AOC Storms Sundance; Singer Sex Assault Exposé; NBCU Earnings; Netflix Joins MPAA; Oscars Forecast; New THR Cover

What's news: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is storming Washington and will take on Sundance with a new doc that followed her unlikely election. Plus: Sexual assault allegations against Bryan Singer are detailed in an Atlantic expose, NBCU touts strong earnings and Viacom's big digital acquisition. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( January 23, 2019 What's news: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is storming Washington and will take on Sundance with a new doc that followed her unlikely election. Plus: Sexual assault allegations against Bryan Singer are detailed in an Atlantic expose, NBCU touts strong earnings and Viacom's big digital acquisition. — Will Robinson [On the cover:]( As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez confounds both the right and the left, the self-described socialist and tweet-shaming agitator takes center stage in the documentary Knock Down the House and invites THR to catch a few episodes in the life of the one Democrat Trump hasn’t dared attack, Marisa Guthrie reports: + Double standard: “I always expected to be treated differently or less,” she tells Guthrie. “The extent and the degree to it is actually pretty mind-boggling to me. When it comes to these alt-right dude bros, I think it’s hysteria. It’s the fear of, ‘We may not be in charge much longer,’ in terms of just blanket homogeneous representation. Like, oh my God, what happens if white dudes aren’t in control of Congress?” + Industry influence on her: Unlike old-school liberals who regularly trek to Los Angeles in search of validation and money, Ocasio-Cortez has kept her distance from Hollywood (she headlined a small charity dinner during her first trip to L.A.). Some in Hollywood do see her ability to connect with millennials as critical to the future of the party. “We certainly hope she continues to energize the Democratic base,” says Andy Spahn, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s political consigliere. + Behind the doc: When filmmaker Rachel Lears first approached Ocasio-Cortez in early 2017 about chronicling her quixotic campaign, it was not a hard sell. “Alexandria has always been interested in transparency,” says Lears, 41. “Early in her campaign, she decided to communicate her process to her supporters. So making a documentary dovetails with that.” [Full cover story.]( AOC and Lears discuss the state of politics. The duo touch on how and why the 2018 midterm elections led to the "most diverse and progressive congress that we've ever had in our history." [Watch.]( Singer Exposé Bombshell report: Director Bryan Singer has been accused by four more men of having sex with them when they were underage in a thorough investigation that was 12 months in the works, Alex French and Maximillian Potter report. + The report's scope: French and Potter spoke with over 50 sources, including four men who had never detailed their experiences with Singer before with reporters. "After the Harvey Weinstein news came out, everyone thought Bryan Singer would be next," one prominent actor told French and Potter. + What he's accused of: "The accusations against Singer cover a spectrum. Some of the alleged victims say they were seduced by the director while underage; others say they were raped. The victims we interviewed told us these experiences left them psychologically damaged, with substance-abuse problems, depression, and PTSD." * Denial: "Singer’s lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, noted that Singer has never been arrested for or charged with any crime, and that Singer categorically denies ever having sex with, or a preference for, underage men." [[The Atlantic](] Elsewhere in film... ► Netflix becomes first streamer to join the Motion Picture Association of America. The unprecedented move — coming on the same day that the streamer landed its first Oscar nomination for best picture — was endorsed by the six Hollywood studio members of the MPAA, i.e., Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. * Financial side. Once Fox is merged with Disney, the MPAA will have one less member, meaning a loss of as much as $10 million-$12 million in annual dues. Other sources say the MPAA is courting other new members as well (Amazon could be a candidate). [Full story.]( -> Major theater chains bar Netflix's Roma from best picture showcase. "This year, Academy members nominated a film that was never licensed to AMC to play in our theatres. As such, it is [not included]( in the AMC Best Picture Showcase," the giant exhib says. ► David Glasser says he's raised $300 million for post-Weinstein studio. The new company, to be called 101 Studios, will [focus on]( both television and film. It will officially launch later this week. 101 Studios has already set up an international sales division and is aiming to make four to six films a year. ► Harvey Weinstein loses bid to pause class action from female accusers. The embattled movie mogul's legal affairs won't become less complicated after a judge [rejects]( Weinstein's Fifth Amendment concerns. ► Errol Morris to direct photo journalist biopic Weegee. Arthur Fellig was a street photographer that [began working]( in 1930s New York, chasing police cars and ambulances to capture life and death in the city. Middle Kingdom developments... ► China's film industry paid $1.7B in back taxes following Fan Bingbing scandal. The phenomenal sum, which stars and studios paid [under threat]( of serious punishment from Beijing, represents a full fifth of China's total box office revenue in 2018. ► Green Book secures post-Oscars release date in China. The awards season favorite appears to be [positioning itself]( for the kind of post-Oscars box office bump that past U.S. prestige titles have enjoyed in China. ► Shanghai Disney Resort to expand with Zootopia land. The addition is Disney's second expansion of its sprawling Chinese theme park, meant [to build on]( the huge local box office success of the 2016 film. Around town... ► L.A. teachers strike ends with tentative deal. Los Angeles school officials and the union reached a tentative deal Tuesday that will allow teachers to [return to work]( Wednesday. The agreement was broadly described by officials at the press conference and details were promised to be released later [Quoted:]( "We were prepping at a warehouse out on Long Island, getting the cameras ready. And Julianne [Moore] said, 'You don't really think I'm right for this part, do you?' And Nicole [Holofcener] said, 'You're not right for the part.'" — producer David Yarnell, how Can You Ever Forgive Me? originally fell apart. ^Does Hollywood's diversity debate resonate with Americans?: Though inclusion riders and a 50-50 pledge are ever present within the industry, most citizens aren't in tune with the diversity pushes, Rebecca Sun reports: + Missed audience: A new Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll finds that more than 70 percent of Americans had nearly no awareness of Regina King's pledge during the Golden Globes. Even more survey respondents were unaware of (or had forgotten) Frances McDormand's Oscars 2018 acceptance speech, which doubled as a rallying call for the industry to adopt inclusion riders. + Perception differs from reality: About a quarter of the respondents consistently expressed no opinion or no concern about the diversity in Hollywood. About a third to a half felt that there was a sufficient number of acting, directing or producing jobs for women, people of color or members of the LGBT community, although women and people of color tended to take a less sanguine view. [Full results.]( For your consideration... ► France's Cesar Awards nominations unveiled. Jacques Audiard's The Sisters Brothers, starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly earned nine nods, while Oscar nominees Capharnaum, Cold War, and Shoplifters were also recognized here. [Nominees.]( On the festival circuit... ► Peter Fonda, Hugh Hudson to get tributes at Guadalajara. The Mexican festival [also will honor]( Juan de Dios Larrain, producer of last year's foreign-language Oscar winner A Fantastic Woman. Musical notes... ► Chris Brown denies rape accusation in Instagram post. The 29-year-old Grammy-winning musician was detained in Paris after a woman filed a rape complaint, French officials said Tuesday. He later [post]([ed]( on Instagram: "This bitch lyin'." Oscar noms fallout... ► GLAAD applauds Academy for LGBTQ-inclusive Oscar noms. "The diversity across the full list of nominations [should be celebrated]( and will no doubt lead to more inclusive, culture-changing films," said GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis, calling out films like Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born, among others. ► Sizing up the nominees. There is no denying that this is the most diverse crop of nominees ever, in just about every sense, Scott Feinberg details. [Analysis.]( Feinberg Forecast. With the categories set, THR's awards columnist gives his early projection of how February's awards will [shake out](. 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](. NBCU's Earnings Rise TV unit's success: NBCUniversal, led by CEO Steve Burke, posted adjusted earnings of $2.12 billion, up 12.3 percent from the $1.88 billion recorded in the year-ago period, Etan Vlessing reports: + Unit's success: The broadcast TV unit led NBCU's fourth-quarter growth with a 109.3 percent EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) improvement to $412 million on higher distribution and advertising revenue, including higher retransmission consent fees, despite ratings declines, as well as lower programming and production costs. * Subs situation: Comcast lost 29,000 residential cable TV subscribers in the fourth quarter to end 2018 with nearly 21 million. Sky's total customer relationships increased by 164,000 to 23.6 million in the fourth quarter, while the growth reached 735,000 for the full year. + Expected film dip: Fourth-quarter film EBITDA fell 23.6 percent to $179 million, reflecting higher operating costs, partially offset by higher revenue, including a 189.3 percent theatrical revenue gain. Full-year film unit profit was down 42.5 percent as expected and projected by management after a record-setting 2017. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff inks ABC Studios overall deal. Under the multiple-year pact, Vernoff and her producing partner (and husband) Alexandre Schmitt will [create and develop]( projects under their newly launched Trip the Light Productions banner. ► Endeavor Content taps former Shine Group exec as COO. Tim Robinson is a [former]( global COO of Shine Group and was most recently COO at management/production company Avalon. ► Televisa signs co-production deals with Endemol Shine, Mediapro. The agreements come as the Mexican media giant is facing mounting pressure [to produce]( quality content on par with streamer Netflix. ► Commerce platform Shopify launches film and TV studio. The growing retail force [enlists]( Anonymous Content, Wheelhouse Entertainment’s Spoke Studios and Saville Productions. ► Syfy renews The Magicians. Days before the drama based on the Lev Grossman novels returns for its fourth season, the NBCUniversal-owned cable network [has renewed]( the drama starring Jason Ralph. ► Showtime renews Our Cartoon President. The Stephen Colbert-produced animated series [will debut]( new episodes for its second season later in the year. ► Alec {NAME} parking dispute settled. The actor [pleaded guilty]( to a second-degree violation of harassment, Tamara Gitt reports. He will go through anger management and pay a $120 surcharge. [Background.]( Casting call... ► James Gandolfini's son to play young Tony in Sopranos prequel film. Michael Gandolfini [will play]( the role made famous by his father in The Many Saints of Newark. ^Viacom acquires free streaming platform Pluto TV for $340 million. Pluto boasts more than 12 million monthly active users for its lean-back streaming video platform, Natalie Jarvey reports: + Bob Bakish's strategy: Viacom plans to use Pluto TV as a distribution outlet for digital programming from brands like Awesomeness and as a marketing tool for its portfolio of media brands. "As the video marketplace continues to segment, we see an opportunity to support the ecosystem in creating products at a broad range of price points, including free," the CEO said in a statement announcing the purchase. + Foot in the door: Viacom, which has been steadily building up a digital business through the acquisitions of influencer marketing platform WhoSay and digital producer Awesomeness, sees an opportunity to utilize Pluto to reach consumers directly and use it as an entry point for subscription businesses Noggin and Comedy Central Now. [Full story.]( Digital digest... ► WarnerMedia launches content Innovation Lab. The NBA [will work]( with the Innovation Lab to look at ways to use AT&T's internet of things technology and to work on building connected stadium experiences. Console wars... ► American Ninja Warrior video game coming in March. From GameMill Entertainment, American Ninja Warrior Challenge [will release]( on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. From last night... ► Inside This Is Us' darkest episode yet. Showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger talk with Jean Bentley about the big Vietnam reveal and address the criticism that the time-jumping family drama has received in season three. [Spoilers.]( ► Conan debuts short-format show with smaller stage, new look. The host's inaugural 30-minute show featured Tom Hanks and a cameo appearance from Milo Ventimiglia. [Recap.]( Ratings notes... ► Bachelor, AGT: Champions best Celebrity Big Brother premiere. The CBS show opened with a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.4 million viewers, down from 1.8 and 7.27 million for its debut last year. The show also lost viewers in its second half hour. [Details.]( Broad City's farewell... Jackie Strause emails: Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer hosted a screening for the premiere of their final season of Broad City at a Comedy Central event in New York on Tuesday night. The pair introduced the episode by paying tribute to Kevin Barnett, the comedian and Broad City contributor who passed away on Tuesday. Castmembers Arturo Castro, Paul W. Downs and John Gemberling were on hand, along with guest star Rachel Dratch and ep Amy Poehler, who heckled whenever she was thanked by the stars or Comedy Central's Kent Alterman. "What an extremely wild ride these past 10 years have been. I feel very lucky to have done it with you," Jacobson told Glazer, who in turn called her a life partner. In memoriam... ► RIP Kevin Barnett. The comedian co-created the Fox series Rel with Lil Rel Howery and Josh Rabinowitz. [Obit.]( ► RIP Kaye Ballard. The singer, actress and comedienne best known for starring as one of the meddling title characters on the 1960s NBC sitcom The Mothers-in-Law died Monday at 93. [Obit.]( ► RIP Russell Baker. The genial, sharp-witted writer who won Pulitzer Prizes for his humorous columns in The New York Times, and host of television's Masterpiece Theatre died Monday. He was 93. [Obit.]( SAG-AFTRA targets members for working non-union Cadillac ad shoot. Although working "off the card" is a violation for union members, the carmaker [can't face]( any disciplinary action, Jonathan Handel reports. Sundance Showdown? Political fest: When the documentary/narrative hybrid The Infiltrators makes its world premiere Friday, at least two self-described Dreamers who are featured in the film plan to be on hand, taunting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to meet them there, Tatiana Siegel reports: + Directly facing what's wrong: “I welcome any retaliation by the Trump Administration,” says Mohammad Abdollahi, an undocumented immigrant from Iran. “We've come to understand that the more out there in the open we are, the safer we are. If I were to get detained by immigration, I would rather be a phone call away from a large community of people than to be in the shadows and have no one to support me. "So, while it's always a risk, I think it's a risk that we have to take.” [Full story.]( What else we're reading... — "He Knows the Stars’ Dirty Laundry. Because He Washes It." Thomas Rogers reports: "The world’s top specialist for tour laundry, [Hans-Jürgen] Topf has traveled with many of the world’s biggest music acts, including Madonna, Pink and Beyoncé." [[The New York Times](] — "Millennial Burnout Is Being Televised." Sophie Gilbert considers: "The success of Tidying Up also speaks to how neatly some episodes of the show sync with its cultural moment, a time in which identity and achievements are visual metrics to be publicly displayed and curated, and a happy home is a perfected, optimized one." [[The Atlantic](] — "When the Oscars Chose Driving Miss Daisy Over Do the Right Thing." K. Austin Collins reflects on the 1990 ceremony: "There was definitely an awareness that the Academy was probably not going to be forward-looking enough—it certainly wasn’t young enough, it certainly wasn’t black enough—to nominate Do the Right Thing for best picture." [[Vanity Fair](] — "How The Matrix Shaped Our Reality." Danny Leigh writes: "Yet for a relic, it never slipped far from view — still a familiar reference in a world divided between internet and IRL (in real life), its characters endlessly circulating in memes and gifs, often as vehicles for the acrid politics that define our 21st century." [[The Guardian](] — "With Interactive TV, Every Viewer Is a Showrunner Now." Peter Rubin poses: "Netflix already famously pores over every byte of viewer behavior data. Now the buttons we choose, the prompts we pick, the tastes they suggest could become part of that great graph that defines how the company sees us. Television in the age of psychographics." [[WIRED](] What else we're watching... + "Regina King & Stephen Curry acted in fast food commercials." [[Late Late Show](] + "Gina Rodriguez met her fiancé when he stripped for her on Jane the Virgin." [[Tonight Show](] + "Mo Rocca knows his presidential pet trivia." [[Late Show](] From the archives... + Today in 2003: Ricky Gervais' comedy The Office made its way stateside, where it premiered on BBC America, inspiring a wave of sitcoms and serving as the basis for NBC's hit show with Steve Carell: "It's a wonderful, subversive concept, and by failing to romanticize the players, Office remains true to its ghastly, funny self." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Kyle Newacheck, 35, Tiffani Thiessen, 45, Mark Boal, 46, Mariska Hargitay, 55, Boris McGiver, 57, Richard Dean Anderson, 69, Rutger Hauer, 75. 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. 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