Disney Drops Florida Campus Plan; The CW Execs Say Superhero Shows "Had Their Time"; Ann-Margret Talks Elvis; 'Indiana Jones 5' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( May 19, 2023 What's news: Disney has shuttered its Star Wars-themed Florida hotel. Hulu/Disney+ are set to pull more than 30 shows. WBD chief David Zaslav expects streaming bundle packages to emerge. The CW picks up German sci-fi series The Swarm. — [Abid Rahman]( Disney Drops Plans to Build New Florida Campus ►Big L for Ron. Disney is abandoning plans to build a massive new corporate campus in Lake Nona, Florida. Amid a legal standoff with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, company executives cited "new leadership and changing business conditions" as the reasoning. The $1b project, which would have seen the relocation of about 2,000 Disney workers, was announced under the leadership of then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek in 2021. [The story.]( —Brutal. As expected, Disney is following Warner Bros. Discovery and removing under-performing titles from its streaming services in a bid to write off nearly $2b from its bottom line. Scripted titles set to be removed from Hulu and Disney+ include FX’s Y: The Last Man, Pistol and Little Demon; Disney+'s The Mighty Ducks, Turner & Hooch and Willow; and National Geographic’s The World According to Jeff Goldblum. In all, there are more than 30 shows that will be removed starting next week from the platforms in this first round of reductions. [The story.]( —Decommissioned. On a big day of bad news on Thursday, Disney also decided to shutter its Star Wars-themed Galactic Starcruiser hotel after less than two years. The ultra-ambitious project opened to much fanfare in March 2022 near the Disney World Resort in Orlando. The starship’s final voyage will be in September. [The story.]( The CW: Superhero Shows "Had Their Time" ►Old is gold. The new CW regime outlined their pitch to reinvent the network beyond its former roster of DC superhero shows in an effort to make the now Nexstar-controlled broadcaster profitable by 2025. Brad Schwartz, entertainment president at The CW, and network president Dennis Miller talked press through the fall schedule for the formerly younger-skewing network Thursday, sharing details of how they plan to use foreign acquisitions, unscripted series and LIV Golf to broaden the network to new, older and repeat viewers. [The story.]( —The way forward. As part of its new strategy, The CW announced two series that it’s co-producing for 2024: Joan, starring Sophie Turner as notorious jewel thief Joan Hannington, and The Librarians: The Next Chapter, a spinoff of the 2014-18 TNT series from Dean Devlin. The network also acquired The Swarm, a sci-fi limited series that debuted in Germany in March. [The story.]( —Varying approaches. Four of the five English-language broadcast networks have set their schedules for the start of the 2023-24 TV season. Or, more accurately, they’ve announced schedules: ABC fully acknowledged that the strike might mean an absence of scripted shows in the fall. THR's [Rick Porter]( looks at how each network faced (or ignored) the stoppage in their fall plans. [The analysis.]( —"If we don't do it to ourselves, I think it'll be done to us." Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav offered his vision for CNN going forward, saying the goal is to “show both sides of every issue,” which includes bringing more Republicans on air. Speaking at an investor conference Thursday, Zaslav also touched on the future of streaming, saying he expects greater consolidation that will come from the bundling and marketing of products together. [The story.]( Ann-Margret Talks Elvis, 'Mad Men' and Her 'Flinstones' Alter Ego ►"You can call me Ann-Margret. Or you can call me A.M." THR's [Seth Abramovitch]( spoke to screen legend Anne-Magret, the original mononymous triple threat hijacking pop culture from the moment she burst onto the scene in the early 1960s. Now 82, Ann-Margret is nowhere near retiring — she’s appeared in recent years on The Kominsky Method and Ray Donovan. In a colorful conversation, she discussed everything from Marilyn Monroe to Mad Men. [The interview.]( —"Where are OUR Jay Leno donuts? Where’s MY hug from Mandy Patinkin?" THR's series of frank accounts of the strike continues. The Well-Known Creator returns, and in his latest dispatch, the showrunner of a streaming hit attempts to get inside the head of his studio executive rivals. [The diary.]( —"Augmentation, rather than replacement." With AI no longer a theoretical issue and lawyers looking for ways to protect talent without stifling innovation, THR's [Ashley Cullins]( looks at how actors and SAG-AFTRA could make a deal with the studios on the fast emerging technology. [The analysis.]( —Looking good. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is tracking for a solid domestic debut in the $68m range, according to early data. The film, which opens in the U.S. on June 9, takes audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots, where they’ll be introduced to a whole new faction of Transformers, the Maximals. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( writes that Paramount, Skydance and Hasbro are hoping the film revitalizes the franchise. [The box office report.]( —Coming in hot. Netflix’s The Diplomat soared to the top of Nielsen's streaming charts for its opening week. The drama starring Keri Russell drew 1.3b minutes of viewing in the U.S. for the week of April 17-23. It finished a little bit ahead of Love Is Blind (1.22b minutes) and Disney+'s The Mandalorian (1.01b minutes). [The streaming rankings.]( Harrison Ford in Tears as 'Indy 5' Gets 5-Minute Standing Ovation ►Read THR's day 4 Cannes digital daily [here.]( —"You’ve given my life purpose and meaning." On Thursday night, Cannes hosted the world premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The screening was attended by beloved franchise star Harrison Ford, co-stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Shaunette Renee Wilson and Mads Mikkelsen and director James Mangold. THR's nicest man [Chris Gardner]( reports that after the credits rolled there was a rousing five-minute standing ovation. But there was also a surprise Palme d’Or for Ford who looked on the verge of tears as he accepted the lifetime achievement honor. [The story.]( —"The warmth of this place, and the sense of community." At a press conference on Friday, Ford was asked about the Dial of Destiny premiere and that surprise honor. In jovial spirits, the famously taciturn actor said Thursday night was "indescribable" adding he was touched by the special career tribute the festival had put on for him. [The story.]( —"I fully support the situation with the writers, of course." Sean Penn was unambiguous about where his allegiances lie when asked for his take on the ongoing writers strike during a Cannes press conference for Black Flies. “The industry has been upending the writers and directors for a long time,” the actor said when asked by a journalist to weigh in on the WGA stoppage. [The story.]( —Legend of the Croisette. Ahead of Nanni Moretti's return to Cannes with A Brighter Tomorrow, THR's [Scott Roxborough]( spoke to the Italian auteur about his new film, the self-irony that imbues his work, the festival grind and his devotion to making films for the theater. [The interview.]( More from Cannes... —Cannes hidden gem: [Jason Yu learned from Bong Joon-ho to craft heartfelt horror Sleep]( —Cannes flashback: [Scarlet Johansson scored a Croisette debut with Match Point]( Film Review: 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' ►"Butt-dial." THR's chief film critic [David Rooney]( reviews James Mangold's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Harrison Ford cracks the whip one last time, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen also star in this globe-hopping adventure about the quest for an ancient gadget able to locate fissures in time. [The review.]( —"A thrilling portrait of the art, if not the artist." THR's [Leslie Felperin]( reviews Wim Wenders' Anselm. The film explores the world of German artist Anselm Kiefer in glorious 3D, and represents a companion piece of sorts to Wenders' arthouse hit Pina from 2011. [The review.]( —"A Wiseman-esque window into a world." Leslie reviews Wang Bing's Cannes competition entry Youth (Spring). The three-and-a-half-hour film from the renowned Chinese documentarian embeds with garment workers essentially living in factories. [The review.]( Film Review: 'Black Flies' ►"Has a pulse, but lacks heart." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's Cannes competition entry Black Flies. Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan star in this hard-hitting portrayal of Brooklyn paramedics. [The review.]( —"Works in mysterious ways." Jordan reviews Rodrigo Moreno’s Cannes Un Certain Regard selection The Delinquents. The writer-director's three-hour Argentina-set feature follows two men involved in a bank robbery and the many tales that unfold from their crime. [The review.]( —"Far from Bogart’s Casablanca." Jordan reviews Kamal Lazraq's Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Hounds. The writer-director's first feature follows a father and son trying to dispose of a dead body. [The review.]( —"Beautiful but skin-deep." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews Sean Price Williams' Cannes Directors' Fortnight selection The Sweet East. Talia Ryder, Simon Rex, Jacob Elordi, Jeremy O. Harris and Ayo Edebiri in the filmmaker's directorial debut about a young woman traveling along the northeastern coast of the U.S. [The review.]( —"A quiet stunner." Lovia reviews Molly Manning Walker's Cannes Un Certain Regard selection How to Have Sex. Three friends try to make the most of their summer with a trip to Greece before a devastating turn upends their lives. [The review.]( Thank Pod It's Friday ► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio. —TV's Top 5. THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( and [Dan Fienberg]( break down the latest TV news. This week's episode again focuses on the strike, with Ari Goldman, the senior vp content strategy and scheduling at ABC Entertainment, dropping by to discuss how the stoppage impacted ABC’s fall schedule. There's all the usual segments including a run-through of the headlines and Dan reviews IFC’s SisterS, Apple’s High Desert , Freevee’s Primo and Acorn TV’s Happy Valley. [Listen here.]( —Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to Shonda Rhimes. One of TV’s most trailblazing, talented and prolific storytellers reflects on her path to Shondaland and Grey’s Anatomy, why she cringes at the attention paid to her shows’ racial diversity and what led her to jump from ABC to Netflix and to venture into the world of Bridgerton. [Listen here.]( —It Happened in Hollywood. THR senior writer [Seth Abramovitch]( goes behind the scenes of the pop culture moments that shaped Hollywood history. In this episode Seth spoke to Alex Cox. The Brit filmmaker behind Sid and Nancy, Straight to Hell and Walker discusses his cult 1984 comedy film Repo Man, which starred Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez. [Listen here.]( —Behind the Screen. THR's tech editor [Carolyn Giardina]( podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode Carolyn spoke to John Valerio. The Emmy and Eddie award-winning editor discusses his work on the season two finale of HBO's The White Lotus. [Listen here.]( In other news... —Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney [share memories in 100 Years of Warner Bros. docuseries trailer]( —Riccardo Tisci [signs with UTA]( —Critics Choice Association [sets 2024 awards date]( What else we're reading... —With The Little Mermaid remake featuring a throwback villain in Ursula, Tom Smyth wonders why the baddie disappeared from modern Disney offerings like Encanto and Frozen 2 [[Vox]( —Jessica Toonkel and Sarah Krouse report on ESPN's plan to sell its flagship channel directly to cable cord-cutters as a subscription-streaming service [[WSJ]( —Sarah Bahr talks to Jason Sudeikis about his real-life sneaker addiction that is also sneaking into episodes of Ted Lasso [[NYT]( —With Tears of the Kingdom breaking all sorts of sales records, Luke Winkie asks whether Link is really the hero of the Zelda franchise [[Slate]( ​​ —Here's your Friday list: "The Fast and Furious movies, ranked from worst to best" [[Complex]( Today... ...in 1977, Universal premiered Burt Reynolds’ Smokey and the Bandit at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Grace Jones (75), [Danielle Macdonald]( (32), Chinonye Chukwu (38), Sam Smith (31), Morten Tyldum (56), Michael Che (40), JoJo Siwa (20), Thomas Vinterberg (54), Kim Zolciak-Biermann (45), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (49), Nancy Kwan (84), Kyle Patrick Alvarez (40), Moses Sumney (31), Shooter Jennings (44), Gail Simmons (47), Pete Townshend (78), Dale Launer (71), Eleanor Tomlinson (31), Catherine Haena Kim (39), Bérénice Marlohe (44), Zack Pearlman (35), Kyle Eastwood (55), Polly Walker (57), Jason Gray-Stanford (53), James Fox (84), Drew Fuller (43), Sean Whalen (59), Sarah Grey (27), Geraldine Somerville (56), Michela Luci (17), Sanoe Lake (44), Yayaying Rhatha Phongam (40), Zhang Jin (49), Michael Gor (58), Kelly Rizzo (44) 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. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2023 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](