| | | | | | What's news: Netflix comms chief Rachel Whetstone is leaving the company. Billionaire Larry Ellison won’t control Paramount after all. Universal Filmed Entertainment Group has signed a new licensing deal with Netflix. Bob's Burgers star Jay Johnston has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 attacks. The Wayans brothers are returning to the Scary Movie franchise. Moana 2 is breaking advance ticket sales records. — Abid Rahman
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The Big Squeeze: Why Everyone in Hollywood Feels Stuck ►On the cover. There’s a mounting resentment among young (or young-er) Hollywood. There are myriad reasons for the malaise gripping the town — the lingering aftereffects of the pandemic, the industry-wide economic shrinkage, the labor unrest, the waves and waves of layoffs. But a lot of young executives also are casting weary glances at the aging eminences who’ve been occupying Hollywood’s C-suites seemingly forever. That promotion isn’t happening. Forget that raise. And your Boomer boss isn’t vacating that corner office anytime soon. THR's Mia Galuppo goes inside Hollywood’s Great Malaise. The cover story. |
Inside Disney's Race to Replace Bob Iger ►"It’s a somewhat ungrateful job to fill: While you formally get exactly the same position, informally you have a very, very different power basis." With James Gorman’s elevation to chairman of the board of Disney in January, and desperate to avoid another Bob Chapek debacle, the company is pursuing new ways to find its next chief. THR's Alex Weprin games out six succession scenarios. The analysis.
—Clarification. Larry Ellison won’t control Paramount after all. A month after Skydance told the FCC that the Oracle founder and tech mogul would have voting control of Paramount when the company closes its $8b deal, it has filed revised applications with the FCC to clarify that, in fact, David Ellison will have control. In order for the deal to close, Skydance needs approval not only from antitrust regulators at the FTC or DOJ, but also the FCC, which needs to approve the transfer of broadcast licenses owned by Paramount. The story.
—🤝 New licensing deal 🤝 Universal Filmed Entertainment Group has signed a new licensing deal with Netflix, renewing a pact for the studio’s animated feature and adding the U.S. rights for live-action titles from both Universal Pictures and Focus Features. The two companies expanded an existing deal that sees Illumination and DreamWorks Animation titles like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Minions films stream on Netflix. Additionally, starting in 2027, the U.S. rights to live-action films from the studio will also be licensed onto the service no later than eight months following theatrical release after the premium video on-demand window and following an initial four-month streaming release onto Peacock. The story.
—Shake-up. Netflix’s chief communications officer Rachel Whetstone and global public policy vp Dean Garfield are leaving the company. The moves come as co-CEO Ted Sarandos seeks to streamline the positions into a newly created role of chief global affairs officer, who will oversee both policy and corporate communications. Garfield does not have comms experience and Whetstone was said to not be interested in the role, leading to their departures. A candidate for the new role has not yet been identified. The story.
—🤝 Making moves 🤝 ITV Studios has acquired a majority stake in production company Eagle Eye Drama, which was launched in 2018 by Walter Iuzzolino, Jo McGrath, and Jason Thorp. That is the same team that is also behind Channel 4’s international drama streaming service Walter Presents. As part of the deal, ITV Studios has also acquired a majority stake in the Belgium-based production services company Happy Duck, led by producer and director Dries Vos, which services Eagle Eye’s global slate. The story.
—Boffo. YouTube advertising revenue jumped to $8.9b in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2024, up from $7.9b a year earlier. YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, beat Wall Street’s revenue and profit expectations with revenue increased 15 percent compared to last year to reach $88.3b, with Google advertising representing most of the revenue, while net income increased 34 percent to reach $26.3b. Google’s subscriptions, platforms, and devices business, which includes YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube Premium among other offerings, had revenue of $10.6b, up from $8.3b a year ago. The results.
—Big gains. Snap Inc. says that its Snapchat app added 37m daily active users in its third quarter, giving it 443m total, and that time spent watching content rose by 25 percent year over year. Revenue was $1.37b, up 15 percent year over year, while the company posted a net loss of $153m, a significant improvement compared to a year earlier, when its losses were over $368m. The results. |
The 25 Best Places to Work in Hollywood ►Screening rooms! Free concerts! Omelet Thursdays! Oh my! This town may be in flux, but it’s still one of the greatest places on earth to earn a living. THR teamed up with Glassdoor to crunch the data on the top entertainment companies to work for from Netflix to Riot Games, ranking the culture, the money and, of course, the snacks. The list.
—Heading to prison. Jay Johnston, a comedic actor who appeared in the movie Anchorman and multiple TV series including Bob’s Burgers and Arrested Development, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Following his June 2023 arrest, Johnston pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. As an actor who’s appeared on several hit shows, Johnston was identified quickly among the hundreds of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol following an inflammatory speech by the outgoing president at the nearby ellipse. The story.
—"I do not like no part of politics." Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson says he turned down a $3m offer from the Republican Party to perform at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday night. “I got a call, they wanted me (for) Sunday,” the rapper and TV mogul told The Breakfast Club on Tuesday morning when asked by a host if he had been asked to endorse the former president as he campaigns to return to the White House. “They offered me $3m,” the rapper revealed, while also confirming he had been asked to perform the song “Many Men (Wish Death)” at the RNC. But he declined that invitation as well. The story.
—There's still a chance. Joe Rogan issued a rare statement about the behind-the-scenes negotiations for a podcast guest, posting a comment about why Kamala Harris hasn’t appeared on his show. Rogan says Harris’ team wanted Rogan to fly out to New York to interview the presidential candidate, and that their interview would be restricted to one hour. “For the record, the Harris campaign has not passed on doing the podcast,” Rogan said in a comment on X. “They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin. My sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen.” The story. |
THR Bags 53 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Noms ►Yay us!! THR earned 53 nominations for the 17th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, including best website and two noms for journalist of the year. Seth Abramovitch was nominated for print journalist of the year, Mesfin Fekadu for online journalist of the year, Lovia Gyarkye for best film critic and Daniel Fienberg for best television critic. David Rooney was nominated for best theater and performing arts critic, and Fekadu was again nominated for best music critic.
In the celebrity investigation category, Gary Baum was nominated for his June 2024 story “Get Me Bryan Freedman!” which followed the entertainment power lawyer in his work with clients such as Megyn Kelly, Bethenny Frankel, Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon. THR‘s story “Will Ferrell on Navigating His Best Friend’s Transition in ‘Will & Harper'” was also nominated in the same category, with reporting from Seija Rankin, Jason Rovou, Stephanie Fischette and editors-in-chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Maer Roshan. The story. |
Teri Garr 1944 - 2024 ►Comic icon. Teri Garr, the Oscar-nominated actress who capitalized on her adorable flightiness in several classic comedy films before her career was derailed by multiple sclerosis, died Tuesday. She was 79.
Garr, who started out as a background dancer working alongside Elvis Presley in several 1960s party films, died at her home in Los Angeles “surrounded by family and friends,” publicist Heidi Schaeffer told THR. Her career breakthrough came as Gene Wilder’s comely Transylvanian lab assistant in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974). She received her supporting actress Oscar nomination for playing Dustin Hoffman’s insecure actress friend in Sydney Pollack’s Tootsie (1982). The obituary.
—"So talented and so funny." Michael Keaton, Mel Brooks, Paul Feig, Francis Ford Coppola and David Letterman were among the Hollywood figures who paid tribute to Teri Garr on Tuesday as news broke of her death. “So very sorry to hear about Teri Garr’s passing,” Brooks wrote on X. “She was so talented and so funny. Her humor and lively spirit made the YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN set a pleasure to work on. Her ‘German’ accent had us all in stitches! She will be greatly missed.” The reaction. |
Wayans Brothers to Return for 'Scary Movie' Reboot ►How it should be. The Wayans brothers are teaming up for the first time in years to help bring their Scary Movie franchise back to life. Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans are returning to the film series to pen the script for the new project that was announced earlier this year at CinemaCon. Keenen Ivory Wayans wrote and directed the original Scary Movie and its 2001 follow-up, while Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans wrote and starred in those initial two movies. Paramount will handle global distribution for the forthcoming title through their first-look deal with producer Miramax, which distributed the first three features. The story.
—Strong winds. The Walt Disney Animation Studios tentpole Moana 2 set records Monday in terms of first-day advance ticket sales, according to online retailer Fandango. It sold more tickets than any other 2024 animated film, including fellow Disney/Pixar summer 2024 blockbuster Inside Out 2. It’s also the fourth-best showing of the year for any movie behind Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Dune: Part 2. It’s no wonder why box office observers have bequeathed the sequel with its own special moniker: “Moanapocalpyse.” The box office report.
—🎭 Bona fide action star 🎭 Ke Huy Quan is continuing his action hero streak. The Oscar-winnner has closed a deal to star in Lionsgate's Fairytale in New York, an action thriller that will be directed by Jalmari Helander, the filmmaker behind the pulpy Nazi-crushing flick Sisu. With a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the story is set on Christmas Eve in New York City and centers on an unassuming cab driver, to be played by Quan, who takes one last ride before going to celebrate the holiday with his estranged son. After a run-in with a gang of criminals, he embarks on a relentless pursuit to retrieve his kid’s priceless Christmas gift. The story.
—🏆 Baker's year 🏆 The 2024 Gotham Awards nominations have been announced, with Sean Baker's Anora topping the nominees with four nods, including for best feature. Anora faces off against Babygirl, Challengers, A Different Man and Nickel Boys in the best feature category. Nickel Boys is up for three awards in total, with the additional nominations coming in the categories of best director (RaMell Ross) and breakthrough performer (Brandon Wilson). Babygirl and A Different Man are up for two awards in total each, with the former also nominated in the best lead performance category for star Nicole Kidman and A Different Man in the supporting performance category for Adam Pearson. The nominees. |
'Only Murders' Finale Set Up a Brutal Fifth Season ►Who is the killer? For THR, Josh Wigler unpacks the Only Murders in the Building season four finale. The season four killer reveal is a closed case. Much more complex is the murder set up for the Hulu whodunnit's already renewed next season. Warning: Spoilers! The story.
—On the move. Longtime MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell is to shift from her daily anchor chair to a “broader role” within NBC News after the U.S. Presidential inauguration in Jan. 2025, it was announced Tuesday. The departure from Andrea Mitchell Reports, which launched in 2008, was made by Mitchell on-air and via an internal memo from the NBC News Group. The story.
—Streaming heroes. Streaming gave a big boost to viewing for several of CBS’ season and series premieres. That in itself is no surprise — streaming accounts for a sizable amount of any network show’s weekly totals. Still, the viewing totals for the handful of shows CBS touted in a release Tuesday put all of them above 10m viewers. The season two premiere of Tracker on Oct. 13 amassed 15.7m viewers over the course of a week, a 25 percent improvement over its time period premiere last season. Nearly half of that total (47 percent) came after the show’s initial airing: Streaming on Paramount+ and CBS’ digital platforms along with other delayed viewing accounted for more than 7m viewers, following 8.31m same-day viewers for its on-air debut, according to Nielsen. The ratings.
—🎭 Stellar cast 🎭 House of the Dragon star Eve Best and The Penguin‘s Carmen Ejogo will lead a new BBC drama Wild Cherry from Nicôle Lecky. Following the success of Lecky’s BAFTA-winning Mood, the BBC and production firm Firebird Pictures on Wednesday unveiled the cast for the new six-part series. Imogen Faires and newcomer Amelia May, Sophie Winkleman and Lecky, who also serves as an executive producer, have also joined the project. The story. |
Film Review: 'Lust in the Rain' ►"Well-made but hard to grasp." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Shinzo Katayama's Tokyo competition entry Lust in the Rain. Premiering at the Tokyo Film Festival, the director's genre-bending adaptation of Yoshiharu Tsuge's autobiographical manga charts a strange and complicated love triangle. The review.
—"An affecting, if dark, story of growing up." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Katarina Gramatova's Tokyo competition entry Promise, I'll Be Fine. Gramatova's debut feature stars first-time actor Michael Zachensky as a rural teen confronted with difficult truths about his frequently absent mother (Eva Mores). The review.
—"Amusing, but too soft to be instantly great." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews NBC's St. Denis Medical. Allison Tolman, David Alan Greer and Wendi McLendon-Covey lead the ensemble of an emergency room-set mockumentary from Superstore and American Auto creator Justin Spitzer. The review.
In other news...
—Jennifer Lopez supports her son’s wrestling dreams in Unstoppable trailer
—The Seed of the Sacred Fig wins Arab Critics’ Award for European films
—Francis Ford Coppola set to receive AFI Life Achievement Award
—Sean Penn, David Cronenberg to get Marrakech Film Festival tributes
—Netflix taps Nicolle Pangis as vp of advertising
—Paramount global head of inclusion Marva Smalls moving into new role
—Wesley Snipes signs with Independent Artist Group
—Spice Girl Emma Bunton signs with WME
What else we're reading...
—Mind-boggling story from Michael D. Shear and June Kim of all the former advisers to Trump, including Mike Pence, who now call him a "liar,' "fascist" and "unfit" for office [NYT]
—Tony Romm writes that Elon Musk’s plan to cut $2t in U.S. spending could bring economic chaos [WaPo]
—Xochitl Gonzalez writes that Trump is paying the price for insulting Puerto Rico [Atlantic]
—Miles Surrey pens an ode to Tom Hardy's Venom trilogy, "a deranged masterpiece of superhero cinema" [Ringer]
—Jonathan Glazer’s Birth celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and Guy Lodge pays tribute to a "magnificent, misunderstood masterpiece" [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1963, Paramount held the premiere of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s A New Kind of Love in New York. The film went on to be nominated for two Oscars — costume design and music — at the 36th Academy Awards. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Henry Winkler (79), Nia Long (54), Michael Beach (61), Kevin Pollak (67), Matthew Morrison (46), Brett Kelly (31), Fiona Dourif (43), Jessica Hynes (52), Maria Thayer (49), Harry Hamlin (73), Clémence Poésy (42), Sarah Carter (44), Janel Parrish (36), Claudia Jessie (35), Adam Copeland (51), Shaun Sipos (43), Kennedy McMann (28), Shante Broadus (53), Steve Kazee (49), Juliet Stevenson (68), Christopher Backus (43), Billy Brown (54), Gavin Rossdale (59), Tequan Richmond (32), Paul Telfer (45), Kristina Anapau (45), Eva Marcille (40), Andrew Schulz (41), Emily Kuroda (72), Rachel Hilson (29) |
| Virginia Carter, the feminist activist who was hired by Norman Lear to advise him on social issues and marginalized groups, providing insight the famed TV producer would use for plotlines and characterizations in his provocative shows, has died. She was 87. The obituary. |
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