Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY August 27, 2021.

Where Kanye- sorry, “YE” invited Marilyn Manson & DaBaby to join his “listening party” on stage in Chicago last night… and KISS singer Paul Stanley tested positive for Covid right before a show in Pennsylvania (Paul, the band and entire crew are vaccinated). Although in this case… gotta think Covid doesn’t really have much of a chance in that ecosystem.

ALSO: Expect a lot of anti-vaxx talk to permeate NFL season launch media coverage with the Sept 9 kickoff approaching, as several prominent NFL players have refused to take the vaxx or “declined to disclose” the information including:

• QBs Kirk Cousins (MINN), Lamar Jackson (BAL) and Josh Allen (BUFFALO), as well as Buffalo wide receivers Cole Beasely and Isaiah McKenzie, who was fined $15k by the NFL for being unvaxxed and not wearing a mask while working out inside the Bills training facility this week.

So Bills season ticket holders… be prepared to be sent home from your tailgates without a game this year at some point. Although honestly I’m not entirely sure you ever leave the parking lot between games anyway. #WorkFromStadium

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

NETFLIX picks up Benicio Del Toro / Justin Timberlake movie “Reptile”

Hardened detective tries to find out who killed a young real estate agent, where nothing is as it seems. The murder case that is, although thinking about it could also be the real estate. No price disclosed. /Deadline

DISNEY’s “The Lion King” prequel casts “Mufasa” and “Taka” voice roles

Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Trial of the Chicago 7”) and Aaron Pierre (“The Underground Railroad”, “Old”) will voice “Taka” and “Mufasa” respectively. Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) directing.

Visual style similar to the Jon Favreau directed “Lion King” hit movie, with the same writer. /Deadline

UNIVERSAL sets Tiffany Haddish to star in family comedy “I.F.”

Will be mix of animation and live action (think “Roger Rabbit”. or the Paula Abdul “Opposites Attract” video with MC Scat Kat depending where your tastes were in the late 80s 😺).

Film is about someone and their imaginary friend 👉 IF. Written by Darren Lemke (“Shazam!”) and Mike Mitchell directing (“The Lego Movie 2”). /Deadline

ALSO IN MOVIES

• WB setting Corey Hawkins Jr (“In the Heights”, “Straight Outta Compton”) for the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple”. Likely playing the “Harpo” character. /Deadline

• NETFLIX sets 2nd Unit director on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” Victoria Mahoney to direct “The Old Guard 2”. Charlize & the cast is all returning, and director of the first film Gina Prince-Bythewood will be a producer here. Script currently being written.

  • Victoria has directed a lot of TV including at “The Morning Show” and “Grey’s Anatomy”. /THR

• LIONSGATE gives a Christmas release date in theaters for “American Underdog” movie with Zachary Levi playing NFL Super Bowl winning quarterback Kurt Warner. /THR

• American Film Market (AFM) going entirely virtual in early November, scrapping their plan to return to their Santa Monica location. /Variety

📺 THE TV SET

ABC books Steve Harvey to host primetime court show “Judge Steve Harvey”

The 10 episodes will air in 2022, and thinking you get the format.

Also the list of celebs doing “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”starting late September is also in the link for those inclined. /THR

ALSO IN TV

• FX ON HULU adds Wyatt Russell and Sam Worthington to cast of “Under the Banner of Heaven” limited series starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones and based on the book about a devout Utah detective whose faith is tested when investigating a murder involving a fundamental Mormon family, led by Garfield. /THR

• Former PEACOCK & USA NETWORK exec Bill McGoldrick joins CHERNIN ENTERTAINMENT as Exec VP of Film & TV, reporting into CHERNIN FILM & TV prez Jenno Topping, along with 4 other new exec adds. /THR

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

German media giant AXEL SPRINGER buying DC political news site POLITICO for $1+ Billion

They also own INSIDER and MORNING BREW ☕️ in addition to owning leading German news publications. POLITICO EUROPE was already a joint venture between the two companies. /CNN

APPLE settles anti-trust lawsuit from App developers for $100 Million & change in payment policies

App folks sued because APPLE forced them to only use APPLE’s payment system for subscriptions & in-app purchases, where they had to give 30% of their earnings to APPLE (later reduced to 15% for Apps making under $1 Mil a year).

They were prohibited from offering their users additional methods of paying for things in apps. Hence the 2019 lawsuit which… APPLE has now seen best to settle, not liking their cards here.

Apps will now be allowed to allow users to use alt payment methods (Where the Apps don’t have to give the 30% vig).

The $100 Million APPLE DEVELOPERS FUND will make payments between $250 and $30,000 to apps making less than $1 Million a year between 2015 and 2021.

NOTE: This is separate from the still ongoing FORTNITE case against APPLE for taking 30% of it’s revenues. /WSJ

FORBES going public via a SPAC, at $630 Million valuation

It’s currently owned by a Hong Kong based firm called INTEGRATED WHALE MEDIA. No that’s not a joke 😏. The Forbes family still owns 5%. Deal expected to close by end of 2021 / early 2022. /Deadline

PELOTON now has over 3 Million total subscribers, lowers bike price to $1500

• 2.3 Million paying monthly subscribers at $40/month

• About 880k paying $13/month for just the app

And yeah ok - maybe it’s not a media company per se, but considering how much they pay in rights fees to music companies, they’re in the ballpark.

But Q2 revenue dropped 25% from Q1, and they also lowered their earnings guidance for the rest of the year. And they were subpoenaed by the DOJ over the treadmill safety thing this morning so - stock taking a bit of a hit today. /CNBC

ALSO IN MEDIA

• VICE lays off 17 people across VICE DIGITAL and REFINERY29 as part of their continued move to cutback on written content, and emphasizing video & social media content. /THR

• TIME’S UP CEO Tina Tchen steps down after mounting pressure from her association with Gov. Cuomo. COO Monifa Bandele stepping in as interim CEO. /THR

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

AMC THEATERS down 8%, but otherwise a slightly down day for most but nothing major.

👩‍💻 THE FSS FEED:

(new Stuff to Watch this weekend)

FRIDAY

IN THEATERS:

UNIVERSAL “Candyman” - Only in movie theaters.

BLEECKER STREET “Together” - UK pandemic dramedy with James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan, In movie theaters

ALSO: “Free Guy” hits China  

STREAMING:

MOVIES

NETFLIX “He’s all That” - the “She’s All That” remake. Click here to Watch or Add to your List

HULU “Vacation Friends” - John Cena, Lil Rel Howery R-rated comedy. Click Here to Watch or Add to your List

SERIES

APPLE TV+ “See” Season 2 - Click here to Watch or Add to your List

HULU “Pen15” animated episode special - Click here to Watch or Add to your List

SATURDAY

🏖🌊😎

SUNDAY

NAT GEO “9/11: One Day In America” - 6 part docuseries, will roll out over the next 3 nights, will also hit HULU.  Airs at 9p

PBS “WICKED in Concert” - hosted by Kristen Chenoweth & Idina Menzel. Airs at 9p

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🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

NEON “Spencer” teaser trailer - Kristen Stewart as Lady Di. In theaters Fri Nov 5.

SHOWTIME “Dexter” new season BTS - just a little something with the cast talking about the upcoming season for any fans out there. Season premieres Sun Nov 7.

DISNEY+ “Dug Days” trailer - 5 short films featuring the talking dog from “Up”. Premieres Wed Sept 1.

NETFLIX “The Power of the Dog” teaser trailer. New Jane Campion film with Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemmons. In theaters late Nov, on NETFLIX Dec 1.

ABC “Queens” series trailer. 4 female 90’s hip-hop stars reunite to attempt to regain their fame, with Eve and Brandy. Really too bad this isn’t an NBC show, the “Girls5eva” crossover episode would have been 🙌. Premieres October 16.

🎧 PLAYING ME OFF

JOHNNY ORLANDO “Daydream” - Just a good late Summer sleek pop song… and the kinda song you’d expect from an artist whose name reminds me of the pothead actor who visited SAVED BY THE BELL for the “No Hope with Dope” episode.

Listen to it here on SPOTIFY or:

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THE WAKEUP Spotify playlist

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