What's news: Univision, Liberty Media swing to quarterly losses amid the pandemic ... Walt Disney World to shorten theme park hours ... 1917 tops China's reopened box office ... EuropaCorp picks a new CEO ... TikTok dealmaking ideas. — Erik Hayden

 '1917' Tops China Box Office

Update: Sam Mendes' harrowing World War I movie 1917 debuted at No. 1 this weekend as the country's theatrical business still deals with pandemic-related restrictions on operations, Abid Rahman writes: 

+ Since the restart, China's box office numbers have been modest, and this weekend saw more of the same with a $17 million total gross according to local box office consultancy Artisan Gateway. 

+ Dreamwork's 1917, distributed in China by Alibaba Pictures, took the top spot with a $5.2 million debut. Next weekend will see couple of big Hollywood tentpoles open in China, including the delayed release of Bad Boys For Life and rerelease of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Story. 

Columns...

— "Netflix should buy TikTok if Microsoft can’t close a deal." CNBC's Alex Sherman suggests: "Buying an advertising-based company with huge growth potential would give Netflix an outlet to tap in to that market without tampering with its successful subscription product." [CNBC]

— "How Pro-Trump forces work the refs in Silicon Valley." Ben Smith's latest: "The new referees in American politics are Facebook, Google and Twitter, and they would be wise to pay attention to lessons the old media tried to learn." [New York Times]

News briefs...

► EuropaCorp picks CEO successor to Luc Besson. The studio has appointed Axel Duroux as its new CEO, replacing the French director, as of September. Besson will focus on his role of non-executive chairman. Details. 

► Univision Networks unit ad revenue drops 40 percent. The company, which previously said it was targeting $125 million in cost reductions, confirmed its forecast that advertising would materially weaken from the first quarter. Earnings.

► Liberty Media swings to quarterly loss amid pandemic. The firm, which houses SiriusXM, the Atlanta Braves and Formula One, posted a loss attributable to its stockholders of $326 million, compared with a year-ago profit of $116 million. Earnings. 

► Indie production giant Argonon expands U.S. operation. The superindie group, headquartered in the U.K. and U.S. that is made up of seven independent production companies, has opened a new West Coast base.

► Walt Disney World is reducing operating hours at its theme parks in Florida. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios will close an hour earlier, while Epcot and Disney's Animal Kingdom will be open for two fewer hours each day.

► FX gives Fargo's delayed fourth season a premiere date. The Chris Rock-led season is set to resume production five months after stopping work due to the coronavirus pandemic. Will debut Sept. 27. 

 Imagen Awards unveils nominees. The feature film Dora and the Lost City of Gold and TV series Law & Order: SVU, Little America, One Day at a Time and Queen of the South each earned a leading four nominations at the honors designed to recognize Latinx talent. Full list. 

+ Oscars: Poland selects Never Gonna Snow Again for international feature category. Malgorzata Szumowska’s comedic drama, which will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, is the first international feature to be put forward for the 2021 Academy Awards. Details. 

Quoted...

► Zoe Kravitz calls out Hulu for not having enough shows starring women of color. Following the cancelation of rom-com series High Fidelity, the show's star wrote on Instagram: "it's cool. At least hulu has a ton of other shows starring women of color we can watch. oh wait."

► Dominic Buchanan criticizes BAFTA for preventing him from receiving award. The British producer of Netflix hit series The End of the F***ing World has penned an open letter titled: "My TV Show Won a BAFTA for Best Drama But I Won't Get a BAFTA Mask." The letter.

► Simon Cowell hospitalized after falling off electric bicycle. The host of America's Got Talent is being treated and will have surgery after a fall in Malibu. Cowell wrote on Sunday: "If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time." 

► Antonio Banderas reveals COVID-19 diagnosis The actor wrote on Twitter: "I want to make public that today ... I am forced to celebrate my 60th birthday following quarantine after having tested positive for the COVID-19 disease. I would like to add that I am relatively OK..." 

In THR, Esq: Olivia de Havilland and the lawyer who helped her change show business. Attorney Bruce Ramer recalls how the relationship between a legendary actress and his former law partner culminated in a groundbreaking 1944 court decision. Guest column.

 "I'm Not Really Sure How I'm Doing"

After COVID-19: Six-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein reflects on his life following six days in the hospital, including caring for his wife, fellow stage performer Rebecca Luker, in her battle with ALS...

"In April, The Hollywood Reporter published an essay I'd written about my six-day experience in New York's St. Luke's Hospital, now Mount Sinai, while suffering from COVID-19, with difficulty breathing and a temperature that at one point hit 104. It had been quite a traumatic experience for me, and I found writing about it therapeutic. Four months later — and here's the honest truth — I'm not really sure how I'm doing. While my symptoms have dissipated for the most part, they also remain in subtle and, on some days, not-so-subtle ways." New guest column. 

What else we're reading...

— "Meet the man spending billions on old hits." Mark Sweney profiles Merck Mercuriadis, whose business "has since spent about £700m amassing the rights to more than 13,000 songs" over two years. [The Guardian]

— "TikTok’s pain is Triller’s gain." Wendy Lee and Ryan Faughnder note: "Triller ... has received a big boost from security concerns and political churn around the blockbuster app TikTok." [Los Angeles Times]

— "Can Twitter build something worth paying for?" "The social network wants to open up a new revenue stream. Here are some ideas." [Bloomberg Opinion]

— "Why I loved cop shows, and why they must change." Alan Sepinwall writes: "These fictional stories have rewired many of us to assume cops are always acting in good faith, and to ignore or wave away those moments when they’re clearly not." [Rolling Stone]

From the archives...

Today in 1984: On Aug. 10, 1984, MGM/UA unveiled the war drama Red Dawn, featuring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen, in theaters: "It packs plenty of rabble-rousing ammunition." Flashback review.

Today's birthdays: Antonio Banderas, Kylie Jenner, Brenton Thwaites, Josh Gates, Justin Theroux, Suzanne Collins.