The Oscars race is wide open
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Coming. The Academy Ughs. A small red carpet will lead directly to
the can. But only to the ladies’ room — because it’s fie and foo to our
male foes.We’re up in arms (covered after a certain age) and once female slow-learners learn sex without Tom, Dick or Irving, it’s gone with that whole masculine tribe. Delivering packages? Mailwomen. Redoing a kitchen? Contractorettes. Changing homes and need moving men? Moving ladies. Eff all those moves dudes were making.
And toilets with unmovable seats? Freedom!
Which, for some reason, brings up this year’s really quiet Oscars.
“The Shape of Water.” Specialists, crabbing that awards now have nothing to do with content, say the win’s fishy. Might swim with the sharks. Not everyone’s insane for a film about a fish. The thing’s staying quiet, and so’s Sally Hawkins.
Frances McDormand? Great triple threat starting back in those “Fargo” days, but those who know — not me — say being unglamorous doesn’t help the top prize.
Ryan Murphy Inks Giant Deal With Netflix
by
Another mega TV producer is leaving a longtime studio home to head to Netflix. In what is believed to be the biggest TV pact ever, Ryan Murphy, an Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning producer, director and writer, has signed an overall deal with Netflix, which could reach as high as $300 million, sources said. It starts July 1.
Under the five-year agreement, called “the deal of a lifetime for an artist of a lifetime” by one industry insider, Murphy and his Ryan Murphy Productions will produce new series and films exclusively at Netflix. Murphy is moving to Netflix, which also is home of top broadcast drama showrunner Shonda Rhimes, after a long stint at 20th Century Fox TV. He was one of the biggest names on the talent roster of the studio, which is poised to become part of Disney as part of the proposed acquisition, making his departure a blow to the combined entity.
Netflix
From Nip/Tuck – our first licensed series – to American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and American Horror Story, we’ve seen how his brand of storytelling captivates consumers and critics across the globe. His celebrated body of work and his contributions to our industry speak for themselves, and we look forward to supporting Ryan in bringing his broad and diverse stories to the world.”
Netflix and Disney-Fox were among a slew of suitors for the prolific writer-producer-director, whose current deal with 20th Century Fox TV expires this year. The streaming giant had aggressively pursued him and already had gotten in the Ryan Murphy business by outbidding other SVOD/premium buyers twice to snag both of hisstreaming series, Ratched and The Politician.
“The history of this moment is not lost on me,” said Murphy. “I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallized and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me. I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honored and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”
Associated Press
As Murphy admitted at TCA in January, he also had been courted by Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Disney is in the process of acquiring key Fox assets, including 20th TV. While I hear Murphy considered both options, the timing worked better for Netflix, which provided a clear vision for the future and an opportunity for Murphy to pursue TV series, films and documentaries — all under the same roof. Meanwhile, the alternative at the combined Disney-Fox company was still a subject to speculation because the deal is far off.
Murphy’s Netflix deal puts an end — at least for the time being — to one of the most successful collaborations between a creator and an executive in television.
“I wish Ryan well, and I know everyone at our company feels the same,” said Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden, who has worked closely with Murphy for years and counts him as a close personal friend. “We are lucky to have so many projects with him.”
Indeed, all eight series Murphy has on the air are with 20th TV/Fox 21 TV Studios, and, at least for the next year, he is expected to be focused on them, continuing to work with the executive teams at the studio as well as at Fox and FX. I hear Walden was approached about joining Murphy at Netflix.
She is currently committed to her job at Fox, where her contract expires later this year, and has been rumored for a potential top post at Disney-Fox. Murphy and Walden reportedly had explored potentially launching a company together and, given the duo’s long history and very close relationship, it is possible for them to re-team in the future.
Fox
Murphy’s new original series, Ratched and The Politician, will premiere globally on Netflix. Murphy also oversees production on American Crime Story, American Horror Story and Feud on FX, 9-1-1 on Fox and the upcoming Pose, also on FX. His previous series credits include hits Nip/Tuck on FX and musical dramedy Glee on Fox.
While he had been wooed for awhile, the deal with Netflix
came down quickly, and it was instigated by the proposed Disney-Fox
pact.
“Three months ago, I thought I was going to be buried on the Fox lot; I had my mausoleum picked out,” Murphy said in January. “I started working there in my 30s, and many of us had young children who would play together.”
Back then, Murphy said that he had received a phone call from Iger, reiterating that Disney was interested in what he had created in the sophisticated adult TV space. “The stuff that I do isn’t specifically Disney,” Murphy said. “I was concerned: Do I have to start putting Mickey Mouse in American Horror Story?”
The deal for Murphy was negotiated by CAA.
'Hate U Give' Actor Dropped From Movie After Racially Charged Remarks
Gabriel Olsen/WireImage Kian Lawley
Kian Lawley's role will be recast in the YA adaptation.
byAfter a video surfaced online of actor Kian Lawley making racially charged jokes, 20th Century Fox has decided to remove him from the upcoming release The Hate U Give.
“Due to the controversy surrounding his past comments and behavior, Kian Lawley will no longer appear in The Hate U Give. The studio plans to recast the role of Chris and reshoot scenes as needed," a studio rep said Monday in a statement.
The Hate U Give is based on the young adult novel by Angie Thomas. The story follows Starr, a young woman drawn to activism after she witnesses the police shooting of her unarmed friend. The story is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg leads a cast that also includes Regina Hall, Common, Issa Rae and Anthony Mackie. In the feature, Lawley was cast as Starr's white boyfriend.
"Words have power and can do damage. I own mine and I am sorry. I respect Fox’s decision to recast this role for The Hate U Give as it is an important story, and it would not be appropriate for me to be involved considering the actions of my past," said Lawley in a statement of his own. "I understand the impact and I have grown and learned since then. From now on I plan to use my voice for positive change."
While the film has not yet been given a release date, filming on Hate U Give wrapped in November.
Fox's choice to recast Lawley so far into production parallels Sony's decision to replace Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer on Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World.
Lawley is best known as a YouTuber, but has tried to make the transition to acting, co-starring on the Fullscreen series H8TERS and appearing in AwesomenessTV features Before I Fall and Shovel Buddies.
Lawley is the latest social media star to land in hot water with creative partners after racial and culturally insensitive remarks were published online.
After Logan Paul posted a video on Dec. 31 that featured images of a suicide victim, YouTube put its original projects on hold with the actor and internet personality, including a sequel to the YouTube Red sci-fi thriller The Thinning. And Disney’s Maker Studios severed ties with YouTube gamer PewDiePie, aka Felix Kjellberg, after he released a series of anti-Semitic posts to his 53 million subscribers.
Ryan Seacrest: What Happened After I Was Wrongly Accused of Harassment
Getty Images Ryan Seacrest
"To have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching," writes the star as he pledges "to help voices be heard."
byI do not take things for granted. Every day I am living my childhood dream because of the efforts of so many other people. I do my best to show and express my gratitude to my co-hosts, producers, guests, audiences, executives, partners and fans for the privilege of their collaboration and participation, and for the unwavering support of my loved ones and team.
In November, I received a letter from a lawyer representing a former show stylist. She claimed that I mistreated her more than a decade ago when we worked together. This arrived during an unprecedented public reckoning by women in our industry and beyond, courageously coming forward to share their stories, many of them heartbreaking. These women sought to bring attention to the systemic gender inequality that has occurred for decades. I was — and am — amazed at their bravery.
To have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching. I’ve always aimed to treat all of my colleagues with honesty, respect, kindness and compassion. Yet, I knew, regardless of the confidence I had that there was no merit to the allegations, my name would likely soon appear on the lists of those suspected of despicable words and deeds. The pressures of our overflowing newsfeeds would insist on it.
I absolutely want to be part of the change, the progress, that is coming. I did not want to be a postscript of evidence of its cause.
After sharing the letter with the network, I publicly denied the claims against me, and agreed to participate in any inquiry the network deemed appropriate. On Feb. 1, I received notice that an independent third party found the claims to be unsubstantiated and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on my part.
Most of us agree that the presumption of innocence is an important standard. We are taught early on that it’s essential to see all sides, to give everyone a chance to explain and to check for exculpatory evidence that may have been missed. At a time when improper interactions between men and women, particularly in the workplace, are part of a national conversation, we must find a way to ensure that everyone — the public, private and public institutions, accusers and alleged accused — is given the opportunity for a swift and fair review.
My job is to listen. Beyond listening, which I will continue in earnest, I also will ask questions and try to help voices be heard. It isn’t lost on me that my platforms — radio, TV, social media — can be powerful conduits for change.
We all have the right to be treated equally, regardless of our gender, race, faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or other status. We find ourselves in extraordinary times in American culture. We live with near constant change, disruption and public discourse. I realize the morals and values, the decency, we’ve perhaps taken for granted, individually and as citizens of the world, are in question. Worse, at risk. I do not take these things for granted.
Ryan Seacrest is an award-winning TV/radio host, producer and creative entrepreneur.
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Clint Eastwood Eyes Return to Acting in Real-Life Drug Mule Thriller
by Brian Gallagher
With his new film The 15:17 to Paris debuting next weekend, 87-year-old actor/filmmaker Clint Eastwood may have already lined up his next project. The screen legend is planning on directing, producing and starring in The Mule, which tells the incredible true story of Leo Sharp, the world's oldest drug mule who was 87 years old when he was caught by the authorities, and 90 years old when he was sentenced to prison. This project is expected to be the director's next film, and it will be his first starring role since 2012, when he starred in Trouble With The Curve, which he also directed.
This project first surfaced back in 2014, when Imperative Entertainment acquired the rights to a June 2014 New York Times Magazine article entitled "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick. The production company had set Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) to direct the movie while looking for a writer to adapt this incredible true story. While Ruben Fleischer is no longer involved, this new report reveals that Nick Schenk, who wrote the script for Clint Eastwood's 2008 drama Gran Torino, wrote the original draft of The Mule, with Dave Holstein (Weeds, The Brink) rewriting the script.
In
2011, at the age of 87, Leo Sharp was arrested by Michigan State
Police, while in possession of more than 200 pounds of cocaine. For just
under a decade, he was one of the most prolific drug mules for the
Sinaloa Cartel, lead by the infamous El Chapo. DEA agents had tracked
him down through wiretapped phone conversations with cartel leaders, who
only identified this drug mule by the nickname "Tata," the Spanish word
for "grandfather." Not only did Leo Sharp have no criminal record
before this arrest, he was a decorated World War II
veteran who received the Bronze Star Medal for his service, and later
became a world-renowned horticulturist, best known for creating new
hybrids of flowers. The the daylily "Hemerocallis 'Siloam Leo Sharp'" is
named after him.At his trial, his defense team argued that Leo Sharp had suffered from dementia, which set him down this unlikely path to become the most prolific drug courier in Detroit for a massive drug cartel. The judge issued a three-year prison sentence on his 90th birthday, after his defense stated that he would not do well in prison with his dementia. In June 2015, prosecutors convinced a Detroit federal judge that he should be released early, due to his declining health. He was said to have a terminal illness and was not expected to live more than six months, but upon his release from prison, he lived for more than a year and a half, before dying in December 2016, at the age of 92.
Clint Eastwood had been working on the Jessica Buchanan biopic entitled Impossible Odds in late 2016, but he dropped everything to direct his new film The 15:17 to Paris, which explores the true story of the three Americans (Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos) who thwarted a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train in 2005. The director made the bold move of casting the actual heroes to play themselves in the film, which is slated to hit theaters February 9. The Tracking Board broke the news on The Mule.
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