| | What's news: CBS' board faces another shake-up as interim chairman Richard Parsons resigns. Plus: Halloween's $78-million treat at the box office, the Academy ups its dues and Viacom details its strategy to navigate the streaming wars. — Will Robinson | | ^Parsons departs: Richard Parsons has resigned from the CBS Corp. Board of Directors, including his position as interim chairman of the board, citing health reasons, Kimberly Nordyke reports: | + Health scare: Parsons said he is stepping down due to complications with his health; the exec was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, several years ago. "Unfortunately, unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges, and my doctors have advised that cutting back on my current commitments is essential to my overall recovery," Parsons said in a statement. | + Replacing Moonves: Parsons had been named chairman of the CBS board on an interim basis less than a month ago, replacing Leslie Moonves, who stepped aside Sept. 9 after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, which the former CEO has denied. | + His replacement: Strauss Zelnick's appointment was decided by a unanimous decision of the board Sunday night. In its announcement, CBS touted that Zelnick has held management roles in all areas of entertainment, from music to film to TV, including serving as president and CEO of BMG Entertainment, president and chief operating officer at 20th Century Fox and vp international television sales at Columbia Pictures. Full story. | | | No Tricks for 'Halloween' | | | Michael Myers' coup: Halloween scored the best debut of all time for a horror pic opening during the Halloween holiday corridor by appealing to several generations of moviegoers, Pamela McClintock reports: | + October's power: Halloween, with $78 million, scored the second-best showing of all time for an R-rated horror pic behind the $123.4 million scared up by Warner Bros.' It in early September 2018, as well as the second-biggest October launch ever behind Sony's superhero sensation Venom, which opened to $80 million earlier this month. | + Atypical demo: Horror audiences usually skew younger. Roughly 40 percent of ticket buyers were under the age of 25, while 60 percent was 25 percent and older. Among other recent R-rated pics, nearly 50 percent of The Nun's opening weekend was under the age of 25. And when considering horror movies rated PG-13, roughly 60 percent of the audience turning out for Insidious: Chapter 3 was under the age of 25. Full story. | Other box office notes... | + International haul: Overseas, Halloween started off with $14.3 million from its first 23 markets, led by Mexico ($4.9 million) and the U.K. ($3.6 million), for a global bow of $91.80 million. | + A Star Is Born tops Venom: Both films, now in their third weekend, grossed $19.3 million and $18.1 million, respectively, to claim the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the chart. A Star Is Born has now grossed a stellar $126.4 million in North America, in addition to passing the $200 million mark at the worldwide box office. Weekend analysis. | A weekend in fests... | ► Rome joins Cannes, Toronto, Venice in signing gender parity pledge. Paul Feig and Kirsten Schaffer joined women working in the entertainment industry in Rome to celebrate the signing of the pledge. More than 100 men and women in the industry then took to the red carpet to pose with an enlarged copy of the pledge. | ► Isabelle Huppert honored with Rome's lifetime achievement award. Huppert spoke about her life’s work as an actress, repeatedly expressing her love of the unexpected as what most appeals to her about her profession. "There is no need to be afraid of the unknown," she said. "There is always a first time in the cinema, never the same thing. This does not scare me." | ► Sudabeh Mortezai's Joy wins London's top prize. The film follows a young Nigerian woman who works the streets to pay off debts to her exploiter Madame, while supporting her family in Nigeria and hoping for a better life for her young daughter in Vienna. "Joy is a provocative and unique film offering a devastating portrait of human resilience in the most inhuman of environments," said jury head Lenny Abrahamson. | ► Tricia Tuttle named London's permanent director. Tuttle replaces Clare Stewart, who has decided not to return after a yearlong sabbatical. Stewart departs after six years. | ► Bujar Alimani's The Delegation wins grand prix at Warsaw. Other prizes: Anca Damian, helmer of the Romanian/French film Moon Hotel Kabul, collected the prize for best director. Martina Apostolova took home the Special Jury Award for her performance in the Bulgarian film Irina, directed by Nadejda Koseva. | | ^Academy's unpopular dues hike: By raising membership dues from $350 to $450 per year — the first increase since 2015 — the organization will generate an additional $800,000 in annual revenue. For what, exactly, is unclear, Scott Feinberg reports: | + Transparency desired: "It's not about the money," says a disgruntled new member of the public relations branch. "It's about why. I think they're doing it to get more money for their museum. They should just be transparent." She added: "You're paying $450 to get to go to screenings and get screeners. And then, if you somehow win the lottery to get into the Governors Awards, that's another $500 a ticket — that's piggish." | + Moving past older generation: The 29 percent price hike may be felt most by older members, several longtime members of varying ages suggested. "It seems to me like a way to move the older, less affluent voters out of the game," says a producers branch member. Adds another member of the PR branch, "Not every member is a Murdoch." Full story. | Musical notes... | ► Loretta Lynn back home after being hospitalized. After a brief hospital visit, I’m feeling better now and enjoying a weekend of resting up at home." Lynn's daughter, Peggy, wrote on Facebook that "mom did have a really horrible stomach flu this last week. She is home and doing nicely recovering." [Billboard] | ► A Star Is Born soundtrack spends second week at No. 1 on Billboard 200. The soundtrack earned 143,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Oct. 18, according to Nielsen Music. | Latest reviews... | ► Entertainment One's Stan & Ollie. "The lovely performances by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly should lure a decent number of fans to this warm account of the team's final live performance tours through the British Isles in the early 1950s," Todd McCarthy writes, "thereby likely sparking a degree of renewed interest in one of Hollywood's most successful comedy teams." Review. | From the stage... | ► Sam Mendes directs The Ferryman. Buoyed by multiple awards from London, Mendes' production of the boisterous new Jez Butterworth play set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles hits Broadway with Paddy Considine and Laura Donnelly leading a 21-member cast, David Rooney hails. Review. | In memoriam... | ► RIP Danny Leiner. The director of popular slacker comedies Dude, Where's My Car? and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle died Thursday at 57. Leiner also helmed episodes of such series as The Sopranos, Sports Night, Strangers With Candy, Arrested Development, among others. | Costume watch... | ► Jason Blum dresses up as Stormy Daniels. He and wife Lauren Schuker Blum, a TV writer (Orange Is the New Black), were dressed as Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti. Blum was Daniels, and his wife was Avenatti. Photo. | Rep Sheet Roundup: Jamie Kennedy, up next opposite Brad Pitt in James Gray's sci-fi epic Ad Astra, has signed with APA. ... David Arquette, who recently produced the documentary Survivors Guide to Prison, has signed with Persona PR. ... Legally blind filmmaker James Rath has signed with production studio Humble for commercial representation. More here. |
| | Salke "Here to Compete" | | | Global plan: The head of Amazon Studios weighed in on reports about Amazon's $4.5 billion budget, streaming "mega-mega deals" and the fate of network television during a lunchtime keynote speech on Saturday at USC, Katie Kilkenny reports: | + Amazon's aim: "For us, our sweet spot is this addictive, can’t-miss, global television shows. That lives at the center of what we do. That’s going to be the most effective and getting people to come to Prime and stay with Prime," she said. "It’s harder and more financially challenging to take the big swings than on TV shows, because the financial upside is so clear.” | + Bearish on big showrunner deals: "People are looking at these giant mega deals, and I mean mega-megas, the Shondas and Ryans and Obamas … and then there are people who have created giant hits for companies who wonder, ‘Where do I fall in that?’ There’s this moment of trying to figure out what this middle area is,” Salke said. “You have to constantly ask yourself that exact question, ‘Is this the investment I should be making?’” Full story. | Elsewhere in TV... | ► Viacom plots digital strategy, closing in on To All the Boys sequel deal. "Paramount anticipates expanding its relationship with Netflix and other streaming services as outlets for movies that may not have the muscle to make it at today’s franchise-heavy box office but can still be successful on the right platform." [The Wall Street Journal] | ► Blumhouse gets serious about TV. After great success in the film space on small budgets, Blumhouse's TV division is amping up, aiming for 20 percent of its content to be horror (opposed to 80 percent in its film offerings), Josh Koblin reports. [New York Times] | ► Bill Cosby's bid for new trial Is "meritless," prosecutors say. Cosby has asked for a do-over in the Pennsylvania sex assault case that ended with him being sent to prison last month to serve a three- to 10-year sentence. | ► Pete Davidson opens up about Ariana Grande split. Judd Apatow opened his co-hosted A Benefit to Swing Left event Saturday night at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, followed by Tig Notaro and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers co-founder Benmont Tench. “Who the fuck wants to follow that?” Davidson, the next act, asked the 280-seat crowd. “Am I not going through enough that I have to fucking follow that?” More. | From last night... | ► How Shameless' fall finale sets up Emmy Rossum's departure. Showrunner John Wells talks with Lesley Goldberg about the Showtime dramedy's future, his hopes for Rossum and Cameron Moynahan's returns and if any other familiar faces will come back when the series returns in January. Spoilers. | ► Did Walking Dead answer the helicopter mystery? Showrunner Angela Kang previews the new threat for the survivors in episode three of season nine. Spoilers. | | ^How cable news can better cover Trump: Strategists and television personalities had no shortage of ideas at the annual Politicon conference in Los Angeles, Jeremy Barr reports: | + Kasie Hunt (MSNBC): "I think we have to be careful about the breathlessness. ... I think it's important to try to keep your perspective." | + Former RNC chairman Michael Steele (MSNBC): "Don't follow every bright-shining object that he throws out there, because they're all distractions. They're all distractions." Full story. | Politicon dispatches... | ► Tucker Carlson criticizes media's reaction to Jamal Khashoggi's death. "The whole game is people who have no basis for moral superiority sort of impose their moral superiority on you," Carlson said of the widespread media backlash to Saudi Arabia. "The outrage is so false." | Digital digest... | ► YouTube donates to foundation for slain journalist. The streamer, which will offer Susan Sarandon's Viper Club to subscribers after it leaves theaters, is donating $40,000 to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, along with 50 percent of the company's share of the film's theatrical proceeds. | ► iHeartMedia announces first podcast awards. The 90-minute ceremony will take place at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, and will be the first live awards show for podcasting where listeners will decide on the winners. The Breakfast Club's Charlamagne tha God will co-host the 90-minute event alongside Stuff You Missed in History Class co-host Holly Frey and country radio personality Bobby Bones. | Selma Blair reveals MS diagnosis in emotional Instagram post. The actress opened up on the social media platform that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on Aug. 16, joining the estimated 2.3 million people living with the disease which attacks the central nervous system. |
| Santa Monica Canyon's Changes | | | Protecting an oasis: The secluded enclave where Christopher Isherwood chronicled the rise of L.A.'s gay bohemia is seeing home prices soar as starry hotspots crop up and homeowners guard the area's "less flashy" spirit, Peter Kiefer reports: | + Upholding tradition: In Santa Monica and neighboring Rustic Canyon, the low-key, art-colony spirit remains strongly on display despite soaring real estate prices. "People who live in the canyon pride themselves on its history. No one wants to change it," says The Agency's Cindy Ambuehl, who has been a resident of the canyon for 12 years. "People value what the canyon offers and want to maintain and restore it but not change it." | + Historical ties: It was in the 1940s that the area first attracted the entertainment industry, specifically a group of European emigres that included Bertolt Brecht, Thomas Mann and Greta Garbo, who were drawn into the orbit of film director Berthold Viertel and his screenwriter wife, Salka. The couple's home became a West Coast version of New York City's famed intellectual roundtable known as the Algonquin Club. Full story. | What else we're reading... | — "Jonah Hill Returns to His West L.A. Stomping Ground." Amy Kaufman profiles: "It’s not like I’ll ever be as good as my heroes and my mentors, but I have my own voice as a person and as a filmmaker. It may not be as good, but it’s me, and that’s awesome." [Los Angeles Times] | — "The Tragic, Beautiful True Story Behind My Dinner with Hervé." Julie Miller speaks to journalist Sacha Gervasi: “Finally, I feel like I’ve dispatched my sort of duty to that promise, and I’ve told the story the way it was meant to be told.” [Vanity Fair] | — "Shane Dawson and YouTube's Existential Abyss." Emma Grey Ellis details: "It’s clear that Dawson sympathizes and identifies with Jake Paul. But from the outside, it feels important not to. Dawson doesn’t hold Paul’s hands to the fire about other issues crucial to internet culture’s current discourse." [WIRED] | — "Fight Night With LeBron." Ross Andersen on the Lakers star's contentious home debut: "Apart from the fight’s cheap thrills, Staples Center was, as James said, electric, in a way that it hadn’t been for some time." [The Atlantic] | — "How Sam Esmail Adapted Podcast Homecoming for TV." KC Ifeany interviews: “The experience you’re going to take the audience on is as important as the story you’re trying to tell. And that experience needs to excite me so much that I am desperate to share it.” [Fast Company] | What's ahead this week... | Monday: The Streamys host their eighth annual celebration... Legends of Tomorrow returns to The CW. | Tuesday: Paramount Network's Heathers reimagining finally premieres... The World Series begins on Fox, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox... Verizon reports its earnings. | Wednesday: Suspiria premieres at the Arclight Hollywood... AT&T and WarnerMedia report earnings. | Thursday: The CW debuts its Vampire Diaries spinoff, Legacies... Amazon, Comcast, Imax report its earnings. | Friday: Lionsgate opens Hunter Killer... Netflix's gritty The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premieres... NBC begins airing season two of Midnight, Texas... Charter reports its earnings. | Sunday: Busy Philipps joins the late-night circuit with Busy Tonight on E!... So does Netflix, with Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. | From the archives... | + On Oct. 22, 2001, Rockstar Games released its landmark title Grand Theft Auto III. The open-world, cinematic, violent product sparked outrage upon its release while forever changing the games industry — studio co-founder Dan Houser on its legacy: "Games, as a medium, show off space very well. Better than a film can, better than a book can. So we used that as a strength rather than a weakness." [Gamespot] | Today's birthdays: Jonathan Lipnicki, 28, Corey Hawkins, 30, Kyle Gallner, 32, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 43, Spike Jonze, 49, Bob Odenkirk, 56, Jeff Goldblum, 66, Jan de Bont, 75, Christopher Lloyd, 80. |
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