| | | | | | What's news: Rachel Maddow has slammed NBC News' decision to hire Ronna McDaniel. Scarlett Johansson is in talks to star in the next Jurassic World movie. CBS will air The Golden Globes for the next five years. Apple has renewed The Last Thing He Told Me. MIPTV is moving from Cannes to London. — Abid Rahman
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Diddy's Homes Raided by Feds Amid Sex Trafficking Claims ►Multiple raids. Homes belonging to Sean "Diddy" Combs in Los Angeles, New York and Miami were raided by federal agents on Monday. A rep for Homeland Security Investigations New York said in a statement that the raids were executed "as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners." The music mogul was served a fifth sexual assault lawsuit, including allegations of sex trafficking, last month. The story.
—"Why do I have to have a Marvel [movie] that’s all women?" As the Disney board proxy fight nears its deciding day, activist investor Nelson Peltz is taking aim at what he calls the company’s "woke" film strategy, citing in particular Black Panther and The Marvels. In a new interview, Peltz questioned the leadership of Marvel chief Kevin Feige and the larger movie strategy under CEO Bob Iger. Peltz said he did not want either leader unseated, but questioned how long Feige should remain and what the strategy should be moving forward. The story.
—"I hope they reverse their decision." Rachel Maddow, the biggest star on MSNBC, weighed in on the controversial decision by NBC News to hire Ronna McDaniel as an on-air contributor. Toward the tail end of an extended monologue on her show Monday evening, Maddow ripped into the hiring as "inexplicable." Maddow said on her program that it would “go without saying” that McDaniel would not be appearing on her show. The story.
—"Demonstrably false claims." After Rebel Wilson alleged that her The Brothers Grimsby co-star Sacha Baron Cohen was attempting to censor her upcoming memoir, reps for the Borat actor fired back on Monday. A spokesperson for Baron Cohen told THR, "While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby." The story.
—Last hurrah. This year's MIPTV in Cannes will be the last. The international television market has been a fixed date on the industry calendar since it first launched back in 1963. But organizers RX France will shift the event to London next year, sidling up alongside the popular London Screenings, which in just four years has grown to become the most important small screen event in Europe in the first half of the year. MIP London will take place Feb. 24-27th, 2025 in The Savoy Hotel. The story. |
Behind the 'Euphoria' Season 3 Delay ►Where the show goes after high school. As news dropped that Euphoria season three was being delayed, THR's Lesley Goldberg writes that HBO and creator Sam Levinson are debating where the characters go as the third season jumps forward in time, and the increasingly in-demand cast that includes Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi have been given permission to pursue other projects. The story.
—PR rehab complete. The Golden Globes is set to air on CBS for the next five years. The deal, which begins with the 2025 edition of the ceremony, will see the film and TV awards show air on CBS and stream live on Paramount+. The network aired the 2024 edition of the awards show after the Globes parted ways with its longtime home of NBC. The story.
—He has more to say? Despite being conceived and pitched as a limited series, Apple TV+ has doled out a second-season renewal to The Last Thing He Told Me, its drama series based on Laura Dave’s best-selling novel. Season two will be based on the author’s newly announced sequel to her book of the same name. The latter is set to be published in 2025, ahead of the show’s return. Dave’s sequel has already been optioned by producers 20th Television. Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice and David Morse will all return for the second season. The story.
—An accident waiting to happen. Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen will star in The Miniature Wife, a romantic dramedy that Peacock has ordered straight to series. From creators, showrunners and exec producers Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner, the series is based on the short story written by Manuel Gonzalez. Miniature Wife is a dramedy "examining the power (im)balances between spouses, Lindy (Banks) and Les (Macfadyen), who battle each other for supremacy after a technological accident induces the ultimate relationship crisis." The story.
—🎭 Stacked 🎭 Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are lining up an impressive cast for their upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio. Joining co-creator and lead Rogen in the sendup of the film industry are series regulars Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders. Bryan Cranston, Keyla Monterroso Mejia and Dewayne Perkins will also guest star in the comedy about a "legacy Hollywood movie studio that is trying to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and commerce to live together." The story. |
Murphy to Star in Mining Drama for Universal ►🎭 A rich seam 🎭 Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy is attached to star in and produce Blood Runs Coal, an adaptation of Mark A. Bradley's 2020 non-fiction book that Universal has acquired. The book follows the 1969 murder of mining union organizer Joseph “Jock” Yablonski, who was killed at home with his wife and daughter. The killings followed Yablonski campaigning against a corrupt union leader, and sparked a lengthy investigation that unveiled shady dealings within the coal industry. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth will adapt the script. The story.
—🎭 Franchise queen 🎭 Scarlett Johansson is in talks to join Universal’s new Jurassic World movie. If a deal makes, the film would return Johansson to the world of franchises after her long stint working in the MCU. The studio is moving quickly on the film, which has a July 2, 2025, release date. Gareth Edwards is directing the new Jurassic World, which has a script from Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp. Edwards stepped into the role after David Leitch exited following a short attachment to the project. The story.
—🎭 In demand 🎭 The ever-busy Japanese character actor Tadanobu Asano — currently having a moment as one of the stars of FX's hit series Shōgun — has joined the cast of Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang's upcoming culinary thriller Morte Cucina. The actor and director last collaborated two decades ago on the romantic crime film Last Life in the Universe, which was Thailand’s official submission to the Oscars that year and won Asano the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival. The story.
—“This movie also debases Mary, mother of Christ!” Following a right-wing backlash to Sydney Sweeney's horror movie Immaculate, producers Neon have decided to lean into the outrage to raise the profile of the feature. Over the weekend, the official social accounts for the indie studio shared multiple posts highlighting quotes by angry conservative Christians. The story. |
Spielberg Accepts USC Shoah Foundation Honor ►"The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate." Steven Spielberg made a fiery speech connecting the past to the present as he accepted the USC Medallion on Monday. The legendary filmmaker received the University of Southern California’s highest honor, which has been presented on only three prior occasions, in recognition of 30 years of the Shoah Foundation, an organization that he founded after making his masterpiece Schindler’s List, and that has been based at USC for the last 20 years. The story.
—"I had surgery for a pacemaker and became a little bit more of a machine." Arnold Schwarzenegger is in recovery after undergoing a surgical procedure to get a pacemaker. On Monday’s episode of his Arnold’s Pump Club podcast, the 76-year-old shared that he underwent surgery to have a pacemaker implanted. The story.
—"I just got kicked off a plane." Forrie J. Smith’s stance on masking led to a bizarre travel issue over the weekend. The actor known for playing Lloyd Pierce on Paramount Network’s megahit drama Yellowstone posted a video to social media Saturday explaining how he had been left stranded at a Houston airport for refusing to sit next to a masked passenger. The story.
—"Humiliation is such a rough thing to go through." Anne Hathaway has opened up about the "Hathahate" phenomenon, when the internet and social media turned against her after she won an Oscar in 2013. In a new profile, Hathaway revealed that the 2013 ceremony marked a tipping point where her online and media reputation turned “toxic” — to the point where she says it cost her movie roles. The actress adds that her fortunes only began to change after her "angel" Christopher Nolan came along and cast her in Interstellar. The story.
—There was room for both of them! The “door” that saved Kate Winslet’s Rose — and doomed Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack — just sold at auction. The fateful chunk of balsa wood from 1997’s Titanic fetched a whopping $718,750 during Heritage Auctions’ Treasures from Planet Hollywood event and was the piece of memorabilia that brought in the highest amount — beating iconic props like Indiana Jones‘ bullwhip from Temple of Doom and Jack Nicholson’s ax from The Shining. The story.
—New York’s hottest hub. Pete Davidson and Colin Jost's decommissioned ferry boat may be docked silently in Staten Island right now, but the vessel is headed for a $34m renovation that features multiple bars, restaurants and a hotel. Ron Castellano, an architect and lesser known partner on Davidson and Jost's beloved ferry project, says he's still finalizing plans to remodel the inside of the group's 1960s boat. The story. |
TV Review: 'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' ►"Uneasily real, uneasily artificial, uneasily hard to shake." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews HBO's Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. In this fascinatingly uncomfortable eight-part docuseries, a follow-up to Rothaniel, Carmichael examines himself as a boyfriend, a son and a friend. The review.
—"Flawed, but moving." THR's Angie Han reviews Hulu's We Were the Lucky Ones. Joey King and Logan Lerman star in this Holocaust drama based on a novel by Georgia Hunter that revolves around a Polish Jewish family scattered across the globe while trying to escape Nazi persecution in the 1940s. The review.
—"An illuminating look at a colorful cultural icon." For THR, Jourdain Searles reviews Alexis Manya Spraic's The World According to Allee Willis. In this doc, Spraic traces the life and career of the eponymous songwriter, producer, visual artist, production designer, art director and social butterfly. The review. In other news...
—Bad Boys: Ride or Die trailer brings Will Smith and Martin Lawrence back to Miami
—Far East Film Festival: Zhang Yimou to receive lifetime achievement award
—SpongeBob SquarePants restaurant to open in São Paulo, Brazil
—Eli Noyes, pioneer in clay and sand stop animation, dies at 81
—Bill Lomas, longtime producer of the Hollywood Christmas parade, dies at 88
—Ron Harper, Land of the Lost and Planet of the Apes actor, dies at 91
What else we're reading...
—Jonathan Abrams, Elena Bergeron and Matt Stevens have a pretty comprehensive timeline on Sean "Diddy" Combs' career, including all the highs and the most recent lows [NYT]
—Nick Schager writes that Patrick Swayze Road House purists should hate Jake Gyllenhaal’s Amazon Prime Video version [Daily Beast]
—Matt Haldane reports that piracy of 3 Body Problem is spiking in China, reflecting an intense interest despite the ongoing struggle of Hollywood films in the country [SCMP]
—Jeremy Barr writes that NBC is facing on-air "insurrection" over hiring of Ronna McDaniel [WaPo]
—Chuck Schilken has a handy catchup and all the latest developments on the Shohei Ohtani interpreter gambling scandal [LAT]
Today...
...in 2010, MGM released Hot Tub Time Machine in theaters. The time travel comedy, starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke, was a moderate box office success and spawned a sequel in 2015. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jonathan Glazer (59), Diana Ross (80), Ramy Youssef (33), Keira Knightley (39), Martin Short (74), Jennifer Grey (64), Martin McDonagh (54), Michael Imperioli (58), Catherine Keener (65), Jonathan Groff (39), Francis Lawrence (53), Floriana Lima (43), Choi Woo-sik (34), Alan Silvestri (74), Amy Smart (48), Leslie Mann (52), T.R. Knight (51), Natasha Leggero (50), Charlene McKenna (40), Gary Hudson (68), Giusi Merli (81), Jess Bush (32), Bianca Kajlich (47), Eric Allan Kramer (62), Tinto Brass (91), Carly Chaikin (34), Vicki Lawrence (75), Lucas Bravo (36), Ella Anderson (19), Joe Anderson (42), Marita Geraghty (62), Emily Tosta (26), Haley Ramm (32), Billy Warlock (63), Alicia Lagano (45), Neal Bledsoe (43), Ernest Thomas (75) |
| Paula Weinstein, the veteran studio executive, two-time Emmy winner and producer on such projects as The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Perfect Storm, Analyze This and Grace and Frankie, died Monday. She was 78. The obituary. |
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