Mo'Nique on Her Comeback Special, Lee Daniels and Suing Netflix; Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot; Media Execs Eye AI Boost; 'Scream VI' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( March 08, 2023 What's news: It's magazine day! This week's Oscars package features a candid conversation with Mo'Nique. Jon Bernthal will return as the Punisher. Ted Danson is reuniting with The Good Place creator Mike Schur at Netflix. WGA members are aligned with leadership's priorities. Barry is wrapping things up with season four. — [Ryan Gajewski]( Mo'Nique Makes Peace (Mostly) ►"It's a new chapter." With her upcoming Netflix special and a number of acting gigs, Mo'Nique's career is thriving again after a fallow period. The performer, who won an Oscar for 2009's Precious, talks to THR's [Seth Abramovitch]( about her 13-year feud with Lee Daniels, her tense showdown with Oprah Winfrey, resolving her lawsuit against Netflix — and why she's finally ready to forgive and forget. [The story.]( —The writers have spoken. The Writers Guild of America's members are supporting their union's objectives for the 2023 round of contract negotiations. In a vote over the union's "pattern of demands" this year — a list of general priorities leaders would like to address in its negotiations with studios and streamers — 98.4 percent of the union was in favor, with 5,643 members voting in total. These figures represent an uptick in member engagement and approval of priorities compared with the 2020 round of negotiations. [The story.]( —A vigilante's work is never done. THR's [Borys Kit]( and [Aaron Couch]( report that Jon Bernthal will reprise Frank Castle, aka antihero the Punisher, in Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again for Disney+. Bernthal joins Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio in the series, which begins shooting in New York this month. In a departure from other Marvel shows, Born Again is planned as a whopping 18-episode epic. [The story.]( —"This is a dream come true for Elvis." Nearly two months after the sudden death of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley made her first public appearance for a special screening and conversation around her new Netflix series, Agent Elvis. Presley, who co-created and voices herself in the adult animated comedy, took part in a Q&A alongside other members of the show's team. [The story.]( Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot ►Top Gun script "probably the weakest," Riseborough nom "Mafia-ish." THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg is back with his annual frank confessions of an Oscar voter. A member of the Academy's short films and feature animation branch, granted anonymity to speak freely, shares which films earned his precious vote (and why). [The story.]( —Giddy-up! With Paramount Network's Yellowstone franchise continuing to set ratings records and expand with more star-studded spinoffs, the ranch drama's success has prompted others to head out West. As THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( reports, multiple sources say execs at linear networks and streaming services have put out the word that they're all looking to cash in on the success of the Kevin Costner-starring series. [The story.]( —"Nobody else in town is positioned to pivot like this." With Creed III, MGM's movie studio has delivered its first knockout punch at the box office since being absorbed by Amazon Studios, creating a unique situation whereby a streamer is now flexing its muscle in the same theatrical ring that streamers have been accused of trying to harm. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( reports on the new clarity about what MGM's film operation will look like in the Amazon era amid the successful boxing picture's launch. [The story.]( —"Maybe one day she’ll come back." Ghostface hit the Big Apple as the cast and creatives behind Scream VI unveiled their latest entry in the iconic franchise at the New York premiere. THR's [Kirsten Chuba]( spoke with members of the film's team, including Courteney Cox and executive producer Kevin Williamson, about the "bloodier" installment and the absence of mainstay Neve Campbell. [The story.]( Predicting the Oscar Winners Using Just Math ►Adding up to a big night for Everything Everywhere? [Ben Zauzmer]( provides his annual Academy Award predictions for THR using the mathematical model that led him to correctly pick 19 of the 20 categories for the 2022 ceremony. According to the numbers, Everything Everywhere All at Once has a 2-in-3 chance to claim best picture on Sunday. [The predictions.]( —"The story has come to its natural conclusion." First Succession and now Barry. The upcoming fourth season of HBO's Bill Hader comedy series Barry will be its last, the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed cabler announced. A teaser has been released for the final season that consists of eight episodes and debuts April 16. [The story.]( —More product, please. In reporting fourth-quarter earnings, the top movie theater chains all posted revenue that fell short of even the comparable quarter in 2021, when the industry was in the thick of the pandemic. THR's [Etan Vlessing]( writes that after a dismal earnings season, exhibitors hope studios can ship them 100-plus features (and some streaming titles too) to help keep this year from becoming a bust. [The story.]( —"Important to have a continuity of people who were there from the beginning." THR's [Brian Davids]( interviews The Mandalorian executive producer Rick Famuyiwa about the latest season. The Dope filmmaker discusses his unlikely path to the Star Wars universe and the chances of Grogu ending up on the big screen. [The interview.]( Want to Impress Wall Street? Just Add AI ►Still firmly in the gimmick phase. As media executives look to pop the stock of flagging publicly traded companies, tech advances are becoming the new go-to for wowing (even temporarily) the investing class. THR's [Alex Weprin]( reports that Wall Street is still very bullish on AI in the long term, and while the potential for entertainment companies is obvious, today's offerings underscore just how hollow the hype really is. [The analysis.]( —Cheers to this reunion. Netflix is getting into the Mike Schur business. The creator of The Good Place is reuniting with star Ted Danson for a scripted comedy series based on the 2021 Oscar-nominated best documentary feature The Mole Agent. The series, which was shopped to streamers earlier this year, has landed at Netflix with an eight-episode straight-to-series order. [The story.]( —"Harley is a real woman in this." Even as Spotify gets more selective about its big-swing originals, the company — like the rest of Hollywood — is leaning into franchises, and DC Comics' Harley Quinn fits the bill. THR's [J. Clara Chan]( chats with the team behind audio show Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind, including voice stars Christina Ricci, Billy Magnussen and Justin Hartley. [The story.]( Film Review: 'Scream VI' ►"Delivers exactly what the fans expect." THR's Frank Scheck reviews co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Scream VI. The horror franchise's latest installment features Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox and newbie Dermot Mulroney. [The review.]( —"Strikes exactly the right tone." Frank also reviews Bobby Farrelly's sports comedy Champions. The film stars Woody Harrelson as a down-on-his-luck coach who takes charge of a team of young players with intellectual disabilities. [The review.]( —2023 Podcast Academy Awards. Chameleon: Wild Boys wins podcast of the year at the Ambie Awards ceremony hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore in Las Vegas. Bone Valley and Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez both received two prizes. [The winners.]( In other news... —Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield and Halle Bailey among [newly announced 2023 Oscar presenters]( —Anthony Anderson back at ABC [in Public Defenders comedy]( —James Van Der Beek in talks to join Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann [in eOne comedy Rock the Boat]( —Why Jenna Ortega says she [became "unprofessional" on the set of Netflix's Wednesday]( —Jeremy Renner's Rennervations [sets April release at Disney+]( —TikTok under fire from [bill backed by White House]( What else we're reading... —Nate Jones picks this year's Oscar villains [[Vulture]( —Benjamin Lee explores why the B-movie has become big business for Hollywood while serious dramas underperform [[Guardian]( —Allegra Frank looks back fondly on a favorite Oscar moment: Three 6 Mafia's historic win for original song [[Daily Beast]( —Glenn Whipp and Justin Chang debate the 2003 Oscar winners they would have chosen, including a best picture replacement for Chicago [[LAT]( —Alex Abad-Santos explains why the Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal makes for must-see, train wreck television [[Vox]( Today... ...in 1996, the Coen brothers unleashed Fargo in limited theaters. The film went on to earn seven nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, claiming honors for actress Frances McDormand and best original screenplay. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Freddie Prinze Jr. (47), Boris Kodjoe (50), Aidan Quinn (64), Camryn Manheim (62), Kit Connor (19), James Van Der Beek (46), Jessica Ann Collins (40), Leon Robinson (61), Andrea Parker (53), Lester Holt (64), Devon Werkheiser (32), Montana Jordan (20), Micky Dolenz (78) Ed Fury, the Muscle Beach bodybuilder who starred as the mighty warrior Ursus in three Italian “sword and sandal” epics, has died. He was 94. [The obituary.]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](mailto:tips@thr.com?subject=). 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. 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