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Summer of the Strike: Disruption, Confusion, Acrimony; Spacey Found Not Guilty; Gersh Eyes Up Verve; 'Haunted Mansion' Review

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July 26, 2023

What's news: It's magazine day! This week's issue is a strike special. Sony has pushed back the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. Chuck Norris and CBS/Sony have settled the Walker, Texas Ranger profits suit. Barbie earned another $26.1m on Monday at the domestic box office. WBD and Mattel have renewed their licensing deal. — Abid Rahman

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Summer of the Strike: Disruption, Confusion, Acrimony

►On the cover. Amid an escalating war of words — but little actual dialogue — the guilds and studios dig in as a double walkout reverberates far beyond production, damaging livelihoods, relationships and reputations. In this week’s cover package, THR tracks the fallout. The cover package.

—To shelve or not to shelve, that is the question. With talent unable to do press and content pipelines at risk of running dry, THR's Lacey Rose and Lesley Goldberg write that executives at every major streamer are quietly debating the pros and cons of holding back completed series. The story.

—A cash hoard for studios. As Hollywood enters earnings season amid a double walkout, it’s becoming clear that, in the short-term, the work stoppage is adding to struck companies’ bottom line. THR's Alex Weprin looks at what CEOs could do with the windfall. The analysis.

—Influencers navigating the minefield. Caught between strict SAG-AFTRA rules and their need to work with studios to create content, THR's Kirsten Chuba writes that Hollywood-focused social media stars are feeling the squeeze: “It's kind of an ultimatum.” The story.

"We Will Not Allow You to Take Away Our Dignity!"

►"We’ve got a message for Mr. Iger." Bryan Cranston addressed Disney boss Bob Iger during a passionate strike speech in New York City on Tuesday. The Breaking Bad star spoke at the “Rock the City for a Fair Contract” SAG-AFTRA rally and was one of several well-known performers taking the stage at the rally including Stephen Lang, Christine Baranski, Arian Moayed and Joely Fisher. The story.

—"No contestants from season 39 have been contacted regarding their availability for any postseason tournaments." The annual Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is being pushed back. After several big winners from the 2022-23 season said that they won’t take part in the tournament while the writers strike is ongoing, producer Sony Pictures TV said late Tuesday that it “never had any intention” to tape the tournament until after the stoppage is resolved. The story.

—"We continue to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters." Snoop Dogg has canceled his Doggystyle 30th anniversary Hollywood Bowl concert “due to the ongoing strike” after initially delaying the event amid the writers strike. The rapper wrote on Instagram Tuesday that because of the work stoppage “and the uncertainty of when this will be over, we need to cancel the Hollywood Bowl show.” The story.

—Union representation incoming. THR's Katie Kilkenny and Carolyn Giardina report that the grassroots group known as Stand With Production — which includes TV commercial production assistants, assistant production supervisors, production supervisors, line producers and bidding producers — is on track to form a national union with IATSE. The group comprises an estimated 5,000 TV workers, a majority of whom have signaled their support for joining the crew union, a result confirmed by a third-party arbitrator. The story.

Spacey Found Not Guilty in U.K. Sexual Assault Trial

►Verdict reached. Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty in his U.K. criminal trial. The head of jury read out the verdict, as reached by the 12 members of the public — nine men and three women — to Judge Mark Wall. The two-time Oscar winner faced nine charges from four different men during the time when he was the artistic director of London's Old Vic theater. The story.

—A grim look at the future. THR's Alex Weprin goes inside Channel 1 News, a news startup from former Tosh.0 veteran Scott Zabielski and entrepreneur Adam Mosam that plans to use generative AI. The company has a team of AI-generated anchors and correspondents that is looking to deliver hyper-personalized newscasts. The story.

—Pushed back. Searchlight Pictures has delayed the theatrical release for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things in the hopes that Hollywood stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe will be free to promote the commercial rollout if there's an end to the actors strike. Searchlight is pushing the theatrical release of Poor Things to Dec. 8, from Sept. 8. The film is still set to bow at the Venice Film Festival this year. The story.

—Chuck Norris doesn't do ongoing legal battles, he just stares the other side down until there's a settlement. After more than five years of legal wrangling, Chuck Norris has settled a suit against CBS and Sony Pictures alleging he was shortchanged out of at least $30m in profits for Walker, Texas Ranger. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday dismissed the case after both sides agreed to resolve the suit in a settlement. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The story.

Musk Mocks 'Barbie' Amid Conservative Backlash

►Culture War Barbie. Elon Musk weighed in on the Barbie discourse by mocking the hit film on Twitter. The erratic billionaire wrote: “If you take a shot every time Barbie says the word ‘Patriarchy,’ you will pass out before the movie ends.” Musk is the latest right-wing figure to accuse Barbie of being progressive propaganda. Conservative commentator, and failed screenwriter, Ben Shapiro went viral over the weekend after breathlessly ripping the film for 43 minutes on YouTube. The story.

—It keeps getting better. Barbie earned another $26.1m on Monday at the domestic box office — the biggest Monday in the history of Warner Bros. and the biggest ever for a female director. Barbie's domestic total through Monday is already $188.1m, and will clear $200m sometime on Tuesday. Oppenheimer earned a strong $12.6m on Monday in North America for a domestic total of $95.1m as it gets ready to jump past $100m on Tuesday. The box office report.

—BFFs. Fresh off the success of the Barbie movie, Mattel and WBD will be staying in business for years to come. The toy giant has renewed its licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, making it the official licensee for toys, dolls, vehicles and games for more than 50 of WBD’s brands and franchises. The story.

Gersh Eyes Up Verve

►Overtures made. THR's Borys Kit and Erik Hayden report that the Gersh agency is considering rival Verve for an acquisition. The Beverly Hills-based talent firm, run by co-presidents David and Bob Gersh and Leslie Siebert, is said to have approached literary agency Verve with an overture to talk, but was rebuffed, according to sources. Gersh is flush with cash after selling a 45 percent stake to Crestview Partners in May. The story.

—"Michael is a talented, innovative, and deeply experienced media executive who will be a great leader." Nexstar is shaking up its top executive ranks. The local TV giant and CW owner has hired Michael Biard to be its new president and COO, effective Aug. 21. Biard succeeds Tom Carter, who will transition to a senior adviser role. The story.

—Stealth edits. Amid the storm of criticism over Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” it appears the music video to the controversial track has been quietly edited to remove some of the racially incendiary imagery. The Washington Post reported that the song's video on YouTube six seconds shorter than the version uploaded on July 14. The Post reports that a news clip from Fox 5 Atlanta about the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 has been removed, although it is unclear when the changes were made. The story.

Film Review: 'Haunted Mansion'

►"Beats waiting in line for the ride, but just barely." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion. LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Danny DeVito and Owen Wilson appear in this latest movie inspired by a Disney theme park attraction. The review.

—"Too stilted to be sweet." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Vicky Wight's Happiness for Beginners. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper plays a recent divorcee who embarks on a hiking trip to find herself in this Netflix rom-com. The review.

—"Admirably un-sensationalistic." THR's Dan Fienberg reviews HBO's After the Bite. HBO gets in on Discovery's Shark Week action with Ivy Meeropol's look at the aftermath of a fatal 2018 shark attack in Cape Cod. The review.

In other news...

—Helen Mirren plays courageous Golda Meir in Golda biopic trailer

—Heartstopper S2 trailer teases the complexities of coming out and a romantic trip to Paris

—Strange Planet trailer offers quirky take on everyday life

—Serena Williams’ Copa 71 soccer doc to open TIFF doc program

—Universal’s The Exorcist: Deceiver sequel to debut in 2025

—WBD names Lisa Collins as diversity, equity and inclusion vp for North America

What else we're reading...

—Bilge Ebiri talks to Benny Safdie about playing Edward Teller in Oppenheimer and his scene-stealing eyebrows [Vulture]

—Amid issues between writers and actors with the studios over AI protections, Ken Klippenstein reports that Netflix has listed a $900,000 AI product manager job [Intercept]

—Natalie Jarvey interviews Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz about the huge success of Barbie, the company being skewered by the film and how he feels about being portrayed by Will Ferrell [VF]

—Jasmine Li warns us to get ready for the Nu Metal renaissance, as thanks to TikTok (of course) bands like Deftones (yes!) and Slipknot (no!) are resonating with younger fans [NYT]

—Michelle Goldberg looks at the common themes between the summer's two biggest entertainment phenomenons, the Barbie movie and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour [NYT]

Today...

Today's birthdays: Helen Mirren (78), Mick Jagger (80), Jason Statham (56), Sandra Bullock (59), Kate Beckinsale (50), Thomasin McKenzie (23), Taylor Momsen (30), Olivia Williams (55), Jeremy Piven (58), Eve Myles (45), Francia Raisa (35), Elizabeth Gillies (30), Mageina Tovah (44), Monica Raymund (37), Nana Visitor (66), Susan George (73), Juliet Rylance (44), Grace Byers (39), Ben Cotton (48), Megan Ketch (41), Cress Williams (53), Caitlin Gerard (35), Danny Woodburn (59), Peter Hyams (80), Tom McGowan (64), Bianca A. Santos (33), Michael Campion (21), David Heyman (62), Darlene Love (82)

Randy Fullmer, the wildly creative effects animator, visual effects supervisor, artistic coordinator and producer who contributed to films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King at Walt Disney Animation Studios, has died. He was 73. The obituary.

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 7:14 AM.

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