Lionsgate may keep Starz / WBD class action suit / "Dahmer" scores big #s for Netflix / Fulmer out of Try Guys

Plus today's calendar, "Grendel" in turnaround, Hulu orders "Under the Bridge," China censors "Return to Dust," and more

Inside.com Part of   Network September 28, 2022

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Starz's "Gaslit" A new report from CNBC indicates that Lionsgate may hang on to the Starz streaming service after all and instead spin off its film studio division. This marks a strategic shift from May, when the company announced that it was exploring a possible sale or spin-out of the Starz cable network and streaming service. More: Lionsgate has apparently offered a 20% stake in Starz to a number of media companies, but no deal is imminent, according to CNBC's sources. Apparently, there's been more robust interest in the Lionsgate film and TV studio than the Starz service. Lionsgate comes with a library of more than 17,000 film and TV titles, including "The Hunger Games," "The Expendables," and "Mad Men." Over the long term, Lionsgate is apparently interested in selling off both the film studio and the Starz service to larger media companies. This week, Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch announced that the streaming service will rebrand to Lionsgate+ in 35 countries, but will remain "Starz" in the US and Canada. Shares in Lionsgate rose by about 1% following the announcement on Wednesday morning. CNBC

WBD's David Zaslav and Gunnar Wiedenfels A new class-action lawsuit filed in New York against Warner Bros. Discovery alleges that WarnerMedia misled investors about HBO Max's true subscriber count prior to its merger with Discovery. According to the suit, Warner Bros. overstated HBO Max's audience by as much as 10 million subscribers. More: The suit claims that WarnerMedia included AT&T customers who had been offered -- but not yet signed up for -- HBO Max as current subscribers. As more than 700 million shares of WBD were issued to Discovery shareholders during the merger, the lawsuit estimates that "hundreds of thousands" of plaintiffs could ultimately join the case. The lawsuit was filed by a pension fund benefitting current and former police officers in Collinsville, Illinois, and seeks a jury trial for monetary damages. THE WRAP

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DAILY CALENDAR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 REASONABLE DOUBT: Debut legal drama series from Disney's Onyx Collective, starring Emayatzy Corinealdi as brash and morally gray lawyer Jax Stewart, "the most brilliant and fearless defense attorney in Los Angeles." "Scandal" vet Raamla Mohamed created the series and serves as showrunner; Kerry Washington directed the pilot and executive produces. [Hulu] 11 MINUTES: Four-part CBS News docuseries chronicling the events surrounding the mass shooting at Las Vegas' Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in 2017. The series -- commemorating the tragedy's fifth anniversary -- features first-person accounts from a number of eyewitnesses, including officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police force, trauma teams at Sunrise Hospital, and performer Jason Aldean. [Paramount+] THE MUNSTERS: 2022 original comedy feature, based on the 1960s sitcom, from writer/director Rob Zombie. The film serves as a prequel to the TV series, centering on the courtship and marriage of monstrous couple Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie), despite the disapproval of her father, The Count (Daniel Roebuck). The film is being released on Netflix, as well as VOD and physical media. [Netflix] NICK KROLL: LITTLE BIG BOY: The comedian and "Big Mouth" creator's first stand-up special in more than a decade was recorded at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC. It features his reflections on turning 40, getting married, and having his first child. [Netflix] WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 BLONDE: Psychological drama film from writer/director Andrew Dominik ("The Assassination of Jesse James..."), based on the 2000 novel by author Joyce Carol Oates and featuring Ana de Armas as a fictionalized take on screen icon Marilyn Monroe. Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson co-star. This is the first film rated NC-17 to be released by a major US streaming service. It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. [Netflix] EAT THE RICH: THE GAMESTOP SAGA: Three-episode docuseries about the 2021 battle between amateur traders -- many of whom banded together on Reddit -- and institutional Wall Street investors over GameStop stock. [Netflix] INSIDE THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST PRISONS: The UK docuseries finds host Raphael Rowe exploring some of the world's most notorious penitentiaries. The new sixth season, arriving on Wednesday, examines prison facilities in Moldova, Cyprus, Bosnia, and Greece. [Netflix] TOO HOT TO HANDLE: BRAZIL: In the reality dating franchise, 10 singles agree to live in a house together for a month and get to know one another while avoiding any and all physical contact. The Brazilian edition returns for a second season today. Bruna Louise narrates; digital assistant "Lana" handles the hosting duties. [Netflix] THE MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS: In the family sports comedy-drama series -- a follow-up to the movie franchise -- the former underdog Mighty Ducks team is now a hockey powerhouse, and faces new upstart competition. Josh Duhamel joins the cast as Coach Colin Cole for the new second season, taking over for departing former star Emilio Estevez. Lauren Graham co-stars. [Disney+] LIFE BELOW ZERO: NORTHERN TERRITORIES: The "Life Below Zero" spinoff reality series chronicles the lives of several First Nations people living in remote regions of Northern Canada. Season 2 aired earlier this year on National Geographic and comes to Disney+ on Wednesday. [Disney+] MINNIE'S BOW-TOONS: PARTY PALACE PALS: Animated Disney Junior series for young kids following the adventures of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck as they run their own bow-themed fashion boutique. 11 episodes from the show's second season hit Disney+ today. [Disney+] SEX, LIES AND THE COLLEGE CULT: True-crime documentary looking at the case of Larry Ray, a former convict who moved into his daughter's dormitory at Sarah Lawrence University in 2010 and began psychologically manipulating and exerting control over many of her classmates. Ray was convicted on 15 federal counts -- including extortion, sex trafficking, and racketeering conspiracy -- earlier this year. [Peacock] HOSTAGES: Four-part docuseries looking back on a 1979 incident in which Iranian student activists stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took over 60 Americans hostage. What started as a planned 48-hour protest eventually grew into an international crisis that lasted for well over a year. The series features insights from a number of former hostages and hostage-takers, along with former Iranian ambassador to the UN Mansour Farhang, CBS White House correspondent Lesley Stahl, former Islamic Republic of Iran president Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, and others. [HBO Max] THE D'AMELIO SHOW: The reality series follows members of the D'Amelio family, including young TikTokers Charli and Dixie and their parents, Marc and Heidi. It's back for a second season. [Hulu] THE ROOKIE: FEDS: Debut crime drama series, spun off from ABC's "The Rookie," following Niecy Nash's character Simone Clark as she joins the FBI Academy as a new middle-aged recruit. Felix Solis, Frankie Faison, Britt Robertson, Kevin Zegers, and James Lesure co-star. New episodes air Tuesday and stream on Wednesdays. [Hulu] BACHELOR IN PARADISE: In the ABC reality dating series, former "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" contestants get a second chance at love while staying together at an isolated Mexican resort. Jesse Palmer replaces Chris Harrison as host this season; Wells Adams returns as the resident bartender. [Hulu] BASKETBALL WIVES: The VH1 reality series centers on the spouses, partners, and former partners of a number of NBA stars. Season 8 stars Shaunie O'Neal, Malaysia Pargo, Evelyn Lozada, Jackie Christie, Jennifer Williams, Kristen Scott, Ogom "OG" Chijindu, Feby Torres, and Liza Morales. It aired in 2021 and comes to Paramount+ today. [Paramount+]

Netflix's new scripted true-crime series about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of its biggest hits of 2022, drawing an audience of 196.2 million viewers in its first week on the platform. That's among the five best opening weeks for any Netflix original series, behind only "Squid Game," "All of Us Are Dead," Season 4 of "Stranger Things," and Season 2 of "Bridgerton." More: "Dahmer" outdrew several smash hits in its debut week, including Shonda Rhimes' "Inventing Anna" and the third season of "You." The show is the biggest hit for producer Ryan Murphy since he joined Netflix in 2018; his other series include "The Politician," "Hollywood," "Ratched," and "Halston." Frequent Murphy collaborator Evan Peters ("American Horror Story") stars in the 10-part series as Jeffrey Dahmer; the show is told from the point of view of his victims, and examines how police ineptitude and apathy allowed his killing spree to continue for many years. DEADLINE

Ned Fulmer YouTube comedy group The Try Guys cut ties with founding member Ned Fulmer, taking the foursome down to a trio. Fulmer admitted to having a "consensual" extramarital affair with a co-worker. More: The three remaining Try Guys are Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang. The group started collaborating on videos while working at Buzzfeed; their channel finds them trying out various activities for the first time, from dog sledding in Alaska to parallel parking 18-wheeler trucks. In a statement posted to Twitter, Fulmer wrote "The only thing that matters right now is my marriage and my children, and that’s where I’m going to focus my attention." The group's first TV series -- "No Recipe Road Trip with the Try Guys" -- premiered on Food Network and Discovery+ this summer. VARIETY

Netflix canceled plans for a series based on the comic book "Grendel" after initially ordering an eight-episode first series. Producers now have the option of shopping the series around to other networks and streamers. More: "Grendel" is based on the Dark Horse comic book series by Matt Wagner; it follows gifted fencer, writer, and assassin Hunter Rose on a mission of revenge in New York's criminal underworld. Abubakr Ali stars in the series as Rose; he'd be the first Arab Muslim male actor to play the lead in a comic book adaptation. The cast also includes Jaime Ray Newman, Julian Black Antelope, Madeline Zima, and Kevin Corrigan; "Resident Evil" and "Supernatural" vet Andrew Dabb serves as showrunner on the series. Though the bulk of the series remains unfinished, some Season 1 footage has already been shot. DEADLINE

Shepard, Godfrey, Tigelaar, Mehta Hulu ordered the eight-episode scripted true-crime series "Under the Bridge," centering on the 1997 murder of Canadian teenager Reena Virk. The series will take inspiration from author Rebecca Godfrey's 2005 book about the case. More: "Not Okay" writer/director Quinn Shepard will write the adaptation; Liz Tigelaar ("Little Fires Everywhere") and Samir Mehta ("Tell Me Lies") will serve as co-showrunners. 14-year-old Virk went to join friends at a party and never returned home; ultimately, a group of seven teenage girls and one boy were implicated in the crime. Geeta Vasant Patel ("House of the Dragon") is on board to direct the series. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Return to Dust" The popular Chinese film "Return to Dust" has been removed from the country's streaming services, just weeks after it was released. The film presents a realistic depiction of rural life in China; it has drawn criticism from some nationalists for depicting the country in a negative light. More: "Return to Dust" premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Its disappearance from Chinese streamers has led to accusations of censorship; a hashtag related to complaints about the film's removal was viewed more than 300,000 times before being censored on Weibo. It's suspected that the film was removed ahead of the upcoming Party Congress, a significant Chinese political event for which the government hopes to ensure an atmosphere of national positivity. THE GUARDIAN

Roseanne Barr will make her return to comedy in a new special for the Fox Nation streaming service. "A Roseanne Comedy Special," the comedian's first release of new stand-up material in 16 years, debuts in the first quarter of 2023. More: The Fox Nation service -- operated by Fox News -- typically streams conservative newsmagazine-style content; it claims more than 1 million subscribers. Barr was fired from the reboot of her ABC sitcom "Roseanne" in 2018 after posting a racist tweet about senior Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr later apologized for the tweet and explained that it had been sent while she was under the effects of the prescription sleep aid Ambien. "The Conners" -- a sequel series following the family from "Roseanne" after the death of Barr's matriarch -- is now on its fifth season at ABC. LA TIMES

QUICK HITS Own 100% of a single-family investment property entirely online with Doorvest.* Netflix's live-action remake of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" filled out its already-stacked cast, adding Amber Midthunder, Arden Cho, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Danny Pudi, Thalia Tran, George Takei, Randall Duk Kim, and others. Peacock posted a trailer for the second season of the YA mystery-drama series "One of Us is Lying"; new episodes arrive on October 20. A four-part true crime docuseries from Showtime will examine the 2003 killing of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot dead in the home of late music producer Phil Spector. Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai debuted her first slate of film and TV projects for Apple TV+, including a series adaptation of the satirical novel "Disorientation" by author Elaine Hsieh Chou from co-producer Adam McKay. Season 3 of Amazon's "Jack Ryan" series arrives on December 21; the new episodes find CIA analyst Ryan (John Krasinski) falsely implicated in a conspiracy and forced to go on the run. Tubi posted a trailer for its controversial original movie "Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial," a fictionalized retelling of this summer's celebrity defamation trial. Netflix released a trailer for the family animated film "My Father's Dragon," from "Wolfwalkers" studio Cartoon Saloon; it arrives on November 11. Season 2 of Amazon's horror anthology series "Them" will co-star Pam Grier, Deborah Ayorinde, and Luke James; Ayorinde also starred in the show's first season, but will play a new character in Season 2. "The Playlist," Netflix's six-part fictionalized drama series about the founding of Spotify, premieres on October 13. *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade.

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