CBS News on Hot Seat; Obamas' H'wood Hire; Netflix’s Theater Push; "New" Fox at TCA

What's news: CBS News' internal investigation concerning 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager splits staff. Plus: China denies Christopher Robin, Netflix eyes bigger theatrical runs and the Obamas make a key hire for their production company. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( August 03, 2018 What's news: CBS News' internal investigation concerning 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager splits staff. Plus: China denies Christopher Robin, Netflix eyes bigger theatrical runs and the Obamas make a key hire for their production company. — Will Robinson ^CBS News engulfed: In the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against CBS CEO Leslie Moonves and 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager, News division president David Rhodes tells staff to expect results this month from the law firm investigating the Charlie Rose claims and "new areas of inquiry," Marisa Guthrie reports: + Scope of the probe: In March, CBS hired the Proskauer Rose law firm to investigate allegations raised in a Washington Post story about Charlie Rose's sexual misconduct, which said that at least three managers were told of Rose’s behavior with no action. Many women inside CBS News took claims about Rose to human resources in the wake of the broadcaster’s firing in November. * News employees interviewed: Many staffers at 60 Minutes were questioned by investigators last spring, multiple sources tell THR, and the Proskauer investigation included some incidents that were made public in Ronan Farrow's New Yorker article. + Enabling boys club: Fager, who strenuously denied the New Yorker allegations, is accused of ignoring and enabling bad behavior by two high-ranking male producers at 60 Minutes. Anonymous former employees who spoke to Farrow also accused Fager of misconduct. Six former employees said that Fager “while inebriated at company parties, would touch employees in ways that made them uncomfortable.” * Culture shift: Several 60 Minutes staffers, men and women, told THR that the culture has changed, just as it has in many TV newsrooms. At 60 Minutes – which has 150 employees – a majority of the show’s associate producers are women. Fager, a longtime CBS vet, is known as a direct and decisive producer, and he had been seen as well-regarded at the program. * Strong support for Fager: One CBS News manager: “People want Jeff to come out of this well after everything he’s done. Nobody’s perfect but everyone who’s worked at 60 Minutes knows who Jeff is.” [Full story.]( Streaming Attractions From couches to cinemas: Netflix is eyeing wider theatrical runs for awards hopefuls, such as new films from Alfonso Cuaron and Paul Greengrass — but how wide? Pamela McClintock and Carolyn Giardina report: + Prepping for awards push: Netflix is looking to up its Oscar game after edging out HBO for the most nominations at this year's Emmys. Insiders tell THR that the streamer, which recently hired top awards strategist Lisa Taback, is eyeing more than just an awards-qualifying release for upcoming films, including Cuaron's Roma and Greengrass' 22 July. + Directors' wishes: Both Cuaron and Greengrass are said to want an expanded theatrical presence beyond a token run. What Netflix offers them could be a template for other A-list filmmakers. + Beasts of No Nation experiment: In October 2015, the Cary Fukunaga-directed pic starring Idris Elba perished in its box-office debut after most theaters, including major circuits, boycotted the film because the title premiered day-and-date on Netflix. Beasts played for two weeks in 31 cinemas, earning just $90,777 on its way to being snubbed by Academy Award voters. * What's happened since: Last year's Mudbound picked up four Oscar noms but walked away empty-handed. All told, 33 Netflix films played in cinemas last year in 40 cities globally — not all were awards players — yet Netflix hasn't reported grosses since Beasts. [Full details.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Harvey Weinstein seeks dismissal of criminal case based on unseen evidence. Weinstein's legal team is currently [preparing]( a motion to have the case thrown out on the basis that prosecutors didn't share allegedly exculpatory emails with the grand jury that returned an indictment, Eriq Gardner reports. The embattled movie mogul is facing charges of sexually assaulting three women. ► Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team for McDonald's Monopoly fraud film at Fox. Based on a recently published Daily Beast [report](, the movie will follow the FBI operation to uncover the underground criminal ring that defrauded the fast food's annual promotion of $24 million in prizes over several years. Damon will star, and Affleck is attached to direct. ► Christopher Robin not playing China. A source [pinned]( the blame on China's crackdown on images of the Winnie the Pooh character, a symbol of the resistance in China with foes of the ruling Communist Party and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Tatiana Siegel reports. An insider counters that the decision likely has to do with the size and scope of the film given the foreign film quota and the fact that there are several new Hollywood tentpoles in the Chinese market right now. This is the second Disney pic this year denied a Chinese release. ► IATSE, 11 locals urge members to ratify contract. IATSE international president Matthew D. Loeb and the leaders of 11 of the 13 affected Locals sent a letter [urging]( members to vote "yes" to ratify its proposed contract, saying that it meet and exceeded its "ambitious goals." The board for Local 700, the Motion Picture Editors Guild, unanimously recommended a "no" vote, while Local 871 gave a cautious "yes" [co-sign](. ► Sony's Men in Black adding Rebecca Ferguson. The Mission: Impossible star [joins]( the action-comedy film, helmed by F. Gary Gray. The ensemble pic — including Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson — is set to bow June 14, 2019. ► Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk teaser out. On what would have been author James {NAME}'s 94th birthday, Jenkins unveiled the teaser for his latest film, an adaptation of {NAME}'s 1974 novel. The Annapurna Pictures film, out this fall, is the writer-director's first film since his Oscar-winning Moonlight. [Watch.]( [Quoted:]( "Every director on every movie sets out to make the greatest movie of all time. And along the way, you have realizations that that's not going to happen and you're just trying to make the best movie you can. ... I set out to make the second best shark movie of all time. And I hope we did it." — director Jon Turteltaub, on his goal while making Meg. ^A bright Star Wars in a dark era. Former Fox film head Alan Ladd Jr. [looks back]( on his time at Fox, producing the sci-fi hit, offering Mel Brooks free reign and making George Lucas a billionaire: "I knew it was going to be big right off the bat." ► MoviePass stock craters, accuses theaters of price gouging. Shares of parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics [slid]( an astonishing 56 percent on Thursday to just a dime apiece. Helios and Matheson painted itself as a disruptor in a defensive statement: "Exhibitors know that without MoviePass they will be able to continue to charge exorbitant prices for theater tickets and gouge customers with overpriced concessions." ► Kristen Bell, Kathy Bates to be honored at Women Making History Awards. Gabrielle Union and activist Patrisse Cullors will also [receive]( awards at the seventh annual ceremony in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, hosted by the National Women's History Museum (NWHM) and its Los Angeles Regional Council. ► HollyShorts Film Festival unveils opening night lineup. Films from Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel, Lisa Edelstein, Jesse Bradford and Jocelyn Stamat will [screen]( at TCL Chinese Theater on Aug. 9. ► IFC Films nabs Mary Kay Place's Diane. The Martin Scorsese-executive produced indie directed by Kent Jones debuted at Tribeca. IFC plans to [release]( the film in theaters in early 2019. ► Poland launching production incentives. The only major Central European country that didn't have a tax incentive scheme is [catching up](, as the country's government has this week approved the introduction of a 30 percent cash rebate for film productions. The Polish Film Institute will remain in charge under the new system, as it will select projects that will collect rebates, with an annual budget of 200 million Polish zloty ($54.7 million) earmarked for that purpose. ► RIP Winston Ntshona. The South African actor and playwright who [won]( a Tony Award and had a pivotal role in the 1989 apartheid film drama A Dry White Season died Thursday morning at 76. DOJ reviewing longtime movie licensing restrictions. The Trump Administration's deregulatory push has now hit Hollywood as the DOJ announced it would be [opening up]( a review of the famous 1948 "Paramount Consent Decrees," which forced studios to divest themselves of ownership of movie theaters, Eriq Gardner reports. Fox Takes TCA New-look Fox: In the wake of its acquisition by Disney, Fox took the stage on Day 9 of the Television Critics Association summer press tour. Daniel Fienberg, current TCA president, emails in his three Thursday takeaways: 1. It's no longer "business as usual." In January, Fox's Dana Walden and Gary Newman earned some good-natured ribbing for how frequently they said that, despite the upcoming and pending Disney acquisition, everything was "business as usual." But this morning at Fox, Walden and Newman began the process of [explaining]( how Fox will function as an independent TV network without an affiliated studio. Short version: It's gonna be exciting and everybody is looking forward to it! Long version: Wait a bit. 2. The Masked Singer is bringing its brand of weird to America. A smash hit in Korea, the celebrities-in-costumes-driven format The Masked Singer has been shooting on the sly for Fox, and the network [brought]( the format to press tour, including costumes resembling the rabbit from Donnie Darko, a melding of the leads from Monsters, Inc. and the stag-creature from Hannibal. If this is what New Fox is going to look like, prepare for a lot of raised eyebrows. 3. Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing may or may not identify as a Trump supporter. Oh, who [cares](? + Justin Timberlake-created game show picked up: Fox [won]( a multiple-network bidding war for Spin the Wheel, hosted by Dax Shepard. The series offers what Fox says will be one of the biggest prizes in primetime history: a chance to take home more than $20 million in cash per episode. An episode count has yet to be determined. + Kaitlin Olson, Rob Riggle join Leah Remini in comedy: Olson [returns]( to Fox three months after The Mick's cancelation. The pilot marks the latest TV foray for Olson with her husband, Rob McElhenney, and the rest of the It's Always Sunny gang. + The Simpsons remains. Walden asserted the sitcom stalwart [will run]( "for the foreseeable future." She also added that handling Apu in wake of this year's controversy was up to the creative team. Elsewhere in TV... ► Leslie Moonves not questioned about misconduct claims during earnings call. In its first earnings report since The New Yorker alleged that Moonves sexually harassed women, CBS said Thursday it [earned]( $1.12 per share on a record $3.47 billion in revenue. A CBS executive warned the CEO would only discuss quarterly earnings and not legal matters, and no questions were asked about them. ► Obamas make key Netflix hire. Priya Swaminathan, a veteran entertainment executive and activist, will [work closely]( with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on new Hollywood projects, Lesley Goldberg reports. Swaminathan, who has a background in documentaries and social activism, will team with the Obamas on developing new Hollywood projects via their previously announced Netflix deal, based in Los Angeles. ► Apple wins race to $1 trillion. The tech company became the first public American company to cross that plateau Thursday. Its stock reached a new record high at $208.38 and is up over 20 percent from 2017. [[CNN Money](] ► Comcast to launch Prime Video on Xfinity. The cable giant has [inked]( a deal with Amazon to offer its Prime Video service to customers via its Xfinity X1 platform, giving Xfinity customers access to Amazon originals (with their Amazon Prime subscriptions). It will also open Amazon's video marketplace up to Xfinity subscribers. ► First Wives Club reboot casts leads. Paramount Network's update of the 1996 pic [found]( Jill Scott and Michelle Buteau as the first and second wives. Girls Trip co-writer Tracy Oliver is adapting will executive produce. The half-hour dramedy is set to premiere in 2019. ► Judge dismisses lawsuit from Seth Rich's family against Fox News. In May 2017, Fox News ran a story about Rich based on the family's hired investigator who supposedly had a source [saying]( emails were sent by Rich to WikiLeaks. After the story came out, the Rich family issued a statement condemning the article. Fox News retracted the article and promised an investigation but never apologized. [Quoted:]( "Les Moonves may be a brilliant TV creator, but no cop procedural — no matter how well crafted and original — is worth ending a woman's career to shut her up." — Samantha Bee, on desired fate of Moonves at CBS. ^Matt Groening shares self-portrait, talks Netflix move. Ryan Parker caught up with the creator of The Simpsons leading up the debut of his new series Disenchantment, which bows on the streamer Aug. 17: "I don't mind notes if they make sense. My experience with Fox on Futurama was the notes that were given were contradictory. We were not able to address the notes without annoying another note-giver." [Full interview.]( ► Dish loses 151K subscribers in Q2. The company [reported]( higher second-quarter earnings as it lost fewer pay TV subscribers. The satellite TV company, led by chairman Charlie Ergen and CEO Erik Carlson, lost 151,000 net pay TV subscribers, including its Sling TV streaming service, in the quarter to end it with nearly 13.0 million, down from 13.3 million in the year-ago period. ► Ozzy Osbourne wins first round in antitrust fight vs. AEG. Osbourne [alleges]( he's been pushed into a so-called Staples Center Commitment, meaning he will only be able to perform in AEG's "must have" O2 if, on the Los Angeles leg of his tour, he commits to play AEG's Staples Center instead of The Forum, a joint venture between Madison Square Garden Company and Irving Azoff. ► BBC thriller adds Julia Ormond. The Sabrina and Legends of the Fall film star has [nabbed]( the lead role of Julia Day in the six-part BBC drama Gold Digger. Ormond's character is a mother who has spent her whole life putting the needs of others before herself, only to fall in love with a man 25 years her junior. ► ESPN, Top Rank extend pact to 2025. The deal will allow for 54 Top Rank boxing events a year to be [broadcast]( on ESPN platforms, including 18 live fight cards on ESPN, 12 primetime events in the U.S. on ESPN+ as well as 24 international cards on ESPN. Boxing news, information and opinion will also appear across ESPN platforms with new programs in development, which will be announced at a later date. ► Ariana Grande leads first batch of VMA performers. Shawn Mendes and Logic with Ryan Tedder [fill out]( the announced performers set to take the stage at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, airing Aug. 20. ► Uproxx Media sold to Warner Music Group. The digital media company [publishes]( digital brands like entertainment news site HitFix, men's lifestyle site BroBible, sports site Dime and Uproxx.com. BroBible is not a part of the sale to Warner Music Group. Terms were not disclosed. ► Musical.ly owner merges app with TikTok. Nearly a year after Chinese technology firm Bytedance acquired the video app Musical.ly for $700 million, the company is [merging]( it with another of its products, TikTok. The new app will assume the name TikTok, meaning the end of the Musical.ly brand name. ► Nickelodeon developing animated series with VR, AVR experiences. Set in the video game world, Meet the Voxels will follow a family of video game characters. It is being [developed]( by the Nickelodeon Entertainment Lab, a division aimed at research and development around emerging platforms and new technology. Leading from behind. With more series nominees than ever at this year's Emmys — 15, with five of them lacking nods for their top stars — awards analyst Scott Feinberg [dissects]( what it means when a lead is left out of the picture. Academy President's Return Second term: John Bailey, the veteran cinematographer who was elected president for the first time a year ago, is expected to be re-elected by the board, Scott Feinberg reports: + Running uncontested: An incumbent president seeking re-election is almost always granted another term, although there is a faction on the board who feel that Bailey has been resistant to change and who would like to throw their support behind an alternative, even if it is a symbolic candidacy. * Potential challengers: Names that have been floated include actress Laura Dern and documentarian Rory Kennedy. But so far no one appears to have confirmed any interest in taking on that role. + Split board: According to several governors with whom THR spoke, the board is deeply divided. About one-third of the governors see themselves as ideologically aligned with Bailey, another one-third do not and the final third are not firmly in one camp or the other. [Full report.]( What else we're reading... — "Why Viacom Bought Awesomeness on the Cheap." Natalie Jarvey reports: "Though sources suggest that Awesomeness’ bargain-basement price wasn’t the result of significant losses at the company, it does reflect how it has failed to live up to the expectations of its onetime owners." [[THR](] — "How the Box Office Became a Sport." Shaun Raviv explores: "Following the box office is similar to following sports in a hundred ways, and it took me more than 20 years to figure out that that’s why people like me, with no skin in the Hollywood game, obsessively pore over the numbers." [[The Ringer](] — "A Look at Apple's Trillion-Dollar World." Brad Stone's photo-filled retrospective: "[Apple's] valuation is on par with the gross domestic product of Indonesia, the 16th-largest economy in the world. Apple operates at a scale that makes it hard for customers or even governments to hold it to account." [[Bloomberg](] — "Kelsey Grammer: American Can Get Better." Amy Nicholson profiles: "Grammer seems like a guy who has a grip on his emotions. Not only did he devote 20 years to playing therapist Frasier Crane, but the fame that followed forced him to navigate the toughest moments of his life in public." [[The Guardian](] — "How Lolita Seduces Us All." Caitlin Flanagan considers the book: "Lolita does not ask us: Are you a feminist, a crusader, an upholder of morals, a defender of girls? Lolita asks us only one question: Are you a reader?" [[The Atlantic](] What else we're watching... + "Chloë Grace Moretz lied to Martin Scorsese to get Hugo." [[Late Show](] + "Ewan McGregor talks about working on Stephen King's Doctor Sleep." [[Late Night](] + "Ray Romano reacts to Jon Hamm's impression of him." [[Tonight Show](] + "Mark Hamill is jealous of Harrison Ford's Star Wars memorabilia." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] From the archives... + On Aug. 3, 1992, Warner Bros. let Unforgiven loose on cinemas. The R-rated Western from Clint Eastwood crushed any romanticism held for the era: "A flinty, unflinching shot at the Old West and all the pulpish, dimestore-novel notions of frontier bravery, outlaw killing and riding the moral high plain." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Max Landis, 33, Mamie Gummer, 35, Hannah Simone, 38, Evangeline Lilly, 39, Stephen Graham, 45, Michael Ealy, 45, John C. McGinley, 59, John Landis, 68, Martha Stewart, 77, Martin Sheen, 78. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2018 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( August 3, 2018