Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY September 15, 2021.
Where it’s a sad morning, especially for anyone who came of age in the mid 90’s era of SNL. The amount of times my college friends and I quoted Norm Macdonald’s Burt Reynolds impression are too many to count… and of course – hilarious every time. A singular talent, we’ll miss ya Norm. (And with 55 streaming services in 2021, how is “The Norm Show” not available anywhere??)
ALSO: You won’t see Jen Aniston at the EMMYS on Sunday, she’s staying home citing personal safety concerns around Covid. The “Friends” reunion is nominated for Best Variety Special, and Best Use of “How You Doin”. Clearly my writing is not nominated this year.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
Tracy Morgan joins Schwarzenegger & DeVito for “Twins” sequel, “Triplets”
Rights currently being shopped by CAA at TORONTO, Ivan Reitman returning to direct, and will shoot in January.
Thinking you can infer the plot here – the project actually originated with Eddie Murphy in the role after he casually suggested the idea to Arnold, but Reitman says Eddie’s schedule is too booked to shoot on their timeline. /Deadline
UNIVERSAL gets Christopher Nolan’s next movie project
WWII story about Oppenheimer and the development of the nuclear bomb / The Manhattan Project, although it will extend beyond the war into his eventual opposition to developing the hydrogen bomb.
$100 Million budget, Will shoot Q1 2022, and be “exempt” from UNI’s 17 day theatrical window deal with movie theaters… so it’ll have a more traditional run in the theaters that are left in late 2023. /Variety
NETFLIX sets Mahershala Ali to co-star with Julia Roberts in movie from Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot”)
Based on a 2020 National Book Awards finalist called “Leave the World Behind”, two families who don’t know each other are forced together for a weekend due to freak weather, and some things go down.
Denzel was once in talks for the role at one point, no start date set. /Deadline
ALSO IN MOVIES
Alanis Morrissette slams HBO’s upcoming docu about her groundbreaking debut album, “Jagged”. Not supporting the film which premiered at TORONTO this week, saying it’s “not the story she agreed to tell.” It’s part of Bill Simmons’s “Music Box” docu series (the “Woodstock 99” festival doc was the first). The film doesn’t currently have a premiere date, and no comment yet from HBO. /THR
Constance Wu joins Javier Bardem in SONY’s “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile” adaptation. /Deadline
📺 THE TV SET
MTV VMA audience drops to 900k on MTV, down 30% from last year
The audience total for the event across all the dozen or so VIACOM networks it aired on isn’t in yet but… damn, awards shows man. Good luck EMMYS.
However it did set a record for most social interactions for a TV event this year, beating the SUPER BOWL with 38 Million. Which is great news for the… social media platforms, not so much the TV Ad department at VIACOM. /THR
IN NFL OPENING WEEKEND RATINGS NEWS
That bonkers MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Ravens / Raiders season opener was the 2nd highest rated MNF opening game of the ESPN era, with 15.2 million viewers across ESPN & ABC. /Deadline
NBC not as lucky on Sunday – the SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Rams / Bears opener had the lowest SNF season kickoff audience for the franchise, even below 2020 with 17.6 Million viewers. Plus 800k on PEACOCK. /Deadline
NBCU signs overall deal with Steph Curry’s production company, billed as a “global talent partnership”
Basically get ready to see a lot of Steph across “The Today Show”, GOLF CHANNEL, and probably PEACOCK in addition to a more traditional scripted / unscripted / animation production deal.
Steph’s company UNANIMOUS had been based at SONY for the past 3 years. /THR
ALSO IN TV
PEACOCK’s “Fresh Prince”-as-a-drama reboot “Bel Air” sets its full cast – all names and pics as to whom they’re playing are in the link. /Variety
HULU renews “Only Murders in the Building” for Season 2. /THR
PEACOCK renews “The Amber Ruffin Show” for Season 2. Will officially start Fri Oct 8, three weeks after the official season 1 wraps this Friday. /Variety
HBOMAX cancels “Generation” after 1 season. /Deadline
NETFLIX orders legal drama “Partner Track” starring Arden Cho (“Chicago Med”). Centers on an elite NYC law firm, and is based on a book by Helen Wan. /THR
Former HBOMAX CMO / longtime HBO Marketing exec Chris Spadaccini joins family experience-based retailer CAMP as CMO. (Mostly) NYC based with 6 locations total, about to embark on an expansion of locations combining retail with things like classes, playtime & events for families & kids. /Variety
💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls according to internal docs
The WSJ article’s headline right there kinda says it better than I ever would.
Then again it’s hard to be surprised at this point about what a dumpster fire social media has been for mental health, teens especially. Still – a good read if you’re a WSJ subscriber.
HBO departs AMAZON CHANNELS today
Essentially about 5 million people signed up for HBO (NOW) over the years via AMAZON Channels, and WARNER MEDIA is pulling HBO out of the CHANNELS program as of today, not happy with AMAZON controlling that customer relationship.
HBOMAX is still avail/downloadable on the AMAZON FIRE platform along with all other streaming apps where you sign up & pay for it directly/not thru AMAZON.
So, 5 million people will lose their HBO subscription today, but given an offer to re-sign up directly with the company. So – AT&T’s October earnings call just got a lot more intriguing. /THR
ALSO IN MEDIA
UTA Talent Agency opening an outpost in Atlanta, with their partner company KLUTCH SPORTS GROUP run by Lebron’s agent Rich Paul. /Variety
VERZUZ launching in-person concert / battle series, kicking off with FAT JOE verzuz JA RULE in a battle at MSG. /WSJ
NBCU joins DISNEY in punting full return to office to January according to internal memo.
🏦 STOCK NOTES:
VIMEO hammered again, -10%
AMC THEATERS down over 8%
COMCAST down over 7%. Apparently still a lot of sore feelings on Wall Street over the convoluted “Tenet” plot.
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
NETFLIX “The Circle” reality game show Season 3 – Click Here to Watch or Add to Your List
NETFLIX “Saved by The Bell” – All seasons and yes, “The College Years” 🙌 hit the service. Well except the reboot, that’s still PEACOCK-only.
If you were sent this newsletter or… just kinda found it:
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
NETFLIX “Maid” trailer. Limited series based on the best-selling memoir starring Margaret Qually as a young mom escaping an abusive relationship in Montana, trying to make a life for her daughter as a maid. Premieres Fri Oct 1
HBOMAX “Love Life” Season 2 teaser. Premieres Thu Oct 28.
NETFLIX “Locke & Key” Season 2 teaser. Premieres Fri Oct 22.
🎧 PLAYING ME OFF
KACEY MUSGRAVES “Easier Said” – Arguably the most sing-along-able (?) and just hard to resist song off the new album, which I found hit or miss personally, but when it hits… If you like “ethereal Kacey”, this one’s for you. Also a song that seems teed up to make for a killer duet at some point.
Listen to the song on Spotify or:
If you need new tunes:
Email me anytime – just reply to this email, or connect here on LINKED IN.
-Sean McNulty
@theseanmac on TWITTER
@TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM
or I’m also here on CLUBHOUSE
