Tortured 'Suicide Squad' Production; NBC's Olympic Stakes; Trump's Actual Hand Size; New THR Cover Revealed!

What's news: With about 100 days until the election, THR's latest cover story looks at where the media can possibly go next. Plus: Inside details on Suicide Squad's rushed production, a Rogue One set shake-up and the NBC narratives to watch for during the Rio Olympics. — executive editor Matthew Belloni, assignment editor Erik Hayden [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment] August 03, 2016 What's news: With about 100 days until the election, THR's latest cover story looks at where the media can possibly go next. Plus: Inside details on Suicide Squad's rushed production, a Rogue One set shake-up and the NBC narratives to watch for during the Rio Olympics. — executive editor Matthew Belloni, assignment editor Erik Hayden The new magazine issue is out today, with a not-so-subtle reference to an iconic movie poster (Yep, Trump is Darth Vader). Columnist Michael Wolff, who spent back-to-back weeks in Cleveland and Philadelphia for the conventions, looks to the surreal months ahead in this Lena Dunham vs. Duck Dynasty election. [An excerpt:] In this next stage of the campaign, the debates are, of course, in the Trumpian world view, rigged. He will challenge their legitimacy, making his ultimate appearance there his personal drama and powerful counterattack against the rigged system. His language will escalate, turning Democrats and the rest of the establishment into scolds and prudish schoolmarms, ever more certain that his campaign is self-destructing. And yet, each day of the 100 or so left, he will raise the stakes more. Hillary, with pursed lips and long-suffering disapproval, will end up representing prim virtue and stoic composure. Hence, it's a stage that is set for just one Trumpian moment of outrageous clarity during the debates, one mock-innocent goof on the system and its self-regard, one break in her self-control, for him to win. Let's hope she is in fact made of steel. ↱ Also: Care to compare hands with The Donald? [Click here] for a life-size look at one of Trump's hands. Here's where the accurate measurements [come from.] And a look at the economy of [anti-Hillary merchandise.] ↲ Secret 'Suicide Squad' Drama The road to Warner Bros.' and DC's Suicide Squad was paved in upheaval, rushed production and competing cuts. Editor at large Kim Masters has the inside story, [here's just a few of those details:] A source with knowledge of events says Warners execs grew more anxious after they were blindsided and deeply rattled by the tepid response to Batman v. Superman. A key concern was that Suicide Squad didn't deliver on the fun, edgy tone promised in the strong teaser trailer for the film. So while director David Ayer pursued his original vision, Warners set about working on a different cut, with an assist from Trailer Park, the company that had made the teaser. By the time the film was done, multiple editors had been brought into the process, though only John Gilroy is credited. In May, Ayer's more somber version and a lighter, studio-favored version were tested with audiences in Northern California. The studio-favored version with more characters introduced early in the film and [jazzed-up graphics won.] Elsewhere in film... ► Cheryl Boone Isaacs gets reelected. Meeting yesterday evening at Academy headquarters in Beverly Hills, the board voted to give the exec a fourth one-year term as president. Her first order of business? Lining up a producer or producing team to take on the [next Academy Awards show.] ► A Rogue One shake-up. Several insiders [tell THR] that Tony Gilroy, an uncredited writer on Disney's upcoming Star Wars spinoff, has been empowered to take the lead on postproduction for the Dec. 16 release, even as director Gareth Edwards remains involved in the project. ► The Secret Life of Pets sequel is a go. The project, which will see the return of director Chris Rinaud, will hit theaters [July 13, 2018]. Since opening in July, the first film has grossed $400M+ at the global box office. ► Fantastic Beasts sequel gets a release date. Warner Bros. has formally unveiled its plans for a sequel to the J.K. Rowling-inspired title, which the studio has dated for [Nov. 16, 2018]. David Yates will return to direct. ↱ [Box Office Preview], by Pamela McClintock: Tracking suggests Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad will open in the $130M-$140M range. That means it could beat Fox and Marvel's surprise hit Deadpool, which opened to a record $134M this past February. Suicide Squad has a friendlier PG-13 rating. [But early reviews aren't great.] ↲ ► Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time to get CA tax incentives. The Disney film, along with Warner Bros. A Star is Born and Paramount's Friday the 13th are among the [28 projects]that have been selected to receive a collective $109M in tax credits. ► Gossip Girl creators planning mystery film. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are entering the high school campus again, this time with a movie: 13 Minutes. Coming on top of [a bidding war], Netflix has nabbed the rights to the British YA mystery novel by Sarah Pinborough. ► Thomas the Tank Engine studio files for bankruptcy. Arc Productions, the former Starz Animation Toronto studio, has filed for bankruptcy protection in Toronto. Around 500 employees have been [locked out.] ► Jacki Weaver to play Melissa McCarthy's mom. The Oscar-nominated actress is [in talks]to join New Line comedy Life of the Party, which is planned for release next May. McCarthy wrote the film with husband Ben Falcone. ► Girl on the Train screenwriter to tackle Eileen. Erin Cressida Wilson [will adapt] Ottessa Moshfegh's novel, which won the PEN/Hemingway award for debut fiction, for Fox Searchlight and producer Scott Rudin. Hillary Clinton tour hits DiCaprio's home. Taking place at The Revenant actor's L.A. residence later this month, the event is hosted by Tobey Maguire, Jennifer Aniston, Yael and Scooter Braun, Shonda Rhimes, and ICM Partners' Chris Silbermann. The ticket cost? [$33,400 each.] TCA: Broad Comedy Is Out at NBC No, NBC did not win the broadcast season, but that didn't keep entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt from some healthy gloating at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, senior writer Michael O'Connell and East coast TV editor Marisa Guthrie write. [A few takeaways:] Greenblatt and president Jennifer Salke spoke confidently about young series — sophomore comedy Superstore is emerging as a clear network favorite — and eagerly mocked their own missteps. (Animal Practice jokes just never get old, folks!) After multiple seasons of sitcom failures, the execs credited Superstore with (hopefully) revitalizing NBC’s core comedy brand. To that end, the show will move to Thursdays this fall, where it will give Mike Schur’s new comedy The Good Place an advantageous lead-in. And, of course, about a certain former Celebrity Apprentice host: Greenblatt didn't rule out Donald Trump coming back to the network in some way. Elsewhere in NBC's TCA day... ► What's NBC's strategy for the Olympics? [Here's the rundown] from insiders on how the broadcaster is hoping to supplant the drumbeat of negative headlines that have plagued the first Olympics in South America. ► Dick Wolf is developing an FBI drama. In addition to four (soon-to-be-five) current scripted shows on NBC, the prolific producer is also developing an FBI drama for his longtime network. Wolf said he has already been [in contact] with FBI director James Comey. ► Hairspray Live is adding to its cast. Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan announced they have [recruited] Sean Hayes and Rosie O'Donnell to the impressive ensemble for the December production on the network. ► America's Got Talent is coming back. NBC renewed the reality series for [a 12th season]. All of the current judges — Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel — are expected to return, along with host Nick Cannon. ► Paul Haggis is headed to NBC. The network has given a pilot production commitment to the drama Salvation. Haggis is set [to direct] the pilot, which hails from Sony Pictures TV. ↱ [TCA Journal], by chief TV critic Tim Goodman: People pay for a lot of channels they don't know they have – that's an old fact. Creating shows that make them aware of the niche channels they are paying for – series that outshine hundreds of others – is not a proven business strategy. The winnowing is coming. Your only hope of surviving it is your brand. [Here are the brands in trouble.] ↲ And more TV... ► Time Warner takes stake in Hulu. The media giant purchased a [10 percent stake] (less than what many thought) in the streamer and the conglomerate's Turner unit agreed to an affiliate deal that will put all of its channels on Hulu's forthcoming live-streaming service. ► Fox cancels Houdini and Doyle. The 10 episode freshman drama opened to [a lukewarm] 0.8 rating among adults 18-49 in live-plus-three numbers. The project had reunited Michael Weston with exec producer David Shore. ► L.A. Law is getting a reboot. Creator Steven Bochco is readying a reboot of the beloved drama with original producers 20th Century Fox Television involved. While no deals are done, the studio is [in early talks] to revive the legal drama that ran for eight seasons on NBC. ↱ [TV Review, The Get Down]. The takeaway, by Goodman: Netflix's new drama, chronicling the rise of hip-hop and the downfall of disco in a smoldering, chaotic New York, is a gigantic hot mess from Baz Luhrmann. ↲ ► CBS makes Big Brother changes. The upcoming cycle of the long-running reality series will [move to the fall] and air exclusively on CBS All Access. Season 19 will run 10 weeks, slightly shorter than a normal season. ► CBS' Matt LeBlanc comedy casts Kevin Nealon. The Man With a Plan role is Nealon's [first major TV gig]since his role on the marijuana comedy Weeds, which enjoyed a long run on Showtime. The series premieres in October. Golden Globes' next emcee: Jimmy Fallon. The Tonight Show host follows Ricky Gervais and his former Saturday Night Live castmates Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Fallon, who hosted the 2010 Emmy Awards, joked: "I'm really looking forward to spending time with the Hollywood Foreign Press before Donald Trump has them [all deported]." Terrence Howard Sued Over 'Empire' $$$ Terrence Howard is being hauled to court by a talent management firm that claims the actor has breached an oral contract by failing to pay over post-termination commissions, senior editor Eriq Gardner [reports:] In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Authentic Talent and Literary Management says Howard now owes several hundreds of thousands of dollars with the payment allegedly due likely to rise. Authentic Talent was hired by the actor in 2013, and according to the lawsuit, it helped play "a key role in the resurgence of Howard's career." Howard fired Authentic, but the firm now asserts entitlement to 10 percent of all gross revenue he received from entertainment industry employment obtained during the time of representation. Most notably, that covers Fox's hit drama Empire. Elsewhere in THR, Esq... ► Anton Yelchin's parents file wrongful death lawsuit. The family's attorney [tells] the Associated Press that Yelchin's Jeep was part of a recall, and a notice that a fix for the defective gear shifter was ready came a week after the crash that killed him. ► Pokemon Go sparks $5M class action lawsuit. The augmented reality game is [unjustly profiting] by encouraging its users to be nuisances to homeowners, according to a lawsuit filed in California federal court. ► Avengers VFX gurus suffer legal blow. Hydraulx, the company owned by Greg and Colin Strause, has been contending with an individual who has been [sending e-mails]to Hollywood executives about their business practices. ► Oscars attorney hired to battle studios. VidAngel, a service that lets parents strip movies of content they deem offensive, has hired attorney David Quinto to help it in a legal fight against several large studios (Disney, Fox, Warner Bros.) that have [sued the company.] Today's Birthdays: Evangeline Lilly, 37, John Landis, 66, Martha Stewart, 75, Martin Sheen, 76, Tony Bennett, 90. Follow The News Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.] ©2016 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe] | [Manage Preferences] | [Privacy Policy] | [Terms of Use] August 3, 2016