| | | | | | What's news: Colman Domingo will voice the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good. Joseph Quinn will not be returning for the final season of Stranger Things. Michael Fassbender will lead Netflix's prestige drama about the Kennedys. Hulu has greenlit an update of Fox's Prison Break. And Ticketmaster will bar users from having multiple accounts on the platform. — Abid Rahman
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WBD Is for Sale After All, as "Multiple Parties" Circle ►All options on the table. Sounds like Warner Bros. Discovery may be for sale after all. Amid swirling reports of bidding interest from Paramount Skydance, the WBD board of directors says is it “has initiated a review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value.” In a press release on Tuesday morning, the company’s board of directors said it has received “unsolicited interest” from “multiple parties.” And it’s listening. “Strategic options” include continuing with the previously announced split and spin, a la NBCUniversal and Versant, “a transaction for the entire company” or “separate transactions for its Warner Bros. and/or Discovery Global businesses.” There’s even the potential for “an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros. and spin-off of Discovery Global to our shareholders.” The story.
—Price hikes incoming. Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service HBO Max said Tuesday that it is raising prices across all of its plan, with the ad-supported base tier rising by $1 per month to $10.99, the standard plan rising by $1.50 per month to $18.49, and the premium plan rising by $2 per month to $22.99. Annual plans will rise by $10, $15 and $20 accordingly. The price increases go into effect immediately, with existing subscribers getting 30 days notice before the prices go up at or after Nov. 20. The story. |
Disney+, Hulu Cancellations Doubled Amid Kimmel Chaos ►Stepping on rakes. Jimmy Kimmel's short-lived suspension from ABC may have had a significant impact on Disney+ subscriptions, according to new data from the subscription analytics firm Antenna, which tracks subscriptions and viewership data for major streaming services. Antenna on Monday released numbers showing that monthly churn rates for Disney+ and Hulu surged from 4 percent and 5 percent in August to 8 percent and 10 percent in September, respectively. The doubling of cancellation rates stood out in a streaming landscape where churn rates typically remain somewhat consistent. Disney+ churn rates had been steady at around 3-4 percent per month consistently this year, with churn rates at Hulu hovering at 4-5 percent per month. The story.
—Big shift. Ticketmaster will bar users from having multiple accounts on the platform. The company made the announcement in a letter to lawmakers last week after Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment were sued by the FTC last month over allegations of colluding with scalpers and violating the BOTS Act. The policy change marks a significant change for Ticketmaster, which also said that it would be closing TradeDesk, its ticket inventory platform that allows ticket brokers list their tickets on multiple ticketing sites. The story.
—✊ Move to unionize. ✊ Workers at Washington D.C.’s major concert venues are working to unionize. Production staff as well as employees in food services, box office and those staffing the door at D.C.’s 9:30 Club, a well-known venue that helped launched the careers of bands including Nirvana and R.E.M, as well as at The Anthem, one of the larger East Coast venues with a capacity of 6,000, The Atlantis and Lincoln Theatre, have asked management at I.M.P. to allow the process to move forward for voluntary recognition of the unionization efforts. The story.
—"I'd do it again tomorrow." Bobby Vylan has no regrets. In his first interview since leading chants of “death, death, death to the IDF” at Glastonbury, the frontman of punk duo Bob Vylan, spoke to The Louis Theroux Podcast about the controversy and its fallout. The chant ignited a firestorm of criticism, with Bob Vylan, at the time a largely unknown band, at the center of it. Glastonbury condemned the chant, the band was dropped by its agency, UTA, and the U.S. State Department revoked the band members’ visas, forcing them to cancel their planned tour of North America. But if he had the chance, Vylan told Theroux, he’d do it all again: "If I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes, I would do it again. I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays. I’m not regretful of it at all." The story.
—"We are forever grateful." The Real Housewives of Potomac star Wendy Osefo has opened up for the first time about her Oct. 9 arrest, along with husband Eddie Osefo, on charges of insurance fraud. “And through it all, God remains faithful. Thank you for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers for myself and most importantly my family during this time,” the reality TV star said on her Instagram page late on Sunday. The Osefos were released on Oct. 10 after being booked on 16 insurance fraud charges, including seven felonies. Their arrest followed The Osefos allegedly making false and misleading claims after an April 2024 burglary at their family home that led to the insurance fraud criminal charges. The story. |
NFL Pushes Networks to 8 Month High in September ►Domination. The start of the college football season in late August gave a bit of life to broadcast networks after a summer of declining viewing. The pros packed a much bigger punch in September. The first few weeks of the NFL season brought a big resurgence in broadcasters’ share of all TV use in the United States, according to Nielsen’s Gauge stats for September. Broadcast outlets accounted for 22.3 percent of viewing, up from 19.1 percent in August and the highest mark since January, when it was at 22.5 percent. The top 15 network broadcasts of the month were all NFL games on CBS, Fox and NBC, led by 33.8m viewers for Fox’s Sept. 14 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The ratings.
—"The NBA looks to be in a much stronger position this year comparatively to last year." The NBA and its three media partners are about to level up the sport’s advertising business. THR's Alex Weprin reports that according to interviews with key players on both the buy side and sell side, the NBA’s new media rights deal has brought with it a significant increase in advertiser interest, with brands (both returning and new) desperately seeking to capture more attention in a media environment that remains deeply fragmented. The interest from sponsors comes after enormous attention from media partners, which resulted in a massive 11-year, $76b haul for the league. The story. |
Eric Dane to Play ALS Patient on NBC's 'Brilliant Minds' ►🎭 "At the end of the day, just, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can." 🎭 Eric Dane will guest star in an episode of NBC’s Brilliant Minds as a man with ALS — which Dane himself has. The Euphoria actor will appear on the ninth episode of Brilliant Minds ’ second season, scheduled to air Nov. 24. Dane will play Matthew, a heroic firefighter who struggles to share his ALS diagnosis with his family and turns to Dr. Oliver Wolf (series lead Zachary Quinto) for help. Dane disclosed in April that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes loss of muscle control. It currently has no cure. Brilliant Minds is based on the life and work of physician and author Oliver Sacks. The story.
—Heading into the big house. Hulu has greenlit an update of the 2000s Fox series Prison Break. The series, in development for the better part of two years, comes from Mayans MC co-creator Elgin James, who will serve as showrunner after writing and directing the pilot episode. While the new Prison Break will be set in the same world as the prior show, it will follow a new cast of characters. Emily Browning, Drake Rodger, Lukas Gage, Clayton Cardenas, JR Bourne, Georgie Flores and Myles Bullock star. The series will center on Browning’s character, an ex-soldier turned corrections officer who, per the show’s logline, “takes a job at one of the deadliest prisons in America to prove just how far she’ll go for someone she loves.” The story.
—🎭 The road to Camelot. 🎭 Netflix will delve into the origins of the longest-running political family dynasty in the United States, the Kennedys. The streamer has greenlit a series, titled Kennedy, that will star Michael Fassbender as patriarch Joseph Kennedy Sr. The show comes from Chernin Entertainment and showrunner Sam Shaw. Danish auteur Thomas Vinterberg is attached to direct. The series is based on JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall. Kennedy is intended as an ongoing series. The first season will be set in the 1930s and follow the “improbable ascent of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother,” per the show’s logline. The story.
—No Eddie, alas. Don’t expect Eddie Munson to be rising from the dead in Stranger Things season five. During a recent interview, the Duffer brothers confirmed that, despite rumors, Joseph Quinn won’t be returning for the hit Netflix show’s final season. In season four, his character Eddie, a metalhead and high school outsider, (spoiler alert!) is killed by creatures in the Upside Down after he sacrifices himself to distract the Demobats, allowing the rest of the group to fight Vecna. The character became a fan favorite and proved to be a breakout role for Quinn who has gone on to establish himself as a movie star. The story. |
Colman Domingo to Voice the Cowardly Lion in 'Wicked: For Good' ►🎭 Surprise! 🎭 Colman Domingo secretly joined the cast of Wicked: For Good, as none other than the voice of the Cowardly Lion. The movie and actor’s Instagram accounts shared the news Monday, after Jon M. Chu last week made headlines when he teased a big-name actor attached to the role. Domingo joins an already star-studded slate with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande playing Elphaba (now known as the Wicked Witch of the West in the second film) and Glinda (or Glinda the Good), respectively. The Cowardly Lion is one of a few new characters introduced in Wicked: For Good that hail from the mainstay story of The Wizard of Oz. The Tin Man, Scarecrow and Dorothy’s appearances have all been teased in the beginning of Wicked and subsequent teasers for the sequel. None of the actors who stepped into those roles have been revealed yet. The story.
—🎭 Filling out. 🎭 Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Stanley Townsend and Sky Yang have joined the rabble-rousing forces of The Uprising, Paul Greengrass’ period drama being made by Focus Features. Andrew Garfield leads the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. As the war burns across England, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice and survival. Also lined up as embattled peasants and assorted overlords are Jamie Bell, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman and Katherine Waterston. Jason Blum is producing through Blumhouse, alongside Gregory Goodman, Joanna Kaye and Greengrass. The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 Ameer Fakher Eldin’s Yunan has won this year’s Arab Critics’ Awards for European Films, presented at the El Gouna Film Festival on Oct. 18. The prize, now in its seventh edition, is organized by European Film Promotion in collaboration with the Arab Cinema Center. Yunan follows an exiled Syrian writer (played by Lebanese actor Georges Khabbaz) who travels to a remote North Sea island intending to end his life. But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook. Yunan film premiered in competition at this year’s Berlinale. The story.
—Look what they took from us! Adam Driver has revealed that Disney shot down a Star Wars sequel centered on Ben Solo, despite Lucasfilm being on board. The Oscar-nominated actor, who played the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa and the grandson of Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader), and later turned into the villain Kylo Ren, recently detailed the sequel idea during an interview. “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars ,” Driver said. “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen [Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm] had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.” Driver said he eventually took his idea to filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, adding that the film would have taken place after 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Alas, the Disney bigwigs thumbed their nose at the idea. The story. |
How's Martin Scorsese as a Documentary Subject? ►"I came in full of curiosity, not knowing very much about his private life, but knowing a lot about his films, having studied his films pretty carefully, and the time around his films." THR's Katie Kilkenny spoke to filmmaker Rebecca Miller about her new Apple TV docuseries Mr. Scorsese. Miller discussed the underappreciated Scorsese films she wanted to highlight in the series, her treatment of the auteur's faith and bringing the filmmaker together with his New York boyhood pals for catch-up sessions that appear in the series. The interview.
—"The studio was asking me to make a sequel right away, but I realized that if I waited a couple of years and let these kids get older, I could make a high school horror film." THR's Brian Davids spoke to filmmaker Scott Derrickson about his new feature, Black Phone 2. The director reveals he never intended on making a sequel, but an idea for a revelation midway through the movie hooked him. Derrickson also discusses whether he intends to make a college-era trilogy capper, before diving into his first feature collaboration with his composer son, Atticus Derrickson. The interview.
—"We were trying to get everybody who has ever been in a Conjuring movie into that wedding scene, but we just couldn't." Brian also spoke to The Conjuring: Last Rites director Michael Chaves. Chaves discusses the influence of James Mangold's Logan on his film, the camoes that got away and also addresses his own future among the Conjuring universe’s brain trust. The interview. |
The Reps Helping Influencers Bring in Mega Revenue ►How much do they make????? THR has put together a list of the 49 top agents and managers who guide the most successful creators as they leap from a few thousand followers to multimillion-dollar partnerships. The list.
In other news...
—Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Patti LuPone to star in Moonstruck reading
—Italy's MFE installs Marco Giordani as CEO of Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1
—Letitia Wright, Aneil Karia to receive HollyShorts London honors
What else we're reading...
—Robert McMillan, Belle Lin and Sean McLain go inside the day Amazon broke the internet for millions of Americans [WSJ]
—After suffering a box office dip, Chris Lee writes that Blumhouse horror isn’t as dangerous as it used to be [Vulture]
—The BBC has excerpts of Virginia Giuffre's harrowing memoir of her life as a sex slave for Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell [BBC]
—Alex Marshall reports that the daring Louvre heist could be the latest example of thieves targeting museums for jewels and precious metals to break down and sell on [NYT]
—Judd Legum reports that ICE has boosted its weapons spending by 700 percent, including purchasing chemical weapons and explosives [Popular Information]
—Jaw-dropping Anna Bower story about her unsolicited Signal chat conversation with interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan [Lawfare]
Today...
...in 1983, Warner Bros. launched a 194-minute space epic, The Right Stuff, which went on to win four Oscars at the 56th Academy Awards. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Doja Cat (30), Judge Judy Sheindlin (83), Ken Watanabe (66), Glen Powell (37), Andrew Scott (49), Kim Kardashian (45), Catherine Hardwicke (70), Hari Nef (33), Darius Khondji (70), Louis Koo (55), Skye P. Marshall (44), Amanda Arcuri (28), Everett McGill (80), Will Estes (47), Melora Walters (66), Aaron Tveit (42), Sasha Roiz (52), Charlotte Sullivan (42), Helene Joy (47), Matt Dallas (43), Blanca Suárez (37), Teddy Moutinho (26), Sophie Willan (38), David Clayton Rogers (48), Melissa Braun (49), Chelsea Edge (35), Kate Drummond (50), Mark Rendall (37), Tom Everett (77), Michael McMillian (47), Jeremy Miller (49), LaTanya Richardson Jackson (76), Aiko Garcia (26), Auden Thornton (37), Ashley Liao (24), Daisy De La Hoya (42) |
| Jerry Tokofsky, the onetime William Morris agent and Columbia Pictures executive who didn’t think much of a young actor named Harrison Ford but went on to produce the acclaimed films Where’s Poppa? and Glengarry Glen Ross, has died. He was 91. The obituary. |
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