Today In Entertainment

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

What's news: Jon M. Chu eyes Lilo & Stitch reboot, Space Force re-enlists at Netflix, another show bolts Hulu for Disney+, Warner Bros. and Disney executive moves, Academy Museum hits pre-opening fundraising goal. Plus: Alberta attracts Hollywood productions with rapid COVID testing, and the complete guide to 2021 TV premiere dates. --Alex Weprin

 From 'Rich' To 'Stitch'

➤Jon M. Chu is gearing up for a Hawaiian roller coaster ride. The director behind Crazy Rich Asians is in negotiations to helm Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback, the banner behind the billion dollar-grossing live-action remake of Aladdin, are producing. Rideback’s Ryan Halprin is executive producing.

--A search for a scribe to work with Chu is now underway. Mike Van Waes wrote the current draft for the project, which has not been greenlit and is still in development. The story.

+Disney continues to play musical chairs with its TV series. The conglomerate announced Friday that Tony Hale-led YA drama The Mysterious Benedict Society will move from Hulu, where it was originally developed, to Disney+. Based on the best-selling book series by Trenton Lee and co-starring Kristen Schaal, the eight-episode series will debut in 2021. The story.

+Also at Disney: Ayo Davis been promoted to the newly created position of exec vp creative development and strategy at the recently launched Disney Branded Television department. Most recently exec vp talent and casting at ABC and Disney+ Davis will now report to Gary Marsh, who was promoted this week to serve as chief creative officer and president of Disney Branded Television. More.

 'Space Force' To Return

➤Netflix is returning to space. The streaming giant has renewed its Steve Carell-led comedy Space Force for a second season. Production on the pricey comedy will move from Los Angeles to Vancouver in a bid to reduce the show's budget. Filming will begin next year. A return date has not yet been determined. As part of a larger creative revamp, Norm Hiscock has also joined the series and will serve as co-showrunner alongside Greg Daniels. The story.

+Canada is where it's at: As the coronavirus outbreak bludgeons Hollywood with global travel restrictions, Alberta has rolled out rapid COVID-19 testing that has A-list stars now able to safely cross a closed U.S.-Canadian border and step onto a local film and TV sets in just two days. Consider it Canada's express lane for American talent and crews as cases of COVID-19 rise in both countries. More.

➤Blair Rich is stepping down from her post as head of Warner Bros.' marketing division. The move comes amid the coronavirus crisis that has rocked Hollywood, with a number of studio tentpoles moving from 2020 to 2021. But even before the global pandemic shuttered theaters across the world, Warners had endured a string of box office misses in which marketing was blamed. More.

+Revolving door: JD McCrary has signed with UTA in all areas... Fear the Walking Dead star Garret Dillahunt has signed with APA...

 Academy Museum Closes Out Fundraising Effort

➤Academy Museum of Motion Pictures hits pre-opening fundraising goal. A donation from the animation studio LAIKA moved the museum — which is located at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, and is set to open this spring — over the finish line, closing out a campaign that was launched in 2012 and overseen by chair Bob Iger and co-chairs Annette Bening and Tom Hanks. A gallery dedicated to special collections will be named after the Oregon-based company. The story.

➤TV long view: Rick Porter looks at the broadcast networks "rent-a-fall" as lineups slowly return to normal after pandemic delays. "Early signs are that the regular lineups are down some in the ratings, but by levels that would be expected given the typical year-to-year fade on ad-supported TV. Same-day Nielsen ratings for shows that have returned so far are down about 20 percent in adults 18-49 vs. the comparable number of episodes last season, with gentler declines — in the 10 percent range — in total viewers." The column.

Casting roundup: Netflix has assembled an A-list ensemble for the Antoine Fuqua-directed thriller The Guilty. Peter Sarsgaard, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, and Ethan Hawke are joining the cast along with High Fidelity star Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Umbrella Academy's David Castañeda and Honey Boy actor Byron Bowers...

➤TV premiere dates 2021: The complete guide. Need to know when a TV show premieres or returns? The Hollywood Reporter has a comprehensive list of 2021 debut dates for broadcast, cable and streaming series. Bookmark this page, as it will be updated throughout the year. The guide.

In other news...

--Neon has picked up the U.S. rights to Andrei Konchalovsky’s Dear Comrades!, which is set to be Russia’s official Oscars submission.

--Cineplex has unveiled private theater rentals for up to 20 friends and family members, starting at $95 each. The Canadian exhibition giant, in following AMC, Cinemark and Alamo Drafthouse with private screen hires, is looking for a new revenue generator after unveiling third-quarter results that underlined the continuing impact of the pandemic on its operations.

--Six Flags Magic Mountain will partially reopen next week, the theme park announced Friday. The Los Angeles County destination got creative to work around stringent restrictions put in place by the state because of the pandemic. For the first time, Six Flags Magic Mountain will be a drive-through experience with millions of lights, festive holiday theming and seasonal music favorites, according to the park officals.

--Propagate Content is joining with SeriesFest to help identify new voices in television. The media company headed by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens will sponsor the festival's Storytellers Initiative for 2021. The annual SeriesFest, set for June 2021 in Denver, is accepting applications for the program now.

--Will Smith on Friday shared a trailer for HBO Max's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion special, as well as its premiere date: Nov. 19.

--Film2Future will honor writer and showrunner LaToya Morgan at the organization's first Origins: In the Beginning virtual fundraiser. The event, scheduled for Nov. 19, supports Film2Future's mission of creating a diversity pipeline for the entertainment industry.

--For the third consecutive year, filmmakers Tommy and Codie Elaine Oliver will host the Black Love Summit, bringing their hit OWN docuseries to life with discussions about relationships and community.

--A large number of Montreal police, some in tactical uniforms and holding guns and shields, on Friday responded to an unknown situation at the office building of video game development company Ubisoft in the city's trendy Mount Royal district.

What else we're reading...

--"Krista Vernoff knows all of Grey's Anatomy's secrets. And she's ready to talk" [LA Times]

--"There's a reason why Hollywood loves a good body swap" [The Ringer]

--"Savannah Guthrie is feeling lucky" [NY Times]

Today's birthdays: Prince Charles, 72, Condoleezza Rice, 66, Stefano Gabbana, 58, Travis Barker, 45, Vanessa Bayer, 39.

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NOVEMBER 14, 2020

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