What's news: AMC Theatres to reopen most locations July 15, Jimmy Kimmel will be taking the summer off, the complete guide to the "fall" TV schedule, So You Think You Can Dance shelved, a court ruling throws the fate of James Brown's fortune into question, Weta gets into animation, Cannes throwing a virtual kickoff party. Plus: Salma Hayek inks a deal with HBO Max, and remembering Ian Holm. --Alex Weprin

 AMC Theatres Sets Reopening Plans

►AMC Theatres to reopen most U.S. locations on July 15. AMC CEO Adam Aron said his circuit came up with its reopening plan after consulting with The Clorox Company and the Harvard University’s School of Public Health. AMC is also planning on a phased reopening that has four stages. (The circuit doesn't expect full capacity to be allowed until Thanksgiving.) The story.

+One thing AMC will not be requiring? Masks for guests. In states where it is mandated to do so, AMC will require masks of guests, and all employees will wear masks, but patrons will not be required to. "We didn't want to step into that controversy. So what we're doing is we're encouraging people to wear a mask, but not necessarily requiring it," AMC CEO Adam Aron told CNN.

--AMC's policy is substantially similar to that of the other major movie theater chains, but the comments spurred on scorn from social media commenters.

►Jimmy Kimmel taking a summer break. During Thursday's broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host announced that the episode would make his "last new show for the summer." "I'm taking the summer off to spend even more time with my family," Kimmel announced. "I've been doing this job for almost 18 years. I've done 3,130 shows and there's nothing wrong. My family is healthy, I'm healthy. I just need a couple of months off," he explained. 

--While on break, Kimmel said "a cavalcade of very kind and capable people will be filling in" for him on his shows going forward. Starting Monday, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will air re-runs for two weeks, before guest hosts step in. The story.

►"Fall" TV 2020: The full broadcast schedule. While nobody knows when production will actually resume, two very different strategies have emerged at the broadcast networks, Lesley Goldberg writes. Fox and The CW used what would have been their upfront day to release a "corona-proof" schedule that relies heavily on programming that was already completed, while CBS, NBC and ABC are maintaining a "business as usual" stance. Here is the current schedule for all the networks.

+Black-ish rejoins ABC's "fall" schedule. A day after unveiling its "fall" schedule, ABC is making a change. The network has opted to move the Kenya Barris comedy back to its traditional fall launch and bump Kari Lizer's rookie comedy Call Your Mother to midseason. Given the uncertainty around when production can start, there is no clear time frame for when any scripted or unscripted series will return. Entertainment chief Karey Burke admitted it was highly unlikely that ABC's slate would return for the traditional late September Premiere Week. She expects originals to be back sometime in the fourth quarter. More.

+So You Think You Can Dance shelved at Fox. "Production on season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance will not be moving forward due to health and governmental restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Fox said in a statement Thursday. "As a result, while we were looking forward to its return this summer, we cannot meet the standards we’ve set for viewers and contestants in light of the show’s unique format, intricate production schedule and limited time." More.

In other TV news...



+Daria spinoff, starring Tracee Ellis Ross, lands at Comedy Central. Grace Edwards serves as creator and head writer on the series, Jodie, which is based on the life of Jodie Landon, Daria's friend at the fictional Lawndale High. More.

+New Smurfs series lands at Nickelodeon. The ViacomCBS cable network has partnered with the worldwide licensors for The Smurfs, LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, to bring a new series featuring Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty and the rest. The computer-animated series is set to premiere in 2021. More.

+Solar Opposites, Crossing Swords renewed at Hulu. Solar Opposites, from Rick and Morty duo Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and produced by Disney's 20th Century Fox Television, was originally ordered straight to series with a two-season, 16-episode order. The series has been renewed for a third season consisting of 12 episodes. Crossing Swords, meanwhile, will return for a second season of 10 episodes. More.

+HBO has renewed Betty. The premium cable outlet has renewed the comedy about a group of young women skateboarders for a second season. The pickup comes about two weeks after the show, based on Crystal Moselle's 2018 indie film Skate Kitchen, wrapped its six-episode first season. An episode count for season two hasn't been determined. More.

+HBO's Hard Knocks to feature L.A. Rams, Chargers. HBO also announced Thursday that it's extending the franchise in a multi-year deal, though the exact number of seasons weren't disclosed. The story.

 A Twist in the Tale of James Brown's Fortune

 The fate of James Brown's fortune turns thanks to a most unusual court decision. Two years before James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," died at the age of 73 in 2006, he filed court papers to annul his fourth and final marriage, his ties to Tomi Rae Hynie, his one-time backup singer. The reason? She allegedly had never divorced her first husband. The aftermath will surely go down in the annals of music and legal history, Eriq Gardner writes. It was the subject of a fairly mind-blowing opinion this week from the South Carolina Supreme Court. What's more, the decision figures to impact rights to Brown's songs — plus give copyright scholars plenty to think about. The story.

+Big esports trial coming as FaZe Clan, Fortnite star can't escape dueling legal claims. A federal judge leaves open the possibility that restrictions in Turner "Tfue" Tenney's gamer agreement violated California law on non-competes. The story.

 Critics' Choice Awards ceremony pushed back to March. The 26th annual Critics' Choice Awards will air live on Sunday, March 7, 2021, the Critics Choice Association announced Thursday. It will again take place at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar and air on The CW Network, with Taye Diggs returning as host for the third consecutive year. More.

►Peter Jackson's Weta launches animation studio. Majority owners Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh plan to plan a key role in the unit, including writing, producing and directing several not yet disclosed animated projects. Wellington, New Zealand-based Weta is additionally growing with the hiring of its first CEO, Prem Akkaraju, who previously co-founded recently rebranded SR Labs, formerly known as Screening Room, with Weta investor and board vice chairman Sean Parker. The story.

►Lord & Miller's Project Hail Mary enlisting The Martian scribe Drew Goddard. If the deal makes, it would return Goddard to the literary world of Martian author Andy Weir, who also penned the tentatively-titled Hail Mary. MGM snatched up the rights to Mary in a massive $3 million deal, and Ryan Gosling is set to star. The story.

+Nahnatchka Khan, Netflix team for romantic comedy Dial A for Aunties.The book by Jesse Q. Sutanto is described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Weekend at Bernie's. Khan is developing the project to direct and will also produce with Chloe Yellin via the duo’s Netflix-based banner, Fierce Baby Productions. Also producing are John Davis and Jordan Davis for Davis Entertainment. Sutanto will exec produce. More.

►A virtual party to kick off virtual Cannes. Normally at this time of year the Croisette in Cannes would be preparing to become the center of the film universe, at least for a few weeks. The coronavirus pandemic has made that impossible, of course, but Cannes market organizers will do their best to replicate the experience, starting with a virtual party. International distributors will be getting their Cannes groove on, via Zoom, in an online event Saturday that will feature a chill-out session with yoga teacher Alessandra Montana and a set from Le Maschou DJ Sylvain Luka. The story.

►Lisa Joseph Metelus, Richard Lovett speak out at CAA virtual town hall on racial justice. "We commit that a year from now, we will have fewer leaders that look like me and more men and women of color leading teams," said CAA co-chairman Lovett at the town hall. More.

►Producers Guild of America re-elects Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher as co-presidents. First elected in 2018, the producers are the first two women to serve as presidents of the nonprofit trade organization, which advocates for producers in film, TV and new media. The co-presidents ran unopposed in 2020, as they did in 2018. More.

 Ian Holm, 1931-2020

►Ian Holm, Oscar-nominated actor in Chariots of Fire, dies at 88. The versatile British character actor earned an Oscar nomination for his turn as the athletics trainer in Chariots of Fire and portrayed the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in four movies. He gained many sci-fi admirers for his performances as Ash, the decapitated android who keeps on going, in Ridley's Scott's Alien and as the office manager Mr. Kurtzmann in another classic, Terry Gilliam's fantastical Brazil. The obituary.

 Salma Hayek inks first-look deal at HBO Max. The Oscar-nominated actress and producer has signed a two-year, first-look deal with the recently launched streaming platform from WarnerMedia. Under the deal, her company, Ventanarosa, will bring projects to HBO Max first for potential development. More.

+Sam Dean, the showrunner of Netflix's unscripted breakout Love Is Blind, is also headed to HBO Max. Dean has signed a two-year overall first-look deal with the WarnerMedia streamer. The pact cements her relationship with HBO Max as she executive produced and was showrunner on its 12 Dates of Christmas, set to premiere later this year. The story.

 Animorphs, the massively popular kids book series from the 1990s, is finally headed to the big screen. Scholastic is partnering with Erik Feig and his Picturestart banner for the first feature film based on the sci-fi series by K.A. Applegate. More.

+Zack Snyder unveils first teaser for his Justice League cut. The snippet features Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman discovering some sort of artifact, with a voiceover evoking Lex Luthor's (Jesse Eisenberg) dialogue from the end of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), in which he teased a grave threat was coming to earth. More.

►Hey Hollywood: If you care about diversity, start with your own team. Hollywood attorney Jaia Thomas' initial excitement over Black Panther 'sgroundbreaking achievements was muted after she realized the film's talent was almost entirely represented by white teams. She is determined to change the landscape. The column.

+What Black Hollywood can learn from Reagan and Trump. TV writer Keli Goff explains how Black entertainers can take a page out of the right's playbook to leverage their celebrity to run for office. The column.

►TV's Top 5 podcast: During this week's podcast, hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg examine how COVID-19 is impacting broadcast schedules, awards season and professional sports, and also speak with Perry Mason showrunners Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald. Listen.

►TV review: Daniel Fienberg reviews season 2 of Netflix's The Politician, writing that "perhaps even more than the disappointing first season, the second season of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan's Netflix comedy is a hollow and perplexingly stale glimpse into American politics." The review.

Revolving door: Carey Mulligan, whose onscreen credits include Wildlife, Suffragette, Drive and An Education, is returning to CAA... UTA has signed Prodigal Son star Tom Payne in all areas... Benjamin Crump, a civil rights attorney who represents the families of victims of police violence, has signed with UTA...

►Broadcast TV ratings: CBS' Game On was Wednesday's top original show on the broadcast networks, but the night was once again soft across the board. Univision snagged the top spot in the key ad demo across primetime. The numbers.

In other news...

--The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) and Time's Up have released their first TV and film production diversity report.

--Imperial Capital analyst David Miller has boosted his second-quarter subscriber growth estimates for Netflix, citing the “cocooning effect” of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

--Twitter labeled a selectively edited video tweeted by Donald Trump as "manipulated media" on Thursday night as the tech giant continued to crackdown on misinformation posted on the president's official account.

--Imax has struck a deal with Hulu that will see at least 16 of its giant screen documentaries play exclusively on the streaming platform, starting this summer.

--Netflix has taken the worldwide rights to Giving Voice, the Sundance Audience Award winner.

--TwitchCon has been canceled, festival organizers revealed Thursday.

--The Walking Dead comic book series is roaring back to life almost exactly one year after it ended, if only for a moment. Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's long-running zombie apocalypse series is set to continue in the form of yet another surprise issue: Negan Lives #1, a 36-page one-shot centering on the titular baseball-bat wielding antihero, played in the AMC television adaptation by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

What else we're reading...

--"How Hollywood turned into a ghost town" [Vanity Fair]

--"How a search for Black film editors caused a firestorm on Facebook" [LA Times]

--"Where Black Lives Matter protestors stream every day: Twitch" [NY Times]

--"Lester Holt on talking about race with kids, including his own" [HuffPost]

Today's birthdays: Paula Abdul, 58, Kathleen Turner, 66, Salman Rushdie, 73, Phylicia Rashad, 72, KSI, 27.