'The Talk,' 'Jennifer Hudson Show' Set to Resume Production; Dana Walden, Jimmy Pitaro Talk Disney-Spectrum Deal; Talking Heads Rock TIFF; 'One Life' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( September 12, 2023 What's news: NBCU has suspended Lorne Michaels and Dwayne Johnson's overall deals. Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw have donated $1.5m to strike funds. Disney+ says The Little Mermaid debuted to 16m views. Netflix acquires Anna Kendrick's TIFF title Woman of the Hour for $11m. Nicolas Cage has entered the Oscar race. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. 'The Talk,' 'Jennifer Hudson Show' Set to Resume Production ►Follow the leader. Several daytime talk shows may be following the lead of Drew Barrymore in restarting production amid the dual strike. THR's [Rick Porter]( reports that CBS’ panel show The Talk and two syndicated talkers, The Jennifer Hudson Show and Sherri, hosted by Sherri Shepherd, are returning to production for season premieres in the coming weeks. [The story.]( —"It really has changed my perspective on her and the show in general." WGA members and scribes for The Drew Barrymore Show picketed outside CBS Studios in New York on Monday as the daytime talker resumed filming. THR's [Caitlin Huston]( reports that two audience members, who had signed up for free tickets to the taping, were handed WGA pins by picketers as they walked in the door and say they were asked to leave before the show began because they were wearing the pins. [The story.]( —More suspensions. NBCU’s Universal Studio Group has suspended Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks, along with an unknown number of other film and TV deals, as the ongoing labor clash between the WGA and Hollywood’s studios and streamers enters its 20th week. The move comes after Universal Studio Group joined other studios early in the strike in suspending most of its deals. [The story.]( —Strike filler. CBS will shore up its late night roster in the fall with an assist from Byron Allen. The media mogul’s long-running syndicated show Comics Unleashed — which Allen also hosts — will follow repeats of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert beginning Sept. 18 for what the network says is a “limited run.” CBS will air two episodes per night at 12:37 a.m. ET/PT, in the spot formerly occupied by The Late Late Show. [The story.]( —Stepping up. Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw have donated $1.5m to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike funds. Since May, the couple has given financial support to writers and actors affected by the dual strike in Hollywood. The funds have gone to both the Entertainment Community Fund and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program. [The story.]( Dana Walden and Jimmy Pitaro Talk Disney-Spectrum Deal ►"We protected our primary entertainment channels." Disney and Charter settled their carriage dispute on Monday, in a deal that marks a major shift in linear bundled offerings. Shortly after the deal was announced, THR's [Alex Weprin]( spoke to Dana Walden, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of ESPN, about what the Spectrum agreement means for their Disney divisions. [The interview.]( —ICYMI. Here is Alex's story on Disney and Spectrum securing the new carriage deal just in time for Monday Night Football. "This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and the growing popularity of streaming services," Disney boss Bob Iger said of the agreement. [The story.]( —Child's play. ESPN+ and Disney+ will present a fully animated, real-time alternate telecast of the Oct. 1 game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons. The animated version will take place in Pixar’s Toy Story universe, on a field laid out on the floor of Andy’s room. THR's Rick Porter writes that the presentation, which Disney has dubbed “Toy Story Funday Football,” is arguably the most ambitious alternate-feed telecast of an NFL game to date. [The story.]( —Haters be damned. The Little Mermaid scored impressive viewing numbers following its debut on Disney+, the streamer announced Monday. In the first five days since its Disney+ release on Sept. 6, The Little Mermaid has collected 16m views worldwide, according to the platform. To count the number of “views,” Disney divides a title’s total viewing time by its run time, which is the same process that it used to recently assess the early streaming numbers for the premiere episode of Star Wars series Ahsoka. [The story.]( Talking Heads Rock Toronto ►"This is the greatest concert film ever!" The hottest ticket at TIFF this year was for a 40-year-old concert film of a band that broke up in 1991. THR's [Scott Roxborough]( reports that Toronto audiences Monday night were treated to the world premiere of the new, IMAX, 4K restored version of Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads concert film originally released in 1984. Band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison all attended the screening at the Scotiabank Theatre and took part in a Q&A afterward with Spike Lee. [The story.]( —If there's any justice in the world. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg writes that A24 may have a somewhat unexpected awards contender on its hands with Nicolas Cage’s lead performance in Kristoffer Borgli’s Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario, a smart and surreal dramedy that world premiered at TIFF on Saturday. Scott believes that with a concerted A24 push, the film could absolutely land Cage his third Oscar nomination. [The story.]( —Snapped up. Netflix has picked up Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, for around $11m after a world premiere at TIFF. The streamer has nabbed the U.S. and the remaining international rights to the true-life thriller. In addition to producing and directing Woman of the Hour, Kendrick also stars in the stranger-than-fiction true story as Cheryl Bradshaw, a bachelorette on the hit 1970s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game. [The story.]( 'Changeling' Director "Weirdly Proud" of Negative Reviews ►"When you make something that really tries to be ambitious and bold and not the kind of telly that you can cook dinner to or be on TikTok while you’re watching... it’s tough." For THR, Brande Victorian spoke to Jonathan van Tulleken, the director and exec producer of Apple TV+'s new horror fantasy series The Changeling. While the show has drawn criticisms for what some deem to be overly complex and drawn-out storylines, van Tulleken explains that the series is "deliberately unconventional." [The interview.]( —It's official. Endeavor Group Holdings’ mixed martial arts promotion UFC and the sports entertainment powerhouse WWE are now officially a tag team, closing a mega-combination that they had unveiled in early April. The new, publicly listed company, whose stock will be trading on the New York Stock Exchange, is officially called TKO Group Holdings with the apt ticker symbol TKO. Endeavor owns a 51 percent controlling interest in the new company, with existing WWE shareholders owning a 49 percent interest. [The story.]( —Comeback tour continues. Dancing With the Stars has named a third member of its celebrity cast for the upcoming season. Jamie Lynn Spears has joined the show for its 32nd installment, which is returning to ABC after two years as a Disney+ exclusive (it will still simulcast on the streamer). Spears will dance alongside Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix and The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson; the rest of the celebrity cast and their professional partners will be announced Wednesday. [The story.]( —"It was a nostalgic purchase." The famed Brady Bunch house has been sold for $3.2m — well below its $5.5m asking price. The 1959 Studio City home became iconic after its exterior was used for the 1969 sitcom. In 2018, HGTV purchased the house for $3.5m and remodeled its exterior and interior to look exactly like the beloved series (the sitcom’s interior shots were filmed inside a studio). The new owner, Tina Trahan, plans to use the home for charity events and luxury rental. [The story.]( VFX Society Responds to Complaints Studios Downplaying Work ►"Time to bring VFX into the light." In a statement, the Visual Effects Society, which represents 4,500 members in 45 countries, asserts that VFX artists “deserve credit where credit is due.” The honorary society issued a rare rebuke after THR recently highlighted the trend of VFX work going unrecognized during the marketing of major tentpoles. [The story.]( —🎭 Broadway debut 🎭 Rachel McAdams will star in Amy Herzog’s play Mary Jane this spring. The Notebook star will appear in the world premiere of the play, directed by Anne Kauffman (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window), which is scheduled to begin April 2, 2024 at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The play follows a single mother who uses optimism and humor, as well as the help of the women around her, to make her way through "an impossible family situation." [The story.]( —Music for elephants. A musical adaptation of Water for Elephants is slated to come to Broadway this spring. The Jessica Stone-directed musical, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, is scheduled to play the Imperial Theatre starting Feb. 24, with an opening night set for March 21. Rick Elice, who wrote the book to Jersey Boys as well as Peter and the Starcatcher, penned the book for the musical, which features a score by the band PigPen Theatre Co. [The story.]( —New home. The Academy Awards will be broadcast on ITV in the U.K. With pay-TV giant Sky having given up its rights following a 20-year partnership, terrestrial broadcaster ITV has now stepped in and will be the exclusive local home for the 2024 Oscars following a deal with Disney. [The story.]( Film Review: 'One Life' ►"Conventional but moving." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews James Hawes' One Life. Anthony Hopkins is in peak form in a stirring historical drama about the effort to save children from the Holocaust that co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Flynn. [The review.]( —"Sex, drugs and tedium." Leslie reviews Olmo Schnabel's Pet Shop Days. The film, directed by the son of Julian Schnabel and starring Jack Irv, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe and Emmanuelle Seigner, played in the Horizons Extra strand at Venice. [The review.]( —"Effectively eerie and insightful." THR's [Sheri Linden]( reviews Christian Sparkes' The King Tide. Frances Fisher, Clayne Crawford and Aden Young star in this Newfoundland-set psychological thriller. [The review.]( —"Hits home with a winning ensemble." For THR, Michael Rechtshaffen reviews Tony Goldwyn's Ezra. Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg and newcomer William A. Fitzgerald in the title role star in this film about a neurodivergent 11-year-old boy and his family. [The review.]( Film Review: 'Pain Hustlers' ►"Bolstered by committed performances." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews David Yates' Pain Hustlers. The Harry Potter director helms a film about the shadowy pharmaceutical sales practices that helped kickstart the opioid epidemic, starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. [The review.]( —"Could have soared with a sturdier narrative." Lovia reviews Minhal Baig's We Grown Now. In the Hala director's latest Chicago-set feature, two best friends face growing pains in a misunderstood neighborhood. [The review.]( —"A dynamic duo." Lovia reviews Jessica Yu's Quiz Lady. Sandra Oh and Awkwafina play sisters who compete on a game show to pay their mother's gambling debt in a movie co-starring Holland Taylor, Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman and Tony Hale. [The review.]( —"An assured Page half-saves an underbaked drama." Lovia reviews Dominic Savage's Close to You. Elliot Page plays a trans man whose sojourn to his hometown forces him to confront a painful past. [The review.]( TV Review: 'All the Light We Cannot See' ►"A hollowed-out adaptation of rich source material." THR's [Dan Fienberg]( reviews Netflix's All the Light We Cannot See. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, Steven Knight and Shawn Levy's series adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer-winning novel — featuring Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie — tells a story of hope, radio and the electromagnetic spectrum. [The review.]( —"Plucks something very universal from life's loose ends." Dan reviews Chris Wilcha's Flipside. The doc connects Judd Apatow, David Milch, regional TV legend Uncle Floyd and a beloved New Jersey record store in a meditation on failure and a life well lived. [The review.]( —"Compelling story, insufficient context." Dan reviews Clair Titley's The Contestant. The documentary tells the story about Nasubi, who spent 15 months naked, stuck in a small room and living off of magazine contest prizes for a Japanese reality show. [The review.]( —"Smart, distinctive and very funny." THR TV critic [Angie Han]( reviews Showtime's Dreaming Whilst Black. The Brit showbiz comedy centers on an aspiring filmmaker (Adjani Salmon) trying to make it in a notoriously difficult industry while navigating issues of race, class, family and romance. [The review.]( In other news... —VMAs: [Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Wayne among performers]( —Damar Hamlin [doc in the works about NFL player’s recovery]( —Behind the Glass [taps Los Angeles Kings for NHL docuseries]( —Golden Horse Film Festival to [honor Koji Yakusho as Filmmaker in Focus]( What else we're reading... —After watching Next Goal Wins, critic Alison Willmore wonders whether Taika Waititi is even trying anymore [[Vulture]( —Certain Women director Kelly Reichardt interviews Lily Gladstone about the inspiration for her character in Killers of the Flower Moon [[Interview]( —Robert Silverman pulls back the curtain on Barstool Sports social strategy of allegedly swiping sports highlights via 40 or more burner Twitter accounts [[Daily Beast]( —Shawn McCreesh profiles Walter Isaacson, the revered journalist who has a pretty lucrative side hustle writing biographies of "Great Men" including his latest controversial tome on Elon Musk [[Intelligencer]( —Amid industry-wide secrecy over streaming data, Lucia Moses looks into how and why research firm Parrot Analytics has become a big deal in Hollywood [[Insider]( Today... ...in 1978, ABC debuted a new half-hour comedy, Taxi, for television audiences. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Sydney Sweeney (26), Emmy Rossum (37), [Joe Pantoliano]( (72), Alfie Allen (37), Ben McKenzie (45), Hans Zimmer (66), Lauren Stamile (47), Paul F. Tompkins (55), Linda Gray (83), Jennifer Hudson (42), Amy Yasbeck (61), Felicity Montagu (63), Rachel Ward (66), Jennifer Nettles (49), Alexia Fast (31), Colin Ford (27), Robert John Burke (63), Zackary Arthur (17), Will Chase (53), Clara Paget (35), Sabrina Bartlett (32), Ryan Potter (28), Josh Hopkins (53), Darren E. Burrows (57), Sophie Colquhoun (34), George Robinson (26), Jessica Seinfeld (52), Alexander Molony (17), Yusuf Gatewood (41) This email was sent to {EMAIL} by The Hollywood Reporter. 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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