Amazon's Big Swings; Ansel's 'West Side Story'; 'Star Wars' Russia Trolls; Louis' New Set; 'Venom' Premiere

What's news: Amazon bolsters its original content push by inking a deal with Neil Gaiman and ordering fantasy epic The Wheels of Time. Plus: Steven Spielberg taps Ansel Elgort to lead West Side Story, NBC's Manifest shines in live +3 ratings and Stormy Daniels' book is out today. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( October 02, 2018 What's news: Amazon bolsters its original content push by inking a deal with Neil Gaiman and ordering fantasy epic The Wheels of Time. Plus: Steven Spielberg taps Ansel Elgort to lead West Side Story, NBC's Manifest shines in live +3 ratings and Stormy Daniels' book is out today. — Will Robinson Amazon's Latest Swings Wealth of IP: During the Amazon Prime Video Presents showcase in London, the streamer announced an exclusive TV development deal with Neal Gaiman and ordered an adaptation of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time to series, Alex Ritman reports: + Gaiman's deal: Amazon is currently adapting Gaiman's 1990 book Good Omens that he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett into a six-part series. The arrangement comes after Gaiman's first-look TV deal with Fremantle, which is behind the adaptation of his novel American Gods for Starz (Amazon picked it up for several international territories), expired earlier this year. + Fremantle drama: Gaiman's move to Amazon follows a rocky experience with producers Fremantle on American Gods. The series parted ways with original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green after clashes over budget and creative in season one. Season two showrunner Jesse Alexander has largely been sidelined amid an array of troubles with Fremantle behind the scenes on the pricey drama. [Full story.]( + Jordan's epic: Spanning 14 volumes, The Wheel of Time has sold more than 90 million copies internationally, making it the biggest-selling fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings (which, coincidentally, Amazon is also adapting for TV). + Show details: Amazon ordered the one-hour action fantasy to series, with Sony Pictures TV co-producing and Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who adapted the books for TV, serving as showrunner. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Gary Newman in talks for new Fox role. The exec will [likely stay]( at the broadcast network, as longtime counterpart Dana Walden and boss Peter Rice are expected to take a job at Disney upon the conclusion of the merger. ► Manifest cements status as premiere week's top series debut in live +3. The NBC drama, which was also the top-rated new show of the week in the same-day ratings, [grew]( from a 2.2 rating among adults 18-49 to a 3.6 — the biggest gain for any show so far (This Is Us is second with a 1.3-point gain). ► Louis C.K. returns to Comedy Cellar one month after controversial comeback gig. "The crowd was very enthusiastic," an onlooker tells THR, [adding]( that two patrons did, however, take advantage of the comedy club's new "Swim at Your Own Risk" policy and ask for refunds. ► Viacom names Brian Robbins president of Nickelodeon. In the new role, Robbins will [report]( directly to Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Viacom, and will manage the creative and business operations at Nickelodeon. Robbins most recently served as president of Paramount Pictures’ Paramount Players division. ► Stephen Colbert will go live for midterms. Colbert [joins]( Trevor Noah in broadcasting live that night, as Comedy Central's The Daily Show announced its own plans several weeks prior. Colbert last went live after the 2018 State of the Union Address in January. The upcoming effort marks the 18th time that the late-night show has aired live. ► Mayans MC renewed for season two on FX. The Sons of Anarchy spinoff is cable's top-rated series [launch]( of 2018 to date. The renewal comes four episodes into the show's 10-episode first season. ► Imagine's new doc division sets first series with Sarah Jones. The Tony-winning actress and playwright will [host]( She the People, exploring issues around women, sex and power, to capture "the multiplicity of our culture," Alison Brower reports. ► Supreme Court rejects Cosby's invitation to review Janice Dickinson lawsuit. Dickinson, a former supermodel, [alleges]( her reputation was hurt in 2014 when Cosby's then-attorney Marty Singer told media outlets that her story of being drugged and raped by the comedian was "fabricated and is an outrageous defamatory lie." ► Appeals court attacks "irrelevant" allegation against Sean Hannity on sexual harassment front. Francisco Cortes [loses]( his appeal over what Fox News told The New York Times about its settlement with Tamara Holder. Cortes, a former vice president at Fox News Latino, alleged being scapegoated when the $2.5 million Holder-Fox settlement leaked. ► PBS Kids sets new Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum TV series. The series, [premiering]( fall 2019, will give kids a chance to meet heroic historical figures in the multiplatform show based on Brad Meltzer's books. ^Beyond Rick Grimes. As Andrew Lincoln's lead character prepares for his last stand, The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang and creator Robert Kirkman speak with Josh Wigler about the zombie drama's next chapter: + Ample notice: According to Kang, Lincoln revealed his intentions well before production wrapped on the show's eighth season, the same year that saw the death of Carl Grimes, played since the first episode by Chandler Riggs. Through that moment in the series, Carl's demise was by far and away the biggest change between the Walking Dead source material and the TV series. That will be supplanted by Grimes' departure. + How to craft his end: Kang: "There were a lot of conversations about the ways in which we create a satisfying story for Rick. What are the important things we've seen from Rick in the past? What is his legacy? That was the big conversation we had early on. They took some time to discuss. From there, we jumped into breaking the season." [Full story.]( News Emmys... ► News & Documentary Emmys handed out. The 39th edition of the awards were presented at a ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. [Full winners list.]( Netflix's international moves... ► Netflix takes foreign rights to DC Universe's Titans. The Greg Berlanti-produced DC Comics drama will [bow]( stateside Oct. 12 on the upstart direct-to-consumer streaming service. Netflix will stream the series globally to its members outside of the U.S. and China (where it is not yet available). ► Netflix to open Madrid office, relocate Amsterdam staff. News of Netflix's fourth European office (it also has a major hub in Amsterdam and a growing base in London) was [discussed]( Monday by vp international originals Erik Barmack, who added that it would open in 2019, and some of the company's existing Netherlands-based employees would be relocated to Spain. Digital digest... ► Facebook names Adam Mosseri new head of Instagram. His appointment comes a week after co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger [announced]( that they plan to step down from the company six years after they sold it to Facebook. Mosseri has been with Facebook since 2008, working his way up to be the vp of its News Feed product. Musical notes... ► Ticketmaster hit with class action lawsuit for allegedly encouraging scalpers. "Ticketmaster hasn’t wanted to rid itself of scalpers because, as it turns out, they have been working with them," [states]( the complaint, Ashley Cullins reports. ► John Legend sets first-ever Christmas album and tour. Columbia Records will [release]( the 14-track festive collection on Oct. 26. The 25-date holiday tour will kick off on Nov. 15. ► Panic! at the Disco to play Queen tribute at American Music Awards. The performance will be [introduced]( by Bohemian Rhapsody stars Rami Malek, Joe Mazzello and Gwilym Lee. ► Cardi B turns herself in to police amid strip club fight probe. Police say the rapper and her entourage were present when a [dispute]( occurred at a New York City strip club. According to TMZ, Cardi B will likely be charged with two misdemeanors for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. She is due in court on Oct. 29. In memoriam... ► RIP Marian Rees. The two-time Emmy-winning producer and television pioneer who was known for [tackling]( socially relevant issues in her telefilms died Aug. 26. She was 90. L.A. wine mecca Wally's finds new home in Santa Monica. After 50 years, the Westwood location shutters and new beachside digs open Oct. 6 as Westside clients like Chris O'Donnell welcome the move, Lesley Balla reports. [First look.]( Busan Bounces Back Post-controversy: The Busan Film Festival appears to be mounting a comeback and returning to a state of normalcy following backlash in 2014, when it refused to cancel a screening of a politically sensitive documentary, Lee Hyo-won reports: + The conflict: For the past four years, Asia's largest and most prestigious film festival has experienced gripping unease. Conflict was introduced to the story in 2014, when the festival refused to cancel a screening of the politically sensitive documentary The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol against the wishes of then-Busan mayor and BIFF chairman Suh Byung-soo. + The backlash: Busan city, which funds about half of BIFF's annual budget, responded with drastic funding cuts and unprecedented state audits. Leading local film organizations then said they would boycott the festival because of the government's obvious attempts at censorship and political interference. The likes of Okja helmer Bong Joon Ho refused to attend the event in a gesture of support to its co-founders. + Status quo returns: "This year will mark a turning point for the festival, putting an end to the difficulties of the past three, four years," said fest director Lee Yong-kwan following the fest's lineup announcement Sept. 4. Jeon added that all local filmmakers' guilds have officially put an end to their boycott. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Fox Film vice chair Emma Watts eyes key post-merger role with Disney. Watts' exact role at Disney is still being [hammered out](, although her duties are almost certain to involve guiding films now in the 20th Century Fox pipeline, including the marquee Avatar and Kingsman. Her boss Stacey Snider, however, won't be joining Disney once the historic union closes at the end of the year. ► Ansel Elgort to star in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. The actor will play the leader of the Jets, Tony, a role first [portrayed]( by Larry Kert in the original 1957 Broadway musical. Richard Beymer played the part in the classic 1961 movie. Elgort’s casting now puts West Side Story firmly on track for a summer 2019 production start. ► George Carlin biopic in the works from Moneyball writer. Gail Berman's Jackal Group is [developing]( the biographical project about the late legendary comedian, which will be written by Stan Chervin, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter. ► Black Panther breakout Winston Duke to star in action thriller Heroine. Dan Casey, who [penned]( the recent grounded sci-fi movie Kin, is set to direct the Paramount project that he also wrote. The story tells of a mother, a domestic abuse survivor, who moves into a new neighborhood only to fall into new danger when she witnesses a kidnapping by an Aryan gang. ► Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Dolittle pushed back nine months to early 2020. Stephen Gaghan is [directing]( the star-studded adaptation of the classic fantasy tale about an eccentric doctor who can communicate with animals. It'll arrive Jan. 17, 2020 for Universal. ► The Predator secures China release date. Chinese movie fans are bracing to see how much Beijing's censors will cut from the R-rated film. The 20th Century Fox film will [open]( theatrically in the Middle Kingdom on Oct. 26. ► Jumanji actress Madison Iseman to star in new Annabelle movie. Gary Dauberman, who [wrote]( the two previous installments, will make his directorial debut with the New Line project. ► Diego Boneta joins Milla Jovovich in Monster Hunter. Paul W. S. Anderson, the writer-director behind the video game [adaptation]( franchise Resident Evil, which also starred wife Jovovich, wrote the script and is directing and producing for Screen Gems' adaptation, with longtime cohorts Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer. ► Mark Cuban's Landmark Theatres must face antitrust lawsuit. A judge [refuses]( to dismiss a complaint alleging distributors were coerced into exclusive licenses for specialty films. Landmark contended that a series of theater-by-theater, city-by-city agreements was lawful and didn't add up to any conspiracy to lock down art films from being played by Landmark's competitors. ► Teamsters union votes yes to ratify new contract. Teamsters Local 399 [ratified]( its “Black Book” contract covering drivers and various other workers Monday, with a vote of 73 percent "Yes," according to union secretary-treasurer Steve Dayan. Terms of the deal have not been released. ^Why Michelle Williams said yes to Venom. The actor best-known for emotional indies surprised fans by signing up for a comic book movie, but as she notes: "It’s nice to go to work and not bleed all over everyone," Brian Davids reports: + Hardy's allure: "The truth of it is it came down to Tom Hardy. He’s so talented and so committed. He also makes unusual choices in a moment-to-moment, scene-by-scene kind of way. So, I thought that he would be an exciting guy to get into the ring with. I thought it would be fun to play with him, and it really was." + #MeToo influence on production: The film began shooting in October 2017, when the movement started. "When we started making Venom, I said to the director, Ruben [Fleischer], that I know I can’t exactly wear a #MeToo t-shirt, but that’s the feeling that I want in this movie. There’s a scene where I came up with the line, 'I love you, but I love myself more.' There’s this kind of self-love that all the women that I know are trying to go through right now." [Full interview.]( Early reactions... + Venom premieres in L.A.: The Sony superhero pic debuted in Westwood and drew [mixed reactions](, albeit with Hardy earning praise. The full review embargo lifts Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PT. On the festival circuit... ► Sir Ben Kingsley helps close out L.A. Film Festival at Nomis premiere. The film's stars [discussed]( why the dark tale appealed to them with an on-stage Q&A at the Arclight Hollywood following the LAFF closing night screening. Honorees... ► Santa Barbara honoring Hugh Jackman with Kirk Douglas Award. The 49-year-old Aussie will be [feted]( as the 13th recipient of the award at a black-tie gala dinner on Nov. 19. ► Nicole Kidman to receive Career Achievement Award at Hollywood Film Awards. The HFA [selected]( Kidman for her diverse resume of acting roles, ranging from Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! to Garth Davis' Lion, as well as for her work spotlighting independent, female filmmakers through her production company Blossom Films. The HFA gala will take place on Nov. 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. In memoriam... ► RIP Charles Aznavour. An actor-turned-singer, he [epitomized]( the French chansonnier and became known as France's answer to Frank Sinatra. His songs were half-sung, half-spoken acclamations of love. He died at 94. Coming attractions... ► Teaser: Taron Egerton's Elton John experiences highs and lows in Rocketman. The film retells the story of John's life, ranging in topics from his experience studying at the Royal Academy of Music to his struggles with international fame and drug addiction. John serves as an executive producer, while his husband David Furnish also produced the film. [Watch.]( Star Wars: The Last Jedi negative buzz amplified by Russian trolls, study finds. Researcher Morten Bay findings are [fascinating](; “Overall, 50.9% of those tweeting negatively [about the movie] was likely politically motivated or not even human,” he writes, noting that only 21.9% of tweets analyzed about the movie had been negative in the first place. Stormy Tells All Daniels' life story: From her infamous encounter with Trump at Lake Tahoe to getting death threats from Michael Cohen, adult film star Stormy Daniels tells all about her journey from troubled Louisiana child to household name in her book Full Disclosure, Lexy Perez reports: + Apprentice talks: During their meet-up, Daniels recalls Trump telling her that he thinks she would be a “huge” star if she were to join The Apprentice. Daniels and Trump talked on the phone for six months, only for the former reality star to inform her that the only way he could get her on the show is if he were to give her the challenges “beforehand” so she could “devise” her “technique” before any of the other contestants. + Downey nixed spot: Daniels claims that Trump informed her via phone that she couldn’t join The Apprentice because Roma Downey, the wife of Apprentice executive producer Mark Burnett was going to have a “huge problem” with her being on the show. This was the final time Daniels and Trump were in contact. [Highlights.]( What else we're reading... — "Revenge of Jamie Lee Curtis." David Edelstein profiles: "The new Halloween, the #MeToo hack-’em-up, is one of many in a line of horror films — past and doubtless future — in which traumatized women take their battle to the bogeymen. And right now Jamie Lee Curtis is there to lead the troops." [[Vulture](] — "The Horror Oscars." Sean Fennessey opens the history books: "There are few genres as malleable and sensitive to the times as horror, few that have springboarded more great filmmakers to acclaimed careers, and fewer still that serve movies at their highest purpose: to make viewers feel and think, in a kind of emotional unison." [[The Ringer](] — "Mara Wilson: Matilda and Me at 30." The actress and writer reflects: "Matilda, I believe, displays what [Roald Dahl] considered to be the best virtues: a love of learning and an innate sense of justice, courage, warmth, and a dry wit. She’s thoughtful and self-confident, but never obsessive or conceited. She is extraordinary, but never elitist. She’s perfect." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Lucas Hedges, Boy Wonder." Jaya Saxena interviews the rising actor: "[Hedges is] into 'the idea that vulnerability can be at the centerpiece of what masculinity is in its most beautiful moments. That is really exciting.' That vulnerability is already at the center of his acting—quiet, measured, and entirely mesmerizing to witness." [[GQ](] — "With a Murdoch in Charge, a Start-Up Leads the Way on Mobile Video." Brooks Barnes reports: "By relying on research, [Elisabeth Murdoch's] Vertical has figured out how to engage teenage viewers on Snapchat, for instance, even as proven hit makers like WarnerMedia and Viacom have been slow to gain traction." [[New York Times](] What else we're watching... + "Kenan Thompson recaps Kanye West's unaired SNL pro-Trump speech." [[Late Night](] + "Jimmy Kimmel gives Henry Winkler a gift for his Emmy." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Eric Idle partied with the original Star Wars cast." [[Late Show](] + "Megan Mullally cheers on Nick Offerman's dance troupe moves." [[Tonight Show](] From the archives... + On Oct. 2, 1959, Rod Serling took viewers into The Twilight Zone. The CBS anthology ran for five seasons and wound up being immensely influential for the medium: "This debut scored with dramatic impact infrequently found when the TV camera attempts to focus on the fringes of fantasy, and while short on insight, it was strong on style and solidly suspenseful." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Jacob Sartorius, 16, Samantha Barks, 28, Camilla Belle, 32, Brianna Brown, 39, Efren Ramirez, 45, Kelly Ripa, 48, Terence Winter, 58, Lorraine Bracco, 64, Avery Brooks, 70. 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. 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