DR DRE producing Marvin Gaye biopic at WB

NY TIMES not gonna buy THE ATHLETIC / DISCOVERY+ sets Maniscalco food show / New TV & Movies to watch this weekend

Jun 18, 2021

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY June 18, 2021.

Where someone at HBOMAX accidentally hit send on an email to subscribers that only said “Integration Test Email # 1.” And obviously… TWITTER’s evening was set. Links to some of the more amusing comments here.

HBOMAX blamed it on the intern… which actually may have been the case. I mean hey - always good to leave the social media passwords in the trusted hands of someone who’s been there a month.

AND: JUNETEENTH (June 19) is now an official Federal holiday 👏. Most Hollywood Talent Agencies will be taking the day off today as a result.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

WB doing Marvin Gaye biopic produced by Dr Dre & Jimmy Iovine

Called “What’s Going On”, Allen Hughes directing (he also directed “The Defiant Ones” Dre/Iovine HBO 4pt docu).

MOTOWN and Gaye’s estate have signed off/full music catalog will be accessible to the production.

Budget reportedly will be $80+ Million, and looking at a 2023 release - one year shy of the 40th anniversary of his death at age 44.

Now - who do you cast as Marvin Gaye?? 🤔 /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

Director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”, “The Underground Railroad”) will be guest director for TELLURIDE FILM FEST this Sept 2-6. /THR

📺 THE TV SET

Maybe not everything has to come back post pandemic.. via Giphy

NETFLIX orders docuseries on JUUL/Vaping industry

RJ Cutler (“Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry”, “The September Issue”) will direct, and it’ll be based/work off of a book from a TIME writer Jamie Ducharme. /Deadline

DISCOVERY+ orders “Well Done with Sebastian Maniscalco” series

Will feature his wife, family and guest stars exploring food culture and etiquette. 7 episodes, first 3 episodes premiere Thu Aug 12. /THR

ALSO IN TV

DISNEY+ slots director Peter Jackson’s 3 part / 6 hour BEATLES docu “The Beatles: Get Back” for a three day Thanksgiving weekend premiere. /Deadline
HBO adds Patrick Fugit to Elizabeth Olsen / Jesse Plemmons, Texas woman kills her good friend with an axe in 1980 limited series “Love & Death”. Fugit playing the murderer’s husband, Plemmons plays husband of the woman killed. /Deadline
LIFETIME rebooting 80s Michael Landon show “Highway to Heaven” as a series of Made-for-TV movies. Will star musician and actress Jill Scott and Barry Watson (“7th Heaven”). /TV Line
HBOMAX renews ballroom dancing competition show “Legendary” for Season 3. /THR
NETFLIX cancels teen drama “Grand Army” after one season. /Variety
FOX officially cancels “The Moodys” after 2 seasons. /THR
“The Hardy Boys” getting a Season 2 on HULU. /Variety

IN THE HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE SUITE

Head of STARZ Original Programming Christina Davis is departing after one year at the company. Was formerly head of Drama at CBS. No next destination disclosed. /Deadline
Leading VIACOM TV Programming exec David Nevins (head of SHOWTIME, and Chief Content Officer at CBS) about to add PARAMOUNT+ scripted content to his purview. New exec regime at PAR+ also being sorted out overall so expect more announcements here soon. /Variety
SONY PICTURES names Ashley Marks as VP of all movie casting, reporting into SONY studio prez Sanford Panitch. Her first studio gig after years or working with various casting agencies. /Deadline

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

NY TIMES ends acquisition talks with sports news subscription site THE ATHLETIC

Apparently they were far apart on the price NYT would pay, and how equity-holding ATHLETIC employees would be compensated. THE ATHLETIC had previously held sale/merger talks with AXIOS. /The Information

ALSO IN MEDIA

Head of CBSN streaming service Christy Tanner leaving CBS News. She was the primary driving force behind the impressive growth and expansion for the pioneering free streaming news service. No next destination indicated. /Variety
Elizabeth Banks signs exclusive podcast deal with AUDIBLE. She’ll host one about sexuality called “My Body, My Podcast” that will only be available on AUDIBLE starting July 29. She’s developing another scripted podcast as well. /Variety
FACEBOOK adding advertising to IG’s REELS, their ripoff of TIKTOK. Will be put between videos a la how it works with IG STORIES, their ripoff of SNAPCHAT. /Reuters
”David Byrne’s American Utopia” returning to Broadway on Sept 17, moving down to the St. James Theater once Springsteen leaves. /Deadline

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

ROKU +4.5%, AMC NETWORKS down over 4%

AMC THEATERS +10%

👩‍💻 THE FSS FEED:

(new Stuff to Watch this weekend)

FRIDAY

IN THEATERS:

SPC “12 Mighty Orphans” - Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen depression era football movie.

FOCUS FEATURES “The Sparks Brothers” - Docu on the band from director Edgar Wright.

LIONSGATE “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”… hit theaters on Wednesday. Projecting a mid-teens opening weekend.

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS “Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It”. Will also air on PBS as an edition of AMERICAN MASTERS later this year.

TRIBECA - Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move” premieres.

STREAMING:

DISNEY+ “Luca” - New PIXAR movie about 2 boys who are sea monsters but become human when they come onto land in a small Italian Village. Watch or Add to your List here

NETFLIX “Fatherhood” - Kev Hart plays a widowed father of a newborn, who has trouble turning to his loved ones to help as she grows up. Bought from SONY earlier this year. Watch or Add to your List here

APPLE TV+ “Physical” - New Series with Rose Byrne as an 80’s housewife who gets really into aerobics and begins to change her life in… darkly comedic ways. From the folks behind “I, Tonya”. Watch or Add to your List here

TV:

NAT GEO “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer” docu at 9p. Note - also on Hulu as of tomorrow.

ABC “Soul of a Nation” - New 2 hour special exploring Juneteenth. Airs at 9pm

SATURDAY

PGA US OPEN on NBC all afternoon as well as Sunday.

SUNDAY

AMC “Kevin Can F*ck Himself” - has its premiere on AMC at 9p, first 2 episodes. New eps stream early on AMC+

ADULT SWIM “Rick and Morty” - Season 5 premieres at 11p

PARAMOUNT+ “Evil” - Season 2 premieres. Watch or Add to your List here

SHOWTIME “Desus & Mero” - The guys return to the studio, Lil Nas X is the guest. Airs at 11pm

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🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

APPLE TV+ “The Shrink Next Door” teaser trailer. Limited series based on the popular podcast about a real life story where a psychiatrist (Paul Rudd) inserts himself a bit too much into a patient’s life (Will Ferrell). Premieres Fri Nov 12.

HBOMAX “Titans” season 3 teaser. The DC Comics show returns on Thu Aug 12.

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

New THE KILLERS + SPRINGSTEEN - “Dustland”

Listen to the song here on Spotify or:

If you need new tunes:

THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

Have a great Father’s Day weekend ya’ll! Keep dad’s beer cold, but his heart warm.

Email me anytime - just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.

-Sean McNulty

@TheSeanMac on TWITTER

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or also here on CLUBHOUSE