Emmy Special Edition

THR’s Guide To The 2016 Emmys

TV’s biggest stars will be in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night for the 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Here’s what you need to know about the 2016 Emmys. (THR)

Emmys 2016 predictions: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson’ & ‘Veep’ Will Be Biggest Winners

Game of Thrones and The People v. O.J. Simpson will dominate this weekend’s Emmy Awards according to the combined odds of the Expert TV journalists Gold Derby polled. (GD)

12 TV Episodes You Need To Watch To Be An Emmys Expert By Sunday

A list of 12 episodes, about 10 hours of programming, that you need to watch in order to qualify as an Emmys expert before the big event. (TVG)

Emmys 2016: Who Will And Should Win In The Drama-Series Races?

Vulture TV columnists are breaking down the major categories. Today’s focus: drama, but read on for variety series, limited series, and comedy series. (VUL)

Emmys 2016: Who’s The Possible Spoiler In The Best Actor Race For Limited Series/TV Movie?

From a battle of British detectives to “the master of the Senate,” TV Academy history suggests that Courtney B. Vance’s road to Emmy is no walk in the park. (IW)

Emmys: 5 Ways the Creative Arts Emmys Could Predict Sunday’s Winners

The first round of TV Academy statuettes suggest a big primetime showing for Game of Thrones (again!), John Oliver and more as THR parses two nights of early awards. (THR)

10 Unbelievable Emmys Moments

Ahead of the 2016 ceremony, see 10 major moments from years past. (EW)

Emmy Voter Reveals Brutally Honest Ballot

A member of the producers peer group makes his case for favorites Mr. Robot, Silicon Valley and Fargo. (THR)

Who Will Win At The 2016 Emmys? Cast Your Vote!

Cast your own vote here and see how your peers votes compare. (VAR)

Weekend Box Office Wrap-up: September 18, 2016

In the top spot once again is Sully, bringing in $22 million in its second weekend. That’s just a 37.2 percent decrease from its debut, indicating that Clint Eastwood’s drama has strong legs. (SR)

Complete List Of 2016 Emmy Nominations And Winners

The 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards have come to an end, with Veep winning best comedy series, while Game of Thrones won in the drama category. (LAT)

Emmys By The Numbers: Wins By Program & Network

FX’s limited series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story led all programs with five wins at the 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, followed by HBO’s Game of Thrones with three. (AL)

Emmys 2016: The 6 Best Moments

For the most part, the memorable moments were few and far between the bevy of awards that were handed out one after another. WSJ picks for the evening’s best moments. (WSJ)

Lionsgate’s Rob Friedman Steps Down As Co-Chair Of The Motion Picture Group

After four years as co-chair of the Lionsgate motion picture group, Rob Friedman is stepping down from that post and will segue into a new role as special adviser to the office of the CEO. (THR)

Toronto: ‘La La Land’ Wins TIFF’s People’s Choice Award; Plus All Other Award Winners

Often considered a harbinger of awards season glory, the film beat out other crowdpleasers like Lion and Queen of Katwe. (IW)

Young Barack Obama Pic ‘Barry’ Sells To Netflix: Toronto

Netflix has landed worldwide rights to Barry, the Vikram Gandhi-directed film that drew high praise at the Toronto Film Festival for actor Devon Terrell in his role as a young Barack Obama. (DH)

‘Moonlight’ Group Plans ‘Underground Railroad’ Series

Writer/director Barry Jenkins looks to be re-teaming with producer Adele Romanski and Plan B for a new limited TV series based on Colson Whitehead’s bestselling 2016 novel The Underground Railroad. (DAR)

David Goyer Strikes Deal With China’s Tencent Pictures

Fantasy and horror meister David S. Goyer is to develop film projects that could be produced by Tencent Pictures, a film division of Tencent, China’s social media giant. (VAR)

Johnny Depp LAPD Thriller ‘Labyrinth’ Picked Up By Open Road

Star plays detective who investigated murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (WRAP)

Space Comedy From Adam Sztykiel & Bill Lawrence Gets Production Commitment At NBC

The Undateable duo of creator/executive producer Adam Sztykiel and executive producer Bill Lawrence are back at NBC with another comedy project, Spaced Out. (DH)

‘Invitation’ Director Karyn Kusama To Helm Breed For 20th Century Fox

Karyn Kusama, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi have boarded the upcoming 20th Century Fox horror film Breed. Filmmaker Scott Frank will serve as producer for the project under his new production deal with the studio. (CS)

‘Fifty Shades’ Star Jamie Dornan In Talks For ‘Robin Hood: Origins’

Taron Egerton is on board as Robin Hood, Jamie Foxx will play Little John and Eve Hewson will portray Maid Marian in the retelling that is being directed by Otto Bathurst. (THR)

NBC Nabs ‘The Last Policeman’ Sci-Fi Cop Drama From Ben H. Winters & Neal Moritz

NBC has landed The Last Policeman, an adaptation of Ben H. Winters’ sci-fi mystery novel, with a put pilot commitment. Neal Moritz is producing. Sony TV is the studio. (DH)

Toronto: Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Diane Lane’s ‘Paris Can Wait’

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired Eleanor Coppola’s narrative directing and writing debut Paris Can Wait for North America. (VAR)

Memo To Distributors: Buy These TIFF 2016 Movies

The biggest fall season festival is behind us and these movies still don’t have homes. Here’s a plea to change that. (IW)

Fox Acquires Don Winslow’s Next Book

20th Century Fox has pre-emptively acquired author Don Winslow’s upcoming and still untitled crime thriller novel. Scott Free’s Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Shane Salerno will produce. (DAR)

Fall Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series: 2016 Edition

The 2016-17 TV season is under way, so here’s a list of more than 300 fall premiere dates for new series and new seasons of existing series. (DH)

Clive Owen To Reprise Role As “The Driver” In BMW Films’ ‘The Escape’

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the 11-minute short will co-star Dakota Fanning, Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga. (THR)

La La Anthony’s ‘Love Playbook’ Movie in Development With Queen Latifah, Codeblack

Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment and Codeblack Films are partnering to co-produce and co-finance a slate of films, starting with an adaptation of La La Anthony’s The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness. (VAR)

‘Outlander’ Casts Claire’s Confidant Joe, Jamie’s Nephew Young Ian

The Starz series has cast Wil Johnson as Joe Abernathy, a good friend of Claire’s in Boston. (TVL)

‘Yul And The Snake’ Takes Cartoon d’Or In Toulouse

The 2016 Cartoon d’Or award has been bestowed on French director Gabriel Harel for his freshman film, Yúl and the Snake. (AM)

Natalie Portman On Why “A Tale Of Love And Darkness” Had To Be Her Directorial Debut

The Academy Award-winner talks about shifting to the director’s chair for the first time. (FCC)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Passengers’

Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are two passengers onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. From Sony Pictures. (YT)

Screenwriters: High Concept Could Make You Rich

Unknown Screenwriter, a long-time Hollywood ghost writer, explains why you should be writing high concept screenplays and how it can eventually make you rich. (SM)

Viacom’s Interim CEO Tom Dooley To Depart; Dividend Cut In Half

Viacom Inc. said interim Chief Executive Tom Dooley will depart in November and that it is slashing its dividend in half. The company also said it is no longer seeking to sell a minority stake in Paramount Pictures. (WSJ)

Uma Thurman Joins Cast Of Bravo’s Scripted Drama ‘My So Called Wife’

Uma Thurman has joined the cast of Bravo’s upcoming scripted series My So Called Wife. Show is currently in production in Vancouver and will premiere next year with a 10-episode season. (VAR)

Charlie Sheen, Leah Remini To Star In Crackle Movie ‘Mad Families’

Sheen will serve as an executive producer on film that also stars Naya Rivera. (WRAP)

Liz Tuccillo Comedy From Shondaland In Works At ABC

Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland has sold a single-camera half-hour comedy from Sex and the City alumna Liz Tuccillo, to ABC with a script commitment plus penalty. (DH)

Greg Berlanti, Julie Plec Team With ‘Arrow’ Writer For ABC Soap ‘The Marquis’

The drama marks a reunion for writer Jake Coburn with Berlanti as the duo previously teamed on Arrow and ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money. (THR)

CBS Nabs Jenny Lumet Hate Crimes Drama Produced By Alex Kurtzman & Katie Couric

In one of the biggest drama buys for CBS this season, the network has given a put pilot commitment to a character-based procedural from writer Jenny Lumet and producers Katie Couric, David Marshall Grant, Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. (DH)

‘Legend Of Master Legend': John Hawkes Circling Title Role In Amazon Comedy

Deadwood vet John Hawkes is eyeing the title role in The Legend of Master Legend, a half-hour comedy pilot at Amazon. (TVL)

Trailer Buzz: ‘The Smurfs: The Lost Village’

Sony And Wanda Teaming Up On ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’

Sony Pictures and the Dalian Wanda Group are partnering on a “multi-picture alliance,” which will help broaden Sony’s reach among Chinese filmgoers. (VAR)

Sony Nears Deal For Denzel Washington’s ‘Inner City’

Sony Pictures has entered final negotiations for the Inner City rights, with writer/director Dan Gilroy and Denzel Washington locked in as part of the deal. Cross Creek Pictures will serve as co-financers (SR)

Walton Goggins To Star In ‘Keeping It Real’ Showtime Comedy From Charles Randolph, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Walton Goggins is set as the star of Keeping It Real, created/ written by Charles Randolph, which has landed at Showtime for development with a significant commitment. (DH)

Mark Wahlberg And David O. Russell Making A Movie About “Amazing Priest” Father Stu

Wahlberg revealed in a chat posted via Facebook Live that he and David O. Russell are working on developing a script on Father Stu, an amazing priest from Helena, Montana. (COLL)

‘Deadpool’ Bad Guy Ed Skrein Joins James Cameron’s ‘Alita: Battle Angel’

James Cameron is producing the sci-fi action movie, which will be directed by Robert Rodriguez. (THR)

Sheldon Turner To Write Cartel Tale ‘Wolf Boys’ For Sony, Antoine Fuqua

TriStar has set Sheldon Turner to adapt Wolf Boys, the Dan Slater novel published earlier this month by Simon & Schuster. Antoine Fuqua is developing as a directing and producing vehicle. (DH)

Rooney Mara To Star In Brady Corbet’s ‘Vox Lux’ With Original Music By Sia

The actress is set to star in the pop-star drama Vox Lux directed by Brady Corbet. The film will chronicle the rise of singer Celeste to superstardom. (IW)

Weinstein Television To Develop First Elvis Biopic Shot At Graceland

Mark Wahlberg To Star With LeBron James In Basketball Fantasy Camp Movie ‘Ballers’

Wahlberg revealed that he was in discussions for the role during an appearance Tuesday on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” showing a photo of himself at Walhberg’s house. (VAR)

Reese Witherspoon Comedy ‘Home Again’ Acquired By Open Road

The company acquired Home Again to begin production this fall, with an expected release in late 2017. Nancy Meyers is producing the film, with daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer stepping in as writer and director for the project. (EW)

CBS Buys Legal Drama ‘Perfect Citizen’ From ‘The Good Wife’ EP Craig Turk

The Good Wife executive producer Craig Turk is back at CBS with a new legal drama project, Perfect Citizen. (DH)

Stephen Tobolowsky Cast In New Comedy Pilot ‘White Famous’ Starring Jay Pharoah

Californication‘s Tom Kapinos is creating a new half-hour comedy pilot for Showtime, called White Famous, and has cast Stephen Tobolowsky to play a high-powered producer. (VUL)

‘Pacific Rim’ Sequel Adds ‘Great Wall’ Actress

The actress is starring in the upcoming The Great Wall opposite Matt Damon. (THR)

LeBron James & Bill Lawrence Team For Cleveland-Set Family Comedy At NBC

NBC has given a script commitment with penalty to There Goes the Neighborhood, a single-camera comedy from NBA star LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment, Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence’s Doozer and Warner Bros. TV. (DH)

‘Superior Donuts’ Nets CBS Series Order

The network has ordered 13 episodes of Superior Donuts, which stars Judd Hirsch as the thick-skinned owner of a small donut shop in a rapidly gentrifying Chicago neighborhood. (TVL)

Hot Projects

Lost In Space

Jackpot (Remake)

Paramount Delays ‘Rings’ & ‘Friday The 13th’ Reboot

Paramount has delayed the revivals for The Ring and the Friday the 13th horror franchises  (SR)

Magnum ‘Reboot’ Focusing On Iconic P.I.’s Daughter Eyed At ABC

The Alphabet network is developing a new incarnation of the classic ’80s Tom Selleck-starring detective romp that would center on the title character’s daughter, Lily “Tommy” Magnum. (TVL)

The CW Buys Female Dramedy From Bill Lawrence & ‘Significant Mother’ Creators

The CW has put in development Life Sentence, from WBTV and Bill Lawrence’s studio-based Doozer Prods. Written by Significant Mother creators Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith. (DH)

FX Productions Inks Exclusive TV Deal With Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson

Fresh off an Emmy win for People v. O.J. Simpson, the hot producing pair are at work on a new Wimpy Kid film. (BC)

Cary Fukunaga To Be Replaced By Jakob Verbruggen As Director Of ‘The Alienist’

Jakob Verbruggen will step in for Cary Fukunaga as director of TNT’s The Alienist. (WRAP)

Hulu Planning A “Postal” TV Series

Hulu has scored the rights to Postal, a TV series adaptation of Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill’s Top Cow comics which Matt Tolmach, Marc Silvestri and Legendary TV will produce. (DAR)

Disney Replaces Director Of Broadway-Bound ‘Frozen’ Musical

Tony winner Michael Grandage reportedly will now stage the eagerly anticipated project, which despite the creative shakeup remains on track to bow in August 2017. (THR)

Bill Hader To Voice ‘Power Ranger’s’ Alpha 5

With $35 Million ‘Magnificent Seven’ Tops Another Lackluster September Weekend

The Magnificent Seven remake and WB’s animated Storks both fell short of lofty expectations. At the top, Sony and MGM’s The Magnificent Seven turned in an estimated $35 million opening from 3,674 theaters. (BOM)

Paramount Pictures Shake-Up; Vice Chairman Rob Moore Pushed Out

Paramount Pictures’ woeful year at the box office claimed a casualty with the firing of the studio’s vice chairman, Rob Moore. (LAT)

James Corden To Play ‘Peter Rabbit’ In Sony’s Take On Classic

Sony’s Columbia Pictures is bringing Beatrix Potter’s classic book Peter Rabbit to the big screen as a live-action/animated hybrid. Pic will be directed by Will Gluck and starring James Corden as the voice of Peter, Rose Byrne in the live action role of Bea, with Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki also providing voices.  (DH)

Julia Roberts To Play Disgraced PTA Mom Kelli Peters In ‘Framed’

Julia Roberts is attached to play PTA mom Kelli Peters in Framed. The true crime pic is based on Peters’ and Sam Rule’s book, I’ll Get You!’ Drugs, Lies, and the Terrorizing of a PTA Mom. (VAR)

Universal Nabs Joe Hill’s Horror Novella ‘Snapshot 1988′

The story, set in 1988, centers on a 13-year old boy who ends up taking care of his elderly former housekeeper. (THR)

Jake Gyllenhaal And Carey Mulligan To Star In Paul Dano’s Directorial Debut ‘Wildlife’

Actor Paul Dano’s directorial debut Wildlife, based on the 1990 Richard Ford novel of the same name, has signed on Jake Gyllenhaal to star alongside Carey Mulligan. (IW)

Trailer Buzz: ‘The 13th’

Netflix has debuted the first trailer for the documentary title The 13th directed by fillmmaker Ava DuVernary in secret over the last few years. (FS)

Alan Cumming To Star In ‘Dr. Death’ CBS Crime Drama From James Patterson, Michael Rauch & Alex Kurtzman

CBS is developing Dr. Death, a drama series starring and executive produced by Alan Cumming. It is based on the upcoming book of the same name by James Patterson. (DH)

TNT Orders Drama Pilot ‘Hinges’ From John Wells And Anthony Hemingway

The project is based on the short story The Boom written by Janine Sherman Barrois who will pen the script. (THR)

Adam Brody, Amanda Crew To Star In Thriller ‘The Wanting’

Adam Brody and Amanda Crew are set to star in the thriller The Wanting with The Road director Yam Laranas helming. (VAR)

Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ Will Be Released On December 23

It is confirmed that Martin Scorsese’s period drama will go into limited release on December 23, just in time to qualify for award season, before expanding in January. (IW)

FX Productions Signs ‘O.J.’ Scribe DeVincentis To Overall TV Production Deal

FX Productions has signed writer/producer D.V. DeVincentis, who won a pair of Emmys for The People v. O.J. Simpson, to an exclusive overall television production deal. (BC)

Sony Moves Up Plans For ‘Harbinger’ As First Movie In Valiant Comics Cinematic Universe

Within the last month, Sony has preemptively renewed its option on Harbinger for a sum in the high six figures and is moving to package the pictures quickly. (WRAP)

‘Rogue One’ Actor Valene Kane Confirmed As Playing Jyn Erso’s Mother

Actor Valene Kane (The Fall) is confirmed to play Lyra Erso, Jyn’s mother, in Gareth Edwards‘ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (COLL)

Amandla Stenberg To Star In Fox’s YA Adaptation Of ‘Darkest Minds’

Jennifer Yuh Nelson is making her live-action directorial debut with teen sci-fi project. (THR)

Screenwriters: Cutting Scenes

Cutting scenes can be brutal for a screenwriter, but even more so when a studio orders it. John Buchanan explores why Hollywood cuts character-driven scenes. (SM)

China’s Wanda Group In Talks To Acquire Control Of Dick Clark Productions

AMC theaters owner is considering paying up to $1 billion for television production company. (WSJ)

Bill Pullman Joins Cast Of Jessica Biel’s USA Network Drama Pilot ‘The Sinner’

Jessica Biel’s new USA drama pilot The Sinner just got even more star-studded: Bill Pullman has joined the cast as a series regular. (TVL)

Amazon Greenlights ‘Budding Prospects’ Pot Comedy Pilot Starring Will Sasso

Amazon is joining the hot trend of marijuana-themed shows with Budding Prospect, a 1980s comedy from Bad Santa director Terry Zwigoff, which has tapped Will Sasso as one of the leads. (DH)

Mike Mills’ ‘20th Century Women’ Secures Oscar-Friendly Limited Release In Late 2016

20th Century Women, the latest drama from director Mike Mills, will see a limited release on December 25th, Christmas Day, to make the cut-off for the 2016 Oscars. (COLL)

Good Universe, Campo Santo Team Up For Video Game, Movie Slate

Good Universe is teaming with independent video game developer and publishing company Campo Santo to develop content for both video games and feature films. (THR)

Amazon Orders ‘The Tick,’ ‘I Love Dick,’ Jean-Claude Van Damme Comedies To Full Series

Amazon Studios announced that it has greenlit three comedies — Jill Soloway’s I Love Dick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson and its reboot of The Tick — as original series set to debut in 2017. (VAR)

Trailer Buzz: ’20th Century Women’

Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning are an indie dream team in Mike Mills’ coming-of-age comedy-drama. (IW)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Fences’

Watch the new official teaser trailer for Fences, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Coming to theatres December 25, 2016. (YT)

Branded Entertainment News

The Effect Of Interactive Marketing On The Entertainment Industry

Able to entice and inspire such consumers, and to call out to them whenever their need may occur, interactive media can help businesses to reach further, shout a little louder and better meet clients’ needs. (PW)

Top Deals

Watch Kevin Hart And David Beckham’s Disastrous Road Trip For H&M Go Up In Flames

A five-minute H&M short film chronicling the curiously ongoing artistic collaboration between Beckham and Hart. (FCC)

YouTube Star Lilly Singh Uses Friendship Bracelets To Promote “Girl Love”

truTV And Nitro Circus Partner For High-Octane Live Special, ‘Impractical Jokers Live: Nitro Circus Spectacular’

USA Network To Televise ‘Beverly Hills Dog Show Presented By Purina’

Disney And Jon Favreau Teaming For ‘The Lion King’ Reimagining

Walt Disney Studios announced that it is joining forces with its The Jungle Book helmer on “a new reimagining” of The Lion King, which is on the fast track to production. (COLL)

Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures Taps Sue Naegle To Head TV Division

Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures has enlisted HBO alum Sue Naegle to launch a television division for the film production and finance company. (VAR)

NBC Orders Full Season Of ‘This Is Us’

NBC has ordered an additional five episodes of This Is Us, the critically admired family dramedy starring Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia. That brings the full season order to 18 episodes. (EW)

Mindy Kaling And Emma Thompson To Topline Late-Night Talk Show Movie

Mindy Kaling wrote the screenplay for this late-night show comedy that’s being described as Broadcast News meets The Devil Wears Prada. (IW)

‘The Strain’ Renewed For Fourth And Final Season At FX

The cabler announced that it has renewed the thriller for a fourth and final season, to air in Summer 2017. The decision comes halfway through the show’s third season. (TVL)

‘Still Star-Crossed’: Claire Cooper Set For Key Role On ABC Drama Series

British actress Claire Cooper (A.D. The Bible Continues) has landed a recurring role on ABC’s Still Star-Crossed period drama series from Shondaland and ABC Studios. (DH)

Takashi Miike To Direct Warner Bros. Japan, Toho Co-Production Based On Manga

The prolific Japanese director will helm a live-action version of the bestselling Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure scheduled for a summer 2017 release. (THR)

When the studios get behind a concept that they deem successful enough to start a franchise, they are on the hook for it and beholden to the talent who helped it make it thus. (TB)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Before The Flood’

From filmmaker Fisher Stevens and actor, and environmental activist, Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood, presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change. (YT)

Warner Bros. Revamps Movie Distribution Structure, Promotes Jeff Goldstein

Veronika Kawn Vandenberg will continue to serve as president of international distribution but will no longer have worldwide in her title as she focus on growth initiatives overseas. (THR)

‘Black Panther’ Adds ‘Person of Interest’s’ Winston Duke As M’Baku

Marvel Studios announced that Winston Duke has been cast in the villainous role of M’Baku. (SR)

Alejandro Inarritu, Emmanuel Lubezki, Legendary Team On Virtual Reality Short Film

Alejandro G. Iñárritu is commencing work on an experimental virtual reality short film to be produced and financed by Legendary Entertainment and Fondazione Prada. ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s recently established Immersive Entertainment division, will build the virtual world and characters. (VAR)

‘Angry Birds’ Helmer Clay Kaytis Aligned With Amblin’s ‘The Lunch Witch’

Amblin Partners has acquired Deb Lucke’s YA novel The Lunch Witch, with Angry Birds co-director Clay Kaytis attached to make his live-action directing debut. Michael De Luca is producing. (DH)

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Scribe To Write Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Scarface’ Reimagining

Winter has signed on to do a polish of Jonathan Herman’s latest draft of Universal’s new retelling of the Scarface story. Antoine Fuqua is on board to direct. (VAR)

A Roy Orbison Biopic Is In Development

The Big O: Roy Orbison is being fully supported by the late singer-songwriter’s estate. The film will be written by Ray Gideon and Bruce Evans. (VUL)

Fox Animation, Blue Sky Adapting Upcoming Garth Nix Book ‘Frogkisser!’

20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios are teaming up to adapt Frogkisser!, the upcoming book from fantasy novelist Garth Nix. The book is a fun take on the classic princess/kiss/curse-breaking fairy tale. (TB)

Felicity Huffman To Headline Political Family Comedy From ‘Black-ish’ Duo

The American Crime actress is attached to a star in an untitled political family comedy from Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and co-executive producer Vijal Patel, which has earned a big commitment from the Alphabet network. (TVL)

Fox Buys ‘The Underlings’ Legal Dramedy From ‘Hart of Dixie’ Creator

The network has given a script commitment plus penalty to The Underlings, from Hart of Dixie creator producer Leila Gerstein and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. (DH)

Jay Z Signs Overall TV, Film Deal With Weinstein Company

Jay Z has signed a two-year overall TV and film deal with The Weinstein Company. The deal will allow TWC to have have first-look options with the rapper to produce both scripted and unscripted television projects and film projects. (WRAP)

Brad Anderson Set To Direct Gary Whitta-Scripted ‘Fate’

Brad Anderson has been set by financier-producer Amasia Entertainment to direct Fate, an original script by Gary Whitta. (DH)

Universal Cable Productions Developing Alfred Hitchcock Anthology Series

The NBCUniversal-owned production company has inked a deal with the Alfred Hitchcock Estate to re-imagine classic tales from the iconic horror filmmaker for the TV project that is titled Welcome to Hitchcock. (VAR)

Sandra Oh Plots TV Return With ABC’s ‘American Crime’

The Grey’s Anatomy grad will return to ABC with a recurring role on the John Ridley anthology.  (THR)

An ‘Italian Job’ TV Series Is In The Works At NBC

An Italian Job TV series is now in the works, inspired by the 1969 film and its 2003 remake. Paramount TV will take on the project. (VUL)

‘Adventure Time’ Will End In 2018

Cartoon Network just announced the impending series finale of Adventure Time in 2018. (EW)

Michael Shannon Joins Benedict Cumberbatch In TWC’s ‘The Current War’

Michael Shannon has been cast as George Westinghouse in The Weinstein Company’s The Current War, a fact-based story about how he and rival Thomas Edison competed to create a sustainable electricity system and market it to the US. (DH)

Mike Epps To Appear In Eli Roth’s ‘Death Wish’

Mike Epps has stepped aboard to play Dr. Chris Salgado, a doctor and playboy who happens to be Kersey’s best friend. Roth is shooting the film now in Montreal for a planned 2017 release. (EMP)

 Branded Entertainment News

Time Inc. And Jash Team Up To Make Branded Content

Time Inc. has announced a partnership with Jash, the network whose founding partners include comedians Sarah Silverman and Michael Cera, to produce humorous content for select advertisers. (TF)

New Study Reveals Branded Content Is Twice As Memorable As Display Ads

According to a new quantitative study by IPG Media Lab, Forbes and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, branded content’s impact is superior to display advertising in terms of recall, brand perception and intent/consideration. (FOR)

Unilever Plots In-House Branded Content Division

Top Deals

Starz App Launches On Xbox One

Hot Projects

Angelina Jolie In Talks To Star In TriStar’s ‘Shoot Like A Girl’

Angelina Jolie is in early talks to star for TriStar in Shoot Like a Girl. The film is an adaptation of Shoot Like A Girl: How One Woman’s Dramatic Fight In Afghanistan and on the Home Front. (DH)

Laurene Powell Jobs Buys Minority Stake In ‘Spotlight’ Producer Anonymous Content

Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective has teamed with the producer of The Revenant and Mr. Robot. (THR)

Chris Hemsworth & Michael Shannon Saddle Up For Black Label Media’s ‘Horse Soldiers’

The film is based on the novel by Doug Stanton about a U.S. Special Forces team sent to a mountainous region of Afghanistan after 9/11. (IW)

Ioan Gruffudd Joins Mel Gibson & Sean Penn For ‘The Professor And The Madman’

Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd is set to join Mel Gibson and Sean Penn in The Professor and the Madman, a film about James Murray, the 19th century professor who started to compile the Oxford English Dictionary. (DH)

‘Alchemist’ Movie Adaptation Lands At TriStar And PalmStar

TriStar and PalmStar are teaming up to produce an adaptation of the classic Paulo Coelho novel The Alchemist. PalmStar acquired worldwide rights to the book and TriStar moved quickly to ensure the project ended up at their studio. (VAR)

Fox Searchlight Acquires ‘A United Kingdom’

The studio confirmed the acquisition of North American rights to Amma Asante’s film that recently premiered in Toronto and will open the BFI London Film Festival. (SI)

Zac Efron Tackling True-Life Wall Street Story ‘Straight To Hell’

Dirty Grandpa writer John M. Phillips will pen the script about the world of investment bankers based on John LeFevre’s book. (THR)

‘Snowfall’ Full Season Order Greenlit By FX

‘Miss Peregrine’ And ‘Deepwater Horizon’ Top Weekend Box Office

Finishing #1, Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children delivered an estimated $28.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,522 theaters. (BOM)

ABC Greenlights Revival Of ‘The Gong Show’ From Exec Producer Will Arnett

The network has greenlit a remake of The Gong Show from executive producer Will Arnett and his Electric Avenue Productions, plus Den of Thieves and Principato Young Entertainment, along with Sony TV.  (VAR)

Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Fionn Whitehead Board ‘The Children Act’

FilmNation and BBC Films are co-financing the Duncan Kenworthy production, which has sold out worldwide. (SD)

NBC Scraps Plans For ‘Mail Order Family’ Series After Protests

NBC has cancelled plans for its upcoming show Mail Order Family, in response to criticism against the program’s potential stereotyping of Asian-Americans and Filipino women. (VF)

NBC Buys ‘A Year To Remember’ Drama From Telefe USA & Kapital Entertainment

NBC has given a script plus penalty commitment to A Year to Remember, a drama based on the Telefe telenovela Un Año Para Recordar, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Telefe USA. (DH)

Hot Short Story From ‘Children of the New World’ Lands At POW! Productions

The Cartographers, a story in Alexander Weinstein’s well-reviewed debut collection, Children of the New World, has been optioned by POW! Productions.  (THR)

Sony Classics Picks Up Maud Lewis Biopic ‘Maudie’ With Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all U.S. rights and multiple foreign territories to Maudie, Aisling Walsh’s biopic of folk artist Maud Lewis. (WRAP)

Tracking Board Announces It’s 2016 Young & Hungry Writers List

Voted on by Hollywood’s most influential players, each list spotlights a fresh slate of up-and-coming creatives preparing to take the next step in their careers. (TB)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’

Walt Disney has released the first trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. (COLL)