Will Ferrell Just Wants to Entertain You (and Himself)

►On the cover. Despite his latest dabble with dramatic fare in Apple TV+'s upcoming series The Shrink Next Door, Will Ferrell tells THR's Lacey Rose that making people laugh is still his top priority.

In a wide ranging interview, Ferrell talks about building (and winnowing) his media empire, speaks publicly for the first time about splitting with longtime collaborator and pal Adam McKay and chasing the funny above all else: "I've always loved making other people laugh. I've just never needed to make you like me." The cover story.

—Gloria Sanchez 2.0. As a prolific producer of both film and TV, through the production companies Gary Sanchez and Gloria Sanchez, Will Ferrell is responsible for such hits as Hustlers, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and HBO Emmy winner Succession. Ferrell and producing partner Jessica Elbaum reveal their ambitions for Gloria Sanchez, their slate and why a nine-figure sale isn't their focus — at least not today. The story. 

How Edgar Wright Made 'Last Night in Soho' in London's Busiest Neighborhood

Will Chappelle Support Haunt Sarandos?

►The end of Netfllix's culture of fear? Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos took an artist-first stance over Dave Chappelle's comedy special The Closer, which contained widely condemned remarks on trans people. THR's Seth Abramovitch canvassed opinions of some Hollywood figures on Sarandos' handling of the controversy and while he has garnered some quiet support, the issue isn't likely to end anytime soon. The story.  

—"I am truly sorry." Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sent a memo to all of the company’s employees early Thursday morning, apologizing for how the company dealt with claims of sexual harassment and discrimination at the company and outlining steps it intends to take to move forward. The story. 

—Just sad. In a further blow to the once-thriving filmmaking hub, Hong Kong’s opposition-free legislature passed a new censorship law banning films it deems are against China’s national security interests. The film censorship law includes a punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment and $130,000 in fines for violations. The story.

—"Sensitive and well-intentioned but strained." THR critic Sheri Linden reviews the feature A Mouthful of Air starring Amanda Seyfried. In her directing debut, I Smile Back author Amy Koppelman adapts her first novel, the story of a New York woman’s struggle with postpartum depression. The review. 

—"An appealingly silly and specific look at an ever-changing subculture." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Amazon's new animated series Fairfax. The comedy looks at the world of hypebeast culture and clout-chasing through the eyes of some very enthusiastic middle schoolers voiced by Skyler Gisondo, Kiersey Clemons, Peter S. Kim and Jaboukie Young-White. The review.

—Wait, The Tomorrow War? Black Widow, Cobra Kai, Adele, Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X are among the nominees for the 2021 People’s Choice Awards. Voting will run through Nov. 17, and fans can either vote online at VotePCA.com or on Twitter. The awards will air simultaneously on NBC and E! on Dec. 7. The full list of nominees. 

'South Park' Creators Elaborate on Paramount+ Movies Plan 

►"We’re trying to make what’s on Paramount+ different from anywhere else." THR's Ryan Parker spoke to South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone about the details of their head-spinning $900 million ViacomCBS deal revealed over the summer that will lead to 14 franchise projects specifically for the Paramount+ streaming service, two of which drop this year. The story.  

—Olympian boost to revenue. NBCUniversal’s Q3 earnings jumped 48.2 percent as its theme parks unit swung to a profit after a pandemic-induced loss a year ago and the media unit revenue rose as the Tokyo Olympics boosted ad sales. Parent company Comcast also reported $230 million in revenue and a $520 million loss related to streaming service Peacock in the latest period. The results. 

—Thank you, Tom Hardy. Sony Pictures saw its fiscal Q2 profit dip slightly to $278 million, a decline of 3.7 percent from the same period a year ago when its profit amounted to $299 million according to exchange rates at the time. Buoyed by hits like Venom 2, revenue was up significantly in the film unit, however, climbing 35 percent to $612 million. The results. 

—More good news. Buoyed by large format screenings of Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Shang-Chi and No Time to Die, ​Imax delivered its best results since the onset of the pandemic, with Q3 revenue hitting $56.6 million, up 52 percent from a year earlier, and its quarterly losses narrowing to $8.4 million, further moving the company closer to profitability. The results.

In other news...  

—Film review: Julie Cohen and Betsy West's Julia 

—Theater review: Michael Longhurst's Caroline, or Change

—Feinberg Forecast: Scott’s read of the Oscar race heading into November

—TV ratings: World Series opens higher for Fox

—SiriusXM adds 616,000 paid subscribers in Q3

—Mercedes-Benz gears up to offer Dolby Atmos in select car models

—Squid Game creator responds to LeBron James’ criticism of ending

—Gene Walsh, longtime NBC media relations executive, dies at 87

—Chris Evans soars to new heroic heights in Pixar's Lightyear trailer

—Cipriani is coming to Beverly Hills, planning restaurant on Camden Drive

—Fox Corp. expands NFT business with WWE deal

—The Binge, Plan B banner American High taps Will Phelps as president

—Billie Eilish, Drake help Universal Music earnings rise in first report since spinoff

What else we're reading...

—"Billionaires Reid Hoffman, George Soros Back New Media Firm To Combat Disinformation" [Axios]

—"From Cult to Common: Edgar Wright’s Journey to the Mainstream" [The Ringer]

—"What Happens When Your Favorite Thing Goes Viral?" [Vox]

—"Why Apple’s Privacy Changes Hurt Snap and Facebook but Benefited Google" [Wall Street Journal]

—"After 40 Years, Abba Takes a Chance With Its Legacy" [New York Times]

Today... 

...in 1994, MGM unveiled sci-fi actioner Stargate in theaters, where it would go on to gross $196 million globally and later launch a TV franchise. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Joaquin Phoenix (47), Julia Roberts (54), Matt Smith (39), Gwendoline Christie (43), Kevin Macdonald (54), Finn Wittrock (37), Lauren Holly (58), Jason Watkins (55), Joan Plowright (92), Dennis Franz (77), Andy Richter (55), May Calamawy (35), Jermaine Crawford (29), Jake Kasdan (47), Annie Potts (69)