Disney Sues DeSantis; Gripping 'Oppenheimer' Footage Hits CinemaCon; Behind Harry Belafonte's Artistry and Activism; 'Fatal Attraction' and 'Citadel' Reviews

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( April 27, 2023 What's news: Tucker Carlson has spoken for the first time since his exit from Fox News. Peacock has nearly 22m subscribers. Amazon has ordered a ballet drama series from the creators of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Joel Kinnaman will star in Neill Blomkamp's They Found Us. Dakota Fanning will lead Ishana Night Shyamalan's The Watchers. — [Abid Rahman]( Disney Sues DeSantis Over Florida Special District ►Escalation. Disney has filed a lawsuit claiming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had subjected the company to "a targeted campaign of government retaliation." The entertainment giant wants a Florida court to overturn state efforts to exert control over the Walt Disney World special district. The suit is the latest move in an increasingly fractious feud between DeSantis and Disney that began when the company opposed the governor's “don’t say gay” laws. The story. [The story.]( —"Obviously, a tough moment." Less than a week after the company announced that it was ousting NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell over a claim of sexual harassment, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts addressed his departure on the company’s quarterly earnings call. He also praised Comcast president Mike Cavanagh, who will assume more direct control over NBCU in the wake of Shell’s exit. [The story.]( —Good and bad news. Peacock booked a loss of more than $700m in the first quarter of this year, but the NBCU streaming service saw jumps in both revenue and subscriber numbers. In Q1 of 2023, Peacock boasted nearly 22m total streaming subscribers, up an impressive 60 percent year-on-year, with revenue jumping 45 percent to $685m for the same period. [The results.]( —Broadcasting from his shed. Tucker Carlson broke his silence on Wednesday evening, making his first public comments since his shock exit from Fox News on Monday. In a vague, more-than-two-minute video posted to his Twitter, the former host of Tucker Carlson Tonight talked about the support he had received in the aftermath of his ouster. The clip was short on details and Carlson was careful not to address the slew of recent media reports about why he was fired from the cable news giant. [The story.]( —"I live my life with no regrets and whatever I did, I did, I owned." Don Lemon also appeared in public on Wednesday night, just days after he was fired by CNN. The former CNN This Morning co-anchor took to the red carpet at the Time 100 gala and explained that while the departure was a surprise, it’s behind him now. [The story.]( —Changing it up. THR's Scott Feinberg has the scoop on Schmigadoon!, Apple TV+'s acclaimed musical-comedy show, being repositioned in the Emmys race. The streamer has submitted the show not in the comedy series race in which it competed in its first go-around, but instead in the scripted variety series category that was created last Dec. 20. [The story.]( Gripping 'Oppenheimer' Footage Hits CinemaCon ►"I’ve assembled the most incredible cast and the finest technicians." Christopher Nolan’s introduction of his upcoming film Oppenheimer at CinemaCon on Wednesday didn’t disappoint. The Brit filmmaker got a hero’s welcome from theater owners, who cheered as he walked onstage. The pulse-pounding footage looked at a moment in history Nolan was particularly interested in: when J. Robert Oppenheimer knew that testing the atomic bomb might ignite the atmosphere and destroy the world, but he hit the button anyway. [The story.]( —"I don’t know who’s whistling, but thanks." The astonishing box office success of The Super Movie Bros. has infused this year’s CinemaCon with a sense of optimism, so it was no surprise when Donna Langley, chair of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, received a resounding round of applause, plus whoops and hollers, when taking the stage Wednesday. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( reports that Universal’s presentation underscored Langley’s ability to build a varied slate of films spanning all genres and budgets. [The story.]( —"They are creating an entire world I know will dazzle your screens." Among the highlights of Universal's presentation was a first-look at Jon M. Chu's highly anticipated two-part musical Wicked. The footage was received with applause from theater owners, who were treated to looks at flying monkeys and an immersive Emerald City. [The story.]( —"Thank you for riding with me for a quarter of a century." Introducing Fast X, Vin Diesel had the CinemaCon audience laughing and cheering with off-script moments as he thanked theater owners for their support over the years for the Fast franchise. [The story.]( More from Universal's CinemaCon presentation... —The Exorcist: Believer [conjures first trailer]( —Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and David Leitch [tease Fall Guy]( —Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks [lead Illumination’s Migration voice cast]( —Jack Black, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake [tease Kung Fu Panda and Trolls sequels]( Melissa McCarthy's Ursula Makes Waves at CinemaCon ►"Ursula is dishy, she’s a conniving broad." The Little Mermaid star Melissa McCarthy wowed CinemaCon, as a clip of the actress singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" was played to attendees. The scene featuring McCarthy, who plays the villainous Ursula in the film, was well received in the room and also provided glimpses of Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs). [The story.]( —"This is a big-screen, must-see movie event." A new action sequence from Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny debuted during Disney's presentation. The footage was introduced by star Harrison Ford via a recorded message that played on the Colosseum’s big screen. The preview footage comes just weeks ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. [The story.]( —A long hard look. Disney previewed 20 minutes of Pixar’s Elemental on Wednesday, ahead of its May 27 world premiere at Cannes and June 16 theatrical release. The footage was screened in 3D and showed off Element City. [The story.]( —Limbo. Jonathan Majors’ Magazine Dreams was a no-show at CinemaCon. Searchlight and Disney steered clear of any mention of the film during the studio's presentation. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( writes that normally, Searchlight would have used the industry event to promote the movie, which is scheduled for a Dec. 8 release in theaters during the heart of awards season. [The story.]( More from Disney's CinemaCon presentation... —Marvel [shows off Guardians 3 footage, The Marvels trailer]( —Chris Pine [joins Wish voice cast]( —Disney [teases extended spooky scene of Haunted Mansion]( Ailing 'Superman' Star Valerie Perrine Finally Finds Her Hero ►"The guy should be sainted." THR's [Seth Abramovich]( writes that few lived the Hollywood dream as fully as the showgirl-turned-Oscar nominee Valerie Perrine, who starred in Lenny, The Electric Horseman and the first two Superman films. But now the star-studded party's over, the money's gone, and all that's left is the devotion of another Hollywood dreamer. [The story.]( —"I think I’m a little too old for Coachella." Seth also spoke to Diplo with the superstar DJ opening up on aging out of music festivals and his new country album, released under his real name Thomas Wesley. Diplo also reveals what inspired him to take LSD before running the L.A. marathon. [The interview.]( —"I had a complete break with reality and became very dissociated." Kevin Smith says he spent a month in a treatment facility last January after having a mental health crisis. In a new interview, the Clerks filmmaker revealed how therapy helped him understand that a number of childhood interactions he experienced were a form of sexual abuse. [The story.]( —Big changes. Paul Cheesbrough will take over as CEO of the newly created Tubi Media Group at Fox Corp. The division will include all of Fox’s stand-alone digital businesses, which include the free, ad-supported streamer Tubi; Credible and Blockchain Creative Labs; as well as the digital platforms and teams that support Fox’s sports, news and entertainment divisions. Farhad Massoudi, founder and CEO of Tubi, will step down, but remain with the company through a transition period until the end of June. [The story.]( —Backing Britain. Netflix has announced three new U.K. commissions while also trumpeting its $1.5b per year spend in the country. At an event in London, the streamer unveiled two new series and a feature film. The series Black Doves comes from in-demand writer Joe Barton and stars Keira Knightley. Department Q is an eight-part detective series based on the novels of Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen with Scott Frank directing. Netflix also announced a sequel to the film Bank of Dave. [The story.]( 'Dead Ringers' Stars on Their Complicity in the Ending ►"I guess I have two versions of [the ending] in my mind." THR's [Jackie Strause]( spoke to Dead Ringers stars Jennifer Ehle and Emily Meade about the complex finale of the Amazon Prime Video series. The 1923 and The Deuce stars unpack their characters and discuss their complicity in the Mantle legacy, as is revealed in their final scene. Warning: Spoilers! [The review.]( —On to a good thing. Amazon is pushing deeper into its animated Batman universe. The streamer has officially confirmed its previously reported two-season order for Matt Reeves, J.J. Abrams and Bruce Timm’s animated Batman: Caped Crusader series. Additionally, Amazon has picked up an original animated film, Merry Little Batman, and an animated spinoff series, Bat-Family, both of which — like Caped Crusader — hail from Warner Bros. Animation and DC. [The story.]( —No rest for the wicked. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino have formalized their next series under their overall deal with Amazon. The duo have scored a two-season, straight-to-series order for Étoile, a drama set in the world of ballet that is set to reunite them with Maisel favorite Luke Kirby and Gideon Glick. The series, which is set in New York and Paris, also stars Camille Cottin, Simon Callow, Lou de Laâge and David Alvarez. [The story.]( —Mixed bag. Meta said it took a $523m hit during Q1 related to the company’s latest round of layoffs, announced in March, that is expected to impact 10,000 staffers working across its apps and VR/AR divisions. As for total revenue, Meta beat its forecasts for Q1, bringing in $28.56b to start the year. But net income continued to decline, with Q1 seeing a 24 percent drop to land at $5.71b. [The results.]( —🤝 Content deal 🤝 Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming plans in India have come into focus. The company unveiled a multi-year deal Thursday with Viacom18 that will make the Indian entertainment giant’s JioCinema streaming platform the new online home of thousands of hours of film and TV content from HBO, Max and Warner Bros. The partnership, which begins in May. [The story.]( Behind Harry Belafonte's Artistry and Activism ►A lonely kid longing for connection. THR's arts and culture critic [Lovia Gyarkye]( reflects on the late Harry Belafonte's career, which was defined in equal parts by his work on and off the stage — and shaped by his experiences as a Black boy in both America and Jamaica. [The critic's notebook.]( —I want it all. Freddie Mercury’s personal possessions are going up for auction. Sotheby’s said Wednesday that a monthlong exhibition running from Aug. 4 to Sept. 5 will display more than 1,500 items from the late Queen frontman’s home in West London. The auction will take place Sept. 6-8. Items in the sale will include Mercury’s handwritten lyrics to "We Are the Champions" and "Killer Queen," a mustache comb, the waistcoat worn in his final video "These Are the Days Of Our Lives" and his art collection. [The story.]( —🎭 They found him 🎭 Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman has signed on to play the lead in They Found Us, an alien abduction thriller from Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium). Kinnaman will play a father who takes his daughter on a camping trip in the Utah wilderness, where they are attacked by a hostile extraterrestrial beast. Blomkamp will direct from an original script by Jeremy Slater. AGC Studios is fully financing the film, which will shoot in Australia later this year. [The story.]( —🎭 Bad girl 🎭 THR's [Alex Ritman]( has the scoop on Melanie Liburd joining the cast of Sony's Bad Boys 4. The Brit actress is known for television roles in This Is Us and Power Book II: Ghost. Liburd, who plays a character called Christine in Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah's film, is understood to have scored a leading role. [The story.]( —🎭 Lead in place 🎭 Dakota Fanning will star in The Watchers, the directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of director M. Night Shyamalan. Fanning will play Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. Shyamalan also wrote the supernatural thriller, which landed at New Line after a bidding war. [The story.]( TV Review: 'Citadel' ►"Neither a disaster nor a gamechanger." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews Amazon's Citadel. Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden play members of a secretive and endangered spy organization in the long-in-development thriller from the Russo brothers. [The review.]( —"Unlike Alex Forrest, it's likely going to be ignored." Dan reviews Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction. Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan step into Michael Douglas and Glenn Close's shoes in this eight-part series expansion of Adrian Lyne's 1987 blockbuster. [The review.]( In other news... —Black Mirror [sets S6 return, reveals cast and teaser trailer]( —And Just Like That [S2 reveals Aidan’s return in first trailer]( —Taika Waititi’s [Next Goal Wins scores first trailer]( —Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s [reunion causes chaos in first trailer for Apple’s Platonic]( —Hercule Poirot gets spooked in trailer for [Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice]( —Daytime Emmys: [General Hospital leads 2023 nominations]( —Daniel Radcliffe [and girlfriend Erin Darke welcome their first child]( —Imax [signs 8-theater deal with EVO Entertainment]( —Sony Pictures Television [hires Big Talk’s Matthew Justice to lead U.K., Europe]( What else we're reading... —Sarah E. Needleman looks at what's next for Microsoft and Activision Blizzard after the U.K. competition regulator rejected the deal [[WSJ]( —Patrick Reevell and Tim Watson report that Russian cinemas continue to show Disney movies despite a boycott over Ukraine war [[ABC News]( —Anna Nicolaou and Daniel Thomas write that Tucker Carlson's exit caps a chaotic year for Rupert Murdoch’s Fox [[FT]( —Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins report that the far right is lamenting Carlson's ouster and the loss of its shot at the mainstream [[NBC News]( —Sophia Ankel has an exposé on Instagram meat guy Salt Bae, with former employees at his restaurant group spilling on tip theft, discrimination and polyester uniforms [[Insider]( Today... Today's birthdays: Lizzo (35), Sally Hawkins (47), Matt Reeves (57), Jenna Coleman (37), Patrick Page (61), Darren Barnet (32), Anouk Aimée (91), Rachel Morrison (45), Russell T. Davies (60 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿), [Sheena Easton]( (64), Cristian Mungiu (55), Jillian Bach (50), Jon Cassar (65), Xavier Gens (48), Ace Frehley (72), Froy Gutierrez (25), Ari Graynor (40), Anna Chancellor (58), Emily Rios (34), William Moseley (36), Siobhan Finneran (57), Kevin McNally (67), Jamie Gray Hyder (38), Sofia Kappel (25), David Lascher (51), Anna Skellern (38), Laura Ortiz (36), Patrick Stump (39), Janelle Marra (44), Kate Pierson (75) 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. 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