#MeToo Helps Actors; Kavanaugh Day; Facebook Outrage; Bryan Singer's Big Pay; Paglia Takes on Instagram

What's news: Bryan Singer's #MeToo comeback is bolstered by an eight-figure check. Plus: Chris Evans bows out as Captain America, Jon Favreau's Star Wars show unveils its directors, including Taika Waititi, and Netflix's big shared universe plans led by Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( October 05, 2018 What's news: Bryan Singer's #MeToo comeback is bolstered by an eight-figure check. Plus: Chris Evans bows out as Captain America, Jon Favreau's Star Wars show unveils its directors, including Taika Waititi, and Netflix's big shared universe plans led by Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves. — Will Robinson ^Singer's fruitful return: Helmer Bryan Singer is negotiating for a fee of up to eight figures from Millennium Films to remake Red Sonja, which, along with Roman Polanski's new film, mark #MeToo's most visible comebacks to date, Tatiana Siegel reports: + Big investment: Millennium Films is willing to take a chance on Singer, hiring him to direct a "female-empowered" remake of Red Sonja. A knowledgeable source tells THR that Singer is negotiating for a payday of up to $10 million, a stunning figure given that there appeared to be no studios gunning for his services amid a risk-averse climate. * Allegations against Singer: In December, Bryan Singer was sued by a man who claims the Bohemian Rhapsody director raped him when he was 17 years old. + Polanski draws big investment: The banished director has secured "a substantial budget" to make passion project J'Accuse, according to a project insider, who adds: "This is not some art house film budget." Alain Goldman (La Vie En Rose) is producing and financing Polanski's period take on the Dreyfus affair, with production starting in October and Oscar winner Jean Dujardin fronting the pic. + Outliers: Polanski and Singer are the exceptions given that networks and studios owned by publicly traded companies have gone so far as to expunge content created by Hollywood's accused, like Louis C.K., whose stand-up shows have been removed from both Netflix and HBO. * Inconsistencies reign: HBO keeps featuring Russell Simmons Presents Def Comedy and Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices on its platforms. The network opted not to remove the content because it would deprive promising comedians of an opportunity to showcase their talent. An HBO spokesperson adds, "We have no other projects with Russell Simmons." [Full story.]( #MeToo, A Year Later Action, not words, needed: One year after producer Harvey Weinstein's fall, ending abuse in the industry requires more than paying lip service to catchy slogans, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris writes: + What #MeToo wrought: The ongoing reckoning prompted by the Weinstein revelations is not simply about toppling predators from their perches. More fundamentally, it’s about the need to create workplace cultures where men and women are equally valued; where discrimination and harassment are universally condemned; where respect is the norm, regardless of job or gender. + Parity progress: If men and women are valued equally at work, it should show in their paychecks. For most women and minorities, it generally doesn’t. That’s why it was so encouraging to see HBO respond to the demand for equality by boosting the salaries of the female stars on Westworld and other series to match the men’s. Netflix did the same after reports showed it had paid Claire Foy less than her male co-star on The Crown. + Fixing culture of silence: Even now, with all we’ve learned, there are victims who are afraid to speak out. There are witnesses of harassment who’ve remained silent. There is clearly much work that remains to be done. Let us commit to real action, action that addresses the basic inequities that are the real root of the problem, before time really is up. [Full column.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Chris Evans officially wraps playing Captain America. "Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor," Evans tweeted after [noting]( Avengers 4 wrapped. "To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful." Aaron Couch emails: Evans took a hero who easily could have been cheesy onscreen and turned him into a character rivaled in popularity only by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. His Captain America films are the only Marvel Studios trilogy not to include a dud, and audiences have just gotten used to seeing him as the character; including cameos, Evans has popped up in a Marvel movie every year since 2011. Not even Samuel L. Jackson can claim that. ► Ben Affleck completes treatment, calls addiction a "lifelong and difficult struggle." The actor, after [completing]( 40 days in rehab for alcohol addiction, says he has found the "courage" to speak out: "I am fighting for myself and my family." ► AMC Theatres' rival MoviePass service boasts 400K patrons after 14 weeks. “While we do not plan to issue A-List enrollment statistics on a weekly basis, our [hitting]( more than 400,000 enrolled members only three months and a week after launching the program is an enormous milestone," AMC CEO-president Adam Aron said in a statement. ► Lionsgate film distribution chief David Spitz signs new long-term deal. The veteran executive has [worked]( on the release of numerous movies ranging from The Hunger Games franchise to La La Land to A Simple Favor, now in theaters. ► Academy launches new "women's initiative." Hannah Gadsby and Lena Waithe will speak at a Los Angeles luncheon, while director Susanne Bier will offer a [keynote](Hannah%20Gadsby%20and%20Lena%20Waithe%20will%20speak%20at%20a%20Los%20Angeles%20luncheon,%20while%20director%20Susanne%20Bier%20will%20offer%20a%20keynote%20at%20a%20luncheon%20in%20London.) at a luncheon in London. ► Paul Feig launches female director incubator. The new program will be run through Feig and Laura Fischer's digital content company, Powderkeg. [Details.]( ► Germany's CineStar teams with Netflix for theatrical release of 22 July. The true-life terror drama from Paul Greengrass will [bow]( on 40 screens in Germany this weekend, ahead of its Oct. 10 release online. Casting call... ► Deadpool 2 actor joins Dwayne Johnson in Fast and Furious spinoff. David Leitch, who directed new castmember Eddie Marsan in both Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde, is [helming]( Hobbs and Shaw. ► Arturo Castro joins Disney's Lady and the Tramp. The Narcos actor has been [added]( as a live castmember along with Kiersey Clemons and Thomas Mann. ► Alexandra Shipp, Keegan-Michael Key join Elle Fanning in All the Bright Places. Luke Wilson is also part of the cast of Netflix's YA [adaptation]( that will be led by Fanning. The 2015 best-seller by Jennifer Niven follows Violet (Fanning) and Theodore (Smith), two high schoolers who struggle with mental illness and who come together to discover the wonders within themselves and the world around them. ► It breakout Sophia Lillis to star in thriller Gretel and Hansel. Lillis [gained]( breakout status for her vulnerable performance as abused pre-teen Beverly Marsh in New Line’s horror hit. [Quoted:]( "Based on our preliminary investigation, we understand that parts of the article in question were not written by Dr. Takla-O’Reilly and that other portions of the article may have come from other sources. We regret any distress caused to Ms. Barrymore by this article." — HFPA statement, on bizarre Drew Barrymore/EgyptAir magazine controversy. ^Billy Crystal makes playwrighting debut at 70. Returning to the New York stage for the first time since his Tony-winning 700 Sundays, Crystal appears with Kevin Kline, Annette Bening, Dick Cavett, Justin Bartha, Rachel Dratch and Darrell Hammond in Have a Nice Day, Frank Scheck reports. [Full interview.]( From the stage... ► Laurie Metcalf, John Lithgow to star on Broadway in Hillary and Clinton. Set during the 2008 Democratic primaries, the play about the complex workings of a marriage [reunites]( Metcalf with producer Scott Rudin and playwright Lucas Hnath, whose A Doll's House, Part 2 won the actress her first Tony. Biz briefs... ► Bron launches new equity investments division. Jennifer Arsenaux will head the new division that has already [completed]( an investment in Animal Kingdom. ► TIFF's Elisabeth Moss punk rock drama Her Smell nabbed by Gunpowder & Sky. Van Toffler and Floris Bauer’s indie distribution company is [planning]( a theatrical release for 2019. ► Sam Elliott's The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Bigfoot nabbed by RLJE Films. The adventure film is executive produced by John Sayles and directed by Robert Krzykowski. RLJE plans to [release]( the film domestically in theaters, VOD and Digital HD in the first quarter of 2019. On the festival circuit... ► Rome to sign gender parity pledge. Industry leaders in Rome are also [exploring]( introducing Sundance’s ReFrame to Europe. The festival will commit to releasing gender statistics on festival submissions, being transparent about its board members, and agreeing to reach gender parity on executive leadership of the festival, according to multiple sources. ► Johnny English Strikes Again to kick off Rome's Alice nella Citta. The independent sidebar, geared toward younger audiences, will present 36 new films in its 18th edition. [Details.]( Honorees... ► Alan Alda to receive SAG life achievement award. The actor, writer, director and producer is best-known for his starring role in M*A*S*H. He'll be the 55th [recipient]( at the 2019 SAG Awards on Jan. 27. ► Steven Spielberg to be honored by Cinema Audio Society. Spielberg will [receive]( the Cinema Audio Society's Filmmaker Award at its Feb. 16, 2019 ceremony. In memoriam... ► RIP Mark Livolsi. The in-demand film editor [worked]( on features that included Wedding Crashers, The Devil Wears Prada, The Blind Side and the upcoming reimagining of The Lion King. He died Sept. 23 at 56. ► RIP Will Vinton. The Oscar-winning visionary with a distinctive waxed mustache [coined]( the term "Claymation" and founded the studio that created the California Raisins. Vinton died Thursday at 70. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Clint Eastwood plays real-life drug courier in The Mule. Eastwood also produced and directed the movie, which is based on the story of real-life drug courier, Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran who smuggled cocaine for Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, beginning in his late 80s. Bradley Cooper and Michael Pena also star. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Dan Rather-exec produced doc Fail State exposes for-profit colleges. The film, directed by Alexander Shebanow, opens Oct. 19 in Los Angeles and Nov. 9 in New York. [Watch.]( Bradley Cooper treated to inaugural PETA prize for casting his dog. Cooper cast his own dog, Charlie, in Warner Bros.' A Star Is Born. "Bradley Cooper's happy, adorable and much loved dog steals the spotlight — and viewers' hearts — in this film because it's clear that he [loved]( being with his real-life 'dad,'" PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement. 'The Mandalorian' Staffs Up The hunt is on: With production underway, Jon Favreau's Star Wars series has booked a slew of promising directors to handle the first set of episodes, Borys Kit reports: + The roster: Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) are among the helmers that will direct the first Star Wars live-action series. + What to expect: The eight-episode show is bowing on Disney’s streaming service in 2019 with Jon Favreau exec producing along with Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson and Filoni. Disney also announced that production is underway. + Sparse plot details: Lucasfilm's synopsis from earlier in the week: "After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic." + What is The Mandalorian?: The Star Wars universe is huge with lots to [explore](, but there are a few clues in Favreau's description that point to where the series might be heading, Patrick Shanley analyzes. Netflix's stream of moves... ► Shonda Rhimes, Matt Reeves developing sci-fi film & TV universe at Netflix. The streamer picked up the rights to Blake Crouch's sci-fi novel Recursion, which centers on a scientist who invents a way to relive and alter memories. The book will be published by Crown on June 11, 2019. [Details.]( ► Netflix signs Narcos showrunner Eric Newman to overall series deal. The pact [cements]( the relationship between the streaming giant and Newman, who also produced the company's feature film Bright. ► Netflix signs lease to take over entire 13-story building in Hollywood starting in 2020. The streamer will [occupy]( 327,913 square feet at the new Gensler-designed building. Netflix will occupy the building in phases beginning in January 2020. The lease will conclude in 2031. ► Lantern: Harvey Weinstein misconduct doesn't cancel Peaky Blinders deal. Netflix has washed its hands by putting $1.6 million in licensing fees into an account pending the resolution of the dispute. On Thursday, Lantern made its first substantive [reply]( to Endemol's objection to the assumption of Peaky Blinders contracts, Eriq Gardner reports. Elsewhere in TV... ► Banijay Group in talks to buy Endemol Shine. Banijay, led by CEO Marco Bassetti, was [founded]( 10 years ago and is one of the largest independent TV producers. The company is owned by LOV Group and DeA Communications, with Vivendi also owning a stake. ► Meg Ryan may star in a Lorne Michaels comedy for NBC. The Obsolescents would be exec produced by the SNL mastermind, with Ryan potentially starring. The series [takes place]( in a New Jersey suburb where the facade of peace and civility is disrupted by the shocking death of a longtime township council member. ► HBO developing Asian-American comedy KTown from Jason Kim, Greta Lee. The dark comedy comes from Kim, a Barry producer, and Lee, who will also have an on-screen role. The show [takes place]( in the eccentric L.A. neighborhood of Koreatown and the kingpin family at the center of it. ► HBO Sports picks up surf doc Momentum Generation. Jeff and Michael Zimbalist are behind the feature, [filmed]( over multiple years, that follows the world's biggest surfers — Taylor Knox, Rob Machado, Kelly Slater among others — as they reflect on the complexity of their brotherhood and competition that has shaped their journeys. ► 12 Monkeys showrunner sets FBI drama at CBS. Terry Matalas is teaming with The Blacklist producers John Fox and John Davis for Apex, which [revolves]( around the daughter of a notorious serial killer who returns to work hunting down murders and deviants for the FBI years after living an inconspicuous suburban life. ► AMC renews Lodge 49 for season two. The Wyatt Russell-starring drama about an ex-surfer at loose ends who finds an unlikely community in a fraternal lodge in Long Beach will [return]( in 2019 with 10 new episodes. The AMC Studios-produced drama wraps its critically praised freshman season on Monday. ► ABC sets interview with Melania Trump for 20/20. Tom Llamas will [interview]( the first lady during her trip to Africa. The special will air Oct. 12. [Quoted:]( "I think it’s fantastic. Good for them. I hope that it becomes huge and successful, and does what it does." — original Buffy star David Boreanaz, blessing the upcoming reboot. ^Jodie Whittaker steps into the TARDIS. The actress talks with THR about making the Doctor her own and why she wants to be more than a feminist icon, Alicia Lutes reports: + Becoming the Doctor: "Being on set for the first time was really emotional, it was incredible for all of us — Chris Chibnall, for [companions] Brad [Walsh] and Mandip [Gill] and Tosin [Cole]. We were supported by this incredible crew, some of whom have been working on [Doctor Who] for 10 to 15 years. "There's no job like it. It's quite liberating as an actor, all the hard work has been done over 55 years, generating a fan base all over the world, I just have to make sure I don't lose it." + Crafting the character: "I think Chris had a very clear idea of the Doctor he was writing, and my energy was suited to that. In no way did I have to go, 'This is the type of Doctor I want to play'; it was there on the page." + Pressure of being first female star: "The wonderful thing about this role is that the people that you're regenerating into look like you could live next door to them — they're not chiseled out of rock or have this extraordinary muscle tone. [Laughs.] It's very ordinary bodies with an extraordinary alien inside, and that's what's appealing about it: it's an icon for all." [Full interview.]( Digital digest... ► Facebook exec's appearance at Kavanaugh hearing reportedly sparks unrest. Company vp global public policy Joel Kaplan was seen sitting behind Judge Brett Kavanaugh during the Senate hearing last week. [More.]( ► EA "closely monitoring" Cristiano Ronaldo sexual assault claim. The athlete, who is the current cover star of FIFA 19, has been [accused]( of raping a woman in 2009. ► New Walking Dead mobile gaming details revealed. FTX Games' broad approach will [spawn]( multiple titles, beginning with a social casino entry and a match-3 adventure game, both coming to the App Store and Google Play. The former, developed by Fox Cub, will blend elements of the series with the popular slot machine sim genre. ► Legal settlement over Vizio's spying TVs recoups a few bucks for owners; millions for lawyers. Lawyers for a group of plaintiffs who [alleged]( that Vizio televisions had collected and disseminated private viewing data pushed for preliminary approval of a $17 million settlement, Eriq Gardner reports. Musical notes... ► Suge Knight sentenced to 28 years in prison. The rap mogul was [convicted]( for the 2015 death of a man he ran over outside a Compton, California, burger stand nearly four years ago. ► Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams extinguish "Spark the Fire" lawsuit. Richard Morrill in January 2017 [sued]( Stefani, her company Harajuku Lovers, Williams and Interscope Records, claiming the chorus of "Spark the Fire" infringes on his rights in a 1996 song called "Who's Got My Lightah." Pronouncing words that end in an 'er' with an 'ah' sound isn't enough to sustain a copyright claim, Ashley Cullins reports. In memoriam... ► RIP Ted Rich. The longtime film editor and postproduction executive [started]( out on I Love Lucy and segued to other television classics like Get Smart, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hill Street Blues and Dallas died at 88. Murphy takes on Washington... ► Murphy Brown faces off against Sarah Huckabee Sanders. After being banned from the White House briefing room, Murphy makes it her mission to confront the White House Press Secretary. [Recap.]( Kavanaugh's confirmation looms... ► Senate moves toward contentious Friday vote. "Republican leaders were increasingly confident that despite a barrage of accusations, the Senate will narrowly vote to cut off debate on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination and move to a final confirmation as early as Saturday." [[New York Times](] ► Amy Schumer detained at Kavanaugh protest in Washington, D.C. Model Emily Ratajkowski says she was [arrested]( Thursday as footage showed Schumer being detained with other protesters. APL dining review. "The beef at APL is supreme stuff that immediately catapults Lang into the top ranks of local steak masters," Gary Baum praises — with some caveats. "A bigger problem is consistency... To err is human; to forgive is how we must dine. However, at these prices, mistakes shouldn't happen with the frequency they do." [Full review.]( Instagram's Lost Art Dangers of current climate: Pro-sex pop-culture academic Camille Paglia contends that misguided posts and Hollywood ignorance plague the current generation: + Unsexy times: As a veteran defender of pornography and staunch admirer of strip clubs, I have to say that an overwhelming number of today's female-authored Instagrams seem stilted, forced and strangely unsexy. Visual illiteracy is spreading: It is sadly obvious that few young people have seen classic romantic films or studied the spectacular corpus of Hollywood publicity stills, with their gorgeous sensual allure. + Artifice rules: Ironically, sexed-up online exhibitionism has escalated as Hollywood movies have steadily lost their once world-famous genius for portraying romantic passion. Nuanced character drama has faded in an era of fast-action video games and superhero blockbusters. A-list women actors with skinny, Pilates-toned bodies seek "important" roles, not bittersweet stories exploring the mercurial vulnerability of love. + Old school did it right: No American movie in decades has approached the blazing sizzle, conveyed simply by eye contact, of the first encounter of Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) on the grand staircase of Gone With the Wind (1939). Electrifying onscreen energy was once generated by stark sexual polarization — old-fashioned gender differences, rooted in biology. [Full essay.]( What else we're reading... — "Top 10 Hollywood Production Design Programs." Cathy Whitlock reports: "Whether one is seeking to weather that creative storm as a production designer, art director or set decorator, a B.A. or MFA with an emphasis on production design can give a leg up." [[THR](] — "The Hollywood Empire Strikes Back Against Netflix." Lucas Shaw details: "Warner Bros. bought out [Greg] Berlanti’s rights to future profits on all his current shows, what’s known as the back end, a structure that allowed it to offer him more money upfront than he would have otherwise received." [[Bloomberg Businessweek](] — "Barry Jenkins' Films of Love, Pain and Black Male Vulnerability." Angela Flournoy profiles the Oscar winner: "The stereotype of the American director-auteur may be of the demanding genius who bullies his actors into transcendent performances, but Jenkins prefers a nurturing approach: 'I try to find a language that the actor can participate in,' he says." [[New York Times Magazine](] — "#MeToo’s Male Accusers, One Year Later." Laura Bradley speaks to Terry Crews, Michael Gaston and Alex Winter: "The men who have come forward... have faced a unique set of challenges ... [that] makes it more difficult for them to process emotions born of trauma." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Aziz Ansari’s New Standup Tour Is a Cry Against Extreme Wokeness." Eren Orbey critiques: "Ansari suggests that collective anger has overcorrected; now, rather than hold power to account, it targets the slightest and least consequential controversies." [[The New Yorker](] — "The 40 Greatest Movie Soundtracks of All Time." Noel Murray ranks: "What you’ll mostly find are song-driven soundtracks that had significant cultural impact, in various ways: by becoming best sellers; by introducing (or reintroducing) songs to heavy radio rotation; by summarizing entire musical subgenres; or by helping to create singular cinematic moments." [[Vulture](] What else we're watching... + "Lady Gaga: Dr. Ford spoke up to protect us." [[Late Show](] + "Lena Dunham pranks her mom while on Kimmel." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Gisele Bundchen shares details about her first date with Tom Brady." [[Tonight Show](] + "John Mulaney didn't appreciate being upstaged by a proposal at the Emmys." [[Late Night](] From the archives... + On Oct. 5, 1961, viewers were treated when Paramount's Breakfast at Tiffany's hit theaters in the U.S. The Audrey Hepburn classic, based on a Truman Capote novella, became a touchstone pic for a certain generation through the actress' fashion and performance: "Miss Hepburn is responsible to a great degree for the credibility of her complex character and gives a winning portrayal." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Jacob Tremblay, 12, Jesse Eisenberg, 35, Kate Winslet, 43, Parminder Nagra, 43, Tom Hooper, 46, Guy Pearce, 51, Neil deGrasse Tyson, 60, Karen Allen, 67, Bob Geldof, 67. 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]( October 5, 2018