Universal's Theatrical Window-Breaking Test

What's news: Universal's big Trolls on-demand test, the TV upfronts get pushed as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the TV calendar, breaking down Disney+'s 8 million India subscribers, Blumhouse cuts, new Harvey Weinstein charges, coronavirus cancels Burning Man and shutters the XFL. Plus: Disney readies a Robin Hood reboot, and new quarantine programming at ABC, AMC, and Food Network. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment APRIL 11, 2020 What's news: Universal's big Trolls on-demand test, the TV upfronts get pushed as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the TV calendar, breaking down Disney+'s 8 million India subscribers, Blumhouse cuts, new Harvey Weinstein charges, coronavirus cancels Burning Man and shutters the XFL. Plus: Disney readies a Robin Hood reboot, and new quarantine programming at ABC, AMC, and Food Network. --Alex Weprin What's news: Universal's big Trolls on-demand test, the TV upfronts get pushed as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the TV calendar, breaking down Disney+'s 8 million India subscribers, Blumhouse cuts, new Harvey Weinstein charges, coronavirus cancels Burning Man and shutters the XFL. Plus: Disney readies a Robin Hood reboot, and new quarantine programming at ABC, AMC, and Food Network. --Alex Weprin [Universal's 'Trolls' Test] Universal's 'Trolls' Test ►Universal tests the bounds of premium on-demand with Trolls sequel. Theater owner have denounced Universal's decision to break the theatrical window, arguing that a film's home entertainment potential is based on a high-profile run in theaters that generally lasts three months. "You have hundreds of millions of families stuck at home. I don't know if a new title would work on a weekly basis, but I actually think Trolls will surprise people in terms of how well it does," says media and entertainment analyst Richard Greenfield of LightShed Partners. [The story](. ►TV upfronts pushed. Several TV executives told THR's Rick Porter that amid the pandemic, plans for how and when to present to advertisers have been constantly in flux. There has been some discussion of upfronts starting in late May, with one media company taking the socially distanced stage per week. But with the country still largely at a standstill, concrete plans are difficult to make. --What's clear is that the broadcast nets and their parent companies will largely not be making their presentations at their usually appointed times in mid-May. NBCUniversal, Disney, Fox, and WarnerMedia won't have presentations, digital or otherwise, during upfront week. ViacomCBS still hopes to have a pitch ready for mid-month. [The story.]( ►Disney+ in India: understanding those 8 million surprise subscribers. The revelation that 8 out of the service's 50 million subscribers are in India offered a valuable glimpse at the state of play for the streaming battle in the world's second most populous country. But while Disney's stock rose on the news, the numbers also raised a slew of questions about how Disney was counting subscribers there, and how valuable each user in the India market may be for the company, Nyay Bhushan, Patrick Brzeski and Georg Szalai report. [The story](. ►How I'm Living Now: Armando Iannucci, Avenue 5 creator. Writer and director Armando Iannucci had – coincidentally – been planning to take a couple of weeks off just as the pandemic hit, having come to the end of a prolonged and hectic schedule that saw him shoot his Charles Dickens adaptation The Personal History of David Copperfield – which Fox Searchlight has now pulled from its initial May 8 domestic release –­ and move swiftly onto the debut season of sci-fi comedy Avenue 5, recently concluded on HBO. But any hope of enjoying trips to the cinema or theater were quickly banished, along with plans for anything else that involved braving the outside, as the U.K. was brought under an effective COVID-19 lockdown. [The interview](. Universal's 'Trolls' Test ►Universal tests the bounds of premium on-demand with Trolls sequel. Theater owner have denounced Universal's decision to break the theatrical window, arguing that a film's home entertainment potential is based on a high-profile run in theaters that generally lasts three months. "You have hundreds of millions of families stuck at home. I don't know if a new title would work on a weekly basis, but I actually think Trolls will surprise people in terms of how well it does," says media and entertainment analyst Richard Greenfield of LightShed Partners. [The story](. ►TV upfronts pushed. Several TV executives told THR's Rick Porter that amid the pandemic, plans for how and when to present to advertisers have been constantly in flux. There has been some discussion of upfronts starting in late May, with one media company taking the socially distanced stage per week. But with the country still largely at a standstill, concrete plans are difficult to make. --What's clear is that the broadcast nets and their parent companies will largely not be making their presentations at their usually appointed times in mid-May. NBCUniversal, Disney, Fox, and WarnerMedia won't have presentations, digital or otherwise, during upfront week. ViacomCBS still hopes to have a pitch ready for mid-month. [The story.]( ►Disney+ in India: understanding those 8 million surprise subscribers. The revelation that 8 out of the service's 50 million subscribers are in India offered a valuable glimpse at the state of play for the streaming battle in the world's second most populous country. But while Disney's stock rose on the news, the numbers also raised a slew of questions about how Disney was counting subscribers there, and how valuable each user in the India market may be for the company, Nyay Bhushan, Patrick Brzeski and Georg Szalai report. [The story](. ►How I'm Living Now: Armando Iannucci, Avenue 5 creator. Writer and director Armando Iannucci had – coincidentally – been planning to take a couple of weeks off just as the pandemic hit, having come to the end of a prolonged and hectic schedule that saw him shoot his Charles Dickens adaptation The Personal History of David Copperfield – which Fox Searchlight has now pulled from its initial May 8 domestic release –­ and move swiftly onto the debut season of sci-fi comedy Avenue 5, recently concluded on HBO. But any hope of enjoying trips to the cinema or theater were quickly banished, along with plans for anything else that involved braving the outside, as the U.K. was brought under an effective COVID-19 lockdown. [The interview](. [Cuts Come To Blumhouse] Cuts Come To Blumhouse ►Blumhouse cuts staff amid production halt. The Los Angeles-based production company is cutting eight staffers across its film and TV divisions. Additionally, senior leadership will be taking unspecified pay cuts. [More](. ►The virus crisis has claimed its first sports league. The XFL is suspending operations effective immediately, a month after the spring football league stopped play due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league, owned by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, currently has no plans to start up again 2021. With the shutdown, nearly all staffers were laid off. [The story.]( ►Friends reunion special to miss HBO Max launch. Given that the industry-wide production shutdown is remaining in place for the foreseeable future, the six original stars and show creators will not be getting together virtually to record the special. Sources tell Lesley Goldberg the cast and HBO Max leadership all want to reunite in person on the former NBC comedy's iconic Stage 24 at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. [The story](. ►Disneyland union reaches furlough deal amid park closure. Workers United Local 50's president says the union was able to "secure protections for signature benefits to be continued with no premium cost to the members." [More](. ►Burning Man is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual weeklong festival, which usually involves building and taking down an ephemeral encampment called Black Rock City in the Nevada desert, will instead be recreated in what organizers call "The Multiverse." [Let them explain it](. In other coronavirus-related news... --The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation on Thursday [unveiled the creation]( of an Emergency Assistance Fund to aid members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis. --Rep. Adam Schiff [urges rollout]( of pandemic assistance application for gig workers. --Los Angeles County has [officially extended]( the Safer at Home order through May 15. --To help build a virtual space for employees and colleagues to congregate, UTA, one of Hollywood's largest talent agencies, [has turned]( to video games as a way to bridge the gap. --Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore and Victoria Beckham were [among the beauty founders]( to join the social fundraising campaign BeautyUnited, which benefits the Frontline Responders Fund and donates personal care products to medical staffers fighting the virus. Obituaries: [James Fisher](, whose extensive music industry career included senior international posts at Motown Records and ASCAP as well as a key role at the Music Managers Forum, died April 3 in London due to complications of the novel coronavirus. He was 89... [Hilary Heath](, the British actress and producer who starred opposite Vincent Price in the American International Pictures horror films Witchfinder General, The Oblong Box and Cry of the Banshee, has died. She was 74... [Timmy Brown](, a star running back and return man for the Philadelphia Eagles who went on to act in Nashville and in the film and television versions of M*A*S*H, has died. He was 82... Cuts Come To Blumhouse ►Blumhouse cuts staff amid production halt. The Los Angeles-based production company is cutting eight staffers across its film and TV divisions. Additionally, senior leadership will be taking unspecified pay cuts. [More](. ►The virus crisis has claimed its first sports league. The XFL is suspending operations effective immediately, a month after the spring football league stopped play due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league, owned by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, currently has no plans to start up again 2021. With the shutdown, nearly all staffers were laid off. [The story.]( ►Friends reunion special to miss HBO Max launch. Given that the industry-wide production shutdown is remaining in place for the foreseeable future, the six original stars and show creators will not be getting together virtually to record the special. Sources tell Lesley Goldberg the cast and HBO Max leadership all want to reunite in person on the former NBC comedy's iconic Stage 24 at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. [The story](. ►Disneyland union reaches furlough deal amid park closure. Workers United Local 50's president says the union was able to "secure protections for signature benefits to be continued with no premium cost to the members." [More](. ►Burning Man is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual weeklong festival, which usually involves building and taking down an ephemeral encampment called Black Rock City in the Nevada desert, will instead be recreated in what organizers call "The Multiverse." [Let them explain it](. In other coronavirus-related news... --The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation on Thursday [unveiled the creation]( of an Emergency Assistance Fund to aid members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis. --Rep. Adam Schiff [urges rollout]( of pandemic assistance application for gig workers. --Los Angeles County has [officially extended]( the Safer at Home order through May 15. --To help build a virtual space for employees and colleagues to congregate, UTA, one of Hollywood's largest talent agencies, [has turned]( to video games as a way to bridge the gap. --Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore and Victoria Beckham were [among the beauty founders]( to join the social fundraising campaign BeautyUnited, which benefits the Frontline Responders Fund and donates personal care products to medical staffers fighting the virus. Obituaries: [James Fisher](, whose extensive music industry career included senior international posts at Motown Records and ASCAP as well as a key role at the Music Managers Forum, died April 3 in London due to complications of the novel coronavirus. He was 89... [Hilary Heath](, the British actress and producer who starred opposite Vincent Price in the American International Pictures horror films Witchfinder General, The Oblong Box and Cry of the Banshee, has died. She was 74... [Timmy Brown](, a star running back and return man for the Philadelphia Eagles who went on to act in Nashville and in the film and television versions of M*A*S*H, has died. He was 82... [Disney Readies 'Robin Hood' Reboot] Disney Readies 'Robin Hood' Reboot Disney has targeted Robin Hood as the latest of its animated classics to get the remake treatment. Carlos Lopez Estrada, perhaps best known for directing the 2018 crime movie Blindspotting, is on board to helm the project, which is being written by Kari Granlund. Granlund is already in the Disney fold after having written the studio’s recent remake of Lady and the Tramp.[The story](. +Spyglass' Hellraiser reboot has found its writing/directing team. David Bruckner, who directed Night House as well as sections of horror anthologies V/H/S and Southbound, will helm the feature which will have a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. [More](. +New Line’s adaptation of Stephen King novel Salem’s Lot has found its vampire master. Gary Dauberman, the horror writer who made his directorial debut with last year’s Annabelle Comes Home, has closed a deal to direct the feature thriller. [More](. +Fede Álvarez to direct Lionsgate's zombie pandemic thriller 16 States. [The details](. TV networks are still picking up new programming... +Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth set for Disney Family Singalong special at ABC. The Disney Family Singalong will gather the likes of Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth, John Stamos, Josh Gad, Michael Bublé, Auli'i Cravalho, Amber Riley and more to sing beloved songs from the Disney catalog in their homes. Ryan Seacrest will serve as host. [More](. +Jeffrey Dean Morgan to host weekly from-home talk show on AMC. AMC has announced the launch of Friday Night In with the Morgans, a new weekly half-hour video-chat-based series hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Walking Dead fame and his wife and fellow actor Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill). Shot on their farm in upstate New York, Friday Night In with the Morgans will premiere April 17 and feature guests from The Walking Dead world and elsewhere. [More](. +Amy Schumer cooking up quarantine show for Food Network. As the I Feel Pretty star continues her return to TV, Schumer is shooting a remotely-made cooking show for stay-at-home viewers co-hosted by husband and pro chef Chris Fischer. [More](. An additional sexual assault charge was filed against Harvey Weinstein on Friday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. The felony count of sexual battery by restraint stems from an alleged incident that allegedly occurred at a Beverly Hills hotel in May 2010, according to authorities. [The story](. +Travelers Insurance hit with wave of lawsuits over coronavirus coverage. Mark Geragos and his law firm — along with multiple clients — are suing Travelers Insurance for initially denying coverage of their pandemic-related claims. The firm says, while it's technically an essential business and not subject to a mandated shutdown, access to its downtown L.A. office has been "greatly limited" and the company has "been forced to deal with a substantial loss in business traffic and client / law related business activities." [The story](. +Kathy Griffin beats lawsuit over attempted doxing of teenagers. A Kentucky court rejects the argument from Covington High School students that the comedian is subject to jurisdiction there because local people were asked to shame fellow citizens. [More](. ►TV ratings: The final episode of the season for Grey's Anatomy delivered a season high in total viewers Thursday, helping ABC lead primetime across the board. NBC's Will & Grace also posted above-average ratings for an episode paying tribute to I Love Lucy. [The numbers](. ►Behind the Screen podcast: Justin Timberlake and Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Goransson are featured in a new episode of THR's Behind the Screen podcast. The pair served as executive music producers on DreamWorks Animation's Trolls World Tour, and during the conversation with THR tech editor Carolyn Giardina, they discuss their collaboration and share some of the music — and stories behind the tunes. [Listen](. ►Finally: Hollywood's high-flying luxury real estate brokers find themselves grounded. With new listings in L.A. down almost 30 percent and a recent ban on in-person showings, the city's top real estate agents have few tools left to ply their craft. But don't expect that to slow down the most restless of the bunch, who are turning to Instagram to get them through the pandemic, [Peter Kiefer reports](. In other news... --Kino Lorber [has acquired]( the U.S. rights to persecuted Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s drama There Is No Evil, about executioners who enforce the death penalty in the Islamic republic. The film won the Berlinale Golden Bear for its bracing portrayal of life in modern-day Iran. --Rebecca Sun[interviews Alan Yang](: Tigertail is "a metaphor for how immigrants feel when they come to this country." --Cinemark Holdings Inc. CEO Mark Zoradi saw his total compensation for 2019 [rise to $6.3 million](, compared to $5.24 million in 2018, per the company's proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. --Robyn Bahr reviews [Epix's Belgravia](... Bahr also reviews season four of [HBO's Insecure](. What else we're reading... --"With America at home, the streaming war is Hollywood’s ultimate test" [[WSJ](] --"Why Tiger King is not Blackfish for big cats" [[NY Times](] --"Making sense of the science and philosophy of Devs" [[The Ringer](] Disney Readies 'Robin Hood' Reboot Disney has targeted Robin Hood as the latest of its animated classics to get the remake treatment. Carlos Lopez Estrada, perhaps best known for directing the 2018 crime movie Blindspotting, is on board to helm the project, which is being written by Kari Granlund. Granlund is already in the Disney fold after having written the studio’s recent remake of Lady and the Tramp.[The story](. +Spyglass' Hellraiser reboot has found its writing/directing team. David Bruckner, who directed Night House as well as sections of horror anthologies V/H/S and Southbound, will helm the feature which will have a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. [More](. +New Line’s adaptation of Stephen King novel Salem’s Lot has found its vampire master. Gary Dauberman, the horror writer who made his directorial debut with last year’s Annabelle Comes Home, has closed a deal to direct the feature thriller. [More](. +Fede Álvarez to direct Lionsgate's zombie pandemic thriller 16 States. [The details](. TV networks are still picking up new programming... +Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth set for Disney Family Singalong special at ABC. The Disney Family Singalong will gather the likes of Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth, John Stamos, Josh Gad, Michael Bublé, Auli'i Cravalho, Amber Riley and more to sing beloved songs from the Disney catalog in their homes. Ryan Seacrest will serve as host. [More](. +Jeffrey Dean Morgan to host weekly from-home talk show on AMC. AMC has announced the launch of Friday Night In with the Morgans, a new weekly half-hour video-chat-based series hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Walking Dead fame and his wife and fellow actor Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill). Shot on their farm in upstate New York, Friday Night In with the Morgans will premiere April 17 and feature guests from The Walking Dead world and elsewhere. [More](. +Amy Schumer cooking up quarantine show for Food Network. As the I Feel Pretty star continues her return to TV, Schumer is shooting a remotely-made cooking show for stay-at-home viewers co-hosted by husband and pro chef Chris Fischer. [More](. An additional sexual assault charge was filed against Harvey Weinstein on Friday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. The felony count of sexual battery by restraint stems from an alleged incident that allegedly occurred at a Beverly Hills hotel in May 2010, according to authorities. [The story](. +Travelers Insurance hit with wave of lawsuits over coronavirus coverage. Mark Geragos and his law firm — along with multiple clients — are suing Travelers Insurance for initially denying coverage of their pandemic-related claims. The firm says, while it's technically an essential business and not subject to a mandated shutdown, access to its downtown L.A. office has been "greatly limited" and the company has "been forced to deal with a substantial loss in business traffic and client / law related business activities." [The story](. +Kathy Griffin beats lawsuit over attempted doxing of teenagers. A Kentucky court rejects the argument from Covington High School students that the comedian is subject to jurisdiction there because local people were asked to shame fellow citizens. [More](. ►TV ratings: The final episode of the season for Grey's Anatomy delivered a season high in total viewers Thursday, helping ABC lead primetime across the board. NBC's Will & Grace also posted above-average ratings for an episode paying tribute to I Love Lucy. [The numbers](. ►Behind the Screen podcast: Justin Timberlake and Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Goransson are featured in a new episode of THR's Behind the Screen podcast. The pair served as executive music producers on DreamWorks Animation's Trolls World Tour, and during the conversation with THR tech editor Carolyn Giardina, they discuss their collaboration and share some of the music — and stories behind the tunes. [Listen](. ►Finally: Hollywood's high-flying luxury real estate brokers find themselves grounded. With new listings in L.A. down almost 30 percent and a recent ban on in-person showings, the city's top real estate agents have few tools left to ply their craft. But don't expect that to slow down the most restless of the bunch, who are turning to Instagram to get them through the pandemic, [Peter Kiefer reports](. In other news... --Kino Lorber [has acquired]( the U.S. rights to persecuted Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s drama There Is No Evil, about executioners who enforce the death penalty in the Islamic republic. The film won the Berlinale Golden Bear for its bracing portrayal of life in modern-day Iran. --Rebecca Sun[interviews Alan Yang](: Tigertail is "a metaphor for how immigrants feel when they come to this country." --Cinemark Holdings Inc. CEO Mark Zoradi saw his total compensation for 2019 [rise to $6.3 million](, compared to $5.24 million in 2018, per the company's proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. --Robyn Bahr reviews [Epix's Belgravia](... Bahr also reviews season four of [HBO's Insecure](. What else we're reading... --"With America at home, the streaming war is Hollywood’s ultimate test" [[WSJ](] --"Why Tiger King is not Blackfish for big cats" [[NY Times](] --"Making sense of the science and philosophy of Devs" [[The Ringer](] [Image] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2020 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. APRIL 11, 2020 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](