Academy Relents; Smollett Suspects Update; 'Star Wars' Wraps; 'Maisel' Raises

The Weekender: The Academy reverses course and will now air all 24 Oscar categories live and unedited. Plus: Denis Villeneuve's Dune gets dated, Star Wars: Episode IX wraps and DVR winners (so far) of the 2018-19 broadcast season. — Will Robinson [The Hollywood Reporter - Today In Entertainment]( February 16, 2019 The Weekender: The Academy reverses course and will now air all 24 Oscar categories live and unedited. Plus: Denis Villeneuve's Dune gets dated, Star Wars: Episode IX wraps and DVR winners (so far) of the 2018-19 broadcast season. — Will Robinson ^Star burned out?: Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born remake started off as an awards frontrunner after its glitzy premiere in Venice but hit several bumps along the way that have complicated its Academy Awards prospects, Scott Feinberg writes: + Perception problem: The afterglow from a tech-plagued Venice premiere and rousing Toronto showing faded quickly. Before the Emmys, a half-dozen members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association volunteered that they strongly disliked the film. Then The New York Times ran a long piece titled "Bradley Cooper Is Not Really Into This Profile," which left the distinct impression that the amiable hunk had begun to take himself too seriously. + Film critiques: A movie that was initially greeted as a charmingly new take on a stale showbiz story was increasingly the object of complaints — that Lady Gaga's character lacks agency, that Bradley Cooper's is a wimp and, most problematically, that the film has nothing of import to say about the world in which we live. It became the subject of memes, not think pieces. + Identity crisis: It screened at Venice and Toronto but skipped awards-launcher Telluride because, pundits were told, it was not an "awards movie" — something Warner Bros. often says about its films, sometimes accurately (2012-14's The Hobbit trilogy), other times not (The Departed). Some may have been conditioned to think of A Star Is Born only as a well-made popcorn movie. [Full column.]( Academy reverses decision, will air all Oscars categories live. Cinematography, film editing, live-action shorts and makeup and hairstyling categories will [now be seen]( during the telecast. Industry heavyweights, including some nominees, added to the chorus of criticism of the Academy's decision to air full speeches later in the broadcast, edited into the show. DVR Honor Roll Season winners to date: Manifest and This Is Us get the biggest boosts of any broadcast series across the first half of the season, Rick Porter reports: + NBC's freshman win: Manifest posts the biggest seven-day gains of any show on broadcast TV (through Feb. 3) among total viewers. It adds 6.41 million people to its audience in Nielsen's live plus seven-day ratings, nearly as many as watch it the night it airs (6.81 million). The number of people who watch Manifest in the week after it airs is more than the seven-day total for 59 of the 110 non-sports shows that have aired on the broadcast networks this season. * Important qualifier: How valuable that is to NBC is still something of an open question. More people watching after the airdate likely means more people skipping the ads that pay the bills. Nielsen's rarely publicized commercial ratings — the ones used to set ad rates — are not nearly as big as the live-plus-seven numbers. Although even there, Manifest was performing well at the beginning of the season. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► Two suspects arrested, released in Jussie Smollett attack. CBS Chicago reported police raided the home of two persons of interest in the attack on Wednesday night. "Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the #Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete," a Chicago PD spokesperson later [tweeted](. ► Fox bumps Cosmos as Neil deGrasse Tyson probe continues. The move off the show's March 3 premiere date comes as host Tyson is [being investigated]( for allegations of inappropriate conduct. ► Marvel's Loki series lands Rick and Morty writer. Michael Waldron will write the pilot, act as show creator and exec produce the series. Tom Hiddleston is [expected to star]( in the series, reprising the fan favorite character he first played in 2011’s Thor. ► Amazon's Mrs. Maisel stars get season three raise. Rachel Brosnahan and Tony Shalhoub renegotiated their deals for considerably higher pay, and Emmy winner Alex Borstein is also close to a new deal with the Amazon series, Rick Porter reports. [Details.]( -> Goodman: The case for Amazon saving Patriot (and someone saving Starz's Counterpart). "Beyond ratings — which are not the driver at subscription services anyway but are, reality check, still monitored by the people in the building — critically acclaimed series are smart investments, even if they're essentially [loss-leaders](." Casting call... ► Showtime's Penny Dreadful revival casts two regulars. Johnathan Nieves and Jessica Garza [have joined]( the L.A.-set sequel to the Showtime series. [Quoted:]( "Sean Hannity has been a terrific, terrific supporter of what I do, not of me. If I changed my views, he wouldn't be with me." — President Donald Trump, on influence of cable news. ^Billion-dollar backing: Lightspeed Venture partner Nicole Quinn talks about the controversies surrounding Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop and why female-led businesses are finally getting the recognition they deserve, Natalie Jarvey reports: + Goop backlash: "There's a phrase that I live my life by, which is, 'Be true to yourself,'" Quinn says. "[Gwyneth's] view is, 'The sort of things I'm talking about today might seem crazy and I'm going to get a lot of negative pushback, but I honestly believe that within a decade, that's going to become mainstream too.'" + Getting time from talent: "You're really looking for their commitment in terms of time and energy not just now, but throughout the company's life cycle," Quinn asserts. "We say to them, 'You need to be thinking about this for the next decade.' So we're doing something with Lady Gaga. Asking her many different questions around commitment and time and energy is what actually gave me conviction about the deal because she's so passionate about this." [Full story.]( Digital digest... ► Hearst Magazines acquires Clevver following Defy Media shutdown. The pop culture news brand [has more than]( 15 million subscribers across its YouTube channels. ► Private equity firm eyes Univision's Gizmodo Media Group. The Boston-based Great Hill Partners previously helped invest in Ziff Davis at the beginning of the decade. Terms of the talks have not been disclosed, Benjamin Mullin and Dana Mattioli report. [[The Wall Street Journal](] ► Pokemon Go creator agrees to tighter leash on virtual creatures to end class action. After fighting over the meaning of "trespass" in the digital age, Niantic agrees to a system for [resolving]( nuisance complaints, removals of Pokemon gyms near homes, an independent audit, and more. From the Live Feed... ► Amazon's Lord of the Rings offers up a clue to its setting. The property's newly active Twitter feed drops a possible hint about when the show might take place, [sharing]( a J.R.R. Tolkien quote and a map of Middle-Earth. Latest reviews... ► Fox's Proven Innocent. "There's probably an audience for that kind of legal show as well and I don't think Proven Innocent has a greater upside than that, once that's the direction it inevitably goes," Daniel Fienberg writes. [Full review.]( L.A. Power Dining: Nightshade and Blackship. Downtown L.A.'s Nightshade and West Hollywood's Blackship both launch with a bold but risky culinary leap by blending Asian and Italian cuisines, Gary Baum writes. [Full review.]( Enjoy reading this? Six days a week, look for Today in Entertainment in your inbox to stay up-to-date on the industry. Sign up for this newsletter (and others) at [THR.com/Newsletters](. Inside Best Actress Race The nominees are... : This year's crop of best actress nominees, from film newcomers to a legend aiming for her first win, open up about their films and the awards circuit. + Glenn Close, on finding fulfillment in acting: "I'm just as jazzed about my profession, my craft, now as I've ever been. ... Not just the acting part, but the collaboration is what I also find [deeply fulfilling](. The amazing people that I've worked with. Because we are definitely — it's a collaborative art. No one does it alone, no matter what they say." + Melissa McCarthy, on breaking comedy typecast: "A good story and a great character, that's the only thing I look for. As an audience member and as an actor, I look for the story and if there's something I just love about the character; I thought Can You Ever Forgive Me? [had all of that](. To me, there's no difference between doing comedy or drama. It's the same preparation." + Yalitza Aparacio, on racism in Mexico: "I felt it quite strongly. I've been [discriminated against]( because of the color of my skin. When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed into certain groups, for example. Also, my mother works in a house. Sometimes people didn't see her work as dignified, and that was hard." Elsewhere in film... ► Cineplex CEO: Diversification key to growth for cinema giant. Canada's largest movie theater chain saw Q4 theater attendance and earnings slip, even as overall revenue [rose]( from diversified businesses. Earnings fell to $27.2 million, against a year-earlier $28.8 million. ► Star Wars Episode IX wraps as Lucasfilm plans "Triple Force Friday." "There is no adequate way to thank this truly magical crew and cast. I’m forever indebted to you all," director J.J. Abrams tweeted. Merchandise from a Galaxy Far Far Away will be released Oct. 4. [Details.]( ► Netflix picks up Chris Evans starrer The Red Sea Diving Resort. Michael K. Williams also stars in the true-life rescue story. The film is [pegged]( for a release later this year. ► Denis Villeneuve's Dune sets fall 2020 release date. Warner Bros. and Legendary's [adaptation]( of the sci-fi novel opens Nov. 20, 2020. ► Next James Bond movie, Fast 9 shift 2020 release dates. Daniel Craig's next outing as 007 now opens April 8, 2020, while the Vin Diesel actioner [is set]( for May 22, 2020. ^Bohemian Rhapsody's sound mixer joins Behind the Screen podcast: Paul Massey talks about everything with tech editor Carolyn Giardina, from creating the Live Aid concert to working with Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor: "We used Freddie's vocals as much as we could, throughout the film." [Listen]( | [Subscribe]( Musical notes... ► 21 Savage says he was "targeted" by ICE in first interview since detainment. "I don’t feel like you should be arrested and put in a place where a murderer would be for just being in the country for too long," says the Grammy-nominated Atlanta-based rapper. [More.]( ► Ryan Adams being dropped by radio stations after sexual misconduct claims. Days after his new single reached the top 20 of the Adult Alternative Songs chart, many programmers are [removing]( the song, and his back catalog, from rotation. The arts scene... -> Frieze L.A. lands with star-studded opening. Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda and Jim Gianopulos were among those who welcomed the art fair Frieze to Los Angeles at the Paramount lot. [Inside the event.]( -> Inside Swizz Beatz's art Show with Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Pharrell. The musicians all showed up to the UTA Artist Space in Beverly Hills to support friend Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean at the group exhibition "Dreamweavers." [Details.]( Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Stakes get deadlier in Ben Affleck-led heist Triple Frontier. Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal make split-second decisions in the Netflix film out in March. [Watch.]( ► Trailer: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron get political in Long Shot. O'Shea Jackson Jr., June Diane Raphael, Ravi Patel, Andy Serkis, Alexander Skarsgard, Randall Park, Bob Odenkirk and Randy Orton round out the cast. [Watch.]( Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter on how Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure nearly fell apart. From courting Eddie Van Halen and Sean Connery to reshooting the ending and having the film shelved, the stars and director Stephen Herek recall their crazy adventures shooting the comedy classic: "The film is legitimately idiosyncratic in ways that worked in its favor in terms of [lasting the test of time](." Getting Personal Oscar pics' intimacy: Alfonso Cuaron's intimate drama based on his Mexico City childhood and Adam McKay's satirical yet deeply felt political biopic were films that drew on their creator's unique experiences and worldviews, Caryn James writes: + Bold play: Think back a few months and consider how audacious it was for Cuaron to take memories of childhood and a nanny in Mexico and create a foreign-language film in Roma with unknown stars that turned out to be a marvel, visually and emotionally. The awards success of Roma is much more than a triumph of Netflix campaigning. + Artistic golden age?: The best director nominations reflect only that branch of the Academy, of course, and not all the voters. But look at the category and anyone would think we were in the heyday of ambitious auteurist films. Maybe we actually are. [Full column.]( What to watch this weekend... THR critic Daniel Fienberg sends his recommendation: It's President's Day Weekend, so naturally the networks and streamers have programmed lots of president-themed programming, right? No? Is that the subtext to unlikely superhero-themed offerings like Netflix's Umbrella Academy, which THR's Tim Goodman [didn't like]( very much, or DC Universe's Doom Patrol, which [I thought was OK](? Probably not. The fourth hour of Amazon's otherwise overlong Lorena may be the most politically righteous new thing [you could watch]( this weekend, while The West Wing is [always available somewhere](. Or just find somewhere that HBO's John Adams is still streaming. Go old school! What else we're reading... — "The Hollywood Producer Behind Bryan Singer’s Stalled Movie." Todd S. Purdum profiles Avi Lerner: "Those who know him and have worked with him say that his distancing himself from [Bryan] Singer in light of the latest allegations against the director ... is a sign of Singer’s status as persona non grata in Hollywood, even with a producer whose guiding light has always been the bottom line." [[The Atlantic](] — "Amazon Got Burned by Its Own HQ2 Game Show." Victor Luckerson writes: "Amazon blames meddling local lawmakers for scuttling the deal, but the company should own up to its agency in meeting legitimate local concerns with hardball." [[The Ringer](] — "Behind the Incredibles 2 Scene That Took Brad Bird ‘Thousands’ of Drafts to Perfect." The director and writer talks to Hunter Harris: "Animation is about creating the illusion of life, and this is life. Most people would say an animation scene is some fantastic piece of magic or a talking animal, that it’s not two adults sitting in a hotel room talking about their lives." [[Vulture](] — "Women Will Dominate — and Dismantle — the Music Industry in 2019." Jason Parham writes: "They're not just taking the reins; they're showing us, in form and theme, that to embrace the industry's conventional structures is to bet on a decaying establishment." [[WIRED](] — "After an ‘Ambiguous’ Apology From Ryan Adams, What’s the Right Way to Say Sorry?" Jacey Fortin explores: “What we want to know is that they’re not going to do it again. With all kinds of mistakes, the fear behind an insincere apology is that the person hasn’t learned anything, and that they are not going to make any reparations for their actions.” [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Jimmy Tatro, 27, Elizabeth Olsen, 30, Mahershala Ali, 45, Sarah Clarke, 47, Christopher Eccleston, 55, Ice-T, 61, LeVar Burton, 62. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. 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