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Netflix scoops up Ron Howard's 'Hillbilly Elegy' movie
Netflix is continuing its relentless charge to bring big-name filmmakers into its fold. This time around, it's scooped up an adaptation of JD Vance's bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, with Ron Howard set to direct. Filming is slated to start later this year, but no one has been cast as yet.
Apple gets first crack at documentaries from Ron Howard
Apple may have more than a few documentaries on tap for its upcoming streaming video service. Variety has learned that Apple has a "first-look" deal with Imagine Documentaries, the production company from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. The move will give Apple the chance to snap up non-fiction works before other companies can jump in. While this won't guarantee that Apple will buy everything Imagine makes, it could leave competitors with shows that Apple either doesn't think will sell or don't fit its family-friendly culture.
'Solo' is Star Wars’ toothless confrontation of robot rights
Major spoilers for Solo ahead. The most interesting character in Solo is a robot. L3-37, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), is a free-thinking, loudmouthed droid who introduces an entirely new concept into the Star Wars universe: robot rights. From the beginning, droids like R2-D2 and C-3PO were presented as beings with thoughts and personalities of their own. But they also served masters and faced blatant anti-droid sentiment, such as from the barkeep who refused to serve their kind in Episode IV. And they were forced to obey humans through restraining bolts, which limited their cognitive functions. We've been empathizing with Star Wars' droids for decades, but the films haven't asked us to consider their place in the world until Solo.
Ron Howard on his Einstein show and digital filmmaking
Genius isn't your typical Albert Einstein biopic. It starts with a brutal assassination and immediately jumps to the renowned physicist in flagrante with one of his assistants. The series is director Ron Howard's second offering for National Geographic, following Mars. And notably, Genius is the first of Howard's scripted TV shows that he's directing, after serving as a producer for countless series like Parenthood, Arrested Development (where he played the iconic narrator) and Felicity.
National Geographic's 'Mars' is like a SpaceX infomercial
Like a prequel to The Martian crossed with an educational documentary, National Geographic's Mars is an earnest attempt at inspiring a new generation about a manned mission to the red planet. But what's most intriguing is how much it puts Elon Musk's SpaceX front and center (which has already laid out its plans to get to Mars), even more so than work from NASA and other space agencies. It's a sign of the times: Our next step into the beyond will likely involve a benevolent billionaire as much as it does the cooperation of Earth's most technologically advanced countries.
Hulu will offer live TV in early 2017
That talk of Hulu getting into live TV? It's real. Company chief Mike Hopkins has announced that you'll see live entertainment, sports and news on the streaming service in early 2017. He didn't say which networks were involved or what it might cost, but the Wall Street Journal leak had suggested that at least Disney and Fox (including channels like ESPN and FX) were signing on. You'll hear more about Hulu's plans over the course of this year, Hopkins says.
JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg back day-and-date movie service
The notion of paying $50 to watch new-in-theaters movies at home may sound wild, but it apparently has the support of the biggest directors and producers in the business. Variety sources claim that the already hyped Screening Room service has the financial support of JJ Abrams, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, among other Hollywood luminaries. Only some of them are directly investing money, according to the tipsters, but all of them are shareholders.
