William Goldman Dies; Paramount's Profit; Apple-A24 Megadeal; New TV Academy Chief; Where Is Fox News of the Left?

What's news: Viacom continues its resurgence behind Paramount's strong business. Plus: Apple and A24 team up, the TV Academy elects a new chairman & CEO and the best schools for film and TV music composition. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( November 16, 2018 What's news: Viacom continues its resurgence behind Paramount's strong business. Plus: Apple and A24 team up, the TV Academy elects a new chairman & CEO and the best schools for film and TV music composition. — Will Robinson ^RIP William Goldman: The straight-shooting maverick who won Academy Awards for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men — who also authored the book on screenwriting — died Friday morning at 87, Mike Barnes writes: + Legacy: Goldman wrote the novels and then the screenplays for Marathon Man (1976), Magic (1978) and the much-loved The Princess Bride (1987), Goldman, a longtime New York resident, also gained fame for his nonfiction books about the business. In Adventures in the Screen Trade, published in 1982, he's credited with coming up with the final dictum on Hollywood genius: "Nobody knows anything." + Smashing debut: After doing research on the famed Hole in the Wall Gang of the 1880s for roughly eight years, Goldman churned out a screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). After what he described as "an insane auction," Richard Zanuck at 20th Century Fox bought his unconventional Western — his first original screenplay — for $400,000. + Unique eye: Goldman had a wisdom and sense of story that often rankled story analysts and confused producers and directors. He realized the power of scenes that didn't necessarily advance the plot; those often ended up being audiences' favorites. [Full obit.]( Paramount Fuels Viacom Viacom ticks up: The conglomerate, led by CEO Bob Bakish, on Friday reported higher fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street estimates, with its stock rising in pre-market trading, Georg Szalai reports: Georg Szalai emails: Mission Impossible — Fallout led box-office strength and a return to U.S. carriage revenue growth helped Viacom beat Wall Street estimates for its latest quarter. The stock rose before the stock market opened at 9:30 a.m. ET. "We successfully turned around our core business, with dramatic improvements across our networks, at Paramount and in distribution,” Bakish said in touting the company’s full fiscal-year performance. + Big takeaways: Viacom, controlled by the Redstone family, posted adjusted earnings from continuing operations of $400 million, or 99 cents per share, for the latest quarter, compared with $310 million, or 77 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Wall Street had on average forecast 95 cents per share in quarterly earnings. Full fiscal-year revenue fell 2 percent to $13.26 billion though. + Paramount's haul: Following up on the fiscal third quarter's theatrical success of A Quiet Place, Viacom's Paramount film unit had another strong quarter thanks to Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The film unit swung to adjusted operating income of $38 million in the quarter as box office rose 193 percent and licensing was up 3 percent amid continued growth at Paramount Television. * Minimizing loss: For the full fiscal year, the film unit reported an adjusted operating loss of $39 million after an operating loss of $280 million in the previous year and a loss of $445 million in the year before that. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► A24 to make movies for Apple. The tech giant [has signed]( a multiyear agreement with the New York-based A24. Under the pact, the studio behind Moonlight will produce a slate of multiple films for Apple. There were rumors that as Apple continues its foray into Hollywood it would seek to acquire a smaller studio, with A24 being one of the options, along with Lionsgate and MGM. * Content focus: Apple is seeking "feature-length, adult-oriented films," Tripp Mickle and Erich Schwartzel. Apple declined comment whether the films would receive theatrical runs. [[The Wall Street Journal](] ► Movie ratings chief Joan Graves to retire. She will be [succeeded]( by Kelly McMahon, who will serve as deputy chair of the Classification and Rating Administration board during the transition. McMahan, who has been vp and general counsel of the MPAA for more than a decade, will begin her new duties on Jan. 7. ► MPTF taps Courteney Bailey as chief development officer. Bailey [previously worked]( at Conservation International as well as UCLA's health sciences and athletic departments. She starts immediately, as MPTF is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021. ► Netflix picks India for world premiere of Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. Director Andy Serkis and stars Christian Bale, Freida Pinto, and newcomer Rohan Chand will walk the red carpet in Mumbai for the [first-ever]( India world premiere of a big-budget Hollywood film. ► Success of Paddington 2 boosts Vivendi's StudioCanal. The company's revenues [are up]( 5.6 percent to $3.79 billion (€3.34 billion). Revenues for the first nine months of the year were up a strong 13.6 percent to $11 million (€9.8 billion), driven by the film and music divisions. ► A Star Is Born cinematographer released after arrest over alleged assault. Matthew Libatique, an Oscar-nominated director of photography, was [reportedly freed]( without conditions by a judge in Poland. ► Rebel Wilson loses appeal to keep millions in defamation case. The Pitch Perfect actress will have to return most of the $3.6 million she won in damages from Germany's Bauer Media, whose publication Women's Day [published]( a series of damning articles about Wilson. ► Pregnant Amy Schumer hospitalized for nausea. Because of her hyperemesis, the star — who is expecting her first child with husband Chris Fischer — was forced [to cancel]( several upcoming comedy shows, including one scheduled for Thursday at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas. Deals and greenlights... ► Eva Longoria Bastón to make directorial debut with Universal comedy 24-7. Paul Feig, who last made A Simple Favor, has come on board [to produce]( the workplace comedy. Longoria Bastón and Kerry Washington are also producing, via their labels, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Simpson Street. ► Elizabeth Banks, Universal developing movie version of Science Fair doc. The doc [follows]( nine high school students from around the globe on their journey to compete at The International Science and Engineering Fair. ► Sony joins China's Indian film boom with 102 Not Out. Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor star in the family drama, the latest in [a long list]( of Bollywood titles to target the lucrative Chinese market. ► Joe Pantoliano to star in wine drama From the Vine Came the Grape. The Sopranos star [plays]( a downtrodden corporate exec who retreats to an Italian vineyard on its last legs. [Quoted:]( "When he did the whole section, beat by beat, gesture for gesture, breathing at the right time, flipping the microphone at the right time, not skipping a line, picking up a guitar, playing the right chords — 'proud' doesn't even begin to describe it." — movement director Polly Bennett, on Rami Malek's Bohemian Rhapsody performance. ^From Glenn Ford to Steven Spielberg: Marvin Levy, who is the first public relations exec to receive an honorary Oscar, which he'll pick up Nov. 19 at the 10th annual Governors Awards, discussed his longtime work with the Schindler's List helmer and how he got fired from a game show, Stephen Galloway reports: + Meeting Spielberg: "I got a call from Kathy Kennedy who said, 'Come on over,' because she knew me, and that was when we talked about E.T. [which Spielberg hadn't yet made]. He was the oldest young person. I say that because, by the time I caught up with him, he had spent his teenage years being a filmmaker. "Ironically, he applied to USC and didn't get in, and he became his own filmmaker, doing it his way. What you see is what you get. He has always been that way for all the years I've known him, always had the best ideas and made sure that they got done." [Full interview.]( Latest reviews... ► Working Title's Mary Queen of Scots. "Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie shine in this exceedingly of-the-political-moment telling of a compelling story, which will compete with the more outrageous and unruly The Favourite for the favors of year-end viewers hot for unbound ruling class yarns," Todd McCarthy writes. [Review.]( Musical notes... ► "Mac Miller’s Last Days and Life After Death." Dan Hyman reports on the rapper's untimely death at 26: "But for those closest to him, Miller’s death still came as a shock. By all accounts, he was in his best mental and physical condition in years when he died." [[Rolling Stone](] Honorees... ► Hollywood Music in Media Awards winners. Black Panther, A Star Is Born and Mary Queen of Scots [took home]( wins at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards on Wednesday. The HMMA, which took place this year at the Avalon Hollywood, recognizes music in visual media, encompassing film, TV, video games, commercials and trailers. [Winners list.]( ► Avengers: Infinity War, Alpha among HPA Award winners. On the strength of her work on Alpha, Maxine Gervais became the first woman colorist to win the feature color grading category at the Hollywood Professional Association (formerly Hollywood Post Alliance) Awards on Thursday night at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. [All the winners.]( ► Deadpool 2, Westworld marketing campaigns win at Clios. The Clio Entertainment Awards honor contributions in creative communications for the entertainment business — the "Grand" awards cover categories in television/streaming, theatrical, home entertainment and games. [Honorees.]( In memoriam... ► RIP Roy Clark. The guitar virtuoso and singer who headlined the cornpone TV show Hee Haw for nearly a quarter century and known for such hits as "Yesterday When I Was Young" and "Honeymoon Feeling" died Thursday at 85. [Obit.]( ► RIP Kim Porter. The model and actress and ex of rapper Sean Combs, 47, was born in Columbus, Ga., where she began modeling and graduated from Columbus High School in 1988. [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding features Rose McIver as fish out of water. The sequel also stars Ben Lamb, Honor Kneafsey, Alice Krige, Tahirah Sharif and Sarah Douglas. [Watch.]( Chadwick Boseman celebrates Stan Lee's life with musical performance. In a video Boseman posted on Thursday to social media, the Black Panther star played a set of djembe drums for a minute in celebration of the Marvel icon. Lee died Monday at age 95. [Watch.]( New TV Academy Leader Results are in: The Television Academy has elected producer Frank Scherma its new chairman and CEO, whose two-year term starts Jan. 1, 2019, Scott Roxborough reports: + Background: Scherma replaces Hayma Washington, who did not seek a second term. An award-winning TV executive, Scherma is co-founder and president of multi-media studio RadicalMedia, whose credits include National Geographic's sci-fi drama series Mars and IFC's Stan Against Evil. He previously served as an officer of the Board of Governors as the Vice Chair for the 2017-2018 term. + Challenges ahead: As the new boss of the U.S. TV academy, one of Scherma's main tasks will be to revive interest, and boost flagging viewership, for the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Academy's premiere marquee television event. Ratings for the 70th Emmy Awards hit an all-time low of just 10.21 million viewers on NBC. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Judge delays Acosta decision. Judge Timothy J. Kelly moved the hearing to 10 a.m. ET on Friday from its previously scheduled time of Thursday at 3 p.m. "If Kelly grants CNN's requests on Friday, CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta would get his press pass back for a short period of time. If it's denied, Acosta's pass will remain suspended." [[CNN](] ► A+E exec Sean Cohan heads to Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse Entertainment. Cohan’s official appointment, which [puts an end]( to a 15-year tenure at the A+E, comes the same week that Jimmy Kimmel boarded Wheelhouse as a partner. ► Fox Sports, Major League Baseball extend rights deal through 2028. The pact keeps the World Series and All-Star game at Fox Sports, which also [airs weekly games]( on its broadcast network. ► Netflix orders sci-fi series The One from Misfits creator. Based on a novel by John Marrs, the show [is set]( in a world where a DNA test can reveal a person's ideal partner. ► Netflix orders animated World War II series from A+E Studios. The Liberator, from Die Hard writer Jeb Stuart, is based on the story of an infantry regiment that [liberated]( the Dachau concentration camp. ► Syfy pushes into animation with series from SNL veterans. Alien News Desk [will star]( Will Forte and Heidi Gardner and counts Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels as an exec producer. ► Animal Planet developing series with YouTube star Coyote Peterson. The longform show, set for 2019, will find Peterson [taking viewers]( on wild expeditions and giving them rare up-close animal experiences. ► Conan O'Brien's defense hits snag in Tom Brady joke theft claim. The late-night host has [two fewer]( defenses available as a joke theft fight moves toward trial, Ashley Cullins reports. Casting call... ► HBO's The Undoing casts Hugh Grant to join Nicole Kidman. The previously announced drama, a second collaboration at the premium cable outlet between Kidman's Blossom Films and David E. Kelley's eponymous production company, is [based on]( the Jean Hanff Korelitz novel You Should Have Known. ► Hulu adds J.K. Simmons to Veronica Mars revival. The Oscar winner will play an ex-con [connected]( to one of Neptune's wealthy residents. ► CBS All Access taps Kumail Nanjiani for The Twilight Zone. The Silicon Valley star and Oscar-nominated writer [will star]( in an episode of the Jordan Peele-produced reboot. California fires rage on... ► SoCal's Woolsey fire destroys 500+ structures, is 57 percent contained. Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday said he [signed]( an executive order to speed up the process of aiding those who have lost everything in what have become the deadliest wildfires in the state's history. ► Northern California fire death toll hits 63, hundreds still missing. The high number of missing people probably [includes]( some who fled the blaze and didn't realize they had been reported missing, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. [Quoted:]( "This is my year of playing complicated monster women, and it’s really fun." — Patricia Arquette, on her 2018 roles. ^Top music schools: THR polled more than 600 entertainment pros to compile the annual ranking of the world's elite music programs, from London to Los Angeles, Jeff Bond reports: + 1. The Juilliard School: Juilliard retakes its top position on the list, as this prestigious conservatory continues to earn its name recognition and peerless standards year after year, graduating students who go on to become some of the world's best-known performers and composers. + 2. USC Thornton School of Music: Running virtually neck-and-neck with Juilliard is USC, with its direct access to the region's bustling film and music industries — making it a destination not only for local music students, but also for anyone seeking a path toward working in Hollywood. [Top 25.]( Digital digest... ► Mark Zuckerberg does damage control over NYT expose. The Facebook CEO joined a conference call with journalists on Thursday morning to discuss a new policy over content moderation but ended up fielding questions about the New York Times report about the social network's handling of Russian misinformation. [Call details.]( ► Fremantle developing scripted podcasts. "Although release dates haven’t been set, Storyglass has announced two podcast series are ready to go. ... The podcasts have a distribution window on Acast, where they will be monetized through ads, before appearing on other platforms." [[Digiday](] Ratings notes... ► CMA Awards tumble to all-time low. ABC's broadcast of the 52nd annual awards [delivered]( a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 10.06 million viewers, which led Wednesday. It fell 34 percent in adults 18-49 from last year's 3.2 and 29.5 percent in total viewers. Latest reviews... ► Facebook Watch's Queen America. "If you make it past the first two Queen America episodes, all a half-hour and none especially funny, you'll eventually get to watch some synchronized scenery-chewing from Zeta-Jones and Judith Light," Daniel Fienberg writes. "There's a potentially good show somewhere in Queen America, but the show is fighting with itself." [Review.]( Talking points... ► Michelle Obama takes aim at Trump: “We checked the facts." The former First Lady said the facts “mattered to us,” during her book tour with Tracee Ellis Ross (and [opened up]( about a panic attack and that marriage counseling), Lindsay Weinberg reports. Will & Grace raises $1M for charity by raffling off tickets to tapings. The charity initiative, [founded]( by the show's creators, David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, and NBC's then-chief Bob Greenblatt in 2017, has nearly 100  participants, including Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, the ACLU and Troops First. Where's Leftist Fox News? Play a new game: MSNBC and CNN are getting crushed because neither will commit fully to being gleefully, aggressively anti-Trump, Tim Goodman writes: + Flailing down the middle: What's clear right now is that CNN avoiding this route entirely isn't working. For CNN to think that a fractured country can even believe in the concept of television news impartiality is a relic of a past time. Does it really believe Republican viewers would somehow tune in one night and be swayed by their balanced approach? + Partisan mirror: People who are fervently, angrily partisan, like Fox News viewers, do not want perspective. They want a mirror for their anger, an unchallenged reflection of their beliefs. That a cable TV news channel hasn't realized the left wants this just as much as the right is mind-boggling. [Full column.]( What else we're reading... — "The End of Endings." Amanda Hess writes on reboot culture: "Didn’t endings used to mean something? They imbued everything that came before them with significance, and then they gave us the space to reflect on it all. More than that: They made us feel alive. The story ended, but we did not." [[The New York Times](] — "The Short Life of Box Office Prediction Markets." Shaun Raviv reports: "The MDEX was supposed to be a risk-reducer for Hollywood and an investment opportunity for individuals normally unable to contribute financially to the films they went to theaters to watch. But at the same time that MDEX was forming, the country was seeing the first signs of a global financial crisis." [[The Ringer](] — "Cynthia Erivo Is Gunning for Movie Stardom." Yohana Desta interviews the Widows actress: "[Erivo] is not plagued by a common actorly affliction. She loves watching herself on the big screen. 'I think after you’ve done all the work, why would you deprive yourself of seeing it?' [she] said enthusiastically." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Ariana Grande’s Breakup Song of Social-Media Age." Paula Mejia muses about "thank u, next": "Grande seems hyper-aware that, in the age of Facebook and Instagram, you can’t ever really break up with someone. Even after the words have been said and the relationship status has been quietly changed, the algorithms have an insidious way of allowing old flames and fallen friends to wriggle back." [[The New Yorker](] — "Serena Williams Is the Champion of the Year." Jeanne Marie Laskas profiles: "'Everyone has to work on something,' she says. 'I'm still learning to embrace being, for lack of a better word, great.' She sits with that one for a moment. Huh. What a weird thought. A person struggling to learn that it's okay to be amazing." [[GQ](] What else we're watching... + "Steve Carell was nervous meeting Kelly Clarkson after 40-Year-Old Virgin." [[Tonight Show](] + "Ben Stiller's high school band is back together." [[Late Show](] + "Martin Short spills on his friendship with Donald Trump." [[Late Night](] + "Maggie Gyllenhaal doesn't remember Diego Luna's kiss." [[Late Late Show](] From the archives... + On Nov. 16, 2001 — 17 years before today's Fantastic Beasts — Warner Bros. launched J.K. Rowling's wizarding universe in wide release with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which grossed more than $970 million worldwide: "Clearly, the sky's the limit, not only for worldwide box office but video, DVD, television and merchandising." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Pete Davidson, 25, Maggie Gyllenhaal, 41, Michael Irby, 46, Missi Pyle, 46, Martha Plimpton, 48, Lisa Bonet, 51, Marg Helgenberger, 60. 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]( November 16, 2018