Box Office Woes; 'Thrones' Premiere; 'Why I Fired My Agent'; James Murdoch's Next Move; The Comedy Whisperer

What's news: After agents and writers failed to come up with a new agreement, what does Hollywood's immediate future look like? Plus: James Murdoch's next move, Hellboy's domestic disappointment and everything you need to read about the Game of Thrones premiere. — Will Robinson April 15, 2019 What's news: After agents and writers failed to come up with a new agreement, what does Hollywood's immediate future look like? Plus: James Murdoch's next move, Hellboy's domestic disappointment and everything you need to read about the Game of Thrones premiere. — Will Robinson ^What's next?: As writers begin to fire their agents after the WGA and ATA fail to strike a deal, agencies vow to fight "chaos" brought on by the guild, Jonathan Handel reports: + ATA letter: “Agencies will not be a willing participant to any further chaos,” said the letter from ATA executive director Karen Stuart. “That’s the Guild’s plan. Their course of action has thrown the entire entertainment ecosystem into an abyss, affecting stakeholders across the spectrum. … "We are going to do everything we can to mitigate the damage the Guild has imposed by implementing their strategy. We are prepared to continue fighting for a long-term solution that protects our clients and serves all ATA member agencies.” [Read the letter.]( * Writers vocally push back: “This is never what I wanted,” tweeted Stephen King, who fired Paradigm. “My rep has been honest and diligent for over 40 years. Not his fault, but we're a union family. Come on, ATA. Come on, WGA. Solve this so we can go back to doing what we do.” [Firings begin.]( -> Why Tony Kushner fired his agents: The acclaimed playwright penned a lengthy explanation on why he parted with CAA, his agency of nearly 30 years: "The agencies of the ATA have built a system the profitability of which relies on routinizing divided loyalties and concealment. To reject the principle of transparency in business transactions is to embrace the inevitability of economic malfeasance." [Full letter.]( Why Krista Vernoff left her agent. The Grey's Anatomy boss penned a column explaining her WGA solidarity: "My guild is taking on a massive, systemic problem in Hollywood. ... Why should the middle men and women who help sell content make more money than the talent creating the content?" [Full column.]( James' Next Move? Post-Fox act: With a windfall from his family company’s $71.3 billion Disney deal, Rupert Murdoch's entrepreneurial son James Murdoch is eyeing investments in India and may finally find freedom to take more political stances, Paul Bond and Georg Szalai report: + Interest abroad: Lupa's — the investment firm founded by James Murdoch — eye on India tracks with James' last decade of expressed interest. His acumen for international businesses has long been evident; he served as CEO of Star in 2011, and as deputy COO and chairman and CEO, international, at News Corp., the precursor to 21st Century Fox. * No chance at Disney: Some observers say Iger balked at the notion of any involvement at Disney from anyone named “Murdoch,” given the moniker is so closely associated with Fox News, a brand that is more polarizing in Hollywood than perhaps anywhere else in the world. “It wasn’t clear how, or where, he’d fit within the new organizational structure, absent a clear path to ultimately succeed Bob Iger — which seemed like a very remote possibility,” CFRA Research analyst Tuna Amobi says. + "I would wager that he will become a skilled investor in emerging businesses that cross the worlds of Silicon Valley and Hollywood — much like Peter Chernin did," says Mary Ann Halford of OC&C Strategy Consultants, referring to the former Fox exec turned media investor. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► CBS tells court it had no obligation to disclose Moonves claims. Leslie Moonves files his own brief with the argument that he shouldn't be liable for "aspirational" statements and that he could have hardly seen his departure coming. [Details.]( ► Hulu renews Shrill. The Aidy Bryant comedy from Warner Bros. TV and exec producer Lorne Michaels [will return]( in 2020 with an expanded sophomore run. ► EU member states pass controversial copyright law. The European Union's overhaul of online copyright legislation cleared its final hurdle Monday, with the European Commission [approving]( a radical change in how copyright law will be enforced online. Casting call... ► Westworld enlists Lena Waithe for season three. The Emmy-winning Master of None writer-actress [will join]( Aaron Paul as new additions for the upcoming cycle of the HBO drama, likely returning in 2020. At Star Wars Celebration... ► Jon Favreau teases Disney+ series The Mandalorian. The eight-episode series will debut on Nov. 12 as one of the launch shows for Disney+, and originated from an idea from Favreau, who penned four scripts before he even pitched the show to Lucasfilm, instantly selling Kathleen Kennedy. [Photos.]( ► EA, Respawn debut first look at new game. A day after the first teaser for Episode IX was debuted at Chicago's Star Wars Celebration, Respawn Entertainment pulled back the curtain on Jedi Fallen Order. [Teaser + Details]( SNL highlights... ► BTS takes over SNL with signature choreography. The K-pop boy band's popularity was evident from the long lines for Studio 8H and was referenced throughout the episode. [Watch]( | [Album review]( ► Emma Stone hosts a fourth time: The Oscar-winning actress played Jenny McCarthy in a parody of The View, as well as personified versions of raunchy posters hanging in a teenage boy's bedroom. [Recap + Highlights]( | [Admissions scandal cold open]( ^Digital media savior or opportunist?: From Gawker to Mic, Bustle Digital Group chief Bryan Goldberg has found success rebuilding web brands that are on life support, Natalie Jarvey reports: + Building portfolio: Over the past six years, Goldberg has grown BDG from one site, the female-focused Bustle, to a portfolio of eight brands that span lifestyle, news, technology and events. Goldberg says he expects to edge into profitability this year with revenue topping $100 million, which would represent more than 30 percent growth compared with the $75 million the company clocked in 2018. + "We've been much more careful in terms of financial planning than other digital media companies," he explains. "I have something of a financial background, so, thankfully, I was able to help our company avoid a lot of the pitfalls that have bedeviled BuzzFeed and Vice and Vox." + Backlash: Just before Mic's sale, the company laid off much of its 100-person staff, preserving around 30 primarily non-editorial positions, including those of its two co-founders. Goldberg announced plans to rebuild the brand and is now in the process of hiring around 10 editorial staffers. The Mic union blasted the move as "cynical and perverse." [Full story.]( Digital digest... -> Apple News+ off to rough start. "Five participating publishers Digiday spoke to detailed a series of early headaches, including struggles with Apple News+ article formatting, confusion about user experience and design, worries about jeopardizing big digital ad campaigns, and a gripe that Apple is favoring large publishers at the expense of smaller ones." [[Digiday](] ► Jemele Hill launches new podcast. The Atlantic staff writer has a new show on Spotify, Jemele Hill is Unbothered, that's out today. [[AP](] From the Live Feed... ► Why Veep is putting feminism, women's rights center stage. Showrunner David Mandel speaks to Jackie Strause about tackling #MeToo era empowerment and an abortion in the same episode of the HBO political comedy. [Spoilers.]( ► Killing Eve introduces new threat: men. The sophomore episode of the second season upends the female-centric narrative with the introduction of male violence. [Spoilers.]( Coming attractions... ► Teaser: Meryl Streep digs for truth in Big Little Lies season two. The Monterey Five return on the HBO drama June 9. [Watch.]( Rep Sheet Roundup: Jason Statham has left CAA for WME, which also has signed Black Panther’s Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. … Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has signed with UTA, as have Cindy McCain and NBC News’ Dylan Byers. … Albert Hughes has signed with CAA, as have Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel and YouTube turned Snap explorers Sam and Colby. [More here](. 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](. Comedy Whisperer Making own name: Neal Brennan co-created one of the greatest sketch series of all time. Now, a decade and a half after the acrimonious end to Chappelle's Show, the go-to guru to Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Seth Meyers and more is emerging as a major force in his own right, Lacey Rose reports: + Go-to guy for punch-ups: "Neal never tries to force his style onto you; he tries to help you find your style," says Seth Meyers, who also praises Brennan's encyclopedic knowledge of comedy and his candor in assessing it. Chris Rock echoes those comments: "The same way everyone bobs their head when they're in the studio with their musician friend, the same thing happens to famous comedians, and before you know it you suck. Neal not only won't laugh, he'll tell you who did a much better version of the joke you thought you just wrote." + End of Chappelle's Show: Brennan recounts with agony how Comedy Central pitted him against his best friend, Dave Chappelle. The network backed up the Brink's truck for Chappelle — a $50 million, two-season deal — leaving Brennan with "a lunch box of money." What Comedy Central hadn't fully considered, he says now, was that the two would have to continue working together. "Once I'd seen how easily disposable I was and how easily manipulated [Dave] was into disposing of me, it was really painful," Brennan adds. [Full story.]( Elsewhere in film... ► Shazam! earns $25M to stay No. 1. Hellboy flamed out to the tune of $12 million in its opening frame. Meanwhile, Little laughed its way to a $15.5 million bow, while After and Missing Link both opened to around $6 million. [Weekend box office.]( -> Hollywood hoping for "Herculean reversal of fortune" after worst early slump in six years. Through Sunday, revenue at the North American box office was an estimated $2.74 billion, the [lowest showing]( since 2013 for the comparable time period, according to Comscore. That's down 17 percent from the same corridor in 2018 — when Black Panther opened — Pamela McClintock reports. * Bohemian Rhapsody rocks past $900M globally. The pic [achieved]( the latest milestone thanks to a late run in China. It now stands as 20th Century Fox's fourth-highest grossing film of all time. ► Illumination exec Amir Nasrabadi to lead animation for DHX Media. The former Paramount Pictures, Pixar and Walt Disney exec is set to [head up]( the Peanuts and Teletubbies studio's Vancouver cartoon factory. ► David Glasser's 101 Studios names James Allen head of acquisitions. In a twinned move, Tom Prince is [joining]( the former Weinstein COO's new company as exec vp of physical production. ► Phoebe Waller-Bridge to liven up Bond 25 script. The Fleabag and Killing Eve creator was [reportedly requested]( by Daniel Craig himself. -> Directing chair still lacks gender parity. Brooks Barnes and Cara Buckley look at the job still overwhelmingly dominated by men in the 2019 studio slate: "The higher the financial risk, though, the less confidence decision makers have in hiring women. So, major studio films remain the slowest to embrace opportunity parity." [[The New York Times](] Casting call... ► Kristen Wiig, Sally Hawkins, Maggie Smith join A Boy Called Christmas. Gil Kenan [directs]( the Netflix/StudioCanal adaptation of Matt Haig's children's book, being produced by Three Billboards banner Blueprint Pictures. ^Scorsese's secret weapon: The director's producer Emma  Tillinger Koskoff is the reason one of the most exacting filmmakers in history has been able to shoot epic, ambitious and expensive films like the upcoming The Irishman in the Big Apple, Rebecca Keegan reports: + Key player: Koskoff, 47, is Scorsese's producer and, because her boss likes to sleep in his own Upper East Side bed during production, she is especially adept at the peculiarities of shooting in New York City. "Shooting in New York is always a pain in the ass," says Rick Yorn, the manager/producer who hired Koskoff to be his assistant during the mid-1990s. "But it's Emma's city. She knows everybody. She's the MVP." [Full story.]( On the festival circuit... ► Cannes unveils poster with Agnes Varda. The poster shows an iconic shot of the late filmmaker on the set of her first film, La Pointe Courte. [Photo.]( ► The Unicorn wins Buenos Aires. French star Louis Garrel grabs best director award for A Faithful Man. [More winners.]( Musical notes... ► Donald Glover's Guava Island, reviewed. "[The film, co-starring Rihanna] manages to wrap salty-air good vibes around a parable of capitalism's fatal impact on artistry; it's the opposite of an origin story, but it smiles through its fatalism," John DeFore writes. [Full review.]( Console wars... ► Infinity Ward and Respawn co-founder joins Epic Games. Jason West [will work]( on the company's game development efforts. In memoriam... ► RIP John Rentsch. The former director of international marketing and publicity for the motion picture division of Paramount Pictures died Friday from complications due to Parkinson's disease. He was 67. [Obit.]( The scene at Coachella. 2 Chainz, Sean Combs, Donald Glover and JoJo party at the Indio, California festival. [Gallery.]( 'Game of Thrones' Premiere Back to Westeros: Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister and more returned Sunday night to HBO in the much-anticipated debut of the show's swan song. Warning: Spoilers follow. Josh Wigler notes: Jon Snow (Kit Harington) used to know nothing. Now, he knows a very important something: he's the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. The news is not likely to sit well with Jon's girlfriend (and aunt) Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), who is very much angling for the top job in Westeros, all while preparing for war against the White Walkers and their zombie army. Add in countless callbacks to the series premiere, long-anticipated reunions and first ever character pairings, plus one undead zombie child tossed into the fires — safe to say the final season is off to a blazing start, which is welcome news with only five episodes left. End of spoilers. -> What to read and listen to: Wigler's [recap](... Daniel Fienberg's [review](... Was this the [best season premiere](?... [Podcast breakdown](... The new opening credits, [explained](. What else we're reading... — "Meet Game of Thrones' Secret Weapon." Jeremy Egne profiles ep Bernadette Caulfield: "If you ask nearly anyone associated with it who the linchpin holding the entire thing together was the answer is 'Bernie.'" [[The New York Times](] — "Univision’s Troubled Acquisition of Gizmodo and The Onion." Sahil Patel reports: "The effort was troubled from the start, offering yet another example of a corporate shit show, repleted with competing management cliques, clashing company cultures, ballooning costs and impatient investors." [[Digiday](] — "Alex Rodriguez Is No Longer the Villain." David Marchese speaks to the former MLB star: "I would have booed me, too. I felt that being the tough guy who had all the answers and being robotic was the right thing to do." [[The New York Times Magazine](] —"What Makes A Great Podcast Studio?" Cherie Hu details: "Optimizing a studio environment for podcasts actually shares little similarity with the music world, in part due to the contrasting workflows required to make the core product in each industry." [[Billboard](] Last night, on late night... + "John Oliver recruits Keaton, Cranston for opioid epidemic segment." [[Last Week Tonight](] + "Anderson Cooper goes inside Game of Thrones." [[60 Minutes](] What's ahead this week... Monday: Pulitzer winners announced Tuesday: Netflix earnings... ABC premieres former Fox comedy pick-up Bless This Mess. Wednesday: Beyoncé heads to Netflix with Homecoming... CBS debuts The Amazing Race's new season with past reality stars... and returns Life in Pieces. Thursday: Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2019 announced. Friday: Hulu premieres comedy Ramy... as Amazon returns Bosch. [-> This week in TV.]( From the archives... + Today in 1947: Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson debuted in Major League Baseball, becoming the first black player in the league's history: "His skill and accomplishments resulted in the acceptance of blacks in other major sports, notably professional football and professional basketball." [[The New York Times](] Today's birthdays: Maisie Williams, 22, Emma Watson, 29, Seth Rogen, 37, Luke Evans, 40, Danny Pino, 45, Andy Daly, 48, Paula Pell, 56, Emma Thompson, 60, Thomas F. Wilson, 60, Claudia Cardinale, 81. 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. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( April 15, 2019