MGM gets Timothee Chalamet pic from CALL ME BY YOUR NAME director
KID CUDI directing NETFLIX pic / BUZZFEED loses top 3 News editors / Johnny Carson series with Joseph Gordon-Levitt out to buyers
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY March 23, 2022.
Where BEYONCE, REBA MCENTIRE, and BILLIE EILISH are confirmed to perform Best Song nominees at the OSCARS on Sunday.
But if you’d rather know about the OSCARS parties you’re not invited to, or what’s in the 6-figure gift bags you won’t be getting, THR has you covered in the respective links. #SpoilerAlert - it’s not a 6-figure donation to organizations helping Ukrainians.
AND: Amanda Bynes’s 9 year conservatorship has ended.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
AMAZON’s MGM gets global rights to next pic from Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”)
Called “Bones and All”, Timothée Chalamet starring. Based on a book about a woman on a cross-country trip looking for the dad she’s never met to try and figure out why she… well, has the urge to kill and eat the people that love her.
You didn’t see that coming either right? 😳 Film was shot last year, no word on acquisition price. /THR
NETFLIX doing Kid Cudi directed pic, produced by JAY-Z, Jeymes Samuel
Called “Teddy” and he also wrote the script. He describes it as somewhat mirroring the story in his 2009 hit song “Pursuit of Happiness” but no specific plot details avail. /Variety
ALSO IN MOVIES
That Jennifer Lawrence - Amy Schumer raunchy comedy they wrote in the late 2010’s is definitely dead, according to an interview with Amy for MTV News.
📺 THE TV SET
HBOMAX renews SATC “And Just Like That…”
No word on when a Season 2 might start shooting or a timeline in general. /Variety
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Johnny Carson TV series project goes out for bidding
Called “King of Late Night”, Jay Roach (“Recount”, “Austin Powers”) attached to direct, and David Milch (“Deadwood”) wrote it so… let’s figure this isn’t Broadcast or Cable TV standard friendly.
ANONYMOUS CONTENT and wiip producing and we’ll see where it lands somewhat soon. No indication if Carson’s estate is on board. /Deadline
ALSO IN TV
CBS is turning “The Love Boat” into a reality show. But if Ted Lange isn’t behind the bar that’s just criminal. 🍸 On the other hand, the Vomit Suite where you can vote Sea Sickness or Norovirus should bring in some numbers. Will air later in the year. /THR
HBO’s “My Brilliant Friend” renewed for 4th and final season. /Variety
NETFLIX picks up David Spade comedy special “Nothing Personal”, will drop Apr 29 - same day as final “Ozark” and “Gracie and Frankie” episodes.
BET renews Tyler Perry shows “Sistas” and “The Oval” for new seasons. /THR
PARAMOUNT TV & MTV ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS sign director Antoine Fuqua (“The Equalizer”, “Training Day”) to an overall TV production deal. He is an exec producer on “Mayor of Kingstown”, but has a Film first look deal at NETFLIX. /Deadline
HOLLYWOOD BUSINESS AFFAIRS
THR has a brief Q&A with ex-NETFLIX marketing head Bozoma Saint John on her departure, the Paris thing, and the “break” she’s taking ahead.
JUST FOR LAUGHS comedy fest returns to 100% IRL in Montreal this July 13-31. 🎭 Big names set so far include Kev Hart, Maron, Chelsea Handler, John Mulaney and more (most appearing in the last week / weekend of the fest). /THR
Terms of STX sale to The NAJAFI COMPANIES amended mid March - NAJAFI will now own 85% of the company, and 100% of voting control 👩⚖️. STX’s former partner, Indian company EROS will keep a 15% non-voting sake. Final price will be $157 Million, which will mostly go to STX’s debt repayment, and looks like rumors of a last minue LIONSGATE swoop in are highly unlikely. /THR
DEADLINE did a pretty detailed overview of the DISNEY employee walk-out protest yesterday 🏳️🌈 and the statements of support issued from most divisions in the DISNEY Kingdom (FX, ESPN etc).
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
THIS WEEK IN CEO PAYDAYS: John Stankey
The CEO of AT&T and… “architect” 🤷♂️ of the TIME WARNER and DIRECTV deals was paid $24.6 Million in 2021:
$2.4 Million Salary
$13.4 Million Stock
$7 Million Bonus, and then I’m sure a generous gas mileage stipend to make up the rest. For his jet.
OR: A little more than half of what incoming WARNER DISCO CEO David Zazlav made (minus that crapload of totally justified stock options).
NOT DISCLOSED: Jason Kilar’s 2021 compensation… 🤔
BUZZFEED loses 3 top NEWS editors, will enact downsizing efforts across the company
EIC Mark Schoofs departs, no destination indicated.
Deputy Editor Tom Namako also leaving to be Exec Edtior at NBC NEWS DIGITAL, and another divisional Exec Editor is leaving as well. The division will also be downsized a bit in the weeks ahead, along with BUZZFEED VIDEO and COMPLEX Editorial. /Variety
ALSO IN MEDIA
APPLE removes the ability to buy or rent movies in the APPLE TV app on GOOGLE TV (Chromecast) and ANDROID TV platforms. You can also no longer subscribe to APPLE TV+ in the app either - seems like APPLE decided to #hardpass on sharing a cut of those revenues with the GOOGLE. You can still watch anything in your APPLE library in the app on the platform. /The Verge
The new News company that former BLOOMBERG exec Justin Smith, and former BUZZFEED & NY TIMES writer/editor Ben Smith are starting will be called SEMIFOR. Apparently The Smiths was taken. Details on what SEMIFOR means in the link.
But still no details on… what this exactly, or even sorta will be… or who’s gonna write the $20 - $30 Million check they’re seeking to get it up and running. /Axios
APPLE PODCASTS will show podcasters how many followers (aka subscribers) they have, and how many listens come from them vs randos starting in April. Info will only be avail to the podcaster in their CONNECT dashboard. /THR
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
AMC THEATERS +15% ($18.26)
ROBLOX +8% ($50.51)
IMAX +6% ($19.29)
BUZZFEED +6% ($5.27)
SPOTIFY +5% ($147.47)
and CINEWORLD (REGAL CINEMAS)… -8% ($0.45). of course.
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👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
Nothing new. Again. You ok Hollywood?
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
SONY“Where the Crawdads Sing” movie trailer - Based on the best-selling book, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones. In Theaters July 15
NETFLIX “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story” docu trailer - About the infamous longtime children’s TV & cultural personality who was a pedophile. Premieres April 6
AMAZON PRIME “A Very British Scandal” limited series trailer - About the not so friendly divorce of the Duke (Paul Bettany) and Duchess of Argyll (Claire Foy) in 1963. Premieres Fri April 29
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
Loving this new ELLE KING song “Out Yonder” - Great new banger for your playlist.
If you need some new tunes:
Email me anytime - just Reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.
-SEAN MCNULTY
@theseanmac on TWITTER
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