Toronto Scorecard: Deals, Buzz, Reviews; 'Nun' Divine Box Office; Venice Diary; L.A.'s Incognito Art Sale; Dining Column Debut

What's news: Natalie Portman makes her Oscars case with her powerful, multi-dimensional turn in Vox Lux. Plus: Amazon poaches Project Runway's stars for its own fashion series, The Nun looks to frighten theatergoers upward of $45 million and remembering rapper Mac Miller. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( September 08, 2018 What's news: Natalie Portman makes her Oscars case with her powerful, multi-dimensional turn in Vox Lux. Plus: Amazon poaches Project Runway's stars for its own fashion series, The Nun looks to frighten theatergoers upward of $45 million and remembering rapper Mac Miller. — Will Robinson ^Portman eyes Oscar: Natalie Portman, the 2011 Academy Award-winner, looks to make a second bid at a statuette with the hot Toronto acquisition title Vox Lux, Scott Feinberg writes: + Singular turn: Portman’s bold and brave performance, which includes a drug-addled meltdown as well as an all-out song-and-dance concert performance, makes it well worth the price of admission — and could buy it a ticket into the Oscar race. + Musical nods: Sia is also responsible for the film’s songs, some of which could attract Oscar attention — particularly one that appears to be called “I Crumble” — as could the film’s cinematography, which features many long Steadicam takes, by Lol Crawley. + Possible hang-ups: The biggest hurdles for Vox Lux, which was produced by Andrew Lauren Productions and Bold Films, will be its graphic and disturbing violence, as well as a story that can feel overwhelming in trying to address so much in less than two hours. [Full analysis.]( + Struggle for domestic distributor: An influx of private capital into indie film the past few years has made it easier for producers to get smaller films made, but the recent bankruptcy of Global Road, following the collapse of The Weinstein Co. and Broad Green, has further [tightened]( independent film's biggest bottleneck for independent film: securing theatrical distribution, Scott Roxborough reports. Latest reviews... + Amazon's Homecoming: The Sam Esmail-exec produced series starring Julia Roberts is a visually dazzling thriller that plays on memory, the military industrial complex, conspiracy and unchecked government privilege to immediately set the hook as an intriguing, ambitious work of television, Daniel Fienberg asserts. [Full review.]( + George Tillman's The Hate U Give: Viewers who've actually been in the protest trenches may long for a grittier take. But in [sanitizing]( some aspects of this experience, The Hate U Give brings the world of protest and agitation a little closer to those whose privilege has made it relatively easy to ignore, John DeFore writes. + Anthony Maras' Hotel Mumbai: Eschewing any probing political or social commentary to focus solely on the event itself, while [offering up]( a triumph-over-adversity tale we’ve seen too many times before, the film is both gripping in its execution — although a two-hours-plus running time feels a bit stretched — and totally bland in what it’s trying to say, Jordan Mintzer writes. + Felix Van Groeningen's Beautiful Boy: Beautiful Boy is a one-note, prosaic, on-the-nose look at drug addiction that’s set up as a [showcase]( for two fine actors, Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell, Todd McCarthy considers. + Sebastien Lelio's Gloria Bell: The Chilean writer-director hits with Gloria Bell, a joyously bittersweet reboot of his 2013 Spanish-language prize-winner Gloria, which is [graced]( by a finely etched and vanity-free lead performance by Julianne Moore, Stephen Dalton praises. Toronto developments... + Media Rights Capital nabs worldwide rights to Daniel Craig's Knives Out. The high-profile indie murder mystery, directed by Rian Johnson, was [being shopped]( at the Toronto Film Festival by CAA Media Finance and FilmNation, and CAA Media Finance brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. + Magnolia secures Roger Ailes doc Divide and Conquer: Directed by Alexis Bloom (Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds), the doc [centers]( on the controversial and hugely influential former chairman and CEO of Fox News. Magnolia is planning a Dec. 7 release following a fall festival run. A&E Network retains television rights to the film. + Sony Classics nears deal for Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly's Stan & Ollie: John Baird directed the drama, which [revolves]( around the late comedy duo Laurel & Hardy and is set in the early 1950s, as the two attempt to reignite their film careers while embarking on what became their swan song — a grueling theater tour of post-war Britain. + Neil Jordan's thriller Greta nabbed by Focus for $4M. The film, which stars Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Grace Moretz, [centers]( on a young woman who befriends a lonely widow until things then take a sinister turn. + Saban, DirecTV nab Olivia Wilde pic A Vigilante: Written and directed by Sarah Daggar-Nickson, the thriller [centers]( on a once-abused woman who devotes herself to ridding victims of their domestic abusers. + Alex Pettyfer, Charlotte Le Bon board sci-fi Warning: They [join]( James D'Arcy and Mena Massoud in the indie from director Agata Alexander and The Exchange in an anthology series that explores loneliness, death and the meaning of life. + Kandoo Films launches distribution arm: The LA-based company has set the Emmanuelle Chriqui and Sam Trammell-starrer Hospitality as its [first outing]( for Kandoo Releasing. Scenes from the ground... + Stars take in the festival: Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Sissy Spacek, Steve Carell and Olivia Munn were among those at the fest. [Gallery.]( THR's TIFF daily. Check out the Day 2 publication to catch up on the latest deals and analysis from reporters on the scene. [Download.]( 'The Nun' Targets Divine Debut Conjuring-verse expands: Warner Bros' supernatural horror pic is off to a mighty start at the North American box office, sticking to its $42 million-$45 million tracking for the weekend, Pamela McClintock reports: + Strong Thursday: The Nun raked in $5.4 million on Thursday night previews. The spinoff has a strong shot of scoring the biggest opening of any title in New Line and Warner Bros.' Conjuring franchise, as well as one of the top September openings of all time, not adjusted for inflation. + Inter-studio rivalry: The spooky R-rated pic will easily win the weekend ahead of fellow Warners film, Crazy Rich Asians, which has topped the domestic chart for three consecutive weekends. The rom-com will hardly be a slouch in its fourth outing, and is expected to earn another $12 million for a domestic total of roughly $133 million through Sunday. + Meek Peppermint take: STXfilms' R-rated action-thriller starring Jennifer Garner and directed by Pierre Morel (Taken) is also opening nationwide this weekend. Peppermint earned $800,000 in previews for a projected $11 million-$12 million weekend, including roughly $4.5 million on Friday. [Full analysis.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Michael Moore ditched arbitration with ex-wife eyeing movie profits. Kathleen Glynn alleges she's getting [meager sums]( for his films. In addition to being married to Moore for 23 years, Glynn was also his business partner and a producer on such films as Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. ► Ol' Dirty Bastard biopic in the works at Sony. RZA will [produce]( the movie about one of Wu-Tang Clan's founding members. The late O.D.B. (born Russell Tyrone Jones) was a founding member of the Staten Island rap collective with cousins RZA and GZA. ► UTA elevates four executives to partner. René Jones, Jim Meenaghan, Rich Shuter and David Spingarn are now non-agent partners. The elevations [bring]( the partnership to 58, while the new additions join COO Andrew Thau as UTA's non-agent partners. ► Vince Vaughn charged with DUI, failing to comply with police. Authorities say Vaughn repeatedly [refused]( to get out of his car when officers asked him at a sobriety checkpoint in Manhattan Beach on June 10. Vaughn has not entered a plea and is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Monday. [Quoted:]( "If she was a male character nobody would even blink an eye — they would think she was fascinating. But we get scared when women characters are that idiosyncratic." — director Marielle Heller, on Melissa McCarthy's character in Can You Ever Forgive Me?. ^Allure of the Floating City: The awards season begins with Damien Chazelle's and Bradley  Cooper's premieres as fest regular Irena Medavoy (wife of producer Mike) shares the buzz from the carpet and the canal city's glamorous party scene: + Mutual respect: When Peter Cramer and his wife, Stacy, had the equivalent of an overheated engine in the Universal water taxi, stuck with no motor running in neutral canal waters, Fox Searchlight's vessel came to the rescue and gave Universal a ride back to Cipriani. + Harry's Bar is the spot: After the [First Man] premiere there was a small dinner at Harry's Bar where Damien and his wife, Olivia Hamilton, Claire Foy and Jason Clarke were honored with moving toasts from producer (and Paramount president) Wyck Godfrey and Universal's Peter Cramer. Harry’s during the festival is like a private club; you go there and bump into anyone who is in town. [Full diary.]( On the festival circuit... ► Claire Burger's Real Love wins top Venice Days prize. Real Love is about the [struggle]( of a single father raising two girls. The lineup this year featured six films directed by women, out of 12 movies in the section. ► Syrian film Still Recording wins Venice Critics' Week audience award. French film Blonde Animals [won]( the Verona Film Club prize. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Matthew McConaughey lives life to the fullest in The Beach Bum. The film follows the misadventures of Moondog (McConaughey), a rebellious and lovable rogue who lives his life to the fullest. Isla Fisher, Zac Efron, Jonah Hill and more also star in the Harmony Korine film. [Watch.]( How an Apple Watch cameo in The Front Runner went viral. Though Jason Reitman's new film [takes place]( in 1988 — following the presidential campaign of Hugh Jackman's Gary Hart — a reporter's wrist is shown donning the device, which wasn’t introduce until 2015, in a promotional photo for the movie. Ontario Welcomes Netflix, Hulu Digital boon: With the streaming giants setting up shop in the Canadian province, insiders say the deep-pocketed behemoths offer nothing but upside to local producers, Etan Vlessing reports: + Strong incentives: As the streamers join other American players weighing the incentives, soundstages and local crews on offer in Ontario, the province’s 2.15 percent all-spend film and TV tax credit has proved to be a huge draw. “[U.S. streamers] like it here, and so they are sending more business up to us, putting more pressure on capacity,” explains Jim Mirkopoulos, a vp at Cinespace Film Studios + Handmaid's Tale's success: Says Hulu vp content development Beatrice Springborn: “The backdrops were equally as important as the characters and storylines that audiences have connected with so much over the two seasons of this show.... The support of the Ontario film community played an integral role in the show’s success." + Open for business: “The American over-the-top companies are just getting started. Let the feeding frenzy begin,” says Paul Bronfman, chairman and CEO of studio and production equipment supplier William F. White and chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios. “Our company is ready to service all of them.” [Full story.]( Digital digest... ► Tim Armstrong to leave Verizon's Oath. The longtime media executive will [depart]( the company as it refocuses on its 5G cellular technology and away from content under newly appointed CEO Hans Vestberg. The executive has overseen Oath since it formed through the merger of AOL and Yahoo last year. ► Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn exit Project Runway for Amazon Fashion show. The duo spent 16 seasons (and 14 years) together on the Bravo fashion competition series. As part of the series, Amazon Fashion will [create]( a shoppable experience for viewers as the retailer and streamer looks to bridge the intersection of content, commerce and technology. * Project Runway loses Zac Posen too. The designer — a judge on the past six seasons of the show — also said he's [departing](. Bravo has yet to announce a host or judges for the 17th season of the show. ► Fullscreen CEO George Strompolos to step down. Strompolos is [stepping down]( from the company he founded eight months after he sold the remainder of the business to AT&T's Otter Media. In a letter to staff, he said that he will transition into an advisory role with the digital media business. ► Apple bans Alex Jones' InfoWars app from App Store. The news comes after Apple [removed]( five InfoWars podcasts from its iTunes online marketplace in August. The podcasts, which include the Jones-hosted War Room, are no longer available via either iTunes or Apple's podcasting app. Elsewhere in TV... ► Carolyn Cassidy promoted at 20th Century Fox TV. Cassidy's [promotion](Carolyn%20Cassidy%20Promoted%20at%2020th%20Century%20Fox%20TV) comes at a time when some studio executives have opted to depart 20th amid uncertainty about its role once the Disney acquisition is finalized. Since overseeing current since 2015, Cassidy has helped foster franchises in This Is Us, Empire and 9-1-1. ► Brooklyn Nine-Nine lands expanded episode order at NBC. NBC [acquired]( the sitcom — which is going from 13 to 18 episodes — in May after Fox's surprising decision to cancel the drama produced by Universal Television. The network will debut the comedy in midseason, with a specific return date yet to be determined. ► Geoffrey Owens joins Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots. The former Cosby Show actor will [recur]( on the OWN series after Perry reached out in support of Owens working a day job between acting gigs. ► Dylan McDermott sexual assault case dismissed by L.A. DA. The American Horror Story star was [accused]( of assaulting a woman in 1991, but prosecutors have declined the case, saying it's beyond the statute of limitations. ► Univision must face lawsuit for streaming soccer matches on Facebook. Univision broadcasts matches played in Mexico's top league, Liga MX. In its complaint, Dish stated these matches are "a major viewing attraction for Hispanic-American television audiences — one might compare it to the National Football League in terms of the interest it [generates](." ► Muppet Babies, Vampirina, Puppy Dog Pals renewed at Disney Junior. The network, aimed at kids 2 to 7, has ordered new seasons of all three series. Disney Junior says the three shows [combined]( reach an average of 515 million households via Disney Channels and Disney Junior channels around the world. [Quoted:]( "You couldn't make it today because of the lack of diversity on screen. I personally think it would feel bizarre." — Sarah Jessica Parker, on legacy of her hit HBO show Sex and the City. ^RIP Mac Miller: The Pittsburgh-bred rapper was reportedly found dead in his San Fernando Valley home on Friday afternoon. Miller was 26. * Family statement: "He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends, and fans. There are no further details available as to the cause of his death. Thank you for your prayers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this time." [[Billboard](] + Musicians pay tribute: "I dont know what to say Mac Miller took me on my second tour ever," Chance the Rapper tweeted. "But beyond helping me launch my career he was one of the sweetest guys I ever knew. Great man. I loved him for real. Im completely broken. God bless him." [[Billboard](] Ratings note... ► NFL opener down vs. 2017 in early numbers. NBC's broadcast drew a 13.4 household rating in metered markets, [down]( about 8 percent from 14.6 for last year's opener. A weather delay that pushed kickoff back 45 minutes to 9:05 p.m. ET likely contributed some to the decline, as the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons ended after midnight ET. The arts scene... ► L.A.'s popular Incognito benefit art sale is reborn downtown. Veep star and collector Reid Scott is among those joining tonight's frenzied event at ICA L.A., where attendees will [snap up]( $500 works without knowing who created them — and art stars like Kenny Scharf and Catherine Opie share the shelves with unknowns, Alison Brower reports. ► Aretha Franklin's costumes are going up for auction. More than 30 of the Queen of Soul’s stage pieces go on the block Nov. 9 and 10 during Julien’s Auctions’ Icons & Idols: Rock-N-Roll event. [Details.]( In memoriam... ► RIP Bill Daily. The funnyman known for his supporting work on the sitcoms I Dream of Jeannie and The Bob Newhart Show died Tuesday. He was 91. [Full obit.]( Coming attractions... ► First look: This Is Us shares tear-inducing season three footage. A baby for Kate and Toby? Who is the "her" from the finale? What's next for everyone? [Watch.]( ► First look: JoJo Siwa gets animated in new Nickelodeon series. Nickelodeon is debuting a new animated series, The JoJo & BowBow Show Show, featuring the social media star and her beloved dog BowBow on its YouTube channel on Saturday, Sept. 22. Six episodes have been ordered. [Watch.]( Charlie Rose argues women can't dress up "banter" as unlawful harassment. The former co-anchor of CBS This Morning seeks [dismissal]( of a lawsuit brought by Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Chelsea Wei, Eriq Gardner reports. Restaurant Review: Tesse Dining out: THR kicks off a new monthly column from Gary Baum with an appraisal of Bill Chait's brashly ambitious bistro, Tesse, on L.A.'s Sunset Strip: + Playing the hits: When chef Raphael Francois leans in to his classic technique, it's faultless: precise vegetable "beignets"; a creamy beef tartare on a disc of Grana Padano Parmesan; a passel of arguably the best in-house saucisse in town — the lobster sausage in particular a showcase of airy delicacy. * Inconsistencies show: At least in the early going, though, Francois appears to be spending quite a bit of time out front, working the floor. Perhaps this is a factor in some intelligently conceived dishes that fall victim to ill finesse, like a too-salty assemblage of asparagus with hollandaise, prosciutto and chanterelles, a stringy lamb confit, or an overly dressed baby gem salad. + Wait out kinks: Beware Tesse's cocksure start, and avoid the seating in which strangers find themselves sharing intimate loveseats, the latest low in enforced communal dining. But don't blanch; maybe just wait the place out a bit. Beyond the brashness, there's a sense of serious purpose here — and a promise of improved performance. [Full review.]( What to watch this weekend... THR critic Daniel Fienberg sends his recommendation: It's Week 2 of the college football season and Week 1 of the NFL season, but you're not looking to me to tell you that USC/Stanford is Saturday's best NCAA action or that Patriots/Texans should be a fun game on Sunday. Instead, let me point you to several of the best unscripted shows on television, namely HBO's long-running Hard Knocks and Netflix's Last Chance U. Chances are good that you already watch Hard Knocks, which has built a bubble of irrational optimism around the Browns this season, but if you haven't checked out Netflix's look inside the world of high stakes junior college football, be aware that this year's installment, set at Independence CC in Kansas, is full of NSFW language. And if neither of those options work for you, just watch Friday Night Lights again. Clear eyes, full hearts, etc. What else we're reading... — "Random Acts of Flyness Creator Reveals 'Discomfort' of His Creative Process." Beandrea July speaks with Terence Nance: "The [writers] room was very reflective of the community of artists that I'm inspired by consistently. These are the people I know best and I trust the most creatively." [[THR](] — "Terry Crews Made Hollywood Listen—And He’s Not Done Yet." Laura Bradley spoke to the actor: "I just really want to make sure people know this is a good, good victory. This is a validation of all the people who were totally invalidated, and I could not be happier for them—for them. Because [this win] really, really says, ‘You are a full-fledged human being, and you deserve to be treated as such.’” [[Vanity Fair](] — "Chloë Sevigny Wants More. Lizzie Borden Is Helping With That." Brooks Barnes profiles: "Ms. Sevigny, it turns out, has begun a relatively radical career turn. Tired of being defined more by her offscreen aura than by her acting … Ms. Sevigny produced Lizzie so that she could, for the first time in her 50-film career, play the lead part." [[New York Times](] — "The Comforts of Watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Eat Itself." Ian Crouch rejoices: "Yet while the series has, over the years, made surprisingly cogent arguments about everything from gun control to mental illness, its true dedication has been to its own flavor of nonsense, and to itself." [[The New Yorker](] — "Pop’s Biggest Stars Are Controlling Their Own Narratives Like Never Before." Stephen Kearse considers: "Through cultivated standoms, tailored apps, and willed bypasses of the press, artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Chance the Rapper are now regulating the silence rather than breaking it. It’s a strange new order, and it’s increasingly unclear who benefits, if anyone at all, from all this obsessive tinkering." [[Pitchfork](] What else we're watching... + "Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra made their own couple nickname." [[Tonight Show](] + "Sharon Osbourne remembers Ozzy doing 'crappy' things." [[Late Show](] + "Shannon Purser discusses the Barb/Stranger Things phenomenon." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "James Corden plays 'Musical Chers' with Cher & William H. Macy." [[Late Late Show](] From the archives... + On Sept. 8, 1966, NBC decided to boldly go where no one has gone before by debuting Star Trek. Creator Gene Roddenberry set his sights higher than just sci-fi pulp: "Star Trek started with the premise that the American television audience is a lot more intelligent and perceptive than the so-called 'experts' insist. We feel you can short-change that audience only at your own peril." [Flashback column.]( Today's birthdays: Gaten Matarazzo, 16, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, 37, Pink, 39, Larenz Tate, 43, Martin Freeman, 47, David Arquette, 47, Brian Huskey, 50, Thomas Kretschmann, 56. 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 8, 2018