Today In Entertainment

OCTOBER 31, 2020

What's news: Kenya Barris in talks with ViacomCBS as he eyes an exit from Netflix, movie theaters prepare for a long winter, Jason Blum and Jennifer Salke talk why Blumhouse hooked up with Amazon Studios, BuzzFeed Studios plots esports flick, Blue Bayou gets high-profile 2021 release, more ViacomCBS shows hitting HBO Max. Plus: A review of The Mandalorian season two, and remembering Sean Connery. --Alex Weprin

 Sean Connery Dead at 90

➤Remembering Sean Connery: Sean Connery, the rugged, sardonically assured Scotsman who won an Academy Award and portrayed James Bond seven times, proving to the world that nobody could do it better, has died. He was 90. Connery’s death was reported by the BBC.

--A man with the Midas touch when it came to Agent 007, Connery laid down the Bond blueprint by starring in the first five United Artists movies to feature Ian Fleming's British superspy: Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963) — said to be the actor's personal favorite — Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965) and You Only Live Twice (1967). That fulfilled his original contract.

--"He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words, 'The name’s Bond... James Bond.'" said Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. He revolutionized the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for the success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him.”

--Connery always resisted becoming a one-note actor and starred in a wide array of films, often playing a no-nonsense, man of action — like the tough, Irish cop who mentors Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness in The Untouchables (1987), directed by Brian De Palma. That role earned him his Oscar. The full obituary.

 Kenya Barris May Bolt Netflix For ViacomCBS

➤Kenya Barris is on the move – again. The prolific producer of ABC's Black-ish and its many Disney-owned spinoffs is said to be in talks with ViacomCBS about his next act, a studio venture with the media giant. Per sources, the latter, which would have him working closely with BET’s Scott Mills and Showtime’s David Nevins, would give Barris a shot at true ownership, and the opportunity to keep building out his empire.

--Though a deal is not yet finalized for what would amount to an equity stake in the Viacom-launched entity, such a move would require Barris be let out of his sweeping Netflix pact early, which sources close to him say the streamer has allowed. The story.

➤Movie theaters prepare for a long winter. Several researchers suggest filmgoing might be less risky than some other indoor activities as a second wave of COVID-19 lockdowns shutter cinemas in multiple countries, Scott Roxborough reports.

--“We know you can’t be 100 percent assured that there is zero percent chance of transmission,” says David F. Goldsmith of George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. But Goldsmith — who was a medical adviser on the CinemaSafe program, the COVID-19 theater safety guidelines developed by the National Association of Theatre Owners — claims that going to a theater is “just as safe” as going to “a grocery store” if moviegoers “are wearing masks, separating at least six feet and using hand sanitizers.” The story.

➤How Jason Blum and Jennifer Salke brought the Blumhouse experience to Amazon. “Jason and I very early on got together to take about what we could cook up for Amazon,” says Salke. What they cooked up would become Welcome to the Blumhouse, a series of eight feature films that would be thematically linked and available to stream.

--"One of the advantages of doing a block of eight movies — there were marketing advantages — but there were also production savings we could achieve by doing them in blocks of four," Blum tells THR's Mia Galuppo. "We had done a less successful series of movies, in my mind, for Hulu [Into the Dark] and I learned from my mistakes on that. One of the things I figured out is how many you can do in a row before you had diminishing returns, and four or five is about the limit. So, that is one of the reasons we came to that number." The interview.

+Speaking of Blumhouse: Scott Derrickson is returning to his horror roots for Black Phone, which will reteam the director with Sinister production company Blumhouse. The project is based on a Joe Hill short story of the same name that follows a kidnapped child who is being kept basement with an antique phone that, despite being disconnected, rings at night with calls from the dead. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw will star. More.

➤Alex Gibney's new doc examines "heart of the failure" of Trump's pandemic response. The filmmakers behind Totally Under Control speak with Carolyn Giardina how they documented the White House response to COVID-19. The story.

In other film news...

+Ellen Page and Paris Berelc are starring in 1UP, an underdog comedy set in the world of gaming that Kyle Newman will direct for BuzzFeed Studios. Julia Yorks wrote the script that has been described as being in the vein of Pitch Perfect but set in the world of eSports with a GamerGate backdrop. The story.

+Wonderfilm Media is set to produce a biopic on Tampa Bay Rays home run slugger Randy Arozarena. Invincible screenwriter Brad Gann has been tapped to write the screenplay, with production on the scripted feature set for late 2021. More.

+Filmmaker and actor Justin Chon's Blue Bayou is getting a high-profile 2021 summer release in theaters, Focus Features announced Friday. The drama, a timely story about an American family fighting for their future as the father faces deportation, will hit the big screen in the U.S. on  June 25. More.

+Felicity Jones on shooting Midnight Sky while pregnant, hanging with RBG and her future in the Star Wars universe. Director George Clooney not only insisted that the actress remain as the film’s marooned astronaut Sully, he worked the pregnancy into the script. More.

 'Mandalorian' Review

➤TV review: Dan Fienberg reviews the season two premiere of Disney+'s The Mandalorian, writing that "like a monster rock group from the '70s still drawing a crowd on the state fair circuit, this episode was all about playing the hits and playing them loud. The result was, for a little show, easily its biggest and perhaps most purely entertaining episode to date." The review.

➤Fox is pulling the plug on dramas Filthy Rich and Next, with both shows set to end after their fall runs. The two shows were originally set for summer 2020 runs. Fox, however, opted to hold them for fall when it became clear the network's regular lineup wouldn't be ready for a traditional launch due to the coronavirus pandemic. More.

+Fox is getting a very early jump on its lineup for the 2021-22 TV season. The network has given a series order to This Country, a single-camera mockumentary from creator Jenny Bicks and director Paul Feig. It's based on a BAFTA-winning BBC series created by and starring Daisy and Charlie Cooper. Lionsgate TV, where Bicks and Feig both have overall deals, is producing the series with BBC Studios' Los Angeles production arm, Feigco Entertainment and Fox Entertainment. The story.

+ViacomCBS and HBO Max are expanding their relationship. Comedy Central hits Chappelle's Show, Inside Amy Schumer, Key & Peele, Nathan For You and the original Reno 911 will be available to stream on the WarnerMedia-backed streaming platform starting Nov. 1. More.

+Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks are teaming up for a sci-fi series from Ready Player One and Free Guy screenwriter Zak Penn. The two cable outlets have ordered Beacon 23, a psychological thriller set in deep space based on a novel of the same title by Hugh Howey. Spectrum and Platform One Media will produce the series, with Spectrum Originals getting an exclusive, nine-month first run. Following that, the show will become an AMC original with a second run across AMC Networks platforms. More.

➤India Oxenberg on NXIVM deprogramming: "My identity had become the group's identity." The former cult member, who testified at leader Keith Raniere's sentencing, tells Seth Abramovitch she can at last "laugh again." The interview.

Casting roundup/Revolving door: Molly Shannon has joined the cast of Mike White's HBO limited series The White Lotus... Lionsgate has named Kamala Avila-Salmon to lead inclusion and diversity efforts at the Hollywood studio's Motion Picture Group...

In other news...

--A California federal judge has rejected a bid to declare as unconstitutional Donald Trump's executive order targeting Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act. That's because, as U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick sees it, Trump's order merely "outlines a policy goal" and doesn't "restrict or regulate the platforms directly."

--Lori Loughlin on Friday began her prison sentence following her conviction in the college admission scandal. Her inmate number is 77827-112, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

--Taylor Swift has authorized one of her songs to be used in a political ad for the first time, according to U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell.

--With America...AF, @AmericaFerrera launched a short-form Instagram series to help demystify the American voting process: “There is great power in our vote”

--Wall Street analysts late in the week updated their financial models for Netflix for the streaming giant's U.S. price increase, unveiled on Thursday.

--For the first time in its 15-year history, the environment-focused Redford Center — the nonprofit film and media center co-founded by Robert Redford and his son, the late James Redford — has rolled out a series of voting-themed films meant to spark turnout among Americans who care about planet earth.

What else we're reading...

--"Advertisers flock to election night, when live TV is the main event again" [NY Times]

--How haunted houses are adapting during the pandemic [The Ringer]

--"Why does Trump love playing 'Fortunate Son' at rallies? John Fogerty has a pretty good theory" [LA Times]

--"How the Charlotte Kirk saga blew up Hollywood" [Vanity Fair]

Today's birthdays: Robert Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice, 53, Willow Smith, 21, Peter Jackson, 59, Rob Schneider, 57, Letitia Wright, 27.

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OCTOBER 31, 2020

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