TV Actress Roundtable; WGA Agrees to Meet; 'Terminator' Trailer; GLAAD Report

What's news: This year's top actresses in TV discuss parity problems in the industry and improving on-screen depictions. Plus: The WGA and UTA agree to go back to the bargaining table, details on Christopher Nolan's new film and how Americans felt about the Game of Thrones finale. — Will Robinson May 23, 2019 What's news: This year's top actresses in TV discuss parity problems in the industry and improving on-screen depictions. Plus: The WGA and UTA agree to go back to the bargaining table, details on Christopher Nolan's new film and how Americans felt about the Game of Thrones finale. — Will Robinson ^The Actress Roundtable: Emilia Clarke, Michelle Williams, Patricia Arquette, Christine Baranski, Danai Gurira and Niecy Nash join the conversation on the industry battles (pay parity, "pressure to look a certain way"), the power struggles (no bitches, "no sassy black anything") and the drive to succeed, Lacey Rose reports: + Better characters to play: "I'm the [star] in a show where I'm still this strong, authoritative, professional woman who's well educated," Baranski says. "And we're seeing women like that in our culture who are now running for president and running the House of Representatives. "Women this age are powerful, and I love that somehow in this moment I'm on a TV show that reflects that. It's high time that women of such authority have real airtime. It's long overdue." + Change from pay disparity: "As far as anything that's happened in my life publicly, it's the most exciting and important thing that I've ever been involved in," Williams says of the All the Money in the World incident. "And I'm so moved personally and professionally to have found my place in the conversation and my voice through the conversation and to feel like I've grown up inside of the conversation." + Standing up for content: "I had to know I could wake up in the morning and feel good about what I'd done the day before. I remember having an argument with the director [on Walking Dead] because I was like, 'I know you have [this love scene] written here like this, but this is what you're getting,'" Danai Gurira recalls. "And I wrote it on the script and I handed it to him." [Full roundtable.]( Back to the Table? Sit-down coming: In the first sign of a thaw between warring parties, the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday night agreed to a request by UTA co-president Jay Sures to reopen talks between the guild and the Association of Talent Agents, Jonathan Handel reports: + Sures' overture: "What I have heard from many of your members is that they want us back at the negotiating table," Sures wrote in a letter to WGA West president David Goodman, his former client. "They want a deal and they want one now. Many feel this fight has gone on too long with those that didn’t have existing jobs or overall deals feeling like they are at a disadvantage to those that did." Sures, in his letter to Goodman, claimed, "If this dispute is truly about addressing Packaging and Affiliate Production, then we are ready to get back to the table with you. We are open to concepts of true revenue sharing and have already committed to requirements of explicit client consent and overall transparency and accountability." [Full story.]( In other labor news... * ATA pushes back on Verve's deal with WGA: The agreement that the 30-agent Verve Talent & Literary Agency signed last Thursday with the WGA “continues to include a number of [concerning provisions](, separate and apart from packaging and affiliates,” according to the ATA attorneys’ analysis. Elsewhere in TV... ► Susan Rovner, Brett Paul promoted, given day-to-day oversight of Warner Bros. TV. The duo will [continue to report]( to Peter Roth, who remains president of the larger Warner Bros. Television Group. ► L Word sequel gets title, fall debut on Showtime. The series, subtitled Generation Q, [will feature]( returning stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey alongside new cast members. ► CBS' Love Island sets premiere date, multiple weekly airings. The American version of the popular British reality series [will air]( every weeknight starting July 9. ► ABC nabs latest Nik Wallenda Highwire Live special. The wire walker and sister Lijana will [attempt to cross]( Times Square from 25 stories up on June 23. ► Brooklyn Nine-Nine getting French language adaptation in Canada. The deal [marks]( the first international version of Andy Samberg's cop comedy, which was just renewed for a seventh season. Casting call... ► Martin Short joins Lisa Kudrow, Greg Kinnear in Amazon college comedy. The Emmy winner is the [latest addition]( to Good People, from creators Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings. ^"Quality over quantity": MSNBC is taking a more controlled approach to hosting Democratic town halls (with just one so far), while CNN, which is all-in on town halls, has hosted 21 events this cycle, Jeremy Barr reports: + Values don't sync?: "Sometimes we reach out with an idea, sometimes they reach out to us and they've got a different strategy," says Rashida Jones, MSNBC's svp of specials. "Everyone wants to get their message out and everyone has an idea about what makes sense for the audiences and the voters that they're trying to target." * Boon for lesser-knowns: John Delaney, a former Maryland congressman who appeared in a CNN event in March (485,000 total viewers), says that town hall events are "very important" to candidates like him and provide invaluable national "exposure" to potential voters. "It's a nationally televised hour where you're in the front of the American people, so there was a clear improvement in terms of people being aware of us," he says. [Full story.]( Digital digest... -> How To Live and Die in LA racked up 15 million downloads while solving a murder. The true crime podcast [ended]( its 12-episode run on May 17. After the podcast dropped, host Neil Strauss began to receive new tips about the case and many of the later episodes are reported in real time as the story is developing, Natalie Jarvey reports. ► Google boosts NYC profile with another Chelsea purchase. "The [company] completed its purchase of the Milk Building — an eight-story, 325,000 square foot (30,200 square meter) office-and-retail property. ... The building is connected via a sky bridge to Chelsea Market, which Google bought last year from the same seller for $2.4 billion." [[Bloomberg](] Latest reviews... ► SundanceTV's The Name of the Rose. "[John] Turturro is in many ways the best thing about the show, diving into the material's complexity and bringing a steadying screen presence to what, in short order, becomes a real mess," Tim Goodman writes. [Full review.]( From the Live Feed... -> Original Jeffersons star Marla Gibbs makes surprise cameo in ABC live special. The actress reprises her role as Florence Johnston in Live in Front a Studio Audience. [Show recap.]( -> Orange Is the New Black reveals premiere date, first look at final season. Jenji Kohan's prison dramedy returns July 26 after the game-changing season six finale. Jackie Strause details a first look at what's in store before Litchfield locks up for good. [Final season preview.]( Noah Galvin, Ari'el Stachel lend voices to Gimlet scripted podcast The Two Princes. The LGBTQ fantasy project [also stars]( Christine Baranski, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Matthew Rhys and Samira Wiley. 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](. Ryan Kavanaugh's Return What's in China?: The former indie player unveils a multifilm pact with a Hong Kong-based company — but where he's getting $250 million in financing remains a mystery, Patrick Brzeski and Karen Chu report: + Mixed info: The Hong Kong disclosure frames the deal somewhat differently than how Kavanaugh's new company, Proxima, presented it: Kavanaugh would be bringing capital to greater China, rather than the other way around, it said. Describing the pact as a “potential” agreement rather than a done deal, National Arts said Proxima will attempt to raise $100 million within the next nine months. If the funding is delivered, Proxima will be granted a 25 percent stake in the Hong Kong company, and a “designated party” — presumably Kavanaugh or a partner — will be paid a “success fee” of $3.5 million. + Many observers have noted the surprising timing of the Promixa's pact with National Arts, given the ongoing escalation of the U.S. China trade war, which has left most Los Angeles-Beijing industry players bracing for impact rather than plotting expansion. But geopolitics aside, it’s still unclear where Kavanaugh’s promised $250 million in production financing — as well as capital to fuel the studio’s expansion and enhancement into a world-class production base — would actually come from. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Daniel Craig to undergo ankle surgery from Bond production injury. The film remains [on track]( for the same release date in April 2020. ► Christopher Nolan's new film reveals cast, title. Dimple Kapadia and Clémence Poésy, the French actress who may be best known to American audiences for playing Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter movies, have also joined the production, whose title has been [revealed]( as Tenet. [Theories.]( ► Netflix, Forest Whitaker team for Hello, Universe pic based on novel. The film will be [adapted from]( Erin Entrada Kelly's best-selling novel of the same name. ► Angry Birds movie director tackling road trip dramedy Pete and Goat. The R-rated feature [includes]( an unimaginably foul mouthed man-goat. ► Action thriller Into the Ashes lands at RJLE Films. Aaron Harvey's film [starring]( Luke Grimes and Frank Grillo is set for a July release. ► Maleficent sequel adds Pirates 5 composer. Geoff Zanelli previously [worked with]( filmmaker Joachim Rønning on Dead Men Tell No Tales. Casting call... ► Daniel Dae Kim joins Anna Kendrick in sci-fi thriller Stowaway. Toni Collette and Shamier Anderson are also [set to appear]( in Joe Penna's XYZ Films project. Musical notes... ► Roc Nation records fires exec staff members. The exec-level exits [follow]( label president Benny Pough's departure in March. ^Representation dip: The overall representation of LGBTQ characters increased by 5.4 percent in 2018, indicating that diverse characters appeared in 20 of the 110 films included in the GLAAD study, while trans characters remain absent and racial diversity has gone down, Trilby Beresford reports: + Big drops: Queer Latinx LGBTQ characters dropped from 28.7 percent to just 7 percent, causing the advocacy group to urge Hollywood "to quickly move forward in telling stories of LGBTQ characters at the intersection of multiple identities." Characters of different religions and body types were mentioned as markings of diverse representation, along with those who exhibit disabilities. + Studios lagging: No studio was awarded a ranking of "excellent." 20th Century Fox was given the mark of "good," with Bohemian Rhapsody, Deadpool 2 and Love, Simon among the films that passed the Vito Russo test. Universal also earned that label, with Blockers and Green Book earning a "pass." Beyond that, Paramount and Warner Bros. were labeled "insufficient," and Lionsgate and Walt Disney received the lowly "failing" grades. [More results.]( On the Croisette... ► I Lost My Body tops Critics' Week prizes. The animated tale took the Nespresso Grand Prize, while Cesar Diaz's Our Mothers won the French directors' guild award. [More winners.]( -> Reviews to read: Xavier Dolan's [Matthias & Maxime](... Lea Seydoux in Arnaud Desplechin's [Oh Mercy!](. ► Deals of note. Shailene Woodley serial killer thriller [sells to]( China... Well Go USA [picks up]( Korean crime movie. On the festival circuit... ► Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi to head Tokyo jury. One of the most recognizable faces of Chinese cinema, the award-winning actress has also starred in Hollywood and Japanese films. Zhang has [previously served]( on juries at Cannes and other international fests. From the stage... ► Feinberg Forecast: First read of the 2019 Tonys. Awards columnist Scott Feinberg assesses the field ahead of the June 9 ceremony, looking at the chances for Hadestown, To Kill a Mockingbird and Tootsie. [Tonys preview.]( Talking points... ► Michael Avenatti charged with defrauding Stormy Daniels. Avenatti was [previously charged]( in New York with trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike by threatening to expose claims the shoemaker paid off high school basketball players to steer them to Nike-sponsored colleges. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Terminator: Dark Fate revives Sarah Connor. Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger star in the Paramount sequel with newcomers Natalia Reyes and Mackenzie Davis. [Watch.]( Avengers: Endgame VFX supervisor reveals secrets to aging & de-aging characters. On the latest Behind the Screen podcast with Carolyn Giardina, Dan DeLeeuw also talks about the CG Thanos and "Smart Hulk," practical effects and saying farewell to favorite characters and the crew. [Listen]( | [Subscribe]( Favorable Ruling Resolute Throne: Most viewers of the Game of Thrones finale liked the episode despite online outrage, Trilby Beresford reports: + Some 26 percent of Americans replied that they liked the finale "a lot," while 37 percent liked it "some," 24 percent "didn't really like it" and 10 percent "didn't like it at all," according to a new THR/Morning Consult poll, comprised of 2,201 adults of different ages, genders and ethnicities, and whom exhibited varying degrees of fandom and TV viewing habits. * About 58 percent of respondents felt "disappointed" with the finale, 49 percent replied they were "satisfied" and 42 percent felt "frustrated." About 20 percent replied that they were "bored" by the episode. + Star Wars effect?: About 9 percent said showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' involvement in the upcoming films makes them more likely and 7 percent said less likely. But 69 percent of respondents answered that the finale makes no difference at all for the duo's galactic future. [More results.]( -> How did George R.R. Martin like it?: The author chimed in on his blog: "How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different. Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. [And no. And yes.](" What else we're reading... — "How The View Became the Most Important Political TV Show in America." Amanda Fitzsimmons reports — Joy Behar: “They thought we were a bunch of ladies who lunch. `Now they come on because we’re influential.” [[The New York Times Magazine](] — "How the First Arab American Movie Star Foretold a Century of Muslim Misrepresentation." Omar Mouallem details: "Audiences loved to hate [Frank] Lackteen and reporters loved to fetishize his otherness." [[The Ringer](] — "Inside Michael Avenatti's Epic Fall." Emily Jane Fox reports: "[A]s we have learned about Trump, as much as Avenatti dreamed of great, ceaseless notoriety, living his life completely in public, he had much he needed to keep hidden, too." [[Vanity Fair](] — "So Your Kid Wants to Be a YouTuber?" Julie Jargon details an influencer summer camp: "It gets at perhaps the biggest question of parenting in a digital age, which is how much leeway to give children in this fast-changing frontier while also protecting them—from themselves as much as from others." [[The Wall Street Journal](] — "Late Night's Unlikely Friendship." Laura Bradley talks to Seth Meyers and Desus & Mero: "Their camaraderie is refreshing, especially for anyone who recalls late-night TV’s cutthroat history. ... A new spirit of bonhomie seems to have taken over the airwaves—and, more importantly, these comedians’ mutual respect suggests the future of the format as a home for many distinct voices." [[Vanity Fair](] Last night, on late night... + "John Lithgow's worst career mistake helped him meet his wife." [[Late Night](] + "Jeff Ross roasts Bernie Sanders." [[Tonight Show](] + "Kaitlyn Dever met Kristin Wiig and blanked." [[Late Show](] + "Mass. native Elizabeth Banks struggles with Boston accent." [[Late Late Show](] From the archives... + Today in 1980: Stanley Kubrick's latest film The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The film grossed over $44 million domestically and is considered a horror classic: "[The film] is so richly textured that it improves immeasurably upon second viewing, once an audience moves beyond worrying about a story line or taking the facts at face value." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Ryan Coogler, 33, LaMonica Garrett, 44, H. Jon Benjamin, 53, Melissa McBride, 54, Drew Carey, 61, Lea DeLaria, 61, Joan Collins, 86. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? 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