WarnerMedia's Strategy Shift; 'Dark Phoenix' vs. 'Pets'; Weinstein's "Settlement"; Tony Awards Preview

--What's news: It's a comic book Phoenix vs. cartoon pets at the box office this weekend. What to look for at The Tony Awards on Sunday. Harvey Weinstein's "settlement" is more complicated than it appears. WarnerMedia shifts its streaming strategy. BuzzFeed names a new Hollywood chief. -Alex Weprin June 07, 2019 --What's news: It's a comic book Phoenix vs. cartoon pets at the box office this weekend. What to look for at The Tony Awards on Sunday. Harvey Weinstein's "settlement" is more complicated than it appears. WarnerMedia shifts its streaming strategy. BuzzFeed names a new Hollywood chief. -Alex Weprin Dark Phoenix vs. Pets ➤Box office preview: Sequels reign supreme at the box office this week, with X-Men flick Dark Phoenix squaring off against The Secret Life of Pets 2. Mia Galuppo writes: +Dark Phoenix is the first X-Men film to be released by Disney since buying 21st Century Fox, and is tracking for a $50 million weekend across 3,700 theaters. That would be one of the lowest debuts for any X-Men film, with 2013's Wolverine currently holding that mark with a $53.1 million opening weekend. 2016's X-Men Apocalypse bowed to a $65 million opening. +Meanwhile, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is tracking to a $50-60 million opening weekend across 4,400 theaters, positioning it as the likely box office champion this week. +Also: Mindy Kaling's Late Night debuts in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Amazon has the U.S. rights. CBS Films' Pavarotti will bow on 19 screens before expanding its presence later in the month. [Forecast](. ➤Remember that widely-reported $44 million settlement between Harvey Weinstein and many of his accusers? It turns out there is quite a bit more to that story. Eriq Gardner writes: "In reality, while both Harvey and Bob Weinstein are nominally part of the agreement in principle, such a settlement is best understood as potentially ending claims put forward in various lawsuits against the former directors and officers of The Weinstein Co. for their alleged complicity in sexual abuse." --"But missed in most of the coverage of the $44 million deal is a potentially more important recent development. The Weinstein Co. itself is not yet on board with this settlement and in fact wishes to pursue its own new claims against Harvey and Bob." [The story.]( +Miramax stake being shopped. A large stake in Miramax, the film studio founded by Weinstein and his brother Bob, is being shopped around by its current owner BeIn Media Group, according to The Wall Street Journal. BeIn is seeking to sell as much as 50% of the studio, in a deal that [values it at $650 million](. ➤Kathleen Kennedy elected AFI chair. The president of LucasFilm will succeed Sir Howard Stringer, who has served as chairman of the AFI board of trustees since 1999. [Story](. +Denzel Washington was honored at the AFI's annual gala last night. Michael B. Jordan, Julia Roberts, Jamir Foxx, and Spike Lee were among those honoring the actor. Also making a surprise appearance: Beyoncé, who presented the AFI's Franklin J. Shaffner Alumni Medal to her Formation collaborator Melina Matsoukas. Mia Galuppo's [report](. ➤CAA calls WGA litigation "preposterous." The agency is expected to file a response to the WGA's claims later, but for now it argues that claims by David Simon and Meredith Stiehm should be barred, citing a settlement agreement Simon signed 19 years ago, and the fact that Stiehm has long known that her shows were being packaged and did not object. [More](. The story of the original Dark Phoenix comic is a fascinating tale in and of itself. Graeme McMillan writes: "The new Dark Phoenix movie draws on the original “Dark Phoenix Saga” comic book storyline, which unfolded slowly in the pages of the Uncanny X-Men series from 1976 through 1980. But, while the movie brings matters to an appropriate conclusion, things didn’t go quite that straightforwardly for the comic book version of the story." [More](. +Alexandra Shipp, who plays Storm in Dark Phoenix, talks to Brian Davids about the film and her role. Shipp first played Storm in 2016’s Apocalypse, signing a three picture deal with an option for additional films. Those films may not happen, however, with a reboot of the X-Men franchise expected following Disney’s acquisition of Fox. [The interview](. +Dark Phoenix is facing negative reviews (it currently has only a 23% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but an aggressive marketing campaign is trying to counter the critics. The campaign positions the film as the capstone of the X-Men franchise that viewers have followed for nearly 20 years. [More](. +The martial arts action flick Jiu Jitsu has added Tony Jaa and Frank Grillo to the cast. The pair join Nicolas Cage and Alan Moussi in the film, which is based on the comic book title of the same name. Elsewhere in film... ➤Bron and MGM strike $100M deal. Bron Creative has inked a $100 million-plus co-financing deal with MGM. “Titles covered in the agreement include MGM's The Addams Family, Legally Blonde 3, Candyman, Respect, The Thomas Crown Affair and Robocop Returns as well as Orion Pictures' Child's Play, Bad Trip and Gretel and Hansel.” [Story](. ➤Jesse Tyler Ferguson to EP Stonewall Forever. The Modern Family star and his husband Justin Mikita will executive produce the feature documentary about the Stonewall Inn and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. [More](. ➤Blockers director Kay Cannon will helm a ”Goonies for adults” comedy called 79ers at Lionsgate. Will Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions and Seth Rogen’s Point Grey will produce the feature, which “centers on a group of estranged friends forced back together after 20 years to complete a treasure hunt they attempted as misfit teens, but never completed.” [Story](. ➤Abramorama secures N.A. rights to Abigail Disney-produced doc. Afterward, from director Ofra Bloch, explores the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. [Story](. ➤Paradigm adds APA film lit agent Ryan Saul, TV lit agent Katt Riley. Saul’s clients include The Maze Runner director Wes Ball and Oscar nominated animation director Tim Reckart, among others. He had been co-head of APA’s motion picture literary department. Riley comes from Kaplan Stahler Agency. [More](. Streaming Strategy Shift ➤AT&T's WarnerMedia is rethinking the go-to-market strategy for its upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service. The Wall Street Journal [reports]( that the company now wants to bundle content from HBO, Cinemax, and WarnerMedia's channels into one bundle that will cost about $16-$17 per month, just a buck or two more than HBO Now currently costs. At an investor day late last year, company executives initially outlined a three-tier service with a basic tier, an HBO tier, and a premium tier with all of the company's content. Now it appears the company is looking at just one tier, with a less expensive ad-supported option to follow in 2020. +The upcoming WarnerMedia service will also have original programming, which is still in the early stages of development. One of the show's in development is Tokyo Vice, based on the book of the same name. Ansel Elgort has been [tapped to star](. +Swamp Thing Sinks. The DC Universe original production was canceled by WarnerMedia just six days after its debut on the streaming platform. Only one episode has run thus far, though the remaining nine episodes will stream as scheduled. The cancellation raises questions about DC Universe’s place in the WarnerMedia ecosystem, once the company-wide streaming service launches. [Story](. ➤BuzzFeed rethinking its Hollywood strategy. The company has tapped the head of programming for BuzzFeed News, Cindy Vanegas-Gesaule to lead its film and TV projects. BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti tells Natalie Jarvey that the company is still trying to figure out what its digital video strategy will be going forward, though he adds that when the company dabbles in traditional film or TV, it will likely work with partners. [Story](. Elsewhere in TV… ➤TV's top comedies poke fun at Hollywood. This year’s Emmy race includes a number of shows that poke fun at the absurdity of Hollywood. From Netflix’s The Kominsky Method and Showtime’s Kidding to Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and FX’s Better Things, Emmy voters [have no shortage of inside baseball options to vote for](. ➤Netflix renewed Lucifer for a fifth and final season. The streaming service had picked up the show after it ran for three seasons on Fox. Season four debuted last month. [More](. ➤Game 3 of NBA Finals hits 6-year ratings low. The Toronto Raptors 123-109 win over the Golden State Warriors carried ABC to an easy ratings win Wednesday night, although consistent with the first two games, the ratings were down about 20% [from last year](. ➤Network news chiefs toot their own horns. CBS News president Susan Zirinsky, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim, and ABC News president James Goldston, speaking at a conference Thursday, defended broadcast TV news in an age where cable news clips and viral social media moments dominate the conversation. "I think there is a real hunger right now for a truthful reporting of news, and I think the three networks absolutely have that and you can see it, you can see it in the [ratings],” [Zirinsky said](. ^Late night hosts set sights on 2020. Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah, and Hasan Minhaj discuss their plans for covering the 2020 election and the massive field of Democratic candidates. [Story.]( +David Spade sets late-night debut. The comedian’s upcoming 11:30 p.m. show on Comedy Central will be called Lights Out, and will debut on the cable channel on July 29. The pop-culture focused show will be the fourth program that Comedy Central has tried in the timeslot since The Colbert Report ended in December 2014. [More](. In THR, Esq: “Gaumont Television claims in new court papers that its former chief executive officer Katie O'Connell Marsh has breached her termination agreement and has wrongfully disclosed the company's trade secrets to its detriment.” Eriq Gardner [has the story](. +Is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson a journalist? A New York court found that, when it comes to his 2017 documentary Rock and a Hard Place, he qualifies as one under the state's Shield Law. [More](. ➤Obamas Ink Spotify podcast deal. Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will develop, produce, and lend their voices to original podcasts as part of a wide-ranging deal between their production company, Higher Ground, and the streaming audio giant Spotify. The Obamas already have a deal in place to produce TV shows and movies for Netflix. [More](. ➤Michael Strahan to host Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Strahan previously hosted the awards show in 2014. This year’s nominees include Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and James Harden. [Story](. --TV's Top 5 podcast: Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg welcome NBC's co--presidents of scripted entertainment Liza Katz and Tracey Pakosta, in a special edition of the podcast recorded in front of a live audience at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas. [Listen](. --Series Regular podcast: With Game of Thrones over, Josh Wigler turns his sights to other genre television shows. This week he explores the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead. [Listen](. Last night on late night... --Stephen Colbert reads letters from his uncle, who served in the 101st Airborne during World War II. [[Late Show](] --Dana Carvey knows all of President Donald Trump's verbal tics. [[Conan](] Tony Awards Preview The Tony Awards will be held Sunday at Radio City Music Hall, with The Late Late Show’s James Corden set to host for the second time. Set to perform during the awards show are the casts of Hadestown; Oklahoma!; Beetlejuice; Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations; The Cher Show; Choir Boy; Kiss Me, Kate; The Prom; and Tootsie. +Who will win? THR chief theater critic David Rooney shares his choices for who should win top honors, while awards analyst Scott Feinberg names his predictions to win in the top categories ahead of Sunday's ceremony. Quote: “While the general consensus is that Elaine May and Santino Fontana should go ahead and clear space on their trophy shelves, many other top awards remain wide open races, which should generate suspense and surprises at the ceremony.” [Full preview](. +For a different approach to the same question: Ben Zauzmer uses a mathematical model to predict this year’s Tony winners. Last year he went 20 for 26. His drama category predictions [are here.]( +Corden says he has an “ambitious” opening number planned. “There is a feeling that we have bitten off slightly more than we can chew." [More](. +He also tells Seth Abramovitch that he hopes to be able to do live theater again. "I would be very disappointed if I didn't do a couple of plays or a musical again, in London or in New York. I would say, it burns brighter in me now than it probably did before I took on The Late Late Show." [The interview](. +Tony nominees sound off: Do they prefer working on stage, or on screen? Laurie Metcalf, Ruth Wilson, Santina Fontana and others [weigh in here](. ➤Google releases Stadia details. Ahead of the E3 conference next week, Google released details about its Stadia gaming platform. Stadia Pro will cost $9.99 per month, and there will be a “Founder’s Edition” that bundles three months of the service, a controller, and a Chromecast Ultra for $129. Games will include Borderlands 3 and Destiny 2. [More](. +Is Stadia worth it? "The right way to think of this is as a buffet with not very many selections," Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter [tells]( Patrick Shanley. "You can't offer a subscription service without enough choice to make it worth it. Netflix has thousands of shows, not 30." ➤Entertainment Weekly goes monthly. New owner Meredith Corp. will make the switch in August as part of a "reimagining" of the brand. As part of the change, J.D. Heyman will become editor, and Henry Goldblatt [will step down](. 13 employees were laid off from the magazine, sources tell THR. What else we’re reading… -- "Hollywood Writers Attempt Life Without Agents." Emily Witt talks to TV and film writers about navigating Hollywood without their agents. “You can live without a leg. You want a leg, but if you don’t have it there are many ways to continue to walk,” The Dark Crystal writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach says. [[The New Yorker](] -- "Behind the scenes, candidates vie for Hollywood cash while keeping populist cred." Hunter Walker writes: “[A]s the crowded field fighting to replace President Trump goes west, it’s finding a landscape that has undergone seismic shifts with traditional kingmakers competing for influence against small donors and high-tech upstarts.” [[Yahoo News](] -- BTS invited to join Recording Academy. The K-pop mega band is yet to secure a Grammy nomination, but they were nonetheless among 1,340 potential members that were invited to join. "It's part of a massive drive to bring in new members, especially ones who will help diversify the Academy's membership along racial, gender and age lines." [[Billboard](] -- "For ‘Big Little Lies’ fans, the aesthetic is as much of a draw as the drama." Sure, yes, there’s Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Whiterspoon, but as Jessica Roy notes, for Big Little Lies viewers “the stunning homes and decor are a big part of the appeal.” [[LA Times](] -- "Madonna At Sixty." Vanessa Grigoriadis profiles the pop music icon. [[NY Times Magazine](] Today's birthdays: Emily Ratajkowski, 28, Iggy Azalea, 29, Michael Cera, 31, Bill Hader, 41, Karl Urban, 47, Liam Neeson, 67, James Ivory, 91, Bill Prady, 59. Thanks for reading! Please send me feedback, tips, and suggestions so that I can help make Today In Entertainment more useful to you. You can email me at Alex.Weprin@THR.com. 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]( June 7, 2019