SSN EMMY COVERAGE
Writing/Directing
The Contenders: Writer and Director Emmy Nominees
A comprehensive look at all the nominees, both comedy and drama, and the shows on which they shine. From Silicon Valley to Game of Thrones, and from Homeland to Episodes, this list runs the gamut of all the talented folk who will be suiting up for the awards next month. (VTV)
Writing a Finale: What Goes In To Bringing an Ending Together
This year’s Emmy-nominated scribes agree: Writing a finale is no easy feat. Recently, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner was tasked with wrapping up seven seasons of the AMC critical darling, while Silicon Valley’s Alec Berg had the (albeit slightly less stressful) chore of tying up the second season of the HBO comedy breakout. (HRTV)
SSN ORIGINALS
Exec Shuffle for 8/24/15: Shifts At ICM, WME & UTA, MPAA Exec Kate Bedingfield To Work for Joe Biden
Another busy week in Hollywood, with Amazon striking a deal with Open Road Films and Endemol Beyond USA joining the subscription video platform Vessel with over 700 of its existing videos and an exclusive early access window for new programming. There’s a bunch of other stuff, too, so click on the link for more. (SSN)
OTHER HEADLINES
Universal Breaks Yet Another Box Office Record With More Than Four Months To Go In the Year
The studio’s banner year continues with another record. Universal Pictures International has grossed $3.78 billion to set a new industry record for the highest-grossing year ever at the international box office. Internationally, the studio has four of the top five highest-grossing films of the year: Fast & Furious 7 (No. 1 with $1.162 billion), Jurassic World (No. 2 with $983.5 million), Minions (No. 4 with $670.2 million) and Fifty Shades of Grey (No. 5 with $404.1 million). (THR)
Because You Can Never Have Too Many Franchises, Vin Diesel Is Making ‘xXx 3’
Diesel first played extreme sports secret agent Xander Cage in 2002’s xXx, but did not appear in the 2005 sequel, which starred Ice Cube. Now, he is returning to the franchise for the third film, which will start shooting in December in the Philippines. The star announced the news on Instagram, but there is no word on a director or any other attachments yet. (COL)
The Academy Announces 20 SciTech Achievements Under Consideration For a 2016 Honor
Among the gadgets and discoveries on the short list are a remote-controlled lens attachment that enables highly adjustable in-camera distortion effects, displays that provide P3 color space for image review in motion picture workflows, and rig-based solvers for tracking and animating deforming objects from image sequences. (BTS)
Another Oscar Winner Has Signed On To Amazon’s ‘Trial’ Alongside Billy Bob Thornton
William Hurt will co-star opposite Thornton in the series from David E. Kelley. Show follows Billy McBride (Thornton) a once-respectable lawyer who was ousted from the high-profile firm he co-founded. His professional life is turned upside down when a young lawyer who has just been fired from his old firm brings him a wrongful death case that pits him against the head of his former firm, Attorney Donald Cooper, played by Hurt. (VAR)
Soccer Parents Comedy From Kari Lizer & Bill Wrubel Lands Big Commitment At ABC
In a very competitive situation, network has nabbed Dream Team, a half-hour project from the top comedy writers, reuniting a decade after working together on Will & Grace. The single-camera comedy from Warner Bros TV has received a pilot production commitment. Show centers on a coach who has a documentary crew following him around as he assembles his next soccer dynasty from a diverse group of little girls that bring along their diverse families. (DH)
Daniel Brühl Is Joining Jessica Chastain In the Cast Of ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’
Johan Hidenbergh also stars in the project, based on Diane Ackerman’s bestseller. Niki Caro is directing the story, which follows Jan and Antonina Zabinski, in a real-life tale extrapolated from Antonina’s diaries. In the 1930s, the Zabinskis ran the Warsaw Zoo, and when Germany invaded Poland and most of the animals were killed in the bombing, the couple turned the zoo into a safe haven for Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. (EMP)
In Case You Were Wondering How Stephen Colbert’s First Week Would Look, Today Is Your Lucky Day
Colbert will open big when he begins his run as host of CBS’ The Late Show on Sept. 8th, with previously announced guests and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Wednesday the 9th will see actress Scarlett Johansson, SpaceX, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and Kendrick Lamar performing and being interviewed. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and musical guest Toby Keith are on the 10th, and comedian Amy Schumer and author Stephen King on the 11th. (HP)