Today In Entertainment

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Today: The CEO and president of the film Academy explain the new diversity requirements for future Oscars best picture eligibility. Plus: NBCUniversal makes more moves to reshape its leadership, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings says the streamer will not look to acquire theater chains and a Ben Affleck film sparks a COVID-related lawsuit. — Erik Hayden

 Reed Hastings' Next Challenge

New updates... 

→ Netflix won't be snapping up a theater chain. During a conversation with THR's Natalie Jarvey, co-CEO Reed Hastings explained he doesn’t think the streaming giant will buy a theater chain: "I can’t see us doing a chain or expanding in theatrical." Q&A. 

• Next challenge: “We want to beat Disney in family animation,” says Hastings when asked what area of programming he felt that the streaming giant, which releases hundreds of titles around the world each year, has yet to master. “That’s going to take a while. I mean, they are really good at it.” 

→ Explaining the new Oscars inclusion rules. THR's Scott Feinberg spoke with DeVon Franklin and Paramount chief Jim Gianopulos, the members of the Academy's board of governors who led the task force that produced the standards, as well Academy CEO Dawn Hudson and president David Rubin. Q&A. 

• The goal: "This is an effort to go from intentions to definitive action and progress. And, of course, you can pick at any of the elements of it. But the intention is to be aspirational and objective and to lead the industry toward a better version of itself," Gianopulos says.
• Not far enough? "95 of the 100 top films of 2019 would meet this standard. If everyone meets the criteria, then how is it a challenge to do better," the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative tweets.

→ Ben Affleck film sparks COVID-related lawsuit. Pandemic delays on the star's latest film Hypnotic have sparked a lawsuit against an insurance company that's refusing to extend the term of coverage without a COVID-19 exception even though the original policy didn't have one. Full story. 

→ Top films in 2019 made few gains in on-screen representation. New research that examines race, gender, LGBTQ and disability representation finds that, year-over-year, gains both on and off-screen have remained minimal or largely stagnant. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative's new study. 

→ NBCUniversal keeps shaking up its leadership. The conglomerate extended Bonnie Hammer's contract and moved the 30-year company vet to a vice chairman role. NBCU promoted Universal TV president Pearlena Igbokwe to chairman of NBCU's Content Studios, taking over the role occupied by Hammer.

• New oversight: Igbokwe, who has been with NBCU since arriving from Showtime in 2012, will oversee Universal Television, Universal Content Productions and NBCUniversal International Studios. Full story.

Film deals... 

➤ Sony Pictures inks deal with Jamie Foxx. The Oscar winner and producer Datari Turner have signed an overall deal, with the first project an actioner written by Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier. Details.

➤ Industrial Light & Magic grows its virtual production services. The VFX unit will support productions including Marvel's Taika Waititi-directed Thor: Love and Thunder. Details. 

➤ Universal/Blumhouse to release Freaky in theaters. The horror-comedy, a take on Freaky Friday, stars Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn. It arrives Nov. 13, 2020.

➤ Saban picks up Mel Gibson holiday film. The company nabbed U.S. rights to Fatman, which sees the actor as a rowdy Santa Claus. Eshom and Ian Nelms directed the title, which hasn't set a release date.

➤ Participant plans film based on Korean feature. A new drama, Sea Fog, based on 2014's Haemoo, is in the works from writer-director Matt Palmer and has Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho producing. Details. 

➤ Neon nabs Night of the Kings. Director Philippe Lacote’s second feature premiered at Venice and was chosen as the Ivory Coast submission for this year’s Oscar international film category. Release date isn't set.

➤ Greenwich Entertainment picks up Assassins doc. The company nabs North American rights to Ryan White's doc about the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, planning a Dec. 4 release and an awards campaign.

➤ Gravitas Ventures nabs Paint. The Joshua Caras and Paul Cooper-starring dark comedy by director Michael Walker has been picked up for the U.S. for a Dec. 15 video on-demand release.

➤ BBC/See-Saw Films plan WWII-era drama. One Life will star Anthony Hopkins and rising British name Johnny Flynn feature in a Holocaust drama based on the story of humanitarian Sir Nicholas George. Details.

➤ Highland Film Group launches U.S. distribution arm. CEO Arianne Fraser and COO Delphine Perrier have tapped studio veteran JJ Caruth to serve as president of marketing and distribution of the new venture.

➤ Sundance hires doc film program director. Filmmaker Carrie Lozano will replace interim director Kristin Feeley. Lozano will oversee Sundance Institute Labs, partnerships and film funds. Will start role on Oct. 1. 

➤ Indie thriller wraps filming. Red 48 will feature Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich and Michael Jai White in the actioner from Yale Productions. Jon Keeyes is directing the feature, which shot in the Tri-state area.

*Trailer watch: Dune. As the marketing campaign ramps up, THR's Richard Newby notes that, "Warner Bros. is certainly taking all the right steps to position Dune as something new, and digestible for those unfamiliar with the world."

Meanwhile, in TV... 

➤ AMC plans long farewell for The Walking Dead. The final season will run 24 episodes and stretch out over two years as content chief Scott M. Gimple plots an offshoot built around Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride — as well as an episodic anthology show. 

• Spoilers: As the series begins its final descent, here's how the final story arc might play out.  

➤ HBO Max developing The Westing Game. The potential series based on author Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal winning novel comes from MGM/UA TV. Producer Julie Corman will exec produce.

➤ Netflix inks overall deal with Mara Brock Akil. The Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane and Black Lightning exec producer has inked a multiple-year pact and will develop new scripted projects.

➤ Fox TV orders 180 episodes of Jay Leno game series. The former Tonight Show host will emcee a reboot of the quiz show You Bet Your Life. The reboot, set to launch in Fall 2021, will be syndicated nationally.

➤ TBS adds talent competition to its roster. The cable outlet has ordered 10 episodes of Go-Big Show, which will feature monster truck drivers, alligator trainers and stunt archers, among others.

➤ Hulu's Dopesick adds to cast. The project has added Peter Sarsgaard to star opposite Michael Keaton in the drama, based on journalist Beth Macy's book about the opioid crisis. An eight-episode series.

➤ Lifetime pacts with Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos. The couple has signed a deal with the cable network to produce two movies for Lifetime's Ripped From the Headlines true-crime franchise. Slated for 2021.

*Noted: Speaking during FX's virtual press day on Wednesday, chief John Landgraf said people of color are set to direct nearly half (46 percent) of episodes on FX Networks in 2021, and that women will direct 35 percent of episodes next year. Details.

BofA investor conference sound bites: ViacomCBS chief Bob Bakish says "Q2 was clearly the bottom in terms of the year and ad revenue" ... SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer now expects full-year self-pay subscriber net additions of approximately 700,000 ... Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels forecasts: "We all know how quickly things can change, but what we're seeing in our booking situation, July and more importantly August, look a little better." ViacomCBS I SiriusXM I Discovery. 

× International television market MIPCOM canceled the planned in-person version of its 2020 event. Organizer Reed Midem said the 2020 edition, set to run Oct.12-Oct. 14 in Cannes, will now be online-only.

What else we're reading...

— "TikTok, U.S. discuss ways to avoid sale." A triple byline report: "It isn’t clear whether any alternative would satisfy President Trump’s concerns about Chinese-owned video-sharing app." [Wall Street Journal]

— "Mulan’s uncomfortable relationship with China’s past and present." Jane Hu writes: "The film is, put crudely, an Americanized celebration of Chinese nationalism, on a two-hundred-million-dollar budget." [New Yorker]

R.I.P. Peter Sova. The cinematographer, who shot Diner and Lucky Number Slevin, has died. He was 75. Full obit. 

Today's birthdays: Ryan Phillippe, 46, Guy Ritchie, 52, Colin Firth, 60, Chris Columbus, 62, Amy Irving, 67, Joe Perry, 70.

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

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