SONY wins Jennifer Lawrence R-rated comedy bidding war

COMCAST revives G4 as a linear cable network / AMC sets 4th WALKING DEAD show / COACHELLA drops vaxx requirement

Oct 13, 2021

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY October 13, 2021.

Where this was me trying to figure out something to write here today:

ALSO: COACHELLA drops vaxx requirement for concert-goers this April. Ticketholders will just need to provide a negative Covid test within the past 3 days. But hey if you’re vaxx’d… uh - good for you! That works too.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

SONY wins Jennifer Lawrence R-rated comedy project bidding war

Will be Co-written and directed by Gene Stupinsky (“Good Boys”, “Bad Teacher” writer). /Deadline

Additional THR details - will be set in Montauk and has “Risky Business” overtones so take that as you will, and look to shoot next Summer. J-Law was looking for a $25 Million payday for this one but no specifics on the final SONY deal

She already has 2 other roles lined up to shoot - playing 70’s agent Sue Mengers at APPLE, and a THERANOS movie directed by Adam McKay…. so TBD which goes first. Well. New baby comes first. 👶 Then movies. /Deadline

FOCUS FEATURES adds Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) to new James Gray pic

Anne Hathaway already starring, called “Armageddon Time”. Coming of age story set in Queens based on the 1970s upbringing of writer/director Gray (“Ad Astra”, “We Own the Night”). Film is currently shooting. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

NETFLIX signs Omar Sy (“Lupin”) to a multi-year film deal. He’s already shot an action-comedy film with his “Lupin” director Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter”, “Now You See Me”) called “Tour de Force”. It’s said to be NETFLIX’s first production deal with French talent 🤷‍♂️ . /Variety
RANGE MEDIA PARTNERS hires NETFLIX International Film strategy exec Oliver Riddle to launch and run RANGE’s International Content division, producing TV & Film projects primarily for European outlets to start. /Variety

📺 THE TV SET

AMC orders anthology-spinoff of “The Walking Dead”

Called “Tales of The Walking Dead”, 6 episodes, will premiere next Summer. Episodes set in the “world of TWD” featuring new and existing characters. /Variety

FX picks up half-hour comedy series “The Bear”

Jeremy Allen White (“Shameless”) stars as a chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his family’s restaurant. TBD 2022 launch. /THR

ALSO IN TV

HULU sets Melanie Lynskey to co-star with Jessica Biel in “Candy” limited series about the 1980 Texas housewife who ax-murdered her friend. Lynskey playing the friend. /Variety
Wendy Williams further delays return to her syndicated show due to continued health complications from Graves disease and thyroid condition, after a breakthru Covid case in Sept. Her show returns Monday with guest hosts, Wendy’s return TBD. /Deadline
111 Million NETFLIX accounts watched at least 2 minutes of “Squid Game”. No indication how many said Wtf after that… and flipped over to “Clickbait”. But it’s now the most-watched first month of a NETFLIX series ever according to that NETFLIX-reported-and-devised metric #SorryBRIDGERTON. /Deadline
- But no matter how you view the 🤷‍♂️ metric, it again demonstrates the still unparalleled power of the NETFLIX hype-machine and in-app recommendation system to create a sensation as no other streaming service can. That 111 Million number also means over half of all NETFLIX subscribers globally all chose to at least start to watch one show. In Korean.

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

COMCAST relaunching the G4 Network for… some reason

It’ll return in mid-November on COMCAST, COX, and FIOS cable systems, and PHILO streaming, because no time like 2021 to re-start a linear cable network with an… 18-34 core demo who spends most of their time playing video games - when they’re not watching other people play video games.

“Attack of the Show” is returning with original co-host Kevin Pereira, and other shows are in the link for anyone inclined.

Brand new Burbank production center will also be outfitted for eSports games play. How this isn’t being revived as beachhead on PEACOCK instead… is a bit of mystery.

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

Unlike my college dating life… another quiet day. What? My skin cleared up 🙌

👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

HULU “Dopesick” - Limited series about PURDUE PHARMA and the opiod epidemic. Watch or Add to Your List here

USA NETWORK “The Sinner” - Season 4 premiere at 10p

BET “Twenties” - Season 2 premieres at 10p

ABC “The Wonder Years” original cast shows up in ABC’s Wednesday Night sitcoms… except for“The Wonder Years” reboot show. Totally not confusing at all.

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🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

APPLE TV+ “The Shrink Next Door” trailer - Will Ferrell / Paul Rudd limited series with Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson, about a psychiatrist who gets way too involved in his client’s life with very serious consequences. “What About Bob?” this is not, but looks very good. Premieres Fri Nov 12.

PARAMOUNT“Scream” (5) trailer - You know you’re old when the only people you recognize outside of Jack Quaid in this movie are the ones who were in the original. 👴 In theaters Fri Jan 14.

DISNEY+ “Home Sweet Home Alone” trailer - A movie that answers the question no one was asking: “What if we remade “Home Alone” pretty much beat for beat… but the kid had a British accent?”. Watch at your own risk of 🙇‍♂️. Premieres Fri Nov 12.

NETFLIX “Colin in Black and White” trailer - 6 episode series about Kapernick’s formative high school years, from Colin & Ava Duvernay. Premieres Fri Oct 29.

SHOWTIME “Cusp” trailer. Docu about 3 teens coming of age during a Summer in a Texas military town. Premieres Fri Nov 26

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

Let’s call this an homage to the newly-announced “That 90’s Show” project and my aforementioned college dating life, a song who’s opening riff should make a few people who also went to college in the 90’s unconsciously think “maybe I should wear flannel today”.

If you need new tunes:

THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

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-Sean McNulty

@theseanmac on TWITTER

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