Weinstein Victims Await Trial; UMG Sells Stake; 'Star Wars' Writer Fires Back; Most Anticipated NY Theater

What's news: Harvey Weinstein's victims feel hope and anxiety as his trial nears, Netflix releases lists of its most-watched TV shows and movies, Star Wars co-writer Chris Terrio sets the record straight on perceived Last Jedi jabs, Universal Music sells a stake to Tencent. Plus: Remembering Syd Mead, a New Year's Eve TV guide, and Bob Iger heaps praise on Sony's Little Women. --Alex Weprin

Today In Entertainment DECEMBER 31, 2019 What's news: Harvey Weinstein's victims feel hope and anxiety as his trial nears, Netflix releases lists of its most-watched TV shows and movies, Star Wars co-writer Chris Terrio sets the record straight on perceived Last Jedi jabs, Universal Music sells a stake to Tencent. Plus: Remembering Syd Mead, a New Year's Eve TV guide, and Bob Iger heaps praise on Sony's Little Women. --Alex Weprin What's news: Harvey Weinstein's victims feel hope and anxiety as his trial nears, Netflix releases lists of its most-watched TV shows and movies, Star Wars co-writer Chris Terrio sets the record straight on perceived Last Jedi jabs, Universal Music sells a stake to Tencent. Plus: Remembering Syd Mead, a New Year's Eve TV guide, and Bob Iger heaps praise on Sony's Little Women. --Alex Weprin  Hope And Anxiety Ahead of Harvey Weinstein's Trial ►For Harvey Weinstein's victims, hope and anxiety as a historic trial nears: "We’re all prepared for an onslaught." Ahead of the Jan. 6 court date, some of the more than 80 women who have accused the disgraced mogul of sexual misconduct tell Rebecca Keegan they plan to attend in person as they gird themselves for attacks by his lawyers: “Our presence is important right now.” Quote: "If Weinstein is acquitted, says TV news reporter Lauren Sivan, 'It would mean that our legal system has not caught up with our culture and our society.' Sivan has said Weinstein cornered her in the kitchen of a restaurant in 2007, tried to kiss her and then masturbated in front of her. 'Five years ago, there was nowhere to report this kind of behavior,' Sivan says. 'You couldn’t report it to your union. Your agent didn’t care. At least now there’s an infrastructure in place. I really worry, though, that the legal system has not caught up. It’s a much different animal to find him guilty in a court of law.'” The story. Netflix, in a first for the company, has released a list of its most popular titles of the year. There is a mighty big asterisk, however, as the list comprises titles that hit the streaming service in the 2019 calendar year, with "popularity" being measured by the number of subscribers who watched at least two minutes of a feature or TV show in the first 28 days of its release. That methodology no doubt impacted the list. +Netflix's most popular series: Not surprisingly, Netflix suggests that its original shows had the biggest releases of the year (it's worth noting that Nielsen data suggests that acquired programming like The Office and Friends is among the service's most popular shows, but they did not debut in 2019). The top three shows were season three of Stranger Things, The Witcher, and The Umbrella Academy. +Netflix's most popular movies: For all the hype around Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, it appears that many Netflix subscribers would rtaher curl up on the couch and watch Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston engage in wacky hijinks. Sandler's Murder Mystery was the most-watched movie of the year. Michael Bay's Netflix original 6 Underground was second, with Disney's The Incredibles 2 third, and The Irishman fourth. +Best of the rest: The company released a number of other lists including the top nonfiction programming, stand-up comedy specials, and others. The full set of lists are here. Just in: French media conglomerate Vivendi announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement to sell a stake of its wholly owned Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, to a consortium led by Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings. The arrangement provides for the sale of 10% of UMG — based on a €30 billion ($33.6 billion) valuation — to Tencent. More. Editor's note: Today In Entertainment will be taking New Year's Day off. We will be back on Thursday, Jan. 2 with a new edition. Have a happy and joyful new year!  Hope And Anxiety Ahead of Harvey Weinstein's Trial ►For Harvey Weinstein's victims, hope and anxiety as a historic trial nears: "We’re all prepared for an onslaught." Ahead of the Jan. 6 court date, some of the more than 80 women who have accused the disgraced mogul of sexual misconduct tell Rebecca Keegan they plan to attend in person as they gird themselves for attacks by his lawyers: “Our presence is important right now.” Quote: "If Weinstein is acquitted, says TV news reporter Lauren Sivan, 'It would mean that our legal system has not caught up with our culture and our society.' Sivan has said Weinstein cornered her in the kitchen of a restaurant in 2007, tried to kiss her and then masturbated in front of her. 'Five years ago, there was nowhere to report this kind of behavior,' Sivan says. 'You couldn’t report it to your union. Your agent didn’t care. At least now there’s an infrastructure in place. I really worry, though, that the legal system has not caught up. It’s a much different animal to find him guilty in a court of law.'” The story. Netflix, in a first for the company, has released a list of its most popular titles of the year. There is a mighty big asterisk, however, as the list comprises titles that hit the streaming service in the 2019 calendar year, with "popularity" being measured by the number of subscribers who watched at least two minutes of a feature or TV show in the first 28 days of its release. That methodology no doubt impacted the list. +Netflix's most popular series: Not surprisingly, Netflix suggests that its original shows had the biggest releases of the year (it's worth noting that Nielsen data suggests that acquired programming like The Office and Friends is among the service's most popular shows, but they did not debut in 2019). The top three shows were season three of Stranger Things, The Witcher, and The Umbrella Academy. +Netflix's most popular movies: For all the hype around Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, it appears that many Netflix subscribers would rtaher curl up on the couch and watch Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston engage in wacky hijinks. Sandler's Murder Mystery was the most-watched movie of the year. Michael Bay's Netflix original 6 Underground was second, with Disney's The Incredibles 2 third, and The Irishman fourth. +Best of the rest: The company released a number of other lists including the top nonfiction programming, stand-up comedy specials, and others. The full set of lists are here. Just in: French media conglomerate Vivendi announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement to sell a stake of its wholly owned Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, to a consortium led by Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings. The arrangement provides for the sale of 10% of UMG — based on a €30 billion ($33.6 billion) valuation — to Tencent. More. Editor's note: Today In Entertainment will be taking New Year's Day off. We will be back on Thursday, Jan. 2 with a new edition. Have a happy and joyful new year!  Did 'Rise of Skywalker' Jab At 'Last Jedi'?  Star Wars co-writer Chris Terrio sets the record straight on perceived Last Jedi jabs. The Oscar-winning scribe dives deep into Rise of Skywalker spoilers, including the debates over that final shot, Kelly Marie Tran’s diminished screentime and arguments the film is a repudiation of Rian Johnson: "I think it would be a bad misreading to think that that was somehow me and J.J. having an argument with Rian." Spoilers ahead! The story. +Also: Star Wars and the fate of toxic men (more spoilers!). The column. ►Uncharted will have to chart a new course. Sony's adaptation of the PlayStation video game franchise is losing yet another director, with filmmaker Travis Knight exiting. Knight, who made his directorial debut with last year's Bumblebee, joins a growing list of filmmakers to come and go on the project, including Shawn Levy and Dan Trachtenberg. Insiders blame scheduling issues for Knight's exit. Star Tom Holland will play Spider-Man in a film due out July 16, 2021 — and the production of that installment may push Uncharted back from its current Dec. 18, 2020 date. The story. ►The 20 most-anticipated New York theater productions of early 2020. David Rooney has a look t what's in store for New York theater next year. Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Ruth Negga, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Dan Stevens and Patti LuPone are among stars making first-quarter stage appearances on Broadway and off. The list. ►Disney CEO Bob Iger recommends a Sony film. The typically-on message executive couldn't help but share his enthusiasm for Sony's Little Women on Twitter this morning. "I typically tweet 'shoutouts' to our company’s film releases, but after just seeing @LittleWomen I feel compelled to thank and praise Greta Gerwig and her entire team for making such a fine, enjoyable film! A masterpiece in every sense of the word!" In other news... --Critic's notebook: Robyn Bahr on Baby Yoda, The Dark Crystal and the need for puppetry in the age of CGI. --How I Lost My Body's director made a love story about a disembodied hand. --A California couple saved a pregnant Rachel Bloom and her husband from sleeping in their car during a snowstorm. --Ozark actress Julia Garner weds Foster the People lead singer Mark Foster. --You boss on season three plans, crazy ex-girlfriends and how long the Netflix favorite will run.  Did 'Rise of Skywalker' Jab At 'Last Jedi'?  Star Wars co-writer Chris Terrio sets the record straight on perceived Last Jedi jabs. The Oscar-winning scribe dives deep into Rise of Skywalker spoilers, including the debates over that final shot, Kelly Marie Tran’s diminished screentime and arguments the film is a repudiation of Rian Johnson: "I think it would be a bad misreading to think that that was somehow me and J.J. having an argument with Rian." Spoilers ahead! The story. +Also: Star Wars and the fate of toxic men (more spoilers!). The column. ►Uncharted will have to chart a new course. Sony's adaptation of the PlayStation video game franchise is losing yet another director, with filmmaker Travis Knight exiting. Knight, who made his directorial debut with last year's Bumblebee, joins a growing list of filmmakers to come and go on the project, including Shawn Levy and Dan Trachtenberg. Insiders blame scheduling issues for Knight's exit. Star Tom Holland will play Spider-Man in a film due out July 16, 2021 — and the production of that installment may push Uncharted back from its current Dec. 18, 2020 date. The story. ►The 20 most-anticipated New York theater productions of early 2020. David Rooney has a look t what's in store for New York theater next year. Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Ruth Negga, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Dan Stevens and Patti LuPone are among stars making first-quarter stage appearances on Broadway and off. The list. ►Disney CEO Bob Iger recommends a Sony film. The typically-on message executive couldn't help but share his enthusiasm for Sony's Little Women on Twitter this morning. "I typically tweet 'shoutouts' to our company’s film releases, but after just seeing @LittleWomen I feel compelled to thank and praise Greta Gerwig and her entire team for making such a fine, enjoyable film! A masterpiece in every sense of the word!" In other news... --Critic's notebook: Robyn Bahr on Baby Yoda, The Dark Crystal and the need for puppetry in the age of CGI. --How I Lost My Body's director made a love story about a disembodied hand. --A California couple saved a pregnant Rachel Bloom and her husband from sleeping in their car during a snowstorm. --Ozark actress Julia Garner weds Foster the People lead singer Mark Foster. --You boss on season three plans, crazy ex-girlfriends and how long the Netflix favorite will run.  Syd Mead: 1933-2019 In memoriam... ►Syd Mead, the self-proclaimed "visual futurist" and conceptual artist who shaped the look of Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron, among other projects, has died. He was 86. Mead died Monday morning at his home in Pasadena after a three-year battle with lymphoma, his spouse, Roger Servick, told THR. Survivors also include a sister and several nieces and nephews. The obituary. ►Neil Innes, a British songwriter and comedian who collaborated with Monty Python and co-founded the Beatles pastiche band The Rutles, has died at age 75. A statement posted to Innes’ website said the musician died unexpectedly on Sunday (Dec. 29) of natural causes. "We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all," the spokespersons’ statement said. The obituary. ►Will the Fox networks go dark for millions of households tonight? Fox and the National Cable Television Cooperative, a non-profit that represents some 750 small and mid-sized cable companies, are in the midst of a carriage fee fight, with the deadline set for this evening. If the sides can't come to an agreement, Fox News, Fox Sports, and some local Fox stations will go dark as 2020 kicks off. In music news... ►President Obama's 2019 playlist. Lizzo, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Lil Nas X, Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys, Maggie Rogers are among the musicians behind the hits included on Barack Obama's list of his favorite songs from 2019. Obama unveiled his 2019 song picks on Monday on social media. The list. ►Mariah Carey sets a Billboard record. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is the gift that keeps on giving her historic achievements, as the song makes the superstar the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 in four decades. More. New Year's Eve TV guide:  --ABC: Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale host Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, with Ciara and Billy Porter hosting from Los Angeles and New Orleans, respectively. Musical guests include Post Malone, Usher, and BTS. --NBC: Carson Daly will host NBC's New Year's 2020 special, with Keith Urban hosting from Nashville. Musical acts include Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. Earlier in the evening, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager host A Toast to 2019. --Fox: Steve Harvey, Maria Menounos and former NFL star Rob Gronkowski will host New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey: Live from Times Square. Musical guests include The Killers and The Lumineers. --CNN: Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will once again lead coverage on the cable news channel. Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon take over after midnight. Musical guets include Patti LaBelle and Lenny Kravitz. Corrections: In yesterday's newsletter, the ages for the people in the birthdays section were all off by one year (I had 2020 on the brain), the correct ages are one year younger than displayed. Also in yesterday's newsletter, I included Fox News in a list of networks with New Year's Eve specials. While the channel has had specials in recent years, this year it will not have any special New Year's programming. What else we're reading... --"'It won't be pretty': How the next decade's technological tsunami will change life as we know it" [Vanity Fair] --"Jimmy Iovine knows music and tech. Here's why he's worried." [NY Times] --"They bonded over the end of an epic film saga. No, it’s not Star Wars" [LA Times] Today's birthdays: Anthony Hopkins, 82, Bebe Neuwirth, 61, Ben Kingsley, 76, Diane von Fürstenberg, 73, Donald Trump Jr., 42.  Syd Mead: 1933-2019 In memoriam... ►Syd Mead, the self-proclaimed "visual futurist" and conceptual artist who shaped the look of Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron, among other projects, has died. He was 86. Mead died Monday morning at his home in Pasadena after a three-year battle with lymphoma, his spouse, Roger Servick, told THR. Survivors also include a sister and several nieces and nephews. The obituary. ►Neil Innes, a British songwriter and comedian who collaborated with Monty Python and co-founded the Beatles pastiche band The Rutles, has died at age 75. A statement posted to Innes’ website said the musician died unexpectedly on Sunday (Dec. 29) of natural causes. "We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all," the spokespersons’ statement said. The obituary. ►Will the Fox networks go dark for millions of households tonight? Fox and the National Cable Television Cooperative, a non-profit that represents some 750 small and mid-sized cable companies, are in the midst of a carriage fee fight, with the deadline set for this evening. If the sides can't come to an agreement, Fox News, Fox Sports, and some local Fox stations will go dark as 2020 kicks off. In music news... ►President Obama's 2019 playlist. Lizzo, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Lil Nas X, Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys, Maggie Rogers are among the musicians behind the hits included on Barack Obama's list of his favorite songs from 2019. Obama unveiled his 2019 song picks on Monday on social media. The list. ►Mariah Carey sets a Billboard record. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is the gift that keeps on giving her historic achievements, as the song makes the superstar the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 in four decades. More. New Year's Eve TV guide:  --ABC: Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale host Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, with Ciara and Billy Porter hosting from Los Angeles and New Orleans, respectively. Musical guests include Post Malone, Usher, and BTS. --NBC: Carson Daly will host NBC's New Year's 2020 special, with Keith Urban hosting from Nashville. Musical acts include Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. Earlier in the evening, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager host A Toast to 2019. --Fox: Steve Harvey, Maria Menounos and former NFL star Rob Gronkowski will host New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey: Live from Times Square. Musical guests include The Killers and The Lumineers. --CNN: Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will once again lead coverage on the cable news channel. Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon take over after midnight. Musical guets include Patti LaBelle and Lenny Kravitz. Corrections: In yesterday's newsletter, the ages for the people in the birthdays section were all off by one year (I had 2020 on the brain), the correct ages are one year younger than displayed. Also in yesterday's newsletter, I included Fox News in a list of networks with New Year's Eve specials. While the channel has had specials in recent years, this year it will not have any special New Year's programming. What else we're reading... --"'It won't be pretty': How the next decade's technological tsunami will change life as we know it" [Vanity Fair] --"Jimmy Iovine knows music and tech. Here's why he's worried." [NY Times] --"They bonded over the end of an epic film saga. No, it’s not Star Wars" [LA Times] Today's birthdays: Anthony Hopkins, 82, Bebe Neuwirth, 61, Ben Kingsley, 76, Diane von Fürstenberg, 73, Donald Trump Jr., 42.   Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.  ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. DECEMBER 31, 2019 UNSUBSCRIBE  MANAGE PREFERENCES PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF USE