The CNN Chess Game Begins 

►"This is not an incremental change." Four months after joining CNN, CEO Chris Licht has begun to reshape the cable news channel, with some big names leaving and Reliable Sources getting canceled. THR's Alex Weprin writes that the new Don Lemon-led morning show is paving the way for a near-complete overhaul of the network's lineup. The analysis. 

—Released. A Baltimore judge on Monday ordered the release of Adnan Syed after overturning his conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee — a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial. At the behest of prosecutors, the judge ordered that Syed’s conviction be vacated and approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars. The story. 

—"It was 100% consensual on both of our parts." Spectrum News NY1 meteorologist Erick Adame is speaking out after he says he was terminated from his job after images were shared from his appearance on an adult cam website. Adame took to Instagram to apologize for secretly “performing on camera for other men” from home, a decision he attributed to his “compulsive behaviors.” Adame has appeared as the NY1 meteorologist on Mornings on 1 since 2017. The story.

—Finally. Spotify has formally launched its audiobooks business as an à la carte model that will allow users to purchase and download individual audiobooks. Spotify, which is offering 300,000 audiobooks for purchase at launch, is positioning its books service as separate from its Premium subscription for music and podcasts. The story. 

—Settled. A trio of lawsuits from Voltage Pictures and other copyright owners against internet service providers for refusing to expel customers who repeatedly pirate their movies has settled. Less than a month after suing, the production companies behind Dallas Buyers Club, I Feel Pretty and Colossal moved to dismiss their cases, according to court documents filed Friday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The story. 

Chris Redd Exits 'SNL' After 5 Years

►Another one. Saturday Night Live will be down another veteran castmember for season 48 with the news that Chris Redd, who’s been with the show since 2017, is departing. He becomes the eighth castmember to leave before the new season debuts on Oct. 1. Redd has plenty of projects in the future, he will headline an HBO Max comedy special later this year and is attached to the Universal feature Cyber Monday, which is in development. The story.

—🎭 Casting news 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Never Have I Ever breakout star Darren Barnet signing up for Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ feature adaptation Gran Turismo. The cast includes David Harbour, Archie Madekwe and Orlando Bloom and the film is being directed by Neill Blomkamp. The story.  

—🎭 Casting news 🎭 Borys also has the scoop on Oscar winners Alan Arkin and Kathy Bates, as well as Teyana Taylor joining Casey Affleck in indie heist thriller The Smack. The trio join a growing cast that already includes Marisa Tomei, Isabel May and Yul Vázquez. David M. Rosenthal is directing. The story.

—"This story really jumped out at me." Eugenio Derbez will star in and exec produce a comedy with the working title They Came at Night, which is in development at TelevisaUnivision’s streaming platform Vix+. The project is a workplace show about the cast and crew who made a Spanish-language version of Dracula in 1930 — filming at night and using the same sets and costumes as Tod Browning’s English-language version. The story. 

—🤝 Contract renewed 🤝 Imax renewed CEO Richard Gelfond’s contract through December 2025. Gelfond has been CEO of Imax since 2009, after serving as co-CEO in 1996. According to a Sept. 19 SEC filing, Gelfond will retain his pre-existing compensation, equity and severance terms. Over the past three years, Gelfond has received a base salary of $1.2m and a total compensation of $9.08m, including other awards. The story. 

Kelly Marie Tran to Star in Amanda Nguyen Biopic

►"Amanda’s activism has changed the lives of billions." THR's Rebecca Sun has the scoop on Kelly Marie Tran developing a biopic about one of her close friends, the civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen. Tran is attached to star as Nguyen in a feature that would depict her transformation from a survivor of college sexual assault to an activist for survivors’ rights, including penning a Survivors’ Bill of Rights and founding the civil rights accelerator Rise. The story.  

—Charged. The manager for the rapper-actor Ludacris faces a murder charge in Atlanta in connection with a June shooting. Atlanta police said Chaka Zulu, whose legal name is Ahmed Obafemi, turned himself in to face charges Tuesday. Police said they also secured warrants charging him with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and simple battery. The story.

—"A startling phenomenon in his own time." Sean Hayes will return to Broadway in a new play about the life of actor and pianist Oscar Levant. In Good Night, Oscar, written by Doug Wright and directed by Lisa Peterson, Hayes plays Levant, who is booked on Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show in a 90-minute session that delights audience members, but also comes at a cost for the star. The story.

—As you were. A summer’s worth of TV didn’t do a whole lot to change the ratings picture among the broadcast networks. With the 52-week season that was 2021-22 entirely in the books as of Sept. 18, CBS remains the most watched network, and NBC held onto its lead among adults 18-49. That’s where the two were at the end of the traditional, September-to-May season as well. The story.

'Handmaid's' Stars on Why Their Face-Off Is Anything But Simple

►"They’re trying to one-up each other." THR's Jackie Strause spoke to The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss and Yvonne Strahovski about how the penultimate season of the Hulu series explores the "personal, intimate and complex" relationship between their characters. Warning spoilers. The story. 

—"It absolutely smoothed the way for our film to get a green light." THR's Brian Davids spoke to See How They Run director Tom George about how the success of Knives Out led to a newfound appetite for original murder mysteries. George also breaks down his fictional story’s relationship to actual history. The interview.

—"Seamless" chemistry. Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie and more of the starry cast and crew of David O. Russell’s upcoming film Amsterdam — including executive producer Drake — stepped onto the green carpet in New York City to celebrate its world premiere Sunday. Washington and Robbie sang praises of each other and of Bale on the carpet, explaining what made their onscreen chemistry “seamless.” The story.

TV Review: 'Quantum Leap' 

►"Too much talking, not enough leaping." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews NBC's Quantum Leap. The well-regarded sci-fi series leaps back onto the small screen three decades after the original, with Raymond Lee as a new scientist traveling into the past to put right what went wrong. The review.

—"Showbiz satire draws hearty laughs, not blood." THR's Angie Han reviews Hulu's Reboot. Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan returns with a behind-the-scenes comedy about the revival of a classic sitcom, starring Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer, Johnny Knoxville, Paul Reiser and Rachel Bloom. The review.

In other news...

—Oscars 2022: Iran picks World War III as best international feature submission

—LinkedIn hires CNN veteran Courtney Coupe as head of programming 

—Adam McKay pledges $4m donation to Climate Emergency Fund

—Snap unveils inaugural class for $120K Black creator accelerator program

—Jessica Alba, Constance Wu, Sierra Teller Ornelas and more to headline the 2022 MAKERS Conference

—Top business management firm Savitsky Satin Bacon & Bucci rebrands

—Oldenburg 2022: The Black Guelph wins best film

—THR fall style: Lanvin’s creative director mines rich archives to become a go-to for Hollywood

—Luang Prabang Film Festival to make post-COVID comeback in December

What else we're reading...

—Sean T. Collins has the must-read interview with departing House of the Dragon stars Milly Alcock and Emily Carey [NYT]

—With ads coming to Netflix soon, Oliver Eklund looks at what we can expect and what it means for streaming [Salon]

—Justin Chang offers his take on the styles of "personal filmmaking" as seen in recent films from Steven Spielberg, Joanna Hogg, Sam Mendes and Alejandro G. Iñárritu [LAT]

—Richard Brody's wonderful tribute to Jean-Luc Godard is well worth a read [New Yorker]

—Alessa Dominguez writes Netflix's Blonde is cruel to Marilyn Monroe and to viewers [BuzzFeed]

Today...  

...in 2002, Fox rolled the dice with a new sci-fi series, Firefly. The Joss Whedon created show lasted 14 episodes but would become a cult favorite. The series spawned a Whedon-directed film, Serenity, in 2005. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Sophia Loren (88), Jon Bernthal (46), Aldis Hodge (36), George R.R. Martin (74), Chad Stahelski (54), Moon Bloodgood (47), Samantha Hanratty (27), Gary Cole (66), Kristen Johnston (55), Wallis Day (28), Charlie Weber (44), Maggie Cheung (58), Parisa Fakhri (47), Mathilde Ollivier (28), Spencer Locke (31), Enuka Okuma (46), Michelle Visage (54), N'Bushe Wright (52), Victoria Dillard (53)