September 07, 2022

What's news: Dan Lin is no longer in the running for DC's top job. No internet, Harry Styles didn't spit at Don't Worry Darling co-star Chris Pine. Justin Bieber is putting his world tour on pause. Chris Wallace's CNN+ show is moving to HBO Max. Vince Staples has scored himself a Netflix show — Abid Rahman

DC Chief Search Continues as Dan Lin No Longer in Frame

►No dice. THR's Borys Kit and Aaron Couch report that Dan Lin will not be accepting the keys to the DC kingdom. The producer was in negotiations to assume the expansive role encompassing film and television for the comic book brand, but talks broke down in recent days. Sources say talks broke down in part due to Lin's commitments to production banner Rideback and how to integrate it into WBD. The story.

—"Muslims make up 25% of the world’s population yet were only 1.1% of characters in popular television series." USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has turned its eye to a quantitative and qualitative study of Muslim portrayals on television, and the verdict shows there is still vast room for improvement. The 200-series sampling yielded one Muslim speaking character for every 90 non-Muslims (a 2 percent share in 2018 and less than 1 percent the following year). These Muslim characters came from a total of 16 shows (8 percent). The story.

—Denying liability. The production company behind Rust is trying to distance itself from key individuals who it says bear responsibility for the deadly shooting that resulted in the death and injury of two crewmembers. Rust Movie Productions argues in an appeal to a New Mexico safety agency's fine that gun supervision was the sole responsibility of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The story.

—It's a draw. A legal duel between Netflix and Nona Gaprindashvili, a Georgian chess champion in the 1970s who says she was defamed in an episode of The Queen’s Gambit, has ended in a stalemate. The two sides on Monday informed the court they’ve reached a deal. The story.

Pine's Rep Denies Styles Spat

►It didn't happen. A rep for Chris Pine has vehemently denied Harry Styles spat on his Don’t Worry Darling co-star at the Venice Film Festival. An overnight viral video appeared to show Styles spitting on Pine as they sat in the Sala Grande for the film's premiere. “This is a ridiculous story, a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” the rep said in a statement to THR. The story.

—🤝 Deal done 🤝 International studio Federation (The Bureau, Around the World in 80 Days) has struck a deal to acquire a majority stake in London-based film and television production company Vertigo Films (Britannia, Bulletproof). Financial and other terms weren’t disclosed. The story.

—Moving streamers. After a five-month hiatus following the axing of CNN+, CNN anchor Chris Wallace will return, this time on HBO Max. The new season of Wallace’s interview show, Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, will debut its first 3 episodes on the streamer Sept. 23. The story.

—"He brings to the network an incredible breadth of knowledge." CNN have hired John Miller, a former ABC News correspondent who also had two long stints with the NYPD, to serve as its chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst. Miller is CEO Chris Licht's first major analyst hire. The story.

THR Icon Norman Lear At 100

►"The foolishness of the human condition has amused me since I was 9." Norman Lear, the pioneering and perennially busy producer discusses the secret to longevity (no joke: It’s laughter) and the creative throughline to several decades of sitcoms. THR's Lacey Rose spoke to Lear and his producing partner Brent Miller about his career and seminal moments like the Maude abortion episode. The interview.

—Staples centered. Rapper Vince Staples is headed to Netflix to headline The Vince Staples Show, a scripted comedy series that is loosely inspired by his life. Kenya Barris will exec produce the show, which stemmed from the Black-ish creator’s former overall deal with the streaming giant. The story.

—🎭 Casting news 🎭 Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong and Katherine Waterston have signed up for survival film The End We Start From. Jodie Comer was previously announced as lead with Mahalia Belo directing. Based on Megan Hunter's book and adapted for the screen by Alice Birch, the film tells the story about the trials and joys of new motherhood in the midst of devastating floods that swallow up London. The story.

—"I need to make my health a priority." Justin Bieber has announced that he’s postponing his Justice World Tour. In an Instagram Stories shared on Tuesday, the pop star revealed that he is putting his health first and hitting pause on his tour once more. The pop star had previously canceled shows as he was dealing with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The story.

Summer Box Office Soared, But Now What?

►"Audiences want to come back for compelling movies, even if it is hard to get their attention." THR's box office analyst Pamela McClintock writes that moviegoing is recovering as consumers embrace a diverse slate of films. However, volatility is showing this fall as studios and exhibitors search for a new normal. The analysis.

—"Being an actress now feels like a bizarre hybrid of 1952 and 2053." In an excerpt from her new memoir All the Women in My Brain, actress Betty Gilpin pens a simultaneously poignant and tongue-in-cheek letter to a young actress. The excerpt.

—"A lot of the stuff we find out about Eliza comes later on, hopefully, if we do a season two." THR's Hilary Lewis spoke to Veronica West, showrunner of Apple TV+ series Surface, on how the season one finale "doubles down on the premise of the show." While Apple has yet to renew the psychological thriller, West says that if there are more episodes of the Gugu Mbatha-Raw series, she hopes to explore her main character's origin story. Warning spoilers. The interview.

—This Week in TV. THR's Rick Porter runs down the TV premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. Among the things to look out for over the coming week include the start of the NFL season, the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, the debut of season five of Netflix's Cobra Kai and Showtime's American Gigolo. The full guide.

TV Review: 'Tell Me Lies'

►"More than a guilty pleasure." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Hulu's Tell Me Lies. Based on the novel by Carola Lovering, the series traces the toxic relationship between Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) over eight years, from college to young adulthood. The review.

—"Bad, but brief." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Peacock's Last Light. Lost star Matthew Fox returns to TV as an oil scientist in a five-part environmental thriller series. The review.

—"Worth almost every penny." THR film critic Leslie Felperin reviews Walter Hill's Dead for a Dollar. Playing out of competition in Venice, the 80-year-old action veteran's western features Christoph Waltz, Rachel Brosnahan, Willem Dafoe, Warren Burke, Brandon Scott and Benjamin Bratt. The review.

—"Didn't need all the horror do-dads." Leslie reviews Joanna Hogg's Venice competition entry The Eternal Daughter. Tilda Swinton plays both mother and daughter in what is effectively a third episode in the Souvenir series. The review.

—"A poignant tribute to a filmmaking family." THR critic Stephen Farber reviews Chris Smith's Sr. The film incorporates revealing interviews with family members and famous friends like Norman Lear and Alan Arkin in this portrait of Robert Downey Sr. that premiered at Telluride. The review.

—"Uneven but involving." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Gianni Amelio's Venice competition entry Lord of the Ants. Luigi Lo Cascio plays a public intellectual whose sexuality made him an inquisition target in late 1960s Rome, with Elio Germano as a reporter determined to tell his story fairly, in this Venice competition entry. The review.

In other news...

—Jordan Peele’s stop-motion horror fantasy Wendell & Wild gets delightfully wicked trailer

—Ben Kingsley to receive Zurich Film Festival lifetime achievement honor

—Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans to close AFI Fest

—Colin Farrell to be honored at Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS

—WWE promotes “Triple H” Paul Levesque to content chief, Frank Riddick to additional role of president

—Cara Sheppard named president of Picture Shop

—Fox Entertainment and Gordon Ramsay’s Studio Ramsay makes first key exec hire

—Fremantle bosses to give Mipcom keynote

What else we're reading...

—Lucas Shaw reports that Comcast is lining up $1b in budget cuts at its TV networks [Bloomberg]

—Heather Somerville reports that disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, incredibly, is seeking a new trial [WSJ]

—Shirley Li reflects on "minor miracle" Rogue One ahead of the release of Disney+ Star Wars series Andor [Atlantic]

—With the final season of The Good Fight debuting this week, Maureen Dowd profiles the always great Christine Baranski [NYT]

—Interesting Delia Cai piece on the death of the professional try-hard as we all return to the office life [VF]

Today...

Today's birthdays: Evan Rachel Wood (35), Jonathan Majors (33), Jodie Turner-Smith (36), Leslie Jones (55), Hannah John-Kamen (33), Toby Jones (56), Alex Kurtzman (49), Dario Argento (82), Devon Sawa (44), Shannon Elizabeth (49), Benjamin Hollingsworth (38), Dean-Charles Chapman (25), Athena Karkanis (41), J. Smith-Cameron (65), Oliver Hudson (46), Michael Emerson (68), Diane Farr (53), Tom Everett Scott (52), David Dawson (40), Julie Kavner (72), Angie Everhart (53), Chrissie Hynde (71)

Peter Straub, an author of horror and supernatural fiction who had worked with Stephen King, has died. He was 79. The obituary.

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THR Icon Norman Lear At 100; DC Chief Search Continues as Dan Lin No Longer in Frame; Pine's Rep Denies Styles Spat; Hulu's 'Tell Me Lies' Review