Netflix Price Hike; Paramount Rebuffs Lasseter; Burke Talks NBCU Streamer; Grammys Host; ‘Spider-Man’ Trailer

What's news: NBCUniversal enters the streaming wars with a free, ad-supported offering due in 2020. Plus: The business effect of Skydance's John Lasseter hire, NFL ratings stay high in the playoffs and remembering Carol Channing. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( January 15, 2019 What's news: NBCUniversal enters the streaming wars with a free, ad-supported offering due in 2020. Plus: The business effect of Skydance's John Lasseter hire, NFL ratings stay high in the playoffs and remembering Carol Channing. — Will Robinson ^The Lasseter fallout: Since Skydance announced embattled former Pixar chief John Lasseter would be heading its animation division, Hollywood's reaction has been generally strong and negative. + Paramount Animation's vow: Division chief Mirielle Soria told her staff that her team won't work with Lasseter's, and that the creative notes she had provided Skydance on the animated feature Luck have come to an end. At the town hall meeting, Soria spoke personally and candidly of her own feelings about Lasseter's hiring, admitting that she had been shocked and "furious," Carolyn Giardina reports. + Employee opt-out: Soria vowed to maintain a safe working environment at Paramount Animation where no one feels uncomfortable, emphasizing that — should Lasseter request input from any of her staff in the future — no one should feel obligated to work with him, according to sources. [Full story.]( + Women in Animation president criticizes hire: "The single biggest effect of the events last year is that we saw men experiencing consequences for their bad behavior," Marge Dean wrote in a letter to members. "It empowered us and gave us hope that things could be different. The Lasseter decision seems to have weakened that giant step forward, and I felt panic that our progress was being undermined." [Full comments.]( * Lasseter faces staffers at town hall: Lasseter faced questions from Skydance employees during a 90-minute meeting on Monday, Ryan Faughnder reports: "Lasseter was asked whether he had truly atoned for his behavior and what actions he’d taken to change his ways, according to one attendee. ... 'I’m not expecting anyone to forgive me in this room,' Lasseter told staff. 'But I am asking for you to give me the chance' to prove himself." [[Los Angeles Times](] NBCU Enters Streamer War Differentiating itself: Instead of waiting idly for a direct-to-consumer future to sweep Hollywood, NBCU CEO Steve Burke and his team were quietly making plans for a streaming service of their own, Natalie Jarvey reports: + Innovation through "free": "The way we make money is by interactive advertising. We think we can get around $5 a month from people who would use a free service," Burke details. "If you look at it, you would have gotten maybe double that if you were charging. Will you get twice as many users for free as you would get by charging? I think the answer is that you will get a lot more than twice as many." + Pull The Office from Netflix?: "The Office is often the No. 1 show on a monthly basis on Netflix. Netflix has The Office through 2021, and when the time comes we’ll look at our existing direct-to-consumer service and what kind of volume it has and how much we could expect to make if we moved it over, and we’ll have a discussion with Netflix and we’ll decide what’s right for the show," Burke says. [Full Q&A.]( + Exec reorganization: Bonnie Hammer is moving [to oversee]( NBCU's forthcoming streaming service — set for 2020 — as Mark Lazarus and Jeff Shell take on expanded roles running the media conglomerate's TV operations. * Burke on why it happened: "We are making the company easier to manage. I had [18 direct reports]. I will now have 12. We’re giving two people in Jeff Shell and Mark Lazarus more responsibility, and they’re two people who have earned more responsibility. "At the same time," Burke continues, "as we go through and try to figure things out like which shows do we put where, it’s going to be a simpler company because Jeff and Mark and Bonnie [Hammer] and I can get in a room and make a decision." Elsewhere in TV... ► Netflix sets biggest subscription price hike. Its most popular plan will see the price boost, to $13 per month from $11. That plan [offers]( HD streaming on up to two internet-connected devices at the same time. * Wall Street applauds. The streaming service saw its share price rise 6 percent as it's increasing costs for users as its programming and talent fees climb. ► Edwin Chung joins 20th Century Fox TV comedy department. The development exec comes from Legendary, where he [worked on]( Love and Lost in Space. Chung will be vice president of comedy development and will report to senior vice president Cheryl Dolins. ► Alicia Keys will host the Grammys. The singer announced [in a video]( that she would lead up the 61st edition of the music awards show set or Feb. 10, to air on CBS. ► CNN signs former Ohio Gov. John Kasich as contributor. Kasich, who is mulling a run for president, [joined]( UTA as a client on Monday. ► Fox renews So You Think You Can Dance. The show, which just got its 16th season greenlit, [will return]( to its usual summer spot on the network, with auditions set to begin in February. ► Michelle Yeoh-led Star Trek spinoff details revealed. The actress will captain the series, which is in development, for CBS All Access. The untitled drama will [further explore]( Starfleet's Section 31 division, a shadow organization within the Federation featured on Star Trek: Discovery. ► WGN America plots Dog the Bounty Hunter's TV return. Dog's Most Wanted [will follow]( Duane "Dog" Chapman and a team that pursues wanted fugitives. The show, set to begin production in the first half of 2019, will be WGN America's first original unscripted series in five years. ► Science Channel exploring America's Lost Vikings in new series. The show [will explore]( evidence that the Vikings, who are among the most feared warriors in history, landed on the coast of North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus. ► Scientology accuses A&E, Leah Remini of inciting church murder. After a killing outside the organization's Australia headquarters, the church goes on the attack: "You knew what you were doing. Your intent was to [stir up hate]( and turn it into cash. Now somebody has been murdered." ► HGTV star Joanna Gaines to release first children's book. In We Are The Gardeners, Gaines and her children — sons Duke, 9; Drake, 13; daughters Emmie Kay, 8 and Ella Rose, 12— [chronicle]( their adventures of starting their own family garden. Casting call... ► HBO's Sopranos prequel casts Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga. Set in the era of the Newark riots in the '60s, The Many Saints of Newark [takes place]( when African-Americans and Italians of Newark were at each other's throats, and when among the gangsters of each group, it became especially lethal. ► HBO taps Matthew Rhys to play Perry Mason in drama. The Americans grad [takes over]( the role from Robert Downey Jr., who continues to exec produce the long-in-the-works limited series. ► Ryan Murphy's Netflix series casts Cynthia Nixon, Sharon Stone among others. Judy Davis, Corey Stoll, Amanda Plummer, Jon Jon Briones, Charlie Carver, Harriet Harris, Hunter Parrish and Finn Wittrock [will star]( in Ratched, the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest prequel. [Quoted:]( "Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back [when the show started], we now understand is not acceptable." — Family Guy producer Alec Sulkin, on phasing out gay jokes. ^NFL playoffs score ratings gains despite blowouts: The first two rounds of the postseason are outpacing the improvements from the regular season, Rick Porter reports: + On the whole: Early numbers for the divisional round show them up by about 9 percent over a year ago — outpacing the league's regular-season ratings gain of 5 percent. The four Wild Card Weekend games were up almost 12 percent year to year, putting the playoffs as a whole about 10 percent ahead of last season's contests. + What's up: The highest-rated game of the weekend was the New Orleans Saints' tight win over the Philadelphia Eagles, which earned a 23.8 household rating for Fox. On Saturday — the Kansas City Chiefs over the Indianapolis Colts on NBC (29.1 million viewers) and the L.A. Rams over the Dallas Cowboys on Fox (33.4 million) — were up 7 percent and 25 percent, respectively. * What's down: Only the New England Patriots' blowout of the Los Angeles Chargers — in which the Pats led 35-7 at halftime en route to a 41-28 win — came up short of last year. It drew a 19.2 in metered-market households, down 6 percent year to year and the only game of the playoffs thus far to show declines. [Full story.]( Ratings notes... ► Simpsons hits four-year high with NFL playoffs bump. The comedy stalwart [delivered]( a 3.8 rating among adults 18-49 and 10.2 million viewers. Bob's Burgers hit a five-year high, scoring a 2.9 and 5.77 million viewers. Pilot orders... NBC orders Jerry Bruckheimer-produced family drama Council of Dads... ABC dials up Heather Graham drama The Hypnotist's Love Story from Big Little Lies author. [2019 pilots.]( Legal briefs... ► VidAngel asks court to revisit pause on its service. VidAngel is asking the court [to revise]( the injunction that shut down its service until its legal battle with the major studios is resolved. Console wars... ► NBA, Take-Two ink seven-year, $1.1 billion extension. "The agreement allows Take-Two’s 2K studio to continue making its NBA 2K videogame franchise and other NBA-branded games, including smartphone apps. ... The value of the deal, based on a percentage of sales of Take-Two’s NBA games, is more than double the organizations’ prior licensing tie-up in 2011." [[The Wall Street Journal](] Latest reviews... ► TNT's I Am the Night. "The thing it most clearly lacks is that clear-headed perspective," Daniel Fienberg writes. "Despite its standout elements, I look to that last unseen episode without any sense of what arcs the show wants to resolve, nor what arcs I'm invested in." [Full review.]( ► Fox's The Passage. "I have an inclination to praise Fox for at least trying for a big swing by adapting this unadaptable book," Fienberg writes. "It's still disappointing to see that ambition result in some decent surrogate father-daughter beats, some pseudo-scientific rationalization of vampirism, one or two effective jolts and a whole lot of exposition." [Full review.]( Talking points... How The Washington Post is covering the Jeff Bezos divorce. “There has been some effort to figure out what’s the threshold for us to write about this,” a Post journalist told Joe Pompeo. “It’s the first test case, and in the most uncomfortable and salacious territory possible. It’s, like, can’t you just give us a good old-fashioned tax evasion?” [[Vanity Fair](] Oscars Half-Life Wait, who won?: While the industry may get to know contending titles throughout the year, most Americans can't recall which film won the best picture honor a year ago, Erik Hayden reports: + The numbers: The 90th Academy Awards big winner of 2018, Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy drama The Shape of Water, was correctly identified by only 20 percent of respondents in the survey as the Oscar best picture victor, according to a new THR/Morning Consult poll. That was on the high end: More respondents thought La La Land won best picture in 2017 (20 percent) than the actual winner, Barry Jenkins’ drama Moonlight (12 percent). That year at least included Envelopegate. + Little seen: None of the films claiming the top honor in the past five years have grossed more than $100 million at the box office domestically. The highest grosser stateside was last year’s Shape of Water ($63 million) followed by 12 Years a Slave ($56 million), Spotlight ($45 million), Birdman ($42 million) and Moonlight ($27 million). [Full results.]( Elsewhere in film... ► SAG Awards accuses Oscars of "intimidation" to secure exclusive presenters. "This self-serving intimidation of SAG-AFTRA members is [meant to limit]( their opportunities to be seen and honor the work of their fellow artists throughout the season," SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. ► Harvey Weinstein said to lose top criminal lawyer. Benjamin Brafman had been [representing]( Weinstein since the sexual harassment and assault claims first came to light in 2017. ► ICM Partners appoints Lorrie Bartlett to board of directors. The longtime partner and talent department co-head is [considered]( to be the first black board member of a major Hollywood agency. ► Christopher McQuarrie signs on for two new Mission: Impossible movies. The Rogue Nation and Fallout filmmaker is [nearing a deal]( to return as writer and director. ► Sony's Uncharted movie finds new director in 10 Cloverfield Lane filmmaker. Before landing Dan Trachtenberg, Seth Gordon, David O. Russell and Shawn Levy have all been [attached]( to the long-gestating project based on the Naughty Dog video game. ► Kino Lorber takes North American rights to Louis Garrel’s A Faithful Man. The actor-director’s second feature, which [premiered]( as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, co-stars Lily-Rose Depp and Laetitia Casta. ► Hulu debuts Fyre Festival doc days before rival Netflix project. Fyre Fraud, produced and distributed by The Cinemart, Hulu, Billboard and Mic, [features]( an extensive interview with the infamous music fest mastermind Billy McFarland. * How it happened. Scott Tobias interviewed each filmmaking team to get their respective stories: "[We had the] the intent to go far beyond the headlines ... [to create] a bigger think piece about our generation that was a cautionary tale with deep implications that relate to our political system, to our current president ... something far beyond just a meme quality.” [[The Ringer](] ► Hugh Grant says script was stolen from car. The Paddington 2 star [urged]( anyone who knew the perpetrator to "persuade them to at least return my script," adding that it included "many weeks worth of notes and ideas." Casting call... ► Steven Spielberg's West Side Story casts unknown 17-year-old as Maria. High school student Rachel Zegler, who [responded]( to the production's open casting call for Latinx actors with a video of herself singing "Tonight" and "Me Siento Hermosa," will be making her film debut starring in the role played by Natalie Wood in the 1961 classic. ^How Oscar contenders must shift gears to go the distance: Voting is done and nominations are coming Jan. 22, so Roma, A Star Is Born and other top contenders should make course corrections in their campaigns if they want to be recognized by the Academy come Feb. 24, Stephen Galloway writes: + Green Book: Universal should double down on civil rights leaders and other activists who can defend the crowd-pleaser (as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [did]() and make ep Octavia Spencer lead spokesperson, boosting the points she earned with her Globes presentation. + Roma: Netflix needs to persuade Oscar voters that Netflix itself is on the organization's side and deflate objections by the likes of Steven Spielberg that the streamer should be in the Emmy, not Oscar, business. Best move: a bold proclamation to pursue other theatrical releases and learn from Roma's success on big screens. [Full column.]( Speaking of awards pushes... -> Inside Netflix's Oscars push for Roma. Nicole LaPorte details the streamer's tactics: "[Lisa] Taback and Co. has been campaigning for the film in a way that’s vigorous even by Netflix’s standards. In the lead-up to the Globes, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ... and awards journalists were showered with gifts, including a box of Oaxacan dark chocolates with a note signed by Yalitza Aparicio." [[Fast Company](] Oscars season... ► Elton John recruits The Killers, IMDb for annual Oscar party. The Elton John AIDS Foundation has revealed details for its 27th annual Oscar party that will be co-hosted by Aisha Tyler and Dave Karger. [Details.]( Honorees... ► Essence sets 2019 Black Women in Hollywood honorees. Amandla Stenberg, Jenifer Lewis, Kiki Layne and Regina Hall [to be feted]( Feb. 21 at the Beverly Wilshire. ► Casting Society of America to honor Barbara Broccoli, Wonder Woman casting director in U.K. The Bond producer and Lucinda Syson [will be presented]( with one of CSA's Artios awards, in partnership with the British Independent Film Awards, on Jan. 31 in London, the same night as the Artios Awards in the U.S. From the stage... ► Sundance Institute Theatre Program unveils 2019 participants. Comedian Hannah Gadsby is among those [taking part]( in the three-week program this February that brings playwrights, composers and dramaturgs together under one roof at Ucross, an artists' residency in Wyoming. ► Playwright John Logan to be honored by Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. The Tony winner who [penned]( Gladiator, The Aviator and Hugo will be recognized for creating "singular and transformative stories that touch our common humanity." The arts scene... ► Felix L.A. Art Fair reveals exhibitors, site-specific projects for Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel debut. The fair, [founded by]( former UPN and Disney exec Dean Valentine, will feature work touching on Hollywood's preoccupation with the preternatural and with itself — from imagining Jennifer Aniston's book collection and communing with dark spirits. In memoriam... ^RIP Carol Channing. The indomitable personality who electrified Broadway audiences with her energetic performances in the original musical comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Hello, Dolly! has died at 97. Channing was the recipient of three Tonys and earned an Oscar nomination for her turn in Thoroughly Modern Millie. [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Spider-Man: Far From Home swings into action. Tom Holland reprises his role as Spider-Man in the film, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as the villain Mysterio. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Roe v. Wade film features Jon Voight as a Supreme Court Justice. The film was shot in secret and some teaser video will be shown at a pro-life rally in Washington this weekend. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Gaza doc takes a look into everyday lives on the Strip. Gazan citizens encourage foreigners to look "deeper" into what their real lives encompass — and consider the ways in which families strive to find meaning among the uncertainty. [Watch.]( Five key Critics' Choice takeaways for Oscar-watchers. Scott Feinberg weighs-in on Roma winning best picture, Glenn Close vs. Lady Gaga, Mahershala Ali overcoming madness, Christian Bale's bounty and Regina King vs. Amy Adams. [Analysis.]( Reality's Positive Side Less arguing, more smiling: From Queer Eye to The Great British Baking Show and more, the genre is shifting from humanity's shortcomings to more introspection, Jessica Toomer writes: + Making a change: Armed with a smile and an otherworldly patience, Marie Kondo isn't asking viewers to marvel at the messiness of her clients' living situations. In fact, it's through her subjects — a California couple with two rowdy toddlers, a retired pair living in disarray — that she assigns homework for viewers who may also be interested in shaping up their space, and their lives. + Self-boost: The rise in popularity of shows like Tidying Up and Queer Eye point to an interesting shift, not just in reality TV but in the culture at large. Maybe, instead of catfights and staged proposals and talent competitions, the future of feel-good TV is just that: TV that makes you feel-good, or, more accurately, empowered. [Full story.]( What else we're reading... — "Welcome to the Stephen Colbert Primary." Brian Stelter details: "Colbert's interviews with politicians have not been a drag on the show's ratings. If anything, they've been a boon. Aides for several of the most-talked-about contenders confirmed that they view Colbert as a crucial stop on the presidential roadshow." [[CNN Business](] — "Sara Gilbert Balances Her Lives on The Conners and The Talk." Dave Itzkoff chats with the actress: “I wish I had some of [Darlene's] strength. I have more self-doubt than she has. I’m more careful, like, ‘Oh, did I do that right?’ And Darlene has always just been like, ‘No, you’re the idiot.’” [[The New York Times](] — "This Is the Most Wide-Open Best Picture Race in Years." Sean Fennessey writes: "The Academy has a chance to clarify its future immediately after these awards. To either go forward with the Popular Oscar or shelve it indefinitely; to clearly define what its most prestigious award means and how to arrive at it. To fix what’s left of the Academy Awards." [[The Ringer](] — "'Sweat or Sink': The Wit and Wisdom of Michelle Yeoh." Sonia Saraiya writes: "It’s as if the lens of pain is the only way she can be seen or understood on-screen, as if her implacable endurance redeems the damage done to her characters. " [[Vanity Fair](] — "A Las Vegas Residency Is Now Extremely Cool." Emma Specter writes: “Twenty years ago, we couldn't have got someone the stature of Britney Spears to appear in Vegas. Stars like her would never have considered it if Celine [Dion] hadn't paved the way." [[Vice](] What else we're watching... + "Samuel L. Jackson got incepted into taking on Nick Fury." [[Tonight Show](] + "Anne Hathaway has a Matthew McConaughey impression." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "James McAvoy says Saoirse Ronan influenced Glass." [[Late Show](] + "Allison Williams no longer has emotions." [[Late Night](] From the archives... + Today in 1967: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted Super Bowl I, which saw the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. Attracting 51 million viewers, popularity for the NFL's big game has only exploded, reaching a record 114.4 million U.S. viewers in 2015. [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Dove Cameron, 23, Eddie Cahill, 41, Jamie Clayton, 41, Regina King, 48, Kellita Smith, 50, James Nesbitt, 54, Andrea Martin, 72. Enjoy reading this? Six days a week, look for Today in Entertainment in your inbox to stay up-to-date on the industry. Sign up for this newsletter (and others) at [THR.com/Newsletters](. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( January 15, 2019