Cannes Canned As Virtual Market Planned

What's news: NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service soft-launches, the Cannes Film Festival figures out its future, the Cannes film market will go online, American Idol will return with remote live shows, Florida governor says WWE was "essential" because people are "starved for content." Plus: ABC moves up its summer unscripted shows, CBS cancels God Friended Me, and a review of ESPN's The Last Dance. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment APRIL 15, 2020 What's news: NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service soft-launches, the Cannes Film Festival figures out its future, the Cannes film market will go online, American Idol will return with remote live shows, Florida governor says WWE was "essential" because people are "starved for content." Plus: ABC moves up its summer unscripted shows, CBS cancels God Friended Me, and a review of ESPN's The Last Dance. --Alex Weprin What's news: NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service soft-launches, the Cannes Film Festival figures out its future, the Cannes film market will go online, American Idol will return with remote live shows, Florida governor says WWE was "essential" because people are "starved for content." Plus: ABC moves up its summer unscripted shows, CBS cancels God Friended Me, and a review of ESPN's The Last Dance. --Alex Weprin [Peacock's Plan] Peacock's Plan ►NBCUniversal’s Peacock hatches for Comcast subscribers while America stays home. Starting today, millions of Comcast customers sheltering at home will gain access to a trove of 15,000 hours of TV shows and movies. The telecom giant’s NBCUniversal division is previewing its new streaming service, Peacock, three months ahead of its national rollout in what will be the first true test of how the coronavirus pandemic will impact a new entrant in the escalating streaming wars, Natalie Jarvey reports. --About that national launch: Peacock chief Matt Strauss told reporters yesterday that NBCU still plans to roll out the streaming service nationwide July 15, though it is "evaluating" whether it would be able to do so before then. --The streaming service took a production hit from the pandemic too. The Tokyo Olympics have been pushed to 2021, and many of Peacock's original shows had to pause production. Quote: "While that may change the projections around Peacock’s early ability to acquire subscribers, Strauss noted that there may be 'a silver lining.' Peacock will now have all of 2020 to ramp up in time for a big 2021, when some delayed originals will premiere and crown jewel The Office will leave Netflix for Peacock. 'What was postponed in 2020 will come back to us even bigger in 2021 when Peacock will arguably be hitting its stride,' said Strauss." [The story](. +Now's a pretty good time to be in the streaming video business: Shares of Hollywood stay-at-home streaming stocks, including Netflix and Amazon, keep rising as Americans get their TV fixes online amid the coronavirus pandemic. [More](. Peacock's Plan ►NBCUniversal’s Peacock hatches for Comcast subscribers while America stays home. Starting today, millions of Comcast customers sheltering at home will gain access to a trove of 15,000 hours of TV shows and movies. The telecom giant’s NBCUniversal division is previewing its new streaming service, Peacock, three months ahead of its national rollout in what will be the first true test of how the coronavirus pandemic will impact a new entrant in the escalating streaming wars, Natalie Jarvey reports. --About that national launch: Peacock chief Matt Strauss told reporters yesterday that NBCU still plans to roll out the streaming service nationwide July 15, though it is "evaluating" whether it would be able to do so before then. --The streaming service took a production hit from the pandemic too. The Tokyo Olympics have been pushed to 2021, and many of Peacock's original shows had to pause production. Quote: "While that may change the projections around Peacock’s early ability to acquire subscribers, Strauss noted that there may be 'a silver lining.' Peacock will now have all of 2020 to ramp up in time for a big 2021, when some delayed originals will premiere and crown jewel The Office will leave Netflix for Peacock. 'What was postponed in 2020 will come back to us even bigger in 2021 when Peacock will arguably be hitting its stride,' said Strauss." [The story](. +Now's a pretty good time to be in the streaming video business: Shares of Hollywood stay-at-home streaming stocks, including Netflix and Amazon, keep rising as Americans get their TV fixes online amid the coronavirus pandemic. [More](. [Cannes' Plan] Cannes' Plan ►Is Cannes canned? Not entirely. The Cannes International Film Festival, previously postponed due to the novel coronavirus, said Tuesday that it won't take place in its originally planned form, but is still exploring options for a 2020 edition. The organizers of the world's most prestigious film festival didn't confirm new dates for the 73rd Cannes Film Festival. --Instead of canceling outright, organizers said they are exploring contingencies to make "Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another" and have begun discussions with members of the industry in France and abroad to do so. [The story](. +What happens to Cannes-bound films now? Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and Pixar's animated feature Soul and Top Gun 2 were among the titles tapped to premiere at the 2020 edition before it was postponed. Here's what their plans may be. [More](. +There will still be a Cannes film market... online. International buyers told THR's Scott Roxborough that they have been given a June 22 start date for the virtual Cannes film market, a week earlier than had been initially planned. While the festival ponders its next move, international film sales and distribution companies need to move forward with the packaging and financing of new projects, many of which will be pushed into production as soon as coronavirus quarantines are lifted. [More](. +Cannes Critics' Week, Directors' Fortnight canceled. "Following the French President's April 13 announcement banning any festival from taking place until mid July, the parallel sections of the Cannes Film Festival acknowledge that the previously considered postponement to late June/early July is no longer an option," the sections said in a statement March 15. "Consequently, the Directors' Fortnight, La Semaine de la Critique and ACID regret to announce the cancellation of their 2020 editions in Cannes." [More](. +Meanwhile in Canada: The Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Festival on Tuesday unveiled its 2020 lineup, selected before the COVID-19 crisis forced organizers to postpone the Toronto live event, initially set for April 30 to May 10. [The lineup](. tipline.hollywoodreporter.com ►Cinemark furloughs half of corporate staff, lays off 17,500 hourly workers. The chain also said it will suspend its dividend payment, which runs to around $42 million per financial quarter. Cinemark on Monday said it has launched a private offering for $250 million in senior secured notes due in 2025. [More](. ►Why did Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declare the WWE to be an "essential" business? DeSantis [explained his logic]( to reporters on Tuesday. "People are starved for content. We haven’t had a lot of new content since the beginning of March," he said. “People are chomping at the bit,” he added. “If you think about it, we have never had a period like this in modern American history where you’ve had so little new content, particularly in the sporting realm. I mean, we are watching reruns from like the early 2000s.” +Related: Georg Szalai [has more]( on the decision. ►Chris Cuomo says he's happy at CNN. "Coronavirus-stricken Chris Cuomo trashes CNN gig during radio show meltdown," the New York Post wrote on Monday night, after Cuomo told viewers, "I don’t like what I do professionally. I don’t think it’s worth my time.” Yesterday Cuomo revealed that he recently signed a new contract with CNN. "I love where I am, I love the position that I've been given, and I love who I'm doing it with." [More](. ►How I'm Living Now: Marc Maron, comedian. Marc Maron was due to start production on the fourth and final season of GLOW the same day the shutdown went into effect, and since has been quarantined in his Los Angeles home with girlfriend Lynn Shelton (who has also directed several episodes of GLOW) as the two "test the parameters of our intimacy." As his new standup special End Times Fun — which coincidentally centers on the end of the world — hits Netflix, Maron tells THR about reluctantly running outside, rocking out to his record collection and recording his hit WTF podcast amid the pandemic. [The interview.]( In other coronavirus-related news... --The Directors Guild of America is [offering three months]( of premium-free COBRA coverage for health plan participants with earned coverage scheduled to end on June 30. --George Stephanopoulos and his wife Ali Wentworth [gave updates]( on their health after testing positive for the novel coronavirus while virtually appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! --Octavia Spencer, Joel McHale, Melissa McCarthy and other celebrities [have joined forces]( with Frontline Foods and José Andrés' World Central Kitchen to deliver meals to healthcare workers while supporting local restaurants that have been greatly impacted during the virus crisis. --Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg [are among]( those teaming up for a New Jersey COVID-19 benefit. --Ava DuVernay's non-profit foundation ARRAY Alliance [on Tuesday launched](a $250,000 fund to provide grants for creators and organizations telling stories of underrepresented communities, especially those impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. --Canadian cable giant Shaw Communications on Tuesday said it will [temporarily lay off](around 1,000 employees, or 10 percent of its workforce, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Cannes' Plan ►Is Cannes canned? Not entirely. The Cannes International Film Festival, previously postponed due to the novel coronavirus, said Tuesday that it won't take place in its originally planned form, but is still exploring options for a 2020 edition. The organizers of the world's most prestigious film festival didn't confirm new dates for the 73rd Cannes Film Festival. --Instead of canceling outright, organizers said they are exploring contingencies to make "Cannes 2020 real, in a way or another" and have begun discussions with members of the industry in France and abroad to do so. [The story](. +What happens to Cannes-bound films now? Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and Pixar's animated feature Soul and Top Gun 2 were among the titles tapped to premiere at the 2020 edition before it was postponed. Here's what their plans may be. [More](. +There will still be a Cannes film market... online. International buyers told THR's Scott Roxborough that they have been given a June 22 start date for the virtual Cannes film market, a week earlier than had been initially planned. While the festival ponders its next move, international film sales and distribution companies need to move forward with the packaging and financing of new projects, many of which will be pushed into production as soon as coronavirus quarantines are lifted. [More](. +Cannes Critics' Week, Directors' Fortnight canceled. "Following the French President's April 13 announcement banning any festival from taking place until mid July, the parallel sections of the Cannes Film Festival acknowledge that the previously considered postponement to late June/early July is no longer an option," the sections said in a statement March 15. "Consequently, the Directors' Fortnight, La Semaine de la Critique and ACID regret to announce the cancellation of their 2020 editions in Cannes." [More](. +Meanwhile in Canada: The Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Festival on Tuesday unveiled its 2020 lineup, selected before the COVID-19 crisis forced organizers to postpone the Toronto live event, initially set for April 30 to May 10. [The lineup](. tipline.hollywoodreporter.com ►Cinemark furloughs half of corporate staff, lays off 17,500 hourly workers. The chain also said it will suspend its dividend payment, which runs to around $42 million per financial quarter. Cinemark on Monday said it has launched a private offering for $250 million in senior secured notes due in 2025. [More](. ►Why did Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declare the WWE to be an "essential" business? DeSantis [explained his logic]( to reporters on Tuesday. "People are starved for content. We haven’t had a lot of new content since the beginning of March," he said. “People are chomping at the bit,” he added. “If you think about it, we have never had a period like this in modern American history where you’ve had so little new content, particularly in the sporting realm. I mean, we are watching reruns from like the early 2000s.” +Related: Georg Szalai [has more]( on the decision. ►Chris Cuomo says he's happy at CNN. "Coronavirus-stricken Chris Cuomo trashes CNN gig during radio show meltdown," the New York Post wrote on Monday night, after Cuomo told viewers, "I don’t like what I do professionally. I don’t think it’s worth my time.” Yesterday Cuomo revealed that he recently signed a new contract with CNN. "I love where I am, I love the position that I've been given, and I love who I'm doing it with." [More](. ►How I'm Living Now: Marc Maron, comedian. Marc Maron was due to start production on the fourth and final season of GLOW the same day the shutdown went into effect, and since has been quarantined in his Los Angeles home with girlfriend Lynn Shelton (who has also directed several episodes of GLOW) as the two "test the parameters of our intimacy." As his new standup special End Times Fun — which coincidentally centers on the end of the world — hits Netflix, Maron tells THR about reluctantly running outside, rocking out to his record collection and recording his hit WTF podcast amid the pandemic. [The interview.]( In other coronavirus-related news... --The Directors Guild of America is [offering three months]( of premium-free COBRA coverage for health plan participants with earned coverage scheduled to end on June 30. --George Stephanopoulos and his wife Ali Wentworth [gave updates]( on their health after testing positive for the novel coronavirus while virtually appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! --Octavia Spencer, Joel McHale, Melissa McCarthy and other celebrities [have joined forces]( with Frontline Foods and José Andrés' World Central Kitchen to deliver meals to healthcare workers while supporting local restaurants that have been greatly impacted during the virus crisis. --Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg [are among]( those teaming up for a New Jersey COVID-19 benefit. --Ava DuVernay's non-profit foundation ARRAY Alliance [on Tuesday launched](a $250,000 fund to provide grants for creators and organizations telling stories of underrepresented communities, especially those impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. --Canadian cable giant Shaw Communications on Tuesday said it will [temporarily lay off](around 1,000 employees, or 10 percent of its workforce, citing the coronavirus pandemic. [ABC's 'American Idol' Plan] ABC's 'American Idol' Plan ►American Idol forges ahead with remote live shows. The live rounds will begin April 26 on ABC with the top 20 contestants. Seacrest will host from his home in Los Angeles, and judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and in-house mentor Bobby Bones will also conference in remotely. The contestants will also perform from their homes. [The story](. +ABC sets Agents of SHIELD return, moves up summer unscripted slate. ABC, like other broadcast networks, was left in a bind when the novel coronavirus crisis shut down production on a number of scripted and unscripted programs. That cut short a number of spring shows that would spill into summer and limited the number of programs that could be produced during the Safer at Home climate.[The story](. +Empire creators leave door open for more: "There's more to do with these characters." On Tuesday, Fox announced that the April 21 episode of the drama starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson would officially serve as its series finale as its two remaining hours could not be produced amid the near-industrywide production shutdown. Still, the creators left the door open for a proper series finale to be produced at some point down the line when it's safe to resume production amid the novel coronavirus crisis. [More](. +God Friended Me canceled. The show's producers were given enough warning to craft an ending for the series. The show will end with a two-hour finale on April 26. [More](. ►Netflix rom-com Girls & Boys in the works from Antoni Porowski, Kenya Barris. Porowski developed the story with Black-ish creative Kenya Barris. Barris, who has a rich overall television deal with the streamer, will produce under his banner Khalabo Ink Society. Andrew Rhymer and Jeff Chan — the filmmakers behind Hulu's rom-com Plus One — have been tapped to pen the screenplay for Girls & Boys. [The details](. +Rashida Jones and the team behind Adult Swim's Robot Chicken have landed an animated comedy project at Quibi. The shortform streamer is developing Filthy Animals, an animated science fiction comedy that Jones will star in and executive produce (via her Le Train Train). [More](. ►Sony offers free downloads of Uncharted collection, Journey. As part of a new "Play at Home" initiative, the company has also launched a $10 million fund to aid independent game studios affected by the coronavirus pandemic. [More](. Court rules photographer gave up exclusive licensing rights by posting on Instagram. Mashable beats a lawsuit by convincing a New York judge that it legitimately used an image on social media, Eriq Gardner reports. [The story](. ►TV ratings: Fox's 9-1-1 delivered its second-largest viewer tally of the season Monday, and NBC's Songland opened its second season with decent numbers as well. The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, however, got off to a fairly soft start on ABC. [The numbers](. +Also: Brad Pitt helped HGTV score big ratings for the premiere of Celebrity IOU on Monday night. The hour delivered 2.64 million viewers for the Discovery-owned cable network, the biggest audience for HGTV in more than six months — since 3.36 million people tuned in for the debut of A Very Brady Renovation in September 2019. [More](. ►TV reviews: Daniel Fienberg reviews ESPN's [Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance](... Inkoo Kang reviews the FX mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. [The review](. In other news... --Paramount Pictures [has pushed]( the theatrical release of Infinite from Aug. 7, 2020, to May 28, 2021, the beginning of the lucrative Memorial Day weekend. --Another SXSW film is off the market. Saban Films[has acquired]( U.S. rights to Robin Pront’s The Silencing, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. --Lionsgate [has renewed]( its long-standing film slate deal with Grindstone Entertainment Group as new agreements have been signed with Grindstone president and CEO Barry Brooker and principal Stan Wertlieb. --CAA [has signed]( indie studio Memory and its founders, creative director Sebastian Pardo and projects director Riel Roch-Decter --Hillary Clinton, John Legend, Jimmy Fallon [to give graduation speeches]( in iHeartMedia podcast special. --Jeopardy host Alex Trebek [announced Tuesday]( that he is writing a memoir. The Answer Is… : Reflections on My Life, will be released by Simon & Schuster on July 21. What else we're reading... --"Inside Kanye West's vision for the future" [[GQ](] --"Quarantine has made Russia’s Timur Bekmambetov the busiest man in movies" [[Vulture](] --"The news is making people anxious. You’ll never believe what they’re reading instead" [[NY Times](] --"Trump wanted a radio show, but deferred to Rush Limbaugh" [[NY Times](] --"The incredible and (mostly) true story of Bruce and Michael Buffer" [[ESPN](] Today's birthdays: Emma Watson, 30, Seth Rogen, 38, Linda Perry, 55, Luke Evans, 41, Emma Thompson, 61. ABC's 'American Idol' Plan ►American Idol forges ahead with remote live shows. The live rounds will begin April 26 on ABC with the top 20 contestants. Seacrest will host from his home in Los Angeles, and judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and in-house mentor Bobby Bones will also conference in remotely. The contestants will also perform from their homes. [The story](. +ABC sets Agents of SHIELD return, moves up summer unscripted slate. ABC, like other broadcast networks, was left in a bind when the novel coronavirus crisis shut down production on a number of scripted and unscripted programs. That cut short a number of spring shows that would spill into summer and limited the number of programs that could be produced during the Safer at Home climate.[The story](. +Empire creators leave door open for more: "There's more to do with these characters." On Tuesday, Fox announced that the April 21 episode of the drama starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson would officially serve as its series finale as its two remaining hours could not be produced amid the near-industrywide production shutdown. Still, the creators left the door open for a proper series finale to be produced at some point down the line when it's safe to resume production amid the novel coronavirus crisis. [More](. +God Friended Me canceled. The show's producers were given enough warning to craft an ending for the series. The show will end with a two-hour finale on April 26. [More](. ►Netflix rom-com Girls & Boys in the works from Antoni Porowski, Kenya Barris. Porowski developed the story with Black-ish creative Kenya Barris. Barris, who has a rich overall television deal with the streamer, will produce under his banner Khalabo Ink Society. Andrew Rhymer and Jeff Chan — the filmmakers behind Hulu's rom-com Plus One — have been tapped to pen the screenplay for Girls & Boys. [The details](. +Rashida Jones and the team behind Adult Swim's Robot Chicken have landed an animated comedy project at Quibi. The shortform streamer is developing Filthy Animals, an animated science fiction comedy that Jones will star in and executive produce (via her Le Train Train). [More](. ►Sony offers free downloads of Uncharted collection, Journey. As part of a new "Play at Home" initiative, the company has also launched a $10 million fund to aid independent game studios affected by the coronavirus pandemic. [More](. Court rules photographer gave up exclusive licensing rights by posting on Instagram. Mashable beats a lawsuit by convincing a New York judge that it legitimately used an image on social media, Eriq Gardner reports. [The story](. ►TV ratings: Fox's 9-1-1 delivered its second-largest viewer tally of the season Monday, and NBC's Songland opened its second season with decent numbers as well. The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, however, got off to a fairly soft start on ABC. [The numbers](. +Also: Brad Pitt helped HGTV score big ratings for the premiere of Celebrity IOU on Monday night. The hour delivered 2.64 million viewers for the Discovery-owned cable network, the biggest audience for HGTV in more than six months — since 3.36 million people tuned in for the debut of A Very Brady Renovation in September 2019. [More](. ►TV reviews: Daniel Fienberg reviews ESPN's [Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance](... Inkoo Kang reviews the FX mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. [The review](. In other news... --Paramount Pictures [has pushed]( the theatrical release of Infinite from Aug. 7, 2020, to May 28, 2021, the beginning of the lucrative Memorial Day weekend. --Another SXSW film is off the market. Saban Films[has acquired]( U.S. rights to Robin Pront’s The Silencing, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. --Lionsgate [has renewed]( its long-standing film slate deal with Grindstone Entertainment Group as new agreements have been signed with Grindstone president and CEO Barry Brooker and principal Stan Wertlieb. --CAA [has signed]( indie studio Memory and its founders, creative director Sebastian Pardo and projects director Riel Roch-Decter --Hillary Clinton, John Legend, Jimmy Fallon [to give graduation speeches]( in iHeartMedia podcast special. --Jeopardy host Alex Trebek [announced Tuesday]( that he is writing a memoir. The Answer Is… : Reflections on My Life, will be released by Simon & Schuster on July 21. What else we're reading... --"Inside Kanye West's vision for the future" [[GQ](] --"Quarantine has made Russia’s Timur Bekmambetov the busiest man in movies" [[Vulture](] --"The news is making people anxious. You’ll never believe what they’re reading instead" [[NY Times](] --"Trump wanted a radio show, but deferred to Rush Limbaugh" [[NY Times](] --"The incredible and (mostly) true story of Bruce and Michael Buffer" [[ESPN](] Today's birthdays: Emma Watson, 30, Seth Rogen, 38, Linda Perry, 55, Luke Evans, 41, Emma Thompson, 61. [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 15, 2020 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](