‘Trouble with the Curve’ trouble! Layoffs hit Paramount Pictures.
After the coffee. Before getting into baseball playoff mode.
The Skinny: I’m still trying to get through the second episode of NBC’s “The Blacklist.” I do like James Spader, but I’m not sold on the show yet. Wednesday’s headlines include layoffs at Paramount Pictures and a producer’s accusation that Warner Bros. and Clint Eastwood stole his movie idea.
Daily Dose: CBS has tapped John Orlando to fill the large shoes left by Martin Franks, who had overseen the broadcasting giant’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Orlando, who has been a senior vice president in the CBS D.C. office, has been bumped up to executive vice president and now reports directly to CEO Leslie Moonves.
PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments
Stealing signals? Ryan Brooks, a movie producer, has sued Warner Bros. and Clint Eastwood’s Malpaso Productions, claiming that the actor and studio stole his idea for the 2012 father-daughter baseball movie “Trouble With the Curve.” “This case is about a conspiracy to steal the body, structure, theme and soul of a unique, original, copyrighted screenplay from a production company and its owner,” Brooks’ lawsuit said. More from the Los Angeles Times and Variety.
Pink slip Tuesday. Viacom’s Paramount Pictures said Tuesday it was cutting 110 jobs, primarily from human resources, technology and finance. It is the second time in two years that the studio -- which has dramatically cut back on the number of movies it makes -- has trimmed staff. Details from Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times.
Not squashed yet. Though two TV projects about Hillary Clinton -- a miniseries from NBC and a documentary from CNN -- were scrapped this week, a movie about the former first lady’s early days as a lawyer and her relationship with Bill Clinton is slowly moving forward. The New York Times says that although the movie still doesn’t have financing or a cast, it does have James Ponsoldt, whose credits include “The Spectacular Now,” on board as a director.
Who’s up and who’s down. The TV season has a long way to go but that doesn’t mean the media can’t start scrutinizing every rating and share. Even though more and more viewers are recording shows and watching later, or accessing shows on video-on-demand (I watched the second episode of “Mom” that way), the early Nielsen numbers still get tons of attention. Looks at Week 1 of the fall TV season from the Hollywood Reporter and USA Today.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Robert Lloyd on NBC’s remake of “Ironside.”
Follow me on Twitter. No government shutdown will stop me from tweeting. @JBFlint.
From the Oscars to the Emmys.
Get the Envelope newsletter for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes stories from the Envelope podcast and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
