What's news: Disney has hired Geoff Morrell as its new comms chief. Alec Baldwin will return to public life on Thursday at a charity function. Scandal-plagued Chris Cuomo is ending his SiriusXM radio show. Succession leads the Critics Choice Awards TV nominations. Plus: Michael Sheen has declared he is a "not-for-profit" actor, committing his future earnings to social projects— Abid Rahman
Drake Withdraws Grammy Noms
►Transparency. Drake has asked the Recording Academy to withdraw his two nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards. The artist was nominated for best rap performance for his song “Way 2 Sexy” featuring Young Thug and Future, and best rap album for Certified Lover Boy, but he was once again, surprisingly, shut out of the major categories. The story.
—Huge hire. THR's Alex Weprin and Kim Masters have the scoop on Disney's plans to name Geoff Morrell to the newly created role of chief corporate affairs officer. While Morrell has been given a broader portfolio, his responsibilities will include succeeding top communications officer Zenia Mucha, who will retire from the company at the end of the year. The story.
—Return to public life. Days after his first sit-down interview following the Rust shooting, Alec Baldwin is set to serve as master of ceremonies for NYC’s Ripple of Hope Award Gala on Thursday. The event, put on by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, will be hosted by Kerry Kennedy, with Vice President Kamala Harris delivering a virtual keynote address. The story.
—Charged. The man suspected of fatally shooting Jacqueline Avant in her Beverly Hills home on Dec. 1 has been charged with murder. Aariel Maynor, 29, of Los Angeles is charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder and felon with a firearm — Maynor allegedly used an assault long barrel pistol during the crimes — as well as two counts of residential burglary with person present. The story.
—Banned. Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story will not screen in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman or Kuwait. Sources tell THR's Alex Ritman that the decision was due to the character Anybodys, written as transgender in the new adaptation and played by nonbinary actress Iris Menas. With homosexuality officially illegal across the Gulf, films that feature LGBTQ references or issues often fall foul of the censors. The story.
Cretton Signs on for 'Shang-Chi 2'
►Least surprising news ever. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is returning to write and direct the sequel. Cretton has signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective, which encompasses Shang-Chi 2 as well as a new MCU series for Disney+. Cretton is producing via his new shingle, Family Owned, which he launched with partner Asher Goldstein to build a slate of projects in film and TV that highlight the experiences of communities that have traditionally been overlooked by pop culture. The story.
—Nuclear option. All private employers in New York City will have to require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday, imposing one of the most aggressive vaccine mandates in the U.S. The move comes as cases are climbing again in the country and the omicron variant is becoming a concern. The story.
—"I have to take a step back and focus on what comes next." Chris Cuomo will be ending his daily SiriusXM radio show. The decision on Cuomo’s satellite radio show came after CNN terminated the anchor on Saturday, citing its findings from documents released by the New York Attorney General’s office, as well as “additional information” that came to light. The story.
—A beautiful investigation, the best. Donald Trump’s new media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, is facing a federal investigation. According to documents filed by Digital World Acquisition Company (the SPAC Trump’s company intends to merge with) Monday, both firms are being probed by the SEC and FINRA. The disclosure of the investigation follows the announcement that the SPAC Trump's TMTG plans to merge with has raised an additional $1B in PIPE financing. The story.
—Corporate moo-ve. Staying with Trump's TMTG, the company has tapped Congressman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) to be its CEO. Nunes, one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress during his presidency, and was a frequent critic of tech companies, will retire from Congress and will take the reins at TMTG in January. The story.
Why Female Rage Dominated 2021's TV Plotlines
►Collective fury. With shows like We Are Lady Parts, Physical, Hacks, PEN15, Work In Progress and Kevin Can **** Himself making waves, THR critic Robyn Bahr finds that in a post-#MeToo television landscape some of the most compelling television of 2021 has featured women and girls boiling with rage with female protagonists prepared to bear their fangs — and these portrayals of unapologetic anger have been just as therapeutic for viewers. The story.
—Legend.Good Omens star Michael Sheen has declared that he is no longer seeking to profit from his acting career and will instead use his future earnings to fund social projects. In an interview, the Welsh actor and activist discussed how, after being prompted by a few life-changing moments, he had steered his career to the point where he had “essentially turned myself into a social enterprise, a not-for-profit actor.” The story.
—Mr. Big's is in your corner. Chris Noth said he felt “protective” over Sex and the City and And Just Like That... co-star Sarah Jessica Parker following her public spat with Kim Cattrall in 2018. Noth said the social media slanging match made him feel "sad and uncomfortable" but also that he wasn't happy about people attacking Parker. The story.
—Angelo "Snaps" Provolone 2.0. Sylvester Stallone will play the lead role in Kansas City, a Paramount+ mob drama from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire veteran Terence Winter. The part will mark the first regular series role for Stallone in his 50-plus-year career. Kansas City follows Sal (Stallone), a New York mobster who’s forced to relocate to present-day Kansas City, Missouri. The story.
—Boyz II Men musical! Amazon Studios, Davis Entertainment and Malcolm D. Lee’s Blackmaled Productions are partnering on a musical titled Brotherly, based on the music of Boyz II Men. Brotherly follows a group of men who return to West Philadelphia for a high school reunion 20 years after having gone their separate ways. In addition to producing, Lee is also in talks to direct the project, which will be written by Marcus Gardley. The story.
Review: 'Anne Boleyn'
►"All hail the queenly Jodie Turner-Smith."THR critic Angie Han reviews AMC+'s Anne Boleyn. Jodie Turner-Smith leads the British three-part miniseries chronicling the final days of Henry VIII's second wife, who was executed by beheading in 1536. The review.
—"Stops short of pushing the conversation forward."THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews HBO’s The Forever Prisoner. Prolific documentarian Alex Gibney returns to some of the themes of his Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side for this feature about the interrogation and ongoing detaining of Abu Zubaydah. The review.
—Family affair. Succession led the TV nominees for the 27th Critics Choice Awards receiving eight noms with Mare of Easttown and Evil each scoring five each. Succession stars Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong in the best actor in a drama series category, while Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen were nominated for best supporting actor. J. Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook also scored nominations for best supporting actress, while the show was nominated for best drama series. The list of TV nominees.
—New festival just dropped. Netflix is launching an 11-day stand-up comedy mega-festival in Los Angeles featuring 130 comics. Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival will take place across 25 venues, including iconic locations such as The Greek Theater and The Hollywood Bowl. The lineup features Gabriel Iglesias, Kevin Hart and controversy magnet Dave Chappelle. There’s also an LGBTQ+ Celebration event that includes Margaret Cho, Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Sandra Bernhard and others. The story.
—Rebrand. FX announced Monday that its two-year-old hub on Hulu, known as “FX on Hulu,” will be rebranded as just “FX” with the network’s logo now appearing above the titles on all of its programming. The change, which begins this month, includes new scripted originals as well as library titles developed by FX. The story.
—Alana Haim Surprised Everyone With Her Movie Debut. Even Herself. [New York Times]
—Laura Dern Misses Eating Fried Chicken With David Lynch [Wall Street Journal]
Today...
...in 2003, HBO unveiled the first part of its adaptation of Angels in America. The drama went on to earn 21 Emmy nominations and claimed 11 wins including outstanding miniseries. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Ellen Burstyn (89), Jennifer Carpenter (42), Nicholas Hoult (32), Caleb Landry Jones (32), Jack Huston (39), Emily Browning (33), C. Thomas Howell (55), Mark Duplass (45), Jeffrey Wright (56), Tom Waits (72), Larry Hankin (84), Kristofer Hivju (43), Sara Bareilles (42), Jeff Nichols (43)
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