Comic-Con Standouts; Gunn Firing Fallout; Shonda's Netflix Slate; Black 'Buffy'; Quinto's Travel Diary

What's news: The Glass trailer and Venom's villain were among the stars of Comic-Con's Friday. Plus: James Gunn's firing, the inclusive Buffy reboot and Shonda Rhimes' Netflix slate. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( July 21, 2018 What's news: The Glass trailer and Venom's villain were among the stars of Comic-Con's Friday. Plus: James Gunn's firing, the inclusive Buffy reboot and Shonda Rhimes' Netflix slate. — Will Robinson ^Gunn cut loose. Disney fired director James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after conservative personalities [resurfaced]( old tweets Thursday in which the filmmaker joked about controversial topics such as pedophilia and rape, Aaron Couch and Borys Kit report. + Disney chairman Alan Horn: "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him." + Gunn's apology: "My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don't reflect the person I am today or have been for some time." * More from Gunn: "Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today." [Full story.]( Aaron Couch emails... James Gunn’s surprise firing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 came as the film was gearing up to shoot in Atlanta this fall for an expected 2020 release date. The Guardians films have earned $1.6 billion worldwide and were successful in large part to Gunn’s unique voice and filmic sensibilities. He was one of the few Marvel directors who also earned screenwriting credits on his films, and had been working on the script for Guardians 3. Despite the abrupt shift, don’t expect the studio to sit on the franchise. One source believes Disney will quickly move to find a replacement in hopes of shooting later this year. + Guardians star on Gunn: Dave Bautista [does not believe]( the director should have been fired. “He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes," Bautista tweeted. "We all have. I’m NOT ok with what’s happening to him.” + Franchise firings: The dismissal of Gunn, who directed two successful Guardians installments, stands out compared to past tentpole-director drama. Josh Trank was [difficult]( to work with on the set of Fantastic Four. Colin Trevorrow parted from Star Wars after The Book of Henry was [panned](. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had [creative differences]( with Solo; likewise with Edgar Wright and Ant-Man [in 2014](. Here We Go Again Mamma Mia! dancing to box office glory. Universal's musical sequel is set to win the weekend after a strong opening few days, Pamela McClintock reports. + The power of ABBA: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is set for a $41 million weekend after a solid Friday outing, where it was expected to bring in $15 million. * Ahead of the first pic: Mamma Mia 2, one of the few 2018 summer event films targeting females, looks to come in nearly 50 percent ahead of the first film. The sequel opens exactly a decade after Mamma Mia! stormed the box office in late July 2008, opening to $27.7 million domestically and grossing nearly $610 million globally. + Denzel going for second: Sony's Equalizer 2, starring Denzel Washington, is pacing to come in second for a domestic opening of $30 million-plus. Meanwhile, Blumhouse's Unfriended: Dark Web is projected to rake in $3-5 million. [Full report.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Race for Thai cave rescue film rights. One of the biggest hurdles in ripped-from-the-headlines rescue stories is the quick [securing]( of rights. "With the Thai cave story, no one controls the rights yet," says Captain Phillips producer Dana Brunetti. "It’s just turned into this clusterfuck of everyone announcing that they’re doing a movie and it’s like well, what’s the movie? Now it’s just a race.” ► Paramount eyes Jennifer Connelly for Top Gun 2. The Oscar winner is in early negotiations to [join]( Tom Cruise in the action sequel, Borys Kit reports. If a deal makes, Connelly will play the movie’s female lead, a single mother who runs a local bar near the Navy base. ► Vertical Entertainment nabs Harvey Weinstein doc. The Reckoning, directed by Barry Avrich, had its world premiere at Toronto's recent Hot Docs Film Festival. The documentary [recounts]( the fall of Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement, and is planning to release the film in the fourth quarter of this year. ► Anthony Ray, actor and Oscar-nominated producer, dies. Ray, who was the son of director Nicholas Ray, [appeared]( in John Cassavetes' Shadows and earned an Oscar nomination for producing 1978's An Unmarried Woman. He died at 80 on June 29 in Saco, Maine, after a long illness, his family announced. [Quoted:]( "I thought things would expand and get more grown-up. It would have been more interesting. So it was strange to see that not happen." — Parker Posey, how Hollywood isn't built for adult women roles. ^Warner Bros. squashes Justice League Snyder cut desire. DC fans have clamored for director Zack Snyder's version of the 2017 superhero pic, akin to Batman v Superman's Ultimate Edition, but the studio revealed there are no plans for it. [[Wall Street Journal](] ► San Sebastian Film Festival fills out lineup. The 66th edition of the Spanish festival will [present]( new works from homegrown directors and also screen Enrique Urbizu's upcoming series Gigants in full out of competition. ► Fight director William Hobbs dies at 79. The innovative fight director, fencing master and stuntman [choreographed]( action sequences for such films as The Three Musketeers, The Duellists and Rob Roy during his long career died July 10 in London. "I was gobsmacked." Actor Pierce Brosnan sold his original painting of Bob Dylan for $1.4 million during the auction at amfAR’s 25th annual Cinema Against AIDS event in Cannes earlier this summer. [Full interview.]( Shonda's World Rhimes unveils projects: Nearly a year after sending shockwaves through the TV community with her move to Netflix, Shonda Rhimes has unveiled the full slate of eight series she is currently working on for the streaming giant. Lesley Goldberg emails with the details: Shonda Rhimes' first Netflix slate offers a mix of everything the mega-producer behind political (Scandal), soapy (Grey's Anatomy) and timely (For the People) series is best known for. A Washington-set drama about the private lives of U.S. presidents, their families and the White House staff — that's also from a Scandal grad? Check. A comedy — which has long been a priority for Shondaland partner Betsy Beers? Check. Dramas exploring the plight of African-Americans and Latinos? Check, check. A #MeToo series? That's there, too. Plus familiar faces? Yep, Rhimes is reuniting with Grey's Anatomy's Debbie Allen and For the People star Anna Deavere Smith. While Rhimes will write one — the previously announced take on how Anna Delvey tricked New York's party people — she continues to provide a platform for writers from her stable with Chris Van Dusen (Scandal, Grey's, Private Practice) showrunning a London-set soap. + Netflix's investment: The slate comes a year after Rhimes changed the TV landscape when she departed longtime home ABC Studios for a $300 million deal at Netflix as part of the streamer's push to own its original programming. Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy and Scandal have both been big performers for Netflix. * Rhimes' statement: "I wanted the new Shondaland to be a place where we expand the types of stories we tell, where my fellow talented creatives could thrive and make their best work and where we as a team come to the office each day filled with excitement. Ted [Sarandos] and Cindy [Holland] and everyone at Netflix have been incredible partners in making that happen. This is Shondaland 2.0.” [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Buffy returns. 20th Century Fox Television, which produced the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer from Joss Whedon, have put a new take on the beloved drama in development, which will [feature]( a black actress stepping into the role of Buffy. Writer Monica Breen, who worked with Whedon on ABC's Agents of SHIELD, has been hired to pen the adaptation and serve as showrunner on the reboot. Whedon will be an exec producer on the series and has been working with Breen on the script. ► The Five co-host exits Fox News. Kimberly Guilfoyle has [left]( the network. Her departure was first [reported]( early on Friday morning by Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman, and HuffPost's Yashar Ali [added](, per three unnamed sources, that her departure was involuntary. Guilfoyle has been dating Donald Trump Jr. for the last few months, since the separation from his wife, Vanessa Trump. ► Walking Dead casts iconic villain for season nine. AMC has [tapped]( Samantha Morton as series regular role as Alpha, leader of the Whisperers, one of the most iconic villains from the comic books on which the drama is based. ► Andrew Lincoln confirms Walking Dead exit. After reports and comic book creator Robert Kirkman indicating a departure would happen, Lincoln [confirmed]( the news to Comic-Con: "This will be my last season playing the part of Rick Grimes." ► CBS All Access sets Star Trek: Discovery spinoff. The platform [announced]( Short Treks at Comic-Con, which will be a four-episode series that will run between 10-15 minutes, featuring deeper storytelling on the expanding Star Trek universe. The series will launch in the fall and roll out monthly. ► Freeform renews Marvel's Cloak and Dagger. The Disney-owned cabler is [bringing]( back the superhero drama for a second season. A new round of 10 episodes will return in spring 2019. ► Broadcaster backed by government targeted Americans in ads. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which typically broadcasts abroad, bought Facebook ads targeted at U.S. citizens. As state-funded media, the practice is generally prohibited by federal law. [[New York Times](] [Quoted:]( "My show was canceled before even one advertiser pulled out and I was labeled a racist. Why, you ask? Well, the answer is simple. It’s because I voted for Donald Trump and that is not allowed in Hollywood." — Roseanne Barr, on her belief why ABC canceled Roseanne revival. ^Comic-Con check-in. With nearly 90 TV panels and countless activations outside the Convention Center, [cutting]( through the cluttered landscape is increasingly challenging. Here are a few early breakouts from San Diego, Lesley Goldberg writes. + The rise of activations. Entertainment companies are [looking]( for new ways "to be the thing everyone is talking about" at overstuffed entertainment festivals, Natalie Jarvey reports. * Best and worst at SDCC. What activations have [worked]( and what hasn't? Jean Bentley and Marisa Roffman are on the ground. ► Neon nabs CNN Films' Apollo 11 doc. The distributor has [acquired]( the worldwide rights to Todd Douglas Miller’s event documentary on the 49th anniversary of the NASA spaceship's successful moon landing. ► American Horror Story season eight gets titled. The FX horror anthology's upcoming season has been [named]( Apocalypse and will also feature the highly anticipated Murder House and Coven crossover. AHS returns Sept. 12. ► Metalocalypse director Jon Schnepp dies. Schnepp, who was 51, [died]( Thursday, one week after suffering a stroke, his fiancée Holly Payne confirmed. Dr. Horrible's comic book return. Joss Whedon, who co-created and directed the musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and self-financed the series during the 2008 WGA strike, [revealed]( that he wrote a one-shot comic for publisher Dark Horse Comics that will be released Nov. 14. Zachary Quinto's Travel Diary On the road: Actor Zachary Quinto was filming an episode of his History documentary series In Search Of in Morocco, a country he loves deeply. + To Marrakech: As soon as we were done shooting in Agadir, around 8 p.m., I peeled off from the rest of the crew and hopped in a car for the three-hour drive northeast to Marrakech. I could feel the city before I could see it. + Staying in a riad: It was like walking into a palace: incredible Moroccan tiles lining floors and hallways, flowing curtains separating spaces, and gorgeous chandeliers and fixtures welcoming you into every room. The rich fragrance of incense wafted through the main areas. [Full diary.]( * Hollywood's guide to Morocco: Read insiders' [tips]( on the beautiful African country. What to watch this weekend... THR critic Daniel Fienberg sends his recommendation: Assuming you've already watched Nanette and that you're all caught up on HBO's Succession and that you're fatigued by the news and the world around you, this is a great weekend for a couple Netflix travel anthologies. If you want to feel like the world is a weird place and you're better off sitting on your couch enjoying the AC, David Farrier's Dark Tourist is a crazy, funny, harrowing journey. But if you'd rather feel good about the world around you and generally hungry, it's tough to beat Somebody Feed Phil, which combines food porn, travel porn and Phil Rosenthal's dry wit. What else we're reading... — "Mickey Mouse, Meet Homer and the Avatar Crew." Erich Schwartzel and Joe Flint "look at Fox’s marquee properties and what Disney might do with them." [[Wall Street Journal](] — "TV Wants Even More of Your Time. But Does It Deserve It?" Lara Zarum argues: "And so we become our own little islands in the stream, passively bobbing in its current, tasked with swallowing ever-more content not because it’s part of our sacred Thursday night routine, but so that rich white dudes can have our data." [[Village Voice](] — "Yes, Disney Thinks Black Panther Is Best Picture-Worthy." Rebecca Keegan writes: "In an era when the awards show has lost audience, relevance, and its place as a communal cultural moment, [Ryan] Coogler’s comic-book movie delivered on all three, and did so with a level of style and craft that rose above its peers in the genre." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Inside the Mating Rituals of Brands and Online Stars." Daisuke Wakabayashi reports: "Deals between big brands and viral online video performers, once an informal alternative to traditional celebrity sponsorships, are quickly maturing into a business estimated to reach $10 billion in 2020." [[New York Times](] — "The Early Life of John Williams." Tim Greiving reports: "It started seven decades ago, about six miles up the 101 Freeway from the Bowl, when Williams was still a curly-haired teenager at North Hollywood High School and had, according to a 1949 Time magazine article, 'the hottest band in Hollywood.'" [[Los Angeles Times](] What else we're watching... + "Maria Butina, the Russia agent, had a Republican boyfriend." [[Late Show](] + "Trump's Air Force One makeover, Microsoft catches Russia hacking." [[Tonight Show](] From the archives... + On July 21, 1933, Ann Harding and William Powell's two-hander Double Harness began playing at Radio City Music Hall. The two stars led the way: "A good many pictures have flowed under the cinematic bridge since Miss Harding has had a part so ideally suited to her. And never has William Powell been so smoothly cast." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Jessica Barden, 26, Juno Temple, 29, Betty Gilpin, 32, Diane Guerrero, 32, Josh Hartnett, 40, Justin Bartha, 40, Charlotte Gainsbourg, 47, Jon Lovitz, 61. 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]( July 21, 2018