Peter travers

EXCLUSIVE : In a seven-figure deal, New Regency Pictures has preemptively acquired film rights to the Peter Heller bestselling novel The Dog Stars , a package that comes with a completed script by Mark L. Smith , whose script work includes The Boys in the Boat, The Revenant and Midnight Sky. New Regency, Smith and Cliff Roberts ( Emancipation, The Midnight Sky ) will produce. Heller, Lily Brooks-Dalton and Brandon Scott Smith will be executive producers. They are already talking to a big star. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which a virus has wiped out most of humanity, with survivors being terrorized by roaming scavengers called “Reapers.” The protagonist is Hig, a pilot who survived the flu that killed everyone he knew, his wife included. He lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, his only neighbor a gun-toting ex-Marine. Hig sometimes heads off in his 1956 Cessna, where he can fish and pretend things are how they used to … [Read more...] about New Regency Makes 7-Figure Preempt For Peter Heller Novel ‘The Dog Stars’ With Script By ‘The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith

“It was like a palace of pitching. There’s never been any place like it.” An agent friend was describing the sprawling and frenetic Netflix reception lobby, which was an almost weekly destination for him and clients. It was so packed with dealmakers that projects were often re-shaped and re-packaged even before the Netflix pitch took place. Given news of 450 layoffs at the streamer , the pitching palace has become a cathedral of calm. With Netflix likely to lose 2 million global subscribers this quarter, its present priority is to trim costs while building an ad-supported tier to generate fresh revenue. The behavior of Netflix employees has reflected this change. “I’m taking pitches for shows all morning, then checking out job possibilities in the afternoon,” reports one Netflix executive I’ve known for years. “If I hear one more person lecturing me about ‘resilience,’ I’ll deck him.” Inevitably, turbulence in the job market has stirred speculation about the … [Read more...] about Peter Bart: Streamer And Agency Layoffs Leave Hollywood Feeling Extra Ruthless

This piece originally appeared as part of Rolling Stone ’s annual Hot List, in the July/August issue of the magazine. When John Lee was working at his first job — a magic store in the small Bay Area town of Castroville, California — there was a trick he’d always play. “It’s a classic move called the French Drop,” the 49-year-old filmmaker says, as he angles his laptop’s camera downward. He picks up a quarter, slides it into his other hand, and closes his palm; when he opens his fist, there’s no coin there. “‘Oh, look, it stayed in this hand, haha!’” The teenage Lee wouldn’t perform the gag for regular customers, however; he’d wait until professional magicians came into the shop and then do the antiquated Magic 101 move. The older men would wearily sigh, roll their eyes, and gesture toward the first hand… at which point Lee would open his fist and present their coins. “I loved it, because they would just seethe, ” he says, cracking up at the memory. “They thought they caught … [Read more...] about Pranks, Paranoia and Peter Pan: John Lee on Making ‘False Positive’

When Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, she had no idea she was kicking off a five-decade odyssey that would produce not only some of the most beloved songs of the rock era, but also more heartache and anguish than perhaps any other band in history. But during that time, McVie stayed remarkably levelheaded and did her best to bring the group’s warring factions back together again and again. She acquired a lot of wisdom along the way, making her a perfect subject for our Last Word interview series. McVie spoke to Rolling Stone ahead of Songbird , a new collection of her solo work that’s out June 24. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? What music still moves you the most? The Beach Boys must be extra special to you because of your relationship with Dennis Wilson. What did you learn from your time with Dennis? How do you relax these days? What’s the worst part of success? What’s the most indulgent purchase you ever … [Read more...] about Christine McVie on Navigating the ‘Storm’ of Fleetwood Mac and the Genius of Peter Green

EXCLUSIVE : Peter Bergman will soon learn whether he’ll take home another Daytime Emmy , but the beloved star of The Young and the Restless has already won big: Deadline has learned the actor, who has played Jack Abbott since 1989, has inked a new, five-year deal to keep him on the CBS sudser. Five-year contracts in daytime are practically unheard of these days — they typically range in length from one to four years — which is why Bergman’s pact is so significant. The actor remains more popular than ever and it’s clear that fans, as well as Sony Pictures TV, which produces the show for CBS, can’t imagine the soap without Bergman. Daytime dramas continue to bring in new actors but viewers never tire of the veterans. They’re like family. The Young and the Restless has only been renewed through 2024 , but there’s little reason to believe it won’t last the term of Bergman’s new pact. Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell , Y&R remains the … [Read more...] about Peter Bergman Inks Five-Year Deal To Remain On ‘The Young & The Restless’

Amid the orgy of congratulation and self-congratulation last week, it was difficult to find anyone pumping the hand of Philippe Dauman . It was exactly 10 years ago that the Viacom CEO took office, yet today he takes the rap for putting his company on the corporate casualty list. In assuming his duties a decade ago, Dauman delivered a stern lecture to his subordinates. “Never let a competitor beat you to the trophy,” he intoned. The “trophy” at that moment was not an Oscar. It was a site called MySpace , which Rupert Murdoch had just bought for a numbing $580 million (he later dumped it for $35 million). Dauman’s boss, Sumner Redstone , had coveted MySpace and was so angry about losing it to Murdoch that he fired his then-CEO, Tom Freston . One of Dauman’s first moves was to dispose of Viacom’s stake in a new company called Vice for $3 million (it now values itself at around $4 billion.) And so began the vicissitudes of Viacom — one of the fascinating corporate … [Read more...] about Peter Bart: What Would Viacom Look Like If Tom Freston Hadn’t Been Fired For Losing MySpace To Murdoch?

Tina Peters , a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist who has been charged with breaching voting machines, lost her bid to become the secretary of state of Colorado. She’s not so sure, though. Despite finishing third in the race for the Republican nomination to take control of the state’s election systems, Peters refused to concede on Tuesday night, accusing election officials of “cheating” and saying the race is “not over,” according to the Associated Press . Peters finished nearly 15 points behind local election official Pam Anderson. She also finished behind fellow 2020 election denier Mike O’Donnell. Peters, the Mesa County, Colorado, clerk, announced her campaign on Steve Bannon’s podcast in February, railing about how the “heavy hand of progressive activists” have “irrefutably damaged the people’s trust that we are truly free and self-governing.” Days earlier, Peters tried to kick a cop as she was being arrested for resisting police while they attempted to serve a warrant to … [Read more...] about Election Denier Denies Own 15-Point GOP Primary Loss

It’s hard to think that any superhero film could qualify as a Hollywood rarity these days but Spider-Man : Into the Spider-Verse is just that. As an animated big-screen adaptation of a comic book superhero the Sony film is on a surprisingly short list. On Thursday the film’s three directors — Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman –were celebrating their shared nomination in the best animated feature film category for the 76th Golden Globe Awards. The competition in the category includes Brad Bird and his Incredibles 2 from the Pixar superhero franchise that took its inspiration from comic books but not any of its characters. The vast majority of superheroes adventures on the big-screen have been live-action films with signature successes imported from comic books, among them Superman (1978), Batman (1989), X-Men (2000), Spider-Man (2002), Iron-Man (2008), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Avengers (2012). It’s not nearly as easy to … [Read more...] about ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ And ‘Incredibles 2’ Offer Animated Argument For Super-Heroes

Outfest has announced the complete lineup for its 40th-anniversary Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival , which will take place from July 14-24 at multiple locations throughout Los Angeles. More than 200 films, representing 29 countries, will screen as part of this year’s lineup. 42 will make their world premieres, including the doc Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story from Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Pulse Films; the UK feature Phea , starring Sherika Sherard; Mercedes Kane’s Art and Pep ; and Scout Durwood’s Youtopia. Outfest Los Angeles’ Episodics section will also feature a host of world premieres, including advanced looks at at Shudder’s forthcoming docuseries Queer for Fear ; the comedy special Queer Riot, headlined by Margaret Cho; and writer-producer Des Moran’s series halfsies , as well as a free sneak peek screening of the upcoming Prime Video series A League of Their Own , starring Abbi Jacobson. The fest’s Platinum section, … [Read more...] about Outfest Rounds Out Lineup For Its 40th Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin , and past Oscar nominees producer Jason Blum and director Jason Reitman are among first-time members elected to the Board Of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as AMPAS announced its new 2022-2023 Board today. In addition to Matlin for the Actors Branch, Reitman for Directors, and Blum for Producers, other newly elected first time BOG members are  Richard Hicks (Casting), Dion Beebe (Cinematographers), Chris Hegedus (Documentary), Nancy Richardson (Film Editors), Megan Colligan (Marketing and Public Relations), Missy Parker (Production Design), Marlon West (Short Films and Feature Animation), Peter Devlin (Sound), and Paul Debevec (Visual Effects). Incumbent Governors who have been reelected include Ruth E. Carter (Costume Designers), Donna Gigliotti (Executives), Howard Berger (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists), and Eric Roth (Writers). Returning to the BOG after a hiatus is Charles Fox (Music). They all … [Read more...] about Marlee Matlin, Jason Reitman, Jason Blum Among Newly Elected First-Timers To Academy’s Board Of Governors