| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is the multi-talented Demi Lovato. Paramount Television Studios will cease operations at the end of the week. Joaquin Phoenix likely faces legal action over pulling out of Todd Haynes' gay romance feature. Frozen III has a release date. Netflix has renewed Supacell. — Abid Rahman
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Demi Lovato Opened Old Wounds, Then Other Child Stars Joined In ►On the cover. In 2008, Disney introduced a then-15-year-old Demi Lovato to the world as the company's "next big thing." Now the Grammy-nominated singer is returning to Disney to make her directorial debut with Child Star, a bound-to-be-buzzy documentary set for a Sept. 17 release on Hulu. The project explores the deeply personal subject of early fame and the myriad challenges that come with trying to navigate it. THR's Lacey Rose spoke to Lovato about the brutally candid new doc and how she enlisted former young Hollywood icons like Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné and JoJo Siwa to divulge the pleasures and perils of early fame. The cover story. |
Jeff Shell's Past Lingers Over Paramount's Future ►"If this guy is now going to have the second-highest role at a major studio, people have a right to question it." Skydance Media mogul David Ellison will install Jeff Shell as the incoming chief of Paramount if the sale closes. THR's editor-at-large Kim Masters looks into whether the former NBCUniversal chief’s April 2023 firing over claims of sexual harassment will complicate the move. The story.
—"This move is the result of significant changes in the TV and streaming marketplace." Paramount Global is shutting down its namesake TV studio as the company embarks on a major round of layoffs. Paramount Television Studios will cease operations at the end of the week, president Nicole Clemens and Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks told staff Tuesday morning. Clemens will exit the company, and all current series and projects in development at Paramount TV Studios — including Reacher, Apple’s Time Bandits and the upcoming Cross at Prime Video — will move under the CBS Studios umbrella. The story. |
Once a Cash Cow, Cable TV Is Now Roadkill. Is a Fire Sale Next? ►"The cable networks just are in this horrific, perennial, never-ending decline." On Aug. 7, Warner Bros. Discovery took a $9b impairment charge on its linear cable channels, a move made in part because of the apparent loss of NBA rights and uncertainty around affiliate renewals. A couple of days later, Paramount Global took a $6b charge on its cable channels, sparked by the valuation associated with the Skydance deal. $15b in value, wiped out in an instant. THR's Alex Weprin writes that as Paramount and WBD take on these massive hits to their businesses, executives will need to make difficult choices on managing the decline of cable. The analysis.
—Making bank. In its second to last week on Broadway, The Wiz brought in close to $1.7m, its highest tally of its run so far, putting it within the top five in the industry for the week. The revival, which features a revised book by Amber Ruffin, has been running at the Marquis Theatre since March 29 and is scheduled to close Aug. 18. Wicked with $2.23m, The Lion King with $2.14m and one of its performances fully comped, and Hamilton with $1.96m, were the three highest grossing musicals for the week. The story.
—Major win. Artists suing generative AI art generators have cleared a major hurdle in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over the uncompensated and unauthorized use of billions of images downloaded from the internet to train AI systems, with a federal judge allowing key claims to move forward. U.S. District Judge William Orrick on Monday advanced all copyright infringement and trademark claims in a pivotal win for artists. The story. |
How an Oscar Blogger Became a MAGA Darling ►"Most of the people I used to count on as friends have stopped talking to me." Awards Daily's Sasha Stone built a reputation as an independent voice on film, but a recent turn to the right — and a "white power" comment on social media — alienated Hollywood gatekeepers while endearing her to a new Trump-loving audience. The story.
—Let the speculation begin. Bowen Yang this week recalled a past Saturday Night Live host that left multiple castmembers in tears during the show’s table read. “This man who … this person, this host made multiple castmembers cry on Wednesday during the, before the table-read, because he hated the ideas,” Yang said during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live when he was asked about the worst SNL host behavior he’s ever experienced. Host Andy Cohen was left shocked, and Yang went on to call the ordeal “terrible.” The story.
—"Crime against the environment." Spanish officials have opened an investigation into the production company for Katy Perry's latest music video for filming in protected dunes of the Balearic Islands without permission. The Stillz-directed video for Perry’s newly-released single "Lifetimes" from her sixth studio album 143 shows the singer partying and clubbing on the Mediterranean islands, but Spanish authorities released a statement on Tuesday saying authorization was not sought to film on the ecologically-sensitive land on the isle of S’Espalmado in Formentera. The story.
—Arrested. Former Disney Channel actress Skai Jackson was arrested while at Universal Studios on Friday. Police responded to a domestic incident involving Jackson around 5 p.m. on Friday. Per the authorities’ initial investigation, Jackson was determined the primary aggressor and was arrested for spousal battery. It’s unclear who else was involved in the incident. Jackson starred as Zuri in the Disney Channel series Jessie from 2011 to 2015. She reprised the role for the first three seasons of the series’ spinoff, Bunk’d. The story. |
The Men of 'The Golden Bachelorette' Are Revealed ►"Age is just a number and romance is timeless." ABC has revealed the eligible group of seniors who will be competing for the heart of star Joan Vassos in the first season of The Golden Bachelorette. When the anticipated season kicks off Sept. 18 on ABC, there will be 24 contestants competing for Vassos’ final rose. Vassos, 61, whose husband died from pancreatic cancer after 32 years of marriage, will lead the first-ever senior spinoff with a Bachelorette at the helm, following the inaugural Golden Bachelor season with Gerry Turner. Vassos’ time on the Golden Bachelor was cut short after she eliminated herself during week three over a medical concern with her daughter. The lineup.
—No-brainer. Netflix has renewed Supacell, the series about five Black people in South London who unexpectedly develop superpowers. Created by Rapman, Supacell premiered on June 27 and has been a fixture in Netflix’s internal top 10 list of English-language series since its debut. The show has also received largely favorable reviews. The story.
—📅 Going live with Tyler 📅 Netflix has set a new weekly series — Live From the Other Side With Tyler Henry — that is scheduled to kick off Sept. 17, with new episodes streaming live every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PST. The deal calls for eight episodes at 45 minutes apiece. The official description details that Henry, “America’s No. 1 medium,” will give “celebrity guests hope, healing and long sought-after answers through emotional readings that showcase his gifts as a medium, clairvoyant and medical intuitive.” The show brings the clairvoyant medium back into the Netflix fold after he previously fronted the streamer's Emmy nominated Life After Death With Tyler Henry. The story.
—Quick as you like. Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan are officially back in the sitcom business. Hulu has ordered to series Mid-Century Modern from the duo, who will executive produce alongside Ryan Murphy. The multicamera project stars Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer, who will also executive produce. Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin also star. The series order for Mid-Century Modern, produced by 20th Television, comes less than two months after Hulu ordered a pilot for the show — an unusually quick turnaround for the streamer. The story.
—Back for more. Love Island spinoff series Love Island Games has been renewed for a second season at Peacock. The announcement comes days ahead of the Love Island USA season six reunion, which premieres on Monday. The latest installment, hosted by Vanderpump Rules breakout star Ariana Madix, aired earlier this year and reached massive success, quickly becoming the summer’s must-watch reality show. The story.
—📅 "A series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community" 📅 FX is revealing some more details — including a premiere date — for its forthcoming, Ryan Murphy-produced series Grotesquerie. The series, a horror drama that Murphy announced in February with a cryptic teaser, is set to premiere on Sept. 25 on the cable outlet and stream the next day on Hulu. The cast includes Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Raven Goodwin and NFL star Travis Kelce. The story. |
Justin Baldoni Hires Crisis PR Vet Amid 'It Ends With Us' Drama ►Speculation grows. Justin Baldoni has hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan amid the release of It Ends With Us, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 hit book. The news comes days after sleuths flooded TikTok with speculation about an alleged rift between Baldoni and his cast and crew, including co-star and producer Blake Lively, as well as Hoover. Chatter spiked when fans noticed Baldoni’s absence from joint press events and the lack of group photos of Lively and Baldoni together at the New York premiere Aug. 6. Nathan had previously reppped Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial. The story.
—📅 Dated 📅 Disney's Frozen III will skate into theaters on Nov. 24, 2027. The official date came days after Walt Disney Animation’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee shared the first concept art for Frozen III at D23, where she also revealed it would arrive in cinemas sometime in 2027. As previously announced, she confirmed a fourth film is also in the works. The Frozen franchise has been a boon for Disney and a Thanksgiving staple; 2013’s Frozen earned $1.28b, while Frozen II (2019) brought in $1.45b. The story.
—Firming up the slate. Talaria Media is beefing up its development pipeline with three new projects. Rising scribe Jamie Anderson, who has become a go-to creative for the Bobby Morgan-founded company, is involved in all three projects. Anderson is attached to direct the wrestling drama Arigato Tokyo from a script by Mark Blutman, who won an Emmy for the Apple TV+ show Ghostwriter. Anderson is also behind Good Egg, writing a script described as "a female empowerment story set in the mid-1800s." The story. |
Phoenix's Last-Minute Exit Sparks "Outrage" Among Hollywood Producers ►He has form. When Joaquin Phoenix abruptly exited Todd Haynes’ gay romance movie last week, just five days before production, the actor set off a tidal wave of outrage in Hollywood and, insiders say, makes legal action against the Joker star a likely outcome. THR's Kim Masters, Mia Galuppo and Borys Kit report that Phoenix is known to get cold feet ahead of filming on various projects. Two sources tell THR that he threatened to leave Ridley Scott’s Napoleon unless his The Master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was brought in to do rewrites. Placated, he stayed aboard the project, and it arrived in theaters late last year. The story.
—Final call. The Toronto Film Festival has made its final lineup announcement for its 2024 edition. Making the cut is Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian epic Megalopolis and Nick Hamm’s medieval action drama William Tell. Both movies will get a Gala premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. TIFF has also booked Special Presentations slots for another 12 titles, including Daniel Minahan’s period drama On Swift Horses, John Maggio’s Paul Anka: His Way biopic and Max Minghella’s dark comedy Shell. The lineup.
—Blanchett coverage. TIFF has also unveiled speakers for its 2024 edition, to include discussions with Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldaña and Steven Soderbergh. Blanchett will be in Toronto along with two of her latest projects: Alfonso Cuarón’s TV series Disclaimer and Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson and Guy Maddin’s Rumours, which bowed in Cannes. The two-time Oscar-winner will also be honored in Toronto with a Tribute Award, while also participating in the In Conversation With … event. The story. |
How Nikki Glaser Became the New Queen of Comedy ►"The roast was such a big moment for me, and my life changed overnight." Nikki Glaser is in the midst of a banner year. The comedian's second HBO special, Someday You’ll Die, has garnered over 3m viewers since its May 11 release and was nominated for an Emmy in the prerecorded variety special category. And Glaser emerged from a strong field to become the MVP of the Tom Brady roast. THR's Nicole Fell spoke to Glaser about her stellar year and impact of that roast on her career. The interview.
—"F*** the haters." THR's Lacey Rose spoke to comedian Matt Rife about his new Netflix special Lucid. The 28-year-old comic dishes on the controversy that seems to follow him around, his acting ambitions, his new memoir and the workplace gym comedy he's hoping to write and star in for the streamer. The interview.
—"We only roast the ones we love." THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to roast legend Jeff Ross about Netflix’s The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady. Ross, the executive producer of the special, explains why the Brady roast was the "Mount Rushmore of all great live TV specials" and how the zingers by its murderers’ row of insult comics "always end[ed] with a hug." The interview. |
Film Review: 'Skincare' ►"Skin-deep." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Austin Peters' Skincare. A famous Los Angeles aesthetician becomes obsessed with her rival in Peters' debut narrative feature starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman and Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez. The review.
In other news...
—Kraven the Hunter trailer shows off Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s killer instincts
—RHONY S15 trailer announces premiere date, teases bombshell revelations
—Netflix teases showdown in Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef trailer
—Only Murders in the Building heads to Hollywood in S4 trailer
—A Very Royal Scandal: See Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew in first-look photos
—Pedro Almodóvar to receive San Sebastián Film Festival honor
—Ellen Burstyn to receive Liberatum Pioneer Award at Venice Film Festival
—Late summer Southern California getaways
—Peggy Moffitt, sixties model, dies at 87
What else we're reading...
—Jonathan Weisman reports on the possible musical headliners for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week [NYT]
—Michael Ordoña spoke to Reservation Dogs showrunner and co-creator Sterlin Harjo about why he had to end the critically acclaimed show at the conclusion of Season 3 [LAT]
—Has Burning Man peaked? Ellen Huet reports that tickets are still available for the 2024 edition of the festival that used to sell out immediately [Bloomberg]
—With Banksy dropping 9 new works on the streets of London, Liz Jackson and Adriana Elgueta try to unpack what the series means [BBC]
—Clea Skopeliti explains why a number of popular European holiday destinations, including Barcelona, Lisbon and Florence, have become increasingly anti-tourist [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1998, 20th Century Fox unveiled the Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg starrer How Stella Got Her Groove Back in theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Halle Berry (58), Mila Kunis (41), Steve Martin (79), Lamorne Morris (41), Wim Wenders (79), Joseph Marcell (76), Jackée Harry (68), John Hillcoat (63), Antonio Fargas (78), Andrew Kevin Walker (60), Brianna Hildebrand (28), Catherine Bell (56), Marcia Gay Harden (65), Emmanuelle Béart (60), Terry Notary (56), Christopher Gorham (50), Neil Newbon (46), Leah Purcell (54), Scott Michael Campbell (53), Peter Franzén (53), Carl Lumbly (73), Miranda Rae Mayo (34), Jamie Sives (51), Marsai Martin (20), Susan Saint James (78), Cassi Thomson (31), Adrian Lester (56), Jennifer Flavin (56), Jose Coronado (67), Charlotte Nicdao (33), James Buckley (37), Raoul Bova (53), Jessica Sipos (40), Tomer Sisley (50), Ben Bass (56), Casey LaBow (38), Alison Thornton (25), David Call (42), Sylvia Jefferies (55), Adrienne C. Moore (44) |
| Kim Kahana, the stunt performer, teacher, coordinator and war hero who played Chongo on the kids show Danger Island and doubled for Charles Bronson in several action films, has died. He was 94. The obituary. |
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