The 40(ish) Most Influential People in Comedy   

►Funny people. Earning a spot on the Comedy Power List doesn’t mean THR’s staff finds you hilarious (though that certainly helps). From comedy royalty like Kevin Hart, Larry David and Tina Fey and touring titans like Ali Wong and yes, Dave Chappelle, to the distinctive new voices making breakout hits like 'Hacks' and 'Reservation Dogs,' these are the people shaping the funny business right now. The 2021 THR Comedy Power List.

—The last time I bombed was… The 40(ish) Most Influential People in Comedy in the above list also, very kindly, took THR’s annual survey and produced the funny, acerbic and occasionally earnest answers one would expect from those shaping comedy right now. The survey. 

—She'll kill it. Ana de Armas is in talks to lead Ballerina, Lionsgate’s spinoff to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise. Underworld's Len Wiseman is directing the film for Lionsgate with a script written by Army of the Dead scribe Shay Hatten. The story. 

—Talk about A-list guest star. Michelle Obama will appear on an episode of the ABC comedy Black-ish in its eighth and last season. Obama will play herself, but other details of the former first lady’s appearance are being kept under wraps for now. The story. 

—Previous labor violation. Gabrielle Pickle, a line producer on Rust was named in a previous unfair labor practice settlement, parts of which mirror treatment that crew have said they experienced on the New Mexico set of the Alec Baldwin movie before that production shut down Oct. 21. The story.

'Scream' Oral History

►"Faster, better and more blood." As Wes Craven's genre-defining Scream turns 25, more than a dozen key players — including writer Kevin Williamson and stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette — look back a the battle to woo Craven, the moment the director was nearly fired and the fight over the now-classic opening scene. The oral history. 

—Hollywood workers’ dilemma. As IATSE members decide whether to ratify its studio deal, other unions are taking note of tactics and the state of the labor movement for their own talks, and wondering whether they should push for gradual gains or more sweeping reforms. The story. 

—Next up for Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and actress Fiona Shaw have closed deals to join the ensemble cast of John Krasinski‘s upcoming untitled fantasy-comedy for Paramount. Krasinski is writing and directing the high-profile title which also stars Ryan Reynolds. The story. 

—Face for animation. Jon Hamm will star in and executive produce an animated series called Grimsburg at the network. Fox has formally greenlit the show from creators Catlan McClelland and Matthew Schlissel and is targeting a 2023 premiere. Hamm will play Marvin Flute, the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown or correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. The story. 

—Olivia's world. Olivia Rodrigo tops the 2021 American Music Awards nominations, with the “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U” singer up for seven awards. The nominations. 

—3.26 billion! Netflix's global smash Squid Game posted substantial growth in Nielsen’s streaming chart for the second straight week, passing 3 billion minutes of viewing time and far outdistancing any other title in the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3. The streaming series rankings. 

Denis Villeneuve Talks 'Dune: Part Two' and Third Film

►"I have the energy to do this." Hot on the heels of an official green light for Dune: Part Two, visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve talks to THR about his journey with the franchise, the absolute importance of the theatrical experience and also looks ahead to his future, which may even include a third installment set in Frank Herbert's universe, namely Dune Messiah. The interview. 

—GOT alum in the mix. Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi drama 3 Body Problem has announced its first cast members. The series from Emmy-winning showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss revealed 12 actors that have signed on for key roles, including Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley, Tsai Chin and Eiza González. The story. 

—Moving up. Dan McDermott, AMC's president original programming and co-president of AMC Studios has been promoted to president of entertainment and AMC Studios. The title, a first for AMC, reflects McDermott’s added responsibilities after the departures of both AMC Networks entertainment group president Sarah Barnett and COO Ed Carroll. The story. 

—First-look deal news. The actress and activist Alyssa Milano has signed a first-look deal with A+E Studios, where she’ll create and produce projects for all TV platforms. The deal also includes a pilot script Milano wrote for Things I’m Seeing Without You, an adaptation of a YA novel by Peter Bognanni. The story. 

—Sweet Baby Ray's. In the world's most obvious game of "look over there", scandal-plagued Facebook is changing its corporate name to Meta as the company shifts its focus to virtual and augmented reality, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday. The story.

—No excuses. Ahead of the United Nation’s Climate Summit, the Producers Guild of America is calling for Hollywood to clean up its energy footprint. The PGA is setting a goal of reducing entertainment industry emissions by 50 percent by 2030. The story. 

—Let Taye Diggs dance solo you cowards. Singers Ne-Yo and Eric Bellinger and actor Taye Diggs  will topline two variety specials at The CW, beginning with a holiday show later this year. The trio will star in The Black Pack: We Three Kings and The Black Pack: Excellence, with both specials highlighting Black performers and harkening back to the banter and style of the Rat Pack. The story. 

Thank Pod It's Friday

In other news...

—Lady Gaga plots a takeover and then a murder in new House of Gucci trailer

—Lucille Lortel Awards adopt gender-neutral performance categories

—Jeremy Scott to be honored at amfAR Los Angeles gala

—How Prodigy lays the foundation for the next generation of Star Trek

—Will The Weinstein Co. buyout go to trial?

—No Time To Die selected as Camerimage Festival closing night film

—Locast to pay $32m to broadcasters to settle copyright lawsuit

—Apple TV+ coming to Comcast platforms

—The Dolan Twins quickly unload their colorful midcentury home for nearly $3m

—Apple services revenue reaches $18.3b amid overall earnings miss

—Amazon misses earnings estimates as it grapples with supply chain issues, labor challenges

What else we're reading...

—"HBO Head Casey Bloys Talks Succession, DC Comics and International Programming" [Bloomberg]

—"Brian Cox Torches Johnny Depp, Ed Norton, Michael Caine And More In New Book" [Los Angeles Times]

—"Can Netflix’s Insiders Put The Reality Back Into Reality TV?" [The Guardian]

—"The 37-Year-Olds Are Afraid of the 23-Year-Olds Who Work for Them" [New York Times]

—"He’s Writing Tucker Carlson’s Deranged Jan. 6 Movie—After Directing a Pizzagater’s Opus" [Daily Beast]

Today... 

...in 2004, Universal unveiled Taylor Hackford's Ray Charles biopic Ray in theaters, where it would go on to gross $124 million globally. The film earned six nominations at the 77th Academy Awards, winning in the sound mixing category as well as the best actor category for Jamie Foxx’s performance. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Winona Ryder (50), Ben Foster (41), Richard Dreyfuss (74), Gabrielle Union (49), Michael Schur (46), Dan Castellaneta (64), Jodi Balfour (34), Tracee Ellis Ross (49), Rufus Sewell (54), Jon Abrahams (44), Carlson Young (31)