THR's Kids' Entertainment Power List; DGA-Studio Deal Details Revealed; WB's Marketing Plan for 'The Flash'; 'VPR' Boss on Scandoval Revelations;

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( June 08, 2023 What's news: Bob's Burgers star Jay Johnston has been arrested and charged with offenses related to the Jan. 6 riots. Showtime has canceled I Love That For You. Godfather of Harlem co-creator Paul Eckstein has died at 59. Abbott Elementary delivered the biggest audience for an ABC comedy in three years. The CW is the new home of Inside the NFL. — [Abid Rahman]( THR's 75 Most Powerful People in Kids' Entertainment ►New list just dropped. For today’s young viewers, it’s Saturday morning all day, every day. As kid-targeted content — and the platforms offering it — proliferate, the creators and executives named in THR's first-ever Kids’ Entertainment Power List have figured out how to capture children’s precious attention and better reflect their worlds. [The list.]( —What happens next. The stunning departure of CNN CEO Chris Licht was welcomed with a sigh of relief by staff, multiple CNN insiders tell THR's [Alex Weprin](. Alex writes that Warner Bros. Discovery is beginning an internal and external search for a new CNN leader, but it's unclear whether the company's strategy is staying the same. [The analysis.]( —Sanctioned. Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, Danny Masterson’s previous lawyers before they were ousted from the actor’s defense team, have been sanctioned for leaking confidential discovery material to the Church of Scientology. A judge on Wednesday found that the lawyers shared materials related to claims from Masterson’s accusers that they are being stalked and harassed. [The story.]( —Arrested. Jay Johnston, a stalwart of Hollywood’s alternative comedy scene and best known for his work on HBO’s Mr. Show and for voicing a pizzeria owner on Fox’s Bob Burgers, has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Johnston was charged by the Department of Justice in connection with his presence at the Capitol, per a copy of the criminal complaint. [The story.]( DGA Reveals Details of Tentative Pact With Studios, Streamers ►New residuals formula and more. After revealing some early details about its tentative deal with studios and streamers on June 3, the Directors Guild of America has provided its members with a far more in-depth look at the pact. THR's [Katie Kilkenny]( reports that a summary of agreement was sent to DGA members on Wednesday and the document provided some concrete information on the deal’s key gains. [The story.]( —"If there is a deal to be made, we'll make it." Amid the writers strike, Hollywood’s next big question is whether SAG-AFTRA will follow suit. Katie Kilkenny writes that now that the performers union is armed with an overwhelming strike authorization vote and an activated membership, SAG-AFTRA is seeking to tackle the snowballing issues of AI and streaming residuals. [The analysis.]( —Anonymous strike diary. THR's series of frank accounts of the writers strike continues. The Well-Known Creator is back, and in his latest picket-line dispatch, the showrunner, who is also a member of the directors and actors unions, expresses dismay at the opacity of the DGA and surprise that SAG-AFTRA actually authorized a strike "because, well, it’s the kind of guild that is led by people like Fran Drescher." [The diary entry.]( —Canceled for the week. The WGA picket lines are on hold in New York as the city struggles with horrific air quality caused by wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada. After canceling action on Wednesday due to the haze, WGA East canceled pickets scheduled for the rest of the week for the same reason. [The story.]( 'VPR' Boss on Scandoval Revelations in Post-Reunion Interview ►"We wouldn’t have told the full story without It." THR's queen of chat [Jackie Strause]( spoke to Vanderpump Rules executive producer Alex Baskin about the "harrowing" one-on-one with Raquel Leviss that aired at the end of the Bravo reality series' three-parter. [The interview.]( —Don't love this for her. Showtime has canceled I Love That For You, the comedy inspired by star and co-creator Vanessa Bayer’s experience with childhood leukemia. The comedy, which ran for one season and had been one of the few remaining scripted series from the cabler’s previous executive regime, is expected to be shopped by producers Annapurna. I Love That For You launched in May 2022 to warm reviews and wrapped its run a month later. The series had been awaiting word on its future for nearly a year. [The story.]( —"Paul was passionate, a creative force, known for his kindness and generosity." Paul Eckstein, who produced the 1997 MGM film Hoodlum and co-created the Epix/MGM+ drama Godfather of Harlem with his writing partner, Chris Brancato, has died. He was 59. Eckstein died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, according to a statement from MGM+ and ABC Signature. He was in Jamaica, where he was teaching a screenwriting workshop. [The obituary.]( Daniel Kaluuya Talks Spider-Punk, Netflix's 'The Kitchen' ►"It’s a great feeling when you make a film and you’re proud of it." THR's [Brian Davids]( spoke to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star Daniel Kaluuya on creating scene-stealer Spider-Punk. The Oscar-winner also reflects on the early days of his acting and writing career on Skins, before looking ahead to Netflix’s sci-fi drama The Kitchen, his first produced feature screenplay. Warning: Spoilers! [The interview.]( —"We dove in with both feet." THR's [Rick Porter]( spoke to author Rick Riordan about the long journey to the small screen for his Percy Jackson book series. The writer of the beloved mythology-infused novels looks forward to the upcoming Disney+ adaptation and to the publication of a long-awaited sixth Percy Jackson novel. [The interview.]( —"Everything is possible." Ted Lasso star and co-creator Brendan Hunt is answering several burning questions that were left unanswered by the season (series?) finale last week. Hunt took to Reddit for an Ask Me Anything thread and spent some time providing responses to fan questions about everything from a possible relationship between Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) to the chances of a spinoff or fourth season. [The story.]( Marketing 'The Flash': No Ezra Miller, But Lots of Batman ►"They are spending huge." After a string of arrests and bad headlines that threatened to derail his career and WB's $200m The Flash, Ezra Miller has not only stayed out of the headlines, but the actor is nowhere to be found in the press as the film sprints toward its June 16 release date. Given the constraints, as well as the lack of late night television due to the strike, THR's [Aaron Couch]( and [Borys Kit]( look at the unusual promotional campaign the studio has mounted as it looks to get the word out on the pricey film. [The story.]( —Top of the class. Abbott Elementary delivered the biggest audience for an ABC comedy in three years, based on 35-day, multi-platform ratings. The Emmy-winning series averaged 9.1m viewers per episode, the best for an ABC comedy since Modern Family and The Conners in the 2019-20 season, and its 3.57 rating among adults 18-49 is the best for any series on the network this season. [The ratings.]( —Leaning into sports. The CW has scored a pretty big get — a partnership with the NFL — as it continues to push into sports programming. The network will be the new home for the long-running Inside the NFL, a weekly highlight and interview show that recaps the previous weekend’s action using footage from NFL Films. The coming season will mark the show’s first on a broadcast network; the past two seasons aired on streamer Paramount+. [The story.]( 'Elemental' Steps Into the Ring as Major Box Office Test for Pixar ►Is the brand still strong? After one of the most impressive winning streaks in Hollywood history, Pixar has seen its fortunes reversed in recent years, with last year’s flop Lightyear and a pandemic-era policy of sending its features straight to streaming at Disney+. THR's [Carolyn Giardina]( writes that Pixar faces a major test of brand strength as it prepares to unveil Elemental, its first original, non-franchise title in theaters since the pandemic began. [The analysis.]( —"I don’t think of pixar as making children’s programming." THR's [Gary Baum]( spoke to Pixar’s chief creative officer Pete Docter about the upcoming release of Elemental. Docter also looks back on his early influences and muses at the varying reactions of the studio’s younger and older fans: "Kids and adults respond to different elements in our films." [The interview.]( —Not great. Jodie Comer stopped performing in the matinée of one-woman show Prima Facie on Wednesday after she reported having difficulty breathing. It was one of several examples of shows affected by the smokey haze that overtook New York City. Elsewhere, Hamilton canceled its Wednesday night performance and other events were canceled or delayed because of the conditions. [The story.]( —🎵 He's the wizard 🎵 Wayne Brady will lead the Broadway revival of The Wiz, producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland and Ambassador Theatre Group revealed Wednesday. He will take on the role of the Wiz in spring 2024, during the production’s planned Broadway run, following stops at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco and at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. [The story.]( 'This Is Going to Hurt' Star Ambika Mod is Heart and Soul of Brit Series ►"Emmy voters have one chance to give Ambika Mod the respect she richly deserves." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg takes a moment to remember AMC+’s darkly comic limited series This Is Going to Hurt, that premiered last June — very nearly the earliest possible launch within this Emmy Awards window. Dan writes that the series, which stars Ben Whishaw as a young doctor rising in the ranks of the chaotic National Health Service, is elevated by a spectacular performance by co-star Ambika Mod, who is the true conscience of the show. [The critic's appreciation.]( In other news... —50 Cent, Megan Fox [team up with Sylvester Stallone in action-packed Expendables 4 trailer]( —Rod Stewart [wants $70m for enormous Beverly Park mansion]( —Marlene Dietrich’s [iconic Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond bracelet sells for $4.5m]( —[Jack Lee]( “Hanging on the Telephone” songwriter, dies at 71 —[The Iron Sheik]( villainous pro wrestler from Iran, dies at 81 —[Molly Wolveck]( mother of Young and the Restless star Kate Linder, dies at 98 What else we're reading... —In an op-ed, Sean Griffin writes that Disney has no choice but to fight Ron DeSantis given its large LGBTQ following [[NYT]( —Sara Fischer and Mike Allen report that Fox News has told Tucker Carlson's lawyers he breached his contract when he launched his Twitter show this week [[Axios]( —Interesting piece from Jenna Moon, Max Tani, and Ben Smith on what the crisis at CNN means [[Semafor]( —Despite Yellowstone's reputation as a red-state show, Andrea Long Chu writes that the drama's political ideology is lifted from the left [[Vulture]( —Dan McQuade valiantly tries to explain the whole "Livvy Rizzing Up Baby Gronk" thing [[Defector]( Today... ...in 1984, America met the Ghostbusters, as the Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd comedy hit theaters nationwide. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Julianna Margulies (57), [Frank Grillo]( (58), Nancy Sinatra (83), Dan Futterman (56), Keenen Ivory Wayans (65), Dimple Kapadia (66), Griffin Dunne (68), Sonia Braga (73), Mark Feuerstein (52), Jess Weixler (42), Anthony Boyle (29), Florence Faivre (40), Erica Schmidt (48), Josette Halpert (29), Josh Pence (41), Torrey DeVitto (39), Lexa Doig (50), Eion Bailey (47), Kathy Baker (73), Maria Menounos (45), David Sutcliffe (54), Charlotte Lawrence (23) Pat Cooper, the brash Italian-American stand-up from Brooklyn whose anger real and imagined provided fuel for a long career in comedy, has died. He was 93. [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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