| | | | | | What's news: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are in talks to return for a Practical Magic sequel. The Acolyte recorded the biggest opening for a show on Disney+ in 2024. Broadway revival An Enemy of the People has recouped its $5.5m capitalization. Will Arnett has signed an overall deal with Fox Entertainment. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
Teamsters Leader Reveals Approach to Negotiations ►"We're looking to be more aggressive." On Monday, the latest wave of crew members entered contract negotiations with Hollywood's studios and streamers. THR's Katie Kilkenny spoke to Lindsay Dougherty, chairperson of the Hollywood Basic Crafts group and the principal officer of the Hollywood Teamsters Local 399, about the union's strategy for the talks. The interview.
—📅 Dated 📅 Labor negotiations covering tens of thousands of members of IATSE who work under two separate contracts are set to resume on June 24, the crew union announced on Monday. The union and the AMPTP have agreed to meet for four bargaining sessions between June 24 and 27. Those discussions will cover both the Basic Agreement (a contract spanning 13 West Coast Locals and approximately 50,000 crew members) and the Area Standards Agreement (which encompasses 23 Locals and about 20,000 workers). The story.
—Alright for some. The future of Paramount Global remains uncertain, but the co-CEOs of the company will be just fine however things shake out. On Monday, Paramount filed with the SEC some compensation details for its new co-chief executives, including the critical detail that all three are now participants in the “Paramount Global Executive Change in Control Severance Protection Plan.” All three men also received a cash bonus under the company’s short-term incentive plan of $2,750,000, which will be prorated to their service as co-CEOs. The story.
—🏆 Congrats to all! 🏆 The nominations for the 40th annual Television Critics Awards Nominations have been revealed, with Netflix and FX tied at the top thanks to the strength of Baby Reindeer, Ripley and Shōgun, with all three programs garnering five noms apiece. Winners will be announced at an in-person ceremony that’s part of the summer press tour on Friday, July 12 at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena. The nominees. |
Academy Museum to Revise Jewish History Exhibit Amid Backlash ►"We will be implementing the first set of changes immediately." The Academy Museum said Monday it will revise its new exhibit on Hollywood’s Jewish roots after criticisms that some of the portrayals of the Jewish studio founders was antisemitic. The exhibit, titled Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital, opened officially on May 19. The museum noted in a statement to THR that it had "heard the concerns from members of the Jewish community" and that it was "committed to making changes to the exhibition to address them." The story.
—In better news. The Academy Museum will host its fourth annual star-studded gala on Oct. 19, this year honoring Paul Mescal, Rita Moreno and Quentin Tarantino. The fundraising event will celebrate the museum’s third anniversary and help to raise funds for exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming. Mescal will receive the Vantage Award, Moreno the Icon Award and Tarantino the Luminary Award. The story.
—Welcome a-board. The results are in after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held elections for 17 seats on its 55-person board of governors, and the newly constituted board will include five rookies, one comeback kid and 11 continuing incumbents. The five first-time governors will be Patricia Cardoso (directors branch), Jennifer Fox (producers), K.K. Barrett (production design), Andy Nelson (sound) and Chris Tashima (short films). The story. |
Bullock, Kidman Returning for 'Practical Magic' Sequel ►🎭 "Midnight margaritas!" 🎭 Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are in talks to return for a sequel to the 1998 classic Practical Magic. Akiva Goldsman, one of the writers behind the original, will pen the screenplay. Plot details are not yet known. Bullock and Kidman are expected to produce alongside Denise Di Novi, who produced the original. Practical Magic starred Kidman and Bullock as two orphaned sisters who come from a long line of witches. The story.
—👀 First-look 👀 Production on the third installment of Rian Johnson's Knives Out franchise is officially underway. The director and writer gave fans a first-look at the beloved detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, who is set to see himself embroiled in another murder mystery in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Seemingly half of Hollywood has signed up to star in the film, with the confirmed cast thus far including Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner and Mila Kunis. The story.
—🎭 Leads in place 🎭 Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding have nabbed starring roles in Heart Eyes, a horror romantic comedy for Spyglass. Josh Ruben will direct the genre pic from a screenplay by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, with production set for New Zealand. The film, according to the producers, will kick off with the Heart Eyes Killer striking Seattle, and a pair of co-workers doing overtime on Valentine’s Day being mistaken for a couple by the elusive murderer. The story. |
What Cable TV Would Look Like Without Sports ►A horrifying thought. ESPN ran a promotional campaign in the mid-2000s called “Without Sports” that posited the world would be less interesting and less connected in the absence of athletic competition. The 2024 version of that campaign might go something like, “Without sports, would anyone be watching cable?” THR's Rick Porter writes that the answer is yes — but in far smaller numbers than in a landscape where live sports are abundantly available via cable and satellite providers. The analysis.
—🤝 Overall deal 🤝 During his Banff World Media Festival keynote, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade revealed that the company is getting deeper into business with Will Arnett. The comic actor has signed an overall producing deal with the company, that will see Arnett and his Electric Avenue Productions banner exclusively develop unscripted content for Fox. The pact also includes a first-look agreement on scripted series developed by Electric Avenue. The story.
—The Force was strong with this one. Disney+ says The Acolyte recorded the biggest opening for a show on the streamer so far this year, with the premiere episode recording 11.1m views worldwide over five days. The Acolyte fell somewhat shy of the most recent Star Wars series premiere on Disney+: Ahsoka drew 14m views over its first five days in August 2023. It’s on par with the debut of Percy Jackson and the Olympians in December, which had 13.3m views over six days. The ratings.
—🎭 Two more in the mix 🎭 Max's Peacemaker is adding some new faces for season two of the DC Studios series. Picard actor Sol Rodriguez and The Office's David Denman are among the series newcomers to the show, which is currently in production. Rodriguez will play Sasha Bordeaux, who debuted in the comics in 2000’s Detective Comics No. 751 and is known as a Batman ally. Denman joins Peacemaker in an undisclosed role. The story. |
How (Un)Likability Ruined J.Lo's Tour ►Burst bubble? Five years ago, Jennifer Lopez was on a white-hot tour, selling out arenas like Madison Square Garden and performing her popular hits from the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Selling out an arena tour — the same venues Lopez has performed at for two decades — isn’t normally a problem for the star, but her headline-making decision to cancel her upcoming trek has barely anything to do with music. Instead, THR's Mesfin Fekadu writes, it’s about likability. The analysis.
—Number one boy. The Broadway revival of An Enemy of the People, starring Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli, has recouped its $5.5m capitalization. The milestone, announced by producers Seaview, Patrick Catullo and Brad Pitt’s Plan B, comes after only about four months on Broadway, with the play breaking the Circle in the Square’s box office record (of $917,008) 16 times. The production began previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Feb. 27 and is set to close June 23. The story.
—"He went on to protect me whenever he could, throughout the awkward moments." Nathan Lane was among a cadre of LGBTQ talent that took a spin in the spotlight during the inaugural LGBTQ+ Celebration of Cinema & Television presented by the Critics Choice Association on Friday. Lane spoke about his career and how, after his career explode thanks to Mike Nichols’ 1996 film The Birdcage, he experienced rampant speculation about his sexuality, only for co-star Robin Williams to protect him. The story. |
TV Review: 'Presumed Innocent' ►"Fast-moving, but lacking in control and context." THR's Dan Fienberg reviews Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent. David E. Kelley tackles Scott Turow's legal thriller (already adapted into a 1990 Harrison Ford movie) about a prosecutor (Jake Gyllenhaal) who finds himself accused of murder. The review.
—"As controlled as Federer could have hoped for." Dan reviews Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia's Federer: Twelve Final Days. The doc started life as a home-video tribute to the last days of Roger Federer's glittering tennis career, and that's still how it feels. The review.
—"A smart, reflective take on a cultural phenomenon." THR's Angie Han reviews Andrew McCarthy's Brats. Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and more feature in a Hulu documentary about the infamous circle of young Hollywood stars in the 1980s. The review.
—"Streetwise and full of heart." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Marcelo Caetano's Baby. The Brazilian director shot significant portions of the narrative feature on the streets of downtown São Paulo, using hidden cameras. The review.
—"A fascinating portrait of a polarizing figure." THR's Robyn Bahr reviews Sandi DuBowski's Tribeca documentary competition entry, Sabbath Queen. The Trembling Before G-d director chronicles Amichai Lau-Lavie in this doc, a drag queen and subversive Jewish storyteller who chooses to become a conservative rabbi. The review.
—"Both familiar and fresh." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Jeffrey Reiner's Lake George. The latest feature from veteran writer-director (Hulu’s High Fidelity), which premiered at Tribeca, co-stars Max Casella and Glenn Fleshler. The review. |
Film Review: 'Sacramento' ►"A slender adventure buoyed by charming moments." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Michael Angarano's Tribeca U.S. narrative competition entry, Sacramento. A free-spirited man convinces his best friend to go on a road trip in this film, featuring Angarano, Maya Erskine, Michael Cera and Kristen Stewart. The review.
—"Unsettling and visceral." Lovia reviews Nnamdi Asomugha's Tribeca U.S. narrative competition entry, The Knife. In Asomugha's film, co-written and executive produced by Mark Duplass, a man trying to protect his family becomes the suspect in a menacing police investigation. The review.
—"A breezy take on a universal experience." Lovia reviews Delaney Buffett's Tribeca U.S. narrative competition, Adult Best Friends. The feature, co-written with Buffett's real-life pal Katie Corwin, considers what happens when close friends grow in different directions. The review.
—"A genuine curio." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Adam Elliot's Annecy competition entry, Memoir of a Snail. The Oscar-winning stop-motion maverick's second feature tells the life story of a gastropod-obsessed misfit touched by grief, loneliness and longing for her lost twin brother. The review.
In other news...
—Porky and Daffy pull fast one in Looney Tunes movie The Day the Earth Blew Up sneak peek
—Locarno Film Festival to honor producer Stacey Sher
—Composer Howard Shore to receive lifetime honor at Zurich Film Festival
—Maren Morris comes out as bisexual while celebrating Pride Month
—King Charles renews his patronage of the British Film Institute
—CAA promotes 15 employees to agent
—UTA acquires European soccer agency ROOF as Klutch expands global reach
—Filmmaker Peter Chelsom unveils private photography collection in Tuscany
—The coolest Father’s Day gifts for every type of dad, from luxe kicks to comedic cookbooks
What else we're reading...
—Bonkers story about journalist Lauren Windsor going undercover and capturing audio recordings of Justice Samuel Alito and his wife spouting some rather unbecoming views [Politico]
—Julia Jacobs reports on the mounting legal problems facing a raft of reality shows, including Love Is Blind, Vanderpump Rules and the Real Housewives universe [NYT]
—Ashley Carman looks at how Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso" highlights the new way music is made [Bloomberg]
—Christine Pelisek reports that the family of Gabby Petito, the woman who was murdered by her fiancé Brian Laundrie in 2021, are helping families of color find their loved ones [People]
—Joanna Stern unpacks Apple's WWDC event, and what "Apple Intelligence" really means for normies [WSJ]
Today...
...in 1993, Steven Spielberg ushered in a new franchise with the launch of Jurassic Park. The film, which set fire to the summer box office that year (“dino-mite,” as a THR headline blared), would spawn a series of tentpole films for Universal over the course of the next two decades. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Anna Sawai (32), Peter Dinklage (55), Jane Goldman (54), Hugh Laurie (65), Joshua Jackson (46), Adrienne Barbeau (79), Claire Holt (36), Charlie Tahan (26), Ivana Baquero (30), Jimmy O. Yang (37), Benedetta Porcaroli (26), Clare Carey (57), Katelyn Nacon (25), Saxon Sharbino (25), Paapa Essiedu (34), Eugene Simon (32), Jefferson Brown (48), Kenjirô Tsuda (53), Christina Crawford (85), Kim Hee-seon (47), María de Nati (27), Sherman Howard (75), Alex Kendrick (54), Rhys Matthew Bond (26), Ojani Noa (50), Lenny Jacobson (50), Breanna Yde (21), Peter Bergman (71), Wren T. Brown (60), Jelly Howie (37), Stephen Schnetzer (76), Francesc Orella (67) |
| | Michael Mosley, the British doctor and BBC TV presenter, was found dead in Greece on Sunday following a four-day search. He was 67. The obituary. |
|
|
|
| | | |
