Banijay Buys Endemol Shine; 'Joker' Sets R-Rated Record; Maddow Hits NBC; BAFTA Britannia Awards

What's news: Banijay to acquire Endemol Shine, Joker sets an R-rated movie record, Rachel Maddow criticizes NBC, a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is in the works, Facebook unveils its new "news" tab, CNN developing an Anthony Bourdain documentary. Plus: BAFTA's Britannia Awards, and a review of Kanye West's Jesus Is King. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment OCTOBER 26, 2019 What's news: Banijay to acquire Endemol Shine, Joker sets an R-rated movie record, Rachel Maddow criticizes NBC, a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is in the works, Facebook unveils its new "news" tab, CNN developing an Anthony Bourdain documentary. Plus: BAFTA's Britannia Awards, and a review of Kanye West's Jesus Is King. --Alex Weprin What's news: Banijay to acquire Endemol Shine, Joker sets an R-rated movie record, Rachel Maddow criticizes NBC, a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is in the works, Facebook unveils its new "news" tab, CNN developing an Anthony Bourdain documentary. Plus: BAFTA's Britannia Awards, and a review of Kanye West's Jesus Is King. --Alex Weprin [Banijay To Acquire Endemol Shine] Banijay To Acquire Endemol Shine ►Breaking overnight: Banijay announces deal to acquire Endemol Shine, creating TV production giant. Endemol Shine Group, the producer of hit shows such as Big Brother, MasterChef, Black Mirror (pictured above) and Peaky Blinders, has agreed to be acquired by French production powerhouse Banijay Group. No price tag was included in the acquisition announcement, but when rumors of the impending deal broke earlier in the week the figure was reported at $2.2 billion. The deal creates a new production giant, with almost 200 production shingles in Europe and the U.S., as well as rights for close to 100,000 hours of content. [The story](. Box office: Joker passes Deadpool as top-grossing R-rated pic of all time. The Warner Bros. film has become the top-grossing R-rated film of all time, not adjusted for inflation, with a global box office haul of $788.1 million. It is expected to cross $800 million in the coming days. Joker, from filmmaker Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as the DC villain, passed Deadpool, which became a surprise hit in 2016 for Fox with $783 million in worldwide ticket sales. [The story](. +This weekend: Will Joker stay on top of the box office in its fourth week? Or will Maleficent reign supreme? And what about newcomer Black and Blue? Without any big new releases, it is shaping up to be a close weekend. +Sony released Black and Blue on Thursday night in 1,962 locations, [where it earned]( $675,000. ►Rachel Maddow criticizes NBC's handling of Ronan Farrow's Harvey Weinstein reporting. On her show last night, Maddow said "It would be impossible for me to overstate the amount of consternation that exists in this building on this story," referring to the Weinstein story that got away. She also interviewed Farrow, and broke some news: the company will release former NBC News employees from confidentiality and non-disparagement agreements. [The story](. ►Why has Harvey Weinstein come out of hiding? A night out watching some young performers, dinners at Cipriani, an attempt to make a deal and a date over some art — Harvey Weinstein has been spending the final months before his rape trial starts on Jan. 8 trying to lead a New York life a lot like the Weinstein of old, save for the GPS tracking bracelet on his ankle and the tendency to provoke reactions of shock and anger from bystanders. [The story](. +An organizer behind the Actor's Hour event series posted an apology on Facebook on Friday, and said that the former film producer will not be returning. [More](. +Bleecker Street has picked up the U.S. rights to The Assistant, the feature inspired by revelations about the disgraced movie mogul. [More](. ►Pirates of the Caribbean may set sail once again. Disney has hired veteran Pirates scribe Ted Elliott and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin to develop a story for a new Pirates adventure feature. The move is designed to propel fresh wind into Pirates, one of the largest-hauling film franchises of all time and introduced hard-luck and hard-drinking pirate Jack Sparrow into Disney fandom and pop culture. [The details](. ►Warner Bros. slates Tom and Jerry live action-CGI movie for Dec. 2020 holiday release. The live-action hybrid film of the beloved cat and mouse, directed by Tim Story, was initially slated for release in April 2021. Warner Bros will instead fill that slot with a yet-to-be titled event film. One other small change to Warner Bros' schedule is The Witches being moved up by a week to open on Oct. 9, 2020. [More](. +In other release news: Aaron Sorkin's upcoming film The Trial of the Chicago 7 began production Friday and will be released in September, poising it for next year's awards season. [More](. Elsewhere in film... -- Lionsgate [has got behind]( Free Agents, Deon Taylor's crime drama set against the backdrop of professional athletes. --When Siskel and Ebert defended Star Wars [after at was called]( not cinema. --Robert De Niro talks [getting Joe Pesci to un-retire]( for The Irishman. Banijay To Acquire Endemol Shine ►Breaking overnight: Banijay announces deal to acquire Endemol Shine, creating TV production giant. Endemol Shine Group, the producer of hit shows such as Big Brother, MasterChef, Black Mirror (pictured above) and Peaky Blinders, has agreed to be acquired by French production powerhouse Banijay Group. No price tag was included in the acquisition announcement, but when rumors of the impending deal broke earlier in the week the figure was reported at $2.2 billion. The deal creates a new production giant, with almost 200 production shingles in Europe and the U.S., as well as rights for close to 100,000 hours of content. [The story](. Box office: Joker passes Deadpool as top-grossing R-rated pic of all time. The Warner Bros. film has become the top-grossing R-rated film of all time, not adjusted for inflation, with a global box office haul of $788.1 million. It is expected to cross $800 million in the coming days. Joker, from filmmaker Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as the DC villain, passed Deadpool, which became a surprise hit in 2016 for Fox with $783 million in worldwide ticket sales. [The story](. +This weekend: Will Joker stay on top of the box office in its fourth week? Or will Maleficent reign supreme? And what about newcomer Black and Blue? Without any big new releases, it is shaping up to be a close weekend. +Sony released Black and Blue on Thursday night in 1,962 locations, [where it earned]( $675,000. ►Rachel Maddow criticizes NBC's handling of Ronan Farrow's Harvey Weinstein reporting. On her show last night, Maddow said "It would be impossible for me to overstate the amount of consternation that exists in this building on this story," referring to the Weinstein story that got away. She also interviewed Farrow, and broke some news: the company will release former NBC News employees from confidentiality and non-disparagement agreements. [The story](. ►Why has Harvey Weinstein come out of hiding? A night out watching some young performers, dinners at Cipriani, an attempt to make a deal and a date over some art — Harvey Weinstein has been spending the final months before his rape trial starts on Jan. 8 trying to lead a New York life a lot like the Weinstein of old, save for the GPS tracking bracelet on his ankle and the tendency to provoke reactions of shock and anger from bystanders. [The story](. +An organizer behind the Actor's Hour event series posted an apology on Facebook on Friday, and said that the former film producer will not be returning. [More](. +Bleecker Street has picked up the U.S. rights to The Assistant, the feature inspired by revelations about the disgraced movie mogul. [More](. ►Pirates of the Caribbean may set sail once again. Disney has hired veteran Pirates scribe Ted Elliott and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin to develop a story for a new Pirates adventure feature. The move is designed to propel fresh wind into Pirates, one of the largest-hauling film franchises of all time and introduced hard-luck and hard-drinking pirate Jack Sparrow into Disney fandom and pop culture. [The details](. ►Warner Bros. slates Tom and Jerry live action-CGI movie for Dec. 2020 holiday release. The live-action hybrid film of the beloved cat and mouse, directed by Tim Story, was initially slated for release in April 2021. Warner Bros will instead fill that slot with a yet-to-be titled event film. One other small change to Warner Bros' schedule is The Witches being moved up by a week to open on Oct. 9, 2020. [More](. +In other release news: Aaron Sorkin's upcoming film The Trial of the Chicago 7 began production Friday and will be released in September, poising it for next year's awards season. [More](. Elsewhere in film... -- Lionsgate [has got behind]( Free Agents, Deon Taylor's crime drama set against the backdrop of professional athletes. --When Siskel and Ebert defended Star Wars [after at was called]( not cinema. --Robert De Niro talks [getting Joe Pesci to un-retire]( for The Irishman. [BAFTA Britannia Awards] BAFTA Britannia Awards The British Academy of Film and Television Arts held its annual Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton last night. Here's what happened: +Jane Fonda, who received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film at the annual ceremony but was not there to accept it, recorded a video thank-you, as is customary at awards ceremonies when an honoree isn't present. The catch? She recorded it while being arrested at a protest in Washington D.C. [Read more](. Here's [the video](. +Jordan Peele shared that he is drawn to the horror genre because he believes "we need to face our nightmares" as he received the John Schlesinger Britannia award for excellence in directing at the gala dinner. "I feel kind of like the kid version of Jordan, who was an Anglophile and obsessed with all things Britannia, is honored here tonight," he said at the top of his speech. [More](. +Phoebe Waller-Bridge dedicated her BAFTA's Britannia award for British artist of the year to a story producer named Jenny Robins, who she worked with on Killing Eve and Fleabag season two. Waller-Bridge said Robbins was "behind the scenes" but integral to those two shows. [More](. Once Upon a Time goes comedy, Two Popes goes drama as Globes contenders submit preferences. Scott Feinberg has the scoop on what movies will be submitted in which categories for the Golden Globes. Hustlers and Jojo Rabbit were also close calls, as a number of films walked a fine line between comedy, drama, and musical. [The story](. +In other awards news: Chris Brown leads the 2019 Soul Train Awards nominations [with eight nods](, followed by Drake with seven nominations and Beyoncé and Lizzo with six nominations each.... Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, is [set to be honored](by the Producers Guild of America with the Milestone Award at the 31st annual Producers Guild Awards next year... Olivia Wilde and Kevin Bacon are [among the honorees]( at this year's Napa Valley Film Festival. Wilde will receive this year’s Raymond Vineyards Trailblazer award, while Bacon will receive this year’s Charles Krug Legendary Actor honor... ►Mark Zuckerberg celebrates the launch of Facebook News with a longtime critic. Jeremy Barr reports from Facebook's launch event in New York, where Zuckerberg was interviewed by News Corp.'s Robert Thomson, who has long been a vocal critic of the social media giant. "Mark deserves genuine credit for this," Thomson told a packed room at the Paley Center in Manhattan. "There has been a bit of banter between our companies. We've had occasional disagreements, but he has been consistently thoughtful on the subject of journalism." --Zuckerberg responded to Thomson's opening foray by saying, "I can understand to some degree why it's frustrating that it took a while." [The story](. ►An Anthony Bourdain documentary is in the works from Focus Features, CNN Films and HBO Max, to be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville. [More](. ►The CW pickups: The CW is moving forward with its two first-year dramas of the fall, granting back nine orders to both Batwoman and Nancy Drew. The digital-skewing broadcast network isn’t known for canceling series — but back nines aren’t exactly a given, either. These orders reflect a clear enthusiasm for both series. [More](. Review: HBO's Silicon Valley. Tim Goodman reviews the kickoff to the comedy's sixth and final season, writing that the new season "brings with it a sense of sadness, as the loss of any great comedy is a solemn affair, but it also still seems sprightly, ridiculously funny and, as ever, au courant." [The review](. Elsewhere in TV... --The current TV spending frenzy is [being fueled](by old media playing streaming catch-up, a new study finds. --The sixth Democratic primary debate of this election cycle [will be held]( in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. --Ratings: Will & Grace[returned low](, in a night dominated by the NFL. --WarnerMedia [takes ownership]( of HBO's services in Latin America. --Madison Square Garden Company CEO James Dolan's fiscal 2019 package[jumped to $54.1 million](, up from $11.6 million in 2018, and former Showtime CEO Matt Blank is joining the company's board.. BAFTA Britannia Awards The British Academy of Film and Television Arts held its annual Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton last night. Here's what happened: +Jane Fonda, who received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film at the annual ceremony but was not there to accept it, recorded a video thank-you, as is customary at awards ceremonies when an honoree isn't present. The catch? She recorded it while being arrested at a protest in Washington D.C. [Read more](. Here's [the video](. +Jordan Peele shared that he is drawn to the horror genre because he believes "we need to face our nightmares" as he received the John Schlesinger Britannia award for excellence in directing at the gala dinner. "I feel kind of like the kid version of Jordan, who was an Anglophile and obsessed with all things Britannia, is honored here tonight," he said at the top of his speech. [More](. +Phoebe Waller-Bridge dedicated her BAFTA's Britannia award for British artist of the year to a story producer named Jenny Robins, who she worked with on Killing Eve and Fleabag season two. Waller-Bridge said Robbins was "behind the scenes" but integral to those two shows. [More](. Once Upon a Time goes comedy, Two Popes goes drama as Globes contenders submit preferences. Scott Feinberg has the scoop on what movies will be submitted in which categories for the Golden Globes. Hustlers and Jojo Rabbit were also close calls, as a number of films walked a fine line between comedy, drama, and musical. [The story](. +In other awards news: Chris Brown leads the 2019 Soul Train Awards nominations [with eight nods](, followed by Drake with seven nominations and Beyoncé and Lizzo with six nominations each.... Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, is [set to be honored](by the Producers Guild of America with the Milestone Award at the 31st annual Producers Guild Awards next year... Olivia Wilde and Kevin Bacon are [among the honorees]( at this year's Napa Valley Film Festival. Wilde will receive this year’s Raymond Vineyards Trailblazer award, while Bacon will receive this year’s Charles Krug Legendary Actor honor... ►Mark Zuckerberg celebrates the launch of Facebook News with a longtime critic. Jeremy Barr reports from Facebook's launch event in New York, where Zuckerberg was interviewed by News Corp.'s Robert Thomson, who has long been a vocal critic of the social media giant. "Mark deserves genuine credit for this," Thomson told a packed room at the Paley Center in Manhattan. "There has been a bit of banter between our companies. We've had occasional disagreements, but he has been consistently thoughtful on the subject of journalism." --Zuckerberg responded to Thomson's opening foray by saying, "I can understand to some degree why it's frustrating that it took a while." [The story](. ►An Anthony Bourdain documentary is in the works from Focus Features, CNN Films and HBO Max, to be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville. [More](. ►The CW pickups: The CW is moving forward with its two first-year dramas of the fall, granting back nine orders to both Batwoman and Nancy Drew. The digital-skewing broadcast network isn’t known for canceling series — but back nines aren’t exactly a given, either. These orders reflect a clear enthusiasm for both series. [More](. Review: HBO's Silicon Valley. Tim Goodman reviews the kickoff to the comedy's sixth and final season, writing that the new season "brings with it a sense of sadness, as the loss of any great comedy is a solemn affair, but it also still seems sprightly, ridiculously funny and, as ever, au courant." [The review](. Elsewhere in TV... --The current TV spending frenzy is [being fueled](by old media playing streaming catch-up, a new study finds. --The sixth Democratic primary debate of this election cycle [will be held]( in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. --Ratings: Will & Grace[returned low](, in a night dominated by the NFL. --WarnerMedia [takes ownership]( of HBO's services in Latin America. --Madison Square Garden Company CEO James Dolan's fiscal 2019 package[jumped to $54.1 million](, up from $11.6 million in 2018, and former Showtime CEO Matt Blank is joining the company's board.. ['Jesus Is King' Review] 'Jesus Is King' Review ►Kanye West's Jesus Is King is a dull, dead-end spiritual quest. So writes Jonny Coleman in a new critic's notebook. Quote: "It’s not just the political. Kanye’s lyrics have felt like sloppy first drafts for the better part of the decade, and now their laziness borders on the absurd. On 'Everything We Need' he muses, 'What if Eve made apple juice? / You gonna do what Adam do? / Or say, ‘Baby, let's put this back on the tree.’' We waited over a year for this?" [The critic's notebook](. In other music news... --Kanye West [unveils new Jesus Is King album](; talks "cancel culture" and "Christian innovation." --Lizzo scored a [historic seventh week]( atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Truth Hurts." The song ties Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, for the longest rule ever for a rap song by a female artist. --A Lady Gaga impersonator was [mistaken for the real thing]( at a charity event in Las Vegas on Friday. A judge in Santa Clara, California, is set to hand Prager University its newest defeat in a years-long legal fight over how Google's YouTube is allegedly violating the law by restricting videos that espouse conservative viewpoints. In advance of a hearing on Friday, Judge Brian C. Walsh issued a detailed tentative opinion that concluded that PragerU can't carry claims based on the California Constitution. [The story](. +In other legal news: Netflix [renews legal attack](on Fox employment contracts... Felicity Huffman [has been released]( from prison after spending less than two weeks behind bars... For the third week in a row, Jane Fonda [was arrested with a group]( holding a protest over climate change outside the U.S. Capitol building. Ted Danson was among those protesting with the actress, and he too was arrested... Revolving door: Former BBC America executive Nena Rodrigue [has been tapped]( to serve as president of television at Rian Johnson's T-Street... Paradigm [has signed]( TV host and personality Ross Mathews... Casting roundup: Jessica Chastain will [lead an adaptation]( of Henrik Ibsen's classic A Doll's House at the Playhouse Theatre in London's West End... Olivia DeJonge [will play](Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic... What else we're reading... --"Darkness has descended on Denver. Most of its sports teams are off TV." [[Wall Street Journal](] --"They know what you watched last night" [[NY Times](] --"This company was supposed to help DIY filmmakers profit from streaming. That dream became a nightmare" [[LA Times](] --"How Charlie’s Angels director, producer, and actor Elizabeth Banks took control of her career" [[Fast Company](] --"Alyssa Milano, celebrity activist for the celebrity presidential age" [[NY Times](] From the archives... On Oct. 26, 1984, a new sci-fi franchise was launched with the U.S. theatrical debut of The Terminator. That same day, The Hollywood Reporter saw the merits in the film, and even hoped for a sequel. [Read the original review](. Today's birthdays: Hillary Clinton, 72, Bootsy Collins, 68, Cary Elwes, 57, Dylan McDermott, 58, Jon Heder, 42, Keith Urban, 52, Pat Sajak, 73. Have a nice weekend... 'Jesus Is King' Review ►Kanye West's Jesus Is King is a dull, dead-end spiritual quest. So writes Jonny Coleman in a new critic's notebook. Quote: "It’s not just the political. Kanye’s lyrics have felt like sloppy first drafts for the better part of the decade, and now their laziness borders on the absurd. On 'Everything We Need' he muses, 'What if Eve made apple juice? / You gonna do what Adam do? / Or say, ‘Baby, let's put this back on the tree.’' We waited over a year for this?" [The critic's notebook](. In other music news... --Kanye West [unveils new Jesus Is King album](; talks "cancel culture" and "Christian innovation." --Lizzo scored a [historic seventh week]( atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Truth Hurts." The song ties Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, for the longest rule ever for a rap song by a female artist. --A Lady Gaga impersonator was [mistaken for the real thing]( at a charity event in Las Vegas on Friday. A judge in Santa Clara, California, is set to hand Prager University its newest defeat in a years-long legal fight over how Google's YouTube is allegedly violating the law by restricting videos that espouse conservative viewpoints. In advance of a hearing on Friday, Judge Brian C. Walsh issued a detailed tentative opinion that concluded that PragerU can't carry claims based on the California Constitution. [The story](. +In other legal news: Netflix [renews legal attack](on Fox employment contracts... Felicity Huffman [has been released]( from prison after spending less than two weeks behind bars... For the third week in a row, Jane Fonda [was arrested with a group]( holding a protest over climate change outside the U.S. Capitol building. Ted Danson was among those protesting with the actress, and he too was arrested... Revolving door: Former BBC America executive Nena Rodrigue [has been tapped]( to serve as president of television at Rian Johnson's T-Street... Paradigm [has signed]( TV host and personality Ross Mathews... Casting roundup: Jessica Chastain will [lead an adaptation]( of Henrik Ibsen's classic A Doll's House at the Playhouse Theatre in London's West End... Olivia DeJonge [will play](Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic... What else we're reading... --"Darkness has descended on Denver. Most of its sports teams are off TV." [[Wall Street Journal](] --"They know what you watched last night" [[NY Times](] --"This company was supposed to help DIY filmmakers profit from streaming. That dream became a nightmare" [[LA Times](] --"How Charlie’s Angels director, producer, and actor Elizabeth Banks took control of her career" [[Fast Company](] --"Alyssa Milano, celebrity activist for the celebrity presidential age" [[NY Times](] From the archives... On Oct. 26, 1984, a new sci-fi franchise was launched with the U.S. theatrical debut of The Terminator. That same day, The Hollywood Reporter saw the merits in the film, and even hoped for a sequel. [Read the original review](. Today's birthdays: Hillary Clinton, 72, Bootsy Collins, 68, Cary Elwes, 57, Dylan McDermott, 58, Jon Heder, 42, Keith Urban, 52, Pat Sajak, 73. Have a nice weekend... [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. OCTOBER 26, 2019 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](