| | | | | | What's news: Oprah surprised the DNC. James P. Gorman will chair Disney’s succession planning committee. Greg Berlanti is set to receive the TV Academy’s Governors Award. Megan Thee Stallion will host the VMAs. Rotten Tomatoes is making a significant addition to its film rankings. — Abid Rahman
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Coach Walz Rallies Democrats ►"Team, it is the fourth quarter, we are down a field goal, but we are on offense and we’ve got the ball." With a lead-in that included speeches from Bill Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and a performance by Sheila E. and John Legend covering Prince, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a huge introduction at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he wholeheartedly accepted the party’s nomination for vice president. With his customary high energy and booming voice, Walz wowed the DNC with a speech full of warmth, humor and inspirational rhetoric. The recap.
—"That’s my dad!" The Walz family stole America’s heart on the third night of the DNC, as Tim Walz gave his big acceptance speech with wife Gwen, daughter Hope and son Gus tearfully cheering him on. At one point during Walz's address, Hope was seen making the ‘heart’ sign with her hands, and Gus was moved to stand up and shout repeatedly, “That’s my dad!” The Gus moment instantly went viral on social media, particularly as many people were discovering for the first time that the 17-year-old has ADHD, a non-verbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder. The story.
—"KAMALA HARRRIS!!!" Oprah Winfrey surprised a delighted crowd at the DNC, where she took the stage for a fiery speech in support of Kamala Harris. Reports of Oprah’s attendance surfaced only about an hour before she took the stage. DNC announcers teased her as “an upcoming speaker” shortly before she appeared to shock and rapturous applause. The story.
—"I never thought this would strike such an emotional chord." Cassidy Podell — aka DJ Cassidy — may have just changed the face of presidential politics forever. Or at least what conventions sound like. THR's Benjamin Svetkey spoke to Cassidy about turning the DNC roll call on Tuesday night into a raucous, jubilant dance party. The interview.
—Headliner confirmed. Pink is set to perform on the final night of the DNC, ahead of Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech. The singer rounds out the lineup of performers who took the stage at Chicago’s United Arena this week, including Lil Jon, Stevie Wonder, Maren Morris, John Legend and more. The performance will mark Pink’s first major political performance, although the “Just Give Me A Reason” artist has also been an outspoken activist of women’s rights. The story. |
'Rust' Ammo Provider Questions New Bullet Evidence ►"It seemed palpable they were trying to point the finger at me." From the moment law enforcement arrived at the New Mexico set where the Rust shooting occurred, how exactly the live rounds got there was a key focus of the investigation. Seth Kenney, who provided rounds to the production and was a key witness for the failed prosecution, was potentially implicated by new evidence that got the case against Alec Baldwin tossed. In an exclusive interview with THR's Winston Cho and Gary Baum , Kenney says the deadly bullet didn’t come from him and alleges foul play. The interview.
—"I have absolutely no ill will towards Elon, quite the opposite." Elon Musk has moved to foreclose on Gene Wilder’s former home in Los Angeles after the late star’s nephew, filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman, bought the Bel-Air house in 2020 with a help of a loan from the billionaire. Four years ago, Musk sold the home with four bedrooms and five bathrooms for $7m, but only after lending Walker-Pearlman $6.7m to complete the purchase so he and his wife could return to a home the Constellation director had known in his childhood. The story.
—🎭 London calling 🎭 Cate Blanchett will return to the stage for the first time in six years. The Oscar winner will perform as Arkadina in a new version of Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull at the Barbican Theatre in London for six weeks from February. Blanchett will be joined by Furiosa star Tom Burke in the production, with the pair having recently wrapped on Steven Soderbergh film Black Bag. The play has been adapted by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier, who will also direct the show. The story. |
Paramount Signals Closer Consideration of Bronfman's Bid ►Window extended. A last-minute overture for Paramount Global is getting more serious consideration from Shari Redstone and the company’s special committee of the board of directors. The multibillion-dollar bid from a group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. arrived before the 45-day “go-shop” window for Paramount to evaluate alternate acquisition proposals was set to formally end on Aug. 21. The window has been extended, signaling that the bid is being taken seriously as Redstone evaluates whether to go with an offer led by the heir to the Seagram family liquor fortune, Bronfman, or the heir to the Oracle software family fortune, David Ellison. The story.
—Daunting task. James P. Gorman, the executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, will chair Disney’s succession planning committee to select the company’s next CEO. Gorman previously oversaw the succession process at Morgan Stanley. In addition to Gorman, Disney board chairman Mark G. Parker and directors Mary T. Barra and Calvin R. McDonald will continue to serve on the Committee. CEO Bob Iger has said he is stepping aside in 2026. The story.
—🤝 Merger deal 🤝 Hollywood business management firm Goldman & Knell is set to merge with rival Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman. Terms of the deal, unveiled Wednesday by Focus Financial Partners, were not revealed. L.A.-based Goldman & Knell offers international tax and accounting advice among other business management services and has a Hollywood clientele in the film, TV and music spaces that is understood to include Claire Danes, Hugh Dancy and Piers Morgan. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. The story.
—Moving forward. A California appeals court has issued a final ruling that Michael Jackson’s estate can proceed with a $600m sale of the singer’s catalog to Sony Music, rejecting objections from his mother that aimed to block the deal. A month after the appeals court issued a tentative ruling against Katherine Jackson, the court finalized that decision on Wednesday – ruling that the estate’s executors (John Branca and John McClain) didn’t violate the terms of Michael’s will when they inked the gargantuan deal with Sony. The story. |
Berlanti to Receive TV Academy's 2024 Governors Award ►🏆 Legend 🏆 Greg Berlanti is set to receive the Television Academy’s 2024 Governors Award, which will be presented during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards telecast on Sept. 15. The TV Academy said that Berlanti, a prolific film and TV creator, writer, producer and director, is being recognized for his "significant impact on television and culture by depicting the underrepresented in film and in such iconic series as Dawson’s Creek, Riverdale, All American, The Flight Attendant and You." The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 The Emmy-winning TV anchor Jane Pauley and the Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney will receive lifetime achievement awards at the 45th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. Pauley will be feted at the News ceremony on Sept. 25, while Gibney will be honored at the Documentary ceremony on Sept. 26. Both gatherings will take place at the Palladium Times Square in New York City and will be livestreamed on NATAS’s viewing platform. The story.
—First time. Megan Thee Stallion has been tapped to host the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, set to take place Sept. 11. This will mark the rapper's first-ever awards show hosting gig, coming on the heels of her five nominations at this year’s VMAs, including best collaboration with GloRilla and best hip-hop, the same category she last won in 2020 for "Savage." She has previously won two VMAs and three Grammys, among other accolades. Megan is no stranger to hosting duties, though, having previously hosted Saturday Night Live and serving as co-host for The Tonight Show. The story. |
Rotten Tomatoes Adds "Hot" Movies Rating ►"We are excited to celebrate and shine a spotlight on the theatrical films that fans have unanimously embraced." Rotten Tomatoes is making a significant addition to its film rankings, unveiling a new “Verified Hot” badge on Aug. 21 meant to reflect the views of average moviegoers. In order for a film to receive the Verified Hot designation, it needs to have a Verified Audience Score of 90 percent or higher on its Popcornmeter, among other eligibility requirements. Rotten Tomatoes will only use audience reviews from people whom it has verified as having purchased a ticket to that film via sister company Fandango, the ticketing firm also owned by Comcast. The story.
—"We will never, ever be able to thank you enough for it." Taylor Swift has broken yet another record with her worldwide Eras Tour. With her final show of the European leg of her massive tour, the superstar became the solo artist to play London’s famous Wembley Stadium the most times in a single tour. The record was previously held by Michael Jackson, who performed at the stadium seven times during his Bad Tour in 1988. Pop group Take That also performed at the stadium eight times on their 2011 Progress Tour. The story.
—Update. Michael Madsen is speaking out after his arrest on charges of domestic battery. The actor, 66, a fixture of Quentin Tarantino's films, was booked in Malibu in the early hours of Aug. 18 after police responded to a “family disturbance” report involving his wife, DeAnna Madsen, 64. A lawyer for the Reservoir Dogs star says the actor's estranged wife "broke into" his Malibu home amid fallout over their son's death. The two separated following the devastating 2022 suicide of the couple’s 26-year-old son, Hudson, a U.S. Army sergeant who served in Afghanistan. The story.
—Cause of death. Richard Simmons' brother Lenny has confirmed that the fitness guru died of natural causes. In a statement, the Simmons family said that Lenny received a call from the Los Angeles Coroner’s office, informing him that Simmons’ death "was accidental due to complications from recent falls and heart diseases as a contributing factor." The ’80s icon died on July 13 at his home in Los Angeles, a day after his 76th birthday. The story. |
Lionsgate Pulls 'Megalopolis' Trailer Featuring Fake Quotes ►Face plant. Lionsgate is working to take down its trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis after it was revealed to include fabricated quotes from movie critics. "We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry," Lionsgate said in a grovelling statement. The trailer launched Monday and featured supposed snippets from reviews for Coppola's masterpieces The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now. His latest, Megalopolis , has been divisive and controversial from the get-go, and these fabricated quotes seemed to show that Coppola has been doubted before, even for movies that are considered classics. The story.
—🎭 Back-up plan 🎭 Candace Cameron Bure and Cameron Mathison are set to star in a Christmas film later this year, but it’s not the one they initially expected to make. Cable network Great American Family announced Wednesday that Cameron Bure and Mathison will make their debut as co-stars with Home Sweet Christmas, an original holiday movie set to air on the channel in 2024. The project is currently in production and will be part of the fourth annual Great American Christmas block of programming. Last month, Great American Family announced that the two performers were set to co-star in an original holiday film called Jingle Bells, Wedding Bells that was expected to air in November. The story.
—Circling Back. Sphere, the groundbreaking Las Vegas entertainment venue, will present V-U2, an immersive concert film directed by Morleigh Steinberg and band member The Edge. Opening Sept. 5, the film is billed as a “one-of-a-kind cinematic experience” focused on the iconic band’s inaugural run with U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. U2 played to more 700,000 fans across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. The shows commemorated one of U2’s most successful records, the chart-topping 1991 release Achtung Baby, played in its entirety with selected tracks from other U2 efforts over the years. The story. |
Can Todd Haynes' Gay Love Story Be Saved? ►Chaos. Joaquin Phoenix's decision to pull out of Todd Haynes' gay romance at the last moment was the nightmare scenario for the project. Pedro Pascal’s name has been bandied about as a replacement, though sources tell THR he’d be an unlikely choice given that Pascal’s schedule is packed until the end of the year with Fantastic Four and The Mandalorian shoots. Pascal is also unlikely to fill in because Haynes had already cast Top Gun: Maverick's Danny Ramirez as Phoenix’s love interest in the film, which centers on a corrupt L.A. cop in the 1930s who has a torrid affair with a nonwhite male character. The story.
—Not great. Under ordinary circumstances, a sequel to the female-focused drama It Ends With Us would be a no-brainer. The $25m-budgeted Sony Pictures film has collected more than $180m globally since opening Aug. 9, and author Colleen Hoover already published a best-selling sequel, the 2022 novel It Starts With Us. THR's Aaron Couch and Carly Thomas write that the well-publicized rift between star-producer Blake Lively and director-star Justin Baldoni raises the question whether a sequel is viable, at least with both of them involved. The story.
—🎭 Shut up, and take my money 🎭 Columbia Pictures is hoping to squeeze out a new Anaconda movie for the 2020s. Jack Black and Paul Rudd are in early talks to star in a reimagining of the 1997 horror movie that launched a mini-franchise. Tom Gormican, who directed the Nicolas Cage meta movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is co-writing with collaborator Kevin Etten and will direct the feature. The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a Nat Geo film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned. The story. |
Beckham: It Took Making a Docuseries for Me to Feel OK Again ►"This was the first time I had truly confronted some pretty monumental moments in my life, and it was therapeutic." In a guest column for THR, David Beckham writes that creating the Emmy-nominated Netflix docuseries Beckham addressed mental-health wounds so deep, he's still not sure if he'll ever be fully rid of them. The column.
—🎭 Croeso i Gymru 🎭 Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly will lead a new Sky Original crime thriller titled Under Salt Marsh. From writer, creator and executive producer Claire Oakley, who will also direct the series, Sky Studios will begin filming the series later this year. Set in the fictional Welsh 🏴 town of Morfa Halen, a tight-knit community is nestled between mountains and a fast-encroaching sea that threatens its very existence. As a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather far out at sea, former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis (Reilly) discovers the body of her 8-year-old pupil, Cefin, seemingly drowned. The story.
—🎭 New faces 🎭 Netflix's One Piece is rounding out its season two cast. Katey Sagal and Mark Harelik are the newest additions, they’ll portray Dr. Kurehao and Dr. Hiriluk, respectively. Sagal is known for her roles in Sons of Anarchy and The Conners, while Harelik recently appeared in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent and The Morning Show. The actors join previously announced new castmembers Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Clive Russell as Crocus, Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton and Werner Coetser as Dorry. The story.
—🎭 Mommy dearest 🎭 Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes and The Good Doctor's Freddie Highmore will lead a new Amazon Prime Video series entitled The Assassin. It follows a retired assassin called Julie (Hawes), who, while living a secluded life on a remote Greek island, has a somewhat thorny reunion wit her estranged son Edward (Highmore). The six-episode series is written by Harry and Jack Williams and has commenced filming in Greece. The story.
—"A gripping and propulsive cat-and-mouse thriller." A TV series based on Kimberly Belle’s thriller novel The Paris Widow is in the works. The adaptation will kick off a first-look deal signed between producers Brittany A. Little and Larissa Bell of Little Bell Productions and Universal Television. Belle will also produce. The Paris Widow centers on a dream vacation that turns deadly when secrets from the past catch-up to a married couple in Paris. The story. |
Film Review: 'Greedy People' ►"Too clever for its own good." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Potsy Ponciroli's Greedy People. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Himesh Patel, Lily James, Tim Blake Nelson and Uzo Aduba star in the twisty tale about the violent goings-on in a small island town. The review.
In other news...
—Don’t Cry, Butterfly trailer explores a Vietnamese woman’s evolving response to adultery
—Sabrina Carpenter drops “Taste” of new song using Instagram’s latest Y2K-inspired feature
—Kate Beckinsale, Kelly Rowland and Rumer Willis set to join amfAR’s Venice gala
—Shari Redstone set to speak at New York Advertising Week
—Hector Sanchez, Paul Doyle join Annapurna from Epic Games
—Santa Barbara Film Fest set for Denis Villeneuve retrospective
—Lenny Kravitz, Halsey join VMA performers lineup
—Ashanti and Nelly welcome their first child
—Santa Monica's new beachfront hotel Sandbourne blends classic luxuries and unexpected offerings
—This new med spa in Switzerland is the quiet luxury of healthy living
What else we're reading...
—Rebecca Traister reflects on nice guys Tim Walz and Doug Emhoff, and how the election is being defined by two very different kinds of men [Intelligencer]
—With the 2024 DNC giving off 2008 vibes, Nate Jones writes that the recent burst of positivity in pop culture is also very reminiscent of "Obamacore" [Vulture]
—Lucas Shaw talks to four experts on how they think AI will change Hollywood [Bloomberg]
—With the rise of the 'trad wife' on social media, Amy X. Wang looks into the trend of women dressing up as 1950s homemakers and why it is making people so angry [NYT]
—Alexander Saeedy and Dana Mattioli report that Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter is now the worst buyout for Wall Street banks since the financial crisis [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2012, Open Road Films released David Palmer and Dax Shepard's Hit and Run. Shepard also stars in the comic chase film alongside Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold and Beau Bridges. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Dua Lipa (29), David Chase (79), Kristen Wiig (51), James Corden (46), Chia-Hui Liu (69), Richard Armitage (53), Colm Feore (66), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (57), Ty Burrell (57), Rodrigo Santoro (49), Dakota Goyo (25), Raphael Alejandro (17), Mark Williams (65), Courtney Gains (59), Melinda Page Hamilton (50), Andrew Wilson (60), Jennifer Finnigan (45), Rick Yune (53), Ross Marquand (43), Keith Powers (32), Brandon Quintin Adams (45), Brooke Dillman (58), Jenna Leigh Green (50), Paul Chahidi (55), Israel Broussard (30), Jackie Geary (47), Laura Breckenridge (41), Jasmine Waltz (42), Regina Taylor (64), Aparna Nancherla (22), Jacob Dudman (27), Shirine Boutella (34), Lara Harris (62), Ari Stidham (32), Ricardo Hurtado (25) |
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