'Ralph' Turkey Trot; Ivan Drago Returns; Fave Reboots Poll; Charter's $10B Lawsuit; 'Robin Hood' Review; Songwriters Roundtable

What's news: How Focus Features became The Hollywood Reporter's Distributor of the Year. Plus: Disney-Fox deal gets China approval, Amazon eyes Disney's regional sports networks and the Thanksgiving box office preview. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( November 20, 2018 What's news: How Focus Features became The Hollywood Reporter's Distributor of the Year. Plus: Disney-Fox deal gets China approval, Amazon eyes Disney's regional sports networks and the Thanksgiving box office preview. — Will Robinson ^Focus Films returns to award-winning roots: The team behind this year's breakout doc Won't You Be My Neighbor? and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman talk about how the company (THR's Distributor of the Year) lost — and found again — its specialty focus, Gregg Kilday reports: + Renewed directive: "Donna [Langley] said, 'Let's do two things. Let's calibrate Focus to return to the space making the best movies, working with the best filmmakers and focusing on quality first,'" Focus chairman Peter Kujawski remembers. "'And then, two, let's calibrate the model to take swings and lean into success and put the movies out on a global basis very assertively. If you've got the wind in your sails, let's really chase it to bigger levels of success.'" + Netflix effect on buying market: "Honestly, hand on heart, it is great that Netflix is out there pumping a ton of money into the specialty film ecosystem," Kujawski asserts. "Being an indie producer is not the easiest thing in the world, so if you've got a new source of revenue, it means more people creating great movies, and we're going to have the opportunity to get involved and in business with the ones that fit us best." + Importance of Oscars: "There's no doubt that it's an important part of what we do, but we've done pretty well so far by saying to ourselves that you're never going to engineer an Oscar movie or an Oscar win," explains Jason Cassidy, president of marketing. "It's just sort of too crazy and unpredictable in terms of what's going to be the dominant conversation that drives a movie all the way across the finish line." [Full story.]( Welcome Reboots Great Scott!: More Americans (71 percent) say that they’d be likely to watch another outing for Marty McFly and Doc Brown, ahead of other major franchises, a new Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll finds, Graeme McMillan reports: + Love for Doc & Marty: Of the 2,201 adults surveyed between Nov. 8 and 11, 71 percent said that they’d be likely to watch another Back to the Future film, ahead of other franchises like Pixar’s Toy Story (69 percent), Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones (68 percent) and Universal’s Jurassic Park (67 percent). + Nostalgia plays: Overall, familiarity matters with movie franchises, with 71 percent of those polled saying that they’d be more likely to watch a new installment in a series because they had liked earlier releases, and 63 percent saying that they’d be more likely to watch a new installment if it featured members of the original cast. [Full results.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Disney gets China approval for Fox acquisition. The deal still requires regulatory approval from a number of nations around the world, but the unconditional [green light]( from China represents a huge win for Disney, given President Trump's escalating trade war against China and the scale of the studio's business in the country, which is home to the world's second-largest box office by revenue. ► Ralph Breaks the Internet to win holiday turkey trot. Pre-release tracking shows the Disney sequel earning $67 million-$75 million for the Wednesday-Sunday corridor, one of the best moviegoing stretches of the year for family fare. MGM's Creed II, which return stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone, is tracking for a five-day debut in the $44 million-$54 million range. [Box office preview.]( ► AFI Conservatory dean Richard Gladstein exits after 18 months. Michael Chung, vice dean of administration, and Tom Engfer, vice dean of academic affairs, have [been named]( co-interim deans, as the search for a permanent dean gets underway. The AFI didn't offer any explanation for the surprise development. ► Netflix battles film director over underage frontal nudity. Lukas Dhont's feature directorial debut, Girl — about a transgender girl training to become a ballerina — [wowed]( Cannes when it premiered in May, but has been the subject of controversy after he said the streamer would edit out a nude scene featuring its star, then 15, Chris Gardner reports. ► Amazon giving Prime Members early look at Aquaman. "Prime members will be able to see the movie in select theaters a week early, starting Dec. 15, according to a posting at Amazon.com." [[Bloomberg](] ► George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing sells wide. FilmNation [also closes]( several deals in Europe and Asia for Julie Taymor's The Glorias: A Life on the Road. ► Rebel Wilson joins Cats musical at Universal. The Aussie actress [will play]( Jennyanydots in the feature that will also star Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden and Ian McKellen. Tom Hooper will direct. ► Stan Lee's company blasts Bill Maher's "disgusting" remarks about late Marvel icon. The HBO host wrote a blog post questioning the legacy of the comic book creator over the weekend: "To say that Stan merely inspired people to 'watch a movie' is in our opinion [frankly disgusting](." [Quoted:]( "All of my family are from Thousand Oaks, California. ... We all know we've had a really horrible week — a tough week — and so I'd like to dedicate this as a little sliver of something that might lift spirits a little bit, to them. And on a personal note, I dedicate this to my dad, Bing Russell, who was, is and always will be the greatest Santa Claus ever." — Kurt Russell at The Christmas Chronicles premiere. ^Songwriters roundtable: Seven artists with songs in the Oscar race — Jack Antonoff, David Crosby, Kesha, Tim McGraw, Boots Riley, Mark Ronson and Diane Warren — explore the aesthetic rebellion of their art, the politics of sound and how music has saved them, Rebecca Ford reports: + Writing process: "I started out writing by myself. And recently, in the last four years, I've been writing almost constantly with other people because the other guy always thinks of something I didn't," Crosby says. "It's as if you had two painters and they each had a palette. And this guy has seven colors and [the other] guy has seven colors. Put them together, you've got 14 colors and this better painting." + How music saves: "Everything good that has happened to me in my life has come from music," McGraw says. "I met my wife [Faith Hill] through it, which was the first turning point in my life into a real understanding of what love is and finding out who you are in a lot of ways and discovering the bad sides of yourself and the good sides of yourself. And music is such therapy. Especially if you grew up in a dysfunctional environment." [Full roundtable.]( On the festival circuit... ► Green Book star Viggo Mortensen to receive American Riviera Award at Santa Barbra. The 60-year-old, who [looks poised]( to land his third best actor Oscar nomination, and possibly his first win, will be feted on a February date still to be determined. ► Tribeca sets Spinal Tap, Reality Bites anniversary screenings. The movies are the first programming [set]( for the 18th edition of the Lower Manhattan event, which will run from April 24-May 5, 2019. Latest reviews... ► Lionsgate's Robin Hood. "Leonardo DiCaprio can rest easy in the knowledge that this fiasco will come and go so quickly that few will remember that it even existed, much less that he produced it," Todd McCarthy writes. "In a just world, everyone involved in this mess would be required to perform some sort of public penance." [Review.]( * Critical reception. The action film is getting panned, as it currently rests at 17 percent on [Rotten Tomatoes]( and 33 on [Metacritic](. Musical notes... ► Taylor Swift leaves Big Machine, signs new deal with Universal Music Group. The new worldwide record [pact]( means the pop superstar is departing her label home since 2006. Swift has sold more than 32 million albums in the U.S. alone. ► Recording Academy to change membership model to help drive diversity. The new submission process [relies]( on industry recommendations and peer review, accepting a new class of members annually. Book report... ► Michelle Obama's Becoming becomes 2018's fastest-selling book, per Barnes & Noble. The former first lady's memoir [recorded]( the most first-week sales of any adult book in more than three years. ► Sen. Kamala Harris plans picture book edition of memoir. Superheroes Are Everywhere [will be released]( around the same time as the adult edition, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Final Aquaman glimpse reveals the hero's journey. The trailer shows off Arthur's early life and tells the legend that someday a king will return to rebuild the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. [Watch.]( How Dolph Lundgren turned a monster into a man for Creed II. The shadow of Ivan Drago has followed the 6-foot-5 Swedish actor for 33 years, and he's now realizing they've been kindred spirits all along, Aaron Couch reports: "He's also a guy who has lost everything and suffered a lot. [And I've suffered a lot in my life."]( Charter's $10B Lawsuit Moving forward: Byron Allen's $10 billion lawsuit alleging the cable giant discriminates against African-American-owned media companies has survived a motion to dismiss and an appeal of that decision, Ashley Cullins reports: + Appeal denied: The 9th Circuit on Monday found Allen sufficiently alleged a viable claim regarding Charter's disparate treatment of white-owned companies, and that it isn't barred by the First Amendment. It also held that Allen doesn't need to prove discrimination was the primary reason for Charter's behavior. + Background: Allen in January 2016 sued Charter, on behalf of his Entertainment Studios Networks and other African-American-owned media companies, for alleged discrimination in contracting in violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act. Allen claims Charter refused to license channels, rejecting offers much lower than what it pays white-owned programmers, and that its executives made racist comments. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Amazon bids on Disney's 22 RSNs. The bid includes the New York Yankees' YES Network, which the team was reportedly exploring purchasing. Fox, which did not submit a bid in the first round, could do so in the second, David Faber reports. [[CNBC](] ► White House restores Jim Acosta's press pass. Trump and his administration [backed down]( from a legal fight with the network. Per CNN — which has since dropped its lawsuit against the White House — the letter included several new rules for reporters at White House press conferences. ► Entertainment One swings to half-year loss, revenue slips. The Canadian company [posted]( a first-half pre-tax loss of $51.4 million for the six months to Sept. 30, compared with a profit of $3.0 million for the year-ago period. Toronto-based eOne recorded one-time items of $76.2 million related to a restructuring of its film distribution business, compared with year-ago one-time items of $4.4 million. ► NBC Entertainment ups Meredith Ahr to top reality post. The original president of Universal Television Alternative Studio, a longtime collaborator of Paul Telegdy's, [takes]( his old job in the wake of his rise to co-chairman. ► Courtney White upped to president of Food Network. White, previously executive vp and general manager of HGTV and Food Network, [will relocate]( to New York for the new job and concentrate solely on Discovery's food brands. ► Oren Katzeff to succeed Dawn Ostroff as Conde Nast Entertainment president. Katzeff, a digital media veteran who most [recently served]( as head of programming at Tastemade, takes over the business from Ostroff, who left CNE in June to lead content at Spotify. ► White House Correspondents' Dinner ditches comedian for 2019 event. Breaking with years of tradition, biographer Ron Chernow will be the [featured speaker]( at the WHCA's annual dinner. ► Kelly Clarkson to perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Clarkson [will join]( Diana Ross, John Legend, Bad Bunny, Kane Brown, Ella Mai and more during the annual event. Deals and greenlights... ► CBS developing crime drama from Mark Harmon, author John Sandford. Former Shadowhunters showrunner Ed Decter [will write]( the project, based on Sandford's best-selling Prey novels. ► Netflix eyes Goop show. "Goop is in talks with Netflix to shoot and stream a series based on the brand’s core theme of 'wellness' — a focus that has put both Goop and [Gwyneth] Paltrow, the company’s chief executive officer, under the microscope." [[WWD](] ► Netflix sets John Grisham's The Innocent Man as docuseries. The author is an executive producer of the true-crime series, which [chronicles]( a murder in Oklahoma in the 1980s. ► Amazon inks Natasha Lyonne, Maya Rudolph to first-look deals. The pair, via their Animal Pictures production banner, will [create and develop]( series projects for the retail giant's Prime Video service. ► FX rounds out cast of star-studded Fosse/Verdon drama. Norbert Leo Butz, Margaret Qualley, Aya Cash and Nate Corddry [are among]( the latest additions to the limited series starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. ► Audience Network renews Mr. Mercedes for season three. Production on the 10-episode season, from producers Sonar Entertainment, will begin in early 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina, for a late 2019 premiere. Kelley [will return]( as showrunner, alongside director Jack Bender. ► Science Channel greenlights Houdini's Last Secrets docuseries. Magicians, engineers, illusionists and more [have assembled]( to discuss some of Houdini's most famous death-defying stunts. [Quoted:]( "People always ask me is if it's hard to live with a dark character and I say it's no more difficult than living with the darkness in our world. I'm a happy-go-lucky person and I think that it's because I embrace so much darkness and I embrace skepticism and negativity, and I've made my peace with it so I can be happy." — Darren Criss, on his character choices. ^Sex and the City's secrets: Those involved in the HBO phenomenon take James Andrew Miller behind the public spats with Kim Cattrall (who did not participate) during his Origins podcast: + Top billing quarrel: "The show doesn't exist if Sarah Jessica [Parker] wasn't the blond star of the show, that's No. 1. Kim was not at the height of her career," ep and writer Michael Patrick King says. "As the show [progressed](, the characters, everybody grew, it became a family. Kristin [Davis], Cynthia [Nixon] and Sarah Jessica became one group, and Kim never joined mentally." + Third movie plot: For the never-materialized film, Mr. Big (Chris Noth) was supposed to die early in the film. The narrative of Big's death and its focus on Carrie Bradshaw (Parker) made Cattrall — who was responsible for the third film never getting off the ground — [uninterested]( in reprising her role of Samantha Jones. Digital digest... ► BuzzFeed founder floats merger idea. “You have Vice and Vox Media and Group Nine and Refinery,” [Jonah] Peretti told Edmund Lee. “There’s tons of them that are doing interesting work.” [[The New York Times](] ► Spotify & Pandora turn to podcasts. "Both services are experimenting with ways to make money from podcasts, which are generally available free to consumers and supported by advertising. And both see podcasts as central to their goal of moving listeners off broadcast radio." [[The Wall Street Journal](] Streaming on Netflix... Jackie Strause emails: Narcos: Mexico hasn't officially been renewed, but the finale of the 10-episode reset of the drug cartel series (which bowed on Netflix on Friday) sets up a second season. Showrunner Eric Newman unpacks the ending and explains the season's biggest surprise. [Spoilers.]( Ratings notes... ► Shark Tank rerun doubles Alec {NAME} Show in Sunday TV ratings. Shark Tank [scored]( a 0.8 in the 18-49 demographic, equaling its best mark of the season. A repeat of the show at 10 o'clock drew a 0.6 in the demo, ABC's best performance of the fall in that spot and double the average for the exiled Alec {NAME} Show. Talking points... ► Stacey Abrams tells Hollywood not to boycott Georgia. Although she is planning [to file]( a federal lawsuit against the state, the former gubernatorial candidate doesn't want Georgia's thriving entertainment industry to suffer. International Emmy Awards winners. Danish star Lars Mikkelsen won best performance by an actor, and Germany's Anna Schudt the actress award with the BBC picking up two prizes including best doc for Goodbye Aleppo. [Honorees.]( Becoming a Citizen Taking the oath: Tuesday's season finale of Comedy Central's Jim Jefferies Show is a big one for the Australian-born comic: The episode documents Jefferies becoming a U.S. citizen, which he details: + Why now: I knew it was time to finally get my citizenship the day I realized how much I love this country, which just so happened to be the same day we elected a president hell-bent on deporting everyone who wasn’t a citizen. Totally a coincidence. What I’m trying to say is that, like most relationships, I didn’t commit until you threatened to kick me out. + American dream: If immigrants wanted to live off the system, we’d go to a place with free health care and affordable education. That’s why immigrants make America stronger. People come here to make something of themselves. They don’t come here to coast through life in a caribou-scented, maple-syrup haze like our friends to the north, who shall remain nameless. [Full essay.]( What else we're reading... — "Actors Take the Stage as Rock Gods." Gina McIntyre reports: "For actors, the challenge inherent in such roles can itself be a draw. Months of research are often required to master a performer’s stage movements, to study their demeanor on and off stage, to learn to play an instrument if necessary, to adopt their look and speech patterns." [[Los Angeles Times](] — "Michelle Obama & Tracee Ellis Ross on the Power of Women’s Stories." Philip Galanes hosts the dialogue: "No one knows what it’s like to be commander in chief. They don’t know the hardship, the dangers, the information he gets. ... So, when people tell lies about the commander in chief, I know they don’t understand what they’re doing. ... What I wanted to explain is that when you do this, you escalate the risks." [[The New York Times](] — "Michael B. Jordan Is Finally in Control. Now What?" Kyle Buchanan profiles: "I thought once I got enough money to buy a house and a car that I would be happy. But why do I still feel unsatisfied? Why am I so hungry?" [[The New York Times](] — "How Janelle Monáe Gets So Much Done." Jonathan Ringen asks the musician, actress and activist: "Job descriptions at Wondaland are blurry. Everyone is encouraged to weigh in with ideas; even [ep Nate] Wonder’s father, a well-known futurist and professor at the University of Louisville College of Business, is Wondaland’s chief learning officer." [[Fast Company](] — "The 14 Best Clip-Show Parodies." Daniel Kurland compiles: "The clip show is no longer a strict celebration of what makes a show good, but rather an opportunity to experiment with what a show can be, which is why these more ambitious takes on the concept so often revisit a show’s history and reshape everything as its creators see fit." [[Vulture](] — "Florence Pugh Has Arrived." Krista Smith interviews The Little Drummer Girl: "No matter what world Pugh inhabits, it would seem, she brings to the ordinary an unforgettable sense of the spectacular." [[Vanity Fair](] What else we're watching... + "Millie Bobby Brown paints Stephen's nails for UNICEF." [[Late Show](] + "Holiday shopping with Jimmy, Kristen Bell & more!" [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Mahershala Ali ditched a rap record deal for acting." [[Tonight Show](] + "Kurt Russell has been to the Hawaiian Kurt Russell bathroom." [[Late Late Show](] From the archives... + On Nov. 20, 1992, Kevin McCallister is stranded (again) in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The sequel earned $359 million worldwide, compared to the original's $476 million: "There's a difference between watching a previously unknown child actor finagle his way past a grocery clerk and seeing Mr. Culkin, this nation's most stellar little boy, booking himself a hotel suite and a white stretch limousine." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Jaina Lee Ortiz, 32, Andrea Riseborough, 37, Nadine Velazquez, 40, Joel McHale, 47, Ming-Na Wen, 55, Sean Young, 59, Bo Derek, 62. 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 20, 2018