Hollywood's Pandemic Loan Recipients; Slimmed-Down Venice Fest; TikTok Trouble?

What's news: Which Hollywood firms received government pandemic loans? The Venice Film Festival reveals a slimmed-down format, SiriusXM eyes a significant podcast acquisition, Disney inks a deal with Colin Kaepernick, Apple snags Maurice Sendak's catalog rights, Matt Reeves moves to Warner Bros., Warner Music and Imagine team up. Plus: TikTok trouble? And Peacock and Comedy Central steal shows from tech giants. --Alex Weprin What's news: Which Hollywood firms received government pandemic loans? The Venice Film Festival reveals a slimmed-down format, SiriusXM eyes a significant podcast acquisition, Disney inks a deal with Colin Kaepernick, Apple snags Maurice Sendak's catalog rights, Matt Reeves moves to Warner Bros., Warner Music and Imagine team up. Plus: TikTok trouble? And Peacock and Comedy Central steal shows from tech giants. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment JULY 07, 2020 What's news: Which Hollywood firms received government pandemic loans? The Venice Film Festival reveals a slimmed-down format, SiriusXM eyes a significant podcast acquisition, Disney inks a deal with Colin Kaepernick, Apple snags Maurice Sendak's catalog rights, Matt Reeves moves to Warner Bros., Warner Music and Imagine team up. Plus: TikTok trouble? And Peacock and Comedy Central steal shows from tech giants. --Alex Weprin What's news: Which Hollywood firms received government pandemic loans? The Venice Film Festival reveals a slimmed-down format, SiriusXM eyes a significant podcast acquisition, Disney inks a deal with Colin Kaepernick, Apple snags Maurice Sendak's catalog rights, Matt Reeves moves to Warner Bros., Warner Music and Imagine team up. Plus: TikTok trouble? And Peacock and Comedy Central steal shows from tech giants. --Alex Weprin [Hollywood Firms Took Advantage Of Job-Saving Pandemic Bailout] Hollywood Firms Took Advantage Of Job-Saving Pandemic Bailout ►Which Hollywood Firms Received Federal Pandemic Loans? Major talent agencies like Gersh and APA. Non-profits like the American Film Institute and Motion Picture & Television Fund, production shingles like The Jim Henson Company, New Regency and Solstice Studios. All received loans under the U.S. government's Paycheck Protection Program, according to data released by the Small Business Administration. --"The point of PPP is to keep the employer-employee relationship intact so when the economy does comes back online, companies aren’t scrambling to hire people they let go," Hollywood business manager John McIlwee told THR. "This does apply to Hollywood companies and there are positives and negatives to these programs. If you’re a high net worth A-list star, you have no business taking government money to cover your two assistants salary. All the conversations I’ve had with my clients have not been, 'Could I get funding.' It’s, 'Should I get funding.'" [The story](. +Also: Kanye West's Yeezy received $2 million-plus from federal pandemic loan. Yeezy, an LLC formed by the musician and clothing designer, received a loan between $2 million and $5 million through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to the SBA. The company disclosed that it saved 160 jobs because of the program meant to help businesses struggling during the novel coronavirus pandemic. [The story](. ►A major podcasting acquisition that doesn't involve Spotify, for a change. SiriusXM is in advanced talks to acquire podcast platform Stitcher from E.W. Scripps Co., sources tell THR's Natalie Jarvey. The acquisition gives the satellite radio company a foothold in the burgeoning podcast business, which is led by rival-in-audio Spotify. The deal is expected to be announced later this week, the sources said. [The story](. ►Venice Film Festival to reduce official selection amid changes due to pandemic. To comply with measures required by the pandemic, first and foremost social distancing, "the overall number of films in the Official Selection will be lower, although not by much," they said. This year's program will include the competitive sections Venezia 77 and Orizzonti, along with the usual Out of Competition section, plus the Biennale College Cinema. --But the 77th edition of the Venice festival will have no Sconfini section "with the purpose of guaranteeing the greatest possible number of seats for the repeat screenings of the films in the main sections." The Sconfini program typically includes art-house and genre films, experimental works and TV series and cross-media productions. [The details](. Hollywood Firms Took Advantage Of Job-Saving Pandemic Bailout ►Which Hollywood Firms Received Federal Pandemic Loans? Major talent agencies like Gersh and APA. Non-profits like the American Film Institute and Motion Picture & Television Fund, production shingles like The Jim Henson Company, New Regency and Solstice Studios. All received loans under the U.S. government's Paycheck Protection Program, according to data released by the Small Business Administration. --"The point of PPP is to keep the employer-employee relationship intact so when the economy does comes back online, companies aren’t scrambling to hire people they let go," Hollywood business manager John McIlwee told THR. "This does apply to Hollywood companies and there are positives and negatives to these programs. If you’re a high net worth A-list star, you have no business taking government money to cover your two assistants salary. All the conversations I’ve had with my clients have not been, 'Could I get funding.' It’s, 'Should I get funding.'" [The story](. +Also: Kanye West's Yeezy received $2 million-plus from federal pandemic loan. Yeezy, an LLC formed by the musician and clothing designer, received a loan between $2 million and $5 million through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to the SBA. The company disclosed that it saved 160 jobs because of the program meant to help businesses struggling during the novel coronavirus pandemic. [The story](. ►A major podcasting acquisition that doesn't involve Spotify, for a change. SiriusXM is in advanced talks to acquire podcast platform Stitcher from E.W. Scripps Co., sources tell THR's Natalie Jarvey. The acquisition gives the satellite radio company a foothold in the burgeoning podcast business, which is led by rival-in-audio Spotify. The deal is expected to be announced later this week, the sources said. [The story](. ►Venice Film Festival to reduce official selection amid changes due to pandemic. To comply with measures required by the pandemic, first and foremost social distancing, "the overall number of films in the Official Selection will be lower, although not by much," they said. This year's program will include the competitive sections Venezia 77 and Orizzonti, along with the usual Out of Competition section, plus the Biennale College Cinema. --But the 77th edition of the Venice festival will have no Sconfini section "with the purpose of guaranteeing the greatest possible number of seats for the repeat screenings of the films in the main sections." The Sconfini program typically includes art-house and genre films, experimental works and TV series and cross-media productions. [The details](. [Dealmaking Aplenty] Dealmaking Aplenty The Walt Disney Co. on Monday announced an overall first-look deal with Colin Kaepernick. The newly formed partnership between Disney and Kaepernick's production arm Ra Vision Media will focus on scripted and unscripted stories exploring race, social injustice and racial inequality, according to Disney, which noted the partnership would help showcase the work of Black and Brown directors and producers. [The story](. +Matt Reeves moves overall deal to Warner Bros TV. Under the multiple-year pact, Reeves and his 6th and Idaho production company will create and develop new projects for the studio for various platforms, including streamer HBO Max. [More](. +Apple strikes deal for Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak's catalog. The multi-year deal is the first of its kind for Apple, which will develop the projects for its TV+ streaming platform. Through the deal, Apple and The Maurice Sendak Foundation will reimagine new children’s series and specials based on the author's books and illustrations. In addition to his most famous work, Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak's books include In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There and The Nutshell Library.[The story](. +Dead to Me renewed for final season as creator Liz Feldman moves overall deal to Netflix. Feldman, who previously wrote for 2 Broke Girls, will segue her overall deal from Dead to Me producers CBS TV Studios to the streamer. [More](. +WME signs Hypebeast. The Hollywood talent agency will mine Hypebeast's digital content and IP to develop across multiple platforms, including as film and TV projects. [More](. ►Imagine, Warner Music Group team for slate of music-centric content. Under the pact, the banner from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will co-produce and co-finance a slate of projects that will span film, television, documentary and short-form content. Warner Music Group's entertainment credits include James Brown movie Get On Up, Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and upcoming Franklin series Genius: Aretha, which is produced with Imagine and will premiere on National Geographic Channel this fall. [The story](. Dealmaking Aplenty The Walt Disney Co. on Monday announced an overall first-look deal with Colin Kaepernick. The newly formed partnership between Disney and Kaepernick's production arm Ra Vision Media will focus on scripted and unscripted stories exploring race, social injustice and racial inequality, according to Disney, which noted the partnership would help showcase the work of Black and Brown directors and producers. [The story](. +Matt Reeves moves overall deal to Warner Bros TV. Under the multiple-year pact, Reeves and his 6th and Idaho production company will create and develop new projects for the studio for various platforms, including streamer HBO Max. [More](. +Apple strikes deal for Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak's catalog. The multi-year deal is the first of its kind for Apple, which will develop the projects for its TV+ streaming platform. Through the deal, Apple and The Maurice Sendak Foundation will reimagine new children’s series and specials based on the author's books and illustrations. In addition to his most famous work, Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak's books include In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There and The Nutshell Library.[The story](. +Dead to Me renewed for final season as creator Liz Feldman moves overall deal to Netflix. Feldman, who previously wrote for 2 Broke Girls, will segue her overall deal from Dead to Me producers CBS TV Studios to the streamer. [More](. +WME signs Hypebeast. The Hollywood talent agency will mine Hypebeast's digital content and IP to develop across multiple platforms, including as film and TV projects. [More](. ►Imagine, Warner Music Group team for slate of music-centric content. Under the pact, the banner from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will co-produce and co-finance a slate of projects that will span film, television, documentary and short-form content. Warner Music Group's entertainment credits include James Brown movie Get On Up, Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and upcoming Franklin series Genius: Aretha, which is produced with Imagine and will premiere on National Geographic Channel this fall. [The story](. [Paging Kevin Mayer] Paging Kevin Mayer ►TikTok Trouble? Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would "certainly look at" banning Chinese social media apps including short-form video app TikTok over national security and privacy concerns. "With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too," Pompeo said in an interview on Monday's episode of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle. "I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at." --TikTok responded with a statement: "TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the US," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement following Pompeo's comments. "We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked." TikTok's CEO is former Disney executive Kevin Mayer. [The story](. ►Peacock snags Sacred Lies from Facebook Watch. The series, created by Raelle Tucker (True Blood, Jessica Jones), originally aired on Facebook Watch. That platform has scaled back on scripted programming in favor of more unscripted projects. The NBCUnviersal streaming platform's deal for Sacred Lies also includes an option to become the sole home of the series for a potential third season. [The story](. +John Mulaney inks Comedy Central deal for more Sack Lunch Bunch specials. The network announced Tuesday that it would be the new home to two upcoming Sack Lunch Bunch comedy specials, including a holiday-themed one that will reunite the original cast. --The news comes as something of a shock given that the first premiered late last year on Netflix, though the cable network is said to have bid far more aggressively for the sequels — to say nothing of the opportunity to be back in business with a major comedy player at a time when the streamer has spent lavishly to lock up so much of the market. [The story](. +The CW has picked up a second season of DC Comics series Stargirl — and the broadcast network will become the exclusive in-season home for the show. [More](. Roy Moore advances in suit against Sacha Baron Cohen. A federal judge rules he needs to know more about "Yerushalayim TV," an outfit that Cohen may have registered in Wyoming as a front. [The story](. +MGM says Starz waited too long to sue over exclusive movies. The studio defendant attempts to limit the suit to just one movie — Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. [More](. +Johnny Depp takes stand in U.K. libel trial, claims Amber Heard hit him. Depp sat in the witness box in a wood-paneled High Court courtroom on the first day of his libel case against The Sun over an article that branded him a "wife-beater." The Pirates of the Caribbean star began by taking the court oath and giving his full name: John Christopher Depp II. [The story](. Brad Pitt will lead Sony action thriller Bullet Train from Hobbs & Shaw helmer David Leitch. Based on the popular Japanese book Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train centers on a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo. [More](. ►Here's the first U.K. box office report in... months: Disney's Onward claimed the first post-lockdown crown. That said, with so few cinemas having reopened since the government's lifting of an operating ban on cinemas on Saturday, the numbers were understandably very low. Onward took in the most, earning £21,626 ($27,000) from just 47 locations for an average of $576, bringing its total (it was first released March 6) to $6.6 million. [More](. ►TV review: Daniel Fienberg reviews Apple TV+'s Little Voice, writing that the series from Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson is "very, very earnest and sometimes very, very clunky. Those caught up in its earnestness will forgive the clunkiness. I only sometimes did." [The review](. ►Broadcast TV ratings: Sunday was a pretty quiet night on the broadcast networks, with the end of the holiday weekend bringing a slate filled almost entirely with repeats. The exception was a NASCAR race that ran into primetime on NBC — and which led the adults 18-49 rankings for the evening. [The numbers](. Revolving door: Sarah Shulman [has been tapped]( to be the director of corporate communications at Buchwald, launching the agency’s communications arm... A3 Artists Agency is[launching a literary division]( with the hire of former Paradigm Talent Agency execs Andy Patman and Adam Kanter... Obituaries: Country music firebrand and fiddler [Charlie Daniels](, who had a hit with "Devil Went Down to Georgia," has died at age 83...[Jeff Rose](, a publicist with Screen Gems and Paramount Television in the 1960s, died Thursday of natural causes at his home in West Hollywood, his family announced. He was 88... [Mickey Diage](, the longtime Capitol Records executive whose career in advertising and merchandising spanned four decades at the label, from The Beatles to Radiohead, has died. She was 82... In other news... --The Hollywood Reporter [scored 50 nominations]( for the 62nd Southern California Journalism Awards, including best website, print journalist of the year for Gary Baum and best columnist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. --Halle Berry [has pulled out]( of the running to play a transgender character in an upcoming untitled film following a social media backlash. --Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and chief product officer Chris Cox are [set to meet the leaders]( of three civil rights groups that are behind the ad boycott of the company and its subsidiary Instagram on Tuesday. --A large portion of the Walt Disney World Resort [will partially reopen]( this weekend even as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida continues to rise, the company confirmed to THR. --An oral history of NBC's The Office, to be hosted by one of the show's stars Brian Baumgartner, [will stream on Spotify](. --Palm Springs: Cristin Milioti [on her Groundhog Day-esque film]( and sparring with Andy Samberg. --Comcast-owned pay TV giant Sky has [taken full ownership]( of Love Productions, the production banner behind hit show The Great British Bake Off.‎ Sky had owned a 70 percent stake in the company since 2014. Love mentioned in a regulatory filing that Sky acquired the remaining stake in late February. Financial details weren't disclosed. --The British Independent Film Awards is [aiming to provide a supportive leg-up]( to emerging filmmakers hoping to keep the momentum going beyond their debut feature. What else we're reading... --"The remaking of Comedy Central" [[Vulture](] --"Microsoft expresses interest in acquiring Warner game unit" [[The Information](] --"Sports media's race reckoning" [[Axios](] --"How Starship Troopers aligns with our moment of American defeat" [[The New Yorker](] Today's birthdays: Ringo Starr, 80, Michelle Kwan, 40, Shelley Duvall, 71, Lisa Leslie, 48, Alesso, 29. Paging Kevin Mayer ►TikTok Trouble? Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would "certainly look at" banning Chinese social media apps including short-form video app TikTok over national security and privacy concerns. "With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too," Pompeo said in an interview on Monday's episode of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle. "I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at." --TikTok responded with a statement: "TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the US," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement following Pompeo's comments. "We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked." TikTok's CEO is former Disney executive Kevin Mayer. [The story](. ►Peacock snags Sacred Lies from Facebook Watch. The series, created by Raelle Tucker (True Blood, Jessica Jones), originally aired on Facebook Watch. That platform has scaled back on scripted programming in favor of more unscripted projects. The NBCUnviersal streaming platform's deal for Sacred Lies also includes an option to become the sole home of the series for a potential third season. [The story](. +John Mulaney inks Comedy Central deal for more Sack Lunch Bunch specials. The network announced Tuesday that it would be the new home to two upcoming Sack Lunch Bunch comedy specials, including a holiday-themed one that will reunite the original cast. --The news comes as something of a shock given that the first premiered late last year on Netflix, though the cable network is said to have bid far more aggressively for the sequels — to say nothing of the opportunity to be back in business with a major comedy player at a time when the streamer has spent lavishly to lock up so much of the market. [The story](. +The CW has picked up a second season of DC Comics series Stargirl — and the broadcast network will become the exclusive in-season home for the show. [More](. Roy Moore advances in suit against Sacha Baron Cohen. A federal judge rules he needs to know more about "Yerushalayim TV," an outfit that Cohen may have registered in Wyoming as a front. [The story](. +MGM says Starz waited too long to sue over exclusive movies. The studio defendant attempts to limit the suit to just one movie — Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. [More](. +Johnny Depp takes stand in U.K. libel trial, claims Amber Heard hit him. Depp sat in the witness box in a wood-paneled High Court courtroom on the first day of his libel case against The Sun over an article that branded him a "wife-beater." The Pirates of the Caribbean star began by taking the court oath and giving his full name: John Christopher Depp II. [The story](. Brad Pitt will lead Sony action thriller Bullet Train from Hobbs & Shaw helmer David Leitch. Based on the popular Japanese book Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train centers on a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo. [More](. ►Here's the first U.K. box office report in... months: Disney's Onward claimed the first post-lockdown crown. That said, with so few cinemas having reopened since the government's lifting of an operating ban on cinemas on Saturday, the numbers were understandably very low. Onward took in the most, earning £21,626 ($27,000) from just 47 locations for an average of $576, bringing its total (it was first released March 6) to $6.6 million. [More](. ►TV review: Daniel Fienberg reviews Apple TV+'s Little Voice, writing that the series from Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson is "very, very earnest and sometimes very, very clunky. Those caught up in its earnestness will forgive the clunkiness. I only sometimes did." [The review](. ►Broadcast TV ratings: Sunday was a pretty quiet night on the broadcast networks, with the end of the holiday weekend bringing a slate filled almost entirely with repeats. The exception was a NASCAR race that ran into primetime on NBC — and which led the adults 18-49 rankings for the evening. [The numbers](. Revolving door: Sarah Shulman [has been tapped]( to be the director of corporate communications at Buchwald, launching the agency’s communications arm... A3 Artists Agency is[launching a literary division]( with the hire of former Paradigm Talent Agency execs Andy Patman and Adam Kanter... Obituaries: Country music firebrand and fiddler [Charlie Daniels](, who had a hit with "Devil Went Down to Georgia," has died at age 83...[Jeff Rose](, a publicist with Screen Gems and Paramount Television in the 1960s, died Thursday of natural causes at his home in West Hollywood, his family announced. He was 88... [Mickey Diage](, the longtime Capitol Records executive whose career in advertising and merchandising spanned four decades at the label, from The Beatles to Radiohead, has died. She was 82... In other news... --The Hollywood Reporter [scored 50 nominations]( for the 62nd Southern California Journalism Awards, including best website, print journalist of the year for Gary Baum and best columnist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. --Halle Berry [has pulled out]( of the running to play a transgender character in an upcoming untitled film following a social media backlash. --Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and chief product officer Chris Cox are [set to meet the leaders]( of three civil rights groups that are behind the ad boycott of the company and its subsidiary Instagram on Tuesday. --A large portion of the Walt Disney World Resort [will partially reopen]( this weekend even as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida continues to rise, the company confirmed to THR. --An oral history of NBC's The Office, to be hosted by one of the show's stars Brian Baumgartner, [will stream on Spotify](. --Palm Springs: Cristin Milioti [on her Groundhog Day-esque film]( and sparring with Andy Samberg. --Comcast-owned pay TV giant Sky has [taken full ownership]( of Love Productions, the production banner behind hit show The Great British Bake Off.‎ Sky had owned a 70 percent stake in the company since 2014. Love mentioned in a regulatory filing that Sky acquired the remaining stake in late February. Financial details weren't disclosed. --The British Independent Film Awards is [aiming to provide a supportive leg-up]( to emerging filmmakers hoping to keep the momentum going beyond their debut feature. What else we're reading... --"The remaking of Comedy Central" [[Vulture](] --"Microsoft expresses interest in acquiring Warner game unit" [[The Information](] --"Sports media's race reckoning" [[Axios](] --"How Starship Troopers aligns with our moment of American defeat" [[The New Yorker](] Today's birthdays: Ringo Starr, 80, Michelle Kwan, 40, Shelley Duvall, 71, Lisa Leslie, 48, Alesso, 29. [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. JULY 07, 2020 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](