What's news: NBCU is paying north of $2.5 billion for EPL rights. Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel are reviving Live In Front of a Studio Audience.Walking Dead lawsuits refuse to die. Endeavor has sold 80 percent of Endeavor Content to CJ ENM. Plus: Jesse Eisenberg will play the lead in FX on Hulu's Fleishman Is in Trouble — Abid Rahman
Jonah Hill to Star as Jerry Garcia in Scorsese's Grateful Dead Movie
►You can kind of see it, kinda, with the beard. Jonah Hill is set to play Jerry Garcia in a feature about The Grateful Dead from Martin Scorsese. The project is set up at Apple, where Scorsese is currently working on The Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski penned the screenplay and, crucially, Apple has acquired the rights to use the Dead’s music in the film. The story.
—Revival. Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel are bringing back their Emmy-winning Live In Front of a Studio Audience series on Dec. 7 with live episodic reenactments of the classic sitcom Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff The Facts of Life. The former will be led by Kevin Hart in the role of Arnold, John Lithgow as Mr. Drummond, Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett and Damon Wayans as Willis. The Facts of Life cast is still coming together. The story.
—Things fall apart. Discovery+ has ordered a two-episode documentary on the tumultuous relationship between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard which infamously ended in "the celebrity court case of the decade." Johnny vs Amber will feature input from lawyers involved on both sides and people close to the stars, as well as footage and audio recordings filmed by the actors themselves. The story.
—"My personal principles of what unionism and solidarity mean, would not allow me to claim this agreement as a victory." IATSE Local 871 president Crystal Hopkins has resigned from her post due to personal obligations and because she says she “could not in good conscience” lead members amid the ratification of a new contract that has deeply divided membership. The story.
—Banned. The judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, Bruce Schroeder, has banned MSNBC from entering the Kenosha County Courthouse after someone working for the news division was pulled over while allegedly following the van ferrying jurors from the trial. The story.
'Walking Dead' Profit Litigation Has Surprising New Chapter
►Refusing to stay dead. Four months after AMC came to a $200 million settlement with Frank Darabont over profit claims for The Walking Dead, the dispute has taken a surprising new turn with a new lawsuit filed on Thursday in federal court.
AMC apparently demands arbitration with Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and other executive producers of the hit zombie show. After many years in open court, the Kirkman gang is responding, “No way!” The story.
—Done deal. Endeavor has agreed to sell a majority stake in its Endeavor Content studio to South Korean media giant CJ ENM, the company behind films like Parasite and Snowpiercer, for $775 million. The deal would would see Endeavor holding on to a 20 percent stake in the unit. The story.
—Heavyweight addition. Participant Media’s limited series about Vincent Chin and the landmark civil rights case following his death has added Chloé Zhao as an executive producer. The Oscar-winning director joins a producing team that also includes journalist and activist Helen Zia, the executor of the Chin estate, and Vicangelo Bulluck, Donald Young and Paula Madison. The story.
—The (real) Queen. Helen Mirren is set to receive the Screen Actors Guild’s Life Achievement Award. The Oscar-winner and global treasure will be recognized with the career-achievement honor during the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards, which is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. The story.
—Amazon order. Christoph Waltz will star in a series called The Consultant for Amazon. The show, from Servant creator Tony Basgallop, MGM Television and Amazon Studios, is described as a darkly comedic workplace thriller that explores a sinister relationship between boss and employee. It’s inspired by a 2015 novel of the same title by Bentley Little. The story.
NBCU Inks 6-Year, Multi-Billion Dollar Deal to Retain Premier League Rights
►Come on Arsenal! The EnglishPremier League will be staying in the NBCUniversal family for years to come. The media and entertainment giant and the world's most prestigious soccer league announced a 6-year rights extension, keeping matches on NBCU properties through 2028. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is said to be valued at more than $2.5 billion over the course of the contract. The story.
—Global domination. The EPL also wrapped up an lucrative 6-year extension with Australia's Optus Sports on Thursday. The company is reportedly set to pay $58 million per season, up from the $45 million per season under its current deal which began in 2016. The story.
—Casting news. Jesse Eisenberg has been tapped to lead Fleishman Is in Trouble, FX on Hulu's limited series based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s best-selling novel of the same name. Eisenberg will play Toby with the recently cast Lizzy Caplan to star as Libby, the show’s narrator and Toby’s friend with whom he reconnects after his divorce. The story.
—No. 5.THR's Degen Pener has the scoop on Soho House opening a 34-bedroom hotel in the former Palihouse building in West Hollywood at 8465 Holloway Drive. Little House, opening in 2022, is a short distance from the group's WeHo location and will be the fifth Soho House property in Los Angeles. The story.
—It's finally here, innit. Adele's new album 30 hit streaming services on Thursday evening. The British singer and all-around good egg's fourth album reunites her with 25 co-writers and producers Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Shellback, with Oscar-winning Black Panther composer Ludwig Göransson among album collaborators. The story.
Thank Pod It's Friday
►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5. Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week the guys discuss Netflix and its steps towards greater transparency of its viewership data with Vulture West Coast editor Joe Adalian. They also look at the respective strategies of OWN and USA. Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, married showrunners on Showtime's Yellowjackets , drop by for a chat. And Dan offers reviews of HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, Hulu’s The Great, Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, True Story and F Is for Family, Amazon’s Wheel of Time and AMC+’s Anna. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In the latest episode, Scott speaks to Todd Haynes. One of the most significant indie filmmakers of the last 35 years reflects on his start in experimental film, the origins of New Queer Cinema and why, at the age of 60, he is venturing into the world of documentary filmmaking for the first time with The Velvet Underground.Listen here.
—Behind the Screen. Tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode, Carolyn speaks to Kris Bowers, the composer behind the Venus and Serena Williams biopic, King Richard. Listen here.
—British Independent Film Awards: Boiling Point, The Souvenir Part II lead craft winners
What else we're reading...
—Jamie Dornan Goes Back to Belfast, but Not Without Worry [New York Times]
—The Harder They Fall Director Jeymes Samuel Didn’t Reinvent the Western—He Freed It [Vanity Fair]
—The Best for You Both: Alanis Morissette, “All Too Well,” and the DNA of the Eff-You Anthem [The Ringer]
—Where Is Peng Shuai? A #Metoo Case Pits Women’s Tennis Against Chinese Censorship [Los Angeles Times]
—Taylor Swift Fans’ Ugly Harassment of Jake Gyllenhaal [Daily Beast]
Today...
...in 1975, United Artists unveiled its One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest adaptation in theaters. The film went on to win five Oscars at the 48th Academy Awards, including best actor for Jack Nicholson, best actress for Louise Fletcher, best director for Milos Forman and best picture. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Adam Driver (38), Meg Ryan (60), Allison Janney (62), Jodie Foster (59), Terry Farrell (58), Jason Scott Lee (55), Sandrine Holt (49), Reid Scott (44), Charlie Kaufman (63), Robert Beltran (68), Barry Jenkins (42), Ilya Naishuller (38), Ahmad Rashad (72), Paul Weitz (56), Tyga (32), Ted Turner (83)
Mick Rock, the flamboyant photographer who captured the giants of rock music and was responsible for some of the most iconic images of the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Blondie, the Sex Pistols and many more, has died. He was 72. The obituary.
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