Digital Creators Rethink Hollywood  

►"I think there is a lack of understanding of how powerful some of these influencers actually are." As much as studios have begun paying more attention to digital talent, THR's J. Clara Chan spoke to prominent creators who reveal they are wary about losing creative control on projects and say they still have to explain "what it is that influencers do" to executives. The story. 

—Rolling it up. Peter Chernin is rolling up three content studios into one new mega-project, backed by $800m in financing from two private equity firms. Chernin is launching The North Road Company, a global studio that will include ownership of Chernin Entertainment and Words + Pictures, the venture launched by former ESPN exec Connor Schell. North Road is also in the market for acquisitions, with the first being the U.S. assets of Red Arrow Studios. The story. 

—Probably not good news. The U.K.'s competition watchdog said on Wednesday that it was launching an investigation into Microsoft’s deal to acquire video game giant Activision Blizzard. The watchdog is investigating whether the transaction "may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition." The story.

—Recuperating. Carlos Santana experienced heat exhaustion and dehydration during a concert Tuesday evening in Michigan and has since recuperated, the musician’s manager Michael Vrionis confirmed to THR. NBC’s Detroit-based news affiliate WDIV-TV reported that the 74-year-old guitar great collapsed onstage at Pine Knob Music Theatre. The story.

—"There was no intention of anything exclusionary." Bette Midler has come under fire on social media after tweeting about the “erasure” of women in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, comments some people have found to be transphobic. The story. 

'Beauty and the Beast' Gets Live Treatment

►Be their guest. THR's Lesley Goldberg has the scoop on Beauty and the Beast getting the live treatment at ABC to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beloved animated classic’s history-making Academy Award nomination. ABC is making a two-hour, live-action/animated special that will feature a new cast and air Dec. 15. Jon M. Chu will exec produce with Hamish Hamilton on board to direct. The story.

—"She puts her heart into her work." Janai Norman is set to be the next co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. On Tuesday, ABC News president Kim Godwin told staff that Norman will join the program effective immediately, working alongside anchors Whit Johnson and Eva Pilgrim. The story.

—Billion-hour club. Season four of Stranger Things has joined an exclusive club at Netflix. Following the release of the last two episodes of the season, the show passed the billion-hour mark in viewing worldwide, according to the streamer’s internal measurement. It’s the first English language series, and just the second in any language, to rack up more than a billion hours of viewing time. The story.

—Cap's on board. Chris Evans is set to co-star opposite Emily Blunt in Netflix’s Pain Hustlers. The streamer nabbed the feature package at Cannes, with David Yates set to direct. The movie is described as being in the vein of The Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Short, with Blunt playing a high-school dropout who lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical start-up in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. The story.

—"I don’t understand that." After Tim Allen gave his fairly damning thoughts on the Toy Story spinoff Lightyear, Tom Hanks has also weighed in. In a recent interview, Hanks was asked about Allen's omission from the Pixar prequel and appeared a bit befuddled about the situation. The story. 

The Disney Animation Revolt of 1941

►"How the hell can Walt run a studio without us?" In 1941, Disney animators went on strike for five weeks to protest the huge inequities of pay and privileges between staff. The often overlooked strike marked a turning point for Walt Disney's burgeoning empire, and Hollywood's labor organizing efforts, as detailed in an excerpt from Jake S. Friedman's new book The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age. The excerpt. 

—Huzzah! In a neat segue to the present day, production and IT workers at The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad!, who have been attempting to unionize, have won voluntary recognition from management, according to The Animation Guild. The story. 

—Wait, there's more. THR's Katie Kilkenny reports that members of The Animation Guild have voted to ratify a new three-year deal with the studios and streamers that establishes new job tiers for animation writers and solidifies an approach to remote work. Eighty-seven percent of members who participated in the process voted to ratify the agreement. The story.

TV Review: 'Maggie' 

►"Not a once-in-a-lifetime love, but a pleasant weekend fling." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Hulu's Maggie. The rom-com series centers on a 30-something psychic, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse, whose love life is complicated by her ability to see glimpses of the future. The review. 

—This Week in TV. THR's Rick Porter runs down the TV premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. Among the things to look out for over the coming week include the first of Better Call Saul’s final episodes, a new season of FX’s cult favorite What We Do in the Shadows and the return of summer staples including Big Brother, The Bachelorette and Celebrity Family Feud. The full guide.

In other news...

—The CW sets fall premiere dates for Walker, Supernatural prequels, All American

—Quentin Tarantino, Daniella Pick welcome second child

—Toronto Film Festival to world premiere Clement Virgo’s Brother

—Brett Goldstein signs with WME

—Locarno Film Festival lineup includes Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train

—Gaming YouTuber LazarBeam signs ad sales deal with Studio71

—R. Kelly removed from suicide watch following 30-year sentence

What else we're reading...

—Kristal Brent Zook has an exclusive look at The Woman King, and talks to star Viola Davis and director Gina Prince-Bythewood [VF]

—Andrew Lawrence on how Netflix's The Upshaws shows that the family sitcom is still thriving [Guardian]

—Rafa Sales Ross on films like Good Luck to You, Leo Grande challenging cinematic tropes about sex workers [BBC]

—The kids are all right: "Shein’s rise was nearly overnight. The backlash came just as fast." [WSJ]

—Steve Knopper makes the absolutely correct argument that we should show greater respect for Kool & the Gang [NYT]

Today...  

...in 1994, Paramount unveiled Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump in theaters. The Tom Hanks satire would go on to win six Oscars at the 67th Academy Awards, including best picture. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Kevin Hart (43), Sylvester Stallone (76), Eva Green (42), Jennifer Saunders (64), Geoffrey Rush (71), Gregory Smith (39), Cody Fern (34), Geraldine James (72), 50 Cent (47), Brian Van Holt (53), Audrey Fleurot (45), Tia Mowry-Hardrict (44), Tamera Mowry-Housley (44), Ranveer Singh (37), Kate Nash (35), Bradford Young (45)