| | | | | | What's news: The Onion has acquired Inforwars. Disney expects to spend $24b on content in 2025. Disney+ now has 120m paying subs. John Storey is the new CFO of CAA. Lady Gaga is set to appear in Netflix’s Wednesday. Hulu has renewed Reasonable Doubt. 45m people in the U.S. watched Election Night on YouTube. — Abid Rahman
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Struggling Entertainment Workers Are Fleeing Hollywood ►"They fear that I’m going to put in my notice and bounce." THR's Katie Kilkenny writes that as major Hollywood companies cut costs and production continues to lag, professionals who have already achieved success in entertainment are applying for jobs in project management, marketing and even at Whole Foods — but some employers are balking at hiring people with showbiz backgrounds. The story.
—Lol. Satirical news site The Onion has won the bidding to acquire the assets of Alex Jones’ Infowars, with the support of Sandy Hook families. The site acquired Infowars after their auction bid was selected by the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee overseeing the Free Speech Systems bankruptcy proceedings. Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, will be the exclusive launch advertiser for the site in the new venture. The Onion’s goal in acquiring the site was “to end Infowars’ relentless barrage of disinformation for the sake of selling supplements and replace it with The Onion’s relentless barrage of humor for good." The story.
—"I'm privileged." Eva Longoria revealed this week that she and her family have moved out of the “dystopian” U.S., and are now splitting time between Mexico and Spain. In a new interview, Longoria said she's spent her whole adult life in the U.S. but said that "even before [the pandemic], it was changing. The vibe was different. And then COVID happened, and it pushed it over the edge. Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to shit on California — it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now." The story.
—The future. Election night 2024 saw its TV ratings fall sharply compared to 2020, but new data suggests that tens of millions of Americans were still tuning in … they were just watching on YouTube. The Google-owned video platform said Thursday that more than 45m people in the U.S. watched election-related content on Tuesday, Nov. 5. That is an enormous number, and while obviously not everyone was watching live videos in primetime, it suggests that tens of millions of people were nonetheless turning to YouTube for election-relayed information. The story.
—"They’re going to look at it in a very different way as somebody who’s invested as an owner." Ben Affleck has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and while on a panel at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Summit Wednesday, he weighed in on a number of topics being closely watched by Hollywood, including the looming deal for Skydance to buy Paramount and the growing use of generative AI by the industry. Affleck said that he is hopeful that Skydance's David Ellison will help to rejuvenate Paramount as he believed the billionaire was not part of the "management class" and more of an owner-manager in the mold of old Hollywood studio heads, who "cared about stories." The story. |
Disney Earnings Powered by Streaming, 'Deadpool 3' ►Chugging along nicely. Disney ended its fiscal 2024 on a high note, thanks in large part to its theatrical film division and growth in streaming. The company reported revenues of $22.57b in its fiscal Q4 which ended Sept. 30, up 6 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Income was $948m, down 6 percent from a year ago. The growth was driven by entertainment, where revenues were up by 14 percent to $10.8b, thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. Streaming improved its profitability, with operating income of $321m between the company’s DTC offerings. Disney+, meanwhile, added more than 4m “core” subscribers, and now has more than 120m core subs. Revenue in DTC was $5.8b. The results.
—Revised up. Disney expects to spend $24b in content in its fiscal 2025, up slightly from 2024 when the company says it spent $23.4b. The company disclosed its planned content spend in its annual report. Don’t expect a flurry of additional movies or TV shows, however, as sports programming expenses are set to rise next year thanks to contractual rate increases at the NFL, the start of the new NBA contract — which nearly doubles the previous fee — and the launch of the new ESPN flagship streaming service. The story.
—🤝 Settlement 🤝 Disney has settled a class action accusing the company of rampant pay discrimination. Both sides have informed the court of an agreement to resolve the case. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. “The Parties have reached a tentative agreement” and are “currently working on finalizing the terms in the form of a written settlement agreement,” lawyers for the plaintiffs and Disney wrote in a joint statement to the court filed in September. They’re expected to file a motion for approval of the settlement by Friday. The story.
—"John is a proven leader with an exceptional track record of strategic planning and operational improvement." Creative Artists Agency has found a new top finance officer from outside its ranks. The Century City-based talent representation giant has hired Asurion executive John Storey as its chief financial officer, the agency said on Wednesday. Storey will succeed Carol Sawdye, who had overseen CAA‘s finances since taking over the role three years ago after the promotion of Jim Burtson to president of the agency. The story. |
Resurrecting 'Rust': How Alec Baldwin's Ill-Fated Flick Got Finished ►"There are people out there who have very strong feelings that we shouldn’t have done it [finished Rust]." Three years after the movie Rust was struck by tragedy, its director Joel Souza and new cinematographer Bianca Cline explain to THR's Rebecca Keegan how they battled through trauma, moral objection and their own mixed emotions to finally complete the indie Western. The story.
—"We look forward to being part of meaningful discussions." Cate Blanchett and her fellow jury members at the Camerimage Film Festival have put out a statement of support for the event after it was engulfed in controversy earlier this week due to a controversial editorial penned by the festival’s director. Blanchett and her fellow jurors Anna Higgs, Sandy Powell, Anthony Dod Mantle, Rodrigo Prieto, Lukasz Zal and Jolanta Dylewska posted a joint statement on Instagram Wednesday. The pioneering Polish cinematography festival has come under intense scrutiny after its founder published an op-ed that industry guilds slammed as "deeply sexist." The story.
—Rule change. BAFTA has added provisions to its rulebook that give it the power to retrospectively strip winners of its competitive awards of their trophies in cases of convictions of a crime that results in a prison term or “proven dishonesty,” starting with winners in 2025. BAFTA chair Sara Putt on Wednesday unveiled a new “forfeiture process” based on a review, citing the case of former BBC News host Huw Edwards, who pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children this year. The story. |
'Golden Bachelorette' Finale Sees a Proposal and Pre-Final Rose Twist ►"You’re not unlovable, Joan." The Golden Bachelorette finale on Wednesday kicked off with tears from the inaugural season’s lead, Joan Vassos, and the tears continued throughout the show’s hour and a half runtime. Vassos went against the grain, opting to make her big decision before the final rose ceremony. Warning: Spoilers! The recap.
—A goldie for oldies. Netflix is aging up its dating-show demographic. The streamer has released a trailer for an unscripted series called The Later Daters, which follows six baby boomers (ranging in age from 56 to 71) as they begin a search for love later in life. It’s set to premiere Nov. 29. If the premise for the show sounds a lot like ABC’s The Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette, the execution is different. The Later Daters is more documentary than competition, following its six subjects as they go on dates and try to find meaningful connections. The series comes from Higher Ground Productions, the company headed by Barack and Michelle Obama, and Boardwalk Pictures. The story.
—🎭 Superstar addition 🎭 Lady Gaga is set to appear in Netflix’s Wednesday in its forthcoming second season. The Oscar and Grammy winner will have a role in the Netflix hit, which is in production in Ireland. Details on Gaga’s role are being kept quiet for now. Gaga will be one of a host of new faces in season two, which added Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor as series regulars and Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Lumley, Thandiwe Newton, Frances O’Connor, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo and Joonas Suotamo in guest roles. The story. |
Comic Book Fatigue? How 'The Penguin' Won Over Audiences ►"The Penguin doesn’t run from previous versions of Oswald." In a time of supposed comic book movie and TV fatigue, The Penguin — the eight-part miniseries starring Colin Farrell and developed by Lauren LeFranc that recently came to a conclusion — has become a huge critical and ratings success for HBO. For THR, Richard Newby writes that The Penguin dances in and out of the character’s comic, TV and cinematic history to create a compelling vision of one of Batman’s most iconic rogues. The analysis.
—Quick as you like. Hulu is heading back to court with Reasonable Doubt. The streamer has renewed the series for a third season. The pickup comes about four weeks after Reasonable Doubt concluded its second season. The show comes from Disney’s Onyx Collective and 20th Television (the show had been at the now-shuttered ABC Signature but will continue under the 20th banner). The legal drama centers on L.A. defense attorney Jacqueline “Jax” Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi); season two followed her as she defended a close friend (played by Shannon Kane) who was charged with first-degree murder of her abusive husband. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 The Night Agent viewers are ready to answer the call. The action-thriller from Sony Pictures TV and Shawn Ryan became a breakout hit for Netflix when it released in March 2023. Now, fans of the Gabriel Basso-led spy series are finally finding out when the show will return. Season two will release Jan. 23, 2025, slightly later than Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos predicted the show would return. The story.
—📅 Mark it down 📅 CBS has set its midseason premiere dates, including a Jan. 9 debut for Hollywood Squares, the latest iteration of the game show that will feature Drew Barrymore in the center square and Nate Burleson as host. The show will air on Thursdays for three weeks before joining fellow game shows The Price Is Right at Night and Raid the Cage on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 29. The latter two shows are set to premiere Jan. 8. Two drama series are also set for January premieres: Watson, a Sherlock Holmes-adjacent medical mystery series starring Morris Chestnut, will follow the NFL’s AFC Championship game on Jan. 26 before settling into its regular Sunday night home on Feb. 16. Season two of NCIS: Sydney will join CBS’ Friday lineup on Jan. 31. The story. |
Luke Grimes on Where 'Yellowstone' Is Headed ►"I was a mess when I read the last episode." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Luke Grimes and Kelsey Asbille about the season 5B premiere of Yellowstone. The onscreen couple discuss the premiere reveal of John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) fate, and how that propels everything forward. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"We’re invaded by narratives and we have become addicted to narratives." Jackie also spoke to Alfonso Cuarón about the season finale of his Apple TV+ series Disclaimer. Cuarón explains his intention behind the gut-punch finale reveal, talks about the danger of unchecked narratives and the one thing that star Cate Blanchett, also an executive producer on the series, was most adamant about. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I’m interested in how you can eventize the viewing experience to create more meaning for moviegoers while boosting ticket revenue." THR's Patrick Brzeski spoke to James Shani, producer on the Trump biopic The Apprentice. Shani shares what he learned from backing the hot-button movie, his hopes to reshape the indie film distribution, and why he thinks going to the cinema should be an event "like going to a Laker game." The interview.
—"She didn’t want to play the game." For THR, Demetrius Patterson spoke to actress Marina Squerciati about the latest episode of NBC's Chicago P.D. Squerciati breaks down episode five of season 12, and discusses what's next for Kim Burgess. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
TV Review: 'Cross' ►"Teases provocation before succumbing to cliché." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Amazon Prime Video's Cross. In this James Patterson adaptation, Aldis Hodge plays a tenacious but troubled Washington, D.C. police detective who investigates a serial killing spree that may or may not be connected to a case from his own past. The review.
—"A poignant gesture of gratitude." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Sinéad O'Shea's Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story. Screening on opening night at DOC NYC, the film builds around an interview from near the end of its subject's life to deliver a close study of a celebrated author who became a cultural pariah in her own country. The review.
In other news...
—Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz get pulled into spy work in Netflix’s Back in Action trailer
—Queer Eye S9 trailer introduces new Fab Five member following Bobby Berk exit
—CNN promotes David Chalian to D.C. bureau chief
—Craig Melvin named new co-anchor of NBC’s Today show
—Todd Haynes named Berlin Film Festival jury head
—Red Sea Film Fest unveils 38 titles for Souk Project Market
—Wesley Morris to host new culture podcast for The New York Times
—Demi Moore, Denis Villeneuve, Malcolm Washington and Jason Reitman to be honored at SFFILM Awards
—Andrew Bennett takes over as vp, Prime Video Europe from Barry Furlong
—Netflix film exec Niija Kuykendall to exit
—Where to stream Megalopolis online
—Snoop Dogg launches new jewelry line called Lovechild
What else we're reading...
—After Trump sued some networks and threatened broadcast licenses, Joe Flint and Drew FitzGerald write that execs are bracing for possible deal drama [WSJ]
—With explosive growth, Alex Kirshner writes that Bluesky might end up defeating Twitter once and for all [Slate]
—Nia Prater goes through what we know about Pete Hegseth, erstwhile Fox News anchor and Trump's pick to head the DOD [Intelligencer]
—Katie Rogers writes that the nominations of Gaetz, Gabbard and Hegseth are a show of force by Trump [NYT]
—Brad Plumer and Mira Rojanasakul report that forecasts of global temperature increases are well above the level that world leaders have pledged to avoid [NYT]
Today...
...in 2003, 20th Century Fox unveiled Peter Weir's the naval epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in theaters. The drama went on to be nominated for 10 Oscars at the 76th Academy Awards, winning for cinematography and sound editing. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Vanessa Bayer (43), Josh Duhamel (52), D.B. Sweeney (63), Russell Tovey (43), Olga Kurylenko (45), Patrick Warburton (60), Graham Patrick Martin (33), Laura Ramsey (42), Laura San Giacomo (62), Stella Maeve (35), Mason Gooding (28), Nick Boraine (53), Brooke Satchwell (44), Harland Williams (62), Cory Michael Smith (38), Sandahl Bergman (73), Brian Gleeson (37), Ivanna Sakhno (27), Paul McGann (65), Brian Dietzen (47), David Moscow (50), Delphine Chanéac (46), Simone Susinna (31), Dimitri Leonidas (37), Maggie Roswell (72), Dana Snyder (51), Chloe Lang (23), Jennifer Wigmore (57), Matt Cedeño (50) |
| Tim Sullivan, a novelist and book reviewer who also wrote, directed and/or starred in several microbudget horror and science-fiction films, has died. He was 76. The obituary. |
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