| | | | What's news: Curb Your Enthusiasm will end with season 12. Apple has renewed Platonic. Taylor Swift's concert movie has secured a lucrative China release. Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds are teaming up for a Netflix heist movie. Nissa Diederich is leaving 20th Television. NatGeo has picked up a Stanley Tucci-in-Italy docuseries. — Abid Rahman
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THR Director Roundtable ►"Final cut is a state of mind." THR's award-winning Roundtable Series continues, next up are the film directors. Blitz Bazawule (The Color Purple), Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Ava DuVernay (Origin), Greta Gerwig (Barbie), Todd Haynes (May December) and Michael Mann (Ferrari) sit down with THR's Rebecca Keegan for a wide-ranging discussion on struggles with studios, lucky charms, bad ideas and who actually yells ‘Action!’ “I remember an hour into the first day, I thought, ‘Why? Why did I choose this?’” The roundtable.
—Cause revealed. Andre Braugher's cause of death has been revealed to be lung cancer, his rep has confirmed to THR. Braugher died Monday at 61 after what his rep then said was a “brief illness.” He had been cast as the male lead on Netflix’s Shonda Rhimes murder-mystery series and had already completed filming many of his scenes. It’s unclear what the series, from showrunner Paul William Davies (Scandal), will do after his death. The story.
—The latest. Closing arguments for Jonathan Majors' assault trial took place Thursday, with his defense attorney repeatedly calling his ex-partner “a liar,” while the prosecution described it as a case of domestic violence. The actor appeared to tear up after his attorney Priya Chaudhry said, “His fear of what happens when a Black man in America calls 911 came true." Jury deliberations began around 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday and the jury was sent home about an hour later, with deliberations set to continue Friday afternoon. The story.
—Charged. Tiffany Haddish has been charged for driving under the influence after she was arrested for a second time for falling asleep behind the wheel of a car, which wasn’t moving but was blocking a roadway in Beverly Hills. According to court records, Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday charged the comedian with two misdemeanors. Her arraignment is set for Dec. 22. The comedian was arrested in 2022 in Georgia under similar circumstances. The story.
—Potentially major implications for the British media. Prince Harry won a partial victory in his legal battle against British tabloid publisher the Mirror Group, when a court awarded the royal $180,000 in damages in his phone-hacking case. The prince accused Mirror Group tabloids of hacking his phone and other illegal activities aimed at finding out private information that could then be turned into news stories. He claimed he was the victim of more than 140 instances of illegal news-gathering. The story.
—Et tu, Jay? Disney's former CFO is now part of Trian’s proxy fight with the entertainment giant. Jay Rasulo, who was once seen as one of Disney CEO Bob Iger’s heirs apparent at the company, has been nominated for a seat on the company’s board by Trian Partners. As expected, Trian also nominated its founder Nelson Peltz for a board seat, as it officially kicks off a new proxy battle with the company. It is not clear which current Disney board members Trian will seek to replace. The story. |
Box Office May Take $2B Hit In 2024 Amid Delays ►See you in 2025? THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Hollywood’s historic labor strikes may be over, but they may still jeopardize the fragile post-pandemic recovery as next year’s theatrical calendar has lost a slew of tentpoles, including the next Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible installment, Marvel’s Anthony Mackie-led Captain America: Brave New World, Disney’s Snow White live-action reimagining starring Rachel Zegler and Sony’s next Spider-Verse film. The analysis.
—Meimeis rejoice! Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie is heading to China, the last major market the pop star has yet to conquer in 2023. The smash-hit concert film, which already has earned over $250m worldwide, is set to receive a wide release in China’s cinemas on Dec. 31. The announcement was made in Beijing on Friday at 13:13 (or 1:13 pm), a reference to Swift’s much-beloved lucky number. As is the case virtually everywhere, Swift is among the most popular contemporary American musical artists in China. The story.
—Together again. Shawn Levy is reuniting with Ryan Reynolds once again, this time for the high-profile, untitled global heist project that landed at Netflix. The streamer won the feature package in what was described as an eight-company bidding war. Levy will direct the feature as well as produce via his 21 Laps production banner. Dana Fox will write the script. Details are scant, but the project is being touted as a high-concept globally set caper flick a la Ocean’s Eleven. The story.
—Divorce drama? Universal has landed the Christmas comedy package Naughty, which is set to be directed by Olivia Wilde and is based on a script by Jimmy Warden (Cocaine Bear). There is no word on casting, but the synopsis points to a mother, Mallory, whose only hope of securing custody of her son from her gaslighting trash-bag ex is to find Santa Claus and convince him to testify in her divorce hearing. Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara will produce through the LuckyChap banner. The story. |
Celeb-Focused Docs Fall Short in the Awards Race ►"A giant f***you to Netflix." In a guest column for THR, filmmaker and journalist Adam Benzine writes that as the streamers lean more into star-produced vanity projects, their documentary titles are being shunned by awards groups considered Oscar bellwethers. The column.
—🎭 Keke's here to lead 🎭 Keke Palmer will play the female lead opposite Eddie Murphy in The Pickup, a heist comedy Tim Story is directing for Amazon MGM Studios. Murphy is leading the cast that also includes Pete Davidson and will produce along with Story and John David and John Fox via David Entertainment. Charisse Hewitt-Webster of Eddie Murphy Productions is also producing. Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows-penned script. The story.
—🎭 Nepo babies on board 🎭 The Witcher star Freya Allan, Daisy Jones and the Six actor Josh Whitehouse, and Jude Law's son Raff Law are starring in Triton, a fantasy horror thriller from filmmaker Janell Shirtcliff. Elsie Hewitt, who appeared in FX’s Dave, Thalia Besson, daughter of French filmmaker Luc Besson, and musician Malcolm McRae are also toplining the indie, which is now in production in Athens, Greece. The story.
—"Nissa has helmed production on some of the studio’s most significant and storied series." Nissa Diederich, executive vp production at 20th Television, is stepping down from her post. Diederich will leave 20th after more than two decades at the Fox-turned-Disney studio. She has been in her current job for two-plus years after taking over for Jim Sharp in 2021. Prior to that, she was executive vp production at Touchstone Television/Fox 21, which was absorbed into 20th in a reorganization in December 2020. The story. | Inside the Netflix Data Trove ►The 10,000 titles (almost) no one watched. Netflix released a huge amount of streaming data Tuesday — viewing totals for more than 18,000 movies and seasons of TV for the first half of 2023. THR's Rick Porter digs into the streamer's massive list of viewing time stats that reveal a very diverse top of the chart (Wednesday, La Reina del Sur, The Mother) and shows that users outside the U.S. still love like The Office. The story.
—"I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this 'Larry David' persona and become the person God intended me to be." After eight seasons, a six-year hiatus and three-season revival — with one more season still to come — Larry David is officially ending Curb Your Enthusiasm. HBO and the star-creator on Thursday announced that Curb will end with its previously announced 12th season, which will premiere Feb. 4. The final season will consist of 10 episodes, releasing weekly on Sundays at 10 p.m. The story.
—"Will and Sylvia won’t get together this time either." Apple TV+ has doled out a second season to Platonic, the comedy starring Rose Byrne (Sylvia) and Seth Rogen (Will), who play best friends (and only best friends). The duo also serve as executive producers on the series from their former Neighbors director Nick Stoller and his wife, Francesca Delbanco. Though the streaming service doesn’t reveal viewership metrics, it’s been busy hailing Platonic as a “hit comedy,” which it has been among critics. The story.
—Giving the people what they want. Exactly one year after CNN canceled his popular travel food series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, the actor will hit the Autostrade once more. National Geographic has ordered a new 10-part docuseries called Tucci — The Heart of Italy. The series bears a striking similarity to his late CNN series, following Tucci “as he unlocks the distinct flavors that define each region and discovers the rich versatility of Italy through those he meets along the journey.” The story.
—Slow start. The final season of The Crown got off to a slower start in Nielsen’s streaming rankings — which might have something to do with the fact that Netflix released only a part of the season. The Emmy-winning drama was the most watched show on streaming for the week of Nov. 13-19, but its 943m minutes of viewing was less than half of that for season five’s opening (2.13b minutes) a year ago. It’s worth noting that Netflix released just four of The Crown’s final 10 episodes on Nov. 16 rather than the full season; the remaining six debuted Dec. 14. The streaming rankings. |
The Sexualized Costume Design of 'Poor Things' ►Brothel chic. For THR, Cathy Whitlock spoke to costume designer Holly Waddington about her incredible work on Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things. Waddington discusses putting a licentious spin on Victorian dress in the new Emma Stone movie, including a "vagina blouse" and a "condom coat." The interview.
—"[William Hale is] in a light suit when he’s [pretending to be] a friend of the Osage, and other times, he’s in a dark suit, like the devil." For THR, Fawnia Soo Hoo spoke to costume designer Jacqueline West and Osage costume consultant Julie O’Keefe about their work on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. The pair break down the hidden messages in the heirloom patterns featured in the film and the ’20s-era suits, and how the wardrobe tells its own story. The interview.
—"I always want to challenge myself." THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to Elle Fanning about making her Broadway debut in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ darkly comedic family drama, Appropriate. The actress also discussed the end of Hulu's The Great, which was recently canceled after three seasons. The interview.
—"Television is not as overthought as the film industry is at this moment by the people making it." THR's Lacey Rose spoke to Platonic stars Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen, before a second season of the Apple TV+ hit was confirmed. The pair discuss their collective return to hard comedy, and the pressure that accompanies it. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire' ►"Not kidding, it’s just part one." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire. Sofia Boutella leads a band of insurgents taking a stand to protect a farming community from the evil empire in the grunge action auteur’s Netflix sci-fi movie. The review.
—"Laceratingly self-aware, even if its characters are not." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Hulu's Such Brave Girls. Kat Sadler's show looks at a dysfunctional family of three women connected through their shared emotional damage. The review.
—"To say it's predictable is an insult to predictability." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Simon Cellan Jones' The Family Plan. Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan and Ciaran Hinds appear in this Apple TV+ movie about a suburban dad whose secret past as an assassin catches up with him. The review. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week's supersized episode begins with the TV headlines, and there's a special segment on Netflix's data dump. The guys look back at the best and worst TV shows of 2023 with THR TV critic Angie Han. And Dan reviews Netflix's The Crown, Amazon's Reacher , Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians and more. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to Christine Vachon. One of the all-time most distinguished producers of indie film — who has somehow never received a best picture Oscar nomination — reflects on meeting Todd Haynes (May December) and abandoning early ambitions to become a director, how 'New Queer Cinema' came to be and why she still bets on first-time filmmakers like Celine Song (Past Lives). Listen here.
In other news...
—Eddie Murphy turns up the heat in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F teaser
—Ryan Reynolds sees make-believe creatures made real in IF trailer
—Netflix reveals first images, release date for Italian porn biopic series Supersex
—Barbra Streisand named recipient of 2024 SAG Life Achievement Award
—Kristen Stewart set for Sundance Visionary Award
—UTA’s Klutch Sports acquires Rep 1 baseball agency
—RTL Group sells Dutch TV operation to DPG Media for $1.2b
—Iranian film No End dropped from Hainan Island Festival, claims Chinese censorship
What else we're reading...
—Jay Peters reports Naughty Dog has canceled its The Last of Us multiplayer game [Verge]
—With The Crown coming to an end, Stephen Bates, a former royal correspondent, writes that the show won't change views of the monarchy and its future [Guardian]
—A gushing Pamela Paul writes that Cord Jefferson's American Fiction is the "probably the best movie I’ve ever seen about book publishing" [NYT]
—With DC movies heading to Netflix and Tubi, Austen Goslin writes that streaming exclusivity doesn’t matter anymore [Polygon]
—Here's your Friday list: "20 great Christmas movies that aren’t Christmas movies" [Vulture]
Today...
...in 1974, Gene Wilder’s Young Frankenstein, now recognized as an essential part of the Mel Brooks canon, first hit theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Charlie Cox (41), Adam Brody (44), Michelle Dockery (42), Julie Taymor (71), Don Johnson (74), Lee Jung-jae (51), Paul Kaye (59), Stuart Townsend (51), Alana Haim (32), John Lee Hancock (67), Alex Cox (69), David Niven Jr. (81), Nichole Sakura (34), Camilla Luddington (40), Brendan Fletcher (42), Ralph Ineson (54), Michael Shanks (53), Helen Slater (60), Maude Apatow (26), Stefania LaVie Owen (26), Reginald Hudlin (62), Geoff Stults (46), P.J. Byrne (49), Jennie Silfverhjelm (44), Garrett Wang (55), Andrea Di Stefano (51) |
| Cari Beauchamp, the respected film historian who put readers and viewers in close touch with the early days of Hollywood through her painstaking research as an author, editor and documentary filmmaker, died Thursday. She was 74. The obituary. |
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