Movie theaters 

• Warner Bros. has once again delayed the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” moving the film’s debut from July 31 to Aug. 12, after several states experienced a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Sources said both Warner Bros. and Nolan are taking cues from exhibitors about the best time to release the film. 

Rethinking Hollywood 

• Kendrick Sampson, Tessa Thompson and Black Lives Matter co-founders Patrisse Cullors and Melina Abdullahare have written a letter, signed by more than 300 Black artists and executives, demanding that Hollywood “break ties with the police.” The letter, which states that the media’s portrayals have “contributed to the criminalization of Black people, the misrepresentation of the legal system, and the glorification of police corruption and violence,” calls for the industry to invest in anti-racist content and the careers of Black artists. 

• “Gone With the Wind” has returned to HBO Max, weeks after the WarnerMedia streaming service pulled it amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. The award-winning 1939 film now includes a four-minute introduction in which African American Turner Classic Movies host Jacqueline Stewart discusses its history and racism, and HBO Max viewers also have access to additional videos on race and the movie’s complicated legacy. 

• Disney is redesigning its Splash Mountain attraction at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland to remove imagery from the film “Song of the South,” a controversial 1946 title that has been criticized for its racial stereotypes and a glorification of plantation culture, with the renovated ride highlighting a new storyline featuring Disney’s only Black princess, Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog.” 

• Country music group The Dixie Chicks has dropped the word “Dixie” from their name and will now be known simply as The Chicks, saying in a statement that they wanted “to meet this moment” amid a national conversation about Confederate monuments and racial injustice. The band also released  a new song and video, “March March,” which features images of protests. 

Awards season 

• The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that the 2021 Golden Globes will be held on Feb. 28, 2021, the date previously scheduled for the Oscars before that ceremony was postponed to April 25, 2021.

• The Venice Film Festival is on track to host a physical, in-person event in September, and has sent accreditation forms to the press ahead of the July reopening of its main venue, the Hotel Excelsior. One source said that there will likely be fewer films at the festival this year, and added that the titles will screen at multiple venues simultaneously in order to accommodate social distancing measures.

Streaming 

• The first three seasons of YouTube original “Cobra Kai” have been acquired by Netflix Inc., with the first two seasons set to appear on the streaming service later this year, while the date of the third season’s debut has yet to be determined. The move signals the end of YouTube’s foray into original, scripted programming.

• Amazon.com Inc. appears to be looking into adding live programming to its Prime Video service, according to publicly available job listings posted over the past several weeks that call for building up the platform’s linear TV capabilities, such as one that says the company is “building next gen linear catalog systems to provide best-in-class Linear TV experience to Prime Video customers.” Live programming would differentiate Amazon from on-demand competitors like Netflix and Disney+, and the platform has already experimented with live programming in the past few years, including licensing NFL Thursday Night Football and English Premier League games. 

• Comcast Corp.’s Peacock will stream free for 90 days for users of Google platforms, with Chromecast users also having free access to Peacock Premium’s ad-supported tier for the same time period when the streaming service launches nationwide on July 15. 

Reopening Disney 

• Disney is delaying the phased reopening of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, saying it would not be able to obtain clearance from the state of California in time for its planned July 17 reopening date – with no new reopening date set. California saw a record 7,149 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on June 23.

• Variety will host five events as part of its Streaming Room series this week. Highlights include a roundtable discussion with television composers on Monday, and a screening and discussion with Samantha Bee on Tuesday. 

• MediaPost is hosting a virtual version of its TV & Video Insider Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sessions will focus on adjusting to and navigating the new normal and the summit will include roundtables covering topics including measurement, optimizing media spending and the recent surge in OTT viewers. 

• Netflix is scheduled to announce second-quarter earnings on July 16.

1) Streaming Is Now More Popular Than Linear on Samsung Smart TVs
Andrew Blustein, Adweek 

2) A-List Black Artists For Freedom Coalition Launches Call To Action For Cultural Institutions On Juneteenth
Patrick Hipes, Deadline Hollywood 

3) Amazon is looking to add live TV to Prime Video
Janko Roettgers, Protocol 

4) LeBron James Gets $100 Million Investment to Build Media Empire
Jason Kelly, Bloomberg Businessweek 

5) After Twitter outcry, five women detail Chris D’Elia’s alleged sexual improprieties
Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times 

6) Revisiting Racial Depictions in Classic Films: People Are OK With Content Warnings, Oppose Content Bans
Sarah Shevenock, Morning Consult 

7) Live Nation Launches First Drive-In Concert Series in U.S. With Brad Paisley, Nelly and More
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone 

8) Why you won’t get a Netflix of gaming
Dan Singer And Enrico D’Angelo, Fast Company 

9) ‘30 Rock’ Blackface Episodes Pulled From Streaming, Syndication at Tina Fey and NBCU’s Request
Will Thorne, Variety 

10) What’s Next for Endeavor?
Jessica Toonkel, The Information