Hollywood Pins Its Hopes on Bond Director Cary Fukunaga

►On the cover. As the 25th James Bond film No Time To Die finally hits theaters early next month after a series of pandemic-related postponements, director Cary Fukunaga knows the real stakes for both his career and the industry at large rest on the latest instalment of the long-running spy franchise. 

Speaking to THR's Tatiana Siegel, Fukunaga looks back on the last-minute decision to move the film's original release date, with deliberations occurring while star Daniel Craig was in the middle of rehearsals to host Saturday Night Live. The filmmaker also ruminates on being the first American to steer the franchise and ushering 007 into a post-MeToo era: "You can’t change Bond overnight, but you can change the world around him." The cover story.  

—"This is beyond politics." The controversial abortion law in Texas may be starting to impact Hollywood filming in the state. The Wire creator David Simon announced via Twitter on Monday that he wouldn’t film an upcoming HBO project in Texas as he apparently previously planned due to the new restrictions. The story.  

—"Darkest secret." In a deeply personal Washington Post op-ed published Tuesday, Uma Thurman condemned the new Texas abortion law and said that her heart was broken for women in the state. She also shared her "darkest secret," that she had an abortion in her late teens. The story. 

—Gunning for the gig. Mayim Bialik confirmed she’s hoping to solidify her Jeopardy! future as the permanent full-time host of the syndicated game show beyond the current season. The story. 

—Dedicated to Michael. Tobias Menzies, who won the best supporting actor in a drama award at Sunday’s Primetime Emmys, dedicated his win to the late Lovecraft Country star Michael K. Williams, who was considered the frontrunner for the honor. The story. 

Netflix Nabs a Golden Ticket!

►Wonkaverse? Huge news out of the U.K. with Netflix revealing they have acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company, one of their biggest ever purchases. The deal gives the streamer the full exclusive rights to the vast catalog of Roald Dahl, one of the most beloved — and adapted — children’s authors of all time, whose books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox and many more. 

Netflix is now eyeing the creation of a "unique universe across animated and live-action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theatre, consumer products and more." The story.   

—"Entertaining but inessential." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews David Chase's Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. Michael Gandolfini steps into his late father’s shoes as the teenage Tony Soprano, with Alessandro Nivola as the uncle he idolizes in this dive into events that predate the series. The review. 

—Meh. The 2021-22 TV season opened Monday with a decidedly mixed bag for several new series and veterans NCIS and The Voice leading primetime ratings. ESPN’s Monday Night Football had a solid showing as well — and the alternate “Manning-cast” on ESPN2 more than doubled its audience from a week ago. The ratings. 

—Can we talk? Kathryn Hahn will play comedy legend Joan Rivers in The Comeback Girl, a limited series in development at Showtime. Hahn will also be an executive producer along with writer Cosmo Carlson and Greg Berlanti, who will also direct. The series would begin in the 1980s, after Rivers was fired from The Late Show. The story.

—Secret no more. Chris Columbus is returning to the kids fantasy genre with a live-action series based on his House of Secrets books. The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone director co-authored the middle school fantasy book series with the late Ned Vizzini and will develop the trio of novels for Disney. The story. 

Why IATSE May Call for a Strike

►"Change that is long overdue." With the threat of strike action by the IATSE looming, THR's labor reporter Katie Kilkenny looks at how the union and the AMPTP have arrived at this impasse. Crucially, workers in the 150,000-member Hollywood crafts union are frustrated with low pay and marathon workdays that are no longer viewed as a "badge of honor," while asking for stricter penalties for missed meal breaks and greater compensation for streaming projects. The story.

—Please don't kill Sean Bean! THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Toei Animation and Sony Pictures' Knights of the Zodiac, a live-action adaptation of the 1980s manga and anime series Saint Seiya. Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Nick Stahl, Diego Tinoco, Mackenyu, Madison Iseman and Mark Dacascos are all in the cast with Tomasz Baginski directing. The story. 

—Rapid adjustment. CBS comedy United States of Al had filmed an episode and a half of its second season when the U.S. began pulling its last remaining troops and diplomatic personnel out of Afghanistan. As the Taliban took control of the country, the show’s writers completely reworked their opening episode. The story. 

—Helluva run. Gary Marsh is leaving his executive suite following a 33-year career with Disney. The former Disney Channel topper, who was promoted last year to president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television, is stepping down from the post to launch a production company. The story.

—Aca-scuse me? Adam Devine will reprise his role as Bumper in a straight-to-series comedy sequel to the Pitch Perfect film trilogy. Elizabeth Banks, who starred as half the announcing team in the features and directed the second one, will exec produce via her Brownstone Productions banner. The story. 

Willie Garson 1964-2021  

►"A bright light for everyone in his universe." Willie Garson, best known for his role as Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City who also had notable roles in NYPD Blue and White Collar, has died. He was 57. The obituary.

—Remembering Willie Garson. In the wake of Willie Garson’s death on Tuesday, many Hollywood figures took to social media to share memories and tributes. SATC co-stars Cynthia Nixon, Mario Cantone, Kim Cattrall were joined by the likes of Ben Stiller, Jason Alexander, Julie Bowen, Rob Morrow, Rex Lee and more in remembering the popular and much loved actor. The reaction. 

In other news...

—TV review: Fox’s Our Kind of People. 

—Venice film review: Dina Amer’s You Resemble Me (Tu Me Ressembles).

—TIFF film review: Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman's Neptune Frost.

—TIFF film review: Jean Luc Herbulot's Saloum. 

—San Sebastian film review: Javier Bardem in The Good Boss (El Buen Patrón).

—StreamElements raises $100M, aims to build more tools for content creators.

—News Corp terminates “poison pill” takeover defense, caps Murdoch Family’s voting power.

—Scandinavian streamer Viaplay to launch in U.K., Canada, Germany. 

—Peter Palmer, star of Li’l Abner on Broadway and the big screen, dies at 90.

—Giuseppe Vincenti, Middle East film distribution pioneer, dies at 92.

—Disney’s Chris Coxall named Lucasfilm PR head.

—Sony Pictures India to merge with Zee Entertainment.

What else we're reading...

—"No More Apologies: Inside Facebook’s Push to Defend Its Image" [New York Times]

—""We Want People To Freak Out": Inside Hollywood’s Museum Of Motion Pictures" [The Guardian]

—"Reservation Dogs Is Groundbreaking. It’s Also Incredibly Funny." [Vox]

—"The Pandemic Gives the Movie Business a Chance to Reinvent Itself" [Bloomberg]

—"Elvira, Cassandra Peterson, Comes Out, Talks 19-Year Relationship" [The Advocate]

Today... 

...in 1994 at 8:30 pm, the first episode of Friends aired on NBC. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the show would become a global phenomenon and run for 10 seasons. The original review.  

Today's birthdays: Tatiana Maslany (36), Bonnie Hunt (60), Toni Basil (78), Nick Cave (64), Joan Jett (63), Akin Akinözü (31), Ruth Jones (55), Will Sharpe (35), Catherine Oxenberg (60), Katie Lowes (40), Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (50), Billie Piper (39), Laura Vandervoort (37), Tom Felton (34), MyAnna Buring (42)