Netflix's New Debt Fears; Movie Subscription Skeptics; Amazon's Reality Boss; 'House of Cards' Review; Oscars Producers; Streamys Winners

What's news: Four months to go, the Oscars have named their producing tandem. Plus: The latest in CBS' CEO search, Netflix's new debt assumed and Wonder Woman 1984's delay. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( October 23, 2018 What's news: Four months to go, the Oscars have named their producing tandem. Plus: The latest in CBS' CEO search, Netflix's new debt assumed and Wonder Woman 1984's delay. — Will Robinson ^Team set: Oscar-winning producer Donna Gigliotti will produce the 91st Oscars, and Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss will co-produce and direct the show, Gregg Kilday reports: + Gigliotti's resume: Gigliotti, who will be overseeing the awards broadcast for the first time when ABC airs the 91st Oscars from Hollywood on Feb. 24, won a best picture Oscar as one of the producers of 1998's Shakespeare in Love. She's also been a best picture nominee for The Reader, Silver Linings Playbook and Hidden Figures. + Veteran savvy: Weiss has more familiarity with the challenge of mounting the Oscars, since he directed the last three broadcasts, winning two Emmys, among his 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, for outstanding director for a variety special for the 2017 and 2018 shows. While he has not previously served as an Oscar show producer, he's regularly served as an executive producer of Broadway's Tony Awards. + Bright spotlight: Gigliotti and Weiss will be succeeding the team of Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, who produced the last two Oscar broadcasts. And they are taking on the job as the Academy and ABC contend with a ratings decline for the broadcast, which in February attached a record-low viewership of 26.6 million viewers. [Full story.]( Subscription Skepticism Ways to go: The vast majority of consumers remain leery of movie ticket subscription services — and it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the rise and fall of MoviePass, Pamela McClintock reports: + The data: Only 6 percent of 2,201 adults surveyed between Oct. 11-14 said they are certain or very likely to sign up for a monthly plan, while 23 percent say they are split down the middle, according to a Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll conducted from Oct. 11-14. Another 32 percent say they aren't very likely. And (29 percent) said they have no interest. + Optimum price: The survey found that consumers are far more interested in the quality of a plan, versus the cost. The optimal price for a movie subscription plan allowing a patron to see three movies a month is $16, while the optimum for three movies per week is $21 per month. For unlimited, the ideal monthly price tag would be $24. * Movie theaters' burden: "Theaters need to convert casual moviegoers," says Morning Consult vice president Tyler Sinclair. Nineteen percent make one trip once a month to the theater, defined as a frequent moviegoer by the Motion Picture Association of America. About 4 percent see a movie every week. More than half (54 percent) go to the cinema less than once a month, and 14 percent, never. [Full results.]( The latest in MoviePass... ► Parent company spinning off MoviePass. "The new entity, MoviePass Entertainment Holdings, will take over full ownership of the service and other film-related assets currently held by Helios and Matheson. The new entity will be publicly traded." [[CNBC](] Elsewhere in film... ► Wonder Woman 1984 moves back seven months to summer 2020. The DC film will [now open]( June 5, 2020, the same corridor in which the first movie debuted in 2017. Warner Bros. also announced that Six Billion Dollar Man is being taken off the release calendar for now. ► Guillermo del Toro to direct stop-motion musical Pinocchio for Netflix. One of the filmmaker's passion projects finally [finds a home](, with production set to begin this fall. Del Toro will write, direct and produce. ► Friday the 13th reboot in the works from LeBron James, Vertigo Entertainment. Original screenwriter Victor Miller won the U.S. rights to his 1980 work last month. SpringHill and Vertigo’s reboot is in the [early stages](, with no writer or director yet on board. ► Johnny Depp inks development deal with cryptocurrency platform. The deal is with TaTaTu, a newly formed platform [founded]( by Andrea Iervolino, who co-runs AMBI Media Group. ► Will new stunt coordinator eligibility rules improve on-set safety? SAG-AFTRA's measure [stops well short]( of a rigid qualification system, but many long-time stunt performers say it is a step in the right direction, Scott Johnson reports. ► The Other Side of Heaven gets a sequel after 17 years. Like the first film, the sequel, [dubbed]( The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith, tells of Elder John Groberg (Christopher Gorham), though this time he has returned to Tonga in the 1960s as a married man with five daughters. ► Emma Thompson to star in How to Build a Girl. Chris O'Dowd has also joined Beanie Feldstein in the [big-screen adaptation]( of Caitlin Moran's best-selling book. ► Dylan O'Brien in talks to star in Monster Problems for Paramount Players. South African director Michael Matthews has [signed to direct]( the feature project. The project is described as being a Zombieland road pic crossed with the stylings of a John Hughes teen movie. ► Fandango signs deals to become Latin America's top online movie ticketer. With the new agreements, the service will now reach some 45,000 theater screens worldwide. Fandango is looking to benefit from Latin America's fast-growing box-office market, which [increased]( 22 percent in 2017, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. ► New holographic content push planned by Endeavor partnership. Light Field Lab is [developing]( a holographic display system, with a long-term vision of creating a "Holodeck." ► Geoffrey Rush says he was "distraught" over articles claiming inappropriate behavior. The actor made the comments during his [defamation case]( against the publishers of Sydney's Daily Telegraph. ► Samsung unveils leasing plan, updated sound system for LED cinema screen. The Samsung LED Cinema Screen is a disruptive technology [unveiled]( last spring that effectively uses a large video wall instead of cinema projection. ► Ralph Breaks the Internet cut joke about Star Wars villain Kylo Ren. "They said, we'd prefer you didn't show him as a spoiled child," [explains]( Rich Moore of Lucasfilm's refusal to permit the gag. [Quoted:]( “I love them. I love to be in them, I love to watch them. But sometimes they just don’t work at a certain point of life experience. It’s not even about age; it’s just about what people know, that you know.” — Julia Roberts, explaining her absence from rom-coms. ^Fox distributor discusses future of theatrical releases. Chris Aronson's annual stunts onstage at CinemaCon, where the Hollywood studios tout their slates each spring to theater owners, have been the stuff of legend. His antics might be coming to an end, as he is not expected to join Disney, Pamela McClintock reports: + Will theaters become obsolete?: "No, I don't see that at all. Theatrical will remain a very viable window. You'll probably see more episodic content go directly to streaming. Take something like HBO's Sharp Objects. It could have been a theatrical movie, but the choice was made to do six or eight episodes. That's the type of thing I think you'll see the film studios making." + Deja vu?: Aronson worked at MGM when Sony bought it. "This is a much larger transaction. Not that MGM didn't have a storied history. It did. But it's hard to imagine a world without the stand-alone studio that has been 20th Century Fox." [Full story.]( Rome's market... ► Rome MIA market grows in fourth year. The market is quickly growing, with 2,000 operators from 50 countries [registering]( for the event this year, an increase of 15 percent over the previous year, Ariston Anderson reports. International guests also increased representation, making up 30 percent of all badges, with a huge increase in the presence of American guests. Musical notes... ► Drake passes Beatles for most Billboard hot 100 top 10 hits in a year. The feat makes another single-year record for Drake, who, with a 29th week at No. 1 this year, [passed]( Usher for the most time on top in any January-December span, dating to the Hot 100's Aug. 4, 1958, inception. Book report... ► Rarely seen Hemingway stories set to be published. The stories — "The Monument" and "Indian Country and the White Army" — will be included in a reissue of For Whom the Bell Tolls, [published]( in the summer of 2019. The unique struggles of making a career being a monster. From a demonic nun to a god-like Amazonian fish monster to a towering 50-foot-tall gorilla, actors like Bonnie Aarons, Doug Jones and Jason Liles have [made a living]( breathing life into monstrous characters, Patrick Shanley reports. Amazon's New Hire Next up: Chris Castallo, a CBS vet, has replaced Heather Schuster as head of unscripted at the streamer, Lesley Goldberg reports: + Already on tap: In his new role as head of unscripted TV at Amazon, Castallo will spearhead development of unscripted as the company eyes formats with global appeal. Castallo will also be involved with the upcoming Eco-Challenge series from Mark Burnett with host Bear Grylls as well as the Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn fashion project. Castallo will report directly to Amazon TV co-heads Albert Cheng and Vernon Sanders. * CBS bona fides: Castallo entered the unscripted space in 2007 with CBS, rising to executive vp in 2013. As head of alternative for the broadcast network, he oversaw multiple seasons of Survivor, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and Big Brother. + Predecessor drama: Schuster was pushed out in August after a year on the job following what sources say was an internal investigation into claims of verbal abuse. Schuster filled the vacancy left by Conrad Riggs, who was one of several executive departures following the resignation of Amazon Studios head Roy Price. [Full story.]( CBS' CEO search... ► Joseph Ianniello makes his case for chief job. Initially seen as a Leslie Moonves lieutenant, the acting CEO has evolved from lame duck to being seriously considered to have the interim tag removed, Joe Pompeo reports. [[Vanity Fair](] Elsewhere in TV... ► Netflix's new $2 billion in borrowing raises Wall Street eyebrows. The streamer's long-term debt has soared north of $10 billion, though Moody's says ratings and outlook remain stable, Paul Bond reports. Says Ben Weiss, chief investment officer at 8th & Jackson Capital Management: "If you want to go to the moon, [you have to burn a lot of fuel."]( ► Verizon beats expectations on Q3 earnings, revenue. The telecom giant [lost]( 63,000 Fios pay TV subs during the latest financial quarter, amid continued cord-cutting, Etan Vlessing details. ► Disney Television Animation promotes Jay Francis, Angi Dyste to vp posts. Francis has [been promoted]( to vp current series and diversity, and Dyste has been upped to vp production and artist management. ► Tonight Show producer Mike DiCenzo exiting. DiCenzo [has been]( one of three lead producers on Jimmy Fallon's show since 2016. Former Today Show ep Jim Bell, currently president production and programming at NBC Olympics, is in discussions to join Tonight as ep and showrunner. ► Disenchantment scores two-season renewal at Netflix. The animated comedy from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening [received]( its second order for 20 episodes, taking it through season four. ► Frank Darabont says AMC won't turn over Walking Dead expenses in profits suit. Darabont wants to see detailed records of production costs related to the hit series. The former showrunner sued in 2013, [claiming]( he was shorted millions in profits from the hit series by the cable channel making a sweetheart deal licensing the show to itself in breach of his contract. ► Ben Silverman's Propagate teams with authentic talent & literary management to produce content. Indie writer-producer-director Galt Niederhoffer will [head up]( production for Authentic and oversee the new partnership. ► Wheel of Fortune to give away first house in show history. One lucky viewer [will win]( a $350,000 home in Jimmy Buffett's new Daytona Beach, Fla., retirement community. ► Party of Five casts its leads for Freeform reboot. Brandon Larracuente, Emily Tosta, Niko Guardado and Elle Paris Legaspi will play the Buendia siblings. The potential series, currently in the pilot stage, is [described]( as a modern twist on the original that follows the children as they struggle to survive together as a family after their parents are deported to Mexico. ► Bill Cosby hires 12th firm, 20th lawyer. "While there are good reasons someone might decide to change lawyers like shirts, it’s certainly unusual and often indicative of rifts, like a dispute over tactics, experts said. And it most often happens in cases with high-profile clients who have lots of money and expectations, especially if it’s a case laden with emotion." [[New York Times](] ► NBC hires Paul Azinger to replace stalwart Johnny Miller as lead golf analyst. Miller, who's worked for the last three decades, [will call]( his last tournament at the Waste Management Phoenix Open the first weekend in February. ► Bob Barker hospitalized. The 94-year-old former host of The Price Is Right [was suffering]( "non-life threatening" injuries. ► Ryan Murphy reveals son's cancer diagnosis, donates $10 million to children’s hospital. Two years ago, Murphy’s youngest son, Ford Murphy, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. The American Horror Story creator on Monday took to Instagram [to reveal]( his son’s progress and donation to the hospital that saved his son’s life. ► Sarah Silverman says Louis C.K. masturbated in front of her with her consent. "I'm not saying everyone should embrace Louis again," Silverman told Howard Stern. "I believe he has remorse. I just want him to talk about it on stage." Silverman later [apologized]( to one of C.K.'s accusers, Rebecca Corry. [Quoted:]( “The fact that I’ve had the opportunity to make people laugh for a living is one of the many blessings that I’ve received in my life.” — Julia Louis-Dreyfus, when accepting the Mark Twain Prize. ^Hasan Minhaj tackles Netflix talk show rut: After high-profile fizzles from Chelsea Handler and Michelle Wolf, the comic aims to cut through the content glut with Patriot Act, rolling out weekly starting Oct. 28, Bryn Elise Sandberg reports: + Jon Stewart's guiding words: "I asked Jon why he was leaving [The Daily Show] and he said, 'I've manipulated this chess piece in every direction that I could over the past 17 years. It's time to pass that torch on to other performers and see what they can do with it.'" + Divergence from form: Minhaj will make frequent use of immersive, wall-to-wall screens, larger-than-life infographics and dynamic lighting. The setup, designed by music vet Marc Janowitz, will look more like a concert stage than a talk show set. In lieu of jabs at the president, Minhaj will delve into substantive analysis of complex issues — from affirmative action and gun control to foreign elections and immigration — with each episode mostly devoted to one subject. [Full story.]( Digital digest... ► Netflix says it does not use race to target viewers. The streamer is responding to Twitter users saying that white and black users receive different marketing promotions. "Reports that we look at demographics when personalizing artwork [are untrue](," a Netflix spokesperson said in an email. ► Red Bull Bracket Reel puts new twist on dance competitions. The series finds 16 collegiate dance teams [choreographing and editing]( dance videos in hopes of making their way to the live finale. Teams move on in the competition not only based on their dance skills but also the production quality of their UGC videos and editing techniques. Content for the series is entirely user-generated. ► The 2018 Streamy Award winners. Vlogger David Dobrik lead the nominations this year with six. He took home the first award of the night in the first person category. David's Vlog also won the award for ensemble cast. [Winners list.]( Ratings note... ► Alec {NAME} Show stays low; Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" falls. The Alec {NAME} Show [posted]( a 0.4 in the 18-49 demo, even with last week's preliminary rating (it adjusted down to 0.3 in the finals). It improved a little in total viewers (2.19 million vs. 2.07 million). Meanwhile, The Simpsons posted a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 for the 29th "Treehouse of Horror" in time zone-adjusted fast nationals, down 19 percent from the 1.6 for last year's installment. Latest reviews... ► Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Though slow going, the new drama has promise, thanks to its leading actress, Daniel Fienberg writes: "The appeal of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, increasing as the show goes along, comes mostly from [Kiernan] Shipka. The Mad Men veteran is a perfectly cast complement to one of the show's most endearing elements, namely its blurry approach to modernity." [Full review.]( Talking points... ► Michael Avenatti must pay $4.85M to ex-employee, judge rules. The judge said Avenatti [must pay]( the money because he personally guaranteed a settlement with Jason Frank in a lawsuit over back pay. Why party goats are first on Hollywood's invite list. Nigerian dwarf goats Spanky and Pippi of Party Goats L.A. have [already partied]( with DJ Khaled, Steve Harvey, Drew Carey, NBA star Blake Griffin and the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Chris Gardner reports. 'House of Cards' Swan Song Term limits: Thanks to Robin Wright and new additions Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear, the final season of Netflix's House of Cards doesn't miss Kevin Spacey, but it struggles to move past Frank Underwood, Daniel Fienberg reviews: + Partisan divide: If you continued to love Kevin Spacey's hammy and increasingly dreadful lead performance and the repetitive storytelling that Frank's well-past-parody scheming generated, you'll surely find something missing in these closing chapters. Otherwise, the shift in focus from Frank to Claire Underwood finds House of Cards somewhat reinvigorated through its first five new episodes. + Fresh blood: Diane Lane's Annette is a better foil for Claire than the show was ever able to give Frank. Although Lane barely broke a sweat in the episodes I've seen, she brings out something better in Wright than scene-hogging Spacey did, an excellence that only makes it feel more simplistic and reductive when the series is content to just paint Claire's conniving cleverness as a variation of what her husband used to exhibit. [Full review.]( What else we're reading... — "The Difficulty—and Importance—of Talking About Young Dead Celebrities." Spencer Kornhaber writes: "Moralizing about addiction without understanding it as a disease, or condemning abusers without examining the systems that created them, can be worse than futile." [[The Atlantic](] — "YouTubers Will Enter Politics, And They Will Probably Win." Ryan Broderick reports from Brazil: "MBL’s YouTube channel has grown from zero to 1 million subscribers this year. MBL was on the front page of YouTube every day in the month leading up to the election. ... Forty percent of MBL’s funding already comes from YouTube ads." [[BuzzFeed News](] — "Tippi Hedren, Hitchcock’s Marnie, Loves the Met’s Opera." Michael Cooper details: "She gave a fist bump (which she prefers to a handshake) to the artist and performer Justin Vivian Bond when they met on the staircase. She shared a moment with the diva Anna Netrebko at the cast party. And she brought down the house with a surprise curtain call." [[New York Times](] — "The Problem of True Crime Sequels." Alison Herman asks: "The awkward truth hanging over Making a Murderer’s second installment is that virtually everything in it is a direct result of the first. ... [The creators] are no longer separate, impartial narrators of the story, if in fact they ever were. They’re major characters within it, influencing people’s opinion and even behavior through their work." [[The Ringer](] — "The Hate U Give redefines the teen superhero for 2018." Katie Collins argues: "[Amandla] Stenberg gives the kind of definitive performance that should secure her character's fate as a name we utter in the same breath as the likes of Matilda Wormwood, Hermione Granger and Lyra Belacqua of His Dark Materials." [[CNET](] What else we're watching... + "Scott Bakula got a pop quiz at the DMV." [[Late Show](] + "Dakota Johnson, Gordon Ramsay & James make a marathon pact." [[Late Late Show](] + "Jimmy looks at the L.A. vs. NYC rivalry." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Ike Barinholtz's vasectomy had a disturbing side effect." [[Late Night](] From the archives... + On Oct. 23, 1941, Disney premiered Dumbo in New York's Broadway Theatre. The animated elephant immediately stole hearts in the budding studio's fourth feature: "This time Mr. Disney and his genii have kept them-selves within comfortable, familiar bounds. This time they have let their kindlier natures have more commanding play. This time they have made a picture which touches the very heart of sentiment." [[New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Amandla Stenberg, 20, Margaret Qualley, 24, Emilia Clarke, 32, Ryan Reynolds, 42, Sam Raimi, 59, "Weird Al" Yankovic, 59, Ang Lee, 64, Alex Gibney, 65. 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 23, 2018