Today In Entertainment

MARCH 26, 2021

What's news: Ousted UMG exec sues attorney over "botched" handling of #Metoo allegations, Fox News sued for $1.6 billion by Dominion Voting Systems, MSG Entertainment and MSG Networks will merge back together, Krista Vernoff inks a rich new Disney deal, Tracy Oliver inks an Apple deal, Ghost of Tsushima is getting the big-screen treatment. Plus: Keri Putnam stepping down at Sundance, and remembering Jessica Walter. --Alex Weprin

 Remembering Jessica Walter

►Obituary: Jessica Walter, the sassy actress who excelled at portraying unhinged types, from the obsessed fan of a radio deejay in Clint Eastwood's Play Misty for Me to nutty matriarchs on Arrested Development and Archer, has died. She was 80. Walter died Wednesday night at home in New York. 

--She won an Emmy in 1975 for portraying San Francisco's first female chief of detectives in the limited series Amy Prentiss (the character was introduced on Ironside) and was nominated three others times, the last in 2005 for her delicious turn as the manipulative Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. (She started on the series in 2003.)

--Always drinking, always exuding an air of entitlement, the sarcastic Lucille was at the center of an ever-evolving mess of a once-wealthy, now desperate family on the Fox/Netflix sitcom. Her razor-sharp work was a huge reason for the show's cult appeal, and her lines became catchphrases and her mannerisms memes. The obituary.

+The tributes: Henry Winkler, Edgar Wright, Paul Feig, Tony Hale, Jason Bateman and David Cross were among those who shared memories and thoughts about the veteran actress. The tributes.

--Bertrand Tavernier, the filmmaker, cineaste and critic who emerged in the wake of the French New Wave with such classics as The Clockmaker of St. Paul, A Sunday in the Country and 'Round Midnight, died Thursday. He was 79... Craig muMs Grant, who portrayed Arnold "Poet" Jackson on the acclaimed HBO drama Oz, has died. He was 52... Richard Gilliland, a busy character actor whose credits included a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, where he met his future wife, Emmy winner Jean Smart, died March 18 in Los Angeles after a brief illness, a publicist announced. He was 71...

 Exec Sues Over 'Botched' Handling Of #MeToo Allegations

►Ousted UMG exec Charlie Walk files $60 million lawsuit against attorney, claims "botched" handling of #MeToo allegations. The once high-flying executive is suing longtime Trump consigliere Marc Kasowitz for talking him into taking a settlement deal that left him unable to defend his reputation, Tatina Siegel reports.

--“Charlie Walk was the target of a carefully orchestrated campaign,” said his attorney Bryan Freedman in a statement to THR. “This led to a reckless and damaging rush to judgment without due process, which should have been remedied by this former lawyer. The evidence in Charlie’s favor is overwhelming and he deserved the right to clear his name. This lawsuit will do just that.”

--“This complaint is a false and defamatory piece of work which Mr. Walk and his attorneys should be ashamed of and will regret," Kasowitz stated, when asked for comment on the lawsuit. "Our firm represented Charlie Walk in connection with his separation from UMG following an internal investigation by UMG. We provided Mr. Walk with litigation and non-litigation options and, based on his consultation with the firm and other advisors, he chose a non-litigation course, which resulted in settlement." The story.

+In other legal news: Dominion Voting Systems on Friday filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, arguing the cable news giant falsely claimed in an effort to boost faltering ratings that the voting company had rigged the 2020 election. It's the first defamation suit filed against a media outlet by the voting company, which was a target of misleading, false and bizarre claims spread by President Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of Trump's election loss to Joe Biden. More.

►Just in: Madison Square Garden Entertainment has agreed to acquire MSG Networks in an all-stock deal, setting up a re-combination of the two companies. It said the deal would also allow it to "capture more of the emerging revenue opportunity related to the potential expansion of legalized sports gaming in its market." After all, "the combination of the companies’ media, digital and venue assets creates a powerful platform for potential sports gaming partners, which is expected to generate significant incremental revenue in the years ahead," it explained.

--MSG Entertainment owns the namesake Garden and Radio City Music Hall, as well as the in-evelopment "MSG Sphere" in Las Vegas. MSG Networks owns the regional sports networks that air New York Knicks and and New York Rangers games (The Knicks and Rangers are owned by MSG Sports. All three companies are controlled by the Dolan family). The story.

 Krista Vernoff's New Disney Deal

►Krista Vernoff isn't leaving Disney anytime soon. The Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 and Rebel showrunner has inked a rich new overall deal extension with Disney's ABC Signature. Vernoff will continue to oversee all three shows as well as create and develop new projects for the studio via her Trip the Light Productions banner that she runs with her husband and producing partner Alexandre Schmitt. The story.

+In-demand screenwriter Tracy Oliver is making a home at Apple. The Girls Trip and Little scribe has signed a rich, multi-year overall deal with the iPhone maker. Apple outbid multiple suitors for Oliver's services. Terms weren't disclosed, but sources tell THR Oliver's deal is in the eight-figure range, on par with recent pacts for Angela Robinson at Warner Bros., Jenny Lumet at CBS Studios and Ron Moore at 20th Television. The story.

+ABC has cast the lead role for its single-camera comedy pilot Maggie, about a woman who's a psychic. Rebecca Rittenhouse will play the title character in the pilot from Disney's 20th Television and writers Maggie Mull and Justin Adler. The pilot is based on a 2019 short film, also called Maggie, by Tim Curcio. More.

+Some classic episodes of WWE are being revised in their move to Peacock. Racist moments from wrestling franchise's history are quietly being deleted from the archive as the massive programming library gradually transitions from the WWE Network. According to sources familiar with the situation, the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service is reviewing all 17,000 hours of WWE content to ensure it aligns with Peacock's standards and practices. WWE is also being made aware of any changes made. The story.

►Action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima is getting the big-screen treatment. Sony Pictures and PlayStation Production are developing a film adaptation, with John Wick's' Chad Stahelski to direct. More.

+China box office: Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's Godzilla vs. Kong is off to a stomping start at China's huge theatrical box office. As of 8 p.m. local time, the Adam Wingard-directed monster sequel had pulled in $18.2 million, putting it on track to soar past the $20 million mark, according to data from Artisan Gateway. More.

+Also: Andie MacDowell and The OA star Patrick Gibson are set to star in Good Girl Jane, which wrapped filming in Los Angeles this week following a 2020 production shutdown due to the pandemic. More.

+And: Netflix is planning an English-language take on the French feature Les Invisibles with Cannes regular Nadine Labaki set to direct. More.

►Keri Putnam will be stepping down as the CEO of the Sundance Institute before the year is done, after a decade-long tenure with the media and arts non-profit. "I feel incredibly proud over what we have accomplished over the past decade, especially over this past year, and it just felt like the right time for me to try a new chapter and also for the organization,” said Putnam in an interview with THR. The story.

+Revolving door: Sportscaster Dick Stockton, who called more than 1,500 games cross the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, as well as collegiate sports and 2 Olympic games, is retiring after more than 55 years behind the microphone... Paradigm Talent Agency has promoted five staffers to become new agents, while veteran literary agent Michael Romero-LoSasso has joined the company from Gersh...

►NAACP Image Awards: On Thursday night, Soul picked up two more awards for its soundtrack by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall and for Batiste's Music From and Inspired by Soul, which won best instrumental jazz album. That night's presentation, which mostly consisted of awards in music categories, saw Beyoncé collect four awards, two of which were for her "Savage" collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, less than two weeks after the pair took home multiple awards at the Grammys. The winners.

Reviews...

+Inkoo Kang reviews Amazon's Invincible, writing that the animated show's "satirical and ultraviolent take on superheroes will no doubt recall HBO Max’s Harley Quinn and Amazon’s own The Boys — two vastly superior shows that make this eight-part outing feel like a cheap imitation, no matter how many times it observers how groan-worthy Mark’s post-victory one-liners are." The review.

+Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's The Irregulars, writing that it "may be the mother of all Netflix Algorithm Shows." The review.

+Frank Scheck reviews Netflix's Bad Trip, writing that whether the film is good or not "really comes down to whether you think someone pretending to be raped by a man in a gorilla suit or simulating urinating and power barfing in a honky-tonk bar is funny or not. If you're in the former camp, then Bad Trip, premiering on Netflix, is the comedy for you." The review.

►TV's Top 5 podcast: During this week's podcast, hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg explore Netflix's strategy shift, pay tribute to the late and great Jessica Walter and George Segal, and speak with Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunneer Malcolm Spellman. Listen.

In other news...

--Broadway, an industry hit hard by the ongoing pandemic, is eyeing a comeback. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first steps for the city's theater community to reopen, outlining a long-lead safety plan ahead of an eyed return come September.

--California will be expanding vaccine eligibility to all residents 16 and over on April 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday. Adults over 50 will be able to receive the vaccine starting April 1.

--Audible is teaming with Charlamagne Tha God and James Altucher to launch We’ve Got Answers: Honest Conversation on Race in America.

--A BAFTA initiative aimed at improving diversity in the U.K.'s film and TV industry has come under fire after an actress said she faced racist comments while on the scheme.

--Steven Spielberg to donate $2 million to nonprofits fighting for racial and economic justice.

--Another Grey's Anatomy favorite is returning. Fan favorite Chyler Leigh will return to the ABC medical drama. Leigh, who played Lexie Grey from seasons three to eight, will appear in the April 1 episode.

--The Spanish government has unveiled plans to invest $1.9 billion to grow the country's film and TV production sector by 30 percent by 2025.

What else we're reading...

--"How Jane Fonda became the most radical woman in Hollywood. Again." [Harper's Bazaar]

--"Jim Nantz stays at CBS with new deal" [Sports Business Journal]

--Disneyland is planning a significan expansion, including a possible third park [Mice Chat]

--"YouTube star David Dobrik is losing sponsors for his podcast 'Views' amid Vlog Squad scandal" [Insider]

--"Conservative news outlets, accused of election falsehoods, air disclaimers" [Reuters]

Today's birthdays: Diana Ross, 77, Nancy Pelosi, 81, James Caan, 81, Steven Tyler, 73, Keira Knightley, 36, Paul Truedson, 69.

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MARCH 26, 2021

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