Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY August 26, 2021.
Where your dream to ride a ferris wheel in the middle of TIMES SQUARE has finally come true. That was only me wasn’t it. 🙇♂️ Well anyway – the “Times Square Wheel” opened for business yesterday, and for the low low price of $20, the 12 minute ride, 110 feet in the air is yours! $35 if you wanna cut the losers in line. But move fast, it has it’s last spin on Sun Sept 12. 🤞 for no early Sept hurricanes.
ALSO: A #GoodRead for Tennis and brand building folks – the NYT MAGAZINE dove into how Roger Federer built a $1 Billion empire despite his career prize 💰💰 topping out at about just 10% of that Billion dollar wealth, and being from a smaller country/media culture.
AND: Serena & Venus Williams join Federer and Nadal in dropping out of the US OPEN at the end of the month.
BUT READ THIS: Edgar Ramirez (“Jungle Cruise”, “Yes Day”) wrote an very heartfelt piece on how Covid has taken so many of his family members and his agent in Venezuela, where people there can’t get access to the vaccine, at a time where people here continue to snub readily available ones.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” teaser trailer sets 24-hour trailer view record at 355 Million
This breaks the “Avengers: Endgame” record of 289 Million in Dec 2018. /Variety
ALSO IN MOVIES
UNIVERSAL adds Tom Pelphrey (“Ozark”, “Banshee”) to “She Said” Weinstein movie, he’s playing the husband of Carey Mulligan’s NY TIMES reporter Megan Twohey. /Deadline
📺 THE TV SET
HBOMAX gets limited series directed by Steven Soderbergh
Called “Full Circle”, 6 episodes written by Ed Solomon (“Men In Black”, “Now You See Me” and he & Steven recently did “No Sudden Move”).
It centers on an investigation into a botched kidnapping in NYC, connecting people across cultures. No word on a timeline but its Soderbergh so let’s assume it’ll start shooting next week. /Variety
AMC sets Jacob Anderson (“GOT”) to play “Louis” in their “Interview with a Vampire” series
That’s the role Brad Pitt played in the movie. Jacob played the Grey Worm on “GOT”, and also has a role in the new season of “Doctor Who”. Show has an 8 episode order. /Variety
APPLE TV+ sets LaKeith Stanfield to star in series adaptation of “The Changeling”
It’s described as a fairytale for adults set in New York City. But different from “Sex and the City”. Otherwise not much to go on here, but ANNAPURNA producing, and Melina Matsoukas (“Queen & Slim”) is directing. /THR
ALSO IN TV
Spike Lee re-editing the 4th episode of his HBO “NYC Epicenters 9/11” doc containing interviews with 9/11 Conspiracy Truthers. Spike recently told the NY TIMES that he had “questions” about what happened on 9/11. The episode will air on Sat 9/11. /Variety
Zoe Kravitz leading animated series “Phatty Patty” for Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith’s WESTBROOK STUDIOS. Created by India Sage Wilson (CW’s “Dynasty”), semi-autobiographical story of a 9 year-old bi-racial girl growing up in the early 2000s. Going out to networks / streamers shortly. /Deadline
Doja Cat hosting MTV VMA’s on Sept 12. Can’t wait for her monologue zingers. She’ll be performing as well. /Variety
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
Olivia Rodrigo added writing credits on her hit song “Good 4 U” for 2 members of PARAMORE
Fans have repeatedly pointed out similarities between “Good 4 U” and “Misery Business” (here’s a mashup here), and the official writing credits have been adjusted by the ASCAP payment tracking/processing service indicating some sort of deal was struck to give them a $$ cut. /Variety
ALSO IN MEDIA
Ron Jeremy indicted on 34 counts of rape and sexual assault. He has pleaded not-guilty and is still awaiting a trial date. /Variety
ESPN cancels Rachel Nichols’s daily NBA show “The Jump”, and removes her from coverage of upcoming NBA season. /NY Times
Popular meditation app HEADSPACE merging with GINGER mental health coach provider (backed by private equity group BLACKSTONE). Will have a $3 Billion valuation, and be run by GINGER’s CEO. 70 Million people now use HEADSPACE, although no indication of frequency. /AdAdge
China’s TIK TOK / DOUYIN rival KUAISHOU says the new China media crackdown will hit earnings by $1 Billion. The company made $3 Billion in Q2, and has 293 Million daily users, about the same as SNAPCHAT, almost 100 Million more than TWITTER. /WSJ
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
CINEMARK up 6%, but that was about it.
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
HBOMAX “The Other Two” season 2. (former COMEDY CENTRAL show about the siblings of a celebrity, that had a small but dedicated fan base). Click here to Watch or Add to your List
NETFLIX “Family Reunion Part 4” – Multi-cam sitcom returns. Click here to Watch or Add to your List
If you were sent this newsletter or… just kinda found it:
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
AMAZON PRIME “Goliath” final season trailer. Premieres Fri Sept 24
NETFLIX “TUDUM” event trailer. Basically NETFLIX-Con, bringing together stars from upcoming TV & Movies for a “global event” on Sat Sept 25 where they’ll drop news, trailers, clips etc. Gonna take a while to get thru previewing 40 movies… so good luck TV shows. (also Tudum is a nod to the streaming service’s audio sound. Seems to be lacking a couple M’s to me personally… but hey you do you NETFLIX). Will live-stream on NETFLIX YouTube, TWITCH, and TWITTER accounts.
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
New ED SHEERAN “Visting Hours” – Adult Contemporary radio just got its song of the Fall. A classic Ed ballad.
Listen to it here on SPOTIFY or:
If you need new tunes:
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-Sean McNulty
@theseanmac on TWITTER
@TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM
or I’m also here on CLUBHOUSE
