| | | | | | What's news: Gaza is already dominating the Venice Film Festival, which kicked off today. A host of A-listers are backing Venice feature The Voice of Hind Rajab. Anthropic has settled a lawsuit from authors. Hulu has renewed Deli Boys. Newly-engaged Travis Kelce has launched a line with American Eagle. — Abid Rahman
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Ciao Venezia! ►🤌 Forza! 🤌 THR's crack team of reporters and reviewers is on the ground in Italy's prettiest city (suck it, Florence!) for the opening of the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival. Read our day 1 Venice digital daily here.
—Gaza dominates. The global outrage over the war in Gaza and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe is engulfing the Venice Film Festival. As the event kicked off on Wednesday, a broad group of Italian and international cultural and activist groups announced their intention to use the platform of the festival to protest Israel for its military conduct in Gaza. And they did just that by assembling in front of the famed red carpet this morning, just hours ahead of the opening night festivities. The story.
—"My political views, I’m sure, are the same as many of yours." In his first official appearance as the president of this year’s Venice competition jury, veteran filmmaker Alexander Payne fielded some heavy questions about everything from the war in Gaza and his personal views on the ongoing conflict. In fact, questions about Gaza dominated the start of the presser held inside the Lido’s Palazzo del Casinó — a Q&A session that saw Payne joined by festival director Alberto Barbera and fellow jury presidents of alternate sections, including filmmakers Charlotte Wells, Julia Ducournau, and Tommaso Santambrogio — but Payne opted not to weigh in at length. The story.
—A-list backing. Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuarón have come on board Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set drama The Voice of Hind Rajab , as executive producers, boosting the film’s profile ahead of its world premiere in competition in Venice. Several high-profile companies, including Britain’s Film4 and Saudi Arabia's MBC Studios, have also backed the film. The drama reconstructs the events surrounding the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in January 2024. Rajab, traveling by car with her four cousins and her aunt and uncle, came under fire from the Israeli military as they tried to flee Gaza City. Ben Hania’s film is based on the voice recordings between Hind Rajab and the Red Crescent volunteers who tried to keep her on the line, doing everything they can to get an ambulance to her. The story.
—The Venice hot list. Venice has no official market — no Marche du Film, no European Film Market — meaning the deals on the Lido tend to happen quietly, in hotel suites at the Excelsior and over spritzes along the Lungomare. But sellers still see the festival as a prime launchpad, using it to float prestige projects to the right buyers, banking on critical heat to position art house titles that could otherwise vanish in a crowded marketplace. Nevertheless, THR's Scott Roxborough runs through this year’s slate of art house heavyweights and political thrillers that will grab buyers' attention. The list.
—Rooney’s must-see titles. Venice is upon us, and that means a lot of movies with awards season potential. But what to watch?! THR's chief film critic David Rooney surveys the Lido lineup for the 10 films he’s most looking forward to including new movies from Luca Guadagnino, Guillermo del Toro, Benny Safdie, Park Chan-Wook, Paolo Sorrentino, Jim Jarmusch and more. The list.
More from Venice...
—Legend of the Lido: How Gus Van Sant became a cinematic shape-shifter
—Venice hidden gem: Willem Dafoe is a poetic postal worker in Late Fame
—5 must-stop spots to eat and drink in Venice |
Taylor and Travis Are Engaged ►Love is real! Probably. Travis Kelce has officially told Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me” forever. The NFL player popped the question in a carousel of photos, posted to Instagram on Tuesday, of Kelce getting on one knee in a rose garden to ask the pop star to marry him. The happy couple captioned photos of their engagement: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” In one of the photos, Swift is seen showcasing her massive diamond engagement ring. She also shared the post to her Instagram Story, with her song “So High School” playing in the background. The story.
—"It was beautiful." Travis Kelce‘s father, Ed Kelce, is sharing some details behind his son’s engagement to Taylor Swift, including that Travis popped the question around two weeks ago. Ed chatted with News 5 Cleveland on Tuesday, shortly after the famous couple announced their engagement on Instagram. Ed revealed that his son actually got down on one knee “maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago” at a garden in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The story.
—Bling (Taylor's version). It’s the ring seen ’round the world, garnering almost 12m likes within the first hour it was posted on Instagram by the Showgirl-turned-bride-to-be. The single close-up of Taylor Swift's ring, reportedly designed by Kindred Lubeck of New York-based Artifex Fine Jewelry, has already sent social media into a frenzy of speculation about cut, carat weight and more. A trio of jewelry experts dished the details to THR's Laurie Brookins. The story.
—Kashing in. On the heels of breaking the internet, Travis Kelce has another surprise announcement up his sleeve this week — and this one has been in the works for more than a year. Kelce has teamed with American Eagle for a limited-edition collaboration for his sportswear and lifestyle brand Tru Kolors. Dubbed AE x Tru Kolors by Travis Kelce, the collection launches today, Aug. 27, with another drop scheduled for Sept. 24. The line features more than 90 pieces priced between $14.95 and $179.95, and is said to reflect Kelce’s “unique style, delivering an elevated take on everyday essentials and transforming classic silhouettes into bold statements of confidence and individuality.” The story. |
Anthropic Settles AI Suit From Authors ►🤝 "Historic settlement." 🤝 Anthropic has settled a lawsuit from authors, who accused the Amazon-backed company of illegally downloading and copying their books to teach its AI system, in among the first deals reached by creators over novel legal issues raised by the technology. “This historic settlement will benefit all class members,” says Justin Nelson, a lawyer for the authors. “We look forward to announcing details of the settlement in the coming weeks.” Lawyers for both sides on Tuesday informed the court of the deal, which was reached earlier this month through mediation. The story.
—Another exit. Longtime Paramount communications executive David Bittler is departing the company. Bittler has been with Paramount (and its forerunner Viacom) for some 25 years, most recently as executive vp communications for the company’s kids and family division, including Nickelodeon, Awesomeness and kids and family series at Paramount+. He also spent time at MTV Networks and helped launch Logo, the first ad-supported LGBTQ+ cable network. Bittler is the second high-level PR executive to leave Paramount following the company’s merger with Skydance. Liza Burnett Fefferman, who headed comms for Showtime/MTV Entertainment and Paramount Media Networks, departed earlier in August. The story.
—On the move. Peter Friedlander, head of U.S. and Canada scripted series at Netflix, is leaving the streamer after 14 years. Jinny Howe will move up to take his place leading the division. Friedlander is one of Netflix’s longest-serving creative executives, having joined the company in 2011. That was right around when Netflix announced its first foray into original series with House of Cards, which would premiere in 2013. The departure is amicable, as Friedlander will look to do something different after his long stint at Netflix. The story. |
'Demon Hunters' Sequel Moving Ahead ►No-brainer. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that Sony Pictures is in talks with Netflix to make an animated sequel to KPop Demon Hunters. The events of the past few days — including Netflix dropping a surprise sing-along version of the film in theaters over the Aug. 22-24 weekend, or Demon Hunters becoming the most-watched English-language film of all time on the streamer — are reigniting the debate whether Sony gave away the keys to a franchise in 2021 when handing the movie over to Netflix to release, versus bankrolling a big-budget theatrical title on its own from a first-time feature director (Maggie Kang) with no major stars. Pamela writes that the deal for the first Demon Hunters saw Netflix agreeing to cover the film’s entire $100m budget in addition to paying Sony a fee of $25m, or 25 percent of the budget and certain other costs. Sony also receives a piece of soundtrack sales, as well as music publishing fees for certain songs. Merchandising rights, however, belong solely to Netflix. The story.
—🏆 You beauty! 🏆 Alireza Khatami’s The Things You Kill family saga has been chosen to represent Canada in the best international feature category at the 98th Academy Awards. The drama about a Turkish college professor facing major upheavals on two home fronts bowed at Sundance and stars Ekin Koc, Erkan Kolçak Kostendil, Hazar Erguclu and Ercan Kesal. A jury led by Telefilm Canada choosing The Things You Kill, which uses both Turkish and Farsi languages, following Canada’s Oscar contender last year, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language, an absurdist comedy in the Farsi and French languages that was also an offbeat homage to Iranian cinema. The story.
—🏆 Lycka till! 🏆 Sweden is sending Eagles of the Republic to the Oscars 2026 as its official entry for the best international feature film category at the Academy Awards. Tarik Saleh wrote and directed the political thriller, starring Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri and Zineb Triki, is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry. “Its brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda,” per the film's synopsis. Eagles of the Republic had its world premiere at Cannes in the main international competition in March before playing the festival circuit. The story.
—🏆 Gangi þér vel! 🏆 Hlynur Pálmason’s The Love That Remains will represent Iceland as its official entry in the best international feature film category for the 2026 Oscars. The Icelandic jury, formed by the Icelandic Film and TV Academy, unveiled its selection on Wednesday. It marks the third time that a film by Pálmason is submitted for the Academy Awards by Iceland, following A White, White Day (2020) and Godland (2024). The story. |
'Cobra Kai' Creators Tackling 'Knight Rider' Movie for Universal ►Kit on KITT. THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit is back with another scoop, this time news that Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald, the creators behind the worldwide Netflix sensation Cobra Kai, are in talks to bring Knight Rider, the 1980s action drama centered on a computerized talking car, to the big screen. Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are in early talks to write the screenplay, with Hurwitz and Schlossberg in early talks to direct. Airing on NBC from 1982 to 1986 and created by prolific TV producer Glen A. Larson, Knight Rider was a key series of the era, featuring a ridiculous high-concept, a hunky lead, and a memorable synth theme. David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight, a detective who becomes an agent for the Foundation for Law and Government, and is partnered with KITT, a modified, artificially intelligent and indestructible Trans Am. Together, the two sped head-on to fight criminals who operate above the law. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronology of Water has been picked up for U.S. distribution, with plans for an awards-qualifying December theatrical release. The Forge has acquired North American rights to the film based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of the same name. An exact release date has yet to be announced. Still, according to today’s announcement, the distributor plans to release the film theatrically in North America this December, followed by a wider release in early January. The film, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, follows a once-hopeful Olympic swimmer as she loses her scholarship and battles addiction while discovering her own sexuality and love of literature. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Watermelon Pictures has picked up North American rights to Cherien Dabis’ Palestinian family drama All That’s Left of You, Jordan’s selection for best international feature contender for the 2026 Oscars. The film, which premiered at Sundance, tells a multigenerational story of a family expelled from Jaffa in 1948. When a Palestinian teenager gets swept up into a protest in the Occupied West Bank and experiences a moment of violence that rocks his family, his mother recounts the political and emotional threads that led to that fateful moment. The story.
—Heading to the big screen. Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney's long-awaited Elon Musk documentary has locked down a deal for a run in U.S. cinemas ahead of its streaming launch on HBO Max. HBO Documentary Films and Universal Pictures have teamed up with indie distributor Bleecker Street to bring the film — which is titled, simply, Musk — to theaters. The partners describe the film as “an incisive look behind the legend of Elon Musk, the world’s most heralded ‘inventor-entrepreneur’ who has enormous influence on the world in which we all live.” The story. |
Netflix Sets Premiere Dates for Kids TV Slate ►📅 Dated! 📅 Netflix is ready to tell its subscribers how to get to Sesame Street. The streaming giant has set premiere dates for a slew of its kids and family programming, including the debut of Sesame Street on its service, as well as season two of Ms. Rachel, which has consistently been on the Netflix top 10 list since it debuted earlier this year. Season 56 of Sesame Street will debut on Netflix Nov. 10, with season two of Ms. Rachel dropping Sept. 1. Those shows join a previously announced fall slate that includes new Blippi and Cocomelon shows, Dr. Seuss shows, and season 12 of Gabby’s Dollhouse, which will launch Nov. 17. The story.
—📅 We have a name! 📅 A comedy series created by and starring Rachel Sennott has a spot on HBO’s calendar — and, almost a year after it was picked up, an official title. The show is called I Love LA and will follow “an ambitious friend group navigating life and love” in Los Angeles. Bottoms actor Sennott stars alongside Jordan Firstman, Josh Hutcherson, Odessa A’zion and True Whitaker. Leighton Meester, Moses Ingram, Lauren Holt, Elijah Wood, Quenlin Blackwell, Josh Brener, Tim Baltz, Froy Gutierrez and Colin Woodell will make guest appearances in the eight-episode season, which premieres Nov. 2. The story.
—Back for seconds. Hulu has ordered a second season of Deli Boys, the comedy series about two Pakistani American brothers, Raj and Mir (Saagar Shaikh and Asif Ali), who are thrown into a world of crime when their father (Iqbal Theba) and the extensive underworld ties behind his legit business are revealed. Poorna Jagannathan, Alfie Fuller and Brian George also star. Along with the renewal, Hulu announced Fred Armisen is joining Deli Boys as a series regular for season two. He’ll play a gambling savant with a casino empire whose crown jewel is in Philadelphia, where the show is set. He’s able to read people like cards and is “uniquely brilliant and deeply unhinged,” making for a deadly combination if he’s crossed. The story.
—Not here to f*** spiders. The RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise is expanding further down under. World of Wonder announced the addition of Drag Race Down Under vs The World to the franchise’s growing international slate on Tuesday. The new series, which will be hosted by Michelle Visage, will see contestants from around the world compete against one another in the Australian and New Zealand-based series. Down Under vs The World arrives as the third vs The World spinoff for the franchise, following in the footsteps of both the British and Canadian-set vs The World series. The story. |
'Alien: Earth': Noah Hawley Breaks Down Latest Episode ►"It's one of the more disturbing things you'll watch all year." THR's James Hibberd spoke to Alien: Earth writer-director-producer Noah Hawley about episode four of the FX series. Hawley discusses in detail one of the four original creatures he created for the series, and also reveals that James Cameron weighed in on the show. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
In other news...
—Ethan Hawke is onto a big story in FX’s The Lowdown trailer
—Devil in Disguise trailer: Michael Chernus’ John Wayne Gacy lures his victims
—Jessica Chastain works to thwart a terrorist attack in trailer for Apple’s The Savant
—Chad Powers meets Chad Powers in Eli’s Places S3 trailer
—Will Arnett pursues stand-up comedy in trailer for Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?
—Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley star as Shakespeare and his wife in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet trailer
—Tokyo: Chloé Zhao, Lee Sang-il set for Kurosawa Akira Award
—VMAs add Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, Post Malone to performers list
What else we're reading...
—Alex Barasch has a big piece on A24's push to become more than just a home for auteurs and hot indie projects, and the potential tension it is causing with big name directors [New Yorker]
—Reeves Wiedeman goes inside the Kennedy family's existential worry about the damage RFK Jr. is doing to their reputation [Intelligencer]
—Horrific story from Angela Yang, Laura Jarrett and Fallon Gallagher about the family of a teenager who died by suicide alleging that ChatGPT was to blame [NBC News]
—Another, frankly, jaw-dropping must-read interview from Isaac Chotiner, this time with Biden's former Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew [New Yorker]
—Heather Haddon talks to the execs at Hooters who want to revive the struggling restraurant brand and make it "delightfully tacky" again [WSJ]
Today...
...in 1953, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The film would go on to win three Oscars at the 26th Academy Awards, for costume design, Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay and for Hepburn as best actress. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Tom Ford (64), Suranne Jones (47), Peter Stormare (72), Aaron Paul (46), Chandra Wilson (56), Sarah Chalke (49), Ariana Greenblatt (18), Patrick J. Adams (44), Alexa PenaVega (37), Tuesday Weld (82), Stephan Elliott (61), Reece Shearsmith (56), Robert Richardson (70), Mario (39), Jack Kesy (39), Jessie Mei Li (30), Amanda Fuller (41), G.W. Bailey (81), Peter Mensah (66), Zifeng Zhang (24), Danica Curcic (40), Sugar Lyn Beard (44), Kayla Ewell (40), Tiffany Boone (38), Diana Scarwid (70), Dean Devlin (63), Charles Fleischer (75), Ellar Coltrane (31), B.K. Cannon (35), Claire Stansfield (61), Darren Goldstein (51), Karla Mosley (44), Kerr Logan (37), Bobbi Sue Luther (47), Kaouther Ben Hania (48), Gary Imhoff (73) |
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