HFPA Reforms "Sorely Lacking"; Fox Schedule Takes Shape; Why AMC Is Embracing Memestock status

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( May 08, 2021 What's news: Netflix and Amazon say they won't work with HFPA as Time's Up and publicists group say reforms don't go far enough, Fox's new lineup begins to take shape, why AMC Theatres is embracing "memestock" status. Plus: Faces of Death getting 21st century makeover, Robinhood vs. Ice Cube update. --Alex Weprin HFPA Reforms 'Sorely Lacking' ►Floodgates open on the HFPA: The Time’s Up organization and a coalition of more than 100 PR firms released separate letters on Friday afternoon indicating that they are not satisfied with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association plans to address demographic and ethics problems that came to light in a Feb. 21 Los Angeles Times exposé — reforms that were recommended by the HFPA’s board on Monday, and authorized by its membership earlier on Thursday — leaving the future of the Golden Globe Awards in limbo. --“Sadly, the list of ‘reforms’ adopted yesterday, and endorsed by NBCUniversal and Dick Clark Productions, are sorely lacking and hardly transformational," said Tina Tchen, president and CEO of Time’s Up. "Instead, these measures ensure that the current membership of the HFPA will remain in the majority and that the next Golden Globe Awards will be decided with the same fundamental problems that have existed for years. --“We have specific concerns about the timeline for change as the traditional 2022 awards calendar approaches, lest we face another Golden Globes awards cycle and show under the existing problematic HFPA structure," the PR firms wrote in their statement. [The story](. +Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sent a letter to the organization saying that the streaming service is “stopping any activities” with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Globes, “until more meaningful changes are made.” [The story](. +Amazon too: “We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said in a statement on Friday night. [More](. +And: Mark Ruffalo, who won a Golden Globe earlier this year for his performance in the limited series I Know This Much Is True, has become the first Hollywood A-lister to distance himself from the HFPA. [More](. +HFPA president Ali Sar responded to Sarandos in a letter of his own, writing: "We hear your concerns about the changes our association needs to make and want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them. We can assure you that our plan reflects input from our supporters and critics alike, and we truly believe that our plan will drive meaningful reform and inclusion within our Association and in a way that the entire industry can be proud of." [The story](. Fox Lineup Takes Shape ►Fox continues to bolster its 2021-22 schedule. The network has handed out a series order to The Cleaning Lady, a mob drama starring Elodie Young that is based on an Argentine series. Originally developed and ordered to pilot last season and stalled by the pandemic, the broadcast network extended the options on the cast and filmed the drama in February after production resumed. [The story](. +Also: Hours after the network ordered The Cleaning Lady, the Charlie Collier-led broadcaster handed out a series pickup to Monarch, a country music drama that has been in the works since September 2019. Created by relative newcomer Melissa London Hilfers and showrun by Michael Rauch (Royal Pains, Instinct), Monarch is also Fox’s first fully owned live-action scripted original series that is fully owned by the independent network. [The story](. In other TV news... +Sarah Drew on helping Grey’s Anatomy say farewell to Jesse Williams (and April). The actress, who was last seen on the ABC medical drama in season 14, tells Lesley Goldberg she is ready to do a spinoff following the fan-favorite couple. [The interview](. +The Handmaid’s Tale star unpacks “traumatizing” abortion-themed episode. Madeline Brewer and showrunner Bruce Miller speak to Jackie Strause about how the pandemic impacted some of their plans and why they are proud of the powerful story told in season four. [The interview](. Why AMC Is Embracing Memestock Status ►Reddit “WallStreetBets” traders go wild after AMC Theatres CEO embraces their ownership. Adam Aron bets that online enthusiasm will help keep the exhibition giant afloat until the pandemic wanes. “Just go on Twitter, just go on Reddit, just go on YouTube, read what these people write. They love AMC.” --“[Aron] is totally onboard, convince me otherwise,” wrote user Nruggia. “This dude is so smooth with the subliminals. Gotta love it lol,” added yazooguy1. --“These individual investors likely own a majority of our shares, they own AMC. We work for them. I work for them,” Aron said on the call of the “more than 3 million” individual investors that own AMC shares. “By definition, their interests and passions are important to AMC, their ambitions and passions are important to me.” [The story](. ►Faces of Death, a faux documentary that became a grizzly cult hit in the VHS era, is getting a 21st century makeover. Legendary Entertainment, currently basking in the box office glow of hit Godzilla vs. Kong, has picked up the rights to the title with the goal of launching a new horror franchise. Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber, the team behind the 2018 psychological thriller Cam, will write and direct, respectively. [The story](. ►Daily Mail is telling a New York federal judge not to give Mike Lindell a chance to amend his defamation suit over a story that claimed the MyPillow CEO secretly dated actress Jane Krakowski. Lindell in January sued the outlet after it reported that he dated the 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star for several months and showered her with gifts, including fancy booze. --Daily Mail moved to dismiss the matter on April 12, but Lindell has since asked to amend his complaint. In a May 6 letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty, the outlet’s lawyer Kelli Sager argues it would be futile to allow it. [The story](. +Is Robinhood about to get wrecked after (mis)quoting Ice Cube? Facing a lawsuit from the rapper/actor, the stock trading app says it has every right to comically parody a ubiquitous phrase first used in a song three decades ago, Eriq Gardner writes. [The story](. In other news... --Tyler Perry is [rounding out the cast]( of his new Netflix film A Jazzman’s Blues. Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young and Ryan Eggold have boarded the movie. --As India faces one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world, more celebrities [are stepping up]( to use their platforms to raise funds and drive relief efforts. --J Balvin may not yet be able to tour amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop him [from taking over a Los Angeles stadium]( on Thursday night. Balvin-centered documentary The Boy From Medellin premiered at the Rose Bowl just before its Friday release, marking another step forward for pandemic-safe in-person events. --Night of Covenant House Stars is [filling up with more stars](. Jon Hamm, Morgan Freeman, Jon Bon Jovi, Desus Nice and the Kid Mero, Ben Platt, Zach Braff, Chita Rivera, Marlon Wayans, Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Dionne Warwick, Tony Shalhoub, Amanda Kloots, Ana Villafañe, Denée Benton, Jeremy Jordan, Alex Newell, Stephanie J. Block, Laura Osnes and Jason Ralph have joined the lineup for the May 17 event. --WME [has signed]( director, writer and actor Sujata Day for representation in all areas. What else we're reading... --"What is an entertainment company in 2021 and why does the answer matter?" [[Matthew Ball]( --"The 'reopening story' Ari Emanuel is telling Wall Street may get old fast" [[Vanity Fair]( --"Stirring buzz and backlash, Elon Musk promises to behave when he hosts SNL" [[LA Times]( --"In defense of Netflix's 'figure it out' approach to world building" [[The Ringer]( Today's birthdays: David Attenborough, 95, Enrique Iglesias, 46, Alex Van Halen, 68, Martha Wainwright, 45, Bill de Blasio, 60. This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. Please add email@email.hollywoodreporter.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 11175 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 [View in Browser]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Your Privacy Rights]( | [Ad Choices]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Unsubscribe](