What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is the incredibly charming and driven Michael B. Jordan. ABC's George Stephanopoulos has scored the first interview with Alec Baldwin since the fatal Rust shooting. CNN has indefinitely suspended Chris Cuomo. Clayton Echard is the new Bachelor. Plus: Nic Cage is set to play Dracula in Universal's Renfield — Abid Rahman
Michael B. Jordan on His Growing Empire, New Love and Seizing the Moment
►On the cover. The ever busy Michael B. Jordan is presently juggling promo for his new film, the Denzel Washington-directed romantic drama A Journal for Jordan, on top of preparing his directorial debut Creed III in Atlanta.
For Jordan, everything that has come before — the two-decade ascent to A-list movie star, with a résumé spanning prestige series (The Wire) to billion-dollar blockbusters (Black Panther) — has merely been the setup. It’s all been part of a meticulously calibrated strategy to reach this point in his career and his life where he can finally fully control his narrative, his brand, his business.
The actor-producer talks to THR's Rebecca Sun about his "clean brand," his new willingness to share his personal life and the price of agitating for real change in Hollywood. The cover story.
—First interview. ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos will have the first interview with Alec Baldwin since the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film Rust. The story.
—It’s official. Clayton Echard, a contestant from Michelle Young’s currently airing season of The Bachelorette, has been revealed as the next star of The Bachelor. He will lead the 26th season of the ABC reality dating series, which returns on Jan. 3 and is hosted by Jesse Palmer. The story.
—Suspended. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has been indefinitely suspended by the cable news channel after documents released by the New York Attorney General’s office detailed how he used his connections to try and help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, respond to claims of sexual harassment. The story.
—Back for seconds. Trevor Noah will return as Grammys host. The Daily Show host will emcee the 64th annual Grammy Awards, taking place Monday, Jan. 31, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The story.
Omicron Has Hollywood in Wait-and-See Mode
►Virus déjà vu? Just as the global film industry thought it was coming out of the pandemic, omicron may pull them back in. In the last week or so more than 40 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., the European Union and Australia imposed travel restrictions from southern African nations, just as the new COVID-19 variant is detected in production hubs across the world. The news couldn’t come at a worse time for the global film industry, which after two years of shutdowns, cinema closures and box office collapse, had finally begun to recover. The story.
—It begins. As if on cue and amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 infections in Germany, the European Film Awards have bowed to the inevitable and canceled the planned in-person ceremony for this year. Like last year’s honors, the 34th European Film Awards will be an online-only affair, preproduced and streamed live from Berlin on Saturday, Dec. 11. The story.
—New development. A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October. In the affidavit, a detective wrote that she was informed by Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed that ammo for the Western production was purchased from Seth Kenney of PDQ Arm & Prop, LLC. The story.
—New carriage deal. Disney and cable giant Comcast have struck a new multi-year carriage deal. Comcast's previous long-term carriage pact for Disney networks and content was signed in early 2012 and expired at the end of September. Financial terms of the new agreement were not disclosed. Earlier this year, Comcast launched Disney+ and ESPN+ to its Xfinity customers. The story.
—London calling. Netflix has ordered five new series from its growing U.K. base. The lineup includes a new adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel One Day, a new sci-fi from Blue Story director Rapman, a series from The Iron Lady director Abi Morgan and two series by Sister, the fast-rising production powerhouse behind Chernobyl. The story.
THR Animation Roundtable
►"What we need are poets and inspiration." THR's Carolyn Giardina talks to creatives behind Encanto, Raya and the Last Dragon, Flee, Luca, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Spirit Untamed and Vivo for frank discussion about their craft and how filmmakers are diversifying their stories both on screen and behind the scenes. The roundtable.
—New production company just dropped. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has launched a production shingle House Eleven10, entering into a creative partnership with Netflix. Named as an homage to his childhood home in Oakland, California, House Eleven10 will seek to produce films and shows “soulful in their world-building and dynamic in their character,” says Abdul-Mateen. The story.
—All night parking. Adele is set for a four-month Las Vegas residency, entitled Weekends With Adele. The show, which will run from Jan. 21 to April 16, will see the Brit star performing two shows nearly every weekend at the Colosseum venue inside the Caesars Palace Hotel. The story.
—Career change. Dr. Mehmet Oz is leaving television to join the world of politics. The cardiothoracic surgeon and long-time TV personality will run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, which will be up for grabs in 2022 when Sen. Pat Toomey retires. Oz will run as a Republican candidate. The story.
—Putting down roots. Halle Berry has entered into a multi-picture partnership with Netflix that will see her star in and produce feature films for the streamer. The news comes just a week after Berry’s Bruised dropped on the service, where, according to Netflix, it became the No. 1 film of the week in the U.S., and No. 2 film globally. The story.
—Deal done. Sony Pictures Television’s long-rumored acquisition of Bad Wolf, the fast-rising production company behind the HBO/BBC His Dark Materials adaptation, is finally official, adding yet another major British banner to the company’s expanding arsenal. The story.
—"I will continue to struggle with the role that I unwittingly played." Author Alice Sebold publicly apologized Tuesday to the man who was exonerated last week in the 1981 rape that was the basis for her memoir Lucky. The story.
Cage to Star as Dracula in Universal Monster Movie
►Vampire's kiss for real. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on indie darling and greatest talent of his generation Nicolas Cage returning to big-studio fare after signing on to play the meaty role of Dracula in Universal Pictures’ monster movie Renfield. Nicholas Hoult is starring as the titular character, the vampire count’s infamous acolyte and henchman, in the feature directed by Chris McKay. The story.
—"It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s my reality." Tiger Woods has made peace with the fact that his days as a full-time pro golfer are done following a horrific car crash earlier this year. In his first interview since the incident, the iconic athlete addressed his future in the sport that he helped reshape with his prowess. The story.
—"Standout leads keep it from feeling too much like homework." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews HBO’s Landscapers. Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and David Thewlis play an unassuming couple accused of murder in this Brit drama pastiche of true crime and Hollywood homage. The review.
—"A howling success." THR critic Frank Scheck reviews Nathalie Biancheri's Wolf. George MacKay, Lily-Rose Depp and Paddy Considine star in this drama about a man who thinks he's a wolf and the doctor using extreme methods to cure him. The review.
—Jeffrey Epstein's Former Pilot Testifies Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew Flew Aboard Epstein's Private Plane [CNN]
Today...
...in 1983, Universal premiered Brian De Palma’s 170-minute, R-rated gangster remake Scarface in New York. Written by Oliver Stone, the film starred Al Pacino as penniless Cuban refugee Tony Montana who rises to become a drug kingpin in 1980s Miami. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sarah Snook (34), Zoë Kravitz (33), Camille Cottin (43), Nestor Carbonell (54), Sarah Silverman (51), Riz Ahmed (39), Natasha O'Keeffe (35), Bette Midler (76), Janelle Monáe (36), David Hornsby (46), Jeremy Northam (60), Larry Charles (65), Andrew Adamson (55)
Tommy Lane, an actor and stuntman who worked in films including Cotton Comes to Harlem, Live and Let Die and Shaft, has died. He was 83. The obituary.
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