Vice Layoffs; Amazon’s Prime Growth; Crowe as Ailes; 'Hobbs & Shaw' Trailer

What's news: Amazon's strong earnings tout the rapid growth of its Prime membership. Plus: Jussie Smollett's family responds to his attack, AMC faces a Fear the Walking Dead lawsuit and how Brexit led to a boost for the Canadian film industry. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( February 01, 2019 What's news: Amazon's strong earnings tout the rapid growth of its Prime membership. Plus: Jussie Smollett's family responds to his attack, AMC faces a Fear the Walking Dead lawsuit and how Brexit led to a boost for the Canadian film industry. — Will Robinson Breaking: Vice Media to reorganize, lay off 10 percent of staff. The cuts, which [will impact]( around 250 people, are part of new CEO Nancy Dubuc's strategic plan to tighten spending and achieve profitability. "We will make Vice the best manifestation of itself and cement its place long into the future," Dubuc wrote in a memo to staff. * The changes: Vice will restructure its global workforce from one siloed by each international office into one built around its five business priorities going forward: film and TV production unit Studios, its international News team, the digital business, the TV operation fueled by Vice's relationship with HBO and ad agency Virtue. Administrative or support functions like human resources, legal and business development will report into VIce's Brooklyn headquarters or a regional hub. [Read the memo.]( ^Record sign-ups: Amazon says 2018 had the most new Prime memberships than any previous year as the ecommerce giant reported revenue of $72.4 billion in, ahead of analyst predictions, Paul Bond reports: + Big leap: The company said its net "service sales" jumped to $27.7 billion from $19.1 billion in the same quarter a year ago. + Fuzzy Prime numbers: In April, Bezos disclosed there were more than 100 million Prime members worldwide and neither CFO Brian Olsavsky or head of investor relations David Fildes, both of whom led Thursday's call with analysts, didn't disclose new numbers. + No Bezos: Amazon's earnings comes as Jeff Bezos is in the midst of a divorce from MacKenzie Bezos, though the Amazon CEO did not appear on a conference call with analysts late Thursday. The couple's fortune is estimated at $140 billion and there is reportedly no prenuptial agreement, as they were married 25 years ago before the creation of Amazon. [Full story.]( -> Bezos probe questioned Sanchez's brother: "Gavin de Becker, the Amazon chief’s longtime personal security consultant and the point person for the investigation, confirmed that his probe has scrutinized Michael Sanchez ... a personal and business associate of Trumpworld figures including Roger Stone, Carter Page, and Scottie Nell Hughes." [[The Daily Beast](] Holding Out for Ads A commercial actor's hopes: Agents say that pay from commercials is now falling short for many rank-and-file actors, leading a push for ad-supported streaming, Jonathan Handel reports: + Next contract focus: The AVOD services, like NBCUniversal's planned streamer, could be at issue when contract talks begin. SAG-AFTRA is expected to offer more clarity about payment structures for internet ads as well as product integration for social media influencers and an increase in session fees, perhaps of 3 percent. + Bleak ad environment: In 1999, nonunion commercials represented only an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of all commercials and were mostly from small advertisers, agents say. Now, nonunion work is estimated between 50 percent and 70 percent of all commercials, including spots for national advertisers. [Full story.]( WGA prepares... ► The guild sets member meetings as clock ticks toward talent agency battle. The WGA wants changes to its Agency Agreement, [expiring]( April 6, that talent reps are unlikely to give, potentially forcing writers to make an excruciating and almost unprecedented choice between their union and their agents in a high-stakes feud. Exec moves... ► TriStar president Hannah Minghella expands role to include oversight of TV. The move [reflects]( a mandate from Sony Corp,’s new CEO Kenichiro Yoshida to foster synergy across all of Sony's streams of business. ► TNT's Sarah Aubrey to head originals for WarnerMedia streaming service. Meanwhile, TBS' Brett Weitz has been [promoted]( to general manager for both the comedy-focused cabler and TNT. ► Disney PR vet Kevin Brockman to step down post-acquisition. The veteran communications executive, who has been with the company for 22 years, will be [departing]( following the close of Disney's 21st Century Fox acquisition. He will stay on through the transition, at which time his role, in its current form, will be eliminated. Elsewhere in TV... ► Showtime orders The L Word sequel. Marja-Lewis Ryan [serves]( as the showrunner on the revival with original series creator Ilene Chaiken set to exec produce. * Sarah Shahi confirmed back. "It was discussed [that] my involvement [would be] very heavily [that] I would be in it. I intend to [keep it that way]( and so does Showtime," Shahi told Lesley Goldberg. ► Showtime renews Shameless. The news for season 10 [comes]( as star Emmy Rossum will depart after the current ninth season, following Cameron Monaghan's exit in season nine. ► Disney+ orders Gina Rodriguez comedy Diary of a Female President. The 10-episode series, about a Cuban-American in middle school and her journey to running the U.S., is exec produced by Rodriguez and from CBS TV Studios — the first [outside buy]( for Disney's forthcoming SVOD service. ► Netflix renews Sex Education. Production on the sophomore run [will resume]( in the spring in the U.K. The entire cast — including stars Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield — will return to reprise their roles. Creator Laurie Nunn will return as showrunner. ► Netflix's Fuller House will end after season five. The sequel to Full House [will air]( its final season in the fall. ► CW renews 10, including Charmed, Riverdale, Supernatural. Remaining [on the bubble]( — for consideration in May as the network reviews its pilot roster and makes decisions for its 2019-2020 schedule — are the veteran The 100 and the rookies Roswell, All American and In the Dark, the latter of which has yet to premiere. [Quoted:]( "Salim [Akil] has a personal issue. [Black Lightning producers] Warners did an investigation … and no wrongdoing was found. This is nothing to do with the show. The show, Salim, the producers, cast, crew — they deserve to work." — CW chief Mark Pedowitz, on the showrunner's domestic violence lawsuit. ^Jussie Smollett’s family condemns attack on actor, calls assault "domestic terrorism." "We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime," reads the Smollett statement. "Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and [bring them to justice](." * Solidarity rally planned by LGBTQ, black advocacy organizations. According to a press advisory, speakers at the rally will "[share stories of fear](, pain and anger" to address violence that inflicts LGBTQ people, and especially queer people of color. -> Trump responds to attack. “That I can tell you is horrible. It [doesn't get worse](," the president said when asked by journalist April Ryan about the assault that took place earlier in the week in Chicago, according to the White House pool report. Casting call... ► Bryan Cranston to star in Showtime limited series from Good Fight creators. Your Honor, from showrunner Peter Moffat, [will be]( a 10-episode limited series. ► Kether Donohue joins ABC comedy Happy Accident. The You're the Worst breakout [will play]( a single mother in the pilot starring Matt Walsh and Vanessa Williams. ► Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill lead voice cast for Robert Kirkman's Invincible. It's a Walking Dead [reunion]( on the adult animated Amazon drama series as Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz and more are among the star-studded cast. Pilot orders... ► John Mayer's "Heart of Life" song to become ABC drama. The network has [handed out]( a pilot order based on the song about two siblings. ► New York Undercover, Zoe Lister-Jones comedy join ABC slate. The network now has seven dramas and three comedies on its slate. [Details.]( ► CBS orders Frankenstein twist from Elementary team, two more dramas. Shows about a small town that secedes from the United States and the denizens of an L.A. courthouse have also gotten green lights. [Details.]( Digital digest... ► Hulu to test banner ads when people pause. Ads will only appear to those subscribed to the platform's ad-supported plans and will pop up after video is stopped for five seconds, Tim Peterson details. [[Digiday](] Ratings notes... -> Behind ABC's World News Tonight ratings climb? A "steady" approach. The show, hosted by the eminently telegenic David Muir, is [leading]( the competition in total viewers for the third season in a row. Muir's show regularly averages 9 million viewers per night, approximately triple the audience of the top two cable news shows, Hannity and The Rachel Maddow Show, Jeremy Barr reports. ► Masked Singer rises. Wednesday's edition of the Fox reality hit [posted]( its best ratings since the series premiere, averaging a 2.6 among adults 18-49 (up from 2.3 a week ago) and 7.85 million viewers (vs. 7.14 million). ► Los Angeles Rams struggling in home market. "In the 2018 regular season, the Rams averaged a 10.6 rating, meaning that 10.6% of all Los Angeles TV households were watching the games. By comparison, the Chicago Bears averaged a 28.1 rating in their local market. ... The New England Patriots had a 35 rating." [[The Wall Street Journal](] From the Live Feed... ► Brooklyn Nine-Nine favorite Chelsea Peretti opens up about "fun, funny" farewell. "Dan [Goor] very nicely gave me flowers and framed photos and stills from the show. ... It was [a lot of tears](." Talking points... ► Cory Booker launches 2020 presidential campaign. The New Jersey Democrat, who is the second black candidate in a primary field that's already historically diverse, [delivered]( his message of unity amid an era marked by bitter political division. Coming attractions... ► First look: Showtime unveils Russell Crowe's transformation into Roger Ailes. Producer Blumhouse also shares a look at Crowe transformed into the late Fox News founder. [Photo.]( Judge won't kill lawsuit claiming AMC's Fear the Walking Dead ripped off comic book. The cable network [also faces]( an additional claim of aiding Mel Smith's agent, who was also Robert Kirkman's partner and became an executive producer on the series, Eriq Gardner reports. 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](. Brexit Boosts Canada Beneficiary from referendum: U.K. producers are looking to Canada co-productions as Britain's break from the European Union looms, Etan Vlessing reports: + Relationship boon: "When you do a Canada-EU co-production, you can assume you'll be using British actors as the U.K. is so rich in actors and actresses," Robert Budreau, a Toronto-based film writer-director with Lumanity Productions, says. "So Brexit will have a pretty huge effect on international co-production, and it will mean, from our end, we might be more inclined to do Canada-U.K. aco-productions because, if we want their actors, we'll need that citizenship." + Canada's ambition: Canada, backed by Telefilm Canada, the country's top film financier, has official co-production treaties with about 60 countries and long ago became a pioneer of the co-production model. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Sony's film unit posts $107M quarterly profit. The surprise success of Venom, which took more than $855 million worldwide, [boosted]( results at the pictures division. Sony Corp. posted net quarterly profit up 45 percent and raised its full-year profit forecast by 18 percent to $7.67 billion. * Games' disparity. Although sales in its game division were up 10 percent, profit fell by a similar proportion due to the impact of currency fluctuations and lower sales of the PS4 console and discounts offered during the holiday season. ► Universal's Donna Langley unveils exec team. In her new role as Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman, Langley announced several promotions and new appointments to her team including Peter Levinsohn and Jimmy Horowitz. [Details.]( ► Netflix inks overall deal with Coco producer Darla Anderson. The multi-year deal will see Anderson [develop and produce]( new content for the online video giant. ► UltraViolet digital movie service shutting down. The home entertainment service [has allowed]( DVD and Blu-ray buyers to upload purchases to a digital locker that can then be shared and viewed at home or on the go on multiple devices. The cross-studio platform will close down on July 31. ► Canadian Parliament wants Netflix to pay town at center of train crash footage in Bird Box. The statement was part of a non-binding motion passed Wednesday by the country’s parliament, which has also [demanded]( the footage be removed from the film. It's a date... ► Lionsgate suspense thriller Run sets 2020 release date. The Summit Entertainment release [stars]( Sarah Paulson and is directed by Aneesh Chaganty. It'll land Jan. 24, 2020. Casting call... ► Woody Harrelson to star in Fruit Loops for Ted Melfi, Fox 2000. The dramedy [centers]( on a group of mental patients who band together when their hospital suddenly sells. ► Johnny Flynn to play David Bowie in Stardust. Jena Malone and Marc Maron will [also star]( in the movie from Salon Pictures. ► Carey Mulligan to star in thriller Promising Young Woman for FilmNation. The Drive and Suffragette actress will play a woman who [takes revenge]( on predatory men in the film from 'Killing Eve' showrunner Emerald Fennell. ► Mary J. Blige, Lukas Haas join coming-of-age romance The Violent Heart. Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps [produce]( with Toby Maguire's Material Pictures. ^Fox's Alita: Battle Angel, reviewed: "A lumpy script, muddled plot, stock characters and tired genre tropes may dampen its commercial breakout potential beyond its core sci-fi action-fantasy demographic," Stephen Dalton writes. "While not exactly a misfire, [Robert] Rodriguez and [James] Cameron's joint effort lacks the zing and originality of their best individual work." [Full review.]( * What critics are saying: The manga adaptation isn't faring well, as it stands at 40 percent on [Rotten Tomatoes]( (based on 20 reviews) and 50 on [Metacritic](. The Oscars are near... ► Oscars performances to include songs from Mary Poppins Returns, RBG. The Feb. 24 broadcast will include a performance of "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns by "a surprise special guest." [Details.]( And the winner is... ► Green Book, Vice among Casting Society of America's Artios Awards winners. Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians are among the other winners of the 34th annual awards, handed out Thursday night. [Winners list.]( On the festival circuit... ► Hollywood gender inequality doc This Changes Everything to open Miami. Oscar-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson [will receive]( the festival's Estrella Damm Precious Gem Award for her work, including in the HBO limited series Sharp Objects, for which she won a Golden Globe. ► Leonardo Da Vinci biopic to world premiere at L.A. Italia Fest. The new art film is being released [to honor]( the 500th anniversary of the "Mona Lisa" painter’s death. Honorees... ► Adam McKay to receive WGA Awards' Paul Selvin Award. The frequent Will Ferrell collaborator and The Big Short co-writer will be [honored]( for his work on Vice at the West Coast edition of the ceremony. ► Chris O'Dowd to be honored at Oscar Wilde Awards. The Irish actor's latest project, State of the Union, just [premiered]( at the Sundance Film Festival. J.J. Abrams hosts the Feb. 21 bash at his Bad Robot offices in Santa Monica. Musical notes... ► Jennifer Hudson removes R. Kelly-penned songs from streaming platforms. Other artists have decided to no longer perform tracks that Kelly wrote or produced. "After the tour I am [retiring]( those songs from my set list," lead singer Omarion tweeted about his own decision. "I too am raising a future queen." From the stage... ► Betty Buckley in Hello, Dolly!. The latest revival of the beloved musical, which stormed Broadway with Bette Midler in 2017, is on tour with Tony winner Betty Buckley in the title role, now at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, Deborah Wilker writes. [Full review.]( Console wars... ► Nintendo stock falls on lower Switch console sales forecast. Stock [fell]( 9.2 percent in Tokyo on Friday, the day after it reported operating profits of $1.46 billion (ï¿¥158.6 billion) for the crucial October to December period and lowered its sales forecast for the Switch console. Coming attractions... Trailer: Hobbs & Shaw teases Dwayne Johnson's Fast and Furious spinoff. Jason Statham co-headlines the film from Deadpool 2 director David Leitch, that boasts Idris Elba as its bad guy. [Watch.]( ► First look: Johnny Depp as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata. Bill Nighy has boarded the feature from director Andrew Levitas. [Photo.]( Elisabeth Moss, Susan Sarandon team for women's rights drama Call Jane. Moss will also [produce]( the Berlin-bound project, along with Robbie Brenner, the Oscar-nominated producer of Dallas Buyers Club. Sharing My Cancer Battle Speaking truth: Elisabeth Finch, who has a rare form of bone cancer, opens up about why one beloved character survived, while another died during Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy: + Industry impact: Days after I mentioned my rare form of bone cancer (Chondrosarcoma) showrunner Krista Vernoff asked me how I'd feel about writing a storyline that mirrored my own. My initial reaction was to say no. Until I looked around the writers' room and realized I was the only person who identified as a person with a disability. And then I thought about the other writers' rooms across town and how few of them had a person with disability on staff. + Moving impact: For the first time, I saw my story reflected back at me. I saw a version of ability, a version of cancer that looked like mine, like my other friends living with cancer. It's something every human being should experience. Not the tears and the losing your damn mind part — but the feeling of being seen, understood, believed. [Full essay.]( What else we're reading... — "Broad City and the Pivot to Millennial Rage." Sonia Saraiya writes: "They embody some of the harshest stereotypes of millennials, but they also indicate, with every undignified adventure, that they’re merely treating the world as it has, until now, treated them." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Our Never-Ending ‘Scam Season.'" Amanda Hess reflects: "The math behind the American dream — a nobody, combined with pure grit, transforms into a somebody — is already a reach. The grifter just stretches the concept a little further." [[The New York Times](] — "Twitter Says False Content Is Evolving, and More Comes From the U.S." Kate Conger reports: "Twitter said that it challenges 8 million to 10 million suspicious accounts every week." [[The New York Times](] — "Netflix's Love of Host-Driven Stories." Jason Parham considers Trigger Warning, among others: "In a lot of ways, [the show] is the sum of Netflix’s grand ambitions. The streaming company’s transformation into an all-seeing, for-everybody TV network irrevocably shifted the television landscape for good—what we watch, when and how we consume a given piece of content." [[WIRED](] — "Maroon 5 Will Be Tolerated." Rob Harvilla speaks on the "agreeable blandness" of the Super Bowl halftime act: "They are one of the few remaining major rock bands and pop hit-makers prominent enough to qualify for the Super Bowl gig, but also inoffensive and apolitical enough to risk taking it. They are one of the few remaining major rock bands, period." [[The Ringer](] What else we're watching... + "Ellen Page calls out hateful leadership." [[Late Show](] + "Viggo Mortensen on his Green Book's Oscar noms." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Matt LeBlanc did his own dental work before Friends." [[Conan](] + "Danai Gurira is real-life besties with This Is Us' Randall & Beth." [[Tonight Show](] From the archives... + Today in 1982: NBC premiered Late Night With David Letterman in the 12:30 a.m. hour, following The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. Letterman became a Gen X sensation and went on to host his own 11:30 p.m. show at CBS in 1993: "Mr. Letterman's style is low-key and laid back — there is none of Steve Martin's physical outrageousness, or even Mr. Carson's flinty political edge." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Julia Garner, 25, Harry Styles, 25, Kelli Goss, 27, Ronda Rousey, 32, Lauren Conrad, 33, Abbi Jacobson, 35, Michael C. Hall, 48. 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]( February 1, 2019