SPIELBERG casts newcomer in lead role for next movie
HBOMAX sets Latin America launch plan / KELLY CLARKSON will take ELLEN slot / EVIL DEAD sequel π at HBOMAX
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and hereβs the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY May 27, 2021.
Where TURNER SPORTS is paying Wayne Gretzky $3 Million a year to be the lead analyst for their new in-studio NHL show around TNT hockey games starting this Fall.
The Great One is thus departing his Vice Chairman role at the EDMONTON OILERSβ¦ and his Thousand Oaks home for a cool $17.6 Million, making a $4.1 Million profit in 7 years. As the famous quote goes: Β βYou lose 100% of the houses you donβt bid on - Wayne Gretzkyβ - Michael Scott
π½ THE SILVER SCREEN
LIONSGATE lands Gershwin-themed, Scorsese produced musical from John Carney (βOnceβ, βModern Loveβ)
Called βFascinating Rhythmβ, will center on a young womanβs journey through NYC past and present set to Gershwin tunes (π βSomeone to Watch Over Meβ).
Carney also co-wrote script, Irwin Winkler (βGoodfellasβ, βRockyβ) also producing. LIONSGATE bought worldwide rights but no price disclosed. Did you know George Gershwin died at just age 38?? /Deadline
MARVEL / SONY PICTURES sets Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the lead in Spider-Man villain movie βKraven the Hunterβ
JC Chandor (βMargin Callβ, βTriple Frontierβ) directing, set for early 2023 release. /Variety
HBOMAX doing βEvil Deadβ sequel
Called βEvil Dead Riseβ, two estranged sisters reuniteβ¦ briefly, before flesh possessing demons interrupt. Alyssa Sutherland (βVikingsβ, her imdb here) will star.
Sam Raimi will be an Exec Producer, but Irish horror filmmaker Lee Cronin (his imdb here) will direct. NEW LINE producing. /THR
Spielberg sets newcomer to play younger version of himself in upcoming semi-autobiographical film
So - get to know the name Gabriel LaBelle (βThe Predatorβ, his IMDB here).
Michelle Williams set to play mom, Seth Rogen is an uncle, and Paul Dano set as dad, about a kid growing up in Arizona in the 1950βs.
Spielberg co-wrote script with Tony Kushner, shooting this Summer. Studio/streaming home doesnβt seem to be set yetβ¦. /Deadline
ALSO IN MOVIES
PARAMOUNT+ sets Thu June 10 premiere date for Mark Wahlberg Sci-Fi thriller βInfiniteβ. Was previously set for Sept release in theatersβ¦ no word on a trailer. /Deadline
Dave Chappelle docu to close TRIBECA FEST at Radio City on Sat June 19. Itβs about issues facing a rural Ohio town in 2020, directed by the team behind the OSCAR winning NETFLIX film βAmerican Factoryβ. /THR
NETFLIX adds Omari Hardwick, John Ortiz, and Molly Parker to Halle Berry Sci-Fi film βThe Mothershipβ - Halle plays a woman who finds an extraterrestrial object under her house, one year after her husband disappeared π€. /Deadline
HOWARD UNIVERSITY re-names College of Fine Arts after alum Chadwick Boseman. /Deadline
πΊ THE TV SET
The TONY AWARDS set Sun Sept 26 PARAMOUNT+ / CBS extravaganza
Awards will stream exclusively on PAR+ from 7-9p, and then CBS will air a 2 hour βThe Tony Awards Present: Broadwayβs Back!β special to blow the doors off the place, full of new songs and classics from 9p to 11p. /Deadline
βThe Kelly Clarkson Showβ will take premo βEllenβ timeslot on NBC-owned stations starting Fall 2022
This covers most major TV markets, but deals still to be struck with outside station groups in smaller markets (NBCU produces the show). /Variety
ALSO IN TV
βMr Bigβ himself, Chris Noth will be a part of the new HBOMAX βSATCβ season. No details on how many episodes etc. You know how mysterious he is. /Variety
βRuPaulβs Drag Race All Starsβ moves from VH1 to PARAMOUNT+ on Thu June 24, when new Season 6 season will premiere. /Variety
HBO adds Parker Posey to cast for limited series βThe Staircaseβ based on true crime docuseries, alongside Toni Collette, Colin Firth, Juliette Binoche, and Rosemarie DeWitt. /Variety
APPLE TV sets Michael Huisman (played βDaario Naharisβ inο»ΏβGOTβ) to co-star with Luke Evans in new South American action thriller series βEcho 3β. Created by Mark Boal (βZero Dark Thirtyβ), about a scientist who goes missing near the Colombian border, setting her brother and husband with military pasts off to go find her. /THR
AMAZON PRIME sets Fri Aug 13 premiere for βModern Loveβ season 2. This is more just a note for my viewing calendarβ¦ but by all means add to your own.
π» THE MEDIA BIZ
HBOMAX to launch in 39 Latin American & Carribbean countries on June 29, at $3 to $6 a month
That last part will be very important to keep in mind - expect HBOMAXβs Avg Rev Per User / ARPU to take a hit in Q3 and beyond with this launch.
They are committing to doing 100 HBOMAX βproductionsβ (shows, docus, movies, specials, kids shows etc) in LATAM by the end of next year.
WB Movies will hit the service 35 days after theatrical release there, and HBOMAX also has Soccerβs CHAMPIONS LEAGUE rights in Brazil and Mexicoβ¦ which should help. /Variety
HBO currently has about 10 Million subscribers in LATAM, all of whom will get HBOMAX free. So, anything on top of 10 Million in the region will pretty much be due to HBOMAX in the future. HBO estimates there are 100 Million potential households/customers in the region.
You can now hide βlikeβ counts on your FACEBOOK & IG posts
You can also hide seeing them on other peopleβs posts ifβ¦ that makes ya feel better. IG adds it now, FB will be soon. /The Verge
As Iβm sure you sawβ¦. AMAZON made their purchase of MGM official yesterday morning, for $8.5 Billion
AMAZON had $73 Billion of cash on hand at the end of March, so guessing the $8.5 Billion will be delivered in a suitcase. Dropped from a drone. Launched from a rocket.
Not much else disclosed.
One Certainty, Many Questions and a Thought:
CERTAINTY: BOND movie βNo Time To Dieβ will still premiere in theaters, very likely still this November.
MANY QUESTIONS: MGM STUDIOS Film Chairman Mike DeLuca has already greenlit films from many high profile talent like Ron Howard, George Miller, Paul Thomas Anderson, and of course the Ridley ScottβGucciβ movie with Gaga & Driver. How will they be released? Plus:
WTF happens with EPIX (does AMAZON want to operate a TV network?)
How/will Mike DeLucaβs role change (if he even wants to stay?). He is halfway thru a 3 year contract according to Variety.
How will MGM Studios operations assimilate with AMAZON Studios (ie #layoffs?)
A THOUGHT: One likely winning property thatβ¦ not too many people have talked about thus far: AMAZONβs free streaming service IMDB TV.
In the Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV service arms race with PLUTO, TUBI, PEACOCK and the like⦠IMDB TV just secured a crapload of premium ammo with the MGM library to better program the service (once existing Movie & TV output deals with other services begin to expire). Ammo that AMAZON can sell a lotta advertising against.
Also if AMAZON has no appetite to run a cable TV network, perhaps EPIX Original Series get moved over to IMDB TV as well. Even more premium inventory to sell ads against and to advertise the service with. Either way⦠a lot more to come.
ALSO: Jeff Bezos is gonna leave the CEO role on July 5 (will become Executive Chairman). Head of AMAZON WEB SERVICES Andy Jassy takes the keys as new CEO. And Finally gets free AMAZON PRIME! And gets to find out early what happens on Mrs Maisel season 4 π€¨. /Variety
ALSO IN MEDIA
Jay-Z sets 2-day βMade In Americaβ festival return to Philly on Labor Day weeknd Sept 4-5. Early tix on sale hereβ¦ but no lineup as of yet. 2 day pass about $130. /Variety
π¦ STOCK NOTES:
DISCOVERY and VIACOM each up almost 4% after a pretty stagnant period.
ENDEAVOR -5%
VIMEO drops another 5.5% on day 2.
AMC THEATERS +19% because thatβs how - eh even Iβm getting tired of this Reddit trader stonk ridiculousness.
π©βπ» NEW TO WATCH:
The 90βs called, they want their TV Back. Yes in the 4:3 SD ratio.
HBOMAX βFriendsβ Reunion, Watch or add to your list here.
PARAMOUNT+ βRugratsβ Reboot, Watch or add to your List here
IF YOUβRE ON CLUBHOUSE π
Come join me Tonight at 8pm EST for my fun Weekly REWIND chat diving into the biggest Entertainment & Tech stories of the week, with my friend & fellow former HBOβer Caroline Giegerich.
We had a lively convo last week with some folks from the industry dropping in to offer up some valuable different perspectives so - should be fun. You can set a personal notifier for it here.
If you were sent this email or⦠just kinda found it:
And if you wanna send the newsletter to a co-worker:
π₯ TRAILER HOUSE
AMAZON PRIME βThe Tomorrow Warβ movie trailer. High school teacher (but really ex-military guy) Chris Pratt is recruited to fight an alien invasion 30 years in the future. Where #funfact - apparently wars are fought entirely in CGI. Hits PRIME on Fri July 2.
HULU βFalse Positiveβ movie trailer - Pierce Brosnan as oneβ¦ creepy Fertility Doctor, with newly pregnant Ilana Glazer and Justin Theroux. Hits HULU Fri June 25.
SONY PICTURES βEscape Room: Tournament of Championsβ trailer. Basically βSawβ meets your favorite corporate retreat activity from The Before Times. Sequel hits theaters Fri July 16.
IMDBTV βLeverage: Redepemptionβ series trailer. The former TNT series returns on AMAZONβs free streaming service with Noah Wylie in the lead role. Launches Fri July 9.
HBOMAX βGenera+ionβ new season (ish) trailer. Season 1, part 2 premieres on Thu June 17 with a 3 episode drop.
π§ PLAYING ME OFF
New LIL NAS X - βSUN GOES DOWNβ. Something different stylistically from Lil Nas, liked this one. Plus his pants donβt split when singing it.
Listen here on Spotify or here:
If you need new tunes:
Have thappenin Thursday. Ok thatβs not a thing. Unless youβre a Looney Tunes character. Email me anytime - just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.
-Sean McNulty
@theseanmac on TWITTER or also here on CLUBHOUSE or on IG @TheWakeupNews