Amy Poehler's Female-First Empire; CBS CEO Update; Snap Surges; 'Avengers' Review; New THR Cover

What's news: Amy Poehler's burgeoning Hollywood empire is built on female-led stories amid a more and more toxic political climate. Plus: CBS presses pause on its CEO search, the Academy doesn't impose rules to limit Netflix's Oscar bids and a look at Endeavor's IPO hopes amid the agents' fight with writers. — Will Robinson April 24, 2019 What's news: Amy Poehler's burgeoning Hollywood empire is built on female-led stories amid a more and more toxic political climate. Plus: CBS presses pause on its CEO search, the Academy doesn't impose rules to limit Netflix's Oscar bids and a look at Endeavor's IPO hopes amid the agents' fight with writers. — Will Robinson [On the cover:]( Amy Poehler, the multihyphenate, is building a Hollywood empire with female-fronted hits (Broad City, Russian Doll) and her feature directorial debut (Wine Country) starring SNL pals including Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph, all while dealing with the relentless outrages of the political moment, Marisa Guthrie reports: + Pushing comedy: "Amy is taking the work of the women of early SNL — Gilda Radner, Jan Hooks — to the next natural progression of being proactively, actively feminist in her work," says Tina Fey. "Those ladies had to work hard just to survive. "Amy has always been conscious of being a positive influence, of the work having to be very good and of using her position of having a theater and building great TV shows to bring other young women forward." + Heart of comedy: At the juicy center of so much of Poehler's work — as in her life — are deep, authentic female friendships. The characters battle low self-esteem, or what Poehler calls the "demon voice." ("It never goes away," she says. "Am I going to go to my grave hating my face? Shame on me.") But they are never mean to one another, which is somewhat antithetical to the competitive annihilation that permeates Hollywood. + Sexuality in a new era: "My generation was like, 'Wear baggy clothes when you improvise, be one of the guys, don't use your sexuality,'" Poehler recalls. "And women younger than me are like, 'Uh, my sexuality is my own, I can use it however I want. It's one of the many things about me. And I'm in control of it.' And it's like, right, right, right, right, right." + Raising responsible sons: "It was a huge loss for all of us," she says of Hillary Clinton losing the 2016 election. For her sons, it has meant donating their birthday money to causes they care about — currently immigration and climate change. "They have to understand their privilege in the world. They cannot just live in a bubble because truly the world depends on it." [Full cover story.]( Poehler talks favorite SNL character of Wine Country costar. The comedian also answered the unexpected challenge of directing and working with Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph. [Watch.]( Endeavor IPO at Risk? WGA fight's impact: Scorched-earth legal battles and revenue streams at risk could delay Endeavor's plot to go public as a drawn-out fight may lead investors questioning long-term viability, Paul Bond reports: + Funds needed: Those with knowledge of Endeavor's plans tell Bond it is trying to raise about $500 million in an IPO that values the company at north of $6 billion, while a $400 million funding round from the Saudi government in March 2018 valued the firm at about $4 billion. After journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in October, Endeavor returned the Saudi money, and that move may have made the prospect of an IPO more appealing. The company — run by CEO Ari Emanuel and executive chairman Patrick Whitesell — needs cash to pay down some of the debt it has amassed after acquiring more than 20 companies since 2012. + Evaluating paths: The agencies' war with writers "is definitely something investors will question, and if they don't sort it out, it will hit the valuation," warns Renaissance Capital analyst Matthew Kennedy, an expert on IPOs. "If they want to go forward with an IPO, it's in their best interest to settle with the WGA. But if they think it's cheaper to go to court [against the guild], they'll wait on the IPO." [Full story.]( -> How writers are finding jobs without agents: Chris Lee digs into the current fight: "But according to the 30-something writer of color — who went to a networking event organized by African-American showrunners, which was attended primarily by many women writers and writers of color earlier this month — mixers are a pale substitute for agent representation." [[Vulture](] Elsewhere in TV... ► CBS extends Joe Ianniello as acting CEO. In addition to [extending]( Ianniello's deal for six months, CBS also said that it has suspended its search for a permanent replacement for Moonves, a move that makes it all the more likely that Ianniello would be named the permanent CEO when his extended contract runs out on Dec. 31. ► AT&T's DirecTV now loses 83,000 subs, as WarnerMedia earnings rise. The latter company [cited]( "Turner subscription revenue growth, HBO digital subscriber growth continued as [the] last season of Game of Thrones begins, strong Warner Bros. revenue and operating income growth." ► Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creators prepping art drama at Amazon. Emmy winners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino are [developing]( author Mary Gabriel's Ninth Street Women. ► Stranger Things trial split into two phases. A jury is [set to determine]( in May whether Matt and Ross Duffer breached an implied deal with a man who pitched them an idea for a sci-fi project in 2014. ► Osundairo brothers sue Jussie Smollett's legal team for defamation. The brothers [argue]( in their lawsuit that they were falsely accused of an actual hate crime. Earlier this month, Chicago city officials filed a lawsuit against the Empire star in an attempt to recoup the costs of investigating the alleged attack. ► HBO developing Showtime Lakers drama from Adam McKay. Max Borenstein [will pen]( the script for the pilot, which is already casting, based on sportswriter Jeff Pearlman's nonfiction book. ► CBS All Access renews The Good Fight. The streamer's flagship original series [gets a pickup]( midway through season three. ► Netflix orders new adult animated series from Gravity Falls duo. Inside Job is the [first series]( in a multiyear deal with showrunner Shion Takeuchi. Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch, who also has a lucrative deal with the streaming giant, is co-exec producer. ► Fuse Media cites "cord-cutting" trends in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Targeting a young multicultural audience, the largest independently owned cable television network [finds itself]( $242 million in debt. -> Fox News playing kingmaker with 2020 Democratic town halls. The network [announced]( plans for an event with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar. * Deadwood creator David Milch diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The Emmy-winning writer says he [began to suspect]( he might have the neurological disease several years ago. Casting call... ► Zachary Levi to host 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The Shazam! star will [emcee]( the June ceremony. ► Joss Whedon's HBO series The Nevers casts Outlander actress as lead. Laura Donnelly [will play]( a lead role in the drama about a group of Victorian women with extraordinary abilities. [Quoted:]( "I will say that I love her, and I will say no comment. It's a personal thing, and it's a strange time. What do you say?" — Fuller House costar Bob Saget, on Lori Loughlin being charged in the admissions scandal. ^Falling in love with actin (again): Noah Wyle, the star of CBS' new race relations drama Red Line, gets candid about his regrets and the lessons he's learned throughout his decades-long TV career, Jean Bentley reports: + E.R.'s diverse legacy: "I was incubated in this wonderful environment of diversity and inclusivity and pushing storylines that were way more progressive than anything else on television 20 years ago," Wyle says. "It's ironic that this is the order of the day because we not only did it, but we became the most successful television show in the world doing it. You'd think it would be a replicated model. And yet, here we are." [Full interview.]( Digital digest... ► Trump meets with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after bias complaints. Trump and some Republicans in Congress have [complained]( that social media giants are biased against Republicans, something the companies have rejected as untrue. ► Snapchat jumps to 190M daily active users. Shares in parent Snap rose by nearly 10 percent in after-market trading as the social media app beat analyst expectations for user and revenue numbers. The revenue growth was [attributed to]( improvements in Snapchat's ad tools for large brands to reach consumers. ► Kathy Griffin to host 2019 Shorty Awards. The ceremony, set for May 5 in New York, [honors]( the best of social media. Musical notes... ► SiriusXM adds 132,000 satellite radio, 246,000 Pandora subs. The audio entertainment giant and home of Howard Stern posts its first-quarter results after recently closed the acquisition of music streaming service Pandora. SiriusXM [reported]( first-quarter earnings of $162 million, or 3 cents per share, compared with a profit of $289 million, or 6 cents per share, in the year-ago period. ► Britney Spears updates concerned fans: "I'll be back very soon." "Your love and dedication is amazing, but what I need right now is a little bit of privacy to deal with all the hard things that life is throwing my way," wrote the singer. "If you could do that, I would be forever grateful." [Full post.]( Ratings notes... ► Game of Thrones slips in episode two, remains huge. The HBO series recorded 10.29 million viewers on Sunday's initial viewing, [down]( 12.5 percent from the season premiere. ► American Idol goes low with clip show. The ABC series [delivered]( the singing competition's first-ever adults 18-49 rating below 1.0, coming in at 0.9. Its 5.42 million viewers were also a series low on either ABC or Fox. From the Live Feed... ► Game of Thrones podcast looks toward the Winterfell War. The Hollywood Reporter's Series Regular podcast with Josh Wigler celebrates "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," and issues stern warnings about the battle ahead. [Listen]( | [Subscribe]( ► How Fosse/Verdon spotlights abuse in entertainment industry. "Both these characters came out of abuse, and they were desperately trying to see whether they could break out of that cycle," executive producer Steven Levenson says. [Full interview.]( Coming attractions... ► First look: Netflix reveals Renee Zellweger in morality anthology What/If. The neo-noir social thriller will release its 10-episode first season May 24. [Photos.]( After stunning Bones decision, Fox aims to wipe out $128M in punitive damages. A whopping ruling in arbitration came after Fox licensed the Emily Deschanel series to Hulu for very little. Next week, the parties [appear]( in open court for the next round of the dispute, 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](. Oscar Still Embraces Netflix Status quo remains: At its annual April rules meeting, the 54-person board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to maintain Rule Two, Eligibility — the one requiring no more than a one-week run in an L.A. County theater to qualify for the best picture Oscar race, Scott Feinberg reports: + Academy statement: "We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions,” the statement quoted outgoing Academy president John Bailey as saying. "Our rules currently require theatrical exhibition, and also allow for a broad selection of films to be submitted for Oscars consideration. "We plan to further study the profound changes occurring in our industry and continue discussions with our members about these issues." * Spielberg clarifies stance: The Jaws director wrote in an email to The New York Times that though he seeks to preserve the traditional theatrical experience, “I want people to find their entertainment in any form or fashion that suits them.” Times sources additionally said that Spielberg felt his views on Netflix were being "[overstated](" in the media and that he was primarily concerned not with Netflix, but with exhibitors who have rebuffed efforts to change their exclusive 90-day period to play films. + Other rule changes: No minimum of eight animated films released required to trigger award... "foreign language" category renamed to "international feature film"... makeup and hairstyle expanded. [Full story + More rules]( Elsewhere in film... ► Ben Affleck to star in, direct true-life WWII story Ghost Army. The Universal project is based on a book by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto [having written]( the latest version of the script. ► James Wan, Gary Dauberman tackling Stephen King's vampire tale Salem's Lot. Dauberman [will write]( the script and serve as executive producer. Wan will produce along with Roy Lee and Mark Wolper. ► Sony lands Britney Spears-inspired fairytale musical. The musical, Once Upon a One More Time, [is set]( for a fall debut in Chicago. ► RLJE Films picks up Nicolas Cage thriller A Score to Settle. The revenge action pic, in which Cage plays a former mob enforcer, [will be shopped]( at Cannes by Highland Film Group. Casting call... ► Leonardo DiCaprio in talks for Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. The Fox Searchlight project is [based on]( the 1947 Fox movie of the same name. The story centers on an ambitious con-man who hooks up with a female psychiatrist for a mentalist routine, but eventually she turns the tables on him. ► Marisa Tomei joins Pete Davidson in Judd Apatow comedy. Apatow is [directing and co-wrote]( the script with Davidson and Dave Sirus. ► The Night Of, The Bold Type stars to lead LGBTQ drama Alia’s Birth. Sam Abbas is behind the feature [starring]( Poorna Jagannathan and Nikohl Boosheri. ^Avengers: Endgame, reviewed: "A gargantuan film by any standard, this three-hour extravaganza shuffles back into the action numerous significant characters seen in recent Marvel films as it wraps up an epic story in which the survival of the known universe is (once again) at stake," Todd McCarthy writes. [Full review.]( * What critics are saying: The highly anticipated film is pulling in rave plaudits, with a 97 percent on [Rotten Tomatoes]( and a 78 on [Metacritic](: "Endgame [knows what its audience wants](." + Endgame on track for $100M-plus opening day in China: Based on early data, analysts are [predicting]( the superhero tentpole will become Hollywood's first film to earn more than half a billion dollars in China. Admissions scandal fallout... ► USC coach who allegedly made fake college profiles for Lori Loughlin’s daughters pleads guilty. Laura Janke, who was an assistant women's soccer coach at USC, [will plead guilty]( to racketeering conspiracy and has agreed to cooperate with authorities. -> Cadence13 launches original podcast arm with admissions scandal series. Gangster Capitalism will be [hosted by]( Andrew Jenks and focus on Operation Varsity Blues. On the festival circuit... ► Danny Boyle's Yesterday, Toy Story 4 to kick off Nantucket. Other high-profile titles [set to screen]( during the 24th annual event include Brittany Runs a Marathon and The Apollo. And the nominees are... ► Roma leads Mexico's Ariel Awards noms. Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning memoir film will vie for best picture and director at the upcoming ceremony. [Who else was nominated?]( [Quoted:]( "I believe that Disney could well lead the way, if its leaders so chose, to a more decent, humane way of doing business." — Abigail Disney, pushing Disney to help eradicate wage inequality. In memoriam... ► Steve Golin, "the most no-bulls---t person you've ever met." Jim Carrey, Michael Keaton, Tom McCarthy, Joy Gorman Wettels, Michel Gondry, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Josh Singer [pay tribute]( to the Oscar-winning Spotlight producer and founder of Anonymous Content and Propaganda Films, who died Sunday of cancer at 64. ► RIP Fay McKenzie. The actress who starred alongside Gene Autry in five Westerns and appeared in five films for director Blake Edwards died April 16 at 101. [Obit.]( ► RIP Terry Rawlings. The editor who received an Oscar nomination for best picture winner Chariots of Fire and edited the Ridley Scott films Alien, Blade Runner and Legend died Tuesday, at 85 or 86. [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Will Smith is his own worst enemy in Gemini Man. Ang Lee directed the sci-fi thriller, which features de-aging CGI. [Watch]( | [Inside the tech]( Disney+ won't focus on "being bigger than Netflix," exec says. "Netflix is a very high-quality service, we’re offering entirely different content," Kevin Mayer, chairman, direct-to-consumer & international at the Walt Disney Co., [tells]( the APOS conference in Bali, Indonesia. Dems' Hollywood Money Race Heating up: On May 8, former VP Joe Biden — who's slated to announce his presidential run tomorrow — will appear at a star-studded L.A. event, but everyone from Pete Buttigieg to Kamala Harris to Cory Booker is chasing the town's donor class, Peter Kiefer reports: + Playing the field: "A lot of the bundlers aren't getting involved yet in the same way they did in 2007. They're saying, 'There are so many good candidates, so I'm not ready to open the floodgates yet. But I'll write you a check,' " says a California-based staffer for one of the major candidates. "They haven't gone to their entire Rolodex yet — so it's frustrating." + Uphill battle: "I don't think [Biden] jumps in and blows away the field," says the California-based staffer for one of Biden's rivals. "The online money won't be there for him in the way it is for Beto [O'Rourke], Bernie and Pete. The bundlers will try really hard to convince people to write him a check out of respect, but you probably won't see the groundswell that you saw for Hillary or Obama." [Full story.]( What else we're reading... — "Sundown on Deadwood." Matt Zoller Seitz goes on set: "In retrospect, the show seems to have been building toward this bittersweet, multivalent conclusion. Like many episodes of the series, Deadwood: The Movie is about the tension between wanting things to change versus wishing they could always stay the same." [[Vulture](] — "Nicole Kidman Burns Brighter Than Ever." Krista Smith profiles the actress: "I’ve done weird films and I’ve done things that are so obtuse, which I’m still committed to because I like performance art and not conforming to what everyone expects of you. I don’t think in normal terms." [[Vanity Fair](] — "Charles Grodin’s First Co-Stars Were in the Pittsburgh Zoo." The comedian reflects on his upbringing: "The biggest lesson I learned growing up is that you have to outwork everyone. Whenever I showed up on a movie set, I already knew my lines and everybody else’s." [[The Wall Street Journal](] — "What Ramy Gets Wrong About Muslim Women." Shamira Ibrahim writes: "The empathy that he seeks from his non-Muslim love interests is the exact understanding that he denies his female Muslim counterparts." [[The Atlantic](] — "Michael Jackson Musical Creators: ‘We’re Not Judge and Jury.'" Michael Paulson reports: "I see the artwork that we’re making as a way to more deeply understand Michael Jackson and process feelings, and ultimately that’s what theater can do." [[The New York Times](] Last night, on late night... + "Daniel Radcliffe's historical doppelgängers." [[Graham Norton](] + "Isaac Hempstead Wright can't remember life before Game of Thrones." [[Conan](] + "Sophia Bush obsessively watched Beyoncé's Homecoming." [[Tonight Show](] From the archives... + Today in 1944: Billy Wilder's thriller Double Indemnity, eventually nominated for seven Oscars at the 17th Academy Awards ceremony, was reviewed in The Hollywood Reporter: "It is a drama the like of which no other picture in recent memory brings to mind, more than a little reminiscent of the late lamented, excellent French technique." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Damon Lindelof, 46, Rory McCann, 50, Aidan Gillen, 51, Djimon Hounsou, 55, Cedric the Entertainer, 55, Barbra Streisand, 77, Shirley MacLaine, 85, Richard Donner, 89. 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]( April 24, 2019