How Hollywood Works Now; MGM's Big Moves; Where's the Virus Relief?; Chernin's Netflix Deal; New THR Cover

What's news: A lockdown photo portfolio, why producer Dana Brunetti decamped to the Sierra foothills, MSNBC's Chris Hayes embraces the moment, Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan on producing documentaries over Zoom, Hollywood virus relief slow to materialize, Chernin inks a deal with Netflix, what "product geek" Jason Kilar will bring to WarnerMedia, MGM grabs Gucci, box office braces for a bad year, temperature checks at Disneyland? Plus: Modern Family co-creator reflects, and a review of the Schitt's Creek finale. --Alex Weprin [The Hollywood Reporter]( [The Hollywood Reporter]( Today In Entertainment APRIL 08, 2020 What's news: A lockdown photo portfolio, why producer Dana Brunetti decamped to the Sierra foothills, MSNBC's Chris Hayes embraces the moment, Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan on producing documentaries over Zoom, Hollywood virus relief slow to materialize, Chernin inks a deal with Netflix, what "product geek" Jason Kilar will bring to WarnerMedia, MGM grabs Gucci, box office braces for a bad year, temperature checks at Disneyland? Plus: Modern Family co-creator reflects, and a review of the Schitt's Creek finale. --Alex Weprin What's news: A lockdown photo portfolio, why producer Dana Brunetti decamped to the Sierra foothills, MSNBC's Chris Hayes embraces the moment, Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan on producing documentaries over Zoom, Hollywood virus relief slow to materialize, Chernin inks a deal with Netflix, what "product geek" Jason Kilar will bring to WarnerMedia, MGM grabs Gucci, box office braces for a bad year, temperature checks at Disneyland? Plus: Modern Family co-creator reflects, and a review of the Schitt's Creek finale. --Alex Weprin Lockdown Photo Portfolio On the cover: With productions shuttered and a workforce in quarantine, The Hollywood Reporter's camera captures the industry's new normal from a responsible 30 feet away as everyone from WarnerMedia's chairman Bob Greenblatt to an assistant location manager shelters (and works) at home. "Social distance and in some cases complete isolation changes all of us," says Jamie Lee Curtis, who was photographed at her home with writer-director Christopher Guest and their dog. "Everything we took for granted before seems ephemeral, and the old-school bases — love, nourishment, animal contact, toilet paper — are now essential. Add to that last part music and art and you get a photo essay by Joe of our new collective normal." [The quarantine photo portfolio](, shot by Joe Pugliese. How Hollywood works now... +The producer who decamped to a survivalist sanctuary. Dana Brunetti, as famous for dating models as for making hits like The Social Network and House of Cards, has sold his Ferraris and moved to a compound in the Sierra foothills, where he's sitting out COVID-19 and filming a reality show about himself: "People here are freaking super nice. It's a little unsettling." [The story](. +MSNBC's Chris Hayes was "made for this moment." A darling of the progressive left has refashioned his nightly political show into an hourlong coronavirus education hour, even as he works from a remote home studio in upstate new York. “I feel like there is a vacuum of credible authority on this. I think it’s our job to be a platform for fact- and science-based rigor. I always feel that way. But I feel that more than ever now. I feel like I have a role to play, and I feel a very intense sense of mission." [The story](. +Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan rethink how to make documentaries. The married filmmakers behind Oscar and Emmy winners were settling into new Brooklyn offices with 50 workers when COVID-19 hit. Now they’re Zooming edits and taking "European lunches" with their kids. [The story](. ►How I'm Living Now: Glenn Close. Glenn Close is currently ensconced in her brick Montana home built in 1892 — "It's little but I love it" — which sits next door to her younger sister, Jessie. But when it became clear Jessie may have been exposed to the coronavirus, the two had to self-isolate from one another, forcing Close to mostly fly solo while devouring books and baking banana bread. She talks to THR about her new normal, the first thing on her post-pandemic to-do list (hint: it's a new TV project!) and the only company she keeps these days, her beloved Havanese, Pip. [The interview](. Lockdown Photo Portfolio On the cover: With productions shuttered and a workforce in quarantine, The Hollywood Reporter's camera captures the industry's new normal from a responsible 30 feet away as everyone from WarnerMedia's chairman Bob Greenblatt to an assistant location manager shelters (and works) at home. "Social distance and in some cases complete isolation changes all of us," says Jamie Lee Curtis, who was photographed at her home with writer-director Christopher Guest and their dog. "Everything we took for granted before seems ephemeral, and the old-school bases — love, nourishment, animal contact, toilet paper — are now essential. Add to that last part music and art and you get a photo essay by Joe of our new collective normal." [The quarantine photo portfolio](, shot by Joe Pugliese. How Hollywood works now... +The producer who decamped to a survivalist sanctuary. Dana Brunetti, as famous for dating models as for making hits like The Social Network and House of Cards, has sold his Ferraris and moved to a compound in the Sierra foothills, where he's sitting out COVID-19 and filming a reality show about himself: "People here are freaking super nice. It's a little unsettling." [The story](. +MSNBC's Chris Hayes was "made for this moment." A darling of the progressive left has refashioned his nightly political show into an hourlong coronavirus education hour, even as he works from a remote home studio in upstate new York. “I feel like there is a vacuum of credible authority on this. I think it’s our job to be a platform for fact- and science-based rigor. I always feel that way. But I feel that more than ever now. I feel like I have a role to play, and I feel a very intense sense of mission." [The story](. +Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan rethink how to make documentaries. The married filmmakers behind Oscar and Emmy winners were settling into new Brooklyn offices with 50 workers when COVID-19 hit. Now they’re Zooming edits and taking "European lunches" with their kids. [The story](. ►How I'm Living Now: Glenn Close. Glenn Close is currently ensconced in her brick Montana home built in 1892 — "It's little but I love it" — which sits next door to her younger sister, Jessie. But when it became clear Jessie may have been exposed to the coronavirus, the two had to self-isolate from one another, forcing Close to mostly fly solo while devouring books and baking banana bread. She talks to THR about her new normal, the first thing on her post-pandemic to-do list (hint: it's a new TV project!) and the only company she keeps these days, her beloved Havanese, Pip. [The interview](. [Virus Relief Slow Going] Virus Relief Slow Going ►Hollywood's virus relief efforts slow to materialize so far. While Netflix, WarnerMedia and Sony each has stepped up with $100 million funds to help aid out-of-work crewmembers, most industry giving has been focused on medical first responders so far. "If you have a hundred, $200, $300, $400 million, why don't you actively contribute to the funds that are helping below-the-line people who made those movies and made you rich? This is Hollywood's Bernie Sanders question to me." [The story](. ►Chernin Entertainment signs first-look deal with Netflix. Terms of the deal were not revealed. Representatives for Peter Chernin declined to comment. The producer previously called Fox his home and it’s where he made the well-regarded Planet of the Apes trilogy that showed blockbusters could have brains. --His tastes and movies ran a gamut, from comedies such as The Heat, which starred Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, to acclaimed dramas such as Hidden Figures, to musicals such as The Greatest Showman. [The story](. ►"Product geek" Jason Kilar brings streaming focus to top WarnerMedia role. The former Hulu chief is known as a firebrand who's attentive to user experience on direct-to-consumer platforms, Natalie Jarvey writes. [The story](. ►Box office's best case scenario? Down 40 percent. Gower Street Analytics estimates that domestic revenue will come in at $6.82 billion if all 5,400 theaters stateside stay shuttered for a full three months, with traffic returning to normal levels immediately. If theaters are closed for three months, but traffic builds slowly, that number could be in the $6.36 billion range. [The story.]( +Universal bumps Nobody release, delays M. Night Shyamalan's untitled film. Universal is delaying the theatrical release of Bob Odenkirk action-thriller Nobody from Aug. 14, 2020 to Feb. 26, 2021. The movie's new home used to be occupied by an untitled thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, which has been undated for now. [More](. ^Disney stock downgraded over dim theme park forecast. Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall says the studio's theme parks division will take two years to return to normal attendance amid the COVID-19 crisis. "We don't think Parks can get back to anything close to full capacity until testing and/or vaccines are far more ubiquitous," Cahall told investors. [The story](. +Bob Iger says Disney may check guests' temperatures when parks reopen. "One of the things that we’re discussing already is that in order to return to some semblance of normal, people will have to feel comfortable that they’re safe," Iger told Barron's. "Some of that could come in the form, ultimately, of a vaccine, but in the absence of that it could come from basically, more scrutiny, more restrictions. Just as we now do bag checks for everybody that goes into our parks, it could be that at some point we add a component of that that takes people’s temperatures, as a for-instance." [More](. ►CBS sets movie night to shore up primetime slate. The network will air five beloved theatrical films Sunday nights in May, all of which come from Paramount Pictures, which like the broadcast net is part of the recently merged ViacomCBS. The films, which kick off with Raiders of the Lost Ark on May 3, will also help CBS fill out its schedule as its Sunday dramas — God Friended Me, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans — shut down a few episodes short of finishing their seasons amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. [The story](. +Israeli spy drama Tehran eyes U.S. deal as virus crisis triggers TV pipeline shortage. "With so many productions in lockdown, streamers and networks are looking for new ready-to-go dramas with international appeal. At the same time, viewers around the world are looking for escape and over-the-edge of their couches excitement, which is exactly what Tehran provides." [More](. ►E3 will not host an online replacement event in 2020. "Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences." [The story](. +Annecy Animation Festival 2020 canceled due to coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 edition, set to be Annecy's 60th anniversary, was scheduled to run June 15-20. Instead, the event will be held June 14-19, 2021. [More](. In other coronavirus-related news... --MSNBC [keeps airing]( Trump press briefings despite host criticisms. --First Look Media's Field of Vision and Topic Studios, producer of the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, [have launched]( a $250,000 relief fund offering emergency grants to freelancers in the documentary field severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. --The Pulitzer Prize Board [will postpone]( the announcement of this year's winners because some board members have been busy covering the global coronavirus outbreak, the organization announced Tuesday. --In order to raise money for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency response fund, a number of entertainers including Billy Porter, Andy Cohen and Cynthia Erivo [are gathering]( for a virtual Passover Seder to be streamed online. Obituaries: Americana legend and revered singer-songwriter [John Prine]( has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 73... [Allen Garfield](, the New Jersey character actor who specialized in playing nervous types while appearing in such films as The Conversation, The Candidate, The Stunt Man and Nashville, has died. He was 80... Film and TV music producer [Hal Willner](, who worked many years on Saturday Night Live, has died apparently due to coronavirus complications. He was 64... Comedian [Victor "Vic" Henley](, a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony radio show, has died, according to his niece. He was 57... Virus Relief Slow Going ►Hollywood's virus relief efforts slow to materialize so far. While Netflix, WarnerMedia and Sony each has stepped up with $100 million funds to help aid out-of-work crewmembers, most industry giving has been focused on medical first responders so far. "If you have a hundred, $200, $300, $400 million, why don't you actively contribute to the funds that are helping below-the-line people who made those movies and made you rich? This is Hollywood's Bernie Sanders question to me." [The story](. ►Chernin Entertainment signs first-look deal with Netflix. Terms of the deal were not revealed. Representatives for Peter Chernin declined to comment. The producer previously called Fox his home and it’s where he made the well-regarded Planet of the Apes trilogy that showed blockbusters could have brains. --His tastes and movies ran a gamut, from comedies such as The Heat, which starred Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, to acclaimed dramas such as Hidden Figures, to musicals such as The Greatest Showman. [The story](. ►"Product geek" Jason Kilar brings streaming focus to top WarnerMedia role. The former Hulu chief is known as a firebrand who's attentive to user experience on direct-to-consumer platforms, Natalie Jarvey writes. [The story](. ►Box office's best case scenario? Down 40 percent. Gower Street Analytics estimates that domestic revenue will come in at $6.82 billion if all 5,400 theaters stateside stay shuttered for a full three months, with traffic returning to normal levels immediately. If theaters are closed for three months, but traffic builds slowly, that number could be in the $6.36 billion range. [The story.]( +Universal bumps Nobody release, delays M. Night Shyamalan's untitled film. Universal is delaying the theatrical release of Bob Odenkirk action-thriller Nobody from Aug. 14, 2020 to Feb. 26, 2021. The movie's new home used to be occupied by an untitled thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, which has been undated for now. [More](. ^Disney stock downgraded over dim theme park forecast. Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall says the studio's theme parks division will take two years to return to normal attendance amid the COVID-19 crisis. "We don't think Parks can get back to anything close to full capacity until testing and/or vaccines are far more ubiquitous," Cahall told investors. [The story](. +Bob Iger says Disney may check guests' temperatures when parks reopen. "One of the things that we’re discussing already is that in order to return to some semblance of normal, people will have to feel comfortable that they’re safe," Iger told Barron's. "Some of that could come in the form, ultimately, of a vaccine, but in the absence of that it could come from basically, more scrutiny, more restrictions. Just as we now do bag checks for everybody that goes into our parks, it could be that at some point we add a component of that that takes people’s temperatures, as a for-instance." [More](. ►CBS sets movie night to shore up primetime slate. The network will air five beloved theatrical films Sunday nights in May, all of which come from Paramount Pictures, which like the broadcast net is part of the recently merged ViacomCBS. The films, which kick off with Raiders of the Lost Ark on May 3, will also help CBS fill out its schedule as its Sunday dramas — God Friended Me, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans — shut down a few episodes short of finishing their seasons amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. [The story](. +Israeli spy drama Tehran eyes U.S. deal as virus crisis triggers TV pipeline shortage. "With so many productions in lockdown, streamers and networks are looking for new ready-to-go dramas with international appeal. At the same time, viewers around the world are looking for escape and over-the-edge of their couches excitement, which is exactly what Tehran provides." [More](. ►E3 will not host an online replacement event in 2020. "Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences." [The story](. +Annecy Animation Festival 2020 canceled due to coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 edition, set to be Annecy's 60th anniversary, was scheduled to run June 15-20. Instead, the event will be held June 14-19, 2021. [More](. In other coronavirus-related news... --MSNBC [keeps airing]( Trump press briefings despite host criticisms. --First Look Media's Field of Vision and Topic Studios, producer of the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, [have launched]( a $250,000 relief fund offering emergency grants to freelancers in the documentary field severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. --The Pulitzer Prize Board [will postpone]( the announcement of this year's winners because some board members have been busy covering the global coronavirus outbreak, the organization announced Tuesday. --In order to raise money for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency response fund, a number of entertainers including Billy Porter, Andy Cohen and Cynthia Erivo [are gathering]( for a virtual Passover Seder to be streamed online. Obituaries: Americana legend and revered singer-songwriter [John Prine]( has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 73... [Allen Garfield](, the New Jersey character actor who specialized in playing nervous types while appearing in such films as The Conversation, The Candidate, The Stunt Man and Nashville, has died. He was 80... Film and TV music producer [Hal Willner](, who worked many years on Saturday Night Live, has died apparently due to coronavirus complications. He was 64... Comedian [Victor "Vic" Henley](, a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony radio show, has died, according to his niece. He was 57... [Farewell 'Modern Family'] Farewell 'Modern Family' ►Modern Family co-creator: My big, soggy goodbye. After 250 episodes and 22 Emmys, the ABC comedy that revitalized the genre ends with more ripped-from-home tales, emotional moments and a now spectacularly unsafe group hug, writes Christopher Lloyd in a guest column for THR. Quote: "We debuted in 2009, when comedy was tilting heavily toward the cynical. In stand-up, as in scripted comedy, the premium seemed to be on shock value and pushing the envelope. And much of it was terribly funny. But there did seem to be an opening for comedy that had heart. Cheap sentimentality was to be avoided just as cheap jokes were, but genuine, earned emotional moments seemed to give our audience a nutritional value they craved. An early byword for me was: 'Give them laughs and they’ll stay, give them heart and they’ll come back.'" [The column](. ►Critic's notebook: Schitt's Creek bows out with a touching — and timely — tribute to perseverance. The left-field small-screen sensation went out on a high note, with a last episode that offered satisfying closure and a touching hint of topicality, Inkoo Kang writes. Quote: "The show has been noted widely for its particular mix of gooey warmth and sardonic wit, but the uncertainty of these times might make it an ideal rewatch option. Reversing the sitcom trope of a naive protagonist newly arrived in the big city, Schitt's Creek, in landing the Roses in a small town they initially find dreadfully provincial, offers hope that anyone, with an open-enough heart, can start over again anywhere, and find friendship, romance, community, a sense of purpose, even polyamorous throuples, there." [The notebook](. +Schitt's Creek creator Dan Levy on the series finale ending, spinoffs and what's next. The actor and co-creator of the family comedy (alongside his dad, Eugene Levy) looks back on working with his family on the groundbreaking sitcom, why it had to end when and how it did and shares his thoughts on revisiting the oddly named town.[The interview](. ►MGM buys Ridley Scott's Gucci film with Lady Gaga set to star. The studio beat out Netflix and at least one other streamer for the project about the machinations behind the fabled fashion house. MGM won out partly because it offered the opportunity for a theatrical release, a key appeal for Scott, according to sources. [More](. Three significant revolving door moves... +Pam Abdy joins MGM as motion picture group president. Abdy will oversee development, production and postproduction for all MGM and Orion films, reporting to Michael De Luca, who was appointed chairman of MGM’s film group in January. The move is the latest from De Luca as he puts his stamp on the storied company with a series of high-profile acquisitions and as he brings in new executives into the fold. [The story](. +Tom Ascheim steps down as Freeform president. Sources tell THR's Lesley Goldberg that Ascheim, who was expected to renew his deal, has another post lined up that should be announced shortly. A replacement has not yet been determined. [More](. --Where's he going? Ascheim has signed on to serve as president of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics at WarnerMedia. He will be charged with overseeing Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim. [More](. +Stephanie Grisham out as White House press secretary. She will be replaced by Kayleigh McEnany, a former CNN contributor who has served as nation press secretary for President Trump's re-election campaign.[More](. ►Critic's notebook: What Norman Lloyd can teach us about the coronavirus crisis. The 105-year-old stage and screen vet lived through times of harrowing national struggle but always emerged creatively stronger, writes THR’s chief film critic Todd McCarthy writes. Quote: "For Norman and many others, these worst of times, with the poverty, social distress and the rise of fascism in Europe, were also the best of times; every day was demanding and uncertain, but could also thrilling and rewarding. The winds of change, social experimentation and creative excitement were in the air, as was the sense of people all being in the struggle together." [The column](. Post Malone's hit "Circles" has sparked a bicoastal legal battle with a songwriter who claims he co-wrote the song and has been denied credit and compensation. Tyler Armes on Tuesday sued Austin Post, publicly known as Post Malone, producer Frank Dukes and Universal Music Group. Armes says in August 2018 he "spent hours in the studio jamming with Post and Dukes and ultimately co-writing the song 'Circles.'" [The story](. ►TV ratings: The season finale of NBC's Manifest drew its largest same-day audience since its premiere in January and helped NBC lead all three hours of primetime among adults 18-49. CBS' lineup also recorded more solid ratings, while ABC and Fox aired mostly repeats. [The numbers](. +Wheel of Fortune, Dr. Oz score big ratings gains during quarantines. A host of syndicated shows post double-digit increases in the second half of March. [More](. In other news... --Netflix's Space Force [has enlisted]( Friends grad Lisa Kudrow. The streamer also revealed Wednesday that the comedy — one of the most anticipated scripted shows of 2020 — would premiere Friday, May 29. --China's Starlight Media and David Steward II’s growing indie studio Lion Forge Animation [have entered]( into a joint venture partnership that will involved the two companies co-financing and co-producing a slate of animated shorts and feature films --R. Kelly will remain behind bars, with the singer [being denied release]( Tuesday. The accused sex offender was seeking release, stating he was afraid for his life due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Kelly was seeking an order granting him temporary release or a bail hearing. Both were denied. --Amblin Partners is [developing a feature film]([based]( on the life of Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs, a woman wrongfully convicted of murder who is later freed and starts a center to assist exonerees. What else we're reading... --"‘It hits you.’ Lester Holt on anchoring the evening news amid coronavirus crisis" [[LA Times](] --"CNN buys Canopy, maker of news-reader app" [[WSJ](] --"Apple, Amazon, and common enemies" [[Stratechery](] --"The most-watched show in America is a moral failure" [[The Atlantic](] Today's birthdays: Vivienne Westwood, 79, Julian Lennon, 57, Patricia Arquette, 52, Robin Wright, 54, Biz Markie, 56. Farewell 'Modern Family' ►Modern Family co-creator: My big, soggy goodbye. After 250 episodes and 22 Emmys, the ABC comedy that revitalized the genre ends with more ripped-from-home tales, emotional moments and a now spectacularly unsafe group hug, writes Christopher Lloyd in a guest column for THR. Quote: "We debuted in 2009, when comedy was tilting heavily toward the cynical. In stand-up, as in scripted comedy, the premium seemed to be on shock value and pushing the envelope. And much of it was terribly funny. But there did seem to be an opening for comedy that had heart. Cheap sentimentality was to be avoided just as cheap jokes were, but genuine, earned emotional moments seemed to give our audience a nutritional value they craved. An early byword for me was: 'Give them laughs and they’ll stay, give them heart and they’ll come back.'" [The column](. ►Critic's notebook: Schitt's Creek bows out with a touching — and timely — tribute to perseverance. The left-field small-screen sensation went out on a high note, with a last episode that offered satisfying closure and a touching hint of topicality, Inkoo Kang writes. Quote: "The show has been noted widely for its particular mix of gooey warmth and sardonic wit, but the uncertainty of these times might make it an ideal rewatch option. Reversing the sitcom trope of a naive protagonist newly arrived in the big city, Schitt's Creek, in landing the Roses in a small town they initially find dreadfully provincial, offers hope that anyone, with an open-enough heart, can start over again anywhere, and find friendship, romance, community, a sense of purpose, even polyamorous throuples, there." [The notebook](. +Schitt's Creek creator Dan Levy on the series finale ending, spinoffs and what's next. The actor and co-creator of the family comedy (alongside his dad, Eugene Levy) looks back on working with his family on the groundbreaking sitcom, why it had to end when and how it did and shares his thoughts on revisiting the oddly named town.[The interview](. ►MGM buys Ridley Scott's Gucci film with Lady Gaga set to star. The studio beat out Netflix and at least one other streamer for the project about the machinations behind the fabled fashion house. MGM won out partly because it offered the opportunity for a theatrical release, a key appeal for Scott, according to sources. [More](. Three significant revolving door moves... +Pam Abdy joins MGM as motion picture group president. Abdy will oversee development, production and postproduction for all MGM and Orion films, reporting to Michael De Luca, who was appointed chairman of MGM’s film group in January. The move is the latest from De Luca as he puts his stamp on the storied company with a series of high-profile acquisitions and as he brings in new executives into the fold. [The story](. +Tom Ascheim steps down as Freeform president. Sources tell THR's Lesley Goldberg that Ascheim, who was expected to renew his deal, has another post lined up that should be announced shortly. A replacement has not yet been determined. [More](. --Where's he going? Ascheim has signed on to serve as president of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics at WarnerMedia. He will be charged with overseeing Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim. [More](. +Stephanie Grisham out as White House press secretary. She will be replaced by Kayleigh McEnany, a former CNN contributor who has served as nation press secretary for President Trump's re-election campaign.[More](. ►Critic's notebook: What Norman Lloyd can teach us about the coronavirus crisis. The 105-year-old stage and screen vet lived through times of harrowing national struggle but always emerged creatively stronger, writes THR’s chief film critic Todd McCarthy writes. Quote: "For Norman and many others, these worst of times, with the poverty, social distress and the rise of fascism in Europe, were also the best of times; every day was demanding and uncertain, but could also thrilling and rewarding. The winds of change, social experimentation and creative excitement were in the air, as was the sense of people all being in the struggle together." [The column](. Post Malone's hit "Circles" has sparked a bicoastal legal battle with a songwriter who claims he co-wrote the song and has been denied credit and compensation. Tyler Armes on Tuesday sued Austin Post, publicly known as Post Malone, producer Frank Dukes and Universal Music Group. Armes says in August 2018 he "spent hours in the studio jamming with Post and Dukes and ultimately co-writing the song 'Circles.'" [The story](. ►TV ratings: The season finale of NBC's Manifest drew its largest same-day audience since its premiere in January and helped NBC lead all three hours of primetime among adults 18-49. CBS' lineup also recorded more solid ratings, while ABC and Fox aired mostly repeats. [The numbers](. +Wheel of Fortune, Dr. Oz score big ratings gains during quarantines. A host of syndicated shows post double-digit increases in the second half of March. [More](. In other news... --Netflix's Space Force [has enlisted]( Friends grad Lisa Kudrow. The streamer also revealed Wednesday that the comedy — one of the most anticipated scripted shows of 2020 — would premiere Friday, May 29. --China's Starlight Media and David Steward II’s growing indie studio Lion Forge Animation [have entered]( into a joint venture partnership that will involved the two companies co-financing and co-producing a slate of animated shorts and feature films --R. Kelly will remain behind bars, with the singer [being denied release]( Tuesday. The accused sex offender was seeking release, stating he was afraid for his life due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Kelly was seeking an order granting him temporary release or a bail hearing. Both were denied. --Amblin Partners is [developing a feature film]([based]( on the life of Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs, a woman wrongfully convicted of murder who is later freed and starts a center to assist exonerees. What else we're reading... --"‘It hits you.’ Lester Holt on anchoring the evening news amid coronavirus crisis" [[LA Times](] --"CNN buys Canopy, maker of news-reader app" [[WSJ](] --"Apple, Amazon, and common enemies" [[Stratechery](] --"The most-watched show in America is a moral failure" [[The Atlantic](] Today's birthdays: Vivienne Westwood, 79, Julian Lennon, 57, Patricia Arquette, 52, Robin Wright, 54, Biz Markie, 56. [Image] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( Is this e-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2020 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. APRIL 08, 2020 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [TERMS OF USE](