| | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover stars are 3 Body Problem showrunners Dan Weiss, Alexander Woo and David Benioff. Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs at Prime Video and MGM Studios. Max has canceled Our Flag Means Death. Kaitlyn Dever has joined HBO's The Last of Us. Lucasfilm has greenlit The Mandalorian & Grogu feature film. Carrie Coon has joined the cast of The White Lotus. — Abid Rahman
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'Game of Thrones' Creators' Gamble on Netflix's '3 Body Problem' ►On the cover. With Game of Thrones, writer-producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss made the biggest TV hit of the 21st century, and the most Emmy-winning drama of all time — and it was their very first show. Now the duo, along with Alexander Woo, are about to launch Netflix's ambitious 3 Body Problem, a series adaptation of Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past book trilogy. THR's James Hibberd sat down with Benioff, Weiss and Woo to discuss their five-year journey — including a shelved Star Wars movie and a bizarre murder — to make their risky alien invasion epic. Can the TV hitmakers do it again? The cover story. |
Cruise Sets Up Shop at Warner Bros. ►🤝 Movie partnership 🤝 In a new strategic partnership that WBD chief David Zaslav helped shepherd, Tom Cruise will team with movie studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy in jointly developing and producing original and franchise theatrical films starring the actor. Cruise and his production company will have offices on the WBD lot in Burbank. The pact, which commences this year, isn’t a traditional first-look deal. Insiders stress that Cruise will continue to work with other studios, including Paramount, for whom he’s currently shooting the next Mission: Impossible film, and there's a space adventure movie for Universal. The story.
—"High risk, low reward" strategy. With his Jan. 8 interview with Good Morning America, Jonathan Majors had the chance to show his side of the story before he is sentenced for being found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree. THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to legal experts who question the impact this interview could have on his sentence and his career. The story.
—"I do know that he is as good as it gets when it comes to stand-up." Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin have both come to the defense of Jo Koy after his disastrous Golden Globes hosting gig. On The View on Tuesday, Goldberg expressed that in Hollywood, "hosting gigs are just brutal. … If you’ve not been in these rooms before, and you’re sort of thrust out there, it’s hit or miss." Martin also threw his support behind Koy on Threads, writing, "It’s a very difficult job and not for the squeamish." The story. |
Governors Awards: Angela Bassett, Michelle Satter Give Passionate Speeches ►"Four amazing individuals." Angela Bassett, collecting an honorary Oscar, gave an impassioned speech about the history of Black actresses in Hollywood, and Michelle Satter, becoming just the 45th recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, paid tribute to her son Michael, who was murdered just weeks ago, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 14th Governors Awards on Sunday night. Mel Brooks and film editor Carol Littleton also collected honorary Academy Awards on a night a host of Oscar hopefuls turned out. The story.
—The stars came out. Tom Hanks, Julianne Moore, Margot Robbie, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and scores of other Hollywood A-listers and awards contenders were in attendance at the Governors Awards on Tuesday night. The gallery. |
Amazon Is About to Eat the TV Universe ►Will others follow? On Jan. 29, Amazon Prime Video will make its ad tier the default for its tens of millions of subscribers. The move will instantly turn Amazon into a streaming-ad juggernaut, and the largest ad-supported subscription streaming platform in the marketplace. THR's Alex Weprin writes that the Prime Video switch could unravel how advertisers deal with TV broadcasters and scare off rivals with its massive scale. The analysis.
—"We’ve identified opportunities to reduce or discontinue investments in certain areas." Despite the potential promising future, Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in its Prime Video and MGM Studios division. Mike Hopkins, the executive who leads the division, announced the reduction in an email Wednesday morning, writing that “several hundred roles” would be eliminated. The story.
—"An inclusion effort that excludes Jews is both steeped in and misunderstands antisemitism." Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas, Jewish entertainment figures have come together to issue an open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences criticizing their exclusion from being specified as an underrepresented group. The letter argues against the belief that Jews are well-represented in Hollywood, noting that depictions have been unbalanced. Around 260 people have signed the letter so far, including Greg Berlanti, Josh Gad, Mayim Bialik, David Schwimmer, Julianna Margulies, Debra Messing and Michael Rapaport. The story.
—"Not one person said one thing." Michael Rapaport excoriated Hollywood for what he perceived to be total silence on the hostages being held by Hamas at the Golden Globes. The actor took to social media on Tuesday, posting a video slamming the Globes attendees for not talking about the issue and calling out the hypocrisy of "actors, artists are known to speak out speak, speak out about everything." The 2024 Globes were notable for being largely apolitical, with no speeches on stage mentioning Israel, Palestine, or indeed Ukraine. The story.
—"The history of this — whatever this is between Jimmy and I — this goes back to COVID times." Aaron Rodgers returned to The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, where he addressed Jimmy Kimmel's roast of the Jets star. The quarterback denied he was accusing Kimmel of being a pedophile after making a comment that seemed to link the host with Jeffrey Epstein. He also called out ESPN executive Mark Foss' remarks regarding the situation. The story. |
'Our Flag Means Death' Canceled at Max ►Lowering the Flag. Max has canceled its comedy series Our Flag Means Death after a two-season run. David Jenkins created the pirate comedy that starred Rhys Darby and exec producer Taika Waititi. The decision to wrap the series comes after Reservation Dogs, co-created by Waititi, wrapped its run in 2023 and as the prolific producer, actor and director’s other FX comedy, What We Do in the Shadows, will conclude later this year with its sixth season. Next up on the TV side, Waititi has Apple’s redo of Time Bandits, starring Lisa Kudrow. The story.
—30 Rock reunion. Netflix has ordered a series based on the 1981 movie The Four Seasons from Tina Fey and fellow 30 Rock alumni Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield. Universal TV is producing the comedy in which Fey will star as well as co-creating and executive producing. Netflix won a bidding war for the series, which was a hot property following the end of the dual strikes in the fall. Alan Alda wrote, directed and starred in The Four Seasons film, which followed three couples who take vacations together each season. The story.
—🎭 It's official 🎭 The Gilded Age star Carrie Coon has formally closed a deal to join the season 3 cast of The White Lotus. Set to begin production next month in and around Koh Samui, Phucket and Bangkok, the third installment of creator/showrunner Mike White’s anthology will be set at another White Lotus property. In keeping with tradition, details of Coon’s role are being kept under wraps. The story.
—🎭 Abby place 🎭 Kaitlyn Dever has joined the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. The No One Will Save You star has been cast in the role of Abby, a pivotal character in the PlayStation game upon which the postapocalyptic drama series is based. Dever has had a previous connection with the show, as the game’s fans lobbied for years for her to get the starring role of Ellie (which went to Bella Ramsey) given Dever's striking resemblance to the Ellie character in the game. The story.
—"It’s the ultimate American success story." Comedian and former Saturday Night Live star Dennis Miller has signed on to host a new docuseries for the Fox News streaming service Fox Nation. The series, The Infomercials That Sold Us, is streaming on the platform as of today, and takes "a nostalgic and poignant look back at the years when infomercials ruled late-night TV, featuring interviews with the colorful characters who made these ads so entertaining." The story.
—🏆 Succession dominates again 🏆 The Directors Guild of America announced its nominees for the 2024 DGA Awards in the television and commercial categories, as well as the doc nominees. HBO’s Succession led the TV noms with four, with The Last of Us also receiving a nod. In the comedy category, Ted Lasso and The Bear each got two nominations and Barry was nominated once. In the limited series space, Lessons in Chemistry got three nods, with All The Light We Cannot See and Daisy Jones & The Six rounding out the category. The nominees. |
'Mandalorian' Movie a Go With Jon Favreau Directing ►Grogu on the big screen! The Mandalorian & Grogu, a new film to be directed by The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, is a go at Lucasfilm and is expected to film later this year. Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni will produce the feature, which the studio said will be the first Star Wars movie to go into production since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm did not specify a date for the movie, though there is an untitled Star Wars feature set for Dec. 19, 2025. The story.
—📅 New date 📅 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will stomp into theaters two weeks earlier than expected, Legendary and Warner Bros. announced Tuesday. The fifth installment in their MonsterVerse series will now open March 29 instead of April 12. Godzilla x Kong is taking the date previously occupied by Bong Joon-Ho's Mickey 17, whose release is being delayed due to post-strike production shifts. A new date for the sci-fi film is expected to be announced soon for the feature. The story.
—New position. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has promoted Teni Melidonian to chief Oscars officer, a newly created position, and MaryJane Partlow to executive vp, awards production and special events, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced Tuesday. Melidonian will continue to report directly to Kramer. Partlow will report to Melidonian. Melidonian will lead strategy, talent relations, special events and production teams for all awards programs and events. The story.
—🏆 Sound choices 🏆 The sound mixing teams behind Barbie, Ferrari, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro and Oppenheimer are the nominees in the live-action feature competition of the 60th Cinema Audio Society Awards, which will be presented March 2 at the Beverly Hilton. All five movies are shortlisted for the Oscar in sound, which combines sound editing and mixing. Also shortlisted are The Creator, The Killer, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Napoleon and The Zone of Interest. The nominees.
—🏆 Artful selections 🏆 The Art Directors Guild has revealed the nominations for its 28th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, which will be handed out Feb. 10 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Ovation Hollywood. The production designers on Asteroid City, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Napoleon and Oppenheimer were nominated in the category for a period movie. For a fantasy film, the nominees are Barbie, The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Poor Things and Wonka. The nominees. |
Behind MSNBC's New Weekend Morning Show Revamp ►"We’re focused on all the stories that are the news, like the latest and the greatest." On Jan. 13, MSNBC will roll out its new take on a weekend morning show: The Weekend. Co-hosted by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez, and Michael Steele, the program was announced late last year as part of an overhaul of the cable channel’s weekend lineup. THR's Alex Weprin spoke to Sanders-Townsend, Menendez and Steele about their new morning program, how they hope to incorporate original journalism into the show and the stories they are focused on as the presidential election edges closer. The interview.
—Pivot to video. Elon Musk’s X is making a significant push into original programming. The platform on Tuesday announced a number of content deals, including exclusive shows hosted by former CNN anchor Don Lemon, former congresswomen Tulsi Gabbard, and former Fox Sports host and current sports radio personality Jim Rome. The new shows, as well as new advertising and brand safety tools, were announced at CES Tuesday. The story.
—🤝 AI agreement 🤝 SAG-AFTRA and AI voice technology company Replica Studios introduced an AI voice agreement on the opening day of CES, where AI is a defining subject at the Las Vegas confab. According to SAG-AFTRA, the agreement allows its members to "safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas with industry-leading protections tailored to AI technology, allowing AAA video game studios and other companies working with Replica to access top SAG-AFTRA talent." The story.
—"My folks aren't going to just settle." IATSE international president Matthew Loeb did not rule out a potential 2024 crew strike when several of his union’s contracts come due this year in an appearance on Tuesday at CES. "We’re not going to give up our strength and our ability because they [studios] think they sapped us and everybody’s bank account got sapped because they were unreasonable for months and months," asserted Loeb of his organization’s upcoming Basic Agreement negotiations with the AMPTP, set to start in early March. The story.
—New division. Lionsgate is expanding in unscripted TV programming by launching an alternative TV division led by Craig Piligian. Lionsgate Alternative Television will encompass the studio’s unscripted TV brands like Pilgrim Media Group, Blackfin, Renegade, Daisybeck Studios and more recently Entertainment One after the acquisition of key film and TV assets from Hasbro. The story. |
Tracy Tormé 1959 - 2024 ►Sci-fi legend. Tracy Tormé, a UFO expert and son of stylish crooner Mel Tormé who co-created the series Sliders and was hand-picked by Gene Roddenberry to serve as the head writer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, has died. He was 64. Tormé died Thursday of complications from diabetes in Escondido, California. Tormé also was a writer on Saturday Night Live during its eighth season (1982-83) and wrote the original treatment for the Francis Lawrence-directed I Am Legend. The obituary.
—"Anna ensured that The Institute became a beacon for aspiring actors." Anna Strasberg, an actress and the widow of famed acting coach Lee Strasberg who wound up inheriting the bulk of Marilyn Monroe’s estate, has died. She was 84. Strasberg died Saturday in New York City of natural causes, a publicist for The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute told THR. She co-founded the institute and served as artistic director and "visionary leader" at the home of the Method acting approach. The obituary.
—"Adan had a depth of spirit that few truly knew." Adan Canto, the Mexican actor who starred in Fox's The Cleaning Lady, Netflix's Narcos and ABC's Designated Survivor, has died. He was 42. Canto died Tuesday of appendiceal cancer, his rep told THR. His diagnosis had not been made public. The obituary.
—"He is the only person I know who wrote for the Holy Trinity of seventies comedy." Brian McConnachie, the Emmy-winning writer with an offbeat sense of humor who worked on SCTV Network and Saturday Night Live and appeared in Caddyshack and several films for Woody Allen, has died. He was 81. McConnachie died Friday of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Venice, Florida, Michael Gerber, editor and publisher of The American Bystander, told THR. The duo relaunched the humor magazine in 2015 after McConnachie — an original staff member at National Lampoon — originally got it going in 1981. The obituary.
—Cause of death revealed. Sinéad O'Connor, the Irish singer-songwriter who shot to stardom with "Nothing Compares 2 U," died of natural causes in July, the Southwark Coroners Court in London confirmed to THR on Tuesday. O’Connor, who died July 26 at 56, had been found “unresponsive” at a London home. At the time, local authorities reported that her death was not being treated as suspicious. The story. |
Film Review: 'Mean Girls' ►"As thankless as trying to make “fetch” happen." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.'s Mean Girls. Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp and Auli’i Cravalho head the cast of this adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the classic 2004 teen comedy. The review.
—"Doesn't always thrill, but breaks new ground." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Disney+'s Echo. First introduced in Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez goes home to Oklahoma and plots revenge against Kingpin in this new five-episode Marvel show. The review.
—"Expensive-looking but narratively lackluster." THR's Angie Han reviews Apple TV+'s Criminal Record. A fresh clue in a decade-old murder pits a tenacious London sleuth (Cush Jumbo) against the grizzled Met veteran (Peter Capaldi) who solved the case the first time. The review. In other news...
—Netflix reveals official 3 Body Problem trailer
—Peacock's Couple To Throuple trailer promises "three times the fun"
—Tense Bill Belichick, Tom Brady relationship dominates The Dynasty: New England Patriots trailer
—Amid lawsuit, Gersh has a deal to buy A3 artists’ departments
—Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani to announce nominees for Screen Actors Guild Awards
—Harrison Ford to receive career achievement honor at Critics Choice Awards
—Alexander Payne to receive Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award
—Cinematographer Matthew Libatique to receive AFI’s Franklin Schaffner honor
—Jay Hunt named British Film Institute chair
—Los Angeles Times’ top editor Kevin Merida exits
—Amazon’s Jon Wax exits for Disney international TV gig
—Sony Pictures general counsel Leah Weil to step down
—UTA names Julian Jacobs New York chief in exec shuffle
What else we're reading...
—With Pat McAfee continuing to platform Aaron Rodgers' odd views and grievances, Ray Ratto wonders how much longer ESPN management will put up with the host [Defector]
—With Broadway presently full of jukebox musicals and movie adaptions, Aja Romano feels that might not be such a bad thing [Vox]
—Ariel Shapiro writes that with YouTube now supporting RSS feeds, the video platform is set to become the top destination for podcasts [Verge]
—After a strong and very lucrative start, Amanda Hess reflects on the fading online celebrity of disgraced congressman George Santos [NYT]
—Kylie Robison reports on Elon Musk's claims that X is now a video-first platform as the company continues to lose billions in value [Fortune]
Today...
...in 1999 at 9 p.m., America met Tony Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jemaine Clement (50), Hrithik Roshan (50), Walter Hill (84), Rod Stewart (79), Fran Walsh (65), Gurinder Chadha (64), Reneé Rapp (24), Brandon Cronenberg (44), Kelly Marcel (50), Sarah Shahi (44), Emily Meade (35), Siobhan Williams (32), Jacob Scipio (31), Rebecca Dalton (35), Trini Alvarado (57), Dani Kind (44), Evan Handler (63), Cash Warren (45), Kathleen Bradley (73), Katie Dippold (44), Tony Gardner (60), Pat Benatar (71), Reid Carolin (42), Jakob Cedergren (51), Lauren McCrostie (28), Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz (35), Shawn Colvin (68) |
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