| | | | | | What's news: Producer and screenwriter Roberto Orci has died. YouTube is officially the biggest podcast platform in the world. John Lithgow has signed up to play Dumbledore in HBO's Harry Potter series. An Evan Gershkovich movie is in the works at Amazon. Page Six is launching a daily morning show with SiriusXM. — Abid Rahman
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Amazon, James Bond and the Mad Dash for Franchise IP ►"Can they make Bond the next Marvel?" Amazon MGM Studios' surprise deal to wrest control of the James Bond franchise from Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson took Hollywood by storm. Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, reports suggest both Wilson and Broccoli will retain some economic ownership of the franchise. Still for Amazon, the high price to make a blockbuster deal to lock up the last remaining billion-dollar franchises is likely to be worth it — if the studio can execute. The analysis.
—Moving forward. A lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television over its ER revival look-alike from the estate of Michael Crichton, holder of the rights to the iconic medical drama, has been allowed to advance. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Wendy Chang, in a ruling issued on Monday, rejected WBTV’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit on free speech grounds, finding that the studio may have interfered with the estate’s contract rights and infringed the copyright of ER. The evidence establishes a “timeline of various communications and events” indicating that The Pitt may be derived from the medical drama, the court concluded. The story.
—Shuttered. Warner Bros. Discovery is restructuring its video game division and shutting down three of its studios as it refocuses its efforts on some core intellectual property. In connection with the restructuring, the company also said that it is ending development of its Wonder Woman game, which it first announced back in 2021. Instead, the company will focus on “building the best games possible with our key franchises — Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Game of Thrones,” per a Warner Bros. Games spokesperson. The story.
—The biggest player in town. YouTube on Wednesday disclosed that it now has one billion monthly active users watching podcast content, an astonishing number that makes it the biggest podcast platform in the world. That should not be totally surprising given YouTube’s status as the largest streaming video platform, but the new numbers underscore how the Google-owned company has maneuvered itself into becoming a podcast power player, with many hosts reworking their shows to be video-first. YouTube has also leveraged its recommendation algorithm to drive new listeners and subscribers, a key priority for podcasters looking to grow their business. The story.
—Upped. Just short of two years ago Leslie Siebert was promoted to the top role at Gersh as co-president along with the talent agency founder’s sons, David and Bob Gersh, as the trio took significant outside financing from a private equity firm to fuel growth. Now Siebert, who joined the firm in 1984, has been elevated to the sole president as the Gersh sons transition from day-to-day management and take co-chairmen roles, the agency said on Tuesday. David and Bob Gersh will stay engaged at the agency, continue to rep their clients, stay on the board of directors and will plot moves as the company branches out further into sports representation. The story.
—Improvement. The Hollywood box office rebound, thanks to tentpoles like Wicked, Gladiator II and Moana 2, has been good to long-suffering AMC Entertainment Holdings and its sluggish stock price. On Tuesday, the parent of AMC Theatres posted a net loss for the fourth quarter at $135.6m, an improvement from the year-ago net loss of $182m, which included a non-cash impairment charge related to long-lived assets of $106.9m. The cinema chain also reported overall revenues of $1.3b, up 18.3 percent from a year-earlier $1.1b. The results |
2025 Oscar Nominees Class Photo ►Star power. Some 172 of this year’s Oscar nominees descended upon the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Tuesday night for a night at the museum unlike any other. The Academy decided to host the gathering, dubbed an “Oscar Nominees Dinner,” just five nights before the 97th Academy Awards, in place of its traditional Oscar Nominees Luncheon, which was canceled in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. Upon arrival on Tuesday, nominees were ushered into a room just off of the museum’s Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby to take a photo with Academy president Janet Yang and then pose for media outlets in front of a step-and-repeat. The story. |
Roberto Orci 1973 - 2025 ►"A visionary storyteller." Roberto Orci, the writer and producer behind franchises like Star Trek, Hawaii Five-0 and Transformers, has died. He was 51. Orci died Tuesday in his home in Los Angeles following a battle with kidney disease. Orci began his career as a writer on Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in the late 1990s. For a time, Orci was among the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood. He and partner Alex Kurtzman had hands in multiple franchises, with the duo earning credit on J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), Michael’s Bay’s Transformers (2009) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). The obituary.
—New morning show incoming. The New York Post’s Page Six is launching a new daily morning show with SiriusXM. Hosted by the Post’s Danny Murphy and Evan Real, who also helm a reality show podcast for the publication, and editor Ian Mohr, Page Six Radio will feature celebrity and pop culture news, as well as behind-the-scenes stories, coming from the pages of the publication. The two-hour show is set to premiere March 31 and will be available on SiriusXM’s Stars (ch.109) daily from 8 A.M. to 10 A.M. ET and anytime on the SiriusXM app. The story.
—Fool me once... The second coming of convicted fraudster Billy McFarland's Fyre Fest is ready with a new set of dates and ticketing partner (promising refundable options!). Fyre Fest 2 will take place this from May 30 to June 2, 2025, eight years after the original Fyre Fest left ticket buyers stranded in a Bahamas disaster that ended with McFarland pleading guilty to fraud. This time around, McFarland has presented Fyre Fest 2, which will take place on Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico, as a redemption opportunity for himself and the brand. Tickets range from $1,400 to $25,000. McFarland is also advertising a $1m package for eight people which includes luxury villas, a private yacht marina and a private jet to and from Cancun. Hmmm. The story.
—Suit filed. Gary King, NBCUniversal and Bravo are being sued by two former Below Deck: Sailing Yacht crew members for sexual battery, gender violence, a hostile work environment, discrimination and retaliation. Attorneys for Samantha Suarez, a hair and makeup artist, and Grey Duddleston, a camera operator, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging the pair were terminated and put on a “do not hire” list for speaking out about their accusations during season four of the reality show. The suit also names Mountain View Productions, 51 Minds Entertainment and Endemol Shine. The story. |
Disney's 'Star Wars' Succession Problem ►Who will replace Kathleen Kennedy? Now that the longtime Lucasfilm boss is retiring later this year, who should Disney choose to inspire greatness in the next generation of Star Wars creatives? Jon Favreau? Dave Filoni? Kevin Feige? THR's Borys Kit and James Hibberd talk to insiders about who they think will — and should — become the new Star Wars emperor: "There is no credible alternative." The story.
—📅 Mark it down 📅 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is returning to theaters. The fan favorite entry in George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy is coming back to the big screen on April 25. The theatrical re-release will mark the film’s 20th anniversary. According to the announcement: “The film will run in U.S. theaters and select international territories for one week only and will be available in several formats, including, for the first time, 4DX. 4DX features high-tech motion chairs that sync with over 21 effects, all designed to complement the narrative of the film.” The story.
—🎭 An update, finally! 🎭 Ayo Edebiri is set to write and is in talks to star in the Barney movie at A24. The project has been in development since 2019 when it was announced that Mattel Films and Daniel Kaluuya’s 59% Productions would be partnering with the studio on the project about the beloved childhood TV character. Barney & Friends, which was produced from 1992 to 2009, was a childhood staple and introduced viewers to Barney, an imaginary and perpetually optimistic Tyrannosaurus Rex that teaches lessons about friendship through song and dance. The story.
—In the works. Scott Stuber and Amazon MGM are in talks to turn the story of Evan Gershkovich — the Wall Street Journal reporter who was imprisoned for over a year in Russia on false charges of espionage — into a feature. The studio and Stuber’s United Artist banner are in negotiation to acquire the rights to Gershkovich’s forthcoming memoir, with Conclave filmmaker Edward Berger circling as the film’s director. If the deal makes, Gershkovich would executive produce along with the WSJ and Ella Milman, Gerskovich’s mother. Milman’s own book proposal would be part of the acquisition of the underlying rights. The story.
—Fifth time's a charm. Disney is going back to the Descendants-verse and has greenlit a fifth movie in the franchise, which will follow the events of 2024’s Descendants: The Rise of Red. Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker will reprise their roles as Red and Chloe, the daughters of the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella, and Leonardo Nam will also return as Maddox Hatter. Production is scheduled to begin soon on the film, which will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney+. Kimmy Gatewood will direct the film; Tamara Chestna and Rise of Red scribes Dan Frey and Ru Sommer wrote the script. The story.
—🎭 Untold story 🎭 Isabella Rossellini has joined Joan Collins in John Gore Studios' The Bitter End (working title), a movie about Wallis Simpson. Directed by Four Weddings and a Funeral helmer Mike Newell and penned by Louise Fennell, the film charts the last years of Simpson, the American divorcee whose relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication. Rossellini will star as Suzanne Blum, the French lawyer and confidante of Simpson (played by Collins) who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control. The story. |
John Lithgow Says "Yes" to Playing Dumbledore ►🎭 "It was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life" 🎭 The Harry Potter television series has officially found its headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. John Lithgow revealed in an interview that he said “yes” to playing Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming small screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s hit books. Lithgow follows in the footsteps of other actors who portrayed Dumbledore in the blockbuster films, including Richard Harris, who played the character in the first two movies, and Michael Gambon (who died in 2023), who took over the role after Harris died in 2002. The story.
—🎭 Third lead found 🎭 Patrick Wilson is joining Javier Bardem and Amy Adams in Apple TV+'s Cape Fear series. The show will be adaptation of the two previous Cape Fear films from 1991 and 1962 (which in turn were based on The Executioners, a 1957 novel by John D. MacDonald). Wilson will play Tom Bowden, an attorney married to fellow lawyer Anna (Adams). As with the films, the series will follow what unfolds after killer Max Cady (Bardem) is released from prison and seeks out the Bowdens, whom he blames for his sentence. The story.
—🎭 Glutton for punishment 🎭 Jon Bernthal will reprise the role of Frank Castle, aka antihero the Punisher, in a special for Marvel Television. Bernthal is cowriting the standalone special now in the works alongside Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will also direct. The Disney+ show will air in 2026 alongside the second season for Daredevil. Daredevil: Born Again season one, which will see Bernthal appearing as Punisher, releases on Disney+ March 4. The story.
—🎭 Four more 🎭 Mitchell Robertson, Stuart Campbell, Neve McIntosh and Marianne McIvor have joined the cast for the HBO and BBC drama Half Man, formerly titled Lions, from Richard Gadd. They were added after the Baby Reindeer creator and star Gadd and Jamie Bell were earlier announced as leads for the show. Half Man follows estranged brothers Niall (Bell) and Ruben (Gadd), whose presence at a wedding leads to an explosion of violence that catapults the audience back over four decades from their first meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults. The six-part series, which Gadd is also writing and executive producing, marks his first project since Baby Reindeer became a Netflix breakout and multiple Emmy winner. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Disney+ and the BBC have set an April 12 premiere date for season two Doctor Who, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. (The show reset its season numbering with the most recent installment, which aired last year. Gutwa is the Fifteenth Doctor in the show’s long history, which dates back to 1963.) Varada Sethu joins the show as the Doctor’s new companion, Belinda Chandra. Millie Gibson will reprise her role as Ruby Sunday. The show also announced that Alan Cumming will have a guest role in the season’s second episode, voicing a cartoon character. The story.
—Back for seconds. Kumail Nanjiani is returning to the stand-up stage, and bringing Hulu with him. The Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actor and writer is joining the Disney-owned streamer’s lineup of comedy specials. The special will be the second of his career — and the first in more than a decade. His inaugural special, Beta Male, aired on Comedy Central in 2013. Nanjiani will also be an executive producer of the Hulu special alongside Elan Gale and Bernie Schaeffer. ITV American and TheYearOfElan are producing. A date and title for the special will be announced later. The story. |
Critics' Conversation: Winter TV Downers and Distractions ►"It feels sometimes like we’re all trapped in a never-ending season of The Traitors." THR's TV critics Daniel Fienberg and Angie Han weigh in on recent shows reflecting the dark national mood — conspiracies and corruption and corporate greed, oh my! — as well as a few providing unexpected comfort (blood-splattered ER docs, thank you for your service). The conversation.
—"Not without ponderous moments, but poetic and affecting." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Ameer Fakher Eldin's Berlin competition entry, Yunan. Eldin’s drama, the second part of a planned Homeland trilogy, is set predominantly on a flood-prone German island off the North Sea coast. The review.
In other news...
—Nicole Kidman falls apart in Holland trailer
—Penn Badgley's Joe returns with Kate in You S5 teaser
—Poker Face sets spring premiere for S2, releases first pics
—Brazil named Country of Honor at 2025 Cannes film market
—WBD sets Max streaming launch for Australia
—Leonardo DiCaprio joins the Rolex family of ambassadors
—Heavyweight podcast sets return with Pushkin Industries
—Josh Groban signs with CAA
What else we're reading...
—With Robert Kennedy Jr. confirmed as U.S. secretary of health, Guy Chazan zooms out and looks at what's behind the political rise of the anti-vax movement worldwide [FT]
—A.A. Dowd reckons Coralie Fargeat's The Substance might just be the grossest movie ever nominated for best picture [Ringer]
—Justin Jouvenal and Taylor Telford report on a case in front of the Supreme Court that could unleash a wave of workplace bias claims by whites, men and people who are straight [WaPo]
—Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli talk to RZA about getting the Wu-Tang Clan back together for one last tour [NYT]
—Michael Hogan reflects on the occasions TV actors have tried to have their scenes cut for being too smutty, too evil or too risque [Guardian]
Today...
...in 2010, Overture Films and Participant Media released Breck Eisner's The Crazies in theaters. The film, a remake of the 1973 George A. Romero film, starred Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson and Danielle Panabaker and was a solid box office hit. The original review.
Today's birthdays: James Wan (48), Sean Baker (54), Mark Dacascos (61), Greg Germann (67), Bill Duke (82), Drew Goddard (50), Dan Berk (38), Teresa Palmer (39), Lex Scott Davis (34), Keyla Monterroso Mejia (27), Jennifer Grant (59), Barbara Niven (72), Ed Quinn (57), Demet Özdemir (33), Shiloh Fernandez (40), Taylor Dooley (32), Alicia Agneson (29), Michael Cumpsty (65), Marta Kristen (80), Max Lloyd-Jones (34), Chase Masterson (62), Veronica Ngo (46), Demetrius Grosse (44), Steve Agee (56), Erinn Bartlett (52), Oh Jung-se (48), Fay Ripley (59), Toby Sebastian (33) |
| Fumi Kitahara, the animation publicist who guided award-winning campaigns for DreamWorks, Aardman, Laika, Netflix, Disney and independent studios during her distinguished 30-plus years in the industry, has died. She was 56. The obituary. |
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