What's news: Hollywood could actually get that Trump-backed federal tax credit, as lawmakers are expected to introduce a bill in Congress on Thursday. Plus: THR has the first excerpt of ousted Disney CEO Bob Chapek's memoir, so bookmark that along with Ari's early days in town as longreads. — Erik Hayden

We've been waiting for months to see what ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek's tell-all memoir would deliver about his time leading the Mouse House — and what happened behind the scenes that led Bob Iger to return to power. Now, in an excerpt shared with THR, Chapek has his say. It's safe to put it that, in Chapek's telling, Bob feels like he's getting slighted over and over. There's all sorts of minor aggressions detailed here. Here's how Chapek describes feeling over not getting Iger's fancier office:

 

The day after my announcement, I flew to New York to meet with investors and participate in more media interviews. I still hadn’t even been inside my new office at Disney, which I learned would not be the same one Bob had occupied as CEO. Famous for liking to get to the office early and working out, Bob had a private shower in his office.

 

“You don’t need a shower in your office,” he told me.

 

I didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were, so I readily acquiesced. I didn’t care about the trappings of a fancy office. I was just excited to have the job. I took a different office. The symbolism loomed large, as I would later experience.

 

Full Excerpt: "How Chapek’s Disney Dream Turned Nightmare"

 

In Film...

 

► Warner Bros. pushes Gremlins movie nearly a year. The film will now open in October 2028, back from November 2027. Chris Columbus, who wrote the 1984 original Gremlins, is directing. There's more moves in this release date shuffle.

 

► Major Gaza doc NAZA sets release plan. The film from No Other Land directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor will have a North American premiere at the N.Y. Film Festival, to be followed by a theatrical release starting Oct. 9 and now a global rollout.

 

► Delroy Lindo’s directorial debut lines up heavyweight cast. Winston Duke, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Wendell Pierce and Seyi Andes-Pelumi are starring in Jabari’s People, a family drama that wrapped in Kingston, Jamaica after a 22-day shoot.

► Justin Baldoni's indie boxing drama finds stars. Carlos Sanson Jr., Rosario Dawson and George Lopez will topline the Gina Rodriguez-directed feature that is currently in production in SoCal.

 

Quote of the Day

"I'm sorry to say we’re adults … It’s not always black and white," Ari Emanuel on Hollywood ties to Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman, adding that he thinks MBS has now "done some incredible stuff."

 

► Fathom bets on Transformers rerelease at box office — and wins. The 1986 cult animated film has grossed $5 million globally, leading hundreds of movie theaters worldwide running the film past its originally scheduled time: "We're thrilled."

 

► Cineplex puts up "for sale" sign. The exhibitor, which operates 1,606 movie screens at 156 locations, has put itself up for sale while unveiling former Landmark Cinemas head Bill Walker as its new CEO, replacing Ellis Jacob, who is retiring.

 

► Searchlight's Family Stone sequel enlists Jean Smart. The Hacks star has been cast alongside Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker and other returning stars for the sequel to the 2005 holiday feature. Details. 

 

► Ex-Miramax exec launches indie banner. Svp of film Munika Lay and indie producer Toni Wang have teamed for the newly titled Luna Media. Its slate includes a wrapped feature, Tap Twice, from King Bach, aka Andrew Bachelor. More. 

 

► R.I.P., a Golden Age "Press Agent." Dick Guttman, who spent more than 70 years as a Hollywood publicist with a client list that included Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, William Holden, Elizabeth Taylor and Buzz Aldrin, has died. He was 93.

 

Rep Sheet: Pierre Coffin, the Minions creator, signs with WME, as have pop artist Mary Ann Alexander and visual artist Daniel Arsham. Red carpet host Nicky Campbell and sports creator Kinsey Wolanski ink at CAA, Love Island USA cast member Caleb McDaniel lands at UTA, Only Murders in the Building regular Aaron Dominguez inks at Paradigm. Author Quan Millz signs at Verve, writer-producer Isa Mazzei inks at Gersh.

 That was fast: A federal judge has ordered the White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, just days after President Trump had banned the outlets from the complex. Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, released his decision overnight Wednesday into Thursday, meaning that the reporters could return to the complex as early as today. Details. 

 

+ In THR, Esq: The New York Times has been sued by Florida’s attorney general, who’s representing shareholders demanding documents related to how the publication handles coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. More. 

 

In TV...

 

► Netflix cancels Ted Danson comedy A Man on the Inside. Season three is beginning production in San Francisco and will be its last, as viewing numbers for the series fell off by a good amount from seasons one to two. Details. 

 

► YouTube locks in Coachella live stream deal. CEO Neal Mohan said the platform inked a new deal with promoter Goldenvoice to be the exclusive livestream home of the globally watched music fest through 2030.

 

+ The Google-owned platform also unveiled a barrage of AI-powered features, for both viewers and creators, that it is betting can help people make more content faster. It also is encroaching on the microdramas scene and launching Shorts Series.

 

► Netflix orders up more Chef's Table. The streamer has ordered two new seasons of the David Gelb-created docuseries from Boardwalk Pictures featuring some of the world’s most innovative chefs. 

 

► Sopranos writer to tackle UFO story. Terence Winter is teaming up with the filmmaker behind the indie doc The Age of Disclosure to adapt an upcoming memoir on the government’s cover-up of UFOs. The project is seeking distribution. 

 

Logline of the Day

[Victoria, starring Diane Lane]

"Set in the cutthroat world of San Francisco’s elite, Victoria is an erotic thriller about a brilliant con artist who finds herself in a dark web of power, luxury and the crosshairs of a seductive killer who knows her secrets." 

 

► NBC's Law & Order: SVU preps for 600th episode. An original star of the series, Christopher Meloni, appeared on the spinoff from 1999-2011 and has since popped up in numerous cameos. Looks like he may be back.

 

► Propagate Content plans Anthony Kim doc. Ben Silverman's company has set a doc from Cocaine Cowboy helmer Jody McVeigh-Schultz on a golf prodigy whose achilles injury derailed not just his career, but his life. 

 

► CBS' 60 Minutes ratings are a Rorschach test. The newsmagazine improved on its numbers from a year ago, but it fell off a little week to week in the absence of a big lead-in from the NFL. Full chart. 

 

► Fox News enlists Billy Bush. The former Access Hollywood correspondent made his debut on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime. After losing his job on Today in 2016 after his infamous Trump clip, he now also has a podcast and will appear across Fox platforms.

 

Trailer watch: Nathan Fielder’s buzzy A24-backed Elizabeth Holmes doc You Can See Everything dropped its full trailer. Early word: "It’s crazy, it’s confusing, it’s uncomfortable — but that’s Nathan for you."

Today, a bipartisan group of lawmakers are capitalizing on Donald Trump's apparent enthusiasm to introduce a piece of legislation in Congress that's aimed at boosting film and TV production and keeping projects in the U.S. A study commissioned by the Motion Picture Association, the trade org that's a booster of the effort, shows what  a major rise in production expenditures from shoots over the next decade if legislation is passed. Meet the bill's key GOP backer.

 

What else we're reading...

 

— Why This Hidden Gem Is the New Crown Jewel of L.A. Fine Dining. "Lielle is one of the decade’s most exciting and assured debuts, in this or any other L.A. restaurant space." [Los Angeles Times]

 

— KFile Is (Still) a Politician’s Worst Nightmare. CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski's "continued success comes despite — or perhaps because of — the deterioration of internet search." [ New York ]

 

— Amazon to Expand Robot-Making Capacity. "The e-commerce company said it would spend more than $100 million on a new robotics-manufacturing facility in Greenwood, Ind., which is set to open by 2028." [Wall Street Journal]

 

— This $2B Company Dresses HBO’s The Pitt Cast and Real Doctors Too. "A vestige of the direct-to-consumer retail boom, scrubs seller Figs has outlasted other aughts startups and continues to grow." [Bloomberg]

 

—  50 Songs That Explain America. "From Sinatra to SZA, Appalachian folk to Detroit funk, a journey through the music that showed one British critic this country’s soul." [The Atlantic]

 

From the Archives

Today in 2004, Shaun of the Dead hits theaters: "A great joke is recycled to very funny effect at the start of this engaging zombie movie spoof."  

 

Today's Birthdays: Brad Bird (69), John Logan (65), Nia Vardalos (64), Jackie Sandler (52), Grey Damon (39), Ben Platt (33), Joe Locke (23).

 

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