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The - Hollywood - R Magazine - 06 - 05 - 2020
The - Hollywood - R Magazine - 06 - 05 - 2020
May 6, 2020
TIKTOK
BOOM!
The explosive, 2-billion strong social media app is going Hollywood, leveraging a massive
sheltering-at-home audience hungry for new content to draw A-listers onto the platform
and turn its homegrown roster into bankable stars (with reality TV shows, of course)
FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
& RON CHERNOW
PULITIZER PRIZE ®-WINNING AUTHOR OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON
32
Teenager Charli D’Amelio says
she “was just making videos
for fun like everyone else was.”
Now she has more than
50 million followers on TikTok.
15
While stuck at home, director
Paul Feig has been mixing
cocktails, even creating new
15
ones, for a streaming show.
30
The Chorizo con Papa taco
kit is available for takeout from
Hermanito, a restaurant on
Sawtelle Boulevard that actor
30
Walton Goggins recommends.
32
FEATURES THE REPORT 24 Cannes Virtual Film Markets
‘Selling Hope’ Amid Global Crisis
32 (Tik)Tok of the Town 5 Will VOD Trolls Be a Win?
The easy-to-mock-but-impossible-to- NBCUniversal inflamed tensions with 26 Even in Extreme Times, Celebrity
ignore social media behemoth is going theater chains in order to rack up Apologies Can Fall Short
Hollywood, leveraging a massive about $100 million in on-demand rental After saying something dangerous
sheltering-at-home audience hungry fees for Trolls World Tour, but the (Dr. Phil on COVID-19) or something
for new content to draw A-listers onto jury is out on the ultimate success of ignorant (Jeff Goldblum on Islam),
the platform and turn its homegrown the experiment. public figures tend to double down on
roster into bankable stars (with reality the offense or give a snarky non-apology.
TV shows, of course). 10 Sundance: A Possible ‘First Petri Kareem Abdul-Jabbar offers advice
Dish’ of Coronavirus on expressing contrition the right way.
38 15 of Hollywood’s Top Innovators A swath of attendees suffered harsh
From the team that made the cross- flu-like symptoms, leading a microbi-
network One World: Together at Home ologist to question whether the January
STYLE
broadcast possible to the director festival was “the perfect formula to 28 Channel That Cabin Fever
who cut production costs by acquiring contaminate everybody.” Stay fit with the best in gear, apps,
a high school, THR spotlights the streaming content and L.A. gyms that
boundary-pushers — those reinventing have pivoted to virtual group classes.
how content is created, developed and
ABOUT TOWN
distributed — poised to thrive when 15 How I’m Living Now: A Day in the 30 Walton Goggins’
Hollywood’s production shutdown ends. Lockdown Life of Paul Feig Fave Takeout Spots
With a Fox pilot on hold, the always- The actor and Mulholland Distilling
48 Shut Down and Sheltering dapper comedy master shares his own co-founder picks his L.A. go-to’s
in Place, From a photo essay of life at home in Burbank for food, pantry staples and, yes,
Cinematographer’s Camera and talks about his new nightly mixology cocktail kits: “We couldn’t make another
Six lensers — trailblazers and Oscar show on Instagram: “It is a lot of cocktails.” fucking dinner at home!”
winners among them — document
the Hollywood lockdown, including 16 The Hollywood Attorney Driving
packing up a production and following $40M in L.A. COVID Aid REVIEWS
stay-at-home directives: “COVID-19 casts 52 I Know This Much Is True
D’AMELIO: @CHARLIDAMELIO/TIKTOK. TACOS, FEIG: COURTESY OF SUBJECT.
a long shadow over all of us.” 20 Rambling Reporter Mark Ruffalo delivers a bravura turn
as troubled twins in HBO’s alternately
ON THE COVER
50 Campaigning During a THE BUSINESS exhausting and exhilarating six-part Illustration by
Pandemic, Carefully adaptation of the Wally Lamb best-seller. The Sporting Press
With the TV Academy banning the panels, 22 Creative Space: Rob Bredow
parties and other events that have long The head of Industrial Light & Magic on 53 The Great SEE YOU SOON
been the staple of Emmy season, awards producing VFX from home and how his Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult headline The next issue publishes
experts must reassess how to push con- team’s virtual production developments Hulu’s tart and lively, if shallow, Catherine June 3. Keep up with breaking
news, reviews and video at
tenders in a fragile climate: “No one wants could be “an important part of us being the Great series from the co-writer of THR.com and via Facebook,
to look promotional right now.” able to get back to work sooner.” The Favourite. Twitter and Instagram.
mptf.com/donate #TodayWeThank
↑ Moguls
CEOs’ Pay ‘Sacrifice’
Execs forgo salaries
but keep big bonuses p. 8
Film
‘First Petri Dish’
The Re ort Behind the Headlines
Was Sundance a COVID-19
hotspot? p. 10
Heat Index
Travis Scott
The artist, who performed
his single “The Scotts” on
Fortnite to 12 million players,
nabs his third No. 1 on
Billboard’s Hot 100 as it earns
42.2 million U.S. streams
in the week ending April 30.
U
estimated $1 billion hit so far.
niversal’s experiment with It also may surprise many peo- Jeff Shell expressed his excite-
releasing Trolls World Tour ple that despite NBCU’s boast that ment about the numbers in a Wall
on demand in the midst of the Trolls sequel has scored almost Street Journal interview that was
a pandemic has been full of sur- $100 million domestically from followed a couple of days later by
prises. For starters, NBCUniversal the on-demand release, the movie an ominous April 30 earnings
Chip and Joanna Gaines shocked theater owners by not is still millions in the red and, in call in which he said the com-
As cable ratings fall overall, notifying them in advance that it the opinion of some industry vet- pany was looking to cut costs
MURDOCH: STEPHANIE KEITH/GETTY IMAGES. TROLLS: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC/UNIVERSAL PICTURES. SHELL: TODD WILLIAMSON/GETTY IMAGES. TIMBERLAKE: ANGELA WEISS/
with 870,000 viewers for its mium on demand. They reacted source with firsthand knowledge Whatever happens, a critical
Magnolia Presents special. badly to the perceived attack on of the studio’s thinking says that point is that the Trolls release
their traditional windows. despite the doubters, Universal is a unique experiment from
But the studio also caught believes it can make $40 million which limited information can
its own talent off guard when or more in profit from all revenue be extrapolated. It had a budget of
it revealed early on-demand sources.) But the about $100 million or more and
plans for the animated tentpole. untested proposition benefited from a big-movie mar-
Andy Lack Sources tell THR that the Trolls in this on-demand keting campaign, complete with
The NBC News chairman,
who led the division since 2015, sequel’s top voice stars, includ- experiment is what promotional tie-ins, that cost the
will exit by the end of May, ing Justin Timberlake and Anna happens to revenue studio more than $35 million in
with Telemundo chief Cesar Timberlake
Conde set to succeed him. Kendrick, also were not informed from later windows, the U.S. alone. Universal won’t
ahead of the March 16 announce- including the all-important be running this type of experi-
ment that the film would be overseas box office in countries ment with the next Fast & Furious
Showbiz Stocks available to rent for $19.99 online. where on-demand is not yet a big movie; the budget is too big and
This is not the sort of surprise business, as well as subsequent the potential box office return
such people usually like, and it’s a electronic and DVD sales. too great. (The most recent film
$513.44 (+1.6%)
CHARTER (CHTR) sensitive matter because compen- “They probably overhyped it,” grossed $1.2 billion worldwide, a
The cable giant reports sation for big stars in animated says Hal Vogel of Vogel Capital number that cannot be generated
stronger quarterly earnings
revenue numbers May 1, films is largely tied to box office Management. “But like most from $19.99 on-demand rentals.)
including a 582,000 uptick in
broadband user growth. bonuses. The stars’ reps are now people in the business, they In the Journal interview,
asking for them to be paid, no haven’t had a lot of success in Shell horrified theater owners
$44.33 (-2.5%) doubt to the tune of seven figures, the past two or three months, so by declaring the Trolls experi-
WWE (WWE) but they are still game to publi- any ray of sunshine helps.” Other ment to be such a success that
Despite a strong quarter with
increased TV rights fees, the cize the film. observers note that NBCU CEO NBCU plans to release movies
sports entertainment outfit
battled depressed ratings and
a downturn in live business.
April 28-May 5
KENDRICK: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES. BLAVATNIK: GREGG DEGUIRE/GETTY IMAGES. RAPINO: MICHAEL KOVAC/GETTY IMAGES. SALMAN: MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES. TREES, HOLLYWOOD, CASH: ADOBE STOCK.
grossed $154 million domesti- office numbers. (Bonuses would virus pandemic, the Saudis are motivated to diversify, and with
cally, but $193 million overseas. have kicked in when the film showbiz stocks declining, the timing could be right.
Exploiting the movie theatri- reached $350 million.) As such, the PIF has made an offer to buy Warner Music
cally in some markets, like Latin Studios “don’t have to show you Group, according to a source close to WMG owner Len
America, will depend the VOD numbers, so you’re com- Blavatnik. The privately held label — one of only three majors,
on the chains open- pletely relying on them,” says a with artists like Madonna and Camila Cabello — is valued at
ing and on theater person with firsthand knowledge around $12.5 billion. “There’s one other bid in the mix, and it will
owners agreeing to of the Trolls situation. But this come down to a number,” says the source. Back in February,
Kendrick play it. Cineworld, source expressed confidence that the PIF made an offer to buy a small stake in WMG for $750 mil-
which has a major the issue will be worked out. “The lion right before the music label submitted paperwork to begin
presence in that important mar- lawyers will talk on both sides and an initial public offering of its common stock. But on March 2,
ket, has also said it will boycott come to a number,” he says. “It WMG put its IPO plans on hold because of market volatility,
Universal films in reaction to doesn’t behoove them to look like making a PIF offer all the more attractive.
Shell’s comments. A veteran the- they’re short-shrifting talent.” Although everyone from Disney to AMC Theatres has begun
ater executive who runs another to offer debt in the COVID-19 fallout, some analysts say it would
chain says he has no doubt that Pamela McClintock contributed be better to take Saudi equity. “It would be a welcome invest-
major overseas distributors will to this report. ment from a debt perspective to see some of these companies
that are more dramatically affected bring in some equity rather
than just bringing [on] lots of debt, particularly some of the
THR/Morning Consult Poll larger-cap media names like Disney and ViacomCBS,” says
Moody’s analyst Neil Begley. “I just can’t say whether or not
How likely Some 56% of adults age 65+
the folks at Disney would be willing to entertain issuing equity
are you to go to a Very say they’re “very unlikely” at this juncture. But for some of these companies that have an
unlikely to return to theaters in this
movie theater 47% time frame, while 34% of adults uncertain horizon at this time, it certainly would be prudent.”
within a month ages 18-34 say the same. After Khashoggi’s murder, the Saudi outrage factor was
of your state Somewhat high. Endeavor Content’s Ari Emanuel returned to the PIF a
passing unlikely
20%
$400 million investment. Before it became radioactive, Penske
White House Somewhat
Don’t know/no opinion 10% Media, which owns Variety and Rolling Stone, took a $200 mil-
benchmarks likely
Very likely 7%
lion investment in 2018 from the Saudis. One Penske staffer
to reopen? 15%
who was initially upset with the deal now notes the absence
of layoffs at the media company. The source adds, “Now that
Source: THR/Morning Consult poll conducted from April 30 to May 2 among a nationally
representative sample of 2,200 adults; percentages are rounded, don’t equal 100. everything is going to hell, I feel less awful about it.”
“DOMHNALL GLEESON
AT HIS MOST
“
WILDLY FUN
WEVER AND GLEESON MAKE A FIVE-COURSE MEAL
“MERRITT WEVER
AS EXCELLENT
CHARMING” OUT OF EVERY STOLEN GLANCE” AS EVER ”
— TIME — VARIETY — INDIEWIRE
But Keep Big Bonuses let 10,000 people go,” says Greg
Zbylut of business management
firm Singer Burke. “By making a
A slew of top Hollywood execs pledged to forgo salaries amid cost-cutting efforts, which risks being
sacrifice themselves, they show
perceived as a token gesture: ‘Everyone can see how little that is versus what they pull down overall’
that they are practicing what
BY ASHLEY CULLINS AND TATIANA SIEGEL
they preach and get buy-in from
S
ince mid-March, many Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, the average employee — as much management and staff for belt-
CEOs across the entertain- Cinemark’s Mark Zoradi and as 278 times more, according to tightening policies.”
ment and media landscape Live Nation’s Michael Rapino all a 2019 Economic Policy Institute UCLA assistant business
have made headlines by pledging announced they’d take no salary report — Hollywood business strategy professor Ian Larkin, who
to forgo their salaries amid fall- amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, manager Evan Bell cautions specializes in compensation and
BAKISH: MICHAEL TULLBERG/GETTY IMAGES. ROBERTS, ZORADI: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES. SARANDOS: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES. STANKEY: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAGES. SAPAN: TIBRINA HOBSON/FILMMAGIC.
MICKEY: DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES. IANNIELLO: JOHN PAUL FILO/CBS. IGER: STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE. ZASLAV: DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES. BURKE: EVANS VESTAL WARD/NBC. HASTINGS: STEFANIA D’ALESSANDRO/GETTY IMAGES.
out from the novel coronavirus Comcast chief Brian Roberts and against assuming that the huge employee motivation, says optics
pandemic. Eventually, however, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell gulf means top execs won’t be and peer pressure mean execu-
attention will be diverted else- are donating their pay to coro- hurt financially by forgoing sala- tives skipping pay will continue
where, at which time experts navirus-related relief efforts. A ries. “Some CEOs have lifestyles to be a trendy PR move. But,
say some of them will be repaid, former executive at both Fox and where they might have a lot of “once nobody is paying attention,
making their current cuts merely Disney calls Iger’s and Murdoch’s assets, but they need their cash they’ll get that money back,” he
a loan to the company disguised no-salary move “ridiculous.” This flow,” he says. says. “It’s really gross. If you’re
as a financial sacrifice. source adds, “Everyone can see Plus, Bell notes, there’s no really doing it for the good of the
Take Disney, which has fur- how little that is versus what they telling what the entertainment company, you shouldn’t claw it
loughed more than 100,000 pull down overall.” business will look like when it back in the form of stock options
employees. On March 30, the While it’s impossible to ignore gets back to work — or when that or a greater bonus. I guarantee
company disclosed that execu- the vast disparity between what will happen — so, bonuses and when we come out of this crisis,
tive chairman Bob Iger would top execs are paid compared with stock options aren’t what they you’re going to see that.”
forgo his $3 million salary and
other top executives like CEO $125.4M $129.4M
Hollywood’s C-Suite Pay
+358%
Bob Chapek — who makes Most top media and entertainment CEOs saw total
compensation rise in the last fiscal year By Georg Szalai
$2.5 million in base salary —
would have their pay cut in 2018 2019
half. While relinquishing base $100M
salary may have been a move Discovery’s David Zaslav and Disney’s Bob Iger were the highest-paid execs in
the sector in 2019 (both received incentives that boosted total pay in 2018), while CBS’
toward forging solidarity with $80M Joe Ianniello’s compensation was the result of a one-time payout as he exited the firm.
$65.6M
employees, Iger makes much
$47.5M
more annually in additional $60M -28%
$45.8M $42.6M
-65% +7% $38.6M $36.6M $36.4M
compensation ($44.5 million in +7% +83% +4%
$34.7M
+17%
the past fiscal year), which likely $40M $27.4M $22.5M $20.2M
$40M
$36.1M +36%
remains unaffected. $35M -2%
$29.6M $6.3M
Lachlan Murdoch disclosed $20M $20M $20.6M
$16.6M $5.2M +21%
April 22 that he will give up
his $3 million base salary, but
his non-salary compensation
in fiscal 2019 was $39.1 mil-
Joe Bob David Steve Reed Bob Brian Ted John Josh Sapan Mark
lion. And CAA partners Richard Ianniello Iger Zaslav Burke Hastings Bakish* Roberts Sarandos Stankey AMC Zoradi
Lovett, Bryan Lourd and Kevin CBS Corp. Disney Discovery NBCU Netflix CBS Comcast Netflix AT&T Networks Cinemark
Source: Company filings. *Bakish’s pay isn’t directly comparable as the 2018 figure was for then-Viacom’s fiscal year ended
Huvane, Endeavor heads Ari Sept. 30, 2018, while the 2019 data is for calendar year 2019 as ViacomCBS’ new fiscal year matches the calendar year.
Was Sundance a
‘First Petri Dish’
of Coronavirus?
A swath of attendees suffered harsh flu-like symptoms, leading
a microbiologist to question whether the January festival was
‘the perfect formula to contaminate everybody’ BY TATIANA SIEGEL
O
2
n Jan. 27, actress on her condition (though no flu 1 The old normal:
Canada Goose
Ashley Jackson felt the test was given at the time). Basecamp
first symptoms of a nasty Like many who make the on Jan. 24 in
Park City.
bug — fever, clammy skin, fatigue annual trek to the indie film 2 ChefDance
at Sundance
and shortness of breath. Given her mecca, Jackson left Sundance far on Jan. 24.
current locale — Park City — she worse off than when she entered. 3 BET’s Twenties
screening during
chalked it up to altitude sickness After all, the quaint mountain Sundance on
and toughed out her final day oasis transforms into a petri dish Jan. 27.
at the Sundance Film Festival, as some 120,000 festivalgoers
where she had attended the world from around the world huddle in
premiere of Blast Beat, a family crowded movie theaters during
drama in which she co-stars, as cold and flu season. In recent
well as a dizzying array of par- years, the festival’s organiz- According to the Centers for little different for each of us — but
ties and lounges. The next day, ers have placed an emphasis on Disease Control and Prevention, always quite intense.”
the 20-year-old college student attracting international film- the first U.S. case of COVID-19, Nearly all knew of others whose
flew home to Atlanta, just as makers, and this year was no the disease caused by the novel cases were comparable to theirs.
more intense symptoms began exception, with a lineup of 118 coronavirus, was confirmed One actor best known for his
to emerge, including sore throat, feature-length films represent- Jan. 21 — a Washington state man role in a major studio tentpole
GOOSE: OWEN HOFFMANN/GETTY IMAGES FOR CANADA GOOSE. CHEFDANCE: MARK SAGLIOCCO/GETTY IMAGES FOR CHEFDANCE. BET: AARON J.
THORNTON/GETTY IMAGES FOR BET. JACKSON: JEREMY CHAN/GETTY IMAGES. JACKSON SICK, MORRIS, MCGARVIN: COURTESY OF SUBJECT (5).
aches and pains and a cough so ing 27 countries. Industryites who recently had returned from was “gravely ill,” and members
violent, her neck swelled. Within long have dubbed any illness Wuhan, China, where the highly of his team also succumbed (he
24 hours, she made her first of caught while visiting the 10-day communicable virus is believed declined to speak on the record).
multiple visits to an urgent care festival as “the Sundance flu,” to have originated. At the time, The Black List founder Franklin
facility or emergency room and a byproduct of frigid tempera- the CDC had just announced that Leonard, who is a Sundance
was diagnosed with the flu based tures, late-night partying and airports would conduct health regular, says he began feeling
all that handshaking, in which screenings for passengers travel- sick on Tuesday, Jan. 28 — the day
everyone becomes an unknowing ing from Wuhan to Los Angeles, he flew from Salt Lake City back
vector for spreading germs. But San Francisco and New York, but to Los Angeles. “Landed with a
Sundance there was something different Salt Lake City — the main travel sore throat, and by Wednesday I
Snapshot about Sundance 2020. A swath hub for Sundance attendees — was barely functional,” he says.
of attendees, including festival was not included. “[I] was as sick as I’ve ever been
120K
Number of attendees
regulars and at least one high-
profile actor, became sicker than
Two days after Patient Zero was
identified in Washington, the fes-
for two weeks. Only really felt
100 percent by the weekend of the
at the 2020 festival ever before, leading some to later tival kicked off. Few if any in Park Oscars.” He knew of at least two
believe they had early, undocu- City were thinking of the corona- people who left the festival early
2K
Number of festival
mented cases of COVID-19.
“I started texting other people
virus. THR spoke with more than a
dozen people with similar stories.
because they were sick, including
a lawyer.
volunteers helping out who had been at Sundance, and Some asked to remain anony- “At this point, corona was
one said, ‘Yo, we just started mous, including one writer and kind of this internet meme,”
1.3K
Number of
calling it the Sundance Plague
on social media,’ ” says Jackson.
three of his friends who “all got
the same mysterious sickness — a
says actress Paige McGarvin,
23, who also was struck by a
accredited press
“We all had the same symptoms,
118
Number of feature-length
all had the cough, all had trouble
breathing at night. Some of us got
humidifiers and some got oxygen.
1 2
films screened
And we were all just miserable for
27
Number of countries
three to four weeks. And then out
of nowhere, we’re back living in
represented society like nothing is wrong. And
then I see all these coronavirus
stories, and I was like, ‘Whoa.’ ”
7 Days of DEALS
Who’s inking on the dotted line this week
CARTERIS: LEON BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES. SAG-AFTRA: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES. AMBANI: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES. DURBAN: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. ZUCKERBERG: RICH
need — and demand — money when they resume
FURY/GETTY IMAGES. YEUN: ALBERT L. ORTEGA/GETTY IMAGES. EHRIN: BRIAN ACH/GETTY IMAGES. CAGE: JC OLIVERA/GETTY IMAGES. WAITITI: STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE. BRITTON: RODIN ECKENROTH/
co-write a new Star Wars
work. But some aren’t. “It’s very inconsistent,” says
film alongside 1917 scribe
WIREIMAGE. LONGORIA: REDFIN. LAW: NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES. COWEN: JB LACROIX/WIREIMAGE. BUDDHIST: COURTESY OF SIMON & SCHUESTER. PUGH: DAVID M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES
the source close to SAG-AFTRA. Still, cooperation
Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
may win out, as retaining personnel will be vital
for media companies struggling to reschedule hun-
Ben Schwartz (Haven,
dreds of shows at once, let alone while maintaining
Gang Tyre) and Sam
hygiene and social distancing. “They’re trying
Rockwell (Gersh, Untitled)
to keep the band together,” said Sheppard Mullin
will star in and exec pro-
management attorney Richard Kopenhefer. “I don’t
duce an untitled comedy
think the studios are ready to throw the furniture
for Searchlight Pictures,
off the Titanic.” — JONATHAN HANDEL
with Schwartz also writing.
Shang-Chi’s Dave
Silver Lake Bets $750M on Indian Tech Giant Jio Callaham (UTA, Kaplan/
Perrone, Hansen
Major U.S. investors are own low-cost mobile phones and has built Jacobson) will write a live-
taking notice of India’s a digital ecosystem of streaming video, action remake of Disney’s
Big
Deal emerging telecom giant music, chat and ecommerce platforms. The Hercules, with Joe and
Jio Platforms. On May 4, company also owns a 5 percent stake in Anthony Russo producing.
private equity firm Silver Eros International, the veteran Bollywood
Lake struck a deal to invest $750 million in Ambani Durban Zuckerberg studio that announced a surprise merger Ryan Reynolds (WME,
the Indian tech and services conglomer- April 17 with Hollywood indie studio Sloane Offer) and Shawn
ate, less than two weeks after Facebook engineering capabilities to bear on bring- STX Entertainment. Levy (WME, Ziffren
said April 22 that it would pay $5.7 bil- ing the power of low-cost digital services” Jio has been working with Morgan Brittenham) are team-
lion for a holding of about 10 percent in to consumers. Stanley to lead its fundraising efforts. ing to star in and direct,
the company. Jio Platforms was launched by India’s The recent cash infusions will help Jio respectively, an untitled
Silver Lake’s investment values Jio at largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, pay down debt while continuing toward time-travel adventure
$65 billion, about 12.5 percent more than in late 2016. Based in Mumbai, Reliance its aggressive growth targets. Facebook’s project for Skydance.
the valuation implied by the recent deal by Industries is controlled by India’s richest new investment, wrote Pivotal Research
Facebook, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. man, Mukesh Ambani. Thanks to heavy Group analyst Michael Levine on April 30, American Hustle’s Eric
The pair of investments cap off a stunning discounting and lavish spending on “speaks to the global strength of ecom- Warren Singer (Gochman)
ascent for the Indian insurgent. Egon marketing, the firm has become a major merce globally, accelerated by COVID-19, will write a third installment
Durban, Silver Lake’s co-CEO and manag- wireless operator in India. Jio counts nearly and specifically the opportunity they see in of Lionsgate’s heist-thriller
ing partner, lauded Jio’s “extraordinary 400 million customers, has released its India.” — PATRICK BRZESKI AND GEORG SZALAI franchise Now You See Me.
Rights Available! Hot new books with Hollywood appeal BY MIA GALUPPO
The Buddhist on Death Row (AUG. 4, SIMON & SCHUSTER) We Came Here to Shine (JUNE 16, ST. MARTIN’S PRESS)
BY David Sheff AGENCY ICM Partners BY Susie Orman Schnall AGENCY UTA
The Beautiful Boy writer pens the story of Jarvis Jay Masters, who A period piece about female friendships, the book is set against
after being framed for murder was sentenced to death row, where the 1939 New York World’s Fair and follows a journalist and
he became a renowned Buddhist practitioner. It’s evocative of the a down-on-her-luck actress as they work together to realize
recent screen stories Just Mercy and When They See Us. their aspirations.
Rewrite is
going well.
L
ike the rest of callouts of nonprofits that need Are you discovering new things all day or write and try to get
Hollywood, Paul Feig is help right now — all of which he about each other? work done. I’m not a medical
doing his best to take documented April 20 for THR. What we’re discovering is how professional, so there’s not a lot I
the lockdown in stride. much we enjoy being around each can offer to the world other than
The Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor So … how are you? other. We’ve been having a nice making donations and trying to
and Last Christmas director, 57, PAUL FEIG I am doing well under time. I mean, we’re both busy raise money and trying to enter-
was shooting a Fox comedy pilot the circumstances. Yeah, I can’t with stuff. I’m still writing, and tain people, which is my job as a
in North Carolina when produc- complain. Just trying to get by I’m doing this cocktail show every comedy person. I love cocktails
tion shut down. He’s since been and do what I can to help other day on Instagram. All I can say is and I always wanted to dabble
holed up in his Burbank home people out. — thank God for the internet. in mixology but never really did
with wife Laurie Feig (the two other than making martinis
have been married since 1994) Is this the most time you and Laurie How did you come up with the idea and Negronis all the time. So I
and their beloved Scottish ter- have spent together in a while? for your cocktail show? thought, well, I’ve got all these
rier, Buster. He now fills his days This is the most she’s had me I went into quarantine 41 days cocktail books, maybe every day
conducting Zoom meetings, around during the day since we ago because I was in North at 5 p.m. I’ll do a live stream and
catching up on writing projects started dating. Even then, I don’t Carolina shooting a TV pilot. highlight a new charity and try to
and hosting a nightly cocktail- think I was around as much as I They pulled the plug, obviously, make people laugh and we’ll make
making show on Instagram am now. Obviously, it’s been very so I came back here and thought, a drink and try to have some fun.
COURTESY OF SUBJECT (3)
(@paulfeig), which includes hard on her. well, OK, I can either sit around We just did our 40th show.
clubs are waiving fees — club’s GM dropped off ingredients waiving fees) — has had more than with Jonathan Van Ness and a con-
from $2,160 to $6,000 a month at the homes of members, who then 50,000 RSVPs to its online events, versation with Tiger King producer
RICH FURY/INVISION/AP. LOVATO: STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE. RIHANNA: ROBIN L MARSHALL/GETTY IMAGES FOR BET.
— and getting creative in engaging jumped on Zoom that night to cook which have included talks from Kerry Trevor Groth. The club is giving
their members. and eat the same meal together. Washington and Busy Philipps members credits while it’s closed.
“You log in to Instagram and Says Bardocz, “We sold out within an as well as a home chef series with The Jane Club has hosted writing
there’s seven people live and John hour of posting.” Alison Roman. workshops and racial justice teach-
Krasinski has a late night show and Others have been similarly inno- Elsewhere, Soho House has ins, while NeueHouse, which has
you’re bombarded with this amaz- vative, with West Hollywood’s San launched Open House, opening its also waived membership fees, has
ing programming — our focus is to Vicente Bungalows hosting one or launched, among other program-
do things that could be meaningful two virtual events a day, from cook- ming, a comedy cooking series.
to our members,” says h Club LA’s ing lessons and skin-care master “I don’t think this is a temporary
director of membership and market- classes to tarot card readings and solution; I think we’re watching the
ing Heather Bardocz. As a result, haircut tutorials. The club, whose world pivot,” says NeueHouse vp cul-
the club, which is not charging mem- membership fees are on pause, also tural programming Meredith Rogers.
bership fees during the pandemic, hosted a “Truth or Drink” game with “There’s a real appetite for our com-
has stacked its virtual programming maître d’ Dimitri Dimitrov. Kerry Washington spoke about Little Fires
munity to gather virtually, and I don’t
with sound baths, DJ sets and family The Wing — a women’s co-working Everywhere to members of The Wing. think it’s going anywhere.”
“Let me guess,
some assholes with
“I don’t think it’s “Tesla stock price MBAs raised
a bad thing.” is too high imo.” a lot of money for an
ANDREW CUOMO
ELON MUSK app that wastes
The New York governor, on Ellen
The CEO and COVID-19
lockdown opponent, on Twitter,
teenagers’ time.”
COURIC: JIM SPELLMAN/WIREIMAGE. MUSK: RAY TAMARRA/GETTY IMAGES. HALL: PAUL ARCHULETA/WIREIMAGE. SEINFELD: EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR NETFLIX. FORD: SEBASTIAN REUTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY PICTURES.
DeGeneres’ remote show, BILL MAHER
approving of his new fans being venting and prompting an
immediate 10 percent plunge The Real Time host, during
labeled “Cuomosexuals.” his May 1 episode, offering a
in his company’s value.
blind assessment of Jeffrey
Katzenberg and Meg Whitman’s
streaming upstart Quibi.
RAD+IN LOVE. KHAN: NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES FOR DIFF. CALHOUN: COURTESY OF SHOWTIME. PEET: COURTESY OF PETA. JANETTI: FREDERICK M. BROWN/GETTY IMAGES. DE ARMAS: JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC.
RENDERING: COURTESY OF 15/40 PRODUCTIONS. SPECKTOR: COURTESY OF CAA (2). TIGER: COURTESY OF PETA. BRAFF: WALTER MCBRIDE/FILMMAGIC. WEITZ, SCHOLTES: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. CARTIER: JAMIE STREET/
includes a blond mullet wig and
mustache, a “plush pouncing
tiger,” a set of jail bars and an
A 15/40 Productions rendering shows plastic shields separating stars from media on a red carpet. orange jumpsuit with the “King” PETA’s $159.99 Joe Exotic costume
in “Tiger King” replaced with
“Killer.” Maldonado-Passage Since he’s been hospitalized,
Rambling Reporter was sentenced to 22 years in a
federal prison for his role in a
Kloots’ brother and sister also
have moved in for support.
By Chris Gardner
murder-for-hire plot against one “I could cry talking about it,”
of the documentary’s primary Braff tells THR of the situation
What Will the New Normal on Red Carpets Look Like? subjects, Carole Baskin, owner that has inspired a GoFundMe
Plastic shields separating media from stars, the elimination of entou- of Big Cat Rescue. He also was campaign (with $491,000 raised
rages plus drive-in and virtual fan experiences — these are just a few found guilty of killing five tigers so far) and hashtag #WakeUpNick.
proposals from event insiders for putting Hollywood’s once-booming in 2017. PETA’s Brittany Peet, who “It’s all very, very moving. There’s
red carpets back on track. Under Safer at Home directives, events have appears in the docuseries, says: a nonstop stream of people drop-
been shuttered since mid-March, with no end date in sight. 15/40 “Tiger King has exposed tiger ping things off” as Cordero’s
Productions, a firm that has produced 350 events annually (including exhibitors as ghouls Rock of Ages castmates take turns
Game of Thrones’ final-season premiere in New York) shared renderings who steal cubs from taking Elvis on stroller walks.
(above) that show how drastically modified a carpet could look. Says their mothers … and “A lot of people are still under the
company president Craig Waldman, “We’ve been meeting with L.A. city then often discard impression that this is only really
officials to redesign the red carpet experience in a way that works while Peet or kill them when dire for seniors, but I’m here to
accommodating social distancing to make talent more comfortable.” they grow up. This tell you that a very, very healthy
He adds that medical staff could be on hand to provide temperature Halloween, PETA will poke some 41-year-old friend of mine is
checks. The takeaway: more space, fewer attendees, healthier carpets. pointed fun at a tiger killer who fighting for his life.”
belongs behind bars, where he
film department, maintains a can no longer harm a hair on any Private Zoom Concerts Raise
roster of clients that includes animal’s head.” Nearly $2M for COVID Relief
Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren It started as a fun way for WME
Danny DeVito and Dan Aykroyd. Zach Braff on Nick Cordero partner Richard Weitz to cel-
It’s unclear if any of them did ‘Fighting for His Life’ ebrate 17-year-old daughter
the drive-by, but it is known As of press time, Nick Cordero — Demi’s birthday five weeks ago.
that many of his agency peers — the Broadway star and Blue Bloods Today, the private Zoom con-
CAA partners including Richard actor — continues to fight the certs that they host from their
Lovett, Bryan Lourd and Kevin devastating COVID-19 virus that
Huvane among them — honked has forced a leg amputation, dialy-
CAA’s Fred Specktor and wife Nancy Heller
outside their Brentwood Home. their well wishes as he looked on sis and a medically induced coma
with wife Nancy Heller and their after a lung infection that spread Nick
Honk If You Want to Wish dog. In a brief exchange with THR, to his blood. The battle hits close Cordero
(left) and
a CAA Agent a Happy Birthday Specktor seemed humbled by the to home for Zach Braff, who calls Zach Braff
Fred Specktor has likely seen it event: “I felt it showed the special Cordero one of his best friends
all as one of the town’s top talent camaraderie that exists among (they co-starred in the 2014 stage
agents for decades, but even he colleagues at CAA, and it made musical Bullets Over Broadway)
admits to being overwhelmed by me feel incredible. I sure picked … and housemate. Cordero, his
a birthday surprise outside his the right place to work.” wife, Amanda Kloots, and their
Brentwood home. On April 24, 10-month old son, Elvis, have been
a vehicle parade of 100 of his PETA’s Joe Exotic Costume living in Braff’s guesthouse since
CAA colleagues cruised by to Based on Netflix’s pandemic-era they moved to L.A. in the fall to
wish him a happy 87th birthday. hit Tiger King (64 million house- house hunt when Cordero joined
Specktor, a veteran of the agency’s holds watched since its March 20 a local production of Rock of Ages.
Rob Bredow
Tubach at the 2018
premiere of Solo; a
poster of the film
signed by director
Ron Howard.
The head of Industrial Light & Magic on producing
state-of-the-art VFX from home and how his team’s virtual
production developments could be ‘an important part of
us being able to get back to work sooner’ By Carolyn Giardina
A
s the head of visual effects powerhouse Industrial Light &
Magic, Rob Bredow is usually greeted each day by a welcoming
statue of Yoda perched atop a fountain at the studio’s head-
quarters in San Francisco’s Presidio. But like everyone at the company,
Bredow has been working from home since March 17 after a nail-biting
race to set up the VFX studio’s staff to work remotely during the novel
coronavirus outbreak.
“We heard an early report at 11 a.m. [on March 16] that there might be
an announcement coming out that day, and it was effective at mid-
night. So we had to get everybody out and home, and that was quite an
amazing sprint,” he recalls. “The fact that the very next day we were up
and running with everyone working remotely was a miraculous thing.”
Bredow, 46, admits that some ILM projects are on hiatus but notes
that others are staying in production despite the lockdown. He won’t
offer specifics, but ILM’s slate includes such high-profile titles as
Disney’s Jungle Cruise, Universal’s Jurassic World: Dominion and season
two of Jon Favreau’s Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which employs
cutting-edge virtual production technology to seamlessly meld CG
imagery with live-action production techniques.
A Southern California native who grew up in La Habra, Bredow says Bredow says
he envisioned working in the film industry from a very young age: “My he’d love to play
this Nord Stage 2 EX
first job was at Knott’s Berry Farm, where I dreamed of someday work- keyboard between
meetings to relax,
ing in their video production unit while I was busy selling churros,” “but things
he says. After getting his start in 1991 as an intern at the now-defunct are too busy!”
VFX house VisionArt Design & Animation, Bredow worked his way up
the industry ladder, eventually landing at Sony Pictures Imageworks,
where he spent nearly 15 years before joining Lucasfilm in 2014 as vp
new media and head of its advanced development group. He helped “We’re all in shelter-in-place
launch the company’s immersive entertainment unit, ILMxLab, in studios,” says Bredow, in
his home office on April 28.
2015, became Lucasfilm’s chief “We’re using ILM’s on-premises
technology officer a year later and technology to give us the
ability to remote things to
was promoted to his current role each individual user.”
in 2018, all while landing a 2019
Oscar nomination as VFX super- Can you give us an update on
visor on Solo: A Star Wars Story in how you’re expanding your virtual
the process. Bredow now oversees production services?
about 2,000 employees in ILM’s five We’re fortunate to get to part-
locations in San Francisco, London, ner with Jon Favreau on The
Singapore, Sydney and Vancouver. Mandalorian. He had a huge
Bredow, who lives with his vision of how to take some of his
wife and two daughters in Marin experience in virtual production
County, talked to THR about the on films like The Lion King and
challenges of working remotely, the use that in live action. … We’d
advantages of virtual production been building up those tools
and how the AI-based image- incrementally over the years, A dice holder prop
from Solo that
doctoring technology behind deep but The Mandalorian was really Bredow keeps on his
Bredow at work in his desk for good luck.
home office. “It’s amazing fakes — President Trump tweeted the combination of everything
how much it is business one of Joe Biden recently — will coming together. We’re very
as usual,” he says.
change Hollywood. excited to actually have a [virtual
that while we’re in this work- few people can we have on set to we have new breakthroughs in
from-home situation [so that] keep everyone safe?” those areas.
ORTEGA/GETTY IMAGES.
BREDOW: COURTESY OF
PAILLARD: JACOPO RAULE/GETTY IMAGES. LACY: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/WIREIMAGE. SUTHERLAND: PHILIPPE JECKER. DECKTER: LUCA TEUCHMANN/GETTY IMAGES. 2019: STEPHANE CARDINALE/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES. 2020: SERGE HAOUZI/XINHUA VIA GETTY IMAGES.
veteran sales agent quipped,
C
annes, the film festi- out. But the two markets are set to Chris Hemsworth-Tiffany buyers or send secured VOD links
val, won’t be happening run parallel, kicking off June 22. Haddish comedy Down Under ahead of the official market start.
this year. There was initial confusion sur- Cover, both of which presold at Then there’s the added chal-
But while the French gov- rounding the dueling events, with 2019’s physical Cannes — will be lenge of doing all this in multiple
ernment’s extended ban on some thinking the two markets pitched in the new agency market. time zones. To avoid VOD screen-
large gatherings because of the were one and the same and others Rena Ronson, co-head of UTA ings, the virtual Marché is
COVID-19 pandemic killed all considering them competitors. Independent Film Group, says planning to repeat live streams
hope of a return to the Croisette In reality, says Marché execu- their market is trying to mimic of market films at separate slots
in the spring, the industry has tive director Jérôme Paillard, the Cannes pitching as much as pos- for Europe, the U.S. and Asia. “We
responded with two virtual two will be “complementary,” sible: “Our intention is to curate want to keep them on the same
events to keep the Cannes Film with the official Cannes version virtual gatherings day, if possible, to maintain that
Market alive. screening mainly finished films to do business that urgency of everyone watching
One is run by the official and the still-unnamed agencies’ would otherwise be the film at the same time,” says
Cannes Marché du Film and version focused on big-ticket handled in hotels or Paillard. “If you just send links
the other is organized by the packages — a script with director Paillard on beaches.” to people, they don’t necessar-
film sales divisions of the top and talent attached — pitched to The virtual Marché ily take the time to watch them,
four agencies — CAA Media the international presale market. will most clearly [and] it’s difficult to organize
Finance, UTA Independent Film Says Paillard, “We’re trying to resemble the tradi- meetings and sales negotiations
Group, ICM International and coordinate so the markets can tional event. In place on the back of that.”
Independent Group and Endeavor run alongside each other because Lacy of the “bunker” — the For sales agents, this will mean
Content — as well as several indie they are essentially serving dif- physical market in very, very long days. Pacific coast-
production and sales operations, ferent sections of the industry.” Cannes’ Palais du Festival — ers, nine hours behind Cannes
including STX Entertainment, Finished or nearly finished there will be a new platform, the and 17 hours behind Sydney, will
AGC Studios and Sierra/Affinity. films, such as AGC Studios’ Marché du Film Online. It will be among the hardest hit.
Details of the entertainment Breaking News in Yuba County have virtual cinemas screening “It’ll be 7 to 8 a.m. meetings
industry’s first-ever virtual film or the German period drama films on a set schedule — no on- with Europe, then North and
markets still are being worked Narcissus and Goldmund, from demand screenings, to preserve South America and into the
Beta Cinema, will screen in the the audience experience — and night for Asia and Australia,”
SCOTT ROXBOROUGH is virtual Marché. Packages — akin virtual booths where companies says Jonathan Deckter of
Europe bureau chief and to Rocket Science’s female- can present their sales slates and Voltage Pictures.
MIA GALUPPO is a film writer at fronted, big-budget reboot of hold one-on-one meetings via At least it will be cost-effective.
The Hollywood Reporter. Cliffhanger and FilmNation’s Zoom. Cannes also plans to offer In addition to saving on flights
Analysis
and hotels, the virtual mar- “Other parts of the world are nimble because we don’t need two worldwide have shuttered.
kets essentially will be free. opening up faster than the U.S., to three months of prep like some “Everyone is hurting. It’s
Accreditations for the Marché du and I think we are going to have studio productions.” not clear what kind of resources
Film Online cost $103 for early- to be faster and more flexible A big unknown looming over people will have in order to
bird booking until May 29 and in where and how we produce,” the virtual market is whether [pre-]buy,” he says.
$212 after that. That’s a steep dis- says Brian Beckmann, CFO at there will be sufficient buyer One major European buyer also
count on the cost for the physical Arclight Films, which has several demand. The global COVID- pointed to an expected glut on the
Marché, which ran from $347 for productions — including the 19 lockdown has sent viewers theatrical market when cinemas
early-bird to $471 for on-the-spot disaster thriller Deep Water and flooding to streamers in record eventually do open up. “All the
accreditation, with additional the actioner Long Gone Heroes, numbers — Netflix added studios have pushed their films
costs for access to market-con- starring Guy Pearce and Ben 15.8 million new sub- to the end of the year. There’s no
nected workshops and conference Kingsley — on the starting blocks. scribers in the first slots left,” the distributor com-
events. Booking a virtual booth At the virtual market, quarter of the year, plained. “If I buy anything now,
is free, as are virtual screenings. Beckmann notes, projects that and regional SVOD it will have to be for 2021 at the
And the independent market will can start shooting the day restric- Sutherland and AVOD services earliest. More likely 2022.”
be completely gratis. tions are lifted could have an have notched high- Despite concerns and doubts,
Another hidden advantage of advantage. “If you have a project double-digit growth there is broad agreement that
the lockdown: talent availability. that can get up and running very in recent months. right now a virtual market is
“Nobody is working, so everybody quickly and get finished in nine In late March, the exactly what the indie film indus-
has time to read scripts,” says months instead of the usual 12 Deckter streamer picked the try needs.
one agent. “Even A-list talent is to 18 months, you’ll be at a huge faith-based movie “It is important for filmmakers
champing at the bit.” advantage over your competi- musical A Week Away from CAA and the health of the indepen-
But packaging in the midst of a tion,” he says. Media Finance and the Melissa dent film industry that we work
pandemic does pose challenges. David Garrett of production McCarthy dramedy The Starling, together to help sustain the busi-
Where to shoot, for example. and sales group Mister Smith from CAA and UTA Independent. ness through the summer and
Studios and production com- Entertainment thinks indies “The platforms are hungry. beyond, if necessary,” notes Roeg
panies are negotiating guidelines actually could have a jump on stu- There’s a massive appetite for Sutherland, co-head of CAA Media
with the unions and government dio productions, which typically product at the moment,” says Finance. “When you are selling
officials to resume shooting, need more lead time. one sales agent. “Anyone with a movies that are going into produc-
perhaps as early as late summer. “Even if things open up and finished film will be able to sell it tion in 2021, you are selling hope.”
Certain territories, including there is a window of a few months at [virtual] Cannes.” Hope — that production will
Iceland and the Czech Republic, in the summer and fall, there will But for most international start up again, that cinemas will
whose governments have been still be uncertainty, with the pos- distributors, Garrett notes, reopen, that the global economy
more effective in containing the sibility of the virus coming back growth in digital revenue has not will recover — is what everyone
spread of COVID-19, could get again in the winter,” Garrett says. replaced the big hole created by “attending” the Cannes market
going even earlier. “The indie market can be more the loss of box office as cinemas from their respective couches this
year is counting on.
While everyone involved wants
the two markets to be successful,
A Tale of Two Cannes there’s also a hope that the first
With the Croisette off-limits, the French festival and Hollywood’s all-virtual Cannes will be the last.
top sales agents are taking their business online
“We don’t want to, and we can’t,
replace the physical market,”
says Paillard. “But maybe what
we learn this year will be a model
for how the virtual and physical
markets can work together in
the future.”
Jessica Lacy, head of indepen-
dent and international film at
ICM, echoes the sentiment for the
agency-led market. “A lot of what
we do with this virtual market
Marché du Film Host UTA, ICM, CAA, WME and sales agencies could be important moving
Cinando (screenings), Match and Meet (meetings) Platforms TBD (screenings), Zoom (meetings) forward during this sequestered
$103 until May 29 and $212 after Fees No fee period we are living through,”
she says. “We are hoping we can
Finished or near-finished indie films For Sale High-profile sales packages
figure this out so it can be imple-
June 22 to 26 Dates June 22 to 28
mented effectively in the future
if needed.”
Analysis
O
ne of Jeff Goldblum’s most politicians and popular culture, Dr. Phil recently appeared on
famous movie lines is I’d have to say this is not such a Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle
from Jurassic Park, when, case. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t to proclaim that the country
as Dr. Ian Malcolm, he admon- dumb. It just wasn’t malicious. was overreacting to COVID-19.
ishes: “Your scientists were so Everything depends on con- Despite not being a medical
preoccupied with whether or not text. In this case, Goldblum doctor, he felt qualified to tell
they could, they didn’t stop to wondered aloud — oblivious and 3 million viewers that “45,000 “I am aware of my platform and
think if they should.” The same ill-informed — about the contrast people a year die from automo- have always used it the best way
can be said about stars when pub- between the traditional Muslim bile accidents; 480,000 from I know how and to shine a light
licly offering their opinions: They outfit and the treatment of women cigarettes; 360,000 a year from on injustice. I want to start with
are so focused on the entitlement and homosexuals on a show that swimming pools, but we don’t saying I am sorry. I own the fact
to speak, they don’t stop to think celebrates both. He voiced a com- shut the country down for that.” that saying … ‘this pushed me
if they should. Now Goldblum mon myth about Islam: that it is First, his opinion is contrary out of the hip-hop scene a little’
faces media backlash for saying a monolithic religion. But there to all the data-driven medical was insensitive …’ ”
something that some argue is are many versions that teach opinions from experts. Second, In September 2019, Lizzo
anti-Islam. He’s part of an ongo- acceptance. That Goldblum didn’t his facts are wrong: According tweeted, “Hey @Postmates this
GOLDBLUM: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC. CYRUS: JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES. LIZZO: ARIK MCARTHUR/WIREIMAGE. PHIL: NATHAN CONGLETON/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY IMAGES.
ing media Geiger counter that know this is disappointing; that to the CDC, 32,000 Americans girl Tiffany W. stole my food.
tests every celebrity utterance he expressed the movie-villain die annually from auto accidents she lucky I don’t fight no more.”
to see if it’s radioactive. That’s version is dangerous because it and 3,536 a year die from unin- Further investigation showed the
as it should be, because celebri- perpetuates hatred. tentional drownings. Third, it’s a driver had tried to deliver the food
ties’ words can have a healing Clearly, that was not Goldblum’s false analogy that doesn’t relate but no one answered the door,
or harmful effect. And when it’s intention. Anyone who knows to how a contagion works. and Lizzo promptly apologized: “I
harmful, some choose to apolo- him from his interviews or Worst of all was his apology: “If apologize for putting that girl on
gize, some to double down, and watches his addictive The World you didn’t like my choice of words, blast. I understand I have a large
some offer a snarky non-apology. According to Jeff Goldblum on I apologize for that.” It blames following and that there were so
Goldblum appeared on RuPaul’s Disney+ knows that part of his the viewer for taking offense, for many variables that could’ve put
Drag Race and, while judging a appeal is his think-aloud, off- not being smart enough to under- her in danger. Imma really be
contestant’s stars-and-stripes- kilter musings. Unfortunately, stand his true meaning. This is more responsible with my use of
themed hijab and caftan, mused, on RuPaul’s show these mus- the Real Housewives Syndrome: social media and check my petty
“Is there something in this reli- ings were not charming. But the Every apology is phrased “I’m and my pride at the door.”
gion that is anti-homosexuality backlash and the backlash to the sorry that you were offended …” Even though I don’t believe
and anti-woman? Does that com- backlash are merely the left and and not “I was wrong.” Goldblum had malicious intent,
plicate the issue? I’m just raising right flagrantly waving their Two celebrities who got it in the end, he does owe an apol-
it and thinking out loud and street cred. right when it comes to apologiz- ogy, because he perpetuated
maybe being stupid.” The inter- But there are plenty of exam- ing are Miley Cyrus and Lizzo. a harmful myth. But equally
net exploded with accusations ples of stars who have offered In 2017, Cyrus complained that important is how he expresses
of malicious Islamophobia. As some heinous opinions and, when rap lyrics were too lewd, adding, that regret. The biggest lesson
a Muslim who has faced insults called out, refused responsibility. “I can’t listen to that anymore. is to realize the consequences of
and threats for more than 50 That’s what pushed me out of the what you say before saying any-
years, and has consistently called hip-hop scene a little.” YouTuber thing. But because stars speak in
out anti-Muslim sentiments in Kenya Wilson, a Cyrus fan, public so often, it’s inevitable that
responded with a video saying, “It they’ll sometimes say something
K AREEM ABDUL-JABBAR is an was bad, it was racially insensi- offensive or harmful. When that
NBA Hall of Famer and contributing tive, it had racist undertones happens, they need to embrace
editor at THR. and it wasn’t OK, point blank, their mistake and apologize
period.” Afterward, Cyrus wrote without caveats, stipulations
in Wilson’s comment section: or limitations.
Channel 2
That
Cabin
Fever
Stay fit with the best in gear,
apps, streaming content and
Los Angeles gyms that have
pivoted to virtual group classes
By Degen Pener
I
n April, during coronavi-
rus stay-at-home orders
around the world, Chris
Hemsworth’s 1-year-old Centr
fitness app grew its audience by
300 percent, adding hundreds of
thousands of users. On YouTube,
average daily views of content
with “workout at home” in titles
shot up more than 200 percent
from March 15 to 30 compared to
the rest of 2020. “During quar-
antine, one of the things we can
control is self-care, so focusing
1
on fitness and well-being couldn’t
be more important ,” says Jillian
Michaels, founder of the Jillian kit,” says Rob McGillivray of West as a support bench — resistance offers workouts, healthy-eating
Michaels Fitness app. Here’s the Hollywood’s Retrofit gym (pro- bands and a jump rope.” A mat to plans and guided meditations for
gear that trainers say is helpful ducer Michael Lombardo and Pose cushion knees is also advised. kids read by director Taika Waititi
to have at home, plus ways that actor Angel Bismark Curiel were ($30 a month with seven-day free
Hollywood is working out now. spotted working out there pre- APPS Among the many apps trial). FitOn, a free app, has part-
pandemic), which has launched available — from Tone It Up, Nike nered with actress Gabrielle Union
GEAR Most trainers say effective an at-home YouTube workout Training Club and Crunch Live to and her husband, athlete Dwyane
workouts can be done using body series, “it would include a pair of Sculpt Society and Down Dog — Wade, on content, including the
weight alone. However, “if I was Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, a one of the most popular recently former working out with water
to select my ideal home survival 65-inch fitball — which doubles is Hemsworth’s Centr, which bottles in lieu of weights.
10 items to stay fit and sane while sheltering in place By Carol McColgin
3
2
3
1
28 4
4
Hollywood’s
Insider
Peloton Groups
Manager-producers
Alex Goldstone and
Trevor Engelson meet up
with colleagues for virtual
1 Centr app founder Chris Hemsworth. 2 The actor doing lunges in a Centr video.
3 Gabrielle Union’s water-bottle shoulder presses on FitOn’s app. 4 Prodigal Son’s Tom Payne rides during stay-at-home
in a virtual session with trainer Tom Fitzgerald. 5 The Fitness Marshall, known for dance videos By Chris Gardner
to songs like Justin Bieber’s “Yummy.” 6 Blogilates’ Cassey Ho working out with wine bottles.
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
5 at-home exercise program
Peloton has become a nexus
for virtual fitness gatherings for
Hollywood insiders, including
Anonymous Content’s Alex
Goldstone. Since becoming a
devotee of the cult of Peloton
(“Yes, I believe it’s a cult,” he
3 6
jokes), the manager-producer
tells THR that recently he
invited some industry friends
STREAMING There are thousands workouts, often at a reduced rate. Park’s Everybody. One thing that to join a live virtual morning
of options on such platforms as Tom Payne, who stars on Fox’s they all have in common: a com- bike ride. “It sort of grew from
YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Prodigal Son, is working out every munity approach, with things there,” he says. During one
Live (a place to catch videos from other day with his trainer Tom like open-mic time at the begin- ride, 27 colleagues were on
Barry’s Bootcamp; Modo Yoga LA; Fitzgerald via Zoom calls. “He’s ning of classes. “It’s a close-knit at the same time. He likes the
app because it allows users to
choreographer Ryan Heffington; helping me keep to a regular community,” says writer-director be social, courtesy of virtual
and Damon Bell, who trains Queer routine and steadily increas- Courtney Hoffman of One Down
PORTER. BAG: COURTESY OF COS. SHORTS: COURTESY OF MODA OPERANDI. MAT, ADIDAS: COURTESY OF FARFETCH. BRA, LEGGINGS: COURTESY
Eye’s Antoni Porowski). Among ing the challenge. Sticking to a Dog, “and going virtual, they’ve
HEMSWORTH, CENTR: COURTESY OF CENTR (2). GOLDSTONE, FITZGERALD: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. NIKE, SWEATSHIRT: COURTESY OF MR.
OF TORI BURCH. BIKE: COURTESY OF PELOTON. UNION: COURTESY OF FITON. PAYNE: MIKE PONT/WIREIMAGE. ASH: RODIN ECKENROTH/
the trending sites on YouTube routine gives some semblance of replicated that feeling of connec-
WIREIMAGE. WAITITI: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES. THERAGUN: COURTESY OF BRAND. BANDS: COURTESY OF GOOP.
are Yoga with Adriene (whose control in this unsteady time,” tion.” Adds Everybody founder
relatable style has gained her says Payne, who, “as soon as the Sam Rypinski of the studio’s
7.2 million followers), Blogilates lockdown hap- Zoom classes ($5), “There’s not
(5 million followers) and The pened,” outfitted his the sense of isolation in the same
Fitness Marshall (2.5 million). home in L.A. with a way as when you are watching a
The latter is helmed by 27-year- weight bench, medi- YouTube video.”
old Caleb Marshall, who, before Ash cine ball and even And many people aren’t choos-
stay-at-home orders, shot in gymnastic rings. ing just one way to get their
Griffith Park and now produces content, but are instead mixing Peloton devotee Alex Goldstone
his indelibly campy dance work- GROUP CLASSES it up, as Superstore actress Lauren of Anonymous Content at home on
his stationary bike.
outs at home in North Hollywood. According to a Ash has been doing. “My friends
He sees his calling as being Waititi spokesperson for the and I came up with Zoom Zumba, high-fives (“without catching
“Richard Simmons and Britney Mind Body booking where we follow a Zumba class anything”) and video chats.
Spears combined” and asks his app (which has pivoted to vir- on our phones and Zoom each “I’ve included a strict ‘no
fans to “get silly and just go for it.” tual offerings), among the L.A. other on our laptops. There is a judgment’ policy so it doesn’t
become uber-competitive. It’s
gyms that have seen a significant slight lag, so we are not in sync. I meant to be fun and challeng-
ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING Contact increase in signups for group laughed for an entire hour watch- ing. And hopefully we’ll all come
almost any neighborhood gym classes — done on Zoom — are ing us all flailing our arms to out of this totally ripped.”
and it’s likely that they have train- One Down Dog yoga, Pasadena’s Shakira, and now I look forward to Not everyone shares
ers available for private virtual Breakthru Fitness and Cypress doing it every week!” his chill attitude. Manager-
producer Trevor Engelson of
Underground — who had pro-
duction on FX series Snowfall
paused amid the pandemic
— rides in several industry-
heavy Peloton groups and says
8 9 he’s in it to win. Peloton allows
riders to track how they rank in
each class, a feature he keeps
a close eye on, especially when
Goldstone is also on. “As Jerry
7 Maguire said, ‘We work in a
business of tough competitors,’
1 Theragun Elite muscle-relief device, which syncs with health apps; $399, and when it comes to Peloton,
therabody.com 2 Nike Running Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Trail shoe; $130, mrporter.com that also applies. I don’t want to
3 COS Technical gym bag; $99, cosstores.com 4 Rick Owens + Champion logo- get beat by anybody.”
appliqued cotton-blend hoodie; $600, mrporter.com 5 Satisfy’s Justice running
shorts; $310, modaoperandi.com 6 No Ka’ Oi yoga mat; $188, farfetch.com
7 Super Training Products Hip Circle Sport Pack with three resistance bands; $38,
goop.com 8 Adidas Falcon sneaker; $102, farfetch.com 9 Tory Sport printed cross-
back bra, $78, and printed chevron 7/8 leggings, $138; toryburch.com
Dining
Walton Goggins’
can’t go inside, their to-go menu
Spread Mediterranean (including Gorgonzola pizza,
Kitchen Blocks from our $20) — along with that of sister
W
ith all the uncertainties swirling through my head — how
Smyth — to help bartend-
ers? Um, yeah. Done. Each
will the world be different and how will I be different? — the
cocktail kit is $30 (serves one I keep coming back to is, “How will my neighborhood be
four). spreadkitchen.com different?” There are many things in my life that I want to stay exactly
the same. I love the small section of city — Hollywood — I am fortu-
nate enough to call my own. And beyond, across this varied landscape,
République In a city with not enough French
L.A.’s restaurants and bars ground me. These are the spaces that give
GOGGINS: COURTESY OF SUBJECT (2). FOOD: COURTESY OF RESTAURANT (5). JURA: COURTESY OF CASSIA. BRANCELLAO: THEODORE VANCE, COURTESY OF THE SOURCE IMPORTS. PERIGORD: COURTESY OF NOMADIC DISTRIBUTION.
food, I’d go there for the bread alone. In light
of the current state of events, the La Brea me a sense of belonging within the community, they are the reasons
Avenue restaurant is now a market with I and my family go east or west, north or south. In normal times, I’ll
bread, pastries, dishes like their kimchi fried happily battle my way to the out-of-the-way places, because there is joy
rice ($18, serves two), cheese, cocktails to in just arriving (am I actually nostalgic for traffic right now?). Many
go and wine. Ignoring the gloves and masks,
it’s so damn comforting to be able to pull up
restaurants across L.A. are still open in a limited capacity, providing
and feed my family with such amazing food takeout. Trying to hold on. Trying to survive. In my heart, I know we’ll
and drink. exploretock.com/republiquela once again celebrate in person at the altar of these temples of social-
ization instead of calling them for curbside pickup
because we couldn’t make another fucking dinner at
home! This is a thank-you from me and my partner
Hermanito Who else needs to get the hell
Matthew Alper at Mulholland Distilling to some of our out of the house … even if it’s just a drive?
favorite establishments that are still going strong. The windows down, the music humming,
Making food, mixing cocktails to go, lifting our I always seem to head west these days
spirits. “City of Angels” is an understatement. To the in search of the cool ocean breeze. As I
places spotlighted here, and to all those that aren’t: pass Sawtelle Japantown, I remember that
Hermanito is there. They’re doing some rad
Hold on, y’all. We see you and salute you. And on the Mex food (including a pork belly taco kit;
next go-round, I’m eager to re-experience them anew $35, feeds five) and to-go bottles (including
with a much deeper appreciation. Mulholland Vodka). barhermanito.com
OR IG IN A L VI D EO S E RI ES
by
NATALIE JARVEY
@KEKE.JANAJAH/TIKTOK. SHARPE: @YODELINGHALEY/TIKTOK. SCHWARZENEGGER: PHILLIP FARAONE/GETTY IMAGES. HOUGH: DESIREE NAVARRO/WIREIMAGE. LUGOR: @SHREKSDUMPSTER/
TIKTOK. DOBRIK: MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC. BENSON: BEN GABBE/GETTY IMAGES. NGUYEN: @NEWT/TIKTOK. D’AMELIO: @CHARLIDAMELIO/TIKTOK. O’BRIEN, CHAMBERLAIN: JEROD HARRIS/
PREVIOUS SPREAD: DERULO: C FLANIGAN/WIREIMAGE. ROSS: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES. LOPEZ: THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES. LIZZO: MATTHEW BAKER/GETTY IMAGES. HART: MATT
the dance she created in March on TikTok, which uses a powerful downloads jumped 51 percent dancing to Megan Thee Stallion’s
GETTY IMAGES. JONAS: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES. CREWS: JEAN BAPTISTE LACROIX/WIREIMAGE. TOMLINSON: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC. TUCKER: @TUCKERBUDZYN/TIKTOK. WILSON:
WINKELMEYER/GETTY IMAGES. SMITH: JOSHUA SAMMER/GETTY IMAGES. RODRIGUEZ: JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES. LIM: EDWARD BERTHELOT/GETTY IMAGES. HUDSON: ARAYA DIAZ/
GETTY IMAGES. MARTINEZ-REID: @BOMANIZER/TIKTOK. ARIEL: DOMINIK BINDL/GETTY IMAGES. HARMON: KENA KRUTSINGER/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES. FELT: ZACK DEZON/GETTY IMAGES.
KING: TARA ZIEMBA/GETTY IMAGES. MCFARLANDS: @THE.MCFARLANDS/TIKTOK. HUXLEY: @HUXLEYTHEPANDAPUPPY/TIKTOK. BLACK: ALBERT L. ORTEGA/GETTY IMAGES. HUFF: @AJANI.
to encourage people to stay home algorithm to excavate someone year-over-year to 199 million, per “Savage,” or Jason Derulo, shirt-
HUFF/TIKTOK. THIS SPREAD: LOPEZ: @STEVIEMACKEY/TIKTOK. D’AMELIO: JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES. CHIKUMBU: COURTESY OF TIKTOK. PAPPAS: JEROD HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES.
during the coronavirus pandemic. from anonymity and turn them Sensor Tower. Average time spent less in bed, lip-syncing to his
When she does pop into America’s into an overnight sensation. A on the app among U.S. users dur- own song, “Trumpets.” Amid the
homes that Friday night — telling year ago, D’Amelio had yet to post ing the month was at a record 858 coronavirus shutdown, TikTok
Fallon that #DistanceDance vid- her first TikTok video. Now, she minutes, or more than 14 hours, has become the great equalizer,
eos have been viewed more than has the potential to earn millions according to Comscore. collapsing the distance between
13 billion times, contributing and a team of agents, managers TikTok doesn’t disclose user a capital “s” star like Lopez and
donations for at-risk popula- and lawyers working tirelessly data, but Vanessa Pappas, general D’Amelio, whom she previously
tions thanks to a partnership behind the scenes. Though the manager of TikTok U.S., acknowl- enlisted to help make her Super
with Procter & Gamble — the nature of internet virality is that edges, “We’ve seen an incredible Bowl dance challenge go viral.
soft-spoken teen exudes a youth- it can disappear as quickly as it surge in terms of both the level They’re both stuck at home, using
ful naivete that makes it hard to arrives, there’s evidence to sug- of creativity and diversity in the the same app to reach their fol-
question her sincerity, even if a gest — and a growing faction in content and our users and what lowers — except that D’Amelio
charity campaign also burnishes Hollywood who are mobilizing they’re sharing.” has 40 million more of them.
her brand. Giving back, she tells to ensure — that TikTok stars As one of the few platforms “People say they feel like they
Fallon, is “all I’ve wanted to do like D’Amelio won’t be fleeting. that can continue to churn out know me now,” says Derulo, who
since the start of this.” “There’s something happening new content while Hollywood just passed 17 million followers
If you’re wondering how society here,” says D’Amelio’s agent, Ali production is at a standstill, on the app. “A lot of my career has
got to a place where a doe-eyed, Berman, who as co-head of digital TikTok is being flooded with been people not understanding
freckle-nosed high schooler gar- talent at UTA has spent the better videos — and not just from me. This is the first inside look
nered millions of followers and part of the past decade mold- suburban teens. Start scrolling at me as a human being, what my
coveted late night appearances for ing the careers of the internet through the app’s endless “For personality is and interests are.”
B
efore TikTok, there was — even if the app’s definition of
Musical.ly. Founded in quality is a bit squishy.
Shanghai in 2014, the app “TikTok is the app that Vine
— which made it easy to lip-sync should have been,” Dobrik says. By
to pop hits — had modest suc- 2019, it began to attract a broad
cess with 20 million U.S. users. range of users, from beat-boxer
In November 2017, Beijing-based Spencer X (29 million followers)
ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for to home cook Newton Nguyen
as much as $1 billion. The follow- (4.2 million). It soon gathered
ing August, it merged Musical.ly enough momentum to help turn
with TikTok, a social video app Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” into
that had been gaining traction in a viral hit, launching it onto the
other parts of the world. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 83, where
As a private company, it broke records as the longest-
ByteDance is cagey about TikTok’s running No. 1 single.
performance metrics. The com- Quick to declare someone passé
pany has not shared how large and move on, Gen Z has already
the app is or how much money it dubbed summer 2019 — yup, less
earns, so determining the extent than eight months ago — as the
of its power can be challenging. “golden age of TikTok,” a period
From left: Charli D’Amelio attended NFL Honors on Feb. 1
with her sister, Dixie, and parents Heidi and Marc. Inset Sensor Tower estimates that when many first discovered the
left: D’Amelio and Jennifer Lopez met to shoot a Super
Bowl-themed TikTok dance. Kudzi Chikumbu (above) heads users, who can tip creators during power of the platform, but before
creator community at TikTok, which in the U.S. is run by TikTok live streams, have spent it became overrun by boomer
YouTube veteran Vanessa Pappas (right).
nearly $457 million on the app celebrities and wannabe stars.
since its launch. The vast major- That’s when D’Amelio became
Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry hindsight. This winter, Rihanna’s ity of that spending comes from active on the app. Ditto dancer
Crews, who likes to post dance Fenty Beauty launched a collec- China, where ByteDance oper- Addison Rae Easterling, who dur-
and comedy videos that aren’t tive for up-and-coming beauty ates a separate version of TikTok ing the break before her freshman
much different from those on and lifestyle TikTokers — known known as Douyin. year at Louisiana State University
his 14-year-old son’s account, as a “collab house” — including TikTok wasn’t an immedi- began a steady climb to what is
concurs: “The medium was made 22-year-old Texas native Challan ate sensation with users, many now 38 million followers.
for me. Every casting agent for my Trishann (@challxn, 1.4 million of whom were turned off by That’s also when Tomlinson
first five years in the business was followers). Brands are also catch- Musical.ly’s reputation as a posted a video of herself try-
like, ‘Dude, you’re too big.’ But I’m ing on: Netflix and Warner Bros. slightly cringey platform for ing kombucha for the first time.
perfect for TikTok.” have both recently run promo- young teens to vogue on camera. Her comical reaction quickly
Hollywood, caught flat-footed tions on the platform. Meanwhile, (So young, in fact that the FTC blew up and was turned into a
by the rise of YouTube, is going agents — who, in addition to in 2019 fined TikTok $5.7 million meme, earning her the nick-
all in on TikTok, armed with D’Amelio and her family, have over Musical.ly’s collection of name Kombucha Girl. A few days
more than a decade’s worth of scooped up TikTok talent like children’s data.) To lure people, later, Tomlinson — who goes by
250 TikTok
launches 206M
in U.S. via 199M CHINA*
Musical.ly 184M 187M 10%
200 176M
merger 157M 156M
150 VIETNAM UNITED
110M 3% STATES
8%
100
47M
27M 34M
50 22M INDONESIA
6%
BRAZIL
5%
1Q ’17 2Q ’17 3Q ’17 4Q ’17 1Q ’18 2Q ’18 3Q ’18 4Q ’18 1Q ’19 2Q ’19 3Q ’19 4Q ’19 1Q ’20 Source: Sensor Tower; *Only iOS downloads measured
A late 2019 Bloomberg report Brent Montgomery’s the second coming of Chris as one of its founders. “A lot of
that ByteDance is weighing Wheelhouse Group is currently Hemsworth and Grace Helbig was women in business are pushed
whether to offload the app as a shopping a reality series about the next Chelsea Handler. But aside and are not taken seriously,”
way to protect itself from regu- the Hype House that is being few YouTubers with Hollywood Keech says of why she decided to
lation serves as a reminder of pitched as a modern-day Mickey designs managed to break speak up. The 20-year-old has
just how speculative the busi- Mouse Club. It’s just one of several through. Lilly Singh, in the since started a female-led collab
ness of TikTok influence is. On a Hollywood-facing projects in the first year of her NBC late night house in Beverly Hills.
recent call, Warren Lentz, CEO of works. The D’Amelios recently show, A Little Late, has made the As for the D’Amelios, a rep says,
management firm TalentX, which signed a production deal with biggest strides in the world of “When the Hype House started to
works with more than 30 of the American Idol producer Industrial legacy entertainment. become more of a business, Charli
platform’s top creators, expressed Media for a family-based reality Those plucking promising and Dixie stepped away from that
some disbelief at TikTok’s ascent: show of their own, and Dixie, a new TikTokers off the app swear aspect. While their businesses are
“When you see stats about how singer and former drama student, that Hollywood understands the separate, their friendships with
TikTok has been downloaded is making her acting debut in the career opportunities for digital the members continue.”
almost 2 billion times, it’s like, digital series Attaway General talent better than it did when Hudson shrugs off the notion
how is that even real?” Even he’s from youth media company Brat, YouTube creators first burst onto that there’s been drama. “We’re
being cautious: “The industry which is best known for Chicken the scene. “We’re looking for always going to stick together as
needs to look at it as more of an Girls, a YouTube show popular people who are just talented,” a family,” he says. “We’ve always
incubator platform.” with the under-13 set. says Greg Goodfried, co-head of been there for each other, no mat-
But there’s no one way to go UTA’s digital talent group. Part ter what happens.” And nothing
T
he epicenter of TikTok Hollywood. Easterling says she’s of the argument: Gen Z doesn’t can stop the content creation, not
stardom was, for several taking (virtual) voice and acting need convincing that a TikToker even the coronavirus. Though
months, a rental man- lessons and keeping her dance like D’Amelio can become a star. Hype House was forced to close
sion in the foothills of the San legs limber so that she’s ready To those who grew up watching its doors to the many TikTokers
Fernando Valley that serves as for auditions when the shutdown YouTube instead of ABC’s TGIF who previously streamed through
its halls, there are still about 10
“TikTokers have a magnetism that can’t be denied, but it’s people isolating there. Hudson
incumbent on Hollywood to figure out how to harness that.” confides that at least five people
have walked through his bed-
base camp for the creator collec- ends. “Anything that allows me programming, she already is. room — on their way to the
tive Hype House. In early January, to dance and perform in front of a “TikTokers have a magnetism master bath, where many Hype
a New York Times article painted camera, or an audience, is exactly that can’t be denied, but it’s House TikToks are filmed — dur-
the house as a content-creation where I want to go,” she says. “I incumbent on Hollywood studios ing the 20 minutes that he’s been
utopia for beautiful, popular and feel like this is the perfect route to to figure out how to harness that on our call.
predominantly white TikTokers getting there.” Meanwhile, singer and not run away from it,” says The Hype Housers, really,
like the D’Amelios and Easterling Taylor Felt, who belts out covers Rob Fishman, whose Brat regu- are just carrying on a tradition
— one of the first stops on a to her 3 million TikTok followers, larly works with young stars. that began nearly 100 years ago,
fame-seeking pilgrimage to Los is using the app to gain the atten- But everything on a frothy when Hollywood studios first
Angeles. “We just wanted to put tion of record labels and promises social media platform happens flung open their doors. Countless
out a lot of good content as a fam- she’s got new music on the way. quickly, and downs can come idealistic young people have made
ily and make it feel like the fans And Tomlinson of kombucha as fast as the ups, the drama the trek to Los Angeles to bunk
were connected to something,” fame is hoping to find her way as quickly as the likes. Already, up, form networks, experience
says 17-year-old master of the into the stand-up comedy scene. things have gotten a bit messy heartbreak, face rejection and
house Hudson, who has 19 mil- She’s spending her self-isolation at the Hype House. In March, — sometimes, just sometimes —
lion followers and a ’90s-inspired prepping a five-minute set. one member, Daisy Keech, left find fame. The big difference is
skater look that, according to the It all feels a little like deja vu. the group after a dispute about that these kids have a multimil-
internet, makes him an “e-boy.” Not long ago, Logan Paul was whether she would be recognized lion-follower head start.
BIG
INNOVATION
Producing
the star-
studded
One World:
Together
at Home
COVID-19
fundraising
broadcast
entirely from
the cloud.
WORLD: COURTESY OF GLOBAL CITIZEN. CIONI: NATHAN JOHNSON. CHAPMAN: LILY CHAPMAN. VAUGHAN: PAUL DRINKWATER/NBC. DEBEVEC: MORGAN LIEBERMAN/WIREIMAGE. CHANG: COURTESY OF ©A.M.P.A.S.
D O U G VAU G H A N , M I C H A E L C I O N I , PAU L C H A P M A N Says Frame.io’s Cioni,
“Everybody had own-
• Executive vp specials and late night programming, NBC; senior vp innovation, FRAME.IO; ership of their assets
VP engineering and technology, SIM
and then centralized
it in the Frame.io
Cioni
During the last innovation is something a long list of performers from space, where [each
COVID- that the team behind One World: Lady Gaga to the Rolling Stones asset] was uploaded,
19 crisis, Together at Home — the global to Lizzo. Said to be the brainchild reviewed, exchanged
necessity broadcast and digital special that of NBC exec Vaughan, the One and approved” by
has indeed aired April 18 and raised $128 mil- World production — involving anyone from record
become the lion for the COVID-19 Solidarity four U.S. broadcast networks and Chapman label reps to agents
mother of Response Fund — knows well. A international outlets like the BBC to show producers.
invention as Hollywood trades centralized cloud-based produc- while produced in partnership “Every single artist,
in meeting rooms for Zoom, sets tion environment, provided by with Global Citizen and the World whether it’s Eddie
for living rooms, cameras for collaboration systems company Health Organization — evolved Vedder or Billie
smartphones and studios for Frame.io, allowed numerous play- from an initial meeting April 1 Eilish, could upload
cloud-based technologies. The ers to work remotely — including to broadcast just two weeks later. Vaughan their assets,” he adds.
BIG INNOVATION
Pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling,
including May 12’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special.
in the Star Wars universe: They of desert planets and spaceship you’re nuts,” says Ben Grossmann,
have a Jedi, a galaxy in peril and cockpits. Favreau, 53, didn’t add who worked with Favreau on both
a sweeping sense of scope. But these effects in postproduction, as Disney adaptations (see above
when Favreau’s The Mandalorian is commonly done on right). “They know what it’s going
premiered on Disney+, the series CGI productions, but to take to convince the studio, and
did something unusual — it told rather shot his actors you never get out of the gate. Jon
a small story in the vast world against the video wall takes the time to truly understand
George Lucas had created, about Favreau scenery. The technol- it and says, ‘That sounds like a
a lone bounty hunter who takes ogy, which allows better way, let’s explore it!’ But
a job that leaves him tending to filmmakers to place casts in far- most importantly, he protects it,
a child with special powers. The flung locations without leaving a and it shows in the final picture.”
first live-action Star Wars series, soundstage, has practical applica- Favreau, who operates from
it became tions, but is particularly valuable his Playa Vista studio, wrapped
BIG the linchpin in the COVID-19 era, when travel production on the second season
INNOVATION of Disney+’s for shoots will be scarce. of Mandalorian in early March,
Developing
filmmaking launch, a must- Mandalorian is in some ways just before the pandemic led to
techniques see show that a culmination of Favreau’s a production shutdown. He’s
for The helped drive the disparate talents. As the inau- now at work writing season
Mandalorian
that now seem service to more gural filmmaker in the Marvel three. — REBECCA KEEGAN
even more than 50 million Cinematic Universe with 2008’s
urgent during Jon Favreau, on the set of Disney+ series
a pandemic. subscribers. Iron Man, he played a key role in
The Mandalorian, stood next to the bassinet that
Mandalorian setting the tone and template of held breakout star The Child.
FYRE FESTIVAL
Billy McFarland’s luxury music festival
turned out to be a sham, and he was
sentenced to six years in prison for fraud.
GO90
Verizon shut down its $1 billion bet on
ad-supported shortform video after three
years and little interest from viewers.
MOVIEPASS
Heavily discounted movie ticket
memberships were a money loser, forcing
the company to fold and file for bankruptcy.
SCREENING ROOM
Sean Parker’s 2016 plan to charge $50 for
new releases at home angered distributors,
but it may be mounting a comeback. — N.J.
in Liverpool, New York, a small Syracuse
suburb where the tax rebate on below-the-
line production costs is 40 percent. Built in
1928, the school closed in the 1980s and was
converted into an office space and, later, a
J E R E M Y GA R E L I C K church. It didn’t take long to find backing:
Mickey Liddell and his LD Entertainment
• Founder, AMERICAN HIGH wrote a check. Garelick purchased the school
for $1 million and opened American High.
Garelick is like John In two years, American High has produced
Hughes, if the elder seven features, each with a budget between
statesman of angsty $3 million and $5 million — equating to mil-
teen dramas had owned lions in savings on every title. (It is currently
his own high school. producing 3D-printed face shields for medi-
After building a career cal workers.) The school transforms for every
as a writer-director movie: Walls are repainted and basketball uni-
with credits like The Wedding Ringer, Garelick forms are swapped out. “If a director wants to
was weary of the bruising nature of the studio change everything, we help them realize that
system. “It’s a miracle when a movie gets vision,” says Garelick. Of the four features in
made, and I was tired of waiting for a miracle,” production, two — The Binge, written-directed
he says. Working to produce two R-rated high by Garelick and starring Vince Vaughn, and
school comedies at a major studio, Garelick The Ultimate Playlist of Noise — are headed to
couldn’t get traction. But that process did yield Hulu, which recently released the banner’s Big
an epiphany: “Wherever you go, Time Adolescence, starring Pete Davidson.
high schools are all the same. You Garelick is aware that American High’s
need a gym, classroom, teacher’s projects might draw comparisons to the high
lounge and a cafeteria.” With school comedies of the ’80s and ’90s, but he
Garelick research, Garelick discovered that believes those titles have some shortcomings.
shooting two high school movies “We have seen the nerdy white kid trying to BIG
INNOVATION
back-to-back and employing the same crew get laid by the cheerleader and he suddenly Streamlining
could cut below-the-line production costs by realizes his best friend with glasses is the the high
one-third. If he did three, he could halve them. right person for him,” he says. “What I am try- school movie
by converting
So, he googled “high schools for sale.” ing to do with American High is tell different an actual high
That’s how he found A.V. Zogg Middle School high school stories.” — MIA GALUPPO school into
a film studio.
4
3
GARELICK: JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES. SCHOOL: COURTESY OF AMERICAN HIGH (4). STAR: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES/
featuring offer “insights used to drive marketing
PHOTOFEST. ADOBE: COURTESY OF ADOBE. AVENGERS: COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS. ONCE: COLUMBIA PICTURES/PHOTOFEST.
“Barack
and distribution strategy and support are just strings of 0’s and
Obama.”
creative decision-making. Ultimately, AI 1’s on a computer. If we
DIGITAL HUMANS removes complexity and continuously provide a sufficiently large
AI is having a “drastic” effect in the world of digital humans, learns more about moviegoer behavior.”
neural network and enough
says Christopher Nichols, director of Chaos Group Labs and training pairing scripts
key member of the Digital Human League, a research and and movies, it will learn the
development group: “The massive challenges that were put mapping and generate an
on artists and tools to find all those subtle nuances that entirely new movie from
make a human look real are actually much easier to solve an entirely new script. You
through deep learning.” The improvements have led to could even ask it to make
deep fakes, such as the viral faux PSA using FaceSwap AI in your new film — or remake
which Jordan Peele ventriloquizes former president “Barack an old one — in the style
Obama” calling President Trump a “complete dipshit.” Says of Kubrick, Tarantino or
Nichols: “A great number of people want to stop the technol- Scorsese by emphasizing the
ogy and outright outlaw it. [But] the tools themselves have correlations between each of
AI helped predict which moviegoers
huge potentials that we should all continue to explore.” would find Once Upon a Time appealing. their scripts and movies.”
$16B
Netflix
15 introduces
streaming originals
like House of $12B
Cards (left) and
Inzerillo (left) Orange Is the
and Jimerson New Black.
10 $8.8B
$6.8B
$5.5B
$4.4B
5 $3.2B $3.6B
$2.2B
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Source: Netflix
JIMERSON, KEIGHLEY FORTNITE: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. INZERILLO: IMEH AKPANUDOSEN/GETTY IMAGES. KEIGHLEY: JC OLIVERA/GETTY IMAGES. LIBRERI: MAX MORSE/WIREIMAGE. CARDS: PATRICK HARBRON/NETFLIX.
where we let streamers translate the
show in real time and comment on it as
it’s happening.
BIG INNOVATION
Reinventing the awards show for Gen Z and
pulling in 44 million viewers for the effort.
PELTIER, MYERS: COURTESY OF SUBJECT. SHANKS: MICHAEL TULLBERG/GETTY IMAGES. RISE: MICHAEL YARISH/CBS. REDNISS: VIVIEN KILLILEA/GETTY IMAGES. GALANIS: JOE SCARNICI/GETTY IMAGES.
followers by like the Howard Stern “Wack “It’s become my recording booth.” and drawing 8 million views.
posting a photo of himself in his Pack,” in only the loosest sense of The company logged $20 mil- Among them were his Community
bathroom, one foot propped up the term — peddle personalized lion in bookings in 2019, up from fans, whom he thanked, of course,
on a toilet seat, with the caption: video messages to fans for special $4 million in 2018, according to in a text: “wow. Over 33,000 of
“Text me:) 817-270-6440.” But the occasions. The videos can run Galanis. “For the first time in you responded to this. I love you
24-year-old tattooed “Rockstar” from $20 for a TikTok performer world history, every musician, guys … I’ll text you tomorrow:)”
sensation hadn’t taken leave of his to $75 for a bespoke comedian, athlete, actor are at — SETH ABRAMOVITCH
senses under quarantine; what greeting from Dillon home with nothing to do,” he says.
he shared was his Community Passage, husband of “On the customer side, people
text number. incarcerated Tiger who can’t go to a birthday dinner, Ashton Kutcher and
Kerry Washington
Launched in July, Community Peltier King Joe Exotic, to a bar or a movie are spending that are among
connects fans via SMS messaging $550 for a birthday money sending Cameos.” the 1,000 stars
(called “leaders”)
to public figures like celebri- wish from Charlie Community uses a different on Community.
ties, politicians, even COVID-19 Sheen. Choosing the revenue model, asking fans to pay
experts. The thinking is that a price point is left to nothing and instead charging a
text message — even one sent to Galanis the talent. “We don’t monthly fee to the public figures,
thousands of people simultane- want them coming to or “leaders.” The more fans opt
ously — is far more likely to grab us and saying it isn’t worth their in, the higher the monthly fee.
someone’s attention than a tweet time,” says Cameo co-founder After attending a 2013 summit
or IG post. “North America is Steven Galanis, 32. Galanis came led by venture capitalist Peter
all about text messaging,” says up with the idea in 2016, while Thiel, Peltier became fixated on
Matthew Peltier, Community’s watching a video of NFL player social media’s ability to allow
29-year-old founder and CEO. “It’s Cassius Marsh congratulating a its users “to connect deeper
an intimate place where you talk total stranger — a Nike execu- to things out of your world,” a
to friends and make plans with tive — on becoming a new father. phenomenon he calls “parasocial
family. We knew we needed to “The exec said it was the cool- relationships." He adds: “Fans
play in that sacred space.” est gift he’d ever received, and wanted to connect more directly
3 4
1. Dan Laustsen
(The Shape of Water)
On March 17, after returning
to Copenhagen after the 2
shutdown of Guillermo del
Toro’s Nightmare Alley in
Toronto, Laustsen snapped
this image of Denmark’s
iconic Little Mermaid statue.
Says the Oscar-nominated
DP, “Copenhagen’s Little
Mermaid never felt
this lonely.”
2. Robert Richardson
(Once Upon a Time
in Hollywood)
“Finding respite on an
isolated beach,” writes the
three-time Oscar winner
for JFK, The Aviator and
Hugo of this mid-April
photo of Cape Cod, where
Richardson is sheltering in
place. “COVID-19 casts a
long shadow over all of us.”
3. Mandy Walker
(Mulan)
The DP took this picture
March 27 at Village
Roadshow Studios in
Queensland, where she was
reteaming with her Australia
director Baz Luhrmann.
“This is the last image I took
as we were closing up for
the Elvis Presley project,”
she says. “We were days
away from shooting.”
4. Rachel Morrison
(Mudbound)
The first female DP to be
nominated for an Oscar
writes: “This pic of [my
daughter] Cleo, 19 months,
feels like something out
of Mad Max to me. Safety
is priority, but it’s all so
disturbingly dystopian.”
5. Seamus McGarvey
(Anna Karenina)
The Oscar nominee
photographed Los Angeles
during his daily walk up
Laurel Canyon: “It is a
picture of the beauty
of a city but one tinged
with unease.”
6. Nancy Schreiber
(FX’s Better Things)
“I took this self-portrait
near the Santa Monica
bike path on March 21, one
day before Gov. Newsom
ordered the beaches
closed,” says Schreiber,
who became the first
woman to receive the
American Society of
Cinematographers
Presidents Award in 2017.
5 6
EMMYS
2020
FIRST LOOK
CAMPAIGNING DURING
CORONAVIRUS, CAREFULLY
With the TV Academy banning the panels, parties and other events that have long been the
staple of Emmy season, awards experts must reassess how to push contenders in a fragile climate:
‘No one wants to look promotional right now’ BY M I C H A E L O ’ C O N N E LL
T
his year, one word but nobody wants to be the first and panels that provided FYC’s versions of the Tribeca Film
requires extra one through the wall. You might skeleton for years, not to men- Festival and 92nd Street Y. And
emphasis in Emmy get bloodied.” tion a great deal of revenue to advertising, for one, is expected
season’s ubiquitous Rethinking advertising mes- the Academy. to largely stay the course. Most
“for your consider- saging, putting a greater focus “Whether it’s above the line platforms have existing deals
ation” slogan. With on May premieres and finding a or below the line, most people with outdoor providers in Los
the COVID-19 pandemic pushing way to incorporate fundraising don’t feel it’s appropriate to be Angeles and in New York, with
the voting window by nearly a are all being discussed as ways to out there, for lack of a better most other commitments
month and plenty of talent still soften the industrywide atten- term, hawking themselves,” says
reticent about the prospect of tion grab. But this wait-and-see TV Academy president and COO
either literal or figurative glad- approach also has a great deal to Maury McIntyre. “The decision to
handing, some awards strategists do with the relative absence of eliminate FYC events wasn’t just
are at a loss about how to stage framework. Though this Emmy about the shutdown, it was about
sensitive, self-aware campaigns. season has dates (nomination- them not feeling right this year —
“There’s a symbiotic relation- round voting now starts July 2), even if things do get sorted out.”
ship between TV and America, the assumed tentpoles are gone. The onus is now on the awards
especially during this pandemic,” After a long call with reps from strategists to make tentpoles of
says one talent publicist, who studios, platforms and networks their own — not that all standbys
is still holding back on making March 23, TV Academy leader- are going away. Some are hoping
commitments for clients. “It’s a ship voted to shift the calendar to see bumps from podcasts and
relationship worth celebrating, but ban events — the screenings streamed events from altered
Plot Against America. It’s less aus- Netflix now?” THE LAST DANCE
↑
ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES/COURTESY OF NETFLIX. ARETHA: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/RICHARD DUCREE. FARGO: CHRIS LARGE/FX. UNDOING: COURTESY OF HBO.
ESPN
picious for major players that have One way several campaigns are An early premiere on Netflix
been out of the public eye since hoping to get attention, without garnered wild coverage for ESPN’s
2019, such as previous Emmy looking too thirsty, is by tying 10-part examination of the 1997–98
heavy hitters Succession (HBO), talent to the many fundraising Chicago Bulls. Originally set to
Stranger Things (Netflix) and The initiatives popping up in response drop in July, it is now eligible for
round two of voting.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon). to the human and economic
“Unless it’s for a project that tolls COVID-19 has taken. “If
GENIUS: ARETHA
people are actually talking about you’re going to get out there and ↓
National Geographic
in this moment, no one wants to talk, do it with a purpose,” says Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo as
look promotional right now,” says McIntyre. “Do it to raise money Aretha Franklin is Emmy bait in any
another personal rep. for The Actors Fund or the Motion year, but the actress still has HBO’s
Roughly 3.7 million people have Picture & Television Fund. That’s The Outsider to keep her in the
race after Nat Geo delayed the lat-
applied for unemployment ben- something I think you’ll see a lot est Genius installment.
efits in California alone since the more of in June.”
start of the coronavirus outbreak, For everyone who’s hopeful FARGO
so the fear of appearing to spend about some return to normalcy ↓
FX
millions on FYC while having in June — be it an eagerness to Weep not for FX. It still has Cate
to fire and furlough employees participate in small gatherings, Blanchett in Mrs. America and Alex
is equally unsavory to enter- should they be permitted, or just Garland’s Devs (both shared with
Hulu) in the mini race, but a Chris
tainment companies. The Walt more traffic in the shadow of FYC Rock installment of Fargo, delayed,
Disney Co., which is said to have billboards — many others aren’t was sure to get attention.
largely stayed the course with holding their collective breath.
its pre-coronavirus FYC budget, “I don’t think you’re going to see THE UNDOING
↓
has to navigate Emmy season anybody eager to be seen out of HBO
after significant layoffs and the the house, regardless of where we Big Little Lies producer David E.
are in June,” says another top per- Kelley and producer-star Nicole
From left: In 2019, Netflix’s FYSee space Kidman will now have to wait for
sonal rep. “A lot of ring lights are
hosted hundreds of guests; Kyle Chandler at 2021 to unveil their crime mini. But
a crowded May 2019 FYC event for Catch-22. being FedExed to actors’ homes season two of their original HBO
right now” for WFH-produced collab remains in the running. — M.O.
FYC messaging.
May is historically the month
when series go all-in on their
Emmy play — but with no fixed eligible television than they would connect or even exist without
end date for California’s stay-at- have in previous years. Linear TV awards,” says one strategist. “So
home order, it’s likely to be eerily ratings are up, streaming is hit- many shows, and a whole part of
quiet. The one silver lining, men- ting highs, and the TV Academy, this industry, are economically
tioned by everyone who spoke for with more time on its hands, has reliant on there even being an
this story, is that the quiet at least been aggressively pushing mem- Emmy campaign season. It has
means the people at home (many bership to FYC sites now that DVD human impact on our commu-
of them TV Academy voters) mailers have been banned. nity that people might want to
are likely watching much more “A lot of this content doesn’t keep in mind.”
or you’re intrigued by the idea of condense the book, and by the sual vernacular, collaborating
AIRDATE 9 p.m. Sunday, May 10 (HBO)
Mark Ruffalo playing very differ- third and fourth episodes, the with cinematographer Jody Lee
CAST Mark Ruffalo, Melissa Leo,
ent identical twin brothers — one Rosie O’Donnell, Archie Panjabi, story has become such a steady Lipes to come up with a gritty
svelte and one husky, one goa- Imogen Poots stream of harrowing misadven- and grainy aesthetic that’s more
teed and one clean-shaven, one a CREATOR-DIRECTOR Derek Cianfrance tures that it’s hard not to engage familiar from indie films.
Film
Left: Asia.
Below:
Stray.
THR’S SOCIAL CLIMBERS
A ranking of the week’s top actors, scripted TV and
news/talk/variety shows based on social media engagement
This Last
Actors
This Last
Scripted TV
Spring Film
Week Week Week Week
1 ←
→ I 1 I Dwayne Johnson 1 ↑ I 5 I SpongeBob SquarePants
2 ↑ I 8 I Chris Hemsworth 2 ↑ I 3 I Brooklyn Nine-Nine
ASIA: DANIELLA NOWITZ/TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. STRAY: COURTESY OF TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. GERVAIS: JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES. PARKS: NBC/PHOTOFEST. SATURDAY: COURTESY OF NBC. WITHERSPOON: TONI ANNE BARSON/WIREIMAGE.
It spent a few days as the America. The April 23
left on the outside looking in as the cannabis industry booms around streamer’s top-trending announcement helped
her. Within its brief running time, writer-directors Mario Furloni and show, a fact the comedian the show grab 147,000
Kate McLean infuse this story of a changing culture and economy with called out on social media. Facebook post likes.
an anguished depiction of generational displacement. — SHERI LINDEN
10 ↑ I - I Mark Ruffalo 10 ↓ I 7 I Doctor Who
MY DARLING VIVIAN (SXSW)
In Matt Riddlehoover’s engaging and revelatory documentary, Johnny 11 ↓ I 9 I Kevin Hart This Last
Cash’s four daughters set the record straight about their mother, Vivian Week Week News/Talk/Variety
Liberto, a spirited, resilient woman who has been all but written out of the 12 ↑ I 15 I Camila Mendes
Hollywood and Nashville versions of their famous father’s life story. — S.L. 1 ←
→ I 1 I The Daily Show
13 ↑ I - I Aislinn Derbez
PRAY AWAY (Tribeca) 2 ↑ I - I Saturday Night Live
Four prominent defectors from the religious right’s gay “conversion” 14 ↑ I - I Ruby Rose SNL vaults back onto News/
therapy programs speak out about the damage inflicted on themselves Talk/Variety thanks to the
15 ↑ I - I Ansel Elgort April 25 airing of its second
and countless LGBTQ youth in Kristine Stolakis’ powerful documentary,
episode from isolation,
executive produced by Jason Blum. It’s a sobering account of Christian 16 ↑ I - I Keke Palmer generating a 307 percent
intervention rooted in toxic homophobia. — D.R. boost in social engagement.
17 ↑ I - I Ice Cube The 90-minute episode
SHITHOUSE (SXSW) featured cameos from Brad
The winner of SXSW’s narrative feature competition, first-time writer- 18 ↓ I 10 I Madelaine Petsch Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Paul Rudd,
Charles Barkley and more.
director Cooper Raiff’s comedy centers on a college freshman (played by
Raiff) who you’d assume was popular, but who silently longs to go home 19 ↑ I - I Ian Somerhalder
to his sister and mom. As the protagonist woos a classmate, the film 3 ↓ I 2 I Today
20 ↓ I 12 I Vanessa Hudgens
becomes a refreshingly frank study of male vulnerability. — JOHN DEFORE
4 ↑ I 5 I The Late Show
21 ←
→ I 21 I Jennifer Aniston
SHIVA BABY (SXSW) 5 ↓ I 3 I The Rachel Maddow Show
Following an NYU senior (Rachel Sennott, exuding a frazzled radiance) 22 ↑ I - I Tia Mowry
forced to juggle her lover, parents and ex-girlfriend at the same funeral, 6 ↓ I 4 I Entertainment Tonight
Emma Seligman’s debut showcases the sort of sex-positive Jewish hero- 23 ↑ I - I Reese Witherspoon
ine most often seen in series like Broad City and Transparent. The result
On her Instagram,
7 ↓ I 6 I The Tonight Show
is a squirmy, sweaty, deftly crafted comedy of discomfort. — JON FROSCH Witherspoon celebrated
the “incredible experi- 8 ↑ I - I Jimmy Kimmel Live!
STRAY (Tribeca) ence bringing Little Fires
This affecting debut documentary from Everywhere to the screen” 9 ←
→ I 9 I Un Nuevo Día
after the eight-episode
Elizabeth Lo does for Istanbul’s dogs what Hulu miniseries, starring 10 ←
→ I 10 I Tucker Carlson Tonight
2017’s Kedi did for the Turkish city’s cats. Witherspoon alongside
The earlier film was generally soothing and Kerry Washington, con-
hopeful — a cinematic valentine — while cluded its run April 22. Data Compiled By
this one pierces, illuminating, through its
central canines’ adventures, the economic 24 ↓ I 3 I Eugenio Derbez Source: The week’s most active and talked-about entertainers on
leading social networking sites Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, Twitter
and political divisions and cultural hierar- and YouTube for the week ending April 28. Rankings are based on a
formula blending weekly additions of fans as well as cumulative weekly
chies that define our time. — S.L. 25 ↓ I 14 I George Takei reactions and conversations, as tracked by MVP Index.
The creative class in Taiwan has been pushing the boundaries in culture
H OW TAIWAN for decades with groundbreaking films, books, music, and more recently,
virtual reality projects. The nation is investing heavily in culture and the
people that drive it, garnering attention from creative industries around
I S B ECO M I N G the world. Last year, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) was
formed -- a new organization designed to support artists and help them
make their visions a reality.
A G LO BAL H U B As part of its mission, TAICCA supports Taiwan’s culture and its creators
whether they are working in film and television, pop music, publishing,
FO R CR EATIVE
cultural technologies, or across genres. As Taiwan is home to many
tech startups and entrepreneurs, TAICCA also manages the National
Development Fund to develop intellectual property, incubate culture
technologies, and give startups working in Taiwan a much-needed boost.
CO NTENT One of the first areas that TAICCA is focusing on combines art and
technology -- virtual reality (VR), the futuristic art form that many believe
BY MELISSA LOCKER is the next great frontier in filmmaking. “To accelerate the VR industry,
TAICCA provides an Immersive Content Grant to encourage international
collaboration in the industry, and as a pioneer in VR production, Taiwan
welcomes professionals worldwide to join us,” explains TAICCA president
C.F. Hu. Taiwan’s creators have quickly emerged as leaders in the VR
space, creating ground-breaking and occasionally mind-bending
cinematic experiences.
Focusing on the future is nothing new for Taiwan, whose culture has been
forward-thinking for years, in both art and life. Taiwan was the first place in
Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, but Taiwan’s cultural scene has been
inclusive and representative for decades, as seen in books like Miao-Jin
Qiu’s 1994 LGBTQ classic Notes of a Crocodile, films like Ming-Liang Tsai’s
1997 The River, Angelwings, and Jui-Yuan Tsao’s 2003 TV series Crystal
Boys. The home to East Asia’s largest gay pride is encouraging creative
content makers from around the world to turn to recognize Taiwan as a
creative hub for culture and voices that will not be censored.
To promote the incredible art made in Taiwan and show others what is
possible by working there, TAICCA has been taking its show on the road,
literally. Taiwanese cinema made a splash at the 2020 Berlinale, launching
an IP Showcase featuring films made in Taiwan to help connect the island
and its filmmakers to global and local film markets. “We curate Taiwan IP
Showcase to attract global investors and audience,” says President-C.F. Hu.
“By doing this, we hope to give the world a glimpse of the wonders Taiwan
has to offer.”
TAICCA also has big plans for the 2020 Culture X Tech Next, one of the
biggest events for creative content industries in East Asia. Speakers from
all corners of the world will gather to discuss how technology and creativity
can work together to drive cultural and social innovations and ultimately
shape the future. It’s a big subject with global implications that ask
enormous questions about creativity -- questions that Taiwan is
clearly ready to answer, and the world is noticing.
19
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40 19
9 411 19
9 42 194 3 194
44 1 9455 1946 199 47 1948 1949 1950 19
9 51 1 9552 19
9 53 1955 4 19
955 1 9 56
6 1957 19
958 1 959
Milton Berle manned phones at the first-ever telethon that began April 9, 1949, on NBC. Inset: Berle’s obituary ran in THR on March 28, 2002, after he died at 93.
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