A persuasive argument can be made for The Crown being the jewel in British television’s very own crown, but it was so very nearly an uncut gem. A decade ago, this 60-hour showpiece was perilously close to being an idea filed under: nearly, but not quite. A passion project that lives in the great pantheon of unmade pitches.
The difference maker is not Peter Morgan and his sweeping vision to tell more than 70 years of British history through the eyes of a single woman. It is not the beguiling array of talent swooned by Morgan’s prose. Nor is it the deep pockets of a former DVD rental company that looks to have emerged victorious in the streaming wars.
The difference maker is Andy Harries. Like all great producers, Harries is the consummate salesman. His story of how he shopped The Crown is now woven into British television folklore. It’s a tale this author has heard at least three times, but Harries still sparkles his way through it, building to the inevitable happy ending for his production company Left Bank Pictures. >>>His Awkward Encounter With Prince William
Related:
‘The Crown’s Bertie Carvel On Playing Tony Blair And The Time He Met The Real Queen |
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Getting The Band Back Together - MGM Studios won the bidding war for Best of Enemies, an adaptation of the spy thriller that will star Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale, with Eric Warren Singer scripting and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven producing. They all worked together on the 2013 Best Picture nominee American Hustle. >>>Cooper May Direct
Bidding War- A wild pre-holiday auction for a Ryan Reynolds global heist comedy vehicle is coming to a close, with Netflix winning the deal. Deadline revealed the untitled pitch last week, when the creatives did the rounds to pitch directly – something that hasn’t happened much since the pandemic – and the 7-figure bids began hitting the table. Dana Fox will write the script, and Simon Kinberg is producing with Reynolds. >>> Ensemble Pic
More 'Captain America' - With plenty of time until its Feb. 14, 2025 theatrical release, Marvel Studios‘ Captain America: Brave New World has hired Matthew Orton to pen additional scenes and material. >>>Spring-Summer Shoot
More Exec Shuffling At WBD - In another change in the executive ranks at Warner Bros. Discovery first reported by Deadline, Meredith Gertler and Lisa Holme have decided to leave the company and, separately, London-based Vanessa Brookman has been promoted to GM, Kids, Global Streaming and International Networks. >>>Part Of Content Strategy "Rethink" |
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Annette Bening joins Deadline for the latest edition of our video series The Actor’s Side to discuss Nyad, why she nearly turned the film down, the training regimen it required, working opposite Jodie Foster, getting waterlogged and the extra responsibility of playing a living person. >>>Watch The Interview |
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QUOTABLE
“I am here” - Hunter Biden standing in front of the U.S. Capitol after House Republicans refused to let him testify in public |
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Dwayne Johnson will play MMA pioneer and UFC champion Mark Kerr in A24's The Smashing Machine. The film will be directed by Benny Safdie, who co-directed Uncut Gems and Good Times. It's Johnson's first teaming with an indie director since he was part of the starry ensemble cast of Richard Kelly's Southland Tales in 2006.
Exclusive
Rome Flynn (With Love, How to Get Away with Murder) is the newest member of NBC’s Chicago Fire, landing a recurring guest role that could expand into something bigger, Deadline has learned.
Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur, Weeds) and Santiago Cabrera (The Flight Attendant, Star Trek: Picard) will play siblings Ramona and Jorge Sanchez in series regular roles in Fox’s The Cleaning Lady‘s third season.
Naomi Scott has been set to star in Paramount Pictures’ untitled sequel to its hit horror pic Smile. She first broke out by playing Princess Jasmine in Disney’s live-action Aladdin. |
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More News
🚔 Netflix has released a first-look teaser for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which sees Eddie Murphy returning to the action comedy franchise for a fourth go-round.
🎟️ Deadpool 3, Beetlejuice 2 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire top Fandango‘s list of most-anticipated wide-release movies in 2024.
🏆 Greta Gerwig is set to break fresh ground next May when she becomes the first female American director to take on the role of Jury President at the Cannes Film Festival.
🏈 SoFi Stadium, which opened in Southern California in 2020 as the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, will host its second Super Bowl in 2027.
🦊 Fox News Media announced executive changes, with Lauren Petterson moving from Fox Business Network to the lead management role at streaming service Fox Nation. Fox News Media President Jay Wallace will now also oversee Fox Business.
🍾 Creative Artists Agency has promoted a group of 16 employees to Agent or Executive. |
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Trending
 As the U.S. central bank left interest rates unchanged and indicated that rate cuts may be in store, media stocks saw a bump. Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery were up nearly 4%, Netflix shares by more than 3%, Comcast by 2.3%, and Disney by 1.6%.
🔻 Hulu has said thanks but no thanks to a reality show that would have featured the family of Sean “Diddy” Combs after multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault were filed against the mega-producer. |
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Obituaries
🕯️ Former Chairman of Walt Disney Attractions Dick Nunis, who was a Disneyland employee on day one and helped develop Walt Disney World, died December 13 surrounded by his family in his adopted hometown of Orlando. He was 91. 🕯️ Michael Blakemore, the only director in Tony Awards history to win twice in one year – in 2000, he won the award for Best Director of a Play for Copenhagen and Best Director of a Musical for the revival of Kiss Me Kate – died Sunday, December 10 following a short illness. He was 95. 🕯️ Camden Toy, the actor best known for playing memorable vampires and demons on The WB’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, died Monday after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, according to his official Facebook page. He was 68. 🕯️ Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries |
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On the Radar
Thu - The Crown Season 6 Part 2 debuts on Netflix
Fri - Daytime Emmys; Wonka opens; Reacher S2 premiere; Barbie arrives on Max |
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L.A.'s Newest Sho - Even in a town synonymous with showtime, the Dodgers' introduction today of their new $700 million two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani is a big deal. And Ohtani is already making his mark. His new, Dodger blue #17 jersey set a record for sales in the first 48 hours – topping Lionel Messi's pink Inter Miami jersey – and the Dodgers have surged to overtake the New York Yankees as the most-followed MLB team on Instagram — a record the Yankees have held since Instagram launched. |
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