T’Giving B.O.; Another Disney Record; ‘AGT’ Probe; CBS News’ New Era

What's news: The Thanksgiving weekend winner was Frozen 2, while adult originals like Knives Out helped power the holiday box office, Frozen 2 propelled Disney to yet another record, a new era for the CBS Evening News, about that Comcast E.T. commercial. Plus: What you may have missed over the long weekend, and Disney's discount streaming strategy. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment DECEMBER 02, 2019 What's news: The Thanksgiving weekend winner was Frozen 2, while adult originals like Knives Out helped power the holiday box office, Frozen 2 propelled Disney to yet another record, a new era for the CBS Evening News, about that Comcast E.T. commercial. Plus: What you may have missed over the long weekend, and Disney's discount streaming strategy. --Alex Weprin What's news: The Thanksgiving weekend winner was Frozen 2, while adult originals like Knives Out helped power the holiday box office, Frozen 2 propelled Disney to yet another record, a new era for the CBS Evening News, about that Comcast E.T. commercial. Plus: What you may have missed over the long weekend, and Disney's discount streaming strategy. --Alex Weprin ['Frozen 2,' 'Knives Out' Power Thanksgiving Box Office] 'Frozen 2,' 'Knives Out' Power Thanksgiving Box Office Box office: This weekend had two clear-cut winners at the box office, Disney's Frozen 2, which carved a Thanksgiving weekend record, and Rian Johnson's Knives Out, which secured a strong second-place finish. --Frozen 2: Disney's animated sequel drew a record-shattering $123.7 million for the Wednesday-Sunday stretch, easily besting the $109.9 million grossed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire during the same corridor in 2013. Frozen 2 marks the biggest Thanksgiving showing ever for a Disney animated film after taking the crown from the first Frozen, which earned $93.7 million for the five days in 2013. --Knives Out: Johnson's whodunnit grossed $41.7 million for the five days — nearly double expectations for the pic. Overseas, Knives Out earned a pleasing $28.3 million for an early global total of $70 million. --The rest: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood took home $17.3 million over the five-day stretch, with Queen & Slim taking home $15.8 million, and Ford v Ferrari racing to $19 million. --The big picture: Overall Thanksgiving revenue came in at a hearty $264 million, one of the best showings of all time, even while it was down roughly 16 percent from 2018's record $315 million, which was led by Ralph Breaks the Internet, Creed II and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. [The numbers](. +How original films saved the Thanksgiving box office. For the first time that any box office analyst can remember, the top four holiday films after Disney's tentopole Frozen 2 were adult-skewing titles that weren't sequels or based on known IP, Pamela McClintock reports. Quote: "Original films just came back in a big way. Hollywood needs to seize this momentum and keep dishing out midrange, adult content," says Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. "If they stop doing that, they will lose out on all the best talent that is already gravitating towards streaming." [The story](. +China box office: Frozen 2 skated to another easy win during its second weekend at China's box office, taking in $26.7 million, while Knives Out opened in third place with a solid $13.5 million. [More](. ►Frozen 2 propels Disney to a new record. The sequel has propelled the studio past the $3.2 billion mark in 2019 domestic ticket sales — a new industry record that eclipses the $3.09 billion collected by Disney titles in all of 2018 and puts the company's marketshare at more than 31 percent, according to Comscore estimates through Sunday. --Among film studios, Warner Bros. is No. 2 in terms of domestic marketshare with $1.5 billion (15 percent), followed by Universal with $1.4 billion (14.1 percent), Sony with $1 billion (10.7 percent), Lionsgate with $678.1 million (6.6 percent) and Paramount with $557.6 million (5.4 percent), according to Comscore. Fox movies have earned $489.8 million year to date (4.9 percent). [The story](. Holiday weekend dealmaking: Angelina Jolie [has left]( UTA for WME. Jolie, who had been with UTA since 2011, is now shooting Marvel Studios' Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao. She also will be heard in Disney's animated/live-action adaptation of The One and Only Ivan, which she is producing, and is set to star opposite David Oyelowo in the fantasy adventure Come Away. Also: Paradigm [has signed]( Max Brown from the Downton Abbey movie... Elsewhere in film... --Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [has locked down]( its release date in the world's most populous nation. The Disney and Lucasfilm tentpole will open in China on Dec. 20, day and date with its launch in North America. --A South Korean civic group has[filed a complaint](with local prosecutors against the Walt Disney Company, claiming that Frozen 2 violated the country's antitrust act by showing on 88 percent of domestic movie screens. --A movie about the founders of the National Enquirer is [in the works]( from Arts District Entertainment. --Mark Adams [is stepping down]( as artistic director of Edinburgh International Film Festival after five festivals in charge of the Scottish event. He will leave his post Nov. 30. Weighing the odds in the best film ensemble category for the SAG Awards. Casts from 18 films, comprised of veteran A-listers and fresh-faced breakouts alike, are vying for SAG-AFTRA's top prize. Scott Feinberg breaks down the pros and cons for each of the contenders. [The analysis](. +Also: Rosanna Arquette [has joined]( a group of French feminists and film industry professionals in calling on the European Film Awards to rescind Roman Polanski's nominations for An Officer and a Spy ahead of the Dec. 7 awards... Syrian civil war documentary For Sama [received an awards season boost]( on Sunday night as it picked up a number of top honors at the British Independent Film Awards... Joker star Joaquin Phoenix [has been named]( by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as their 2019 Person of the Year... ►THR scores top honors at National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. THR's Tatiana Siegel was named print journalist of the year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar best columnist at the L.A. Press Club gala, where other honorees included Quentin Tarantino, Ann-Margret, Danny Trejo, Ben Mankiewicz and Tarana Burke. [The list](. 'Frozen 2,' 'Knives Out' Power Thanksgiving Box Office Box office: This weekend had two clear-cut winners at the box office, Disney's Frozen 2, which carved a Thanksgiving weekend record, and Rian Johnson's Knives Out, which secured a strong second-place finish. --Frozen 2: Disney's animated sequel drew a record-shattering $123.7 million for the Wednesday-Sunday stretch, easily besting the $109.9 million grossed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire during the same corridor in 2013. Frozen 2 marks the biggest Thanksgiving showing ever for a Disney animated film after taking the crown from the first Frozen, which earned $93.7 million for the five days in 2013. --Knives Out: Johnson's whodunnit grossed $41.7 million for the five days — nearly double expectations for the pic. Overseas, Knives Out earned a pleasing $28.3 million for an early global total of $70 million. --The rest: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood took home $17.3 million over the five-day stretch, with Queen & Slim taking home $15.8 million, and Ford v Ferrari racing to $19 million. --The big picture: Overall Thanksgiving revenue came in at a hearty $264 million, one of the best showings of all time, even while it was down roughly 16 percent from 2018's record $315 million, which was led by Ralph Breaks the Internet, Creed II and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. [The numbers](. +How original films saved the Thanksgiving box office. For the first time that any box office analyst can remember, the top four holiday films after Disney's tentopole Frozen 2 were adult-skewing titles that weren't sequels or based on known IP, Pamela McClintock reports. Quote: "Original films just came back in a big way. Hollywood needs to seize this momentum and keep dishing out midrange, adult content," says Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. "If they stop doing that, they will lose out on all the best talent that is already gravitating towards streaming." [The story](. +China box office: Frozen 2 skated to another easy win during its second weekend at China's box office, taking in $26.7 million, while Knives Out opened in third place with a solid $13.5 million. [More](. ►Frozen 2 propels Disney to a new record. The sequel has propelled the studio past the $3.2 billion mark in 2019 domestic ticket sales — a new industry record that eclipses the $3.09 billion collected by Disney titles in all of 2018 and puts the company's marketshare at more than 31 percent, according to Comscore estimates through Sunday. --Among film studios, Warner Bros. is No. 2 in terms of domestic marketshare with $1.5 billion (15 percent), followed by Universal with $1.4 billion (14.1 percent), Sony with $1 billion (10.7 percent), Lionsgate with $678.1 million (6.6 percent) and Paramount with $557.6 million (5.4 percent), according to Comscore. Fox movies have earned $489.8 million year to date (4.9 percent). [The story](. Holiday weekend dealmaking: Angelina Jolie [has left]( UTA for WME. Jolie, who had been with UTA since 2011, is now shooting Marvel Studios' Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao. She also will be heard in Disney's animated/live-action adaptation of The One and Only Ivan, which she is producing, and is set to star opposite David Oyelowo in the fantasy adventure Come Away. Also: Paradigm [has signed]( Max Brown from the Downton Abbey movie... Elsewhere in film... --Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [has locked down]( its release date in the world's most populous nation. The Disney and Lucasfilm tentpole will open in China on Dec. 20, day and date with its launch in North America. --A South Korean civic group has[filed a complaint](with local prosecutors against the Walt Disney Company, claiming that Frozen 2 violated the country's antitrust act by showing on 88 percent of domestic movie screens. --A movie about the founders of the National Enquirer is [in the works]( from Arts District Entertainment. --Mark Adams [is stepping down]( as artistic director of Edinburgh International Film Festival after five festivals in charge of the Scottish event. He will leave his post Nov. 30. Weighing the odds in the best film ensemble category for the SAG Awards. Casts from 18 films, comprised of veteran A-listers and fresh-faced breakouts alike, are vying for SAG-AFTRA's top prize. Scott Feinberg breaks down the pros and cons for each of the contenders. [The analysis](. +Also: Rosanna Arquette [has joined]( a group of French feminists and film industry professionals in calling on the European Film Awards to rescind Roman Polanski's nominations for An Officer and a Spy ahead of the Dec. 7 awards... Syrian civil war documentary For Sama [received an awards season boost]( on Sunday night as it picked up a number of top honors at the British Independent Film Awards... Joker star Joaquin Phoenix [has been named]( by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as their 2019 Person of the Year... ►THR scores top honors at National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. THR's Tatiana Siegel was named print journalist of the year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar best columnist at the L.A. Press Club gala, where other honorees included Quentin Tarantino, Ann-Margret, Danny Trejo, Ben Mankiewicz and Tarana Burke. [The list](. [The 'CBS Evening News' Moves To D.C.] The 'CBS Evening News' Moves To D.C. ►A new era for the CBS Evening News: The venerable evening newscast will originate tonight from a [new studio]( in Washington D.C., the biggest change yet since Norah O'Donnell took the seat at the anchor desk in July. The timing could not be better, with another week of impeachment hearings set to kick off from the Capitol. “Many stories across the country have a nexus to Washington, such as healthcare and taxes,” O'Donnell said in a statement last night. "We are going to continue CBS News’ tradition of original reporting and great storytelling. Our goal is to remain a trusted news leader. And this just expands our reach.” +Big tech under The Eye's microscope: Speaking of CBS News, the broadcaster is putting the spotlight on big technology companies this week. This morning, CBS This Morning's Gayle King aired the [first part of an interview](with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The big news: Zuckerberg's comments on false political ads. "I think that people should be able to judge for themselves the character of politicians," Zuckerberg said. --Meanwhile, on 60 Minutes Sunday night, YouTube was the[subject of a Lesley Stahl segment](, which included an interview with CEO Susan Wojcicki, who explained what the company is doing to try and fight hate speech and misinformation on the platform. Wojcicki says that she limits her kids use of YouTube, and restricts it to the YouTube Kids app. ►America's Got Talent controversy. NBC and America's Got Talent producer's Syco and Fremantle North America responded on Sunday after the ouster of judge Gabrielle Union shined an unflattering light on behind-the-scenes culture concerns at the reality competition show. "We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture," the statement said "We are working with Ms. Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate." [More](. +SAG-AFTRA also responded on Sunday, saying that “We take issues of workplace health and safety very seriously. We immediately reached out to Ms. Union's representatives when these reports came to light... While we have taken steps to investigate this matter, we have nothing to report now.“ +Related: The incident drew the attention of a number of high-profile Hollywood figures, and the group Time's Up. [More](. ►Let's talk about that E.T. commercial. The four minute ad ([watch it here](), which debuted during NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (cut down to two minutes), is for NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, and is effectively a sequel to the 1982 classic, with Henry Thomas reprising his role as Elliott, now an adult with kids of his own. Ad Week's Jason Lynch [reports that]( director Steven Spielberg consulted on the ad, which was made by Goodby Silverstein & Partners. Comcast's Universal Pictures owns the rights to E.T., and the company plans to continue using versions of the ad over the coming weeks and months. ►Disney's digital discounting. What does Disney CEO Bob Iger want for the holidays this year? Scale. Disney's two premiere streaming video services, Hulu and Disney+, bet on steep discounts over the holiday to drive subscriptions. On Black Friday, Hulu offered one year of its base ad-supported tier for $1.99 per month, down from its standard $5.99 per month price point. Today, for Cyber Monday, Disney is offering a year of Disney+ for $59.99, a $10 discount off the base price, bringing the service to $5 per month. As the company makes a full-throated push into the streaming wars, it wants to show Wall Street that it can gain scale quickly. ►The 10 best TV shows of the decade. THR's Daniel Fienberg picks his favorites, including a trio of powerhouse AMC dramas, a couple of boundary-pushing auteur comedies and a network gem that overcame a bad first season to achieve greatness. Some shows that made the cut: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Bojack Horseman. [The list](. +Also: 10 TV reboots and revivals that bombed this decade. [More](. Elsewhere in TV... --Olivia Jade Giannulli — the daughter of a[ctress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who have been charged in the college admissions bribery scandal — on Sunday made her return]( to YouTube for the first time since "Operation Varsity Blues" occurred earlier this year. --MSNBC [is apologizing]( for an on-air mishap Sunday morning regarding former Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. Though the network played a video centered on Spencer in their segment, the image showed a photo of white supremacist Richard Spencer instead. --Rickey Gervais [promises unpredictability]( in his first Golden Globes promo. --About last night: Damon Lindelof [explains that]( "religious" reveal on HBO's Watchmen... How an almighty villain [became an unlikely hero]( in Mr. Robot's final season... The 'CBS Evening News' Moves To D.C. ►A new era for the CBS Evening News: The venerable evening newscast will originate tonight from a [new studio]( in Washington D.C., the biggest change yet since Norah O'Donnell took the seat at the anchor desk in July. The timing could not be better, with another week of impeachment hearings set to kick off from the Capitol. “Many stories across the country have a nexus to Washington, such as healthcare and taxes,” O'Donnell said in a statement last night. "We are going to continue CBS News’ tradition of original reporting and great storytelling. Our goal is to remain a trusted news leader. And this just expands our reach.” +Big tech under The Eye's microscope: Speaking of CBS News, the broadcaster is putting the spotlight on big technology companies this week. This morning, CBS This Morning's Gayle King aired the [first part of an interview](with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The big news: Zuckerberg's comments on false political ads. "I think that people should be able to judge for themselves the character of politicians," Zuckerberg said. --Meanwhile, on 60 Minutes Sunday night, YouTube was the[subject of a Lesley Stahl segment](, which included an interview with CEO Susan Wojcicki, who explained what the company is doing to try and fight hate speech and misinformation on the platform. Wojcicki says that she limits her kids use of YouTube, and restricts it to the YouTube Kids app. ►America's Got Talent controversy. NBC and America's Got Talent producer's Syco and Fremantle North America responded on Sunday after the ouster of judge Gabrielle Union shined an unflattering light on behind-the-scenes culture concerns at the reality competition show. "We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture," the statement said "We are working with Ms. Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate." [More](. +SAG-AFTRA also responded on Sunday, saying that “We take issues of workplace health and safety very seriously. We immediately reached out to Ms. Union's representatives when these reports came to light... While we have taken steps to investigate this matter, we have nothing to report now.“ +Related: The incident drew the attention of a number of high-profile Hollywood figures, and the group Time's Up. [More](. ►Let's talk about that E.T. commercial. The four minute ad ([watch it here](), which debuted during NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (cut down to two minutes), is for NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, and is effectively a sequel to the 1982 classic, with Henry Thomas reprising his role as Elliott, now an adult with kids of his own. Ad Week's Jason Lynch [reports that]( director Steven Spielberg consulted on the ad, which was made by Goodby Silverstein & Partners. Comcast's Universal Pictures owns the rights to E.T., and the company plans to continue using versions of the ad over the coming weeks and months. ►Disney's digital discounting. What does Disney CEO Bob Iger want for the holidays this year? Scale. Disney's two premiere streaming video services, Hulu and Disney+, bet on steep discounts over the holiday to drive subscriptions. On Black Friday, Hulu offered one year of its base ad-supported tier for $1.99 per month, down from its standard $5.99 per month price point. Today, for Cyber Monday, Disney is offering a year of Disney+ for $59.99, a $10 discount off the base price, bringing the service to $5 per month. As the company makes a full-throated push into the streaming wars, it wants to show Wall Street that it can gain scale quickly. ►The 10 best TV shows of the decade. THR's Daniel Fienberg picks his favorites, including a trio of powerhouse AMC dramas, a couple of boundary-pushing auteur comedies and a network gem that overcame a bad first season to achieve greatness. Some shows that made the cut: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Bojack Horseman. [The list](. +Also: 10 TV reboots and revivals that bombed this decade. [More](. Elsewhere in TV... --Olivia Jade Giannulli — the daughter of a[ctress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who have been charged in the college admissions bribery scandal — on Sunday made her return]( to YouTube for the first time since "Operation Varsity Blues" occurred earlier this year. --MSNBC [is apologizing]( for an on-air mishap Sunday morning regarding former Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. Though the network played a video centered on Spencer in their segment, the image showed a photo of white supremacist Richard Spencer instead. --Rickey Gervais [promises unpredictability]( in his first Golden Globes promo. --About last night: Damon Lindelof [explains that]( "religious" reveal on HBO's Watchmen... How an almighty villain [became an unlikely hero]( in Mr. Robot's final season... [Thanksgiving Weekend News Recap] Thanksgiving Weekend News Recap There was no shortage of news over the holiday weekend. Here's what you may have missed... In film... --A terminally ill Star Wars fan in England thanked Disney on Friday after he was [allowed a private screening]( of The Rise of Skywalker at his hospice... The Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday listed the [best films of the last decade](, led by Lucrecia Martel's Zama, a 2017 adaptation of Antonio Di Benedetto's existential novel... Theater chain Cineplex [unveiled its]( "cinema of the future" with movies, gaming, VR, and live events... During ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on Thursday evening, a [closer look at the legacy](of the franchise and upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was shown... In TV... --The Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot [was canceled]( at Netflix... Supergirl star Melissa Benoist [opened up]( in emotional video: "I am a survivor of domestic violence"... After a wind scare, the giant balloons [ended up flying]( over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... An apparent power outage Thursday at Ford Field during the Lions-Bears Thanksgiving football game [briefly stopped]( the halftime show... Elsewhere... --Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson [asked comedy show attendees](to sign a $1 million NDA... Louis C.K. [joked to a crowd]( in Israel: "I’d Rather Be in Auschwitz Than New York City"... Bill Cosby [took aim]( at mainstream media outlets via Thanksgiving day tweets... Harvey Weinstein's [motion to dismiss]( sex crimes charges were denied... Brazil's president[blamed]( Leonardo DiCaprio for the Amazon Rainforest fires... Kanye West [dropped the music video](for "Closed on Sunday," the fourth track from his latest gospel-rap album, Jesus Is King, on Thursday... The week ahead... --In TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel returns Friday on Amazon... The L Word: Generation Q debuts Sunday on Showtime... HBO's Silicon Valley has its series finale that night too... [More](... --In Film: it's a quieter weekend at the box office, with family film The Playmobil Movie hoping to steal some thunder from this weekend's top performers. --ViacomCBS: The two companies are planning to merge Wednesday, December 4, after the market closes. The newly-combined ViacomCBS will start trading on the Nasdaq Thursday. -Impeachment: Hearings in the House Judiciary Committee are expected to start Wednesday. Obituaries: [Shelley Morrison](, an actress with a 50-year career who was best known for playing a memorable maid on Will & Grace, died Sunday. She was 83... [Mariss Jansons](, the conductor who led top classical ensembles including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, has died. He was 76... Hollywood Remixed podcast: In the fourth episode of THR's new podcast, hosts Rebecca Ford and Rebecca Sun explore the way female exotic dancers have been portrayed in film, and speak with Hustlers director Lorene Scafaria. [Listen](. Awards Chatter podcast: In this episode, Scott Feinberg speaks with 10 year-old Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star Julia Butters, who stole the show from Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. [Listen](. Behind the Screen podcast: The sound team behind DreamWorks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is featured in the latest episode, which was recorded at Skywalker Sound on Skywalker Ranch in Northern California. [Listen](. What else we're reading... --"Why TV networks may be afraid of investigative stories" [[LA Times](] --"Jamie Lee Curtis has never worked hard a day in her life" [[NY Times](] --"In praise of Lorene Scafaria" [[Vanity Fair](] --"5G broadband is an existential threat to the cable industry, but executives and investors aren’t worried" [[CNBC](] --"The high-low legacies of Jonathan Miller and Clive James" [[FT](] Today's birthdays: Nelly Furtado, 41, Britney Spears, 38, Charlie Puth, 28, Joe Lo Truglio, 49, Lucy Liu, 51. Thanksgiving Weekend News Recap There was no shortage of news over the holiday weekend. Here's what you may have missed... In film... --A terminally ill Star Wars fan in England thanked Disney on Friday after he was [allowed a private screening]( of The Rise of Skywalker at his hospice... The Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday listed the [best films of the last decade](, led by Lucrecia Martel's Zama, a 2017 adaptation of Antonio Di Benedetto's existential novel... Theater chain Cineplex [unveiled its]( "cinema of the future" with movies, gaming, VR, and live events... During ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on Thursday evening, a [closer look at the legacy](of the franchise and upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was shown... In TV... --The Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot [was canceled]( at Netflix... Supergirl star Melissa Benoist [opened up]( in emotional video: "I am a survivor of domestic violence"... After a wind scare, the giant balloons [ended up flying]( over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... An apparent power outage Thursday at Ford Field during the Lions-Bears Thanksgiving football game [briefly stopped]( the halftime show... Elsewhere... --Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson [asked comedy show attendees](to sign a $1 million NDA... Louis C.K. [joked to a crowd]( in Israel: "I’d Rather Be in Auschwitz Than New York City"... Bill Cosby [took aim]( at mainstream media outlets via Thanksgiving day tweets... Harvey Weinstein's [motion to dismiss]( sex crimes charges were denied... Brazil's president[blamed]( Leonardo DiCaprio for the Amazon Rainforest fires... Kanye West [dropped the music video](for "Closed on Sunday," the fourth track from his latest gospel-rap album, Jesus Is King, on Thursday... The week ahead... --In TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel returns Friday on Amazon... The L Word: Generation Q debuts Sunday on Showtime... HBO's Silicon Valley has its series finale that night too... [More](... --In Film: it's a quieter weekend at the box office, with family film The Playmobil Movie hoping to steal some thunder from this weekend's top performers. --ViacomCBS: The two companies are planning to merge Wednesday, December 4, after the market closes. The newly-combined ViacomCBS will start trading on the Nasdaq Thursday. -Impeachment: Hearings in the House Judiciary Committee are expected to start Wednesday. Obituaries: [Shelley Morrison](, an actress with a 50-year career who was best known for playing a memorable maid on Will & Grace, died Sunday. She was 83... [Mariss Jansons](, the conductor who led top classical ensembles including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, has died. He was 76... Hollywood Remixed podcast: In the fourth episode of THR's new podcast, hosts Rebecca Ford and Rebecca Sun explore the way female exotic dancers have been portrayed in film, and speak with Hustlers director Lorene Scafaria. [Listen](. Awards Chatter podcast: In this episode, Scott Feinberg speaks with 10 year-old Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star Julia Butters, who stole the show from Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. [Listen](. Behind the Screen podcast: The sound team behind DreamWorks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is featured in the latest episode, which was recorded at Skywalker Sound on Skywalker Ranch in Northern California. [Listen](. What else we're reading... --"Why TV networks may be afraid of investigative stories" [[LA Times](] --"Jamie Lee Curtis has never worked hard a day in her life" [[NY Times](] --"In praise of Lorene Scafaria" [[Vanity Fair](] --"5G broadband is an existential threat to the cable industry, but executives and investors aren’t worried" [[CNBC](] --"The high-low legacies of Jonathan Miller and Clive James" [[FT](] Today's birthdays: Nelly Furtado, 41, Britney Spears, 38, Charlie Puth, 28, Joe Lo Truglio, 49, Lucy Liu, 51. [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. DECEMBER 02, 2019 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](