JASON SEGEL and TED LASSO co-creators doing APPLE TV+ series
JASON SEGEL and TED LASSO co-creators doing APPLE TV+ series
TOMMY LEE JONES joins JAMIE FOXX for AMAZON pic / FOX, VIACOM enter NFT space / LEBRON's production company now worth $725 Mil
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY October 14, 2021.
Where pretty much all Hollywood production will shut down on Monday if the IATSE guild and the studios / streamers group AMPTP don’t come to an agreement on a new deal by the end of the weekend / in the next 4 days. IATSE says AMPTP is not negotiating with any sense of urgency to settle their matters so… line-in-the-sand strike date it is.
ALSO: ADELE’s new “30” album will drop on Fri Nov 19. And get ready to hear her new song everywhere tomorrow. yes… including here, i’m not an idiot.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
Tommy Lee Jones joining Jamie Foxx for AMAZON pic “The Burial”
Movie is based on a NEW YORKER article about a bankrupt funeral home owner who sues a rival over a handshake deal gone bad, and hires a flamboyant attorney to lead his case.
Mr. Jones replaces Harrison Ford in the movie… and I’ll save any Fugitive comments if you will. /Deadline
NETFLIX sets docu-film series about Cinema called “Voir” from David Fincher
A series of “visual essays celebrating cinema”, consisting of 10-30 minute films but… that’s about it. Fincher is an Exec Producer on the project. No premiere date set, but will screen at the AFI Fest in mid-November. /Variety
ALSO IN MOVIES
M Night announced his next UNI movie is called “Knock at the Cabin”, and will hit theaters Feb 2023. Then he told everyone all the plot details. Yeah I know weird right? /Deadline
📺 THE TV SET
Jason Segel doing APPLE TV+ Comedy series with two “Ted Lasso” creators
Called “Shrinking”, about a grieving psychiatrist who starts ignoring medical rules & ethics, and just tells his patients what he thinks. Lo and behold big positive changes ensue. So kinda Gervais’s “After Life” meets “Office Space”?
“Lasso” creatives Bill Lawrence & Brett Goldstein (#RoyF*ckingKent) are writing with Segel, 10 episode series order, timeline TBD. /THR
ALSO IN TV
NETFLIX renews “You” for Season 4. Season 3 premieres Friday. /THR
“Saved By The Bell” Season 2 hitting PEACOCK on Wed Nov 24.
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
STUDIOS finally enter NFT fray
FOX releasing NFT collections for “The Masked Singer”. Starts with $20 for a “pack” of 3. People that complete their NFT set for the show will get “digital prizes” like having less money in their PayPal accounts.
VIACOM has partnered with NFT platform RECUR to sell NFT’s around various properties (“SpongeBob”, “Mission Impossible” etc) starting early next year. People will be able to use credit and debit cards to cut out the Crypto middleman. /THR
Lebron’s SPRING HILL production company gets financing round, now valued at $725 Million
There was speculation it would be brought into the Kevin Mayer / Tom Staggs SPAC that bought Reese Witherspoon’s company, and is in talks with Will & Jada Smith’s company… but Lebron went the investment route instead, keeping ownership of his company alongside partner Maverick Carter.
This round’s lead investors include NIKE, EPIC GAMES (Fortnite), FENWAY SPORTS GROUP, and RED BIRD Capital - all companies Lebron has existing relationships or investments in. RED BIRD, who is the leading investor in the company, also has stakes in SKYDANCE, and The Rock’s XFL investment group.
The amount raised here was not disclosed. /THR /Sportico
ALSO IN MEDIA
As expected - ABC & ESPN got the rights to the new NFL Monday Night Wildcard game this year (previously all games are on a Sat and Sun in one early Jan weekend). 5 year deal, and the Manning Bros extend their deal by one game to call it on ESPN2 & ESPN+. /THR
I’d mention that FACEBOOK announced plans to begin removing “severe sexualizing content” targeted at public figures… but when FB still can’t / won’t get rid of a video of a journalist being killed live on-air 6 years ago on its platforms - despite continued pleas from the journalist’s father… and the fact that this Sexualizing content was apparently totally fine up until now… yeah we good here. 🗑🔥🔥
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
Wall Street and Hollywood keeping things relatively quiet this week, but definitely the calm before a big week of earnings and a potential strike coinciding.
Oh except VIMEO, who was up over 13% after announcing a 33% jump in revenue in September vs Sept 2020, and a 16% increase in Avg Revenue Per User.
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
PARAMOUNT+ “Guilty Party” - Dark comedy series starring Kate Beckinsdale as a journalist trying to save her career by reporting on a young woman in prison for murdering her husband. First 2 episodes drop today. PAR+ doesn’t make titles searchable until the day they go up for… some reason - so I’m afraid you’re on your own.
HBOMAX “Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman” - New comedy special, Watch or Add to Your List here
HBOMAX “What Happened, Brittany Murphy?” - 2 part docu on the mysterious events leading up to her death. Watch or Add to Your List here
BRAVO “Project Runway” - New season at 9p
If you were sent this newsletter or… just kinda found it:
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
HBOMAX “The Sex Lives of College Girls” series trailer. From Mindy Kaling, I’m in for this one - really fun trailer, if anything watch for the “Ashley” joke alone. Ah GenX parents and the naming kids thing… Premieres Thu Nov 18.
HBO “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Season 11 trailer. Premieres Sun Oct 24 on HBO - although again curiously the endcard here just says Streaming… with no linear airdate mention.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES / BLUMHOUSE “The Black Phone” trailer. Ethan Hawke as a 70’s magician who… kidnaps suburban kids. But then definitely some supernatural elements go on here and… well just gonna say the twist in this better be good cuz the setup is big. Directed by Scott Derrickson (“Sinister”, “Doctor Strange”). Premieres Fri Feb 4.
DISNEY+ “The Beatles: Get Back” docu trailer. From director Peter Jackson, 3 parts all consisting of never-before-seen documentary footage shot in 1969 while recording their album for 3 weeks, leading up to their last public performance on the London rooftop of Apple Studios. Looks really good! And I’m not even a huge BEATLES die hard. Kind of odd this is on DISNEY+ but . Drops Thanksgiving, and Fri & Sat after
APPLE TV+ “Dickinson” Season 3 trailer. The show’s final season premieres Fri Nov 5.
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-Sean McNulty
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