tells the surprisingly touching tale of how the cast thought the rushed, low-budget film would propel them to stardom — with some of them going as far as spending their own money to travel the country and hire a publicist to promote it.

The film was buried, but thanks to bootlegging, VHS copies began popping up at fan conventions and eventually became a cult classic, with Doomed director Marty Langford being among its devoted followers.

"I didn't want it to get ugly. I knew we'd get into some deceit and unpleasantness, but I certainly didn't want to do a hatchet job on either them or the movie," Langford said of approaching those behind the movie. "I wanted to let them finally get the attention and the respect that I thought they deserved."

Elsewhere in film...

► Clint Eastwood circles another true-life story. Following American Sniper and Sully, the director is eyeing the story of kidnapped American aid worker Jessica Buchanan. Warner Bros, Eastwood's long-time home studio, has optioned Impossible Odds, for the helmer as his next project.

► Michelle Williams may portray Janis Joplin in biopic. The actress is in early talks for the lead role in Janis, the long-in-the-works biopic centering on the 1960s rock icon. Sean Durkin, the filmmaker behind Martha Marcy May Marlene, is on board to direct.

► Disney's live-action Aladdin enlists Guy Ritchie. The stylistic director behind the Robert Downey Jr-starring Sherlock Holmes movies is in talks to helm the adaptation of the 1992 classic. John August wrote the script, which sources say will keep many musical elements of the original.

↱ Shailene Woodley arrested at protest: The actress was arrested while protesting "the four-state Dakota Access pipeline in southern North Dakota. Morton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Rob Keller says the Divergent star was arrested Monday for criminal trespass and engaging in a riot," the AP reports. ↲

► Brittany Maynard "right to death" story to be film. Production company Good Universe has optioned the life rights to the young woman who was an outspoken advocate for medical aid in dying. Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given six months to live at 29.

► STX plans Bad Moms spinoff. Yes, it's titled Bad Dads and it will be hitting theaters on July 14, 2017. STX is also planning a reality television show, short form digital content, and a consumer products program based on the Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn hit.

► Imax opening first European virtual reality center. The pilot Imax VR center in Manchester is due to open by the end of 2016 in the Printworks multiplex theater, and advanced talks are said to be already underway with Hollywood studios for VR experiences.

► U.K. box office hits £1B in fastest time ever. The figure was reached on the night of Oct. 8 after just 281 days, 17 days faster than in 2015. Disney is currently holding the top three slots in the annual box office.

Carrie Fisher: Trump sniffles are B.S. The Star Wars actress says she knows why Trump was sniffing so much during the second debate — he does cocaine. Fisher was asked through social media if Trump was a "coke head" because of his audible, reoccurring sniffing: "I'm an expert & ABSOLUTELY."

Today in 1975: 'SNL' Premieres

^Yep, that's the cast: On Oct. 11, 1975, Americans tuned in to NBC's sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for the first time. An excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter's original review:

"NBC's live late-night musical-comedy series, Saturday Night, got off to a less than auspicious start with comic George Carlin as the opening night host.

The 90 minute show, which replaced reruns of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, was plagued throughout with a lack of exciting guests and innovative writing, helping to keep the debut at a lackluster pace. [...]

The ultimate success of this series will depend largely on producer Lorne Michaels' mixture of guests and hosts, and his immediate upgrading of the comedy material being turned out by his staff of ten writers."

Today's Birthdays: Matt Bomer, 39, Emily Deschanel, 40, Constance Zimmer, 46, Jane Krakowski, 48, Luke Perry, 50, Joan Cusack, 54.