Amazon's TiVo Competitor; Landis on Aretha; 'Crazy Rich Asians' leading 'The Meg'; Omarosa's Evidence; Ariana's 'Sweetener'

What's news: Amazon reportedly continues to prepare diversifying its home products. Plus: Blues Brothers director John Landis remembers Aretha Franklin, Elon Musk's emotional interview and Anthony Bourdain's cinematographer recalls working with the late host. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( August 18, 2018 What's news: Amazon reportedly continues to prepare diversifying its home products. Plus: Blues Brothers director John Landis remembers Aretha Franklin, Elon Musk's emotional interview and Anthony Bourdain's cinematographer recalls working with the late host. — Will Robinson ^Amazon's next moves?: The e-commerce giant is aiming to create a live TV recording device and beef up its music streaming game, Bloomberg reports. + TiVo competitor: The product, currently named "Frank," would be recording device fit for the digital age, Mark Gurman and Spencer Soper report: "It would include physical storage and connect to Amazon’s existing Fire TV boxes, the living room hub for the company’s online video efforts, according to the person." + Syncing with Amazon tech family: "The Frank DVR has the same wireless technology that Amazon’s Echo speakers use to connect to Fire TV boxes. Users will be able to record live TV and stream the video to a smartphone so it can be watched later. That functionality is similar to offerings from TiVo and Dish Network Corp.’s Slingbox." * Streaming up in the air: "Amazon hasn’t made a final decision on rolling out the streaming feature, the person said, noting that the plans could either be canceled or delayed." [[Bloomberg](] + Music streaming's marketing push: "The world's largest online retailer will mount the first national TV campaign for its music-streaming service. … They’re part of a larger effort that will extend to billboards, online video and radio, and to three countries -- the U.S., U.K. and Germany." * Boon to Alexa: The smart speaker battle is heating up between Amazon, Apple and Google, and the former wants to accelerate it. “We’re pouring fuel on the fire,” head of Amazon Music Steve Boom said in an interview. “We have established ourselves as the leader in music services where voice is all you need to control it." [[Bloomberg](] Landis on Aretha You better "Think": Aretha Franklin acted in a grand total of two films in her whole career, 1980’s The Blues Brothers and, 20 years later, its sequel, Blues Brothers 2000. The director of both those films, John Landis, remembers the singer: + On-set change-up: She listened to the tracks and she said, “I'd like to change the piano.” I said, “Of course, who would you like?” She said, “I’ll do it.” So she sat down at the piano with the mic and, with her back to us, started playing and singing. Her piano playing actually made a difference. It was more soulful. * "Respect" push: She wanted to sing “Respect” instead of “Think.” But we had written “Think” into the script, with the dialogue leading into the song and the song actually furthering the plot of the film, so we didn’t want to change it. + Not a diva: The only complaint Aretha made was that there were too many takes and she had issues with lip-syncing. Like many great artists, she never sang a song the same way twice, so there were issues getting her to match her lips. [Full remembrance.]( + Franklin's music sales surge in U.S. following death: "Her combined album and digital song sales increased by 1,568 percent on Aug. 16, as compared to Aug. 15. On the day of her passing, the legendary diva sold 134,000 combined albums and digital song downloads, up from 8,000 the previous day." [[Billboard](] + Funeral set in Detroit: Public viewings will [take place]( Aug. 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., before the Aug. 31 funeral. Elsewhere in film... ► Elon Musk details "most painful year of my career" in emotional interview. The New York Times [reported]( that during an hourlong telephone interview on Thursday, Musk alternated between laughter and tears, acknowledging that he was working up to 120 hours a week and sometimes takes Ambien to get to sleep. ► Dave Bautista compares Disney to Trump over Gunn situation. Sharing a story by Screen Rant that criticized Disney's decision not to rehire Gunn, the Drax actor made [reference]( to Donald Trump's campaign and presidential slogan when he said (by tagging the company) via Twitter, "Thanks @Disney !! Making America great again!" [Quoted:]( "It's a made up story in which the false parts of it to try to make a cop the protagonist in the fight against racist oppression." — Sorry to Bother You's Boots Riley, critiquing Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. ^Crazy Rich Asians, The Meg in close Friday race. Warners' comedy is [on pace]( for $30 million in its five-day debut, with $21 million for the weekend itself, Pamela McClintock reports. The Meg is right behind, tracking for $19.5 million. Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg's newest collab Mile 22 earned a disappointing B- CinemaScore and is only projected for $13 million-plus. * Film's producers talk challenging "whiteness" in Hollywood. Through Color Force, Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson, who have also [produced]( the transgender series Pose, are now shooting All Day and a Night, which will feature an all-black cast amid a non-inclusive industry: "Being involved in these projects, you're aware of your whiteness." ► O'Shea Jackson Jr. joins Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy. Brie Larson and Jamie Foxx are also set [to star]( in the feature from Short Term 12 and The Glass Castle director Destin Cretton. ► Turkey selects foreign-language category submission. Nuri Bilge Ceylan's film The Wild Pear Tree, about a young writer's [quest]( to find the means to publish his book, is the director's first submission to the Academy Awards. ► Kino Lorber takes Jafar Panahi's 3 Faces for U.S. The Iranian drama won the best screenplay prize in Cannes and will have its North American [premiere]( at the Toronto Film Festival next month. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz host rough Thanksgiving in The Oath. The movie follows a couple, played by Barinholtz and Haddish, whose Thanksgiving celebration doesn't go according to plan when two federal agents are held captive in their living room. [Watch.]( Elizabeth Harvest director on the struggle to get it made. Director Sebastian Gutierrez turned down chances to make his passion project, because he didn't want to turn it into a straight horror film, Aaron Couch reports. [Minor spoilers.]( Omarosa's Evidence "Multimedia" cache: Omarosa Manigault Newman reportedly boasts a collection of evidence to book up claims about President Trump and the White House in her new book, Unhinged, the Associated Press' Darlene Superville reports. + The records: "Manigault Newman has a stash of video, emails, text messages and other documentation supporting the claims in her tell-all book about her time in the Trump White House." + Prepped to publish: "Manigault Newman has made clear that she plans to continue selectively releasing the pieces of evidence if President Donald Trump and his associates continue to attack her credibility and challenge the claims in her book, Unhinged." + Ready to unload: “I will not be silenced. I will not be intimidated. I’m not going to be bullied by Donald Trump," Manigault Newman told the AP earlier this week. [[AP](] Elsewhere in TV... ► Renee Zellweger leading Netflix morality anthology What/If. Revenge creator Mike Kelley will [serve]( as showrunner on the series, which counts Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke as exec producers. The 10-episode run is Zellweger's first regular TV series role. ► Netflix cancels Michelle Wolf, Joel McHale's talk shows. The two unscripted entries — The Break With Michelle Wolf and The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale — were both only on the streaming service for a matter of [months]( (the former premiered in May and the latter in February). ► Watchmen series a go at HBO. Damon Lindelof's new spin on the classic graphic novel, all-but-guaranteed a slot on the network's roster after a pilot order in 2017, has [gotten]( a series order with a 2019 premiere in mind. ► Charlie Rose alleged to be dodging sexual harassment lawsuit. In a bid for an extension, Rose's attorney Therese Doherty [revealed]( that the 76-year-old newsman had major abdominal surgery on July 17, and with a recovery period expected to last six weeks, he has been unable to devote himself to preparing a defense, Eriq Gardner reports. ► ESPN won't air national anthem during MNF. Network president Jimmy Pitaro [touched]( on the topic because the situation has become a hotly debated subject around the country, going as high as the White House. Players have been taking a knee during the national anthem to protest injustices toward African-Americans in the U.S. [Quoted:]( "We’ve been texting, we’ve got a whole back-and-forth going. We’re brothers from the same mother. That’s what I’m calling it. Brothers from the same mother." — Santino Fontana, on Pitch Perfect's Skylar Astin playing his former Crazy Ex-Girlfriend character, Greg. ^How Queer Eye editors hone emotional impact. "It is all about uplifting people, and the entire tone of the series is about making people feel good. We wanted to include the funniest, most informative and most heartwarming moments to make sure that it connected with people," says supervising editor Thomas Scott Reuther. [More.]( ► Awesomeness lays off over 10 percent of staff post-Viacom deal. The cuts amount to more than 20 lost jobs, and CEO Jordan Levin has [left]( the company, Paul Bond reports. Awesomeness reaches about 158 million subscribers across its various platforms and Levin had previously agreed to leave the company after a post-acquisition period. ► Miss America says organization leadership "silenced," bullied her. In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Cara Mund says she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment: "Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership," she wrote in part. [Full letter.]( ► Charter Spectrum's goes for 24-hour news in L.A. The channel will push to report more local stories instead of "two-minute stories about crime or those ubiquitous police pursuits throughout L.A." [[Los Angeles Times](] ► Celebrity Big Brother explains Stormy Daniels absence. The show confirmed via Twitter that Daniels was due to appear on the show, but that the producers ultimately were unable to agree on "any acceptable conditions" for her to enter the reality show house. [More.]( ► Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas officially confirm engagement. The couple were [engaged]( in a Hindu ceremony which took place Saturday in Mumbai. "Taken. With all my heart and soul.." Chopra captioned an Instagram photo showing off her ring with Jonas. ► Opioid crisis book Dopesick goes to Fox 21 & Littlefield Company. Fox 21 and The Littlefield Company have [optioned]( the rights to author Beth Macy's best-seller. It will be developed for television, with Macy and Warren Littlefield executive producing. ► Echo Lake Entertainment options iPhone history for limited series. The company plans to [develop]( a limited series based on Brian Merchant's best-seller The One Device. No studio or outlet is attached yet. Katy Perry, Dr. Luke facing "Dark Horse" copyright trial. Marcus Grey, a Christian hip-hop artist known as "Flame," [alleges]( that key elements of "Dark House" derive from his own song, "Joyful Noise," Eriq Gardner reports. Lensing Bourdain's World Shooting Parts Unknown: Emmy-nominated cinematographer Morgan Fallon recalls the late, beloved and intrepid CNN travel host Anthony Bourdain and documenting him, Carolyn Giardina reports: + Experimenting with filming: The Parts Unknown episode set in Lagos, Nigeria, was the first in the CNN travel and food series to combine digital photography with 16mm film — a choice that proved organic to the story, recalls Morgan, who also directed the episode and earned a second Emmy nomination this year as a producer on the series. * The shooting haul: The Lagos production involved eight shooting days with Bourdain and two additional days for B-roll in the port city. With that, the filmmakers generated in the neighborhood of 70 to 100 hours of footage from multiple crews using Sony F5 and F55 digital cameras, as well as an Arri 16mm film camera + Hands-on creator: "He wasn't just the host, he was the creative force behind the show. He was a tremendous creative advocate and someone who was constantly bursting with ideas on how to look at the world in a new way — from film references to writing, storytelling and editing." [Shoot details.]( What to watch this weekend... THR critic Daniel Fienberg sends his recommendation: Buzz around Netflix's Disenchantment is less than you'd expect from only the third series from The Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening. It's not bad, but it's far from the animation for grown-ups revolution it could have been. Fortunately, Netflix doesn't lack for great adult cartoons, all to some degree inspired by what Groening has done over the decades. If you somehow haven't watched BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth, both shows have new seasons coming this fall and both are vastly better than Disenchantment, so catch up now! Want a less obvious alternative, though? F is For Family may not be the best of the Netflix animation shows, but it's definitely the best Netflix animated show nobody talks about. Change that! What else we're reading... — "Ariana Grande's Sweetener Brims With Breezy Pop Confections." Jonny Coleman reviews: "On the whole, it feels like Grande, et al, were aiming for an Aaliyah-esque laid-back R&B pop princess vibe, and it mostly hits the mark." [[THR](] — "The Best True Crime Podcasts." Omar Sanchez picks eight: "The true-crime podcast world has increased exponentially since hit podcasts like Serial and S-Town first made it to iPhones and car radios." [[THR](] — "The 23 Best Films of the 2000s." Ann Hornaday examines: "Even considering a Hollywood business model that has doubled down on comic-book movies, effects spectacles and all of the re’s (re-boots, re-makes, re-treads and re-quels), the early 21st century has witnessed the emergence of breathtaking visions and voices, both in classical narrative and subversions of form and genre." [[Washington Post](] — "The Unlikely Activists Who Took On Silicon Valley — and Won." Nicholas Confessore reports: "Almost by accident, though, Mactaggart had thrust himself into the greatest resource grab of the 21st century. To Silicon Valley, personal information had become a kind of limitless natural deposit." [[New York Times Magazine](] — "Why Celeb-on-Celeb Interviews Are Suddenly Everywhere." Kenzie Bryant ponders: "If the less fun part of an actor’s job is the part where they have to help sell a piece of work or product, at least they can do it with someone they have a relationship with, who won’t push them on harder questions or ask them things they’re sensitive about." [[Vanity Fair](] — "The stars of Harry Potter's fan-generated golden age." Petrana Radulovic catches up with last decade's internet stars: "The time between the release of J.K. Rowling’s Deathly Hallows and the final films was a fan-generated Potter content renaissance." [[Polygon](] What else we're watching... + "Hasan Minhaj says goodbye to The Daily Show." [[The Daily Show](] + "Alex Rodriguez is big fan of Jennifer Lopez dancing on tables in public." [[Tonight Show](] From the archives... + On Aug. 18, 1969, Jimi Hendrix concluded the Woodstock Festival with an electric set in front of a muddy, diminished crowd. The festival, beset by logistical difficulties and bad weather, still stands as a landmark cultural moment for baby boomers: "While its immediate aftermath was amazement and relief, the festival’s full legacy had as much to do with excess as with idealism." [[New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Maia Mitchell, 25, Andy Samberg, 40, Kaitlin Olson, 43, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 48, Edward Norton, 49, Christian Slater, 49, Denis Leary, 61, Robert Redford, 82, Roman Polanski, 85. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2018 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( August 18, 2018