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21:35 - MOVIES: Finding Dory - Baby Dory Sneak Peek
21:35 - MOVIES: Sony Unveils Plans for Animated Spider-Man, Emojimovie: Express Yourself, Hotel Transylvania 3, Ghostbuster: Ecto Force TV Series and Smurfs: The Lost Village.
SONY PICTURES ANIMATION ANNOUNCES 2017 & 2018 SLATE
Projects Include EMOJIMOVIE: EXPRESS YOURSELF, Faith-Based Film THE STAR, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3, Animated SPIDER-MAN and GHOSTBUSTERS Animated TV Series

Culver City, CA, June 20, 2016 - In a move signaling an expansion of its output and increased year-round production across multiple platforms, Sony Pictures Animation announced today its slate through 2018 which includes five theatrical features, three television series and one direct-to-video movie.
Kristine Belson, President of Sony Pictures Animation, says, "We are meaningfully stepping up our level of production, while creating an environment that fosters the best talent. Our goal is to enlarge our presence in the animation landscape with a uniquely diverse slate, and our strategy to get there is to let artists drive themovies creatively."
Tom Rothman, Chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, adds, "I could not be more proud of the way Kristine Belson has rebuilt Sony Pictures Animation into the boldest home for animation in the industry."
Sony Pictures Animation’s slate includes a diverse mix of originals and franchises, some previously announced, each with its own unique style and tone, underscoring the Studio’s pledge to develop projects aimed both inside and outside of the Sony Pictures Animation family brand intended for traditional, as well as online, distribution platforms.
THEATRICAL FEATURES
• SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE—a fully-animated comedy that delivers a fresh new take on the famous blue creatures and marks a return to the tone and style of the beloved comic book creations of Peyo—hits theaters April 7, 2017. The feature is directed by Kelly Asbury (SHREK 2, GNOMEO & JULIET), produced by Jordan Kerner (THE SMURFS 1 & 2, CHARLOTTE’S WEB), co-produced by Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews
(HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA) and written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon, based on the characters and works of Peyo. The voice cast includes Demi Lovato as Smurfette, Jack McBrayer as Clumsy, Joe Manganiello as Hefty, Danny Pudi as Brainy, and Rainn Wilson as Gargamel, with Mandy Patinkin as Papa.
• EMOJIMOVIE: EXPRESS YOURSELF will offer a surprising and comic take on the secret world of our phones and the beloved characters that have become daily necessities in global interpersonal communication. The feature, targeting an August 2017 theatrical release, is directed by Anthony Leondis, produced by Michelle Raimo Kouyate, and written by Anthony Leondis & Eric Siegel.
• THE STAR (working title) is scheduled for a December 8, 2017 theatrical release. The computer-animated feature is directed by Oscar nominee Timothy Reckart (HEAD OVER HEELS); executive produced by DeVon Franklin, Lisa Henson, and Brian Henson; co-produced by Jenni Magee Cook; and written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore. In The Star, a small but brave donkey and his animal friends become the unsung heroes of the greatest story ever told, the first Christmas. Sony Pictures Animation produces in association with The Jim Henson Company.
• HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3—the follow-up to Sony Pictures Animation’s highest grossing film in the U.S. and the biggest opening ever for a domestic September release —is scheduled to hit theaters September 21, 2018. Director Genndy Tartakovsky (DEXTER’S LABORATORY, STAR WARS: CLONE WARS), who returns to helm this brand new adventure, says, "I thought I was done exploring the world of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA after the first two films, but while I was away from the franchise finishing my TV show SAMURAI JACK, an idea sparked that I got really excited about and made it irresistible to return and helm myself this third adventure." Michelle Murdocca is back producing, with Adam Sandler executive producing, and Michael McCullers (AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, BOSS BABY) writing the screenplay. Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg will be returning as the voices of Dracula, his vampire daughter Mavis, and her human husband Johnny.
• From Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, the geniuses behind THE LEGO MOVIE, comes an animated SPIDER-MAN feature slated for theatrical release December 21, 2018. The film is being written by Phil Lord. Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller are producing; Craig Sost is co-producing. Bob Persichetti (head of story on PUSS IN BOOTS and THE LITTLE PRINCE) is directing.
ANIMATED SERIES
• A brand new animated television series, GHOSTBUSTERS: ECTO FORCE, will further expand the Ghostbusters cinematic universe and focus on a new generation of Ghostbusters in the year 2050 who capture ghosts around the world with help from local teams—and some very cool gear! The younger-skewing Sony Pictures Animation project is being creatively spearheaded by Ivan Reitman and his production company Ghost Corps. GHOSTBUSTERS: ECTO FORCE is eyeing an early 2018 debut.
• HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: THE TELEVISION SERIES is targeted for a 2017 airdate. The animated television series, produced in partnership with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, will focus on the teenage years of Mavis, Dracula’s daughter, and her friends. It will be airing on the Disney Channel worldwide.
• CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is slated for its television series incarnation airdate in 2017. The 2D animated small-screen series, produced in partnership with DHX Media and commissioned by TELETOON in Canada, will expand on the adventures of the computer-animated feature films and will air on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and Turner channels across EMEA, APAC and Latin American markets.
DIRECT-TO-VIDEO
• SURF’S UP 2: WAVEMANIA will debut on home entertainment in the Spring of 2017. Directed by Henry Yu and produced by Michelle Wong, the follow-up to the 2007 Oscar nominee will hit the shores in time for the 10-year anniversary of the franchise. The project is in partnership with WWE Studios (NYSE:WWE) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The voice cast includes WWE Superstars John Cena®, The Undertaker®, Triple H®, Diva Paige™ and Mr. McMahon® as an an infamous big wave riding crew of penguins known as The Hang 5 which Cody Maverick convinces to let him join on their journey to a mysterious surf spot where legend has it they’ll find the biggest waves in the world.
Senior Vice Presidents of Development Michael Lachance (EMOJIMOVIE: EXPRESS YOURSELF, GHOSTBUSTERS: ECTO FORCE), Jenny Marchick (THE STAR, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3) and Mike Moon (untitled animated SPIDER-MAN) are in charge of creatively spearheading the Sony Pictures Animation slate.
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21:35 - Godless - Whitney Able and Samantha Soule Join Netflix's Limited Drama Series
Whitney Able (Monsters) and Samantha Soule have joined the cast of Netflix limited period drama series Godless from Steven Soderbergh and Scott Frank.
Written, directed and executive produced by Frank, Godless is a Western set in an 1800s New Mexico mining town. Able will play Anna McNue and Soule is Charlotte Temple, described as a nervous and put-together woman always in her Sunday best.
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05:40 - Sex Criminals - Pilot Script Based on Comic in Development
Note: It has no network attached currently. Universal is the studio.
The digital projector arrived and Matt Fraction was able to show the audience some of the art for his upcoming ODY-C adult coloring and activity book.
“It comes out August 10th and Christian Ward’s art lends itself so spectacularly to this,” Fraction said, also announcing a hardcover collection of the series will be out soon and that issues 11 and 12 will be decidedly different.
“They will be written entirely in limericks because people did not appreciate how hard this book is to put together,” he joked. “It’s a super weird book and I love anyone who buys it.”
Fraction also thanked the art team of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon for a decade of collaboration on the title Cassanova.
“We’ve been doing this for ten years,” the writer said until he was interrupted by his artists who quipped, “yes, and we don’t even have 20 issues.”
Fraction added that future issues will continue collaborations with author Michael Chabon writing exclusive backup material. “We really have made some miracles happen,” he said. “Dreams do come true.”
Another dream-come-true revealed to the crowd was that a potential TV pilot for Fraction’s popular Sex Criminals series has been completed by its original author.
“I have written the pilot,” he said, seeming somewhat relieved. “It’s done and it is with a studio. It’s true to the book, but it is still its own thing. It’s written. Step one is done.”
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04:20 - MOVIES: The Lego Movie 2 - Warner Bros Pushes Release Date to 2019
Warner Bros has shifted release dates for four of its upcoming films, including The Lego Movie 2, which moves almost a year ahead from 05/18/18 to 02/08/19. No word on why the sequel to 2014’s huge hit has been moved, but it now comes out almost exactly five years to the day after The Lego Movie.
In addition, Dean Devlin’s disaster flick Geostorm is getting shuffled around the schedule for the second time, moving from 1/13/17 to 10/20/17 – it was originally set to bow on October 21, 2016.
Meanwhile, the Owen Wilson/Ed Helms comedy Bastards, about two brothers who set out in adulthood to learn who their real father is, has been moved from 11/04/16 to 01/27/17. That takes Bastards out of a very competitive weekend, as its original release date would have pitted it against Marvel’s Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Doctor Strange that, judging from previous Marvel successes, is likely to trounce all comers in its opening window. Bastards‘ move to January doesn’t denote lack of confidence however, as the new slow sees it up against Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, and Trainspotting 2.
Finally, Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort Live By Night, a period crime film in which he wrote and also stars in alongside Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Brendan Gleeson, has been moved up the schedule, hitting theaters 01/13/17 instead of 10/20/17.
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02:25 - The Infamous - Pilot Not Going forward at A&E, May Be Shopped Elsewhere
A&E has passed on hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous, from A+E Studios. I hear the studio is talking to the project’s producers about potentially shopping the pilot starring Bokeem Woodbine and Jason O’Mara elsewhere.
Written by Joshua Zetumer and directed by Anthony Hemingway, The Infamous is set against real events in turbulent 1990s Los Angeles leading up to the L.A. Riots. It revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster (Woodbine) poised to break out of South Central and the LAPD detective (O’Mara) hell-bent on taking him down.
Zetumer is executive producing with Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson as well as Get Lifted’s John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius.
The Infamous was the only A&E pilot currently in contention. With it not going forward and series Damien recently canceled after one season, veteran Bates Motel remains the only scripted series on A&E. The network is expected to greenlight new scripted projects soon.
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02:20 - 13 Reasons Why - Brian d’Arcy James to Co-Star in Netflix Series
Brian d’Arcy James is set to co-star opposite Dylan Minnette, Katherine Langford and Kate Walsh on Netflix‘s 13-episode series 13 Reasons Why, from producer Selena Gomez, writer Brian Yorkey, director Tom McCarthy, Anonymous Content and Paramount TV. Additionally, d’Arcy James has been cast in a recurring role in Civil, TNT’s modern-day Civil War pilot.
Yorkey (Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist of the musical Next To Normal)created and wrote the TV series adaptation of the 2007 New York Times bestselling YA book by Jay Asher, which follows a boy named Clay (Minnette) through an emotional night when he receives a shoe box of cassette tapes from his late classmate and crush Hannah (Langford), following her recent suicide. On the tapes, which are mailed with instructions to pass along from one student to another, Hannah explains to 12 peers how they each played a role in her death, by giving 13 reasons explaining why she took her life.
D’Arcy James will play Hannah’s father, a pharmacist and small-business owner who deals with his daughter’s death by throwing himself into his work and trying to keep his store alive in the face of competition all while dealing with he and his wife’s over the loss of their daughter.
13 Reasons Why reunites d’Arcy James with Anonymous Content’s Michael Sugar and Steve Golin as well as director McCarthy, who cast him in the 2016 Oscar-winning film Spotlight.
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02:15 - MOVIES: Wicked - Universal Announces Film Adaptation of Broadway Musical
Universal has staked out December 20, 2019 for its feature adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked. It’s been a long journey for this Wizard of Oz prequel to the big screen. To give you an idea of how long it has been in development, Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr broke the news of Stephen Daldry’s attachment as director back in July 2012.
Wicked has been seen by more than 50 million fans worldwide and in March crossed the $1 billion mark in Broadway ticket sales. Globally, Wicked has racked up $4 billion. Marc Platt, who also produced the Broadway stage show, is also producing the film version.
The three-time Tony Award-winning stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by book writer Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin), who are also collaborating on the screenplad. Wicked is produced on Broadway by Platt, Universal Stage Productions, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Wicked began as a movie development project with Platt and Universal, before they changed course and took it to the stage first. It was an immediate sensation, quickly recouping its $14M capitalization in 2004, becoming one of the biggest-grossing tuners of all time.
Universal owns the highest-grossing Broadway musical-to-screen title of all-time: 2008’s Mamma Mia!, which counts $609.8M worldwide.
Wicked is being released during the holiday-Oscar corridor, a similar spot where its 2012 Les Miserables thrived earning eight Oscar noms and three wins including Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway. Its global gross was $441.8M. Currently, the only other pic on that pre-Christmas weekend in 2019 is an untitled Disney live-action fairy tale movie.
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02:10 - The Deuce - Chris Coy & Mustafa Shakir Join HBO Drama Series
Chris Coy is staying in the HBO fold with a series regular role on The Deuce, HBO’s upcoming drama series starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Also cast on the show as recurring is Mustafa Shakir.
Written by The Wire creator David Simon and longtime collaborator George Pelecanos and directed by Michelle MacLaren, The Deuce follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed there until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic, and the renewed real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence.
Coy will play Paul Hendrickson. A kindred spirit to Vincent Martino (Franco), Paul is a veteran bartender who pursues his own personal and professional ambitions in the emerging gay, lesbian and transsexual community of ’70s New York.
Shakir plays Big Mike, a man of few words, a physically imposing loner who becomes Vincent’s primary muscle and fiercely devoted friend.
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23:15 - The Goldbergs - Sold in Broadcast Syndication to Tribune Stations
Sony Pictures Television has sold comedy series The Goldbergs to Tribune Broadcasting’s owned or operated stations in 16 major markets, representing 34% of U.S. TV households. The 1980s-set single-camera comedy will debut in broadcast syndication in fall 2017.
The broadcast syndication deal, which I hear is on an all-barter basis, joins the SVOD pact Sony TV inked for the show with Hulu last fall. The studio has the ability to also carve out a cable syndication sale for The Goldbergs, which is heading to its fourth season on ABC next fall.
After a promising start in the challenging Tuesday 8:30 PM slot, The Goldbergs thrived when it relocated to Wednesdays in Season 2, posting rare second-year ratings growth. The series, about 11-year-old Adam who, armed with a video camera, captures the antics of his nutty but loving family, continued its ratings upswing in Season 3, becoming one of very few series to show year-over-year growth in all three seasons.
“The Goldbergs is a success by all measures,” said John Weiser, President of Distribution for Sony Pictures Television. “With three consecutive seasons of ratings growth, The Goldbergs is the No. 1 comedy available in the market this year, and for the next several years looking ahead. It is poised for a long run on ABC and in syndication.”
The series, created by Adam F. Goldberg, is moving to the anchor Wednesday 8 PM slot in the fall.
The Tribune stations that will broadcast The Goldbergs include WPIX-TV (New York), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), WGN-TV, (Chicago), KDAF-TV (Dallas), WDCW-TV (Washington DC) and KIAH-TV (Houston).
“The Goldbergs is a stand-out comedy with all-family appeal, growing ratings and buzzworthy storytelling, making it a great fit for our stations,” said Sean Compton, President of Strategic Programming and Acquisitions, Tribune Media.
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23:15 - MOVIES: The Nun - The Conjuring 2 Spinoff in the Works
New Line is developing a bad habit.
Fresh off the success of The Conjuring 2, the film company is spinning off the villain of the supernatural thriller, the demonic nun, into her own movie.
David Leslie Johnson, who co-wrote Conjuring 2, has been hired to pen what is being titled The Nun. James Wan, who directed the Conjuring movies, and Peter Safran, who produced them, are reuniting to produce the spinoff.
What is noteworthy about the demon nun character is that she didn’t exist until about three months before Conjuring 2 opened, as she was only added during last-minute reshoots.
The studio and Wan had a cut of the movie, which stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators, in which the antagonist was a demonic figure with horns. The studio was ready to release that version but at the last minute, Wan was struck by a revelation. And so he came up with a new concept, a demon nun, which he pitched to New Line. And even though the late-in-the-game change could have spooked some studios, New Line exec gave him their blessing.
The shoot took place in March, just three months before the movie was scheduled to open on June 10. Some of the changes were minor: The art piece that Wilson is painting was altered digitally as the horned demon made way for the demon nun. Some were more extensive, such as a set piece in which Farmiga watches in terror as a shadow crawls across the wall to line up with the painting and … (well, you'll just have to see the movie to learn more). Bonnie Aarons, under heavy makeup, played the character.
The Nun will be the second spinoff from the Conjuring series, following 2014’s Annabelle. That movie proved to be a horror hit when it ultimately grossed over $256 million worldwide (or nearly 40 times its production budget). New Line has now slated an Annabelle sequel for 2017.
The Conjuring franchise remains popular as Conjuring 2 was not only the No. 1 film in North America but also No. 1 internationally this past weekend outside of China. It was also the biggest opening weekend ever for a horror film in 30 markets including Australia, Mexico, Brazil, all of Latin America and most markets in Asia. The movie has already grossed over $100 million worldwide in five days of release.
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23:15 - Civil - Bradley Whitford, Toby Jones and Courtney B. Vance Join TNT Civil War Pilot; Brian D'Arcy James to Guest
Bradley Whitford and Courtney B. Vance are headed to TNT.
The two actors have signed on for the Turner network's modern-day civil war drama pilot Civil, it was announced Wednesday.
Toby Jones has also joined the project, with Brian D'Arcy James (Spotlight) attached as a guest star.
Civil takes place in the wake of a hotly contested Presidential election, as America finds itself plunging uncontrollably into a modern-day Civil War. The series weaves together the personal stories of citizens from all walks of life, whose actions — amplified in an age of instant media — add fuel to the conflict and affect the fate of the entire country.
Whitford has been cast as Grant Taylor, the Democratic candidate for President. Taylor is a career politician who spent the past eight years trying to appear subservient in his role as Vice President, cutting against his reflex to approach every relationship from a position of domineering aggression. He comes from a background of great privilege, but he works hard to mask this behind a facade of relatability and good humor.
Vance will play New York City Police Commissioner John Thorne, an old-school, law-and-order cop who's unabashedly tough, with one newspaper dubbing him “Iron John." As the nation's unrest spreads to New York City, Thorne reacts with increasingly extreme measures, gradually assuming near-dictatorial power over the city he’s sworn to serve and protect.
Jones will take the role of shock-jock host Otis O'Dell, host of The Otis O'Dell Show. A Brit who has taken American citizenship, Otis prides himself on being more red-white-and-blue than most "native born" Americans. He's smart, verbally dexterous and charmingly abrasive, with a reflexive sense of outrage. He'll serve as both a Greek chorus for the series and, when it suits him, a political provocateur. As the national crisis he helps foment deepens, Otis will be forced to deal with his role in the unraveling of the Republic.
D'Arcy James will appear as Graham Beller, a very capable, reasonable but long-suffering news producer and sometimes wrangler. Graham is constantly towing the line between support and tough love for his anchor.
The four actors join the previously announced Enrique Murciano, who is set to play Speaker of the House Juan Reyes, the Republican candidate for President.
Civil hails from writer and executive producer Scott Smith (A Simple Plan), who will exec-produce with Lloyd Braun and Thomas Kelly (Copper), who will also serve as showrunner. Allen Coulter (Nurse Jackie, Ray Donovan) is on board to direct the project, which will be produced by TNT Originals in association with MGM Television and Whalerock.
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21:45 - Civil - Enrique Murciano Cast in a Lead Role in TNT's Modern Day Civil War Pilot
Bloodline co-star Enrique Murciano has booked a lead role in TNT’s modern-day Civil War pilot Civil.
Written and executive produced by A Simple Plan scribe Scott Smith and directed by Allen Coulter (Ray Donovan), Civil threads ominously close to current events. It takes place in the wake of a hotly contested Presidential election, as America finds itself plunging uncontrollably into a modern day Civil War. The series weaves together the personal stories of citizens from all walks of life, whose actions – amplified in an age of instant media – add fuel to the conflict and affect the fate of the entire country.
Murciano will play Speaker of the House Juan Reyes, the Republican candidate for President. He’s the son of immigrants, and a proudly self-made man. As a young man, he made a fortune selling used cars, and he carried these skills with him as he turned to politics; he’s a back-slapper, an easy hugger. But beneath his aura of good humor lurks a sharp-toothed political brawler.
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21:45 - Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie - Nickelodeon Announces TV Movie Title; 19 Original Voice Actors Returning
The Hey Arnold! TV movie has finally been given a name, and it’s… Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie.
Nickelodeon on Monday also revealed that 19 of the animated show’s voice actors will return for the film, including: Francesca Marie Smith as Helga; Anndi McAfee as Phoebe; Justin Shenkarow as Harold; Olivia Hack as Rhonda; Nika Futterman as Olga; Dan Butler as Mr. Simmons; Dan Castellaneta as Grandpa; Tress MacNeille as Grandma; Antoinette Stella as Stella; Carlos Alazraqui as Eduardo; Dom Irrera as Ernie; Maurice LaMarche as Bob Pataki; Kath Soucie as Miriam; Danielle Judovits as Big Patty; Danny Cooksey as Stoop Kid; Jim Belushi as Coach Wittenberg; and Hey Arnold! creator Craig Bartlett as Miles.
Lane Toran, who originally played Arnold in the series, and Jamil Smith, who was the voice of Gerald, also will return, but in different roles. Mason Vale Cotton and Benjamin “L’il P-Nut” Flores, Jr. will assume the roles of Arnold and Gerald, respectively. Other new actors taking on roles from the series are Gavin Lewis as Eugene; Jet Jurgensmeyer as Stinky; Aiden Lewandowski as Sid; Laya Hayes as Nadine; Nicolas Cantu as Curly; Wally Wingert as Oskar; and Stephen Stanton as Pigeon Man. Alfred Molina will lend his voice to the villain Lasombra, who is a notorious river pirate scheming from a secret compound in the jungles of San Lorenzo.
Running from 1996 to 2004 on Nickelodeon, Hey Arnold! followed the adventures of fourth grader Arnold, who resided in a boarding house with his grandparents. A Hey Arnold! movie, sensibly titled Hey Arnold!: The Movie, hit theaters in 2002, grossing $15 million. A two-hour TV movie, to be written and executive-produced by Bartlett, was given a thumbs-up by the network earlier this year. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, which premieres next year and resumes the action where the show left off, promises to “resolve unanswered questions and plotlines — including Arnold finally getting answers about the whereabouts of his missing parents.”
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21:45 - Veep, This Is Us, Rosewood & American Crime Among 11 TV Projects Awarded California Tax Credits
Thanks to IgnitionJ for the heads up.
The third season of American Crime, Season 2 of Rosewood, Season 6 of Veep, newbies This Is Us and Pitch are today among the latest television recipients of California’s lucrative tax credits. With the John Ridley-created series relocating from Austin, Texas and getting over $5.2 million, the series were part of the 11 projects that the California Film Commission announced Monday (see full list below) will be receiving part of the $65 million available this round to newly relocating TV series, recurring TV series and 1st season TV series picked up from pilots that had secured tax credits. Both Pitch and This is Us garnered tax credits for their pilots. Among the conditionally approved projects, Fox’s Rosewood was the largest recipient with over $11.3 million in tax credits. Having relocated to California last year, HBO’s Veep got $6.5 million for its upcoming sixth season.
The 11 approved TV projects will generate around $464 million in direct in-state spending, including $171 million in wages to below-the-line crew members, according to the CFC.
The latest application period ran from May 17-27, with only shows with series pick-ups eligible. The next round of tax credits will come at the end of this month with the window of June 27 to July 8 for feature films to apply for approximately $79 million in incentives. With more TV series, mini-series, MOWs, pilots and relocating series in the mix, the next TV round is from November 14- 29.
Since the expanded and employment-centric tax credits program came into effect in 2015, relocating series has been a priority for the Golden State and the CFC with the likes of Veep, Mistresses, American Horror Story and Screen Queens moving to Cali. Snagging $9.2 million in credits the latter renewed Fox series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck was the big catch among the last round of TV incentive allotments back in early March this year.
At the same time, California lost Supergirl this year as the Greg Berlanti EP’d series moved from CBS to the CW for its second season and up to Vancouver where fellow WBTV shows Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow film.
Once capped at $100 million a year when it was first introduced in 2009, Gov. Jerry Brown greatly expanded the incentive when he signed the now-five-year, $330 million-a-year tax credit program into law in September 2014. Since then, California has clawed back some of the production that was once flooding out of the home of Hollywood to more lucrative states like NY, Georgia and Louisiana and Canadian provinces. Coming off its most successful year ever and with the Canadian dollar competitively low next to the U.S. currency, British Columbia took the unexpected move last year to bring its subsidies down from 33% to 28% starting on October 1.
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