Kroft's '60 Minutes' Exit; 'Rocketman' Takes Off; 'BH90210' Exodus; New Batman?; Upfronts Wrap-Up; 'Big Bang' Send-off

What's news: Rocketman wows its premiere audience in Cannes. Plus: BH90210's writers exodus, a new Batman is on the horizon, a big retirement out of 60 Minutes and The Big Bang Theory's cast and crew talk about last night's final episode. — Will Robinson May 17, 2019 What's news: Rocketman wows its premiere audience in Cannes. Plus: BH90210's writers exodus, a new Batman is on the horizon, a big retirement out of 60 Minutes and The Big Bang Theory's cast and crew talk about last night's final episode. — Will Robinson ^A timeless flight: Cannes played home to the electric and well received premiere of Paramount's Elton John biopic Rocketman: + David Rooney's review: "There's a neat symmetry in the fact that director Dexter Fletcher, who stepped in to rescue Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer's erratic behavior risked derailing it, is at the helm of Rocketman, his full ownership here unleashing a far more impressionistic vision of rock 'n' roll myth-making." [Full review.]( + How did it play in the room?: The film [drew]( an electric four-minute standing ovation for the out-of-competition screening, drawing star Taron Egerton to tears. [Elton + Taron duet.]( + History made as first major studio film to depict gay male sex: Given that an R-rated movie featuring gay sex would most certainly [disqualify]( a film from release in China (to score a release in the lucrative territory, Bohemian Rhapsody edited out any suggestion that Freddie Mercury was gay), the studios are increasingly hesitant to greenlight a film with gay characters, never mind graphic gay sex, Tatiana Siegel details. Inside John's triumphant return to the Croisette. The music icon [made a statement]( with a heartfelt, stripped down version of "I'm Still Standing," which had its video filmed in Cannes in 1983 when alcohol and cocaine use blurred the singer's recollections: "This has been a very emotional night for me." Resounding Georgia Silence Mum's the word: Almost all of the filmmakers and production companies behind the more than 50 films and TV shows shooting in the Peach State have remained quiet on the controversial legislation, Bryn Elise Sandberg reports: * The silence on the new abortion bill can at least in part be explained by the fact that the top studios that do business in the state — Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros., to name a few — are taking a wait-and-see approach, hoping that the abortion bill — one of several passed or in discussions in such states as Alabama and Louisiana —will be challenged in court and deemed unconstitutional before it is set to go into effect January 2020. + Past track record: The overall hushed reaction is surprising considering Hollywood's response to Georgia's anti-LGBTQ bill three years ago. Disney and Netflix threatened to pull their projects from the state if the law was passed, and leading entertainment companies including Time Warner, NBCUniversal, Sony, Lionsgate and AMC publicly denounced the bill. "They got into the gay and transgender rights debate, so why is it that no major studios are taking a stand on a woman’s right to govern her own body?" says one executive who works with multiple studios. + Making a stand: Two MRC (which shares a parent company with THR) projects that feature Jason Bateman in both behind-the-scenes and onscreen roles, Netflix's Ozark and HBO's The Outsider, are currently filming in the state. "If the 'heartbeat bill' makes it through the court system, I will not work in Georgia, or any other state, that is so disgracefully at odds with women’s rights," Bateman tells THR. Imagine Entertainment partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will continue to film Hillbilly Elegy in the state to support the workers. "We see Governor Kemp’s bill as a direct attack on women’s rights, and we will be making a donation to the ACLU to support their battle against this oppressive legislation. Should this law go into effect in January, we will boycott the state as a production center." [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Kevin Spacey must face lawsuit from anonymous massage therapist. A California federal judge says the actor [doesn't need to know]( the plaintiff's name at this stage in the lawsuit. ► New York appeals court won't unseal secret Harvey Weinstein court hearing. The trial judge [previously closed]( the courtroom to discuss who would testify at the September trial. ► John Wick 3 heading for franchise's biggest bow. The Keanu Reeves-starrer is looking at a higher opening than the franchise's 2014 original ($14.4 million) and 2017's Chapter Two ($30.4 million), with a target of $35 million-$40 million. [Weekend box office.]( ► Dark Phoenix tracking for $50M bow. According to early estimates, the superhero installment is expected to have one of the lowest openings of any X-Men film, when it [arrives]( Memorial Day weekend. ► Gustavo Dudamel to conduct score for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. The music director of the L.A. Philharmonic [will helm]( the recording of Leonard Bernstein’s iconic score. ► James Gray to write, direct 1980s memoir Armageddon Time. The film [recounts]( the Ad Astra director's upbringing in Queens, New York centered on a private school that counts Donald Trump among its alumnae. Casting call... ► Robert Pattinson frontrunner to play Batman in Matt Reeves' DC movie. Reeves, who was behind the Planet of the Apes trilogy, [will direct]( from his own script. ► Lucy Hale, Robbie Amell to star in rom-com The Hating Game. Peter Hutchings [will direct]( the film, based on an adaptation of the hit Sally Thorne novel. On the Croisette... ► John Carpenter teases return to directing. The Halloween director said he is working on some TV projects. His last film was [released]( in 2010: "You'll know it when you know it. I don't know it [yet]." ► Susan Sarandon to play grandmother of school shooter in John Krokidas' Tunnels. The drama, set in the wake of a school shooting, will see the star [play]( the grandmother who raised the shooter. Deals of note. Erik Feig, Patrick Wachsberger [team for]( college admissions thriller... Kino Lorber [picks up]( Berlin winner for N.A... Kung Fury 2 [lands]( major investor, sets production start... Vertical Entertainment [nabs]( Eiza Gonzalez thriller. Musical notes... ► Michelle Obama to headline 25th anniversary of Essence Fest. The 25th anniversary event in New Orleans will be Obama’s first appearance at the festival and [follows]( her successful tour in support of her memoir Becoming. ► Rolling Stones reschedule North American tour dates after Mick Jagger's surgery. "The final leg of the tour will include all 17 postponed concerts, starting in Chicago with shows on June 21 and 25 and ending at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Aug. 31." [[The New York Times](] Console wars... ► Sony, Microsoft reveal gaming and AI partnership. According to Microsoft, "The two companies [will explore]( joint development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services." From the stage... ► Hamilton to conclude Chicago run after three years. The musical [played]( a total of 1,341 performances and won 11 Tony Awards including best musical, score, book, direction, choreography and orchestration. ► Tootsie musical to embark on North American tour. Based on the 1982 comedy film, the musical adaptation [features]( a book by Robert Horn, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and choreography from Denis Jones. In memoriam... ► RIP Evelyn Foster. The singer and Hollywood publicist who managed the career of her daughter, two-time Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, died Monday from complications related to dementia at 90. [Obit.]( ► RIP I.M. Pei. The globe-trotting architect who revived the Louvre museum in Paris with a giant glass pyramid, captured the spirit of rebellion at the multi-shaped Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and designed CAA's headquarters died at 102. [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Childhood sweethearts Ali Wong & Randall Park reconnect as adults in Always Be My Maybe. Keanu Reeves, Daniel Dae Kim, Charlyne Yi, Vivian Bang and Karan Soni also star in the film, which was directed by Nahnatchka Khan. [Watch.]( Will Smith, Queen Latifah to produce hip-hop Romeo and Juliet story for Netflix. The film is described as a contemporary musical take on William Shakespeare's tragedy [set against]( the urban rhythms of New York. Solvan "Slick" Naim will direct. 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](. Upfronts Wrap-Up Preparing for 2019-20: Despite a number of new executives calling the shots, it's largely status quo at the broadcast networks, Lesley Goldberg details: + New slate: Total volume remained flat with last season's seven-year low as ABC — not the sports-heavy new Fox Entertainment — ordered only six new series (its lowest tally since at least 2013). While ABC and CBS were both down year-over-year, Fox doubled its scripted fare, and NBC and The CW were even with a year ago. * Freshman class: Of the 36 new series ordered for the 2018-19 broadcast season, 18 (50 percent) are returning as eight await word on their futures. That's better than last season's 18-for-39 (46 percent) showing. [By the numbers.]( -> Get ready for fall: With the upfronts over, all the networks have made their pitches. Look over the [full schedule](, the most intriguing [time-slot battles]( and [watch trailers]( for every new show. [Full guide.]( Listen: On TV's Top 5, Hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg discuss Hulu's new ownership details and the big takeaways from a week of presentations by the broadcast networks and their massive parent companies. [Listen]( | [Subscribe]( Final presentation... -> CW's upfronts filled with buzz, a Supernatural send-off and Royal Baby jokes. In terms of programming priorities, network chief Mark Pedowitz [made it clear]( what his favorite new entry is (Batwoman) before he even began his pitch, Michael O'Connell reports. On tap: Deathstroke animated series, horror comedy [in development]( for CW Seed. Elsewhere in TV... ► Verve breaks agency ranks, signs WGA's "code of conduct." It is the first firm with major literary clients to agree to the guild’s new regulations, a move which the Association of Talent Agents called "[disappointing](." ► Kevin Reilly extends WarnerMedia contract through 2022. The executive has also [added oversight]( of truTV, with the cable network's president, Chris Linn, opting to depart. ► BH90210 exodus sees showrunner among creatives to depart. Paul Sciarrotta will [take over]( for Sean Patrick Smith as several senior writers have departed the Fox show-within-a-show. * Sources say the production has also beefed up the writing staff following multiple departures. It's unclear what caused the friction among the show's creative team. ► James Wan, Lindsey Beer tackling Mark Millar's The Magic Order. The in-demand Wan [will direct]( the debut episode and act as exec producer. ► AMC orders Black Mirror writer's sci-fi romance anthology to series. The six-episode series from Will Bridges [is set]( in a near future where science allows people to locate their soulmates. ► Mixed-ish taps 20th TV's Karin Gist as showrunner. This marks the first showrunner with an overall deal at 20th [to join]( a series produced by new corporate sibling ABC Studios. ► Netflix sets fashion competition series with Queer Eye star. Tan France [will host]( the series, called Next in Fashion, with Alexa Chung. [Quoted:]( "I appreciate what Game of Thrones is. It's the phenomenon. I don't know that television will see another show like it. But I think sometimes when a show like this goes away, everybody thinks, 'Oh my god, what does this mean? It's an existential crisis.'" — Casey Bloys, on HBO's life after its blockbuster series. ^Steve Kroft retiring from 60 Minutes: The show's longest-tenured correspondent is known for his incisive interviews and impactful investigations. But he admits, "I'm not easy," Marisa Guthrie reports: + Send-off plan: Kroft's last piece — about what could be the biggest money laundering scheme ever — will air Sunday on the show’s 51st season finale. Kroft, 73, will announce his plan to step down at the conclusion of the broadcast. In September 60 Minutes will air a retrospective of Kroft’s 50-year career in journalism. * Relatively early farewell: Mike Wallace was nearly 90 when he filed his last piece; a 2008 interview with Roger Clemens. Morley Safer was 84 when he retired in 2016. Lesley Stahl (77), who joined 60 Minutes in 1991, becomes the show's longest serving correspondent. [Full story.]( Amazon's developments... ► The streamer cancels The Tick. The cancellation comes six weeks after season two [debuted]( on Amazon, which, like other streaming platforms, doesn't publicly release viewership numbers. ► Amazon orders YA drama Panic to series. Based on a novel by Lauren Oliver, the show is the streamer's first [aimed at]( young adults. Vice's new plan... ► Vice Studios to make content for others. "[Studios head Danny ] Gabai said the studio had more than 60 series in development worldwide. Many are unscripted, and some are based on Vice articles." [[The New York Times](] * Vice expanding Spanish-language TV production. The studio [announced]( a scripted series with Nicolas Giacobone, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Birdman. Digital digest... ► Dateline NBC launches podcast series. Details from NBC News: "The seven-episode podcast ... features Dateline producer Dan Slepian as he takes listeners on a real-time journey into a two-year investigation of a convicted murderer serving 20 years in prison for a crime he claims he did not commit." From the Live Feed... -> Grey's Anatomy showrunner unpacks season 15 finale's "bold swings." Krista Vernoff, fresh off a two-season renewal and new job as Station 19 showrunner, talks with Lesley Goldberg about the big cliffhanger. [Spoilers.]( Casting call... Yara Shahidi to star in Stan Lee Audible drama A Trick of Light. The Grown-ish star [steps into]( a universe developed by the late comic book creator. It's a Wrap Big Bang ends: Creator Chuck Lorre, exec producer Steve Molaro and showrunner Steve Holland talk with Lesley Goldberg about saying farewell to The Big Bang Theory, TV's longest-running multicamera comedy: Lorre: "They proposed a finale that was centered on emotional closure in the characters' lives, in their relationships and in them growing as individuals and in their lives expanding. I was struck by how elegant that was and I jumped on board. It was better than anything I might have had in my head." [Full interview]( | [Inside final scene]( + Stars react to finale surprises: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch talk with Goldberg about the [emotional ending]( of TV's longest-running multicamera comedy in history and preview what they're doing next. What else we're reading... — "The Secret History of News Corp." Sally Young details: "[It] began its corporate life in 1922 as News Limited. It was a company that was secretly established by a mining company owned by the most powerful industrialists of the day, and it was created for the express purpose of disseminating 'propaganda.'" [[The Conversation](] — "The #FreeBritney Movement Didn’t Just Explode Overnight." Steven J. Horowitz details: "It’s the only known conservatorship, as long as conservatorships have been around in this country, where someone is worth as much as she is and actively making as much as she is and still under her conservatorship." [[Vulture](] — "Desus & Mero Give a Crash Course in Wokeness." Devin Gordon profile the Showtime duo: "[The show] is a sort of cultural Trojan horse, using laughs to slip past the gatekeepers, then, once inside, taking over the joint. Somehow they manage to clown a chunk of their audience and enlighten it at the same time" [[The Atlantic](] — "After Ignoring Game of Thrones for 8 Years, I Saw It in 5 Weeks." Wesley Morris recounts his effort: "Over the course of more than 70 hours, I experienced what I can describe only as the civilized rush of acquired conversancy." [[The New York Times](] — "An NBA Player Tried to Kill Keanu Reeves on Screen." Ben Cohen reports on John Wick: Chapter 3 — from producer Basil Iwanyk: “I was more passionate about casting Boban [Marjanovic] than I was about, like, bringing in Halle Berry." [[The Wall Street Journal](] Last night, on late night... + "Big Bang cast reunites with Colbert." [[Late Show](] + "Trevor Noah's mom doesn't care he's a celebrity." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] + "Aidy Bryant shares an emo self-portrait from high school." [[Late Night](] From the archives... + Today in 1981: Buena Vista took the Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss gonzo comedy What About Bob? to theaters nationwide: "[The ]laugh-getter should provide high therapy for audiences who have endured good-movie deprivation through this dismal spring." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Derek Hough, 34, Lena Waithe, 35, Paige Turco, 54, Trent Reznor, 54, Craig Ferguson, 57, Bob Saget, 63. 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]( May 17, 2019