'Lego Batman' to Spank 'Fifty Shades'; Viacom's Makeover; Oscar Party Scrapped; YouTube's Gay Sex Problem

What's news: It's the end of an era as Bob Costas will no longer be NBC's primetime Olympic host. Plus: Viacom begins to remake itself, the Berlin Film Fest begins (with the 10-person THR team braving the cold), and why a Fifty Shades Darker preview audience was "openly laughing." Ouch. — Matthew Belloni, Erik Hayden and Jennifer Konerman. [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( February 09, 2017 What's news: It's the end of an era as Bob Costas will no longer be NBC's primetime Olympic host. Plus: Viacom begins to remake itself, the Berlin Film Fest begins (with the 10-person THR team braving the cold), and why a Fifty Shades Darker preview audience was "openly laughing." Ouch. — Matthew Belloni, Erik Hayden and Jennifer Konerman. Box Office: Sequel Showdown Holy sweetheart, Batman! The Lego Batman Movie is widely expected to rule the pre-Valentine's Day box office, Pamela McClintock writes in the [weekend forecast:]( Tracking suggests Lego Batman will take in north of $60M for Warner Bros. Animation and producer Dan Lin. More bullish box-office observers believe the spin-off will even approach or clear $70M, considering The Lego Movie debuted to $69.1M over the Feb. 7-9 weekend in 2014. The forecast for Universal's Fifty Shades Darker isn't as rosy, at least in comparison to the record-breaking $85M bow of Fifty Shades of Grey over the three-day Valentine's Day/Presidents Day weekend in 2014. Projections show the follow-up earning $30M-$40M in its U.S. bow. The weekend's third new nationwide entry is Lionsgate's John Wick: Chapter 2, a male-fueled action film starring Keanu Reeves, which will debut as high as $20M. ► Shades review embargo lifts. Critic Frank Scheck writes: The roteness of their bulge-flexing intimacies is such that when, near the film's end, the movie showed off Mr. Dornan's physique in a gym scene, women at Wednesday's preview screening [were openly laughing]( at the contrivance. Meanwhile, in Berlin... ► It's back! The daily print festival newspaper. The THR team of reporters, editors and photographers is in Berlin for the fest kickoff and have put together a 72-page primer for dealmakers. [It can be downloaded here.]( ► Berlin market preview. The increase in deep-pocketed buyers eyeing finished films is seen putting more pressure on distributors [to buy early](, at the development or script stage. ► Sharon Stone's birthday pic lands international sales. A Little Something for Your Birthday, the romantic comedy starring Stone, Tony Goldwyn and Ellen Burstyn, has landed a [raft of deals]( ahead of the European Film Market in Berlin. ► Napoleon Dynamite producer unveils heist Carter & June. Raymond-James, Samaire Armstrong, and Timothy Omundson are teaming for an upcoming [heist comedy]( being produced by Sean Covel. The film is being written and directed by Nicholas Kalikow. ► Buyers fall for German rom-com My Blind Date With Life. The feature, from director Marc Rothemund, [has sold]( to some 37 territories. Based on a true story, Blind Date follows a visually impaired man who manages to bluff his way into a career at one of Munich's finest hotels. [^Berlin First Look](: That's Elle Fanning as gothic literary icon Mary Shelley in the upcoming biopic of the Frankenstein author. Elsewhere in film... ► Kerry Washington to star in, produce The Perfect Mother. Tri-Star has picked up the rights to the debut novel of Aimee Molloy, with the Scandal actress [attached to star]( and produce. Amy Pascal will also produce with her partner Rachel O’Connor. ► Jacob Tremblay joins star-studded Death and Life of John F. Donovan. The Room actor [will star]( in the new drama from Xavier Dolan alongside Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates. The movie is already shooting in Montreal. ► Star Wars spoof in the works from Scary Movie team. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer [will write and direct](Star Worlds Episode XXXIVE=MC2: The Force Awakens The Last Jedi Who Went Rogue, which is eyeing a Fall 2017 shoot. ► Arrival producers plot "World War Z with vampires." After a small bidding war, Fox has [picked up]( the rights to the novel A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond Villareal. Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps will produce the adaptation. In THR, Esq: Dueling Sully lawsuits move toward trial ... Beyonce is sued over "Formation" samples ... Time Warner moves to dismiss a discrimination suit. [Full docket.]( Viacom's Turnaround Plan This morning, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish unveiled a long awaited plan for its turnaround, [in five points:]( THE PLAN 1) Put the full power of Viacom behind six flagship brands: BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Paramount 2) Revitalize and elevate approach to content and talent 3) Deepen partnerships to drive traditional revenue 4) Make big moves in the digital world and physical world 5) Continue to optimize and energize the organization. CONTEXT Kim Masters writes: To execute its strategy, Viacom will want Paramount to ramp up its film output. At the same time, there are [clear concerns]( about the studio’s performance. It finished 2016 in last place among the majors in market share. And the situation with respect to Paramount chief Brad Grey has been tense for months. A Viacom regulatory filing last August suggested that Grey, who has run Paramount since 2005, could be asked to give up some of the autonomy he had enjoyed. SIDE NOTE Yesterday, Grey was meeting a delegation from Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media, which have agreed to invest up to $1 billion in Paramount's upcoming slate. The Chinese executives are touring the grounds and having lunch at the commissary. Huahua CEO Wang Kefei's favorite wine, Opus One, is being served. Elsewhere in TV... ↱ [HBO's Girls season 6, reviewed.]( These might be the last episodes (premiering Sunday), but Lena Dunham's HBO comedy still has things to say and boundaries to push. The takeaway: "A strong beginning to the end." ↲ ► NBC shakes up primetime Olympics coverage. [Mike Tirico is replacing Bob Costas]( as primetime host. The former ESPN host will take over starting with the 2018 Winter Games. Costas has served as the primetime host for a U.S. TV record of 11 games. ► Spike TV to rebrand as Paramount Network. Lesley Goldberg [broke the news]( that Viacom's male-focused cable network will be rebranded, with changes coming as early as 2018. Kevin Kay is expected to remain at the top of the network. ► Netflix renews Love, The OA. The streamer has renewed the Gillian Jacobs-Paul Rust comedy ahead of [Love's]( March 10 season-two return, and [The OA](, the Brit Marling starrer, for a second season, while also giving a first look of its upcoming Anne of Green Gables adaptation. [Watch here](. ► HBO gives series order to family drama Succession. From scribe Jesse Armstrong, [the show stars]( Brian Cox as the head of a rich and dysfunctional family-run media empire. The drama will get a 10-episode freshman season. [^Office visit:]( Fox casting exec talks impact of Trump's Muslim ban. "I've been here 16 years and I've never not gotten a work visa when I've needed it," says Sharon Klein as she also discusses TV's diversity push, competing with Netflix. ► Out of Africa series adaptation in the works. Harry Potter producer David Heyman [is developing]( the adaptation of Karen Blixen's memoir. Susanne Bier would helm the series, which hails from NBC International Studios. ► Amazon enlists Nicolas Winding Refn for crime series. The streamer has [handed out]( a straight-to-series order to Too Old To Die Young, a 10-episode crime series from the Drive director. Refn will helm the project and also write the script alongside Ed Brubaker. ► Kate McKinnon boards Netflix's Magic School Bus reboot. The SNL star [will voice]( Ms. Frizzle in the upcoming reboot, entitled Magic School Bus Rides Again, a modernized version of the series with an inventive high-tech bus. ► Network moves: Rita Ferro [was named]( Disney-ABC ad sales president, while Laura Nathanson, Debra O’Connell and Debbie Richman were elevated at the network. Also, MTV executive vp Mina Lefevre [is leaving]( the network for a new position as head of development at Facebook. ↱ [YouTube pulls controversial music video featuring hardcore gay sex]( ... but not until it racked up 700,000 views. Out Australian singer Brendan Maclean claims that his NSFW music video was born out of a desire to celebrate gay history, defending it as art. ↲ Big agency news day: [UTA scrapped]( its Oscar party, instead planning a pro-immigration rally and donating $250,000 to the ACLU. [Over at WME-IMG](, co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell revealed a plan to form a political action committee, ... [ICM Partners]( acquired broadcast news agency Headline Media Management. New Magic-Themed L.A. Club Gary Baum profiles the new club Black Rabbit Rose from Mark and Jonnie Houston, whose fans include Steven Soderbergh and Joaquin Phoenix. It's a new-school twist on Hollywood's famed Magic Castle. [First look.]( What else we're reading... — "Bannon Wanted Gibson for Nazi Movie." Asawin Suebsaeng reads the script for the unmade film: "In 11 pages, the cautionary tale about arrogant scientists tampering with divine design covers Eden, Hitler, mutants, immortality." [[The Daily Beast](] — "Making Art in a Time of Rage." Critic Alex Ross writes: "What is the point of making beautiful things, or of cherishing the beauty of the past, when ugliness runs rampant?" [[The New Yorker](] — "Fans Flock to Secret Home Concerts." Hannah Karp writes: "Grammy nominees Leon Bridges, Fantastic Negrito and Saba have all performed in private homes or other venues through Sofar Sounds." [[The Wall Street Journal](] — "Hollywood Illustrators Are Standing Up to Trump." Gwynedd Stuart reports: "illustrators from studios including Disney, Sony, Nickelodeon and DreamWorks have gotten together to collaborate on the picture book Not My President." [[LA Weekly](] — "Should You Go to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?" Jack Shafer's column: "What does not kill the WHCD will only make it live a little longer. So go ahead and dump on its attendees. Experienced pressies have become accustomed to abuse." [[Politico](] — "What Would You Say on the Oscar Stage?" Cara Buckley asks filmmakers: "Given the uproar over refugee issues fueled by the controversial ban, what would your message be if you found yourself on the Oscar stage?" [[The New York Times](] Today's Birthdays: Michael B. Jordan, 30, Tom Hiddleston, 36, Charlie Day, 41, Rawson Marshall Thurber, 42, Mia Farrow, 72, Joe Pesci, 74, Carole King, 75. Follow The News Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2017 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( February 9, 2017