Ali Wong on 'Beef,' Divorce and Stand-Up; 'Lord of the Rings' Battle Revs Up; VFX Workers' Union Effort; AMC Theatres' Revenues Fall; 'Daisy Jones' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( March 01, 2023 What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is stand-up, actress and writer Ali Wong. Ricou Browning, known for Creature From the Black Lagoon, dies at 93. Courtenay Valenti closes a deal to join Amazon and MGM as head of film. WGA West exec David Young takes a medical leave of absence amid upcoming contract negotiations. Deadpool's Karan Soni joins Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. — [Ryan Gajewski]( Ali Wong Gets Dramatic ►On the cover. Ali Wong, whose life changed with the success of her breakout 2016 Netflix special Baby Cobra, is back at the streamer for A24's dark comedy series Beef, in which she stars opposite Oscar nominee Steven Yeun. Wong, also known for starring in 2019 rom-com Always Be My Maybe, which she co-wrote, talks to THR's [Rebecca Sun]( about the emotional Beef shoot, navigating life as a divorced mom of two and her planned return to the stand-up stage: "Whatever happens, I'm in my first trimester of life right now." [The cover story.]( —More than three decades at Warner Bros. under her belt. Veteran Hollywood movie executive Courtenay Valenti has closed a deal to take on the role of head of film, streaming and theatrical for Amazon Studios and MGM as the e-commerce giant expands its footprint in the movie space. Talk of her pending hire was first reported at the end of January, capping months of speculation as to who would take the job now that Amazon owns MGM. Valenti will report directly to Amazon and MGM Studios chief Jennifer Salke. [The story.]( —"We're pretty well-positioned as it relates to the strike." Endeavor Group Holdings, the owner of WME, UFC, IMG and other ventures, reported revenue of $1.26 billion in its fourth-quarter earnings, reflecting growth at its three operating units: owned sports, events and experiences, and representation. The company once again reported a loss in the quarter, of $226 million, though Endeavor notes that it also made $500 million in discretionary debt payments, bringing its leverage from $5.43 billion to $5.17 billion. [The story.]( —"We're not talking about transforming the industry all at once." After an organizing push for VFX workers failed a decade ago, IATSE organizers — brandishing a survey in which pros say they face unpaid overtime and have few options for carryover health care — think the time is right again. THR's [Katie Kilkenny]( and [Carolyn Giardina]( report on the latest unionization effort amid the VFX community. [The story](. 'Lord of the Rings' Battle Revs Up ►"It's a sign of desperation." Warner Bros. Discovery is getting back into the Lord of the Rings fray and hopes to woo back Peter Jackson for more film installments. But tackling the precious IP comes with risks. THR's [James Hibberd]( writes that, as Amazon bets big on its $1 billion The Rings of Power series, insiders worry that J.R.R. Tolkien's franchise can't sustain two rival visions. [The story.]( —"Native Twitter is going to light it up — not in a good way." James Cameron is no longer the only creator in Hollywood getting to tell tales of Indigenous struggle, survival and triumph. THR's [Rebecca Sun]( and [Abbey White]( spoke with Native industry insiders about how the media landscape for the community has shifted in recent years and the role that social media has played. [The story.]( —On Patrol: Live will stream live on Peacock. Reelz Channel is coming to Peacock. The niche cable channel will bring its live linear feed and on-demand programming to NBCUniversal's streaming service beginning Wednesday. Reelz Channel's biggest show is On Patrol: Live, a police reality show that can trace its origins to the canceled A+E series Live PD. [The story.]( —Surprise change. In an unexpected development that could have major effects on upcoming talks, the Writers Guild announced that its assistant executive director Ellen Stutzman will take over as chief negotiator for the guild's 2023 minimum basic agreement negotiations. WGA West executive director David Young, who previously served in that role, is taking a medical leave of absence. [The story.]( AMC Theatres Quarterly Loss Increases to $287M ►"Our success can literally vaporize in an instant." Despite box office grosses from Avatar: The Way of Water and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever during the holiday period, AMC Entertainment Holdings has seen its fourth-quarter revenues fall and its net loss rise on a non-cash impairment write-down. The parent of AMC Theatres reported fourth-quarter revenues at $990.9 million, down from a year-earlier $1.17 billion. [The story.]( —"Great stories are the lifeblood of our company." Dana Walden has solidified her senior executive team. Following the early February news that she was being upped to co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, Walden has streamlined her reporting structure with both John Landgraf and Simran Sethi adding responsibilities. [The story.]( —"Who they were beyond their glamorous Hollywood personas." Sotheby's auction house is readying a sale of more than 300 items from the collection of Paul Newman, who died in 2008 at age 83, and his wife of 50 years, 93-year-old Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward. THR's [Degen Pener]( has the scoop on the collection, titled "The World of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman," which encompasses objects that provide a window into both the professional and personal lives of the couple. [The story.]( TV Review: 'Daisy Jones & The Six' ►"A good show, not a great one." THR's [Angie Han]( reviews Amazon's adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel Daisy Jones & The Six. Riley Keough and Sam Claflin star in the series about a fictional band in the 1970s Los Angeles rock scene. [The review.]( —"It's a trifle, not a blockbuster." THR's chief TV critic [Daniel Fienberg]( reviews CBS' adaptation of True Lies. The smash 1994 spy comedy gets a small-screen adaptation with Steve Howey stepping in for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ginger Gonzaga taking the Jamie Lee Curtis role. [The review.]( —"Very much in the vein of what Brooks delivered." Daniel also reviews Hulu's History of the World, Part II. The series sequel to Mel Brooks' 1981 film features Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes among its writer-producer-stars. [The review.]( —"This could build a cult following." THR critic [Leslie Felperin]( reviews White Plastic Sky. The sci-fi rotoscoped animated feature from filmmakers Tibor Banoczki and Sarolta Szabo bowed in Berlin. [The review.]( 'Quantumania' Star David Dastmalchian on His New Role ►"I was in a dark, dark place." Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Veb needed David Dastmalchian, and it turns out that he needed Veb more than anyone might realize. THR's [Brian Davids]( talks to the actor about returning to the Marvel franchise as a new character, in addition to his massive 2023 slate that includes a reunion with his The Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan, on Oppenheimer. [The interview.]( In other news... —Hasbro launches [Clue immersive Instagram murder mystery game series]( —Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse [enlists Deadpool actor Karan Soni]( —Nick Kroll calls putting together History of the World, Part II ["one of the highlights of my life"]( —Evan Rachel Wood denies pressuring [Marilyn Manson accuser who recanted]( —Peter Pan & Wendy trailer sees the [Darling siblings return to Neverland]( What else we're reading... —In light of Cocaine Bear, Nadira Goffee interviews a toxicologist to find out what really happens if you eat a spoonful of cocaine — and you're 12 [[Slate]( —Bethy Squires chats with the Party Down premiere-party caterers to get their take on the Starz show's verisimilitude [[Vulture]( —Christopher A. Daniel writes that hip-hop is reinventing itself with the help of symphony orchestras [[Andscape]( —Hattie Lindert wonders what happened to Outer Banks' signature teenage kicks and, well, pure horniness [[AV Club]( —John Jurgensen chats with the comedy community about Chris Rock's upcoming live Netflix special, which he deems a rare commodity: "a stand-up special with a timely hook" [[WSJ]( Today... Today's birthdays: Lupita Nyong'o (40), Javier Bardem (54), Ron Howard (69), Zack Snyder (57), Justin Bieber (29), Jensen Ackles (45), Cara Buono (49), Harry Belafonte (96), Jack Davenport (50), Tim Daly (67), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (49), Ma Dong-seok (52), Kesha (36), Catherine Bach (69), Zach Cregger (42), Don Lemon (57), Daniella Monet (34), Roger Daltrey (79) Ricou Browning, who took to the water as the menacing Gill-Man in Creature From the Black Lagoon and as the creative force behind the original Flipper movie and TV show, has died. He was 93. [The obituary.]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](mailto:tips@thr.com?subject=). This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. Please add email@email.hollywoodreporter.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 11175 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 [View in Browser]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Your Privacy Rights]( | [Ad Choices]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Unsubscribe](