Battle Tested

CORONAVIRUS SCARE Will Audiences Return? COMMON BOND Weinstein Witnesses ROUGH TRADE Conflict at THR

BATTLE TESTED

THE WEEKND CONFRONTS HIS TROUBLED PAST, REVEALS SECRETS

APRIL 8, 2020 US $9.99 JAPAN ¥1280 IN NEW ALBUM ‘AFTER HOURS’ CANADA $11.99 CHINA ¥80 UK £ 8 HONG KONG $95 BY JEM ASWAD P.28 EUROPE €9 RUSSIA 400 AUSTRALIA $14 INDIA 800 Untitled-1 1 4/2/20 12:32 PM P.2P.28 8 ReadyReady fforor TheThe WWeekndeeknd

The singer-songwritersinger-songwriter conconfrontsfronts his dedemonsmons in latelatestst albalbum,um, “A“Afterfter Hours,”Hours,” and pplotslots a nnewew lilifefe ppath.ath. By JEM ASWADASWAD

P.3P.383 8 CourtroomCourtroom HeroinesHeroines

Thehe wowomenmenm who ttestifiedestified againstagainst HarHarveyarvey WeinsteinWeinstein reflectreflect on thethe tritrialrial and ththeireir newly fforgedorged bond. By ELIZABETHELIIZABETH WAGMEISTERWAGMEISTER

P.4PP.44 4 FondFond ‘Family’‘Family’ FarewellFarewell

The castcast and crewcrew loolookk bbackacck on game-changinggame-changing comecomedydy “M“ModernModerern Family”Family” aass iitt ends its rrun.un. ByBy ELAINE LOWLOW

P.4P.4 7 MusicMusic foforr SScreenscreens

VarietyVariety inintroducestroduces the latestlateest classclaslass ofof 10 composcomposersers to wawatch.tchh. PPlus:lus: ARC LAN FAT PO; MANICURE: AKI HIRAYAMA; SUIT: BALENCIAGA; SUNGLASSES: RETINA; SHIRT: CELINE; TIE: LOUIS VUITTON CELINE; TIE: LOUIS SHIRT: RETINA; SUNGLASSES: BALENCIAGA; SUIT: MANICURE: AKI HIRAYAMA; PO; LAN FAT ARC An insideinside looklook atat how filmmakersfilmmmakersr chosechose ttunesunes forfor “Trolls“Trolls WorldWoorld Tour.”Tour.””

“I ththithinknk peopeopleeoplplep sasayy youryouour 30s30s are yyourour bbestest yearsyears becausebecause you’reyou’re becombecominging the pepersonrson you’reyou’re supposesupposedd to bebe.. AnAndd tthishis iiss tthehe bebeginningginning of not jjustust a new chapterchapter bbutut my second decade [as[as a performer].performer]]. I fefeeleel llikeike my ccareerarereer isis justjust starting.”starting.” Theh WeekWeekndknd P.28 (COVER AND THIS PAGE) PHOTOGRAPHS BY PARI DUKOVIC; STYLING: MATTHEW HENSON; GROOMING: CHRISTINE NELLI/THE WALL GROUP; BARBER: M BARBER: GROUP; NELLI/THE WALL CHRISTINE HENSON; GROOMING: MATTHEW STYLING: DUKOVIC; PARI BY PHOTOGRAPHS AND THIS PAGE) (COVER

VARIETY 3 CONTENTS

TOP BILLING

13 CALLING ALL AUDIENCES How many people will return to public entertainment venues once restrictions are lifted?

15 THR SHAKE-UP The inside scoop on turmoil at The Hollywood Reporter following top editor’s exit

17 THEY’VE GOT GAME “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” returns to ABC for a special run, with host Jimmy Kimmel

18 GUEST COLUMN Exec producer Stacey Sher on “Mrs. America” and the rise of the women’s movement ALSO INSIDE

EXPOSURE 8 FIELD NOTES 23 DEVOUR Musings “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” on hot topics offers an entertaining escape 9 26 DIRT P.5 3 PLUGGED IN “9-1-1” star Jennifer Love What’s trending Hewitt buys in Pacific Palisades at Variety.com J Balvin brings his reggaeton vibe to 10 “Trolls World Tour” CLOSE UP FOCUS The big picture P. 2 5 56 THE ESSENTIAL A look at the career of Harold Torres, star of Amazon Sophia series “ZeroZeroZero” Bush closes sale on Chicago ARTISANS penthouse

59 AIR APPARENT Helicopter camera teams offer filmmakers a bird’s-eye view

60 CUTTING EDGE “Tiger King” editors helped tame the evolving story of big cat collector Joe Exotic P.6 3

61 MURKY MEMORIES “Home Before Dark” creatives “Run” home in on family secrets review

REVIEWS “Instead of sitting and watching the inauguration of Donald Trump ... we begin the first episode of the 63 TV fourth season with her listening to “Run” Hillary Clinton be sworn in.” Christine Baranski on the alternative reality her 65 MUSIC character, Diane, experiences in the season “Never Will” opener of “The Good Fight” P.66 J BALVIN: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC; RUN: KEN WORONER/HBO; BARANSKI: PATRICK HARBRON/CBS PATRICK BARANSKI: RUN: KEN WORONER/HBO; LLC; ANIMATION DREAMWORKS J BALVIN:

4 VARIETY Untitled-1 1 4/3/20 1:37 PM Michelle Sobrino-Stearns

GROUP PUBLISHER & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

SALES MARKETING Donna Pennestri Dea Lawrence ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Claudia Eller MILLIE CHIAVELLI JOHN ROSS VP, FEATURES & EVENTS SVP, SALES & GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TIM BOYER DAWN ALLEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Wallenstein VP, FILM & TALENT SUSANNE AULT CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST & PRESIDENT, VARIETY INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM MICHELLE FINE-SMITH DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMING VP, GLOBAL CONSUMER PARTNERSHIPS EDITORIAL FEATURES DAYNA WOLPA JASON GREENBLATT DIRECTOR, EVENT MARKETING Lesley McKenzie Steven Gaydos VP DIGITAL SALES MANAGING EDITOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL CONTENT DAVID S. COHEN ERIC LEGENDRE SENIOR PRODUCER, ANDREW BARKER CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, VARIETY CONTENT STUDIO Cynthia Littleton SENIOR FEATURES WRITER INTERNATIONAL SALES HOLLY DILLON BUSINESS EDITOR PETER CARANICAS LINDSEY ELFENBEIN SENIOR PRODUCER, VARIETY CONTENT STUDIO DANIEL HOLLOWAY MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL SUMMITS EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TV SHALINI DORE & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS JAMIE ARONSON BRENT LANG FEATURES NEWS EDITOR KATE ROACH DIRECTOR, EVENT MARKETING EXECUTIVE EDITOR, FILM & MEDIA DIANE GARRETT SALES DIRECTOR EMMA SCHMIDT SHIRLEY HALPERIN EDITOR, FEATURES HENRY DEAS MANAGER, EVENT MARKETING EXECUTIVE EDITOR, MUSIC CAROLE HORST DIRECTOR, MARKETS & FESTIVALS LAURYN KISTNER MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES RAMIN SETOODEH PATRICE ATIEE SENIOR BRAND MARKETING MANAGER NEW YORK BUREAU CHIEF JENELLE RILEY DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS NATASHA MILLMAN ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR KATE AURTHUR JUDI PULVER ASSOCIATE MANAGER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE MALINA SAVAL DIRECTOR, MUSIC ADVERTISING EVENT MARKETING EDITOR, FEATURES MANORI RAVINDRAN CHRISTIE RICCI BIANCA CALOCA ASSOCIATE MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR DANIELLE TURCHIANO DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EVENT MARKETING CONTACT PMC SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR, TV VALERIE FATEHI ALEX BULLARD JEM ASWAD CHRIS WILLMAN DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS » Los Angeles MANAGER, FEATURES SENIOR MUSIC EDITOR EDITOR, FEATURES 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., AMY JO LAGERMEIER WHITNEY CINKALA Los Angeles, CA 90025 GORDON COX ART & PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ASSOCIATE BRAND MANAGER +1 323-617-9100 LEGIT EDITOR JENNIFER DORN CRISTINA QUITANIA VICTORIA LENNOX » Chicago MARK DAVID PHOTO DIRECTOR MANAGER, SUMMITS & MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS ASSOCIATE 20 West Kinzie St REAL ESTATE EDITOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TED KELLER HANNA HENSLER Chicago, IL 60654 MATT DONNELLY DESIGN DIRECTOR KEVIN TAGUE MARKETING COORDINATOR SENIOR FILM WRITER » Nashville ELLIOT STOKES MANAGER, CONSUMER BRAND MAYA STEINBERG PARTNERSHIPS 501 Union St BILL EDELSTEIN ART DIRECTOR EVENT MARKETING COORDINATOR Nashville, TN 37219 ASSOCIATE EDITOR SOUMAYA CASSAM-CHENAI JAMES SLOCUM ROBYN OZAKI INTERNATIONAL SALES » New York TERRY FLORES SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR DESIGNER & MARKETING MANAGER 475 Fifth Avenue SENIOR EDITOR HALEY KLUGE CASEY KWAN STEFAN NICOLL New York, NY 10017 TIM GRAY DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR JUNIOR DESIGNER ACCOUNT MANAGER +1 212-213-1900 SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT LUANA PINTO RICHARD MALTZ (SPAIN, PORTUGAL, LATIN AMERICA) » London SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR JUNIOR DESIGNER MAE HAMILTON WILLIAM LIN 11 Golden Square EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, DIRT.COM ALEX GITMAN SALES EXECUTIVE, ASIA GREG KICHAVEN London, England PHOTO EDITOR FEATURES COORDINATOR W1F 9JB ANGELIQUE JACKSON KIMBERLY CERVANTES EVENTS & LIFESTYLE PRODUCER TARRYN SILVER SALES PLANNING MANAGER PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION » Paris JUSTIN KROLL PRODUCTION DESIGNER AMANDA SCHULZE 11 Rue Royale WRITER ELLEN DEALY Paris, France 75008 MICHAEL BUCKNER MEDIA PLANNER CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER VP, AUDIENCE MARKETING ELAINE LOW » Milan ISABELLA DALENA NATALIE LONGMAN SENIOR TV WRITER ONLINE Via Albricci, 7 SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR PRODUCTION DIRECTOR GENE MADDAUS 20122 Milan, Italy Stuart Oldham SADI KUPERMAN SENIOR MEDIA WRITER MIKE PETRE EDITOR, VARIETY.COM SALES COORDINATOR FILM & TELEVISION DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTION » Mumbai MARC MALKIN Vishwaroop IT Park, MEREDITH WOERNER SEAN SOPER ANDREA WYNNYK SENIOR FILM AWARDS, DEPUTY EDITOR Sector 30A Vashi, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR PRODUCTION MANAGER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER EVENTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Navi Mumbai 400703 PAT SAPERSTEIN JAMES MCCLAIN DEPUTY EDITOR » Hong Kong EDITOR-AT-LARGE, REAL ESTATE DAN DOPERALSKI 21/F, The Phoenix DAVE MCNARY DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR 23 Luard Road, Wan Chai FILM WRITER Hong Kong MAANE KHATCHATOURIAN VARIETY BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE MACKENZIE NICHOLS SENIOR ONLINE NEWS EDITOR » Tokyo STAFF WRITER ALEX STEDMAN Mark Hoebich Lapiross Bldg. 4F, JOE OTTERSON SENIOR ONLINE NEWS EDITOR 6-1-24 Roppongi, PRESIDENT Minayo-Ky, Tokyo SENIOR TV WRITER REBECCA RUBIN 106-0032 MICHAEL SCHNEIDER NEWS EDITOR CAROLYN FINGER RYAN PIGG SENIOR EDITOR, TV AWARDS MEG ZUKIN SVP SENIOR COORDINATOR, RESEARCH EMAIL US SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR TODD SPANGLER GEOFF ELSNER JULIE SESNOVICH [email protected] NEW YORK DIGITAL EDITOR AUDREY YAP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SENIOR COORDINATOR, [email protected] BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FILM RESEARCH BRIAN STEINBERG NEWS ANCHOR/REPORTER JENNIFER NIEVES FOLLOW US SENIOR TV EDITOR PRESTON NORTHROP LINDSAY STRACH SENIOR DIRECTOR, SUPERVISING PRODUCER SENIOR COORDINATOR SYLVIA TAN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Twitter.com/variety ASSOCIATE EDITOR MACKENZIE JOHNSON BAILEY WILDMAN Facebook.com/variety BRIAN DEPASQUALE VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR SENIOR COORDINATOR Instagram.com/variety JAZZ TANGCAY DIRECTOR, RESEARCH YouTube.com/variety ARTISANS EDITOR NICHOLAS STANGO KEELAN BROWN STEPHANIE DIEHL VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR INTERNATIONAL TV DIRECTOR, RESEARCH TO SUBSCRIBE WILLIAM THORNE COORDINATOR TV WRITER TUCKER MORRISON KEVIN KELLY Variety.com/premieroffer VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR YOOMI CHOI ADAM B. VARY DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH 1 Year (48 issues) for $199 SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER JORDAN MOREAU CHRISTINE MORENTE COORDINATOR, ASIA 6 mos (24 issues) for $109 ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER DIRECTOR, FILM RESEARCH BATHILDE ODOLANT BREANNA BELL SENIOR CORRESPONDENT CHRIS SVEHLA FILM RESEARCH COORDINATOR Variety, VOL. 347, NO. 10 (USPS 146-820, ISSN JUNIOR CONTENT SPECIALIST DIRECTOR, TV RESEARCH 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the fourth CRITICS ALIX KALAHER week of June, the first week in July, and the fourth INTERNATIONAL FEATURE EDITORS PETER DEBRUGE JIMMY DOYLE TV RESEARCH COORDINATOR and fifth weeks in December, with 40 special LEO BARRACLOUGH MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) CHIEF FILM CRITIC BRITTNEY POOLE LONDON and Dec (6) by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, a division of OWEN GLEIBERMAN JORDAN LEIPZIG RESEARCH COORDINATOR JOHN HOPEWELL MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid CHIEF FILM CRITIC MADRID AUBREE SCHAEFER 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 Untitled-1 1 4/3/20 1:38 PM FIELD NOTES

Editorial Freedom Vital VARIETY IS OWNED & PUBLISHED BY PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION for All Media Outlets Jay Penske CHAIRMAN & CEO

GEORGE GROBAR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER WHAT HAPPENED this week at The to kill stories it deemed weren’t GERRY BYRNE Hollywood Reporter is nothing “nice” enough. VICE CHAIRMAN SARLINA SEE less than shocking — and deeply It can’t help reminding me of CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER disturbing. Even though we’re a that dangerous man in the White CRAIG PERREAULT fierce rival of the publication, I House who continually berates EVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TODD GREENE really feel for the journalists over journalists for asking tough ques- EVP, BUSINESS AFFAIRS & GENERAL there, who have had their editorial tions, imploring the media to be COUNSEL DEBASHISH GHOSH independence yanked out from “nicer” to him and toe the line for MANAGING DIRECTOR, under them by their misguided his and the government’s agenda. INTERNATIONAL MARKETS corporate bosses at Valence Media Meanwhile, Belloni can’t talk JENNY CONNELLY SVP, PRODUCT and Media Rights Capital. about the huge scandal inside THR, KEN DELALCAZAR Those geniuses imposed an as he took what I imagine is a SVP, FINANCE unethical mandate on THR to sizable settlement and signed an TOM FINN SVP, OPERATIONS soften its coverage of the industry NDA meant to shut him up. I guess NELSON ANDERSON so as not to alienate their adver- that’s why in the last line of his VP, CREATIVE tisers and business partners. goodbye memo to his staff on April JONI ANTONACCI VP, PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Editorial director Matt Bel- 6, he disingenuously characterized REBECCA BIENSTOCK loni, who abruptly resigned this his exit as “100% amicable.” And VP, TALENT RELATIONS week in protest, rightly balked at a Valence, just as disingenuously, GERARD BRANCATO demand by Valence co-CEOs Modi said the company remained “com- VP, PMC DIGITAL ACQUISTION JACIE BRANDES Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, who over- mitted to our publications and to VP, PORTFOLIO SALES see THR, to compile a list of peo- journalistic integrity.” ANNE DOYLE ple and companies that could be Well, Kumbaya! We should sit VP, HR MARA GINSBERG problematic for the publication to around the fire and raise a glass to VP, HR cover in any disparaging way. just how grown-up everyone YOUNG KO The Daily Beast published is being! VP, FINANCE some very damning emails that Valence says it will begin a GABRIEL KOEN “I feel for the VP, TECHNOLOGY Billboard-THR Media Group pres- search for Belloni’s replacement. journalists KEVIN LABONGE ident Deanna Brown had sent to But, honestly, under these awful cir- VP, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS & LICENSING over there, Belloni complaining about THR’s cumstances, who in their right jour- NOEMI LAZO who have had VP, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE “ongoing negative coverage of the nalistic mind would take that job? AND MARKETING OPERATIONS their editorial industry,” singling out specific BRIAN LEVINE VP, REVENUE OPERATIONS independence stories that she and the corporate yanked out from JUDITH R. MARGOLIN brass thought too fraught. Though VP, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL under them by I greatly enjoy outsmarting Bel- JULIE TRINH their misguided loni in our coverage, I have a new- VP, GLOBAL TAX LAUREN UTECHT corporate found respect for him pushing Claudia Eller VP, HR & CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS bosses.” back against corporate’s attempts Editor-in-Chief MIKE YE VP, STRATEGIC PLANNING & ACQUISITIONS CHRISTINA YEOH VP, TECHNICAL OPERATIONS JULIE ZHU VP, AUDIENCE MARKETING & SUBSCRIPTIONS NICI CATTON ASSOCIATE VP, PRODUCT DELIVERY Uncovered KARL WALTER Photographed March 6, 2020 ASSOCIATE VP, CONTENT GURJEET CHIMA SENIOR DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL “It was such a collaborative process working with MARKETS Abel [Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd] on this shoot,” EDDIE KO SENIOR DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING says photographer Pari Dukovic. “His deep OPERATIONS understanding of the visual world made it such a ANDY LIMPUS pleasure. During the shoot we were exchanging SENIOR DIRECTOR, TALENT ACQUISITION AMIT SANNAD ideas and references, which is always a sign of a SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT strong connection.” Dukovic is an award-winning CONSTANCE EJUMA New York-based photographer working across DIRECTOR, SEO LAURA ONGARO the genres of portraiture, fashion and report- EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR, age. His wide-ranging practice and informal INTERNATIONAL documentary style encompass both his art his- KATIE PASSANTINO DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT tory background and rigorous technical training, DEREK RAMSAY resulting in colorful and atmospheric images. DIRECTOR, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

8 VARIETY GUTTERSURVIVE: CREDITJANIS PIPARS/QUIBI; HEMSWORTH: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK; TURNER: ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK; JACOBS: MEDIAPUNCH/SHUTTERSTOCK; UNDERWOOD: NINA PROMMER/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK XXXX XX% ait olSay What? expernam? Tor restrum Variety Poll on Sports Networks Sports on COVID-19’s Impact Variety que poreritati denduscim denduscim sedqueellavoluptatius eosam ella voluptatius eosamqueporeritati s acit,quiaborestias nus.sedque eosam queporeritati denduscimcuptat. ad mi,odiossedqueellavoluptatius Idunto intamuntiseniomnisnonsequam, and servicesare ESPNPlus,andNBCSN. recent casualty. Themost-impactednetworks far) duetoCOVID-19, withWimbledon themost games andevents canceledorsuspended(so There have been878 nationallytelevised sports

Quibi’s Launch Day News 37 38 39 49 78 107 139 160 203 movie “Survive.” in Quibichapterized Sophie Turnerstars FIRST BITES CBS NBC ABC FS1 TNT NBCSN ESPN ESPN Plus Other 28 XXXX XX% variety.com/vip-sample Data provided by VIPAnalysis.For more in-depthdataandanalysis, NBA TV XXXX XX% Poll XXXX XX% PLUGGED IN PLUGGED IN t s st . t

WHAT’S ONVARIETY.COM WHAT’S ONVARIETY.COM “Leste eratur sunt “Leste eratur sunt “Leste eratur sunt “Leste eratur sunt facit nisnux Itatur sent News quas aut facidebis et ped untoodisquia quas autfacidebisetped autaessim ionse- ex eribeat etuptatempore dolautaessim ex autasperro ethicidelit, volorro videliquibusmagnisc ienimillaut quam rerianisauthilmoditaspid rum optacus.voluptatiost raesit, autlaborum sim ex et autaessim ex etalictem oloriatibus autaessim autaes- exnis sequia etlicimet, dolore,aborro erirequossum etursimille- ritatem hilia volupta tistiatum autearchic quate dolestiam quovolendam volo- quepore maetpravellatiumdessitiae sed eictoid inciatem. eariass volest,postemque sitvoluptas ipsamquis remolup tatisque magnatis exerore stiume ipsamratem doluptur omnimpori odit idipsam, etnonsequ apel quuntur iorumque doluptamquiatemquia dolorepropra nonpa verciae ilinvelenet pero etquamessi res ratibus volorehende optur, simus, ineosam, ventem hitatempraerum quiduciatiist rem quostisto ipietur, iuseumhicidmi, et molum namre, dolorroetaligeniam seque • For thefullstory, headtoVariety.com. UCITI QUUNTIORATEMQUE 5 premiere, SensorTower. per five days ofthe“Game ofThrones”Season ahead approximatelyinstalled 45,000times, coming five years ago. OnApril 7,2015,HBONow was Day Onedownload totalof HBONow’s appfrom downloads, theestimated Quibihandilybeat “Flipped,” starring Will Forte andKaitlin Olson. Chrissy Teigen; andhome-renovation comedy “Chrissy’s spoof reality Lopez; Court,” starring aMillion,” showreality “Thanks fromJennifer show “Punk’d,” by hosted Chance theRapper; andChristophing LiamHemsworth Waltz; prank Corey Hawkins; “Most Dangerous Game,” toplin- include “Survive,” starring SophieTurner and Those viewing. movies for designed mobile-only lineupof50shows and“chapterized”launch-day Simpsons.”as well of “The as30seasons including “StarWars,” content, PixarandMarvel collection titles, of brand-namemovie andTV mately 4millioninstalls intheU.S. andCanada. approxi-12, theDisney appnotched streaming had afarsmallerjumpoutof thegate: OnNov. (following andTikTok). Zoom free appsoverall onApple’s App StoreintheU.S. firmSensorTower.from mobile-analytics estimates preliminary hit around300,000,per Quibi service streaming ambitious mobile-only day appdownloads for Jeffrey Katzenberg’s • For thefullstory, headtoVariety.com. COMING AFTER MONTHSOFSTEADYCOMING AFTER HYPE, dicatiur sam,officaborporiaspero molesapitmo dicatiur sam,officaborporiaspero molesapitmo dicatiur sam,officaborporiaspero molesapitmo dicatiur sam,officaborporiaspero molesapitmo minimolore molorisulliquuntoommoto cuptatumvolupta.” perspero quisautipsantorpor acomnimsinusdaeribusamfacepud aepero minimolore molorisulliquunto ommotocuptatumvolupta.” nulla et,simusaspitquiaquamvoloriatem autestrumquatidolorumquicullace minimolore molorisulliquuntoommotocuptatumvolupta.” perspero quisautipsantorporacomnimsinusdaeribusamfacepud aepero minimolore molorisulliquuntoommotocuptatumvolupta.” nulla et,simusaspitquiaquamvoloriatem autestrumquati dolorumquicullace Name Here Name Here Name Here Name Here “It’s“ devastating. “It’s“ beenareally toughtime. “At thesametime “Moulin Rouge!“ TheMusical” starAaron Tveit, whowas diagnosedwiththecoronavirus, on star ColtonUnderwood“The Bachelor” “Th onthecoronavirus SaySa What? g get it;Iwon’t have symptoms.’ Andthatwasn’t thecase.Mymessagewould c community really stepsuptoraisemoneyfor peoplewhoare down-and-out.” an and yet toopenthatare hanginginthebalance.We don’t know whenwe will begoingtowork. Will peoplebeinterested incoming?…TheBroadway w signi significant wealth wouldn’t want todoeverything theycould tostopthis.” p president rightnow who’s talking,andallthegovernors whoare doingtheir m marginalized andinsomany people intheUnitedStates,Canada placesin I I thinkeverybody justfeels unsure. There are shows thathave justopened the the the world. It’s mind-blowing tomethatthosewithpower andinfluence the future. It’s happeningrightnow. Again, it’s disproportionately affecting t the beachinFlorida,andpeoplewere stilltryingtosay, ‘Itdoesn’t matterifI is a is aquestion:When? What?How? For theBroadway communityspecifically, best b best totrykeep thisnotasimpactfulithasalready become.” be, listentoyour healthcare providers. Listentothegovernment and our Mou Ellen Page onPresident DonaldTrump’s dismissalofclimatechange i its effect ontheBroadway community Bit, tem faccullam, cumeiumfuga.Epe- temfaccullam, Bit, Rovitatur magnimus doluptamnumet While it trailed Disney Plus in launch-day Disney Plusinlaunch-day While ittrailed andfeatures content, a Quibi hasnolibrary To sure, fromalarge be Disney Plus benefited withthebow ofCompared Disney Plus, Quibi As of April 7,QuibiranksasNo. 3amongtop It’s d It’s thi ts e he om et i res e, i ar th e ll d

b ff B

n li w f b y li b g q y t i m utempedmilliquoetetur, etditomnisex etoptatemodigen utempedmilliquoetetur, etditomnisex etoptatemodigen utempedmilliquoetetur, etditomnisex etoptatemodigen utempedmilliquoetetur, etditomnisex etoptatemodigen [Climate changeis] destroying theworld. It’s destroying thatIwas testingpositive, there were springbreakers on autempo ssi- autempo I thinkthere are somany questions.Everything ﬁrst- earuptatis voluptatio mincia earuptatis voluptatio mincia earuptatis voluptatio mincia earuptatis voluptatio mincia VARIETY on Quibi Shows Stars of Releases Upcoming Stars of sapic tesediat. mod quevoluptaque Natectota expliquaspel Title Here Name Here sapic tesediat. mod quevoluptaque Natectota expliquaspel Title Here Name Here sapic tesediat. mod quevoluptaque Natectota expliquaspel Title Here Name Here of thismurder mystery. up four pointsinadvance His numberiskillingit— Lights GoOn When theStreet Chosen Jacobs thriller may save her. since lastmonth,butthis Her Vscore hasfallen Survive Sophie Turner look like in24 hours? from March 1;whatwill it His score isupsixpoints Most DangerousGame Liam Hemsworth visit over 25,000 actors.For more info please footprint, familiarity andavailability of Intelligence, identifiesthesocial Vscore, powered by Variety Business visit over 25,000 actors.For more info please footprint, familiarity andavailability of Intelligence, identifiesthesocial Vscore, powered by Variety Business 49 65 Vscore.com Vscore.com 73 X X X 3 9 uibi 9 10 VREY VARIETY

GUTTER CREDIT GUTTER CREDIT according officials. to health spike in Southern California over thenext weeks, careworkers, health to areexpected butnumbers of newcasesinthestate, aidinghospitalsand withhelpingtoflatten thecurve credited being som’s directive early for tostay is people indoors than 6,000of thoseinLosAngeles County. New- morethan16,000 cases, with more reported cases. California 132,000reported has nearly York was theepicenter of thepandemic, with Newest incidence, dead. and10,941reported thenationas many withthenext-high- asSpain, casesof COVID-19, almostreported threetimes face covering. recommended anyone venturing outsidewear a the U.S. onApril —announced 3that has theCDC in would that spread thekillerpandemic the idea coronavirus —andlast monthcasting doubton effectiveness of of the maskstofightthespread than citystreets arerecommended. som onMarch19,thoughless-traveled spaces place” byCalifornia orderissued Gov. Gavin New- anyone underthe“shelter elseispermitted in at adistanceing outdoors ofat sixfeet least from Star” mural on Hollywood Boulevard. Exercis- muralonHollywood Star” Tomthe coronavirus passes Suriya’s “You Arethe afacewearing maskandgloves toprotectagainst Modern Times Modern SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTOGRAPH BYMARKJ.TERRILL/AP/ APRIL 4,2020 LOS ANGELES A JOGGERTUNEDTO HISMOBILEDEVICE As of April 7,theU.S. 370,000 hadnearly President DonaldTrump, afterscoffing at the CLOSE UP VARIETY and 11 AFTER SHOW

Tune-in to Variety After-Show for exclusive live interviews with the stars and creators of your favorite shows.

AFTER-SHOW AIRS ON VARIETY’S INSTAGRAM LIVE FOLLOWING NEW EPISODES OF HIT TV SERIES TOP BILLING TOP BILLING

After COVID-19, What Then?

THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND FACES THE PRESSING QUESTION OF WHEN PEOPLE WILL FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO RETURN TO PUBLIC VENUES

By Adam B. Vary and Jem Aswad

THE COVID-19 pandemic is still ripping “The impact of this pandemic on the According to a March study that sur- through the U.S.; the hardest-hit state, New world is going to be profound,” says veyed 1,000 U.S. consumers, 44% said they York, is still weeks away from a projected Anthony R. Mawson, an epidemiologist and will attend fewer public events even after peak of infections; and the prospect of wide- social scientist at Jackson State University public health ofﬁcials deemed them safe, spread, comprehensive testing still remains in Mississippi. “We’re at the beginning of and 47% said the notion of going to a major agonizingly out of reach. this horrible tragedy. It’s going to be a real public event “will scare me for a long time.” And yet entertainment businesses that mess. But I wouldn’t be surprised if within Movie theaters, theme parks, indoor depend on large public gatherings to survive — TIGHT FIT a year, we’re back to normal.” sports venues and especially indoor con- movie theaters, music venues, sports arenas, A study A year is a long-time horizon for any cert venues — which require large groups of theme parks — are already confronting some suggests some company to expect its business to return, people to pack together in a conﬁned space consumers have daunting and frustratingly uncertain ques- post-pandemic let alone multibillion-dollar corporations — will likely see the most dire impact from tions about what comes next: How long will it concerns about like the Walt Disney Co. and Live Nation. the pandemic. According to the study, 49% take for people to feel safe enough to return to seating in movie But that’s the potential reality every enter- to 56% of respondents said it will take “a theaters, which communal venues once they reopen, and what puts people in tainment sector that requires people to few months” to “possibly never” for them to will it take to convince them to do so? close quarters. leave their homes is staring down. return to those sectors post-crisis. TETRA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES TETRA IMAGES/GETTY

VARIETY 13 TOP BILLING

The study — conducted by sports “Before we open those doors, we with strangers, than they were before the and events analytics firm Performance pandemic. But even accounting for those Research in partnership with Full Circle have to create new standards and concerns raises some complicated issues. Research Co. — reveals the vexing, once-in- a new seal of approval that show “The easy fix is to make sure that you a-century psychological tension at play for have plenty of sanitation stations, try to these businesses: the innate human desire people we actually took the extra encourage people to not come to venues to share public spaces with other people steps to sanitize the building.” if they’re not feeling well — these sorts of after spending months in isolation ver- things,” says Patrick Rishe, director of the sus the national (and global) trauma of an Tim Leiweke, Oak View Group sports business program at Washington unseen, little-understood pathogen caus- University in St. Louis. “But do we reach a ing widespread sickness and death. point where teams start seating people in In the face of that dilemma, it’s perhaps the fall, similar to other illnesses caused their venues with the mindset of keeping not surprising that some entertainment by coronavirus variants — that it remains them a certain distance apart? Would you businesses are choosing to embrace a cau- a risk to count on any release dates before seat people every other row? Would you seat tious optimism. there is a COVID-19 vaccine, or at least people within a row and make sure there’s “People are really, really bad at pre- until there’s universal testing. In a recent a seat or two apart from different parties? dicting their future behavior,” says Patrick interview with Barron’s, Disney executive It sounds crazy, but in light of what’s hap- Corcoran, VP and chief communications chairman Bob Iger suggested that “at some pened, you wonder if that’s something that officer for the National Assn. of Theatre point” the company could add a security may eventually become a reality.” Owners. He waves off the findings of the step “that takes people’s temperatures” as Tim Leiweke, CEO and co-founder with Performance Research study, noting that they enter a Disney theme park — but it’s Irving Azoff of Oak View Group — the its respondents were answering “absent unclear how that measure would screen entertainment and sports facilities firm the context of the movies that might be for asymptomatic carriers of any disease. that includes everything from an arena there for them to see.” But, he adds, “even if Representatives for Universal’s theme and stadium alliance to sponsorships and [the study] predicted that people will come parks division and The Broadway League partnerships — says the company is hard roaring back, I would still say, ‘We’ll see.’” declined to comment for this story, and a at work planning for the day when people To prepare for when audiences can come rep for the National Basketball Assn. did are ready to return. back, at least, Corcoran says that theater not respond to an interview request. “Before we open those doors, we have owners and studios are already discussing A representative for the National to create new standards and a new seal marketing plans “to make audiences aware Hockey League, meanwhile, responded of approval that show people we actually that we’re very much back in business” — with a brief statement that’s the per- took the extra steps to sanitize the build- which, he says, could happen between June fect encapsulation of the place in which ing — the seats, concourse, restrooms, con- and July, pending approval from public so many entertainment businesses find cession stands and the clubs — and screen health officials. themselves: “We’ve ruled out nothing and our employees when they come into work,” Studios’ modified release slates cer- are trying to prepare for any eventuality.” he says. “That certification has to be stan- tainly bear out that thinking. Disney In the wake of so much gnawing uncer- dard; it has to be something that people can rescheduled “Mulan” from March 27 to July tainty, there is one area where the enter- tap into through their phones and social 24, Paramount moved “The SpongeBob tainment industry can at least begin to media, where they understand exactly what Movie: Sponge on the Run” from May 22 to work on some concrete solutions: the standards we have and how we met them.” July 31, and Warner Bros. re-dated “Won- venues themselves. In the Performance Oak View has proposed a new division der Woman 1984” from June 5 to Aug. 14. Research study, 66% of respondents said to address such issues, says Leiweke, sim- But so much remains unknown about they will be more concerned with the ilar to its security wing. While he declines the pandemic — like whether it will sub- cleanliness and sanitation of public venues, to name names, he says, “We’re partner- side during the summer, only to return in and 59% with crowding and close contact ing with the companies that I consider the smartest in the field, companies that sanitize hospitals and other workplaces, on how we better prepare our facilities, so that people know that we have that seal of approval.” The return to concertgoing will be grad- ual and nuanced, Leiweke says, calling it a “staged evolution.” As an industry source who prefers to remain anonymous tells Variety, “It will depend on the capacity of the venues, whether or not the venue is outdoors, where in the country it is and what the social-distancing possibilities look like.” Venues are also exploring ways to expand touchless technology and utilize more germ-resistant materials than the current standard stainless steel. They’re even look- GAMES ON ICE ing into thermal screening and other secu- This March 11 contest rity upgrades. The only certainty anyone between the L.A. Kings and the Ottawa Senators can have at this point, however, is that even was the last played by the after the pandemic has faded into history, two teams before the NHL the lasting effects won’t ever leave us. announced the suspension of its season due to the “We’ll be talking about COVID-19 for the coronavirus. rest of our lives, I’m sure,” says Mawson.

“If we survive this pandemic.” MARK J TERRILL/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

14 VARIETY TODD WILLIAMSON/JANUARY IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK Falls Into Parent Trap The Hollywood Reporter A CLASH OVER ETHICSANDSYNERGY ERUPTS AT THETRADEPUBLICATION Reporter Media Group president Deanna Media Reporter andBillboard-Thethe pair Hollywood THRinsiderssay Wiczyk. thatand Modi studio executivesfilm andTV AsifSatchu “House of Cards.” and MRC and Studios, of“Ozark” producers DickClarkProds.publication Billboard, Valence itssister whichowns Media, THR, camefromhigher-ups atthe industry now,” says oneC-suite filmexecutive. business partners. on friendlyrelations withtalentand conglomeratewithin amedia that depends theconflicts highlighted His departure “negative” andcould alienate advertisers. overbosses stories that were too deemed withhiscorporatedebacle. Belloniclashed and hisown employer that was facingaPR this happening,” Bellonicommented. themselves how toenactlayoffs without her company fired. afterbeing who hadmadeexplosive allegations about inthepublication anagent about to astory rial directorMatthew Bellonitweetedalink ON APRIL2,

The parent company is run by company MRCThe parent isrun tosoften upcoverageThe edict of hasahuge perception problem “THR Days later, itwas Belloniwhowas out— “Execs allover now asking Hollywood By MattDonnellyandGeneMaddaus The Hollywood Reporter edito- Reporter The Hollywood ethics around the editorial businesses.ethics aroundtheeditorial and featured guest discussing speakers attended across by thecompany 75leaders level several retreat monthsago; itwas down,” McBridetells butnotwritten werepolicies understood a bunchof things, includingthat ethics andboundaries. policy who was charged withsetting anethics Poynter Institute consultant Kelly McBride, Valence torebuildtrust, an effort The hired In intheTHRnewsroom. abacklash caused insizedwarfed by that giant). media CNN (thoughValence, is they admit, and Warner Bros. Picturesandoperates owns companieslike entertainment HBO suchasWarnerMedia,companies which news interests withotherdivisions, citing is notaloneinthetaskof managing its celebrity presenters. onlandinghigh-wattagewhich depends instance, produces theGoldenGlobes, Valence’s otherbusinesses. DCP, for protect relationships that arevitalto figuresinorderto Hollywood certain on onBellonitogoBrown easy leaned The leadership team alsoheldahigh- team The leadership “In thecourse Idiscovered ofdoingthat, But lately, Valence’s have intrusions Insiders at Valence say thecompany Variety . its owners. THR editorsand contention between several sourcesof 2019 wasoneof in LosAngeles Entertainment Gala THR’s Womenin Witherspoon at event withReese A breakfast PLAY NICE operations of Valence’s units. editorial largely outof thepictureinday-to-day stakeholder Todd issaidtobe Boehly Valenceand Wiczyk. majority Media consolidation Satchu of power by co-CEOs trust them.”trust simply,” says oneTHRstaffer, don’t “we between THRanditsparents. “To putit pressure tocontain spending. sideamidtheincreasing on theeditorial operations. Brown’s people hiresrankled Gutkowski asexecutive toserve VPof and digitalmarketing veteran Michael commercial as chiefglobal officer,serve chief marketing officer for Condé Nast, to executives —Edward former Menicheschi, Last year shebroughtintwo high-profile business.and expanding itslive-events improving THR’s digitalperformance newsletter TheAnkler.entertainment says of editor-in-chief RichardRushfield, aggressively covering that industry,” it’s apublication difficulttobe very inherhonor,a testimonial banquet making Reese happy Witherspoon at THR insider. coverage,tough editorial according toa “an that operation us”with could hurt that Belloniwasidea presidingover never tocome seemed togripswiththe at straddling thesetwo worlds.” former THReditor. “Hedidafantastic job celebrating Reese Witherspoon. saying ithadcast acloudoverevent aTHR with the“negative” toneof somestories, sent toBelloniinwhichBrown issue took onemails reported 6, TheDailyBeast matters. oneditorial heads butted OnApril various properties. onthewaysaid tobe across Valence’s this year, cutsare andmuchdeeper were earlier enacted THR andBillboard and Wiczyk toreinincosts. Layoffs at 2019 andisunderpressure fromSatchu Brown herrevenue missed targets for for thisstory. and video. Valence tocomment declined of itslavish expenditures onphotography than $10millionayear, because inpart money.bleeding THRissaidtolosemore whichwere each of THRandBillboard, to improve thefinancialperformance Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Reporter Media Hollywood April 2019topresidentof Billboard-The 2018andwas in in September promoted the digitalveteran Valence whojoined between himandBrown,personalities conflict was aclashof visionandprimary tomany.as ashock THRinsiderssay the There isnolove at lost, themoment, Brown’s focus was saidtoinclude your corporate“When priorityis But fundamentally, andothers Brown “Matt hadadifficultsituation,” says one Brown andBellonialsorepeatedly Sources closetothesituation say Brown’s mandate was saidtohave been Brown’s arrival coincided withthe Belloni’s resignation onApril 6came VARIETY 15 Amid Jobless Crisis Feds Adapt to Biz Needs crisis since asthepan Depression, theGreat itsworstshaping uptobe unemploy ment available. response say therushed Experts ing theextent of thereliefthat made willbe staffers, includingCEOAdam Aron. some600corporatelast monthfurloughed aggressive AMCTheatres distancing. social for totheneed inresponse closed theaters havecountry thrown been outof work as weeks. Exhibitionemployees across the tions that have shuttered for been already opera linesandotherresort parks, cruise hardest onnonunionworkers at itstheme ing April toland 19.Thosecutsareexpected ofemployees number an undisclosed start job loss throughlayoffs andfurloughs. workers try-related grapplingwithasudden ofthousandsindus news for thehundreds That’s Securitysafety net. the Social welcome of whichwas program, established aspart ofthe ment insurance inthe85-year history through thelargest ofunemploy expansion has forced thefederal government torush demic hobblesbusinesses across theglobe. FORCE CHANGESTO U.S. SAFETY-NET PROGRAM ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FREELANCERS, GIGECONOMY WORKERS 16 THE ENTERTAINMENT TOP BILLING But thedevilisindetailsassess Disney last week saiditwould furlough In theU.S., thecoronavirus outbreak VREY VARIETY Cynthia Littleton BUSINESS STRICTLY industry isfacingwhat’sindustry

------handle theprocess of getting payments out. howabout state andfederal agencies will on March27still leaves ahost of questions Relief, andEconomic Security(CARES) Act the$2trillionCoronavirusto pass Aid, by Congress andPresident DonaldTrump Kohl says. of out,” timethat would paid benefits be ineligibilityandthelengthlot of rollbacks compared with$800orsoinMassachusetts.compared weekly payment inMichiganwould $362, be who makes asix-figure salary, the maximum a sliding-scalebasis, buteven for aperson onis about$362.Benefitsaredetermined for example, themaximumweekly benefit hardly kept InMichigan, upwithinflation. notes that state have unemployment benefits Michigan Law School’s Workers’ RightsClinic, an incentive for for togo people look work.” toreplacedesigned allincome buttocreate withthiscrisis.deal Unemployment was not cies that weren’t withthisto todeal meant ment Law “We’ve Project. hadtoshiftpoli- with theNew York-based National Employ says MicheleEvermore, analyst seniorpolicy “This iscompletely unprecedented,”“This “After thelast recession, therewere a Rachael Kohl, directorof theUniversity of

- resort operations. lines andother theme parks,cruise union workersatits est impactonnon- will havethegreat- starting April19, ing ofemployees, Disney’s furlough- HARDEST HIT put onfurloughorwere formally laidoff. there’s been little difference whetherthey’ve unemployment insurance. to allworkers eligiblefor state orfederal $600-a-week that federal willgo benefit lancers able willalsobe tocollect theextra state benefits. Free“mirror” to expected Unemployment Assistance programthat’s workers by approving afederal Pandemic Congress of toaddress those theneeds taken contractors, by independent forced which by definitioncomprises jobsunder of afirm. aren’t employees considered permanent state they because unemployment benefits contractorsindependent don’t qualifyfor Generally,project byproject. freelance and that affects whowork many inHollywood dent contractor—aclassification basis those whowork onafreelance orindepen for tobenefits insurance thedoor opens people to respond ontheagency torespond level.”people applying allat onetimeandnot enough tled,” Kohl says. “It’s many just too people computers andonline connections. challenge for workers access withouteasy to to applyonlinefor that benefits; may a be directed The vast willbe majorityofpeople todiscuss thesecomplexsame room issues. key administrators can’t even gather inthe to come fromtheCARES Act at atimewhen with newrules dealing be levels, butthey’ll 2018. thenormsincebeen early the weekly rate in thelow 200,000sthat has twopast weeks —amassive from increase jobless claimsinthe filed million people dle thesurge inapplications. Morethan10 willhan-bursing unemployment benefits state agencies for that areresponsible dis is that they willreturn tothesamejob. calculation theexpectation process because ers arecounted differently inthetaxrate vide stable Furloughed employment. work- toencourageis designed companies topro by thestate for Therate that structure firm. higher theunemployment taxrate assessed given firmthat applyfor the unemployment, insurance program. that afirmpays tofundtheunemployment when itcomes tocalculating thetaxrate typically have for abenefit employers for workers. benefits furloughed health for themtodoso. Disney says itwillcontinue requirements although therearenospecific all employee benefits, andpension health furlough situations oftenmaintainsomeor returndate.with aspecific Employers in In somecases, furloughsareimplemented employees at onthepayroll somepoint. back that theemployer expects tobringthose The expansion of unemployment “It willtake alotof timetoget itallset Not onlywillstates withstaffing struggle Oneof thebiggest unknowns ishow the ofemployeesThe higherthenumber ofa Putting employees onfurloughdoes The furloughdesignation indicates For thoseapplyingfor unemployment, But thegrowth of thegigeconomy,

- - -

EUGENE GARCIA/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK TOP BILLING

“He came in and said, ‘You know, this was always supposed to be a special event that you do a few times a year,’” says ABC alternative series senior VP Rob Mills. “[ABC] wanted more and then unfortunately burned it out. And he said ‘Survivor’ is still on, ‘The Bachelor’ is still on, ‘Idol’ is still on — all the shows from that first unscripted wave are still there. ‘Millionaire’ should be on, and I agreed with him.” The biggest change is Kimmel, who had originally appeared on a celebrity edition in 2001 and became friends with Philbin. “You could easily underestimate how great he was,” Kimmel says of his predecessor. “But what he did was not easy. And he was really the perfect host at that time to bring in a huge audience.” Kimmel says his relationship with Davies and his love of “Millionaire” made it an easy choice to take the gig. “It’s a great game,” he says. “And I know that, because I play it with my 5-year-old and my 2-year- old. We watched a cut of the show, and they were glued to the television. When little kids are interested in something for adults, you’ve really got something powerful on your hands.” The network opted for an April bow in order to premiere “Millionaire” out of the Late ’90s Game Show “Modern Family” series finale. But the timing also now comes as audiences, stuck at home in the midst of the coronavirus pan- Phenom Returns to demic, are watching more broadcast TV. The production of “Millionaire” came down to the wire: It was shot the weekend of March 14, without a studio audience, right a Captive Audience before stay-at-home directives were issued. “If it had been a day later, I don’t know that we would have gotten it done,” Mills says. ‘WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE’ IS BROADCAST TV’S LATEST It’s very much of the moment: Expect to see ATTEMPT TO REVIVE A HIT FROM ANOTHER ERA By Michael Schneider elbow bumps and air hugs as celebrities avoid physical contact. “We moved really fast,” Davies explains. “We accelerated the schedule and delivered BEFORE “THE BACHELOR,” “Dancing With Kimmel, whom Davies first hired on Com- more than eight episodes worth of mate- the Stars,” “American Idol” or any of the edy Central’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” to rial by the end of our second shooting day, other network competition shows, there take over from Regis Philbin as host. ABC so we were able to cancel our third shooting was “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The will air eight episodes of a new Celebrity day. That was to allow some of our crew and game show was an immediate smash when edition of “Millionaire” starting April 8. staff, who had traveled from the East Coast, it premiered in 1999, and was a precursor “I think ‘Millionaire’ is one of the most and some of them from the U.K., to get on to the modern unscripted boom. perfect games ever invented,” says Davies, planes and get home to their families.” Soon “Millionaire” was a regular part who departed the syndicated version after Without an audience, it was up to the 15 of the ABC schedule, attracting up to 30 he felt it moved too far away from the origi- or so staff and crew situated around the set million viewers and helping skyrocket nal game’s concept. “I didn’t want to change to provide reactions. “Initially that was very the Alphabet network to No. 1. But the the format. I didn’t want to stray from the concerning to me, because you’re a come- execs there got greedy, airing “Million- classic 15 questions. I always think games dian and you want to get laughs,” Kimmel aire” as many as five nights a week. Audi- need to be adjusted and modified, but you says. “But about 10 minutes in, I could see ences quickly burned out, and by 2002, the don’t throw out the whole thing.” that it was gonna work anyway.” primetime edition was canceled. “Million- In a bit of happenstance, Sony — As for what’s next, Davies would like to aire” returned for ABC specials in 2004 and which owns Davies’ production company, bring “Millionaire” back twice a year — once 2009, and lived on in a syndicated daytime Embassy Row — also controls “Millionaire” VIEWER LIFELINE with celebrities and once with regular con- version until last year. in the rest of the world, while Disney/ABC Eric Stonestreet testants. Adds Kimmel: “I would love to give Now, with the daytime version out of the still has the U.S. rights, thanks to Davies all joins host Jimmy it a try with a studio audience. I think that it’s Kimmel on ABC’s way, original executive producer Michael those years ago. After a U.K. revival of “Mil- reboot of “Who Wants just the perfect formula for comedy. I’m hop- Davies — who first brought the U.K. format lionaire” did well, Davies pitched ABC on a to be a Millionaire.” ing that the show is a hit and that they want to America as an ABC exec — believes the new, modern take on the show — as well as Stonestreet is among to do more of them, because I will say — and the celebrities timing is right to reintroduce audiences an app that viewers can use to play along playing on the show I rarely say this — that I genuinely enjoyed

ERIC MCCANDLESS/ABC to “Millionaire.” He even recruited Jimmy and win at home. for charity. doing it.”

VARIETY 17 TOP BILLING

GUEST COLUMN privileged mainstream and toward inter- Stacey Sher sectional representation. At the 1977 National Women’s Convention in Houston, the 26 adopted planks included minority women, rural women, homemakers, sexual orientation, reproductive freedom and, of course, the Equal Rights Amendment. There were many strong, brilliant and pas- sionate personalities among the movement leaders, and they all had very different points of view. Healthy debates among accomplished women are disturbingly still called “catfights.” When men debate and differ, it’s just called a “debate.” It blew my mind that there used to be Republican feminists, and they were the mainstream. First lady Betty Ford, Jill Ruckelshaus and Audrey Rowe Colom, all of whom are represented in our show, fought hard for the ratification of the ERA and were pro-choice. By 1980, with the election of Ronald Reagan, the Republican Party began its tack to the far right. Less of a surprise was learning that the insurance industry hates the ERA. Ellie Smeal and Gloria Steinem have often spoken of the influence of the insurance industry lobbyists working against the ratification of the ERA, because it would do away with gender-based price discrimi- nation. For decades they treated being a How the ERA Fight Got woman as a preexisting condition. It was not unexpected to learn that W. Clement Stone, the Illinois insurance billionaire, From There to Here was among Schlafly’s political backers when she made her congressional bid. RESEARCH DONE DURING THE MAKING OF ‘MRS. AMERICA’ In 1970, “Battling Bella” Abzug, (the REVEALED UNEXPECTED TWISTS AND TURNS IN THE HISTORY brilliant feminist activist and co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus

OF THE MODERN WOMEN’S MOVEMENT with Steinem, Chisholm and Betty Friedan) ran for Congress at the same time as Schla- fly. They used the same slogan: “This wom- LIKE SO MANY OTHER WOMEN, I have got into telling this story, the more we saw an’s place is in the House … the House of uttered the phrase, “I’m not a feminist, but how relevant the issues of the series are Representatives!” Abzug won. Schlafly lost ...” When I was younger, the word had been to our current political landscape — and her race. But that does not diminish the politicized to mean so many other things the more I realized that I had a lot more to fact that she was a marketing genius. She — man-hater, ballbuster, bitch. A friend of learn about the complexities of the battle to was also a best-selling author, who turned mine cured me of my ignorance, and by the ratify the ERA. the mailing list for her newsletter into a ’90s I was a proud feminist reading Susan First of all, I realized that Shirley political juggernaut that created one of the Faludi’s “Backlash” and listening to riot Chisholm should be much more famous. first grassroots conservative movements. grrrl bands. I was vaguely aware of Phyllis She was the first black woman elected to She understood the media and made sure Schlafly, but when I saw a segment about the U.S. Congress as well as the first woman to be seen nationally on mainstream day- her in a PBS documentary, during the sum- to pursue the Democratic Party’s presiden- time shows like “Donahue” and “The Mike mer before the 2016 election, I began to tial nomination. She ran a fearless cam- Douglas Show.” She rebranded her move- think about telling the story of the fight paign on issues that we are still grappling ment from the movement of the anti’s — over the Equal Rights Amendment. with today but did not have the endorse- “anti-ERA” and “anti-choice” — to the pro’s: There have been many projects about ment of either the black caucus or the “pro-family” and “pro-life.” She was a trail- the women’s movement, but none from the women’s caucus. Both backed the more blazer in both branding and organizing. perspective of its spoiler. We began this centrist candidate, George McGovern, who Finally, it is utterly incomprehensi- project, “Mrs. America,” with the idea that they felt had the best chance of beating ble that enshrining these simple words — our nation was on the brink of having its Nixon. He lost in a historic landslide. “Equality of rights under the law shall not first female president. There is a direct link Next I discovered that intersectional- be denied or abridged by the United States between the anti-ERA housewives and the ity was a ’70s thing. Black, Latino, queer or by any state on account of sex” — in the women who felt disrespected by Hillary and poor women were leaders in the fem- Constitution is still so controversial. Clinton asking if people expected her to inist movement long before Kimberlé OPPOSITION TEAM “stay home and bake cookies.” Crenshaw provided the framework and Kayli Carter, Melanie Lynskey, Sarah Hollywood veteran Stacey Sher is the When Clinton lost the 2016 election, the definition for intersectionality. The leaders Paulson and Cate executive producer of FX on Hulu’s new series FX on Hulu series also became a look at of the movement constantly pushed back Blanchett star in “Mrs. America,” which stars Cate Blanchett as “Mrs. America.” how we got here from there. The deeper we against an exclusively white, heterosexual, Phyllis Schlafly and begins airing April 15. LANTOS/FX SABRINA

18 VARIETY are “continuing to work as rival companies Pandemic Complicates to avoid getting a big fine for jumping the gun,” says one Endemol Shine executive. Elsewhere, Lagardère Studios (Damien Chazelle’s Netflix series “The Eddy”), a vast European M&A Deals French TV producer-distributor compris- ing 27 companies, is still on the market and struggling to find a buyer. The company was BANIJAY-ENDEMOL SHINE AMONG A HOST OF PACTS ON ICE AMID in negotiations with Fabrice Larue, former ECONOMIC INSTABILITY DUE TO WORLDWIDE HEALTH CRISIS owner of Newen, which is now the property of TF1 Group, but talks stalled over pricing. By Elsa Keslassy and Manori Ravindran Lagardère reportedly wants $216 million, though one French financial analyst estimates its only truly valuable asset is Spanish banner Boomerang, which owns rights to a number of popular U.S. animated TV shows. Other deals on hold include Nordic Entertainment Group’s sale of its entire non-scripted production, branded entertainment and events businesses within production arm NENT Studios. NENT Group — which in January revealed surprise plans to offload the 12 companies — has hit pause for the foreseeable future on the sale, for which it had assigned investment banks About Corporate Finance and Stella EOC. However, Ingrid Silver, a partner at Lon- don-based media law firm Reed Smith, notes there’s still room for opportunism, and firms with deep financial reserves “could do some incredible bargain hunting” in the current climate. Indeed, COVID-19 uncertainty may have propelled Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset — controlled by the family of Italy’s WITH THE STOCKS of myriad global compa- that in the case of Banijay’s acquisition of controversial former prime minister Silvio nies plummeting in the face of the coronavi- Endemol Shine, it’s too late to apply either Berlusconi — to raise its stake from 15% to rus crisis, some M&A deals in Europe have strategy. “Coronavirus was already known 20.1% in beleaguered German rival ProSie- been placed on hold or terminated, while when the deal was signed,” the financier benSat.1, whose share price has taken a others are hanging in the balance, such explains. Another senior financial adviser hit in recent months and hovers just above as production-distribution powerhouse says that Banijay would probably face a $7.50, down from more than $15 a year ago. Banijay Group’s hefty $2.2 billion deal for “multibillion-dollar lawsuit” from Endemol This week, Mediaset sought clearance Endemol Shine, the producer of “Peaky Shine’s joint owners, Disney and Apollo with the German competition regulator for its Blinders” and “Black Mirror.” Global Management, if it canceled the deal. heightened presence in ProSiebenSat.1 — a Banijay Group, the Paris-based com- The combined company’s path to suc- move that, if granted, could allow the broad- pany behind historical drama “Versailles” cess was never easy, says an investor. “It caster to further increase its stake to 25%. and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” was already a pretty difficult operation Some suggest the coronavirus has also announced the acquisition in October, after in a stable market, considering Endemol served as a scapegoat for troubled deals, more than a year of on-and-off courtship, Shine’s debt load [$1.83 billion as of Febru- such as ProSiebenSat.1’s planned sale of with the ambition to form a merged entity ary], but with this pandemic, it’s going to be Red Arrow Studios, producer of reality dat- that would be the largest non-U.S. produc- even more challenging for Banijay to make ing show “Love Is Blind.” After struggling tion player in the market. Banijay completed this deal profitable.” While any acquisition to get a bidding process underway due to its refinancing drive to raise $2.7 billion for of a production group is problematic right disagreements around Red Arrow’s valu- the deal in early February, just when COVID- now, Banijay’s purchase of Endemol Shine ation — estimated at around $278 million 19 began spreading outside China. involves extensive duplication of assets. — “Fleabag” producer-distributor All3Me- While the agreement is being reviewed “This is a merger that [will] require mass dia emerged as the sole contender and was by regulators, two financial sources tell restructuring after it’s complete, and in this expected to swoop in sometime in March. Variety that Banijay Group boss Stéphane climate, [that’s] not ideal,” says Tim West- However, ProSiebenSat.1 revealed March Courbit has looked for a way out of the deal, cott, a senior analyst at Omdia. 13 that it had decided to keep Red Arrow for though they add that it’s too late for the The deal was expected to receive anti- the long term, explaining that a deal is “no company to retract. Buyers can terminate trust approval this summer but could now longer viable in a coronavirus crisis envi- deals either by activating a Material Adverse be delayed. It has been approved by the ronment” — an outcome that has raised eye- Change clause, if included in a contract, U.S. antitrust board and is being reviewed ON RAZOR’S EDGE brows among some close to the negotiations. and arguing that a significant variance has by the European Commission, which “Peaky Blinders,” “If you have a choice right now between co-starring Adrien impacted the economic rationale of a deal; recently asked companies to delay merger Brody, is among the cash and being left with production compa- or by claiming that a force majeure — an announcements until further notice “due to shows produced by nies that are dead in the water for the next unpredictable, unpreventable event — has the complexities and disruptions caused by Endemol Shine, few months, what would you do?” scoffs which has a deal in made it impossible for the deal to go ahead. the coronavirus.” place to be sold to one senior source. “You’d take the money

NETFLIX However, one senior ﬁnancier says For now, both Banijay and Endemol Shine Banijay Group. any day.”

VARIETY 19

TOP BILLING

In July 2019, when “Friends” was still on Netflix, it was among the top 10 most Comfort TV in the streamed series, along with comedies “Grace and Frankie” and “The Office,” according to a MoffettNathanson-commis- Age of Coronavirus sioned poll conducted by HarrisX. “I want to write characters who I want to spend time with. These are people TV CREATORS DISCUSS WHAT VIEWERS CONNECT WITH I’m going to spend a long time with, hope- DURING THE PANDEMIC By Danielle Turchiano fully, as a writer, and I want them to be people that I enjoy,” says Marta Kauffman, co-creator of both “Friends” and “Grace and Frankie.” While some viewers choose to lean into the light and laughter, others may just want to escape into a world — any world — unlike IT TOOK A GLOBAL pandemic, but Cour- although admittedly what viewers turn to their own. “The Office” still ranks in the top teney Cox has finally joined the millions for comfort will vary from household to 10 streamed series on Netflix, according to who binge-watch “Friends.” household. the streamer’s Top 10 tracker, but in these Having extra time in an era of “safer at The classic 22-minute self-contained sit- pandemic times, so does the outrageous home” and “shelter in place” was an added com story is one such comfortable format docu-series “Tiger King” and the CW drama factor in the “why now” aspect for Cox, for the audience because viewers know that “All American.” On Hulu, the list includes as she revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” whatever bad thing the characters are expe- such comedies as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” on March 25. But the former star of that riencing, it will be over soon, and wrapped but also tear-jerker dramas “This Is Us” NBC sitcom noted she was finally watch- up in a relatively happy way. and “Grey’s Anatomy,” as well as the proce- ing her way through her own seminal work “There’s something about completing dural “Law & Order: SVU.” Kauffman admits because so many others love the show. a conversation, in whatever form that is, she gravitates to “true crime, ‘Law & Order: In fact, the series has become a go-to that feels wise and productive,” says Gloria SVU’ and science fiction.” Traditional, over- source of comfort for audience members Calderón Kellett, co-creator and co-show- the-air distributors are seeing bumps in who grew up with the original broadcast runner of Pop TV’s “One Day at a Time.” programming as well; Food Network ranked run, as well as those who found it in syndi- “I think the comfort in that is these are as the No. 1 non-news cable network for the cation or streaming. everyday situations that you yourselves weekend of March 28-29, reaching more On a normal day many television fans might be in at home, but through the lens than 17 million total viewers. find themselves putting on their favor- of different characters you can relate and “What people find comfort in is connect- ite television shows while they cook or latch on to a certain aspect of it — but ing to something that is bigger than them- get ready for bed as a way of self-sooth- they’re funny when they do it,” Calderón selves,” says Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg, who ing and coming down from the stresses Kellett continues. “The reason I love the spent five years making “Bedlam,” a doc- of their workday and the global news sitcom so much is because it’s always cen- umentary on mental illness that’s part of cycle. In times of self-isolation, familiar tered around a couch — it’s always inviting PBS’ “Independent Lens” series. “If you voices of beloved characters can become someone into your living room. It’s so inti- have trauma, you should not ignore it, but even more important, especially if one’s mate. [And] right now we all are hanging out obsessing about something and catastroph- loved ones are miles away. Now, comfort in our living room, so it is like, ‘Oh, I get to izing is not a good solution either. You want television is in more demand than ever, escape into that moment or that time.’” to be educated but not obsessing. I think there’s some utility in doing what’s comfortable for you.” While initially viewers may be drawn to lighthearted or otherwise aspirational programming in times of stress, “TV does stimulate something in the brain that’s useful,” Rosenberg says. This is dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical and “reward system,” he explains. As watching TV begins to make you feel better, signals from your brain will tell you to continue the activity — which “can get us into trouble,” according to Rosenberg. “When you’re wrestling with the anxiety of the day, you have to do so in a way that is constructive.” For those binge-watching through the pandemic, supplemental activities such as exercise and art projects are important. “I hope that for all of the creatives sitting at home right now, they’re thinking about that,” says Steven Canals, co-creator and SAFETY ZONE showrunner of “Pose.” “So much of what we Classic sitcoms create is born out of our environments and like “Friends” are our experiences and the world around us, among the go-to formats for viewers and right now we might need things that

in self-isolation. are more life-afﬁrming and hopeful.” NBC

20 VARIETY TOP BILLING How LGBTQ Movement Got Its Message Out on Television LONGTIME OUT ACTOR WILSON CRUZ’S NEW DOCU-SERIES ‘VISIBLE’ TRACES QUEER

REPRESENTATION ON THE SMALL SCREEN By Marc Malkin Photograph by Dan Doperalski

What did you learn from nobody talked about why they making the docu-series that were angry. They knew it had you didn’t know? something to do with AIDS, but I The first thing that comes to think they put a human face on mind is Tim Gunn, because it. Peter was that face. He was when we approached Tim we everybody’s son, and I think they thought we’d get some great saw their own children in him. color commentary, [but] then He was literally fighting for his he dropped a big old bomb on life, and in that story, he’s asked, us in terms of his experience “Do you think you’ll be around to growing up and his relationship see a cure?” And he says, “No.” with his father, who was in the He thought in that moment that FBI and was very machismo. I he was fighting for the lives of also didn’t know a lot about the people who came after him. advocacy that went into getting “A Question of Love,” which was Do you recall the first time you a [1978] television movie that saw yourself represented on Jane Alexander and Gena Row- television, first as a Latino and lands starred in about a lesbian then as a gay Latino? couple, produced. It came out of The first person was Rita a response to a “Police Woman” Moreno. She was and still is a episode about murderous les- Puerto Rican icon, and was a first bians who were killing elderly on so many levels. Oscar winner, people for their checks. an EGOT; she is my inspiration. When I did “Rent” on Broad- I don’t think I knew about this, way [playing Angel, a drag queen but there were LGBTQ activists dying of AIDS], I literally thought who stormed live newscasts. about her in “West Side Story” Walter Cronkite was in the mid- and just did my version of that. dle of the “CBS Evening News” The first time I saw myself on in 1973 when Mark Segal ran television was when I saw myself onto the set with a sign that read on television. There was no gay “Gays Protest CBS Prejudice.” young Latino, African American I’m sure some people at the even, anyone of color who I could time thought, “This is crazy. relate to, who spoke to my lived Maybe this isn’t helpful.” But experience. That’s why when you know what? It was helpful “My So-Called Life” came around because it forced people to have and I read that script, that’s why a conversation about why this I knew how powerful and how WILSON CRUZ IS used to being in front of the camera. His trailblazing man did this. useful this character and this career as an openly gay actor began in 1994 when the then-19-year-old series was going to be. Peter Staley, a founder of ACT played gay high schooler Rickie on “My So-Called Life.” Since then, he’s UP, talks about how AIDS activ- appeared on dozens of television shows and in almost as many films. What happened the first time ists also used television. you met Rita? Most recently, he and Anthony Rapp made history as the first LGBTQ Not only did they use television, I met her at the GLAAD Media couple in the “Star Trek” franchise, with their starring roles on “Star but they knew that they needed Awards [in 2014] that we both to be on “60 Minutes.” ACT UP Trek: Discovery.” sang at. She’s a huge supporter knew once they were on “60 Now Cruz is adding television producer to his résumé. He’s an exec- of GLAAD and the movement, a Minutes” that people would pay utive producer, along with Wanda Sykes, of “Visible: Out on Television,” great ally to us. I fawned, I fan- attention. Within three years of Apple TV Plus’ five-part docu-series (now streaming) about the history girled for sure. that “60 Minutes” story airing [in of LGBTQ representation on TV. “I want people to remember that where 1992], they tripled the budget at we are today, in terms of visibility, was hard fought, that it was a con- the National Institutes of Health certed effort to use this medium in a productive way,” Wilson says. “I This interview has been edited and for AIDS research. So they were condensed. Hear it in its entirety on want people to be inspired by it, so that they continue the work, but also strategic. ACT UP had been this week’s episode of Variety and continue to push forward in terms of visibility, so that we see a more around, and they were being iHeart’s “The Big Ticket” podcast, accurate depiction of who we are as a community.” depicted as the “angry gays.” But which will be available on April 9.

VARIETY 21 DIGITAL EDITION

TELEVISION AWARDS VOTERS

GOLDENDEND E N GLOBESG AGENCY HAVOC Virus Shapes Uncertain Future HARD LESSONS 1918’s9918’s18’s18’s KKilleriilllerler FlFFlulu ISOLATIONISOL NATION Comedians Stream Laughs SUNDANCEN 2020

YEARS

‘Little Fires Everywhere’ star and producer KERRY WASHINGTON elevates her multifaceted career BUR NING AT 73, THE OSCAR-WINNING STAR OF UP ‘CABARET’ AND DAUGHTER OF JUDY GARLAND SNOWFLAKE BY CAROLINE FRAMKE SAYS HER The Fabp.32 BIGGEST STRUGGLE WAS ‘GETTING Four TO BE KNOWN AS MYSELF’

NOBODY’S NOBODY’S ‘ SCHITT’S CREEK’ STARS Legendaryryy EUGENE LEVY, DANIEL LEVY, Taylor Swift is no CATHERINE O’HARA AND longer ‘polite at all costs.’ HER ANNIE MURPHY COME TO In her Sundance THE END OF THEIR LONG AND doc, ‘Miss Americana,’ WINDING ROAD P.4 8 the pop superstar By Marc Malkin MOMENTNTN T BY KATE AURTHUR P. 28 finds her (political) voice. P.4 0 By Chris Willman FOLLOWING ACCLAIMED ROLES IN ‘BOMBSHELL’HELL’ AND ‘ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD,’ ACTOR-PRODUCEROR-PRODUCER MARGOT ROBBIE STORMS THE NEW YEAR WWITHITH A

FLURRY OF CREATIVE ENDEAVORS BY KATE AURTHURAURTHUR P.5P.5 0

”Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is picking up attention for Jane Levy’s exuberant performance.

Watch Listen Buy ‘The New Oblio Not Just Another It’s an aesthetically pleasing wireless Abnormal’ charging station for your phone — The Strokes’ first album in seven but it’s also a UV sanitizer with ionizer Song and Dance years is aptly titled for the current technology to kill 99.9% of germs in moment, and finds the indie 20 minutes. The Lexon Oblio comes rockers finally back in form, with a in dark blue, white and gold and HALFWAY INTO THE SEASON, NBC dramedy “Zoey’s songwriting assist from Billy Idol. works with most phones. moma.org Extraordinary Playlist” is the rare broadcast series that keeps winning fans and acclaim. Jane Levy stars as a software coder who begins to hear the deepest Read thoughts of the people around her expressed in music, while Peter Gallagher and Mary Steenburgen co-star as ‘All I Ever Zoey’s parents. Some talented new faces alongside the Wa nte d’ seasoned pros combine with polished dance routines Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine and special episodes like last week’s, featuring deaf per- tells the story of emerging from formers, for a show that’s both escapist and uplifting. a difficult childhood in Texas to encountering fame, drugs and notable friends as the 1980s band EDITED BY PAT SAPERSTEIN | [email protected] rose to stardom, then collapsed.

Now More Than Ever, Don’t Forget to Eat Your Vegetables Farm boxes see renewed interest; new delivery options spring up during pandemic

When coronavirus panic buying first hit, many people Fresh to You or Imperfect Produce, which also deliver stocked up on canned goods, dried pasta and beans and grocery items such as cheese and eggs. Meanwhile, all kinds of boxed and frozen foods. But even for those numerous restaurants around Los Angeles — including who prefer to avoid braving the supermarkets, there are Gwen in Hollywood, Röckenwagner Bakery in Mar Vista, plenty of ways to stock the fridge with a bounty of fresh Bar Avalon and Tilda in Echo Park, Kismet in Los Feliz fruits and vegetables. Spago has introduced a box of and Birdie G’s in Santa Monica — resolved a permitting greens, herbs and vegetables supplied by local farmers issue and are now allowed to offer pantry items, vegeta- for $55, available at exploretock.com/spagobeverlyhills. bles and meat. Or try lasagna, sides and groceries from Some popular farm-box services and community-spon- Secret Lasagna, a new West Hollywood pickup/delivery

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST: SERGEI BACHLAKOV/NBC; JAKE AHLES JAKE BACHLAKOV/NBC; SERGEI PLAYLIST: EXTRAORDINARY ZOEY’S sored agricultural orgs are oversubscribed, but try Farm service option from chef Royce Burke. PAT SAPERSTEIN

VARIETY 23 CORONA CHRONICLES

Essays from Entertainment Industry Insiders

How the Coronavirus is Impacting Their Lives and Their Business

READ NOW variety.com/coronachronicles DIRT

$2M

CHICAGO 3,500 SQ. FT. 3 BEDROOMS

3 BATHS

with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. A variety of classic loft details include Sophia Bush Closes exposed brick walls, wide-plank wood floors and 12-foot timber ceilings woven with a maze of ductwork. Case on Chicago Loft In the skylight-topped living area, a huge TV surmounts a minimalist fireplace; the finely tailored, open-plan kitchen acts as ACTOR AND social activist Sophia Bush — the “One Tree Hill” star is an original the central hub of the loft, with milky white signatory of the Time’s Up movement founding document — has sold a penthouse marble countertops on denim blue cabi- loft in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood for almost $2 million. Bush acquired the nets. The massive master suite stretches to penthouse in 2015 for $1.6 million, and presumably shacked up there while taping almost 28 feet long, with two walk-in closets several seasons of NBC’s long-running police procedural “Chicago P.D.” and a marble-accented bathroom. Some of A secured, key-lock elevator opens directly into the sprawling, suburban-house- the loft’s more unique features are a powder room with a secret shower hidden behind a sized penthouse that measures in at roughly 3,500 square feet and is configured wallpapered panel and a vibrantly painted geometric staircase that climbs to a private roof deck with wraparound skyline views. The loft was listed with Vincent Anzalone of MARK DAVID Dream Town Realty; the buyer was repped THE REAL ESTALKER by Amy Duong of Compass. BUSH: BROADIMAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK

VARIETY 25 DIRT

L-shaped house, the flat, high-walled back- comprehensive smart home system, whole- yard, where strips of evergreen faux grass house audio and a multizone heating and and extensive stone terracing surround a cooling system. Just inside the front door, swimming pool and spa, was designed for the living room has a marble fireplace as its outdoor living and entertaining. There’s focal point, and the adjoining formal dining also a fire pit and a freestanding sauna. room features a coffered ceiling and a but- ler’s pantry with climate-controlled wine closet. The expansive, farmhouse-style kitchen features high-end stainless steel Jennifer Love Hewitt appliances and industrial light fixtures $2.6M over a marble-countered island with inte- Buys PacPal Home grated breakfast bar. The kitchen anchors Married actors Jennifer Love Hewitt and one end of a great room that comfortably ENCINO 4 BEDROOMS Brian Hallisay have splashed out more accommodates a roomy, informal din- 3,600 SQ. FT. 5 BATHS than $6 million on a family-sized resi- ing space and a large family room with dence in L.A.’s posh seaside community of fireplace. The main floor is completed by Shemar Moore Changes Pacific Palisades. On a pretty street lined a home theater with wet bar and candy Addresses in the Valley with unassuming and exceptionally expen- counter. The sizable master retreat offers a sive homes, the Cape Cod-inspired Hamp- fireplace in the bedroom plus a room-wide Since Shemar Moore acquired a contem- tons-style residence is mostly obscured by bank of sliding glass panels that disappear porary mansion in the L.A. suburb of Sher- mature trees and secured behind a high into the walls and connect to a large, pri- man Oaks, it’s not much of a surprise he’s wall, and has six bedrooms and 6.5 bath- vate terrace. listed his former home in the foothills above rooms in about 6,300 square feet. A huge rooftop terrace allows for the San Fernando Valley’s affluent Encino European oak floorboards, thick mold- wraparound mountain and neighbor- community — with an asking price push- ings and scads of custom millwork blend hood views. Conveniently just outside ing up on $2.6 million. The former “Soul seamlessly with state-of-the-art con- the kitchen, a built-in barbecue and tree- Train” host and “Criminal Minds” star, now veniences and luxuries that include a shaded dining terrace encourage outdoor headlining CBS’ crime drama “S.W.A.T.,” isn’t seeking much profit on the Spanish villa he scooped up more than 13 years ago for $2.5 million. Listed with Milla Pariser at Rodeo Realty, the extensively updated residence was built in the 1960s on an elevated corner parcel of almost a third of an acre and contains four and potentially five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in slightly more than 3,600 square feet. A bougainvillea-bordered courtyard leads to the front door, which opens into a combination foyer and living room with wrought-iron-railed staircase, stone fireplace and gleaming, almost black hardwood floors. A wide arch connects the formal dining room to the kitchen, which is fitted with designer appliances; an airy family room or possible fifth bedroom has a wood-beamed double-height ceiling and French doors $6M to the backyard. Upstairs, a deluxe master retreat comprises a large bedroom with PACIFIC PALISADES fireplace, a separate home office, two bal- 6,300 SQ. FT. conies, a custom-fitted walk-in closet and a stone-tiled bathroom with jetted spa tub. 6 BEDROOMS Embraced by the two wings of the 7 BATHS

G.E. Smith Flipping Painted white inside and out, DIGS Palm Beach property with blue shutters, the home has been impeccably remodeled and G.E. Smith Al Capone’s Palm Islandd It seems like , former revamped, with French doors that lead guitarist of pop group Hall & open out to a covered patio. But Estate Sees Price Chopp Oates and erstwhile “Saturday a major selling point is perhaps The Florida estate where mob bossss Night Live” bandleader, is trying what it has to offer out of doors. Al Capone spent the last years of to break into the house-flipping The front yard is dotted with his life recently got a nearly $2 mil-l- game. Smith and his wife, Taylor Constructed in 1953, the property mature palm trees, while the lion discount. First priced at $14.9 Barton-Smith, bought a Palm includes three bedrooms and backyard features a large deck million in 2018, the two-bedroom, Beach bungalow almost exactly two bathrooms in 1,280 square and a posh swimming pool. The one-bathroom Palm Island home iss one year ago and recently feet and is located on one of biggest bonus: The property is now up for grabs at $12.95 million.. popped it back on the market the island’s idyllic and highly just one block from the beach.

MAE HAMILTON for just short of $2 million. sought-after North End streets. MAE HAMILTON ARCHIVES/UIG/SHUTTERSTOCK UNDERWOOD (3); CAPONE: HOUSE: MARK SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY HEWITT’S

26 VARIETY DIRT

a slew of animated series that include “Futurama” and “The Simpsons,” has plunked down a wee bit more than $2.3 million for a family-sized home in a sought-after area of L.A.’s proto-suburban Sherman Oaks community. Located behind an electric driveway gate on a gen- tly curved and tree-shaded street lined with unassuming if hardly inexpensive homes, the two-story traditional offers five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms in close to 4,300 square feet. A slender, double-height entrance hall leads to adjoining formal living and dining rooms, the former with a soaring ceiling, stone fireplace and massive arched window, the latter wrapped in silvery patterned wallpaper and large enough to comfort- $2.2M ably sit eight or more. Arranged around an L-shaped island snack bar, the expensively BROOKLYN accoutered kitchen opens to a breakfast 1,300 SQ. FT. nook with cushioned banquette seating; a 3 BEDROOMS cozy family room has a fireplace and French doors to the yard. The master suite is 2 BATHS replete with a fireplace, a slim balcony and an upgraded if slightly dated bathroom. entertaining; tucked around the other side with natural light through a curved wall Outside, a raised-brick dining of the house, there’s a small swimming of windows that extends nearly floor-to- and lounging terrace overlooks a kid- pool and spa. The property was listed with ceiling with a panoramic of the Manhat- ney-shaped swimming pool and spa set Marek Swiderski at Sotheby’s Intl. Realty; tan skyline at sunset. Open to the living against a dense, high hedge that ensures the Hewitt-Hallisays were repped by Sta- room, a sleek new kitchen offers snazzy privacy from the neighbors. The property matia Karakasidis of Rodeo Realty. self-closing drawers, two full-height pan- was jointly listed with Bjorn Farrugia at Hil- try closets, a cadre of high-end designer ton & Hyland and Jenia Cohenrad of Pinna- appliances and a cleverly integrated din- cle Estate Properties; LaMarche was repped ing table that comfortably seats six. An by Leslie Rubin of Berkshire Hathaway Nev Schulman Lists eight-foot-high arched doorway fitted with HomeServices California Properties. pocket doors connects the living room to New York Apartment the smaller of the two guest bedrooms, Nev Schulman, co-creator and co-host of which benefits from a glittery city view MTV reality series “Catfish: The TV Show,” and built-in desk. At the rear of the apart- has listed a contemporary condominium ment, the master suite has a full wall of in Brooklyn’s hyper-hipster Williamsburg custom-built wardrobes and a glass door neighborhood with an asking price of to a small, curved balcony that overlooks almost $2.2 million. Tax records show he the building’s private garden. purchased the 11th-floor condo about 2.5 years ago for a tad bit under $1.88 million. Extensively renovated by Schulman and wife Laura Perlongo, the city-view Maurice LaMarche residence has three bedrooms and two Buys in Sherman Oaks $2.3M bathrooms in close to 1,300 square feet, with 9½-foot ceilings, pale hardwood Prolific two-time Emmy-winning voice- floors and open exposures to the north, over actor Maurice LaMarche, best known SHERMAN OAKS 5 BEDROOMS west and south. The living room is flooded for giving voice to myriad characters in 4,300 SQ. FT. 6 BATHS

Jeff Bezos Backs Out $165 million, as well as scooping includes five lots and boasts of Enchanted Hill Deal the Beverly Hills property of late a celebrity-pedigreed past — it Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was owned by American silent Earlier in the year, Jeff Bezos known as Enchanted Hill, for film cowboy Fred Thomson made real estate headlines when $90 million. However, it seems and his wife, screenwriter and he bought not just one but two Bezos got cold feet on the Allen director Frances Marion. Allen eye-poppingly expensive Los estate and reneged on the deal. had bought the property to Angeles properties for a grand Considering the state of the develop the land into a private total of $255 million. The Amazon luxury real estate market due to compound, but put it on the founder and CEO picked up the coronavirus pandemic, it’s no market for $150 million just a David Geffen’s legendary Jack wonder Bezos didn’t go through couple months before his death Warner estate, which Geffen had with the purchase, even though in October 2018. Enchanted Hill been itching to sell for more than he may be the richest person currently carries a $110 million

SCHULMAN’S HOUSE: WARBURG REALTY (3) REALTY HOUSE: WARBURG SCHULMAN’S 10 years, for a record-breaking in the world. Enchanted Hill price tag. MAE HAMILTON

VARIETY 27 H ARD

The Weeknd is turning 30 and may be ready to put his drug-addled, womanizing days behind him LBY JEM ASWAD PHOTOGRAPHS BY PARI DUKOVIC ESSONS

28 VARIETY

Apart from a couple of stagehands wearing gloves or surgical masks, there’s little indication of the panic that’s just days away. Dozens of people move around the small space, and there are hugs, handshakes and close contact all around, including when Weeknd (real name: Abel Tesfaye) and Craig meet for the ﬁrst time and exchange several minutes of friendly chat. “I just totally geeked out on Daniel Craig,” he is heard confessing to a

team member afterward. VUITTON ; TIE: LOUIS The Weeknd, Craig and Strong gather in front of the show’s iconic stage to tape the promos, one of which makes a light joke about ARLY coronavirus isolation in the show’s trademark off-hand yet enve- lope-pushing manner. “Due to coronavirus, we’ll be broadcasting remotely,” Strong says, then gestures at The Weeknd and adds, “Actually, we’ll be remote, but you’ll be here in the studio.” Weeknd looks at the camera with a nervous smile intended to display comic timing but instead reﬂects E a nagging collective twinge that maybe this isn’t such a good thing to kid around about. The promo never airs. on the afternoon of March 5, the artist It’s one of many pivots not just in the rollout of “After Hours,” The

Weeknd’s first full-length album in three and a half years, but in an CELINE SUIT & SHOES: GUCCI; SHIRT: AND NEXT SPREAD) ; (THIS PAGE known as The Weeknd is at a rehearsal entertainment industry and world that is flailing to come to grips with a new reality. While the album ultimately was released to rap- for his appearance on what will be the turous response from critics and fans as planned on March 20 — at the end of a horrifying week when the grim reality of the pandem- last live episode of “Saturday Night ic’s magnitude finally struck the United States — that date was by no means a foregone conclusion. Albums by Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Live” for the foreseeable future — Sam Smith, Willie Nelson and many others have been pushed several months, due to practical matters of marketing and touring as although no one realizes it at the time. well as the bigger concern of appearing tone-deaf or insensitive to the fast unfolding tragedy. The Weeknd’s team — including longtime managers Was- The iconic Studio 8H at 30 Rock bus- sim “Sal” Slaiby and Amir “Cash” Esmailian and top executives

at Republic Records — considered the possibility of delaying the LAURENT ST. TIE, CELINE; SUNGLASSES: BROCHE: SHIRT, SUIT, YAMA; tles with activity as he prepares to run album, which was to have been supported by a world tour scheduled to launch June 11 in Vancouver and stretch across North America through his two performances and and Europe through November, with another leg to follow in 2021. But “I cut that discussion off right away,” The Weeknd says. “Fans tape promos for the show with cast had been waiting for the album, and I felt like I had to deliver it. The commercial success is a blessing, especially because the odds were member Cecily Strong and host Daniel against me: [Music] streaming is down 10%, stores are closed, people can’t go to concerts, but I didn’t care. I knew how important it Craig, whose next James Bond film, was to my fans.” Indeed, the numbers — even by the standards of an artist who’s “No Time to Die,” has just been post- racked up a whopping 44 gold- or platinum-certified singles and albums since his 2011 debut — bear out how accurately he read the poned from an April release date to room: 2 billion global streams, nearly 2 million in global consump- tion (a combination of streams and sales) in its first week, easily November due to the rapidly spreading debuting at No. 1 in the U.S., his home country of Canada, Austra- lia, the U.K., Ireland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, coronavirus pandemic. Italy and New Zealand. Creatively, the album is just as much of a success. Powered by the smash lead-up singles “Blinding Lights” and “Heartless,” it’s a combination of bangers and ballads that musically finds him seeing just how much he can challenge his fans while remaining a commercial powerhouse — and emotionally reflects the matur- ing perspective of someone who just turned 30, as The Weeknd did in February. To that end, he’s made “After Hours” as much a visual narrative as a musical one. On the album’s cover, in its videos and in his late- night TV appearances (including “SNL”), The Weeknd portrays a

red-jacketed, busted-nose character undergoing an extremely dark MANICURE: AKI HIRA PO; LAN FAT MARC BARBER: GROUP; NELLI/THE WALL CHRISTINE HENSON; GROOMING: MATTHEW STYLING: SPREAD) (OPENING

30 VARIETY

night of the soul in Las Vegas. He starts off partying and gambling, “You could hear the vulnerability then gets beaten up in a fight, and as the loose, still-evolving plot unfolds across multiple clips, things get really weird, as he (pos- in the music before, but there was sibly) becomes possessed by an evil spirit and commits a murder. such a shield, such a fuck-you Like much art of this nature, it also hints at a look into the heart of its creator, leading to fan and media interpretations about high-pro- to the world, and now I’m very file exes — in The Weeknd’s case, Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez — comfortable with letting the world of past debauchery and bad behavior toward oneself and others. The persona shows off his budding acting chops even more than know that I can be that way.” his recent big-screen debut in the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” The Weeknd (where he portrays himself), and the videos are loaded with Taran- tino-size film-geek references to classics like “Chinatown,” “Dressed to Kill,” “Possession” and, not least, “The Mask,” the 1994 film starring fellow Scarborough, Ontario, native Jim Carrey, which played a pivotal role in The Weeknd’s life. “‘The Mask’ was the first film I ever went to see in a theater — my mom took me when I was 4, and it blew me away,” he enthuses. The two mutual fans were introduced in a text last year, and Weeknd invited Carrey to hear some of his new music. “I texted him the address of my condo in L.A., and he said, ‘I can literally see your The conversation also provides inadvertent glimpses into his place from my balcony,’ and we got out telescopes and were waving life. When “Scared to Live,” with its interpolation of Elton John’s to each other,” he continues. “And when I told him about my mom “Your Song” refrain “I hope you don’t mind” comes up, he says, taking me to see ‘The Mask,’ he knew the theater! Anyway, on my “Before I played it for Elton, I was like, ‘Fuck, I hope he likes it.’ But [30th] birthday, he called and told me to look out my window, and he was freakin’ — he was like, ‘Mate, you’re gonna be doing this for on his balcony he had these giant red balloons, and he picked me a long time!’” up and we went to breakfast.” He smiles. “It was surreal. Jim Carrey Asked whether such moments happen often, he turns a little was my first inspiration to be any kind of performer, and I went to sheepish. “No, man! This whole album process has been so sur- breakfast with him on my first day of being 30.” real, in the best way possible.” For his part, Elton John tells Variety, “Abel has his own unique artistic voice — that’s the hallmark of a genuinely great, long-term artist. I’m utterly thrilled that the DNA for ‘Your Song’ has found its S PART OF THE WEEKND’S first sit-down interview way into ‘Scared to Live.’ It’s the greatest compliment a songwriter A in nearly five years, he offers Variety a private can ever receive.” advance preview of “After Hours” in its entirety However, later on the new album, “Faith,” with its lyrical ref- at Alicia Keys’ Jungle City Studios in New York. erences to drugs, pain, prayer, death and “losing my religion,” “After Hours” is indisputably The Weeknd’s most raises many serious questions. He waits until the song ends before mature and fully realized album to date, with songs that question responding. “So, this is about the darkest time of my entire life, the narrator’s hard-partying, womanizing, substance-abusing around 2013, 2014,” when he first became famous. “I was getting ways against a sonic backdrop of cinematic keyboards, pulsating really, really tossed up and going through a lot of personal stuff. I sub-bass, hard beats and ’80s synthesizer flourishes. Longtime got arrested in Vegas [for punching a police officer; he later pleaded collaborator Max Martin — the most successful songwriter-pro- no contest]. It was a real rock-star era, which I’m not really proud ducer of the past 25 years, with hits for artists ranging from the of. You hear sirens at the end the song — that’s me in the back of the Backstreet Boys to Taylor Swift — is present on several songs, as cop car, that moment. are The Weeknd’s core sonic team of DaHeala and Illangelo (né “I always wanted to make that song but I never did, and this Jason Quenneville and Carlo Montagnese), along with new collabo- album felt like the perfect time, because [the character] is looking rators like avant-garde electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never for an escape after a heartbreak or whatever. I wanted to be that guy (Daniel Lopatin), Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker and Liz- again — the ‘Heartless’ guy who hates God and is losing his fucking zo’s behind-the-scenes wizard, Ricky Reed. religion and hating what he looks like in the mirror so he keeps get- It also has the sense of a reclusive person letting down his ting high. That’s who this song is.” guard just a bit. “You could hear the vulnerability in the music People spend their entire lives trying to escape their demons; before,” he agrees, “but there was such a shield, such a fuck-you not many decide to revisit them. to the world, and now I’m very comfortable with letting the world “I didn’t want to,” he says. “But sometimes you try to run away know that I can be that way.” from who you are, and you always get back to that place. By the end Press-shy artists are often awkward, defensive, tight-lipped or of this album, you realize, ‘I’m not that person.’ I was, but I’m grow- all three, but even in a setting like this — where he’s a sitting duck ing and wiser, and I’m gonna have children someday, and I’m going for probing personal questions about the seemingly heart-spilling to tell them they don’t have to be that person.” songs that are playing at chest-rattling volume — Weeknd is easy- And yes, his recent birthday milestone enabled him to come to going and downright chatty. If he can’t or doesn’t want to explain this — “self-realization,” he says, completing the sentence. “I think the emotions behind a certain song, he’ll either demur or say he people say your 30s are your best years because you’re becoming doesn’t really know, explaining later, “It’s easier to talk about songs the person you’re supposed to be. And this is the beginning of not that are just about me; I don’t like to talk about what I’m going just a new chapter but my second decade [as a performer]. I feel

SUIT: BALENCIAGA; SUNGLASSES: RETINA; SHIRT: CELINE; TIE: LOUIS VUITTON CELINE; TIE: LOUIS SHIRT: RETINA; SUNGLASSES: BALENCIAGA; SUIT: through with other people.” like my career is just starting.”

VARIETY 35 CAPTION HED HERE

SUnt maximol ecearum assit odic tem esequi quate lab id minullorro il iditas etur aut es quam, sed

VERY ELEMENT of The Weeknd’s background is day of high school,” he recalls. “He was charismatic, witty and gave E present in his music. Born in 1990 to Ethiopian no fucks on how people perceived him.” immigrants who split up when he was a toddler, he Weeknd’s rough-and-tumble youth, which included a brief grew up trilingual in a multicultural neighborhood stretch of homelessness and a long stretch of substance abuse (ket- outside Toronto filled with fellow East Africans as amine, cocaine, Ecstasy, cough syrup) is directly addressed in the well as people from India, the Middle East and the Caribbean. opening lyrics of the plainly autobiographical “Snowchild,” from “Ethiopian — Amharic — was the first language I learned to form “After Hours”: “I used to pray when I was 16 / If I didn’t make it, sentences in because my grandma, who raised me with my mom, then I’d probably make my wrist bleed. … I was singing notes while would not speak English,” he says. “Because of television and my n---as played with six keys [kilos]. … N---as had no homes, we being in Canada, I learned English too, but I went to French-im- were living in the dead streets.” mersion school, where you’d get in trouble for speaking English, “It was tough growing up where I was from,” he says of those and I couldn’t speak it to my grandma, so it’s almost like English years. “I got into a lot of trouble, got kicked out of school, moved to is my third language, even though now it’s my first.” different schools and finally dropped out. I really thought film was The music in his home was a combination of Ethiopian artists gonna be my way out, but I couldn’t really make a movie to feel bet- like Aster Aweke — “Her voice was very influential on my singing; ter, you know? Music was very direct therapy; it was immediate and you can hear it, for sure,” he says — and R&B like Michael Jackson BATTLE TESTED people liked it. It definitely saved my life.” and R. Kelly. After his pivotal experience with “The Mask,” he grad- With “House of Balloons,” the groundbreaking mixtape that The Weeknd performs ually became a full-on movie geek and hoped to attend film school. thrust Weeknd onto the music scene early in 2011, the young artist in red-jacketed, “I didn’t know that I had a gift with music, but I was always sing- busted-nose seemed to arrive fully formed. Powered by a co-sign from Drake’s ing. I was actually getting in trouble because I would sing in class — character March 7 management team (which soon led to a musical collaboration, and my poor mother, it became a real problem,” he sighs. “I was really on “Saturday Night later a schism, with his fellow Torontonian), its unusual mixture of shy so I wasn’t really singing to my friends or girls, but when I was Live.” Due to influences — classic R&B, electronic music, ’80s pop, Kanye West’s the conronavirus maybe 13, somebody said, ‘You actually have a pretty nice voice.’” metrosexual hip-hop and particularly Michael Jackson’s 1987 song pandemic, no new La Mar Taylor, Weeknd’s longtime friend and creative director, episodes of the show “Dirty Diana,” which he describes as “the blueprint to my music”

remembers things slightly differently. “I met Abel on the very ﬁrst have aired since. — rapidly gained him a large audience and a major-label deal with WILL HEATH/NBC

36 VARIETY “Abel has his own unique artistic “I’m always sitting inside working, so it’s not that different from any other day,” he says over FaceTime. “Although I am a contrar- voice — that’s the hallmark of a ian, and I don’t like being told what to do, so not being able to go genuinely great, long-term artist.” out is tough.” While 10 days earlier he was still confident the nearly sold-out Elton John “After Hours” tour would proceed as planned, of course it’s been bumped indefinitely. “The tour is still happening — we’re not can- celing,” he stresses. “We just have to rearrange the dates, which is unfortunate but certainly understandable.” But the “overwhelming, in a good way” reaction to the album — Republic, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. exemplified by thousands of social media comments, like “My quar- Still, the mixtape’s dark, murky sound was like nothing else at antine is now less terrible” and “Weeknd, thank you for giving us the time, and it tied in with the launch of Weeknd’s equally moody something beautiful in this horrible time” — has only affirmed his mystique: The drug-addled, womanizing, bitter character in the decision not to delay it. “It’s been amazing to see the real heroes in songs matched the artist who initially didn’t do interviews, hadn’t our world: health care workers, grocery store clerks, first respond- performed live and was seldom photographed. ers,” he says. “If I could do something even as small as taking peo- The Weeknd’s sound didn’t remain unique for long. Within ple away from what’s happening in the world for an hour, then what months, moody alt-R&B was everywhere. “‘House of Balloons’ better time?” literally changed the sound of pop music,” he says without exag- Without overstating its importance, for better or worse, “After geration. “I heard ‘Climax,’ that [2012] Usher song, and was like, Hours” will always be associated with this moment. And while its ‘Holy fuck, that’s a Weeknd song.’ It was very flattering, and I knew songs may immediately bring back the horror of March 2020 — I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I even more, they might remind people of the desperately needed got, I realized it’s a good thing.” (Usher declined to comment for uplift that those songs brought amid the madness. this story.) His initial concerts displayed growing pains as well, so he took dancing lessons and amped up his live show, and, most significantly, he unleashed the latent Michael Jackson in his high, angelic singing voice. It seemed like an instant transformation, but it wasn’t. “Peo- ple saw the rise but have no idea how hard Abel and our small team worked for years before we got the recognition,” Slaiby says. “Abel created this whole new R&B wave everyone is on now.” Key to his breakout were the hits he created with Max Martin, with whom he teamed initially on a 2014 collaboration with Ariana Grande, “Love Me Harder.” “Ariana was kinda my foot in the door with Max, my chance to show him ‘I can play this game,’ y’know?” he recalls. “But when we got in the room together, we didn’t really connect as much. Then someone invited him to a show I did at the Hollywood Bowl, and he saw 15,000 people singing along, and I think he was like, ‘OK, there’s something I’m not getting.’ So we sat down again, and the first song we created was ‘In the Night.’” That song and “Can’t Feel My Face,” an even bigger Martin collaboration from the 2015 album “Beauty Behind the Madness,” became global smashes and vaulted Weeknd into the pop stratosphere, a status he cemented with the follow-up, 2016’s triple-platinum “Starboy.” After releasing two blockbuster albums in consecutive years, the wise pop star lay low to avoid oversaturation. For the worka- holic Weeknd, his “hiatus” consisted of two tours; a comparatively low-key EP, 2018’s “My Dear Melancholy”; and years of work on “After Hours.”

WEEKND MOMENTS

N MARCH 27, one week after the release of “After The Weeknd with Republic Records Hours,” The Weeknd is at home in Los Angeles, O founder-CEO Monte doing pretty much the same things as virtually Lipman and his co- every other sane, nonessential adult in the First managers, Wassim World: sheltering in place, binge-watching TV “Sal” Slaiby and Amir (“Peaky Blinders,” “Shameless,” “Mindhunter”), getting to know “Cash” Esmailian (top), and attending his dog, Caesar, better (“I feel like we’re speaking a new language”) the Fashion L.A. and working as much as possible toward When This Is Over, when- Awards in 2016 with

WEEKND/LIPMAN/SLAIBY/ESMAILIAN: KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES; WEEKEND/HADID: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK MATT WEEKEND/HADID: IMAGES; KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE/GETTY WEEKND/LIPMAN/SLAIBY/ESMAILIAN: ever that may be. Bella Hadid

VARIETY 37 38

BY ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER ELIZABETH BY VREY VARIETY ON EACH OTHER AFTER Circle HAVE COMETO LEAN Trust TESTIFIED AGAINST HARVEY WEINSTEIN DISGRACED MOGUL TAKING DOWN THE THE WOMEN WHO of of

GUTTER CREDIT GUTTER CREDIT VARIETY court March11for (left) andTarale Harvey Weinstein. the sentencingof Wulff arrivein (foreground), Miriam Haley Dawn Dunning MORE READY NEVER 39

I ents ormy best friends. Ihadtoslowly go letalonemy ormyabout it, husband par exchanged sex for movie roles. that Charlize TheronandSalmaHayek had tolureherwiththefalsepromise trying her for athreesome, alongside hisassistant, stein wheresheclaimshepropositioned encounter aseparate up about withWein the D.A.’s office, Dunninghadonlyspoken ately never hermind. crossed of Weinsteinprospect acting inappropri employees were presentinhissuite, sothe at Miramaxuled aswanky hotel, boutique the business meetingthat Weinstein sched pany, WhenDunningarrived at Miramax. ing tosetupascreentest withhiscom- would arrange a meetingandeven offer help withheractingcareer, suggesting he conversation withherandvolunteered to WeinsteinDistrict. upaprofessional struck nightclub inNew York City’s Meatpacking was working asacocktail waitress at a ning first metthemovie mogulwhenshe afterDun- in2004,shortly dent occurred penetrating herwithhisfingers. Theinci slightly duringabusiness meeting, skirt alleges Weinstein stuck hishandupher in thetrial,” Dunningsays of thetimeshe But Ididn’ttruth. thinkitwould come up I thoughtitwas totellthemthewhole best what would come outfromthedefense, so Ihonestly just because didn’tpened know “I TOLD THED.A. EVERYTHING story she had never told. actor and mother of two children, small revealed a During aprivate meeting, Dunning, aformer aspiring before she testified inthe Harvey Weinstein trial. Attorney’s Office inearly 2018, nearly two years Dawn Dunning met first with the Manhattan District 40 VARIETY “Not one single human on Earth knew“Not onesinglehumanonEarth to Prior story todisclosingherpersonal that hap------Feb. 25. Los Angeleson conference in hold apress duct orassault, sexual miscon- Weinstein of who haveaccused group ofwomen Breakers, a The Silence IN NUMBERS STRENGTH around and tell everyone because theD.A. because saidthisisgoingaround andtelleveryone tobecome pub bring myself totellmy dad.” Itoldsomeoffor “Itoldmy my thetrial. husband, closefriends, butIcouldn’t lic, soyou tellyour shouldprobably family,” Dunningrecallsofherpreparation they were indanger orifIwas indanger.” overing tolook my shoulderconstantly. Ihave two smallkids, soIwondered if was for oneof me,“That thehardest parts followed asidefrombeing andhav his daughter. thewronginformation hadprinted about andthoughtthenewspaper story withacopyof the2020trial, of TheNew York the Heread Timesinhand. client in anticipation of a “pot of ofclient inanticipation gold” a“pot at theendof thetrial. attorneys DouglasWigdor solelytosqueeze andGloriaAllred money outofher stein’s attorney that alsoargued Tarale Wulff civil andMiriamHaley obtained careerby sayingreignited by Weinstein shewas raped ’90s. intheearly Wein of a thebenefits darling of that themovement” andclaimed theactorreaped convicted inthethirddegree. of rape Rotunno AnnabellaSciorra“the called of Jessica ahairdresser whosetestimony Mann, inWeinstein resulted being Rotunnounder theguiseof abusiness meeting. themental health questioned whereshewas lured in2013aBeverlyand assaulted Hillshotelbathroom, front of thejury. my vagina,’” Rotunno saidduringherclosingarguments, Dunningin mocking ning’s credibility. “‘Wait, Iforgot wait, thetimehethrewhisfinger about in Dunning recallsthemorningherfather arrived at herhome, inthemidst In the courtroom, Weinstein’sIn thecourtroom, attorney, lead DonnaRotunno, attacked Dun my about “My dadhadtoread vagina inTheNew York Times,” Dunningsays. Rotunno LaurenYoung’s alsochallenged accusation that shewas trapped -

- - -

GUTTER CREDIT (PREVIOUS SPREAD) ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES (THIS PAGE) CHRIS PIZZELLO/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK HALEY: RICHARD DREW/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK; SCIORRA: RICHARD DREW/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK emy Awards, asWeinstein into shuffled Streepat theOscars. by Meryl toGod pared asfriends, andwas comBill andHillary down Hollywood’s kingmaker, whocounted Together, they didtheimpossible. They took threeyearsthe past toaccuse Weinstein. who have publiclycome over forward and Young arejust sixof at 100women least us,” Theystand. heard shesays. dence. were They informed. “They under- little hardevi with very shesaid, he said, inahighlycomplicated caseof educated be andthejudge allowed themselvesjury to Shesays the isheaded. direction society ing make astrong statement the about justmy fell body forward.” ‘23’cameout, the[number] “When aloud. Justice James Burke sentenced Weinstein Wulff says, recallingtheday when incourt we insingledigits,” kept itmightbe hearing there’s of thelegalsystem, and thereality butthenwanting maximumsentencing, would receive alongprisonsentence. belief,” shesays of thesentencing. “I’mfinally broughttotrial. just still indis Weinstein —now, aconvicted rapist —was more empowered.” —andhewouldraping people have felt even — hewould assaulting abusing, still and be would outtheredoingwhat hewas be doing stein he was confined inprison, notbeing completely convinced Wein that ifHarvey of Weinstein’s “Iam substantial sentencing. the harmanddamage that hedid,” shesays “Obviouslyin thetrial. it’s notgoing toundo asoneof thetwo keywho served witnesses assistantmer “Project production Runway” sure what that means,” says Haley, afor additional 28years. where hefaces amaximumsentence of an prison; hestill awaits atrialinLosAngeles, Weinstein was sentenced to23years in nal sex actandrape. Following theverdict, mately found Weinstein guiltyof acrimi- jury, anda12-person media whichulti front of high-profile lawyers, international some detailsof theirsexual assaults in gave uptheirprivacy, testifying grue about of strangers, inacourtroom ined willingly iim Haley — Miriam WOULD HAVE FELTEVENMOREEMPOWERED.” PRISON, HEWOULDBE OUT THERE…ANDHE WEINSTEIN WASNOTBEING CONFINEDIN “I AMCONVINCEDTHAT IFHARVEY These sixwomen, whowere cross-exam- The week following the2020Acad Haley, Sciorra,Mann Wulff, Dunning, Haley believes theverdict andsentenc was thisdreamy version“There of us Wulff was alsoskeptical that Weinstein Dunning says shecan’t fathom that “Justice I’m isaweird thing. noteven ------trial. testify inthe first womanto Sciorra wasthe ed; Annabella Weinstein rest- charges against on whichthe key witnesses was oneoftwo tion assistant, Runway” produc- former “Project Miriam Haley,a HEARD FINALLY

day my uncontrollable was fromthewitness were theday room heard screams off thestand mid-testimony, helped she hadtobe shetoldthejudge, “The sohardthatReferencing momentwhenshewas crying the headline-making isnotjust Itisforever,” onemoment of “Rape penetration. trial. shesaid. andtraumathroughoutthe rape about judge andtoldhimwhat shelearned suffered over acomplex five-year relationship withWeinstein —faced the forwho testified threedays detailabout thesexual inpainful assaults she trial: thepublic’s sexual about education assault trauma. you feel like you have to, butthesegirls, will never theirears wear out.” mekeep validatinghelped what I’m It’s feeling. tomove easy onbecause really something fromthat,” Wulff system. “Having says themhas ofhernewsupport in 15years. Regardless of how we were broughttogether orwhy, we created thewomenunderstand, areonagroupchat andtext otherdaily. each Now, morning. in theearly experience withashared that noone elsecan prosecutorJoan Illuzzibroughtthemtogetherday whenlead of thesentencing, mention continuously coping withtheirtrauma. attentiontling withmedia andthepressure tousetheirnewplatform —notto women. But now, how they arelearning tonavigate theirlives post-trial, wres ognize thevalue of theirtestimony for andarehopeful futuregenerations of Weinstein’s They rec inthetrial. sentencingsay they donotregrettakingpart own opinion.” totheir andInever isentitled buteveryone friend, thoughtthat would happen, for toknow It’s people that. important Ithoughtwould thelast person loseasa don’t“Some people Ithinkit’s want withmecoming associated forward. tobe of it,” withislosingafriendshipbecause still dealing Wulff says throughtears. butfor that me, cameoutoflot of it, good personally, thehardest thingthat I’m relationships.personal buttheystein, chosetosacrifice theiranonymity, theirreputations andtheir forced thewomen torelive thetraumathey experienced at thehandsof Wein preyed at being about TheWeinstein upon Co.’s Oscarparties. watched theceremony. women toldtheirhorrorstories Insidethecourtroom, withtheaidofthe criminalcourthouse hiswalker, asked ifhehad reporters During her victim impact statementDuring hervictimimpact at Weinstein’s Mann— sentencing, The newfound friendshave ofthe found brightspot solace inanunintended “Even ifourconversation diesdown inayear ortwo, Iknow Icancallthem The sixwomen were whotestified notallowed tomeet oneanotheruntilthe All threewomen whospoke to for“I didnotprepare what would come aftermy testimony —therewas a Working withtheD.A.’s office for two years, for inpreparation thetrial, Variety for thispiece inthemonthfollowing

- - - H shifted from highlighting the virus ofsexual fromhighlightingthevirus shifted the frontpages, swiftly andthe headlines Weinstein’sas aresult, face off was ripped ofbecome ourlifetime, thebiggest story has pandemic Whiletheglobal nessman. tainment-biz whiz andaggressive busi- company that established himasanenter entrepreneurial foray, aconcert-promoting city inwhichhegot withhisfirst hisstart ity outsideBuffalo. Ironically, that was the and thentotheWende Correctional Facil from BellevueHospitaltoRikers Island after hewas sentenced andtransferred COVID-19 onMarch22,less thantwo weeks Variety prisonofficials confirmed to on hishealth, isolation chamber. recovering fromthecoronavirus inan up inamaximum-securitystate prison, thefallenmogulisnow locked produced, rest of theworld. like quarantining, the ing andvoluntary have forced been topractice distanc social inovertime,the jury andthejurorswould wouldthe court nothave able been tohold year, itcould have as inamistrial, ended later inthe tried Hadhiscasebeen break. inthewakecountry of thecoronavirus out havecourthouses shutdown across the could have indefinitelydelayed, been as anyuled later date hiscourt last month, didn’t even know what hedidwas illegal.” tomewithWeinsteinhappened I happened, Dunning says what of “When theverdict. change theway that thingsarereported,” ecutes thesecases, butI alsothinkitwill legal system at thesecasesandpros looks walkof 1,000perpetrators away free. anti-sexual violence 995out organization, National thecountry’s Network, largest According totheRape, Abuse&Incest alone make theirway intoacourtroom. cases donotendupinaconviction, let Thevastical. majorityof sexual assault based on antiquated ideas of what is.” onantiquated ideas rape based judgingmyself andIhadbeen figure itout, to IwasRight before still thetrial, trying wasI thoughtrape ayear ormoreintoit. tofigureoutwhat Iwas stillthe trial. trying even thoughIwas awitnessuneducated, in Wulffalley says: at gunpoint, “Iwas really an attack by onlyoccurs astranger inadark my fullvoice intomy cameback power.” HAD WEINSTEIN’S SENTENCING 42 VARIETY Though his team declined tocomment declined Though histeam Asifitwere ascriptthat Weinstein “I thinkit’s going tochange theway the The outcome of Weinstein’s trialisatyp mythNoting therape believe that people that Weinstein positive tested for been sched- been

------other daily. and texteach in agroupchat, tified arenow women whotes- says thesix Tarale Wulff BONDED FOREVER

assault andthecontagious aftermath turningablindeye, of society tothelit women’s equality. that time—areeager totestify tomake theirmarkontheever-growing fightfor Vanceoperation in2015,thoughD.A. Cyrus nottoprosecutethecaseat opted inasuccessful AmbraGutierrez, whoparticipated NYPDstingItalian model inCalifornia.occurred Many women whohave accused Weinstein —including New York, willtake assault heralleged because thestand once again inL.A., four andsexual rape assaultcharges fromtwo women. Young, in whotestified signaling itsplantomove withtheWest forward whichwillrest Coast on trial, this summer, theLosAngeles D.A.’s office theextradition hasbegun process, — tokeep otheraccountable each tokeep othersafe.” each fully, itwillnow clickineveryone’s is really responsibility mindwhat social erally for rightnow, death hope- sonow that meaning, ithasthishighlighted coronavirus. we’re onawholenewdefinitionbecause Ittook lit allresponsible Wulff says. ”Rightnow, we’re responsibility, allabout social beyond butitgoes willkeep itwiththe media about thevolume upsoitwillkeep resonating,” notgo away. does to ensurethisstory sweeping thecountry.eral virus Thewomen want whotestified todotheirpart “Honestly, those andaquickrecovery because health Iwishhimgood Despite Weinstein’s theverdict likely diagnosisandhislegalteam appealing loudmessage, “IthinkHarvey’s sentencingsendsareally andstaying vocal - -

RICHARD DREW/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES — Tarale Wulff,of Weinstein andhisbehavior more of afeeling of conﬁdence, interms when they arefaced withinequality. to stand upfor themselves intheworkplace thanking herfor givingthemtheconﬁdence messages fromstrangers media onsocial shehasreceived atorrentoftrial ended, est,” Haley says, sharingthat since the there’s because part somuchpublicinter puzzle, butIthinkit’s important avery there isstill muchwork done. tobe written made. andprogress isbeing But arebeing books trial onthehorizon, history immune system isnice andstrong.” hisphysical ego andkarma,soIhope will be biggest torture “The women duringthetrial. the tosupport inL.A. that tobe shehopes it,”to hear Wulff says of Weinstein, adding women have somethingtosay andhe’s got TO COMEBACK INTHERE.” HOLLYWOOD DOESN’TALLOW THAT WITH SOMETHINGBETTER, AND “I HOPEHISVOIDIS FILLED “I hope that thishasbroughtforward“I hope trialisjust onepiece of“The thewhole With Weinstein andanother bars behind

- sentencing. of Weinstein’s until theday meet eachother not permittedto testified were women who and theother Jessica Mann Lauren Young, IN ARMS SISTERS people: Ifyoupeople: come together andfightsomething huge, you canwin.” “So tome, thiswasexample areal of andpower strength innumbers tothe opinion that money andpower, you can’t nomatter them, what,” beat shesays. you orbusiness, inpolitics seewhat “When happens ferent Ijust hadthe result. haps, way, insomeodd even inprison.” inaway,more resources thanme and, per isstill position, inamorepowerful something like this,” Weinstein toexplain. “Harvey shebegins still hasalot protect abuse of power. that comes paranoia alongwithgoing through “The the decades-long acceptance behavior, of bad theboys’ clubandsystems that cleanly.”that mighthave machinerunning theHollywood whohavepeople at totake butitstarts suppressed thetop; been theirmoment, givenbeen agolden ticket tocalloutwhat we see, andthere’s now room for come in there,” back Wulff says. “Our eyes have andwe allhave opened really his void withsomethingbetter, isfilled doesn’t andHollywood allow that to that industry’s thetrialwillchangehopeful culture. theentertainment her, says shedoesn’t know butis firsthand, the innerworkings of Hollywood inforcalled anonexistent upwithWeinstein auditionthat ended assaulting women arejust over Enoughisenough.” it. younger“The generation isnotgoing tobuyintothat,” shesays. “Menand place continues todiversify, tolerance for harassment andabuse willlessen. workplace, andoutsideof Hollywood.” inHollywood both willbecome alotmoreconscious Ithinkpeople inthewas todothat. entitled Weinstein got away —heobviously withdecadesof thoughthe rapingpeople got away people this went sothey onbecause didn’t withit, thinktwice. Harvey rollingandgivesgets moreconfidence,” theball people Haley adds. “A lotof take time. Laws don’t change overnight. But whentheawareness isthere, that able andnotacceptof being tosetboundaries unacceptable behavior. Things Dunning, too,Dunning, calculates theadvantages of privilege, butnow canfindadif Haley says that even thoughWeinstein bars, it’s isbehind hardtoshake off like whomanipulate otherpeople power, Harvey mightbe “There soIhope Wulff, whosays amodel by Weinstein shewas raped in2005whenshewas Dunning says that behavior like Weinstein’s isoldnews, andasthework - - - The finale’s storyline revolves around a long goodbye for the Dunphy, Pritchett-Delgado and Tuck- GAME er-Pritchett families, which made shooting during that last week “kind of torturous,” he says. “It was literally the cast saying goodbye to one another over and over again.” The cast and crew weren’t the only ones present for the sendoff. A number of directors, writers and actors CHANGED from previous seasons stopped by the set to pay their respects and engage in the merriment that Tyler Fergu- son likened to a block party. Among the revelers were the children of Julie Bowen, who plays Dunphy family CREATORS AND CAST SAY GOODBYE TO matriarch Claire — including her twins, who “were in ‘MODERN FAMILY,’ A BROADCAST SITCOM my belly in the pilot [and] born the day the show was picked up,” she says. Also on hand: Tyler Ferguson’s WITH A PROFOUND LEGACY husband, Justin Mikita; Joe Manganiello, the husband of Sofía Vergara (Gloria Delgado-Pritchett); and Ty Bur- BY Elaine Low rell’s wife and children. “It was a little bit of a carnival atmosphere that at times made it difficult to actually get the job done,” says Bowen. “But at the same time, we had to be aware that this wasn’t just the actors’ show; this was every- WHEN CO-CREATORS Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan body from props and casting to accounting to transpo. decided to set the 11th and final season of “Modern Family” at ... Everybody wanted to be there as much as they could 18 episodes, they didn’t realize how fortuitous the timing would that last week.” With 250 episodes across 11 seasons, “Modern turn out to be. The series finale of the long-running family sit- Family” spanned all of the 2010s, which Levitan — not- com finished filming in late February, mere weeks before the ing that the majority of the show took place during outbreak of the coronavirus would force the entertainment the Obama administration — describes as “kinder and gentler times than we’re living in now.” Nestled among industry — along with countless other businesses — to grind to his many favorite episodes over the years are the a halt. ¶ “It’s very strange to contemplate that,” says Lloyd. “Had behind-the-scenes moments that still provide chuck- we done, say, our normal number of episodes, which would be les, such as a scene between Burrell (Phil Dunphy) and Ed O’Neill (Jay Pritchett) in Season 1’s “Hawaii,” 22 or 24, we would’ve come to a place where [the production in which Phil tries to help an injured Jay out of a would have been forced to shut down], so we would’ve aired hammock. everything but our finale and then, who knows? Like, we “Ty Burrell and I talk about it to this day, that it’s the hardest either of us has ever laughed on a set,” says would’ve filmed it and aired it in mid-August or something. It’s Levitan. “It was so funny that we had a sound guy really weird to think that we avoided that just by electing to do who was on a rafter, and he fell out of the rafter [from] fewer episodes than we normally do. Had we done two or three laughing. He literally fell out. Little moments like that, I will think about.” more, we probably would’ve been shut down.” ¶ The final days The show has survived and thrived through the era on set were expectedly teary and nostalgia-inducing. ¶ “It was of Peak TV, picking up 82 Emmy nominations and 22 like a really long funeral,” says Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays wins — including a record-tying five straight wins for best comedy series. Despite ratings declines over the Mitchell Pritchett. “It also felt like a graduation at the same years, the 20th Century Fox Television-produced pro- time. There was a lot of emotion.” gram has continued to perform solidly for ABC. That it has been allowed to carve out its own ending by choosing when and how to wrap up is a privilege most series don’t enjoy. Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cam on the show, chafes on behalf of the writers at viewer complaints that the series “used to be better.” “That’s just what happens with the arc of an 11-year run,” he says. “I laugh at that, but it also irks me a little bit to think that there are people who watch the show who have that sort of opinion, like, ‘Oh, they must’ve fired all the writers.’ No, it’s just not easy to create 250 episodes of fresh television and then be critically MAKING MEMORIES judged by someone who knows nothing about creat- Ariel Winter, Nolan ing television. That always bothers me on behalf of our Gould and Sarah Hyland, who play the writers who I know worked just as hard from Day 1 as Dunphy children, they did on the last day.” take a selfie in The “Modern Family” brand of big, broad comedy the two-part final episode of “Modern is considered far from controversial, but its on-screen

Family.” portrayal of a same-sex couple — whose ups and ERIC MCCANDLESS/ABC

44 VARIETY “I just hope people, with respect to “Wings,” “Frasier” and “Back to You.” “It’s what I’ve always done, and I’m inclined to continue trying it.” Mitch and Cam, look back in 10 years at But he is open to the possibility of new things. how un-modern it is — the opposite of “The environment has changed, and it is tempting to imagine taking a very specific subject and exploring it over only 10 episodes or 20 episodes and what it was when we started the show.” moving on,” he says. “So it seems like a good time to be trying different things, but I still think there’s a lot of life left in network television.” Eric Stonestreet on the show’s groundbreaking treatment Levitan, who last year re-upped his deal with 20th Century Fox TV, is already of a same-sex couple’s relationship tinkering with a new half-hour script along with two “Modern Family” scribes and an additional collaborator, working over thoughts via video chat meetings during the lockdown. The story is loosely based on a friend’s life, and is “more specific and deals with perhaps, one might say, ‘streamier’ ideas.” downs largely mirrored everyone else’s — was stealth- As for cast members, they’ll be scattered across new projects once the ily revolutionary when the show debuted on America’s industry’s gears start whirring again. Prior to the shutdown, Bowen had been TV screens in 2009. slated to topline the CBS multi-camera pilot “Raised by Wolves,” while Tyler “I just hope people, with respect to Mitch and Cam, Ferguson was in preparations for both a Broadway revival of Richard Green- look back in 10 years at how un-modern it is — the berg’s “Take Me Out” and another potential season hosting “Extreme Make- opposite of what it was when we started the show,” over: Home Edition.” He and his husband are also expecting a baby in July. says Stonestreet, whose wish is that the series showed Vergara is set to judge “America’s Got Talent.” Burrell is focused on relief audiences “that it was OK for two men or two women EMBRACING effort Tip Your Server, which aims to support Salt Lake City restaurant work- THE MOMENT to make just as many mistakes raising a baby as a man ers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the coronavirus-driven closures “Modern Family” and a woman.” co-creator Steven and recent earthquakes. Whether there’s space for another big network sit- Levitan (right) But the “Modern Family” production members will always be, well, family. com in the 2020s is hard to project; “Modern Family” directs a scene They have vacationed together, celebrated successes together and com- between Eric might be one of the last of its kind. The market is now Stonestreet forted each other in tough times, says Lloyd, “all the while enjoying a very increasingly filled with well-funded streaming ser- and Jesse Tyler rare thing in Hollywood, which is a commercial success and a critical success. vices and short-order cable series. Ferguson during All a wonderful mix. To say goodbye to all of that is very difficult. And every- the show’s final “I’ve been writing for network television for almost episode as DP James one knows you won’t be on a show like this again. You won’t be around this

JOE PUGLIESE/20TH CENTURY FOX TV FOX CENTURY JOE PUGLIESE/20TH 35 years,” says Lloyd, whose career has spanned Bagdonas looks on. group of people again.”

VARIETY 45 0408 WV FMSFMF.indd 1 3/25/20 1:21 PM FOCUS

AS DEMAND FOR CONTENT REACHES A NEW HIGH, THE MUSIC FOR SCREENS SECTOR PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN SETTING THE TONE OF THE TIMES DAVID HARTLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK DAVID

VARIETY 47 FOCUS MUSIC FOR SCREENS

10 COMPOSERS TO WATCH

STREAMING HAS OPENED THE SOMETIMES-DIFFICULT-TO-PRY DOORS OF SCORING TO

NEW TALENTS By Jon Burlingame, James Patrick Herman and Jazz Tangcay

THANKS TO THE advent of original content on streaming services, recent years have seen a steady influx of new- comers entering the field of film scoring. So for the first time, Variety has chosen 10 talents (really, 11, as one of our choices is a two-person team) to watch. Some are young and fresh — recognition can take years — with only a handful of film or television credits, others are veterans just breaking into the front ranks. Half, we are proud to say, are women — a reflection of the importance of gender parity in Hollywood despite the continued dominance of men in this profession — and three of those are people of color. Two hail from the pop world; two come from the United SONYA BELOUSOVA AND GIONA OSTINELLI Kingdom; and one is a unique “The Witcher” composing duo: Russian Sonya Belousova and Swiss- When the song “Toss a “But to this degree, hell no!” tunes peppered throughout. Italian Giona Ostinelli. Coin to Your Witcher” went Ostinelli adds: “When we The duo have been viral shortly after “The were writing the song, it was collaborating for six years, Such diversity bodes well Witcher” debuted on Netflix stuck in our heads for such a working together on the for the resulting work and n December, it caught long time. That’s a great way to Stephen King miniseries brings with it a unique sonic everyone by surprise — even see if what you write is good.” “The Mist,” the Amazon series point of view that can be its composers, Belousova They penned more than “The Romanoffs,” the 2017 fea- and Ostinelli, who created nine hours of music for the ture “M.F.A.” and the Facebook heard beyond the traditional the soundtrack in their dark fantasy and played most of Watch series “Sacred Lies.” feature film to reality com- L.A. studio. the period instruments (hurdy- They are currently preparing petitions, video games and “We knew that it was going gurdy, lute, ethnic flutes) an orchestra-and-choir version to attract attention,” says themselves; they also wrote of “The Witcher” to debut documentaries. Belousova, a classical pianist. all the songs, dances and folk later this year.

48 VARIETY Untitled-20 1 12/27/19 2:29 PM FOCUS MUSIC FOR SCREENS

KATHRYN BOSTIC “Clemency”

Bostic is the first African Chukwu’s recent prison silence as music, silence as a American female composer drama, “Clemency,” the part of sonic conversation,” in the Academy, but it’s not director requested emotional she says. something she gloats much restraint to reflect the She embraces her chosen about. “How absurd we are starkness of death row. “That career path. “Let’s just cut still talking about pigment in was one of the hardest movies to the chase — it’s a real gift 2020,” she says with a laugh. I’d had to score because it to be paid to write music for In fact, Bostic likes having her relies so much on silence — someone’s vision.” accomplishments in scoring do the talking: including Tim- othy Greenfield-Sanders’ 2019 Toni Morrison documentary, “The Pieces I Am.” “It’s one of the few films I’ve ever scored where I only got three notes from the director,” says Bostic, who tapped into the energy of the iconic sto- ryteller. “I was given a scene where she’s at home and she’s talking about her process — there was something so embry- NATHANIEL BLUME “Prodigal Son” onic about that pure moment that I just started to write from that feeling. I always write As with many young composers eager from feeling, not from places to make it in the scoring world, Blume of thinking about how to feel.” graduated from USC’s prestigious film- Ironically, for Chinonye scoring program and took a job assisting a high-profile composer: Blake Neely, who as one of TV’s busiest composers (with six series currently on the CW alone), was always in need of well-trained, dramatically astute musicmakers. SHERRI CHUNG It makes sense that Chung, the go-to composer Twelve years later, the Indiana native “Batwoman” for Greg Berlanti’s DC Comics empire, was shares composing credit with Neely inspired by the proto-superhero of English on “The Flash” and “Arrow” while also folklore. “I decided I wanted to be a film scoring his own weekly thriller, Fox’s composer when I saw ‘Robin Hood: Prince of “Prodigal Son,” and has worked on Thieves,’” she says of the 1991 movie. “It doesn’t several high-profile CNN documentaries really hold up these days but I was taken with including “The Movies,” “1968: The Year Michael Kamen’s score.” That Changed America” and three of Chung’s musical education began with piano its decades series (“The Eighties,” “The lessons at age 5 and by the time she got to college, Nineties” and “The 2000s”). she double-majored in composition and theory To create a unique sound palette and went to USC for grad school. for “Prodigal Son” (about a New York Chung paid her dues on low-budget indies detective whose father is an infamous until one of her mentors, Blake Neely, expanded serial killer), Blume acquired a set of his business. “That’s when my career turned surgical tools and bone cutters, sampled a corner because he pulled me in on higher- the sounds they made and turned those profile projects,” she says, including “Batwoman,” into a percussive foundation for the with Neely. “Now I’m getting projects of my own score. Adding a string ensemble, he “ups because of those credits. Yes, I had to bring my the adrenaline every possible place that A-game to be on Blake’s radar and step up when I can,” Blume tells Variety. he needed help — I was like: ‘Well, shit, I’ve honed my skills’ — but honestly, the hardest part of our job is landing the gig.” That’s especially true for female composers. Says an incredulous Chung: “There are horrific stories of gender issues and people flat out saying, ‘I’m not going to hire this woman because

she’s a woman.’” CHUNG: ANGELA MARKLEW

50 VARIETY MUSIC FOR SCREENS FOCUS

GERMAINE FRANCO

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold”

With roots in El Paso, Texas, family in Northern Mexico and a current home in California, Franco’s music knows no borders. “I grew up with both Western and orchestral music, then also Latin music I heard in Mexico,” says the classically trained composer, who moved to L.A. with a master’s degree in music from Houston’s Rice University and a van full of instruments. Franco landed a job at the Los Angeles Theater Center, a gig that led her to Universal’s (now defunct) Hispanic Film Project and her ﬁrst scores: “Tanto

Tiempo” and “Breaking Pan With Sol.” TOM HOWE Later she met her mentor, the prolific “Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” John Powell. “That was my door opening within Hollywood,” says Franco, who collaborated with Powell on franchises The English composer is Howe moved to L.A. in Jason Sudeikis comedy in the animated (“Ice Age”) and feature best known for the tasty 2014, initially working with “Ted Lasso” for Apple TV realm (“Bourne”). Her solo credits accompaniment to the fellow Brit Harry Gregson- Plus and the upcoming Disney include 2015’s Sundance hit “Dope” as international TV hit “The Williams. Their collaboration Channel movie “Upside- Great British Bake Off,” but on “Early Man” led to a Down Magic.” his musical resume also solo credit on last year’s “When I was younger, I encompasses animation “Shaun the Sheep Movie: wanted to be an actor,” Howe (“Early Man”), documentaries Farmageddon.” says. “My parents are musical, (“I Am a Killer”) and network He has just finished the so I went off and did songs TV (“Whiskey Cavalier”) as Channel Four documentary and bands. When I was able to well as “additional music” “Putin: A Russian Spy Story,” combine the two, that to me credits on such big-budget airing now in the U.K., and was kind of the ultimate. It’s films as “Wonder Woman.” is currently scoring the all storytelling, isn’t it?”

GORDY HAAB John Williams may be the musical architect “Star Wars: The Old Republic” behind the “Star Wars” movies, but Haab is clearly the leading composer for the franchise’s video games. His “Star Wars: The Old Republic” soundtrack won kudos at the Game Audio Network Guild, while “Star Wars: Battlefront” won Gang’s Music of the Year honors, “Battlefront II” won ASCAP’s well as family pics “Coco” and “Dora and Video Game Score of the Year award and “Star the Lost City of Gold” along with the TV Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” won the interactive series “Vida.” media trophy at the inaugural Society of The only Latina composer in the Composers & Lyricists awards in January. Academy, Franco says: “I never thought Haab estimates that he has written that was even a possibility with my last approximately 35 hours of “Star Wars” music, name. So that stamp of approval has much of it recorded with the London Symphony made me feel proud of my background Orchestra at Abbey Road. He has also scored — I brought something to the table that “Halo Wars 2” and is working on a Chinese- was not there before.” That includes more produced big-screen epic. diversity: Franco works on an executive “My goal was to be the symphonic composer committee to promote inclusion among in a world of hybrid scoring,” Haab says, refer- the music ranks. “There’s a lot of work ring to today’s more common mix of orchestra to be done, but we can only go forward and electronic instrumentation. “I saw this oppor- from here.” tunity to stand out from the crowd. If I could just keep doing this, I’d be thrilled and happy for the

HAAB: MARÍA JOSÉ GOVEA HAAB: MARÍA JOSÉ rest of my life.”

VARIETY 51 FOCUS MUSIC FOR SCREENS

PAUL LEONARD-MORGAN TAMAR-KALI “Tales From the Loop” “The Assistant”

Twenty years after winning Glass on its soundscape, or ‘I played this track when I a BAFTA for his first film just debuted on Amazon. got married,’” he says. “That’s score and nine years after (The two had documentary what music is about, isn’t being nominated as filmmaker Errol Morris in it? Whether you’re writing for “Discovery of the Year” at the common — Leonard-Morgan the theater or the screen, World Soundtrack Awards, scored the Steve Bannon it’s about having an impact Scottish-born Leonard- portrait “American Dharma” on someone.” Morgan is happily ensconced and the docu-series Currently finishing work on the West Coast and busier “Wormwood.”) on the much-anticipated than ever. His new sci-fi series, “As a musician, the most video game “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Tales From the Loop,” for wonderful thing is when due out this fall, Leonard- which he collaborated with people say, ‘I listened to this Morgan is also writing his celebrated composer Philip track with my granddaughter,’ first symphony.

Tamar-kali’s relationship with music runs deep: the performer, composer and songwriter grew up with it. Her father was a bass player, playing jazz, and her aunt ran a club. As a young child, Tamar- kali would find herself sitting in with her dad’s band as they performed. She also sang soprano in the church choir growing up. “I knew it all: ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Salve Regina,’” she cracks. Tamar-kali’s feature film score debut was for 2017’s “Mudbound,” director Dee Rees’ Jim Crow-era story of life on a rural farm in Mississippi following World War II, told from the perspectives of two races. The duo had previously worked together on Rees’ “Pariah” and “Bessie,” for which she had contributed songs. “Mudbound” required Tamar-kali to compose a mainly string-based score ISA SUMMERS Florence Welch may be the face of Florence and with a sonic palette reflecting the mud, “Little Fires Everywhere” the Machine, but now her bandmate Summers rain and farmlife. “It was a process of is carving out her own identity as a composer. learning about what it was to be a film Trading England for L.A., she’s reinventing score composer,” says Tamar-kali. “The herself as modern-day lady of the canyon. process of working with a very small “After a dozen years of being the ‘sound guy’ amount of resources and getting the who makes the music, this is the most joyous most out of them.” progression — watching TV for a living is Three years later and Tamar-kali fantastic,” says Summers, who cut her teeth at was the buzz of Sundance in January, composing by collaborating with Mark Isham on contributing to a trio of movies there: the theme to Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.” “Shirley,” “The Assistant” and “The Last Summers credits the show’s “genius” music Thing He Wanted,” the latter reuniting supervisor, Mary Ramos, for offering her Tamar-kali with Rees. the opportunity. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s historic Oscar The self-described “hard-working Polish girl” win in the original song category was an found success in scoring as fast as she did with achievement Tamar-kali celebrated, too, Florence. “With the band, I threw a snowball and she hopes more women will come and created an avalanche, and now I feel like I’m into the field as a matter of course. “There doing it again with this motion-picture stuff,” is a responsibility and an accountability she says. “I went straight into scoring for Reese that comes after that. I want to see palpa- [Witherspoon], an Oscar-winning actress, and ble and sustainable change because these now I’ve got three shows coming up.” They are: are issues our society is dealing with.” “Sex/Life” for Netflix, “Panic” for Amazon and the third, she says, is a “secret” — and deeply

personal — project. JOHN ALEXANDER DIANA FEIL; SUMMERS: LEONARD-MORGAN: BOGAERTS; BAS TAMAR-KALI:

52 VARIETY MUSIC FOR SCREENS FOCUS

WE WILL WOKE YOU: ‘TROLLS WORLD TOUR’ TAKES ON TRICKY MUSICAL TERRAIN

AN ANIMATED MOVIE ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION? HOLLYWOOD IS INCREASINGLY

HIP TO THE IDEA By James Patrick Herman

DEEP DIVE “We [saw] what looked like our whole history on the screen,” says George Clinton of watching “Trolls World Tour” for the first time. “It was overwhelming.”

FOR THE ANIMATED MUSICAL “Trolls World Tour,” royals trying to overtake competing genres including pop, DreamWorks producer Gina Shay racked up her share country, funk, classical and techno. “Different tribes of of frequent ﬂyer miles over four years — traveling to trolls celebrating different genres of music,” says Univer- New York City for reggaeton superstar J Balvin, South sal’s head of ﬁlm music Mike Knobloch. Korea for K-Pop girl group Red Velvet and Stockholm for Adds Shay: “We wanted people to come together and star and music curator Justin Timberlake. telling that story through musical genres seemed like a “It felt like I was going around the world collecting clever way of doing it without feeling preachy.” people’s voices,” she says. That’s no small feat when it comes to using popular Singing voices, that is. Nearly 40 tunes are woven into songs. First, they tried inserting potential covers — clas-

MARK NGUYEN/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC ANIMATION MARK NGUYEN/DREAMWORKS the fabric of the ﬁlm, which tells the tale of hard rock sics that advanced the narrative “without changing the

VARIETY 53 FOCUS MUSIC FOR SCREENS

The iconic artist has been on tour for the past three years as the third generation of P-Funk. “All of my family is in the band — my kids and my grandkids — and each one has a different genre they want to play: For my grandson it’s hard rock; my granddaughter’s thing is R&B; my daughter is into rap,” he says. “Trolls World Tour” is “perfect for right now,” adds Clinton, citing a message in the film that spoke to him — “We are different but to create harmony we all have to be together as one.” “That was the whole movie to me,” says the veteran performer. “We are different in our ethnicity and culture and lifestyles but if you put it all together, that’s what makes harmony. One or two people by themselves won’t be that pretty harmony you can get with the whole world blossoming together.” The King of Funk wasn’t the only adviser on board; Shay also reached out to academics. “We consulted with Dr. Darnell Hunt at UCLA to help us with the cultural appropriation and the revisionist lyrics too much” — such as Cyndi Lau- the Trolls. “Pop stole the beats,” says TROLL CALL history [themes],” she says. per’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” which Shay matter-of-factly. “They used every- The “World Tour” Not coincidentally, Hunt is the author voice cast includes was reimagined as “Trolls Just Wanna body else’s music and called it their own (from left) Marimba of the annual Bunche Center’s Hollywood Have Fun.” That collection of covers and did not give anybody the credit, so (Berenice Amador), Diversity Report, which explores the con- grew to include “Wannabe” by the Spice it’s a deep, meaningful part of the movie. Branch (Justin nection between diversity and profit in Timberlake), Tambora Girls, “Barracuda” by Heart and a remix We also wanted it to have an uplifting (Jamila Hache) and the entertainment industry: “Evidence of George Clinton’s classic “Atomic Dog.” chorus — but when you’re telling the Tresillo (J Balvin). continues to mount that diversity on the “A movie like this is just as much of an story of a revisionist history and cultural big screen sells,” wrote Hunt in the sev- accomplishment for the licensing team appropriation, it’s hard enth and latest report. as it is for all the creatives involved,” to be uplifting.” Adding to the inclusive cast is Balvin, Knobloch says. “A challenge is having it come across who voices a reggaeton troll. “He’s basi- The original songs in “World Tour,” in the right way,” adds Knobloch. “This cally me,” says the singer. “And it’s real- which stars the voices of cast mem- is not a little kiddie movie — it’s got sub- ity. Reggaeton has become so popular all bers Clinton, Ozzy Osbourne and Kelly stance and intelligence and some much over the world. Even though it’s in Span- Clarkson, proved to be even more of a weightier themes that people are not ish, people connect to it.” labor-intensive process. That’s when the going to expect.” The movie’s message mirrors the soundtrack’s co-executive producers Clinton’s participation, along with his theme of Balvin’s new album, “Colores”: Timberlake and Ludwig Göransson came blessing, was key “from the very seed of “It’s about expression and has that feel- in (SZA and Timberlake’s “The Other the idea,” says Shay, recalling the leg- ing of different styles and different Side” is the lead single). end’s first visit to the DreamWorks cam- sounds and different vibes.” “If we got one thing right, it was hiring pus rocking a sequined robe. “He embod- “Just Sing,” the ambitious final song Ludwig to do the songs and Teddy [Shap- ies funk. He wanted to be involved and — positioned as “Can’t Fight the Feeling!” iro] to do the score,” says Knobloch, who to help us when we pitched him the con- was in the original — attempts to unite also helped to get hitmakers Max Martin, cept. He cared so much about making all the disparate genres. “You could Sarah Aarons and James Fauntleroy on this right. And it was very important to write a big pop song but then we’d end board to create scene-specific tracks that us to tell the story in a way that would up with a — like [they] say — white sav- were input as demos. “Some were more honor the genre.” ior,” Shay says. “We did not want pop to challenging than others,” adds Dream- “Funk in an animated movie?” Clinton save the day — that was really important Works’ Shay. marvels to Variety, “I’ve been “wanting to to the story.” The problem wasn’t trying to top do that for so long.” Describing its penultimate tune as “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” Timber- “kind of like a folk sing-along,” it took lake’s smash from the original film Timberlake and Göransson “months to that received both Grammy and Oscar “This is not a little kiddie find the right production on the track,” nominations. she adds, “but it’s such a positive song “The biggest challenge [was] finding movie — it’s got substance for these unprecedented times. I wanted the right lyrical content for the song ‘It’s and intelligence and some people to leave the theater feeling like All Love’.” there’s hope for us all to come together. Subtitled “History of Funk,” it much weightier themes.” And if we’re not seeing eye to eye, then at

explores the genre through the lens of Mike Knobloch least we can open our ears.” LLC ANIMATION DREAMWORKS

54 VARIETY PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS INCLUDE

SHOW BUSINESS… BOB BAKISH VIACOMCBS

DAVID ZASLAV IS STRICTLY BUSINESS. DISCOVERY JEFFREY KATZENBERG & MEG WHITMAN Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Andrew Wallenstein and QUIBI Business Editor Cynthia Littleton’s weekly conversation DANA WALDEN with industry titans and seasoned executives aimed DISNEY entirely at the business side of show business. CHUCK LORRE CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS

JON FAVREAU FAIRVIEW ENTERTAINMENT

ESTHER NEWBERG ICM PARTNERS

FIDJI SIMO FACEBOOK

BYRON ALLEN ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS

RICHARD PLEPLER EDEN PRODUCTIONS

DAVID NEVINS VIACOMCBS

RICH GELFOND IMAX

SARAH BARNETT AMC NETWORKS

JOHN LANDGRAF FX NETWORKS

STEVE MOSKO VILLAGE ROADSHOW

ERIKA NARDINI BARSTOOL SPORTS

MARK CUBAN 2929 ENTERTAINMENT

MINDY HAMILTON MARVEL

KEVIN HART

GABRIELLE UNION

STEVE HARVEY

LAWRENCE EPSTEIN UFC

LINDA YACCARINO NBCUNIVERSAL

COLIN CALLENDER PLAYGROUND ENTERTAINMENT

MIKE FARAH LISTEN NOW | variety.com/podcasts FUNNY OR DIE FOCUS THE ESSENTIAL HAROLD TORRES

ANTI-HERO OF AMAZON’S ‘ZERO’

By Steven Gaydos

IN 1958, 34-YEAR-OLD Marlon Brando got great notices for his complex and layered performance as Nazi officer Lt. Christian Diestl in Edward Dymtryk’s Oscar-nominated World War II drama, “The Young Lions.” Like Brando in “Lions,” 36-year-old Mexican actor Harold Torres, whose turn as dirty soldier Sgt. Manuel Contreras in Amazon’s limited narcoworld series “ZeroZeroZero,” has sent writers and critics scrambling to describe his impact. The dynamic actor has been racking up honors and significant credits in the world of Mexican film and television. In the past 10 years, Torres has been nominated for the lead actor Ariel award (the Mexican Film Academy’s Oscar equivalent) three times for the and won the actor prize at the Morelia Film Festival in 2013. Variety recently caught up with Torres via Skype in coronavirus days self-isolation at his home in Mex- ico. In Torres’ own words, here are some of the pivotal moments in his career and the key performances that he has brought to the big and small screens in the 13 years since he graduated with a BFA in acting from Mexico City’s prestigious UNAM.

“NORTEADO” (2009) Director: Rigoberto Perezcano “I think I was in seven movies that year. This was the first time I played a principal character in a movie and it was only my first year after school. And I received an Ariel nomination. It was an important film because the subject of immigration from Latin America to the United States remains a central issue of our time.”

IMPORTANT WORK Cary Fukunaga’s “Sin Nombre” was an audacious debut for the helmer.

“SIN NOMBRE” (2009) Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga “I only have a small part in ‘Sin Nombre,’ but it was very important to me. I got the role through a Honduran actor, Edgar Flores, and the important thing is that I got to see Cary Fukunaga work. I’ve watched everything he’s done since and I love ‘True Detective.’ Seeing his work with Matthew McConaughey and TIMELY ISSUE

Woody Harrelson is like watching a masterclass.” Immigration dram “Norteado” featured Harold Torres in his first big role. DISTRIBUTION ASC NORTEADO: FEATURES; FUKUNAGA/FOCUS JOJI SIN NOMBRE: CARY

56 VARIETY “CRONICA DE CASTAS” (TV SERIES) (2014) Director: Daniel Gimenez Cacho “‘Cronica’ had a very important purpose, which was to talk about the class system in my country. It was also about a very dangerous place that I knew about, Tepito, a neighborhood of Mexico City, so it was very relevant to me personally. It was directed by Daniel Gimenez Cacho, who is both a great actor and a great director. And I got to work with an amazing, legendary actress, Angela Molina, who starred in movies for Pedro Alm- odovar and was in Luis Buñuel’s ‘Obscure Object of Desire.’ She plays my mother in ‘Cronica’ and it was incredible to work with her and learn from her.”

CLASS WAR Harold Torres related personally to the TV series “Cronica de Castas.”

“GONZÁLEZ” (2014) Director: Christian Diaz Pardo “I was also the producer and the casting director on ‘González,’ so I learned how to lead a production with that film. For instance, I saw the work of Carlos Bardem and knew we had to have him in the film. The subject and the characters are relevant, because it shows how people too often take advantage of the poor through religion. I like the lead character because he’s not a bad guy, but he’s a good guy with troubles. He lost his job. He’s what I think you might call an ‘anti-hero.’”

LONE WOLF Harold Torres dove into the intense series “ZeroZeroZero,” streaming on Amazon Prime.

“ZEROZEROZERO” (LIMITED SERIES) 2020 Directors: Janus Metz, Pablo Trapero, Stefano Sollima “Stefano Sollima gave me a great opportunity with this project. When I started, I didn’t understand what an amazing director I would be working with. He takes care of every detail. It was very important that he had confidence in me and I had confidence in him. He was never tired and he gave me the energy to do my job. I felt like a wolf, a little bit alone. The performance became a little bit of him and a little bit of me. For three months we kept up this incredible

LEARNING CURVE level of energy. And I collaborated with the costume designer, Veronica Fragola, and the hair Harold Torres produced and was casting director on the drama stylist, Giorgio Gregorini. They were so generous and collaborative and I think we all made

CRONICA DE CASTAS: ALTAVISTA FILMS; ZEROZEROZERO: ROSA HADIT/AMAZON STUDIOS HADIT/AMAZON ROSA FILMS; ZEROZEROZERO: ALTAVISTA DE CASTAS: CRONICA “González,” which dealt with themes of religion and class. something very special.”

VARIETY 57 Music forScreens Emmys 2020

Music for Screens, Variety’s quarterly feature exploring the intersection of music and visual media, reaches the eyes — and ears — of the industry at large. On deck for the June edition: a special Emmys editorial package looking at the categories and contenders in this year’s race.

ISSUE DATE June 9 | SPACE May 29 | MATERIALS DUE June 4

CONTACT JUDI PULVER (323) 654-5433 [email protected] ARTISANS TOPARTISANS BILLING

EYE IN THE SKY Frédéric North positions the helicopter to shoot a scene with Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson in “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.”

written exams a year, in addition to multiple flying tests and physicals, all of which allow Up in the Air So That him to work all over the world on the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. While local pilots may be adept at basic flying from point A to point B, North under- Scenes Can Take Flight stands how to put the aerial DP in a position to capture the necessary footage through a TALENTED HELICOPTER CAMERA TEAMS MANAGE TO GET THE LENS variety of situations. INTO PLACES WHERE OTHERS CANNOT GO By Zoe Hewitt When we land at a location, North and Goss meet with the film’s director and DP. “Everything is in the prep,” says North. “We STUNT PILOT FRÉDÉRIC NORTH has decades to use the same type of camera and lens as have a protocol, we have a plan, and then we of experience working in Hollywood on films the ground crew to ensure airborne footage don’t deviate from the plan ever.” like “Kong: Skull Island,” “Pacific Rim: Upris- blends seamlessly with the look of the produc- Before take-off, everyone except the nec- ing” and Justin Lin’s latest “Fast & Furious” tion. The unit’s value approaches $800,000, essary actors gets sent inside for safety. To sequel, “F9.” So I shouldn’t be nervous as I depending on the camera package. And it’s so minimize risk, I’m not allowed on board. climb aboard in mid-February for my first heavy that the helicopter would tip over if not But there’s also a logistical consideration: trip on a helicopter with him and aerial direc- for counterweights below the back cabin and Additional weight directly impacts fuel con- tor of photography Dylan Goss (“Matrix 4”) at the end of the tail. sumption. With the high cost of hiring North for a commute to a big-budget studio film set, Everything that happens in the helicop- and his team — around $25,000 daily — the title of which I’m not allowed to reveal. ter correlates to North’s actions. He’s licensed every minute counts. North’s helicopter is outfitted with a across North America, Europe and Asia. Since All communication with North and Goss camera housing unit in front that weighs there’s no overarching international pilot’s is funneled through two people on their nearly 260 pounds. It allows the aerial DP license, he has to submit to more than 20 team when airborne via a dedicated set of DAN SMITH/UNIVERSAL PICTURES SMITH/UNIVERSAL DAN

VARIETY 59 ARTISANS

walkie-talkies that filter out the noise of the helicopter. Peter Graf, the aerial camera system tech, works before the flight with the onboard equipment and mans the monitors that key crew use to watch Goss’ footage. Michael Christian Tosi, the ground pilot coordinator, relays potential obstacles and issues. Tosi and I climb atop a shed on the property, granting us a vantage point 10 feet up from which to watch. When I question why the helicopter isn’t swapped for a drone, I’m told that device isn’t a practical replacement. Drones can’t react to obstacles and understand spatial orientation, because the person controlling them is so far away. “We go up in the air, feel the timing of the action and find the best shot,” explains North. Both drones and helicopters are inte- gral to the filmmaking process, but one cannot replace the other. Goss engages the onboard camera via a laptop console that includes a monitor and a slew of switches and knobs. North can quickly check Goss’ footage via two small monitors on either side of the cockpit, enabling in-the-moment flight adjustments to complement the work, as neither typically speaks while shooting. Contrary to what I’ve imagined, Goss says, “In the helicopter, quiet is good. Less conversation in the ship means it’s all working.” Goss simultaneously fulfills three on-set positions — DP, camera operator and focus puller — all at speeds of 70 mph or more. It wouldn’t be feasible to re-create his work simply by strapping an unmanned camera to the copter. The vehicle is physically incapa- Editing Team Captures ble of completing the moves to get shots like zooms, and it would be impossible to keep ‘Tiger King’ by the Tale actors focused and in frame at those speeds. The pair streak across the outdoor set, SEVEN-MEMBER UNIT WAS NEEDED TO WRESTLE WITH EVER- sometimes as low as six feet off the ground, CHANGING STORY AT CENTER OF NETFLIX DOCU-SERIES ending in sharp turns and what look like midair stops. The moves are similar to By Jazz Tangcay those North executed with aerial DP David Nowell on “Bad Boys for Life,” in a scene SEVEN EDITORS HONED FOOTAGE for Netflix “We go from [‘Joe Exotic TV’ pro- in which star Will Smith jumps from an seven-part docu-series “Tiger King: Murder, ducer] Rick Kirkham’s on-camera intro exploding truck to a rope ladder hanging Mayhem and Madness,” about the man who to the snow leopard, and when you see from a helicopter. owns the largest collection of big cats in the that moment when the doors open, your Scarcely 45 minutes after they start, U.S. The telling of the story of Joseph Mal- curiosity is piqued,” says editor Nicholas North and Goss land, job complete. “You donado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, is a meta Biagetti, who came on later in the pro- don’t just show up and get the shot,” Goss one, including a reality show-within-a-show, cess and had to play catch-up in a tale says. “You have to hit it out of the park.” and it turns sinister very quickly. After all, not only of attempted murder but also there’s an attempted murder plot to sort out. about the battle to control the exotic ani- The first 10 minutes reveal how Exotic mal market in Florida. “This isn’t just winds up in jail, an editing choice made about Joe’s story. Everyone has their at the behest of Netflix. “Without the prom- own story, and you’re trying to stay as ise of things getting bonkers, you don’t informed as possible.” know if people will stay tuned,” says editor Editors Pedro Alvarez Gale, Dylan Han- Doug Abel, the first to come on board the sen-Fliedner, Camilla Hayman, Daniel series, in 2017. At that time, he says, the Koehler and Geoffrey Richman, as well as production had a broader concept. “It was Abel and Biagetti, worked on the project, about animal trafficking,” he explains. which features at its heart a feud between As director Eric Goode reveals in the Exotic and Carole Baskin, founder of Big series’ opening moments, the instant he’s Cat Rescue. But there are many other STEADY HAND shown a snow leopard in a cage — an ani- players involved, and much of the making CHANGING STRIPES Stunt pilot North mal owned by Exotic — is when the orig- of the series was happening as interviews never deviates from Joe Exotic feeds flight protocol. some milk to one of inal idea got a face and became the basis from various subjects kept yanking the

his tigers. for “Tiger King.” story in different directions. TIGER KING: NETFLIX

60 VARIETY ARTISANS

A CUT ABOVE Editor Doug Abel has plenty of experience working Getting to the Bottom on controversial documentaries.

Fahrenheit 11/9 America of a Family’s Secrets 2018 Rebuilds II: Director: Return to EDITOR, PRODUCTION DESIGNER HELP DIRECTOR JON M. Michael Moore Ground Zero 2006 CHU FILL IN THE MURKY SPACES OF ‘HOME BEFORE DARK’ Michael Moore Writers: Seth Kramer, in TrumpLand Daniel A. Miller By Jazz Tangcay 2016 Director: Moore 30 Days 2005 THE THING THAT APPEALED to director Jon and becomes something he must confront Smash His Camera Creator: M. Chu about “Home Before Dark,” the new to get to the truth of his past. “We had to bal- 2010 Morgan Spurlock series from Apple TV Plus, is that it’s a ance how the story was told — from her point Director: Leon Gast Metallica: family show about the importance of truth of view, from her father’s, and how much was U.N. Me Some Kind and journalism. told as an observer,” Chu says. He relied on 2009 of Monster “We teach kids to tell the truth, and yet editor and frequent collaborator Myron Ker- Directors: Matthew 2004 Groff, Ami Horowitz Directors: we lie to them,” says Chu of the show, based stein to help establish perspective. “You can Joe Berlinger, on the true story of 9-year-old Hilde Lysiak, tell when we’re in her point of view and when Manda Bala Bruce Sinofsky who sought to uncover the facts behind a we pull back, being patient with the audi- (Send a Bullet) 2007 The Fog of War murder in her hometown. “I thought this lit- ence,” the director says. Director: Jason Kohn 2003 tle girl’s relationship with her father [Matt, The family relocates from Brooklyn to Director: played by Jim Sturgess] is interesting. He Erie Harbor, N.Y., in the first episode. They American Errol Morris Cannibal was a journalist at one point, and he taught move into Matt’s family home — old and 2006 her everything she knows.” However, Chu steeped in history. “That house represents Directors: Perry marries fact with fiction to tell the narrative. the uncovering of their soul; every detail Grebin, Michael Nigro As played by Brooklynn Prince (“The Flor- was important,” Chu says. “It needed to feel ida Project”), Hilde isn’t just investigating a lived in.” He and another frequent collabo- As Goode was filming, he relied on feed- murder but digging into a long-ago kidnap- rator, production designer Nelson Coates, back from his editors before he shot his ping that has haunted her father since he considered intricate details. “What year next interview, since he hadn’t always had witnessed it as a child. was the wallpaper from?” Chu posits. “What the chance to see the latest cut, Biagetti Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the about the carpet — was it redone? Who built says. With new footage constantly com- Heights”), who recently became a father the attic? How does the exterior light shine ing in, the editors had to be flexible. Abel to a little girl, found that aspect resonant. in through it?” Coates took all these into says the editing process was “like we were “Children are here to save us,” he explains. account when building the ancestral home. building a plane while flying it.” Chu’s first dilemma was finding a young Chu explains the final minutes of the Google documents, team meetings and actor who could keep the audience inter- series’ first hour, in which the theme of chil- Slack conversations proved useful tools for ested throughout the 10-part series. The dren saving their parents is reinforced. the editors in mapping the story and wrap- director was drawn to Prince, but she and Hilde gears up to ride off on her bike to fol- ping their heads around the numerous her mother were initially concerned that low the trail of the mystery, intercut with a interview subjects and countless twists the project was a kids show. Exec producer shot of boys biking in the rain as the stories that came with them. “We didn’t have to Dana Fox convinced them it was far more. of the present and the past meld — a conceit go out of our way to make anything out- In the pilot, young Hilde, who publishes that came together in the edit. rageous,” Abel notes. Exotic, as we learn, her own newspaper, The Magic Hour Chron- “Her father might have given up on jour- is serving a 22-year jail sentence for the icle, navigates her way around town and nalism, but young Hilde hasn’t,” Chu says. attempted murder of Baskin. (Biagetti stumbles across a crime scene. The victim, “And her love for the truth and pursuit of it came onto the project after Exotic had Penny (Sharon Taylor), someone Hilde spoke is what we see her going to seek.” She dons been arrested.) with just a few hours earlier, apparently died her bicycle helmet and grabs the camera her Biagetti worked on cutting Episodes in an accident. Or did she? dad has given her. “That’s her weaponry,” 3, 6 and 7, but it was “a truly collabora- Chu’s main goal was to keep the story’s Chu says. “The power of the truth could cut tive effort,” he says. The freedom to deter- shifting focus clear. “It all comes down to through anything. She leaves and says to her mine the direction of each installment families,” the director notes. The crime raises father that he needs to be brave and strong. helped him immensely. When he got to Hilde’s father’s memories of the kidnapping She’s a superhero.” editing Episode 3, he was able to dive into the story of Don Lewis, Baskin’s late hus- SUPER SLEUTH band, who had disappeared under myste- Brooklynn Prince rious circumstances some 20 years earlier. portrays a “It’s this whole new cast of interviews in journalist who aims to solve a Tampa and dates back to a different time mystery and ease in the big cat industry,” he explains. That’s the longtime the point at which the series takes another suffering of her father, played by twist, and where a different true-crime Jim Sturgess, in aspect enters. “That was fun and freeing to Jon M. Chu’s “Home play with,” Biagetti says. Before Dark.” While the editors didn’t know exactly what they were facing at the start of the series, they might have an inkling if there’s a Season 2: With Exotic in jail, he’s threat-

APPLE TV+ ening to sue, citing a conspiracy.

VARIETY 61 Storytelling.

: Javier Bardem / Ed Begley Jr. / James Cameron / Suzy Amis Cameron / Don Cheadle Ted Danson / Laura Dern / Marshall Herskovitz / Alan Horn / Dave Matthews / Bill Nye / Robert Redford / Shailene Woodley Hollywood & 2020 Election SUNDANCE 2020

ROUGH Climate in Crisis The clock MORNING is ticking. Can Hollywood muster its storytelling power and influence to sound the alarm on global AT 73, THE warming? THE OSCAR-WINNING By Cynthia Littleton STAR OF P.33 ‘CABARET’ AND DAUGHTER OF FIGHTER JUDY GARLAND SAYS HER SNOWFLAKE HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI BIGGEST HAS EMERGED AS A MEDIA STRUGGLE STAR AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S WAS ‘GETTING MOST FORMIDABLE FOE TO BE KNOWN AS MYSELF’ By Cynthia Littleton p.28 Legendary NOBODY’S NOBODY’S

Taylor Swift is no longer ‘polite at all costs.’ In her Sundance P.4 8 By Marc Malkin doc, ‘Miss Americana,’ the pop superstar TV’S A.M. NEWS MAINSTAYS finds her (political) voice. ARE GRAPPLING WITH FORCES P.4 0 BEYOND THEIR CONTROL By Chris Willman

BY BRIAN STEINBERG P.46

Sarah Paulson Marshaling Marcia Clark Indie Diversity Sundance-to-Hollywood Slog Contenders Best Picture Race

JAN Nº4

SHAME ON US

Hitmakers

LIKE A BOSS PLUS

VIOLENCE & TEEN MUSIC SENSATION BILLIE EILISH − MEGAN THEE STALLION BY JAMES RAINEY & TIM GRAY p.11 REIGNS SUPREME AS THE STREAMING − SWAE LEE ENTERTAINMENT − GENERATION’S SINGULAR VOICE BY JEM ASWAD ELLIOT GRAINGE

Stream Scene Nets Boldly Go Digital Awards Contenders The Race Is On Business Managers Industry’s Best Big Studio Dreams Can STX Succeed? ‘Bessie’s’ Battles Helmer Dee Rees Coming Soon Golden Trailer Awards ROBERT EVANS 1930-2019 MUSIC FOR SCREENS SUMMIT The Lowdown 10 ACTORS TO WATCH On the Rise

NOV 110 MAY 110 Marriage Equality & The Supreme Court / Special Report / 06.29.15 YEARS YEARS Nº2 EST. 1905 Nº1 EST. 1905 OCT Nº5 The Honorees

* FROM LEFT * JIM PARSONS HANNAH GADSBY DON LEMON MJ RODRIGUEZ ASIA KATE DILLON BILLY EICHNER

HOLLYWOOD TRANS FORMATION How Laverne Cox and a new generation of storytellers are taking BROADWAY POWERHOUSE the industry by storm Cynthia Erivo AIMS By Ramin Setoodeh TO TRIUMPH ON THE BIG p.40 SCREEN WITH HER STARRING ROLE AS HARRIET TUBMAN

BY KATE AURTHUR p.40

HOLLYWOOD’S PARITY PROBLEM Sticking It to the Man HOW TOP ACTRESSES ARE FINALLY FIGHTING BACK AGAINST WAGE INEQUALITY By Ramin Setoodeh p.38 Jim Obergefell TV Directors STILL AN OLD BOY NETWORK p.44 Broadway Diversity ONSTAGE ONLY p.48 from Obergefell vs. Hodges P W E R P R I D E OF

Subhed: Coverline_15pts Xxxxxxxx Subhed: Coverline_15pts Xxxxxxxx Subhed: Coverline_15pts Xxxxxxxx Harvey Weinstein, the once mighty mogul who for decades abused his power by ensnaring and power of women LEADING MAN Buttigieg Takes Hollywood BOOK EXCERPT Spotify TV Interrupted CHEAT SHEET Emmy Voters’ Guide | assaulting women, is now a convicted felon By Gene Maddaus, Elizabeth Wagmeister and Brent Lang P.3 0 The Recovery Issue

STAYING JULY Nº4 SOBER SPECIAL JULY IN AN Nº3 REPORT INDUSTRY OF EXCESS AND TEMPTATION PUNCHING BY CYNTHIA LITTLETON A P.40 SYLVESTERESTETER BACK STALLONELOLONE FEELS ROBBEDOBBBEDD OF ANY OWNERSHIPNEERSSHIP MONSTER OF THE ‘ROCKY’ FRANCHISECHIHISEE HE CREATED.EATEEDED. INSIDERS COUCOUNTERUNNTERTERR THAT HE SHSHOULDHOULDD FALLS BE GRATEFULATEEFUL FOR THE FOFORTUNEORTUNUNEE HE’S MADEMAADEA

BY CLAUDIADDIA ELLERELLLLERLEE P.38383

Headline Goes Here This is a Mencken Deck style that can go multiple lines right here ﬁlling out right here centered, left or right By Name Here p.XX

TIFFANY HADDISH THE CRASH REGINA KING

NATALIE PORTMAN Jamie Lee Curtis on getting LENA WAITHE clean and giving back

REPORTING REAL NEWS SINCE 1905

ALONE TOGETHER Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever star in HBO’s “Run.”

TV REVIEW characters say as much over and over Grand Central Station, hop on the first BY CAROLINE FRAMKE again in movies and TV shows? It’s the cross-country train leaving after 5 p.m. kind of conceit that fictional stories love and spend one no-holds-barred week Run — turning feelings that are far more likely together. Despite some close calls with in the real world to remain sexy sub- one being more tempted than the other, text into blunt text, flat-out daring their their desires don’t quite sync up until characters not to fall in love with each 17 years later, when Billy texts Ruby and other. (Completely unsurprising spoiler kick-starts a chain of cataclysmic events

COMEDY: HBO (7 episodes; 5 reviewed); April 12 alert: They always fall in love with each for which neither is at all prepared. STARRING: Merritt Wever, Domhnall Gleeson other.) Equally terrified and exhilarated by their “Run,” HBO’s new romantic(ish) com- mutual choice to run away together, the edy from “Fleabag” producer Vicky two try their damnedest to shed their dis- Jones, takes this convention to a whole appointing lives to be better versions of FOR AS LONG AS THERE HAVE BEEN new extreme. After dating through col- themselves — or whatever “better” means romantic comedies, there have been lege and then drifting apart to live their to them, anyway. erstwhile lovers making convoluted lives, Ruby (Merritt Wever) and Billy Ever since Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s bets and flirty deals with so little basis (Domhnall Gleeson) made an unusual “Fleabag” swept the Emmys, it’s become in reality that they might as well be sci- pact: If either of them ever sends a something of a trend to compare it to ence fiction. When was the last time you message reading “RUN,” and the other absolutely any project that features a sar- heard a real person use the phrase, “If responds with the same within 24-hour donic woman — which Ruby, despite the neither of us are married by 40, we’ll period, they’ll drop everything else in baby voice she uses to placate her hus- marry each other,” despite hearing their lives to meet at New York City’s band (Rich Sommer), certainly is. “Run,” KEN WORONER/HBO

VARIETY 63 REVIEWS

however, can lay a stronger claim to every stolen glance, buoyed by Gleeson’s Ruby and Billy would be drawn to that parallel than most; Jones has long lethally charming portrayal of Billy’s each other no matter what, but given worked on “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” neuroses and Wever tearing into Ruby’s that the first four episodes largely take alongside Waller-Bridge, who in turn acts latent fury with palpable relish. Not place on an Amtrak train, they’re quite as an executive producer (and eventual many actors could anchor a show that’s literally forced into each other’s space guest star) here. But even though Ruby is practically a two-hander (with the excep- in a way that makes even the most mun- smart (and a little mean), and Billy is a tions of Sommer and a slyly unhinged dane situations funnier and more ani- charming Irishman (with a low-key drink- Archie Panjabi as Billy’s business part- mated. (The scene in which they try to ing problem), Ruby isn’t Fleabag and Billy ner). But Wever and Gleeson are up to act on their lust, for example, is a hilar- isn’t the Priest. They are their own char- the challenge, and it’s undeniably, wildly ious screwball nightmare.) Director acters, bruised and spiky and proud in fun to watch them embrace it. Kate Dennis (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) their own particular ways. As per Jones’ pithy pilot and Wever’s finds a way to make the camera prac- “Run” does, however, suffer from lean- portrayal, Ruby is a refreshingly new tically jog to keep up as the friends zip ing too hard on its leads’ (admittedly kind of disaffected housewife. She down aisles and around each other’s scorching) chemistry rather than tight- seizes the opportunity of Billy’s message rising excitement. When Dennis high- ening its story, which quickly takes some (after indulging a brief panic attack) to lights the unspoken link between them needlessly complicated turns. For one, shed her reluctantly honed docile PTA by following their charged eye contact the show doesn’t fully explain the terms mom exterior and unleash the sarcasm in suggestive close-ups, or in lingering of Ruby and Billy’s extremely specific and confidence lurking just beneath. shots that track one watching the other agreement until a few episodes in, which Gleeson’s Billy, meanwhile, is wry and undetected, even their most ridiculous makes for a confusing introduction. For wounded and officially disillusioned moments have the electric frisson of an another, the pair’s extremely specific with his career as a motivational erotic thriller. dynamic is so immediately compelling speaker — which makes Ruby’s uncanny Just by tracing the ins and outs of that when “Run” throws in a new and ability to call him out when he’s being Ruby and Billy’s attraction to each other, much-higher-stakes element deep into disingenuous all the more alluring. not to mention their roiling discontent the season, it’s almost disappointing to with themselves as individuals, “Run” realize how hard a turn it’s taking from more than lives up to its name with the the already compelling blueprint of their kinetic, slightly frantic energy of a train relationship drama. “Not many actors could tearing down (and nearly off) the tracks. Forged in cutting banter and knowing Since it already has that, it doesn’t need grins, Ruby and Billy’s singular connec- anchor a show that’s a drastic eleventh hour twist to keep tion — and constantly simmering sex- practically a two-hander. things interesting. ual tension — is obvious to anyone who But Wever and Gleeson are sees them. It doesn’t hurt that Wever and CREDITS: Executive producers: Vicky Jones, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jenny Robins, Kate Dennis, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill. 30 MIN. Cast: Merritt Gleeson make a five-course meal out of up to the challenge.” Wever, Domhnall Gleeson, Rich Sommer, Archie Panjabi

FACE TIME Billy (Gleeson) and Ruby (Wever) get reacquainted on a cross-country train ride. KEN WORONER/HBO

64 VARIETY REVIEWS

MUSIC REVIEW BY CHRIS WILLMAN Never Will

ARTIST: Ashley McBryde LABEL: Warner Music Nashville

THE INTERSECTION OF “REDNECK” and “sensitive singer-songwriter” has been an ever-narrowing Venn diagram in the past couple decades. Maybe it’s the waning of Texas’ influence on mainstream country music, or maybe the commodification of the outlaw label by a generation of sing- ers who don’t really have anything more to rebel against than a low stock of light beer. Still, there remains the faint promise that when someone sings, “All my rowdy friends are coming over tonight,” they might all be coming over for, you know, poetry class. All of which is preamble to why Ash- ley McBryde arrived as such a breath of Jim Beam-scented fresh air when she BUCKING THE TREND came on the national scene with her 2018 album “Girl Going Nowhere” and seemed Ashley McBryde performs at the 2020 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala in Los Angeles. primed to give us a bit of Patty Griffin and Gretchen Wilson in the same tatted-up package. Here, you sensed, was a woman of hope delivered to a teenage girl she who could likely drink you under the table, drives by on “the other side of the pov- and who you knew could write you under erty line … [with] two old mutts in a single the table. The Arkansas native came off as wide.” The title track, which is a little bit the practiced veteran of a thousand open- in a Southern-fried Gin Blossoms anthe- mic nights, as well as somebody who might mic country-rock vein, follows the theme actually have played — and slayed — from of her previous album’s title as a kiss- behind chicken wire at some point in her off to everyone who told her she didn’t three and a half decades. have what it takes to make it in showbiz. Following up on a slew of accolades — (Given how little precedent there is for like the CMA, ACM and CMT awards for new anyone with her look and attitude break- artist of the year — her second major-la- ing out recently, you can almost excuse bel album, “Never Will,” is no letdown. that underestimation.) “I can point out Along with a handful of not-always-well- the names and the faces of the peo- known co-writers (and one fairly recogniz- ple who said it / But honestly I just don’t able one, Brandy Clark, who contributed to want ’em to get any credit,” she sings. It’s two tracks), McBryde has come up with an a song about not selling out that does a 11-song collection finely honed enough to number is not exactly, shall we say, aspira- great job selling itself. beckon the question: Does modern main- tional, it provides an evocative reprise of Producer Jay Joyce does some sales- stream country deserve writing this good? a theme that used to be country songwrit- manship of his own, alternating between Maybe not, but it’s getting it anyway, even if ing’s bread and butter: sad carnality. modern country, proto-hillbilly and ’80s it’s not in the form of top-10 hits. The track that follows it on the album rock styles with always something mixed Weirdly, radio people adore McBryde is even more uncompromising: “Shut Up just peculiarly enough in the headphones — unlike, say, Kacey Musgraves, who they Sheila” is about the grandchildren of a to let familiar instrumental beds sound secretly whisper breathes too rarefied an dying woman trying to shoo off an evangel- too staid. But it’s McBryde as the driver air for the country format — and her label ical interloper. “We don’t cry, we don’t pray that makes this the second straight coun- made a somewhat brave, even wanton, … and if we want to throw the ashes off the try album of the year contender in a row decision out of the gate by releasing “One goddamn roof, we’re going to,” McBryde he’s produced (coming off Brandy Clark’s Night Standards” as the new album’s first sings in a slow-burning rocker that’s the very different, more stylized effort). Now single. It’s a song that would have been least pious death song country has churned if only the characters McBryde writes a smash in the distant era when coun- out in a generation. about can pace their self-destructive hab- try radio played cheating laments. “How it There are definitely format-friendlier, its, they’ll be around to see her get into goes is, the bar closes / There ain’t no king if not 100% family-friendlier, tracks. She the Country Hall of Fame in 40 years. bed covered in roses,” she sings, in a ballad strikes notes of feisty inspiration more

about lowering the bar for whoever helps than she does wry depression. The opening CREDITS: Producer: Jay Joyce. Engineer: Jason Hall. Mixers: Joyce, Hall. Musicians: Joyce, Quinn Hill, Chris Sancho, Matt Helmkamp,

MCBRYDE: (TOP) ROB LATOUR/SHUTTERSTOCK (BOTTOM) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE WARNER (BOTTOM) LATOUR/SHUTTERSTOCK ROB (TOP) MCBRYDE: you make it through the night. While the number, “Hang In There Girl,” is a message Chris Harris

VARIETY 65 FACETIME

How is the character of Diane different this season? Although I would argue Diane Christine Baranski has always been a fighter, it’s the nature of the fight that changes every year, with where she puts her energy and how she ‘It’s the Nature of the Fight focuses her intellect and her anger. We’ve never had an episode such as the first episode of the fourth season. It’s kind of That Changes Every Year’ head-spinning that they put Diane in this place — where she wanted to be! Instead By Danielle Turchiano of sitting and watching the inauguration of Donald Trump in the pilot to launch the new show, we begin the first episode of the CHRISTINE BARANSKI HAS played lawyer Diane Lockhart for more than a fourth season with her listening to Hillary Clinton being sworn in. decade, originating the role in Robert and Michelle King’s “The Good Wife”

for CBS in 2009 and starring in spinoff “The Good Fight” for the Eye’s What does Diane learn from living in a streaming service, CBS All Access, since 2017. The fourth season of “The world where Hillary Clinton is president? Good Fight,” which premieres April 9, starts with a showcase episode for We live our lives as “It never would have happened if Hillary had been president. Baranski, in which Diane ﬁnds herself in an alternate political world. Soon We wouldn’t be in the situation that we’re enough, Baranski will further stretch her acting chops in the upcoming in now.” You could argue that about this HBO series “The Gilded Age” from Julian Fellowes. pandemic — because she wouldn’t have fired smart people; she’s not anti-science. Liberal Democrats have this nostalgia for what it might have been and everything we’ve lost because of it. I think the first episode is a brilliant examination of, yes, there might have been wonderful things about the Clin- ton presidency and much would have been avoided, but there was another aspect to the Trump presidency that unleashed an anger that led to a movement that led to powerful men coming down.

What does that mean for the rest of the season? In the second episode, Diane begins her new life at this newly merged, international corporate takeover of our firm. When Diane enters and sees the newly constructed, refurbished, very cold, very corporate, feng shui environment, it’s amusing to her, but it’s chilly. She knows she’s in a very strange new world, but [the new head of the firm] hands her pro bono cases, which, ostensibly, is Diane’s thing. Because of that, she begins to uncover something going on within the judicial system itself that is deeply disturbing. And I think it’s more disturbing than anything she encountered in fighting Trump.

How does the show’s tone feel in the age of coronavirus? It would be embarrassing for me, with everything going on and all of the harrowing news and the grim reality, to try to promote a show that has nothing to NEVER GIVING UP do with where we are as a country and as a Christine Baranski world. I’m proud to say that our show, from has a fresh battle on her hands this season its inception, has taken on the world and on “The Good Fight.” what is going on. We’re dealing with “If the rule of law doesn’t hold, then where are we?” So I look at our country now, and I say, “Why didn’t we have enough masks? What the fuck? How did this happen? That THINGS YOU DIDN’T AGE: 67 HOMETOWN: Buffalo, N.Y. DREAM REVIVAL: To collaborate one more time with was a lapse — a lapse in vision, a lapse KNOW ABOUT Stephen Sondheim “on virtually anything” FAVORITE PART ABOUT SHOOTING IN NEW YORK: Getting to be home near family and friends CURRENTLY READING: Material in judgment. There was hubris involved CHRISTINE BARANSKI on the Gilded Age; “These Truths: A History of the United States” by Jill Lepore there.” Don’t get me started; I’m as angry

as Diane! HARBRON/CBS PATRICK

66 VARIETY VARIETY & IHEARTRADIO'S WEEKLY PODCAST

LISTEN NOW SHANIA TWAIN

OR WHEREVER YOUR FAVORITE PODCASTS ARE FOUND

VARIETY.COM/THEBIGTICKET NEW EPISODES AVAILABLE EVERY THURSDAY VARIETY INVITES YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF OUR BRAND. THANKS TO PLUTO TV, A VIACOMCBS COMPANY.

variety.com/vip-sample

launch partner