Hollywood Shows Support for Israel; SAG-AFTRA's Chief Negotiator on Why Talks Broke Down; Inside the Erewhon Dynasty; 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( October 13, 2023 What's news: The Academy Museum Gala has been postponed due to the attacks on Israel. SAG-AFTRA has canceled Friday's planned pickets in N.Y.C. and L.A. due to safety concerns. Netflix's Ted Sarandos has revealed why talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP fell apart. Microsoft closed its $69b deal to buy Activision Blizzard. CAA's Bryan Lourd clapped back at Endeavor's Ari Emanuel at the Bloomberg conference. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. Hollywood Shows Support for Israel ►"This is terrorism. This is evil." Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer and Michael Douglas are among more than 700 celebrities and entertainment executives who are standing in support of Israel. They signed an open letter, created by the nonprofit organization Creative Community For Peace, condemning the terrorist group Hamas' attack on Israel and demanded the return of hostages. The letter also called on the entertainment community to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war. [The story.]( —"Out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life happening overseas, we have made the decision to postpone." The Academy Museum Gala, which was set to welcome an A-list roster of talent on Saturday, has been postponed following the attacks on Israel. The news followed an announcement earlier on Thursday that the red carpet portion of the event was going to be canceled, but at the time the gala itself was still on. [The story.]( —"We stand in support of the global Jewish community, and the innocent people in Israel and the region whose lives are lost." In an internal memo to staffers, Paramount Global leaders Shari Redstone and Bob Bakish condemned Hamas. On Thursday, the company also donated $1m to humanitarian relief efforts by Magen David Adom, NATAL, UJA-Federation of New York and Save the Children. [The story.]( —"We condemn these attacks, the hate that motivated them, and all acts of terrorism." Disney chief Bob Iger also condemned the Hamas attacks and the company is donating $2m to humanitarian relief efforts in Israel. The company is donating $1m to Magen David Adom, an affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that provides emergency medical and blood banking services in Israel. It is also donating $1m to other nonprofit organizations working in the region, particularly those with a focus on providing aid to children. [The story.]( —"He didn’t run away. He tried to save us." Israeli soldiers have recovered the body of The Boy director Yahav Winner after he fought off an attack on his home by Hamas terrorists in the southern Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7, only to be kidnapped and eventually killed. On Thursday, Israeli sales and distribution company Go2Films confirmed the death of the director to THR after the retrieval of his remains on Wednesday. [The obituary.]( SAG-AFTRA's Chief Negotiator on Why Talks Broke Down ►"It is mystifying to me." THR's [Katie Kilkenny]( spoke to SAG-AFTRA's national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland about the breakdown of talks between the performers union and the AMPTP. Crabtree-Ireland reveals the studios made the decision to end talks, a move that took him by surprise. [The interview.]( —"It’s so unfair that they walked out of the meeting. And so disrespectful." The AMPTP’s decision to suspend bargaining talks with SAG-AFTRA “really came as a shock” to the union’s president Fran Drescher. In an interview with NBC’s Chloe Melas that aired on Today, Drescher reiterated that things "can’t go back to the way things were." [The story.]( —"It’s just so disappointing." THR's [Beatrice Verhoeven]( hit the picket lines Thursday as SAG-AFTRA members digested the news of talks stalling. The mood was subdued, with many strikers using words like "disheartened," "sad," "deflated" or "disappointed" as the work stoppage heads towards 100 days. [The reaction.]( —"A bridge too far." Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP fell apart Wednesday because of an additional “levy” the actors union was proposing to put on every streaming subscriber. Speaking at a Bloomberg conference Thursday, Sarandos said the studios and streamers had offered the performers' union a “success-based bonus,” which he said was similar to the writers’ deal, but which cost the studios four to five times more. [The story.]( —"Stay safe and see you on the picket lines next week." SAG-AFTRA announced Thursday that all pickets scheduled for Friday in New York and L.A. are canceled, citing "potential safety concerns that are unrelated to our ongoing strike." It’s unclear what the specific safety concerns related to, but it comes after media reports that terrorist group Hamas urged supporters around the world to take to the streets in a day of action on Oct. 13. [The story.]( CAA's Bryan Lourd Fires Back at "Erratic" Ari Emanuel ►"We all know Ari Emanuel to be an incredibly performative, erratic, and, in my mind, always self-serving human." CAA's chairman and CEO Bryan Lourd responded to rival Ari Emanuel accusations that CAA was complicit in Harvey Weinstein’s crimes. Speaking at a Bloomberg conference on Thursday, Lourd said "the idea that [Emanuel] in any way could think that he could hold himself out as morally superior to anyone — but specifically around the issues that are so challenging for women — is odd." [The story.]( —Finally! With the acquisition agreement set to expire on Oct. 18, Microsoft finally got the greenlight to complete the $69b purchase of Activision Blizzard, after the U.K. competition regulator approved the deal on Friday. The software giant made a bid for the video game developer behind Call of Duty in January 2022, but the U.K. blocked the deal in April 2023. The regulator will let the acquisition proceed after Microsoft recently restructured the deal. Activision unveiled the close of the transaction in a regulatory filing early on Friday. [The story.]( —Settlement. Gerard Butler has resolved a legal fight over allegations that he’s owed at least $10m in profits from the 2013 blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen. The Scottish actor had claimed in a 2021 lawsuit he hasn't seen a penny in profits from the film, which has spawned two sequels. Defendants Nu Image and Millennium Media notified the court on Tuesday of a settlement, which is conditioned on the completion of certain terms within 45 days. Specifics of the agreement weren’t disclosed. [The story.]( —"I became the victim of an elaborate criminal extortion." AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron has revealed he was the victim of a blackmail and extortion plot. Aron disclosed the plot Thursday on Twitter, adding that the perpetrator has already been convicted. According to court documents, the woman, Sakoya Blackwood, began texting Aaron in March 2022 pretending to be a number of different people. The unconventional exec, who is married, sent her explicit photos in the course of texting. Blackwood then threatened to show the photos to the press and AMC’s board unless he paid her. [The story.]( 'Suits' Companion Series in the Works at NBCU ►So hot right now. After a summer of breaking streaming records, Suits may be getting a spinoff. THR's [Rick Porter]( reports that series creator Aaron Korsh is in the early stages of developing a show set in the world of his USA Network legal drama for NBCUniversal — but it’s not a reboot or sequel. Instead, the potential L.A.-set series would feature new characters and a new setting, similar to other multi-show franchises (whether there would be any crossover potential with the original is a question for much further down the road). [The story.]( —Martin Henderson supremacy. Alas, Suits' three-month stranglehold on the top of the Nielsen streaming charts has come to an end. Netflix’s Virgin River moved ahead of Suits and claimed the No. 1 overall spot for the week of Sept. 11-17. The drama, whose fifth season premiered Sept. 7, improved by 7 percent from the previous week with 2.05b minutes of viewing. Suits, meanwhile, slipped by 19.5 percent to a still very strong 1.9b minutes and was second overall. [The streaming rankings.]( —Coming back. Peacock is ordering a second season of Based on a True Story. The streamer has picked up the series, a comedic thriller from UCP and starring Kaley Cuoco (who also executive produces) and Chris Messina. The first season debuted in June and earned mostly favorable reviews and the series did land in Nielsen’s top 10 rankings for the week of its premiere. [The story.]( —Michael Myers Cinematic Universe incoming. Miramax has secured TV rights to Halloween and will develop a series based on the long-running horror franchise. The company made a broad deal with rights holder Trancas International Films that covers not only a TV series, but also related projects for international markets and, potentially, a linked universe spanning TV and film. No writer is attached yet. Miramax produced the David Gordon Green’s 2018-22 Halloween trilogy along with Trancas and Blumhouse. [The story.]( —Together again. Melissa McBride is returning to the world of The Walking Dead. The actress has signed on as a series regular for season two of the franchise’s latest spinoff series, Daryl Dixon, AMC announced Thursday at New York Comic-Con. McBride, who played the role of Carol Peletier in all 11 seasons of the flagship series, was originally poised to star opposite Norman Reedus’ Daryl in the spinoff but dropped out in April 2022 after the drama moved its filming location to Europe. [The story.]( Inside the Erewhon Dynasty ►Succession, with smoothies. It’s up for debate what the true tipping-point moment was that transformed Erewhon from just another L.A. health food market into a money-minting retail phenomenon beloved by Hollywood stars. But there can be no arguing that the wildly popular chain with the strange name — pronounced “air Juan,” an anagram of “nowhere” — is doing something right. THR's [Seth Abramovitch]( profiles the Antoci family, the clan that transformed a gloomy L.A. store into the world’s trendiest and most extravagant market. [The profile.]( —"He’s not totally verbal." Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of Moonlighting and a close friend of Bruce Willis, shared an update on the actor’s health amid his battle with dementia. Caron recently told the New York Post that he tries to see the Die Hard star about once a month, and that he does feel that Willis still recognizes him during his visits, but "language skills are no longer available to him." [The story.]( —Exiting. New Regency Productions president of motion picture and television Michael Schaefer is departing after seven years. The executive counts Barbarian and the upcoming Mr. & Mrs. Smith as recent credits. The departure is said to be amicable, made in coordination with New Regency chairman and CEO, Yariv Milchan. [The story.]( Don't Call 'Frasier' a Reboot, Say Creators ►"This is his third act." For THR, Cori Murray spoke to Joe Cristalli and Chris Harris, the co-creators and showrunners behind the new Frasier series starring Kelsey Grammer on Paramount+. The duo discuss why there’s next to nothing of the original that will appear in the new series, which they describe as "kind of just a spinoff of Frasier that we’re calling Frasier." [The interview.]( —"I wanted to branch out and do something different." THR's [Brian Davids]( spoke to director Nahnatchka Khan about her new film Totally Killer. The filmmaker discusses the twists and turns of the time-travel slasher film, and also talks setting a high bar for herself after crafting the memeable Keanu Reeves moment in Always Be My Maybe. [The interview.]( —"How do we do these efficiently, but also so that we can have seasons three, four, five?" Brian also spoke to Kevin R. Wright, the executive producer of the Disney+ series Loki. Wright, a former marine turned producer, discusses the freedom he’s had to make one of Marvel’s most well-received television projects. [The interview.]( Film Review: 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' ►"As close as you can get to the Eras Tour experience without breaking the bank." THR's [Angie Han]( reviews Sam Wrench's Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. The epic concert movie, which features more than three dozen songs, was filmed over three Los Angeles shows on the pop icon's record-breaking global tour. [The review.]( —"Flawed but endearing." Angie reviews Disney+ and Hulu's Goosebumps. Five high-schoolers get pulled into a supernatural mystery involving the death of a local teen three decades earlier in a series based on R.L. Stine's bestselling YA books. [The review.]( —"Audiences are unlikely to scream." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews Peacock's John Carpenter's Suburban Screams. The Halloween auteur goes behind the camera for one of six episodes in this re-enactment-heavy anthology series. [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 begins with the headlines, including discussion on Melissa McBride, The Crown and Welcome to Flatch . There's a segment on the SAG-AFTRA strike, as the performers stoppage inches closer to the 100-day marker, and another on Marvel's TV reset. The guys also discuss the trend of streamers saving shows from other streamers. And Dan reviews Paramount+'s Frasier , Netflix's Fall of the House of Usher and Apple's Lessons in Chemistry. [Listen here.]( —Behind the Screen. THR's tech editor [Carolyn Giardina]( podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode Carolyn spoke to Gareth Edwards. The Brit director behind Godzilla, Rogue One and Monsters discusses his latest film, the visually stunning sci-fi epic The Creator. [Listen here.]( In other news... —Orphan Black: Echoes [trailer teases Krysten Ritter in next chapter of clone drama]( —Timothée Chalamet [becomes genius chocolatier in new Wonka trailer]( —Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai [trailer promises a bloody trail of revenge]( —Candy Cane Lane trailer: [Eddie Murphy's Christmas cheer turns into comedic terror]( —Spotify [partners with Alex Cooper’s The Unwell Network]( —[Phyllis Coates]( the first Lois Lane on television, dies at 96 What else we're reading... —Steve Rose looks at how Martin Scorsese won the trust of the Osage Nation to make Killers of the Flower Moon [[Guardian]( —For those who need it, Chris Murphy has put together a timeline of Will and Jada’s "bad marriage for life" [[Vulture]( —Carl Hulse writes that despite several pressing world crises and an approaching deadline to avert a government shutdown, Republicans are unable to rise above their internal divisions [[NYT]( —With the release of Kitty Green's The Royal Hotel, Dan Slevin reflects on why the Australian outback is so terrifying and remains popular with horror/thriller filmmakers [[BBC]( —Here's your Friday list: "The 100 greatest film books of all time" [[THR]( Today... ...in 2017, Universal and Blumhouse released the black comedy slasher Happy Death Day. Christopher Landon's film was a big hit with critics and audiences and scored $125m at the global box office on a budget under $5m. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Caleb McLaughlin (22), Sacha Baron Cohen (52), [Ashanti]( (43), Kate Walsh (56), Matt Walsh (59), Himesh Patel (33), Alex Ferns (55), Marie Osmond (64), Hiro Kanagawa (60), Chris Carter (67), Beverly Johnson (71), Paul Simon (82), Katia Winter (40), Tisha Campbell (55), Ashley Newbrough (36), John Lone (71), Luis Tosar (52), Nell Tiger Free (24), Danny Lloyd (51), Christopher Judge (59), Kiele Sanchez (46), Susan Blommaert (76), Katie Walder (41), Richard Sammel (63), Florian Munteanu (33), Demond Wilson (77), Bailey Noble (33), Rutanya Alda (81), Branden Williams (49) Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the iconic trio the Isley Brothers, died Wednesday. He was 84. [The obituary.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} by The Hollywood Reporter. 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