The Accelerating Pace Of

THE ACCELERATING PACE OF CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS OF KEY INDUSTRY EVENTS AND PRODUCTIONS DUE TO THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS PUTS A HEIGHTENED STRAIN ON BUSINESS IN HOLLYWOOD

BY CYNTHIA LITTLETON AND ELAINE LOW P.32

MARCH 18, 2020 US $9.99 JAPAN ¥1280 CANADA $11.99 CHINA ¥80 UK £ 8 HONG KONG $95 EUROPE €9 RUSSIA 400 AUSTRALIA $14 INDIA 800 www.avatars.inc

Untitled-3 1 3/5/20 12:07 PM CONTENTS

LONELIEST PLACE ON EARTH Visitors stand at Disneyland’s closed gates March 16 after the company shuttered the theme park until at least the end of the month due to coronavirus fears.

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Showbiz Shuts Down Across the IFC’s Nimble

How is Hollywood coping as projects suspend ‘Universe’ Strategy Showrunner Rebecca Sugar reflects on her The indie distributor has thrived for 20 production and events postpone or cancel? groundbreaking Cartoon Network series. years by being willing to reinvent itself. By CYNTHIA LITTLETON and ELAINE LOW By DANIEL HOLLOWAY By BRENT LANG (C0VER) ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN STAUFFER; (THIS PAGE) EUGENE GARCIA/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK (THIS PAGE) BRIAN STAUFFER; BY ILLUSTRATION (C0VER)

VARIETY 3 CONTENTS

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Pixar’s “Soul” is one of the anticipated movies highlighted in Variety’s Summer TOP BILLING Cinema Preview

13 MARCH MADNESS The live sports biz is in chaos after almost all events have been canceled or postponed

16 GUEST COLUMN Dr. Oz weighs in on the coronavirus crisis

17 FYC CONUNDRUM How will the TV and film awards seasons weather the global health crisis? ALSO INSIDE 18 VIRAL VIDEO Hong Kong YouTube creators say they are being censored 8 over Covid-19 content FIELD NOTES 19 ROLLING TO TV Musings Bob Dylan’s life and catalog on hot topics are the basis of a drama series 9 project set for market PLUGGED IN What’s trending at Variety.com EXPOSURE 10 CLOSE UP 23 PARTIES The big picture “Mulan,” “Bloodshot,” 66 “Boomerang” premieres FACETIME 26 WWD Aaron Paul Thandie Newton’s “West- world” premiere look leads the red-carpet scorecard T FRIEND: EDUARDO CASTALDO/HBO EDUARDO T FRIEND: ARTISANS

55 REEL TO REAL “Westworld” production team shows the future as androids P. 2 8 escape from the theme park

57 MAKEUP MAGIC German filmmaker Production team for Syfy’s Tom Tykwer looks “The Magicians” shares its for a buyer in SoHo transformative secrets

58 DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Designer tells how costumes show the growing wealth of first U.S. woman millionaire “The story is always the most important, and I serve that story. REVIEWS So if the story is Chinese, then I do everything in my power to P.6 1 represent that culture the most 61 TV authentically and the most “My Brilliant Friend: The Story specifically, and when I do that, I of a New Name” “My Brilliant Friend: find the work becomes universal.” The Story of a 62 FILM Director Niki Caro, at the premiere of the live-action New Name” review remake of “Mulan” in Hollywood, on the task of “The Hunt,” “Misbehaviour” representing a culture other than her own P.24 SOUL: PIXAR/DISNEY; TYKWER’S HOUSE: MELANIE GREENE/MAY PEARL FOR MIKE + MARTA, COMPASS; CARO: AFF-USA/SHUTTERSTOCK; MY BRILLIAN AFF-USA/SHUTTERSTOCK; CARO: COMPASS; MIKE + MARTA, PEARL FOR HOUSE: MELANIE GREENE/MAY TYKWER’S SOUL: PIXAR/DISNEY;

4 VARIETY Local Productions Globally Inspired

Untitled-3ITV0313_SeriesMania_Variety_LocalGlobal_FullPage_AW.indd 1 1 04/03/20203/5/20 12:07 12:00 PM Michelle Sobrino-Stearns

GROUP PUBLISHER & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

SALES MARKETING Donna Pennestri Dea Lawrence ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER MILLIE CHIAVELLI JOHN ROSS Claudia Eller SVP SALES & GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS VP, FEATURES & EVENTS TIM BOYER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAWN ALLEN VP OF FILM & TALENT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Wallenstein MICHELLE FINE-SMITH SUSANNE AULT DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF VP, GLOBAL CONSUMER PARTNERSHIPS JASON GREENBLATT DAYNA WOLPA EDITORIAL FEATURES DIRECTOR, EVENT MARKETING VP DIGITAL SALES DAVID S. COHEN Lesley McKenzie Steven Gaydos DREW MILES SENIOR PRODUCER, MANAGING EDITOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, VP, GLOBAL BRAND PARTNERSHIPS, VARIETY CONTENT STUDIO GLOBAL CONTENT VARIETY CONTENT STUDIO HOLLY DILLON Cynthia Littleton ANDREW BARKER ERIC LEGENDRE SENIOR PRODUCER, BUSINESS EDITOR SENIOR FEATURES WRITER CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, VARIETY CONTENT STUDIO DANIEL HOLLOWAY PETER CARANICAS INTERNATIONAL SALES JAMIE ARONSON EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TV MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES LINDSEY ELFENBEIN DIRECTOR, BRENT LANG SHALINI DORE MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL SUMMITS EVENT MARKETING & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS EXECUTIVE EDITOR, FILM & MEDIA FEATURES NEWS EDITOR EMMA SCHMIDT SHIRLEY HALPERIN DIANE GARRETT HENRY DEAS MANAGER, EVENT MARKETING EXECUTIVE EDITOR, MUSIC EDITOR, FEATURES DIRECTOR, MARKETS & FESTIVALS LAURYN KISTNER RAMIN SETOODEH CAROLE HORST PATRICE ATIEE SENIOR BRAND MARKETING MANAGER NEW YORK BUREAU CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS NATASHA MILLMAN KATE AURTHUR JENELLE RILEY JUDI PULVER ASSOCIATE MANAGER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE DEPUTY AWARDS & FEATURES EDITOR DIRECTOR, MUSIC ADVERTISING EVENT MARKETING MANORI RAVINDRAN MALINA SAVAL CHRISTIE RICCI BIANCA CALOCA INTERNATIONAL EDITOR EDITOR, FEATURES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE MANAGER, CONTACT PMC EVENT MARKETING DANIELLE TURCHIANO VALERIE FATEHI » Los Angeles SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR, TV ALEX BULLARD JEM ASWAD DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., SENIOR MUSIC EDITOR ASSOCIATE MANAGER, FEATURES CHRIS WILLMAN AMY JO LAGERMEIER Los Angeles, CA 90025 EDITOR, FEATURES GORDON COX DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WHITNEY CINKALA +1 323-617-9100 LEGIT EDITOR ASSOCIATE BRAND MANAGER ART & PHOTOGRAPHY CRISTINA QUITANIA » Chicago VICTORIA LENNOX MARK DAVID Robert Festino MANAGER, SUMMITS & 20 West Kinzie St REAL ESTATE EDITOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS ASSOCIATE Chicago, IL 60654 CREATIVE DIRECTOR MATT DONNELLY KEVIN TAGUE HANNA HENSLER JENNIFER DORN » Nashville SENIOR FILM WRITER MANAGER, CONSUMER BRAND MARKETING COORDINATOR PHOTO DIRECTOR 501 Union St PARTNERSHIPS ROBYN OZAKI BILL EDELSTEIN Nashville, TN 37219 ASSOCIATE EDITOR TED KELLER SOUMAYA CASSAM-CHENAI DESIGNER DESIGN DIRECTOR » New York TERRY FLORES INTERNATIONAL SALES CASEY KWAN & MARKETING MANAGER 475 Fifth Avenue SENIOR EDITOR ELLIOT STOKES JUNIOR DESIGNER New York, NY 10017 ART DIRECTOR STEFAN NICOLL TIM GRAY LUANA PINTO +1 212-213-1900 ACCOUNT MANAGER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT JAMES SLOCUM JUNIOR DESIGNER SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR (SPAIN, PORTUGAL, LATIN AMERICA) » London MAE HAMILTON GREG KICHAVEN HALEY KLUGE WILLIAM LIN 11 Golden Square EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, DIRT.COM FEATURES COORDINATOR SENIOR DESIGNER SALES EXECUTIVE, ASIA London, England ANGELIQUE JACKSON PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION W1F 9JB EVENTS & LIFESTYLE PRODUCER RICHARD MALTZ KIMBERLY CERVANTES SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR SALES PLANNING MANAGER » Paris JUSTIN KROLL ELLEN DEALY 11 Rue Royale WRITER ALEX GITMAN AMANDA SCHULZE VP, AUDIENCE MARKETING Paris, France 75008 PHOTO EDITOR MEDIA PLANNER ELAINE LOW NATALIE LONGMAN TARRYN SILVER » Milan SENIOR TV WRITER ISABELLA DALENA PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PRODUCTION DESIGNER SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Via Albricci, 7 GENE MADDAUS MIKE PETRE 20122 Milan, Italy SENIOR MEDIA WRITER MICHAEL BUCKNER SADI KUPERMAN DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTION CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER MARC MALKIN SALES COORDINATOR FILM & TELEVISION » Mumbai ANDREA WYNNYK Vishwaroop IT Park, SENIOR FILM AWARDS, ONLINE SEAN SOPER PRODUCTION MANAGER EVENTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Sector 30A Vashi, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Stuart Oldham Navi Mumbai 400703 JAMES MCCLAIN EDITOR, VARIETY.COM EDITOR-AT-LARGE, REAL ESTATE » Hong Kong MEREDITH WOERNER DAVE MCNARY 21/F, The Phoenix DEPUTY EDITOR FILM WRITER 23 Luard Road, Wan Chai DAN DOPERALSKI Hong Kong MACKENZIE NICHOLS DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR VARIETY BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE STAFF WRITER » Tokyo MAANE KHATCHATOURIAN JOE OTTERSON Lapiross Bldg. 4F, SENIOR ONLINE NEWS EDITOR Mark Hoebich SENIOR TV WRITER 6-1-24 Roppongi, ALEX STEDMAN PRESIDENT Minayo-Ky, Tokyo PAT SAPERSTEIN SENIOR ONLINE NEWS EDITOR 106-0032 DEPUTY EDITOR CAROLYN FINGER RYAN PIGG REBECCA RUBIN MICHAEL SCHNEIDER SVP SENIOR COORDINATOR, RESEARCH EMAIL US NEWS EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR, TV AWARDS GEOFF ELSNER MEG ZUKIN JULIE SESNOVICH [email protected] EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TODD SPANGLER SENIOR COORDINATOR, [email protected] SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NEW YORK DIGITAL EDITOR FILM RESEARCH AUDREY YAP FOLLOW US BRIAN STEINBERG JENNIFER NIEVES NEWS ANCHOR/REPORTER SENIOR DIRECTOR, LINDSAY STRACH SENIOR TV EDITOR Twitter.com/variety PRESTON NORTHROP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SENIOR COORDINATOR SYLVIA TAN Facebook.com/variety SUPERVISING PRODUCER BRIAN DEPASQUALE BAILEY WILDMAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR Instagram.com/variety MACKENZIE JOHNSON DIRECTOR, RESEARCH SENIOR COORDINATOR JAZZ TANGCAY YouTube.com/variety VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR STEPHANIE DIEHL ARTISANS EDITOR KEELAN BROWN NICHOLAS STANGO DIRECTOR, RESEARCH TO SUBSCRIBE WILLIAM THORNE INTERNATIONAL TV VIDEO PRODUCER Variety.com/premieroffer TV WRITER KEVIN KELLY COORDINATOR TUCKER MORRISON DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 1 Year (48 issues) for $199 ADAM B. VARY YOOMI CHOI VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR 6 mos (24 issues) for $109 SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER CHRISTINE MORENTE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR, FILM RESEARCH JORDAN MOREAU COORDINATOR, ASIA ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER JUNIOR CONTENT SPECIALIST SENIOR CORRESPONDENT CHRIS SVEHLA Variety, VOL. 347, NO. 7 (USPS 146-820, ISSN BATHILDE ODOLANT 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the fourth INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, TV RESEARCH week of June, the first week in July, and the fourth CRITICS FEATURE EDITORS FILM RESEARCH COORDINATOR JIMMY DOYLE and fifth weeks in December, with 40 special PETER DEBRUGE LEO BARRACLOUGH MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ALIX KALAHER issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) and Dec (6) by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa CHIEF FILM CRITIC LONDON TV RESEARCH COORDINATOR JORDAN LEIPZIG Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, a division of OWEN GLEIBERMAN JOHN HOPEWELL MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AUBREE SCHAEFER Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid CHIEF FILM CRITIC MADRID at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing offices. SCHUYLER FASTENAU TV PRODUCTION RESEARCH Postmaster send address changes to: Variety, P.O. DANIEL D’ADDARIO INTERNATIONAL REPORTERS SENIOR COORDINATOR COORDINATOR Box 15759, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. CHIEF TV CRITIC Canada Post International Publications Mail REBECCA DAVIS HANNA PACHMAN CHELSEA TAM Product (Canadian Distribution) Publications Mail CAROLINE FRAMKE BEIJING SENIOR COORDINATOR SALES COORDINATOR Agreement No. 40043404. Return undeliverable CHIEF TV CRITIC Canadian addresses to: RCS International Box 697 PATRICK FRATER STN A, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6N4. Sales OPERATIONS HONG KONG agreement No. 0607525. Variety ©2020 by Variety Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V logo are SHEILA DIXON HOWARD ELSA KESLASSY trademarks of Penske Business Media. Printed in EDITORIAL COORDINATOR PARIS Sime Silverman VARIETY FOUNDER, 1873-1933 the U.S.A.

6 VARIETY SorrySorry Quibi.Quibi. GivenGiven your stature in the entertainment and busi-business;IWMRGIVIP]ETSPSKM^IJSVPEYRGLMRK7RMFFPIXLIεVWX worlds yyouou mamayy think that itit’s’s justjust not cricket forpremium an upstart social startup video platform, (see(see what a month we didbefore there?)there? Quibi.) from Canada of all places to launch the world’s εVWXεVWXTVIQMYQAfterT VIQMYall, whoQ are we? ssocialocial video entertainment platformplatform a mere month bebeforeAnfore upstart you. startup (see what we did there?) from Toronto with nary a billionaire amongst us. We counted again yesterday and the number of billionaires amongst BButusut ishhere ereindeed, we nary.are.

BiBigNorg money,mone do wey ,chum meet around scrappyscrapp withy wrong-side-of-the-trackswron the likesg-side-o of Spielbergf-the-tracks and sstartup.tartup.lunch at HollywoodH Nobu.ollywoo d establishment meet the guysguys from out in the the ggaragearaOurg friendse lookinglook areing Gen to changecZershan (Zed’ersge thethe world.worwhereld .we come from) who we collaborate with, and most often lunch is pizza and sharing a bag of no-name chips. WWe’ree’re a subscription free, ad light,light, on-the-goon-the-go mo-mo- bileTogether, video we’ve entertainment created a subscription platplatformform designeddesifree, gmobile-onlyned in collaborationplatform that’s withheavy GenZ,G onenZ, entertainment for GenZ.GenZ. andAnd social we’re availableinteraction, rirightg yetht remarkablynow in the light App on Store. ads. SorrySorry if that mucmucksks up yyourour launch.launch. And again, our apologies, but it’s available for download in the app store right now. Hi Goliath.Goliath. So hello Goliath. We’re David. WeWe’re’re DaDavid.vid. Remember what happened last time we met? Remember what hahappenedppened last time we metmet??

#videosocialists #videosocialists#videosocialists

Untitled-2 1 3/16/20 12:28 PM FIELD NOTES

VARIETY IS OWNED & PUBLISHED BY PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION

Jay Penske CHAIRMAN & CEO COME TOGETHER

Sylvester Stallone, GEORGE GROBAR Benicio del Toro, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Michael Keaton, Adam GERRY BYRNE Sandler, Whoopi VICE CHAIRMAN Goldberg (top row), SARLINA SEE Cuba Gooding Jr., Halle CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER Berry, Meg Ryan, Mike CRAIG PERREAULT Myers (middle), Goldie EVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Hawn, Kurt Russell, Brad TODD GREENE Pitt and Reba McEntire EVP, BUSINESS AFFAIRS & GENERAL (bottom) handle phone COUNSEL bank duties during DEBASHISH GHOSH America: A Tribute to MANAGING DIRECTOR Heroes, a benefit held JENNY CONNELLY on Sept. 21, 2001, to SVP, PRODUCT raise money for those KEN DELALCAZAR directly affected by SVP, FINANCE the 9/11 attacks. TOM FINN SVP, OPERATIONS NELSON ANDERSON VP, CREATIVE JONI ANTONACCI VP, PRODUCTION OPERATIONS The Industry Must Join REBECCA BIENSTOCK VP, TALENT RELATIONS STEPHEN BLACKWELL HEAD OF PORTFOLIO SALES GERARD BRANCATO Forces to Aid the Needy VP, PMC DIGITAL ACQUISTION ANNE DOYLE VP, HR MARA GINSBERG I’M HOPING THAT in a genuine display of more than $200 million and was VP, HR moral and corporate responsibility, donated to the United Way’s Septem- YOUNG KO VP, FINANCE the entertainment industry can some- ber 11th Telethon Fund. GABRIEL KOEN how pull together and consolidate The enormous endeavor helped VP, TECHNOLOGY efforts to raise both spirits and tens bring a collective sense of solidarity, KEVIN LABONGE VP, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS & LICENSING of millions of dollars to help those in mourning and hope to the partici- NOEMI LAZO the business impacted by the rapid pants and to viewers. It also brings VP, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE spread of the coronavirus. to mind the massive emotional AND MARKETING OPERATIONS BRIAN LEVINE The monetary losses for studios, impact that the 1985 multiplatinum VP, REVENUE OPERATIONS networks, streamers and Broad- charity single and music video “We JUDITH R. MARGOLIN way continue to mount at unprece- Are the World,” written by Michael VP, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL dented levels and at breakneck speed Jackson and Lionel Richie and pro- JULIE TRINH VP, GLOBAL TAX because of the abrupt shutdown of duced by Quincy Jones and Michael LAUREN UTECHT movie and Broadway theaters, con- Omartian, and performed by other VP, HR & CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS cert venues and film and television leading artists, had when it was MIKE YE VP, STRATEGIC productions. But it is the signifi- released to raise money for African PLANNING & ACQUISITIONS cant human toll on those whose jobs famine relief. CHRISTINA YEOH VP, TECHNICAL OPERATIONS are left in jeopardy that needs to be But sadly, the physical feats of JULIE ZHU foremost in the hearts and minds of both those amazing undertakings VP, AUDIENCE MARKETING & employers across the industry. predated the coronavirus pandemic, SUBSCRIPTIONS NICI CATTON Ten days after the 9/11 terrorist which precludes live gatherings of ASSOCIATE VP, PRODUCT DELIVERY attacks on the World Trade Center that sort. KARL WALTER and the Pentagon, there was a celeb- Surely the many creative forces in ASSOCIATE VP, CONTENT rity telethon and benefit concert, entertainment will be able to come up GURJEET CHIMA “It is the SENIOR DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL significant dubbed America: A Tribute to Heroes with some alternative inspirational MARKETS and featuring appearances by 21 art- ways to unite us all through the arts EDDIE KO human toll on SENIOR DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING those whose ists, including Bruce Springsteen, U2 in this time of social isolation, when OPERATIONS and Stevie Wonder, that aired simul- we can’t venture out to the movies, or ANDY LIMPUS jobs are left SENIOR DIRECTOR, TALENT ACQUISITION taneously as a two-hour primetime go hear live music, or watch a play for AMIT SANNAD in jeopardy TV special on all broadcast networks God knows how long. that needs to SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT and dozens of cable outlets. The CONSTANCE EJUMA be foremost musical performances were filmed DIRECTOR, SEO in the hearts LAURA ONGARO at studios in Los Angeles, New York EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR, and minds of and London. The telethon — in which INTERNATIONAL employers a host of celebrities, including Tom KATIE PASSANTINO DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT across the Hanks, Julia Roberts, George Clooney Claudia Eller DEREK RAMSAY

industry.” and Lucy Liu, participated — raised Editor-in-Chief SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER BEI/SHUTTERSTOCK

8 VARIETY GUTTERTROLLS WORLD CREDIT TOUR: UNIVERSAL PICTURES; SWIFT: CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK = More TV Viewing Coronavirus Fears Variety Poll and AmazonPrimeVideo. charts, followed bynetworks traditionalTV at homethantheydidbefore. Netflix topsthe 11 say they are watching more programming One-third of1,509 U.S. adultssurveyed March YOUTUBE (47%) DISNEY+ (33%) HULU (42%) AMAZON PRIMEVIDEO (51%) BROADCAST ORCABLE (57%) TV NETFLIX (70%) OTHER (8%) APPLE TV+ (12%) For more in-depthdataandanalysis, Data provided by YouGov for Variety IntelligencePlatform. variety.com/vip-sample w w m a d p-sa o in tform. orks March min ps the PLUGGED IN rs rs mple g g

WHAT’S ONVARIETY.COM “This isahistoricmoment“Th “Unfortunately,“U becauseourresponse “I’m“ seeing “Contagion”“Co screenwriter ScottZ.BurnsontheU.S. response tothecoronavirus 70 70 years old.Andwe needtotake care of them.” Universal Breaks Window News a blow tomovie theaters, which markets. Theannouncement is same price ininternational in theU.S. andfor roughlythe suggested retailprice of $19.99 atfor a a48-hourrentalperiod Universal’s label. specialty Jane Austen’s novel fromFocus, as “Emma.,” anadaptation of Invisible Man,”and “The aswell Hunt” the horrormovies “The March 20.Thesefilmsinclude as asearly demand starting availablerently intheaters on also make filmsthat arecur- in theU.S. Thecompany will todebutonApril 10 scheduled “ with DreamWorks Animation’s releases.theatrical same day asthefilms’global onthehome entertainment make itsmovies available on Universalvirus, Pictureswill duetothecorona- capacity seatingclosing orreducing WITH MOVIE THEATERS elderly orvulnerabletothis.It’s areally scarytime,butwe needto el of of them,even ifthey’re old—someofmy favorite peopleare over ye years seemslike justice.Iwas assaultedby him22years ago, andI yo yo you may say that themortalityrateisaround 1%,if10million you have officialsofthegovernment saying thisisn’t aproblem or as as muchyou cananddon’t assumethatbecauseyou don’t feel TaylorTa Swift ActorAc andWeinstein accuserCaitlinDulany ontheconvicted mogul’s sentence w was delayed, we’re way behindthecurve. Andtocompoundthat, sic sick thatyou aren’t possiblypassingsomethingontosomeone m make sacrificesrightnow.” pe people endupgettingsick,that’s alotofpeoplewhowilldie.Most th this isn’t abadthing.Ithinktome,the scarypartis,even though ha have lived withthatever since.” ha happening. Thisisthetimetocancelplans,actuallytrulyisolate SayS What? I’ Trolls World Tour m The films will be availableThe filmswillbe The initiative willkickoff

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GUTTER CREDIT GUTTER CREDIT passionately night.” express every the joy, that andgoodwill ourshows so heart arms sothat they cancontinue toexperience we willwelcomelit again, withopen fansback The Broadway League. “Once our stages are als,” presidentof Martin, saidCharlotte St. ers andmany profession- otherdedicated including actors, musicians, stagehands, ush- day, every who work industry inthetheater way andthethousandsof theatergoers people andwell-being of Broad- thehealth tinue tobe lost revenue could top$100million. entirely, scrapped mightbe runs Limited and commence13, butwould theweek of April 13. would nolonger go onafter5p.m. onMarch way announced last League week that shows restrict large gatherings ofpeople, TheBroad- over thecoronavirus. inNewtheaters York go darkduetoconcerns Times Squarefour daysBroadway after Times Square Hardin Times SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTOGRAPH BYVANESSACARVALHO/ MARCH 16,2020 NEW YORK A PEDESTRIAN HAS OFELBOW PLENTY “Our andwillcon- toppriorityhasbeen Citing Gov. AndrewCuomo’s directive to CLOSE UP VARIETY room inroom 11

TOP BILLING

A Very Costly Delay of Game

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS KNOCKS OUT LIVE SPORTS, A PILLAR OF THE MEDIA ECONOMY.

HOW QUICKLY CAN IT REBOUND? By Brian Steinberg

THE MEDIA INDUSTRY was expecting March Both McManus and Jeff Zucker, chair- of the country. I think we are all looking Madness. What it got was absolute chaos. man of WarnerMedia’s news and sports forward to that.” Just a week ago, two of the top exec- operations, knew viewers across the U.S. Within days, the NCAA canceled the EMPTY FEELING utives in TV sports were talking up the were worried about the spread of corona- tourney. Fans leave the NCAA’s annual men’s basketball tourna- Golden 1 Center in virus, a contagion that nations around the And that’s not the only sport that’s ment, one of the nation’s favorite sports Sacramento on March world have yet to defeat. But the games, been taken off the ﬁeld. In a 24-hour events and an economic juggernaut. 11 after the NBA they said, would provide a sorely needed period, the National Basketball Assn. (the game between the New Broadcasts of the March Madness games Orleans Pelicans distraction. “I think this tournament ﬁrst to postpone games) and the National by CBS Sports and Turner Sports in 2019 and Sacramento comes at an important time in the coun- Hockey League suspended their sea- generated a whopping $910 million in Kings is postponed try,” said Zucker, speaking on a recent sons. Major League Baseball canceled the when it is learned a advertising, according to Kantar, a tracker referee scheduled to conference call. “Notwithstanding the rest of spring training and pushed back of ad spending. Advertising slots for the officiate the game incredibly serious nature of what’s going its Opening Day by “at least” two weeks. 2020 games had sold out, according to had worked alongside on with the virus, I think that the tourna- Major League Soccer has suspended its a Utah Jazz player who Sean McManus, the chairman of had tested positive ment can hopefully be an outlet of emo- season for 30 days, with Europe’s Cham- CBS Sports. for coronavirus. tional and psychological relief for much pions League and Europa League matches AP PHOTO/RICH PEDRONCELLI AP PHOTO/RICH

VARIETY 13 TOP BILLING

canceled indefinitely. The PGA Tour has hourly, so we are working with our clients If sports are absent for a prolonged pulled the plug on its Players Champion- and video partners to come to an agree- period, the networks will have a hard ship and all events through next month. ment on where our ad dollars land.” time justifying the staggering rights fees The XFL ended its season. Augusta Billions of dollars are at stake. Madison they pay to air NBA games, NHL matches National postponed the venerable Mas- Avenue put down more than $972.5 mil- and MLB contests. Consider that AT&T’s ters golf tournament. And NASCAR said it lion on last season’s NBA playoffs alone, Turner Sports and Walt Disney’s ESPN would suspend some of its coming races. according to Kantar, and another $288 agreed to pay around $24 billion to All the leagues were acting in response million on the NBA Finals. If the league secure contracts with the NBA over the to the coronavirus crisis, hoping to slow does not finish its season, ESPN and ABC, course of a nine-year deal. And Comcast’s down the spread of the illness by elimi- which air those games, would presumably NBC-Universal struck a 10-year deal with nating the huge crowds that love to attend either not get the ad money committed to the NHL that’s said to cost around $2 bil- their favorite sport. them or would have to find a way to offer a lion. These sums are paid out in annual But in doing so, they’ve knocked out — “make-good” — a different package of com- installments, but so long as the leagues at least for now — one of the most endur- mercials that reach a similar number of stage an agreed-upon minimum number ing pillars of the media business. In an viewers as the basketball championships. of games, the networks are likely liable era when couch potatoes can watch many Given the state of TV ratings these days, for payments even if part of the season of their favorite scripted dramas and com- that could be difficult. ESPN is filling the is in question, says Daniel Cohen, senior edies via on-demand streaming, live TV hours it might have devoted to live games vice president of global media rights con- sports are one of the few things networks with more “SportsCenter,” documentaries sulting at Octagon, the Interpublic Group (and the advertisers who support them) and simulcasts of its radio programs. CBS sports marketing agency. still have to draw large crowds of simulta- says it will replace March Madness broad- The frenzy for sports has sparked neous viewers to generate big ratings and casts with its regular programs, includ- a number of big-ticket deals in recent sell soda, smartphones and Swiffers. ing repeats of “Young Sheldon” and the months. A significant absence of games “We are going on the assumption that series finale of “Hawaii Five-0.” It’s hard to could erode the business behind those there will be no live sports for the rest of see those shows bringing in the numbers pacts. Sinclair Broadcasting in August the first quarter and a majority of the sec- “We’re expected of the sportscasts. agreed to buy a passel of regional sports ond quarter,” said one media-buying exec- optimistic Will they get the ad money? “We are not networks previously owned by Walt Dis- utive familiar with discussions between the Olympics sure if it’s going to vanish or if it’s merely ney for $9.6 billion. Sinclair — with Ama- advertisers in sports programs and the are going being deferred,” says David Carter, an zon and other partners — also bought TV networks. “This is unprecedented and to happen.” associate professor of sports business at a controlling stake in YES, the regional unchartered territory — a pretty wild and Brian Roberts, the University of Southern California Mar- sports network devoted to Yankees base- surreal situation. Things are changing Comcast CEO shall School of Business ball, for $3.47 billion. ESPN, ViacomCBS and NBCUniversal last week struck a nine-year rights deal with PGA Tour valued at $680 million to $700 million. Via- comCBS last month re-signed the popular football analyst Tony Romo to a new $17 million a year deal. ESPN launched an entire streaming service, ESPN Plus, to capture mobile sports fans who want to watch games on the fly. Casino operator Penn National Gaming recently agreed to spend $163 million for a minority stake in Barstool Sports, the upstart sports site, in an effort to move more directly into the growing business of sports betting. The sports shutdown arrives at a critical juncture. All the big media companies — Fox, CBS, NBCU and Disney — are gear- ing up for talks with the NFL over new rights contracts. The most recent agree- ments with CBS, NBC and Fox went into effect in 2013 and are nearing the end of their nine-year term. The three networks are believed to be paying a combined $3.1 billion per year for Sunday games. ESPN’s rights to broadcast “Monday Night Foot-

SEASON OF ball” cost around $1.9 billion per year, and DISCONTENT its contract comes due sooner. From top: Oklahoma And then of course there are the Olym- City fans consider pics. NBCUniversal, which has U.S. rights their options after it’s announced to the sports extravaganza, said earlier that the March 11 this month that it sold more than 90% basketball game of its ad inventory for the Tokyo Games, between the Thunder and the Utah Jazz has a haul valued at more than $1.25 bil- been shelved; NHL lion. The company’s parent, Comcast, Commissioner Gary agreed to pay $4.38 billion for the U.S. Bettman postpones the rest of the media rights to four Olympics from 2014

hockey season. to 2020, and $7.75 billion for broadcast SEMANSKY/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK PHILLIPS; BETTMAN: PATRICK AP PHOTO/KYLE FANS:

14 VARIETY JULIO CORTEZ/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK director of the sports business programdirector of thesports sand dollarsinsalary, says Patrick Rishe, who misses outonafew thou- hundred for anathletemay hardtofeel be sorry diums, auditoriumsandracetracks. It Americanswhostaffworking-class sta- of putscashinto thepockets important, most perhaps inent advertisers; and, fuels bigmarketing withprom- deals salaries of athletes;timillion-dollar conglomerates. themul- Italsofloats the coffers of thenation’s biggest media recent callwithinvestors. executives offered similarsentimentsina Olympics aregoing tohappen.” Discovery this year. But again, we’re optimistic the wouldn’t “There this month. aprofit be Brian Roberts, Comcast’s CEO, earlier anOlympics,”should therenotbe said we make. nolosses Sothereshouldbe we alsohave insurance for any expenses sothat we’repen there, protected and foripate bigevents what mighthap- theirprospects.about toantic- “We try between 2018and2024. thefourto broadcast Olympic Games rights$1.44 billionfor theEuropean topay approximatelyin 2015agreed Discovery,million inprofit. meanwhile, inRio,Games withapproximately $250 its last SummerOlympics, the2016 2021 and2032.NBCUvaulted away from betweenrights totheOlympicGames The sports economyThe sports doesn’t just fill Both companies have sanguine been Palm Beach,Fla. Nationals inWest and theWashington New YorkYankees game betweenthe training baseball inning ofaspring during theeighth center fieldberm Fans watchfromthe SUNNIER DAYS remain to be played?remain tobe they someof stream thegamesthat sons insummertime, fall?Could orearly play outtherest of theNBA andNHLsea Couldabound: thenetworks andleagues out,” says Octagon’s Cohen. Suggestions property, you’re going tofiguresomething billion toacquire therightstoacertain you’re $10 $5billion, $4billion, spending isseenasencouraging.cel “When them, ordelayto suspend seasons, notcan The decisionby theNBA, NHLandMLB executives todigaway out. aretrying somesports ture cascadesaroundthem, utives available for comment. tomakeand Turner declined exec- Sports ESPN, Fox Sports, NBCSports, CBSSports tofind anewpath. leagues with thesports dented,” andindicated they would work theirsituation called “unprece- Sports BothESPNandFox terrain. unmapped can’t sellhotdogs.” see success they inthearena because making $25,000whoisnow notable to theguyinAtlanta moreabout “I worry at Washington Louis, University inSt. but have achance toprove newvalue to stretch inmid-April,” says Carter. thinking Iwas buying somethingdown the asexcitedmight notbe asIwas whenIwas advertisers willseethesamevalue. “I The media companies aretraversing companies The media Meanwhile, networks might thesports ofThe question, course, iswhether infrastruc-Even astheentiresports - - kinds of food.” casters tofigureouthow tomake different the leagues, theplayers andthebroad- another way It’s toeat. upon incumbent fed through live, they aregoing tofind hungry,”be says Cohen. “Ifthey can’t get quickly. going to fansarereally “Sports can findotherthingstoobsess over — Thenation mayton. love butit sports, options available at theclickof abut- have of otherentertainment allsorts lines for longinanerawhenpeople affected by this,” says Coplin. logue withallof the individualswhoare row aconcept fromesports. the year. Some of thenetworks mightbor- for ithadplanned laterries orspecials in could move upsomeof thedocumenta- might consider a“30for 30”marathon or and officials inmultiplelocations. ESPN even organize hall” a“town withplayers fashionortheir content librariesinsmart ters, butasweeks pass, they could curate as“newsandinformation”serve cen- outlets,stream hesuggests, oughttofirst onaregularbasis. Themain- pening utives available totellfanswhat’s hap- can make coaches, players andeven exec- networks at League-owned NFLNetwork. asvice presidentof programmingserved whopreviously producer an independent cultivate afanbase,” says CharlesCoplin, to isanopportunity die-hards. “There No onecanafford tositontheside- “There’s tohave anopportunity adia- VARIETY 15 TOP BILLING

“The Dr. Oz Show” started during the GUEST COLUMN swine flu epidemic of 2009. Two years Dr. Mehmet Oz later we helped launch the movie “Con- tagion,” which eerily simulates the COVID-19 pandemic. America knew the coronavirus pandemic was coming because Hollywood precisely showed us. Preparedness Perhaps this time we can learn from the crisis, especially as the ripple effects of the largest quarantines in human his- Without Panic tory shutter businesses and nudge us toward a global recession. For the first time in modern memory, the entire planet is speaking about the same issue MOST OF THE BIZ IS ON FORCED HIATUS, BUT TV with the same perspective. Doctors on DOCTORS ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO HELP SHAPE television need to help shape this script. THE NARRATIVE OF THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS We have the ability to translate dense pol- icy documents, scientific manuscripts and coronavirus mathematical modeling ALTHOUGH I NEVER realized this reality heart operations, dozens of “Oprah” show into accessible messaging, using our pro- until recently, most of my adult life has appearances and more than a decade grams to distribute easy-to-digest recom- been invested in training for the corona- hosting “The Dr. Oz Show,” I have learned mendations and concerns. Social media virus pandemic. As a cardiac surgeon, my that people change based on what they helps us reach even larger audiences. highlight reel never included media, but feel more than what they know. They We need health media destina- after opening one too many chests with desire practical “news that they can use” tions like my show that viewers trust so a band saw became overwhelmingly dis- over erudite salon talk. They need to like experts and influencers can share their heartening (figuratively and literally) I — in order to adopt — accessible solutions wisdom with the public. And we need realized many of the indications for sur- in a complex field filled with gloom and the health community speaking with gery could have been prevented through doom. All three insights pepper my coro- one voice. I have brought together our lifestyle changes. Much of America had not navirus messages. nation’s health leaders, ranging from the gotten the message on health because our As the public is understandably scared surgeon general to the world’s best epi- medical community had not widely deliv- about the spread of the coronavirus in the demiologists to our most trusted TV news ered the goods, especially to underserved U.S., we are comforted by knowledge and doctors, on my stage during this crisis to populations who watch network TV. As a preparation. I have studied the real risks educate and calm people. professor at Columbia, I could continue to our species, and the biggest threat is As a metric of success, we are all proud reaching patients one by one in my oper- infection. Historically, we have lost large that the new normals are fist bumps ating room, or try to spread critical health portions of our population from an enemy (which spread only 10% of the bacteria information more efficiently and to more — like infection — we could not see or that a firm handshake does) and social people through television and other media. understand and are hard-wired to panic FACTS OVER FEAR distancing, which brings us together by Now I am using every tactic learned as during its assault. Pushing facts over fear, Dr. Oz discusses keeping us apart. Americans now wash the novel coronavirus a surgeon, father and TV host to carry out reason before reaction, and preparedness their hands like surgeons, which is the (COVID-19) on an my life’s mission of educating, healing and without panic is an effective salve to these episode of “The Dr. ultimate DIY vaccine and reduces infec- informing the public. After thousands of emotional wounds. Oz Show.” tions by up to 50%. Helping Jimmy Fal- lon share my hand-washing technique empowers his very different audience to protect mine. Americans are accepting what historically seemed like draconian measures to suffocate this pandemic, because we are all in this together. Many in the entertainment industry are on forced hiatus, including some of my favorite TV shows. At this time, I will keep on filming my show so we can focus on coronavirus coverage for as long as possible while keeping the safety of my staff and crew top of mind. If I am forced to stop educating and encourag- ing Americans to stand firm in the blis- tering onslaught of the coronavirus, I will head to my NewYork-Presbyterian Hos- pital office. Both jobs can save lives, and both need to be manned until the last possible moment.

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, a New York Times best-selling author and the 10-time Emmy-winning host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” currently in its 11th season

of syndication. MEDIA BADKINS SHOW: OZ DR. STREIBER; ART HEADSHOT: OZ DR.

16 VARIETY “It’s still March,” says an awards strat- WAIT AND SEE egist at another outlet. “We’re exercising Lizzy Caplan caution and thinking about what’s right stars in “Castle Rock,” one of for talent, the public and the voters. It the few shows to forces you to look at the playbook and fig- have an FYC panel ure out new ideas. When you’re dealing before the TV Academy canceled with the health and safety of your casts all such events. and crews, dealing with business implica- tions and a potential writers strike, it puts things in perspective.” In some ways, the cancellation forces the networks and studios to streamline their Emmy campaigns — and perhaps levels the playing field for smaller outlets that couldn’t compete at the scale of big-budget events. Campaigners are likely also hoping that the pandemic will abate by June, when nomination voting takes place. “Should the virus be contained, we will contemplate a truncated FYC event season with an audience in hopes that we can accommodate partners impacted by early cancellations,” the Television Academy said in an email to networks and studios. In the long term, should the Primetime Emmy Awards — scheduled for Sept. 20 — be delayed, there’s precedent: In 2001, the Awards Campaigning telecast had to be moved twice in light of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and subsequent military action. A smaller, more subdued Thrown Into Disarray Emmys finally took place that November. The Golden Globes was scrapped alto- gether in 2008 due to the Writers Guild STUDIOS AND NETWORKS PIVOT TO DIGITAL; FILM FESTIVAL strike, replaced with a press conference CALENDAR IMPERILED By Michael Schneider and Marc Malkin announcing the winners. On the film side, awards season begins at the Cannes Film Festival. And there’s AS CONCERN QUICKLY GROWS over the offering networks and studios the option no better example of the festival’s impact coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Emmy of presenting FYC panels without a live on an awards contention than last year’s campaigns have gone from “FYC” to “F-Y- audience and either live-streaming the “Parasite.” The path of Bong Joon Ho’s Wait-and-See.” The television awards sea- event or taping it to post at a later date. Korean-language film to its historical best son has been upended by Hollywood’s The edict comes as in-person experien- picture Oscar win began in May in the south move to cancel virtually every upcoming tial events have become a central part of of France, where it took the Palme d’Or. event on its calendar — including those Emmy campaigning. Netflix and Amazon With the possible cancellation of this For Your Consideration screenings and spend millions of dollars each year to cre- year’s festival — and the already canceled panels that make up a large part of net- ate monthlong pop-up installations where SXSW and postponed Tribeca — and the work and studio Emmy strategies. voters can take selfies with stars, interact uncertainty of the weeks and maybe months Depending on how long the crisis lasts, with props from various programs and fill ahead, studio execs and awards consultants both the television and film campaign sea- their stomachs with free food and booze. say it’s too early to form contingency plans sons could be dramatically impacted by This year’s Emmy campaigns had for awards campaigning. “It’s just one big this unprecedented shift in how networks, already been disrupted by the move to wait-and-see,” a consultant says. studios, streamers and others premiere eliminate DVD mailers and switch to online If the Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), and promote their major awards contend- screeners only. In-person events could have Telluride Film Festival (Sept. 4-7), Toronto ers. While Academy Awards season is still at least helped awards strategists gauge Film Festival (Sept. 10-20) and New York months away, the “Road to the Oscars” has audience reactions and guarantee that Film Festival (Sept. 25-Oct. 11) take place already been affected by the cancellation some voters would see the programs (even as planned, contenders should have plenty of early film festivals like SXSW and Tri- though it seems that many members attend of time to campaign before Oscar voting beca, with more potentially coming. more for the meal and the opportunity to begins in January. However, if those events But the coronavirus outbreak has an gawk at celebrities). With that out of the pic- are canceled or large gatherings are still immediate consequence for the Emmy ture, some wonder whether just streaming being curtailed in the fall, traditional pre- race. FYC season got underway on Feb. panels will have much of an impact. mieres and Q&As as well as tastemaker 29, with the first event being a joint panel “I’m not convinced they are worth doing and guild screenings will be off the table. for Warner Bros. TV’s Fox drama “Prod- without the press line, photo coverage and Virtual campaigning, as with the Emmys’ igal Son” and Hulu limited series “Cas- journalists in the room,” says one studio Q&A livestreams, could wind up being the tle Rock.” In the days that followed, some exec. It’s unclear how many networks and driving force in the Oscar race as well. events proceeded, while others were can- studios plan to produce some sort of FYC “Everyone is trying to stay optimistic celed — until the Television Academy video or livestream, versus focusing on that the fall will be a fertile time to kick off finally halted all FYC events last week. outdoor, digital and trade advertising cou- the awards season, if not sooner,” one stu-

DANA STARBARD/HULU DANA Moving forward, the organization is pled with media coverage. dio exec says.

VARIETY 17 TOP BILLING

the Hong Kong government’s refusal to seal borders to mainland China H.K. YouTubers Spar prioritized politics over people’s safety. Around this time, pro-democracy YouTubers, some of whom have hundreds With Google Censors of thousands of channel subscribers, began raising the issue of demonetization. Political commentator Wong tells TOP CREATORS ALLEGE CORONAVIRUS-RELATED CONTENT BARRED Variety that he and three other YouTube FROM REACHING ADVERTISERS By Vivienne Chow content creators, including veteran film producer-turned-political commentator Stephen Shiu (“Long Arm of the Law III,” “Sex and Zen”), held a meeting in Hong YOUTUBE HAS BEEN accused of political February was down 50%-70% compared Kong with representatives from YouTube’s censorship by a group of leading Hong with previous months. Asia-Pacific regional office on March 3 to Kong content creators who claim the YouTube is not available in mainland discuss the issue. streaming giant has been barring their China, but has become a major media Wong, whose February videos have all politically charged video clips — includ- platform in Hong Kong in recent years been given “limited or no ad” status, says ing coronavirus-related content — from as more political commentators have he and others were told in the meeting that reaching advertisers. gravitated to the video giant, with certain content was being demonetized Creators such as Phoenix Wong are advertising dollars generated from clips as a result of an automated review system among a contingent of prominent political sustaining independent production. alongside stringent measures to control the commentators and media personalities Since June 2019, political commentary spread of “fake news” and false information who monetize their content through the and live media coverage of the ongoing related to the coronavirus outbreak, rather Google-owned platform’s popular partner Hong Kong pro-democracy protests than politics. Yet, none of the videos in program. However, Wong and others have been considered the alternative question was taken down. allege that since January, YouTube has to traditional mainstream media, with “It is an indirect form of censorship,” assigned many of their videos a restrictive, some content garnering more than a says Wong, who also suggests that some “limited or no ads” monetization status, million views. Chinese advertisers may have looked to though the company has recently taken That same month, YouTube updated silence commentators unwelcome in the steps to diffuse the charges. its advertiser-friendly content guidelines eyes of Beijing. “The original intention for this kind of with new measures covering a range Gary Kwan, who runs a channel platform was to support creative freedom of content that warrants “limited or no dedicated to paranormal activity, history and independence, but YouTube is ads” status, including hateful content, and popular culture, says some of his making it difficult for content providers to controversial issues, and sensitive events, videos referencing Hong Kong protests survive,” Wong tells Variety. classified as “armed conflict,” “death,” have been demonetized since June Videos with the restricted status are “global health crises” and “tragic events.” 2019. However, also since that time, his generally deemed unsuitable for ads, Reviews are conducted by an nonpolitical videos discussing movie meaning income is either constrained automated system, and channel operators classics such as Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” or barred completely. Such videos are can appeal and request a human review in feng shui and the Albert Camus novel marked with a yellow dollar sign visible the event of disputes. “The Plague” have also been deemed only to channel operators. Since January, a number of Hong unsuitable for ads. “This shows that A discernible trend emerged following Kong YouTube personalities have alleged YouTube is not censoring the content but the escalation of the coronavirus outbreak China’s authoritarian politics were the censoring the channel,” Kwan alleges. in Asia in February, when videos began to cause of the initial cover-up around YouTube updated its ad guidelines link the pandemic with China’s political the emergence of novel coronavirus in February with a sensitive events clause, situation. Some creators estimate that in Wuhan, as well as the delay in virus classifying coronavirus as one such income generated from their videos in containment. They have also alleged that example. The company has maintained that it is following global community guidelines and advertising policies, which are not meant to discriminate politically. In recent days, the business has promised an about-face concerning coronavirus content. In a March 11 Creator Blog post, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote that the platform has been reviewing monetization policies for videos discussing the virus, and ads will be enabled for select news partners and creators covering the topic. While the streaming giant says it will discontinue classifying Covid- 19 as sensitive content and expand monetization to more creators in the LOSING ADS weeks to come, creators will be asked Phoenix Wong says to report how their content complies YouTube is flagging with YouTube’s guidelines through a his coronavirus content for self-certification program on content political reasons. ownership and channel growth.

18 VARIETY Australian music industry contacts that “He’s created a world,” Littlefield says of Simple he got a foot in the door at Sony/ATV to pro- Wakely. “And the creative process is to not pose an idea for an animated series built only have a world that’s original but a world around the Beatles’ catalog. that as a viewer you’re able to navigate — That pitch became “Beat Bugs,” one of the where you’re able to be pulled through char- Twist of Fate first children’s series greenlit by Netflix and acter and narrative. And I think uniquely the first series of any kind to extensively use that’s what Josh was able to accomplish.” Beatles songs. It also won Wakely an Emmy Littlefield and Wakely are hoping, after JOSH WAKELY AND WARREN LITTLEFIELD for outstanding writing in a preschool ani- they find studio and network partners, to be TAKE A UNIQUE TV PROJECT TO mated program in 2017. He went on to in production before the end of the year — a MARKET, WITH HELP FROM BOB DYLAN create another children’s cartoon series, goal that, like so many in the entertainment “Motown Magic,” for Netflix. industry right now, is potentially challenged By Daniel Holloway Wakely began noodling ideas for a show by the massive disruption caused by the inspired by Dylan’s oeuvre years ago. Amid coronavirus pandemic. But although Wakely FOR FOUR YEARS, Josh Wakely has been the success of “Beat Bugs,” he managed to has been focused on “Time out of Mind,” his prepping a television project that many get hold of an email for Dylan’s longtime shingle Grace: A Storytelling Co. has other writers would kill to work on. Now the TV manager, Jeff Rosen. business in the works, much of it linked to and music-video vet has one of the indus- “I spent four days of pacing around my a unique deal Wakely signed in 2018 that try’s foremost producers backing him. tiny shanty of an office at that time,” Wakely gives him wide access to Universal Music Warren Littlefield has signed on to recalls, “and wrote this letter that said: ‘Bob Group’s library. serve as executive producer for “Time out Dylan is the most extraordinary artist of the “I consider Josh to be one of our most of Mind,” a gritty drama series that would last 50 years, and I believe I have a series special artist signings,” says UMG exec reimagine characters from the songs of that illuminates the full breadth of that VP Michele Anthony. “He creates compel- Bob Dylan. Wakely secured Dylan’s life and genius in a new way. Could I please come ling music-infused storytelling with every music rights for the project in early 2016, and talk to you about it?’ And I sent it off to project. His creativity is nearly unparal- and has since been working with the music the great email gods in the sky. Then I got an leled, and his work resonates with viewers legend, also an executive producer, on email that said, ‘I can give you 15 minutes.’” because everything he does flows from an mapping out the show. With scripts for the Wakely is careful not to divulge details artistic vision based on a desire to honor the first three episodes finished, along with an about his interactions with the famously ret- subject of his work.” outline of the first three seasons, Wakely icent Dylan. But the music legend’s involve- Wakely recognizes the singularity of and Littlefield are ready to take the pack- ment has been significant; he and Wakely the opportunities he’s been afforded. But age to market. have spent several sessions refining the his approach has clearly resonated with “I believe Bob Dylan’s the greatest chron- project at Dylan’s Malibu compound. music artists at a time when their cata- icler of American history,” says Wakely. Variety first reported in 2016 that logs are beginning to be viewed as valuable “And all those characters that he’s created, the series was being developed. When IP to employ as the basis for filmed enter- Maggie from ‘Maggie’s Farm,’ Joey Gallo, KNOCKIN’ ON Littlefield was told that a relatively unknown tainment — not just as soundtrack mate- Peggy Day, ‘Hurricane’ Carter, Tambourine DYLAN’S DOOR writer-producer had gained rare access to rial. Before pitching a project, Wakely puts Man — what if they all collided in the day The fabled trouba- Dylan, “my initial response was ‘No fucking months of work into writing scripts, gam- dour is collaborat- after JFK’s assassination, found themselves ing with writer- way,’” he says. The former NBC president bling that his material would fuel interest. in Greenwich Village for different reasons, director Josh has had an extraordinary run as a producer So far it has. and were propelled along a journey at this Wakely (center) and since leaving the exec ranks, godfathering “I try and put scaffolding around these executive producer time of deep turmoil in the streets, where Warren Littlefield Noah Hawley’s “Fargo” and Bruce Miller’s ideas,” Wakely says. “And I take a very real the world was changing?” (right) on “Time “The Handmaid’s Tale.” After reading Wake- risk that they reject months and months Wakely hails from Newcastle, Austra- out of Mind,” a ly’s “Time out of Mind” scripts, which came of work that they didn’t ask for. I’ve had drama series that lia, and came up directing music videos draws on characters to him through his reps at WME, he quickly this wonderful kind of run because they’re in his home country. It was through his from his songs. came aboard. responding to the ideas.” DYLAN: DAVID GAHR; WAKELY: NEAL PRESTON; LITTLEFIELD: GEORGE KRAYCHYK GEORGE LITTLEFIELD: NEAL PRESTON; WAKELY: GAHR; DAVID DYLAN:

VARIETY 19 TOP BILLING

Entertainment Industry Fallout

MEASURES TO HELP contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic have hit the entertainment business hard. From Hollywood to Broadway, Emmy FYC events to concert dates worldwide, the number of cancellations, postponements and shutdowns has been growing by the day. Here are some of the highest-proﬁle casualties. —Compiled by Will Thorne

MOVIE THEATERS MOVIE RELEASE DATES SPORTS

• Theaters in Los Angeles POSTPONED • March Madness canceled and New York ordered to • “Peter Rabbit 2: The • NBA season suspended close Runaway” (rescheduled • NHL season suspended • AMC Theatres closed for Aug. 7) • MLS season suspended nationwide for six-12 weeks • “No Time to Die” (resched- • MLB spring training uled for Nov. 25) canceled, start of season • “Fast and Furious 9” delayed (rescheduled for April 2, BROADWAY AND • The Masters postponed 2021) THE STAGE

POSTPONED AND UNDATED • All shows on Broadway THEME PARKS shut down • “Antlers” • “Black Widow” • Performances of • Disney parks closed • “Blue Story” “Hamilton” suspended worldwide in Los Angeles • “The Climb” • Knott’s Berry Farms closed • “The Lovebirds” • Six Flags America closed • “Mulan” • Universal Studios parks • “New Mutants” CONCERTS/MUSIC closed • “A Quiet Place Part II” EVENTS • “Sonic the Hedgehog” CANCELED (in China) TELEVISON • Avril Lavigne, Asia leg UPFRONTS and European dates of world tour EVENTS • A+E: Virtual upfront • BTS, “Map of the Soul” week of March 23 tour shows, Korea CANCELED • ABC: Disney planning • Ultra Music Festival, Miami • ACLU Centennial Gala, streaming events for its SXSW properties WYMAN/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK ALEXANDRA COACHELLA: TOCK; POSTPONED • CinemaCon, Las Vegas • AMC: Canceled for • Academy of Country • Emmy FYC events “individual conversations Music Awards (resched- • Esports Overwatch with advertising clients” uled for September) League, all events in • CBS: Streaming event • BTS, “Map of the Soul” March, April May 13 tour, European dates • E3 • The CW: Canceled tradi- • Coachella (rescheduled • Facebook F8 developers tional upfronts; working to Oct. 9-11, 16-18) conference on an alternative • Billie Eilish, North • Google I/O event • Discovery: Digital American tour dates • NAB, Las Vegas presentation May 12 • Green Day, Asia tour dates • MipTV, Cannes • Fox: “Reimagining” its • Khalid, Asian tour dates • Prague Film Festival traditional presentation • Pearl Jam, first leg of • Quibi red-carpet launch as digital North American tour • RuPaul’s 2020 DragCon, • Fox News: Canceled • Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Los Angeles its live event induction ceremony • Series Mania, France • Hulu: Traditional presen- • Rolling Stones, North tation canceled; will be • Snap Partner Summit American tour dates part of Disney’s digital (moved online) • Stagecoach (rescheduled presentation • YouTube’s Brandcast to Oct. 23-25) • NBCUniversal: Digital Marketing Presentation, presentation May 11 • The Who, U.K. tour New York • Neil Young, planned North • WarnerMedia: Digital presentation May 13 American tour POSTPONED

BEATING THE CROWDS • AFI’s Life Achievement Award Gala Paramount postponed • Nickelodeon the release of “A Quiet Kids’ Choice Awards Place Part II (top); • PaleyFest LA a sign on a door at the Minskoff Theatre • Sports Emmy Awards announces the suspension • Technology & Engineering of all Broadway shows; Emmy Awards the NCAA Basketball • TED 2020 (rescheduled Tournament was canceled for July) and the Coachella • Tribeca Film Festival

festival postponed. • WonderCon GASH/AP/SHUTTERS MORRY FINAL FOUR: WILLENS/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK; LION KING: KATHY PICTURES; JONNY COURNOYER/PARAMOUNT 2: QUIET PLACE

20 VARIETY STAY AT THE COVE • PLAY AT ATLANTIS

THECOVEATLANTISBAHAMAS.COM | 1.877.COVEVIP

EXPOSURE

EDITED BY MARC MALKIN

HAIRY SITUATION David Letterman speaks at New York’s Beacon Theatre on March 12 during the fourth annual Love Rocks NYC benefit for God’s Love We Deliver, a meal-delivery service for people living with serious illnesses. ANDREW H. WALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK

VARIETY 23 EXPOSURE ‘Mulan’ Premiere Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, March 9

Three days before Disney announced that it was postponing the release date of the live-action remake of the 1998 animated classic, the stars of the film — including Yifei Liu, who makes her international debut in the title role — hit the red carpet for the premiere. “Mulan” is the studio’s first to feature a cast of actors all of Asian descent. “It was pretty amazing. Everyone on Donnie Yen and Cissy Wang Doua Moua set, the cast members and a lot of the crew members, were Chinese,” Yoson An, who plays Chen Honghui and hails from Macau and New Zealand, told Variety. “So the moment we met each other, there was an instant connection going, like, ‘Hey, I know what food you like. You know what food I like. Let’s go get some food.’”

Ming-Na Wen

Chen Tang

Jet Li with daughters Christina Aguilera Jane and Jada Li Jimmy Wong Yoson An

Yifei Liu

Jet Li with Niki Caro daughters Jane and Tzi Ma and Jada Li MULAN PREMIERE: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK (9); LI FAMILY: AFF-USA/SHUTTERSTOCK (9); LI FAMILY: MULAN PREMIERE: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK

24 VARIETY ‘Boomerang’ Premiere Paramount Studios, Hollywood, March 10

Executive producer Lena Waithe opened up the decision to have black women direct all eight episodes of the BET drama’s second season. “I never even thought it was something I had to focus so much on. I thought that that would be the norm, but it really isn’t,” Waithe told Variety, adding that she feels grateful to be in a position to promote black talent. “I want to continue to introduce people to this industry who ordinarily wouldn’t have access to it. We’re introducing them but also teaching them the craft so they can stay in the industry and really make changes. That’s my legacy.”

Brittany Lala Milan Inge Dime Davis, Martin Lawrence and Lena Waithe

Tequan Richmond and Tetona Jackson

RJ Walker

LelaLelandl ndd B. MaMartinrtin

Cameron HamHamiltonilton and Lauren SpeeSpeedd (3)

HUTTERSTOCK

‘Bloodshot’ Vin Diesel and Premiere Sam Heughan Regency Village Theatre, Westwood, March 10

Vin Diesel revealed that it was his son, (7); BLOODSHOT PREMIERE: ERIC CHARBONNEAU/SHUTTERSTOCK (3) PREMIERE: ERIC CHARBONNEAU/SHUTTERSTOCK (7); BLOODSHOT Vincent, 10, who convinced him too take on the role of titular super soldier RRayay Garrison for his latest action film. “My“My kid did it,” Diesel told Variety. “Thiss iiss tthehe second time. … The only two preexistingxisting characters I’ve ever played — and those ofof you who know my work know it’s GGrootroot [in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’] and Bloodshotodshot — both of them, in some way, I can attributettribute to my son.” Co-star Lamorne Morrisis raveravedd about working with Diesel: “He’s superuper chill, goofing around all the time. He bringsings his family to set. The kids did a performancemance Lamorne Morris with piece for some of the crew. He throwsows littlittlele DMG Entertainment’s Bing Wu and Dan Mintz Eiza González

BOOMERANG PREMIERE: JOHN SALANGSANG/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK BOOMERANG PREMIERE: JOHN SALANGSANG/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK parties. … His sets are very chill.”

VARIETY 25 26 VREY VARIETY Thandie Newton Thandie Newton Dazzles A ‘Westworld’ + The long hair and The longhairand Age isalways a earring play with good idea.New- and dress overall. O mate sleekvillain. Channeling Hol- She’s theulti- the neckline the neckline the angularityof flawless without ton’s execution is premiere, lywood vixens from theGolden being costumey. Season 3 March 5 Hollywood, THE ‘WESTWORLD’ STAR WOWS ONTHEREDCARPET – WWD

By LeighNordstromandAlexBadia REPORT CARD Celine Dion u Lipa Dua Lipa C B sleeved gown. high-neck, long- suited for the though, are very hair andmakeup, flattering. The not themost unnatural and attempt feels However, this we are today. and thisiswhere Jolie legdress — that Angelina It allstartedwith March 5 London, Awards, The Global O her forh it. — andwe— love with fashionw of havingo fun as thequeen a songstressso solidifies the so e ensemble only R Robin Hood o of thieves, this u ultimate king RecallingR the + March 5 M NewN York, O + + Machine Gun Kelly Kid Cudi ‘Westworld’ B This looks like objective. That aside, theskinny an athleisure O marching that shouldn’t the body. flattering on top are notthat premiere, leg andboxy be anyone’s life band —and he belongsto Season 3 March 5 Hollywood Well done. and modern. rocker feels chic of avampire updated version this look.This succeed with tattoos to amount of and agood bleached hair need tohave You probably + March 5 New York premiere, Adolescence’ ‘Big Time O D +

GUTTERNEWTON: CREDITMATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK; DION: KRISTIN CALLAHAN/ACE PICTURES/SHUTTERSTOCK; KELLY: EVAN AGOSTINI/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK; LIPA: DAVID FISHER/SHUTTERSTOCK; CUDI: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK VARIETY & IHEARTRADIO ANNOUNCE OUR NEW FILM PODCAST

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Team at Compass indicate the unit carries Tom Tykwer Seeks monthly common charges of $875. Housed in a well-maintained pre- war tenement building, the extensively Sale of SoHo Co-Op updated one-bedroom and one-bathroom unit retains scads of classic downtown New York City architectural detailing: oak WITH CORONAVIRUS CONCERN spreading like wildfire across the city and world, strip-wood floors, exposed and white- washed brick walls, radiator heating and a German film and TV director Tom Tykwer has hoisted his pint-size cooperative pressed-tin ceiling over the kitchen. apartment along a charming tree-lined street in New York’s trendy and historic Two large, southeast windows fill the SoHo neighborhood up for sale at $800,000. Best known for directing the 1998 living room with natural light, while the film “Run Lola Run” and co-creating neo-noir TV series “Babylon Berlin,” the film- open-plan kitchen features rustically dis- maker hopes to double his money on the approximately 600-square-foot fifth-floor tressed wood cabinetry and high-qual- walk-up that tax records show he scooped up almost 11 years ago. Listings held by ity marble countertops. At the rear of the long and slender unit, the compact bed- Michael K. Davis, Marta Maletz, Saul Shapiro and Zina Raslan of the Mike & Marta room has, for lower Manhattan, a decent sized closet, and the bathroom is smartly divided with a toilet and sink in one itty- bitty but desirably windowed space and MARK DAVID a second sink plus a subway-tiled shower THE REAL ESTALKER behind a modern sheet of frameless glass. TYKWER'S HOUSE: MELANIE GREENE & MAY PEARL/MIKE + MARTA, COMPASS; TYKWER: PHILIPP GUELLAND/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK TYKWER: COMPASS; PEARL/MIKE + MARTA, HOUSE: MELANIE GREENE & MAY TYKWER'S

28 VARIETY SPRING REALR ESTATE GUIDE ISSUE DATE

APRIL 14 1 W CENTURY DRIVE, PENTHOUSE 40 GREG HOLCOMB / CASSANDRA PETERSEN COMPASS

LIST YOUR BRAND AND LUXURY ISSUE DATE April 14 PROPERTY IN VARIETY’S DISPLAY AD DUE April 9 SPRING REAL ESTATE GUIDE ADVERTORIAL MATERIALS DUE March 31 RESERVATION DEADLINE March 31 For more than 115 years, the industry’s most powerful and influential decision-makers have relied on Variety for exclusive, credible and straightforward news critical to the business of entertainment. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your brand, premiere products and listings to the affluent influencers of the entertainment business community in Variety’s Spring Real Estate Guide.

FOR AD UNIT SPECS, RATES & ADVERTORIAL ADJACENCIES CONTACT Natasha Millman (805) 796-2582 [email protected] DIRT

Wood-trimmed French doors open to a tree- a staggering $3.5 million below the almost shaded graveled patio. $12 million the seller paid in September Along with a library/office where floor-to- 2018 — and the new owners appears to be ceiling bookshelves are balanced by floor- “The Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus to-ceiling windows, a double-height media and his fashionable model-actor girlfriend lounge is tucked up under the cantilevered Diane Kruger. end of the living room. The voluminous, two- Perched on a gated promontory in the story master bedroom has a lofted sitting foothills behind the illustrious Chateau area and a clean-lined bathroom replete with Marmont Hotel, and radically updated sev- a cedar-lined sauna. Guests are comfortably eral years ago by design world mavericks housed in an en suite bedroom in the main Robert and Courtney Novogratz, the styl- $10.9M house or in one of the two detached struc- ishly unconventional 1920s villa presides tures, one atop the garage, the other nestled over almost half an acre and measures in into a landscaped hillside near the swimming at more than 7,700 square feet over three LOS ANGELES 4 BEDROOMS pool — each with a private bathroom. floors with four bedrooms and four full and 8,000 SQ. FT. 3 BATHS three half bathrooms. Thoroughly modern, open-plan interi- ors include a colossal, bilevel combination Kathryn Bigelow Tries Reedus, Kruger Snag living and dining room, a huge, high-end Again Above Studio City kitchen arranged around a marble-topped Hollywood Hills Manse island and an adjoining breakfast room Filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow has put her A castle-like home in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills that spills out to the backyard through longtime home overlooking a wide swathe was sold in an all-cash deal for $8.5 million chic, steel-trimmed French doors. A cou- of the San Fernando Valley in the moun- — considerably less than the original price ple of guest bedrooms, one with a fireplace, tains above L.A.’s Studio City back up for of almost $13 million, when the property are joined on the upper level by a spacious sale with a price tag of $10.9 million. The first came for sale almost two years ago, and master suite, where French doors open to a current ask is a substantial amount less than the $12.9 million the double Oscar winner originally asked when the secluded spread first popped up for sale almost a $8.5M year and a half ago. Now listed with Dustin Nicholas of Nicholas Property Group, the HOLLYWOOD HILLS not-quite-two-acre property has been 7,700 SQ. FT. owned by Bigelow since 1989, when she and her now ex-husband, Oscar-winning 4 BEDROOMS filmmaker James Cameron, acquired it 4 BATHS for $1.8 million. The property was trans- ferred to Bigelow the year following their 1991 divorce. The concrete-and-glass dwelling sits privately in a rustic setting along a semiprivate ridgeline lane with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in around 8,000 square feet of airy, loft-like living space spread over three floors. With soaring, 16-foot-high exposed- wood ceilings, two fireplaces — one in the living area, the other in the dining space — and a mix of pale blond wood and polished concrete floors, the cavernous, L-shaped main living and entertainment area features vast expanses of windows that frame rugged, undeniably cinematic views over the surrounding canyons and mountains.

For 10k a Month, Live steel appliances and a marble DIGS Like a ‘Real Housewife’ master bathroom with a separate shower stall. Amenities offered Sarah Jessica Parker Kickss American socialite and “Real by Park Avenue Court include a Up High Heels in New Spott Housewives of New York” TV full-time doorman and concierge, personality Dorinda Medley a private health club with a Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoe store is mov-ov- has put her Upper East Side swimming pool, and upper and ing from lower Manhattan to a familiar condominium in Park Avenue lower courtyard gardens. Medley storefront: the former Manolo Blahnik bou-ou- Court on the market as a rental, purchased the unit in 2012 for $1.2 tique Carrie Bradshaw used to frequent in for $9,950 a month. The unit like” ceilings, oversize windows million, and also owns a condo in “Sex and the City.” The shop is set to openen has two bedrooms and two and, of course, plenty of closet Manhattan and a vacation home in April, selling candles and fragrances asas bathrooms within 1,200 square space. Other highlights include known as Blue Stone Manor in the well as hand-crafted Italian footwear. feet. It’s been recently renovated hardwood floors, a modern chef’s Berkshires that she’s renovating. MAE HAMILTON and features 14-foot-high “loft- kitchen with shiny new stainless MAE HAMILTON ROSE/SHEMEDIA/SHUTTERSTOCK AURORA PARKER:

30 VARIETY DIRT

also a small ﬁtness room/yoga studio and a spacious office/art studio, while the courtyard-like backyard has a free-form swimming pool at its center.

Pharrell Aims to Sell Glassy L.A. Mansion Mononymic music dynamo, fashion designer and occasional film producer Pharrell has decided to part with a hilltop mansion in the Beverly Hills Post Office area of Los Angeles, hanging an almost $17 million price tag on the glass-walled architectural extravaganza he bought not even two years ago for $15.6 million from $2.6M Tyler Perry. Behind gates at the end of a 200-foot-long driveway, the more-than- SHERMAN OAKS 17,000-square-foot mansion, with 10 bed- 3,900 SQ. FT. rooms and 11 bathrooms, a geometric-roof 4 BEDROOMS design and enormous walls of green-tinted glass, is larger than some boutique hotels. 4 BATHS A triple-height atrium features float- ing staircases that crisscross over a series small balcony with sweeping views over the his former house in L.A.’s proto-suburban of waterfalls and koi ponds, while the han- city. The walk-in closet is lined with cus- Sherman Oaks community up for grabs at gar-size living room has polished-mar- tom built-ins, and the bathroom features a small amount less than $2.6 million. The ble floors and a multi-planed, origami-like a huge shower obscured behind smoked- veteran telenovela star, nominated for an ceiling. In the backyard, waterfalls pour glass panels. There’s also a giant family Oscar for his performance in the 2011 film over huge boulders into several lagoon-like room with adjoining kitchenette and a spa- “A Better Life,” has owned the midcentury ponds and a Playboy Mansion-style swim- cious guest suite with outside entrance, plus home since 2013, when tax records show it ming pool with spa grotto. The listing is a large, loft-like gym and a recording studio. sold for $1.4 million. held by Kurt Rappaport and Drew Meyers at The terraced grounds incorporate a variety Listed with Heather Witt and Martine Westside Estate Agency. of eye-catching tiled terraces, an outdoor Zoller of Rodeo Realty, the circa-1959 dwell- kitchen and a downright stunning, oval- ing sits on an elevated corner parcel in the shape swimming pool privatized by a wall of sought-after Royal Woods neighborhood and dense foliage and surrounded by lush lawn. contains four bedrooms — two master suites The listing was held by Farrah Brittany and two average-size guest/family bedrooms and Mauricio Umansky, both of The Agency; — and four updated bathrooms in almost Reedus was repped by The Agency’s Andrew 3,900 square feet. Botto and Wolf Amer. A monolithic smooth-concrete fireplace anchors the sprawling wood-floored living room, where huge banks of glass slid- ers open one side of the room to a walled Demián Bichir Lists and landscaped courtyard and the other to in Sherman Oaks the swimming pool. The up-to-date kitchen, with simple white Shaker cabinets and gray $17M Having recently upgraded to a slightly quartz countertops, opens to a roomy, glass- smaller but more expensive home about walled dining area that flows out to the a mile and a half away, Mexican actor pool and a cozy TV lounge area backed by BHPO 10 BEDROOMS Demián Bichir has unsurprisingly hoisted another smooth-concrete fireplace. There’s 17,000 SQ. FT. 11 BATHS

Get Presidential in was originally built in the 19th and cream-colored cabinets. The Washington, D.C. century, but has since undergone formal dining room has a set of a major renovation by architect French doors that open up to a The erstwhile Washington, D.C., Richard Foster and builder Tom private patio space, perfect for home of former President John F. Glass. With three bedrooms and entertaining and alfresco dining. Kennedy is now up for grabs at four bathrooms, the 4,659-square- Other rooms of note include an $4.6 million. Kennedy reportedly foot home is accentuated by eye- elegant wood-paneled study with lived in the house from 1949-51 catching white-framed windows a large fireplace and attached with his younger sister Eunice with black shutters. The gourmet wet bar and a spacious master while serving in the House kitchen has been outfitted with suite with an all-marble master of Representatives. The red- stainless steel appliances and bathroom. To top it all off, the brick beauty is on a charming features granite countertops, home also has a rooftop terrace cobblestone street in D.C.’s historic a large center island, a snug with clear views of the Washington

H Georgetown neighborhood and banquette and glass-windowed Monument. MAE HAMILTON

VARIETY 31 THE ENTERTAINMENTBUSINESS ACROSS EVERYSEGMENTOF HAVING ADRAMATICRIPPLEEFFECT Illustration byBrianStauffer By CynthiaLittletonandElaineLow THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC S VARIETY 32 H O C IS K W A V E S

GUTTER CREDIT VARIETY 33 In fact, top executives privately say fault.’ In a pandemic, man.” that the one certainty on the horizon When the acute threat of the pan- is that only the strong will survive the demic inevitably eases, the other mas- fallout. Weaker businesses and indus- sive challenge for the industry will be try traditions that were already past to reshape the annual awards, events their prime — notably a host of confer- and premieres calendar to make room ences and trade shows, film festivals for everything that was pushed into the and the springtime ritual of the network back half of this year and into 2021. upfronts — will have a hard time endur- The Tribeca Film Festival, the National ing the blow of a sudden shutdown. And Assn. of Broadcasters conference, Won- with dozens and dozens of productions derCon, Hong Kong Filmart and the AFI forced to go dark unexpectedly, includ- Life Achievement Award are among the ing at least two dozen pilots for the 2020- long list of events hoping to be resur- 21 broadcast TV season, industry insid- rected later this year. Many predict that ers predict the bubble on the Peak TV the Cannes Film Festival, which runs phenomenon may finally burst. May 12-23, will either be canceled or “This may have the effect of reining rescheduled given the crowd restric- in a lot of things that have been out of tions recently imposed by the French W control for a long time,” says a veteran government. Advertising and marketing studio executive. festival Cannes Lions has secured alter- The immediate casualties of the unex- native dates in late October in case the pected business disruption are, as ever, event is forced to move from its planned frontline employees who are no longer June 22-26 event. O clocking in hours, like those at the shut- The post-coronavirus world could see a tered theme parks operated by Disney “pretty dramatic” reduction in industry- and NBCUniversal, or the 50 employees of related events, says Rob Gabel, CEO of SXSW who got pink slips instead of pay- video measurement firm Tubular Labs. checks earlier this month when the annu- “When there’s a recession, you get a thin- N al festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled. ning of the herd,” he says. “If you’re not a With movie theaters being shut down tentpole event, or No. 1 or 2 in your niche, in major cities like Los Angeles and New you’re in trouble. It comes to the question, York as well as abroad, even more jobs ‘Are a you a must-attend – or a nice-to- that the gravity of a growing will be in jeopardy. The North America attend event?’ It’s survival of the fittest.” coronavirus pandemic has settled in weekend box office nosedived to $55.3 The prospect of an event of the scale million, its lowest levels since September of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and people are looking to safeguard 2000. There is widespread fear among scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9, moving their health and their livelihoods, the industry insiders that there could be to summer 2021 is but one example of sizable layoffs across Hollywood if the a shift that would generate global rip- entertainment industry is grappling impact of the virus continues to disrupt ple effects — for the athletes who have with three essential questions: How businesses for a lengthy period. toiled to get there, for the Internation- The halt of so many film and TV pro- al Olympic Committee and its partners, painful will the toll of shutdowns be on ductions that were poised to start, or for advertisers and the TV outlets world- the industry’s lowest-paid workers? were in full swing, will take a toll not wide that pay huge fees for the rights to just on the writers and producers but on the games. Beyond that, the timing of How high will the financial losses the lower-rung staffers who were count- the biennial Olympics fortnight affects climb? And how will the business ing on stacking a few paychecks and everything from movie and TV premiere gaining all-important credits to help strategies to festivals and conferences. handle the unprecedented domino land their next gigs. The scope of the damage caused by the effect on Hollywood’s traditional As yet, there has been no clarity from COVID-19 menace is still hard to mea- studios, networks and streamers on how sure, as the number of confirmed cas- calendar? The avalanche of hasty crews of shut-down productions will be es grows and the economy stutters. No cancellations and delays to events compensated in the dark periods. sector of media and entertainment has While the major talent agencies, man- been spared amid the cascade of cities and premieres that fuel the industry’s agement companies, public relations firms and states imposing bans on large pub- engines of commerce will spread the and studios have largely instituted work- lic gatherings and employers urging — from-home policies, and several shows and in some cases, ordering — staffers impact of the COVID-19 catastrophe are trying out virtual writers’ rooms, some to work from home. There’s no prece- well past 2020. The likelihood that a assistants and support staff on produc- dent in the modern era for NBA, NHL and tions that are still in business have been recession is looming in the U.S. will given no such option, they tell Variety. magnify the pain for major media “The workers who get paid the least, have the least-quality healthcare and the conglomerates. Industry observers least ability to use it are being pressured “THERE’S A LONG-TERM say the freefall of the Dow Jones into to continue exposing themselves for the SHOCK TO THE BUSINESS sake of showing up,” says one production bear market territory has put an assistant. “If we stay home, we can use AND A SHORT-TERM SHOCK instant chill, at least temporarily, on sick days, but if we run out of sick days, TO SOLVENCY.” we don’t get paid. ... But my bosses have acquisition and investment pacts. an attitude of ‘If you get sick, it’s your — James Angel, Georgetown University

34 VARIETY JAE C. HONG/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK No. 10inthefranchise. for moved edition intotheslotreserved “Fast andFurious” releases. Theninth ofyear schedule thecarefullyplotted Moreover, itthrows off by at one least to resultinmillionsmarketing redos. May 22bow toApril 2,2021,isexpected sal’s “Fast andFurious 9”fromaplanned andvenue schedules artists’ availabilities. labyrinthine process through of sorting years inadvanceoften booked a willbe shows that arts are and otherperforming musictours Thetaskof rescheduling ing. ects that were inthefullswing of lens- darkweeksbills onunexpected for proj- al dollars. Production entitieswillrackup marketinglions inglobal andpromotion- for programswillcost movies mil- andTV andcable broadcast outlets.linear for remaining anchor” note, the“last live whocalled sports Venkateshwar inaMarch12research ness,” wroteBarclays analyst Kannan economics of thelegacytelevisionbusi- experiment that islikely tolay the bare we arelikely toseealmost alarge-scale orcanceled, event eithersuspended ber, ontime. willstart hassaiditsseason which doesn’t gamesuntilSeptem begin For season. Baseball League now, theNFL, let aloneadelay totheupcoming Major midseason, suspended gamestobe NCAA To thehasty shuffleof wit, Univer- datesThe scrambletoswitch release majorsports every [nearly] “With STRATEGY INTERLOCKING streaming service. bows itsPeacock holder NBCUniversal Olympics rights 9, shortlyafter place July24-Aug. scheduled totake The gamesare Stadium inTokyo. the NewNational Olympic ringsnear masks walkpastthe Workers wearing - [that] have[that] smallerbudgets.” widelyor which may released notbe monetize thesetitles, those especially force for asearch otheralternatives to of titles,” says Venkateshwar. could “This andprofile number es thisyear inboth Disney releas-in previouslyscheduled normalizingrelativeschedule tothedip prove of Disney’s tougherbecause tobe a week before itwas settolandintheaters. “APictures pulled QuietPlace Part II”just Aprilearly tolate November. Paramount James Bondpic, “No TimetoDie,” from inthedecisiontomovepack thelatest MGMandUniversal the led determined. from March27toadate that’s yet tobe “Mulan”anticipated live-action feature — RobGabel,TubularLabsCEO YOU’RE INTROUBLE.” 1 OR2INYOURNICHE, A TENTPOLEEVENT ORNO. HERD. IFYOU’RENOT THINNING OFTHE RECESSION, YOUGET A “WHEN THERE’SA “Pushing into2021orbeyond could Disney was forced tobumpitslong- different expense.” operating self-financed anddon’t owe money, it’s a how muchoverhead they have. Ifyou’re totheater, theater vary on depending “We’ll seehow itgets. bad Truthfully, it’ll skeleton crews, heacknowledges. ny willhave toconsider scalingback as “scary.” thecompa- Ifticket salessink, for andthepotential threat lost business thepublichealth Dakota, described Theaters, whohasthreevenues inSouth owner Jeff Logan, of LoganLuxury break. of the economic by theout- crisiscaused through theeconomy.” ments. You could seearippleeffect could endupdefaultingondebtagree- and suddenlydon’t have they that cash, oncash depending ifthey’re strained, “For businesses that arecash-flow con- of finance at Georgetown University. vency,” says James professor Angel, business andashort-term tosol- shock Garcetti —willreopen. shut by mayors BilldeBlasioandEric — New York andLosAngeles, ordered aters in thenation’s two largest markets territories. There’s notellingwhenthe- if exhibition shutdowns inmajor persist short-term revenue andcash-flow issues, moviesished could intotheaters create theinability togetMGM andSTX, fin- “Everyone isconcerned,” hesays. Exhibitors arealsoonthefrontlines “There’s tothe along-termshock For smallerplayers like Lionsgate, VARIETY 35 showrunners andmyriad showrunners crucial actors, of producers in-demand schedules outthe of sorting toachaoticperiod lead dates. shoot rescheduling That’s sure to that studiosmeans can’t get ajumpon ing conditions may return tonormalalso how we’ll Idon’t pivot. know.” really it’sor Tribeca premiering, totell soon too for filmmakers that hadamovie at SXSW “Even thoughit’s horriblydisappointing didn’t have achoice,” Vachon tells designer.the famed “Halston,” starring Ewan McGregor as tion ontheRyan Murphy Netflix series 13, Vachon says shewas still inproduc- to have April 15-26.Asof March run year’s Tribeca Film Festival, whichwas at this settounspool thriller “Shirley” of KillerFilms, Moss hadtheElisabeth fare.buzz for artsy togenerateers looking salesandawards val for circuitisabigsetback produc- office by year’s endandintonext. followedod, by abottleneck at thebox summerperi- ing intotheall-important new dates, adrought lead- therewillbe that nation’s box office. closuresaretankingantines andtheater dom onMarch13,at atimewhenquar- But themovie intheMiddleKing- landed capitalizing onthestar’s inChina. appeal was of madelargely onthehopes shot” Diesel action-adventure vehicle “Blood- Sonycasualties of timing. Pictures’Vin 6 VREY 36 VARIETY The inabilitywhenwork- topredict “Given thecircumstances, Tribeca Producer Christine Vachon, co-founder Meanwhile, upheaval onthefesti- With somany for bigtitleslooking Beyond thetentpoles, there areother Variety . tion streaming services. Advertising services. tion streaming sumer pivot tofocus onnewsubscrip- ismakingthedirect-to-con- Hollywood just as spending sumer discretionary es, arecession willputabigdentincon- if. Even whenthecoronavirus crisiseas- recession isonthehorizon not iswhen, that the onlyquestion whethera about when layoffs onthehorizon. loom fer whenbusiness comes toastandstill, directors andstudio employees whosuf- of hardworking crewmembers, writers, the glitziest movies arebuiltonthe backs nationwide crisis. publichealth But even asfrivolousmiere postponements amida delays,production cancellations andpre- conglomerates. executive at oneof theindustry’s largest tobudgets,”come back says asenior if they incurlosses, you won’t seethem gistic savings operations. fromenlarged and morepressure togenerate syner- M&A activitythat broughtonmoredebt conglomerates arecoming off aburst of hitsat atimewhenmedia’slook largest and marketing Thishard partnerships. ences, tradeshows, promotionalevents onfestivals, spending scrutinize confer- at notimmediately. least urrected, res-were willnotbe shuttered abruptly pilotsandseriesthaters. AndsomeTV straightably tostream- windupheading verge willprob- intotheaters of heading Somemovies that werescrapped. onthe that someprojectssimplywillbe predict insiders Industry personnel. production Some may see the impact ofallthese Some may seetheimpact outthisyear and“If thingsarezeroed The turmoilwillforce to companies Georgetown University’s Angel asserts March 27. been settoopen film, whichhad premiere forthe red-carpet having helda Liu, despite starring Yifei remake “Mulan,” of live-action the release Disney postponed PLANS BEST-LAID ers andacquisitions. themselves inthewake of massive merg- Comcast andAT&T —arestill realigning conglomerates inthesector—Disney, platforms.streaming Thethreebiggest exemplified to by theshiftfromlinear of transition, inthethroes are already companieses. andentertainment Media choices resourc- wheretoallocate about were forcing companies tomake tough economic hitlast jitters month, virus in thesamespot?’” torebuildthesamehousewe need really torethink‘Do starts the fire, everybody forready that now. Andsuddenly, after economic cycle,” Angel says. “We’re there’s at theendof an brush dry very Theconditionsthrough. buildup, and longincoming. rection hasbeen marketthe stock sofarthisyear, acor- But asevidenced by thewildswings of omy hasavoided for morethanadecade. cycleboom-and-bust that afrothy econ- expenditures willfallintheclassic — PeterLiguori business. That alsotranslates totaking tion andless reliance on oneparticular various fires. diversifica- That means andkeep integrated vertically ironsin toworse.sion ranges frombad of anoutbreak-inducedthe impact reces- Ross of Business. School professor at University of Michigan’s of decades,” says assistant ErikGordon, aswe’veal uncertainty seeninacouple coronavirus asmuchglob- iscreating Street asitisonMainStreet. tive level onWall of alarmisaspalpable turninthecollec-sures. The180-degree mea- andpublichealth son tostockpiling the focus fromFYC events andpilotsea- hasgrownpanic exponentially, shifting antines. few Inthepast days alone, the for distancing andeven social self-quar- store shelves inabidtoprepare grocery preventive measure. would travel suspend asa fromEurope to thenation onMarch11that theU.S. liveannounced inasomber address the day afterPresident DonaldTrump ofThe pace shutdowns accelerated withafeeling leaders of whiplash. try hasleftindus-ing coronavirus outbreak DELIVER GREATRETURNS.” WHERE GOODBEHAVIOR WILL “THIS ISASITUATION But tothegrow- thepublicresponse Even before theCOVID-19 newsabout of itasawildfirethat comes“Think Today’s companiesarelargely media players,Among legacyentertainment “Markets hate uncertainty. The onPeople tobuyeverything dashed

JASIN BOLAND/DISNEY GRAHAM BARTHOLOMEW/COLUMBIA industry is a double-edged sword. isadouble-edged industry asadoyenposition of theentertainment sheet will be significant. Themeparks, significant. sheet willbe ness-continuity challenge.” damagecreate Thisisabusi- control. toCEO. isnotasituation of trying “This chairman andformer Tribune Media formerLiguori, Fox Entertainment ior willdeliver returns,” great says Peter of the illness.spread toprevent madeinaneffort being the decisionsare Therevenue-crushing suit. newdepartures. also suspend Disney Linewill Cruise through March. worldwideney parks would shuttered be their intenttoclose, that allDis- meaning announcedFlorida andParis soon parks regarding itsdomestic parks. Disney’s just priortoUniversal Studios’decision March14was starting madetime being toDisneylandshutter for the doors the cast’s internetbusiness. broadband would additionallydeliver ahittoCom- inordertopay rent—more roommates takingon people in withMomandDad, ing householdsizes —kidsmoving back recession, theconsequent grow-a full-on tially less fulfilling.” something muchless uniqueandpoten- have torework Peacock around “They’ll Peacock launchstrategy,” says Moffett. they alsolosethecornerstone of their todoaroundtheOlympics— planned nue andallof themarketing that they’d cast doesn’t just loseallof that reve- tobegin. are slated launch July 15,aweek before thegames with itsPeacock platform, whichissetto for NBCU’s foray wars intothestreaming 2034. Itwould alsohave repercussions holds therightstogamesthrough forwould bad NBCUniversal, which be move outof itsregularsummerslot inFlorida. season spring-break large crowds —throwing awrenchinto amongprevent of thedisease thespread inabidtothrough theendof themonth, arecloseddios’ domestic theme parks lyst Craig Moffett. Bothof Universal Stu- says MoffettNathansonthe pain, ana- aremoststudios likely andparks tofeel a movie studio andthemeparks. The cable networks, satcaster Sky, European cations, NBCUniversal’s and broadcast include internetandcable communi- place for andentertainment. media market- of theglobal depth andbreadth the COVID-19 scarehasreinforced the of differentber segments. Ifnothingelse, devastatingpotentially inanum- knocks The impact toDisney’sThe impact balance behav- isasituation wheregood “This followed soon A slewof themeparks Disney’s decisiontotemporarily Then there’s theWalt Disney Co., whose Assuming that theeconomy dives into Com-“If theOlympicsget canceled, forThe potential theOlympicsto Take Comcast, whoseholdings closed. the nationwere when theatersin China, arrived popularity in star VinDiesel’s take advantageof which aimedto “Bloodshot,” BAD TIMING like every part of AT&T’s part like every business is ic stress,” says Moffett. “So itjust seems econom-customers may facingreal be at afractionof theprice andwherenow when your competitors arelaunching have apremiumprice at atime point which you’reHBO Max, counting onto and you’re for preparing thelaunchof now facingmonthsof emptytheaters, ing NBA movie games, studio is “your ofTNT missing host- outonthebenefit get-tightening. That’s Asidefrom notall. has nothadtodobefore intimesof bud- competitors,streaming somethingit ofto face low-cost off against abevy rather aggressively.” is highlycyclical andislikely toshrink as theentirecompany of WarnerMedia, business, thesamesize whichisabout a recession, theircommercial wireline ing business even withoutarecession. In grow,” says were Moffett. ashrink- “They heavily leveraged. holdings,with media AT&T isthemost Ofallthemajorcompanieslem of debt. WithMax. AT&T, there’s alsotheprob- launch setfor May withthedawn of HBO Comcast, platform hasabigstreaming clays’ Venkateshwar. estimatesmillion to$30million, Bar- costs areclosed thecompanyparks $20 year. day that Every Disney’s domestic of thecompany’s income operating last half—45% madeupnearly products experiences andconsumer (like cruises) And AT&T’s DirecTV would have “It’s they problematic don’t because WarnerMedia AT&T, parent like going to be therightthing.”going tobe ple whoareinfactthebusiness —that’s ing that EQandfocusing onthepeo- for thesebigconsumer businesses. Hav estly will pay dividendsinthe longrun “ActingLiguori. andhon transparently everything,”only thingthat means says crisis. isthe of thepublichealth “Trust to keep onthehumantoll thespotlight wouldcompanies dowell at thismoment first timesince December 2010. comCBS sharesfell below $20for the trench just got that muchsteeper. Via 11-year bullmarket, theclimboutof the ic fears drivingtheendof Wall Street’s merger was With completed. pandem 4, theday thelong-awaited Viacom-CBS $30 billionmarket capitalization onDec. outmorethanhalfof ViacomCBS’wiped markets equities inrecentglobal weeks strategy for futuregrowth. Thewallop to that company theenlarged hasasound uphill climbinconvincing Wall Street comCBS, facingan whichwas already horriblefor hasbeen Via-demic panic likely getting tobe moreuptake. forMax andPeacock, example —are —Disney Plus, services streaming HBO workingpeople fromhome, thenewer andmore gathering bans ing citywide isthatcompanies withtheincreas positioned awkwardlypositioned at themoment.” Todd Spanglercontributedtothisreport. Rebecca Rubin, RaminSetoodehand But inkrises, even of red asthesea Meanwhile, thetimingof thepan Possibly for theonlybrightspot these VARIETY 37

------RARE GEM BY DANIELHOLLOWAY CARTOON NETWORKANDFAMILYPROGRAMMING TO ACLOSEHAVINGCHANGEDTHEFACEOF REBECCA SUGAR’S ‘STEVEN UNIVERSE’ DRAWS 38 VREY VARIETY

GUTTER CREDIT GUTTER CREDIT a burdeninthefinal nemesis Jaspershare Universe: Future.” Steven andonetime Network’s “Steven season ofCartoon HEAVY LIFTING

The climax of “Steven Universe: Sorcher had doubts at the time about whether Sugar’s vision could translate into a successful series. “We had always been the boys channel,” he says. Steven, with his three surrogate moms and The Movie” comes not when the hero his defensive superpowers emanating from a large pink jewel on his stomach, was an unconventional protagonist for a boys chan- battles the vengeful, superpowered alien nel. But Sorcher gave it a series order anyway. “If you just watch the original short, you will see a regular, atop the planet-destroying weapon. awkward, hilarious kid, and you see the mastery and the humor of the scenes,” he says. “It’s just a good show. It’s hard to watch even the original short and not be compelled to move ahead with It arrives a beat later when the titular that even if it doesn’t exactly fit with the rest of what has come before and around it.” Steven and his adversary, Spinel, form Sugar knew she would face barriers. As millennial kids, she and her brother, Steven Sugar (the inspiration for the character a delicate friendship while standing in a and himself an artist who worked for several seasons on “Steven Universe”), grew up devouring entertainment designed for and marketed to boys. They played Nintendo games like “Zelda: Oca- smoldering crater of their own making. rina of Time” and watched shounen anime like “One Piece.” “I was excited about the context of making something within Steven helps Spinal see that although the Cartoon Network, and I was excited about making something that was sort of quote-unquote supposed to be in the boys six to 11 trauma she’s suffered can’t be erased, demographic,” Rebecca Sugar says. “When I was young, those were the shows I liked, and I had really no interest in shows that were for girls. I wanted to make the show that I would have liked personal growth is good and possible. when I was younger as a nonbinary kid. But I also wanted to make sure that I was making that show without any of the signifiers Their rapprochement follows a slugfest as action-packed as that I used to understand meant I wasn’t supposed to be watch- any you’ll find on Cartoon Network. ing those shows.” And creator Rebecca Sugar had to fight like hell for it. “I would get these notes that he should obliterate her and rid SUGAR IDENTIFIES as a bisexual nonbinary woman. As a child, she the universe of her evil,” says Sugar. “That’s really not what our knew that she was bi, though she didn’t come out to her fam- show is about. But it’s what is expected from children’s program- ily or her partner — animator Ian Jones-Quartey, who served as ming — that if there’s a bad person, you kill them, and then every- co-showrunner on the first three seasons of “Steven Universe” — thing will be fine. I just think there should be some alternative.” until five years ago, long after she had embedded in the series a It was that kind of alternative thinking by the groundbreak- number of queer relationships and characters. ing showrunner that went into creating a boy hero raised by three In addition to a bright color palette and silly playfulness, “Ste- superpowered, female-coded, nonbinary space aliens — clearing ven Universe” boasts a mythological spine that could wow a Tolk- fresh terrain in children’s programming. ienologist. No character better illustrates this than Garnet, one of Sugar sits in a windowless room inside Burbank’s Cartoon Net- Steven’s surrogate mothers. A cool, towering warrior voiced by the work Studios, where she is wrapping post-production on the final pop singer Estelle, Garnet is the fusion of two Gems, Ruby and Sap- episodes of “Steven Universe: Future” — the event-series coda phire, who choose to merge to form one being — though they are to her long-running “Steven Universe.” An animated epic that able to separate into their individual forms when called for. Sugar unspooled over 174 episodes and a movie on Cartoon Network, based Ruby and Sapphire on herself and Jones-Quartey, and over “Steven Universe” featured a wedding between two female char- the course of the series revealed that the relationship between the acters before gay marriage was legal throughout the United States. two characters is a romantic one. It won an Emmy, a Peabody and a GLAAD Media Award. And it has Sugar played the long game with Ruby and Sapphire, not even been hailed for its inclusiveness, its breakdown of gender norms revealing them or Garnet’s true nature until Episode 52, “Jail- and for the singularity of Steven — a protagonist defined not by break.” One hundred episodes later, the two characters enjoyed his powers (which are awesome) but by his emotional intelligence. an on-screen wedding. Steven also boasts the goofy sense of humor that appeals to “I wanted to give them every kind of romantic cartoon episode,” Cartoon Network’s core audience of 6- to 11-year-old boys and says Sugar. Over the course of “Steven Universe,” Ruby and Sap- engages often in the rough-and-tumble adventuring they crave. phire reunite following a forced separation, argue, even flirt in the Now the “Steven Universe” saga is ending with a four-part finale middle of a high-stakes baseball game. Their wedding ends with set for March 27, having managed a magic trick — connecting with them again forming Garnet, who embraces herself in an emotional its network’s target viewers while also drawing together a devoted, dance sequence. “Ultimately I wanted them to have this big, ani- inclusive base of underserved fans who might not otherwise find mated wedding. These are all cartoon tropes that I enjoyed when I their way to the network. was younger and wanted for them. And it was extremely difficult.” “‘Steven Universe’ can truly be watched and enjoyed and loved by a very young audience who’s following a wonderful adventure and a set of funny characters and all the things that make for a great show,” says Rob Sorcher, executive VP and chief content officer of Cartoon Network. “But it also has something for those peo- “ I REALLY WANTED TO RESPECT ple who want to dip into it later in life. It is clearly also exploring other themes that are resonating with people.” THE INTELLIGENCE AND THE Sugar’s relationship with Cartoon Network began in 2010, IMAGINATION OF OUR YOUNG when she worked on Pendleton Ward’s “Adventure Time.” She cre- AUDIENCE WITH STORIES THAT I ated the character of Steven Universe — the child of a human and a powerful alien from a race known as Gems — for an animated PERSONALLY FOUND INTERESTING.” shorts program that Sorcher launched in 2009 in part as a talent-development mechanism. REBECCA SUGAR

40 VARIETY PREVIOUS SPREAD & THIS PAGE: CARTOON NETWORK (3) is ple thinkthat that isnotathing,” Sugarsays. “Iknow for afactit peo- because todothiswas metwithalotofopposition was trying necessarily butmake that, content for queeryouth, whichwhen I wanted todowas not Ireally ters withsame-sex parents. “What of queerrepresentation oncharac- inkidsprogramming focused Megan Townsend says of theshow. ies now that arefollowing inthat kidsandfamilyspace,” GLAAD’s that thecompany’s isnow population artist faryounger thanever. “That’s thewake of ‘Steven Universe,’” says Sorcher, whonotesalso staff where52%ofstudio isnow production Network, female.toon itwithhelpingevolve Sorcher credits Car- but theshow survived. this material.” thistothequeercontent about generating creator sion tospeak movebold Network for Cartoon tomake, toactuallygive thedeci- what about whichinhindsight was Iwas areally doing, the truth this meetingthat itwould my be decisionifIwere going totell continued down shewas“Ultimately thepath they on. toldmein that theshowcautioned could censored internationally be ifshe tell you tostop, inbigotry.’” that would based be Sugarwas then ‘We know that you’re doingthis, andwe know that ifwe were to not before explaining thestakes toher. Networkher late 20swhenCartoon gave herthegreenlight—but other instances ofqueerrepresentation ontheshow. Shewas in a thing, because Iwas because a queer child.” athing, Sugaraddsthat muchofwhat shehadseenpreviouslyinterms “It’s suchawave created of inclusive shows andeven mov- inmultiple territories, “Steven pulled Universe” up being ended andthey broughtmeinfor essentially ameeting, said,“They alongtime pushingfor andSugar spent thewedding episode Thesameelements that made“Steven Universe,” asSugarcalls queer representation. embodied muchoftheshow’s the characterGarnet Universe” sagainclusive; fought tomakethe“Steven Rebecca Sugar(above) CREATIVE CONTROL this work.” have love Ijust really your doing immersed. really audience be tive that you canthrow and wild concepts andwildvisualsin, in, to imaginegivingupanaudience that’s andsoimagina- soopen, audience.such agreat Theirimaginations are sohuge. It’s difficult she alsoindicates that she’s notyet donewithkidsprogramming. success of shows like “Bob’s Burgers” and“BojackHorseman.” But cycleto adultanimation amidthe —afield experiencing aboom Jones-Quartey. Sheadmitsthat shehasgiven thoughttoshifting “Steven onfinallygoing with onahoneymoon Universe” isfinished, hernextbe creative endeavor, andinsists that she’s once focused, tothem.”would adisservice be that Anythinginteresting, want Iwould to tell. really less Ithink nation ofouryoung audience with stories found that Ipersonally get-go, theintelligence torespect wanted andtheimagi- Ireally it’s more;itisfirst andforemost acartoon.” Sheadds, “From the it’s somuchmore,’” shesays. “Ilove sotomeit’s cartoons, notthat theprogramisg that because the idea asitson-screen castence ofcharacters. asbroad But Sugarrejects ers whowilldiscover itfor thefirst apps. timethroughstreaming viewers whenthe showlinear in2013now premiered invites view- serialization world andcomplex ahurdlefor that presented story tainment butrarelysaw Andthe themselves therein. reflected inspeculative fictionandgenreSugar grewupimmersed enter- withyoung Itsqueerthemesresonated nomenon. adultswholike “ait, difficultshow toprogram,” turnitintoaphe- intimehelped “Ilove makinganimation for kids,” shesays. “Ithinkthey’re Sugargrinsassheavoids for what her ideas talkingabout could tellme, “I’ve hadpeople ‘It’s because akidscartoon notreally Asitcomes toaclose, “Steven Universe” hasfound anaudi- ood, it’s VARIETY not meant for kids.not meant 41 INNOVATOR INDIE 42 By BrentLang ITSELF ALONGSIDE ACHANGINGINDUSTRY YEAR, HAS PROSPERED BY CONTINUALLY REINVENTING SCRAPPY DISTRIBUTOR IFC, WHICHTURNS20THIS VREY VARIETY Catherine DeneuveandClémentine Ethan Hawke,JulietteBinoche, Hirokazu Kore-edaandstarring Grenier, marksHawke’s eighth “The Truth,”directedby LONG-TERM COMMITMENT collaboration with IFC. which means they can shelloutmillions which means don’t rely onbox office tomake aprofit, that movies Thesecompanies are valued. Amazon Prime isshakingup theway Huluand suchasNetflix, ing services dance andCannes. Theriseof stream- for festival breakouts inplaces like Sun- harder for like companies IFC tocompete Schwartz. “We tothemarket.” respond stops we working, stop doing it,” says eo-on-demand platform. eo-on-demand Films itsown subscriptionvid Unlimited, world, launching IFCinto thestreaming place). Andlast year, thecompany dove thing that hassince become common- at the same timethey (some hittheaters debut movies oncable video-on-demand IFC Films was thefirst indiedistributor to vent itselfalongsidetheindustry. In2006, isthat it’sendured willingtorein been thecompany of thereason hasthat part Sundance label Selects, thinksmentary Films anditsforeign filmanddocu- and Open Road haveand Open allgoneup. belly Films,utors suchasOctober Green Broad filmdivisions,their specialty whiledistrib- amount andWarner Bros. have shuttered majorstudiosIFC suchasPar- launched, rate.ing mortality Inthetwo decadessince havewhere indielabels suffered astagger- anniversary, aneternity inabusiness able milestone. Thisyear marksits20th actor, avener- thecompany hasreached same scrappy spiritthat first attracted the says Hawke. of my work life would different,” be nese dramafromHirokazuKore-eda. Truth,”upcoming “The aFrench-Japa- the Oscar-winning “Boyhood” andthe New York-based distributor, including He’s collaborated oneightfilmswiththe ma haskept for himcoming back more. ing andcompelling auteur-driven cine- IFC’s commitment tofostering challeng- butand ritzyhotelsuitesmay lacking, be a bigstudio movie. Theprivate planetrips comfortsing thecreature that come with signs upfor anIFC release, he’s abandon- indiefilm.”in agood tious. Thosearethequalitiesyou for look andscrappy,gry notpreten- andthey’re thespiritofmatched ‘Blaze.’ IFC ishun- film,” says Hawke. “But thissomehow er ifwe’d had$20milliontopromotethe toanother.rental carsfromonetheater thecaststate andcrewin whileferrying crisscross the2018film, thedio behind onethat saw stafferseffort, at IFC, thestu- musicfans. Itwascountry agrassroots Texas talkingupthelow-budget indieto songwriter Blaze Foley, hewent around “Blaze,” singer- troubled hisbiopicabout WHEN ETHANHAWKE Right now, that market ismakingit “We stay nimble, andifsomething Lisa Schwartz,of IFC co-president Even asIFC continues toembrace that themthewholelandscape“Without Hawke acknowledges that whenhe “Of course, itwould have easi- been was promoting

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IFC FILMS of dollars for indie releases. At Sundance, “We’re not afraid to take risks,” says Netflix spent nearly $10 million for the Bocco. “We look for films and filmmak- documentary “The 40-Year-Old Version,” ers that have something to say, even if it’s Amazon plunked down $12 million for something difficult or polarizing. Some the road comedy “Uncle Frank” and Hulu of those movies may have walkouts, but partnered with Neon to buy the Andy that makes people want to see them and Samberg rom-com “Palm Springs” for a be part of a conversation, and then make record-setting $22 million. That’s made a decision for themselves.” it challenging for bottom-line-oriented Not all of these movies have been players such as IFC, which still needs to big moneymakers. However, AMC Net- sell enough tickets to survive a notori- THE works, the indie label’s corporate par- ously low-margin business. Tellingly, IFC C-SUITE ent, believes that IFC plays an important left Sundance without closing any deals, role in enhancing its overall brand. Josh although it bought the Jude Law drama Sapan, the company’s CEO, notes that “The Nest” in March. there’s a healthy amount of cross-polli- “There were a lot of films that we would nation between the indie studio and the be interested in, but not at that price,” cable properties, such as AMC and Sun- says Arianna Bocco, executive vice pres- dance TV. Such directors as Lynn Shel- ident of acquisitions and production for ton (“Your Sister’s Sister”) and Shannon IFC Films. “The streamers have a differ- Murphy (“Babyteeth”) have made mov- Arianna Bocco ent business model. I don’t have insight ies for IFC and overseen episodes of the into what their algorithms are. But there EXEC VP OF ACQUI- company’s shows, including “Mad Men” SITIONS AND PRO- are a lot of times where I think something DUCTION, IFC FILMS and “Killing Eve.” is a slam-dunk for us and then find myself “This is an incredi- “If they work with us on the film side,

going, ‘Oh no, Amazon is picking it up.’” bly respected and they see that we value creative work that IDIOSYNCRATIC INDIES Instead, IFC Films has decided to back solid brand that is different and sets new grooves in the “The Trip,” starring Rob Brydon has a reputation for more movies at the script stage, betting ground and that makes them want to and Steve Coogan, and “Boyhood,” on filmmakers’ visions before they can working with first- work with us on the TV side as well,” says with Ellar Coltrane, are among the time filmmakers in critically acclaimed films for sell their finished projects to the highest Sapan. “It’s all part of our underlying a way that elevates which IFC has found audiences. bidder on the festival circuit. The com- their careers.” belief that fresh material will rise to the pany currently backs between two and top regardless of that format.” three of its movies before cameras start The studio also takes a bespoke rolling, as it did with “The Truth.” The approach to the movies it releases. It may goal is to push that number to five to 10 not shower filmmakers with financial annually. All told, IFC releases 30 to 35 resources, but it compensates for that by films each year, some having a day-and- offering them a seat at the table. Directors date component, others with a tradition- who have worked at IFC say they appreci- al theatrical rollout. ate its collaborative spirit and the way it “At festivals, things have gotten cra- Josh Sapan involves them in decisions about market- zy,” says Schwartz. “So we’ve made a con- ing materials and promotional activities. CEO, AMC scious decision to step back, take a beat NETWORKS “I think directors come back to work company’s leadership says it has become and make sure we’re leaning into some- “The company has a with them again and again because they a meaningful source of revenue during the thing in a responsible way.” commitment in our feel respected and valued and they know first few months of 2020. There are plans Despite the business challenges, IFC very fabric to cre- they’ll treat their cinematic baby with to expand the company’s suite of stream- Films has found audiences for idiosyn- ativity and to story. care and love and proper attention,” says ing offerings, though those details are also That’s not a hobby cratic masterworks that might have been Shelton, a director whose three IFC cred- being kept under wraps. for us. It’s essential “It will be a big focus for us,” says ignored or had their edges sanded off by to what we do.” its include “Sword of Trust.” “You don’t mainstream distributors. Its list of cred- see your film pigeonholed into a box. It’s Schwartz. “I feel a responsibility to these its reads like a history of the indepen- not pushed out into the world like a sau- filmmakers and these films to keep finding dent film movement of the early aughts. sage made on a factory line.” ways for their movies to be monetized.” They include critical favorites such as The studio’s upcoming slate includes At the same time, Schwartz and Bocco “The Death of Stalin” and “45 Years,” for- not only “The Truth,” which finds Jap- believe there remains an important role eign-language offerings like “4 Months, anese auteur Kore-eda (“Shoplifters”) for theaters in the new distribution land- 3 Weeks and 2 Days” and “Y Tu Mamá directing his first film outside his native scape. For one thing, a theatrical release También,” and cult horror films includ- language, but also “How to Build a Girl,” a and the attendant publicity that accom- ing “The Human Centipede,” which made coming-of-age comedy with “Booksmart” panies a debut on screens helps raise the headlines with its novel blending of the Lisa Schwartz breakout Beanie Feldstein. There’s also profile of movies, they argue. gory and the scatological. CO-PRESIDENT, IFC “The Trip to Greece,” the fourth install- “It’s evident that the theatrical experi- FILMS AND SUN- “When ‘South Park’ parodied it, we ment in an unlikely franchise for IFC, one ence is under threat, but I don’t think it’s DANCE SELECTS knew we’d hit a nerve,” says Schwartz. “We embrace tech- that finds comedians Steve Coogan and in danger of extinction because theater- IFC Films has also shown a willingness nology and innova- Rob Brydon enjoying haute cuisine and going is a social experience, and as long to get behind projects that might be too tion. Our constant exotic ports of call while trading dueling as we have a communal society, it will divisive for other distributors. In the past mission is to be in impressions of Michael Caine. continue to exist,” says Bocco. two years, it has bought the Lars von Trier front of as many “It’s definitely the last one,” says It’s also a business that IFC knows inti- serial killer drama “The House That Jack people as we can Michael Winterbottom, who has direct- mately — the company runs the IFC Cen- with our films by Built” and Václav Marhoul’s World War ed every installment of the series since ter, an art-house cinema in the heart of allowing people to II drama “The Painted Bird.” Both films choose how they it kicked off with 2010’s “The Trip.” “We Greenwich Village that has a devoted cli- were unsparing in their on-screen brutal- want to watch them close out the journey with this film.” entele of cinephiles. ity, prompting walkouts when they played and when they want On the distribution front, IFC hasn’t “Clearly we have a dog in this fight,”

THE TRIP, BOCCO, SAPAN, SCHWARTZ: IFC (4); BOYHOOD: IFC PRODS/DETOUR FILMPRODUCTION/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK PRODS/DETOUR IFC BOYHOOD: (4); IFC SCHWARTZ: SAPAN, BOCCO, THE TRIP, at Cannes and Venice. to watch them.” released ﬁnancials for IFC Selects, but the Schwartz says.

VARIETY 43 ISSUE DATE JULY 14

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GAL GADOT IN WB’S ‘WONDER WOMAN’ MAY HELP SAVE THE SUMMER B.O. ONLY IF THE PANDEMIC ABATES WARNER BROS. WARNER

VARIETY 45 46 SCREENS WITHBLOCKBUSTERS REBOUNDS AS STUDIOS JOCKEYFOR EXHIBITORS AREHOPINGFOR BOX-OFFICE MADNESS MID-SUMMER

“Jungle Cruise”thissummer yCrl Horst By Carole of itsthemeparkfavorites as Disneybetsthatanother Dwayne JohnsonandEmily will hitwithaudiences. Blunt arescheduledfora ROCK SOLID

CINEMA S

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E R 46 Page FOCUS, SUMMERCINEMA VARIETY.COM 03172020 season hopefuls andholiday hopefuls blockbusters.season stuffedand fourthquarters, arealready withawards whentheaters cause awholenewproblem—that of overcrowded inthethird theaters Time toDie” toNovember. Ifstudios move films, moreupcoming itwill “No pricey theequally James2, 2021,whileMGMpushed Bondentry expensive “Fastvery &Furious” franchiseinstallment “F9”toApril China, SouthKorea Universal spurred andacross tomove Europe the acatastrophic summer.up tobe spring andearly closuresin Theater office, thestudios could asighof breathe reliefafterwhat’s shaping ond-largest box office. ifthehighsummerslate grabs Infact, bigbox withthesec- outs aroundtheworld inChina,thecountry —especially and late-summer fare.and late-summer thesefilmswillget normalroll Studioshope at mid- —andrelyingontheirmenu ofmeaty ahead year arelooking empty,be thestudios andwhilethat this mightstill mighthappen, that will thesummertheaters predicting Agents arealready of doom tocontrol apandemic. have cooperation totry global we needed NEVER HAVE WE needed summermovies morethannow,needed butnever -

DISNEY JUNGLE CRUISE PARAMOUNT SONY July 24 TOP GUN: MAVERICK GHOSTBUSTERS: June 26 AFTERLIFE It’s time to stop making fun of Dis- July 10 ney for using its theme park rides It’s the sequel that we didn’t as feature film IP. The Mouse know we needed. Tom Cruise The franchise is back with a cast House has made a lot of money returns as Maverick — older, a lit- and story that may quell the and surprisingly entertaining tle wiser but ready to break the trolls that blasted Paul Feig’s movies based on rides, and this rules when necessary. Miles 2016 reboot featuring an all- one looks to continue the trend. Teller and Glen Powell are the female monster-hunting team. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt new breed pilots, but the trailers This time, Jason Reitman takes topline this action-adventure that showcase Cruise and his on-set over the helm from Papa Ivan, should dominate late summer. chutzpah. That’s what audiences who gave us the iconic original, The pair exhibit great chemistry pay to see: the stunts, the atti- with Paul Rudd and “Stranger and Blunt can handle anything an tude, the good-looking pilots that Things” star Finn Wolfhard. The action movie throws at her (see made the first “Top Gun” iconic. original Ghostmobile and super- “Edge of Tomorrow”). Johnson is Paramount debuted an extended natural-being fighting equipment the world’s biggest movie star at trailer during the Super Bowl. are resurrected, and the trailer this point. And yes, it teases some kind of promises plenty of action but beach athletic competition that not too much comedy. Neverthe- THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN involves shirtless hunks and, less, Sony’s marketing depart- Aug. 14 since it’s the 21st century, super- ment has a lot of work ahead fit women. of it to sell this reboot to fans This live-action animated hybrid who were underwhelmed a few INFINITE features a stellar voice cast of years ago. Aug. 7 Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, Helen Mirren and Danny DeVito, MORBIUS not to mention Bryan Cranston in Antoine Fuqua’s adaptation of D. July 31 a human role. The film is based Eric Maikranz’s novel “The Rein- on the children’s bestseller of the carnationist Papers” stars Mark Jared Leto is Dr. Morbius, the Liv- same title by Katherine Apple- Wahlberg (who took over after ing Vampire, from the Marvel gate. It follows a gorilla called Chris Evans dropped out) as a comics. Sony has done a great Ivan and his animal friends, who man who is haunted by his past job with “Spider-Man” and had a live in an unconventional “zoo” lives, but then stumbles on a big hit with “Venom,” so this — a suburban mall. secret society of people who looks like a smart bet on a comic DANGER ZONE possess total recall of their previ- book adaptation. Heck, the Tom Cruise once ous lives and decides to join movie looks pretty cool under FOX again takes them. The sci-fi thriller is a per- Daniel Espinosa’s direction, and FREE GUY flight and fect late-summer palate cleanser the film is packed with terrific July 3 performs daring but Paramount must market the actors including Jared Harris and stunts as a navy heck of it to draw large crowds pilot in the se- Matt Smith, not to mention Leto, Could this be the sleeper hit of quel “Top Gun: who may wait for a pic like this to who can redeem himself after the summer? Bank teller Ryan Maverick.” pop up on a streaming service. “Suicide Squad.” The trailer had Reynolds is a background char- fans a little shook since Michael acter in a video-game world until Keaton, last seen as Vulture in he decides to take control of his “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” destiny. Reynolds expertly blends makes a cameo. Marvel adapta- DISNEY comedy and action, a la “Dead- tions are great for generating SOUL pool,” in what looks to be a far free publicity on the internet, June 19 more PG-13 romp. Taika Waititi, and this one is no exception. Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery and Director Pete Docter returns with Joe Keery are also part of the fun. PETER RABBIT 2 another existential crisis in “Soul” Aug. 7 (he gave us “Inside Out” five years FOX SEARCHLIGHT ago). But you know what? The Originally slotted for a spring THE FRENCH DISPATCH world is a better place when he break/Easter release in April, July 24 weighs in with animated tales that “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” involve stuff like anger, happiness was moved to August because of and this summer, the soul. Jamie “The Grand Budapest Hotel” grew the coronavirus pandemic. The Foxx stars as a middle-school Anderson’s audience, and “French first animated pic, in 2018, made band teacher who finally gets a Dispatch” looks like it will draw old a healthy $351 million world- gig playing in a jazz club. But fans and new by serving up his wide, and this film should take in things go way, way awry. This is a favorite actors (Willem Dafoe, Bill some late summer families risky, envelope-pushing film from Murray, Tilda Swinton) with some yearning for strong air condition- Pixar, but as with anything from new faces (Timothee Chalamet, ing and a romp with the rascally the studio, you will laugh, and of Lea Seydoux) in a stylish drama rabbit. James Corden reprises

PARAMOUNT PICTURES PARAMOUNT course, cry. that only Anderson could deliver. his role in the animal adventure.

VARIETY 47 M M E Page FOCUS, SUMMER CINEMA S U R +++ 48 CINEMA VARIETY.COM 03172020

WARNER BROTHERS tor Jon M. Chu takes the reins takes a turn when his mother, MINION: RISE OF GRU WONDER WOMAN 1984 here. A definite crowd-pleaser played by Marisa Tomei, starts dat- July 3 June 6 post-quarantine. ing a firefighter with an alpha male personality. Davidson’s own By July, if the virus has started to Will it take a woman to save the TENET father, Scott Davidson, was a fire- wane, families will need a break from summer box office? Anticipation July 17 man who died on 9/11 — one of each other: and what better way to for this superhero tale is already the first responders at the World entertain the kids for two hours than stoked very high, with its first A highly anticipated time-bend- Trade Center. The film was initially with another installment of a beloved trailer drawing more than 27 mil- ing, mind-twisting action drama scheduled to open SXSW, but con- franchise that kicked off with “Despi- lion views since its Dec. 19 debut. from Christopher Nolan, this time cerns over the coronavirus led to cable Me” in 2010? That film made Fans are excited about the (now- starring John David Washington. the cancellation of that Austin fes- more than half a billion dollars world- trendy) 1980s setting, the return The trailer delivers what Nolan’s tival; it was skedded for Tribeca, wide. In true superhero franchise of Chris Pine and of course, the fans want, and what Nolan is but again, that event was can- style, with “Rise,” Illumination gives pairing of star Gal Gadot and great at: eye-popping stunts, celled as well. Hopefully, Apatow’s audiences the origin story of the director Patty Jenkins. The first visuals and a cast of serious-look- return as a director, and David- series’ “supervilllian,” Gru, once film, in 2017, grossed more than ing men laying out cryptic chal- son’s passion project, will make it again voiced by Steve Carell, and $800 worldwide, and Warner lenges and saying cryptic things to theaters in June. featuring lots of the adorable Min- Bros. is hanging a lot of hopes on in don’t-screw-with-me voices ions. Universal has a lot riding on this this franchise — the jewel in its that will lead to lots of discus- CANDYMAN film — it moved moneyspinner “F9” somewhat tarnished DC crown. sions about what it all means, June 12 to April 2021, so is counting on this including the title. Pic also stars animated gold mine to produce. IN THE HEIGHTS Robert Pattinson and Nolan fave Jordan Peele co-wrote and pro- UA June 26 Michael Caine. It’s the stuff that duced the take inspired by the BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC makes the director great, and 1992 original slasher pic. This why this film will probably gross a Aug. 21 Blessed are the theater kids, for time, Nia DaCosta (“Little lot of money for WB. they shall inherit the Earth. Woods”) directs, and from the What a way to end the summer! Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first big trailer — which has been viewed UNIVERSAL Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter return musical hit, “In the Heights” has almost 12 million times since it as middle-aged time travelers saving his fans and even non-fans THE KING OF dropped Feb. 27 — it looks like the universe. Pop culture is obsessed excited. Starring “Hamilton” alum STATEN ISLAND she has savvily dialed up social with Reeves so look for the internet Anthony Ramos and a sparkling June 19 issues along with the scares. cast of fresh(er) faces — Corey Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars and to break when the trailer drops. Hawkins, Stephanie Beatriz, Judd Apatow-produced and this outing may send the talented FUN RUN Dascha Polanco, Melissa Barrera directed comedy-drama stars Pete actor to the top of every direc- and Miranda as “Piragua Guy” — Davidson in a semi-autobiographi- tor’s list. Given the brand name of Universal’s hoping to give families relief with “Minions: Rise the film marries Miranda’s story- cal story. (Apatow also co-wrote Peele and his reinvention of the of Gru” (below) while WB will have telling gift with social commen- the screenplay with Davidson and -horror genre, “Candyman” audiences dancing in the aisle tary and unbelievably catchy David Suris). Davidson plays a should draw healthy box office in with Lin- Manuel Miranda’s “In the songs. “Crazy Rich Asians” direc- weed-smoking slacker whose life the U.S. and around the world. Heights” (opposite page). (THIS PAGE) UNIVERSAL PICTURES/ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT (OPPOSITE PAGE) MACALL POLAY/WARNER BROS. POLAY/WARNER MACALL PAGE) (OPPOSITE ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES/ILLUMINATION UNIVERSAL (THIS PAGE)

48 VARIETY GUTTER CREDIT VARIETY 49 FOCUS 1962, A YEAR IN FILM

SWEPT AWAY David Lean’s 1962 “Lawrence of Arabia” still makes best-of lists and generates excitement among cinema lovers of all ages.

THE YEAR OF THERE’S NEVER A BAD TIME to be reminded of and introduced to great cinematic works and their authors and ﬁlmmakers, but FILMMAKING 2020 is turning out to be a particularly necessary time for cultural enrichment SPECTACULARLY and artistic nourishment. At home. So the timing couldn’t be better for STEPHEN FARBER AND MICHAEL MCCLELLAN’S Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan’s ‘CINEMA ’62’ LAYS OUT A CASE FOR GREATNESS new tome, “Cinema ’62,” an examina- By Steven Gaydos tion and celebration of 1962, which they boldly proclaim was “The Greatest Year at the Movies.” For those cineastes who might challenge that proclamation, and substitute, say, 1939, 1999 or my particular favorite, 1969, for that vaunted honor, the book thankfully opens with an astute and suc- cinct preface by Oscar-winning writer- director Bill Condon.

50 VARIETY 1962, A YEAR IN FILM FOCUS

“I’ve found that a cineaste’s commerce and seismic cultural shifts sionate about the stories. The star direc- such as the youth explosion, all conspir- tors of 1962 were witty, well-educated, ‘greatest year’ more ing to become something later known as adventurous artists like Billy Wilder, often than not coincides the Swinging ’60s. William Wyler, John Huston, Joseph The frantic, fevered prose of the Beat L. Mankiewicz, Sidney Lumet, John with the early years of his Generation, combined with unprece- Frankenheimer, Arthur Penn, Richard or her adolescence.” dented creative ambition and freedom in Brooks, Stanley Kramer, and David Lean. European cinema, was starting to impact They were drawn to high-quality liter- Bill Condon the emerging American ﬁlmmakers at ary and theatrical material, and indeed, that time. The authors show how the many of the movies of 1962 came from later landmark ﬁlms made by American great writers including Ernest Hem- auteurs such as Sam Peckinpah had their ingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Vladimir roots in majestic, assured early works Nabokov and Herman Melville, as well “I’ve found that a cineaste’s ‘great- such as his classic, 1962 Western “Ride as playwrights Eugene O’Neill, Tennes- est year’ more often than not lines up the High Country.” see Williams and Arthur Miller. Now- with the early years of his or her ado- And they have compassion and adays filmmakers rarely turn to liter- lescence,” observes Condon, expressing respect for both the successes and fail- ature or theater for inspiration; most a theory I’d always assumed was mine ures of the established studio giants, the acclaimed novels and plays are never alone. So with the question of subjec- big names such as Mankiewicz, Wilder turned into movies. It’s hardly a surprise tivity and skepticism about the book’s and Wyler, who were seeing their world that the literacy of contemporary films central thesis right out front, it’s dou- upended by the end of the studio system has declined.” bly impressive that Farber and McClellan and the excitement generated by over- With fresh interviews from partici- have both the deep film history chops seas auteurs such as Fellini, Bergman pants in many of the key projects and and passion for global cinema to argue and Kurosawa. These towering talents with the authors’ vast, personal knowl- their case so convincingly. Farber’s been were working alongside a new gener- edge of the films and the context in writing valuable film criticism and his- ation of directors and about to super- which they were made, “Cinema ’62” torical pieces for decades and McClellan charge American cinema to compete is as sharp and lively as that modern- is a veteran specialty film exhibition pro. with their international counterparts. ist-slanted title implies. Best of all, its The book’s breadth and pure joy in dis- In appreciation of the vital vet talents approach never feels as if it’s look- cussing early ’60s filmmaking is a result and on-the-cusp newcomers, Farber and ing back. One feels that the authors just of their lengthy, engaged time in the McClellan write: watched all the movies last week and movie trenches. “Of course the main reason these they’re just dying to tell you about some So what about the movies on dis- projects came to fruition is that writ- life-changing piece of art that you’ve just play? It’s not a bad gambit to put up ers, directors, and producers were pas- got to see. David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” as the embodiment of screen greatness, at least not if you agree (as I do) that it’s at or near the top of greatest films to ever win the best picture Oscar. Since Gregory Peck’s lead actor Oscar win for “To Kill a Mockingbird” over “Lawrence’s” Peter O’Toole is one of those “Damn, same year?” rather than a “How could they?” victories, there’s more evidence that there was something special in the water in 1962. Far- ber and McClellan wisely stack the deck with timeless Hollywood studio releases such as Stanley Kubrick’s “Lolita,” John Frankenheimer’s “Manchurian Candi- date” and John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” but they make sure to include important international filmmakers such as Britain’s Peter Usti- nov, whose extraordinary “Billy Budd” graced screens alongside fellow Brit Tony Richardson’s gritty “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” and Ing- mar Bergman’s “Through a Glass Darkly” (released in the U.S. in 1962). To its credit, “Cinema ’62” is a lot more than a scholarly polemic for the state of mid-20th century filmmaking or a nostalgia-infused excursion into the good ol’ days, delivering a deep and AMERICANA

MGM/PHOTOFEST informed journey through the forces of Sam Peckinpah’s classic Western “Ride the High Country” endures as one of 1962’s artistic achievements.

VARIETY 51 FOCUS FESTIVAL BREAKTHROUGHS

Why does SXSW gel with you the way it does? That is a mystery. I remember years ago we showed something there, and we were always hearing, “Austin has the best crowds! The best crowd you’re ever gonna get is at SXSW.” And then I went with Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner to the premiere of “Girls,” which we held at SXSW, and it really was an incredibly supportive, explosive crowd. So we started developing this great relationship with Janet Pierson and the festival, and it’s been a really fun place to show a lot of our work for the ﬁrst time. I don’t know if it’s because they get great movie fans down there, or because it’s a college town, but we always feel like these people just get what we’re trying to do. We showed the “Big Sick” there, and it was amazing. And the thing is, when we showed “Make It Last” there, we had exactly the same experience with a documentary. We’ve done a lot of standup there too. It’s always a busy, fun weekend for us.

I have a hard time thinking of any other major festival that is as accommodating to comedy in general. How valuable is that to have as an outlet? It’s very special. We have developed a relationship with the audience down there to the point where it really feels like vvvwvwvfamily. While we’re editing the movie, we start thinking about the SXSW screening. That’s how much we look for- FESTIVALS OPEN ward to it. We think, “We’ve gotta get this right so it plays well at SXSW.”

DOORS TO ARTISTS You started something that became sort of a tradition at SXSW, which is showing films JUDD APATOW AND ERYKAH BADU EXPLAIN HOW MAKING as work-in-progress screenings. How use- CONNECTIONS IMPACTED THEIR CAREERS ful is that feedback?

By Andrew Barker We’ve shown movies where we weren’t fully locked, and as our final test screening we’ve shown them there. It’s very help- EMERGING CAREERS ARE ON HOLD BECAUSE THE COVID-19 ful. Also, you’re getting a very specific type pandemic has forced the closure of SXSW and other spring of experience, because when movies are fetsivals. So it’s worth talking to artists whose careers in movie theaters it’s pretty rare that the room is sold-out. That might happen the were launched at festivals. One is Judd Apatow. Whether first few days here and there, but for the he was at SXSW to unveil projects he directed (“Knocked most part people watch movies with 30 Up,” “Trainwreck,” “Make It Last: The Avett Brothers people in the theater. So to watch it with a thousand people is really fun, it’s like a Documentary”) or produced (“Bridesmaids,” “Girls,” “Pee- rock concert. People aren’t just showing up wee’s Big Holiday,” “The Big Sick”), Apatow has been to watch a movie, they’re really pumped. instrumental in helping to turn SXSW into a destination As if Pearl Jam’s in town. festival for comedy – and in particular, the types of broad What surprised you most putting “King of comedies that rarely manage to secure serious festival Staten Island” together? attention elsewhere. Apatow was scheduled to return to Austin For me, the experience was very emotional, ROCKET LAUNCH because we got to spend a lot of time with with SXSW’s opening night film, “The King of Staten Island,” a Emily V. Gordon, real firefighters in New York. One of our fictional, comedic version of Pete Davidson’s own life experience Kumail Nanjiani consultants, John Sorrentino, was Pete’s and Judd Apatow father’s close friend, and we also put him processing the death of his firefighter father in the World Trade bowed “The Big Sick” to much in the movie as an actor. A lot of the people Center. The film is scheduled for release June 19. acclaim at SXSW. from Pete’s father’s firehouse came and vis- MAYS/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK TARA

52 VARIETY FESTIVAL BREAKTHROUGHS FOCUS

ited the set and talked to us in the research THE MAGIC OF stage. I think we were all greatly affected by learning about who these people are, and THE VORTEX their willingness to put themselves at risk for other people. ERYKAH BADU CREDITS AUSTIN WITH BOOSTING HER CAREER Obviously, Pete’s experience losing his By Andrew Barker father is something he talks about often, and that he has drawn comedy from, but how delicate did you have to be in developing FILM FESTIVALS. At the worst of times they that dynamic? can seem like ridiculous, overblown affairs Well, we spent years writing it and talking choked with brands and studios positioning about it. And the main subject matter of the their product for maximum awards attention. film is grief, and a family needing to move But at their best, they’re the very lifeblood of forward. So we had a lot of honest conversa- film culture, often the only avenue for adventurous artists to get their names into the tions about how everything affected his life world, and a sanctuary for the sort of art that calling ‘Erykah Free,’ which really became and his family, and then we constructed a fic- struggles to find a safe harbor elsewhere. It ‘Baduism.’ So I ended up back home in Dallas. tional story that would force all of those char- has often been easy to lose sight of just how “In ‘The Celestine Prophecy,’ it [talked] about acters to have to make traces in order to not important festival culture is to the art form, destiny and looking for the signs and following be frozen in their grief or their reactions to but the rash of recent cancellations and post- them. By now I started working at a coffee shop it. How that becomes funny is through bad ponements due to COVID-19 has served as an called Grinders, because I’d told all the people behavior. When you’re a mess you make mis- unfortunate reminder. back at the theater school to kiss my ass when I takes, you don’t run your life right, and you Austin’s SXSW was the first major film festi- thought I was gonna go get a record contract. don’t have healthy relationships. And that’s val to cancel, and one might easily pinpoint And I’m reading this book at work, when all of inherently funny. So our movie is walking the that announcement as the moment when the the sudden this music comes on the speakers, line between very serious subject matter and tide really began to turn in the Stateside and it was ‘Brown Sugar’ by D’Angelo. And I was the comedy of people stumbling through life understanding of the seriousness of the pan- blown back. And I started rethinking my whole trying to get healthier. demic. SXSW, even more than most festivals, career. And then SXSW came up, and [my cousin] Free and I went and performed, passed has long been the most high-profile home to films, music and ideas that other festivals and out demos. And we gave one to this lady You have a history of collaborating with showcases might gloss over, and the recent named Tammy, Tammy at some point and lis- comics and actors who have had some early news that a third of the festival’s full-time staff tened to it, and she came back and said, ‘This success and helping them put together had been laid off sent a particular chill down you?” I go, ‘Yes ma’am,’ and she goes, ‘This is their first big films. How much do you see the spines of so many in the film and music pretty good, my name is Tammy Cobb and I your role as pedagogical, or as a sort of communities. Variety had spoken to two artists represent Mobb Deep.” Mobb Deep was one of mentorship? who owe so much of their success to the fest my favorite groups, and Free and I had been lis- I always looked up to people like Harold prior to its cancellation, and their words feel tening to them all the way to Austin. So I’m Ramis, who had a sense about what was every bit as relevant now. thinking, ‘OK, “Celestine Prophecy,” work this.’ funny about the people he collaborated with. Erykah Badu, the multiple Grammy-winning That was a sign. Tammy gives my demo to this Whether it was Bill Murray or Chevy Chase, neo-soul auteur, was in Austin just last week to guy named Kedar Massenburg: later he would or Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, he had receive an honor from the Texas Film Awards introduce himself as the manager of D’Angelo. amazing instincts for how best to use peo- – the Austin Film Society’s annual gala that “Kedar liked us so much that he says, ‘D’An- ple. I think the thing that I do that expands on typically takes place the day before SXSW offi- gelo is doing a show at the Caravan of Dreams cially kicks off. Prior to that, she shared her in Ft. Worth’ – you know, not Austin, but still in that is that I really like to sit with people and memories of the festival, which played a key Texas – ‘and we want you to open.’ Then one help them develop their writing so that they role in launching her career. week later, he calls back and says he’s not can tell personal comedic stories. The pro- “Austin was where the plug happened for going to be able to host us. I said, ‘Bullshit! Yes, cess is very collaborative and takes years, but me. I was at SXSW, which I went to every year we are. I told my mama, I told everyone this is we’re trying to dig out stories that are very as a starving artist trying to be recognized. I happening, we’re performing.’ And this is the important to these people. They’re not just went there one year, maybe ’93 or ’94, and I first time I’d ever been assertive like that in my joke ideas. Sometimes the most meaningful had just started reading a book called ‘The life about anything. aspects of their lives. And there’s something Celestine Prophecy.’ Before that I had been “We do this show, and when I come offstage, very intimate about it, and very fun when teaching theater at the South Dallas Cultural there’s this man waiting to escort me back- something special happens. Center, and I found myself there two years stage, and his name is Big Mike. And he was When I first started out, Garry Shandling after college, but what I really wanted was be D’Angelo’s road manager. And now he’s my road was my mentor. He gave me a lot of opportu- an artist of some sort. So I just decided one manager, and he’s been my road manager for nities and taught me a lot about writing and day to go get a record deal. I quit my job and 25 years. He left D’Angelo that day. was there for me as a friend. So I do hope jumped on a plane with the little money I had “And I think that all happened because of the saved and I went to New York. I auditioned for energy in Austin surrounding us, along with all that I can be that for other people. It’s not almost every label I could find, just weaseled of these prophecies that I felt were happening, like we have big discussions where we actu- my way in. I auditioned for Bad Boy Records, which were not coincidences. Austin and SXSW ally talk about any of this, but this type of and auditioned for Puffy [Sean Combs] himself was the reason that could happen. That’s why process requires a lot of trust and respect. standing on top of his desk with a boombox. that city is a vortex for me. So whenever I go Because it’s very intimate and dangerous to And Puffy ended up saying, ‘Well that’s really there, I’m always looking for these signs and poke around in all these psychological areas, great, but I think we’d want to put you in artist things, looking for trees that are twisted a dif- and you want people to feel great about why development.’ So I said, ‘Yeah, OK, thanks.’ ferent way, or hearing a song on the radio. they’re doing it and the result of the work. It’s Onto the next one. And the next one, and the That’s what Austin means to me, it’s a vortex. a real gift for Pete to take his life story and next one. Nobody really felt what I was doing. And there are many vortices for me on the

INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK turn it into ﬁction. I had this 14-song demo at the time that I was planet, but that’s my one, and it will always be.

VARIETY 53 FOCUS FESTIVAL BREAKTHROUGHS

This is your first lead role in a film; was ‘ORDINARY’ ROLE that intimidating? I mean it’s my ﬁrst real role ever in a movie. I did TV and I’m in “Babymoon- SHOWCASES TALENT ers” for like ﬁve seconds. But I didn’t even feel apprehensive because I trusted HIGGINS’ BREAKOUT FROM 2019 SXSW ADDS TO HER RESUME them, the script was so funny, and to be

By Jenelle Riley honest, I didn’t think it was going to happen for a really long time so I didn’t have time to be nervous. And when it did hap- FOR MAEVE HIGGINS, launching a film ower, played by Barry Ward, finds himself pen, I just told myself to wear what they career started with denial. “It’s so hard haunted by his late wife and his daughter told me to wear, stand where they told me to get a movie made, I just didn’t believe possessed. Add to the mix Will Forte as a to stand, and say the lines. It was actu- it would happen,” she says with a laugh. rock star looking to sacrifice a virgin and ally a nice break from the hustle of being Written and directed by Mike Ahern and Claudia O’Doherty as his clueless wife, a comedian and writer and generating Enda Loughman, “Extra Ordinary” fea- and you have a film that earns compar- your own stuff. Also, this role is in my tures the Irish comedian in her first star- isons to “Ghostbusters” and “Hot Fuzz,” range; I don’t think I could do like a med- ring role. “It’s probably good I didn’t fully yet is also completely original. ical drama like “ER.” I mean, I could, but believe it,” Higgins adds. “I didn’t have I’d have to play someone unconscious. time to get worried about it.” You knew writer-directors of “Extra Ordi- The film bowed at SXSW last year to nary”; did they tell you they were writ- Working with someone like Will Forte, I strong reviews, and the Cranked Up Films ing something for you or just surprise you imagine one of the biggest challenges of release has earned a 100% fresh rating on with a script? the movie is not laughing opposite him? Rotten Tomatoes. I’m not sure which came first, but they I’m such a fan of his. He’s so funny, just Known for her work on series like Ire- said they wrote the role for me. I’ve known pure funny. There were a couple land’s “Naked Camera” and “Maeve Hig- them since we all lived in Dublin. That of scenes where I really had to hold gins’ Fancy Vittles” and her books “We was probably about eight years ago. They myself together. There’s one where we’re Have a Good Time, Don’t We?” and “Maeve said, “We have this idea, we want you to in the car together and Will takes his in America: Essays by a Girl From Some- be the lead.” Typical behavior for two glove off really slowly. It doesn’t sound where Else,” Higgins might be best known male directors, writing a good funny part funny, but it makes me laugh so hard. to American audiences for her recent for a woman! They also wrote Claudia I would have to think of sad things so I appearances on the hit NPR program O’Doherty’s role for her; we’re all friends. didn’t ruin takes. “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” On that quiz show, Higgins doesn’t always have the Did you know them just from living in Making a supernatural movie and right answers, but makes up for it with Ireland? Is it that small? shooting in an old castle makes me great one-liners and witty observations. Ireland is small, but I think it’s more wonder; are you superstitious? Did it “Extra Ordinary” is a great showcase about the fact they have a distinct taste every get scary? of her talents, a movie that manages to that is also my taste. In a small space You have to remember, Ireland is full of be funny, scary, romantic and wistful — when you have that unique viewpoint, castles, so we’re used to it. I didn’t think sometimes all at once. She plays Rose, a there’s probably even fewer of you and I was superstitious but I’ve actually woman who can communicate with the that’s probably why we gravitated towards learned I am. In Ireland, when we dead but chooses not to after a tragedy. each other. I live in New York now and see a magpie, you’re supposed to say Instead, she teaches driving in her small have found those are the people I sur- hello, or it’s bad luck. I never thought Irish town and tries to keep a low profile. round myself with, so it might be more a twice about this but there’s a scene in But her gift is needed when a kind wid- taste thing than an Ireland thing. the movie where I do that and around the world, people would ask me, “Why does she say hello to that bird?” It’s so natural, I guess I am superstitious.

Are there other moments like that where it translates differently to audiences in other countries? The film has played festivals all over the world and it’s always interesting. There’s a scene with a cuckoo clock and in Switzerland, it got a standing ovation. It seems to be being appreciated all over. It’s a small movie, an Irish movie, but people really seem to get it. Genre folk really appreciate it and are so generous. I’m so glad people are getting it. The movie is just out and its getting such a good response in the U.S. FRESH EIRE It might even be going down better here

Maeve Higgins stars in “Extra Ordinary,” which the filmmakers wrote with her in mind as the lead. than it did in Ireland. CRANKED UP FILMS

54 VARIETY ARTISANS TOPARTISANS BILLING

NOT IN KANSAS Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores travels around the real world in an air pod in the new season of HBO’s “Westworld.”

up conquering some of the problems,” ‘Westworld’ Exits Theme he says. The architecture of Singapore, where “new buildings’ footprints must include greenery,” Cummings notes, was a major inspiration for the show’s down- Park, Looks to Future town L.A. skyline. Some specific Singa- porean buildings, such as Marina One and GREEN, VEHICLE-FREE SINGAPORE HELPS DEFINE VISION OF LOS ANGELES the Oasia Hotel, were composited onto helicopter plates that a production unit IN SEASON 3 OF THE HBO SERIES By Danielle Turchiano shot over the present-day Los Angeles to reflect the city’s progress circa 2058. WHEN LISA JOY AND JONATHAN NOLAN world was finally shown in earnest. Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, a friend first introduced their version of “West- After the destruction of the theme park of Nolan’s, shared some of his designs with world” on HBO in 2016, they brought to life at the end of the second season, the char- the production team — buildings that range a world that was inherently more techno- acters who survived are now scattered from finished structures, projects that are logically advanced than the real world. At in places including Los Angeles; London; in the works and ones that are still on the first, that was depicted through the theme and Beihai, China. Production was also drawing board. A number of these, too, parks in the show, populated by actors expansive, taking place in Valencia, Spain, were composited into “Westworld” shots, playing robotic hosts perfectly designed as well as Los Angeles and San Diego. says visual effects supervisor Jay Worth. to reflect a real human’s face, body, move- The show’s outlook for the new world Lack of traffic in the future was ments and personality. The implication is somewhat hopeful, an aspect conveyed another essential idea that came was always that the larger world outside by production designer Howard Cum- from Singapore. Cars are not allowed the parks had come a long way. But in the mings. “The vision of the future is not downtown today in the city-state. “The third-season premiere, the scope of that dystopian; it’s actually that humans ended idea of our world is, ‘If rich people are HBO

VARIETY 55 ARTISANS

in charge, how are they going to control [scenes on the bridge of] old ‘Star Trek’ the environment to benefit themselves?’ [episodes]. The whole structure is shifting And the way they do that is by restricting and tilting.” everybody else,” Worth says. Additionally, the vehicle had to stand Although production was able to lock in for a few different models through- down the locations where the show was out the season, which meant the cab had filming, Worth’s team further cleaned up interchangeable seats. The air pod in the the frames to remove parking meters and premiere episode was a corporate model, traffic lights because those things would for which Cummings wanted to create a no longer be needed in a world where “power look” with a “limousine-quality” everything was automated and traffic leather interior that “exudes elegance.” was restricted. Later in the season, he reveals, there will “One of the biggest challenges with be more militaristic versions. doing ‘Westworld’ is that every inch of The show’s “real” world also has robots every frame is designed,” says Worth. “A of its own: George, a metallic human- large percentage of our shots are conti- TABLE TALK oid, works with Caleb (Aaron Paul). For nuity and world-updating, but the fun these shots, the production used move- Aaron Paul, Lena Waithe and Marshawn Lynch appear in a scene from shots are the flyover when our air pod is the opening episode of the third season of “Westworld.” ment performers in motion-capture suits coming off the water in Santa Monica and to stand in during scenes on the ground, we’ve pretty much replaced the skyline to capture the “real shadows being cast coming into downtown.” that represented the landing gear that on actors or the environment,” Worth The air pod was designed based on actors could walk by so that the filmmakers says. For more complicated shots where a drone, Cummings says, and had to could have something physical to pan off to George was scaling the side of a building, be sleek in style but also functional for help sell the shot. the practical shot was a pan up the build- production. In Los Angeles, to get the feeling that ing, with the robot composited in later. “We wanted the ability to take it physi- the air pod was flying, the crew built a “The Delos corporation incorporates cally to the locations and have it move into “massive, curved LED wall with lights a lot more than just the parks, and there place or drop on a crane,” he says, noting on the other side of it” and synced the are lots of robotics they’re involved that the team brought the air pod to MacAr- skyline plates to it, Worth says. Special with,” Cummings says, but “they’re not thur Park in Los Angeles but couldn’t fly it effects put the “cab” where the passen- all necessarily made to look humanoid intact to Spain. For the scenes in the lat- gers sit onto a gimbal to get real move- [because] not everything has to be as ter location, the production brought pieces ment. “Our actors are not just leaning like complicated as Dolores.”

ec te Am o m e p o e perate without agents. erate erica have started laying the r the Media Business ric essionn: CouldWhat aMean Breaking News with

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The country’s biggest ex women who clean their 56 VARIETY READ MORE ARTISANS

the studio, where body and facial impres- MastersFX Team Delivers Magic sions are taken. “We hand-build the prosthetics and creature suits,” Masters says. The team typically has a three- to four- Formula for ‘The Magicians’ week schedule to work with. Gamble is effusive about the FX work. ARTISTS, DESIGNERS BALANCE COMPLEX BODY PROSTHETICS “The MastersFX team brings so much cre- WITH LIGHT FACIAL MAKEUP SO ACTORS CAN SHINE THROUGH ativity, skill, fun and yes — mastery — to the process of creating each new creature, By Jazz Tangcay for our little multiverse,” she says. Masters himself executed the makeup SYFY FANTASY SERIES “The Magicians,” Series creators Sera Gamble and John effects for fan-favorite creatures the White about a group of college students who McNamara had specific ideas about Lady (Emma Dumont) and Sir Effing- travel through time and worlds to bat- what they wanted in the show’s seven ham, designed by MastersFX artists Sarah tle wildly imaginative creatures, draws to so-called questing creatures, which, Pickers gill and Chris Devitt, respectively. a close April 1 after five seasons, having when discovered, must grant the magi- It’s not uncommon for other mem- taken viewers on a Harry Potter-meets- cian a wish that helps fulfill a quest. For bers of the MastersFX team to have pre- video-game thrill ride. Knowing that this instance, Sir Effingham (played by Sean conceived ideas about the types of actors is the end of the run gives MastersFX Maguire) is half man, half pig, and he who should cast. For Sir Effingham, for founder and president Todd Masters and looks a bit like Benjamin Franklin. instance, special effects coordinator Jason his team one last chance to showcase Whether working on characters like Ward had imagined someone “chunky, or the program’s most popular characters Lord Fresh (Anthony Ingram), Napster larger, so we could elaborate on the pig — using their own magic to deliver the (Lynn Andrews) or Sir Effingham, the aspect. They showed up with [the trim] makeup effects. process begins by getting the actor into Sean Maguire,” he chuckles. The one note that was imperative for the effects team was that whether members were designing Sir Effingham or any other creature, the actors had to be able to use their faces as much as possible. That meant not laying on the makeup and prosthetics too thick, so that the actors’ expressions could be seen. “It’s really easy to build too much out to create the characters,” Masters says. “But they’re such amazing actors, the last thing we wanted to do was bury them in rubber.” FLIGHTS OF FANTASY Pickersgill’s initial designs for the Makup artists turn White Lady were inspired by albino Sean Maguire into Sir Effingham (left); humans and animals, and delivered as Dominic Burgess is Ember, advertised. “That was one where we had god of Fillory, in the one concept and knocked the design out Syfy series. of the park,” Masters notes, adding that he’d like to see a spinoff series for the character. Yet the White Lady’s facial prosthetics were simple: a brow piece and a bit around her nose accentuating actor Dumont’s features. Still, Dumont had to come in six weeks early for the body casting process. The FX exec notes that viewers won’t be seeing any new creatures in this year’s magical world of Fillory, following the recent return of Fillory’s twin gods Ember (Dominic Burgess) and Umber (Nico Evers-Swindell). But he does reveal a sliver of information about the upcoming series finale. “We’re finishing the season and series with Sir Effingham,” he teases, “and it’s going to be fantastic.”

“They’re such amazing actors, the last thing we wanted to do was bury them in rubber.”

Todd Masters, MastersFX SIR EGGINGHAM: SYFY; EMBER: JAMES DITTIGER/SYFY JAMES EMBER: SYFY; SIR EGGINGHAM:

VARIETY 57 ARTISANS

to appear in her attire. “She might have Clothes Make the Woman brought that back from China or Paris.” The “walking suit,” which includes a vest, hat and unusual footwear, showcases in Netflix Miniseries on that look. At this point in her life, Madam C.J. has just started to turn a profit. She Madam C.J. Walker wants to launch her factory and needs money. “She’s a woman in a man’s world — ‘SELF MADE’ COSTUME DESIGNER WORKS TO SHOW OFF THE a woman of color,” Wagner says. “She wants to speak to the fact that she has arrived. GROWING WEALTH OF AMERICA’S FIRST FEMALE MILLIONAIRE The vest is almost like a man’s jacket, but the fabric is hand-embroidered and very By Jazz Tangcay feminine. The huge hat and her two-toned shoes speak to her wealth — that she has FINDING THE LOOK FOR NETFLIX’S NEW had held at the Paris World’s Fair. “It showed enough shoes in her closet that can be four-part series “Self Made: Inspired by photos of affluent African Americans,” cleaned or ruined.” Poor people would wear the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” was some- Wagner says. “He wanted to get people’s black shoes. thing costume designer Karyn Wag- minds away from the poor sharecropper She meets investors and men who wear ner describes as “being in heaven, and a image of the African American.” micromosaics brought back from travels smorgasbord of design.” Wagner chose to use bright colors when to Italy, again to symbolize wealth. In con- Set in 1908, the story follows the title creating Madam C.J.’s costumes. “The new trast, men such as Sweetness (Bill Bellamy), character, born Sarah Breedlove and played aniline dyes from the Victorian era were her husband’s cousin never had an edu- by Octavia Spencer, who learns about car- bright,” she points out. cation, stakes claim on the neighborhood ing for her hair and, against the odds, As Madame C.J’s product line takes off with loud colors. becomes the first female self-made million- and she lands more investors, she starts to Blair Underwood plays C.J., her hus- aire as she invents a line of salon products travel. Her character shifts from wearing band, and since no photos of him exist, for African American women. the plain cotton fabric that she would have Wagner had creative license. C.J. was a Wagner created walls of fabric swatches: bought in the general store, and colored man who would buy suits when needed but silks, cotton, wools and linens. There was with vegetable dye, to dressing more ele- wasn’t eager to spend on his wardrobe. “He also a “wall of inspiration,” she says. “I’d gantly as she courts investors. “I wanted to was careful with his money,” Wagner says. love going to the woods to find nuts and show her wealth and sophistication because “He paid for his suits outright in cash and pine cones that I could turn into a hat,” she becomes this worldly traveler,” Wag- didn’t want to owe anyone.” The designer she explains. ner says of the ribbon and trim that start backdated the look of the three or four suits Reading the script, Wagner highlighted he owned. “He didn’t care if he was out of geographical, emotional and dialogue clues fashion,” she says. “He was going to wear that could inform the costumes. She spoke them until they wore out.” to director Kasi Lemmons (“Harriet”) about “She’s a woman in a man’s That concept illustrates the space who Madam C.J. was emotionally and what world — a woman of color. between Madam C.J. and her husband; his her arc was. dated suits were a reflection of this think- Wagner also found inspiration in the She wants to speak to the ing. “She’s moving forward and staying cur- work of W.E.B. Du Bois. She studied his fact that she has arrived.” rent,” Wagner says. “The gap between the 1903 book “The Souls of Black Folk,” which costumes grows further, as does their emo- included pictures from an exhibit Du Bois Karyn Wagner, costume designer tional state.”

DESIGN ARC Clockwise from far left: Octavia Spencer, flanked by Blair Underwood and Kevin Carroll, rocks Madam C.J. Walker’s “walking suit”; designer Karyn Wagner’s wall of fabric swatches; Spencer as Madam C.J. in pre-fame garb, with director

Kasi Lemmons (3) MATLOVICH/NETFLIX AMANDA

58 VARIETY BRANDED CONTENT IS

more engaging than display ads. Readers spend an average of 36 seconds engaging with written branded content, which is significantly higher than the average 1.6 seconds they spend with a banner ad.

VARIETY.COM/CONTENTSTUDIO For more information contact ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR DNA DREW MILES [email protected]

Source: Pressboard 2019, 16 Branded Content Stats that Prove Its Value BRANDED CONTENT DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PREMIUM PUBLISHERS SEES

higher brand lift.

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Source: Pressboard 2019, 16 Branded Content Stats that Prove Its Value REVIEWS TOPREVIEWS BILLING

YIN AND YANG Gaia Garace and Margherita Mazzucco topline “My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name.”

TV REVIEW of her best friend, Lila (Gaia Girace). As she between memories and facts as the character BY CAROLINE FRAMKE searches for a suitable outfit, she flicks past tries to reconcile such boundaries for herself. all of Lila’s louder dresses as Lila looks on, When Ferrante’s novels were first pub- My Brilliant lips slightly upturned in fond amusement at lished, starting with “My Brilliant Friend” Elena’s palpable stress. As framed by direc- in 2011, they gained a devoted following of tor Saverio Costanzo, almost the entire scene largely women readers who appreciated Fer- Friend: The plays out in the reflection of a bifurcated rante’s attention to the thornier aspects of mirror on Lila’s closet, keeping each friend close female friendship — jealousy, codepen- Story of a on either side of a dividing line. When Lila dency, resentment — as well as its many par- crosses over to help Elena with a dress, she ticular joys. In Lila and Elena, she created briefly disappears in the fold of the glass as a pair of friends who barely have to speak New Name Elena stares into it, straining to see herself in order to understand each other perfectly, without Lila right beside her. which can result in either incomparable This gorgeous, obviously symbolic series support or unimaginable pain if one strikes of shots is exemplary of “My Brilliant Friend,” out at the other in the way she knows will DRAMA: HBO (Season 2; 8 episodes, all reviewed); March 16 HBO’s Italian adaptation of Elena Ferran- hurt the most. Lila’s striking looks and furi- STARRING: Gaia Girace, Margherita Mazzucco te’s Neapolitan novels about Elena, Lila, the ous wit have made her the most magnetic fierce and complex friendship between them presence in any room she enters, whether as extending from the 1950s through the pres- a kid with a wicked grin or as a woman who’s ent, and the tiny Naples town they more and learned to weaponize it. Elena, by contrast, THREE EPISODES INTO “My Brilliant Friend: more reluctantly call home. Ferrante’s writ- has spent her entire life shrinking herself The Story of a New Name,” the new season of ing is dense with detail, straightforward and to both accommodate Lila’s fire and process the HBO drama, comes a scene as lovely and yet prone to underlining metaphorical allu- her own churning feelings. They’ve always understated as it is pointed and bruising, a sions. The television series, on which the been inverses of each other, aware of each combination in which the show specializes. deliberately mysterious Ferrante (a pseud- other’s presences, inextricably entwined. Elena (Margherita Mazzucco), nervous about onym) has a writing credit on all episodes, In its initial season, the show followed going to a party at her intimidating profes- does the same, using narration from an older Ferrante’s first book in depicting their child- sor’s house, rifles through the lavish closet Elena to guide the stories and blur the lines hood and early adolescence, painting an EDUARDO CASTALDO/HBO EDUARDO

VARIETY 61 REVIEWS

almost impressionistic picture. In this second season, based on “The Story of a New Name,” the series reveals with more ambitious scope and often jarring clarity just how Elena and Lila, well into their teenage years, are forced to grow up — and then, despite themselves, forced apart. It also underlines a pressing thread of the first season and the novels alike, namely how traditionally ascribed social roles for men and women damage everyone involved, and the myriad ways careless, proud men dismiss women as window dressing. “The Story of a New Name” explores that in even more depth by highlighting not just the overt violence some of the men in Elena and Lila’s lives perpetrate but how many traffic in devastating emotional manipulation, whether they realize it or not. While the drama takes pains to balance the story between Elena and Lila, the trajec- tory of “The Story of a New Name” means that Season 2 almost entirely belongs to Lila TARGET PRACTICE (and, by proxy, Girace’s ferocious perfor- Ike Barinholtz, Amy Madigan mance). Picking up shortly after her disas- and Reed Birney star in “The Hunt.” trous wedding night, Lila spends much of the time trapped in an abusive marriage to Stefano (Giovanni Amura), a social-climbing FILM REVIEW those they disagree with. And that’s the businessman whose general sense of pow- BY PETER DEBRUGE premise from which “Lost” creator Damon erlessness manifests in bursts of rage when Lindelof and co-writer Nick Cuse depart she refuses to fall in line. As Elena climbs The Hunt here — partisan politics taken to their most the academic ranks with her diligent studies irreconcilable extremes — as Zobel proves and occasional legs up from kindly teachers, just the director to execute such a tight, Lila sinks deeper into a chilling domes- well-oiled shock-a-thon. tic drama that makes for some of the hard- Sure enough, Zobel, Lindelof and pro- DIRECTOR: Craig Zobel est, most effective moments of the series to STARRING: Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin, ducer Jason Blum (riding high on last date. The creeping unease that enters the Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank month’s “The Invisible Man”) have wrought frame with Stefano is viscerally frightening, a gory, hard-R exploitation movie mas- which the directing underlines with skewed querading as political satire, one that takes shots that wouldn’t be out of place in a hor- unseemly delight in dispatching yahoos ror movie, and strategic perspective shots LAST SUMMER, even before the public had on either end of the spectrum via all man- that bring the viewer directly into Lila’s gotten a chance to see it, humans-hunt- ner of hastily improvised weapons. The viewpoint as she steels herself to withstand ing-humans thriller “The Hunt” became a words “trigger warning” may not have been the abuse — or, for that matter, into Elena’s target for pundits on both sides of the gun invented with “The Hunt” in mind, but thoughts as she stands helplessly by, listen- control debate, when mass shootings in they’ve seldom seemed more apt in describ- ing to Lila scream behind a closed door. Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, prompted ing a film that stops just shy of fomenting Because as compelling as Lila is, it’s Elena’s critics to consider the media’s role in glori- civil war as it pits Left against Right, Blue narration that drives the series. Her struggle fying violence. In response, Universal ripped (bloods) against Red (necks), in a bloody bat- with her passive nature is a huge thread of her director Craig Zobel’s movie from its Sept. tle royale that reduces both sides to ridicu- overall journey, but it often makes her a frus- 27 release date and rescheduled the thriller lous caricatures. trating conduit (and gives Mazzucco, who can for spring 2020, making room for national And yet, “The Hunt” is a good deal be very good when she gets the room to emote, mourning in the wake of the horrific events, smarter — and no more outrageous — than relatively little to do). Her tendency to observe only to turn around and use the controversy most studio horror films, while its politi- her surroundings rather than meaningfully as an unconventional marketing hook. cal angle at least encourages debate, sug- interact with them, however, also makes While not nearly as incendiary as the gesting that there’s more to this hot potato being in her head an illuminating experi- early coverage made it out to be, “The Hunt” than mere provocation. Let’s assume we can ence. Through Elena’s eyes (i.e., the lens of the gives skeptics ample ammunition to con- all agree that there’s too much violence in directors and DP Fabio Cianchetti), we have demn this twisted riff on “The Most Dan- American movies today. The danger of “The to give her world as much consideration as gerous Game,” in which a posse of heavily Hunt” isn’t that the project will inspire copy- she does. We feel her fear, her love, her joy. It’s armed liberal elites get carried away exer- cat behavior (the premise is too far-fetched this kind of attention that makes “My Brilliant cising their Second Amendment rights for that), but rather that it drives a recklessly Friend” an unusually thoughtful, perceptive against a dozen “deplorables” — as the hunt- combustible wedge into the tinderbox of series, taking the interiority of teenage girls ers label their prey, adopting Hillary Clin- extreme partisanship, creating a false equiv- and women seriously while immersing its ton’s dismissive, dehumanizing term for alency between, say, Whole Foods-shopping audience in a specific culture that, nonethe- the “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenopho- white-collar liberals and racist, conspira- less, feels all too painfully familiar. bic, Islamophobic” contingent whose fringe cy-minded right-wingers. beliefs have found purchase with President Back in August 2017, two years before Trump. No matter who you ask, the “right to the shootings that put heat on “The Hunt,” CREDITS: Executive Producers: Lorenzo Mieli, Domenico Procacci, Mario Gianani, Guido De Laurentiis, Elena Recchia, Jennifer Schur, bear arms” was never intended as justifica- Trump sent a troubling message to the Paolo Sorrentino. 60 MIN. Cast: Gaia Girace, Margherita Mazzucco,

Giovvani Amura, Francesco Serpico tion for Americans to turn their guns against whole country when he responded to a PICTURES PERRET/UNIVERSAL PATTI

62 VARIETY REVIEWS

“The political angle Although the liberals may have the upper hand at first, they’re no smarter than their encourages debate, quarry, and the movie hooks us by sug- suggesting there’s gesting anything can happen, and following through on that promise with a series of more to this hot potato booby traps. If you’ve ever wondered what than provocation.” it looks like when someone steps on a mine or lands face up in a Viet Cong-style punji trap, Zobel and his visual effects team have murder at a white supremacist rally in Char- answers, relying on a mix of CG and practical lottesville, Va., by insisting that there were gore effects to turn such preposterous situa- “very fine people on both sides.” Zobel and tions into genuinely startling moments. Lindelof explore the opposite view: namely, Naturally, the project recalls Jordan that the actions and opinions of the two Peele’s recent “Get Out,” which implicated sides can be equally deplorable. well-mannered white people in a nefarious There are no good guys in “The Hunt,” plot to steal the brains and skills of unsus- just hunters and hunted, in which both par- pecting African Americans, as well as 1995’s ties are played by character actors whom early Cameron Diaz starrer “The Last Sup- viewers might recognize from TV. A few have per,” wherein a group of liberals lured con- slightly higher profiles (the lefties are led by temptible conservatives to dinner, only to a lunatic named Athena, stunt-cast with Hil- poison them when they refused to see rea- ary Swank), although the movie establishes son. But none of those movies took its prem- early on that off-screen status does not con- ise nearly as deep into the realm of horror fer greater survivability. One of the film’s as Lindelof and Zobel do here, which is the pranks is to surprise audiences with clev- potential advantage of a film that’s rather erly timed and diabolically creative “kills” anemic in its social commentary — there’s whenever possible, and more than once, not much depth beyond such easy punch- faces you may recognize explode right before lines as a self-hating liberal saying, “White your eyes, all but splattering the camera in people, we’re the fuckin’ worst” — but that the process. It’s revolting, sure, but nowhere delivers on the visceral thrills of trying to near as upsetting as the “torture porn” genre survive a rigged game. that preceded Blumhouse’s entry into the As the umpteenth variation on Richard horror arena and, frankly, far less offensive Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” how- than the psychological violence perpetrated ever, “The Hunt” is one of the most effective by Zobel’s 2012 indie “Compliance,” in which executions yet (it surpasses the Cannes-lau- a faceless caller, claiming to be a police offi- reled “Bacurau,” in theaters now, but drags cer, convinces a fast-food manager to detain along too much baggage to best last year’s and degrade one of her employees. sleeper hit “Ready or Not”). Regardless of Zobel has directed one feature since then, one’s personal political affiliations, it’s hard “Z for Zachariah,” focusing instead on pres- not to root for the victims here, and one tige TV, and it’s clear from an early scene quickly distinguishes herself from the pack aboard a jet en route to the Manor, where of “Deliverance”-style caricatures: Crystal Athena and her guests plan to do their hunt- May Creesy (Betty Gilpin of “Glow”), a Mac- ing, that the practice has honed his ability to Gyver-skilled military veteran who served balance between squirm-inducing dialogue in Afghanistan and whose distrust of any and high-stakes suspense. Meanwhile, the and everyone makes her uniquely suited for film’s plotting is pure Lindelof, who keeps a final showdown with Athena. us guessing by dropping clues to “Manor- After all the buildup, that scene inevita- gate,” as the conspiracy surrounding Athe- bly disappoints in its attempt to explain its na’s activities is referred to among nut-job own mythology, though the well-matched bloggers like Gary (Ethan Suplee) and Don womano a womano confrontation between (Wayne Duvall), only to reveal a more elabo- Gilpin and Swank is worth the price of rate program than they could have imagined. admission. Culturally, it does no one any This much “The Hunt” establishes good to stoke discord between two conten- early: Roughly a dozen deplorables (again, tious parties, but when the conflict reduces the film’s word for them, conveyed in an to one-on-one — and “The Hunt” stops pre- on-screen text conversation that goes viral tending to be a parable about modern pol- among the same network that gave cred- itics — it’s easy to appreciate the efficient ibility to Pizzagate, prompting a vigilante 90-minute horror-fantasy for what it is: to take action) are drugged and kidnapped not a model for violent behavior in the real from around the country and flown out to an world, but an extreme outlet for pent-up undisclosed location. They come to in the frustrations on both sides. middle of a field, where an ominous crate sits. Little by little, using what’s implied to be CREDITS: A Universal Pictures release of a Blumhouse production. Produc- their limited intellect, they manage to unlock ers: Jason Blum, Damon Lindelof. Executive producers: Nick Cuse, Ste- ven R. Molen, Craig Zobel. Co-producer: Jennifer Scudder Trent. Director: their bite-harnesses (a torture porn touch, Craig Zobel. Screenplay: Damon Lindelof, Nick Cuse. Camera: Darran Tier- nan. Editor: Jane Rizzo. Music: Nathan Barr. Reviewed at London Screen- to be sure) and arm themselves, but it’s not ing Room, March 5, 2020. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 90 MIN. Cast: Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, Wayne Duvall, until their unseen hosts start shooting that Christopher Berry, Sturgill Simpson, Kate Nowlin, Amy Madigan, Reed Birney, Glenn Howerton, Steve Coulter, Dean J. West, Vince Pisani, Teri they put two and two together. Wyble, Steve Mokate, Sylvia Grace Crim, Jason Kirkpatrick, Ethan Suplee

VARIETY 63 REVIEWS

After her initial prim misgivings, the bookish Sally is drawn to the contented, communal sackcloth squalor of the women’s commune, where they hang out, smoke pot and plot their various demonstrations — with a planned invasion of the regressive Miss World contest, soon to be held in Lon- don, next in line. Wholly unaware of their plans, foppish pageant chief Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans) blusters on with preparations for the so-called “cattle show,” securing Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear, amusing if distinctly un-Hope-like) as host, before a ﬂurry of international contestants, high on excitement and hairspray fumes, jet into town. Among them are icily blond Miss Swe- den Maj Christel Johansson (Clara Ros- ager), the bookies’ favorite, and two far less fancied contestants of color: Jennifer Hosten and Pearl Janssen (Loreece Har- rison, an underused delight), a wide-eyed ingenue competing as Miss Africa South, a MORE THAN SKIN-DEEP hastily selected second South African can- Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw didate intended to ward off anti-apartheid star in “Misbehaviour.” protesters. Both underprivileged women have dreams that a pageant victory could make reality — if, that is, the all-white Brit- FILM REVIEW title. But this is an unabashedly commercial ish women’s protest doesn’t sabotage the BY GUY LODGE crowd-pleaser, hoping to draw cross- entire enterprise. generational groups of women and allies to That’s a potentially rich dramatic con- Misbehaviour theaters when it’s cannily released in the ﬂict, yet the broad-brush script never quite U.K. on March 13 through Disney, just in squares that circle, in part because it gives time for the local version of Mother’s Day. (It us scant access to the inner life of every could as easily have gone the week before, character but Sally. A radiant Mbatha-Raw

DIRECTOR: Philippa Lowthorpe timed to International Women’s Day, though plays the Grenadian underdog with good STARRING: Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Military Wives” took that spot: The two grace and good humor, but we yearn to see Jessie Buckley, Greg Kinnear, Lesley Manville, would make a cozy double feature.) A State- more of her when the pageant lights are Rhys Ifans side release is unconfirmed, though the star off; Buckley, always a welcome, film-jolting power of Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw presence, can’t do much to make Jo more and Jessie Buckley in the principal roles than a jangly bag of attitude and slogans. makes for an easily exportable package. Knightley, likable as ever, sportingly shoul- DOES ANYONE STILL WATCH televised How the narrative is divvied up between ders the proceedings but seems set up to beauty pageants? Some must: The likes of them, however, is the most glaring issue play the least intriguing figure here. A late- Miss America and Miss World presumably with a screenplay by Rebecca Frayn (“The film tête-à-tête between her and Mbatha- aren’t being broadcast to a global audience Lady”) and Gaby Chiappe (the lovely “Their Raw, by far the film’s best scene, offers a of ghosts, whatever their declining pres- Finest”) that attempts to treat, with strenu- taste of the seething, underlying complexi- ence in the popular imagination. Yet for ous fairness, the beauty queens caught up ties absent elsewhere. years now, the pageant industry has felt in an icky misogynistic system — but winds These shortcuts and shortcomings are like a dead woman walking and waving, up giving even Jennifer Hosten (Mbatha- unlikely to trouble many in the film’s core steadily losing TV ratings and youth appeal, Raw), the Grenadian contestant who blazed audience, and nor do they ultimately scup- however many concessions it makes to her own trail by becoming the first black per “Misbehaviour” as a straightforward, more progressive standards of femininity: Miss World amid the 1970 commotion, spirited message movie, particularly by Banning the swimsuit round might help, somewhat skin-deep treatment. the time the unabashedly manipulative but something larger is being denuded Evenly as the film’s sympathies are but effective old technique of bringing the anyway. A bouncy fact-based Britcom in spread, it sits most comfortably in the con- CREDITS: A Disney (in U.K.) actors’ real-life counterparts on-screen release of a Pathé, BBC Films, the “Made in Dagenham” vein, Philippa sciousness of protagonist Sally Alexander Ingenious Media, British Film comes tearily into play. It’s all colorfully Institute presentation of a Left Lowthorpe’s “Misbehaviour” marks the (Knightley), a middle-class Londoner and Bank Pictures production. (Inter- handled by TV pro Lowthorpe, following up national sales: Pathé Intl., Paris.) point at which the worm turned. Revisit- second-wave feminist trying to shake off Producers: Suzanne Mackie, her big-screen debut, “Swallows and Ama- Sarah Jane Wheale. Execu- ing the protest-blighted 1970 Miss World the cobwebs of a conservative upbringing tive producers: Andy Har- zons,” with similar smooth, impersonal ries, Rebecca Frayn, Cameron contest from the alternating perspective by enrolling as a mature history student — McCracken, Jenny Borgars, aplomb, while the below-the-line credits — Rose Garnett, Andrea Scarso, of participants and opposing activists, it’s to the consternation of her starchy mother Natascha Wharton. Director: particularly Charlotte Walter’s bold, explo- Philippa Lowthorpe. Screenplay: cheery, easy comfort viewing, but for all its Evelyn (Phyllis Logan), who urges Sally to Rebecca Frayn, Gaby Chiappe, sion-in-a-vintage-store costumes — all opt from a story by Frayn. Cam- gaudy, kitschtastic period trappings, there’s settle for being a dedicated homemaker era: Zac Nicholson. Editor: Úna for springy polish over grainy authenticity. Ní Dhonghaíle. Music: Dickon little nostalgia underpinning it. to her boyfriend and young daughter. Dis- Hinchliffe. Reviewed at Soho Still, “Misbehaviour” does point up the diffi- Hotel screening room, London, Instead, “Misbehaviour” says good rid- heartened by the fusty sexism she encoun- Jan. 16, 2020. Running time: culties of being a formula film about fighting 106 MIN. Cast: Keira Knightley, dance to a bad era in the brightest, polit- ters at the university, Sally instead finds a Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buck- the power: Effervescent and eager to please, ley, Greg Kinnear, Lesley Man- est way possible: too politely, perhaps, if like mind in Jo Robinson (Buckley), the out- ville, Rhys Ifans, Keeley Hawes, even when handling tricky intersectional Loreece Harrison, Clara Ros- you’re seeking a feminist comedy that actu- spoken working-class ringleader of a rebel- ager, Suki Waterhouse, Phyllis politics of gender, race and class, it could Logan, Lily Newmark, Ruby Ben- ally lives up to the raucous promise of its lious feminist activist group. tall, Maya Kelly, John Hefferman stand to act out just a little bit more. TAGHIZADEH/PATHÉ PARISA

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How are you dealing with the coronavirus Aaron Paul — professionally, you have to talk to a lot of strangers and travel a lot, so how do you feel about all that? ‘It’s Nice to Just Get It’s so wild, what’s happening. This is the kickoff of the press tour of “Westworld.” I was supposed to go to Brazil after the L.A. All Messy at Work’ premiere. That was canceled, and then SXSW was canceled. I’m washing my hands a lot more. But also, I’m kind of into this By Adam B. Vary [puts hands together in prayer motion] and not really this [extends hand for a hand- WHEN AARON PAUL JOINED HBO’S “WESTWORLD” for its third season, which shake]. Just like, you know what? I respect premiered March 15, he was a “crazy fan” of the show. But executive you, but let’s keep our distance. It’s a scary producers Lisa Joy and Jonathan “Jonah” Nolan didn’t ask him to play thing. I think it’s good to be clean and safe. one of the show’s sentient robots rebelling against humanity. Instead, he OK, on to “Westworld”! When we meet portrays a human named Caleb, a military veteran struggling to eke out a your character Caleb, he’s in a really living in Los Angeles circa 2058, when he crosses paths with Evan Rachel dark place. Wood’s avenging android Dolores. For Paul, the star of “Breaking Bad” You think? [Smiles] and “The Path,” Caleb’s disconsolate life was relatively familiar territory You are a generally ebullient, happy — and the Emmy-winning actor wouldn’t have it any other way. person, but you’ve played several characters who’ve found themselves facing a dark path. I know there’s some sort of through line here. I just gravitate toward characters that are just being dragged through the mud, you know? I don’t know why. It’s fun for me to zip on a completely different skin than I’m used to wearing in my day-to-day. I’m madly in love. I have the most beautiful little baby girl. It’s nice to just get all messy at work. When Lisa and Jonah asked me to be a part of it — I mean, I know they know my work. And so I could only imagine it’s gonna be something in my wheelhouse, you know? It’s not gonna be like this slap- stick sort of comic relief of “Westworld.” When they pitched me their idea, of course I was blown away. And my God, they gave me so much fun stuff to play with.

What’s your self-care for playing these dark people? How do you shed that at the end of the day? I go read my baby girl like 15 books at night, and I get into that world. The blessing with this show, it’s a huge cast, and so there are some weeks that I don’t even work. And so I go to the mountains of Idaho and take my family and just enjoy nature. And I don’t know, I hate saying it, but I feel like it’s a form of emotional release. I’m not crying on a day-to-day [basis] in my life. I mean, we’ve all been affected by love and loss in big ways. But I feel very fortunate that I haven’t had to deal with that all that much. So it’s nice to feel these heavy emotions.

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AARON PAUL

AGE: 40 BIRTHPLACE: Emmett, Idaho PERMANENT MEMORY: Paul and his “Breaking Bad” co-star Bryan Cranston both got tattoos to commemorate the end of the show. THE PRICE WAS WRONG: In 2000, he made it to the showcase showdown on “The Price Is Right,” but lost with a $132 overbid. PHOTOGRAPH BY MAARTEN DE BOER MAARTEN BY PHOTOGRAPH

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