'Neverland' Fallout; Greenblatt Joins WarnerMedia; White House-Fox News Ties; 'Green Book' Oscar Bump

What's news: Leaving Neverland finally airs amid a fight between HBO and the Michael Jackson estate. Plus: Bob Greenblatt is in at WarnerMedia, Tyler Perry's final Madea film posts a strong debut and an in-depth New Yorker report at the White House's relationship with Fox News. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( March 04, 2019 What's news: Leaving Neverland finally airs amid a fight between HBO and the Michael Jackson estate. Plus: Bob Greenblatt is in at WarnerMedia, Tyler Perry's final Madea film posts a strong debut and an in-depth New Yorker report at the White House's relationship with Fox News. — Will Robinson ^Leaving Neverland arrives: Despite aggressive efforts from the Jackson family and Michael Jackson's estate, HBO aired Part 1 of its doc on Sunday night: + Seven disturbing allegations: Wade Robson and James Safechuck , who say they were sexually abused by the late music icon when they were boys, detail a pattern of behavior that allowed both them and their families to feel safe initially; an escalation of abusive behavior as the boys became teenagers; and a re-emergence in their lives when Jackson was taken to court over other allegations of abuse. [Takeaways.]( + Jackson counterprogramming: Amid its lawsuit with HBO over the documentary, the Michael Jackson estate on Sunday [posted]( a concert film featuring the singer about 20 minutes after Part 1 of the doc premiered. In addition, a second concert film, Live at Wembley Stadium, will be available to watch at the same time that Part 2 of Leaving Neverland debuts Monday. -> HBO's doc threatens golden Jackson estate. Ben Sisario details the estate's growth and its case against the network: "Since 2009, the estate has brought in more than $2 billion. ... Half of that came from the sale of its stakes in major song catalogs: Sony/ATV, which contained more than 200 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and EMI, whose vast holdings include most Motown hits." [[The New York Times](] At Neverland premiere, Richard Plepler's spot remains empty. The New York fete's power table was empty, Josh Koblin and Edmund Lee report. Former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter: “Richard will be mourned by the people here, and HBO will change. Don’t underestimate the effect this will have.” [[The New York Times](] WGA Rattling Nerves Shaky confidence: After a weekend of meetings with entertainment lawyers and managers, the Writers Guild of America is trying to win over supporters for its battle with agents, Jonathan Handel reports: + Misunderstanding of climate: “I found myself feeling ill,” said another. “I couldn’t believe my ears.” He added that it was “wishful thinking at best” for the WGA to believe that studios would pay writers more if they (the studios) no longer paid packaging fees to the talent agencies. (Another lawyer agreed, saying the studios “will just pocket” the money they would have paid in packaging fees.) + Pessimistic outlook: The ATA has said few if any of its members will sign on to that, which would force WGA writers to fire their agents or be in violation of guild rules. “It’s going to be chaos,” said a fifth attorney, if the guild forces members to fire their unsigned agents and rely on word of mouth, the WGA website, managers, attorneys and less prominent agents to find work. “A free-for-all,” said another, [calling]( the guild “naïve.” -> Meeting with managers "an abject fucking disaster": The meeting was standing room only, and sources estimated the attendance at 100 to 200, including representatives of every top management firm. "It was a very cogent presentation at first and then the questions started flying," said a third, "and they didn’t have good answers." "It was awful," said a fourth manager. "They [really don’t know]( what the fuck they’re doing." Elsewhere in TV... ► Bob Greenblatt officially joins WarnerMedia in top content job. Reporting to WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, Greenblatt will have oversight of the company's potentially combined television programming operations, including HBO and Turner's suite of networks and the company's forthcoming streaming service. * Reporting structure. Executives including HBO programming president Casey Bloys, TBS, TNT and WarnerMedia streaming chief creative officer Kevin Reilly will report directly to Greenblatt, who will remain based in Los Angeles. * Other exec moves. Jeff Zucker becomes chairman, WarnerMedia News & Sports, and president, CNN; and Kevin Tsujihara, who continues as chairman and CEO, Warner Bros., gets additional responsibilities, including a new global kids and young adults business. In addition, Gerhard Zeiler has been elevated from president, Turner International to WarnerMedia chief revenue officer. [Ful]([l story.]( ► CNN's digital branch to get boost. "[Stankey] is interested in investing in product development at CNN’s digital arm, including its apps, and wants articles to surface to users based on their interests and tastes. ... Mr. Stankey wants tens of millions of mobile users to be spending in the neighborhood of 10 minutes a day with CNN content." [[The Wall Street Journal](] ► Paramount Network Int'l takes Yellowstone for seven markets. The Nordics and Latin America [are among]( the regions that will get the hit drama from Taylor Sheridan, which stars Kevin Costner and launched on the U.S. version of the Viacom channel last year. ► New Fox eyeing Nexstar stations. "Nexstar is divesting stations in more than 10 markets where it overlaps with Tribune. They generate annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of about $150 million." [[Bloomberg](] ► Sebastian Gorka no longer a Fox News contributor. Gorka, who hosts a daily radio show for Salem Radio Network, said he [decided not to renew]( his contract. -> Conservatives urge DNC to let Fox News host presidential debate. The DNC has 10 more primary debates to award after giving one each to CNN and MSNBC/NBC. "If they can get that side of the house, just the straight journalists, then I think that's something they really [ought to look at](," Matt Schlapp, who runs CPAC as head of the American Conservative Union, said. ► The Sandlot original cast to reunite for TV reboot. The first two seasons have already been sold to an undisclosed streamer, original writer-director David Mickey Evans [revealed]( on The Rain Delay podcast. -> Roseanne: Women of #MeToo who came forward are "nothing but hos." The comedian also said that Christine Blasey Ford, who last year accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in the 1980s, "[should be in prison](." On the festival circuit... ► Netflix's Ted Sarandos, Amazon's Georgia Brown set for Series Mania keynotes. MPAA chair Charles Rivkin and Endeavor Content's head of TV Lorenzo de Maio will [also speak]( during the TV festival in France. ^Inside the Fox News-Trump relationship: Jane Meyer's detailed report, titled "The Making of the Fox News White House," lays out the symbiotic relationship between the network and the president. + Debate prep: "A pair of Fox insiders and a source close to Trump believe that [Roger] Ailes informed the Trump campaign [in 2016] about [Megyn] Kelly’s question [about insulting women and presidential temperament]. ... In addition, a former Trump campaign aide says that a Fox contact gave him advance notice of a different debate question, which asked the candidates whether they would support the Republican nominee, regardless of who won." + Direct lines: Though Hannity reportedly boasts he talks to Trump every day, and the president speaks to Rupert Murdoch often, the latter's regular connections to Jared Kushner might be the most fascinating: "Well-informed sources say that Kushner, an increasingly valued White House adviser, has worked hard to win over Murdoch, showing him respect and asking him for advice. ... Kushner now has an almost filial status with Murdoch" [[The New Yorker](] SNL highlights... ► SNL takes on Cohen's testimony in cold open: Ben Stiller reprised his guest role as Michael Cohen in a parody of Cohen’s testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that happened this week. Bill Hader also made a cameo as Congressman Jim Jordan. [Watch.]( * Other clips: John Mulaney's second hosting gig [brings]( "Diner Lobster" follow-up... how the Smollett case [was handled](... cut skit [skewers]( Sen. Dianne Feinstein's run-in with the Green New Deal-supporting kids. Digital digest... ► HQ Trivia parent company plans board member swap amid CEO search. Lightspeed Venture Partners' Merci Grace [will join]( the Intermedia Labs board as colleague Jeremy Liew plans to transition out of the roll following the hiring of a permanent CEO. In memoriam... ► RIP Mitzi Hoag. The actress who had recurring roles on such TV series as The Facts of Life and Here Come the Brides died Tuesday at her home in Sherman Oaks. She was 86. [Obit.]( ► RIP Nathaniel Taylor. The actor best known as Rollo Lawson, the street-smart best friend of the son on the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, died Wednesday at 80. [Obit.]( From the Live Feed... ► How Walking Dead's new villain just set up the next major death. With one deft move, Samantha Morton's Alpha just foreshadowed at least three possible series regular deaths. [Spoilers.]( Game of Thrones' final path: The journey of Bran Stark. How will Bran's secret information and special powers [fuel]( the final season? Josh Wigler prognosticates. 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](. Big Oscar Bump Keeps winning: Director Peter Farrelly's Green Book scored the biggest post-Oscar bump of any best picture winner in eight years at the U.S. box office, Pamela McClintock reports: + The take: The Amblin and Participant Media dramedy [grossed]( $4.7 million from 2,641 cinemas over the March 1-3 frame, days after its much-debated victory at the 91st Academy Awards. No movie taking home the statuette for best picture has earned that much post-Oscars since The King's Speech ($6.2 million from 2,386 cinemas) in 2011. + Box office outlook: Green Book's domestic total through Sunday is $75.9 million, the top domestic showing for a best picture winner since Argo ($136 million) seven years ago. Analysts now believe Green Book will get to $90 million in the U.S. [Full story.]( Other box office notes... ► How to Train Your Dragon roars to $30M, as Madea finishes right behind with $27M: Madea Family Funeral also marks the end of Tyler Perry's long partnership with Lionsgate that has generated more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, including more than $500 million for the 11 Madea films. * Doc rocks: Among more specialized offerings, 2019 Sundance Film Festival documentary Apollo 11 launched in 120 Imax theaters with a strong $1.7 million. [Weekend box office.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Netflix makes its case to Academy ahead of Oscars eligibility meeting. The streamer's official film Twitter account tweeted about the company's "love" of cinema. The tweet ended by [suggesting]( that loving cinema and the Netflix model was "not mutually exclusive." ► Time's Up starting CEO search following Lisa Borders' resignation. Founding member Nina Shaw said the organization "would've loved for Lisa to continue" her position as CEO and president, but "this movement has always been about [more than one person](." -> Athena Film Festival honors Can You Ever Forgive Me? director, Time's Up. The ninth annual festival screened films centered on women leaders, awarded trailblazers making their mark in their respective fields, hosted panels like "Time's Upx2" and more. [Inside the event.]( Musical notes... ► A Star Is Born soundtrack back at No. 1 on Billboard 200 post-Oscars. The album bumps Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next, which [spent]( its first two weeks on the chart at No. 1, down to No. 2 with 116,000 units (down 23 percent). From the stage... ► Morrissey sets Broadway residency to launch new album. The influential Brit pop veteran and former Smiths frontman [will play]( an intimate series of retrospective shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre ahead of the May 24 release of California Son. ► Alec {NAME}, Anne Heche to reunite on Twentieth Century. After co-starring in a 2004 Broadway revival of the comedy by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur for Roundabout Theatre Company, the actors [will reprise]( their roles in a March 4 benefit reading. Book report... ► Never-released Dr. Seuss book coming out this fall. Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum "[marks]( a celebration of art and how we all see the world in different ways," according to the publisher, Random House. In memoriam... ► RIP Keith Flint. The iconic, wild-haired frontman of U.K. dance music pioneers The Prodigy, has died at 49. The singer was found dead at his home Monday, with British police saying that the death was "not being treated as suspicious." [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Teaser: Dumbo sneak peek features new version of "Baby Mine" by Arcade Fire. In the original 1941 version, the song plays over a powerfully emotional moment in the story. [Watch.]( Rep Sheet Roundup: Jonathan Groff, who returns as Kristoff in Frozen 2, has signed with CAA, as has singer-songwriter Chris Isaak. ... ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has signed with WME. ... It: Chapter Two and Shadowhunters star Isaiah Mustafa has signed with Paradigm, as has The Mountain Between Us screenwriter J. Mills Goodloe. ... Former APA talent head Ryan Martin has joined Buchwald as co-head of its West Coast office. [More here](. Becoming 'My Fair Lady' Dream come true: Tony Award winner Laura Benanti (and Melania Trump imitator) talks returning to Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in the Lerner and Loewe classic, Suzy Evans reports: + Preparing: "There was nothing that shocked me truly because I have been preparing for this since I was 4. For me, the thing that is most challenging is the vulnerability of it," Benanti says. "Through the years, in order to be a functioning human in the world, I've had to learn to manage my emotions a little bit. And so getting back to the vulnerability of someone who is at the mercy of society, that has been the most challenging part." + Significance in #MeToo era: "It feels important; it feels really powerful," she says. "There have been so many young women who have come to see the show who say that they never really connected to it before because they couldn't fathom why this person would stay with someone who's treated her that way. It's really gratifying to feel the palpable sense of heads nodding that happens in the audience when she makes the choice to respect herself." [Full interview.]( What else we're reading... — "The New Old Hollywood." Soraya Roberts writes: "Where Jack Nicholson was well-ensconced, now the seats of note are no longer occupied solely by the old white men who once claimed all the accolades for building the industry. Instead you have the people who have worked just as hard for just as long who are no longer being overlooked." [[Longreads](] — "How Streaming TV Blew Up Old Ideas About What Americans Will Watch." Joy Press considers: "One reason for the pan-global bounty of contemporary television is that it’s relatively inexpensive for streamers to fill their libraries by licensing from or partnering with, say, a British network—as Netflix did to obtain series like Bodyguard and The Crown, and as Amazon did to land Fleabag." [[Vanity Fair](] — "In Conversation: Peter Bogdanovich." Andrew Goldman sits down with the director for a long chat: "I didn’t feel I made a mistake. Paramount called and said, 'We just bought a new Mario Puzo book called The God­father. We’d like you to consider directing it.' I said, 'I’m not interested in the Mafia.'" [[Vulture](] — "With Big Stars and Plans, Luminary Aims to Be the Netflix of Podcasts." Brooks Barnes reports: "In addition to new shows from people like [Lena] Dunham, whose C-Word podcast will offer a weekly look at women who have been deemed 'crazy' online, Luminary will serve as the new exclusive home for a half-dozen established podcasts." [[The New York Times](] — "The Future of Cable May Be No TV at All." Alex Sherman explores: "Cable One has been shedding cable TV stations for years, refusing to pay increased programming costs on certain channels it has deemed replaceable. ... It's the best-performing cable company among its peers since it first started trading publicly in 2015." [[CNBC](] What else we're watching... + "John Oliver details the truth and fiction of automation." [[Last Week Tonight](] + "Hasan Minhaj dissects Trump admin's battle against civil rights." [[Patriot Act](] + "Jack Whitehall tricked dad into seeing Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas." [[Tonight Show](] What's ahead this week... Monday: Leaving Neverland part two airs on HBO... Captain Marvel's world premiere in Hollywood. Thursday: Disney's annual shareholders meeting... NBC returns Superstore, AP Bio. Friday: Captain Marvel goes wide... Jordan Peele's Us premieres at SXSW's opening day... Netflix debuts After Life with Ricky Gervais... Amazon streams Tin Star... VH1 Trailblazer Honors. From the archives... + Today in 1922: F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu was first previewed in Berlin, ahead of its eventual premiere. The first cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula still boasts effective scares: "The typical movie Dracula is a bloodsucking creature who turns to dust in sunlight, is allergic to crucifixes, garlic and mirrors and can fly like a bat out of Transylvania. ... But the great vampire movies, like Nosferatu, never die." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Scott Michael Foster, 34, Len Wiseman, 46, Chaz Bono, 50, Paul W.S. Anderson, 54, Patricia Heaton, 61, Mykelti Williamson, 62, Catherine O'Hara, 65. 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]( March 4, 2019