| | | | What's news: Max has canceled The Flight Attendant. Netflix has greenlit two more Harlan Coben limited series. Marvel has restarted production on its now retooled series Daredevil: Born Again. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender will star in a Steven Soderbergh spy film. Sony's India unit has called off a $10b merger with Zee. Wonka has sailed over $530m at the global box office. — Abid Rahman
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Predicting Oscar Noms Using Math ►The math is mathing. He's back! Ahead of tomorrow's Academy Awards nominations unveiling, Ben Zauzmer, for the tenth time, crunches the numbers for THR on who will make the cut for the Oscars. Ben, the author of Oscarmetrics, writes that a half dozen movies are near-locks for best picture, according to his mathematical model that factors in awards season data and historical trends. The predictions.
—Scott's final forecast. THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg has also published his final Oscar nominations projections. Click to see a more detailed category breakdown but in brief, Scott predicts that the nominations leaders will be Killers of the Flower Moon (12), Oppenheimer (12), Poor Things (12), Barbie (10) and The Zone of Interest (10). The Feinberg forecast.
—"We look forward to our day in court." Alec Baldwin has been indicted in the fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after a grand jury presented with a new investigation into the incident recommended charging the actor and producer of the low-budget Western. Baldwin is expected to be charged by New Mexico prosecutors, who initially dropped the criminal case to review new evidence suggesting that the gun he was holding had been modified. Baldwin faces a sentence of 18 months in prison if convicted. It remains unknown if he’ll be arrested. The story.
—Financial planning. As Alec Baldwin's legal problems mount, THR's Ryan Gajewski writes that the actor has made moves to shore up his finances. Baldwin's plans include appearances at fan conventions and he has also relisted his longtime Hamptons home for $10m under the asking price from roughly a year ago. The 30 Rock alum’s abode is now on the market for $19m. The story. |
Berlin Reveals 2024 Lineup ►Familiar faces. The 74th Berlin International Film Festival unveiled its full lineup Monday. Among the highlights are Alonso Ruizpalacios' La Cocina that stars Rooney Mara and is a drama set over the course of a single day in a bustling NYC restaurant. Other Berlin regulars returning to competition this year include Olivier Assayas with Suspended Time, Russian documentarian Victor Kossakovsky back with Architecton, and Mati Diop's new documentary Dahomey. The lineup.
—🎭 Assembling a crack team 🎭 Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are attached to star in Black Bag, a hot spy thriller package from Steven Soderbergh that has hit the market. Soderbergh is on board to direct the feature project, which has a script by David Keopp. This is the latest team-up between the director and writer, who have the thriller Presence that premiered at Sundance on Friday. Like many of Soderbergh’s projects, this one is being kept hush-hush, although it is known to be set in the U.K. The story.
—🎭 Lorne to do it 🎭 Gabriel LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman and Rachel Sennott have been cast in Jason Reitman's feature SNL 1975 about the early days of Saturday Night Live. Reitman is directing the film for Sony Pictures about the debut night in October 1975 of the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season. LaBelle, who had a breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans, is set to play SNL creator Lorne Michaels. The story. |
Marvel Restarts Production on 'Daredevil: Born Again' ►Back to basics. Coming off the strong opening of Echo, Marvel Studios next turns its attention to Daredevil: Born Again, which restarts production Monday after a lengthy hiatus. Philip Silvera, who acted as stunt and fight coordinator on the Netflix version of Daredevil, has returned to the fold. His hiring is the latest example of the retooling Born Again underwent as it was changed from a legal procedural to something that aims to harken back to the gritty and violent tone of the Netflix series. The story.
—Doubling down. Netflix will adapt two more Harlan Coben novels into limited series following the success of Fool Me Once. The new series will be based on the author’s Missing You and Run Away and be produced by Quay Street Productions. Coben will serve as executive producer through his company, Final Twist Productions. The news comes after Fool Me Once, which premiered Jan. 1, had 61m views globally in its first two weeks, reaching the Top 10 in 91 countries worldwide, according to the streamer. The story.
—Permanently grounded. Max has canceled The Flight Attendant after two seasons. Sources tell THR's Rick Porter that the streamer had been considering a third season of the series, which stars and is executive produced by Kaley Cuoco, but the actress opted against returning to the role. Debuting in November 2020, the second season premiered in the spring of 2022. Cuoco earned two Emmy nominations, and the series scored a nod for best comedy after its first season. The story.
—"I’m safely on the other side of the worst." Emily in Paris star Ashley Park is recovering and looking back on a harrowing health scare that she endured for the first few weeks of the new year. On social media, Park revealed that while on holiday in December into New Year’s, her tonsillitis developed into an infection that resulted in a “critical septic shock” that infected “several” organs. The story. |
'Night Country' Stars Discuss That "Horrifying" Murder Tableau ►"We called it The Corpsicle." For THR, Josh Wigler spoke to True Detective: Night Country stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis about the second episode of the HBO series. The actors discuss the nasty pile of frozen bodies at the heart of this season. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—ICYMI. On Friday, storied publication Sports Illustrated began laying off staffers en masse as the outlet’s union warned that “possibly all” of its guild-represented staffers could be affected. The layoffs come after Arena Group Holdings failed to make a $3.75m quarterly licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group, according to a securities filing. The story.
—It's off! More than two years after announcing a bold $10b merger of its TV and streaming businesses in India with local giant Zee Entertainment, Sony Group said Monday that it is officially abandoning the deal. Although Sony did not specify the conditions of the merger that went unfulfilled, a disagreement between the two companies over who would lead the combined entity spilled into public view in recent months. The story.
—Raising the stake. Former U.S. treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has added to his stake in Lionsgate, which now totals nearly $50m, including last year’s purchases. In a securities filing, an equity fund controlled by Mnuchin disclosed a 7.9 percent stake in Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.’s Class A voting shares. That’s a step up from the 5.5 percent holding in the Hollywood studio first acquired by Mnuchin’s fund in fall 2023 for about $30.8m. The story.
—"He loved television." John Hamlin, who contributed to 45 Academy Awards telecasts at NBC and ABC as an executive or consultant and produced many other TV specials during his long career, has died. He was 92. Hamlin died Monday after he was hospitalized for severe dehydration from stomach flu, his family announced. The network exec worked with everyone from Bob Hope and Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson and said he had the inside scoop on that streaker who ran across the stage at the 1974 Academy Awards. The obituary. |
'Mean Girls' Tops Quiet Weekend at Box Office ►Winter freeze. Paramount's Mean Girls musical stayed in first place in its second outing with an estimated $11.7m from 3,826 locations for a domestic total of $50m. The Tina Fey-penned musical fell more than the filmmakers would have liked, dropping 59 percent.
The only new wide release was Bleecker Street’s I.S.S., a thriller about warring astronauts in their rival space stations. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the film stars Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina. I.S.S., playing in 2,250 locations, all but crashed to earth with a $3m domestic debut to come in at No. 7. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that the pic could have a second life on home entertainment, as well as do solid business in some overseas markets. One downer, though, it got slapped with a C- CinemaScore.
Back in the upper reaches of the top 10, Amazon MGM Studios' Jason Statham-led The Beekeeper stayed at No. 2 in its sophomore outing with $8.5m from 3,330 theaters for a domestic tally of $31.1m. Overseas, it took in another $14.2m for a foreign tally of $44.2m and $75.2m globally.
Warner Bros.' Wonka held at No. 3 with $6.4m domestically from 3,316 locations for an impressive domestic tally of $187.2m. Globally, it’s earned an even sweeter $344.6m for a global tally of $531.8m. The box office report. |
Film Review: 'Love Lies Bleeding' ►"A bruising bloodbath." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Rose Glass' Love Lies Bleeding. The Brit filmmaker follows her horror freakout, Saint Maud, with a swerve into raw sex, bloody crime and messy cleanup, starring Kristen Stewart, newcomer Katy O’Brian and Ed Harris. The review.
—"A powerful story of human endurance." David reviews Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui's Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. The docmakers trace their subject’s Hollywood and personal history alongside the tireless activism for disability awareness that followed his paralysis. The review.
—"Small is beautiful." David reviews India Donaldson's Sundance U.S. dramatic competition entry Good One. Lily Collias, James Le Gros and Danny McCarthy star in the writer-director's emotional character study of a young queer woman in a transitional moment, unfolding during a weekend camping trip. The review.
—"Funny, heartfelt and moving in equal measure." David reviews Jesse Eisenberg's Sundance U.S. dramatic competition entry A Real Pain. Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe and Jennifer Grey appear in Eisenberg’s very personal second feature as director, about cousins visiting their ancestral home in Poland to honor their grandmother. The review.
—"An unexpectedly poignant lament." David reviews Thea Hvistendahl's Sundance world cinema dramatic competition entry Handling the Undead. Worst Person in the World star Renate Reinsve is joined by another standout from that cast, Anders Danielsen Lie, in this Norwegian adaptation of the novel by Let the Right One In author John Ajvide Lindqvist. The review. |
Film Review: 'Presence' ►"Masterfully done." David reviews Steven Soderbergh's Presence. Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan and newcomer Callina Liang star in this haunted house chiller about a family that appears on the brink of falling apart. The review.
—"Nectar for nostalgists." David reviews Bao Nguyen's The Greatest Night in Pop. Lionel Richie guides this Netflix doc that chronicles the unprecedented gathering of many of the top American music artists of the 1980s to record the earworm charity single, "We Are the World." The review.
—"Elemental liberation." David reviews Nora Fingscheidt's The Outrun. Saoirse Ronan stars in this drama that traces a damaged young woman’s rocky path toward wholeness against the windswept landscapes of her birthplace on Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The review.
—"Funny for a bit, then just numbingly self-serious." David reviews Sam and Andy Zuchero's Sundance U.S. dramatic competition entry Love Me. Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star in a love story exploring the intersection between technology and identity. The review.
—"Every shot is a knockout." David reviews Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw's Sundance U.S. documentary competition entry Gaucho Gaucho. The documakers behind The Truffle Hunters follow with an Argentinian Western that captures both the wild spirit and the discipline of its subjects in stunning B&W images. The review.
—"Meanders a bit, but slowly builds intensity." David reviews Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez's Sundance world cinema dramatic competition entry Sujo. The writer-directors follow their collaboration on Identifying Features with another drama of desolation and lawlessness, this time illuminated by a resilient spirit. The review. |
Film Review: 'Sasquatch Sunset' ►"Intermittently interesting strangeness." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews David and Nathan Zellner's Sasquatch Sunset. Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg embrace their wild side by playing Big Foots in this look at a year in the life of a Sasquatch family. The review.
—"Don't forget to exhale." Lovia reviews Jeff Zimbalist's Sundance U.S. documentary competition entry Skywalkers: A Love Story. The filmmaker behind Favela Rising chronicles the harrowing story of how two Russian daredevils saved their romance by climbing one of the world's tallest buildings. The review.
—"A craic-ing effort." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Rich Peppiatt's Kneecap. Like 8 Mile, this scripted work about an Irish rap group premiering in Sundance's NEXT sidebar tells its stars' own stories, with a big dollop of dramatic license. The review.
—"A pair of excellent lead turns anchor a touching feature debut." THR's Angie Han reviews Sean Wang's Sundance U.S. dramatic competition entry Dìdi. This semi-autobiographical directorial debut (featuring Joan Chen) follows a Taiwanese American boy over his last summer before high school in 2008 Northern California. The review. —"Powerful as a story, but limited as a film." THR's Dan Fienberg reviews Benjamin Ree's Sundance world cinema documentary competition entry Ibelin. This documentary revolves around parents who learn about their son's rich social life as an avid player of World of Warcraft after he dies of a degenerative neuromuscular disease. The review. In other news...
—Netflix debuts Ripley teaser, premiere date
—First look at Michael Jackson biopic starring singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson
—Judd Apatow returns to host DGA Awards
—Christopher Nolan to receive honorary Cesar Award
—Doris Duke Foundation commits $6m to support Muslim American storytellers
—Sky U.K. & Ireland boss Stephen van Rooyen to step down
—LVMH changes top management of fashion group: Michael Burke becomes president and CEO
—Marlena Shaw, "California Soul" singer, dies at 81
—Mary Weiss, lead singer of the Shangri-Las, dies at 75
—Scott Manners, veteran talent agent and Artists & Representatives founder, dies at 68
—Nancy Green-Keyes, casting director on The Notebook, Rush Hour and more, dies at 68
What else we're reading...
—Julia Jacobs dives deep into the legal question at the center of the Alec Baldwin Rust criminal case [NYT]
—Reporting from Sundance, Lucas Shaw writes that indie filmmakers feel the long-established model to sell their films at the festival isn't working [Bloomberg]
—Shelby Talcott, David Weigel and Benjy Sarlin try to make sense of Ron DeSantis' exit from the presidential race and come up with 13 reasons why his campaign didn't click with the public [Semafor]
—After Andrew Scott suggested it was time to retire the phrase "openly gay" on THR's actors roundtable, Ryan Gilbey agrees with the actor that the phrase needs go the way of phrases like "ethnic minority" [Guardian]
—With the German public shocked by news of a secret meeting between the AFD and neo-Nazis, Jessica Parker reports that the country is mulling a ban on the far right party [BBC]
Today...
...in 2003, Comedy Central premiered Chappelle’s Show at 10:30 pm. The Dave Chappelle fronted variety series went on to run for 28 episodes over three years. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Gabriel Macht (52), Diane Lane (59), Linda Blair (65), Jim Jarmusch (71), Guy Fieri (56), Justin Hurwitz (39), Tamra Davis (62), John Wesley Shipp (69), O-T Fagbenle (43), Olivia d'Abo (55), Sami Gayle (28), Daryl McCormack (31), Balthazar Getty (49), Raquel Cassidy (56), James Murray (49), Katie Finneran (53), Beverley Mitchell (43), Brian Gaskill (54), Jennifer Spence (47), Brian McCardie (59), Qing Xu (55), Michael Cristofer (79), Rishi Nair (33), August Wittgenstein (43) |
| Benedict Fitzgerald, the co-writer of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ as well as John Huston's Wise Blood, has died. He was 74. The obituary. |
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