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New Projects - COVID Protocols Changing? - New Tonys Venue - BBC in USA

By Abigail Hardin, December 20, 2022

Happy Tuesday, UTD!

The Holidays are here! First and foremost, coming from someone who has lately been hit with every sickness out there, I hope you manage to dodge all of the germs floating around and can healthily celebrate with friends and family over the next two weeks.

I know I sound like a broken record, but again this holiday, I am planning on nothing but rest and reflection. In this time of giving and receiving I am really trying to focus on gratitude for what I already have. This started as my Thanksgiving goal, and while I'm not always successful, it's plain to me that being grateful is one of the most powerful tools for changing your perception/outlook and the cornerstone of manifesting.

I'm ready to put a ribbon on the holidays and move on to setting goals and taking action! Aren't you?! Set aside some time in the next two weeks to complete a year end review. What did you achieve in 2022? What goals are you carrying into the next year? It is impossible to lay the foundation for the road ahead until we look back at where we have come. Don't wait for January 1st. Let's start manifesting now.

We're taking next week off from the weekly email, but look for our Industry Insight email to return on January 2nd!

Have a great rest of the year! Thank you for being a part of our growing Up-To-Date Actor community!

Happy Holidays! ❄️

Awards & Festivals

New Tonys Venue

Organizers for the Tony Awards announced last week that the 2023 venue for the ceremony will move uptown to the United Palace in Washington Heights, in an effort to diversify the backdrop of the awards show for both attendees and viewers worldwide. Originally built in the 1930s, the Palace is the fourth-largest theater in Manhattan, playing host to a wide range of community events and viewings each week. I can't wait for June! 🎭

Steinberg Winners Announced

Lloyd Suh and James Ijames were named recipients of this year's Steinberg Playwright Awards, honoring their contributions to the American theatre over the last several years. "Lloyd Suh and James Ijames craft worlds that are deeply intellectual yet carry the pulse of the everyman, the spirit of a liberator, the voice of a poet, and the imagination of a prophet," committee member Hana S. Sharif said. Suh and Ijames will each receive $100,000 prizes to continue working on their projects currently in development.

More Award Updates

With the full slate of 2023 award shows slowly shaping up, Variety continues their weekly breakdowns of the frontrunners and hot tickets for your viewing pleasure with Critics Choice Nominees from the last week. FABLEMANS and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE found themselves at the top of the nominee list once again, with the latter pulling in an impressive 14 nods across all categories. I need to sit down and start watching!

ABFF, Sundance Solidifying Details

In the festival world this week, the American Black Film Festival announced that Deon Cole will host next year's ceremony, best known for his time on ABC's hit show BLACK-ISH. ABFF recognizes the achievements and contributions to the film and TV industry each year by Black honorees, who have previously included Ava DuVernay, Billy Dee Williams, Issa Rae, and more.

Hoping to snag seats at the 2023 Sundance festival next month in Utah? Ticket sales for the general public went on sale last week, with festival organizers eager to welcome crowds back to Park City for the first time since January 2020. This year's event will once again feature virtual viewings in addition to the live component, which Sundance Institute CEO Joanna Vicente said played a pivotal role in bringing the presentations "more diverse, younger audiences who maybe couldn't afford to come to the festival."

Industry Insights

Mega Horror Merger, Ad Spending Dwindles

The entertainment community was popping off from all angles in the last week or so, and we wanted to cover as much ground as possible - time for a rapid fire round of quick industry bits!

NBC Universal is holding its breath on the potential merger of horror film giants Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, a union that would benefit the studio by increasing the number of productions that the combined houses would be able to achieve year-over-year. More spooky, please 👻

Ad spending continues to slow as we head into the new year, disappointing projections that a post-COVID boom could help recoup some losses from the last few years. A "deteriorating macroeconomic outlook" is mainly to blame for the deflated numbers, as networks continue to shuffle content and consumer buying power stagnates.

In the wake of AMC Networks announcing layoffs of 20% of its US staff, several senior execs have also found themselves shown the door in the midst of the restructuring. Alongside newly minted CEO Christina Spade's departure, several SVPs and VPs were laid off throughout the studio, as the company tries to redirect its resources in the coming year.

BBC Considering USA Studio

Is the BBC coming to LA? As exec Mark Linsey eyes his move to Hollywood next month, the British content giant seems to be positioning Linsey's team, responsible for titles like KILLING EVE and SMALL AXE, in the right spot to bolster its output amidst the likes of US studios, at a price that would remain competitive in both the UK and the states.

Broadway Enjoys Holiday Bump

An encouraging sign for the industry last week: Broadway grosses were up 10% over the previous week, a welcomed bump from the holiday rush that saw big weeks for newcomers like A CHRISTMAS CAROL, & JULIET and SOME LIKE IT HOT. Looking to stay updated on which shows are coming and going this season? We got you covered 📝

AEA and SAG-AFTRA Rework Contracts

'Tis the season for contract revisions among the major unions and industry producers and studios, with updates to both the AEA-Broadway agreement and SAG-AFTRA COVID protocols potentially coming down the pipe for the next year. Members of Actors Equity are set to vote on a fresh proposal that would increase wages by 5% in the first year, bump up off-days for production contracts and decrease the use of 10/12s.

COVID Protocols & Legal Win

On the SAG-AFTRA side, the union celebrated a major win for removing birth dates and names from IMDb last week. The move allows actors to take more control over their personal profile, something that was not possible hitherto.

SAG-AFTRA has been listening to member's chatter on the topic of COVID protocols and is putting it to a vote. Members can work through a list of COVID protocol questions and weigh-in on the ongoing necessity for testing, tracing, and masking by productions, leading up to the expiration of the current protocols on January 31st.

SAG-AFTRA also spoke out in support of two Iranian actors who were arrested earlier this month for the removal of their headscarves amid protests decrying the government's actions in recent weeks. "SAG-AFTRA stands in support of the two actors, the activists, all supporters of human rights and the Iranian people, who deserve the right to live without the fear of death and imprisonment from brutality and persecution," the union wrote in a statement. "We fervently hope for a world where everyone is free to be themselves without being subjected to persecution and violence."

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

LDA Officials Eyeing May Upfronts

Organizers from the Latino Donor Collaborative are increasing the pressure on decision-makers in the entertainment industry to turn more focus toward Latino consumers and industry professionals over the next year. LDC will present an upfront-style event to ad execs in NYC next May, honing in on the power of the Latino market and the untapped potential that the group's leadership believes is a key to growth in the entertainment sector in the next few years. “We don't have to get mad – we have to show them how much money they're leaving on the table,” LDC chairman Sol Trujillo said. Can it be? Are we already eyeing some up-front presentations for 2023? 😱

Hillman, DGA Center Underrepresented Voices

The Hillman Grad Foundation will officially bring back its Mentorship Lab for a third year in 2023, aimed at helping to promote marginalized voices through development and growth opportunities. The eight-month program connects aspiring writers, execs, and actors with industry mentors and career resources at no cost to the participants. "In addition to training and access, the lab gives emerging writers, actors, and executives a community of peers that will support each other throughout their careers," executive director Lacy Lew Nguyen Wright remarked. Keep an eye out for applications to open!

The 28th annual DGA Student Film Awards crowned its winners last week, showcasing the work of over a dozen filmmakers across the country from underrepresented communities. The goal of the program is to address the ongoing lack of female directors and directors of color, "honoring, encouraging and bringing attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and universities across the country." Past award recipients include John Chu, Patricia Riggen, and Ryan Coogler. Congrats to all!

New Production Company Launching

Athletic superstars Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are collaborating on a new production company venture that will promote new, boundary-pushing storytelling, all while centering marginalized voices and content. A Touch More will partner with Bird's existing media company TOGETHXR, tagged as the platform where "culture, activism, lifestyle, sports and badassery converge." The company will focus on both unscripted and scripted content, starting with its first project, 30 FOR 30: PINK CARD, available on all podcast services!

Actors on Acting

Spielberg, Butler, Johansson Share Stories

With the holidays looming and the awards circuit beginning to wake up, actors and directors alike are taking time to slow down and reflect on the last year of work. It's been a busy one for sure - thousands of projects that had been delayed or postponed from COVID finally had their time to shine, and it's all coming together to be one impressive winter on screens big and small. Listening to a few of this year's contenders talk about bringing the projects to life has me so excited for the Globes, Oscars, and more!

• Steven Spielberg spoke about opening up his typically-private life for the world to see in THE FABLEMANS, saying that the long, dark days of COVID in 2020 got the wheels spinning for how the autobiographical movie came to be. "What I thought was that if I had to make one more movie, if I had to tell one more story, what would that story be? And that's why I decided to put this into production."
• The lore of Austin Butler's turn as Elvis continues to grow seemingly by the week, after the Oscar-hopeful chatted with IndieWire about how his years-long preparation process has positioned him near the front of the pack for the major award shows this year. Interestingly, Butler received a boost from former ICEMAN COMETH castmate Denzel Washington, who had called ELVIS director Baz Luhrmann to sing Butler's praises prior to beginning work on the movie. Not a bad friend to have in your corner!
• Scarlett Johansson got candid about the early days of her career and the impact playing "the object of desire" had on her view of herself in her teens and early 20s. "It was an interesting, weird conundrum to be in but it really came back to working at it and trying to carve a place in different projects and work in great ensembles."

Quick Bites

The latest installment of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – As Applied to Actors from our friends at Actors Connection is here as well! If you haven't dived into this exciting series from Colleen, we really encourage you to take some time over the break and read through everything covered, as it's a perfect set-up to tackle 2023 with confidence!

You love WHITE LOTUS, I love WHITE LOTUS. We ALL love WHITE LOTUS. Let's talk about it! 🌸