Exclusive: Jim Henson Studio Finds a Buyer; 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Is a Misfire; Top 10 Stephen King Adaptations

Happy Thursday, folks!

Let’s kick off tonight’s newsletter with, well, a little news, shall we?

Over the summer, TheWrap reported that the Henson family was selling the Jim Henson Company Lot, which was previously A&M Studios and before that, Charlie Chaplin Studios.

Well, I’m told that the sale process is wrapping up now, and the word on La Brea Ave. is that the Church of Scientology is the lucky buyer. No word on its plans for the space, but stay tuned for official word…

Meanwhile, how about that VP debate the other night, huh? I was never going to watch a second of it anyway, but how could I after CBS refused to air spots for Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice during the broadcast?

“The timidity and cowardice of those in the corridors of power in Hollywood never ceases to amaze,” Tom Ortenberg, whose Briarcliff Entertainment will release the film in theaters on Oct. 11, said in a statement to Deadline.

I can understand CBS wanting to avoid any perception of bias, and sure, this smells a bit like a publicity stunt on Briarcliff’s part, but it is pretty funny how CBS is willing to take Briarcliff’s money any other time — just not during the debate.

Of course, ABC also refused to air spots for the Donald Trump movie during the Presidential Debate. But have executives at CBS and ABC even seen The Apprentice, which actually manages to humanize Trump a little bit before revealing him to be the stone-cold sociopath we all recognize? Probably not… but they should… because it’s the best movie I’ve seen all year.

Before I move on, my sincere apologies to the loved ones of John Amos, Frank Fritz, Ken Page, and Robert Watts. Tuesday night’s newsletter featured a regrettable typo, as the Condolences section was mislabeled Congrats — which was the section right above it. I certainly didn’t mean to congratulate anyone on the death of a loved one, so my deepest apologies. Given that embarrassing snafu, I’ll be more mindful of labeling that section in the future…

Anyway, in tonight’s newsletter, you’ll read my review of Joker: Folie à Deux, which left me terribly disappointed, as well as my Top 10 Stephen King adaptations in honor of the long-delayed release of Salem’s Lot on Max.

There are also stories about Paramount’s new Rugrats movie, a new Nicholas Sparks movie starring Alan Ritchson, the return of Jonathan Majors, Reese Witherspoon’s new job, Halle Berry teaming up with Chris Hemsworth, and my thoughts on A24’s trailer for Babygirl starring Nicole Kidman in one of the best performances of her career.

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