Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + MediaBiz news to know on MONDAY March 22, 2021.

Where this newsletter is now halfway vaccinated! Still not sure why you insist on wearing a mask when reading it though.

And here is your WGA AWARD winner list here. “Promising Young Woman” and “Borat” took the top movie prizes. “The Crown” and“Ted Lasso” took the top TV ones.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

MGM (likely) buying Jake Gyllenhaal true story Afghanistan war movie “Combat Control”

Jake plays AIR FORCE CCT John Chapman who died in Afghanistan in 2002, and the 15 year journey to uncover the events surrounding his death in efforts to get him awarded the Medal of Honor.

Will be directed by “Extraction” director Sam Hargrave. /Deadline

Daniel Radcliffe cast as villain in Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum action romance

Called “The Lost City of D”, no word on a shoot timeframe for the PARAMOUNT movie that has a… similarity 🤔 to the plot of “Romancing the Stone”. /Deadline

BOX OFFICE

1. “Raya and the Last Dragon” : $5.2 Million ($23 Million US total, $71 Million WW)

2. “Tom & Jerry” : $3.8 Million ($33 Million US, $77 Million total WW)

3. “The Courier” : $2 Million

4. “Chaos Walking” : $1.9 Million ($9.7 Million US)

Raya” and “Tom & Jerry” both made about the same amount as they did last weekend. Both still avail on DISNEY+ $30 PVOD and HBOMAX streaming respectively.

The LA market accounted for 9% of all movie tickets sold this weekend - hitting close to it’s pre-pandemic average share, despite only being open at 25% capacity.

China “Avatar” re-release takes #1 again with $14 Million. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

• DISNEY+ Giannis NBA movie “Greek Freak” casts newcomer Uche Agada in the lead role. Production starts later this year in Greece & US. /Variety

• SONY moves “Peter Rabbit 2” again… now to July 2nd. FOCUS sets June 18th release for Edgar Wright’s docu on “The Sparks Brothers”.

• LIONSGATE buys US + UK rights to “The Virtuoso”, starring Anson Mount, Abbie Cornish & Anthony Hopkins. About an assassins organization & a hitman who gets a mysterious job. No price disclosed, will hit theaters this Spring TBD. /Deadline

• School shooting movie “The Fallout” takes top movie prize at SXSW. Domino-toppler movie “Lily Topples the World” takes the docu prize. /THR

• Glenn Weiss returning to direct THE OSCARS for 6th time. Producers saying they want it to feel like “a movie not a television show”. /THR

📺 THE TV SET

Lizzo doing competition show for full-figured models and dancers on AMAZON PRIME

Title TBD, winners will join her on her next tour, applications now open. Lizzo has a first look deal at AMAZON. /THR

ALSO: Meghan Trainor signs overall deal across all NBCU networks + PEACOCK. She’s developing a sitcom for NBC in case if you have a writer who’s a huge Meghan Trainor fan. /Variety

THE OLYMPICS make it official - No Foreigners allowed at the Summer Games

Well, as spectators - obviously a different policy for athletes. And Lou Gramm. #80sMusicJoke. But the ban also goes for execs from sponsors (outside of Japan).

630,000 tickets sold to Int’l buyers now have to be refunded. /Deadline

ALSO IN TV

• AMAZON adds 3 more to “The Boys” spinoff cast (set at Vought’s ‘college for supes’). /Variety

• HBO adds Michael Chiklis as Celtics GM Red Auerbach for Adam McKay’s 80’s Lakers show. /Variety

• PEACOCK renews “The Amber Ruffin Show” through September. /Deadline

• CBS TV producing David Hasselhoff show “Ze Network” for German streaming service. Plays a version of himself doing a play there… who then gets caught up in some spy intrigue. Yeah that sounds about right. Will be a German language show. /Deadline

• AMC launches slate of ‘digital originals’ with thematic ties to AMC Series like “Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul”. /Deadline

• ROKU CHANNEL buys “This Old House” library & production outfit. New episodes will be added for streaming after their PBS premiere, the show has 60 seasons + digital assets. “Ask This Old House” also included. /THR

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

JUST 2 QUICK NOTES

• DISNEY joins the voluntary/phased return to offices beginning after July 4th holiday bandwagon. /Deadline

• DISH SatelliteTV company Chairman Charlie Ergen made $94 Million in cash and stock in 2020. DISH lost over 900,000 TV customers in 2020.

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

nuthin’ new.

👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

FX “Breeders” Season 2 premiere at 10pm (first 2 episodes). For fans of the show - they’re fast forwarding timeline wise, the kids are now 10 and 13 years old.

NCAA MARCH MADNESS continues starting at 12noon. NCAA games on a Monday?? That is madness. I mean… What about classes?

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

If you’re a Kacey Musgraves fan - check out Allison Ponthier “Cowboy” 

Really digging this song. Listen on Spotify / YouTube

If you need new tunes:

THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

That’s a wrap for this morning - If you have a friend who might dig this, here’s an easy to use button:

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Have a great week! It’s amazing what a 60 degree sunny day in March can do for ya… 😎

- Sean McNulty