  |  | | | | | | What's news: New Vice CEO Nancy Dubuc is trying to change the company's culture while retaining its youthful edge. Plus: Why Fox hired (and fired) Bryan Singer for Bohemian Rhapsody, where Megyn Kelly could land next and AFM is underway. — Will Robinson |  | | On the cover: Hype, sex appeal and the promise of young audiences turned Shane Smith's wild brainchild into one of the hottest digital brands on the planet. Then came scandal and skepticism. Now it’s up to new CEO Nancy Dubuc to clean up the $5.7 billion media company’s culture and balance sheet, Natalie Jarvey reports: | | + Full control: Nancy Dubuc is making her content moves with the blessing of Shane Smith, who since kicking himself upstairs to the role of executive chairman has cut off involvement with day-to-day operations — except, of course, when Dubuc chooses to loop him in. "We're rabid texters," she confides. "If I'm telling the board stuff, I want him to know. Plus, it's the right thing to do. So far he's been like, 'Your call.' " | | + Lessons from listening tour: What she found, she says, was a young, diverse, enthusiastic workforce that had been in desperate need of a hands-on leader. The blinds that hung in Smith's office were removed. "The first couple of weeks people would come in the office and then leave and shut the door. And I would get up and I'd open the door. And then people would shut the door, and I would open it," Dubuc says. | | + Viceland Live's strategy: Viceland is still only in 68 million U.S. households, and linear ratings are so low, most series don't appear on Nielsen's top 150 shows. "It creates consistency in a schedule," says Dubuc of the strategy. "Bravo has Watch What Happens. We have 'Anything Can Happen.' " She stops herself. "I don't want anything to happen — well, within reason." Full cover story. | | | | | | Fox's Singer Gamble |  | | | | Same old antics: The troubled filmmaker’s on-set chaos, penchant for disappearing and general bad behavior had concerned executives long before he was let go from the new Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Kim Masters reports: | | + Pre-shoot expectations: Fox chairman Stacey Snider had reservations based on what she'd heard about Singer's behavior on X-Men: Apocalypse and other projects. Before approving the deal, she and studio vice chairman Emma Watts sat down for a talk with Singer and producer Graham King, according to multiple sources. Snider didn't mince words, telling Singer: Don't break the law. Show up to work every day. Failure to comply will bring consequences. Snider's admonitions had no effect. | | + Malek's concern Tensions escalated into an on-set altercation between Singer and his star Rami Malek (by all accounts, one of the nicest actors in the business). With reports of a piece of electrical equipment thrown by Singer (though not at anyone), a complaint — apparently from Malek — prompted Fox to dispatch several execs to London. Singer's conduct was deemed not actionable. Singer denies the characterization of those events. Full story. | | Queen's ransom... | | + Bohemian Rhapsody to rock with $35M-$40M in U.S.: The film launched to a huge $12.5 million in the U.K. last weekend to mark one the of the biggest openings of the year in England, as well as one of the top showings in recent memory for a non-franchise title. | | Elsewhere in film... | | ► Jennifer Lawrence launches production company Excellent Cadaver. The star and her producing partner Justine Polsky have inked a first-look film deal with Makeready. The deal encompasses films that Lawrence and Polsky will produce, and some that Lawrence will additionally star in. | | ► MGM, Lantern Entertainment partner for Boys in the Boat. The project marks the first production for Lantern Entertainment since acquiring The Weinstein Co. in July. | | ► Gary Oldman, Jessica Alba film Killers Anonymous locked up for North America. Grindstone will handle the project that follows a support group of killers and hitmen who are thrown into a tailspin after a prominent senator is murdered by, they suspect, one of their own. | | ► Octane Entertainment launches female-focused division FAB. The new sales and acquisition label will focus entirely on films directed for, about and by women. | | ► Overlord filmmaker Julius Avery to direct Flash Gordon. Matthew Vaughn was previously set to helm the project for Fox and remains a producer. | | ► Sony Pictures Classics picks up Kenneth Branagh's All Is True. Judi Dench and Ian McKellen star in the movie, in which Branagh plays William Shakespeare. | | ► Gia Coppola to direct Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke in romantic drama Mainstream. Nat Wolff and Jason Schwartzman will also star in the love triangle drama. | | ► Jurassic World campaign to "Save the Dinos" sparks $10M lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the fictional Dinosaur Protection Group "Save the Dinos" campaign infringes on a real trademark owned by The Dinosaur Project. | | ► L.A. D.A. declines sex assault case against Sylvester Stallone. According to a case document, the female victim claimed she was assaulted by the actor in 1987 and 1990. The actor disputed the claims vehemently. | | ► Alamo Drafthouse theaters to open later on Election Day so employees can vote. The progressive Texas-based cinema chain wants to make sure all of its employees vote. Alamo locations, like other cinemas, usually offer late morning or noon showtimes. | | ► UCLA buys historic Crest Theater in Westwood. With backing from Susan Bay Nimoy, the plan is to convert the theater into an off-campus performing arts space. | | ► Former mob boss Whitey Bulger found dead in prison. The 89-year-old Bulger had just this morning been moved from another prison. Bulger and his life of crime inspired multiple Hollywood films, including 2006's The Departed and 2015's Black Mass. | | Casting call... | | ► Eddie Redmayne in talks to star in Aaron Sorkin's Trial of the Chicago 7. The Oscar-winning British star is headed to a possible collaboration with Sorkin after he made his directorial debut with Molly's Game. | | ► Chloe Grace Moretz, Jack O'Connell to play Bonnie and Clyde in Love Is a Gun. Kike Maillo's upcoming biopic of the iconic crime couple is heading to the American Film Market with Endeavor Content. | | Quoted: "We all kept quiet ... Now when I think back, because of the #MeToo movement, we are not going to do that anymore. The moment I hear even a murmur of [an allegation], I am going to come down like a ton of bricks on that person." — Bollywood director Kabir Khan, on speaking out in post-#MeToo era. |  | | ^AFM gets woke: As the American Film Market kicks off today, about a year after the #MeToo movement shook up the indie patriarchy (and led to the collapse of The Weinstein Co.), projects — like Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams in After the Wedding — that feature female and nonwhite leads are among the hottest titles on offer, Scott Roxborough reports: | | + Different offerings: “You're seeing, in packaging of films and in presales, a lot more female-focused or female-led projects,” said one Endeavor agent. “We are seeing a string of female action films, female revenge stories. Even foreign buyers, which tend to be more conservative or risk-adverse, are seeing success with movies like [Toni Collette-starrer] Hereditary with strong female stories.” Full story. | | * Hot titles: The indie blockbuster is dead, but a diverse field of midrange projects has emerged, from a radical retelling of A Christmas Carol, starring Carey Mulligan, to the New York crime actioner 17 Bridges, starring Chadwick Boseman, Roxborough details. 10 hottest films. | | On the festival circuit... | | ► Austin unveils 2018 Script and Film competition winners. Along with the competition, the writer-focused event, running Oct. 25-Nov. 1, screened awards films such as Vox Lux and Ben is Back. Winners. | | ► Jason Reitman's The Front Runner to open Turin. The film, which premiered at Telluride and Toronto, will open in U.S. cinemas on Nov. 21 and in Italy on Feb. 21. The 36th Turin Film Festival takes place Nov. 23-Dec. 1. | | Honorees... | | ► Viola Davis to receive Sherry Lansing Award at THR Women in Entertainment Event. The honor is presented annually to a female trailblazer and philanthropic leader at the star-studded breakfast held in conjunction with THR’s Women in Entertainment issue. The annual star-studded event, which recognizes female pioneers and industry leaders, will take place Dec. 5 in Los Angeles. | | ► Black Panther, Incredibles 2 among latest honorees for Hollywood Film Awards. The event will also honor artists involved in films ranging from Avengers: Infinity War to First Man and A Star Is Born. | | ► The Favourite leads British Independent Film Awards nominations. The film draws 13 nominations, followed by 11 for American Animals, as organizers note a "record year for female representation. | | Book report... | | ► Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon join Michelle Obama's book tour. Sarah Jessica Parker, Michele Norris and former White House aide Valerie Jarrett will also join her for the book tour this winter. | | Musical notes... | | ► Willie Nelson to be honored at Grammy week celebration. The Feb. 6, 2019 event will celebrate the career achievements and creative excellence of Nelson. | | Sony's crown jewel... | | ► Stellar quarterly results driven by gaming. Led by the PlayStation 4, the game business posted bigger profits than the pictures, music and home electronics divisions combined. | | Coming attractions... | | ► Trailer: Lucas Hedges grapples with sexuality in Boy Erased. The film is based on Garrard Conley's memoir of the same name and follows a boy, Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), who is sent to a conversion therapy program after coming out as gay to his parents, a pastor (Russell Crowe) and his wife (Nicole Kidman). Watch. | | ► First look: Charlize Theron debuts Megyn Kelly transformation for Roger Ailes movie. The actress was spotted in character on the same day that Kelly's morning show was canceled. Photos. |  "Rehire James Gunn" billboard appears near Disneyland. The crowdfunded ad is 4 miles away from the Anaheim theme park. Photo. | | | | | | | | Where Can Megyn Go? |  | | | | Time to step back?: The $69 million star anchor proved a bust in morning TV even before her blackface scandal, but with some time off and a few smart moves, Megyn Kelly may be able to reinvent herself, Marisa Guthrie reports: | | + Go slow: Most industry observers and insiders polled by THR believe that Kelly, 47, will not land somewhere else immediately. But many believe Kelly can make a comeback if she plays her cards right. "She needs to retreat a little," suggests one well-connected crisis PR executive. "If I were her, I'd write an op-ed. Start doing things on social [media] to build up an independent following. And then just wait." | | + Today doomed: Her Today hour — which was far more expensive than Today's Take, the show it replaced — dropped 26 percent among viewers in the critical 25-to-54 demo, according to Nielsen. Many within NBC News argued from the beginning that the steely Kelly was a poor fit at 9 a.m. "There wasn't a piece of research that suggested that Megyn Kelly had a warm bone in her body and could go from primetime to mornings," says one NBC News insider. | | * Polling on firing: Nearly half of Americans (45 percent, according to a THR/Morning Consult poll) believe the cancellation of Megyn Kelly Today was too harsh, while only 26 percent say it was appropriate. There is a stark racial divide, as might be expected; 40 percent of African-Americans have a less favorable view of Kelly after her blackface comments, while 42 percent of white respondents said it made no difference. Full story. | | Elsewhere in TV... | | ► CBS global distribution head Armando Nunez promoted. Nunez will become president and CEO for the CBS Global Distribution Group and chief content licensing officer for CBS Corp. | | * Long-time chief departing. In another move atop CBS' executive ranks, CBS chief research officer and president of CBS Vision Poltrack announced he is ending a 50-year career in research at CBS as he gets set to retire June 30, 2019. | | ► Hulu taps Google's Heather Moosnick as senior vp content partnerships. The former YouTube exec will lead the streamer's content acquisition strategy. | | ► Animation exec Marci Proietto promoted at 20th TV. In her newly created role as executive vp animation, Proietto will continue to oversee the studio's veteran animated comedies as well as development on new projects in the space. | | ► Thinkfactory media founder Leslie Greif exits; Adam Reed set as CEO. Greif, who sold a 65 percent stake in the company to ITV in 2013, will launch a new venture. Reed had been serving as president of the ITV-owned company since 2016. | | ► FX, the BBC expand content partnership. Under new agreement between the two companies, the BBC has secured the rights to all new scripted FX original series. The deal marks the first time FX shows will have a primary home in the UK. | | ► Ben Silverman's Propagate acquires Electus, majority interest in Artists First. The expanded company will help Silverman and Howard Owens' company to become a full-service global studio. | | ► Naomi Watts to star in Game of Thrones prequel for HBO. The pilot, created by Jane Goldman and George R.R. Martin, is set thousands of years before the events of the flagship. | | ► Cate Blanchett to play conservative activist in FX women's rights drama Mrs. America. The nine-episode limited series will focus on Phyllis Schlafly and her opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment. | | ► Laurence Fishburne to star in, executive produce Rendlesham UFO drama series. The limited series is inspired by a UFO incident in the U.K. in 1980 and comes from British company Eleventh Hour Films (Foyle's War) and Sony Pictures Television. | | ► Dean Koontz's Strangers in development as Fox drama series. Former Teen Wolf showrunner Jeff Davis is adapting the 1986 novel for Sony and Fox. The project, a co-production between Sony Pictures Television and Fox, has a script plus penalty commitment. | | ► Hulu's Looking for Alaska casts Kristine Froseth, Charlie Plummer as leads. Froseth will play the title character and Plummer the boy who longs for her in the adaptation of John Green's novel. | | ► Mel Robbins to host syndicated daytime talk show. Tribune Broadcasting will air the Sony TV-produced series starting in the fall of 2019. | | ► Love & Hip Hop creator Mona Scott-Young signs Lionsgate overall deal. Scott-Young, who also manages Missy Elliott, will develop unscripted projects for the studio. | | ► BoJack Horseman renewed for season six at Netflix. The animated series continues to be a favorite among critics and viewers. | | ► Paradise PD renewed for season two at Netflix. The animated adult comedy featuring Sarah Chalke is part of a rapidly growing slate of adult animated comedies at the streamer. | | ► IFC developing Almost Asian, four other comedy projects. The slate of potential series also includes shows from Jonathan Ames and Funny or Die. | | Quoted: "There are more and more characters, just a swirling commotion. This season, I think, tops all that. It's so satisfying because we pull things from season one and season two that were sort of open-ended." — Reid Scott, teasing Veep's final season. |  | | ^One more chance: 23-year-old YouTube star-turned-cautionary tale Logan Paul comes clean about what exactly happened in that Japanese suicide forest, how his $13 million empire collapsed and the plan to earn forgiveness from his 24 million followers, Seth Abramovitch reports: | | + Behind the controversial video: "My first feeling was just dis-fucking-belief," Paul explains. He realizes now that probably did not play well on camera. "I should have felt empathy. I should have been like, 'Hey, this is wrong. Let's not do what we're doing.' " (In fact, one of his cohorts can be heard on the video saying, "Turn off the cameras, let's go." Paul ignored him.) | | + Crisis meeting: After returning to L.A. from Japan, Paul went directly from the airport to his home, where 10 of his handlers had gathered around a stretch dining room table for an eight-hour emergency meeting. His myriad projects would be put on hold. The best strategy the team could come up with was for Paul to film a suicide-prevention PSA. Paul sat there stunned, absorbing the new normal. "I was so used to people liking me," he says. "But being hated? I hate it. I hate being hated!" Full story. | | Digital digest... | | ► Facebook user growth stalls. The social network ended the third quarter with 2.27 billion monthly active users, up slightly from the 2.23 billion it had last quarter. | | * Mark Zuckerberg pledges to spend more in war on hate speech. The CEO said with the election next week Facebook has seen and will see "all the good and bad that humanity can do." | | ► Streamers' ad spending up 45 percent. Netflix spent $31 million of the $55 million spent this past summer to promote 100 titles via 900 different ads, Wendy Lee reports. [Los Angeles Times] | | ► Snap expands adds 25 programs to Snapchat Shows in U.K. "[The] news underscores the focus that Snap is putting on building more engagement directly in specific markets, and subsequently its revenues, and how it is looking to TV-style content to do that." [TechCrunch] | | Gaming earnings... | | ► Red Dead Redemption 2 breaks records with $725 million opening weekend. The highly anticipated open-world video game set records for largest ever preorders, largest first-day sales and largest sales for the first three days in market on the PlayStation Network, according to Rockstar, which cited Sony. | | ► Nintendo boosted by stronger Switch console sales, but misses quarterly estimates. The game-maker sold 3.2 million of its hit console in the quarter, but its full-year target looks out of reach. | | Talking points... | | ► Protesters interrupt Trump visit to honor Pittsburgh shooting victims. Protesters shouted "Words matter!" and "Trump, go home!" as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump paid tribute Tuesday to the 11 people slain at the Tree of Life synagogue. | | ► Michael Avenatti says he was targeted by mail-bomb suspect. "I applaud the hard working men and women of the FBI for his arrest and their continuing investigation," Avenatti tweeted Tuesday. | | ► Kanye West says he's "distancing" himself from politics. The musician tweeted that his "eyes are now wide open" and he will return to working on his craft. |  Louis C.K. greeted by protesters at first official stand-up gig. After several surprise appearances, C.K. was advertised on the lineup at Manhattan's Comedy Cellar, where he was greeted by two female protesters, Jackie Strause reports. | | | | Behind a Mega-Flop |  | | | | Backstory to die for: Director Mathew Cullen and other inside sources reveal what really happened to the Amber Heard drama London Fields, which spent three years in legal purgatory and immediately flopped at the box office, Eriq Gardner reports: | | + Crashing down: In 2015, the $8 million movie starring Heard and Billy Bob Thornton enjoyed high expectations as it was set to screen at the Toronto Film Festival. But it was pulled from the lineup as producer Christopher Hanley fought Cullen over money and final cut and the stars refused to promote it. Then came a flurry of lawsuits. | | + Conflicting cuts: A few weeks before London Fields came out in the U.S., producer Peter Hoffman's cut debuted in Russia, where it earned scathing reviews. Cullen had the reviews translated and begged Hoffman to take it as a sign to abandon that version. His effort proved unsuccessful, but in mid-October, a deal was finally worked out to allow Cullen's version to play in a select few theaters throughout the nation. That's not the cut being widely exhibited. Full story. | | What else we're reading... | | — "The 100 Greatest Foreign-Language Films." BBC Culture polled 209 critics: "It’s clear that culture isn’t bound by borders, and language needn’t be a barrier to enjoying great film-making. While the cinema of an individual nation is inevitably tied to its unique identity and history, the language of film is universal." [BBC Culture] | | — "Natalie Portman: Voice of Light." Durga Chew-Bose profiles: "Today Portman is not only deliberating on her career but actively trying to change the industry she grew up in, working dedicatedly with both the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements." [Vanity Fair] | | — "What Bohemian Rhapsody Got Wrong About Queen." Steven Hyden details: "Bohemian Rhapsody without explicit decadence is like Patton without war scenes, Raging Bull without fight scenes, or Monster without all that serial killing. ... To be fair, making a movie about Queen would be untenable for anybody." [The Ringer] | | — "Jennifer Lopez on Her Power Bossness." Melena Ryzik profiles the multi-hyphenate: "To anyone who has crossed paths with Lopez since, her determination is unmissable. 'She is the master of shattering the word "no,"' [Alex] Rodriguez said." [New York Times] | | — "I Kind of Thought The Blair Witch Project Was Real." Germain Lussier tells his story: "It’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t read about movies on the internet, when our daily routines didn’t involve visiting sites like this one to see what’s going on in the world of entertainment. But in 1999, that was still a relatively new concept with only a handful of sites competing for clicks." [Gizmodo] | | What else we're watching... | | + "Milo Ventimiglia gets emotional watching This Is Us." [Jimmy Kimmel] | | + "Nancy Pelosi makes a midterm prediction." [Late Show] | | + "Abbi Jacobson reveals Broad City cameo Sarah Jessica Parker refused." [Tonight Show] | | From the archives... | | + On Oct. 31, 1926, illusionist Harry Houdini died at 52 from complications relating to a ruptured appendix. "In his special field of entertainment he stood alone. With a few minor exceptions, he invented all his tricks and illusions, and in certain instances only his four intimate helpers knew the solution." [New York Times] |  Today's birthdays: Holly Taylor, 21, Letitia Wright, 25, Kether Donohue, 33, Justin Chatwin, 36, Ruben Fleischer, 44, Rob Schneider, 55, Peter Jackson, 57. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
