| | | | | | What's news: Google has been found to have violated antitrust laws. Billions actor Akili McDowell has been charged with murder. HOTD S2 averaged 25m viewers per episode. David Lynch says he’s been diagnosed with emphysema. Lionsgate TV has greenlit a John Wick series. Stephanie Hsu will star in Quinta Brunson's comedy feature Par for the Course. — Abid Rahman
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Harris Picks Walz! ►Unity candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate in her 2024 presidential bid, according to multiple reports. Walz, 60, spent 12 years in the House of Representatives, where he was well-respected and forged strong relationships with fellow legislators before being elected to Minnesota governor in 2018. His characterization of Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, as “weird,” was quickly picked up by Harris and other Democrats. The story.
—Huge! Google has been found to have violated antitrust laws by building a moat around its monopoly over search. In a ruling that could have sweeping impact in the digital ad market, a federal judge sided with the government in a landmark antitrust case over allegations that competitors were sidelined and customers got a lower-quality experience on the internet due to the tech giant’s dominance in search. The court pointed to exclusive deals with other companies, like Apple and Samsung, to have Google as the default search engine on their phones and browsers. The story.
—Murder charge. Akili McDowell, an actor who appeared on the Showtime series Billions and starred in the OWN series David Makes Man, has been arrested and charged with murder. Homicide investigators charged the 21-year-old with murder in the shooting death of Cesar Peralta, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. McDowell was recently taken into custody and booked into the Harris County Jail, police added. The story.
—Meh. Fox Corp.'s fiscal Q4 delivered a mixed bag for the company, with advertising essentially flat from the same quarter last year, overall revenues up slightly, and profits down slightly. Overall revenue in the quarter were $3.09b, up 2 percent from last year, and driven by affiliate fee increases at the Fox Broadcast Network and in the cable division, led by Fox News. Advertising revenue accounted for $1.01b of that total, essentially flat from the $1.01b haul the company had a year earlier. The results.
—"A clear violation of the editorial standards." Bloomberg says that it has “taken disciplinary action” against some staffers after the outlet “prematurely” published a story on the prisoner swap with Russia that saw journalist Evan Gershkovich freed last week. Bloomberg EIC John Micklethwait told employees about the decision Monday morning in a memo. Micklethwait added that he had personally written letters to all the prisoners involved in the swap apologizing for the mistake. The story. |
Lynch Gives Health Update, Can No Longer Leave House ►"I’m homebound whether I like it or not." Legendary filmmaker David Lynch says he’s been diagnosed with emphysema after many years of smoking, and that he’s now housebound. The Blue Velvet director and Twin Peaks creator reveals he cannot leave his home over fears he’ll get COVID-19. Lynch noted he’s unlikely to direct a film again, unless he could shoot a film remotely. "I would do it remotely if it comes to it," he said. "I wouldn’t like that so much." The story.
—Raising questions. Conservative internet Adin Ross’ livestream with Donald Trump reached 500,000 viewers Monday afternoon. The stream was notable for Ross gifting Trump a gold Rolex watch and a customized Tesla Cybertruck, acts that set off questions of campaign finance laws on social media. The story.
—All change. CBS News and Stations is rolling out a new executive leadership structure under CEO Wendy McMahon. Among the big changes are some promotions: Adrienne Roark will become president of editorial and newsgathering, assuming most of the responsibilities of Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, who exited as president of CBS News last month. Jennifer Mitchell will become president of stations and digital, overseeing the local TV stations and the division’s digital efforts. The story.
—🎭 Barcelona via Paris and London 🎭 Lily Collins will join Money Heist's Álvaro Morte in the pair’s West End stage debuts. The Emily in Paris star has been added to Bess Wohl's acclaimed two-character play Barcelona at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End from Oct. 21 to Jan. 11, 2025. Directed by Lynette Linton and written by playwright and screenwriter Wohl, the play is set in Barcelona, where an American woman on a bachelorette weekend plunges recklessly into a one-night stand with a dashing Spaniard. The story. |
FX for the Win: The Story Behind a Remarkable Emmys Resurgence ►"If we had not been bought by Disney, I think the number of Emmy nominations our artists received on [July 17] would have been zero, or much closer to zero than 93." Propelled by Shogun and The Bear, FX scored a stunning 93 Emmy nominations this year, two more than HBO and second only to Netflix. THR's executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg explains how they did it. The analysis.
—"I apologize for the wait, but we're going to pull off a hell of a win with The Battle of the Gullet." The House of the Dragon co-creator and showrunner took some questions from the press on Monday following a second season finale that had some fans feeling short-changed. In a virtual press conference, showrunner Ryan Condal was asked about the second season ending right before a highly anticipated battle sequence, the decision to include a surprise Daenerys Targaryen cameo, and more. The story.
—Still packing them in. The season two finale of HOTD may have left some viewers underwhelmed, but a lot of them tuned in. The HBO series drew its largest first-night audience of the season on Sunday, with 8.9m viewers across all platforms. That’s a 14 percent improvement over the season premiere in June and about 800,000 more viewers than the previous season best of 8.1m for the season’s fourth episode. HBO says season two as a whole has averaged 25m viewers per episode, down from 29m for the first season. The ratings.
—Are we thinking he's back? The John Wick franchise is eyeing another TV iteration. Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski are among the EPs of a sequel series in development at Lionsgate Television. Robert Levine is attached as writer and showrunner on the project, titled John Wick: Under the High Table. Stahelski is also set to direct the pilot episode of the series. Under the High Table will follow the events of John Wick: Chapter 4. The story.
—🎭 New faces 🎭 Two new actors will be scrubbing in for Chicago Med's 10th season. Sarah Ramos and Darren Barnet have joined the NBC drama as series regulars. Ramos’ character is named Dr. Caitlin Lenox, and Barnet will play Dor. John Frost. Other details are being kept under wraps for now. They will join a cast that also features S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt, Marlyne Barrett, Jessy Schram, Steven Weber and Luke Mitchell. The story. |
Affleck, Damon Developing Hulk Hogan Movie About Gawker Case ►🎭 Hell yeah, brother! 🎭 A feature focusing on Hulk Hogan's legal battle with Gawker Media is in the works from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company Artists Equity. The shingle has acquired the screenplay for Killing Gawker from scribe Charles Randolph. Good Will Hunting's Gus Van Sant is in talks to helm with Affleck reportedly circling the role of Hogan, although casting decisions have not been finalized. The story.
—🎭 New A-list assemble! 🎭 Jenna Ortega is in talks to join Glen Powell in the new J.J. Abrams movie set up at Warner Bros. Little is known about the project that was written by Abrams and will be produced by his Bad Robot, which has an overall deal with the studio. Powell, who is currently in theaters with Twisters, is set to star in the Running Man remake from Edgar Wright. Ortega will soon star in the WB's Beetlejuice sequel. The story.
—🎭 In talks 🎭 Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are eyeing a new feature from filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli. A24 is set to finance and produce The Drama, which hails from Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen’s production company Square Peg. The stars are in early talks for the lead roles in the film from Borgli, who previously wrote and directed A24’s Dream Scenario. Plot details have not been shared, but The Drama is said to involve a couple whose romance changes dramatically before their big day. The story.
—🎭 It's about gold, right? 🎭 Emmy winning Abbott Elementary triple threat Quinta Brunson is tackling film, with new comedy Par for the Course for Universal. Brunson co-wrote and will produce and star in the feature that will co-star Everything Everywhere All At Once star Stephanie Hsu. Plot details for the comedy will be kept under wraps. The story.
—🎭 Heading south 🎭 The First Purge director Gerard McMurray is set to helm Goons, a new Louisiana-set horror feature set amid the eerie backdrop of the state’s cane fields and plantations. Power's Michael Rainey Jr. and The Exorcism's Chloe Bailey will star in the feature, which is now filming in New Orleans and nearby areas. The story.
—🎭 Knockout casting 🎭 Top Boy breakout Jasmine Jobson is set to star in a biopic about female boxing champion Ramla Ali. The BAFTA-winner top lines In the Shadows, which will film in London, and tells the story of Ali, a woman who secretly pursued her dream to become the first Somali-British professional boxing champion. The film's cast also includes Finn Cole, Richard Moore and Gershwyn Eustache Jr. The story.
—Lev-ity. Rachel Maddow is getting into the feature documentary business. The MSNBC host has produced her first feature-length doc through her production banner Surprise Inside, with the cable channel acquiring the project. The film, From Russia With Lev, chronicles the scheme that led to former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. MSNBC will debut the film next month. The story.
—So amazing. A feature doc on legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross is heading to theaters this fall. Giant Pictures is on board as the theatrical distributor for Luther: Never Too Much, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. The doc will premiere on CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and Max in 2025. The doc arrives nearly 20 years after the eight-time Grammy winner died in 2005 at 54. The story. |
Pricey Veneers Have Made Hollywood Smiles Too Perfect ►"The worst thing in the world for me is if someone walks up to you and says, ‘Oh my God, your veneers look great.’ I don’t want people to know you have them." Perfect teeth, long a Hollywood ideal, have now become the onscreen standard for A-list actors. With $60,000 smiles now de rigueur among actors, not everyone is smiling. THR's Gary Baum reports that make-up artists are forced to fit actors with dirty-looking dentures and more realistic prosthetics to play everyday people. The story.
In other news...
—Lucca Film Festival to honor Paul Schrader
—Cathy Repola to retire as national executive director of Editors Guild
—NBCUniversal’s Jeanne Mau upped to executive vp of DEI for television programming
—How these RuPaul’s Drag Race queens brought dramatic fashion to DragCon
—WME bolsters literary media department with new hires
—How to watch all the Planet of the Apes movies in order online
What else we're reading...
—In an op-ed, Sequoia Capital's Michael Moritz writes that some of Silicon Valley's leading names embracing Trump is a huge and dangerous mistake [FT]
—Kevin T. Dugan explains why global stock markets took a dive on Monday [Intelligencer]
—Critic Kathryn VanArendonk writes that Joe Rogan's first live Netflix comedy special is as exhausting as it is lazy [Vulture]
—After the U.S. government's landmark antitrust case against Google, Cecilia Kang and David McCabe report on the other cases the DOJ/FTC have in the pipeline against Big Tech [NYT]
—RFA reports that Chinese state TV pulled the plug on Taiwan's badminton victory at the Olympics [Radio Free Asia]
Today...
...in 1999, Buena Vista unveiled M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout hit The Sixth Sense in theaters. The film went on to be nominated for six Oscars at the 72nd Academy Awards, including best picture. The original review.
Today's birthdays: M. Night Shyamalan (54), Michelle Yeoh (62), Vera Farmiga (51), Melissa George (48), Kacey Rohl (33), Ty Simpkins (23), Romola Garai (42), Soleil Moon Frye (48), Ever Carradine (50), Jason O'Mara (52), Monique Ganderton (44), Nanna Blondell (38), Leland Orser (64), Lisa Boyle (60), Catherine Hicks (73), Leslie Odom Jr. (43), Stepfanie Kramer (68), Merrin Dungey (53), Scott MacArthur (45), Charlotte McKinney (31), Jennifer Lyons (47), Ryan Sypek (42), Jeremy Ratchford (59), Marisa Miller (46), Faith Prince (67), Amy Forsyth (29), Valerie Wildman (71), Dorian Harewood (74), Geri Horner (52), Peter Bonerz (86), Karl Davies (42), Dean Andrews (61), Ashlie Atkinson (47), Ella Cannon (34), Rory Scovel (44), Dane DiLiegro (36), Adrianne Curry (42), Oliver Tobias (77), Jonathan Rosenthal (36), De'voreaux White (59) |
| George Schenck, who served as a writer, producer and/or co-showrunner on NCIS during the CBS drama’s first 15 seasons, died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, a network spokesperson announced. He was 82. The obituary. |
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