Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY August 30, 2022.

Where um, I thought we were all taking off this week? I mean seriously people… Hollywood – it’s August 30th, what’s with all the TV & Movie project news?

The Media Biz gets it – I’m gonna go hang out ~~with them at~~ outside of their Hamptons parties instead.

PLUS: Chris Rock reportedly said in a recent Phoenix stand-up show that he was asked to host the next OSCARS show this March, but declined.

Making this edition free for all in an offering to ask for a light news day today so I can take the day off tomorrow. And the next. It’s my last chance to tan! Half of you remember what that’s like before you moved to LA no?

IN THIS EDITION

NETFLIX going 6 weeks theatrical on new Innaritu film
Exec changes at NETFLIX FILMS, SKYDANCE and YOUTUBE
OPEN ROAD picks up Liam Neeson pic (although no “Death Wish” vibes for this one), will help fill out Dec movie theater biz
The Sunday event TV ratings roundup
APPLE TV continues to invest big in Family/Kids programming and more

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

NETFLIX’s “Beverly Hills Cop 4” sequel adds Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Taylour Page

And apparently Bruckheimer had a takeaway from “Top Gun: Maverick” that he wanted to share… as this 4th film is now called “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley” (is the Foley really needed here?).

Film is now shooting, no word on roles or plot. /Deadline

SHOWTIME sets William Friedken to direct “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” starring Kiefer Sutherland

It’s an adaptation of the Herman Wouk play… but legendary director Friedken has also updated the script & setting from the WWII setting of the Bogart ‘50s film to take place in the Straits of Hormuz, which leads up to IRAN.

PARAMOUNT will distrib globally (either streaming or theatrical, not really delineated). Will shoot early 2023. /Deadline

NETFLIX going “more theatrical” with new Inarritu film

Got a PR release from NETFLIX this morning that their new Inarritu film “Bardo” that they bought in April is getting a significant theatrical window.

As described in the release:

Oct 27: “everywhere” in MEXICO
Nov 4: Limited release in US, SPAIN and ARGENTINA
Nov 18: “Global expansion” (no definition given)
and then… it’s another month before it hits NETFLIX globally on Dec 16, giving it a 6 weekend run in US theaters before Streaming. A 6 week theatrical window – now that sounds like a familiar concept…

“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” (#FullTitle) is a nostalgic comedy about a renowned Mexican journalist and docu filmmaker who returns home to work through some family stuff and personal crisis, and has a new look at his country’s past.
The 2 leads are Daniel Giménez Cacho and Griselda Siciliani, and it’s Inarritu’s first film since “The Revenant”.

While it’s likely not going to become a ‘wide’ US theatrical release, it’s certainly not the one/two-week-and-done usual NETFLIX US theatrical release model.

NETFLIX has done 2-4 weekend windows on “prestige” films in the past (“Power of the Dog” had 2 weeks, “Marriage Story” got 4 in 2019 etc), but 6 weeks is new to my recollection.

ALSO OF NOTE:

Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” is getting a 4 week run (select theaters Nov 25, NETFLIX on Dec 30)
“Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” is listed as NETFLIX Dec 9, theaters TBA.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Just a left field idea… but NETFLIX also specifically didn’t give a theatrical plan for their “Knives Out” sequel yet (it hits the service on Dec 23).

All due respect to the SONY WWII title “Devotion”, but THANKSGIVING is still for the taking in the ‘blockbuster for adults’ genre… depending how UNI’s Spielberg “The Fablemans” pic skews thematically.

That premieres at TIFF in a couple weeks so we’ll know soon. As will NETFLIX. “Knives Out” of course was one of the top hits of the THANKSGIVING 2019, so if NETFLIX were ever going to try going “event pic wide in theaters for a month”… at a time where getting AMC & REGAL to sign on to carry a NETFLIX pic for once is very feasible… Crazy? Sure. But just sayin’.

ALSO IN MOVIES

OPEN ROAD buys US rights to Liam Neeson pic “Marlowe”, directed by Neil Jordan and written by William Monahan (“The Departed”). Liam playing the classic detective of course, co-stars Diane Kruger & Jessica Lange among many others. No price indicated.
- This is Liam’s 100th movie.
- OPEN ROAD has released 3 of the 6 movies Liam made in the past… 2 years. Well that explains the 100.
- Will release this on Dec 2 this year, only other wide pic then is “Deadly Night” from UNI
NETFLIX adds Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara and Jay Duplass to pharma pic “Pain Hustlers” with Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. David Yates (“Harry Potter” pics) is directing. /THR
PARAMOUNT adds Bobby Moynihan to Ryan Reynolds – John Krasinski pic “IF”, with Krasinski writing & directing. /Deadline
- SIDE BAR thought: What ever happened to Krasinski’s “Some Good News” show at ~~VIAC-~~PARAMOUNT??

IN THE HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE SUITE

HBO’s Francesca Orsi officially adds Films to her duties in addition to Drama, extends her deal thru 2026. /Deadline
Senior NETFLIX Film exec Tendo Nagenda is leaving after 4 years, no next destination indicated. The Film group will now be consolidated under Kira Goldberg & Ori Marmur, all under Stuber of course. /Deadline
YOUTUBE’s Head of Business Robert Kyncl is leaving after 12 years. In addition to leading Revenue & user Engagement he was also a driving force behind YT’s push into Originals in the 2010’s. No next destination indicated. /Variety
- YT of course had booming Revenue growth during the pandemic, but that abruptly ended in the first 2 quarters this year. Robert had a Content job at NETFLIX in their pre-Original Programming days before joining YT in 2010.
SKYDANCE names former 3 ARTS and CAA rep Carin Sage as EVP of Film. Reports into film prez Don Granger. /Deadline

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📺 THE TV SET

APPLE sets Jennifer Connolly to co-star with Joel Edgerton in “Dark Matter” sci-fi series

About a physicist who is unexpectedly abducted from his family & his reality into an alternate reality, and must pass thru other lives he could have lived to get back and save his family.

9 episodes, Jennifer is playing his wife. /Deadline

ALSO IN TV

AMAZON adds former “Euphoria” cast member Barbie Ferreira to Ariana DeBose’s horror / thriller pic “House of Spoils” from BLUMHOUSE. Ariana plays a chef who opens her first place on a remote estate when… creepy old-estate stuff starts going down. Barbie is playing her sous chef. /THR
FOX adds Naveen Andrews as co-star for “The Cleaning Lady” Season 2. /Variety
Michael Fishman is leaving ABC’s “The Connors”, will be written off when Season 5 returns this Fall. /THR
Jesse Lee Sofer is leaving NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” after 10 years (he plays “Det. Jay Halstead”. Will leave ‘sometime this Fall’. /Deadline
“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho signs on for his first series project, a Korean project “Uncle Sam Shik” about the friendship between 2 men throughout 1960’s KOREA. Song won best actor at CANNES this year for “Broker” as well. No streaming home yet, SLINGSHOT STUDIOS is producing. /Deadline
APPLE TV+ adds James Cromwell, Anna Gunn to Colin Farrell LA “genre bending” detective series “Sugar”, co-starring Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Amy Ryan. Created by Mark Protosevich (“I Am Legend”) and directed by Fernando Meirelles (“City of God,” “The Two Popes”). /Variety

ALSO IN TV RATINGS

MTV VMA’s average 3.9 Million viewers across 12 cable networks and TheCW, up from 3.7 Million last year, when it was 11 cable nets & TheCW. This includes replay airings Sunday night. 2.8 Million were in 18-49 demo. (does not incl Out Of Home viewing)/Variety
HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Ep 2 matches premiere night ratings at 10.2 Million… although I won’t really trust it until I get the NYC apartment building windows report.
- The premiere had 2.2 Million linear viewers, but looks like WBD HBOMAX is just not gonna break out any official streaming numbers so, SAMBA TV it is.
- Although given there are no ads in HBO shows, all that really matters is the subscriber number update in November.

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

JUST 2 THINGS

LEGENDARY is very likely not going to re-up their deal with WB, ICYMI in The Transom newsletter here at The Ankler yesterday. SONY and PARAMOUNT sound like the leading contenders (gonna put a 5-spot on SONY personally), with some more details in the link.
APPLE TV+ is ramping up Family programming this Fall as… well, one other service seems to be downplaying its importance for sure. APPLE is launching 4 new series, and has 5 shows returning for new seasons. /THR

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🏦 STOCK NOTES

Pretty quiet Monday. Yes even for the movie theater stocks but thanks for asking.

👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

FX ON HULU ”The Patient” – Steve Carell / Domhnall Gleeson series – STREAM HERE

NETFLIX “Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul” – NBA ref with a gambling problem Tim Donaghy story – STREAM HERE

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

ROKU CHANNEL “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story” movie trailer – I guess we call this loosely inspired by Al’s life… and ok yeah this looks bizarre in potentially a very awesome way. nicely done. PREMIERES FRI NOV 4