VIACOM launches Production group under former CBS NEWS Prez
VIACOM launches Production group under former CBS NEWS Prez
Tom & Gisele doing $20 Mil Crypto Ad campaign / JLaw & JMulaney baby news - separately / Owen Wilson joins HAUNTED HOUSE pic at DISNEY
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY September 9, 2021.
Where today marks both the start of the TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST and the NFL SEASON, so throw in a pizza and my Thursday interests are covered 👍.
Although perhaps giving a congrats to Derek Sanderson Jeter for his HALL OF FAME induction will spread some Thursday joy to all. Unless you’re the 1 sportswriter out of the 397 who voted against admitting Jeter.
ALSO: Congrats to Jennifer Lawrence & Cooke Maroney who announced they are pregnant with their first child.
AS ARE… John Mulaney & Olivia Munn, who are also now expecting a baby together. John visited his old friend Seth Meyers this week (YT link here) to chat about his tumultuous year, including a candid-with-levity story around the drug intervention Seth and friends staged, and diving into John’s “Late Night” appearance in November that began to concern folks.
AND: A Congrats to Bob Odenkirk who returned to work on the set of “Better Call Saul” this week after his cardiac incident last month.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
DISNEY sets Owen Wilson to star in ride-based movie “Haunted House”
Tiffany Haddish and LaKeith Stanfield already cast, Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) directing a script from Katie Dippold (“The Heat”) with production starting next month. /THR
AMC THEATERS uses inflated stock price to launch $25 Million Ad campaign with Nicole Kidman
She’s starring in the first minute-long ad here which you should be seeing on TV this weekend. Watch the ad here if ya like… although it feels like they could’ve had her just do the voice-over here and gotten a similar effect - but hey AMC you do you. Dig the “We Make Movies Better” tagline tho 👌. /THR
ALSO IN MOVIES
NETFLIX signs multi-pic acting deal with TIKTOK star Addison Rae (“He’s All That”). She’ll also be an Exec Producer on any projects, but none specified. /Variety
GOLDEN GLOBES organization the HFPA gets a new President, a German journalist named Helen Hoehne who’s been in the HFPA since 2004, and on the board since 2012. Always good to bring in a fresh face in troubled times. /THR
TUBI picks up a Bruce Willis fronted movie project called “Corrective Measures” as an exclusive for 2022. The sci-fi / action / prison movie centers on monsters, cyborgs, and supervillains at a prison, with Willis playing a wealthy genius, and Michael Rooker as the warden.
TBD if this Bruce appearance will amount to more than the usual extended-cameo he’s been doing in the straight-to-DVD genre the past few years. /Variety
MACRO production/mgmt firm adds James F. Lopez as President of Film. He comes over from being Prez of WILL PACKER Productions. /Variety
📺 THE TV SET
ROKU CHANNEL greenlights “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” Holiday movie
Will begin shooting in a few weeks and premiere before Christmas this year for free viewing on the app. Impressive turnaround… 👏
This is the 2nd cancelled NBC property (👋 “Manifest”) to get an additional life in the past month at a streaming service… neither of which was PEACOCK. /THR
Former CBS NEWS Prez Susan Zirinsky heading up a new News & Docu production arm at VIACOM
Called SEE IT NOW Studios. Will produce content across CBS, PAR+, and VIACOM cable networks, and Susan will report directly into CBS CEO George Cheeks. /THR
ALSO IN TV
FOX sets Country star Trace Adkins to co-star with Susan Sarandon & Anna Friel in their Country Music family dynasty drama “Monarch”. /Variety
If you’re wondering why you can’t watch FX’s Bill Clinton “Impeachment: American Crime Story” on HULU or… stream at all right now - NETFLIX has a deal going back to 2016 to stream all “ACS” series, although “Impeachment” wont hit NETFLIX until sometime in 2022. Ah 2016 TV deals… /Variety
FOX adds Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”) as a lead voice in Dan Harmon (“Community”) animated series “Krapopolis”, about humans, gods and monsters attempting to run a city in ancient Greece. /THR
AND IN RENEWALS…
PAR+ renews “Star Trek: Picard” for a 3rd Season. /Deadline
BET+ renews “First Wives Club” for a 3rd season. /Deadline
FREEFORM renewed “Good Trouble” for a Season 4. /Deadline
Pat & Vanna re-up at “Wheel of Fortune” through 2024, when Pat will be 78 years old. Canadian genes man… /Deadline
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
Cryptocurrency-buying exchange FTX launches $20 Million ad campaign starring Tom & Gisele
The couple is teaming up to schill for buying Crypto in spots that’ll air heavily in NFL games. They both own a small financial stake in FTX which I’m sure will be clearly disclosed…
Also featured in the ad - NEW YORK JETS superfan Fireman Ed… and if there’s one thing that being associated with the NEW YORK JETS has shown, is that it’s a one-way path to success.
So between Gambling sites and Crypto exchanges… the NFL is advertising a lotta ways to lose money fast this Fall. Although I’d totally buy a GRONK-coin when that becomes a thing. /WSJ
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
A slightly down day for most Media stocks but nothing egregious.
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
NBC - NFL Season kick off with Dallas at Tampa Bay at 820p. 🏉🏟
NETFLIX “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” - Docu produced by Kenya Barris, Click Here to Watch or Add to your List
If you were sent this newsletter or… just kinda found it:
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
WB / HBOMAX “The Mainy Saints of Newark” trailer. 2nd trailer for the movie - now this one really gets any “Sopranos” fan psyched. Also looks to be a huge role for Alessandro Nivola. In theaters and HBOMAX on Fri Oct 1
NETFLIX “Don’t Look Up” teaser trailer. DiCaprio, JLaw and… half of Hollywood in a new satire about 2 scientists who discover an asteroid is heading toward Earth, and have a hard time convincing people to take them seriously. Written & Directed by Adam McKay.
Previously was going to be in theaters Dec 10, but is now day & date In Theaters & NETFLIX on Fri Dec 24.
FOCUS FEATURES “Last Night in Soho” trailer. Anya Taylor Joy + Edgar Wright + 1960’s London + murder-time travel-thriller. Cool trailer. Only in theaters Fri Oct 29
A24 “C’mon C’mon” trailer. Joaquin Phoenix stars in the new film from director Mike Mills (“Beginners”, “20th Century Women”). This trailer was simple, but quite affecting. In theaters in November.
PARAMOUNT+ “Star Trek: Picard” Season 2 trailer. Premieres Feb 2022
NETFLIX “Midnight Mass” limited series trailer. New show where Zach Guilford (Saracen from “Friday Night Lights”) returns in a disgraced fashion to his small hometown and Hamish Linklater shows up as a priest, and then some spooky things go down. Premieres Fri Sept 24.
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
SURFACE with Thomas Rhett “C’est La Vie” - I mean it’s no Robbie Nevil song, but still has a fun, kinda-extended Summer hang vibe. 🤙
Listen to the song on Spotify or:
If you need new tunes:
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-Sean McNulty
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