Today In Entertainment

DECEMBER 28, 2020

What's news: Wonder Woman 1984 draws a pandemic-best box office haul, but how many watched it on HBO Max? Warner Bros. announces a third Wonder Woman film with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot returning, President Trump signs COVID relief bill with Hollywood benefits, Lori Laughlin released from prison Plus: The most-anticipated scripted TV shows coming in 2021, and a review of Death to 2020. --Alex Weprin

 The Great 'Wonder Woman' Experiment

Christmas weekend is usually a big one for moviegoing, but the pandemic and a surprise decision by WarnerMedia meant that all eyes in Hollywood were firmly planted in one direction: Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984's simultaeous debut in theaters and on HBO Max.

►At the box office: Despite many cinemas being closed, and a winter COVID wave that threatened moiegoing at those that remained open, Wonder Woman 1984 opened to an estimated $16.7 million over Christmas weekend, the best three-day debut at the distressed domestic box office since the novel coronavirus began, according to Warner Bros. "Any sign of moviegoing is welcome news for Hollywood even if WW84 scored the lowest number in decades for a yuletide winner," Pamela McClintock writes, adding that the film, which stars Gal Gadot, unfurled in 2,150 cinemas in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 25.

+how did it do on HBO Max? WarnerMedia said that nearly half of the platform’s retail subscribers viewed the film on the day of its arrival, along with millions of wholesale subscribers who have access to HBO Max via cable, wireless, or other partner services (the streamer didn't provide particulars in terms of the numbers). HBO Max also saw the total viewing hours on Friday more than triple in comparison to a typical day in the previous month, the company said Sunday.

--HBO Max had just over 3.6 million "retail" subscribers as of Oct. 1, but that was before the announcement that the film would debut on HBO Max the same day it would hit theaters, and before the HBO Max app was available on Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, which are the two most popular streaming boxes. The numbers and full story.

+They are making a Wonder Woman 3: "As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real-life Wonder Women – Gal and Patty – who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy," Toby Emmerich said Sunday. Jenkins will be on Star Wars duty first, however...

+Who braved seeing Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters? In normal times, southern California and the New York City metro area would dominate the box office, but with theaters closed in both places, theaters in Honolulu, Salt Lake City, Florida and Texas were among the most popular places to see the film. The greater New York metro area, including upstate New York City suburbs, and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, also fared well. The story.

+Elsewhere at the box office: Universal's adult drama News of the World, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks, opened to $2.4 million from 1,900 cinemas. The movie had hoped to earn at least $3 million. Focus Features' specialty film Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan, launched with $680,000 from 1,310 sites. More.

+Meanwhile in China: Hong Kong action sequel Shock Wave 2 rocked China's box office over the weekend, opening to a healthy $64.5 million. Youth fantasy film Dream of Eternity also did decent business, debuting to $38.9 million.

--Hollywood tentpoles, however, fared far less well. Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman 1984 was effectively snuffed out, adding just $1.5 million in its second weekend, a 92 percent decline from its disappointing $18.8 million opening, according to data from Artisan Gateway. More.

--Globally, the superhero flick hs earned $85 million, including $68.3 million overseas (Europe, like North America, has closed many theaters amid the surge).

 Done Deal

►Trump signs COVID relief bill. Of interest to Hollywood: The bill includes $15 billion earmarked specifically for live event venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions, all businesses hit hard by the pandemic. It also expands the eligibility of the Paycheck Protection Program to include local TV and radio broadcasters, as well as newspapers. 

--The bill also includes language that many Hollywood groups have been pushing for for some time, but which is quite controversial. The bill would make illegal streaming for profit a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in jail. The story.

►Lori Laughlin has been released from prison. Loughlin on Monday was released from an East Bay federal prison about 40 miles east of San Francisco after serving time for her part in the 2019 college admissions scandal.

--The Full House star surrendered three weeks early, in late October, to begin her two-month sentence. The disgraced actress was ordered to report no later than Nov. 19. She was also ordered to undergo two years of supervised release during which time she must complete 100 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $150,000. The story.

 TV In 2021

►The 21 most-anticipated new scripted TV shows coming in 2021. From reboots and sequels to Oscar, Emmy and Tony winners fronting high-profile new streaming shows, THR's Lesley Goldberg surveys the programming that will be the talk of the town in the year ahead. The list.

►TV review: Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's mockumentary Death to 2020, writing that the special "is a generally hacky piece of recycled political satire and tired documentary parody reflecting on the year that was in a way that will feel fresh to you only if you've self-imposed a strict media blackout since February." The review.

Obituaries...

+Dave McNary, a veteran film reporter for Variety, died Saturday in Pasadena. He was 69. McNary — who had covered the film industry, as well as the labor beat, for more than 20 years — had suffered a stroke and had been hospitalized since Dec. 19, according to his wife Sharon McNary.

+Lin Qi, the chairman and CEO of Yoozoo Group who was hospitalized after having been poisoned on Dec. 16, has died. He was 39. Lin was credited as a producer on Netflix's upcoming high-profile series The Three-Body Problem, an adaptation from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of the bestselling Chinese sci-fi books.

+Roger Berlind, a producer of more than 100 Broadway plays and musicals and the winner of 25 Tony Awards, has died. He was 90. He died Dec. 18 at his home in Montana. His family said cardiopulmonary arrest was to blame

+Tony Rice, the master bluegrass picker who drew fans worldwide for the chance to hear the quick, fluid sounds he conjured from his Martin D-28 guitar, has died at age 69. Rice died Friday at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina, according to International Bluegrass Music Association spokesperson Casey Campbell.

In other news...

--Was AT&T a target of the Nashville Christmas day bombing? The RV explosion is believed to have killed the perpetrator, Anthony Warner, and officials believe an AT&T facility next to where the RV was parked may have been the intended target. "To all of us locally, it feels like there has to be some connection with the AT&T facility and the site of the bombing," Nashville Mayor John Cooper told CBS' Face the Nation.

--Death to 2020: Black Mirror creators on making topical comedy amid the pandemic.

--How the Bridgerton novels made it to Netflix.

--Last year, on Christmas Day, the Kanye West-led gospel group, Sunday Service Choir, released its debut album Jesus Is Born. Today, Dec. 25, West is keeping with the tradition thanks to a surprise EP of compositions titled Emmanuel performed by Sunday Service.

--Hayao Miyazaki's nearly two-decade reign atop Japan's all-time box office rankings has come to an end. Runaway anime blockbuster Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train became Japan's biggest box-office hit of all time over the weekend, pushing Miyazaki's beloved classic Spirited Away (2001) into second place.

What else we're reading...

--"Managing movie superheroes is about to get a lot more complicated" [N.Y. Times]

--"How one bold decision made Trolls World Tour the most important movie of 2020" [CNN Business]

--"How four independent production companies kept going during COVID-19" [LA Times]

--"All you want for Christmas is a home movie theater" [Bloomberg]

Today's birthdays: John Legend, 41, Denzel Washington, 65, Gayle King, 65, Maggie Smith, 85.

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DECEMBER 28, 2020

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