Endeavor IPO Pulled; 'Joker' Concerns; Apple's Theatrical Play; Cable News Madness

What's news: Endeavor postpones its IPO, Joker concerns continue, Apple's theatrical play, Modern Family creator's new mega-deal, Locast accuses broadcasters of antitrust violations, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira sign on for Super Bowl LIV Plus: A publicist for Rambo: Last Blood solicited "bone-crushing" blurbs. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 What's news: Endeavor postpones its IPO, Joker concerns continue, Apple's theatrical play, Modern Family creator's new mega-deal, Locast accuses broadcasters of antitrust violations, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira sign on for Super Bowl LIV Plus: A publicist for Rambo: Last Blood solicited "bone-crushing" blurbs. --Alex Weprin What's news: Endeavor postpones its IPO, Joker concerns continue, Apple's theatrical play, Modern Family creator's new mega-deal, Locast accuses broadcasters of antitrust violations, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira sign on for Super Bowl LIV Plus: A publicist for Rambo: Last Blood solicited "bone-crushing" blurbs. --Alex Weprin [Endeavor Postpones IPO] Endeavor Postpones IPO Endeavor Group, the parent company of WME, IMG and Ultimate Fighting Championship, among other businesses, postponed its initial public offering Thursday, less than a day before it was expected to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange. ►Paul Bond writes that the move is "a sign that Wall Street's appetite for investing in talent agencies and even diversified media holdings may be lower than some expected." --"The tabling of the IPO is likely a huge disappointment for top executives and many of the other 7,000 employees who were expected to benefit to the tune of a combined $1 billion in equity bonuses,"Bond writes." The IPO would have also been a huge victory considering the timing, as WME — along with the other major Hollywood talent agencies — is still engaged in a high-profile legal battle with writers, many of whom severed ties with their agents." [The story](. +What comes next? "Endeavor will continue to evaluate the timing for the proposed offering as market conditions develop," the company stated Thursday, implying that it plans to move forward at some point, even if the timing remains uncertain. +What went wrong? As of noon ET Thursday, the IPO was still on. The [company filed]( a revised S-1 with the SEC, reducing the number of shares for offer and lowering the price range. Something happened in the five hours between that filing and the formal postponement to spark the decision. The New York Stock Exchange website, which lists the people who ring the opening and closing bells, had left Friday morning's calendar conspicuously blank, holding it for Endeavor executives. --"Yanking the IPO is a sign bankers, executives and all else involved were not confident the stock would have been well received and likely would have traded below even the recently lowered expectations," Bond writes. +The fallout: Endeavor's IPO was being closely watched by many in Hollywood, including agencies like CAA, which may have seen a successful Endeavor IPO as an opportunity to go public themselves. Also watching closely: The Writer's Guild of America, which is in the midst of a dispute with the talent agencies over packaging fees. How the postponement plays out in negotiations with the WGA remains to be seen. ►Apple's theatrical play. Apple plans to bring its feature films to theaters, giving them time to shine on the big screen for weeks before debuting them on its Apple TV+ streaming service, the [Wall Street Journal reports](. The company's strategy will be closer in style to Amazon's, which also gives its films an exclusive theatrical window before launching them on Amazon Prime Video, and in contrast to Netflix, which was pushed for day and date releases for its films. --Earlier this month, star producer J.J.Abrams [signed]( a multi-year deal with WarnerMedia, despite reportedly turning down a larger offer from Apple. While there were multiple factors at play in the decision, Apple's lack of a theatrical distribution model was one of them. As the Journal reports, the company hopes to get more filmmakers on board its service with its new plan. It also does not expect theatrical to be a significant money-maker, but rather a play at prestige. ^Joker concerns continue. As the opening of Warner Bros. Joker gets closer, concerns over the movie continue to make make waves across the industry. Landmark Theatres, the country's largest independent cinema chain, is extending its usual ban on face masks and toy weapons to include all costumes during the film's theatrical run, Pamela McClintock reports. --"I want customers to be comfortable in their surroundings," Landmark president-CEO Ted Mundorff tells McClintock, noting Joker's dark themes. Landmark currently has more than 50 theaters across the nation. [The story.]( +Some of the concern stems from the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight. Early this week, parents of Aurora victims sent a letter to Warner Bros. about the film, generating a response from the studio in which it highlighted its charitable giving to organizations that support victims of violence. --On Thursday, the parents leading the charge said that while they are "pleased" with Warner Bros.' message, they once again asked for the studio to use its clout concerning gun violence and gun control. "Warner Bros. and its parent company must put its money where its mouth is and announce that it will no longer provide political donations to candidates and lawmakers who stand in the way of gun reform.” [The story](. ►Sony's Spidey universe expands. Sony is continuing to spin its web of Spider-Man. The studio is developing a movie based on the Spider-Man character Madame Web, with screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless penning a script. The duo are behind Morbius, Jared Leto's Spider-Man spinoff about a living vampire. Sony's Palak Patel is overseeing the project. [More](. Elsewhere in film... --WarnerMedia inclusion report shows [workforce gender parity](, room for improvement elsewhere. --The Safdie brothers' Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, will be [the secret screening]( at the New York Film Festival, it was revealed Thursday. --Who could be Kevin Feige's [mystery Star Wars actor](? Also: Marvel's Kevin Feige [and the future]( of Star Wars. --Big game hunter Nicolas Cage faces a race against time to capture a rare white jaguar and skilled assassin in [the new trailer]( for Primal. Endeavor Postpones IPO Endeavor Group, the parent company of WME, IMG and Ultimate Fighting Championship, among other businesses, postponed its initial public offering Thursday, less than a day before it was expected to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange. ►Paul Bond writes that the move is "a sign that Wall Street's appetite for investing in talent agencies and even diversified media holdings may be lower than some expected." --"The tabling of the IPO is likely a huge disappointment for top executives and many of the other 7,000 employees who were expected to benefit to the tune of a combined $1 billion in equity bonuses,"Bond writes." The IPO would have also been a huge victory considering the timing, as WME — along with the other major Hollywood talent agencies — is still engaged in a high-profile legal battle with writers, many of whom severed ties with their agents." [The story](. +What comes next? "Endeavor will continue to evaluate the timing for the proposed offering as market conditions develop," the company stated Thursday, implying that it plans to move forward at some point, even if the timing remains uncertain. +What went wrong? As of noon ET Thursday, the IPO was still on. The [company filed]( a revised S-1 with the SEC, reducing the number of shares for offer and lowering the price range. Something happened in the five hours between that filing and the formal postponement to spark the decision. The New York Stock Exchange website, which lists the people who ring the opening and closing bells, had left Friday morning's calendar conspicuously blank, holding it for Endeavor executives. --"Yanking the IPO is a sign bankers, executives and all else involved were not confident the stock would have been well received and likely would have traded below even the recently lowered expectations," Bond writes. +The fallout: Endeavor's IPO was being closely watched by many in Hollywood, including agencies like CAA, which may have seen a successful Endeavor IPO as an opportunity to go public themselves. Also watching closely: The Writer's Guild of America, which is in the midst of a dispute with the talent agencies over packaging fees. How the postponement plays out in negotiations with the WGA remains to be seen. ►Apple's theatrical play. Apple plans to bring its feature films to theaters, giving them time to shine on the big screen for weeks before debuting them on its Apple TV+ streaming service, the [Wall Street Journal reports](. The company's strategy will be closer in style to Amazon's, which also gives its films an exclusive theatrical window before launching them on Amazon Prime Video, and in contrast to Netflix, which was pushed for day and date releases for its films. --Earlier this month, star producer J.J.Abrams [signed]( a multi-year deal with WarnerMedia, despite reportedly turning down a larger offer from Apple. While there were multiple factors at play in the decision, Apple's lack of a theatrical distribution model was one of them. As the Journal reports, the company hopes to get more filmmakers on board its service with its new plan. It also does not expect theatrical to be a significant money-maker, but rather a play at prestige. ^Joker concerns continue. As the opening of Warner Bros. Joker gets closer, concerns over the movie continue to make make waves across the industry. Landmark Theatres, the country's largest independent cinema chain, is extending its usual ban on face masks and toy weapons to include all costumes during the film's theatrical run, Pamela McClintock reports. --"I want customers to be comfortable in their surroundings," Landmark president-CEO Ted Mundorff tells McClintock, noting Joker's dark themes. Landmark currently has more than 50 theaters across the nation. [The story.]( +Some of the concern stems from the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight. Early this week, parents of Aurora victims sent a letter to Warner Bros. about the film, generating a response from the studio in which it highlighted its charitable giving to organizations that support victims of violence. --On Thursday, the parents leading the charge said that while they are "pleased" with Warner Bros.' message, they once again asked for the studio to use its clout concerning gun violence and gun control. "Warner Bros. and its parent company must put its money where its mouth is and announce that it will no longer provide political donations to candidates and lawmakers who stand in the way of gun reform.” [The story](. ►Sony's Spidey universe expands. Sony is continuing to spin its web of Spider-Man. The studio is developing a movie based on the Spider-Man character Madame Web, with screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless penning a script. The duo are behind Morbius, Jared Leto's Spider-Man spinoff about a living vampire. Sony's Palak Patel is overseeing the project. [More](. Elsewhere in film... --WarnerMedia inclusion report shows [workforce gender parity](, room for improvement elsewhere. --The Safdie brothers' Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, will be [the secret screening]( at the New York Film Festival, it was revealed Thursday. --Who could be Kevin Feige's [mystery Star Wars actor](? Also: Marvel's Kevin Feige [and the future]( of Star Wars. --Big game hunter Nicolas Cage faces a race against time to capture a rare white jaguar and skilled assassin in [the new trailer]( for Primal. ['Modern' Creator's Mega-Deal] 'Modern' Creator's Mega-Deal ►A year after his last pact expired, Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan has decided to remain at 20th TV and has signed a new overall deal with the Disney-owned studio. The deal, which sources say is for five years and a total of $125 million, will see Levitan continue to serve as co-showrunner (alongside fellow co-creator Chris Lloyd) on the final season of ABC's award-winning comedy as well as create, develop and direct new projects for the studio he has called home for nearly two decades. [The details.]( +Levitan talks to Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg for the latest episode of the TV's Top 5 podcast. He talks about his new deal, and the final season of Modern Family. [Listen](. +Meanwhile: Terence Carter, 20th TV's executive vp of development, drama and comedy is departing the now Disney-owned studio and heading to a new role running television at Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios. [More](. Locast accuses the major broadcasters of antitrust violations. As alleged in court papers filed on Friday morning, the major broadcasters including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox are purposely broadcasting weak over-the-air signals to the public as part of a conspiracy to limit consumer access to popular programming and force Americans to pay for cable or satellite service. In July, the broadcasters hit Locast with a copyright lawsuit in what promises to be a sequel to the Supreme Court's 2014 Aereo decision and could impact cord-cutting. [The story](. +Marlon Wayans is now in danger of becoming the face of a shift in California law — one where the sanctity of free speech doesn't always trump discrimination in the creative workplace. On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court quietly told a lower appeals court to reconsider Wayans' win in an opinion that was published more than two years ago. In the case, Wayans faces off against Pierre Daniel over what happened on and off set during the making of A Haunted House 2. [The story](. +Bill O'Reilly has defeated a defamation lawsuit brought by one of the women who has accused him of sexual misconduct. [More](. +A third man has been arrested and charged with drug offenses in connection with rapper Mac Miller's overdose death last year. [More](. ^MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle on tackling Trump: "I have numbers on my side." "Fact checking is our job,” she tells Marisa Guthrie "But when you're fact checking someone every day and you’re doing it relentlessly, things do start to sound one-sided." [The interview](. Impeachment watch... --Critic's notebook: Frank Scheck writes about "Trump and the off-the-rails tragicomedy of impeachment TV." Quote: "It's not so much politics that seems bifurcated as reality itself. Depending on which political talk show you were watching, the phone call was a "nothing burger" and "a huge pile of nothing" or "flagrantly corrupt" and a "Mafia-like showdown." It was either a "smoking gun" or "there was no smoking gun." [The column](. --In an extremely rare opportunity to hear from the network's news-side stars, Fox News anchors Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum were on the same stage on Thursday afternoon to talk about what it's like to cover President Trump — and occasionally draw his ire. "Contrary to the opinion of some people, he's not our boss." [More](. --In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [talks about the impeachment inquiry]( into President Trump, whom she identified as posing a "direct threat" to the country's standing in the world and to the U.S. government. --Bernie Sanders [sounds off](on Trump impeachment inquiry on the Late Show: "enough is enough" --The BBC has been [heavily criticized]( for claiming a TV host breached its guidelines by calling out Donald Trump for perceived racism. +In other politics news: Al Franken was the guest on TBS' Conan, where [he talked about](resigning from the Senate, and his new SiriusXM radio show. "When I left the Senate I said I'm giving up my seat. I'm not giving up my voice. I want to address issues that are important to people's lives" Fall TV reviews: Daniel Fienberg reviews the [CBS comedy The Unicorn](... Fienberg also reviews the NBC Thursday night comedies [Sunnyside and]([Perfect Harmony](. Elsewhere in TV... -- Showtime [is ordering more]( On Becoming a God in Central Florida. The network has handed out a second season order to the dark comedy starring Kirsten Dunst. --Netflix on Thursday [said it has met](a $400 million Canadian film and TV investment commitment three years ahead of schedule. --CBS Television Studios on Thursday [unveiled CBS Stages Canada]( as the first Hollywood studio-branded facility in Canada --Ratings: The Masked Singer began its second season Wednesday with the [night's best ratings](, though it wasn't quite up to its series debut in January. Still, it gave Fox a big upgrade for the night. --NBC is teaming with prolific producer Dick Wolf [to launch]( Squadroom, the official Law & Order: SVU podcast. 'Modern' Creator's Mega-Deal ►A year after his last pact expired, Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan has decided to remain at 20th TV and has signed a new overall deal with the Disney-owned studio. The deal, which sources say is for five years and a total of $125 million, will see Levitan continue to serve as co-showrunner (alongside fellow co-creator Chris Lloyd) on the final season of ABC's award-winning comedy as well as create, develop and direct new projects for the studio he has called home for nearly two decades. [The details.]( +Levitan talks to Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg for the latest episode of the TV's Top 5 podcast. He talks about his new deal, and the final season of Modern Family. [Listen](. +Meanwhile: Terence Carter, 20th TV's executive vp of development, drama and comedy is departing the now Disney-owned studio and heading to a new role running television at Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios. [More](. Locast accuses the major broadcasters of antitrust violations. As alleged in court papers filed on Friday morning, the major broadcasters including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox are purposely broadcasting weak over-the-air signals to the public as part of a conspiracy to limit consumer access to popular programming and force Americans to pay for cable or satellite service. In July, the broadcasters hit Locast with a copyright lawsuit in what promises to be a sequel to the Supreme Court's 2014 Aereo decision and could impact cord-cutting. [The story](. +Marlon Wayans is now in danger of becoming the face of a shift in California law — one where the sanctity of free speech doesn't always trump discrimination in the creative workplace. On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court quietly told a lower appeals court to reconsider Wayans' win in an opinion that was published more than two years ago. In the case, Wayans faces off against Pierre Daniel over what happened on and off set during the making of A Haunted House 2. [The story](. +Bill O'Reilly has defeated a defamation lawsuit brought by one of the women who has accused him of sexual misconduct. [More](. +A third man has been arrested and charged with drug offenses in connection with rapper Mac Miller's overdose death last year. [More](. ^MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle on tackling Trump: "I have numbers on my side." "Fact checking is our job,” she tells Marisa Guthrie "But when you're fact checking someone every day and you’re doing it relentlessly, things do start to sound one-sided." [The interview](. Impeachment watch... --Critic's notebook: Frank Scheck writes about "Trump and the off-the-rails tragicomedy of impeachment TV." Quote: "It's not so much politics that seems bifurcated as reality itself. Depending on which political talk show you were watching, the phone call was a "nothing burger" and "a huge pile of nothing" or "flagrantly corrupt" and a "Mafia-like showdown." It was either a "smoking gun" or "there was no smoking gun." [The column](. --In an extremely rare opportunity to hear from the network's news-side stars, Fox News anchors Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum were on the same stage on Thursday afternoon to talk about what it's like to cover President Trump — and occasionally draw his ire. "Contrary to the opinion of some people, he's not our boss." [More](. --In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [talks about the impeachment inquiry]( into President Trump, whom she identified as posing a "direct threat" to the country's standing in the world and to the U.S. government. --Bernie Sanders [sounds off](on Trump impeachment inquiry on the Late Show: "enough is enough" --The BBC has been [heavily criticized]( for claiming a TV host breached its guidelines by calling out Donald Trump for perceived racism. +In other politics news: Al Franken was the guest on TBS' Conan, where [he talked about](resigning from the Senate, and his new SiriusXM radio show. "When I left the Senate I said I'm giving up my seat. I'm not giving up my voice. I want to address issues that are important to people's lives" Fall TV reviews: Daniel Fienberg reviews the [CBS comedy The Unicorn](... Fienberg also reviews the NBC Thursday night comedies [Sunnyside and]([Perfect Harmony](. Elsewhere in TV... -- Showtime [is ordering more]( On Becoming a God in Central Florida. The network has handed out a second season order to the dark comedy starring Kirsten Dunst. --Netflix on Thursday [said it has met](a $400 million Canadian film and TV investment commitment three years ahead of schedule. --CBS Television Studios on Thursday [unveiled CBS Stages Canada]( as the first Hollywood studio-branded facility in Canada --Ratings: The Masked Singer began its second season Wednesday with the [night's best ratings](, though it wasn't quite up to its series debut in January. Still, it gave Fox a big upgrade for the night. --NBC is teaming with prolific producer Dick Wolf [to launch]( Squadroom, the official Law & Order: SVU podcast. [J. Lo And Shakira To Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show] J. Lo And Shakira To Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show ►Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be the performers at this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. The singers shared the news on Twitter, with the NFL confirming the news shortly after. The annual NFL championship game hits Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Feb. 2, 2020. The performance would follow a string of high-profile pop artists in recent years, including Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and more. [The story.]( ►Rambo publicist solicits "deranged" blurbs from film critics. Critics have been struggling to find anything nice to say about Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood, which opened Sept. 20 (a "massively enlarged prostate of a film," Peter Bradshaw described it in The Guardian). Luckily for reviewers, though, a publicist working on the movie is offering her own suggestions for blurbs to critics, including "relentlessly savage" and "a bone-brushing blast." [More](. In gaming news... +Twitch is launching its first marketing campaign. "You're already one of us." That's the tagline for Twitch's campaign, which launched on Thursday, more than eight years after the streaming platform first went live in June 2011 and over five years since it was acquired by Amazon for nearly $1 billion. [The story](. +Last of Us director Neil Druckmann embraces philosophical themes and complex morality in [the upcoming sequel](. +In other gaming news: Mario Kart Tour cruises to [20 million installs](in its first 24 hours... EA and Respawn Entertainment [unveiled a new trailer]( for the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order action adventure game on Thursday... Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure will [work up a sweat]( (really!)... Ubisoft [has opened]( a new studio in Da Nang, Vietnam, that will focus on developing mobile titles.... Behind the Screen podcast: This week Jill Culton, writer and director of Dreamworks Animation and China’s Pearl Studio's new animated feature Abominable, is featured on the podcast. [Listen](. ►Rihanna's new drop: Following her blockbuster Savage x Fenty presentation at Barclays Center in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week, Rihanna dropped the fourth collection for her LVMH-owned fashion label Fenty on Thursday morning at Fenty.com. [More](. In honors: Laura Dern and FilmNation CEO Glen Basner are [the latest recipients]( of the 2019 Gotham Independent Film Awards tributes... Production designer Joe Alves [will receive]( an Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards... The SAG-AFTRA Foundation [has finalized]( the honorees program for its 4th annual Patron of the Artists Awards, with Jennifer Aniston and Greg Berlanti added to the list... The Clio Awards celebrated its 60th anniversary at this year's ceremony Wednesday [by honoring]( both creatives in the industry and stars like Sheryl Crow and Joan Jett... Revolving door: Jeffrey Hirsch, who has running Starz for the past several months, [has been elevated]( to president and CEO of the premium cable outlet... Venom 2 is beefing up its producer ranks. Hutch Parker, the executive-turned-producer who worked on the recent X-Men movies, [will produce]( the sequel to Sony’s Spider-Man-centric Marvel-based movie being directed by Andy Serkis... CAA [has signed]( top reality producer Magical Elves... Casting roundup: Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon are [set to star]( in HBO's The Gllded Age, set in 1880s New York, along with Amanda Peet and Morgan Spector... After earning an Emmy for her role in Killing Eve, Jodie Comer is [in talks]( to join Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in revenge thriller The Last Duel... Finn Wittrock and Zoe Chao are[set to star]( in the romance feature film Long Weekend... John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome and Diana Silvers [have joined]( the cast of Netflix's comedy Space Force... What else we're reading... --"Ryan Murphy, super producer, reboots himself for Netflix and The Politician" [[NY Times](] --"Sinclair CEO says he's pivoted to local news and sports to avoid streaming services 'sea of blood'" [[NBC News](] --"Ted Danson is in a "good place" these days" [[WSJ](] --"'It's management bedlam.' Madness at Fox News as Trump faces impeachment" [[Vanity Fair](] Today's birthdays: Avril Lavigne, 35, Carrie Brownstein, 45, Grace Helbig, 34, Gwyneth Paltrow, 47, Lil Wayne, 37, Marc Maron, 56, Meat Loaf, 72. J. Lo And Shakira To Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show ►Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be the performers at this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. The singers shared the news on Twitter, with the NFL confirming the news shortly after. The annual NFL championship game hits Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Feb. 2, 2020. The performance would follow a string of high-profile pop artists in recent years, including Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and more. [The story.]( ►Rambo publicist solicits "deranged" blurbs from film critics. Critics have been struggling to find anything nice to say about Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood, which opened Sept. 20 (a "massively enlarged prostate of a film," Peter Bradshaw described it in The Guardian). Luckily for reviewers, though, a publicist working on the movie is offering her own suggestions for blurbs to critics, including "relentlessly savage" and "a bone-brushing blast." [More](. In gaming news... +Twitch is launching its first marketing campaign. "You're already one of us." That's the tagline for Twitch's campaign, which launched on Thursday, more than eight years after the streaming platform first went live in June 2011 and over five years since it was acquired by Amazon for nearly $1 billion. [The story](. +Last of Us director Neil Druckmann embraces philosophical themes and complex morality in [the upcoming sequel](. +In other gaming news: Mario Kart Tour cruises to [20 million installs](in its first 24 hours... EA and Respawn Entertainment [unveiled a new trailer]( for the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order action adventure game on Thursday... Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure will [work up a sweat]( (really!)... Ubisoft [has opened]( a new studio in Da Nang, Vietnam, that will focus on developing mobile titles.... Behind the Screen podcast: This week Jill Culton, writer and director of Dreamworks Animation and China’s Pearl Studio's new animated feature Abominable, is featured on the podcast. [Listen](. ►Rihanna's new drop: Following her blockbuster Savage x Fenty presentation at Barclays Center in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week, Rihanna dropped the fourth collection for her LVMH-owned fashion label Fenty on Thursday morning at Fenty.com. [More](. In honors: Laura Dern and FilmNation CEO Glen Basner are [the latest recipients]( of the 2019 Gotham Independent Film Awards tributes... Production designer Joe Alves [will receive]( an Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards... The SAG-AFTRA Foundation [has finalized]( the honorees program for its 4th annual Patron of the Artists Awards, with Jennifer Aniston and Greg Berlanti added to the list... The Clio Awards celebrated its 60th anniversary at this year's ceremony Wednesday [by honoring]( both creatives in the industry and stars like Sheryl Crow and Joan Jett... Revolving door: Jeffrey Hirsch, who has running Starz for the past several months, [has been elevated]( to president and CEO of the premium cable outlet... Venom 2 is beefing up its producer ranks. Hutch Parker, the executive-turned-producer who worked on the recent X-Men movies, [will produce]( the sequel to Sony’s Spider-Man-centric Marvel-based movie being directed by Andy Serkis... CAA [has signed]( top reality producer Magical Elves... Casting roundup: Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon are [set to star]( in HBO's The Gllded Age, set in 1880s New York, along with Amanda Peet and Morgan Spector... After earning an Emmy for her role in Killing Eve, Jodie Comer is [in talks]( to join Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in revenge thriller The Last Duel... Finn Wittrock and Zoe Chao are[set to star]( in the romance feature film Long Weekend... John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome and Diana Silvers [have joined]( the cast of Netflix's comedy Space Force... What else we're reading... --"Ryan Murphy, super producer, reboots himself for Netflix and The Politician" [[NY Times](] --"Sinclair CEO says he's pivoted to local news and sports to avoid streaming services 'sea of blood'" [[NBC News](] --"Ted Danson is in a "good place" these days" [[WSJ](] --"'It's management bedlam.' Madness at Fox News as Trump faces impeachment" [[Vanity Fair](] Today's birthdays: Avril Lavigne, 35, Carrie Brownstein, 45, Grace Helbig, 34, Gwyneth Paltrow, 47, Lil Wayne, 37, Marc Maron, 56, Meat Loaf, 72. [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 27, 2019 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](