Today In Entertainment

MARCH 25, 2021

What's news: Theater owners grapple with the new day-and-date reality, Cineworld takes a loss, a Bewitched movie in the works, a National Treasure TV series in the works, Piece Brosnan joins the DC universe, Issa Rae and Jamie Foxx sign overall deals, CBS wants more Dick Wolf, Johnny Depp appeal denied, All Rise creator fired, Univision's new vision. Plus: PGA Awards winners, and Bono's pro-vaccine animated series. --Alex Weprin

 A New Day-And-Date Reality

►"There's not much theaters can do": Disney's Black Widow tries day-and-date as studios experiment. All sides are resigned to the fact that every Hollywood studio is going to experiment with different release models as long as the pandemic continues, Pamela McClintock writes. And although the landscape may be improving in the U.S., where movie theaters have at last reopened in Los Angeles and New York City, Europe remains in a crisis. It's also possible that major entertainment conglomerates are being advised on the long-range implications of the pandemic, and need to "hedge their bets," as one film financier tells THR.

--While there hasn't been the same blistering anger expressed over Disney's Black Widow or Cruella decision as there was over Warner Bros. decision to go day-and-date, or Universal's Trolls World Tour surprise, insiders say many theater owners weren't exactly happy. Nevertheless, they comprehend that every studio is pursuing a different model particularly during the great streaming arms race. "There's not much theaters can do," says Wall Street analyst Eric Handler of MKM Partners.

--"Everyone has made their big moves. Businesses will look at what works, and then there will be more right-sizing," says one studio veteran. Adds another studio distributor, "There will no loner be a cookie-cutter approach and every film will be treated differently." The story.

+Meanwhile: Exhibition giant and Regal owner Cineworld Group on Thursday reported lower 2020 financials, including its first-ever full-year loss, due to the coronavirus pandemic, which left cinemas in many parts of the world closed for large parts of the year. CEO Mooky Greidinger said that the company is “actively negotiating terms and structures of evolving theatrical windows with our studio partners.” The story.

 A 'Bewitched' Movie

►Sony Pictures is twitching its nose as it orders a movie version of the classic Bewitched TV sitcom. Bewitched ran for eight seasons on ABC, from 1964 to 1972 and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch who marries Darrin, a mortal, and attempts to become a typical suburban housewife. Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett are conjuring up the script for the movie adaptation. Davis Entertainment is producing via John Davis and John Fox. The story.

In other film news...

►As his eagerly awaited James Bond installment No Time to Die is gearing up for an October theatrical release, filmmaker Cary Fukunaga set up a new feature film project. Fukunaga will direct a feature adaptation of cyberpunk Image comic series Tokyo Ghost for Legendary. More.

+Pierce Brosnan is joining the DC Comics universe. In the first superhero foray of his career, Brosnan has nabbed the plum role of classic hero Dr. Fate opposite Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam, New Line's action-adventure project featuring the DC Comics antihero. More.

+In other film casting news: Samara Weaving, who made heads explode with her breakout turn in horror hit Ready or Not, is taking a comedic turn, closing a deal to star opposite Eugenio Derbez in Lionsgate and Pantelion Fims’ English-language remake of the French film, The Valet. More.

+And: Barry Allen has found his new father. Ron Livingston is stepping into The Flash to play Henry Allen. More.

+Oscars news: Just over one month before the first pandemic-era ceremony, Oscars producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh announced 14 additions to their production team, including big names like musician Questlove, set designer David Rockwell and writers dream hampton and Richard LaGravenese. More.

►A pair of major overall deals: Insecure co-creator and star Issa Rae has signed a new, five-year overall deal with WarnerMedia. Under the deal, she'll develop TV projects for HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television through her Hoorae media company. The pact also includes a first-look deal for feature film projects with Warner Bros. Pictures Group, New Line and HBO Max. The details.

+And: Jamie Foxx and producing partner Datari Turner are focusing their TV efforts at ViacomCBS. The duo have inked a new deal at MTV Entertainment Group, where they'll develop and executive produce original movies across the portfolio with a focus on BIPOC filmmakers. More.

 A 'National Treasure' TV Series

►Disney+ has greenlit a series based on the National Treasure franchise. The show, from writers Cormac and Marianne Wibberley — who wrote the screenplays to the two Nicolas Cage movies (along with Jim Kouf on the first film) — and producer Jerry Bruckheimer will follow a new set of characters and reimagine the franchise through the eyes of its lead character, a 20-year-old DREAMer named Jess Morales. The story.

In other TV news...

+The world of What We Do in the Shadows is expanding. The CW and HBO Max have jointly acquired Wellington Paranormal, a spinoff of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's 2014 vampire mockumentary (which has also spawned FX's series What We Do in the Shadows). The show is the first joint acquisition by the two outlets; HBO Max parent company WarnerMedia jointly owns The CW with ViacomCBS. The details.

+CBS is staying the Dick Wolf business, ordering a third series in the growing FBI franchise — and renewing the original pair. The network announced Wednesday that it's given a series order to FBI: International, set for the 2021-22 broadcast calendar, simultaneously ordering new installments of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted. More.

+Netflix has won the rights to a series starring Oscar nominee Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. The two will also serve as executive producers of Beef, a 10-episode dramedy from creator Lee Sung Jin and A24. The streamer won the rights over multiple other suitors with a straight to series pickup. More.

+Greg Spottiswood, the creator, co-showrunner and executive producer of CBS legal drama All Rise, has been fired by producers Warner Bros. Television following a probe into his professional conduct brought on by allegations of racial insensitivity and a writers' room revolt. The story.

+Apple TV+ is continuing its run of early renewals for its series. The latest beneficiary is British comedy Trying. The streaming service has picked up a third season of the show, which stars Esther Smith and Rafe Spall as a working-class couple going through the adoption process. More.

+Baratunde Thurston has landed his own TV show. The writer, activist and comedian will host a new, six-part PBS series, America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston. More.

+Also: Former late-night host and comedian Jay Leno has apologized for a series of jokes told throughout his career targeting Asians. More.

►PGA Awards: Nomadland and Netflix's The Crown topped the 2021 Producers Guild of America Awards in a virtual ceremony Wednesday. Nomadland, a frontrunner for the best picture Oscar, took home the outstanding theatrical motion pictures award, with its theme of people finding a community under challenging circumstances feeling particularly resonate given the events of the past year. The full list of winners.

►Univision's new vision: The Spanish language TV giant plans to reinvent itself as a multi-platform juggernaut with global aspirations. Wade Davis, who is now Univision’s CEO, discussed his vision for the company alongside the company’s new ad sales chief Donna Speciale at a virtual event Wednesday.

--"We will be taking Univision from being the leader in U.S. Hispanic media, to being the global leader in Spanish language media," Davis said. "We are going to be making investments in content that Spanish language television in the U.S., and maybe the world, has never seen." The story.

+Meanwhile: Bloomberg reports that Univision minority owner Grupo Televisa is in talks to merge with the company...

►A pro-vaccine animated series: The ONE Campaign, the Bono co-founded global health and anti-poverty organization, has debuted an animated series titled Pandemica that aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccines in ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

--The story unfolds as a pandemic purgatory that finds its characters unsure how long they will be stuck there. Pandemica features the voice talents of (in alphabetical order): Patrick Adams, Samuel Arnold, Bono, Connie Britton, Penélope Cruz, Meg Donnelly, Danai Gurira, Nick Kroll, Laura Marano, Kumail Nanjiani, David Oyelowo, Phoebe Robinson, Michael Sheen, Wanda Sykes and Calum Worthy. The details.

►Johnny Depp has been denied permission to appeal a U.K. judge's ruling in a defamation trial that he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard. A British court on Thursday said the star could not challenge the High Court’s rejection of his libel lawsuit against publisher of The Sun newspaper for labeling him a “wife beater” in an article. The story.

+Golden Globes outfit triumphs over journalist's antitrust suit. The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association gets a judge to dismiss a suit brought by a Norwegian entertainment reporter — this time for good. More.

TV review: Daniel Fienberg reviews Disney+'s The mighty Ducks: Game Changers, writing "in taking a brand tailored for contained bites and expanding it to 10 half-hour episodes, the series pretty much drains this engine of any efficiency. After only three episodes sent to critics, I was finding the show low-key likable, but sorely lacking in momentum." The review.

Revolving door: Amazon Studios is moving to maximize the IP it owns. The tech giant's production arm has hired former Legendary Television and Digital Studios president Nick Pepper to the newly created post of head of studio creative content... WarnerMedia has named Katrina Cukaj lead of ad sales and client partnerships...

In other news...

--Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies are headed back to China's cinemas. The beloved fantasy trilogy has been scheduled for a staggered re-release in China throughout April, according to local media reports. The LOTR re-run plan follows the successful recent rerelease of James Cameron's Avatar, which was suddenly dropped back into the China market on March 12 — with virtually no marketing — but has gone on to earn approximately $50 million and counting.

--The San Francisco Film Festival will kick off its 2021 edition with a world premiere of director Chase Palmer's Naked Singularity, which stars John Boyega, Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgard and Ed Skrein.

--Black-ish star Anthony Anderson is set to host the eighth annual Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards on April 3.

--Scenic artist Patrick DeGreve, who has worked on series from The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour to Dancing with the Stars, will receive an Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award from the scenic, title & graphic artists group of the guild, during the 25th annual ADG Awards, which will be presented virtually on April 10.

--iHeartMedia and Will Packer Media, the production and branded content company led by producer Will Packer, will partner on a slate of original scripted and unscripted podcasts.

--Shares in Orphan Black producer Boat Rocker Media have begun trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange after the indie studio cut the price and size of the offering to complete a $170.1 million initial public offering.

What else we're reading...

--"Stars now understand that their destruction is our entertainment" [The Atlantic]

--"How new grass-roots networks are boosting diversity on Hollywood film and TV crews" [LA Times]

--"Trump in talks with upstart apps about new social network" [Axios]

--"Trump let OANN in the White House. Now it's Biden's problem" [Politico]

Today's birthdays: Sarah Jessica Parker, 56, Elton John, 74, Larry Gordon, 85, Cathy Dennis, 52, Big Sean, 33.

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MARCH 25, 2021

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