Yelchin's Jeep Recalled; New Michael Jackson TV Series; L.A.'s Hot New Screening Room

What's news today: We're learning more about the bizarre Jeep accident that killed Star Trek star Anton Yelchin. Plus: a "Stairway to Heaven" trial update, a newly added true-crime series on Netflix and L.A.'s hot new screening room. — executive editor Matthew Belloni, assignment editor Erik Hayden [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment] June 21, 2016 What's news today: We're learning more about the bizarre Jeep accident that killed Star Trek star Anton Yelchin. Plus: a "Stairway to Heaven" trial update, a newly added true-crime series on Netflix and L.A.'s hot new screening room. — executive editor Matthew Belloni, assignment editor Erik Hayden J.J. Abrams to Explore Michael Jackson's Last Days To watch: J.J. Abrams is teaming with Tavis Smiley and Warner Bros. TV to adapt the author's book on Michael Jackson as an event series, TV news editor Lesley Goldberg [reports:] Smiley's book, Before You Judge Me: The Triumph and Tragedy of Michael Jackson's Last Days, which will be released today by Little Brown and Co., is described as a taut novelistic rendering of the pop superstar's final months. A network has not yet been set up; the studio is expected to shop it to broadcast, cable, premium cable and streaming services. Elsewhere in TV... ► Netflix adds new true-crime series. Six months after Making a Murderer became a phenomenon, the streaming giant is partnering with Halfire Entertainment and Canadian broadcaster CBC [to adapt] Margaret Atwood's murder drama novel Alias Grace. ► TMZ and TMZ Live renewed. The two daily series have been renewed through the 2019-20 television season. Said Fox TV Stations exec Frank Cicha: "Harvey [Levin] said if we didn’t renew, [he’d dig up dirt on us.]" ► Showtime's Roadies, reviewed. Chief TV critic Tim Goodman wants to like the new Showtime show, but "like Vinyl before it, Cameron Crowe's Roadies is another music series that frustratingly gets [most of the notes wrong.]" **[Quoted, Seth Myers], at the Museum of the Moving Image tribute last night, on banning Donald Trump from Late Night: "I should make it clear, he has no interest in coming on my show and has always made it clear he’s not doing my show. So this is not a ban of courage.”** ► You're the Worst showrunner explains arc. The critical darling took a turn that was bold considering the FXX series' undeserved perch as a low-rated bubble show: It went dark. Stephen Falk explains the comedy’s move [to tackle clinical depression.] ► What The Flash tackling Flashpoint means. Grant Gustin and showrunner Greg Berlanti unveiled the title of the season premiere on Twitter, revealing The CW drama is about to address DC Comics'[groundbreaking storyline.] ► THR partners with Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders. Coming soon to THR.com, the launch of the new animated series co-produced with Genius Brands International and written by Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza based on a concept by Stan Lee. [Details here.] **[Carpool Karaoke watch]: Selena Gomez brings James Corden on a roller coaster ride in the latest edition of the CBS segment.** Which late-night shows are getting Emmy nods? Scott Feinberg surveys the category: CBS' Late Show host Stephen Colbert should retain David Letterman's spot. Three nominees from last year are likely to return: NBC's The Tonight Show, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! and HBO's Last Week Tonight. And, with its ripe election material, HBO's Real Time should be back. [Who's likely to get left out?] Anton Yelchin: An Appreciation Anton Yelchin, who died in a freak car accident on Sunday at age 27, had extraordinary range as an actor. Moviegoers can only contemplate the performances he might have gone on to give in years ahead, critic Stephen Farber [writes:] Yelchin was blessed with a distinctive, slightly gravelly voice that made you listen attentively to everything he had to say, both onscreen and off. Critic Stanley Kauffmann once wrote that an actor could never make a truly strong impression without an expressive voice, and that was certainly one of the most striking gifts in Yelchin’s arsenal. He also exuded intelligence, which is no doubt why he was cast as the brainy Chekov in Star Trek. But that made him ideally cast in many other films. ► The first Chekov. Walter Koenig, the actor who brought the character to life in the original Star Trek TV series and subsequent films, [says] of Yelchin: "I knew I was in the presence of a gifted performer." ► Did a Jeep defect contribute to the death? Authorities are looking into whether a possible defect with Yelchin's Grand Cherokee may have caused the accident. The defect surrounds gear shifters that have confused drivers, causing the vehicles to [roll away unexpectedly]. Elsewhere in film... ► Free State of Jones, reviewed. STX Entertainment's Matthew McConaughey Civil War drama, per chief film critic Todd McCarthy, "loses momentum midstream and [ultimately becomes didactic]." The film opens this week. ► What's happening at CineEurope? At the trade show on Monday, Warner Bros. previewed Wonder Woman, Skull Island and Ben Affleck's The Accountant (and [signed off] with Fantastic Beasts footage.) Meanwhile, StudioCanal [spotlighted] Colin Firth's sea drama The Mercy. And Jeffrey Katzenberg gave a farewell address (and [plugged the Shrek 5 script.]) ► Third Paddington film planned. The second film hasn't even hit theaters yet (it's aiming for a late 2017 release), but there will be more from the franchise. Studiocanal, a unit of French media giant Vivendi, has [acquired the rights] to the brand worldwide. ► Eli Roth to direct Death Wish remake. The Hostel director has closed a deal to direct MGM and Paramount's long-in-the-works remake of the 1974 vigilante movie. Bruce Willis [is attached] to star in the remake, which is being produced by Roger Birnbaum. **[Quoted, Eric Schmidt], the Alphabet/Google exec speaking at Cannes Lions on movie-driven fears about artificial intelligence: "We’ll make make sure that people know how to turn this stuff off should we get to that point."** ► Noomi Rapace added to Alien: Covenant. The actress [is joining] franchise newcomers Billy Crudup, Katherine Waterston and Danny McBride, as well as her Prometheus co-star Michael Fassbender. The Fox feature directed by Ridley Scott is currently filming in Australia. ► Sony unveils plans for Emojimovie: Express Yourself. That's the title ([and here's the logo]) of the studio's planned tentpole, which is now targeting an August 2017 release. ICYMI, there's [an interesting legal spat] over the project involving emoji trademarks. ► New Spider-Man film adds Hannibal Buress. The comedian, along with Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and J.J. Totah have [joined the cast] of the Sony and Marvel Studios reboot. The film is heading towards a shooting start later in June in Atlanta. **[Quoted, Will Smith], speaking at Cannes Lions about selling movies the age of social media: "Smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over. People are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises." Led Zeppelin Asks Judge to Stop "Stairway" Trial The "Stairway to Heaven" trial — the one examining if Led Zeppelin lifted its famous song from Spirit's 1967 instrumental "Taurus" — hasn't yet made it to the chorus of a jury's deliberations. And the band wants to halt the proceedings, senior editor Eriq Gardner[reports:] Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Warner Music argue the plaintiff has failed to carry a burden of proof on multiple issues and has not presented admissible evidence of Led Zeppelin's access to "Taurus" nor evidence of striking or substantial similarity between the musical compositions. The band also says that the witnesses testifying thus far haven't told the jury they saw members of Led Zeppelin at a Spirit concert when "Taurus" was performed. The trial is set to resume today in Los Angeles. Elsewhere in THR, Esq... ► Viacom battle: Judge asks questions over Philippe Dauman's removal. The first and last question is a variation on the same topic: Does a court [have to find] Sumner Redstone mentally incapacitated as a predicate to a finding of undue influence by his daughter Shari? ► Matt Damon, Rooney Mara lead plea to stop dog slaughter in China. The celebrities [are protesting] over the Yulin Meat Festival, an annual Chinese event in which 10,000 dogs are tortured and killed for feasting. The celebrity-filled Compassion Project video was spearheaded by Marc Ching, who owns and runs The PetStaurant, a pet nutrition business. ► A legal war over a refusal to see Hamas as terrorist group. Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company won't pay a $6.9 million claim for USA Network's Dig because it sees Hamas rocket attacks [as war, not terrorism.] The miniseries began filming in Israel before halting and then moving production to New Mexico as a result of security tensions in the region. A New Screenings Biz Player? Private screening rooms are big business in Los Angeles, especially during the frenetic awards season. So it's no surprise that the Four Seasons, which has long dominated the press junket market in the area, has jumped in the game, Rambling columnist Chris Gardner[writes:] The boutique theater at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is scheduled to launch on June 27, and is available to rent starting at $2,500. It features 38 plush recliner chairs (with retractable tables and armrests), a drop down 14’ HD wide screen and 3-D projector, and Klipsch Pro-THX Surround System. Also: Italian Chef de Cuisine Denis Dello Stritto will create "elevated" snacks and beverages for the room. Today's Birthdays: Chris Pratt, 37, Jussie Smollett, 33, Maggie Siff, 42, Lana Wachowski, 51. Follow The News Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.] ©2016 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe] | [Manage Preferences] | [Privacy Policy] | [Terms of Use] June 21, 2016