28 Feb 2015
We will be providing briefs of what comes out of the studios or independent project development on a daily basis and summarizing them in daily posts. These will be a quick way to attempt to keep everyone updated on movement of projects. This post is updated throughout the day. So check back for the latest updates.
NON-SPECIFIC (NOT SPECIFIC TO A GIVEN ENTITY)
- THR Box Office: Will Smith’s Focus Wins Friday for $20M U.S. Debut
- Variety: Leonard Nimoy: 14 Things You Didn’t Know About His Career
- Deadline Ratings: Last Man Standing & Cristela Ratings Up, Hawaii Five-0 Down, Glee Even
- The 3rd Annual Noble Awards Honor David Arquette, Nikki Reed, Gary Sinise, Rosario Dawson & More with Tribute to Paul Walker
- Family Equality Council’s 11th Annual Los Angeles Dinner Honors Glee, Modern Family, Houston Mayor Annise Parker and more
- THR Box Office: Will Smith’s Focus Opens to Muted $19.1M But Still No. 1
- THR Box Office: Fifty Shades Seduces Overseas With Massive $338.4M, Nears $500M Globally
- Deadline: William Shatner’s Twitter Storm Of a Leonard Nimoy Funeral Tribute
- THR: Battle Creek: TV Review – A long-delayed idea from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan becomes a series – and CBS and a strong cast make it entertaining.
- Deadline: Bart & Fleming: Tom Rothman Rises; Adam Goodman Exits; Raunchy Comediennes
- Deadline: Downton Abbey Finale: Exec Producer Gateth Neame on Allen Leech & Lilly James’ Future, Season 7 & That Proposal
- Deadline Ratings: Last Man On Earth Has Strong Premiere
- THR Box Office: China Monthly Box Office Tops U.S. For First Time Ever
- THR: Weakened BBC Would See “American Tastemakers” Dominate U.K., Chief Says
- Deadline Exclusive: Jonathan Deckter Exits IM Global to Join Voltage Pictures As Partner
- Deadline: Drier Charged in ZombieWalk Crowd Incident at Comic-Con
- THR: Google Trumpets Victory Over MPAA In Mississippi – A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunciton with a detailed opinion forthcoming on whether to halt the state’s attorney general from issuing subpoenas to Google.
- Deadline: Pilot Season 2015: The Overachievers
- Roundabout Theatre Company Held Annual Spring Gala Tonight
- Following his week long suspension, a contrite Keith Olbermann returned to his ESPN2 show. Olbermann had been suspended for a heated twitter exchange between he and students at Penn State University leading him to lash out at the students, calling them “pitiful” when the students were attempting to aid pediatric cancer research through a fundraiser. See More
- THR International Box Office: China Box Office: The Man From Macau Surges Ahead of Rivals in Hard-fought Week
ABC/DISNEY/AMC FAMILY/LIFETIME
- ABC’s new drama pilot under helmer Michael M. Robin, The Advocate has cast Kim Raver to star in the lead. The Advocate comes from Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein’s Vendetta Productions as well as Warner Bros. TV. Turner and Klein executive produce, with Byrdie Lifson-Pompan and Valerie Ulene as consulting producers. Inspired by the real story of former talent agent Lifson-Pompan who started a healthcare consulting and case management company by teaming up with medical doctor and health education specialist Ulene, The Advocate is about a tough, resourceful, type-A business woman, Francis “Frankie” Reese (Raver) at the top of her game when she encounters a medical scare through a dangerous misdiagnosis, experiencing firsthand the hazards of our healthcare system. She leaves her successful career to become a relentless advocate for anyone caught up in the chaotic medical system.
- Shondaland’s Shonda Rhimes is bringing a new drama pilot to ABC, The Catch and has cast Mirelle Enos in the lead. Based on the novel by Kate Atkinson of same title, Jennifer Schur will adapt the script for ABC Studios and Rhimes and Betsy Beers will executive produce. Co-executive producing are Helen Gregory and Kate Atkinson. JulieAnne Robinson will direct the pilot and executive produce. The Catch is a thriller about a woman about to be conned who is about to marry, but her slippery finance does not realize that she investigates fraud for a living and is not all she claims to be. When his con encounters her lies, they begin a game of cat and mouse. In The Catch Enos will play Alice, a feisty woman with a nervy spirit who is engaged to Kiernan, yet feels uneasy about going through with marrying him. Clean and minimalist, she is also tough and competent overwrought with worry and exhaustion from her dedicated life-work as a forensic accountant in Chicago.
AMC NETWORKS/AMC ENTERTAINMENT/A&E
CBS/CW/CBSFILMS/SHOWTIME
- Deadline: Battle Creek Review: Vince Gilligan’s Old Script Witty Addition to CBS’ Sunday, Says Dominic Patten
- Variety PopPolitics: How Madam Secretary Became an Antidote to Dark D.C. Dramas (Listen)
- Deadline: Larry David talks Seinfeld Money Myth, His Childhood on Sunday’s 60 Minutes -Watch
- Pop, formerly TV Guide Network, will be hosting the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy awards to be held on April 26 live on both coasts. Michael Levitt will executive produce the broadcast. It will broadcast from Warner Bros. lot. “We’re turning the page back to the glamour days of daytime TV,” Bob Mauro, President of NATAS explained. “This show will be produced on a soundstage where everybody in that room has worked at one time or another. It will be a throwback to old Hollywood.” NATAS and Pop are looking at hosts for the event. Nominations will be announced on March 26. The Daytime Creative Arts Emmy’s ceremony will be held at the Universal Hilton on April 24.
- Syndicated show, Judge Judy, produced by Big Ticket Pictures (a division of CBS), will be on air on CBS through 2020, announced Mar 2 by President & CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group, Armando Nuñez. Judge Judy is executive produced by Randy Douthit who also directs the show.Included with the extended contract is a first-look production deal with Judy Sheindlin’s Queen Bee Productions which has launched in the past Hot Bench. Sheindlin is 72 and has been starring in Judge Judy since September 1996 and earns approximately $45 Mil a year under her old contract. Her current contract did not expire until 2017 with the early renewal, she will be on air another five years.Nuñez said: “She is a true television icon who entertains and inspires millions of fans each day on Judge Judy. We look forward to continuing to provide our station partners with her highly successful show and to working with her to create the next generation of hits.”“I’m thrilled to be working with my CBS family for five more years and very excited about this new adventure in production,” Sheindlin said. “I loved the experience of creating and developing Hot Bench and look forward to replicating its success with more new, compelling and smart TV.”
- Jane Lynch is coming to CBS to star in a new half-hour comedy, Angel From Hell, the pilot penned by Tad Quill, who will also executive produce and directed by Don Scardino with CBS Television Studios producing. Angel from Hell is about a woman named Amy (Lynch) who claims to be the guardian angel of another woman, Allison (uncast). Amy is brassy, flamboyant and larger-than-life so when Allison encounters Amy and is told that she will be guarded by Amy, her angel, Allison cannot tell if she really is an angel or just plain nuts.
- Helmer Adam Bernstein has cast KaDee Strickland as the lead in the hour-long pilot Doubt which hails from Timberman/Beverly and CBS TV Studios. Doubt was written by and is executive produced by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. Doubt is about Sadie (Strickland) who is a smart, chic and successful defense lawyer for a boutique law firm who becomes romantically involved with one of her clients who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime, shocking her colleagues and those who know her best. Other cast are Elliott Gould, Laverne Cox, Dule Hill, and Kobi Libii with Neil Meyer co-starring for one-season arc. Each season is designed to tackle a new case.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION (AOL, AMAZON, HULU, NETFLIX, YAHOO)
- Premiere dates for Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp, Season 3 of Orange is the New Black, and Sense8 have been set by Netflix. The new sci-fi drama series from Andy & Lana Wachowski, Sense8 will premiere June 5; Orange is the New Black will return for Season 3 on June 12; and Wet Hot American Summer will debut July 17. Netflix also announced original stand-up comedy specials which include Chris D’Elia: Incorrigible premiering April 17; Jen Kirkman: I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I feel Fine) will debut May 22; and What Happened, Miss Simone will bow on June 26.
- Adam Sandler’s Netflix Comedy, The Ridiculous Six craft services truck driver was nearly killed in a traffic accident two weeks ago in Santa Fe and is sill recoververing at Universtiy of New Mexico Hospital. Around noon on Feb 18, Monique Silva was ejected from her truck when it overturned on the road leading to Santa Fe Municipal Airport following her attempt to over-correct a sharp turn. She had to be airlifted to the hospital by helicopter, suffering from broken neck, shoulder, pelvis, jaw, 14 ribs and a collapsed lung. She literally was clinically dead for about five minutes, without breathing until they paddled her back to life. Her father, George Woodward said that she was moving her limbs, which is a good sign that there will not be any permanent paralysis. Santa Fe police confirmed that no charged had been filed and that alcohol was not a factor, but they felt speed might have been a factor It was the first time Silva had driven a catering truck according to Woodward (her father).
- Deadline Exclusive: Netflix Outbidding Movie Buyers? Near Whopping Deal for Beasts of No Nation
- Netflix Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos hs decided to streamline things and enter China’s market alone. “It’s unlikely that we would definitely pursue (a local partner model) as a strategy… These ventures become very complex and very difficult to manage, and ultimately difficult to be successful,” said Sarandos. Shows like House of Cards have proven very popular in China. China has 60 of the audience using smartphones and tablets with 649 million internet users, the largest internet use in the world. With regulations – Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter all blocked, it is a difficult market even though an attractive market. Eight different licenses would be needed to launch Netflix into China and TV is “subject to a censorship and regulatory environment that we haven’t had to deal with,” according to Sarandos. Censorship approval for a whole season must be garnered before they can broadcast, but shows like House of Cards and Marco Polo are produced a whole series at a time versus shooting each week.
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
DREAMWORKS /DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
FOX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP/FOX SEARCHLIGHT/NEW REGENCY
- Deadline Review: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Review: Pete Hammond Happily Checks In
- Michael Cuesta who is directing and executive producing the pilot, has cast Rob Kazinsky to play Frankenstein in the Fox drama about the monster. Rand Ravich and Howard Gordon are also executive producing the project with Hugh Fitzpatrick co-executive producing. Adhir Kalyan has been cast as Otto Goodwin, one of Frankenstein’s creators. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel, Prichard (Kazinsky) is a morally corrupt, retired cop who, when brought back from the dead, is given a second chance at life. He is younger and stronger and Pritchard must decide to choose between his old temptations and his new sense of purpose. Pritchard is athletic, strong and handsome, yet in former life a former Marine and county sheriff who was murdered. Pritchard has a new body, but his mind is still that of the 75-year-old badass sourpuss, cantankerous man who was murdered.
MGM, ORION, UNITED ARTISTS
- Variety Exclusive: Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington Reteam on Magnificent Seven – Antoine Fuqua helming the project is in final negotiations with Hawke to join the production which already has attached Chris Pratt and Haley Bennett.
NBC/UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/USA NETWORK/COMCAST/E!
LIONSGATE
SONY/TRISTAR/COLUMBIA
- Rumor has it that Sony and Marvel are looking at Drew Goddard to pen and direct the new reboot of Untitled Spider-Man. Still early stages and Goddard has yet to meet with Sony execs, although that is expected to take place this week. Goddard directed the Spider-Man spinoff-film Sinister Six. The reboot will start afresh and not involve Andrew-Garfield in the starring role and the character is getting a revamp.
- THR Exclusive: Joseph Kosinski in Talks to Direct Sony’s Gran Turisomo – The Oblivion director would help the video game adaptation.
TIME WARNER/WARNER BROS./HBO/ TURNER/TNT/TBS/NEWLINE
- Deadline: John Oliver Sexes Up 60 Minutes Report on Nation’s Crumbling Infrastructure With Ed Norton and Steve Buscemi
- The Wonder List with Bill Weir’s and Finding Jesus: Faith Fact, Forger boost CNN’s ratings. Airing at 9 PM, Finding Jesus averaged 1.139 Mil viewers, 80% larger than the 634,000 watching Fox New and 314% larger than MSNBC’s 275,000 viewers. Finding Jesus in the news demo was also strong at 371,000 compared to Fox News and MSNBC which each attracted 111,000.At 10 PM The Wonder List with Bill Weir found 706,000 viewers topping the cable news nets. It’s debut ranked the top stop among nets with 294,000 compared to Fox News’ 148,000 and MSNBC’s 126,000. Looking at the previous four weeks, CNN’s performance grew 122% in total viewers.
- Warner Bros. has secured rights to , a memoir by Lynsey Addario in an auction. They have also attached Steve Spielberg to direct, Peter Lazar to produce and Jennifer Lawrence to star in the drama. Lazar’s company Wynn Wygal will oversee the project with Racheline Benveniste and Julia Spiro overseeing from Warner Bros. Addario won the MacArthur Fellowship in 2008 and was part of the New York Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for International Reporting for her work on Waziristan. In 2011, Addario was jailed for several days in Libya. She has traveled to war-ridden nations of Afthanistan, Libya and Iraq.
VIACOM/COMEDY CENTRAL/PARAMOUNT/MTV
INDIE
- Melissa Rauch’s Sundance Opener, The Bronze Releases in July
- Variety Exclusive: Ronda Rousey, Peter Berg and Iko Uwais Team on Action Pic Mile 22 – A CIA field officer and Indonesian Police Officer forced to work together while they confront violence and extreme political corruption.
- Deadline Exclusive: Luc Beesson Finds New Action Hero? EuropaCorp Sets Sullivan Stapleton For The Lake