Today In Entertainment

AUGUST 24, 2020

What's news: Unhinged debuts as the U.S. box office slowly turns back on, China's The Eight Hundred opens as the first post-pandemic blockbuster, the Republican National Convention reality show, Peter Micelli launches a new management-production company, Shepard Smith's CNBC show gets a premiere date, 2020's top film schools. Plus: A flurry of Warner Bros. and DC Comics news, including trailers for The Batman, Zack Snyder's Justice League, and Wonder Woman 1984. --Alex Weprin

 'Unhinged' Marks The Return Of The U.S. Box Office

➤Unhinged had a big weekend at the box office. No, really, there were bona fide box office numbers this weekend. The Solstice Studios film rode to a domestic debut of $4 million in a win for the revival of moviegoing in the U.S., where theaters have begun reopening in earnest. The Russell Crowe road-rage thriller, playing in roughly 1,823 theaters, is the first new wide release to hit the big screen since cinemas went dark in March amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The story.

+The first big post-pandemic blockbuster, however, opened in China. Over the weekend, the Chinese war epic The Eight Hundred opened to an estimated $107 million in China, including previews. That's despite the fact that theaters in the Middle Kingdom continue to limit capacity by 50 percent amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Cinemas in China closed in late January, and have been slowly coming back online in recent weeks. The better-than-expected performance of The Eight Hundred is a huge boost for the global film business, which has been devastated by widespread theater closures. More.

 A Slew of Warner Bros./DC Comics News...

With San Diego Comic-Con canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Warner Bros. and DC Comics held an event of their own over the weekend: DC Fandome. 

➤There was a lot of news, and a lot of new footage. The event culminated with the first teaser trailer for The Batman, but there was also a new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984, the first footage from Zack Snyder's Justice League, and new details about the Shazam! sequel, Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman 2 and much more. Our colleagues at Heat Vision break down all the news and trailers here.

+More detail from Matt Reeves' session on The Batman: "This version of Batman will not be the idealized version seen elsewhere, he teased, but is instead 'broken' and 'confronting the shadow side of himself,' a process that Reeves hopes will allow the audience to empathize with Bruce Wayne in an all-new way." The story.

+Analysis: Graeme McMillan breaks down "the questions behind" the new Wonder Woman trailer. The column.

+Also: As part of Saturday’s virtual DC FanDome event, executives from DC’s movie, television and publishing divisions talked up one of the strengths of the brand — namely, that there is more than one universe inside the interconnected fictional realities of the company... DC revealed its milestone revival plans... DC TV's women of color shared their inspirations...

+Some gaming news: Warner Bros. Games Montreal and DC unveiled on Saturday the new video game Gotham Knights, an open-world, action role-playing experience... Warner Bros. Games and DC also revealed on Saturday the new action-adventure shooter game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League...

 Peter Micelli's Big Play

➤Some major representation news: Peter Micelli, a former TV lit agent at CAA who most recently was chief strategy officer of television, film and digital at Entertainment One, is launching a new management-production company, and he is bringing a slew of talent from WME, CAA and UTA with him. The details.

➤Shepard Smith's new CNBC evening newscast will premiere Sept. 30, the channel says. CNBC also says that Sandy Cannold, a 19-year veteran of the channel who most recently was executicve producer of The Exchange and Power Lunch, will be senior ep of the program. Sally Ramirez, currently executive news director of KHOU in Houston, will become executive producer.

➤The Republican National Convention is shaping up to be the reality TV show of political events, with surprise twists, an obvious protagonist (who previously hosted a reality TV show, no less), a reality TV producer in Chuck LaBella (who worked on The Apprentice and The Masked Singer) and a "bad guy" all lined up in the edit. In this case, President Trump has decided to run against the media, namely news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and others.

--It's all there in the "resolution regarding the Republican party platform," which was adopted by RNC delegates Sunday: "WHEREAS, The media has outrageously misrepresented the implications of the RNC not adopting a new platform in 2020 and continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration, rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts..."

--It's all there in the speakers list, which includes Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington high school student who sued a number of outlets (including CNN) over coverage of a protest in Washington, and Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who became "victims" of the media when photos and video of them brandishing firearms outside their home went viral. It also includes UFC president Dana White, who will speak on the final night of the RNC.

--But what about that twist? Axios reports that Trump loved the coverage that followed his surprise announcement that Rush Limbaugh would receive a Presidential Medial of Freedom during the State of the Union address. "In that made-for-television moment, Trump set a template for this convention: He leveraged one of his presidential powers to create a reality TV surprise." So what will he have in store this week?

In film festival news...

+In London: Steve McQueen's Mangrove set to open London Film Festival. The film will have its European premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 7, launching a new hybrid version of the London Film Festival taking place mostly online as it contends with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mangrove will be one of 12 films playing for free at the BFI Southbank in London and several cities around the U.K., while more than 55 others will be given virtual premieres. More.

+In San Sebastian: We Are Who We Are, an eight-part television series directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino will have its world premiere in San Sebastian as part of the festival's special screenings program. More.

+In Venice: Oscar-nominated film composer and multiple Grammy-winning jazz musician Terence Blanchard will be honored at this year's Venice International Film Festival with the Campari Passion for Film award. More.

➤2020's top 25 American film schools: A career behind the camera begins at these elite institutions — from USC to NYU — even as COVID-19 complicates curricula. The list.

+10 budget-friendly film schools: If the elite schools are off-limits, these robust programs offer plenty of hands-on training in a range of disciplines. The list.

+The top 15 international film schools: From a Quarantine Stories film competition to on-set pod teams, global institutions have quickly adapted to the COVID-19 crisis. The list.

➤Awards Chatter podcast: In this episode comedian Kevin Hart opens up about his childhood, the roots of his sense of humor, and years of early career disappointments, followed by a career recalibration for the ages. Listen.

In other news...

--Spotify unveiled on Monday an esports partnership with Riot Games as the exclusive audio service provider for its flagship title League of Legends. The deal will include an original podcast series centered around the multiplayer battle arena video game, as well as music and playlists inspired by the gaming community.

--In a well-produced virtual ceremony that ran little more than an hour and paired presenters from the worlds of showbiz and public service, the African-American Film Critics Association handed out its second annual TV honors on Saturday morning, not coincidentally right in the homestretch of Emmy voting.

--Lovecraft Country claims its first major victim: "There is no success without a successor."

--In a guest column, The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden writes about how co-star (and TV veteran) Ted Danson helped her savor her time on her first big gig and the memorable bonds she created with her castmates.

--A Connecticut town's officials are showing comedian John Oliver what they think about his expletive-filled rant about their city — they're naming the local sewage treatment plant after him.

--Singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, the son of Steve Earle, has died. He was 38.

What else we're reading...

--"The TV industry will never recover from the coronavirus" [Bloomberg]

--"Jerry Seinfeld: So you think New york is dead (it's not)" [NY Times]

--"Lego’s next build: Worlds and characters created by its fans" [WSJ]

--"Republicans rush to finalize convention (Apprentice producers are helping)" [NY Times]

--"ABC poised to broadcast live NFL games again thanks to Disney push" [Front Office Sports]

Today's birthdays: Dave Chappelle, 47, Ava DuVernay, 48, Steve Guttenberg, 62, Rupert Grint, 32, Vince McMahon, 75.

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AUGUST 24, 2020

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