TikTok Appeal Denied, ‘Cross’ Reaches 40M Viewers and How Anti-Trans Rhetoric Impacts Hollywood

Plus: Netflix’s Christmas movie blitz finds heart in silliness, WWE discovers next generation of wrestling superstars and ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ casts ‘Anora’ breakout [TikTok Ban Looms in US as Federal Court Denies Appeal]( By Josh Dickey TikTok lost its appeal to a proposed ban in the United States, as a federal court on Friday upheld the Jan. 19 deadline for the Chinese-owned social media app to either sell its American interests or shut down altogether. A panel of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s request to dismiss the new law, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, which takes effect the day before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Trump has supported the app, but halting the ban schedule would be nearly impossible for the incoming President. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross in "Cross" (Prime Video)]( [‘Cross’ Reaches 40 Million Viewers in First 20 Days on Prime Video]( By Andi Ortiz Prime Video’s new series “Cross,” adapted from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series, has rapidly become a hit for the streamer, officially earning more than 40 million viewers globally in its first 20 days. With that, it’s become the sixth most-watched season ever on the streamer. It was also the third most-watched series premiere of the year for Prime Video, behind only “Fallout” and “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trans media representation]( [Anti-Trans Rhetoric Helped Trump Retake the White House – What Effect Will It Have on Hollywood?]( By Sharon Knolle Anti-transgender rhetoric may have helped hand the presidency back to Donald Trump — his campaign spent $215 million on ads calling out Kamala Harris’ support for the trans community — but how big of an impact will that have in Hollywood? Since the election, two major media companies have taken steps that indicate the industry is backing away from support of trans issues. Last month, animators reacted with dismay to the news that Disney pulled a trans-centric episode of the Marvel animated series “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.” And HBO threw its support behind vocal trans opponent J.K. Rowling, an executive producer on the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series, saying the author had “a right to express her personal views” and would be significantly involved in the show. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [How Netflix's Christmas Movie Blitz Found Heart in Silliness, From Sexy Snowmen to Male Strippers]( [Triple H, Undertaker]( [Triple H, Undertaker Seek the Next Generation of Wrestling Superstars in 'WWE LFG' Competition Series]( [Mark Eydelshteyn]( ['Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Casts 'Anora' Breakout Mark Eydelshteyn as Mr. Smith in Season 2]( [Carlos King (Chris Smith/TheWrap)]( [Oprah Winfrey's Go-To Reality TV Producer Carlos King Says a Show's Success 'Lives and Dies' by Its Cast]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [WrapPRO logo] Discover why entertainment executives and professionals rely on the WrapPRO platform daily for exclusive coverage, analysis, deeper reporting, and access to VIP events & screenings throughout the year. [Subscribe Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( TheWrap | 2034 Armacost Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo](