Hack Attack! WME Forced To Shut Down Computers To Prevent Virus Spread
All the computers at the agency were turned off yesterday as the agency’s IT department detected a virus and pre-emptively tried to stop its spread. There was apparently no breach of data, and it was business as usual as people were texting and still sending emails, as well as actually communicating with that arcane implement known as the telephone. It looks like the computers could stay off going into today. (DH)
ABC Goes On a Renewal Frenzy, Gives New Seasons To a Whole Bunch Of Shows, Including ‘Grey’s’ and ‘Scandal’
Network’s Thursday-afternoon renewal spree included all three #TGIT dramas — Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder — as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., black-ish, Once Upon a Time, Quantico, The Goldbergs and Fresh Off the Boat. Additionally, The Middle, Modern Family and Shark Tank have been renewed for Season 8, The Bachelor has made a date for Season 21, Dancing With the Stars will tango with Season 23 and America’s Funniest Home Videos will hit groins with rakes for a 27th season. (TVL)
Jason O’Mara Joining Bokeem Woodbine in A&E’s L.A. Riots Drama, ‘The Infamous’
Actor will play LAPD officer Bill Slidell, described as a good cop who considers himself morally sound but who holds some questionable views on race. The Infamous, written by Joshua Zetumer and directed by Anthony Hemingway, starts production in L.A. Monday. Woodbine was previously cast as a former gang member turned successful hip-hop producer who’s targeted by an LAPD detective. The series hails from A+E Studios and Color Force. (LF)
Andrea Riseborough Looks Poised To Join ‘Battle Of the Sexes’ Alongside Stone and Carell
Actress is in final negotiations to co-star with Emma Stone in Fox Searchlight’s flick, in which Stone will play Billie Jean King and Steve Carell will star as Bobbie Riggs. Riseborough will play Marilyn Barnett, the hairdresser and former lover who outed King in 1981. Little Miss Sunshine filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris will direct from a script by Simon Beaufoy. Danny Boyle is producing along with Christian Colson. (VAR)
CBS’ New ‘Star Trek’ Series Boldly Adds Gene Roddenberry’s Son to the Crew
Rod Roddenberry, the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and current CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, has joined the series as an executive producer. It’s unclear whether or not they will have a truly active role in the creation of the show or whether this is more of an honorary credit to keep the old school fans happy. (SF)
AMC Makes a Big Acquisition and Becomes the Largest Theater Chain In the U.S.
Company and Carmlike Cinemas have entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which AMC will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Carmike in a transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion, including the assumption of Carmike net indebtedness. Together, the two chains would have well over 600 theatre locations in 45 states across the country, including the District of Columbia. (CS)
Bashir Salahuddin Books Male Lead Opposite Regina Hall in Hulu Pilot ‘Crushed’
After HBO decided not to move forward with Brothers in Atlanta, the series he and Diallo Riddle had set up at the network, Bashir Salahuddin has found his next project. Hulu has cast him as the male lead in its new comedy pilot, joining the previously-cast Hall. Produced by Lionsgate Television and Homegrown Pictures, show follows siblings Will and Celia as members of an African American family who stumble into a successful wine business in Napa Valley. (SAA)
‘Spotlight’ Might Have Won the Oscar For Best Picture, but ‘The Martian’ Turns Out To Be the Big Winner At the Box Office
According to analysis of the financial performance of the eight best-picture nominees, Ridley Scott’s The Martian ended up with the most profit. Production budgets hardly tell the whole story, since there are all sorts of hidden costs, including marketing and money spent on award campaigns. The analysis relied on several experts to compare total expenses against box-office returns and ancillary revenue from home entertainment and television. (THR)
Thank You For Being a Friend: An Oral History of ‘The Golden Girls’
More than 20 years later, the ladies are still sharing cheesecake, still talking life lessons out on the lanai and still making fans laugh. The final episode of The Golden Girls aired May 9th, 1992, but thanks to around-the-clock reruns and a devoted fan base, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia have endured in a way other TV characters haven’t. (FM)
Screenwriters: ‘Three Thousand’ (Filmed as ‘Pretty Woman’)
The 130-page screenplay by J.F. Lawton, labeled first draft and dated 1987. (DS)