Dick Cheney Movie Unleashed; 'Beasts' $250M Debut; Dungey's ABC Legacy; Facebook's TV Problem; Inside Governors Awards; Trump v. CNN; New THR Cover

What's news: The director and stars of Vice go deep on their process of telling Dick Cheney's story, one of modern politics' most mysterious figures. Plus: Fantastic Beasts' worldwide return bolsters its opening weekend, inside Facebook's efforts to make Watch successful and Channing Dungey's legacy at ABC. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( November 19, 2018 What's news: The director and stars of Vice go deep on their process of telling Dick Cheney's story, one of modern politics' most mysterious figures. Plus: Fantastic Beasts' worldwide return bolsters its opening weekend, inside Facebook's efforts to make Watch successful and Channing Dungey's legacy at ABC. — Will Robinson [On the cover:]( Christian Bale (who gained 45 pounds) and Amy Adams star in Adam McKay's Vice, a satirical takedown of one of the most cunning figures in American politics, Tatiana Siegel reports: + Trump over Bush & Cheney: "Dick Cheney was the safe-cracker, the professional you brought in who knew all the ins and outs of our government. With Trump, the front door to the White House is wide open," McKay says. "There's deer and dogs and hyenas running around. And this guy is like an orangutan just throwing shit around. So I would take the hyenas, the random wild animals running through the White House over Cheney any day of the week." + Becoming Cheney: The Oscar-winning actor is known for going to extreme lengths to delve into a character's physicality. For Vice, he gained 45. Even crazier, he began lifting weights. With his neck. "I remember the day we got a bill for this crazy neck machine contraption because he thought he could get his neck more like Dick," says producer and Gary Sanchez executive Kevin Messick. "Whatever it cost, it was worth it." + "Vetted hard": Journalist Ron Suskind, author of The One Percent Doctrine about the Bush administration's foreign policy and arguably the foremost expert on Cheney, watched an early cut and gave his blessing. McKay also hired screenwriter and former journalist Jason George to interview about 10 people in Cheney's orbit, all off the record, to ensure that the vice president's private side was depicted properly. [Full story.]( Talking to the cover stars: McKay, Bale and Adams go deeper, including their reactions to Bale's transformation into Cheney. [Watch.]( Mixed Bag of Tricks Worldwide haul: Warner Bros.' Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald couldn't conjure the same magic the first film did in its U.S. opening, but made up ground overseas for a worldwide launch of $253.2 million, Pamela McClintock reports: + Less sequel magic: In North America, the sequel debuted to $62.2 million from 4,163 theaters, compared to $74.4 million for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on the same pre-Thanksgiving weekend in 2016. The first Fantastic Beasts fared better with critics and earned an A CinemaScore, while Crimes of Grindelwald battled generally poor reviews and a B+ CinemaScore. * Downplaying fatigue: Warners execs say the pic is lined up to do strong business as the holidays unfold, and dismissed any notion of franchise fatigue in North America. Also, they say the spinoff was always meant to be more of a global play, noting that more than 70 percent of the first film's gross came from offshore. * Where Fantastic Beasts 3 could go: J.K. Rowling has set up a number of threads to be explored in a sequel to The Crimes of Grindelwald, Richard Newby explores. [Spoilers.]( + Other box office highlights: The Grinch placed No. 2 with a flush $38.2 million from 4,141 locations for a 10-day domestic total of $126.5 million. ... New Paramount holiday comedy Instant Family opened in fourth place in North America with $14.7 million from 3,286 theaters. ... Widows rounded out the top five with $12.3 million from 2,803 locations. [Analysis.]( Elsewhere in film... ► LeBron James' Space Jam 2 to film in California. The state [has landed]( the long-anticipated Warner Bros. sequel, the latest in a string of big-budget features opting to film in the home of Hollywood, one of 15 to receive a state tax credit. ► Judi Dench to get British Independent Film Awards honor. The Oscar winner [will receive]( the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution at the ceremony Dec. 2 in London. ► Dakota Johnson, Lynne Ramsay set for Marrakech Film Festival jury. The Alienist actor Daniel Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet will [also join]( the jury led by James Gray. ► The Fortress wins Golden Frog at Camerimage. Meanwhile two Oscar contenders, Cold War and Roma, grabbed the Silver and Bronze Frogs, respectively. [Winners.]( * Camerimage looking for new home after longtime host city cuts funding. The annual event has been held in Bydgoszcz, Poland since 2010, but as the awards ceremony [wrapped]( on Saturday, founder and festival director Marek Zydowicz announced that the city had cut its funding by 25 percent. ► Polish prosecutors seek bail for A Star Is Born cinematographer. A spokeswoman for prosecutors in the city of Bydgoszcz, Agnieszka Adamska-Okonska, on Friday told Polish media that the prosecutors [disagreed]( with the court's decision to release Matthew Libatique without bail a day earlier. [Quoted:]( "It's about picking who these men are to me and what they mean. Do I care about their stories? I want to do what really speaks to my heart. Navigating these men —these black men — I want there to be a way for people who don't have access to men like this to realize that they're still human beings." — Brian Tyree Henry, how he picks his roles. ^The Academy toasts its own at Governors Awards: At the 10th annual ceremony, the Academy celebrated 93-year old actress Cicely Tyson, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, composer Lalo Schifrin and publicist Marvin Levy, Rebecca Keegan reports: * Tyson honoring mother: “Mom, I know you didn’t want me to do this [acting], but I did and here it is,” Tyson said, holding her statuette. “For the longest time, I wanted to hear something positive from her. When I did [the Emmy-winning TV movie] Jane Pittman...she said, ‘I am so proud of you.’ If I had not heard those words from her, none of this would make a difference to me.” [Full story.]( * By honoring Marvin Levy, the Academy recognizes its debt to PR experts: For more than a century now, Hollywood studios and filmmakers have created films that have captured our imaginations — and also because PR and marketing specialists have so effectively [convinced]( people to care about the movies, Scott Feinberg writes. California fires rage on... ► Wildfire devastation forces Hollywood productions to scramble. Comedy Central’s Drunk History halted production at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas after consulting with emergency services, and Zach Galifianakis’ untitled Netflix film was shut down mid-shoot in Chatsworth when the fire department rolled by with orders to evacuate, Scott Johnson and Bryn Elise Sandberg report. [Feature.]( ► Paramount Ranch, destroyed by Malibu fire, to be rebuilt within two years. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Superintendent David Szymanski on Friday [announced]( the plan. ► Trump promises to aid California's wildfire relief efforts. During his tour, Trump additionally [spoke highly]( of first responders and of cooperation with current Gov. Jerry Brown, a frequent critic of the president, and incoming governor Gavin Newsom. ► Pierce Brosnan, Chris Martin lobby L.A. County Board for help. Longtime residents Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith — whose home was damaged in the blaze, which destroyed more than 483 structures — as well as Coldplay frontman Martin, [spoke]( at a meeting in downtown Los Angeles. In memoriam... ► RIP Pablo Ferro. The legend of Madison Avenue and Hollywood known for crafting the innovative main titles for such films as Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Bullitt, Philadelphia and the Men in Black movies died Friday at 83. [Obit.]( ► RIP Jerry Frankel. The nine-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer of over 50 productions, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2012), Glengarry Glen Ross (2005) and Death of a Salesman (1999), died Saturday morning. [Obit.]( ► Sean "Diddy" Combs breaks silence on ex Kim Porter's death. "For the last three days, I've been trying to wake up out of this nightmare," he [wrote]( on Twitter. "But I haven't. I don't know what I'm going to do without you baby. I miss you so much." ► Family, fans of Avicii gather in Stockholm for memorial service. His father, Klas Bergling, [spoke]( at the ceremony, and choral versions of Avicii songs, including "Wake Me Up" and "Without You," were performed. Fans gathered outside the venue as well, lining the streets. Coming attractions... ► Teaser: John Williams pens new original score for Star Wars Land. The company released a teaser of the original music, aptly called "Theme from Star Wars Galaxy's Edge," featuring footage of the London Symphony Orchestra recording the theme in a studio as well as some of the park's attractions under construction. [Watch.]( The politics behind Widows. Steve McQueen crafts a heist movie that also explores issues of race, gender and class, Kyle Kizu writes. [Spoilers.]( Watching Facebook Watch Breaking through: Amid all of Mark Zuckerberg's woes, the social media's streaming video service is still seeking a breakout hit among its 2 billion users with new "lighthouse" series like Queen America, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Natalie Jarvey reports: + Challenges ahead: As far as big swings go, Facebook's slate is still modest. And even a platform that boasts 2 billion users worldwide will have a hard time standing out when Netflix alone will release an estimated 225-plus projects this year. While Netflix, Amazon and Hulu spend a combined $15 billion-plus annually on content, Pivotal media analyst Brian Wieser estimates Facebook spends around $1 billion, including live-sports deals. + Shows that connect: Sources say the company is spending selectively but competitively, writing checks for $2 million an episode or more, standard for a half-hour scripted show. Facebook mandates shows that lean into its core features, like connecting with a community. "I don't think of us as traditional TV," says Facebook development and programming head Mina Lefevre. "The content is there to hopefully compel you to engage in a deeper way." [Full story.]( Digital digest... ► Inside Defy Media's shutdown. The creators behind Defy-owned Smosh and Clevver have kept posting videos to the channels even as they await the fate of those brands, Natalie Jarvey reports. * Outstanding issues. Defy took a 10 percent cut of monthly ad revenue in exchange for its services. After Defy shut its doors, many creators began to worry that they would not receive checks for their September and October payments, which for some equates to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, in lost income. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► AT&T, Fox Networks Group ink new long-term carriage deal. The new pact [will continue]( distribution of Fox programming across AT&T's video platforms DirecTV, DirecTV Now and AT&T U-verse. "Fox has worked with us in this deal to deliver more choice for consumers and better value to AT&T customers," said Daniel York, chief content officer and senior executive vp for AT&T Communications. ► Traditional TV's future looking worse. Research firm MoffettNathanson LLC estimates more than 10 million U.S. homes have either cut the cord or never subscribed to a pay-TV distributor in the first place since 2010, when the share of households with traditional video service peaked." [[The Wall Street Journal](] ► Trump downplays judge's decision to restore Acosta's White House press pass. Trump also [reiterated]( that the White House was going to write up rules of conduct for reporters at news conferences, adding, "If he misbehaves, we'll throw him out or we'll stop the news conference." * White House's intent to re-suspend. Officials sent Acosta a letter stating they fully intended to bar the reporter from the White House once the 14-day restraining order expires, Brian Stelter reports. [[CNN](] * CNN fights back. In a court filing Monday, CNN said the administration was creating ["retroactive due process."]( The network tweeted that the White House "is continuing to violate the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution." ► Netflix renews Big Mouth. The adult animated comedy [remains]( a critical sensation for the streamer. It'll return in 2019 for a 10-episode season three order. ► Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer signs first-look deal with Fremantle. The British actress, who [starred]( in Fremantle's Picnic at Hanging Rock, will exclusively co-develop a slate of drama projects with the production giant. [Quoted:]( "If we ever do it, we’ll do it as a short little movie or something else,” he said. “I think the problem from me is I would just want to see where everyone is. I would want to see where their marriages are [as opposed to a huge event]." — Bill Lawrence, on what a Scrubs revival would look like. ^Channing Dungey's ABC legacy: The first black broadcast network chief, who stepped down Friday, launched one of the biggest shows in years... and quickly canceled it when the star proved too incendiary, Lacey Rose and Michael O'Connell report: + Surprising exit: According to multiple sources close to Dungey, she is said to have been weighing whether to stay or go ahead of her contract’s early 2019 expiration, and ultimately chose the latter. Those same sources say there were efforts made by her current and future bosses to keep her. They also suggest she’ll be taking time to figure out what’s next. + Life of Roseanne: She ordered the revival, which enjoyed a record-shattering first season, lifting ad rates and ratings for ABC at large in spring 2018. Then came Barr’s controversial June tweet, after which Dungey took immediate action and canceled the No. 1 series on TV. At the time, sources suggested that she was most vocal and adamant about the decision internally. [Full story.]( From last night... ► Outlander engages in a very modern debate. The Starz series presents a big bump in the road for a fan-favorite couple, and the actors involved defend their characters' stances. [Spoilers.]( ► The Walking Dead just teased its next major death. The latest episode of the AMC drama offered a few strong hints about a series regular's comic book demise. [Spoilers.]( Live from New York... ► The Office cast urges Steve Carell to do reboot during SNL monologue. Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms and Jenna Fischer all joined the host onstage and pleaded to go back to Scranton: [“Let’s get that money, Steve!”]( ► Cold open trolls Mark Zuckerberg and Fox News. Alex Moffat’s Zuckerberg was disturbingly robotic when discussing issues of privacy and Facebook while speaking to Kate McKinnon's Laura Ingraham. [Watch.]( ► Pete Davidson, Chris Redd rap about Ruth Bader Ginsburg in new music video. Kate McKinnon, who has played the Supreme Court justice on the late-night sketch show's “Weekend Update” segment several times before, reprised her impression for the music video. [Watch.]( Latest reviews... ► Showtime's Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI. "That [the doc] feels a lot like a self-inflicted clock management test from the most prolific figure in documentary filmmaking [Alex Gibney] makes the endeavor very complicated to review," Daniel Fienberg writes. "Check back in a month and it could have become brilliant, hopelessly naive or something in-between." [Review.]( ► A&E's The Clinton Affair. The six-part docuseries recounts the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, focusing on the sordid he said/she said details, but largely ignoring the long-lasting implications of the event, Robyn Bahr critiques. [Review.]( HFPA OKs Sacha Baron Cohen's Who Is America? as comedy series. There had been some question about whether or not the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presides over the Golden Globes, would be [willing to classify]( the show as a comedy series, as it blends scripted and documentary-style footage, Scott Feinberg reports. The Netflix Effect Content collaboration?: WarnerMedia's library of 7,000 films and 5,000 shows may not alone be enough to face off against a streaming giant that is spending up to $13 billion annually, so an NBCUniversal team-up could make sense, Paul Bond reports: + Why it makes sense: The AT&T property could add popular franchises like Fast & Furious, Sherlock Holmes, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park to WarnerMedia's already impressive arsenal. And NBCUniversal, which, outside of a 30 percent stake in Hulu, is aiming to avoid becoming the laggard in the industry pioneered by Netflix and copied by Amazon and others. + Competitive advantage: WarnerMedia and Disney have one advantage over Netflix in that they both are creating content for cable and broadcast TV and theatrical release already, so the cost of throwing it all on their own streaming services is minimal, while Netflix will spend up to an estimated $13 billion this year alone creating original content and licensing from others. [Full story.]( What else we're reading... — "Modern Family's NFL Rivalry." Sam Farmer moderated a conversation between Ty Burrell about his Rams and Eric Stonestreet about his Chiefs: "Burrell and Stonestreet — on the show, Phil Dunphy and Cam Tucker — aren’t just casual fans. Burrell bleeds Rams blue, Stonestreet lives and dies by the Chiefs. They both go to games, have been to the draft, and know their teams down to the minute details." [[Los Angeles Times](] — "The Quiet Defiance of Mahershala Ali." Josh Eells profiles: "If balance is on Ali’s mind, it’s probably because he’s been working nonstop for a year. After filming Green Book last fall, he had a whopping seven days off before jumping straight into Season Three of True Detective." [[Rolling Stone](] — "The Definitive Ranking of Coen Brothers Movies." Sean Fennessey details: "You can feel a lifetime’s worth of films (and books and mythology and religion) inside their work. And they are always destroying and rebuilding their inspirations." [[The Ringer](] — "How to Talk to People, According to Terry Gross." Jolie Kerr asks the NPR host: "I try to clarify in my own mind why this person matters, and why it’s worthy of our listeners’ time." [[The New York Times](] — "Lack of Diversity Hurts Video Game Companies Beyond Profits." Aisha Hassan reports: "[Video game companies] generate a toxic culture by being exclusionary or doing nothing." [[Quartz](] What else we're watching... + "John Oliver details the rise of authoritarianism in the world." [[Last Week Tonight](] + "Hasan Minhaj examines the money behind Supreme." [[Patriot Act](] What's ahead this week... Monday: AMC bows its adaptation of John Le Carre's The Little Drummer Girl. Tuesday: Trevor Noah's latest stand-up special Son of Patricia hits Netflix. Wednesday: MGM rings the opening bell on Creed II... Disney unveils Ralph Breaks the Internet... Robin Hood rides for Lionsgate... The classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs on ABC. Thursday: NBC airs the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... Mystery Science Theater 3000 season two arrives on Netflix. Friday: Sony expands The Front Runner... Classic holiday programs fill network programming: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (NBC), Frosty the Snowman (CBS) and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (ABC). From the archives... + On Nov. 19, 1975, United Artists unveiled One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from director Milos Forman. The drama eventually won the five major categories at the 48th Academy Awards: "[The film] is a comedy that can't quite support its tragic conclusion, which is too schematic to be honestly moving, but it is acted with such a sense of life that one responds to its demonstration of humanity if not to its programmed metaphors." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Adam Driver, 35, Barry Jenkins, 39, Jodie Foster, 56, Meg Ryan, 57, Allison Janney, 59, Charlie Kaufman, 60, Ted Turner, 80, Dick Cavett, 82, Larry King, 85, 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 19, 2018