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Baldwin Manslaughter Charges to Be Dropped; Inside THR Roma's Starry Launch Party; Duffer Bros. Set Next Netflix Show; 'Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret' Review

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April 21, 2023

What's news: Disney has reached a settlement with fired Marvel exec Victoria Alonso. Darren Throop is in talks to buy back eOne from Hasbro. ABC has renewed Station 19. Juno Temple is in talks to star in Venom 3. — Abid Rahman

'Rust': Baldwin Manslaughter Charges to Be Dropped

►"New facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case." Involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin in the 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will be dropped, but New Mexico prosecutors said the decision doesn’t absolve the actor of criminal liability and that there will be further investigation that could lead to new charges. The decision is the latest setback for the prosecution in a closely-watched case over set safety. The story.

—🤝 Settlement 🤝 Victoria Alonso and Disney have reached a settlement over the veteran Marvel Studios exec’s firing last month. Alonso departed Marvel on March 17 with no public explanation, though sources later told THR she was fired for producing the Oscar-nominated film Argentina, 1985 for Amazon after being warned not to pursue outside work. By producing the film, she breached her contract multiple times, sources said at the time. The story.

—"I’ve never really commented on my point of view." AT&T CEO John Stankey chose not to address options for DirecTV to merge with Dish Networks amid continuing speculation about a tie-up between the companies. On an analyst call after releasing AT&T's first quarter earnings, Stankey batted the merger question back towards Dish Networks chairman Charlie Ergen, who has long said a potential deal was "inevitable." The story.

—Running it back. Entertainment One founder Darren Throop is in talks with Hasbro to acquire the film and TV production and distribution unit he sold to the toy giant in 2019 for $4b. Any possible sale of eOne is likely to see Hasbro retain Peppa Pig and other key properties. Should a deal be completed, Hasbro will pivot to focusing on branded assets like Transformers and Dungeons & Dragons as it looks to be become a digital games giant under new CEO Chris Cocks. The story.

—Another legal retreat. Just days after Fox Corp. settled the Dominion defamation suit for $787.5 million, the company’s executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch dropped defamation proceedings against Australian news site Crikey. In August 2022, Murdoch launched defamation proceedings over a Crikey article that named his family as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Jan. 6 attack. The media mogul's lawyer said that pursuing the case would only benefit Crikey. The story.

Inside THR Roma's Starry Launch Party in the Eternal City

►La dolce vita. The Hollywood Reporter Roma, THR’s first European edition, was launched in a majestic mansion in Rome on Thursday night. The starry party at the Palazzo Brancaccio attracted 1,000 buzzy Italian well-wishers that included Cinecittà CEO Nicola Maccanico; local Netflix content exec Tinny Andreatta; Piera Detassis, president of the Italian Academy of Cinema; Alessandro Michele, who recently exited his role as creative director of Gucci; and Italian actress Ornella Muti. The story.

—"This is a sincere and deeply felt apology." F. Murray Abraham has responded to a report that his exit from Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest was related to a sexual misconduct investigation. In a statement shared with THR on Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor apologized for the conduct that led to his firing from the series but denied that his behavior involved anything more than “jokes.” The story.

—Formality. ABC has handed out a seventh-season renewal for Station 19, the firefighter-focused spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy. As part of the pickup, ABC has installed Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige as showrunners. The duo take over for Krista Vernoff, who previously announced plans to step down from showrunning both Grey’s and Station 19. The story.

—Girls will have fun, once more. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Village Roadshow producing a modern-day remake of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, the cult 1985 romantic comedy dance movie that starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt. Marja-Lewis Ryan, showrunner on The L Word: Generation Q, is co-writing the script with Allie Romano, who was a staff writer and executive story editor on Generation Q. Elizabeth Banks is producing with Max Handelman via the duo’s Brownstone Productions. The story.

'Stranger Things' Creators Set Supernatural Series at Netflix

►Next up. Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer are ramping up their next acts at Netflix. Ten days after announcing an animated series set within the Stranger Things universe, the Duffer brothers have scored a series order for The Boroughs, a sci-fi drama from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance duo Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. The series takes place in a seemingly picturesque retirement community in the New Mexico desert and revolves around a group of unlikely heroes who must band together to stop an otherworldly threat. The story.

—🎭 Keeley goes Marvel 🎭 Ted Lasso star Juno Temple is in negotiations to join Tom Hardy in Venom 3, the next installment in Sony’s Spider-Man-related universe of characters. Details are being kept under wraps but one source said Temple may be playing an existing Marvel character. Kelly Marcel, who worked as a scribe on the previous installments, will be making her directorial debut with the feature. She is also writing the script from a story by herself and Hardy. The story.

—🎭 Up-and-coming star 🎭 Brandon Sklenar is set to star alongside Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in Sony's film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us. The 1923 actor will play the role of Atlas Corrigan. It was previously announced that Lively will take on the role of Lily Bloom, opposite Baldoni’s Ryle Kincaid. Christy Hall, the co-creator of Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This, is penning the screenplay and will produce. The story.

—🎭 Joining the troupe 🎭 Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney have grabbed the lead roles in Everything’s Going to Be Great. The eOne and Astute Films project is being directed by Jon S. Baird and has a script from I, Tonya writer Steven Rogers. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Jack Champion also appear in the pic about a family moving from one state to the next, as they cope with loss and struggles with identity, all while performing in regional theater. The story.

'South Park': Paramount Fires Back in WBD Dispute

►Getting messy. When Warner Bros. Discovery won the bidding war for the streaming rights to South Park, it didn’t get everything it wanted. At least that’s what Paramount Global is arguing in its counterclaim in an escalating fight over licensing rights to the long-running and lucrative animated series. WBD in February sued Paramount, South Park Digital Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios over a 2019 licensing deal, alleging that it paid more than $500m for exclusive streaming rights. This week, Paramount filed a counterclaim for breach of contract, as well as a partial motion to dismiss the complaint. The story.

—🏆 It's a G thing 🏆 Karol G was the big winner at the 2023 Latin American Music Awards, taking home eight awards in total, including artist of the year, tour of the year and streaming artist of the year. Becky G collected four awards and accepted song of the year and collaboration of the year for her Karol-assisted girl anthem “MAMIII.” The winners.

—Grim. BuzzFeed News is being shuttered, with HuffPost remaining as the only news brand for the media company BuzzFeed. CEO Jonah Peretti sent a memo to staff Thursday, outlining the shutdown of BuzzFeed News, saying the company can “no longer afford to fund” the news section as a “standalone organization” and cutting the workforce by 15 percent. The story.

—Bona fide monster hit. Nielsen figures for The Night Agent confirm what Netflix’s internal data already said: The thriller had a very good opening week. Daisy Jones & The Six also made its chart debut for the week of its finale on Prime Video. The Night Agent racked up 2.6b minutes of viewing time in the U.S. for the week of March 20-26, more than double the viewing time of any other title Nielsen measured for the week. Netflix's Shadow and Bone finished second overall with 1.03b minutes. The streaming rankings.

Film Review: 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret'

► "A love letter to fans." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Kelly Fremon Craig's Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The Edge of Seventeen filmmaker adapts Judy Blume's beloved novel about a girl on the cusp of puberty, with Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Benny Safdie and Kathy Bates starring. The review.

—"Premium product." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Dexter Fletcher’s Ghosted. Adrien Brody plays an arms dealer who puts a price on Chris Evans and Ana de Armas' heads for control of a lethal biochemical weapon in this Apple high-octane spy flick. The review.

—"Tackles the contradictions of its subject in a fruitful way." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews FX's Dear Mama. Menace II Society director Allen Hughes parallels the lives of late rapper Tupac and his mother Afeni Shakur in a five-part documentary. The review.

—"Short on exposition, long on mood, and a notable rediscovery." THR's Sheri Linden reviews György Fehér's Twilight. Based on the same material that Sean Penn would later use for The Pledge, the 1990 Hungarian crime film is receiving its first U.S. release. The review.

Thank Pod It's Friday

► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.

—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. The duo begin by running through the week's headlines, including a new show from the Duffer brothers, ABC renewing Will Trent, Apple’s scripted cancellations, as well as Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen reuniting for Max's How to be a Bookie. There's a section dedicated to the recent spate of TV reboots of film franchises. Debora Cahn, creator of Netflix's The Diplomat , drops by for a chat. And Dan reviews The Diplomat, Mrs. Davis, Dead Ringers and Dear Mama. Listen here.

—Behind the Screen. THR's tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode Carolyn spoke to Timothy Good and Emily Mendez. The editors for HBO's video game adaptation The Last of Us share their experience editing the series, the challenges, and their excitement for a second season. Listen here.

—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this live episode, Scott spoke to Frankie Avalon. The legendary star of late 50s and 60s rock 'n' roll and beach movies reflects on his path from trumpeter to teen idol, his experiences off-screen and on with Annette Funicello and what his life is like today. Listen here.

In other news...

—Jack Harlow gets dunked on in White Men Can’t Jump remake trailer

—Brie Larson is a scientist turned TV cooking show host in Lessons in Chemistry trailer

—Kendall Roy’s lavish NYC penthouse from Succession is on the market for $29m

—Zendaya announced as Louis Vuitton house ambassador

—Fear of God’s FW23 line transcends time at first fashion show

—Michael Oppenheim, veteran business manager, dies at 62

What else we're reading...

—With the recent release of Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Leah Greenblatt looks at the phenomenon of directors adding their name to film titles [NYT]

—Halima Jibril looks at how the horror genre subverts toxic ideas around women and food [Dazed]

—Charlie Warzel writes that with the demise of Buzzfeed News, the Internet of the 2010s is no more [Atlantic]

—Megan Carnegie wonders whether "hustle culture" and #grindset mentality really is on the wane [BBC]

—Here's your Friday list: "Michael Haneke films – ranked!" [Guardian]

Today...

...in 1989, Universal unveiled Kevin Costner’s baseball drama Field of Dreams in theaters. The original review.

Today's birthdays: James McAvoy (44), Claire Denis (77), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (40), Andie MacDowell (65), John Cameron Mitchell (60), Rob Riggle (53), Patti LuPone (74), Tony Danza (72), Kate Vernon (62), Bridget Everett (51), Iggy Pop (76), Sophie Rundle (35), Robbie Amell (35), Nicole Sullivan (53), Toby Stephens (54), Maimie McCoy (44), Jeff Anderson (53), Dylan Bruce (43), Leslie Silva (55), Emma Tremblay (19), Valerie Tian (34), Tavi Gevinson (27), Glen Hansard (53), Joel de la Fuente (54), Jean-Pierre Dardenne (72)

Richard Riordan, the two-term Los Angeles mayor who helped rebuild the city in the wake of the Rodney King riots in 1992 and the devastating Northridge earthquake two years later, has died. He was 92. The obituary.

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 7:28 AM.

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