The Netflix adaptation of Alice Sebold’s memoir LUCKY lost its funding “months ago” and was dropped, Variety reports. Last week, Anthony J. Broadwater was exonerated of all charges after he was wrongly convicted of the rape depicted in the book and film. Former executive producer Timothy Mucciante, whose production company Red Badge Films was bankrolling the production, pulled out of the project in June. He subsequently hired a private investigator to examine evidence and helped to get Broadwater’s conviction overturned.
Film/TV
Netflix to Launch Book Club
Netflix has announced the Netflix Book Club, highlighting titles that will be adapted to Netflix films and TV series. In a partnership with Starbucks, the club will launch a social media series, But Have You Read the Book?, to run on Netflix’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Uzo Aduba will be the inaugural host of the series, and will announce monthly book club selections and interview authors, actors and creators about the adaptations. The first selection for November is Passing by Nella Larsen, which will start streaming as a film on November 10.
Netflix Confirms Success of Book Streaming
At a conference earlier this week Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos revealed a small amount of viewer data, claiming the service is being “more transparent” with talent, while conceding that most of their data is “big black box.” But charts of the most popular series and films make one thing quite clear: The popularity of shows based on books. Between the viewing stats for the first 28 days of release and all-time, Bridgerton is their No. 1 hit, based on Julia Quinn’s series, drawing heavily from the first book, THE DUKE AND I. Other top series based on books include The […]
Hello Sunshine Announces Big Sale
Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine will be purchased by a new firm financed by private-equity company Blackstone. The terms of the deal weren’t announced, but a source told the WSJ the deal values Hello Sunshine at $900 million, with Blackstone spending over $500 million to buy out Hello Sunshine’s outside investors, including AT&T and Emerson Collective. Witherspoon and some the company’s executives and investors “will roll over the remaining equity into ownership stakes in the new company Blackstone is forming.” Former Disney executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs will run the new entertainment company that is purchasing Hello Sunshine, […]
Reese’s Book Club Announces “Eat the Book” Cooking Series
On February 18, Reese’s Book Club will air the first of four episodes in a new digital series Eat the Book, in which authors of the club’s picks join female chefs to bring a moment in their book to life through cooking a dish. Host Christina Milian will join authors Tembi Locke (From Scratch), Jasmine Guillory (The Proposal), Delia Owens (Where the Crawdads Sing) and Amanda Eyre Ward (The Jetsetters). The featured chefs are Genevieve Gergis, Karyn Tomlinson, Kim Prince, and Sara Kramer. The episodes will stream on @ReesesBookClub and @HelloSunshine channels every Thursday at 10 a.m PT.
People, Etc.: Attorney Michael Rudell Dies
Entertainment attorney Michael I. Rudell, 78, died Monday. He was managing partner at Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, formed over 55 years ago, and represented many prominent authors. Staff recall, “His wicked wit, empathic personality, frustrating punning and extraordinary brilliance made him a star of the entertainment bar as well as the workplace.” Chris Dufault will move over to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in the new role of senior vice president, group deputy publisher, publishing and sales operations, starting March 15 and reporting to president and publisher Maya Mavjee. He has been vp, group sales director for PRH. In the […]