Behind the Scenes Buzz with Rebel Wilson and John McCain

Jan 14, 2021 | 6:01 AM

REBEL WILSON TO HOST POOCH PERFECT: Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson is set to host a U.S. version of the U.K. and Australian dog grooming format Pooch Perfect for ABC. Wilson hosted the Australian version as well. The eight-episode series will showcase 10 dog groomers competing in a series of themed challenges. A premiere date will be announced soon, but it will debut this spring.

NETFLIX SHARES INCLUSION REPORT: Netflix has released its first inclusion report, acknowledging that there is work to be done. “We’ve made good progress over the last three years. But let’s be clear, we’re not where we want to be and we need to do better,” Vernā Myers, Netflix’s VP of inclusion strategy, said in the report. Specifically, she said, “We could do a much better job at recruiting Hispanic or Latinx and other underrepresented folks into all areas of our company, particularly our leadership.” Some of the findings, via Variety: The number of U.S. Hispanic employees rose from 6% to 8.1% from 2017 to 2020; women comprise 47.1% of the Netflix workforce (up from 40% in 2017), including at the leadership level: directors and above (47.8%), vice presidents (43.7%) and senior leadership (47.6%).

JOHN MCCAIN BIOPIC IN THE WORKS: John McCain will be the subject of a forthcoming biopic about his life and career. Based on the biography written by his adviser and friend Mark Salter, The Luckiest Man, Salter is also co-writing the script with Craig Turk. His widow Cindy McCain will exec produce.

FESTIVALS, SHOWS SCRAMBLE, SAG RESCHEDULES: COVID-19 is showing no signs of slowing down, and Hollywood is scrambling to movie awards shows and festivals around to deal with it. On January 5, Sundance canceled its L.A. drive-in; shortly before that, the Grammy’s postponed its January 31st ceremony, but rescheduled it to March 14th, the same day of the SAG Awards, so the powers that be are figuring out how to deal. As of now, the SAGS have been bumped to April 4th. The Golden Globes, set for February 28th, may move too, per The Hollywood Reporter. The Oscars, set for April 25th, appears safe. Writer-producer Eric Roth, who is on the Academy’s board of governors, tells THR that organizers are “doing everything possible in the world to have an Oscar ceremony of some kind.”