Warner Bros. Probe; Toronto Opens; Michael Moore Review; Pop Oscar Punted; Weinstein Assistant Script; CBS Update; RIP Burt Reynolds

What's news: Hollywood remembers Burt Reynolds, who died Thursday at 82. Plus: TIFF sets off with Michael Moore's fiery Fahrenheit 11/9, the Oscars delay its popular film category and Amy Powell settles with Paramount TV. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( September 07, 2018 What's news: Hollywood remembers Burt Reynolds, who died Thursday at 82. Plus: TIFF sets off with Michael Moore's fiery Fahrenheit 11/9, the Oscars delay its popular film category and Amy Powell settles with Paramount TV. — Will Robinson ^TIFF is underway: The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival began Thursday night with high-profile debuts of Netflix's Outlaw King, Fox's The Predator and Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 11/9, which Scott Feinberg writes will split Academy voters: + No survivors: The surprising thing about Fahrenheit 11/9 is that he goes after members of the choir, too. Not only does he provide unnecessary reminders of how Trump rose to power, but he casts part of the blame on the Democrats' senior congressional leadership and even former President Barack Obama. (There was a palpable sense of Moore losing some of the audience when he went after Obama.) + Mixed feelings on Moore: Some may feel the film lacks a clear and coherent thesis, something usually needed to advance in the awards race. The Academy's documentary branch seems to have mixed feelings about Moore himself, elected him to represent it on the organization's board of governors in the past, but nominating only two of his films for the best documentary feature Oscars. + Outlook: I would be surprised if Fahrenheit 11/9 doesn't attract a decent audience at the box office, in a year in which several docs have already earned small fortunes — but I would be sort of surprised if hard-bitten doc branch members also rally behind it. [Forecast]( | [Full review]( Etan Vlessing emails: During a Q&A following the opening night screening, Moore brought on stage three Parkland High students and a Flint, Michigan whistle blower to back his case for activism for political change in Washington D.C. "We need a generation of action," Moore said, a message that was echoed by Parkland survivor David Hogg, who asked the Toronto audience at one point: "Who is ready to save America?" Reviews from Day 1... + The Predator opens at Midnight Madness: Shane Black applies a more-is-more approach to the material, revealing the extraterrestrial hunter in the very first sequence, then doubling down on the number of predators and corpses we see on screen, introducing a bigger, badder species and even a pair of predator pit bulls, Jordan Mintzer writes. [Full review]( | [Roundup]( + Epic, slow Outlaw King: Though likely to be meaningful to Scots, for whom Robert the Bruce is a national hero, audiences Stateside may often find the warrior's journey something of a grind, [nodding off]( occasionally as they watch the two and a half-hour film from their sofas, John DeFore reviews. Vlessing emails: "We wanted to make the recreation of that world as authentic as possible," David Mackenzie, Outlaw King's director, told a Princess of Wales Theater audience before he and his cast walked across the road to head up the red carpet into Roy Thomson Hall. The world premiere for Outlaw King marked the first time a major film festival has ever opened with a movie not slated for a major theatrical release. Hot Weinstein assistant script... Tatiana Siegel emails: Buyers were trying to get their hands on a [secret script]( about Harvey Weinstein told from an assistant’s perspective that is making the early rounds. Three-time Oscar nominee James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain) is producing. Several executives managed to land a watermarked copy, with one calling it “Devil Wears Prada-esque.” The untitled film from Kitty Green is one of three(!) about the disgraced mogul being shopped at Toronto. Other developments... + Biopic on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's father in the works. Indie filmmakers Jonathan and Justin Gajewski are [developing]( Ring King after optioning the life rights to Rocky Johnson, ex-TV wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer. + Adrian Grenier boards trans comedy Stage Mother: The Entourage actor [joins]( Tangerine breakout Mya Taylor, Jacki Weaver and Lucy Liu in the dramatic comedy, which is set in the drag queen world of San Francisco. + "Cuban Five" spy drama in the works: The indie feature about Cuban agents sent to south Florida by the Castro government to [spy]( on exile groups will be directed by Clement Virgo. Popular Oscar on Hold Not coming in 2019: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is postponing the introduction of the new “popular” Oscar category it had intended to introduce at its upcoming 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24, Gregg Kilday reports: + Still in the plans: While the Academy appeared to still be committed to the new award, even though it said it requires further study, the question will now become whether or not it quietly drops the idea altogether. The academy said it will continue to discuss the idea for the new award and "will examine and seek additional input regarding the new category." + Hurdles to clear: The announcement explained that implementing the new award nine months into the year "created challenges for films that have already been released." The Academy did not provide any timeline for when further details about the new award might be decided. [Full story.]( + John Bailey speaks: "The same people who have criticized us for irrelevance and elitism now suddenly were the guardians at the gate, talking about the bowdlerization of the Oscars," the Academy president says, while discussing the decision to table the award. * Not a ratings play: "It wasn’t some knee-jerk reaction to falling ratings or to ABC or to anything like that. It was real clear on the part of the board and the Academy that we needed somehow to make certain kinds of films eligible for new awards,” he adds. * Not bowing to franchises: Bailey also is adamant that the award wasn’t proposed to ensure that movies like Black Panther or one of the Star Wars films are guaranteed Oscar consideration. “Unfortunately, some people misinterpreted this as our laying down pipe for big mass-market franchise films." [Full interview.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Global Road's implosion sparks new China money fears for Hollywood. There is now widespread concern that Donald Tang's flameout could impact the prospects for future capital flow between Beijing and Tinseltown — already mutually suspicious of one another, but also more interdependent by the day, Patrick Brzeski reports. [Details.]( ► DOJ brings charges against North Koreans for Sony hack. The government lays blame for a sophisticated cyber operation that caused the 2014 attack on the same day that President Trump thanks North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, Eriq Gardner reports. [Details.]( ► Adam Venit exiting WME as agency reaches settlement with Terry Crews. Venit had privately been identified as Crews' assailant and was subsequently put on leave Nov. 3 by the agency, which represented Crews until the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star fired them on Nov. 9. Crews was not one of Venit's clients. ► Fox cuts Predator scene with registered sex offender. In 2010, Steven Wilder Striegel [pleaded]( guilty to risk of injury to a child and enticing a minor by computer after he faced allegations that he attempted to lure a 14-year-old into a sexual relationship. Striegel served six months in jail. "Our studio was not aware of Mr. Striegel's background when he was hired," said a 20th Century Fox spokesperson in a statement. ► Gillian Jacobs to star in Amblin horror thriller Larry. Azhy Robertson (Juliet, Naked) is also [starring]( in the project, which is being described as a two-hander in a similar fashion to the pairing of Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. ► Mick Jagger to star in thriller The Burnt Orange Heresy. The Rolling Stones frontman will join Claes Bang and Elizabeth Debicki in the movie from director Giuseppe Capotondi. Jagger has been [cast]( as Joseph Cassidy, an English art dealer and collector and patron of Jerome Debney, the reclusive J.D. Salinger of the art world. ► Odessa Young, Logan Lerman join Elisabeth Moss in Shirley. Young and Lerman will play a young married couple who [move in]( with Shirley Jackson (Moss) — the famed suspense author who wrote The Haunting of Hill House — and her Bennington College professor husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman. ► Mattel names Robbie Brenner to head new film division. Brenner, who [received]( a best picture Oscar nomination for Dallas Buyers Club, will have the title of executive producer and will report to CEO Ynon Kreiz. Brenner’s most recent film, Burden, was an audience award winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. ► Cate Blanchett to receive BAFTA's Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award. The two-time Academy Award winner [joins]( fellow honoree Steve McQueen, who is set to receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing. ► A24, Scott Rudin partner for adaptation of play Is God Is. The critically acclaimed show comes from writer Aleshea Harris and [follows]( twin sisters who are on a revenge journey from the South to the California desert to find (and kill) their father at the request of their ailing mother, who is God. ► Michael Caine to star in Czech historical biopic Medieval. Ben Foster will also [star]( in the film from Mudbound producer Cassian Elwes. It tells the story of Czech national hero Jan Zizka. ► Michael Chiklis, Jorge Gutierrez lead English-language voice cast for MFKZ. GKIDS will [release]( MFKZ theatrically on Oct. 11, including the English-language version. Its upcoming 2018 slate also include Mirai and The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales. [Quoted:]( "The idea was to build a company that made films that mattered. And to try to do business in a different way than was conventional in Hollywood — that is to say, in an ethical way and always with integrity." — Doug Mankoff, on goal when creating Echo Lake Entertainment 20 years ago. ^RIP Burt Reynolds: Reynolds, the charismatic star of such films as Deliverance, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit who set out to have as much fun as possible on and off the screen — and then wildly succeeded — has died at 82. Mike Barnes remembers: + Career highlights: Reynolds, who received an Oscar nomination when he portrayed porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997) and was the No. 1 box-office attraction for a five-year stretch starting in the late 1970s. Though beloved by audiences for his brand of frivolous, good-ol'-boy fare, the playful Reynolds rarely was embraced by the critics. * Role regrets: "I didn't open myself to new writers or risky parts because I wasn't interested in challenging myself as an actor, I was interested in having a good time," Reynolds recalled in his 2015 memoir, But Enough About Me. "As a result, I missed a lot of opportunities to show I could play serious roles. By the time I finally woke up and tried to get it right, nobody would give me a chance." + Favorite role: "If I had to put only one of my movies in a time capsule, it would be Deliverance," Reynolds wrote. "I don't know if it's the best acting I've done, but it's the best movie I've ever been in. It proved I could act, not only to the public but me." + A charmingly preposterous icon of American masculinity: Behind his boorish good-ole-boy image, the former box office heavyweight left behind some surprisingly subtle and soulful [performances](, critic Stephen Dalton remembers. + Most memorable roles: Throughout the 1970s and '80s Reynolds amassed a large resume of action movies, and always emphasized that he chose roles because of what seemed the most fun. In 1997, the actor received his first critical success, when he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Boogie Nights. [Full list.]( + Stars remember: “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away. They stay alive, even forty years later," Sally Field said in a statement. "My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.” [More tributes.]( + Will not be in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Reynolds was set to star in Quentin Tarantino's new movie, which is currently in production in Los Angeles and stars a massive ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. The actor was [slated]( to begin shooting the role within weeks, a source told Mia Galuppo. On the festival circuit... ► Claire Denis to receive Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award. The prize-giving will [follow]( the TIFF world premiere screening Sunday night of High Life, Denis' English-language debut, a sci-fi drama that stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth and Andre Benjamin. ► Bad Times at the El Royale to close San Sebastian Film Festival. Goddard will see the world premiere of his second feature out of competition. Goddard [penned]( the scripts for Cloverfield (2008), War World Z (2013) and The Martian (2015). Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Quincy highlights life and career of Quincy Jones. The trailer opens with Jones being introduced as "one of the finest musicians." A clip of Lady Gaga stating, "Pressure's on. Quincy's here" shows his lasting influence in the music industry. The doc was directed by Jones' daughter Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks. [Watch.]( L.A.'s 20 hottest restaurants right now. In September, say hello to Otono. Triple Beam Pizza has fallen off the chart. [Interactive map.]( WarnerMedia's Probe Alleged silence for roles: A woman who appeared in two Warner Bros. films is at the center of an inquiry sparked by an anonymous letter, Kim Masters reports: + Explosive queries: The gist of the questions posed in the anonymous letter — from an individual identified only as “Social Justice Warrior” — to WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey are whether an actress had been promised speaking roles in films in exchange for her silence about alleged misconduct of an unnamed Warners executive. + WarnerMedia's follow-up: Attorney John Spiegel of Munger, Tolles & Olson wrote in a letter obtained by THR that his firm, retained by WarnerMedia, "would very much appreciate receiving any information you have relating to the questions posed and comments made in your email, and would like to meet with you to discuss that information at your earliest convenience.” * Spiegel and Warners' history: Warner Bros. has previously used Spiegel and Munger Tolles to handle especially thorny legal issues, including the studio’s high-profile divorce from Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen. + Actress denies an agreement: In an email to THR, the actress’ agent denied any impropriety in her casting. “My client legitimately received her roles on [the films] through the directors and producers on those films,“ the agent said, adding, “My client did not receive these roles under any settlement agreement." [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Time's Up asks CBS to drop Leslie Moonves without golden parachute. "A $100 million settlement sends a [message]( to survivors everywhere that powerful men can act without fear of consequence," the organization said. ► Amy Powell, Paramount TV reach settlement over her firing. The executive was [let go]( by Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos after she allegedly made racially insensitive comments in the office. Powell later denied that she said anything inflammatory and hired lawyer Bryan Freedman, claiming that the termination was primarily motivated by gender bias. ► Paramount names Michael Armstrong exec vp of worldwide TV licensing and operations. Armstrong, who [joined]( Viacom in 1998, most recently served as exec vp and general manager of BET Networks. Previously, he served as exec vp and general manager, revenue and emerging brands for Viacom International Media Networks. ► WarnerMedia enlists lawyer to look into claims about executive and actress. A woman who appeared in two Warner Bros. films is at the center of an inquiry [sparked]( by an anonymous letter, Kim Masters reports. ► WarnerMedia chief says "I don't want to re-create Netflix." John Stankey said the streaming giant in three years won't look the way it does today given that it is working "very aggressively" to have more original content and [reduce]( its reliance on library programming. ► HBO renews Insecure, Ballers. The renewals for Insecure and Ballers comes midway through both shows' current seasons. The comedies will [return]( for seasons four and five, respectively. ► Party of Five reboot nabs Freeform pilot order. Original creators Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman [penned]( the script for the drama, which follows five children as they struggle to survive together after their parents are deported to Mexico. ► High School Musical TV series details revealed. The series will be a 10-episode story shot as a [docu-style series]( for Disney's forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service. The service will be home to Disney's animated features and Marvel movies as well as original films and TV series. ► Mario to recur in Empire. Mario will play the role of Devon, [described]( by Fox as "an earnest, up-and-coming R&B singer who supports his ailing sister." The hit musical drama returns with season five on Sept. 26. ► This Is Us getting regional adaptation in Turkey. Broadcast television's No. 1 scripted drama series is now being [licensed]( for international markets, with Turkey signing on to become the first local adaptation of NBC's Dan Fogelman-created family drama. ► ABC's Single Parents adds Hannah Simone for guest arc. The former New Girl star will [reunite]( with two of that show's executive producers, J.J. Philbin and Liz Meriwether, on the freshman comedy. ► Smart TVs prepping screens to inform users of class action lawsuit. After ProPublica first [revealed]( in 2015 that Vizio was offering advertisers highly specific viewing behavior data, a rash of class action lawsuits followed. Those were eventually consolidated, and a judge ruled twice that Vizio had to face claims ranging from violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act to illegal wiretapping. ► Former CNN contributor Scottie Nell Hughes joins RT America. Hughes will [anchor]( the network's 5 and 8 p.m. ET weeknight newscasts, essentially replacing the late Ed Schultz, who died in July. She's recently served as a guest anchor on the network. [Quoted:]( "I'm always trying to preserve that part of myself that... somebody called one day the ‘divine spark.’ And you gotta take care of that little spark, because it's really all there is. If you extinguish that, you're pretty much gone." — Jim Carrey, on how he and his Kidding character are similar. ^Fall TV preview. Rick Porter looks at potential breakouts, tough time periods and the outlook for Tuesday nights in 2018-19, led by ABC's The Conners. [Full analysis.]( Ratings notes... ► Mayans MC premiere nearly identical to Sons of Anarchy. The FX spinoff premiered Tuesday night to 2.53 million viewers and a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49. That's almost identical to the premiere numbers for Sons of Anarchy on Sept. 3, 2008: 2.53 million and a slightly higher 1.2 demo rating. [Details.]( ► RBG rollout continues with strong CNN showing. The Oscar hopeful [brought]( a healthy 1.7 million viewers to the cable news network. The CNN Films production, which has already earned nearly $14 million at the domestic box office, ranked as one of the cable news network's top feature premieres during its Labor Day broadcast. The Emmys approach... ► Sandra Oh, Millie Bobby Brown among first wave of Emmys presenters. Five of the presenters are up for nominations themselves: Oh (Killing Eve); Brown (Stranger Things); Alec {NAME} (Saturday Night Live); Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); and Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live). [List.]( Podcast news... ► Dr. Phil to launch interview podcast. On Phil in the Blanks, McGraw will [conduct]( intimate one-on-one interviews with leaders in their respective industries. People who will drop by include Megyn Kelly, Dax Shepard, TMZ's Harvey Levin and Vivica A. Fox. The first season is set to launch mid-January with comedian and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno. ► Missing Richard Simmons host sets follow-up podcast Surviving Y2K. Producers Topic Studios and Pineapple Street Media are re-teaming with Dan Taberski on a podcast that will [investigate]( the turn-of-the-century hysteria known as Y2K. Digital digest... ► Twitter bans Alex Jones over "abusive behavior." Twitter was one of the few social media sites that did not [kick]( Jones off its platform last month. At the time, the company said he had not violated its policies but would act if he did; it did temporarily limit his account in August after he violated the company's rules against abusive behavior. ► NBCUniversal adds trio to Hulu board. The media conglomerate, which [owns]( a 30 percent stake in Hulu, has named Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell, advertising and client partnerships chairman Linda Yaccarino and content distribution chairman Matt Bond to the joint venture's board of directors, Natalie Jarvey reports. ► MTV News' Josh Horowitz inks overall deal with Viacom, relaunches web series. As part of the deal, Viacom's Comedy Central has [relaunched]( Horowitz's sketch comedy web series, After Hours. The series, which originally streamed on MTV.com starting in 2010, began debuting episodes at the end of August across Comedy Central digital platforms. Talking points... ► Geoffrey Owens mulling "handful" of TV offers. It's been a full week since the actor was [shamed]( for working a traditional job, and while the experience was devastating, it has also been a blessing, he says. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Jennifer Garner, unhappy campers deal on edge in Camping. David Tennant, Juliette Lewis, Bridget Everett and Ione Skye also star in the limited series from Girls showrunners Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. [Watch.]( Judge tosses gender-based claims against Fred Savage in assault lawsuit. Youngjoo Hwang [claimed]( the actor created a hostile work environment for women on the set of The Grinder, but the court found she hasn't proven any of the alleged conduct was motivated by gender, Ashely Cullins reports. Trump's Disastrous Football Ownership Tempestuous term: A scathing letter from a colleague is just one of many ominous harbingers chronicled by Jeff Pearlman in Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL, which charts the president's failed attempt at mounting a flashier competitor to the NFL in the mid-'80s, Seth Abramovitch reports: + Toxic disruption: According to the book, things went south as soon as Trump, then 37, entered the equation. After purchasing the New Jersey Generals for $9 million, he started demanding big changes. Foremost, he wanted the season to begin in fall instead of spring, to compete directly with the NFL. Says Pearlman, "He coveted his own NFL and would do anything to get one." + Funneling positive spin: It was during Trump's tenure as a USFL owner that he first concocted his infamous alter-ego "John Barron," a purported press agent who would call media outlets on Trump's behalf and feed them favorable tips about his "boss." In reality, the caller was Trump. [Full story.]( What else we're reading... — "Can the Murphy Brown Reboot Succeed Amid the Media Chaos of 2018?" Joy Press visits the set: "The writers themselves are also adjusting to our light-speed news cycle. It takes months to bring a scripted series from conception to broadcast. … [Diane] English pushed for the tightest turnaround time between shooting and airing, and they’ve got wiggle room to plug in last-minute topical elements." [[Vanity Fair](] — "The Joke I Most Regret: Stand-Ups Reflect." Patton Oswalt, Sasheer Zamata and more open up to Erik Abriss: "As the discourse rages on about whether or not political correctness is destroying comedy (spoiler alert: it isn’t), these 13 comedians decided that self-interrogation is ultimately a good thing." [[Vulture](] — "Hal Ashby’s American Pictures." Sean Fennessey considers: "Ashby had a way of making his movies about weighty ideals and real-seeming people, neither of which have aged much in the past 40 or so years. They explored friendship, romance, war, peace, sex, race, gender, celebrity, and parenthood. ... Ashby made message movies with a simple code of empathy and decency." [[The Ringer](] — "How Mabel Normand, Chaplin’s Mentor, Changed Cinema." Jay McCarthy writes: "Ingenues at the time had a tendency to big-eyed stiffness and the weight of their stage legacy was substantial. Normand, by contrast, had an on-screen looseness that still feels strikingly modern." [[The Guardian](] — "Vine and Musica.ly Transformed The Music Industry — Then They Disappeared." Cherie Hu explores: "In particular, one common thread connecting the financial struggles of SoundCloud, Vine and Musical.ly is that those companies tried to bolster an otherwise innovative, influential cultural product with a much more traditional, old-fashioned business model." [[Music Business Worldwide](] What else we're watching... + "A Closer Look at GOP's corrupt bargain with 'reckless' Trump." [[Late Night](] + "Colbert waxes on strange case of the anonymous op-ed." [[Late Show](] + "Paul McCartney leaves voicemail at Fallon's childhood phone number." [[Tonight Show](] + "Paul Feig watches back his 1976 commercial." [[Late Late Show](] From the archives... + On Sept. 7, 1979, ESPN debuted at 7 p.m. ET, long before it was the self-proclaimed "worldwide leader in sports." In fact, the network that bloomed in Bristol, Connecticut had an inauspicious start: "The only all‐sports TV network in the world started here practically by accident. A former sportscaster for the Whalers hockey club in Hartford, the 46‐year‐old [Bill] Rasmussen applied for a license last year to show University of Connecticut sports on a local cable outlet." [[New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Evan Rachel Wood, 31, JD Pardo, 38, Oliver Hudson, 42, Shannon Elizabeth, 45, Tom Everett Scott, 48, Leslie Jones, 51, Toby Jones, 52, W. Earl Brown, 55, Corbin Bernsen, 64, Michael Emerson, 64, Dario Argento, 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]( September 7, 2018