July 22, 2021

What's news: Great news for HBO Max, as the streamer's sub numbers for the quarter are ahead of Wall Street's forecasts. The new trailer for Dune has dropped and it is, in a word, incredible. Hollywood is getting $330 million of additional funding from California. Plus: Barack and Bruce's podcast is being turned into a novel and Michaela Coel is joining the MCU — Abid Rahman

Can Peacock Stick the Landing at the Olympics?

►Advantage NBC? One of the most anticipated events at the Tokyo Olympics, at least for U.S. viewers, will be women’s gymnastics, with Simone Biles looking to add to her 2016 haul of four gold medals. But if Americans want to watch Biles live, they will have to do so on NBCUniversal streamer Peacock.

THR's Alex Weprin writes that NBC is betting that Biles and the rest of the U.S. gymnastics team, as well as the track and field teams and the men’s basketball squad, can help Peacock rack up subscribers as athletes keep racking up medals, making live coverage of those events exclusive to the streaming service. The story.

—Pandemic hurdles. Holding the Olympics amid a global pandemic, and with Tokyo itself in a state of emergency, presents a whole new set of challenges for journalists covering the Games.

As the news division of NBCUniversal is finding out, covering the Games involves quarantines, rapid COVID-19 tests and tracking apps on phones to allow for surveillance and contact tracing. "We think of the Olympics as this idea of welcoming the world. In this case it is just the opposite in the face of the pandemic," says Lester Holt. The story.

—Olympian mess. The Tokyo Olympics' opening ceremony director Kentaro Kobayashi has been dismissed on the eve of the event after he was accused of using a joke about the Holocaust in his comedy act, including the phrase "Let’s play Holocaust." The story.

—This Week in TV. THR's Rick Porter runs down the TV premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. Things to look out for over the coming week include, well the bloody Olympics! The opening ceremony is Friday and will air live on NBC at 6:55 a.m. ET/3:55 a.m. PT, A taped version of the ceremony will air in primetime. Daily coverage will be spread across NBC, CNBC, USA, NBCSN, the Olympic Channel and Peacock. Also debuting tomorrow is the second season Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ and Roswell, New Mexico returns on The CW. The full guide.

Netflix Wants to Be the Everything App

►Going mobile. Despite its reputation as the king of subscription streaming video, Netflix understands it has never had the dominance on mobile devices that it has on TV screens. But recent and upcoming forays into games, podcasts and TikTok-like shorts suggest the streaming giant is thinking about new ways to present content beyond televisions. The story.

—Streamer shake-up. Netflix’s head of physical production, Ty Warren, was laid off as part of a restructuring of the physical production department. According to a source, the restructuring is focused on creating regional physical production teams, rather than having one central worldwide division led by Warren. The story.

—Zack's putting down roots. Staying with Netflix, The Stone Quarry Productions, a banner run by filmmaker Zack Snyder, producing partner Deborah Snyder and executive Wesley Coller, has signed a first-look film deal with the streamer. The story.

—"Another strong quarter." HBO and HBO Max reached 47.0 million U.S. subscribers as of the end of the second quarter, up 2.8 million from 44.2 million as of the end of the first quarter, “driven by HBO Max retail subscriber growth,” WarnerMedia parent and telecom giant AT&T said Thursday morning. The story.

—Oh Em Gee. The new trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune dropped this morning and it is simply awe-inspiring. If this film isn't a box office hit, well, we shouldn't be allowed to have nice things. The trailer.

—Fallout. ESPN's Maria Taylor is leaving the channel after the two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Taylor’s departure comes after an intra-ESPN dispute involving the host and colleague Rachel Nichols spilled into public view in recent weeks. The story.

Crunching the Numbers

12.52 Million

The Bucks’ 105-98 win over the Suns in game 6 of the NBA Finals averaged 12.52 million viewers for ABC, the highest of the series by more than 2 million viewers and a 51 percent improvement over last year’s final game. The ratings.

'Ted Lasso' S2 Review

►"Still big-hearted, but broadening its horizons." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews the sophomore season of Apple TV+ Emmy noms magnet Ted Lasso, and thankfully it seems like Ted and the gang are still bringing people (and critics) joy: "Through two-thirds of the comedy’s 12-episode encore season, the returns are, like Ted Lasso himself, unreasonably positive." The review.

—Got to mine that IP. MTV Studios is reviving the VH1 celebrity reality show The Surreal Life for a seventh season. August Alsina, CJ Perry, Dennis Rodman, Frankie Muniz, Kim Coles, Manny MUA, Stormy Daniels and Tamar Braxton will face off in what is being dubbed as a “reimagined” season of the originals. The story.

—The Boss and the President: A Novel. Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama are turning their Spotify podcast into a novel. Penguin Random House has announced that it will publish Renegades: Born in the USA, in partnership with the Obamas' production company Higher Ground. The story.

—Boost for Hollywood. As expected, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that offers Hollywood a generous boost, $330 million in additional funding to be exact. The story.

—COVID strikes. The TV Academy has announced that the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys will take place with "limited live audiences of nominees and guests." It was previously announced that the Primetime Emmys ceremony will also take place with "a limited live audience." And for the second year in a row, all Governors Ball events are being canceled. The story.

'Black Panther' Sequel Adds Michaela Coel

►Excellent casting news. The Black Panther sequel has added Brit multi-hyphenate Michaela Coel to its ranks. Coel, who most recently released HBO series I May Destroy You to critical acclaim and four Emmys nominations, will join filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is currently filming in Atlanta. The story.

—New Batgirl incoming. Leslie Grace is reaching new heights. The actor, known for her breakout role in In the Heights, is joining the DC Universe as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl in the HBO Max film. The story.

—Boring and dumb? The Suicide Squad director James Gunn is sharing how unimpressed he is with the current state of the superhero genre, calling some recent comic book adaptations "really dumb" and "mostly boring for me, right now." The story.

—"Dangerous tightrope walk." Ryan Reynolds has opened up about the connection between his anxiety and success, sharing on the SmartLess podcast that while it can be "useful" creatively in his professional life, it comes with a "shroud of darkness." The story.

In other news...

—Film review: Henry Golding in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.

—TV review: AMC+'s Ultra City Smiths.

—America Ferrera boards WeWork limited series at Apple TV+.

—Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina showrunner to continue story with Archie Comics.

—Timothy Hutton to face no charge for 1983 rape allegation.

—Venice: Cambodian sci-fi movie Karmalink to open Critics’ Week.

—First trailer for Andy Cohen’s sex grading reality show Ex-Rated.

—Clubhouse app opens wide to the public.

—Bill O’Reilly looks to stop accuser from appearing on ABC’s The View.

—Hades takes top honor at Game Developers Choice Awards.

—Netflix snags Night Agent thriller series from Shawn Ryan.

—DC’s Injustice sets cast for animated movie.

—Rosie O’Donnell recalls confronting Harvey Weinstein about M. Night Shyamalan's film Wide Awake.

—Netflix subscriber stall has Wall Street pinning hope on strong year-end.

—Netflix might save Manifest after all.

—Bette Midler, Berry Gordy, Lorne Michaels among Kennedy Center Honorees.

What else we're reading...

—"How Steely Dan Became a Cult Favorite for Millennials" [The Ringer]

—"Is Loki a True Marvel Variant? Or Just a Fun Experiment?" [New York Times]

—"NBC Chases Olympics Gold in Tokyo Amid Lack of Fans, Missing Athletes" [Bloomberg]

—"Investigation: How TikTok's Algorithm Figures Out Your Deepest Desires" [Wall Street Journal]

—"What Have We Done to Deserve Sexy Beasts?" [Daily Beast]

Today...

... in 1996, Comedy Central unveiled a news-driven variety series, The Daily Show, with host Craig Kilborn. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Willem Dafoe (66), Selena Gomez (29), Isabelle Cornish (27), John Leguizamo (57), Franka Potente (47), Terence Stamp (83), Rhys Ifans (54), Danny Glover (75), Albert Brooks (74), Paul Schrader (45), George Clinton (80), A.J. Cook (43), David Spade (57), Clive Standen (40)

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