WED 2.17.21 : Jordan Peele sets cast for next movie
Lenny Kravitz to play J.Lo's ex, Kevin Mayer assembling new $2 Bil company?
Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + MediaBiz news to know on WEDNESDAY February 17th, 2021. For my fellow Gentiles…. Welcome to Lent! Sadly - reading this newsletter every day does not count toward your Lenten sacrifice or commitment to self-improvement…. but I like where your head’s at.
🎧 NEW MUSIC TO READ BY
Dua Lipa “We’re Good” Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
LISTEN to All song recos here on SPOTIFY
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
Keke Palmer to star in Jordan Peele’s next movie at UNIVERSAL
Daniel Kaluuya also in negotiations to join. No details avail, other than it’s slated for a July 2022 release date. /Deadline
“Bridgerton” star Rege-Jean Page joins PARAMOUNT’s “Dungeons & Dragons” movie
Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Justice Smith already on board.
First hosting SNL on Saturday, and now this. Yeah Rege-Jean is winning the week. /THR
Lenny Kravitz to play J.Lo’s ex in LIONSGATE’s “Shotgun Wedding”
Cheech Marin signs on to play her father. Josh Duhamel is J.Lo’s main co-star (replaced Armie Hammer). /Deadline
ALSO IN MOVIES
Lily Rabe joins Ben Affleck in Clooney directed “The Tender Bar”at AMAZON. Will play the lead female role. /THR
Director Jay Chandrasekhar (“Super Troopers”) doing AMBLIN family comedy “Easter Sunday”. Jo Koy attached to star. /THR
China’s “Detective Chinatown 3” and “Hi, Mom” hit about $850 million combined in just… 5 days. With theaters at 75% capacity. /THR
WGA Movie screenplay nominations list is out. I am not on it. /Variety
📺 THE TV SET
JUST A FEW THINGS:
Archie Panjabi joining “Snowpiercer” season 3 at TNT. /Deadline
Aaron Eckhart to play Gerald Ford in “The First Lady” anthology series at SHOWTIME. Michelle Pfeiffer already set as Betty Ford. /Deadline
NCIS looking like it’ll expand to Hawaii for its… fourth iteration on CBS. /Deadline
EXECUTIVE SUITE: Former ABC exec Emily Cummins to run Julie Plec’s UNI TV production company MY SO-CALLED COMPANY (👏 on that name). /THR
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
Brooke Baldwin leaving CNN in April
She also has a book coming out then, but no specific plans given. /THR
ALDEN CAPITAL hedge fund sets deal to buy rest of TRIBUNE PUBLISHING
Values TRIB at $630 million total. Includes NY DAILY NEWS and CHICAGO TRIBUNE - 9 major market dailies total, though agrees to sell BALTIMORE SUN to a non-profit public trust.
ALDEN already owns 32% of the company, paying about a 10% premium on current TRIB stock price for the rest of it, and will now take it private.
The hedge fund has 200+ Other news publisher holdings and is known for making deep cuts after acquisitions.
Not a great day for local journalism. Deal still has to be approved by major shareholders, the largest of which owns the LA TIMES (Patrick Soon-Shiong). /WSJ
Former DISNEY Streaming & TIKTOK head Kevin Mayer looking to build $2 Billion new venture
Blackstone would invest the (at least) $2 billion to back it, and it would roll up Bieber & Grande manager Scooter Braun’s company ITHACA HOLDINGS, and Ben Silverman’s latest production venture PROPOGATE CONTENT, with potentially other companies as well.
IMAGINE approached but not interested. /THR
A SPAC valued at $300 mil with Mayer & fellow former DISNEY exec Tom Staggs as principals just bought a digital fitness & wellness company BEACHBODY this week (ie a PELOTON & APPLE Fitness competitor). /LA Times
ALSO IN MEDIA
VOX gets new Editor in Chief: Swati Sharma. Coming over from THE ATLANTIC where she’s Managing Editor. VOX has about 90 newsroom staff, 30 mil monthly readers. /NYT
Morgan Wallen still tops BILLBOARD chart. By a large margin. /Variety
Country Music’s ACM’s will take place in Nashville this April on CBS from the Opry, the Ryman and the Bluebird Cafe. Will also livestream on PARAMOUNT+ /Billboard
📰 GOOD READS
Did ya hear the one about the newsletter and the lack of a good read? It’s hilarious.
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
No new trailers but here’s Adam Sandler attempting a “Happy Gilmore” as the film hits it's 25 year Anniversary.
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH
NETFLIX “Amend: The Fight for America” 6 part docuseries on the 14th Amendement hosted by Will Smith.
If you’re New to THE WAKEUP - Sign up! In your inbox by 830am EST every weekday.
Also - you can listen to THE WAKEUP as a Daily podcast if you prefer to get the info while you walk or drive. And hear my best podcaster impersonation.
SPOTIFY APPLE STITCHER GOOGLE iHEART OVERCAST PANDORA
And if you find the newsletter useful, hit the Heart icon below underneath my name (Sean McNulty) so the SUBSTACK folks know about it and Share it with friends or colleagues (trust me, you’ll be a 1st mover influencer):
Have a great day! See ya tomorrow.
-Sean McNulty