CBS' Moonves Dilemma; Viacom Battle Impact; 'MI:6's Success; Amazon's War Chest; 'Stranger Things' Delay

What's news: CBS's board will talk Monday about the next steps in handling CEO Leslie Moonves. Plus: Mission: Impossible's smash weekend, Amazon's bountiful future programming and the wait for Stranger Things. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( July 30, 2018 What's news: CBS's board will talk Monday about the next steps in handling CEO Leslie Moonves. Plus: Mission: Impossible's smash weekend, Amazon's bountiful future programming and the wait for Stranger Things. — Will Robinson ^Moonves' fate? Members of the board of CBS Corp. spent the weekend discussing claims against Leslie Moonves and will do so again Monday after the CEO was accused of sexual misconduct by six women. + Monday's meeting: The board will further discuss at Monday’s previously scheduled meeting who will lead the investigation into the Moonves allegations, which were reported in The New Yorker on Friday by Ronan Farrow. + Financial impact: Investors seemingly pulled the emergency brakes on CBS on Friday, as the stock dropped 6 percent awaiting Farrow's piece. Ahead of the CBS board's meeting, shares were down a further 3.1 percent in early trading at $52.33. There was a hush of shell-shocked silence among many analysts as they went into the summer weekend trying to gauge the fallout, Paul Bond and Georg Szalai report. * Big picture: “The focus right now is less on the legal costs but rather more on the substance of the investigation by the board pursuant to its fiduciary duty to shareholders,” CFRA Research analyst Tuna Amobi told THR. "The outcome of the board’s investigation could set the tone regarding Mr. Moonves’ contractual tenure with the company, potentially raising the question of management succession." + Merger battle: Amobi argued: “It would seem the allegations against Mr. Moonves are likely to significantly undercut or weaken his (and the board’s) position amid the ongoing legal battle for governance, making it more likely that National Amusements could exert further leverage towards a potential merger of CBS and Viacom — on [Shari] Redstone’s terms.” [Full analysis.]( + CBS Films president responds: Terry Press [addressed]( the allegations of sexual harassment against Moonves in a statement posted on her personal Facebook page. Press wrote that the allegations against Moonves were "difficult to reconcile" with the man "who I know today as honorable, compassionate and a big booster of women inside CBS." But Press added that the story "generates as many questions as answers." + Chuck Lorre dodges: Lorre — the producer behind CBS's The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon and Mom — did not specifically [address]( the allegations at Sunday's TCA session. "What's going on with CBS, let's talk later. I don't think this is the venue to discuss what is going on there," he said. "I do think it's important to have a safe work environment. I've been in some unsafe environments. ... You can't do good work in an unsafe environment, and it had to be made safe for everyone." Amazon's Big Slate TCA takeover: During its Saturday time slot at TCA's summer session, Amazon Studios and its head Jennifer Salke unveiled a promising and bold lineup of original programming for Prime Video. + Russo brothers' big move: Joe and Anthony Russo will [oversee]( what the streamer described is an "ambitious concept" meant to "redefine the boundaries of storytelling." Details about the project are being kept under wraps, but it is described as a "large-scope, multi-layered international event series." + Lord of the Rings taps Star Trek 4 duo to develop series: Following an extensive search, JD Payne and Patrick McKay will [develop]( Amazon's forthcoming big-budget take on J.R.R. Tolkien's classic series. Salke stopped short of saying Payne and McKay would serve as writers or showrunners. + Nicole Kidman's series order: The streaming giant handed out a straight-to-series [order]( for The Expatriates, based on Janice Y.K. Lee's book and from Kidman, who will executive produce. + Matthew Weiner's return: The Mad Men creator's next series, The Romanoffs, will [debut]( Oct. 12. Noah Wyle and Clea DuVall are among the new stars that were announced. + Greg Daniels' next comedy: One of Roy Price's final pilot orders is moving forward at Amazon Studios. The retail giant/streamer [handed]( out a 10-episode series order to Upload, a sci-fi romantic satire from Daniels (The Office). + Lena Waithe's horror anthology: The first season of Them, which was [given]( a two-season order off the bat, will "speak to how frightening it was to be black in 1953," according to executive producer Waithe. + Sneaky Pete renewed. Season three, with Giovanni Ribisi as the titular con-man, [is a go](. Elsewhere in TV... ► CanalPlus lands George Clooney's Catch-22 for France. A Hulu series in the U.S., Catch-22 stars Clooney, Kyle Chandler and Hugh Laurie and is based on the 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller. Christopher Abbott takes the lead as Air Force Capt. John Yossarian. The show is already [set]( for Sky Italia in Italy and Channel 4 in the U.K. ► AMC Networks finalizes $65M deal for RLJ Entertainment. Robert Johnson and affiliates will [retain]( a 17 percent stake in the company behind Acorn TV and the Urban Movie Channel after the cable networks firm completes the transaction, which values RLJ at $274 million. ► AMC's renewals and new series. The cable network [handed out]( renewals for Better Call Saul (for a fifth season), Fear the Walking Dead (also for its fifth season) and McMafia (for a second season) during its TCA session. * Jason Segel's next show. AMC gave a straight-to-series order to Dispatches From Elsewhere, starring Segel and featuring an audience engagement component. The show revolves around a group of ordinary people who stumble onto a puzzle hiding just behind the veil of everyday life. They will come to find that the mystery winds far deeper than they ever imagined. ^The wait for Stranger Things. Season three of the blockbuster series won't arrive until summer 2019, but Netflix vp original programming Cindy Holland [assured]( that creators the Duffer brothers and executive producer Shawn Levy "understand the stakes are high. They want to deliver something bigger and better than what they did last year." ► Netflix sets Octavia Spencer-led miniseries. The streamer has [given]( a series order to executive producer Madam C.J. Walker, which stars and is executive produced by the Academy Award winner. Spencer will play Sarah Breedlove, a black hair care pioneer known as Madam C.J. Walker in the eight-episode limited series from SpringHill Entertainment, Zero Gravity and Warner Bros. Television. ► Netflix orders up baking show from Instagram star. The streamer [gave]( a series order to the baking show The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell. McConnell is an artist and photographer who has gained social media fame for her Instagram account, where she posts photos of weird and creepy baked goods. Her account currently has more than 250,000 followers. She penned the cookbook Deceptive Desserts: A Lady's Guide to Baking Bad! ► Who Is America? targets Roy Moore. Sacha Baron Cohen's Israeli anti-terrorism expert Col. Erran Morad actually [talked]( to the former Republican Senate candidate from Alabama about a piece of "Israeli technology" that could purportedly identify pedophiles. Comedy Showrunner Roundtable. [Watch]( the full discussion with Alec Berg (Barry, Silicon Valley), Pamela Adlon (Better Things), Whitney Cummings (Roseanne), Michael Schur (The Good Place), Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Justin Simien (Dear White People). Cruise's Coup Mission accomplished: Buoyed by glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore, Paramount and Skydance's Mission: Impossible — Fallout opened to $61.5 million in North America, a franchise-high, Pamela McClintock reports: + Cruise milestone: The haul, coming from 4,306 theaters, is the second-highest opening weekend in Tom Cruise's career after 2005's War of the Worlds ($64.9 million), not adjusted for inflation. That's no small feat, considering it is the sixth outing in the action-spy series. + International bounty: The film also posted huge numbers overseas, earning $92 million from its first 36 markets — or only 40 percent of the foreign marketplace — for a series-high global bow of $153.5 million, including $12.5 million from Imax theaters and led by South Korea with a huge $24.5 million. And that's without China, where the pic doesn't open until Aug. 31. + Teen Titans disappoints: Warner Bros.' Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, came in behind expectations with a fifth-place opening of $10.5 million from 3,188 theaters, despite earning strong reviews but a B+ CinemaScore. + Box office's top five: Mission: Impossible — Fallout ($61.5M)... Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ($15M)... The Equalizer 2 ($14M)... Hotel Transylvania 3 ($12.3M)... Teen Titans Go! To The Movies ($10.5M). [Full report.]( + How MI: 6 won: Pamela McClintock [analyzes]( what led the action sequel to do great business worldwide on its first weekend. Elsewhere in film... ► MoviePass' murky future. After an outage sparked the company to borrow $5 million, analysts are even more wary of the movie subscription plan's likely survival. [[New York Times](] ► IATSE board pans deal. The board of directors of Local 700, the Motion Picture Editors Guild, has voted [unanimously]( to recommend to its members to vote "no" on the proposed IATSE contract. IATSE, the union that represents most unionized film and TV crew members, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Thursday reached a tentative deal on a new three-year contract. ► Slow reaction to Besson's allegations. "[Luc] Besson, 59, is the first prominent film figure in France to face accusations in the #MeToo era, and in a country where cinema is central to the nation’s identity, he is considered as important a figure as Harvey Weinstein once was in American film. But that is where the comparisons end." [[New York Times](] ^Leia's return. Todd Fisher [spoke]( about how his late sister, Carrie Fisher, will be featured in Star Wars: Episode IX via previously unseen footage from The Force Awakens. "[J.J.] Abrams really made this happen," he told THR. "If I was in any way an inspiration for the final decision to keep Leia a part of the story, that's great. I must say at times I felt like a voice crying in the wilderness." * Hamill's remembrance. Ahead of his final performance as Luke Skywalker in the blockbuster space-opera film franchise, Mark Hamill tweeted about missing his longtime co-star in Fisher. "It's [bittersweet]( facing my final chapter without her-She is simply irreplaceable," Hamill wrote. "I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news. #CarrieOnForever." ► China's box office wonder. Hello Mr. Billionaire, a comedy loosely based on the 1985 Richard Pryor film Brewster's Millions, [dominated]( the box office in China this weekend with a stellar $130.77 million opening. ► Italian exhibitors against Netflix's release strategy. The trade organizations of Italy's cinema exhibitors released a statement [contesting]( the simultaneous release of films on streaming platforms and in theaters following the Venice Film Festival. The potential flare-up mirrors problems that presaged this year's Cannes Film Festival, after it demanded that all films needed a local theatrical release to compete this year. Netflix then pulled all films from the festival. DC's self-awareness. Teen Titans Go! is a welcome case of the filmmakers [biting]( the hand that feeds them, Josh Spiegel writes. Digital Competition The Facebook and YouTube threat: Will Facebook Watch and YouTube Premium keep TV execs awake in worry, or will the platforms struggle to make an impact? Tim Goodman writes: + Tough TCA outing: With both online giants getting into the original content game, there's been an anxiety bubble that's hard to ignore. At least in the case of one of these threats, that bubble might have burst. Facebook Watch came to TCA and did a [face-plant](. + YouTube's promise: YouTube Premium is run by Susanne Daniels, who has tons of broadcast and cable experience, from running the WB to Lifetime, MTV, stints at Fox, etc. YouTube Premium knows what it is right now, what it aspires to be and has someone in charge who could at least keep a bunch of other executives up at night with deep, disturbing worries. It is a dangerous giant in slumber. [Full column.]( What else we're reading... — "Spike Lee on BlacKkKlansman, the Trump Era, and His Place in the Canon." K. Austin Collins profiles: "I came to talk to Lee about his new work. Somehow, I got a brief tour of his life—marking a 34-year career arc from the crisp, stylish black-and-white Nola Darling of the 80s to the 5K episodic version you can stream on your cell phone—with a quick detour through Lee’s adolescence besides." [[Vanity Fair](] — "50 Greatest Movie Superheroes." Rolling Stone ranks: "Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a film genre that’s taken over mainstream Hollywood and multiplex culture faster than a single bullet!" [[Rolling Stone](] — "How Conspiracy Sites Keep Outsmarting Big Tech Companies." Casey Newton writes: "[Alex] Jones’ behavior in the wake of recent enforcement actions [by YouTube and Facebook] shows how easily bad actors can skirt rules that were designed in the belief that most users will generally stick to them." [[The Verge](] — "Cheddar, a TV Disruptor, Launches a Traditional Cable Channel." Benjamin Mullin reports: "Cheddar’s founder, Jon Steinberg, said launching on traditional cable providers can help the company reach a broader audience, making its service more attractive to potential advertisers. He said that the company is seeking to cut distribution deals that bring Cheddar’s programming to more viewers, regardless of the format." [[Wall Street Journal](] — "The Rise of the Computer-Generated Celebrity." Miranda Katz details: "A new generation of celebrities is selling out concerts, starring in commercials, and amassing huge Instagram followings. But none of them exist—corporeally, anyway." [[Wired](] What's ahead this week... Monday: CBS's board meets... BET and Paramount Network's Trayvon Martin docuseries Rest in Power premieres. Tuesday: Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman reunite for NBC's Making It... Casual's final season streams in its entirety on Hulu... Apple and Tronc are set to report earnings. Wednesday: The CW's The Originals concludes after five seasons. Thursday: CBS reports its earnings. Friday: Disney's Christopher Robin debuts... Lionsgate's The Spy Who Dumped Me reports to theaters... Fox's The Darkest Minds bows. From the archives... + On July 30, 1982, Ron Howard took viewers to the morgue on a Night Shift. The comedy — one of Howard's earliest directorial efforts — featured the breakout of Michael Keaton: "Reality would catch up a lot sooner were it not for the antics of Mr. Keaton, who is making his memorable screen debut. Mr. Keaton is [a] former improvisatory comedian whose timing is as good as his gags and who doesn't miss a beat when he is sparring with [Henry] Winkler." [[New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Gina Rodriguez, 34, Yvonne Strahovski, 36, Martin Starr, 36, Jaime Pressly, 41, Hilary Swank, 44, Christine Taylor, 47, Christopher Nolan, 48, Terry Crews, 50, Vivica A. Fox, 54, Lisa Kudrow, 55, Laurence Fishburne, 57, Richard Linklater, 58, Jean Reno, 70, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 71, Peter Bogdanovich, 79. 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 30, 2018