'Rambo' v Royals; Apple's Gaming Play; Kareem On ‘SNL’; H'wood Private Jet Hypocrisy

What's news: What will AT&T do with DirecTV?, Elizabeth Gabler speaks, Apple's gaming play, Rambo vs royals at the box office, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Shane Gillis, TIFF suffers Sundance backlash. Plus: Gavin Polone on Hollywood's private jet hypocrisy, and that time Bob Iger said Disney and Apple could have merged. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 What's news: What will AT&T do with DirecTV?, Elizabeth Gabler speaks, Apple's gaming play, Rambo vs royals at the box office, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Shane Gillis, TIFF suffers Sundance backlash. Plus: Gavin Polone on Hollywood's private jet hypocrisy, and that time Bob Iger said Disney and Apple could have merged. --Alex Weprin What's news: What will AT&T do with DirecTV?, Elizabeth Gabler speaks, Apple's gaming play, Rambo vs royals at the box office, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Shane Gillis, TIFF suffers Sundance backlash. Plus: Gavin Polone on Hollywood's private jet hypocrisy, and that time Bob Iger said Disney and Apple could have merged. --Alex Weprin [What Will AT&T Do?] What Will AT&T Do? ►Will AT&T sell DirecTV? The Wall Street Journal [reports that](AT&T is weighing its options regarding its satellite TV business, including the possibility of spinning it off, attempting to sell it to Dish Network, or keeping it in the corporate family. However, this morning CNBC[reported that]( while the company is reviewing some possible moves, "a spinoff of DirecTV is not among those being reviewed." The DirecTV speculation comes after activist fund Elliott Management disclosed a $3.2 billion stake in the telecom giant, and asked it to look into divestitures among other changes. +AT&T's undisclosed activist letter. It turns out that Elliott may have been a little late to the party. In a previously unreported letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey dated Feb. 25, an undisclosed shareholder criticized the wisdom of the Time Warner acquisition and took aim at managers, including then-Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and former HBO chief Richard Plepler, Tatiana Siegel and Paul Bond report. Quote: "What is curious about the February missive is that it foreshadowed the exits of Plepler and Tsujihara by just days. In the case of Tsujihara, the letter claimed without evidence that an unnamed actress negotiated a multipicture deal "to cover up possible transgressions by or involving Tsujihara"... (Tsujihara's relationship with aspiring actress Charlotte Kirk was first revealed 10 days later by THR, which reported on the affair and subsequent push to secure parts for her that led to the CEO's exit.)" [The story](. +In other business news: AMC Networks CEO says the Walking Dead franchise has "[decades of life left]("... Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner [touted his recent acquisition]( of Canadian studio Entertainment One... Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi [said a possible]( U.S. recession and escalating streaming wars won't greatly impact the movie exhibition business... +A Disney-Apple merger?!: In [an excerpt](in Vanity Fair from his upcoming autobiography, Disney CEO Bob Iger writes about his friendship with Apple founder Steve Jobs, and includes this eye-popping quote: "I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our two companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously." ^Elizabeth Gabler speaks. The book-smart film executive behind The Devil Wears Prada and Hidden Figures speaks to Kim Masters about the abrupt shuttering of Fox 2000, her new division’s name, reuniting with Tom Rothman and her next chapter. Quote: "A lot of the material that we would've thought without question could be a theatrical feature--I mean, this is old news but sometimes things will have a bigger and better life if they're on a streaming service. You have a lot less pressure to have an opening weekend against a monster movie. The days when we opened Devil Wears Prada on Fourth of July weekend and it worked because it was counterprogramming--that's really hard to do now." [The interview](. ►2018-2019 52 week broadcast ratings: While the numbers have changed some since May, the top of the rankings has not, Rick Porter writes. With a few days left before the Nielsen-sanctioned start of the 2019-20 season, NBC remains first in the key ad-sales demographic of adults 18-49, and CBS is No. 1 among total viewers. Nothing airing in primetime before Sunday's final day of the season is liable to change that. [The full breakdown](. Critic's notebook: Tim Goodman reflects on season two of HBO's Succession so far, writing that has managed to get better in its second season after a brilliant first one. Most of this is because now we have a better connection to each character and those additional layers that they bring can allow the show to grow." [The notebook](. Elsewhere in TV... --Food Network is [boosting holiday programming]( by 40 percent and expanding Into Hanukkah. --The revival of Aaron McGruder's animated series The Boondocks [has found a home]( at HBO Max. The WarnerMedia streaming platform has ordered two "reimagined" seasons — 24 episodes in all — of the show. --How Euphoria [is influencing]( beauty trends and red carpet makeup. --Fancy Nancy [picked up]( an early renewal on Disney Junior. --Former True Blood regular Jim Parrack has [signed on]( to Fox's midseason series 911: Lone Star. --Bachelor reveal: Was Peter Weber [a safe pick](? What Will AT&T Do? ►Will AT&T sell DirecTV? The Wall Street Journal [reports that](AT&T is weighing its options regarding its satellite TV business, including the possibility of spinning it off, attempting to sell it to Dish Network, or keeping it in the corporate family. However, this morning CNBC[reported that]( while the company is reviewing some possible moves, "a spinoff of DirecTV is not among those being reviewed." The DirecTV speculation comes after activist fund Elliott Management disclosed a $3.2 billion stake in the telecom giant, and asked it to look into divestitures among other changes. +AT&T's undisclosed activist letter. It turns out that Elliott may have been a little late to the party. In a previously unreported letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey dated Feb. 25, an undisclosed shareholder criticized the wisdom of the Time Warner acquisition and took aim at managers, including then-Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and former HBO chief Richard Plepler, Tatiana Siegel and Paul Bond report. Quote: "What is curious about the February missive is that it foreshadowed the exits of Plepler and Tsujihara by just days. In the case of Tsujihara, the letter claimed without evidence that an unnamed actress negotiated a multipicture deal "to cover up possible transgressions by or involving Tsujihara"... (Tsujihara's relationship with aspiring actress Charlotte Kirk was first revealed 10 days later by THR, which reported on the affair and subsequent push to secure parts for her that led to the CEO's exit.)" [The story](. +In other business news: AMC Networks CEO says the Walking Dead franchise has "[decades of life left]("... Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner [touted his recent acquisition]( of Canadian studio Entertainment One... Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi [said a possible]( U.S. recession and escalating streaming wars won't greatly impact the movie exhibition business... +A Disney-Apple merger?!: In [an excerpt](in Vanity Fair from his upcoming autobiography, Disney CEO Bob Iger writes about his friendship with Apple founder Steve Jobs, and includes this eye-popping quote: "I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our two companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously." ^Elizabeth Gabler speaks. The book-smart film executive behind The Devil Wears Prada and Hidden Figures speaks to Kim Masters about the abrupt shuttering of Fox 2000, her new division’s name, reuniting with Tom Rothman and her next chapter. Quote: "A lot of the material that we would've thought without question could be a theatrical feature--I mean, this is old news but sometimes things will have a bigger and better life if they're on a streaming service. You have a lot less pressure to have an opening weekend against a monster movie. The days when we opened Devil Wears Prada on Fourth of July weekend and it worked because it was counterprogramming--that's really hard to do now." [The interview](. ►2018-2019 52 week broadcast ratings: While the numbers have changed some since May, the top of the rankings has not, Rick Porter writes. With a few days left before the Nielsen-sanctioned start of the 2019-20 season, NBC remains first in the key ad-sales demographic of adults 18-49, and CBS is No. 1 among total viewers. Nothing airing in primetime before Sunday's final day of the season is liable to change that. [The full breakdown](. Critic's notebook: Tim Goodman reflects on season two of HBO's Succession so far, writing that has managed to get better in its second season after a brilliant first one. Most of this is because now we have a better connection to each character and those additional layers that they bring can allow the show to grow." [The notebook](. Elsewhere in TV... --Food Network is [boosting holiday programming]( by 40 percent and expanding Into Hanukkah. --The revival of Aaron McGruder's animated series The Boondocks [has found a home]( at HBO Max. The WarnerMedia streaming platform has ordered two "reimagined" seasons — 24 episodes in all — of the show. --How Euphoria [is influencing]( beauty trends and red carpet makeup. --Fancy Nancy [picked up]( an early renewal on Disney Junior. --Former True Blood regular Jim Parrack has [signed on]( to Fox's midseason series 911: Lone Star. --Bachelor reveal: Was Peter Weber [a safe pick](? ['Rambo' vs. Royals] 'Rambo' vs. Royals ►Box office preview: In an unusual box office showdown, an aristocratic British family and their loyal servants will duke it out this weekend with an iconic action hero — John Rambo — and an astronaut played by Brad Pitt, Pamela McClintowck writes. The spoils are expected to go to either Downton Abbey, the big screen continuation of the popular British TV show, or Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood, but the race could be close. Also: don't rule out filmmaker James Gray's space thriller Ad Astra, starring Pitt. [The preview](. ►Toronto film market suffers Sundance backlash. As TIFF wrapped Sunday, just a few films had landed significant deals: the Russell Crowe starrer True History of the Kelly Gang (IFC), the Riz Ahmed vehicle Sound of Metal (Amazon), Dan Friedkin’s Lyrebird (Sony Pictures Classics) and Rose Glass' Saint Maud (A24). Buyers were wary, given that a batch of eight-figure Sundance acquisitions had imploded at the summer box office, but the other reason for inactivity was that most of TIFF’s splashy debuts, like Knives Out and The Personal History of David Copperfield, already had secured distribution. [The story.]( In a new column, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes about comedian Shane Gillis, who was unceremoniously cut from Saturday Night Live after recent racist and homophobic jokes became public. Quote: "Comedians have the right to be unfunny sometimes, just as athletes have the right to lose games, and actors to be in bad films. But when a comedian makes hate-based comments, as Gillis did on his podcasts, we do have an obligation to take a closer look to see whether they are insightful provocateurs of culture and the human condition, or just another middle-schooler blowing milk out their nose for a quick laugh, not caring who they spatter with milky snot in the process." [The column](. +Gillis returned to stand-up last night, [making an appearance]( at New York's The Stand, where he addressed his firing. "It's been weird," Gillis told the crowd. "Twitter, obviously, has been nuts. You try to stay off it when the whole country hates you. That's not a fun feeling." +SNL's Kenan Thompson told THR that he felt bad for new cast members Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman, who were overshadowed by Gillis' comments. “I’m just sorry it had to be splashed in drama," he said at an event in Washington D.C. "They put their stamp on there — which everyone would have assumed about SNL anyway — that we don’t tolerate abuse or disrespect of anyone, racial or otherwise. It’s just not conducive to a comedy show.” [More](. +Inside NBC's comedy event held on the same day SNL fired Gillis. Chris Gardner reports from NeueHouse in Hollywood, where NBC hosted an event dedicated to its comedy lineup... just as the late night show was in the middle of the Gillis backlash. [The story](. ^Apple takes a big swing at gaming with Apple Arcade. "With an active install base of 1.4 billion devices worldwide, the Silicon Valley tech giant offers a considerable platform and, with the launch of its Apple Arcade service on Thursday, has signaled to the gaming industry that it is a major player in the booming marketplace," Patrick Shanley writes. +Developers certainly think Apple Arcade is a big deal. "It’s a big turning point in history," Ryan Cash, founder of indie game developer Snowman tells Shanley. [The story.]( In other gaming news... The International Olympic Committee ["explores" esports]( ahead of the 2020 Olympics... Twitch[has acquired]( the Internet Games Database (IGDB), the online directory of professional video game credits... Video game review: [The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening](. ►Adele Lim's Crazy Rich Asians pay disparity sparks #NotWorthLess hashtag. Two weeks after THR revealed that Crazy Rich Asians's Adele Lim had left the franchise amid a sizable pay disparity with her co-screenwriter, scribes are taking to social media to reveal their own experiences with the pay gap, using the hashtag #NotWorthLess. [The story.]( ►CNN's Fox News whisperer. Jeremy Barr talks to CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, who previously worked as an anchor for Fox News. Camerota talks about her friendship with current Fox staffers, the difference in culture between the two channels, and how President Trump views Fox. "The president has given up thinking that they're a news outlet. The president has given up thinking that there is any semblance of balance. He believes they are his channel. You heard in one of the tweets the way he described it, like 'not working for us anymore.' ... He thinks that they are a reliable cheerleader, and when they deviate it confuses him." [The interview](. +In other cable news news: Barr catches up with MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Ali Velshi, who are co-moderating a two-day-long presidential forum on climate change on Thursday and Friday. [The story.]( ►Rambo: Last Blood review. Frank Scheck reviews the fifth and supposedly final film in Sylvester Stallone's Rambo series. "The screenplay, co-written by Stallone and Matthew Cirulnick, feels utterly tossed-off and generic, more resembling the pilot for a Rambo television series than a proper sendoff." [The review](. Elsewhere in film... --A24 [has picked up](the North American rights to Saint Maud, one of the buzziest movies from Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program. --Tezuka's Barbara and A Beloved Wife are the [first two competition titles]( for this year's Tokyo International Film Festival. --The 63rd BFI London Film Festival, which kicks off Oct. 2,[has added]( a number of late additions to its lineup, including Edward Shults' Waves. --The Shawshank Redemption turns 25: Frank Darabont [reflects on the journey]( from box office bomb to Oscar nominee. In honors: The Russo brothers [will receive]( the International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Motion Picture Showman of the Year Award at the 57th Annual Publicists Awards ceremony next year... Pioneering sound editor and designer Cecilia “Cece” Hall [will receive]( the Motion Picture Sound Editors Career Achievement Award at the 67th MPSE Golden Reel Awards... 'Rambo' vs. Royals ►Box office preview: In an unusual box office showdown, an aristocratic British family and their loyal servants will duke it out this weekend with an iconic action hero — John Rambo — and an astronaut played by Brad Pitt, Pamela McClintowck writes. The spoils are expected to go to either Downton Abbey, the big screen continuation of the popular British TV show, or Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood, but the race could be close. Also: don't rule out filmmaker James Gray's space thriller Ad Astra, starring Pitt. [The preview](. ►Toronto film market suffers Sundance backlash. As TIFF wrapped Sunday, just a few films had landed significant deals: the Russell Crowe starrer True History of the Kelly Gang (IFC), the Riz Ahmed vehicle Sound of Metal (Amazon), Dan Friedkin’s Lyrebird (Sony Pictures Classics) and Rose Glass' Saint Maud (A24). Buyers were wary, given that a batch of eight-figure Sundance acquisitions had imploded at the summer box office, but the other reason for inactivity was that most of TIFF’s splashy debuts, like Knives Out and The Personal History of David Copperfield, already had secured distribution. [The story.]( In a new column, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes about comedian Shane Gillis, who was unceremoniously cut from Saturday Night Live after recent racist and homophobic jokes became public. Quote: "Comedians have the right to be unfunny sometimes, just as athletes have the right to lose games, and actors to be in bad films. But when a comedian makes hate-based comments, as Gillis did on his podcasts, we do have an obligation to take a closer look to see whether they are insightful provocateurs of culture and the human condition, or just another middle-schooler blowing milk out their nose for a quick laugh, not caring who they spatter with milky snot in the process." [The column](. +Gillis returned to stand-up last night, [making an appearance]( at New York's The Stand, where he addressed his firing. "It's been weird," Gillis told the crowd. "Twitter, obviously, has been nuts. You try to stay off it when the whole country hates you. That's not a fun feeling." +SNL's Kenan Thompson told THR that he felt bad for new cast members Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman, who were overshadowed by Gillis' comments. “I’m just sorry it had to be splashed in drama," he said at an event in Washington D.C. "They put their stamp on there — which everyone would have assumed about SNL anyway — that we don’t tolerate abuse or disrespect of anyone, racial or otherwise. It’s just not conducive to a comedy show.” [More](. +Inside NBC's comedy event held on the same day SNL fired Gillis. Chris Gardner reports from NeueHouse in Hollywood, where NBC hosted an event dedicated to its comedy lineup... just as the late night show was in the middle of the Gillis backlash. [The story](. ^Apple takes a big swing at gaming with Apple Arcade. "With an active install base of 1.4 billion devices worldwide, the Silicon Valley tech giant offers a considerable platform and, with the launch of its Apple Arcade service on Thursday, has signaled to the gaming industry that it is a major player in the booming marketplace," Patrick Shanley writes. +Developers certainly think Apple Arcade is a big deal. "It’s a big turning point in history," Ryan Cash, founder of indie game developer Snowman tells Shanley. [The story.]( In other gaming news... The International Olympic Committee ["explores" esports]( ahead of the 2020 Olympics... Twitch[has acquired]( the Internet Games Database (IGDB), the online directory of professional video game credits... Video game review: [The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening](. ►Adele Lim's Crazy Rich Asians pay disparity sparks #NotWorthLess hashtag. Two weeks after THR revealed that Crazy Rich Asians's Adele Lim had left the franchise amid a sizable pay disparity with her co-screenwriter, scribes are taking to social media to reveal their own experiences with the pay gap, using the hashtag #NotWorthLess. [The story.]( ►CNN's Fox News whisperer. Jeremy Barr talks to CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, who previously worked as an anchor for Fox News. Camerota talks about her friendship with current Fox staffers, the difference in culture between the two channels, and how President Trump views Fox. "The president has given up thinking that they're a news outlet. The president has given up thinking that there is any semblance of balance. He believes they are his channel. You heard in one of the tweets the way he described it, like 'not working for us anymore.' ... He thinks that they are a reliable cheerleader, and when they deviate it confuses him." [The interview](. +In other cable news news: Barr catches up with MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Ali Velshi, who are co-moderating a two-day-long presidential forum on climate change on Thursday and Friday. [The story.]( ►Rambo: Last Blood review. Frank Scheck reviews the fifth and supposedly final film in Sylvester Stallone's Rambo series. "The screenplay, co-written by Stallone and Matthew Cirulnick, feels utterly tossed-off and generic, more resembling the pilot for a Rambo television series than a proper sendoff." [The review](. Elsewhere in film... --A24 [has picked up](the North American rights to Saint Maud, one of the buzziest movies from Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program. --Tezuka's Barbara and A Beloved Wife are the [first two competition titles]( for this year's Tokyo International Film Festival. --The 63rd BFI London Film Festival, which kicks off Oct. 2,[has added]( a number of late additions to its lineup, including Edward Shults' Waves. --The Shawshank Redemption turns 25: Frank Darabont [reflects on the journey]( from box office bomb to Oscar nominee. In honors: The Russo brothers [will receive]( the International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Motion Picture Showman of the Year Award at the 57th Annual Publicists Awards ceremony next year... Pioneering sound editor and designer Cecilia “Cece” Hall [will receive]( the Motion Picture Sound Editors Career Achievement Award at the 67th MPSE Golden Reel Awards... [Private Planes vs. Climate Change] Private Planes vs. Climate Change THR contributor and producer Gavin Polone sets his sights on "Hollywood’s private plane addiction and the disgrace of climate-change hypocrisy" in his latest column. Quote: "It is inspiring that so many notable members of the entertainment community use their stature to advocate for environmental causes. We should be proud that it is now part of the Hollywood culture to drive electric cars and have the barista put your cold brew into a reusable steel flask. But getting on a Gulfstream when there is a reasonably adequate, though certainly less enjoyable, alternative, is indefensible." [The column](. Revolving door: Fox News Media [has inked]( business host Maria Bartiromo to a new multiyear contract extension... Fox Entertainment [has named]( Lisa Simpson (no, not that Lisa Simpson) senior vp of talent relations.... Owen Shiflett [will serve]( as senior vp development and production for Joel Stillerman's Content Sherba... Lionsgate [has named]( Aaron Janus senior vp of production in its realigning Motion Picture Group... Sean Clarke has [been announced]( as managing director of British animation firm Aardman... Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil stunt double speaks out on the crash that left her partially paralyzed. Scott Johnson interviews Olivia Jackson, who last week filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court against the film’s director, Paul Anderson, producer Jeremy Bolt and production companies Tannhauser Gate Inc, Impact Pictures and Bolt Pictures. [The story](. +An anonymous massage therapist who claims to have been sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey has died, according to a notice filed in court by the actor's attorneys. [The story](. +Jason Lust sued Animal Logic in 2016 claiming the Australian VFX house turned production company convinced him to hand over his intellectual property rights to Peter Rabbit and then shut him out of working on the project — and nearly three years later a California federal judge has tossed much of his case. [The story](. +A woman whose claims of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein were outlined in a federal indictment sued his estate Wednesday, saying the wealthy financier took advantage of her family's poor financial position to abuse her from age 14 to 17. [More](. ►From Disney+ to Apple TV+: How the streaming war will be won. In a guest column for THR, Simon Murray, founder of U.K. media analysis firm Digital TV Research, digs into what the future holds for streaming. "The next wave of streaming service launches will push the number of global video subscriptions to nearly 1 billion in the next five years.... But despite the plethora of options, just four platforms — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+ — will hold nearly half of global subscriptions by 2024, according to my analysis." [The column](. The day in deals: Nahnatchka Khan, who made her feature directorial debut with Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, [has now inked]( a first-look features deal with the streamer... Comedy Central is making a further commitment to its animation business, [signing]( The Simpsons veteran Donick Cary to a first-look animation deal... Joel Stillerman is shifting to production. The former AMC and Hulu content chief [has launched]( an Endeavor Content-backed production company, Content Sherba... What else we're reading... --"The Rolling Stone interview: Taylor Swift" [[Rolling Stone](] --"Netflix plans to pay bonuses to filmmakers when movies succeed" [[Bloomberg](] --"As NBCUniversal preps streaming service cable firms push back" [[The Information](] --"The workplace pathos of Party Down" [[The New Yorker](] Today's birthdays: Alison Sweeney, 43, Bruce A. Evans, 73, James Lipton, 93, Jeremy Irons, 71, Jimmy Fallon, 45, Joan Lunden, 69, Nile Rodgers, 67. Private Planes vs. Climate Change THR contributor and producer Gavin Polone sets his sights on "Hollywood’s private plane addiction and the disgrace of climate-change hypocrisy" in his latest column. Quote: "It is inspiring that so many notable members of the entertainment community use their stature to advocate for environmental causes. We should be proud that it is now part of the Hollywood culture to drive electric cars and have the barista put your cold brew into a reusable steel flask. But getting on a Gulfstream when there is a reasonably adequate, though certainly less enjoyable, alternative, is indefensible." [The column](. Revolving door: Fox News Media [has inked]( business host Maria Bartiromo to a new multiyear contract extension... Fox Entertainment [has named]( Lisa Simpson (no, not that Lisa Simpson) senior vp of talent relations.... Owen Shiflett [will serve]( as senior vp development and production for Joel Stillerman's Content Sherba... Lionsgate [has named]( Aaron Janus senior vp of production in its realigning Motion Picture Group... Sean Clarke has [been announced]( as managing director of British animation firm Aardman... Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil stunt double speaks out on the crash that left her partially paralyzed. Scott Johnson interviews Olivia Jackson, who last week filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court against the film’s director, Paul Anderson, producer Jeremy Bolt and production companies Tannhauser Gate Inc, Impact Pictures and Bolt Pictures. [The story](. +An anonymous massage therapist who claims to have been sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey has died, according to a notice filed in court by the actor's attorneys. [The story](. +Jason Lust sued Animal Logic in 2016 claiming the Australian VFX house turned production company convinced him to hand over his intellectual property rights to Peter Rabbit and then shut him out of working on the project — and nearly three years later a California federal judge has tossed much of his case. [The story](. +A woman whose claims of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein were outlined in a federal indictment sued his estate Wednesday, saying the wealthy financier took advantage of her family's poor financial position to abuse her from age 14 to 17. [More](. ►From Disney+ to Apple TV+: How the streaming war will be won. In a guest column for THR, Simon Murray, founder of U.K. media analysis firm Digital TV Research, digs into what the future holds for streaming. "The next wave of streaming service launches will push the number of global video subscriptions to nearly 1 billion in the next five years.... But despite the plethora of options, just four platforms — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+ — will hold nearly half of global subscriptions by 2024, according to my analysis." [The column](. The day in deals: Nahnatchka Khan, who made her feature directorial debut with Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, [has now inked]( a first-look features deal with the streamer... Comedy Central is making a further commitment to its animation business, [signing]( The Simpsons veteran Donick Cary to a first-look animation deal... Joel Stillerman is shifting to production. The former AMC and Hulu content chief [has launched]( an Endeavor Content-backed production company, Content Sherba... What else we're reading... --"The Rolling Stone interview: Taylor Swift" [[Rolling Stone](] --"Netflix plans to pay bonuses to filmmakers when movies succeed" [[Bloomberg](] --"As NBCUniversal preps streaming service cable firms push back" [[The Information](] --"The workplace pathos of Party Down" [[The New Yorker](] Today's birthdays: Alison Sweeney, 43, Bruce A. Evans, 73, James Lipton, 93, Jeremy Irons, 71, Jimmy Fallon, 45, Joan Lunden, 69, Nile Rodgers, 67. [Image] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](