AWARDS HEADLINES
Awards 2016: It’s Taken A Lot Longer Than It Should Have, But Jennifer Jason Leigh Is Finally Having Her Oscar Moment
If you find it hard to believe that Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her work in The Hateful Eight is just the first time she’s ever been invited to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual party, you’re not alone. (SSN)
OTHER HEADLINES
Film & TV Deals for 2/17/16: Universal & Perfect World Finalize $500M Deal, James Franco Launches Nonprofit Film Studio, Marti Noxon Signs With Skydance
Other film and TV deals include Emmy-winning writer-producer K.P. Anderson inking an overall deal with Lionsgate TV, producer Brad Falchuk extending his overall deal at 20th Century Fox Television and producer Wendi Trilling launching a production company, TrillTV. (SSN)
ABC Shakeup: Paul Lee Exits As President, Channing Dungey Named To Succeed Him
ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee has abruptly left the network. ABC head of drama Channing Dungey has been named president of ABC Entertainment, becoming the first black executive to run one of the Big Four networks’ entertainment divisions. (DH)
Fandango Buys Rotten Tomatoes And Flixster
Fandango has purchased both the movie critic aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and the discovery app Flixster. Fandango picked up the sites from Warner Bros. Entertainment, which in turn will now have a minority ownership stake in Fandango. (VER)
Josh Hutcherson To Lead Seth Rogen And Evan Goldberg’s Hulu Series, ‘Future Man’
The actor, known to most as Peeta in the Hunger Games franchise, is heading to Hulu to star in a new original series from comedic duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. (COLL)
Mystery Universal Monsters Movie Delayed One Month
Saoirse Ronan To Star In Long Developing Adaptation Of Ian McEwan’s ‘On Chesil Beach’
Saoirse Ronan has joined Ian McEwan’s On Chesil Beach. Number 9 Films are backing the project that will be directed by Dominic Cooke (“The Hollow Crown”) for a story that follows two young lovers on their wedding night in 1962. (IW)
Johnnie Cochran Movie In The Works At The Firm
The management company has acquired David McMillan’s script about one of famed O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnnie Cochran’s earlier cases involving Ron Settles, a black football player at Cal State Long Beach. (THR)
Octavia Spencer To Play Mathematician Opposite Taraji P. Henson In ‘Hidden Figures’
Octavia Spencer is on board to co-star opposite Taraji P. Henson in Fox 2000’s Hidden Figures, the adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s book published by HarperCollins. (VAR)