Michael Moore's Trump Card; 'Clinton Impeachment' Series; Bannon Doc Debuts; Behind a Smash Summer; Trump vs. Woodward; Dorsey & Sandberg Testify; New THR Cover

What's news: Michael Moore takes on Donald Trump and hopes to empower a new wave of Democrats. Plus: The story behind the box office's roaring summer, Louis C.K.'s effect on deals at Toronto and the latest edition of TV Power Rankings. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( September 05, 2018 What's news: Michael Moore takes on Donald Trump and hopes to empower a new wave of Democrats. Plus: The story behind the box office's roaring summer, Louis C.K.'s effect on deals at Toronto and the latest edition of TV Power Rankings. — Will Robinson [On the cover:]( As Michael Moore readies his anticipated polemic Fahrenheit 11/9 for its Toronto film festival debut, he takes aim at Trump (and Nancy Pelosi … and Harvey Weinstein …) and those actually responsible for the president's rapid rise to power, Gregg Kilday reports: + Telling first meeting: Moore first met Trump when both were slated to appear on Roseanne Barr's talk show, The Roseanne Show. With Trump threatening to walk, Moore was asked by a producer to convince Trump to do the show, assuring to not touch on any controversial topics. "It wasn't until I saw him running for president that I realized I'd been played. That he got his way. And I thought, 'Wow, he manipulated that whole situation. This guy is not stupid.' Lesson learned." + Breaking from form: "If people think this is Michael Moore's Trump film and that they're going to get two hours of Trump, Trump, Trump, I'm sorry but I'm not going to give you a simplistic film like that," Moore says. "Yes, I will show you some stuff about Trump that you haven't seen, but if you're coming to see the pee tape, you're going to the wrong movie." + Gwen Stefani theory: Moore posits that when Trump realized Stefani's performance fees as a coach on The Voice were larger than his own on The Apprentice, he staged his now-infamous Trump Tower campaign announcement to prove his popularity to NBC, which aired both shows. + Most striking moments: Fahrenheit 11/9 is at its most provocative when it recounts Adolf Hitler's rise, with an emphasis on how the media in the 1930s normalized the Fuhrer. "The fascists of the 21st century will convince the people to go against their own interests by using television and branding," Moore says. "I don't think we should be afraid to call this out for what it is." [Full cover story.]( + Hollywood responds to Trump era: Felicity Jones stars as the Supreme Court justice and Christian Bale as the former veep, part of a mostly blue wave of politically charged movies that has begun to [emerge](, Tatiana Siegel reports. Summer's Rebound Box office recovers: It's a wrap on a near-record summer as Disney claims more than a third of the domestic market, Warner Bros. wins August and attendance grows 9 percent over a dismal summer 2017, Pamela McClintock reports: + Major bounce back: This year’s summer season, kicking off May 4 and wrapping on Labor Day, made a spectacular recovery from 2017, when revenue limped to $3.8 billion, the worst showing in 10 years. Revenue between May 4, 2018, and Sept. 3, 2018, hit $4.4 billion, the biggest year-over-year uptick (14 percent) in two decades and the fifth best of all time, according to comScore. + Healthy franchises: The U.S. boom is due to franchise home runs exceeding expectations as well as a healthy number of doubles and singles, necessary for studios battling Disney, the king of tentpoles. For the first time ever, a summer title — Avengers: Infinity War — jumped the $2 billion mark globally, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Incredibles 2 both crossed $1 billion. + Disney still owns market: The distribution of wealth among the major Hollywood studios, however, only grew more lopsided. Disney’s unprecedented domination increased: The studio’s domestic summer market share jumped from 20 percent last year to more than 33 percent. * Disney ruled overseas: The Mouse collected north of $2 billion for a global haul of $3.54 billion, compared with $2.2 billion for Universal, its nearest rival, and $1.3 billion for Warner Bros. [Full report.]( Elsewhere in film... ► L.A. DA declines sex crime cases against Kevin Spacey, Anthony Anderson, Steven Seagal. In the matter of the Spacey and Seagal cases, the statute of limitations had [passed](, according to authorities. For Anderson's case, the reporting party declined to be interviewed by authorities for the case. ► Errol Morris' Steve Bannon doc, reviewed. Deborah Young considers American Dharma, which bowed at Venice: "While deceptively placid on the surface, their exchange of views is electrified and contradicted by a nervous deluge of headlines, photos, videos and Twitter feeds that reveal what kind of issues are really at stake behind the friendly façade." [Full review.]( ► Judy Garland's stolen ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz recovered. The slippers were [taken]( from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in August 2005 by someone who climbed through a window and broke into the small display case. The shoes were insured for $1 million. Law enforcement offered an initial $250,000 reward, and a fan in Arizona offered another $1 million in 2015. ► SAG-AFTRA Foundation honoring Lady Gaga, Harrison Ford. The foundation [honors]( two artists each year "who have used their platform to advance humanitarian and philanthropic causes." Previous recipients include Leonardo DiCaprio, Lionel Ritchie and Kate Winslet. ► Robin Williams' Sotheby's auction of Hollywood memorabilia, art to preview in L.A. The star's wife of 20 years, Marsha Garces Williams, reveals the personal stories behind works they collected and items that Williams cherished ahead of the sale's Sept. 11-Sept. 14 Century City preview, Alison Brower reports. [Details.]( ► AFI names Juli Goodwin chief communications officer. Goodwin most recently [served]( as executive vp of domestic publicity for Warner Bros. Pictures, which she first joined in 2000. During her tenure at the studio, she rose from vp of domestic publicity to senior vp, taking over the domestic publicity department in 2007 and rising to exec vp in 2011. ► The Nightmare Before Christmas getting anniversary concert at Hollywood Bowl. Tim Burton's film is [celebrating]( its 25th anniversary with Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara (Sally) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) on Oct. 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. ► Dave Bautista wants a Drax spinoff movie. In an interview with MTV International, Bautista [talked]( about the fact that he really wants Marvel to explore the backstory of Drax, but doesn't care if he's involved. ^Louis C.K.'s effect on dealmaking: Dealmakers at the Toronto Film Festival are adding morality clauses to contracts after the comic's #MeToo meltdown scuttled the release of his movie I Love You, Daddy, Tatiana Siegel reports. + C.K.'s toxic buy: It was one year ago that C.K.'s pic marked the biggest sale of the fest ($5 million for worldwide rights), only to become radioactive two months later, after a New York Times #MeToo takedown of the comedian. The Orchard, which bought I Love You, Daddy, canceled the film's release and dodged an expensive bullet by returning the rights to C.K. + Assurances taken: Buyers say they will insert morality clauses in their contracts when negotiating a festival acquisition. That's an escalation from even six months ago, when indie distributors told THR that their ancillary partners, including cable providers and pay TV networks, had begun adding morality clauses to contracts. [Full story.]( + Toronto Hot List: On paper, the titles available for purchase at TIFF this year appear to include fewer potential awards-season vehicles (like last year's I, Tonya), but Tatiana Siegel details the pics, like Vox Lux or Screwball, that could make headlines. [Films]( | [Docs]( More from Toronto... ► TIFF pulls Elle Fanning's Galveston from gala lineup. Toronto [withdrew]( the title after "work commitments" kept director Melanie Laurent and her cast from walking the red carpet into Roy Thomson Hall. ► Daniel Craig joins Rian Johnson murder mystery Knives Out. The James Bond star has [boarded]( the high-profile indie from The Last Jedi team that will be shopped to international buyers at TIFF. ► Alicia Vikander narrating climate change doc Anthropocene. The film, by directors Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky, [explores]( the human impact on the earth and will debut Thursday at TIFF. For your consideration... ► Austria selects The Waldheim Waltz for foreign-language Oscar. The film [re-examines]( recent European history though a look back to 1986, when former United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim launched his election bid to become president of Austria just as a wave of shocking revelations broke about his Nazi military exploits during World War II. ► Norway selects What Will People Say. Co-produced by Norway, Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark, the film [follows]( 16-year-old Nisha, a Pakistani teenager in Norway who is sent back to her extended family on the subcontinent when she seemingly soils her family's reputation. ► Finland taps Euthanizer. Teemu Nikki's dark and surprising story of a mechanic who kills old and sick pets on the side [impressed]( critics at its 2017 Toronto premiere. In memoriam... ► RIP Gloria Jean. The perky actress and singer [starred]( as a teenager alongside W.C. Fields in the 1941 classic Never Give a Sucker an Even Break. She died Friday at 92. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: The Favourite highlights rivalry at center of tragicomedy. Yorgos Lanthimos' period-piece dramedy sees Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz's female leads competing for the favor of the queen (Olivia Colman) and her power in 18th-century England. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: 22 July revisits Norway's deadliest terror attack. The Paul Greengrass film retells the July 22, 2001 attack and its aftermath. The film begins with a far-right extremist who detonates a car bomb in Oslo and then carries out a mass shooting at a leadership camp for teens, killing 77 people in total. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Reversing Roe explores the politicization of the abortion debate. The film, which premiered at Telluride, is helmed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, and has the backing of notable names including Senator Wendy Davis and EP Eva Longoria, who attended the Telluride premiere. [Watch.]( Marvel's Spider-Man game does hero justice. What Insomniac Games achieves on PS4 is something that should be [applauded]( as the single best representation of the hero in gaming to date, Patrick Shanley reviews. TV Power Rankings Emmys fever: THR critic Tim Goodman refreshes his rankings of the small screen's best shows, right before fall TV season kicks off, leading with a critical darling and an Emmy hopeful: + Keep in mind: Series are eligible for this list if their last episode aired within one year of publication. A really good series you've moved on from ages ago can still roost in the upper echelons of this list and kick a lot of ass. Greatness is always timely. + 1. The Americans: And when it went out, forever, it did so with suspense, gutting sadness, real beauty and one of the most satisfying stories of any series. Just enough conclusion, just enough ambiguity. Six seasons, 75 episodes and a bona fide top-five drama of all time. + 2. Counterpart: Showtime's series is superbly constructed, its pacing near perfection, and the twists and unexpected emotional depths make it one of those rare dramas that doesn't labor under its own ambitions. You can fly through this series and then want to rewatch it. + 3. Succession: Holy hell, this series is excellent. And while it may be a cliche to say "it gets better every episode," well, in this case that's true. The last three episodes are some of the best that were produced in 2018, which is high praise given the level of excellence in this Platinum Age. [Full rankings.]( Digital digest... ► Sheryl Sandberg, Jack Dorsey testifying on Capitol Hill. "According to written testimony, they plan to answer lawmakers’ questions using two main tactics: a conciliatory approach and a rundown of their efforts to deal with manipulation and disinformation problems." [[New York Times](] ► Famous in Love's Keith Powers joins Netflix anthology What/If. Samantha Ware, Juan Castano and Saamer Usmani have also [joined]( the cast of the Renee Zelwegger-led series, which includes Jane Levy and Blake Jenner. ► Netflix hires Disney exec as global head of consumer products. Christie Fleischer [comes]( from The Walt Disney Co., where she was the head of merchandise for parks, experiences and consumer products. ► Amazon reaches $1 trillion valuation. For the sake of perspective, the seven major entertainment conglomerates — Comcast, Sony, 21st Century Fox, Walt Disney, Viacom and CBS, plus AT&T (owner of WarnerMedia) — have a [combined]( market cap of $751 billion. ► Jack Ryan season two will focus on the decline of democracy. Showrunners Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland talk with THR about the events of the first season of their Amazon drama and what to expect from the previously announced sophomore run. [Full spoilers.]( ► Alex Jones' traffic dips after social media bans. "In the three weeks before the Aug. 6 bans, Infowars had a daily average of nearly 1.4 million visits to its website and views of videos posted by its main YouTube and Facebook pages… . In the three weeks afterward, its audience fell by roughly half, to about 715,000 site visits and video views, according to the analysis." [[New York Times](] ► Swamp Thing enlists Sleepy Hollow creator Len Wiseman. The Sleepy Hollow and Lucifer alum will exec produce and [direct]( the pilot for the forthcoming live-action DC Universe drama. Elsewhere in TV... ► Monica Lewinsky to appear in The Impeachment of Bill Clinton docuseries. Twenty years after the president’s affair with an intern led to congressional action, A&E and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions will [reexamine]( the events with a three-part event featuring new accuser interviews and explosive never before seen footage. ► New Law & Order series Hate Crimes lands 13-episode order at NBC. The show, based on the NYPD's real-life hate crimes unit, [comes]( from franchise creator Dick Wolf and former SVU showrunner Warren Leight. ► Greg Berlanti, All American co-ep team for criminal justice drama at ABC. The untitled project [revolves]( around a criminal justice system that is run entirely by women of color. ► Craig Melvin joins weekday Today as news anchor. Melvin, a rising star at NBC and MSNBC, recently [left]( his role as co-host of the Saturday morning version of the NBC show. ► Station 19 enlists Dermot Mulroney for season two. The actor will have a multiple-episode role and [play]( the father to Alberto Frezza's Seattle PD cop Ryan Tanner. The character is described as being back in town after an extended leave — much to the surprise of pretty much everyone who has ever known him. ► Adam Levine's 222 Productions, Universal TV snag rights to Thorn novels. There are 14 books in the series, which [follows]( Thorn, a fishing guide in the Florida Keys with a dark past. When that past comes back around in the form of new violence that rips his world apart, Thorn has to take drastic steps to protect and avenge his chosen family. ► Tracee Ellis Ross to return as host of American Music Awards. The Black-ish star's [second stint]( as emcee of the music awards show will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. ► 20th Century Fox TV ups three execs to VP. Mariel Brooke has been [named]( vp current programming for the studio. Chetan Dave has been upped to vp comedy development, and Jenna Dim will be vp drama development. ^White House bashes Bob Woodward's Trump book, Fear. Over the first 19 months of his presidency, Donald Trump has had to contest with a never-ending series of tell-all books that have intended to reveal exactly what's happening in his White House, with Woodward's Sept. 11 book up next. Jeremy Barr emails: Some of the revelations from that forthcoming book spilled out onto The Washington Post's website on Tuesday, and the White House chose to hit back hard, with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attacking the book as containing "fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the president look bad." Woodward said he's "standing by" his reporting, even as some of the big shots that were quoted saying embarrassing things in the book — former White House lawyer John Dowd, chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, Secretary of Defense James Mattis — have said they were misquoted. The White House's attempts to smash prickly books has historically resulted in big sales for their authors and publishers. True to form, by Tuesday mid-day, Woodward's book was No. 1 on Amazon. Congrats, Bob. [Full story.]( Talking points... ► Former Weinstein employee defends Ronan Farrow against NBC. Abby Ex, a former Weinstein Co. executive, revealed via Twitter on Tuesday that she was the "former Executive A (FEMALE)" in a leaked memo from NBC News chief Andy Lack. [More.]( ► Kesha faces expanding defamation lawsuit upon judge's decision. The pop star must face [claims]( over statements from her representatives made on television, in news articles and on social media once the lawsuit was filed. ► Was Colton Underwood the best new Bachelor choice? THR's Jackie Strause and Kimberly Nordyke [debate]( the pros and cons of the former football player starring in the next season of ABC's venerable reality series. Coming attractions... ► Teaser: House of Cards reveals fate of Kevin Spacey's character for final season. Frank Underwood, the ex-president on the Netflix political thriller, is in his final resting place, according to a clip from the sixth season. [Watch.]( Netflix casts Henry Cavill for The Witcher. The current face of Superman is a fan of the source materials on which the Netflix genre series is based. Cavill will [play]( Geralt of Rivia, solitary monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. Lear Bashes Right's Rhetoric Standing for norms: As a Supreme Court confirmation hearing begins, Norman Lear and People for the American Way senior fellow Peter Montgomery argue that right-wing groups are perverting the intent of the Constitution to serve their own agendas and urge America to think more critically about their rhetoric: + Distorting universal values: There’s good reason that the Religious Right and its allies want to hijack these terms. Love for our families, a commitment to our neighborhoods and religious communities, gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy — these all speak to our hearts and our humanity at a level that is far deeper than partisan politics. + Ignored protections: The First Amendment has protected the agitators, artists, advocates, marchers and organizers who pushed and continue to push to overcome structural discrimination, protect workers and provide equitable economic opportunity, and win legal equality for women and LGBTQ people. [Full column.]( What else we're reading... — "Nike Colin Kaepernick Ad Is Fashion Business as Usual." Booth Moore details: "The multibillion-dollar brand has no doubt calculated the risk of taking a stand on taking a knee, as well as analyzing the growing consumer trend of shoppers voting with their dollars and looking for brands that share their values and point of view." [[THR](] — "Jane Fonda Is Ready for This." Marin Cogan profiles: "'Activism brings you back into your body,' she tells me. 'I did not expect or plan on being active like this into my 80s, you know? But it’s all I care about.'" [[The Cut](] — "Felicity Jones Fights the Good Fight as Ruth Bader Ginsburg." Irin Carmon writes: “'What was so important to me was to play a female genius,' she says, of this new role. Jones has acted in about two dozen films, 'only three of which have been directed by women. We’ve got to change those odds.'" [[Vanity Fair](] — "Cher Has Never Been a Huge Cher Fan. But She Loves Being Cher." Philip Galanes chats with the singer and actress: "In a reflective mood, Cher offered a cleareyed assessment of how her ultra-splashy public persona has coexisted with her naturally quiet self for more than 50 years." [[New York Times](] — "The Artificial Fantasy of Virtual Pay-TV." Matthew Ball analyzes: "If vMVPDs can’t achieve the scale needed to drive down per network fees, they’ll look to cut them back. However, it’s not clear how much demand exists for a cheaper pay-TV offering that lacks Pay-TVs must-watch, exclusive content and most valued networks." [[REDEF](] — "How BoJack Horseman Got Made." Chris McDonnell's oral history: "The email from Raphael Bob-Waksberg to Lisa Hanawalt on March 22, 2010, was to the point: 'Hey, do you have a picture of one of your horse guys, by himself? I came up with this idea for a show I’d like to pitch. Tell me what you think: BoJack the Depressed Talking Horse.'" [[Vulture](] What else we're watching... + "John Krasinski was ready to quit acting before The Office." [[Late Show](] + "Ethan Hawke got a second chance to smoke a Willie Nelson joint." [[Tonight Show](] + "Boycott season hits Nike, The New Yorker and Ryan Gosling." [[The Daily Show](] + "The advice Michael Jackson gave Jennifer Love Hewitt." [[Jimmy Kimmel Live](] From the archives... + On Sept. 5, 1957, Jack Kerouac took readers on a wild ride with his novel On the Road. The tale of the Beats is delightfully documented through fictitious characters representing Kerouac and his contemporaries, like Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady, and has captured imaginations 61 years running: "It’s a rite-of-passage novel. The whole idea of the freedom of the open road is still very much alive for young people.” [[New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Kat Graham, 29, Annabelle Wallis, 34, Carice van Houten, 42, Rose McGowan, 45, Paddy Considine, 45, Michael Keaton, 67, Werner Herzog, 76, Raquel Welch, 78, George Lazenby, 79, Bob Newhart, 89. 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]( September 5, 2018