Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + MediaBiz news to know on THURSDAY February 11th, 2021. Where I’m trying to find the “get wasted on avocado Tequila” chapter in Tom Brady’s TB12 training book - anyone?
Hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl “Regatta” TB! Always remember: NY Giants 2 - Brady 0 in Super Bowl matchups.

Joey Knight @TBTimes_Bulls

I guess his sea legs aren’t what they used to be...

And Bruce Springsteen was arrested for DUI … back in November at a closed beach park in Jersey (umm no, not in a Jeep, who has thus removed their SUPER BOWL ad online), and Larry Flynt died. Now those are 2 names who have probably never been in the same sentence.

🎧 MUSIC TO READ BY

H.E.R. “Fight For You” Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

Great new 70’s Soul throwback from the new movie “Judas and the Black Messiah".

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

Elizabeth Moss joins Jake Gyllenhaal & Oscar Isaac in movie about the making of “The Godfather”

Barry Levinson directing, Endeavor Content repping sales, no shoot start indicated. Oscar playing Francis Ford Coppola, Elizabeth plays his wife Eleanor, Jake playing Paramount exec Bob Evans. (Deadline)

UNIVERSAL wins bidding war for hot book property “Falling”

Rights sold for $1.5 million. Described as “Speed” on a plane basically.

Written by a former flight attendant while on the job, its her first novel. The Publishing rights sold separately just last week for over $1 million. Well. Her next week certainly has its work cutout for itself. (THR)

SXSW Film Festival (Mar 16-20) details announced

Demi Lovato YOUTUBE docuseries opening the fest, Charlie XCX docu closing the fest, Tom Petty docu screening… somewhere in between.

All details on the Virtually screening 75 features, including 57 World Premieres at the SXSW website or here at Indiewire.

ALSO IN MOVIES

Tye Sheridan (“Ready Player One”) joins Ben Affleck in “The Tender Bar” directed by George Clooney at AMAZON. He’ll play the author of the memoir its based on, who grew up in his uncle’s Long Island bar. (THR)
Hong Chau (“Watchmen”) lands co-starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s next movie fka “The Whale” with Brendan Fraser. (Deadline)
CAA promotes 3 to agent in MP Lit department. Congrats Bryant, Albert & Stephanie! (Variety)

📺 THE TV SET

HBO drops 2 Mike Judge series that they already ordered

Both were part of a 2 year, $10+ mil extension of his deal in 2019. Deal not renewed, shows dropped (casting was never started).

Mike is now doing “Beavis and Butthead” reboot at VIACOM. (Deadline)

Joss Whedon accused of “hostile & toxic” environment on “Buffy” set for years.

Charisma Carpenter came forward, and Sarah Michelle Gellar & Michelle Trachtenberg pretty much confirmed on social media as well. (THR)

ALSO: Lucasfilm disavows actress Gina Carano after “abhorrent” IG posts about the Holocaust. She was in both “Mandalorian” seasons, but not in the future of the show. Gina also dropped by her agency UTA. (Deadline)

AND while we’re here… Morgan Wallen posted a 5 minute IG apology video, tells fans “not to defend him” and he’s gonna go “off the grid for a little while”. (IG link or read some quotes in Variety). Jason Isbell donating his songwritng royalties from Morgan’s album to NAACP. (Variety).

Claire Danes replaces Keira Knightley in APPLE TV+ series “The Essex Serpent”

Keira dropped out due to Covid concerns and looking after her kids.

It’s a Victorian period show about a widow who returns to her hometown and is intrigued by a superstition about a Serpent who may have also returned. Named Bill Essex. (just kidding: Essex is the name of the hometown). (Variety)

HBOMAX orders 3 adult animation series

A 2 season order for a “Clone High” reboot with original creative team of Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence involved.

A “Scooby Doo” origin story around “Velma” from Mindy Kaling who will also voice the character.

And “Fired on Mars” - a workplace comedy set at a tech company on Mars featuring Pete Davidson. Rest of HBOMAX animation development slate is here (THR)

OVER AT HBO DOCUMENTARIES:

They picked up a Tina Turner docu called “Tina” from the producers of “Searching for Sugar Man”. Will debut March 27th. (Deadline)

And a 2 part docu on the opioid epidemic from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney called “The Crime of the Century”. Will premere in May TBD. (Deadline)

ALSO IN TV

Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey ("Lyanna Mormont” in GOT) cast as leads in HBO’s “The Last Of Us” - series adaptation of the hit video game from “Chernobyl” writer Craig Mazin. (THR)
NETFLIX opening Canadian content office, hiring chief content officer to go with their existing Toronto production soundstage hub. (Deadline)
AMAZON PRIME restructures TV group executive structure, led by promotion of Marc Reseghini to Worldwide Head of TV Development. (THR)
CHERNIN ENTERTAINMENT launches production studio with Connor Schell, former head of ESPN Content. Company has no name yet, and will produce unscripted content “inside and outside of the sports world.” Well that narrows it down. (THR)

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

FACEBOOK is building an audio chat room function/competing product to CLUBHOUSE called “Fireside”

Because the only thing missing from a great CLUBHOUSE audio chatroom… is your mom coming in.

But hey - if I can pay to access it with my Libra coins, I’m in. #FacebookCurrencyJokes. So add this onto the list of CLUBHOUSE “homage” products with TWITTER “Spaces”. (NYT)

ALSO AT FACEBOOK: You may have seen some headlines that FACEBOOK is toning down/de-prioritizing political content in their News Feed. (Remember though, they’re not a media company who dictates what you see).

But the kinda key word that the headlines are for some reason leaving out is testing. They’re doing it in “a fraction” (or very small beta) of members feeds. In 3 countries. None of which are currently the US. So - basically just doing recon work to answer the question “Will this ruin our business model?”… not enacting a new policy.

📰 GOOD READS

INTRIGUING MUSIC BIZ READ: How the shift to Music Streaming has affected the longtime bedrock of Radio Promo staffing & strategy at music labels, and info on where people spend their listening time in 2021. (Variety)

Also (kinda) music related - Rihanna is pausing her FENTY luxury fashion line with LVMH after a… less than hoped for start. Pandemic didn’t help. Line launched in 2019. (WSJ)

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

nil

👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH

CBS has the big premiere - “Clarice” at 10pm (gonna assume you know what this is by now…)

ESPN has a new 30 FOR 30: “Al Davis vs the NFL” about the former RAIDERS coach at 9pm.

New sesason of “Impractical Jokers” on TRU TV at 10pm.

2 new HBOMAX additions:

“The Bridge” - a reality competition show hosted by James McAvoy: 12 American, Irish and British people compete to build a bridge on an island in 20 days… and I think there’s $100k on the other side… or something like that. You can watch for yourself here.

“There is no I in Threesome” - New Zealand docu/reality show about a couple who opens up their relationship before they get married. Ah the things you do when you don’t have to worry about Covid…. I would include a link, but the HBOMAX link that comes up when Googling it is broken. ahem.

TO NOTE: DISNEY releases new DISNEY+ subscriber numbers after 4pm today on their earnings call. Ok fine this is really a note for me to remember - hey I read this thing too.

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Have a great day! Until tomorrow ya’ll…

-Sean McNulty (email me anytime at: Wakeupodcast@gmail.com but please no more guac recipies. Talkin to you Brad).

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The Wakeup

THU 2.11.21 : HBO cuts ties with Mike Judge