'The Chi' Star Firing; WGA Bolsters Suit; 'GOT' Ratings; Kareem: Boycott Georgia

What's news: The Chi has dropped actor Jason Mitchell following accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Plus: The WGA updates its legal battle against agents, Game of Thrones goes out with mammoth ratings and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lays out why boycotting Georgia and other states is necessary. — Will Robinson May 21, 2019 What's news: The Chi has dropped actor Jason Mitchell following accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Plus: The WGA updates its legal battle against agents, Game of Thrones goes out with mammoth ratings and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lays out why boycotting Georgia and other states is necessary. — Will Robinson ^Fantastical ratings: In its last episode, Game of Thrones set HBO's all-time ratings record, Rick Porter reports: + The HBO megahit drew 13.6 million viewers for its initial airing of the series finale Sunday night. Adding in replays and early streaming, that figure climbs to 19.3 million. * The total number beats the previous HBO high of last week's penultimate episode, while the live number exceeds 2002's fourth season premiere of The Sopranos. + Masterful lead-in: Following Game of Thrones, the season finale of Barry set all-time highs for both its initial run (2.2 million viewers) and one-night total (2.7 million), about four times more viewers than the season one finale (548,000 after one airing, 774,000 with same-night replays and streaming). [Full story.]( -> Star Isaac Hempstead Wright reflects on path to "extraordinary ending": The Bran Stark actor penned a column reflecting on his personal journey through the Emmy-winning epic: "When it came to the very final shot, it all dawned on me. This was to be the death of my character; it would be the last time I would ever breathe life into him." [Full column]( | [Series Regular podcast]( | [23 remaining questions]( -> Read: Other star interviews: John Bradley [talks]( Sam's outcome with Josh Wigler... Emilia Clarke [opens up]( about Daenerys' conclusion with The New Yorker... and Sophie Turner [discusses]( Sansa's end with The New York Times. Will divisive final season hurt Emmys chances? Only nine shows — just four of them dramas — have ever won a series award for a final season. And apart from reservations from fans, there is further [cause for concern](, Scott Feinberg details. WGA Adds to Suit Conflict of interest at center: The Writers Guild of America amended its lawsuit Monday against the major talent agencies, adding a claim with an explosive moniker — constructive fraud — but a tamer meaning, Jonathan Handel reports: + The new complaint alleges that WME, CAA, UTA and ICM committed constructive fraud by placing their own interests ahead of their clients’, by proceeding with representation despite conflicts of interest, and by concealing numerous alleged facts about the way packaging and packaging fees work. It also alleges, as did the original complaint filed April 17, that packaging fees are a breach of fiduciary duty and an illegal kickback under federal and state statutes. + Among the allegations: Agencies allegedly intentionally failed to maximize their clients’ compensation in order to maximize their own packaging fees... packaging fees allegedly are frequently paid to the agency before the profits that determine how the writer’s profits are calculated, which therefore reduces the overall amount of money paid to the writer. *ATA's response: “Today’s action by the WGA is further evidence that Guild leadership had no intent to pursue a negotiated solution with the ATA, instead opting for a long and costly legal process that was completely avoidable." [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► AMC's movie subscription service passes 800K member milestone. The mega-movie chain says its program is now the No. 1 movie ticket subscription offering in North America. "While others have tried and failed in this space, A-List is only [getting stronger](," CEO and president Adam Aron said Monday in a statement. ► John Wick 4 a go for May 2021. Last weekend's third installment — subtitled Parabellum — [bowed]( to $57 million at the domestic box office over the weekend. ► Invisible Man sets 2020 release. Elisabeth Moss and Storm Reid are [set to star]( in the movie being produced by horror maestro Jason Blum. ► Benedict Cumberbatch's The Current War lands domestic release. The historic epic, [beset by fallout]( from the sexual assault allegations against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, is set for an October release. ► Cirque du Soleil developing films with producer Dan Lin. Inspired by the Canadian entertainment giant's creative catalogue, the diverse slate of projects will be [aimed at]( a global audience. ► Johnny Depp accuses ex-wife Amber Heard of having "painted-on bruises" to allege abuse. "She was the perpetrator, and I was the victim," Depp says. Heard's lawyer denied the allegations: “The evidence in this case is clear: Johnny Depp repeatedly beat Amber Heard.” [[People](] Casting call... ► Hailee Steinfeld to star in rom-com Voicemails for Isabelle. Sharon Maguire, the director of Bridget Jones’ Diary, is [in negotiations]( to helm the project for Sony. ► Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross to star in music-themed comedy. Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) is [directing]( Covers for Focus Features. From the stage... ► Marisa Tomei to star in The Rose Tattoo on Broadway. Tennessee Williams' Tony Award-winning play is [set to make]( its New York return this fall. -> Column: The "dangerous, unafraid" brilliance of Elaine May on stage. Tony Award nominee David Cromer's Waverly Gallery co-star, a Tony-winning director himself, reveals how "fucking awesome" it was to [act opposite]( the legend — and not just because he also got to meet Bill Murray (twice). On the Croisette... ► Roman Polanski film gets secret presentation for buyers. The director's An Officer and a Spy launch to buyers [drew]( a packed house, with French star Jean Dujardin on hand. ► Fox Searchlight lands Terrence Malick’s WWII drama for $14M. A Hidden Life, which had its world premiere Sunday, [centers on]( Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) who became a conscientious objector and refused to serve for Adolf Hitler before being imprisoned for his actions. ► Amazon nabs Joseph Gordon-Levitt terrorist drama. Directed by Oscar-nominated German helmer Patrick Vollrath, 7500 [chronicles]( the hijacking of an airline. ► Keira Knightley's Misbehaviour sells wide. The Miss World movie also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Keeley Hawes. [Sale details.]( -> Reviews to read. The Dardenne brothers' [Young Ahmed](... Isabelle Huppert in [Frankie](. Console wars... -> Xbox head addresses "toxic stew of hate speech, bigotry" in gaming. In a new op-ed, Phil Spencer details his company's plans to combat toxicity, inclusivity issues and the growing challenges facing the gaming industry as it continues to grow: "By uniting as an industry, we can thoughtfully and deliberately continue building a safe and inclusive gaming environment for everyone." [Read the column.]( -> Apollo 13 meets Majora's Mask: Inside Annapurna Interactive’s Outer Wilds. What started as a master's thesis project for game designer Alex Beachum is now the latest in a [growing list]( of award-winning indie games at Annapurna Interactive, Patrick Shanley reports. In memoriam... ► RIP Michael Scagluso. The former studio sales executive with Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures died Wednesday at his home in Commack, New York at 90. [Obit.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Crawley family prepares for royal visit in Downton Abbey movie. The principal cast for the historical period drama, which ran for six seasons on PBS and ITV, all return for the film. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Milo Ventimiglia bonds with dog in The Art of Racing in the Rain. Amanda Seyfried, McKinley Beicher III, Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Martin Donovan and Giacomo Finn also star in the film, while Kevin Costner voices the pet, Enzo. [Watch.]( ► Napoleon Dynamite getting comic book sequel. A new four-issue series [set after]( the 2004 cult movie will come from IDW in September. Al Pacino gets honored (and teased) by Robert De Niro at American Icon Awards. The debut event also [paid tribute]( to Quincy Jones and Evander Holyfield, Scott Huver 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](. Upfronts Aftermath With a grain of salt: Many media-buying firms likely have more reliable data sets than those being touted from some of the upfronts stages last week, Marisa Guthrie reports: + Multiple media buyers who spoke with Guthrie expressed exasperation at the bloated length of many of the presentations. Disney’s premiere multi-net presentation — which clocked in at more than two hours — was particularly irksome. + Buyers also expressed a collective eye roll at the emphasis on total viewers, which is a metric CBS made much of during its presentation. But even the so-called sweet-spot of viewers 18-49 has become an antiquated benchmark. “Most people don’t care about 18-49,” said one buyer. “I care about moms in the market for a minivan on Tuesdays in the snow.” + Not as critical: "We’ve seen the pilots. We've had ongoing conversations [with networks]," added Gibbs Haljun, total investment lead at Mindshare U.S. "If you’re waiting until upfront week to have those conversations you’re not going to be able to react fast enough. The reality is the upfront week is not going to make or break any of our investment decisions." [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Jason Mitchell dropped from The Chi, Netflix film amid misconduct claims. A source with knowledge of the Showtime series says Tiffany Boone, who played the Straight Outta Compton star's girlfriend, was among several actresses on the drama who had issues with the actor, Kim Masters reports. * Boone made repeated complaints of sexual harassment and allegedly felt so unsafe with her co-star that at times her fiancé, Dear White People actor Marque Richardson, came to set when she shot scenes with him. (Boone declined to comment.) [Full story.]( ► Starz programming exec Marta Fernandez departing. The 12-year veteran of the premium cable outlet [was upped]( to her current position just a few months ago. ► Hollywood's WGA-agents war bleeds into Walking Dead profits dispute. AMC says CAA's lawyer is [blocking]( an investigation into packaging fees and an "egregious conflict of interest between [Frank] Darabont and his agents," Eriq Gardner details. ► Fox News hires new head of ad sales. Jeff Collins, who is stepping in for Marianne Gambelli, has a strong background in digital. "Jeff’s proven track record in [identifying]( new revenue streams and implementing strategic partnerships will add depth and innovation to our sales team," Gambelli stated. ► AMC, Channel 4 cancels Humans. The sci-fi drama, which [lasted]( three seasons, was a co-production starring Gemma Chan. Casting call... ► Lisa Kudrow to star in Lee Daniels-Whitney Cummings Amazon pilot. The Friends Emmy winner will [also serve]( as an executive producer of 'Good People,' which is set in a college ombudsman's office. ► Marvel's Falcon & Winter Soldier series adding Daniel Bruhl, Emily VanCamp. The stars are [reprising]( their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the upcoming Disney+ show, with The Handmaid's Tale director Kari Skogland also joining the project. ► Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere sets Joshua Jackson as male lead. The Affair grad [joins]( a cast that includes stars Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington in the highly anticipated limited series. ^A new, reinvigorated CBS This Morning: Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil all stress that this is not a gut reinvention, just a needed remodel, Marisa Guthrie reports: + “[CBS News president Susan Zirinsky] gave me some good advice when we were going through all of this toil and trouble,” said King. “I said, ‘Oh, God, it’s so hard, we’re starting over again, we’re starting from scratch.’ She said, ‘Don’t say that. We’re not starting from scratch. We have already built a very successful show.’ And it’s true.” + “We all want this to work,” said King. “And you can really feel the camaraderie. You want to knock it out of the park and you hope it will be well received. You know you work your ass off and you just hope people like it. We’re well aware we’re in third place. We get that. But we’re working really hard not to be in third place.” [Full story.]( Honorees... -> Pose, Good Place teams highlight political influence of winning Peabody-winning series. Other TV shows honored at Saturday night's ceremony included Barry, Killing Eve, Random Acts of Flyness and Netflix's Patriot Act, giving host Hasan Minhaj his second Peabody award in two years. [Inside the event.]( Ratings notes... ► American Idol finale easily tops network charts. The three-hour finale [posted]( a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 and about 7.7 million viewers. That's down from 1.6 and 8.63 million viewers in 2018 (on a Monday night); Sunday's show may adjust up some as the final ratings account for the live nationwide broadcast. In memoriam... -> Tim Conway's longtime agent reveals origins of actor's live comedy tours with Harvey Korman. Marty Klein pays tribute to the comic actor, who died May 17 at age 85, and gave 500 performances with Korman during the 1990s and 2000s: "If you think about it, [they were trailblazers, pioneers](." All in the Family and The Jeffersons: Meet the all-star cast of ABC's live special. Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes head the A-list group of actors in the staging of Norman Lear's classic sitcoms. [Who else?]( The Need to Boycott (Column) Stand up: NBA great Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls for Americans to "stomp on the brakes of the DeLorean" that's taking our country back to an era of straight, white male privilege as laws in Georgia and beyond seek to "reduce women to baby incubators": + Donations insufficient: A boycott is a clear statement that we value conscience over commerce. It means stop doing business with or in these states. For Hollywood, stop making films there. For businesses, stop buying their products or holding conventions or building there. For the average person, don’t visit. No tourism dollars. No one wants a boycott. So, to be fair to both sides, before implementing one, states can be given a reasonable deadline to repeal these unjust laws. Failure to do so should launch a coordinated boycott involving all organizations representing the many marginalized groups under attack. Success for all depends on working as one. [Full column.]( What else we're reading... — "Inside Google's Civil War." Beth Kowitt reports: "Tensions had been on the rise as employees clashed with management over allegations of controversial business decisions made in secret, treatment of marginalized groups of employees, and harassment and trolling of workers on the company’s internal platforms." [[Fortune](] — "ESPN's Fight Against Cord-Cutting." Stephen Battaglio talks to network president Jimmy Pitaro: “If the world moves in [that] direction, we want to be well set up for it, and we are. We have a product that works.” [[Los Angeles Times](] — "Keanu Reeves' Success in the Wake of Personal Tragedy." Hadley Freeman interviews the actor: "Grief and loss, those are things that don’t ever go away. They stay with you." [[The Guardian](] — "Why Archie Bunker Is More Relevant Than Ever." John Jurgensen talks to Norman Lear: "Family life hasn’t changed, the problems continue. The material I was dealing with was the stuff my family was living through, along with what the families across, up and down the street were living through. Real life." [[The Wall Street Journal](] Last night, on late night... + "Jeff Daniels yelled at audience member who fell asleep during play." [[Late Night](] + "Sir Ben Kingsley reenacts Jerry Maguire with Renee Zellweger." [[Late Late Show](] + "Gwendoline Christie's play made the audience throw up." [[Graham Norton](] + "Naomi Scott's brother is obsessed with costar Will Smith." [[Jimmy Kimmel](] From the archives... + Today in 1980: 20th Century Fox released The Empire Strikes Back, a sequel to 1977's Star Wars. The film, considered among the best of the series, went on to gross over $538 million worldwide: "This ... release remains a rattling good entertainment, a worthy successor to the original." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Liz Feldman, 42, Fairuza Balk, 45, Brett Tucker, 47, Lisa Edelstein, 53, Nick Cassavetes, 60, Judge Reinhold, 62, Mr. T, 67. 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 21, 2019