Disney Restores Same-Gender 'Lightyear' Kiss; U2 Scripted Series in the Works at Netflix; Christopher Lloyd Joins 'Mandalorian'; Rachel Brosnahan Unpacks 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Finale

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( March 19, 2022 What's news: Disney backtracks on Lightyear same-gender kiss. Amazon-MGM has an interim exec management structure. True Detective S4 is inching closer to reality. 4 big names have signed up for Hacks S2. AARP named the winners for its Grownup Awards. Plus: Netflix and Bad Robot are planning a scripted series based on Irish rockers U2 — [Abid Rahman]( Disney Restores Same-Gender 'Lightyear' Kiss Following Backlash ►Huzzah! Disney’s Lightyear will feature the company’s first-ever same-gender feature animation kiss. The kiss is between prominent characters Alicia Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, and another currently unidentified female character. THR's [Abbey White]( writes that the characters’ relationship was always in the film, but during the creative process, conversations around intimacy were had and the kiss was removed. Following the internal backlash around Disney’s previous public silence on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the decision was made last week to add the kiss back in. [The story.]( —Clearly not masters of disguise. The suspected robbers behind the heist of over $300,000 worth of equipment from the set of Netflix's Lupin have been arrested. According to local reports, the arrests were made outside of Paris and included seven individuals between the ages of 13 and 21. On Feb. 25, the Lupin set had been held up when about 20 thieves with covered faces and throwing fireworks. [The story.]( —Inching back to normalcy. California is lifting all vaccine verification and testing requirements for indoor mega-events effective April 1. That means for gatherings of 1,000 or more — concerts, sporting events, award shows, conferences, conventions and the like — guests no longer need to prove they have received vaccines or boosters or submit negative COVID-19 test results prior to admittance. [The story.]( —Interim structure takes shape. Following the official rubber stamp of Amazon's takeover of MGM, a company town hall was held Friday at the tech company's Culver City lot, where staffers were told that MGM’s COO Christopher Brearton, film chair Michael De Luca and TV chair Mark Burnett would now report to Amazon Studios senior vp Mike Hopkins. [The story.]( —Slow and steady comeback. Norway’s The Worst Person in the World crossed the $2.7 million mark at the U.S. box office in advance of the Oscars on March 27, where it will compete for best international feature. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( writes that while that may not seem like an eye-popping gross, it is in fact a major win for the revival of the art house box office. And it’s the most that any of the competing for the international feature Oscar have earned to date in the U.S. (or globally). [The story.]( —Huge Thirty Seconds to Mars fans. Belfast was named best picture by the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards during a virtual event celebration broadcast on PBS. Four-time nominee King Richard earned two awards for stars Will Smith (best actor) and Aunjanue Ellis (best supporting actress). Being the Ricardos‘ Nicole Kidman won best actress, and House of Gucci‘s Jared Leto won best supporting actor. [The winners list.]( U2 Scripted Series From J.J. Abrams in the Works at Netflix ►Sweetest thing. THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( and [Borys Kit]( have the huge scoop on Netflix and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions teaming up to develop a scripted series about legendary Irish rock band U2. The untitled show, which is currently in the early development stages, will be penned by Anthony McCarten, the Oscar-nominated scribe behind Bohemian Rhapsody. Details of U2’s involvement are being kept under wraps, though sources say the band is expected to be involved and sanction the project. [The story.]( —Great Scott! Big Borys is back with another scoop, this time with THR's nicest man [Aaron Couch]( and they reveal that Christopher Lloyd is joining The Mandalorian. The Disney+ Star Wars show is currently filming its third season in Southern California, and Lloyd's character details are being kept secret, but it has been described as guest-starring in nature. [The story.]( —👀*Picture of bug-eyed Rust Cohle smoking*👀 True Detective is inching closer to a formal comeback at HBO, but without creator Nic Pizzolatto at the helm. HBO has recruited Issa Lopez to pen a script for a new cycle that has been dubbed True Detective: Night Country. Additionally, Barry Jenkins is attached to exec produce the anthology. Should season four move forward — it’s currently in development — Lopez would direct the pilot in addition to serving as an exec producer. [The story.]( —Now with added hacks. HBO Max's Hacks is adding a quartet of acclaimed actors for its second season. The Emmy-winning comedy has cast Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, and Ming-Na Wen as recurring guest stars in the new season, plus Margaret Cho as a guest star. No return date is yet set, but the new season of Hacks is expected sometime in 2022. [The story.]( —Che figo! The next season of HBO’s The White Lotus has cast key local Italian actors Sabrina Impacciatore, Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco. The show, which moves from Hawaii to Sicily for its next stand-alone season, will see Impacciatore play Valentina, the manager of the resort with Grannó and Tabasco play Mia and Lucia, two local Sicilian girls who hang around the hotel. [The story.]( Bron Champions Films "Fiercely Interested in the Human Experience" ►"I’ve never heard a bad thing said about Aaron and Brenda. That doesn’t exist in Hollywood." THR's International Producers of the Year are Aaron and Brenda Gilbert of Canada's Bron Studios. The couple founded Bron in 2010, and it has quickly grown to one of the industry’s most prestigious go-to financing and production houses, providing more than $1 billion in production financing, amassing more than 30 Oscar nominations and six wins. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( spoke to the Gilberts on embracing risky midbudget fare (Licorice Pizza, Respect ) and going the distance with loyal partners from Charlize Theron to Nate Parker. [The profile.]( —"I don’t believe there are any shortcuts." THR's [Tyler Coates]( spoke to Mary Parent, ahead of her receiving the coveted David O. Selznick Achievement Award, at the PGA Awards on March 19. The producer, who earned her second Oscar nomination for best picture with Dune, reflects on her career and her journey to the top of the industry. [The interview.]( —"People always talk about how many shows I have on the air." Also picking up a prize at the upcoming PGA Awards is Greg Berlanti. The prolific TV producer, who will receive the prestigious Norman Lear Achievement Award, spoke to THR's Pamela McClintock about his incoming boss at WarnerMedia, the ubiquity of superheroes and shares why the 2011 Green Lantern movie was heartbreaking but “led to wonderful things on the TV side." [The interview.]( —Taylor's version. If you're wondering how many shows uber producer Taylor Sheridan has on the go at Paramount+ at the moment, well you can stop wondering as THR's [James Hibberd]( has rather handily put them all in one place with descriptions and all. And, yeah it's a lot and there's more than just Yellowstone and the Dutton-verse. [The story.]( Rachel Brosnahan Unpacks 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Finale ►"I appreciate this portrait of an incredibly flawed woman chasing her ambition as hard as she knows how." With season four of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel coming to an end, THR's [Christy Piña]( spoke to star Rachel Brosnahan about Midge’s “outright fury” and her future with Lenny Bruce, as well as other surprising finale reveals. Brosnahan also talks Amazon comedy's fifth and final season. Warning spoilers. [The interview.]( —"Penis montage." THR's Sydney Odman spoke to Ophelia Lovibond star of HBO Max's new 70s-set comedy Minx, about a young feminist's attempts to create the first erotic magazine designed for women. The Brit actress shares how the show navigated full-frontal scenes, along with the use of prosthetic penises on-set: "It feels real and it should feel real." [The interview.]( In other news... —Travis Barker, Sheila E, DJ D-Nice [to perform at Oscars]( —Bill Cosby accuser [Judy Huth moves for judge to decide her case over jury]( —WeCrashed team [on the couple behind WeWork, Jared Leto’s immersive acting style]( —Secret Identity brings [world of 1970s comics back to life]( —Odenkirk Provissiero ups [Tiffany Schloesser to partner]( —International Documentary Association [staffers file for union election]( —Hand of God helmer [Paolo Sorrentino among honorees set for LA-Italia Awards]( —Dune VFX supervisors [Tristan Myles and Paul Lambert detail an award-winning sequence in epic]( —Zach Braff on Cheaper by the Dozen reboot, [getting buff and working with “phenomenon” Florence Pugh]( —Rammstein singer, Matrix producer [sign pro-Russian, anti-war petition]( What else we're reading... —Allegra Gucci, daughter of Patrizia Reggiani and the late Maurizio Gucci, finally breaks her silence and gives her thoughts on her mother, and House of Gucci [[VF]( —Story on why stand-up comedy is doing really well while music touring continues to struggle [[Bloomberg]( —Alison Herman on the new and subdued Amy Schumer [[Ringer]( —Oliver Basciano writes about "artwashing" and wonders whether museums and galleries can wean themselves off Russian oligarch loot [[Guardian]( —Great interview with Bridgerton and Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan [[NYT]( Today... Today's birthdays: Glenn Close (75), [Bruce Willis]( (67), Rachel Blanchard (46), Caylee Cowan (24), Ursula Andress (86), Jorma Taccone (45), Nicholas Stoller (46), Craig Lamar Traylor (33), Neil LaBute (59), Vida Guerra (48), Amanda Kloots (40), Simon Yam (67), Rae-won Kim (41) Robert Vincent O’Neil, who co-wrote and directed Angel, the cult 1983 film about a “high school honor student by day … Hollywood hooker by night” that spawned a low-budget franchise, has died. He was 91. [The obituary.]( 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 © 2022 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. 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