Today In Entertainment

DECEMBER 05, 2020

What's news: Activision sues Netflix over executive poaching ... TikTok sale talks keep up as a Trump deadline passes ... Emmys unveil rule changes ... Ava DuVernay plans a DC Comics drama at The CW ... Issa Rae, Adam McKay team for an HBO comedy. — Erik Hayden

 Netflix v. Activision

Developing ... 

- Netflix sued by Activision for poaching CFO. Activision claims Netflix induced CFO Spencer Neumann to breach his employment contract while the CFO was actively involved in negotiations with the streamer on the game company's behalf.

+ Activision also alleges that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was "personally involved" in Neumann's recruitment and hiring, which shows that "Netflix’s tortious and unethical conduct is intentional and a directive 'from the top.'"

+ This marks the third major entertainment company, following Fox and Viacom, to allege Netflix is illegally poaching employees. Full report.

- Warner Bros.' streaming plans shake up global release schedule. In Europe, already battered exhibitors could see further pressure to shrink the theatrical window for studio releases, particularly if the films are getting streaming releases in the U.S., increasing the chances they could be pirated.

- "As deadline lapses, Trump administration continues TikTok talks. "The White House did not extend a Dec. 4 deadline for the Chinese internet company ByteDance to sell TikTok," David McCabe reports. [New York Times]

THR, Esq ...

► Call Me by Your Name producer Rodrigo Teixeira sued for fraud. The Brazilian is facing lawsuits both in the U.S. and abroad for what two investors allege is a Hollywood Ponzi scheme. A rep for Teixeira said a "cross-complaint is being filed" in the near future. 

► MPA sued for age discrimination by fired piracy investigator. Guillermo Lopez says he was belittled and some of his duties were reassigned to a younger, less experienced person "with no accent." Story. 

Meanwhile: Emmys amend several eligibility requirements and overhaul a number of high-profile categories ... Shameless showrunner John Wells opens up about Emmy Rossum's potential return ... A classic character [spoilers] returns in this week's The Mandalorian's episode.

+ Column: "How the Grammys could impact the Oscars in 2021." Scott Feinberg assesses the potential impact of best original score and best original song Oscar shortlist voting moving behind the Grammys on the calendar.

+ Q&A: Joey Soloway on pronouns, deadnaming and the joy of Elliot Page. Chris Gardner speaks with the Emmy Award-winner about the significance of Page's coming out and how they navigate the relief and fear of living as one's true self.

Deals  ... 

► DC hires writer for Plastic Man movie. Black List writer Cat Vasko has been hired to work on a feature, with DC-based film production president Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong overseeing for the studio.

► The CW teams with Ava DuVernay for DC Comics drama. The prolific writer-producer-director is teaming with Jill Blankenship (Arrow) to develop Naomi for the younger-skewing network. Story. 

► HBO comedy in the works from Issa Rae, Adam McKay. Following a bidding war, HBO has landed the rights to adapt the five-part Nice White Parents podcast as a half-hour comedy. More. 

► ViacomCBS inks first look deal with Ryan Michelle Bathé. The actress (All Rise) will develop and exec produce TV projects for MTV Entertainment Studios, with a focus on emerging talent and underrepresented voices.

► Netflix teams with Native American Media Alliance. Grants of $2,000 will be awarded to Native Americans working in film and TV who have lost jobs and income due to the pandemic. Details.

New reviews: Meryl Streep plays a famed novelist who invites her estranged college friends on a trans-Atlantic crossing in Steven Soderbergh's comedy-drama Let Them All Talk ... Carey Mulligan, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya and Andy Serkis lend their voices to this semi-animated version of A Christmas Carol. 

In Memoriam: Pamela Tiffin, the 1960s starlet who was discovered in the Paramount commissary on the way to memorable turns in such films as State Fair, The Pleasure Seekers and Come Fly With Me, has died. She was 78.

What else we're reading ... 

— "Cinemas join the internet makeover of American cities." Conor Sen writes: "Rather than blockbuster movies being released in 4,500 theaters across the U.S., there may be only a fraction of that to cater to the smaller number of consumers still interested in the big-screen experience when streaming options are readily available." [Bloomberg]

— "How to make a film that’s so bad it’s good." Catherine Bray notes: "These kinds of films – where the gap between intention and effect is so stark, so dramatic – are rare." [The Guardian]

— "Barnes & Noble’s new boss tries to save the chain." Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg writes: "The struggling bookseller has laid off once-powerful managers and overturned relationships with publishers in favor of a more local approach." [Wall Street Journal]

— "Long live the greatest-hits album." Amanda Petrusich writes: "At their best, greatest-hits albums cleanly illustrate an artist’s creative arc. It can be edifying (and sometimes thrilling) to watch a writer or writers evolve over time." [The New Yorker]

— "The rise (and inevitable fall) of Citizen Kane as the greatest movie ever made." Bilge Ebiri writes: "The idea of a consensus pick, and for that matter the need for any kind of consensus, is a thing of the past." [New York]

Today in 1984: The Beverly Hills Cop franchise was born as the R-rated Eddie Murphy film hit theaters, becoming a $300 million-plus earner in its run. Original review.

Today's birthdays: Frankie Muniz, 35, Gabriel Luna, 38, Paula Patton, 44, Margaret Cho, 52.

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DECEMBER 05, 2020

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