Secrets of Xmas Movie Boom; Costner's Crime Show; WGA TV Noms; Top 10 Movies Of Decade

What's news: Tis the season for Christmas movies, Kevin Costner is writing an ABC crime procedural, Kathleen Kennedy to receive top BAFTA honor, ViacomCBS day one, Roman Polanski scandal could overshadow European Film Awards. Plus: Remembering Leonard Goldberg, and THR's top 10 movies of the decade. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment DECEMBER 06, 2019 What's news: Tis the season for Christmas movies, Kevin Costner is writing an ABC crime procedural, Kathleen Kennedy to receive top BAFTA honor, ViacomCBS day one, Roman Polanski scandal could overshadow European Film Awards. Plus: Remembering Leonard Goldberg, and THR's top 10 movies of the decade. --Alex Weprin What's news: Tis the season for Christmas movies, Kevin Costner is writing an ABC crime procedural, Kathleen Kennedy to receive top BAFTA honor, ViacomCBS day one, Roman Polanski scandal could overshadow European Film Awards. Plus: Remembering Leonard Goldberg, and THR's top 10 movies of the decade. --Alex Weprin [The Big Business Of Christmas Movies] The Big Business Of Christmas Movies ►This (Jewish) couple has written 30 Christmas movies — and they're not alone. For a growing group of writers, producers and stars (including Christmas movie specialists Tippi and Neal Dobrofsky), the escalating war among Hallmark, Lifetime and now Netflix means plenty of good (and lucrative) tidings — if you can master the formula and stomach all the yuletide cheer, Seth Abramovitch reports: "There’s a whole list of boxes you have to check off." +Holiday movies by the numbers: Hallmark will have debuted 40 movies by year's end, Lifetime will have 30, and Netflix 6. Across all TV channels and streaming platforms, more than 100 holiday movies will debut this year. Christmas programming now accounts for 30 percent of Hallmark's annual budget and in return produces 30 percent of its annual total revenue, which S&P Global Market Intelligence places around $400 million. The channel pays $50,000 to $60,000 per script (plus residuals) on movies generally budgeted around $2 million to $2.5 million. Quote: "We're kind of farmers. They tell us which crop to grow and we do it," says Tim Johnson, a Vancouver-based producer of nearly 40 Christmas features for Hallmark and Lifetime. A majority of the movies film in the Great White North — Vancouver, mainly, but also Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg, where local crews have things down to a science and tax incentives are plentiful. "The production value you get in Canada goes a long way," says Meghan Hooper White, senior vp original movies at Lifetime. "The snow lasts longer up there. It's just more Christmassy up there." [The story](. ►ViacomCBS day one: Shares in the company ended the day Thursday down 0.36% to $40.86, suggesting a lukewarm response from investors. The employee town hall Thursday featuring CEO Bob Bakish and Shari Redstone served to pump up employees, with a lot of focus on creating a new "culture" that will bring together the two companies, an attendee said. Meanwhile, last night, CBS held a holiday party for press at a restaurant on 57th street in New York. CEO Joe Ianniello was all smiles as he made the rounds through the room. Also spotted: Stephen Colbert, Desus & Mero, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil. ►Kevin Costner to write and produce ABC procedural. The Yellowstone star and exec producer has set up drama ISB at ABC, which picked up the procedural with a put-pilot commitment with a financial penalty attached. ISB follows the special agents of the Investigative Services Branch who are tasked with solving crimes committed within the National Parks of the ISB’s Pacific West region. Former The Flash showrunner Aaron Helbing and Costner will co-write the script, with Helbing serving as showrunner. [The story](. ►Netflix's India push. Just how important a market is India to Netflix? CEO Reed Hastings said Friday that the streaming video giant will spend $400 million on Indian content for 2019 and 2020. This will cover both originals and licensed content. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in capital New Delhi, organized by the Hindustan Times newspaper, Hastings also did not reveal the number of Netflix's Indian subscribers, only admitting that "these are early days." [The story](. Elsewhere in TV... --Daniel Fienberg reviews [Hulu's Reprisal](... Robyn Bahr reviews [Apple TV+'s Truth Be Told](... --A Lena Dunham-produced high school dramedy called Generation [has scored]( a series pickup at HBO Max. --Netflix, Amazon executives [target more]( foreign-language content. --Some NBC News employees are [quietly organizing]( an anti-union effort. --Ratings: Fox's holiday comedy The Moodys [premiered to decent ratings]( Wednesday, coming in ahead of the season averages for its time period's regular occupant, Almost Family. The Big Business Of Christmas Movies ►This (Jewish) couple has written 30 Christmas movies — and they're not alone. For a growing group of writers, producers and stars (including Christmas movie specialists Tippi and Neal Dobrofsky), the escalating war among Hallmark, Lifetime and now Netflix means plenty of good (and lucrative) tidings — if you can master the formula and stomach all the yuletide cheer, Seth Abramovitch reports: "There’s a whole list of boxes you have to check off." +Holiday movies by the numbers: Hallmark will have debuted 40 movies by year's end, Lifetime will have 30, and Netflix 6. Across all TV channels and streaming platforms, more than 100 holiday movies will debut this year. Christmas programming now accounts for 30 percent of Hallmark's annual budget and in return produces 30 percent of its annual total revenue, which S&P Global Market Intelligence places around $400 million. The channel pays $50,000 to $60,000 per script (plus residuals) on movies generally budgeted around $2 million to $2.5 million. Quote: "We're kind of farmers. They tell us which crop to grow and we do it," says Tim Johnson, a Vancouver-based producer of nearly 40 Christmas features for Hallmark and Lifetime. A majority of the movies film in the Great White North — Vancouver, mainly, but also Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg, where local crews have things down to a science and tax incentives are plentiful. "The production value you get in Canada goes a long way," says Meghan Hooper White, senior vp original movies at Lifetime. "The snow lasts longer up there. It's just more Christmassy up there." [The story](. ►ViacomCBS day one: Shares in the company ended the day Thursday down 0.36% to $40.86, suggesting a lukewarm response from investors. The employee town hall Thursday featuring CEO Bob Bakish and Shari Redstone served to pump up employees, with a lot of focus on creating a new "culture" that will bring together the two companies, an attendee said. Meanwhile, last night, CBS held a holiday party for press at a restaurant on 57th street in New York. CEO Joe Ianniello was all smiles as he made the rounds through the room. Also spotted: Stephen Colbert, Desus & Mero, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil. ►Kevin Costner to write and produce ABC procedural. The Yellowstone star and exec producer has set up drama ISB at ABC, which picked up the procedural with a put-pilot commitment with a financial penalty attached. ISB follows the special agents of the Investigative Services Branch who are tasked with solving crimes committed within the National Parks of the ISB’s Pacific West region. Former The Flash showrunner Aaron Helbing and Costner will co-write the script, with Helbing serving as showrunner. [The story](. ►Netflix's India push. Just how important a market is India to Netflix? CEO Reed Hastings said Friday that the streaming video giant will spend $400 million on Indian content for 2019 and 2020. This will cover both originals and licensed content. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in capital New Delhi, organized by the Hindustan Times newspaper, Hastings also did not reveal the number of Netflix's Indian subscribers, only admitting that "these are early days." [The story](. Elsewhere in TV... --Daniel Fienberg reviews [Hulu's Reprisal](... Robyn Bahr reviews [Apple TV+'s Truth Be Told](... --A Lena Dunham-produced high school dramedy called Generation [has scored]( a series pickup at HBO Max. --Netflix, Amazon executives [target more]( foreign-language content. --Some NBC News employees are [quietly organizing]( an anti-union effort. --Ratings: Fox's holiday comedy The Moodys [premiered to decent ratings]( Wednesday, coming in ahead of the season averages for its time period's regular occupant, Almost Family. [EFA's Polanski Problem] EFA's Polanski Problem ►New Roman Polanski scandal could overshadow European Film Awards. Amid new allegations of rape, the controversial helmer threatens to eclipse a strong field of nominees up for awards at Saturday's ceremony, Scott Roxborough and Rhonda Richford report: "It's really an insult to victims." [The story](. +10 European talents to watch. From And Then We Danced standout Levan Gelbakhiani to Cannes-winning director Ladj Ly, Scott Roxborough highlights several up-and-comers to keep an eye on. [The list](. Kathleen Kennedy is to receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA film awards. The British Academy's highest honor, the Fellowship is given to individuals in "recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television," and will be presented to the Lucasfilm president and Amblin co-founder on Feb. 2. [The story](. +The Writers Guild Awards on Thursday revealed its nominees in the categories of television, new media, radio, news and promotional writing. The nominees for best screenplay (original, adapted and documentary) will be announced on Monday, Jan. 6, with the 72nd annual WGA Awards set for Saturday, Feb. 1, at dual ceremonies being held in Los Angeles and New York. [The full list of nominees](. +Also: Peter and Bobby Farrelly [are being honored]( with the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion by the Ruderman Family Foundation for their inclusive and accurate depictions of people with disabilities. ►The 10 best films of the decade: THR chief film critic Todd McCarthy's picks include David Fincher’s "Facebook movie," Olivier Assayas’ five-hour-plus international terrorism epic, a period drama starring a radiant Saoirse Ronan and an eye-opening Israeli doc. [The full list](. Elsewhere in film... --Thirty years after Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, filmmaker Joe Johnston [is in early talks]( to helm a reboot of the franchise for Disney, with Josh Gad circling to star. --Dave Bautista-starrer My Spy is[on the move]( again. On Thursday, STXfilms shifted the movie's release date from Jan. 10 to March 23 in order to take advantage of the spring break play period. --Terrence Malick's historical drama A Hidden Life on Wednesday received a [rare screening]( at the Vatican in Rome. --Yoram Globus, the former president of The Cannon Group and MGM, [has secured]( a $50 million movie slate financing deal for his latest production venture, Rebel Way Entertainment. --The beloved children's book series Eloise [has been acquired]( by independent studio MRC. --Trailer: Julia Garner learns that her work environment is toxic in [the first trailer]( for the Harvey Weinstein-inspired drama The Assistant. EFA's Polanski Problem ►New Roman Polanski scandal could overshadow European Film Awards. Amid new allegations of rape, the controversial helmer threatens to eclipse a strong field of nominees up for awards at Saturday's ceremony, Scott Roxborough and Rhonda Richford report: "It's really an insult to victims." [The story](. +10 European talents to watch. From And Then We Danced standout Levan Gelbakhiani to Cannes-winning director Ladj Ly, Scott Roxborough highlights several up-and-comers to keep an eye on. [The list](. Kathleen Kennedy is to receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA film awards. The British Academy's highest honor, the Fellowship is given to individuals in "recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television," and will be presented to the Lucasfilm president and Amblin co-founder on Feb. 2. [The story](. +The Writers Guild Awards on Thursday revealed its nominees in the categories of television, new media, radio, news and promotional writing. The nominees for best screenplay (original, adapted and documentary) will be announced on Monday, Jan. 6, with the 72nd annual WGA Awards set for Saturday, Feb. 1, at dual ceremonies being held in Los Angeles and New York. [The full list of nominees](. +Also: Peter and Bobby Farrelly [are being honored]( with the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion by the Ruderman Family Foundation for their inclusive and accurate depictions of people with disabilities. ►The 10 best films of the decade: THR chief film critic Todd McCarthy's picks include David Fincher’s "Facebook movie," Olivier Assayas’ five-hour-plus international terrorism epic, a period drama starring a radiant Saoirse Ronan and an eye-opening Israeli doc. [The full list](. Elsewhere in film... --Thirty years after Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, filmmaker Joe Johnston [is in early talks]( to helm a reboot of the franchise for Disney, with Josh Gad circling to star. --Dave Bautista-starrer My Spy is[on the move]( again. On Thursday, STXfilms shifted the movie's release date from Jan. 10 to March 23 in order to take advantage of the spring break play period. --Terrence Malick's historical drama A Hidden Life on Wednesday received a [rare screening]( at the Vatican in Rome. --Yoram Globus, the former president of The Cannon Group and MGM, [has secured]( a $50 million movie slate financing deal for his latest production venture, Rebel Way Entertainment. --The beloved children's book series Eloise [has been acquired]( by independent studio MRC. --Trailer: Julia Garner learns that her work environment is toxic in [the first trailer]( for the Harvey Weinstein-inspired drama The Assistant. [Remembering Leonard Goldberg] Remembering Leonard Goldberg ►Leonard Goldberg, producer of Charlie's Angels and Blue Bloods, dies at 85. The Emmy Award winner, often credited for developing and introducing the made-for-TV movie format, died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from injuries resulting from a fall, a publicist announced. Most recently, Goldberg, as president of Panda Productions, served as an executive producer on the hit CBS cop drama Blue Bloods, starring Tom Selleck, and served on the CBS board of directors. [The obituary](. Tweets of the day: Tonight Show producer Gavin Purcell, [weighing in on]( Disney+ and Baby Yoda: "here's a very weird but (i think) very true fact: baby yoda is going to change the way that streaming services release their shows. and they'll all be chasing him for the next few years... " Karen McDougal is suing Fox News for slander after Tucker Carlson invoked her situation in an effort to play down Donald Trump's Ukraine troubles. McDougal is the former Playboy model who infamously received money from National Enquirer to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Donald Trump. [The story](. +Bill Nye is now allowed to take limited claims against The Walt Disney Company to trial. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles Superior Court entered an order that sets up the trial, now scheduled for May 2020. [More](. +Also: John DeLorean's widow [loses fight]( for Back to the Future royalties... Federal prosecutors [are accusing]( singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married R&B singer Aaliyah, then 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994... Documentary filmmakers [say rules](that require foreign nationals applying for U.S. visas to give the feds their social media handles are chilling free speech... ►Theater review: David Rooney reviews Jagged Little Pill, writing that the Alanis Morissette-inspired musical drama, written by Diablo Cody, "to a great extent succeeds with its acerbic humor and obvious affinity for characters that spring more or less organically from Morissette's blistering self-exposure." [The review](. Revolving door: Roma producer Nicolas Celis and his Mexico City-based production company Pimienta Films [have signed]( an first-look deal with Exile and Endeavor Content as they ramp up in Spanish-language scripted TV fare... Producer Bradley J. Fischer[has been named]( president and chief content officer of Brian Oliver's New Republic Pictures... All Rise co-showrunner Sunil Nayar [has departed]( the CBS series starring Simone Missick. In his place, Dee Harris-Lawrence will serve as co-showrunner alongside creator Greg Spottiswood... Casting roundup: Nicholas Galitzine [will play]( Prince Robert opposite Camila Cabello in the movie musical adaptation of Cinderella from writer-director Kay Cannon... Film Independent said Thursday that Aubrey Plaza [is returning]( as host of the Film Independent Spirit Awards... ►Column: The death of the Hollywood sex symbol. In a guest column, cultural critic and Provocations author Camille Paglia laments the end of the bombshell and asks why only drag queens and Hustlers star Jennifer Lopez still possess "Hollywood's most brilliant artifact." Quote: "The female sex symbol, however, commands emotional or psychological space. Her sensual beauty is an alluring mirage, hypnotizing and sometimes paralyzing. Never entirely present, she is attuned to another reality, an extrasensory dimension to which we have no access." [The column](. ►Quizzed: In the latest episode, Hilary Duff grills Meghan Trainor about The Lizzie McGuire Movie. [Watch](. ►TV's Top 5 podcast: This week Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg talk ViacomCBS, America's Got Talent, and speak with Apple TV+ Truth Be Told showrunner Nichelle Tramble Spellman. [Listen](. What else we're reading... --"It’s not just you. Netflix really is doubling its Christmas content every year" [[Quartz](] --"DAZN gives away content to punch up subscriber base" [[WSJ](] --Elizabeth Warren wants to spoil the megamerger party" [[Bloomberg](] --"TikTok leader schedules Washington trip to meet lawmakers as investigations loom" [[Washington Post](] --"'Peloton husband' speaks out" [[Psychology Today](] Today's birthdays: Judd Apatow, 52, Steven Wright, 64, Arnon Milchan, 75. Remembering Leonard Goldberg ►Leonard Goldberg, producer of Charlie's Angels and Blue Bloods, dies at 85. The Emmy Award winner, often credited for developing and introducing the made-for-TV movie format, died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from injuries resulting from a fall, a publicist announced. Most recently, Goldberg, as president of Panda Productions, served as an executive producer on the hit CBS cop drama Blue Bloods, starring Tom Selleck, and served on the CBS board of directors. [The obituary](. Tweets of the day: Tonight Show producer Gavin Purcell, [weighing in on]( Disney+ and Baby Yoda: "here's a very weird but (i think) very true fact: baby yoda is going to change the way that streaming services release their shows. and they'll all be chasing him for the next few years... " Karen McDougal is suing Fox News for slander after Tucker Carlson invoked her situation in an effort to play down Donald Trump's Ukraine troubles. McDougal is the former Playboy model who infamously received money from National Enquirer to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Donald Trump. [The story](. +Bill Nye is now allowed to take limited claims against The Walt Disney Company to trial. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles Superior Court entered an order that sets up the trial, now scheduled for May 2020. [More](. +Also: John DeLorean's widow [loses fight]( for Back to the Future royalties... Federal prosecutors [are accusing]( singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married R&B singer Aaliyah, then 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994... Documentary filmmakers [say rules](that require foreign nationals applying for U.S. visas to give the feds their social media handles are chilling free speech... ►Theater review: David Rooney reviews Jagged Little Pill, writing that the Alanis Morissette-inspired musical drama, written by Diablo Cody, "to a great extent succeeds with its acerbic humor and obvious affinity for characters that spring more or less organically from Morissette's blistering self-exposure." [The review](. Revolving door: Roma producer Nicolas Celis and his Mexico City-based production company Pimienta Films [have signed]( an first-look deal with Exile and Endeavor Content as they ramp up in Spanish-language scripted TV fare... Producer Bradley J. Fischer[has been named]( president and chief content officer of Brian Oliver's New Republic Pictures... All Rise co-showrunner Sunil Nayar [has departed]( the CBS series starring Simone Missick. In his place, Dee Harris-Lawrence will serve as co-showrunner alongside creator Greg Spottiswood... Casting roundup: Nicholas Galitzine [will play]( Prince Robert opposite Camila Cabello in the movie musical adaptation of Cinderella from writer-director Kay Cannon... Film Independent said Thursday that Aubrey Plaza [is returning]( as host of the Film Independent Spirit Awards... ►Column: The death of the Hollywood sex symbol. In a guest column, cultural critic and Provocations author Camille Paglia laments the end of the bombshell and asks why only drag queens and Hustlers star Jennifer Lopez still possess "Hollywood's most brilliant artifact." Quote: "The female sex symbol, however, commands emotional or psychological space. Her sensual beauty is an alluring mirage, hypnotizing and sometimes paralyzing. Never entirely present, she is attuned to another reality, an extrasensory dimension to which we have no access." [The column](. ►Quizzed: In the latest episode, Hilary Duff grills Meghan Trainor about The Lizzie McGuire Movie. [Watch](. ►TV's Top 5 podcast: This week Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg talk ViacomCBS, America's Got Talent, and speak with Apple TV+ Truth Be Told showrunner Nichelle Tramble Spellman. [Listen](. What else we're reading... --"It’s not just you. Netflix really is doubling its Christmas content every year" [[Quartz](] --"DAZN gives away content to punch up subscriber base" [[WSJ](] --Elizabeth Warren wants to spoil the megamerger party" [[Bloomberg](] --"TikTok leader schedules Washington trip to meet lawmakers as investigations loom" [[Washington Post](] --"'Peloton husband' speaks out" [[Psychology Today](] Today's birthdays: Judd Apatow, 52, Steven Wright, 64, Arnon Milchan, 75. [Image] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. DECEMBER 06, 2019 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](