| | | | What's news: Ezra Miller made an appearance at The Flash premiere. Black Panther 2 star Tenoch Huerta has been accused of sexual assault. The Beatles are releasing a new song. The ratings for the Tonys were up on last year. The Recording Academy has added 3 new categories to the Grammys. The CW renewed Superman & Lois and canceled Gotham Knights. — Abid Rahman |
Pat Sajak to Retire as 'Wheel of Fortune' Host ►"Well, the time has come." Pat Sajak will end his four-decade run as host of Wheel of Fortune after the 2023-24 season. The 76-year-old Sajak’s retirement from hosting — he’ll serve as a consultant to the show for three years after leaving his on-camera role — will mark the end of an era for Wheel of Fortune: He has hosted the syndicated version of the game show since its debut in 1983, and also hosted a daytime edition on NBC from 1981-89. The story.
—The latest. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Tenoch Huerta is denying an accusation of sexual assault. On Saturday, musician and activist María Elena Ríos accused the actor of being a "sexual predator" in a post on social media and followed it up by stating that the actor had sexually assaulted her. On Monday, Huerta released a lengthy statement denying the claims, calling them "false and completely unsubstantiated." The story.
—Rare appearance. After staying out of the limelight in the lead-up to the release of The Flash, scandal-plagued star Ezra Miller made a rare public appearance at the DC film’s premiere Monday, posing for photos and making brief remarks to the crowd at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The story. |
Treat Williams 1951 - 2023 ►Much-loved. Treat Williams, the versatile actor who starred as a New York City neurosurgeon who moves his family to Colorado on the WB series Everwood, the patriarch in Netflix's Chesapeake Shores and in such films as Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City and Milos Forman's Hair, died Monday in a motorcycle accident in Vermont. He was 71.
His agent, Barry McPherson of APA, confirmed Williams’ death in a statement to THR. Williams, of Manchester Center, Vermont, was aboard a motorcycle when he collided with a car on Route 30 near Dorset, the Vermont State Police said in a statement. The obituary.
—"A passionate, adventurous and creative man." Hollywood stars took to social media to mourn the loss and pay tribute to Treat Williams. The likes of David Simon, Michael McKean, Billy Baldwin, Justine Bateman, Wendell Pierce and James Woods all posted tributes on Monday night. The reaction. |
DCP, Eldridge Acquire Golden Globes, Wind Down HFPA ►Seismic change. The Golden Globe Awards, which have been mired in controversy and uncertainty in recent years, will live on — but no longer under the oversight of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization of non-American journalists that founded it in 1943. Instead, the Globes will become a for-profit enterprise, after Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge acquired all the assets, rights and properties from the HFPA. The story.
—Yikes! The second episode of The Idol drew a smaller first-night audience than its series premiere. HBO says 800,000 people watched the music-industry drama’s second outing Sunday night across all platforms. That’s down about 12 percent from the 913,000 people who watched the June 4 series premiere on its first night. The ratings.
—Bucking the trend. Despite having to work without a script, the 2023 Tony Awards delivered an uptick in TV ratings. Sunday’s broadcast on CBS averaged 4.31m viewers, a slight improvement over the 4.22m who watched the 2022 awards. The Tonys also streamed live on Paramount+, but as usual with streaming services, detailed viewer numbers weren’t available. Per CBS, the audience for the live stream grew 13 percent over last year. The ratings.
—"I’m making a course correction." Author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert said Monday she is pulling her next book from the release calendar after facing backlash over its setting in Russia. Gilbert — the author of the 2006 best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love — says that the novel The Snow Forest, which was set to be released in February 2024, will not be published as planned after she received criticism from Ukrainians angry about the setting. The story. |
'Superman & Lois' Renewed, 'Gotham Knights' Canceled at The CW ►Brutal. The CW has renewed Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming for the 2023-24 season, while Gotham Knights has been canceled. Gotham Knights will close out its single season with episodes on June 20 and 27. Under new owners Nexstar, the network is looking to reduce costs with smaller episode orders and other reductions as the company looks to make The CW profitable. The story.
—"It has the Charlie Kaufman stuff in it." Dreamworks Animation revealed Tuesday during the Annecy International Animation Festival that Orion and the Dark, an animated feature penned by Charlie Kaufman, will come to Netflix in 2024. Based on the book by Emma Yarlett, the story follows Orion, an anxious young boy voiced by Jacob Tremblay, who is afraid of the dark. The story.
—Into the Maya-verse. For his next project for Netflix, Jorge R. Gutiérrez is heading back to the world of Maya and the Three. Speaking at Annecy, the Emmy and Annie-award-winning Mexican filmmaker said he is in development on a new animated limited series that will be set in the same mythological Mesoamerican universe as his 2021 hit Netflix series Maya and the Three and that of his 2014 animated feature The Book of Life. The story.
—Landing spot. Chelsea Peretti’s feature directorial debut, First Time Female Director, has landed at Roku in the U.S. The streaming service is planning a 2024 release. The comedy is set in a local theater in Glendale, California, and sees the Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum star as Sam, who according to the project’s synopsis, is “a newly minted female director who struggles to fill the shoes of her male predecessor, putting her Southern rural drama in jeopardy.” The story. |
The TV Academy Shouldn't Sleep on 'Reservation Dogs' Again ►"Don’t make me write this column again next year." This time last year, THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg urged Emmy voters not to forget the entire cast of FX/Hulu’s Reservation Dogs. Unfortunately, Sterlin Harjo’s comically triumphant exploration of Indigenous identity received precisely zero Emmy nominations. Dan's back to implore voters to give Reservation Dogs a second look. The critic's appreciation.
—🏆 New categories just dropped 🏆 The Recording Academy has added three new categories to the Grammy Awards, including best African music performance, best pop dance recording and best alternative jazz album. The changes were voted on and passed at the academy’s Board of Trustees meeting last month. The 66th edition of the Grammys will now have 94 categories. The story.
—Refusing to let it be. The Beatles are set to release a new song thanks to AI. In a new interview, Paul McCartney said that he used AI to polish a demo of John Lennon's vocals to allow them to complete work on a yet to be revealed track. He added that the decision to try and finish the song was inspired by Peter Jackson's work on the 2021 Beatles documentary Get Back. The story.
—🎭 In demand 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Yellowjackets breakout Sophie Thatcher nabbing the lead role in Companion, the sci-fi thriller from the team behind last year’s horror hit Barbarian. The project has been casting up ahead of a hoped-for summer start of production and has Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri and Harvey Guillén on the call sheet. Drew Hancock wrote the original script and is making his directorial debut with the feature. The story.
—🎭 Next up 🎭 Elliot Page is starring in the drama Close to You from BAFTA-winning writer-director Dominic Savage. Page stars as Sam, who has a chance encounter with an old friend (Hillary Baack) on his way home to a dreaded family reunion that forces him to confront long-buried memories. Page and Savage co-wrote the film’s story, and both act as producers. The story. |
For Gen Z Kids, 'Spider-Man, 'Little Mermaid' Offer Multiracial Joy ►"Finally, we get to have fun." For THR, author Eisa Nefertari Ulen writes that the recent release of Sony's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the LeBron James-produced Shooting Stars and Disney's The Little Mermaid, has allowed viewers — most crucially, Black children — to escape into realms where Black people soar, score and sing under the sea. The analysis.
—Restructuring. Swedish gaming company Embracer Group, which owns the IP catalog and worldwide rights to movies, games and other media related to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, is planning cost cuts, including layoffs and the sale or closure of some gaming studio, as part of a restructuring. The company has also appointed an interim chief operating officer. The story.
—Corporate synergy. Content from two of Hollywood’s most recognizable brands is coming to Freevee, the Amazon-owned free ad-supported streaming service. Freevee is launching 33 new FAST channels through deals with Warner Bros. Discovery and MGM. The deal includes 12 MGM-branded channels, including dedicated channels for films and shows like The Pink Panther, Stargate, Green Acres and The Outer Limits, as well as MGM-branded channels like “MGM Presents: Action” and “MGM Presents: Sci Fi.” The story.
—Wait, what? Fox Nation, the streaming service operated by Fox News Media, has set another stand-up comedy special, this one fronted by former Saturday Night Live star Rob Schneider. The special, Rob Schneider: Woke Up in America, will debut on the streaming service June 18 and will see Schneider weighing in on the culture wars and “wokeness,” UFOs, filming a movie with Donald Trump, and other topics. The story. |
Film Review: 'Maggie Moore(s)' ►"More a genre collision than a seamless blend." THR's Sheri Linden reviews John Slattery's Maggie Moore(s). Jon Hamm and Tina Fey star in this small-town crime comedy about two women with the same name who are murdered within days of each other. The review.
—"Enthralling even when it doesn't go deep." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Ethan Berger's The Line. Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, the filmmaker's narrative debut, starring Alex Wolff and Halle Bailey, explores the hazardous side of college fraternities. The review.
—"Struggles to connect." Lovia reviews Robert Schwartzman's The Good Half. Nick Jonas joins a cast that includes Brittany Snow, David Arquette, Matt Walsh and Elisabeth Shue in a film about a family navigating the death of their matriarch. The review.
—"Well-executed without breaking new ground." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Rod Blackhurst's Blood for Dust. Scoot McNairy and Kit Harington star in the Here Alone filmmaker's small-scale thriller about a traveling salesman who becomes a drug runner. The review. —"Long overdue." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Sam Pollard's The League. Premiering at Tribeca, the documentary chronicles the history and importance of Black baseball players before the integration of the sport in the 1940s. The review. In other news...
—Magic Johnson’s rivalry with Larry Bird heats up in HBO’s Winning Time S2 trailer
—Rotterdam Film Festival appoints new managing director
—Ewan McGregor, Alicia Vikander to be honored at Karlovy Vary Festival
—Netflix unveils U.K. documentary talent fund winners
—Imagine Entertainment to release 6 podcasts with iHeartMedia this year
—Uzo Aduba expecting first child with husband Robert Sweeting
—Naomi Watts announces marriage to Billy Crudup
—Funko expands build-your-own, personalized figurines with Pop! Yourself
What else we're reading...
—Elaina Plott Calabro reports on ex-60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan's descent into unhinged conspiracy theories [Atlantic]
—Barry Levitt writes that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has birthed a trans-coded icon in Gwen Stacy [Daily Beast]
—Savannah Walsh looks into the real story behind Flamin’ Hot, the new film that supposedly chronicles the rags-to-riches story of Frito-Lay employee Richard Montañez [VF]
—Remarkable Bloomberg story on how Wanda chief Wang Jianlin, at one time the owner of AMC Theaters and Legendary Entertainment, lost $40b of his net worth as he fights to save his company [Bloomberg]
—Max Read tries to explain the cult around MrBeast and looks at how the social media star became the Willy Wonka of YouTube [NYT]
Today...
Today's birthdays: Chris Evans (42), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (33), Stellan Skarsgård (72), Charlotte Wells (36), Kat Dennings (37), Malcolm McDowell (80), Greg Daniels (60), Richard Thomas (72), Tim Allen (70), Ally Sheedy (61), Ethan Embry (45), Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (37), Kodi Smit-McPhee (27), Steve-O (49), Joe Roth (75), Ann Druyan (74), Lisa Vidal (58), Missy Crider (49), Phillip Van Dyke (39), Brande Roderick (49), Laura Kightlinger (54), Kathy Burke (59), Tygh Runyan (47), Luke James (39), Jeff Davis (48), Lesli Kay (58) |
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