Disney Staffers' Letters Criticize CEO’s Response to "Don’t Say Gay" Bill

►Open revolt. Employees of Disney TV Animation and Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution are demanding the company withdraw funding from politicians who support Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill and similar anti-LGBTQ legislation.

In letters written separately by the groups and obtained THR, the LGBTQ employees and their allies also ask Disney to forcefully denounce these political efforts as “antithetical to the ethics of TWDC and its employees.” The animation group called CEO Bob Chapek’s response "tone-deaf at best and incredibly dangerous at worst." The story.

—On the right side of an issue, for once. Disney is pausing all of its business in Russia in light of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The company had previously paused all theatrical releases in Russia, but the new move will lead to a pause in content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear channels. The story. 

—Ain't no Sunshine when they're gone. THR's Scott Feinberg has the scoop on Sunshine Sachs, the longtime PR firm for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, severing its relationship with the organization behind the Golden Globes. Sunshine Sachs, which represented the HFPA since 2011, notified the body of its decision in writing earlier this week, and the news was broken to the HFPA’s board on Thursday. The story. 

—Will he get greased up and don the sci-fi Speedos? Austin Butler, set to breakout in Baz Luhrmann Elvis biopic this summer, is in negotiations to star in Dune: Part 2. If a deal is struck, Butler will play Feyd-Rautha, the cunning nephew of the Baron Harkonnen, a role memorably played by a scantily-clad Sting in David Lynch's version. The story.

Nicolas Cage on Playing Nicolas Cage

►"What really put the hook in me was a sequence that is no longer in the movie." THR's luckiest man James Hibberd bagged himself an interview with Nicolas Cage to talk about playing Nicolas Cage in the Nicolas Cage film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Not sure if that's enough Nicolas Cages there. The Oscar winner candidly discusses his "mutual departure" with Hollywood, why he's become a meme favorite, and whether he'd be down for Face/Off 2.  The interview. 

—The end of a bizarre affair. A judge sentenced Jussie Smollett to 150 days in jail for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack that he orchestrated himself. The former Empire actor was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, including the jail time and also ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago. The story. 

—Still important. Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch says that his company remains committed to entertainment even as it has pivoted its focus to news and sports as it shifts to streaming. Speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference, Murdoch said scripted dramas and reality shows are “important to bind the ecosystem” it has created. The story. 

—"An important day in the history of CNN and CNN+." CNN will officially launch its subscription streaming service CNN+ on March 29. The streamer will cost $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year, but it will launch with a “lifetime” deal, letting users pay $2.99 per month for life. The story. 

—Where do they find the time? Fresh off the critical success of Apple’s The Afterparty, creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller are teaming with writer Michelle Morgan for a new comedy at Amazon-backed IMDb TV. The ad-supported streamer has handed out a pilot order for scripted comedy Western, which will be exec produced by the Sony TV-based Lord and Miller. The story. 

THR's 'Emerging Hollywood' Series Returns for S2

►Back once again. THR's video series Emerging Hollywood, hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, is back for a second season with the first episode dropping yesterday. The series features on-the-rise and established voices in the entertainment industry sharing their views on topics such as inclusion, racial politics, gender, mental health and body positivity.

Season 2 premiered with SNL’s Chris Redd opening up about how therapy has changed his life, his rise on the NBC sketch show and his new Peacock series Bust Down. Watch the first episode here or if you live your life on YouTube click here. 

—One and done. Nick Cannon’s talk show will be ending after its first season. The last day of production on the syndicated daytime show, simply titled Nick Cannon, occurred on Thursday. Staffers were informed about the cancellation as the show prepared to head into an already planned five-week hiatus. The story. 

—One to look forward to. Ramy star, creator, writer and exec producer Ramy Youssef  has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios and set up his first project there: a two-season animated comedy. The untitled series will “explore the experiences of a Muslim-American family that must learn how to code-switch as they navigate the early 2000s." The story.

—Ramping up. MSNBC is shifting its streaming strategy, adding shows from its cable TV channel to its streaming hub on Peacock. The network also plans to rebrand from “The Choice” to the “MSNBC hub on Peacock,” better reflecting its TV lineage. The story.  

—Along came a spider. Netflix is asking a Texas federal judge to intervene over Tyler County District Attorney Lucas Babin, a former actor best known for his role as “Spider” in School of Rock, abusing his power. The fight stems from the streamer’s release of the French film Cuties. Babin claims Cuties amounts to child pornography and his labyrinthine prosecution will force a federal court to grapple with whether it should intervene to stop the criminal case. The story. 

TV review: 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'

►"Watch it for Samuel L. Jackson and Dominique Fishback." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Apple TV+'s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. Samuel L. Jackson leads the drama miniseries based on the book of the same title by Walter Mosley, about a nonagenarian with dementia who is temporarily granted the ability to remember every moment of his life. The review.

—"An ambitious and emotionally epic family saga." THR's chief TV critic Dan Feinberg reviews Apple TV+'s Pachinko. This adaptation of Min Jin Lee's acclaimed novel about a Korean family's efforts to persevere through colonialism, occupation and war features an international cast led by Jin Ha and Yuh-Jung Youn. The review. 

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 begin by running through the headlines, moving swiftly on to the latest in franchise spinoffs including HBO Max's The Penguin and the latest extension of The Walking Dead. They also breakdown pilot season, and why overall volume is down. Ellen Rapoport, creator of HBO Max’s upcoming Minx , drops by for a chat. And Dan reviews season two of Amazon’s Upload, Peacock’s Bust Down, Apple’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray and Netflix’s The Andy Warhol Diaries. Listen here.

—Awards Chatter. Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott speaks to Paolo Sorrentino. The Neapolitan maestro best known for the Oscar-winning The Great Beauty reflects on how a childhood tragedy set him on the path to becoming a filmmaker, his six collaborations with the actor Toni Servillo and being chosen to represent Italy at the Oscars for a second time with the excellent The Hand of God.  Listen here.  

In other news...

—Better Call Saul final season trailer showcases turns to the dark side

—Night Court: India de Beaufort joins NBC comedy in recasting

—Universal Studios Hollywood shares update on Super Nintendo World

—LL Cool J and Rob Lowe turn up to honor Richard and Demi Weitz at Alliance for Children’s Rights dinner

—Elon Musk and Grimes welcomed a baby girl, nicknamed ‘Y,’ in December

—WME Sports hires trio to bolster management ranks

—CAA names Hilary Krane as chief legal officer 

—Dustlight Productions podcast studio signs with CAA

—Amazon hires Miranda Wayland as European diversity head

What else we're reading...

—Claire Armitstead's great interview with Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte Golda Rosheuvel on conscious casting [Guardian]

—Interview with Power of the Dog producer See-Saw Film's md on their wealth of streaming projects [Bloomberg]

—Is the real monster in Netflix's Pieces of Her the mother-artist? [Salon]

—Charles Pulliam-Moore on why Disney’s queer characters won’t hide its funding of real villains [Verge]

—Photos of the bizarre deep-sea creatures living on the Endurance shipwreck [Vox]

Today...   

Today's birthdays: Jodie Comer (29), Thora Birch (40), Johnny Knoxville (51), Elias Koteas (61), Matthias Schweighöfer (41), Rainey Qualley (32), Alex Kingston (59), Peter Berg (58), Terrence Howard (53), Jade Harlow (39), Benji Madden (43), Marc-André Grondin (38), Jerry Zucker (72), Wallace Langham (57), Mircea Monroe (40)