| | | | | | What's news: Jimmy Kimmel dominates the news again as Disney reinstated his late night show. Sylvia Rhone is stepping down as CEO of Epic Records. Nat Geo has acquired the rights to The Tale of Silyan. And Tom Holland will take a week off from the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day after a head injury. — Abid Rahman
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Jimmy Kimmel is Back! ►What a crazy week! Jimmy Kimmel is getting back on the air. The ABC late night host is returning to broadcast on Tuesday following a brief, but monumental suspension that sparked a national debate over the Trump administration’s pressure tactics and the modern limits and consequences of free speech. "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," ABC parent Disney said in a statement Monday. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday." The story.
—"Our long national late nightmare is over." On Monday night, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers celebrated Kimmel returning to the air. Colbert said in a teaser for his show’s monologue, "Once more, I am the only martyr in late nights. Wait, unless CBS, you wanna announce anything?" Speaking to his audience, Stewart said, "That campaign that you all launched, pretending that you were going to cancel Hulu while secretly racing through four seasons of Only Murders in the Building… congratulations." Meyers, the host of Late Night , also said on his show, "Minutes before we started taping, we got word that our friend Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air," as his audience erupted in cheers. "A massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech, even among conservatives. I haven’t seen a poll yet, but I think if you asked Americans if the president should be dictating what TV hosts can and can’t say, you’d get about 3 percent positive and…" Meyers continued before cutting to a clip of Trump saying, “97 percent negative." The recap.
—But. Kimmel may be returning to ABC Tuesday night, but his show will remain dark in a large swath of the U.S., with Sinclair Broadcast Group saying that it will preempt the show. "Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the company said in a statement Monday. "Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return." The story.
—"No one silences us." After conspicuously not addressing suspension of their ABC colleague Jimmy Kimmel last week, the hosts of The View wasted no time getting into the subject Monday. “Did y’all really think we weren’t gonna talk about Jimmy Kimmel? I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons?” Whoopi Goldberg said to begin Monday’s show. She added, however, that after the news of Kimmel’s suspension broke on Sept. 17, the show “took a breath” to see if Kimmel would make a public comment (he has not yet). The story. |
Disney Caves to Backlash ►"We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era." On Monday morning, before Disney's u-turn, an open letter was published by the American Civil Liberties Union supporting free speech and condemning the Hollywood giant's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! The letter stated that efforts to pressure artists, journalists and others with retaliation for their speech “strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.” The message closes by calling on all Americans to fight to defend our right to speak freely. The letter was signed by 400 Hollywood figures including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Olivia Rodrigo, Ben Stiller, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short and Kerry Washington. The story.
—Stepping up. Also on a busy Monday morning of anti-Disney feeling, Howard Stern, the legendary talk radio host and longtime friend of Kimmel, said on his hugely influential SiriusXM morning show that he was canceling his subscription to Disney+ over the suspension controversy. “Someone’s gotta step up and be fucking saying, ‘Hey, enough, we’re not gonna bow,’ Stern said on his eponymous talk show. “Now it might sound stupid, but the thing I did this morning, I’m canceling my Disney+. I’m trying to say with the pocketbook that I do not support what they’re doing with Jimmy.” The story.
—"We cannot understand this moment of authoritarianism as solely coming from the White House, when it is also characterized by the cowardice of those in response to it." NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani pulled out of a town hall event with WABC set for this week due over Disney's handling of the Kimmel issue. He announced his withdrawal at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island, while citing that he was withdrawing in response to the “corporate leaders who have put their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.” After Kimmel's reinstatement, Mamdani said he was willing to take part in the WABC event. The story. |
Hallmark Inks Expanded Output Deal With Netflix ►🤝 Output deal. 🤝 THR's Alex Weprin has the scoop that Hallmark Media and Netflix have inked a new and expanded output deal, one that will bring new content to Netflix users in the U.S., and to bring Hallmark’s signature holiday movies to Netflix users outside the U.S. The companies had partnered on an output deal last year that brought 10 of Hallmark’s Christmas movies to the platform. According to Jesse Wallace, senior vp and head of distribution at Hallmark Media, the company saw results on both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+ in the aftermath of that deal. The deal brings the channel's series The Way Home and select films to U.S. audiences, and some of its holiday films to international markets. The story.
—Messy. Another legal fight has broken out between rival Hollywood publicity firms, with MPRM suing 42West for allegedly orchestrating a hostile departure of its entire senior leadership team. In a lawsuit filed on Friday in California state court, MPRM accuses 42West of poaching employees, clients and confidential information in an “effort to dismantle” the company. MPRM had been exploring sales talks, which have now ceased after six major clients terminated their contracts in favor of working with 42West. Last week, roughly half of MPRM’s staff said they were leaving the PR firm, effective immediately. The story.
—"It’s been an extraordinary journey." THR's Ethan Millman has the scoop that Sylvia Rhone, the veteran chair and CEO of Sony Music’s Epic Records, is stepping down from the company. Rhone was first named chair and CEO of the label back in 2019, after a five-year stint as Epic’s president starting in 2014. In her tenure at Epic, she oversaw one of the most influential rosters in hip-hop, working with superstars including Travis Scott, 21 Savage, DJ Khaled Future, as well as with pop stars like Meghan Trainor, Madison Beer and Camila Cabello among many more. Industry insiders have speculated for years when Rhone would eventually step down from her post given that she was one of the oldest major label CEOs, though as of now, no successor has been named. The story.
—Staffing up. Status, the newsletter founded and led by former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy, is adding two notable editorial hires from Vanity Fair and The Wrap. Brian Lowry, who had been media editor at The Wrap and before that spent years working at CNN (where he previously worked with Darcy) and Variety, will join Status as Hollywood correspondent and editor, while Natalie Korach, most recently a reporter at Vanity Fair, will join Status as media correspondent. The pair join editor Jon Passantino, who joined the company earlier this year. The story. |
Tom Holland to Return to 'Spider-Man' Set Next Week ►On the mend. Tom Holland will be taking a week off from the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day after suffering an injury on set Friday. Sony execs met on Monday to work out a plan to resume filming and determined the production will shut down for one week rather than attempt to shoot without Holland. It is not expected to impact the film’s July 31, 2026, release date. As for Holland, his injury was described as a mild concussion, and he is taking a break out of an abundance of caution, insiders say. The actor was able to attend a charity event on Saturday for The Brothers Trust, which he runs with his brothers. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Paramount+ has acquired the worldwide rights to Red Alert, a four-part drama series about the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. Created, written and directed by Lior Chefetz, the series includes the experiences of those who survived and weaves their personal stories into a larger cinematic narrative. All four episodes of the series will premiere globally on Paramount+ on Oct. 7, two years after the terror attacks. The acquisition comes shortly after David Ellison took over as CEO of Paramount in 2025 following the Paramount-Skydance merger. Earlier this month, Paramount was the first major Hollywood studio to speak out against a growing boycott of Israeli film companies by A-list stars and filmmakers. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Rachel Maddow has set up her next documentary project at her home network. MSNBC has acquired Andrew Young: The Dirty Work, the second documentary from the host’s Surprise Inside production company, which focuses on the eponymous Civil Rights Movement leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and later became a Congressman and mayor of Atlanta. The Matt Kay-directed film will air on MSNBC on Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 pm ET after a special edition of The Rachel Maddow Show dedicated to Young’s life and legacy. The story. |
Trio Added to Cameron Diaz in Action Comedy 'Bad Day' ►🎭 Filling out. 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop that veteran television actor Ed O'Neill, Danielle Brooks, and John Higgins, part of the Please Don’t Destroy comedy group, have joined Cameron Diaz in Bad Day, an action comedy Jake Szymanski is directing for Netflix. Written by Laura Solon, the original script centers on a single mom fighting to keep one little promise to her daughter on the absolute worst day of her life. The project has been described as a comedic version of Falling Down, the 1993 drama directed by Joel Schumacher that starred Michael Douglas as a man who hits his breaking point while trying to get to his daughter’s birthday. O'Neill is playing the mom’s curmudgeonly father-in-law who seems intent on making everyone’s life miserable. The story.
—🏆 Buona fortuna! 🏆 Italy has picked Francesco Costabile’s dark melodrama Familia as its Oscar contender for the 2026 Academy Awards in the best international feature film category. Familia is based on Luigi Celeste’s biographical memoir about his youth as a far-right militant and about the legacy of his toxic, violent upbringing at the hands of his criminal father. The film premiered in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice Film Festival last year, winning the best actor prize for star Francesco Gheghi, who plays Luigi. Barbara Ronchi and Francesco Di Leva co-star. Di Leva won Italy’s David di Donatello award, the local version of the Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 The Tale of Silyan, a documentary about a wounded stork and the farmer who cares for it, has been acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films. The film won the best film Cinema and Arts Award at the Venice Film Festival, played at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was subsequently entered by North Macedonia in the best international feature Oscar competition. The doc, which was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska and counts Laurene Powell Jobs and Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim among its executive producers, was made in collaboration with Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop and Ciconia Film. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead is ready to face off against the Halloween competition. THR lute aficionado Ryan Gajewski has the scoop that the Tubi Original feature is set to debut on the free streaming service Oct. 17. The cast includes Bean Reid, Adeline Lo, Kevin McNulty, Bob Frazer, Matty Finochio and Seth Isaac Johnson. Stine’s Pumpkinhead centers on teenage Sam, whose family’s move to Redhaven is made worse when his brother Finn disappears — and no one else remembers that he existed. Sam joins friend Becka and eccentric Rusty in the race to find Finn and break a harvest curse before Halloween ends. The story. |
Jason Momoa Goes Inside That Epic Ending to 'Chief of War' ►"It was the biggest, most beautiful omen." For THR, Max Gao spoke to Chief of War co-creator, executive producer and star Jason Momoa, co-creator Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and co-stars Te Ao o Hinepehinga and Cliff Curtis about the Apple TV+ drama's finale. The creative team break down the episode and discuss shooting the finale in Hawai’i’s “Black Desert” as two nearby volcanoes erupted in real life. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"If you really search for what this show could maybe be about, it’s really these two brothers helping each other live the best version of this duo." Max Gao also spoke to Jude Law and Jason Bateman about the finale of Netflix's Black Rabbit. The co-stars and executive producers of the show unpack the agony and ecstasy of the crime drama that is a twisty NYC-set tale about "what we forgive in those who we are related to." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"The Ozzie character is so complicated. One issue is the idea of entitlement." THR's Brande Victorian spoke to Raamla Mohamed, the creator of Reasonable Doubt, about the season three premiere of the Hulu legal drama. Mohamed discusses Morris Chestnut's return, adding Joseph Sikora to the cast and auditioning guest stars Lori Harvey and Kordell Beckham as well as future plans for the series. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
Crunchyroll CEO on the Blockbuster Implications of 'Demon Slayer' ►"It's now undeniable how big anime has become." THR's Patrick Brzeski spoke to Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini about the stellar global box office success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle as it shoots past $555 million. Purini discusses how much bigger Demon Slayer may grow, plans for the next two films in the trilogy, and why anime is now a core Sony growth engine. The interview.
—"Whatever your craft is, there’s that question of, 'How much do you sacrifice until you no longer recognize yourself?'" THR's Brian Davids spoke to director Justin Tipping about his new film, Him. The filmmaker explains how being jumped as a teenager factored into the casting of Marlon Wayans, as well as his surprising connection to the antagonist of his Jordan Peele-produced sports psychological horror feature. The interview.
In other news...
—MOMA and Chanel to honor Sofia Coppola at film benefit
—John Leguizamo to be honored at Sing Out for Freedom Event in New York
—Prince Harry, Magic Johnson and Charlize Theron rally support for HIV/AIDS amid cutbacks
What else we're reading...
—Must-read Ben Terris piece on who is really running the Department of Homeland Security, with some absolutely incredible quotes [Intelligencer]
—Rafe Rosner-Uddin, Demetri Sevastopulo and Alex Rogers report that the famed TikTok algorithm is set to be overseen by Oracle in a prospective Trump deal with Bytedance [FT]
—Emma Graham-Harrison writes that Benjamin Netanyahu may struggle to find a response that matches rhetoric on Palestine recognition from major Western countries [Guardian]
—Rebecca Robbins reports on how Kenvue, the company behind Tylenol, is navigating the crisis of the Trump administration suggesting unproven links between the pain reliever and autism [NYT]
—Koh Ewe reports on Disney+'s South Korean spy romance drama Tempest, which has annoyed Chinese netizens and may put in jeopardy a lifting of an unofficial ban on Korean content in China [BBC]
Today...
...in 1994, after a premiere at the Toronto film fest, The Shawshank Redemption hit theaters nationwide. The Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins film eventually nabbed seven Oscar nominations. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Bruce Springsteen (76), Anthony Mackie (47), Yorgos Lanthimos (52), Jason Alexander (66), Hasan Minhaj (40), Christopher Miller (50), Robert James-Collier (49), Janelle James (46), Cush Jumbo (40), Chi McBride (64), Skylar Astin (38), Alex Proyas (62), Kaylee DeFer (39), David Lim (42), Karl Pilkington (53), Warren Kole (48), Çagatay Ulusoy (35), Rosalind Chao (68), Alyssa Sutherland (43), Kip Pardue (50), Rohan Campbell (28), Mary Kay Place (78), Philippa Northeast (31), Keri Lynn Pratt (47), Chris Candy (41), Jaime Bergman (50), Aurora Perrineau (31), Maren Jensen (69), Caroline Lagerfelt (78), Zach Tyler Eisen (32), Cosimo Fusco (63), Kate French (41), Alex Karpovsky (50), Jenna Stern (58), Anthony Konechny (36), Rosalind Allen (68), Tom Durant Pritchard (38), Meghan Leathers (35), Shannon Chan-Kent (37), Katarina Cas (49) |
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