‘Goosebumps’ Finally Unseats ‘The Martian’ At the Top Of the Box Office, as ‘Spies’ and ‘Peak’ Stumble
Sony’s adaptation of the R.L. Stine series debuted in first place with $23.5 million, just ahead of the $21.5 million The Martian made in its third weekend of release. Disney and DreamWorks’ Bridge of Spies came in at the low end of its modest projections with $15.3 million, while Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak was fourth with a lackluster $12.8 million. Hotel Transylvania 2 rounded out the top five. (BO)
Ryan Seacrest Has a Big Week, Sells Not One, but Two New Shows To CBS
Seacrest will executive produce a multi-camera sitcom called Squad Goals for the network. It’s the second Seacrest sale of the week. CBS is also developing the drama The Down Beat, which hails from Ryan Seacrest Productions and also names rapper Ludacris as fellow executive producer. Squad Goals follows a group of college friends who realize it’s finally time to grow up. The script comes from Lindsey Rosin and Aaron Karo. (HP)
If You Were Hoping To See ‘I Saw the Light’ This Fall, Sony Pictures Classics Is Making You Wait Until Spring
Despite the rave reviews that Tom Hiddleston has earned playing the late Hank Williams in this biopic, the film has otherwise been ravaged by critics and now the indie distribution wing of the Sony empire has pushed the film from its planned November 27th release, and will instead put the film in theaters in March. (TOH)
NBC’s Plan To Have Donald Trump Host ‘SNL’ Is Sailing Into Troubled Waters
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda has formally asked NBC to rescind their invite to the presidential candidate. In a letter addressed to NBC CEO Stephen Burke and SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels, the organization wrote, “Donald Trump has yet to apologize for his bigoted comments about Mexican immigrants. Allowing Trump to host SNL will legitimize and validate his anti-Latino comments.” A petition was also posted to MoveOn.org. (EW)
Fox Loves New Show ‘Rosewood’, Gives Morris Chestnut Procedural a Full Season Pickup
In Nielsen’s most current ratings, the medical mystery drama is averaging a 2.2/8 among Adults 18-49 and 7.3 million viewers this fall. With all available data to date (including streaming on Hulu and FOX NOW), Rosewood‘s average audience for its first two telecasts grew to 9.1 million across platforms. (CS)
Actress Catherine Shepherd Corrals Gemma Arterton For Her Directorial Debut, ‘Like a Virgin’
Story follows the character of Mary, who is visited by the Angel Gabriel while off her head following a night out. Gabriel tells her that she has been chosen by God to give birth to the next Messiah. The film looks at what happens when a girl who isn’t ready to grow up is chosen to save the world? Shepherd is known for her work in the likes of Paddington, as well as cult Brit comedy faves such as Peep Show and The IT Crowd. (DH)
In Case You Missed April’s Marvel Movie Marathon, and Are Upset About It, You’re Getting a Sort Of Second Chance
Disney and Lucasfilm are having a Star Wars marathon on December 17th, the day before the release of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The evidence comes by way of a placeholder page on Fandango, with an image of a movie poster with the tagline “All seven movies. One epic journey.” The poster lists all seven movie titles, starting with The Phantom Menace. To read about the Marvel Marathon on April 29th and 30th, go here. (COL)
Indie Success Story: How Lenny Abrahamson Beat Out the Rest Of Hollywood To Direct ‘Room’
By industry standards, Abrahamson didn’t have much ammunition. Though he was well-regarded in art house circles — especially in his native Ireland — for his two previous films, Adam & Paul and Garage, he hadn’t made a commercial dent in the states. His only recourse, he thought, was to somehow convince author Emma Donoghue that his vision was superior and would capture the soul of her book. (IW)
First Look: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
In other Lucasfilm news, the company and Disney have revealed the upcoming film’s epic and beautiful poster, which features most of the movie’s major characters, but is surprisingly free of Luke Skywalker. Along with the announcement came word that the final trailer will appear during tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Advanced tickets go on sale for the film, in theaters December 18th, after the trailer hits. (CB)
Screenwriters: Breaking & Entering — Finding the Flow
Being in “The Flow”… that sweet spot writers of all mediums love to experience, yearn to get into, or even crave. You might call it “the zone,” “creative juice,” or “the voice of the Muse.” You know what you want to say, and it flows effortlessly. Twenty-six letters form words to become sentences that express what you intend. (SM)