TED LASSO cast getting 2X pay increases

TMZ sold to FOX / APPLE TV+ unofficial subscriber # report / Keegan-Michael Key joins WB's WONKA musical movie

Sep 14, 2021

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY September 14, 2021.

Where “The Daily Show” got a new home last night in Times Square at VIACOM headquarters. So no more deep-in-Hell’s Kitchen studio with a small but live audience, where the show has been since the Kilborn days.

The new home is definitely more late-night-sedate… and sans audience. Very similar to the vibe of Trevor’s at-home version of the show. Here’s Trevor’s chat with Dr. Fauci last night.

ALSO: Jeff Bridges is now in remission from his lymphoma… but had a rough road as he also contracted Covid at a low point of his treatment, and was in the hospital for 5 weeks according to a note from Jeff on his website. But he was able to recently walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, so cheers to The Dude!

AND: The Met Gala happened… here is a comprehensive slideshow from the NY TIMES if you didn’t get enough online last night. Although one person not featured was Nicki Minaj who is still apparently doing her “research” on the vaccines and would not meet the mandatory vaxx requirement for the Gala. Keep us posted Dr Minaj.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

WB adds Keegan-Michael Key to “Wonka” muscial re-imagining

No word on his role, Timothee Chalamet still playing Willy. /Deadline

NETFLIX sets Ted Melfi (“Hidden Figures”) to direct Don DeLillo “Underworld” book adaptation

The renown multi-decade “tapestry” is considered Don’s best book. Melfi also just did the “The Starling” at NETFLIX with Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd which premiered at TORONTO this week and hits NETFLIX next week. /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

“Luther” movie at NETFLIX adds Cynthia Erivo & Andy Serkis. Shooting in November with Idris and a script from series creator Neil Cross. /THR
APPLE TV+ sets Dec 17 release date for “Swan Song” starring Mahershala Ali, about a father presented with a risky chance to survive an illness. Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina co-star. /Deadline
VIACOM makes Brian Robbins the official CEO of PARAMOUNT PICTURES. Jim Gianopolous will remain as an advisor til the end of the year. PARAMOUNT has no more releases planned for 2021. /Variety
NETFLIX acquires Catholic priest molestation docu “Procession”. Apparently it had a strong debut at TELLURIDE, and will be pushed in the OSCAR race this year. No price disclosed. /THR

📺 THE TV SET

“Ted Lasso” cast getting big raises for Season 3

Sudeikis already upped his deal from $250k / episode for Season 1… to hit $1 Million / episode in Season 3. Other co-stars like Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple and Brett Goldstein are seeing their salaries double for season 3 to $125-$150k an episode.

Series co-creator Bill Lawrence also looking to renegotiate his overall deal at WBTV and get one of those now-popular $100 Million deals. He signed a 5-year deal back in 2018 in the tens of millions… before the current TV showrunner mega-deal culture arrived. 🙇‍♂️

WBTV & APPLE also negotiating costs / rights - WBTV owns the linear TV rights to the show (👋 cable TV syndication), but can’t put them to use until a TBD years-long period once the show finishes it’s 3 planned seasons.

APPLE TV may be looking to write a larger check to take that Linear TV window away, or…
WBTV may ante up more $$ to make that window shorter.

More negotiation nuggets in the read for the inclined, still no mention of a plan to do more than 3 seasons. /THR

ALSO IN TV

OSCAR winners Hilary Swank + director Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”) team up at ABC for a… pilot. huh 🤔. Not even a pilot-penalty mentioned if it doesn’t get an order. It’s about a Journalist who has a career-ending mishap, moves to Alaska, and starts writing for something called a newspaper (🤷‍♂️) in Anchorage, where she begins to find redemption. Two ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS execs will be Exec Producers on it. /THR
HBO premiering “Succession” Season 3 on Sunday Oct 17. 2 years since it’s last new episode aired. /THR
SHOWTIME sets Elizabeth Shue to play UBER founder Travis Kalanick’s mom in “Super Pumped” series. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is playing Travis, show is from the “Billions” team. /Variety
DISNEY+ renews “High School Musical” TV show for a 3rd season. Will relocate from high school to a Summer camp setting. /Variety
3 Entertaiment Lawyers from ZIFFREN BRITTENHAM (Matthew Johnson, P.J. Shapiro & Gregory Slewett) and 1 from GANG TYRE… (Tara Kole) are launching their own firm in early 2022. The splits seem to be amicable. No seriously - official statements were issued and everything 👌. /Variety

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

I mean that’s worth at least $10 mil alone. via Giphy

FOX buys TMZ for under $50 Million from WARNER MEDIA

The TMZ show already airs on FOX affiliates in addition to a show they have on FS1. Harvey Levin signs a new deal to stay with the company as well. /THR

AND: Let’s call this adjacent news, but FOX NEWS’s streaming service FOX NATION has picked up the revival of “Cops”. /LA Times

APPLE TV+ reportedly has 40 Million global accounts… 20 Million who actually pay for it

That nugget was inside THE INFORMATION’s dive into APPLE TV’s upcoming boom in programming that’s gonna happen next year which… anyone who has read the trades for the past year was already looped into.

The service costs $5 a month so the revenue here isn’t great even without the fact that 50% aren’t paying for it. But that puts APPLE TV around DISCOVERY+ numbers-ish for paying subscribers (well, a bit higher), but nowhere near the top tier of streaming.

The source was basically “someone who would know”… but not specified so take it as you will.

ALSO: Definitely upgrade your APPLE iOS software to 14.8 ASAP. Seems like the usually spyware-proof Apple system had a vulnerability that the update fixes.

ALSO IN MEDIA

DISNEY sets January 2022 as their new return to office work date.

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

IMAX and CINEMARK movie theaters both up over 8%, but that was about it.

👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

BROADWAY is officially back!

ESPN “Once Upon a Time in Queens” - 4 part docuseries about the 1986 NY METS. Premieres at 8p.

Also THE NEW YORKER FESTIVAL announced their (mostly virtual) lineup for Oct 4-10 here.

So if you’re not a New Yorker physically or in spirit… you’re on your own today. But APPLE is announcing their new products starting at 10a PST on the West Coast.

Oh and “Miracle Workers” returns to TBS for a new season with Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi at 1030p

Though I’m also adding this story which has nothing to do with the industry… but that I found just a totally compelling read yesterday about A day in the life of a nurse in a Florida ICU right now from the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Many of us thankfully have been able to move on to a semblance of normal life… but important to keep in mind ICU & ER Nurses & Doctors in many parts of the country who still have not, and in fact are actually now living a worse daily life at “the office” than at any point during Covid.

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🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

DISNEY+“Hawkeye” series trailer. Premieres Nov 24.

ESPN+ “Man in the Arena” promo. This docuseries about Tom Brady… produced by Tom Brady (among others) was kinda thought to be the next “The Last Dance” but… this promo isn’t selling me on that. Hits streaming in November TBD.