| | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is comeback queen Sarah Michelle Gellar. Bob Chapek received a $20.4m severance package from Disney. Netflix reveals its 2023 film slate. Meryl Streep will appear in season three of Only Murders in the Building. Chad Stahelski will direct Rainbow Six. Stephen Colbert is developing a TV adaptation of Roger Zelazny’s The Chronicles of Amber. — Abid Rahman |
Sarah Michelle Gellar Returns to Fighting Form ►On the cover. Twenty years after Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and eight years after stepping away from acting to raise a family, Sarah Michelle Gellar is back. THR's Mikey O'Connell profiles the generational icon as she returns to high school horror with Paramount+'s Wolf Pack and battles to protect her younger co-stars — and her daughter — from industry abuses: "I hope that I’ve set up a safety net for these actors that I didn’t have." The cover story.
—"I don’t know where my head was. I blame postpartum." While speaking to Mikey for the cover story, Gellar opened up about some of her career’s biggest swings between Buffy and her time away from acting. The actress reveals why Ringer really wrapped after just one season and how she and Amy Poehler swapped parts in Richard Kelly's "batsh** ambitious" Southland Tales. The list. |
Behind Disney's Activist Investor Battle ►A Marvel mogul’s revenge play. As activist shareholder Nelson Peltz presses a long-shot fight for a seat on Disney’s corporate board, with help from former Marvel honcho Ike Perlmutter, THR's Kim Masters and Alex Weprin write that Bob Iger appears to be solidifying his control. The analysis.
—ICYMI. On Tuesday, Disney released a slideshow outlining its argument against Peltz, writing that the Trian Management CEO “does not understand Disney’s businesses, and lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.” Ouch. The story.
—Not too shabby. In what turned out to be his final full year as CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek earned $24.2m in total compensation during the company’s fiscal 2022 year (ending Sept. 30), down slightly from 2021, according to a preliminary proxy filing. In addition, Disney revealed that Chapek should receive a severance package valued at $20.4m, though the exact number will depend on the company’s share price over time. The story. |
Sequels Aim for Best Picture Oscar ►No time for seconds. Through most of its history, The Academy's not been overly keen on movie sequels seeking Oscar recognition. Only two sequels have ever won the best picture prize. Only a handful of others have been nominated in that category. THR's Gregg Kilday writes that this season, all that could change, because there are at least four sequels knocking at the best picture door. The story.
—Moon landing. Netflix has unveiled its 2023 film slate, setting dates for Zack Snyder’s hotly anticipated Rebel Moon, Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction 2 and Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston’s Murder Mystery 2, among others. Snyder's space epic will bow Dec. 22 on the streaming service. The slate.
—New banner just dropped. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on former DC Films head Walter Hamada launching his new production banner, 18hz Productions, and making key hires. Nathan Samdahl, the former Paramount executive who was instrumental in making the horror hit Smile, will act as the company’s senior vp, while Nick Romano has been tapped as creative executive. The story.
—Give her an accent! Meryl Streep is checking into Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and will appear in the third season of the murder-mystery comedy. Details of her role — and how extensive it may be — are being kept under wraps for now. Star Selena Gomez revealed Streep’s casting in an Instagram post Tuesday. The story.
—"Everybody is sensitive to Jeremy." Before The Mayor of Kingstown star Jeremy Renner was critically injured in a Jan. 1 snowplow accident, his character appeared in season two key art with a severely scuffed-up face. In light of events, Paramount+ has pivoted the marketing for the show and removed the bloody wounds from Renner's face. The story. |
Making of 'Banshees of Inisherin' ►"You know you’re shooting honesty when you’re pointing the camera toward animals." THR's man in London Alex Ritman looks at how Martin McDonagh landed his dream cast (and an emotional support donkey) for his awards contender The Banshees of Inisherin. The filmmaker reveals he reworked an old script to fashion an Irish tragicomedy with the help of Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and a menagerie of four-legged thespians. The interview.
—🏆 GDT leads the way 🏆 Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio leads the feature competition of the 50th annual Annie Awards for animation, with nine nominations including one in the top category for best animated feature. That’s followed by Turning Red with seven noms and Puss in Boot: The Last Wish and The Sea Beast, with six apiece. The nominees.
—🏆 Cameron's year 🏆 James Cameron’s dazzling Avatar: The Way of Water dominated the 21st annual Visual Effects Society Award nominations, which were announced on Tuesday. The juggernaut earned 14 VES noms, a record number for a feature film or any single project in the society’s awards history. The nominees.
—🏆 Love for Bros 🏆 GLAAD has revealed nominations for the 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards, a roster that features high-profile awards season contenders like Tár, A Man Called Otto, Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Inspection, as well as acclaimed series like The White Lotus, Abbott Elementary and Hacks. The nominees. |
Why the Globes May Look to Streaming ►A possible life raft. NBC hosted the 2023 Golden Globes, but only after renegotiating its deal with the HFPA and its production company, Dick Clark Productions, so that it would end after that telecast, rather than stretch through 2026. THR's Scott Feinberg and Alex Weprin write that an industry embrace of ad tiers and streamers looking to get into live TV could provide the embattled awards show new hope beyond dismal linear ratings. The analysis.
—No comment. After news broke that Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland was charged with felony domestic violence in Orange County, several questions remain unanswered about the fate of his sprawling animation empire. Adult Swim, Hulu and 20th TV have not commented on the charges facing Roiland, and his attorney claims his case "is on course to be dismissed." A pre-trial hearing is set for April 27. The story.
—"All roads lead to Amber, and I’m happy to be walking them." One of George R.R. Martin’s favorite fantasy novels might finally get adapted into a TV series thanks to Stephen Colbert. The Late Show host's production company Spartina has joined Skybound Entertainment and Vincent Newman Entertainment’s existing partnership to develop Roger Zelazny’s beloved The Chronicles of Amber into a drama series. The story.
—Good Girls assemble. NBC has given a formal pilot order to Murder by the Book, a mystery drama starring Retta. The project comes from Good Girls creator Jenna Bans and executive producer Bill Krebs. The potential series has been in the works for several months. The story. |
Stahelski and Jordan Team for 'Rainbow Six' ►Director found. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski signing on to direct Paramount’s feature adaptation of Tom Clancy novel Rainbow Six. The film is a Michael B. Jordan action vehicle and follow-up to the actor and studio’s 2021 action thriller, Without Remorse. The story.
—"We’re going to do something different." Channing Tatum has given a status update on his Gambit movie and revealed his company Free Association is considering a Ghost remake. In a February cover story for Vanity Fair, the Magic Mike star and producer also opened up about his career trajectory and his personal life, including fatherhood, his divorce from Jenna Dewan and new relationship with Zoë Kravitz. The story.
—"It’s good to have something that stimulates conversation and debate and a lot of fierce opinions." Damien Chazelle says he appreciates when a film is met with a polarizing reception, which certainly describes the critical reaction to his most recent effort, Babylon. In a new interview, the Oscar-winning filmmaker was asked how he felt about Babylon currently holding a 55 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The story.
—"I don’t like the way she’s been treated." Brian Cox is offering his support for J.K. Rowling amid ongoing debate surrounding the Harry Potter author’s previous comments that have been criticized as transphobic. In a new interview, the Succession star said he disagreed with Rowling's position on trans issues but felt the backlash against the author was unfair. The story. |
TV Review: 'Accused' ►"A mixed bag." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Fox's Accused. Each episode of Howard Gordon's anthology crime drama show traces a different case from the perspective of the defendant, with Marlee Matlin and Billy Porter among episode directors. The review.
In other news...
—Momentum Pictures lands queer indie horror Swallowed
—Berlin Film Fest completes Panorama lineup
—Madonna announces North American and European dates for Celebration Tour
—HBO Max EMEA content chief Antony Root to retire
—SiriusXM taps former WSJ marketing chief for new subscription role
—Casa Madera opens at the Mondrian Los Angeles in famed Asia de Cuba space
What else we're reading...
—Zoë Schiffer, Casey Newton and Alex Heath have a jaw-dropping look inside Elon Musk's omnishambles tenure running Twitter [Intelligencer]
—Luke Winkie yearns for the TV of old, namely unchallenging network shows that wash over you and leave no trace [Slate]
—Hot guys, dance breaks, costumes, and an all-out memorable chorus: Fran Hoepfner makes the case for RRR's “Naatu Naatu” to win the best song Oscar [Gawker]
—Ellen Barry reports on the wild story of Susan Meachen, the romance author who faked her death [NYT]
—Kelsey Ables interviews artist K.C. Green, the man behind the 'This is fine' dog cartoon, on how he feels about the enduring and global popularity of the meme [WaPo]
Today...
...in 1975, The Jeffersons (of All in the Family neighborhood fame) moved out of working-class Queens and into a Manhattan luxury high-rise, premiering on CBS. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Kevin Costner (68), Joanna Newsom (41), Takeshi Kitano (76), Dave Bautista (54), Mark Rylance (63), Jason Segel (43), Sarah Gilman (27), David Ayer (55), Jesse L. Martin (54), Jane Horrocks (59), John Boorman (90), Becca Tobin (37), Devon Odessa (49), Antje Traue (42) |
| Bruce Gowers, the Emmy and Grammy winner who directed nine-plus seasons of American Idol and hundreds of music videos, including the seminal “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Queen, has died. He was 82. The obituary. |
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