What's news: Embattled advocacy group Time's Up is pledging a "major reset" of its operations, including terminating most of its staff. Delroy Lindo is joining the MCU via the new Blade movie. Hulu is raising its prices. Plus: An animated Groo the Wanderer film is in the works— Abid Rahman
'Rust' Producers' Prior Film Raised Red Flags
►"It is disgusting how you are treating the entire crew." Before producing the tragedy-stricken Western Rust, Ryan Donnell Smith, Allen Cheney, Emily Hunter Salveson and Ryan Winterstern were part of the producer team on the $10 million Dennis Quaid-Queen Latifah indie project The Tiger Rising, a production dogged by late payments, broken promises and ineffectual union intervention.
Drawing on correspondence and documents, THR's Kim Masters and Gary Baum reveal the cascading problems that plagued the still-unreleased Tiger Rising, troubles that foreshadowed issues on subsequent productions involving these producers. The story.
—Downfall. Time’s Up has completed its reform effort’s first phase, concluding that muddled origins, as well as the unanticipated events of 2020, contributed to the dysfunctional dynamics and communication failures that have led to the organization’s downfall. Time’s Up is letting go of nearly all of its 25-person staff by year’s end, with three people staying on as part of a skeleton crew. The story.
—Eltham's finest. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Delroy Lindo being in final negotiations to join Marvel Studios’ Blade film. It is unclear what role Lindo will play, but Mahershala Ali has already been cast as daywalking vampire hunter Blade. Directed by Bassam Tariq, Blade is written by Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour. The story.
—Early box office news.Ghostbusters: Afterlife conjured up $4.5 million in Thursday night previews as it opens on the eve of the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday corridor. Sony rolled out the film in 3,450 locations beginning at 4 p.m. local time, including Imax and Premium Large Format screens. The story.
—"The movie is about us. It is about people who grew up with Ghostbusters." Staying with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Reitmans, Jason and Ivan, spoke to THR's resident franchise expert Ryan Parker on finding the balance between nostalgia and a new adventure for newest chapter in the film series. The story.
►"I feel mostly very fortunate that nobody will have to go through what I went through." At Thurday night's 35th annual American Cinematheque tribute in honor of Scarlett Johansson, the star was making her first major red carpet appearance since Oscar night Feb. 9, 2020. A lot has happened to the Johansson in the interim and she had lots to discuss. Lots.
Amongst the tributes from co-stars, friends ad family, she talked about the Black Widow lawsuit, saying it was not an easy decision, nor an easy moment in her life. There was also some news on the night, with Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealing that Johansson was involved in “another non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project with her as a producer.” The story.
—Getting dearer. Hulu will increase the price of its live TV subscriptions by $5 a month and add Disney+ and ESPN+ to the subscription tier. Starting on Dec. 21, all Hulu subscriptions with live TV will include Disney+ and ESPN+ and will cost $69.99 per month for the ad-supported offering and $75.99 per month for the ad-free version. The story.
—How the deal will work.THR's Carolyn Giardina takes a closer look at Unity's recent move to purchase the tech assets of Peter Jackson’s Weta Digital for $1.6 billion, a deal considered by industry observers as a shrewd way for Unity to make gains in the "exploding" area of virtual production. The analysis.
—"The pressure on her had to be significant."Malfunction, the latest episode of the NYT doc series, attempts to answer the biggest questions about the fallout over Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The hour-long doc addresses various issues surrounding the infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” including the conservative cultural and political backlash, FCC investigation and fines and the widespread media reaction. The story.
How Tanoai Reed Became Dwayne Johnson's Double
►"The greatest living stuntman." When Dwayne Johnson first met the Hawaii-born stuntman Tanoai Reed, he didn’t just find a muscle-packed double but also a distant cousin who shared his Samoan roots. Reed, THR’s Stuntperson of the Year, whose work can currently be 'seen' in Netflix's Red Notice and has Black Adam out next, talked to THR's Aaron Couch and reflected on a 27-year journey that has included broken bones, a nearly career-ending injury and most of all, a feeling of family with Johnson. The profile.
—Queen of the desert.The Eyes of Tammy Faye star Jessica Chastain has been selected to receive a Desert Palm Achievement Award in the actress category at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 6. The story.
—A first.Groo the Wanderer, the long-running comedic comic from legendary Spanish cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, is set for its first-ever animated adaptation. Entrepreneur Josh Jones has acquired the animated film and television rights to Groo, with the intent of producing an animated film via his company, Did I Err Productions. The story.
—Everything you need to know. The 2021 American Music Awards will take place tomorrow at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. THR's Sydney Odman has put together a handy guide about Sunday's event including who's performing. The guide.
'Morning Show' Boss on COVID Heavy Finale and Season 3
►"It was such a confusing and scary time." The Morning Show's showrunner Kerry Ehrin talks to THR's Jackie Strause about the introspective second season ender, unpacking some of the lingering questions around Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) and Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup), and discusses where the show might pick up from here — and where it likely will not — if it returns. Warning spoilers.The interview.
—"Almost everyone in the cast and crew had a personal connection to this."Dopesick star Rosario Dawson spoke to THR's Tyler Coates about the way the show gives a human face to the opoid crisis roiling the U.S. and why the Hulu limited series was a personal project. The interview.
—The Intertwined Legacies Of Jonathan Larson And Lin-Manuel Miranda [Vox]
—Netflix’s Power of the Dog Is One of the Best Movies of 2021 [Slate]
—King Richard: Understanding the Real Richard Williams, Father and Coach to Venus and Serena [Vanity Fair]
—Fashion’s Own "Black Widow": The True Story of the House of Gucci Murder [The Guardian]
Today...
...in 1992, 20th Century Fox unveiled Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in theaters, where it would go on to gross $358 million worldwide. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sean Young (62), Andrea Riseborough (40), Ming-Na Wen (58), Nadine Velazquez (43), Joel McHale (50), Bo Derek (65), Callie Thorne (52), Richard Masur (73), Margo Stilley (39), Rajkumar Hirani (59), Halley Feiffer (39), Dan Byrd (36), Laura Harris (45)
Art LaFleur, a veteran character actor known for The Sandlot and Field of Dreams, has died. He was 78. The obituary.
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