Today In Entertainment

OCTOBER 10, 2020

What's news: Channing Dungey departs Netflix as rumors of top Warners job swirls, Disney developing a Space Mountain movie, Netflix picks up the Russos' Mosul, welcome to the new world on TV un-renewals, New York movie theaters take on Gov. Cuomo, HBO Max's Green Lantern finds its showrunner. Plus: John Wells developing two more shows a HBO Max, and Michael Green inks a Netflix deal. --Alex Weprin

 Another Shocking Netflix Departure

➤Channing Dungey out at Netflix. Dungey is leaving Netflix, less than two years after joining the streamer as vp original content and head of drama. Her last day at the company is Friday. She's exiting to pursue another opportunity, sources tell THR.

--Dungey's departure comes amid speculation that she's a contender for the job of president of Warner Bros. TV — a post recently vacated by Susan Rovner, who moved to NBCUniversal. Her move also comes a month after Bela Bajaria was upped to the new role of vp global television and long-time head of content Cindy Holland departed. The story.

+Another Netflix departure: Veteran dealmaker Bryan Noon is leaving the streamer after a shift in his team's structure. Noon, a vp of original series, has been with Netflix for eight years, most recently overseeing a business affairs team of more than 35 who were key in inking the streamer's big overall deals with talent like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy. More.

+Also: Lionsgate has parted ways with one of its executives after he allegedly had a gun on company premises. Sources say the studio's president of North American TV distribution Jared Goetz has been let go for violating company policy. The gun was discovered when Goetz — who was working in Lionsgate's Santa Monica offices in September — drove a coworker to lunch last month. More.

 Another Disney Ride Will Become a Movie

➤Disney is getting ready to ride Space Mountain onto the big screen. The venerable ride is getting the movie treatment, with the studio hiring Joby Harold, who has worked a range of movies from Zack Snyder’s upcoming Army of the Dead to Warner’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, to write the script for what is to be a live-action adaptation. The story.

+Mosul, the war action movie produced by Anthony and Joe Russo, is heading to Netflix. The digital streamer has picked up the movie and will release it in November 2020. Matthew Michael Carnahan, who co-wrote thrillers such as World War Z and 21 Bridges, wrote the script and made his directorial debut with the actioner, which had it world premiere at the 2019 Venice Film Festival and North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. More.

In other film news...

+The latest release playing at a New York movie theater? The battle between exhibitors and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Frustrated exhibitors across New York are using their marquees to send a very public message to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose administration has yet to allow cinemas to reopen. Late this week, the Regal E-Walk in New York City's Times Square installed a new message on its marquee: "48 states have reopened theaters so far. Why not New York, Gov. Cuomo? #ReopenOurCinemasNY." More.

+More release delays: Lionsgate is pushing back the release of the star-driven titles Fatale and Voyagers from this fall to 2021 amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. The studio has moved Fatale, the Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy-starring noir thriller from The Intruder director Deon Taylor, to next year, likely in the first quarter of 2021. More.

➤Wall Street experts are giving mixed reviews to activist investor Dan Loeb's letter to the Walt Disney Co., in which he pushed for dividend payments to be instead used to boost streaming content. CFRA Research analyst Tuna Amobi suggested there is one misconception in Loeb's letter. Amobi tells THR that Loeb implies that "the choices for Disney are mutually exclusive at this time, much like walking and chewing gum, which isn't necessarily reflective of the company's present financial condition."

--He adds: "Despite some near-term liquidity pressures for Disney – theme parks, consumer and some ads, content businesses – due to the pandemic, we continue to view this situation as very manageable at the corporate level, even if the dividend suspension is sustained a bit longer." The story.

➤Today in succession intrigue: Maureen Dowd interviews James Murdoch, who discusses the impetus behind the Disney deal, why he left News Corp., the relationship with his father and brothers. Dowd also notes the long-standing rumor that James, along with his sister Elisabeth and half-sister Prudence, would be able to assume control of their father's empire after he passes away when it passes to the Murdoch Family Trust, of which they have 3 out of 4 votes (Lachlan has the other). The interview.

 'Green Lantern's' Next Move

➤HBO Max’s Green Lantern series has powered up its lantern, landing its showrunner. Seth Grahame-Smith, the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter novelist-turned-screenwriter of such movies as The Lego Batman Movie, will act as showrunner of the DC Comics-based series and co-write the inaugural episode with Marc Guggenheim, the co-creator of DC shows Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. The story.

+Welcome to the age of the "un-renewals." As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage balance sheets across the entertainment industry, a rapidly rising number of scripted originals are having their previously announced renewals reversed. So what's behind the unfortunate trend? While each show is different, increased costs is one factor that they all have in common. Filming during the pandemic requires each production to adhere to a set of safety protocols put in place and agreed upon by various guilds and studios.

--"It really depends on the show itself but I'm going to give you a rough number and say it's between $300,000 and $500,000 additional per episode for PPE," prolific producer Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek: Discovery, Clarice) told The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast in an interview this week. "It's just in keeping people safe — and that's not a number you can skimp on." The story.

In other TV news...

+John Wells is increasing his presence at HBO Max. The mega-producer has set up two more drama projects at the WarnerMedia streamer: A Hawaii-set show called Ke Nui Road and Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, a planned anthology series based on the book by Michael Bennett and Dave Zirin. Both are in development at HBO Max and come from Warner Bros. TV, where Wells' eponymous production company has a nine-figure overall deal. More.

+Screenwriter and producer Michael Green has signed on overall TV deal at Netflix. The first project under the deal is Blue Eye Samurai, an animated series Green co-created with Amber Noizumi. Green is a prolific writer and producer in both the film and TV worlds. He'll develop and produce series projects for the streamer under the deal, which has been in the works for some time. More.

➤A lifeline for movie theaters? Cinema should look at striking content deals with streaming services to get much-needed content amid studios' ongoing film slate delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, one Wall Street analyst suggested on Friday. "Theater owners should consider finally striking a deal with Netflix, Amazon and other SVOD services as a lifeline to get more product on movie screens," MoffettNathanson's Robert Fishman wrote in a report. More.

➤Twitter will not allow Trump or Biden to declare an unverified victory on election day. "People on Twitter, including candidates for office, may not claim an election win before it is authoritatively called," reads the new rule on Twitter's blog. "To determine the results of an election in the US, we require either an announcement from state election officials, or a public projection from at least two authoritative, national news outlets that make independent election calls. Tweets which include premature claims will be labeled and direct people to our official US election page." More.

➤Hip-hop agent Brent Smith is out at WME, weeks after he was suspended for reported behavioral issues. "Following an investigation based on complaints of bullying behavior by Brent Smith, WME and Brent have mutually decided to part ways," reads a statement from the agency. More.

Casting roundup: Apple's drama The Morning Show is adding Greta Lee and Ruairi O'Connor to its cast for season two... John David Washington is set to join Margot Robbie and Christian Bale in David O. Russell's next feature effort...

Obituary: Gene Corman, the overshadowed movie producer who preceded his older brother, legendary “King of the B’s” filmmaker Roger Corman, in the business and frequently collaborated with him, has died. He was 93...

In other news...

--The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden has officially been canceled, the Commission on Presidential Debates said late Friday.

--Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to Supernova, starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci.

--The new Relativity Media studio has picked up the Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo-starring fantasy adventure Come Away for its first commercial release.

--Apple can continue to block Fortnite from its app store as it battles in court with developer Epic Games, a federal judge in California said on Friday afternoon.

--Pop-Up Magazine and its recently formed union are engaging in a war of words over the legality of layoffs implemented earlier this week by its owner, billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective.

--Ontario is temporarily closing cinema screens in major markets amid a resurgent coronavirus outbreak.

--Here are five can't miss things to catch from MIPCOm Online+.

What else we're reading...

--"At Disney World, 'worst fears' about virus have not come true" [NY Times]

--"Katzenberg strikes out on Quibi sale effort, so far" [The Information]

--The Boston Red Sox may go public through a deal with Gerry Cardinale's SPAC [WSJ]

--"It's time to face reality, and to cancel the 2021 Oscars" [Washington Post]

--"Google plans to make YouTube a major shopping destination" [Bloomberg]

Today's birthdays: Mario Lopez, 47, Midge Ure, 67, Brett Favre, 51, Mya, 41, Jacqueline Mars, 81.

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OCTOBER 10, 2020

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