ADVERTISEMENT JULY 7, 2020 US $9.99 JAPAN ¥1280 CANADA $11.99 CHINA ¥80 UK £ 8 HONG KONG $95 EUROPE €9 RUSSIA 400 AUSTRALIA $14 INDIA 800 0707 WV HBO_BARCODE_CVR1.indd 1 7/1/20 1:25 PM Untitled-4 1 7/1/20 1:10 PM Fighting Chance With Peacock, Comcast finally takes its shot at a major streaming-video play By Todd Spangler CONTENTS AIR OF MYSTERY Elizabeth Debicki stars in Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — and she’s not spilling any tea. JUMPSUIT: JUAN CARLOS OBANDO; JEWELRY: JENNA BLAKE JEWELRY: OBANDO; CARLOS JUAN JUMPSUIT: P.2 6 P.3 4 P.4 1 Streaming … She’s Got Writers and With Cable a Funny Story Directors Comcast’s Peacock is diving into an Elizabeth Debicki won’t part with TV scribes are letting viewers already crowded field. How will it state secrets about “Tenet,” but she decide if characters are good or set itself apart from the throng? opens up about her career. bad, while helmers use various By TODD SPANGLER By JENELLE RILEY techniques to re-create history. (COVE) ILLUSTRATION BY ZOHAR LAZAR; (THIS PAGE) PHOTOGRAPH BY ART STREIBER; STYLING: MARYAM MALAKPOUR/THE ONLY AGENCY; COAT & COAT AGENCY; MALAKPOUR/THE ONLY MARYAM STYLING: STREIBER; ART BY PHOTOGRAPH (THIS LAZAR; PAGE) ZOHAR BY ILLUSTRATION (COVE) VARIETY 3 CONTENTS TOP BILLING 11 A DEEP HOLE P.5 1 Movie theaters have been taking on crushing debt due “The Mask of Zorro,” to the coronavirus pandemic starring Antonio 16 REMEMBERED Banderas, is among the “Modern Family” co-creator projects including face Steven Levitan recalls a coverings examined in Variety Saturday with Carl Reiner ’s Archives feature 18 IN THE RUNNING It may be time for the TV Academy to rethink the vari- ety specials category again 20 THE BIG TICKET Uzo Aduba talks about playing political pioneer Shirley Chisholm in “Mrs. America” EXPOSURE Variety, VOL. 348, NO. 17 (USPS 146- 820, ISSN 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the fourth week of June, the first week in July, and the fourth and fifth weeks in December, 24 DIRT with 40 special issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) and Dec (6) Clippers coach Doc Rivers by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, lists his Malibu Beach house a division of Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: Variety, P.O. Box 15759, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. FOCUS Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40043404. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International Box 697 STN A, Windsor, 54 NESPRESSO TALENTS Ontario N9A 6N4. Sales agreement No. Competition seeks out 0607525. Variety ©2020 by Variety Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V innovative storytelling within logo are trademarks of Penske a familiar format Business Media. Printed in the U.S.A. P.2 2 ARTISANS D: APPLE TV+ D: Will Arnett puts rehabbed L.A. home 59 IMMORTAL TALE on the market How editor Terilyn Shropshire kept the action close to the characters on “The Old Guard” 60 HAUNTING VISION Production designer Steven Jones-Evans used the power of suggestion for “Relic” house 61 CRYSTAL CLEAR DP Peter Alton helped doc take an intimate look into the life of astrologer Walter Mercado REVIEWS FILM 63 “They started [training] us “Greyhound” individually, and then they brought 64 TV P.6 3 us together to experience what it’s “Expecting Amy” like to dance with this other person. But I’m also [thinking], ‘Girl, if you 65 MUSIC “Greyhound” actually hit her in the face ...’” review “That’s How Rumors Get KiKi Layne on squaring off with Charlize Theron in Started” their Netflix movie “The Old Guard” P.66 MASK OF ZORRO: RICCO TORRES/TRISTAR/AMBLIN/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK; ARNETT’S HOUSE: SIMON BERLYN; LAYNE: ED MILLER/NETFLIX; GREYHOUN ED MILLER/NETFLIX; LAYNE: HOUSE: SIMON BERLYN; ARNETT’S RICCO TORRES/TRISTAR/AMBLIN/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK; OF ZORRO: MASK 4 VARIETY “ONE OF THE “RARE AND PRECIOUS… “INCREDIBLE… MAGNIFICENT” ADLON IS BRILLIANT” VERY BEST SERIES “ONE OF THE BEST...REMARKABLE, GENUINE” “I CAN’T GET ENOUGH…BETTER THINGS SHINES…IT’S MADE WITH LOVE” “A TV ICON… “A PERFECT “UNFAILINGLY EXCELLENT” TV SERIES” BRILLIANT” ON TV...SUPERB” FYC OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES USE YOUR PERSONAL FX FYC CODE TO WATCH ALL EPISODES ON FXVIP.DIGITALSCREENERS.COM EXPIRES 8/31/20 Untitled-3 1 7/1/20 1:09 PM OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES MIMI LEDER “THE INTERVIEW” “ MIMI LEDER REALLY IS PERHAPS THE BEST DIRECTOR OF HIGH-GLOSS TELEVISION DRAMA WORKING TODAY “ Vanity Fair “ LEDER IS AT THE TOP OF HER GAME “ Decider Untitled-2 1 7/1/20 1:08 PM OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES KERRY EHRIN “THE INTERVIEW” “ I THINK THE GREATEST THING ABOUT THE BRAVURA “MORNING SHOW” IS THE WRITING – THANKS TO THE IMPRESSIVE CHOPS OF CREATOR KERRY EHRIN “ Gold Derby “ THE SCRIPT HAS DEPTH AND ENDLESS TORQUE AND THE WHOLE THING IS AN EXHILARATING RUSH “ The Guardian Untitled-2 2 7/1/20 1:08 PM VARIETY IS OWNED & PUBLISHED BY PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION Cynthia Littleton Michelle Sobrino-Stearns Jay Penske Interim Editor-in-Chief Group Publisher & Chief Revenue Officer Chairman & CEO EDITORIAL FEATURES SALES MARKETING George Grobar Chief Operating Officer Lesley McKenzie Steven Gaydos Donna Pennestri Dea Lawrence Managing Editor Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher Chief Marketing Officer Gerry Byrne Vice Chairman Global Content/Executive Editor Millie Chiavelli Daniel Holloway Tim Gray SVP, Sales & Global Partnerships John Ross Mark Howard Executive Editor, TV VP, Features & Events Senior Vice President Dawn Allen Chief Advertising and Brent Lang VP, Film & Talent Tim Boyer Partnerships Officer Executive Editor, Film & Media Andrew Barker Creative Director Michelle Fine-Smith Sarlina See Senior Features Writer Shirley Halperin VP, Global Consumer Partnerships Susanne Ault Chief Accounting Officer Executive Editor, Music Leo Barraclough Director, Programming Jason Greenblatt International Features Editor, London Craig Perreault Ramin Setoodeh VP Digital Sales Dayna Wolpa New York Bureau Chief Peter Caranicas Director, Event Marketing Chief Digital Officer Eric Legendre Managing Editor, Features Kate Aurthur Co-Managing Director, International Sales Jamie Aronson Todd Greene Editor-at-Large Shalini Dore Director, Event Marketing EVP, Business Affairs & Lindsey Elfenbein Features News Editor General Counsel Manori Ravindran Managing Director, Global Summits David S. Cohen International Editor Diane Garrett & Strategic Partnerships Senior Producer, Variety Content Studio Debashish Ghosh Editor, Features Kate Roach Holly Dillon Managing Director, Jem Aswad John Hopewell Sales Director Senior Producer, Variety Content Studio International Markets Senior Music Editor International Features Editor, Madrid Henry Deas Lauryn Kistner Gordon Cox Jenny Connelly Carole Horst Director, Markets & Festivals Senior Brand Marketing Manager SVP, Product Legit Editor Managing Editor, Features Patrice Atiee Emma Schmidt Matt Donnelly Ken Delalcazar Jenelle Riley Director, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Event Marketing Senior Film Writer Associate Features Editor SVP, Finance Judi Pulver Alex Bullard Bill Edelstein Malina Saval Director, Music Advertising Manager, Features Tom Finn Associate Editor Editor, Features SVP, Operations Christie Ricci Whitney Cinkala Terry Flores Danielle Turchiano Associate Brand Manager Director, Business Development Nelson Anderson Senior Editor Senior Features Editor, TV Valerie Fatehi Bianca Caloca VP, Creative Angelique Jackson Chris Willman Director, Strategic Partnerships Associate Manager, Event Marketing Events & Lifestyle Producer Editor, Features Joni Antonacci Amy Jo Lagermeier Victoria Lennox Justin Kroll VP, Production Operations Director, Strategic Partnerships Media Partnerships Associate Film Writer ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Cristina Quitania Robyn Ozaki Rebecca Bienstock Elaine Low Manager, Summits & Strategic Partnerships Designer VP, Talent Relations Senior TV Writer Raul Aguila Creative Director Kevin Tague Casey Kwan Gene Maddaus Gerard Brancato Manager, Consumer Brand Partnerships Junior Designer Senior Media Writer VP, PMC Digital Acquistion Jennifer Dorn Natasha Millman Luana Pinto Marc Malkin Jacie Brandes Photo Director Associate Manager, Strategic Partnerships Junior Designer Senior Film Awards, Events & Ted Keller Hanna Hensler VP, Portfolio Sales Lifestyle Editor Sean Soper Design Director Associate Manager, Strategic Partnerships Marketing Coordinator Anne Doyle Dave McNary Elliot Stokes Maya Steinberg VP, HR Film Writer Stefan Nicoll Event Marketing Coordinator Art Director Account Manager (Spain, Portugal, Mackenzie Nichols Mara Ginsberg James Slocum Latin America) Ana Geoana Staff Writer VP, HR Business Development Coordinator Special Projects Art Director William Lin Joe Otterson Young Ko Haley Kluge Sales Executive, Asia Senior TV Writer PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION VP, Finance Deputy Art Director Kimberly Cervantes Michael Schneider Richard Maltz Sales Planning Manager Gabriel Koen Senior Editor, TV Awards Ellen Dealy Senior Photo Editor Amanda Schulze VP, Audience Marketing VP, Technology Todd Spangler Alex Gitman Media Planner New York Digital Editor Natalie Longman Kevin Labonge Photo Editor Isabella Dalena Production Director VP, Global Partnerships Brian Steinberg Tarryn Silver Sales & Marketing Coordinator & Licensing Senior TV Editor Mike Petre Production Designer Sadi Kuperman Director, Distribution Sylvia Tan Noemi Lazo Michael Buckner Sales Coordinator Film & Television Associate Editor