BRADLEY COOPER sets up new company, and WB movie project

TIKTOK signs AMAZON FIRE distro deal / CLOONEY sets lead for next pic at MGM / NY TIMES doing Janet Jackson 2004 SUPER BOWL docu

Nov 2, 2021

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY November 2, 2021.

Where remember to go out and vote today! Even if the US Government makes it a Federal Holiday to celebrate Presidents… but not to ya know, actually vote for them and our other elected officials.

this joke would definitely not go over well in 2021... via Giphy

ALSO: Intriguing NY TIMES #GoodRead looking at how a 2016 FX / NETFLIX deal is likely a big reason why we heard so much about FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story” before it’s September launch and… basically nothing about it since. It’s latest episode ranked 15th in Cable ratings last week.

A rare 2021 case where the show is not available to stream anywhere outside the Cable TV bundle - it’s only on the FXNOW app that I’m guessing many people probably didn’t know still existed until just now.

AND: Just a shout out to another newsletter hustler - THR looks at a 25 year-old SONY assistant who started a Comedy scouting newsletter a couple years ago called “Cramer Comedy Newsletter”… and turned it into a producing deal there this year. At 25 I completed 2 “power hours” at my Summer share house that year and was often wearing a choker necklace but that’s a story for another time.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

Oscars could def use another one of these kinda moments this Spring no? via Giphy

Bradley Cooper sets new production company, and project at WARNER BROS

The movie project is “Hyperion”, based on a series of 4 books from the 90’s. Was previously set up as mini-series at SYFY, but now will be a WB movie written by Tom Spezialy (an Exec Producer on “Watchmen”).

Set 700 years after the death of earth, 7 strangers go to a planet named HYPERION to unlock mysteries in something called “Time Tombs” which may save humanity.

As for Bradley’s company - his partnership with Todd Phillips ended in 2019 after “Joker” and “A Star is Born”, so this new un-named company is his new home, and a guy named Weston Middleton is his new producing partner.

Cooper already has a first look deal at NETFLIX where he’s doing his next movie, a biopic of Leonard Bernstein called “Maestro”… unclear to me if the company itself is tied to that NETFLIX deal, but take a read for yourselves. /Deadline

George Clooney sets Callum Turner (“Fantastic Beasts” movies) to star in his next movie at MGM

Called “The Boys in the Boat” - based on a book about the true story of the 1936 Men’s Olympic rowing team from the University of Washington. 🚣‍♀️

Clooney co-directing with his production partner Grant Heslov. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

Chris Pratt to voice “Garfield” in animated movie reboot at SONY (produced by ALCON). Bill Murray of course famously did the voice in the pair of “Garfield” moves in the 2000s. /THR
SONY moves Kev Hart + Woody Harrelson “The Man from Toronto” action-comedy from MLK weekend to August. /Deadline
NEON hires Jason Wald from SEARCHLIGHT as VP of Aquisitions and Development. /Deadline

📺 THE TV SET

NY TIMES doing docu on 2004 Janet Jackson / Timberlake SUPER BOWL fiasco

Will be the next docu in their FX / HULU series “The New York Times presents”, that also did the buzz-generating BRITNEY docu this Summer.

“Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson” will premiere Fri Nov 19, although it doesn’t seem like Jackson or JT are participating. Then again Britney wasn’t interviewed for “Framing Britney Spears” either.. /Deadline

NBC’s “Law & Order” (OG vers) reboot sets Jeffrey Donovan in a lead role

The “Burn Notice” star is the first official talent attached… but not much else to know yet. /THR

APPLE TV+ signs former ESPN head to first look deal for sports docus and series

John Skipper & former ESPN host Dan Le Batard’s MEADOWLARK ENTERTAINMENT also has a content deal with DRAFT KINGS but that’s mainly to create content around Dan’s podcast, and I believe with an overall gambling slant (obviously).

No word on a deal duration, and no projects announced with the deal. /THR

ALSO IN TV

HBOMAX buys Dan Levy-hosted Brunch food competition show “The Big Brunch”. His new TV deal at NETFLIX doesn’t kick-in til July… and his existing DISNEY TV deal is just for scripted shows. So - unscripted home at HBOMAX it is. /THR
APPLE TV+ goes with Eugene Levy to host their unscripted series pickup of the day - “The Reluctant Traveler”. The not-renown explorer will stay in hotels around the world and explore local cultures. So “No Reservations” … but hosted by someone basically indifferent to travel. /THR
NBC giving PEACOCK’s Dan Brown show “The Lost Symbol” a post-”Voice” airing on Monday night (will air the pilot). /Deadline
HBOMAX buys rights to ”Hangin” with Mr. Cooper”, ”In the House”, ”The Jamie Foxx Show”, ”Martin” and ”The Parent ‘Hood”, plus “David Makes Man” from soon to be sister company OWN. /Deadline

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

Creed definitley has a SNAP burner account. via Giphy

SNAP signs NBCU deal allowing users to put audio clips in their posts

Pretty extensive, ranging from “SNL” bytes to “The Office” to “Bridesmaids”. All clips used will link back to a way to stream the content. ie this is a PEACOCK promo deal. /THR

TIKTOK sets app distribution deal with AMAZON FIRE devices

So thankfully you can now waste hours of your life watching TIKTOK videos on your TV, when you’ve run the battery down from watching them on your phone.

Deal covers distro on the FIRE STICK, streaming box or new AMAZON FIRE TV sets in the US and CANADA only. TIKTOK has already been available on the far less used GOOGLE TV platform. /Tubefilter

PINTEREST launches PINTEREST TV - basically their version of HOME SHOPPING NETWORK

Or what AMAZON Fashion is already doing, but just with a more limited and targeted approach, vs. the ongoing multiple live-streams approach of AMAZON.

Select PINTEREST accounts will pitch their wares every day at 3p, with “episodes” then avail to stream anytime after that.

Links to buy said items from their resepective PINTEREST accounts will be embeded of course. Only avail in the iOS version of the app to start. /Variety

ALSO IN MEDIA

FAN DUEL and DRAFT KINGS both exploring purchase of THE ATHLETIC subscription sports journalism business. The company has previously explored deals with the NY TIMES and AXIOS this year, and is looking for a $750 Million valuation. As am I. #AimHigh. I mean at least I didn’t lose $35 Million last year. Legally. 🤫 /The Information