| | | | | | What's news: Andrew Ferguson has been named as the next FTC chair. A new Meet the Parents film is in the works. Eugenio Derbez has issued an apology to Selena Gomez. Paul Mescal will star in Sam Mendes' Beatles biopic. Broadway musical Swept Away will extend its run through Dec. 29. Travis Braun's One Night Only topped the 2024 Black List. — Abid Rahman
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Oscars to Stream Live on Hulu ►New streaming reality. For the first time ever, the Oscars will be available to stream live on Hulu, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday morning. The ceremony will also air live on ABC, as usual. Hulu’s presentation will be available to all subscribers, and the telecast will be available to rewatch on the streamer the next day. The announcement comes on the heels of this week’s Golden Globes nominations, the ceremony for which will stream on Paramount+ in addition to its CBS broadcast in January. The story.
—Division in the ranks. Tensions over The Animation Guild‘s controversial new tentative contract spilled into public view on Tuesday as the ratification vote for the deal began. Three members of the union’s sprawling negotiating committee posted on social media that they personally will be voting “no” on the tentative contract that they helped to bargain, primarily due to concerns about provisions covering generative AI. But that same day, the union’s chief negotiator said the agreement improved on recent deals “by a good margin” and warned that not ratifying the agreement could be “dangerous,” risking losing more work in Los Angeles. The story.
—Suit filed. SAG-AFTRA members are suing the union health plan over a data breach that exposed their personal information. The proposed class action accuses SAG-AFTRA of failing to adequately safeguard member data, employ basic security measures and timely notify members of the breach. It brings claims for negligence, invasion of privacy, unjust enrichment and deceit by concealment, among others, and seeks at least $5m. Personal information obtained in the breach includes names, social security numbers and health insurance details. The union notified members nearly three months after the incident. The story.
—Deals, deals, deals. Donald Trump has named Andrew Ferguson, a Republican on the Federal Trade Commission, as the agency’s chair. Ferguson is expected to stray from rules adopted by the FTC under current chair Lina Khan that some have criticized for hampering dealmaking. The nomination comes after Trump’s selection of Gail Slater, a veteran tech and media policy adviser who’s had stints at Fox Corp. and Roku, to the top antitrust post at the Justice Department. The story.
—Making moves. An activist investor has snapped up Lionsgate stock and is pushing leadership on several paths, including a sale of the Jon Feltheimer-led studio after it has officially separated from Starz. Anson Funds Management — an alternative asset manager led by chief investment officer Moez Kassam with activism strategy run by Sagar Gupta — has nabbed a stake in the studio and is now one of the top shareholders of Lionsgate stock. Anson has gone to leadership with an ask to consider multiple options. Lionsgate’s vast 20,000-title film and television library has been bandied about for years as a potential acquisition for a bigger studio (or tech giant) looking to scale up in Hollywood. The story. |
SiriusXM Shake-Up ►Pivot away from streaming. SiriusXM has appointed a new chief operating officer and laid out a new strategic vision that includes a greater focus on cost efficiencies and on its car subscription business. The company will target an initial incremental $200m of annualized savings as it exits 2025, after delivering about $350m of run rate savings in 2023 and 2024. This effort comes as the satellite radio giant faces “marketplace headwinds.” The company will also move its marketing and other resources away from “high-cost, high-churn audiences in streaming” to its “core revenue-generating segments,” namely its in-car subscribers. The story.
—Troubling. Against larger Hollywood trends towards embracing cultural identity, Jewish characters on TV are still depicted as hiding or playing down their Jewishness, according to a new study from USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project. The study, undertaken with the support of the Jewish Institute for Television and Cinema Hollywood Bureau, also confirmed that “Jewface” really does exist, noting that only about half of Jewish characters are played by confirmed Jewish actors. It also pointed out that Jewish actresses are 21 percent less likely to be cast as Jewish characters than their male counterparts are. The story.
—Suit incoming. Former Provisional IRA volunteer Marian Price has taken initial steps to sue Disney over her portrayal in FX‘s acclaimed limited series Say Nothing. Price’s lawyer Peter Corrigan announced on Wednesday that his client was “forced to initiate legal proceedings” in Ireland against Disney over the show, an adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s eponymous 2019 book, after it portrayed his previous reporting on her role in the 1972 death of Belfast mother Jean McConville. Radden Keefe argued in his book that Price, who now goes by her married name Marian McGlinchey, fired the shot that killed McConville, one of Northern Ireland’s “Disappeared.” The story.
—Pop culture icon. The Amazing Kreskin, the renowned mentalist who had his own TV program, inspired a John Malkovich movie and (perhaps) a Johnny Carson character and performed hundreds of live shows a year, died Tuesday. He was 89. A true pop culture phenomenon back in the day, the enthusiastic Kreskin was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 88 times, and the host was the one who gave him “The Amazing” part of his name. The obituary.
—"As Latinos, we should always support one another. There's no excuse." Eugenio Derbez has issued an apology to Selena Gomez after the singer-actress clapped back at him for criticizing her performance in Emilia Pérez. Over the weekend, a clip from an upcoming episode of the Hablando de Cine podcast was shared on TikTok, where Derbez expressed his disapproval of Gomez’s Spanish in the film, given that she’s not fluent in the language. The actress plays Jessi del Monte in director Jacques Audiard’s musical crime thriller. The video eventually caught the Only Murders in the Building actress’ attention, and she decided to share her thoughts on his remarks, calling out Derbrez. The story. |
'Yellowstone': Taylor Sheridan Directs Season Finale ►Super-sized. THR's Jackie Strause has the scoop on the news that Taylor Sheridan stepped behind the camera for what may be the final episode of Yellowstone. The co-creator and writer of the hit Paramount Network series directed the final episode of season 5B that airs on Sunday. The sixth and final installment in the season is being described as a special season finale event and airs at 8 p.m. on Paramount Network. The Dec. 15 episode will also be super-sized, running one hour and 26 minutes. Titled, “Life Is A Promise,” the logline for the Sheridan-penned ending reads, “The fate of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is revealed.” The story.
—Still going strong. Yellowstone's record-setting return to Paramount Network hasn’t really cooled off in subsequent weeks. The drama has continued to pull in big audiences in subsequent weeks, and the Dec. 1 episode, “Counting Coup,” hit a season high in viewers over three days. According to VideoAmp ratings data, the episode drew 12.1m viewers on Paramount Network and CMT, the largest audience over those two networks since the show’s Nov. 10 return from a nearly two-year hiatus. The season 5B premiere hauled in some 16.4m viewers on its first night, but that tally included an eight-network simulcast for the initial airing, encores and an additional showing on CBS, which by itself accounted for about a third of the total. The ratings. |
New 'Meet the Parents' Film in the Works ►Meet the moment. Universal is ready to enter the circle of trust again with a new Meet the Parents movie in the works. Original franchise stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are in early talks to return for a new film. John Hamburg, who worked on the screenplay for the 2000 original and the two subsequent sequels, is writing the script. A director has not yet been announced. Helmed by Jay Roach, Meet the Parents focuses on a nurse (Stiller) having trouble getting accepted by his girlfriend’s overbearing father (De Niro). The 2000 film surpassed $330m at the global box office, and 2004’s sequel Meet the Fockers, which added Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand to the cast, was even bigger, collecting $522m worldwide. The story.
—🎭 You're going to lose that boy 🎭 Ridley Scott‘s plans to work with Paul Mescal again might be on hold, thanks to the Beatles. During a conversation with Christopher Nolan that followed a screening of Scott’s latest title, Gladiator II, at the Directors Guild of America in L.A. on Tuesday, Scott said that he plans for his next project to be the thriller feature The Dog Stars. When Nolan asked if Mescal is set to star in the film, Scott confirmed that the Irish actor was involved before correcting himself and explaining that Mescal’s schedule may prevent the Gladiator II pair from reuniting on the new film. According to Scott, the actor is set to star in Sony Pictures' Beatles movies for director Sam Mendes. The story.
—Best of the best. The 2024 Black List has been announced with scripts tackling everything from Tickle Me Elmo to Wicked Witch actress Maggie Hamilton’s experience filming The Wizard of Oz. The annual list of the town’s best-unproduced feature screenplays voted on by a group of 500 film executives features 83 scripts from writers, known and unknown, repped and unrepped. Topping this year’s list is One Night Only by Travis Braun, which takes place in a world where premarital sex is illegal save for one night and follows two strangers as they attempt to find someone to spend that night with. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Apple Films has landed the feature doc Deaf President Now! from Deaf actor, filmmaker, and advocate Nyle DiMarco and Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim. The feature tells the story of the 1988 protests at Gallaudet University, the storied university for Deaf or Hard of Hearing students, that led to the installment of the school’s first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan. The doc features exclusive interviews with Jordan, as well as the “Gallaudet Four” — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus and Greg Hlibok, who took leadership positions during the protests. The story.
—🏆 Acing the Eddies 🏆 The American Cinema Editors announced its nominees for the 2025 ACE Eddie Awards which recognizes “outstanding editing in 14 categories of film, television and documentaries.” Conclave, Dune: Part Two and Emilia Perez are among the drama feature film nominees while Anora, Challengers and The Substance were part of the comedy film nominees. In the TV categories, Only Murders in the Building, Fallout, Nobody Wants This and Shogun were nominated, among many others. The nominees.
—🏆 Body horror FTW 🏆 The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild has announced the nominees for the 12th annual MUAHS Guild Awards, with The Penguin, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Substance and The Deliverance leading the competition with three nods each. Max’s The Penguin received nominations for best special make-up effects, best contemporary hairstyling and best contemporary make-up, with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice receiving nods for best period and/or character make-up, best period and/or character hairstyling and best special make-up effects. Both The Substance and The Deliverance were nominated in the categories of best contemporary make-up, best contemporary hairstyling and best special make-up effects. The nominees. |
Broadway's 'Swept Away' Extends Run After Announcing Closing ►"Unprecedented demand." Broadway musical Swept Away will extend its run through Dec. 29, the producers announced Tuesday, citing a surge in ticket sales following the initial announcement that the show would close this week. Featuring a score by the Avett Brothers, Swept Away initially announced that it would close after only 32 regular performances, setting its final day for Dec. 15. In an announcement onstage following Tuesday’s Dec. 11 show, actor Stark Sands announced the run would extend through to the end of the month following demand for tickets. "The story we tell is about the will to survive against incredible odds," Sands told the crowd. The story.
—Return to normalcy. Broadway grosses came back down to earth last week from their Thanksgiving highs, as a number of shows took their final bows. Tammy Faye, the new musical with music by Elton John, grossed $371,511 at the Palace Theatre last week, before closing Dec. 8, and played to a capacity of 47 percent. These numbers were up more than $100,000 from the prior week, but still not the highest of the run, nor enough to match the running costs of a musical of that size. Water for Elephants also played its final performance at the Imperial Theatre Sunday after opening in March 2024. The musical grossed $957,672, up close to $163,000 from the prior week, and played to 66 percent capacity. The box office report.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Glengarry Glen Ross will take over Palace Theatre this spring. The revival of the David Mamet play, starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr, will start previews at the theater March 10, ahead of a March 31 opening. The production is scheduled to play a strict 12-week limited run. The play takes over the Palace Theatre after the abrupt closure of Tammy Faye, which had been the first Broadway production to play the theater after it underwent a multiyear renovation. The story.
—🎭 Back on Broadway 🎭 LaTanya Richardson Jackson will return to Broadway in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s new play Purpose. Jackson, who has previously appeared on Broadway in the 2018 production of To Kill A Mockingbird and the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun, will star alongside Kara Young, who won a Tony Award last season for her role in Purlie Victorious, Harry Lennix, Jon Michael Hill, Glenn Davis and Alana Arenas. Phylicia Rashad directs the new play from Jacobs-Jenkins, who wrote last season’s Tony-winning revival Appropriate. The story. |
Film Review: 'A Complete Unknown' ►"Carried by superb music sequences and incisive performances." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews James Mangold's A Complete Unknown. Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro star in this portrait of the early ’60s Greenwich Village folk scene and the friction caused by Bob Dylan rejecting his acoustic roots. The review.
—"In the same universe, but not in the same league." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Disney+'s Dream Productions. Set between the two Inside Out movies and featuring the voices of Maya Rudolph and Paula Pell, the animated series follows the goings-on at the studio responsible for crafting Riley's reveries. The review.
In other news...
—International Cinematographers Guild names 2 new regional directors
—Ang Lee will receive lifetime achievement honor at 2025 DGA Awards
—Martha Luttrell, longtime ICM talent agent, dies at 80
—Mark Withers, actor on Dynasty and Kaz, dies at 77
What else we're reading...
—With the incoming Trump administration, Max Tani writes that weakened U.S. public broadcasters NPR and PBS will fight for their lives in 2025 [Semafor]
—Clare Thorp reflects on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, the show that took over the world [BBC]
—Ali Breland writes that tech oligarchs such as Jeff Bezos and Marc Andreessen aren’t even trying to mask their politics anymore [Atlantic]
—Katherine Fung reports that MAGA pundits Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh are being told by their own audience that they've got it wrong when it comes to Brian Thompson's murder [Newsweek]
—Ryan Faughnder looks at how YouTube and Netflix are changing the business of kids’ shows [LAT]
Today...
...in 1998, Miramax unveiled the R-rated Shakespeare in Love in limited release. The film went on to win seven Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards ceremony, including best actress for Gwyneth Paltrow, best supporting actress Judi Dench and best picture. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Rita Moreno (93), Mo'Nique (57), Hailee Steinfeld (28), Shane Gillis (37), Gabriel Basso (30), Yasiin Bey (51), Gary Dourdan (58), Rider Strong (45), Tom Shadyac (66), Wayne Wilcox (46), Courtney Henggeler (46), Max Martini (55), Donna Mills (84), Alexa Demie (34), Xosha Roquemore (40), Ben Browder (62), Taylor Hickson (27), Bess Armstrong (71), Alex Russell (37), Ashley Hinshaw (36), Karla Souza (39), Dawn Steele (49), Isabella Hofmann (66), Moe Dunford (37), Dola Rashad (38), Lynda Day George (80), Nesta Cooper (31), Tim Mielants (45), Alexie Gilmore (48), Gary Carr (38), Jack Griffo (28), Neil Ashton (55), Peter Kelamis (57), Marcin Zarzeczny (40), Victoria Ekanoye (43), Tasneem Roc (46), Sandra Echeverría (40) |
| Michael Cole, who portrayed Pete Cochran, one of the three young undercover cops that made up The Mod Squad on the 1968-73 ABC series, died Tuesday. He was 84. The obituary. |
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