Jason Kilar's Future at WarnerMedia; 'Hacks' Renewed at HBO Max; 'Lupin Part 2' and 'Loki' Reviews

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( June 09, 2021 What's news: It's magazine day! Zola filmmakers Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris, and this week's cover stars, reveal how they turned a viral tweet thread into a buzzy indie film. Plus: Jason Kilar's rather awkward limbo at WarnerMedia — Abid Rahman "By Tweet 15, I Was There" ►[On the cover.]( Zola director Janicza Bravo and writer Jeremy O. Harris on their journey to turn a stripper’s wild Twitter thread into an absurdist thriller. —Six years after a dancer named Zola posted a viral road-trip tale on Twitter that the internet dubbed #TheStory, Bravo and Harris finally get to release a buzzy adaptation that survived the pandemic, James Franco and plenty of male nudists, writes Mia Galuppo. —Zola, which cost less than $5 million and stars Taylour Paige as Aziah "Zola" King and Riley Keough as Stefani, carries the expectation of being the first feature based on a Twitter thread, a test case of what, in today’s IP-ravenous Hollywood, is viable fodder for onscreen storytelling: "I’ve heard people say with a tone that I find diminishing, 'Isn’t that that Twitter story?'" —The finished film has no female nudity. "It is one of the first films I have ever done where you don’t see my boobs," says Keough, who credits Bravo for crafting a story that allowed her to play "a woman who is dancing and doing sex work and feeling protected in every scene." This was an early decision made by Bravo and Harris, the latter of whom in their first meeting for the project proclaimed: "I want to see dicks in this movie." Quote of the Day "I've had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter" After 19 years, Chris Harrison has officially parted ways with the Bachelor franchise. [The full story.]( Behind Jason Kilar’s Unsettled Future at WarnerMedia ►It's not drama, it's WarnerMedia. Kim Masters looks into the awkward limbo WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar now finds himself in at the company, as well as the reasons why AT&T may keep him, for now. [The story.]( —There's more to discover. THR's Alex Weprin has the fine print behind Kilar's Warnermedia contract, and the provisions may explain why he's sticking around. [The story.]( —Backing Hacks. Staying with HBO Max, the streamer has renewed breakout comedy Hacks for a second season, mere days before the Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder series wraps its freshman run. [The story.]( —CNNPlus, Anyone? CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, facing declining linear TV ratings, are "walking a tightrope" in developing digital while keeping lucrative carriage fees. [The story.]( —A dog whistle for fans. Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves will lend their voices to the animated film DC League of Super-Pets. [The story.]( Crunching the Numbers 16.5 Million NBC's Sunday Night Football claimed the No. 1 spot in total viewers in the live plus seven-day averages for the full 2020-21 TV season, but it also had the largest raw viewer loss at 3.59 million. [The analysis.]( Raiders Turns 40 ►"The whole place is slitherin'!" Karen Allen revisits her iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark character Marion Ravenwood with new in-depth tales about making the classic adventure film. Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Frank Marshall look back on the legacy of the character, "every bit Indiana Jones’ equal," and discuss how only one actress could do her justice in the historic blockbuster. [The story.]( —Don't call it a comeback. Netflix is set to release a sequel to A Madea Homecoming in what will be the 12th installment of the franchise from the prolific creator-producer Tyler Perry. [The story.]( —Support group. Twenty supporting TV actors on their characters, pandemic splurges and what they miss from set life. [The story.]( —Enter Sandman. Netflix has released some behind-the-scenes footage of its adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel The Sandman. [The story.]( Lupin Part Deux ►This time it's personal. Read Dan Fienberg's review of Lupin Part 2 with Omar Sy returning for five more episodes of the Netflix global smash. Expect more heists, more Parisian style and of course revenge in this story of a master criminal inspired by Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin character. [The review.]( —Mischief making. Disney+ gets another injection of Marvel with Loki, the six-part series starring Tom Hiddleston once more as the God of Mischief. [The review.]( In other news... —[Bill Skarsgard is in talks]( for the fourth John Wick film. —Robert De Niro explains why he [dropped out of the lead in Big.]( —Jim Mickle, the co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, [will direct God Country.]( —Anne Hathaway, Tahar Rahim, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Matthew Broderick [have signed on for Rebecca Miller’s romantic comedy]( She Came to Me. —Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios is [developing live-action musical]( fantasy film Soul Superhero. —Amy Thurlow will [step down as president]( of Golden Globe Awards producer Dick Clark Productions. —Kerry Washington, Catherine O’Hara, Lena Waithe and Kelly Clarkson will be [honored at the 46th Annual Gracie Awards.]( —[Girls Inc.’s inaugural film festival]( added Tina Fey, Tracee Ellis Ross, Hoda Kotb, Venus Williams, Richard and Demi Weitz, and Amber Ruffin to its lineup. —Wawa to mark "Mare of Easttown Day" with [new cheesesteak.]( —Longtime drama head Jordan Helman [has been upped]( to oversee scripted content for Hulu. —Kevin Hart comedy Die Hart, formerly a Quibi original, [has been renewed at Roku](. What else we're reading... —"Loki Is a Litmus Test for Marvel TV" [[Vulture]( —"Bill And Melinda Gates’s Epic Divorce Saga Enters Its Next Phase" [[Vanity Fair]( —"I Visited A Former Plantation To Understand Why People Get Married There. All I Saw Was Pain." [[Buzzfeed]( —"Morgan Wallen’s Abrupt Return Is A Reminder Of What Has — And Hasn’t — Changed In Country Music" [[Washington Post]( —"Avast And Furious: Will It Be A Triumphant Return For Master and Commander?" [[The Guardian]( Today... Today's birthdays: Michael J. Fox (60), Natalie Portman (40), Johnny Depp (58), [Mae Whitman]( (33), Eddie Marsan (53), Jackie Mason (90), Aaron Sorkin (60), Gloria Reuben (57), 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. 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