| | | | | | What's news: Paramount is keen on a new film in the World War Z universe. Trump has made his first picks for the Kennedy Center Honors. NBCU has acquired all screen rights to the Jason Bourne and Treadstone books. Derek Hough is the new host of Extra. Shailene Woodley has joined Lindsay Lohan as lead in Hulu's Count My Lies. — Abid Rahman
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THR's 44 Most Powerful Players in Podcasting 2025 ►Best of the best. For the fourth straight year, THR presents its tally of the on-air talent and dealmakers who are making the biggest waves in podcasting. The list — which considers chart position, deal size, and cultural cachet — captures the industry at a critical inflection point. Whether they’re behind the mic or behind the scenes, these trailblazers are steering the maturing medium through an increasingly crowded landscape and critical transitions to video and AI. The list.
—Who’s really winning the podcast wars — and how. The top of the podcast charts might not look like they’ve changed much over the past couple of years, but make no mistake: There has been a major shift in the currents of what’s popular in the medium. THR's James Hibberd writes that lavishly produced, narrative-style podcasts have fallen out of favor. Chat shows and crime-of-the-week efforts rule. And being on camera is no longer optional: "We’re literally just a bunch of YouTubers now." The analysis.
—Fudging the numbers? Every podcaster agrees that getting on top of the charts is good: for discovery, for brand partnerships, for bragging rights. But most are in the dark about the various methodologies behind the charts on platforms such as Apple and Spotify. In general, there’s a consensus that the rankings are not indicative of a show’s success or overall audience. THR's Caitlin Huston writes that all of this speaks to overall murkiness around metrics in the fast-growing industry and the possibility that they might be manipulated: "I can’t believe how many people are dishonest about this stuff." The story.
—"Everyone’s using [AI] already — at least in some way." In a survey accompanying our overview of the most powerful people in podcasting, THR asked top talent, execs, and agents to weigh in on their favorite episodes, the biggest challenges facing the industry, the role to be played AI, and more. The likes of Alex Cooper, Dax Shepard, Megyn Kelly, Josh Clark, Shawn Ryan, Tom Holland, Michael Barbaro, Bill Simmons, Charlamagne tha God, the Pod Save guys, Jay Shetty and more offer their thoughts. The survey. |
Ellison and Top Paramount Execs Outline Film, TV Plans ►"One of our biggest priorities is restoring Paramount as the No. 1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world." On Wednesday, David Ellison, the newly minted CEO of Paramount Skydance, showed off his new throne — metaphorically speaking — and C-suite when hosting a meet-and-greet for journalists on the storied Melrose Lot in Hollywood, home of Paramount Pictures. The gathering followed a similar event in New York held Aug. 7, the day the $8b merger officially closed. The L.A. presser focused more on the movie and TV side. At the event, he called Top Gun 3 a top priority at the studio, and said he would be in the Tom Cruise business as long as the A-list star — with whom he has made ten films in Ellison’s former life at Skydance — wanted to tell stories with him.
Ellison, who said he intended to make movies exclusively for theaters, now has full control over a number of film franchises he already worked on at Skydance. Co-film chief Josh Greenstein said these franchises would be a priority, noting the company hopes to release 15 films a year, and then up that to 20. He name checked Star Trek and Transformers, with a surprise being World War Z, the 2013 Brad Pitt zombie feature. The story.
—"We’re [six] days in, but I do feel like there’s a lot to preserve there." Paramount Skydance’s top executives aren’t looking to follow moves by NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery to spin off their company’s cable channels into a separate entity. That should not, however, be taken to mean that they’re just fine with the status quo. “There’s no question that [cable is] a super challenging business,” George Cheeks, chairman of TV media at the newly merged company, said Wednesday during the media session. Cheeks, who was a co-CEO of Paramount and head of CBS prior to the merger, will continue to run the broadcast network while adding the company’s cable outlets to his portfolio. With streaming taking a dominant position in TV use and cable numbers shrinking, Cheeks and Paramount Skydance president Jeff Shell both acknowledged to reporters that they’ll need to make some changes to the business model. The story.
—Not over yet. Shari Redstone may have sealed the Paramount-Skydance deal, but her holding company, National Amusements, may now face a flurry of legal challenges. A major shareholder of Paramount stock has filed a class action lawsuit over the company’s merger with Skydance, the first of what’s expected to be several complaints involving the payout to minority investors in the deal. Billionaire money manager Mario Gabelli’s Value 25 Fund and its affiliates (GAMCO), in a lawsuit filed under seal on Wednesday in Delaware Chancery Court, alleges National Amusements received “unfair and inequitable” payouts compared to other investors, who believe that the merger enriched controlling shareholder Redstone at their expense. The story. |
Mubi Responds to Director Backlash Over Investor's Ties to Israel's Military ►"We stand firmly against war and tyranny in all forms, and in support of the dignity and freedom of all people." Mubi will not be parting ways with Sequoia Capital, an investor with ties to the Israeli military, following outrage from the distributor’s top filmmakers, but the company has told its creatives: "Any suggestion that our work is connected to funding the war is simply untrue." Founder and CEO of Mubi, Efe Cakarel, has responded after over 35 directors signed an open letter to the arthouse distributor criticizing its relationship with Sequoia. Among them are Joshua Oppenheimer, Sarah Friedland, Levan Akin, Radu Jude, Miguel Gomes, as well as Israeli filmmakers Ari Folman, Nadav Lapid, and Amalia Ulman.
Cakarel told the Mubi community in a letter Thursday, "I’ve spent these weeks in deep reflection, talking with our team, filmmakers, producers, and partners around the world. We have been exploring how to take thoughtful and decisive action while upholding the values that have always guided us." Cakarel clarified that the profits Mubi generates "do not fund any other companies in Sequoia’s portfolio." The story.
—"It was never my intention to offend or alienate anyone." The Toronto Film Festival has backed down from a decision to pull the invite for director Barry Avrich’s documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue over security and footage clearance concerns. The Canadian doc centers on retired Israeli general Noam Tibon rescuing his family, including his son, from Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 when they invaded Kibbutz Nahal Oz. TIFF organizers sparked opposition with an earlier decision to not screen the Canadian documentary at its 2025 edition after issuing an invitation to the filmmaker. Late Wednesday, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey issued a statement obtained by THR where he offered “my sincere apologies for any pain this situation may have caused." The story. |
Stern Tries to Own the Rumor Mill of His SiriusXM Demise ►All will be revealed. Taking on the Fleet Street rumor mill isn’t easy, but it appears SiriusXM and Howard Stern are giving it a shot. In the lead-up to Stern’s next contract talks with the satellite radio giant — his five-year deal was estimated to be worth $100m a year and is up at the end of 2025 — a familiar refrain of “Is this it for Howard?” has echoed a bit louder given his age, 71, and this transitional media moment (podcasts are flooding the zone, and also becoming the new TV, too). This time it was the Murdoch-owned London tabloid The Sun , with its Aug. 5 air quote “to be canceled” headline, that sent a reminder that it’s once again negotiations mode between the “King of All Media” and his home for the past two decades. On Wednesday, a promo running on the satellite radio giant is leaning in to the chaos of the Stern show's "cancellation" and teasing that the host himself will reveal all on Sept. 2. The story.
—Trump's picks. The first honorees for the revamped Kennedy Center Honors have been unveiled by Donald Trump, who is also the new chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s honorees include Rocky star and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone; disco-era singer Gloria Gaynor; the rock band Kiss; Michael Crawford, the British star of The Phantom of the Opera; and country crooner and songwriter George Strait. The 48th Kennedy Center Honors, set to air on the CBS network and stream on Paramount+, will be hosted by Trump. The story.
—Awaiting possible retrial. Disgraced mogul and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein is ready to proceed with the retrial of the rape charge related to aspiring actress Jessica Mann, and is, at this point, not ready to plead guilty to the charge, according to his attorneys. “He doesn’t want the word rape associated with him,” attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse Wednesday. In June, Weinstein was convicted of one count of criminal assault in against former Project Runway assistant Miriam Haley, but not guilty of criminal sexual assault against former model Kaja Sokola. As part of that trial, a mistrial was called on the rape charge Weinstein faced after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberations saying he faced threats from other jurors. The story.
—Dear Lord, just take the L. Drake is looking for ammunition in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” In a discovery bid, Drake urged the court to force UMG and chief executive Lucian Grainge to turn over the label’s contract with Lamar, as well as information relating to allegations of domestic violence and other crimes committed by the Compton rapper. Lamar (Interscope Records) and Drake (Republic Records) are represented by different divisions of UMG. Their rap battle turned to court earlier this year when the Toronto rapper claimed that UMG spread defamatory assertions that he’s a pedophile by making secret payments and offering reduced licensing rates to third parties to promote the song, with the goal of devaluing his music and brand amid contract negotiations. The story. |
Disney Entertainment Reorganizes Marketing ►Ayaz we can. Disney Entertainment is restructuring its marketing division, with executives Asad Ayaz and Shannon Ryan each taking on new roles. Ayaz, chief brand officer for Disney, is also adding the title of president of Disney Entertainment Marketing, reporting to Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden. He’ll oversee marketing efforts for Disney’s studios and TV and streaming outlets while also leading brand strategy under CEO Bob Iger, including the in-house agencies for Disney Experiences and Disney Entertainment. Ryan, currently the head of TV marketing, will add direct-to-consumer to her purview as president, DTC and Disney Entertainment Television Marketing. The marketing teams for Disney+, led by Samantha Rosenberg, and Hulu, led by Barrie Gruner, will report to her as part of a unified team following the announcement that Hulu will be fully integrated into Disney+ next year. Ryan will report to Ayaz while still remaining on Walden’s leadership team. The story.
—Big get. Tubi, Fox’s free, ad-supporter streamer, has hired TikTok executive Kudzi Chikumbu as it expands its slate of programming from the creator economy. Chikumbu, who most recently served as global head of creator Marketing at TikTok, will serve as Tubi’s vice president of creator partnership, as the company works to bring in more original stories from social media creators. The move comes as Tubi strikes new partnerships with creators including Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast, Alan’s Universe, Jomboy Media, CelinaSpookyBoo and Steven He to feature their content on the platform. The story.
—"If we pass Section 181, we can help to keep telling these stories here in the U.S." One of Donald Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood is backing legislation aimed at extending the nation’s sole federal tax deduction for domestic film and television production. Jon Voight and his business partner Steven Paul called for the passage of the Creative Relief and Expensing for Artistic Entertainment Act (the CREATE Act) in statements on Wednesday that also plugged one of their upcoming movies, which shot in L.A. Announced on Aug. 1 by two Democrats and two Republicans, the CREATE Act seeks to extend Section 181 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows productions that shoot in the U.S. to deduct production costs sustained in the same year. The provision, which is otherwise set to sunset on Dec. 31, would be continue through 2030 under the Act. The story.
—$50m suit. Priscilla Presley has been sued by her former business partners, who accuse her of fraud and breach of contract for leaving them on the hook for massive damages after she falsely claimed ownership of her last name and brand despite secretly selling those rights decades ago. They claim she failed to disclose the sale while securing lucrative investments, leaving their business in ruin. In a lawsuit filed in California state court on Wednesday, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko, the heads of Priscilla Presley Partners, say they were caught in the crosshairs of a behind-the-scenes power struggle over the family trust. The story. |
Universal Picks Up 'Jason Bourne' Rights in Perpetuity ►🤝 Look at what they make you give. 🤝 After briefly exiting the studio, Jason Bourne is making Universal his permanent home. NBCUniversal announced Wednesday that it had acquired all rights, excluding publishing, to Robert Ludlum’s popular Jason Bourne and Treadstone book series, in perpetuity. As the studio notes, the deal fortifies the future of the Bourne franchise across the NBCUniversal arms and will pave the way for new installments for Ludlum’s beloved character and the spy world he inhabits. The move follows the exit of the screen rights in March, when WME began shopping the rights to the spy franchise and the rest of the Ludlum library on behalf of the late author’s estate. The story.
—A ginger Bond? A few weeks back, THR weighed in on the search for the new James Bond, throwing cold water on rumors that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had screen-tested for the part. This week, we’re adding another little-known, hyphenated, triple-named Brit to the competition. And this one might have screen-tested for real. According to a well-placed source close to the production, Scott Rose-Marsh — a 37-year-old redheaded actor whose biggest credits are Krays: Code of Silence and Wolves of War — was brought in sometime in late June to read sides from 1995’s GoldenEye, presumably for just-hired director Denis Villeneuve. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Following its limited theatrical run (Aug. 7-10 in AMC Theatres), Stans, the Marshall Mathers-produced documentary directed by Steven Leckart, will debut on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Brazil on Tuesday, Aug. 26; the UK, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria will have to wait one more day. Hey, it could be worse: Stans won’t be available on Paramount+ Japan until Oct. 3. Stans follows a cast of real-life Eminem super fans. The feature-length doc “examines the complicated relationship between one of the world’s most private artists and his massive public persona,” per its logline. The story. |
Woodley Joins Lohan in 'Count My Lies' Drama at Hulu ►🎭 Lohannaissance continues! 🎭 Hulu is moving ahead with a limited series starring Lindsay Lohan, with Shailene Woodley set to join her. The streamer has picked up Count My Lies, which is based on a novel by Sophie Stava and comes from former This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. The show has been in development since April, with Lohan attached from the start. Woodley is a new addition; both will be executive producers in addition to starring. The pickup comes on the heels of Freakier Friday, with Lohan reprising her role from 2003’s Freaky Friday, scoring a strong opening weekend at the box office. Woodley, meanwhile, adds a second Hulu series to her resumé after joining season two of Paradise . The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Taylor Sheridan's Landman is coming back sooner than you might think. At a time when new streaming hits sometimes take years to produce a second season, the Texas oil dramedy is only taking 10 months to get new episodes on the air. Season two of the series is slated to premiere Sunday, Nov. 16, and includes Sam Elliott — who was also in Sheridan’s 1883 — joining the cast (which includes returning players Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Ali Larter). The first season set records for Paramount+, with 35m global streaming viewers and becoming the streamer’s most-watched original series. The story.
—📅 First-look! 📅 Netflix has set a November premiere date and released the first photos from its upcoming series The Beast in Me , starring Claire Danes and Welsh superstar Matthew Rhys. The series is set to debut Nov. 13 and centers on Danes’ character, an author who has been unable to write since the death of her young son. “But she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Rhys), a famed and formidable real estate mogul who was once the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance,” the show’s description reads. Brittany Snow and Natalie Morales also star, and Jonathan Banks, David Lyons, Tim Guinee, Hettienne Park, Deidre O’Connell, Aleyse Shannon, Will Brill, Kate Burton, Bill Irwin, Amir Arison and Julie Ann Emery have guest roles. Gabe Rotter created the series, which Netflix picked up in 2024. The story.
—🎭 Filling out. 🎭 A Netflix comedy series starring and co-created by Dan Levy has filled out its cast and begun filming in New Jersey. It also has a title. The show, about two “deeply incapable” siblings who are blackmailed into the world of organized crime, will be called Big Mistakes. Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner Levy and Rachel Sennott co-created the series, and Levy is the showrunner. Levy and Taylor Ortega will play the siblings at the center of the show, and Laurie Metcalf also stars. Joining the cast as series regulars are Jack Innanen, Boran Kuzum and Abby Quinn, while Elizabeth Perkins, Jacob Gutierrez, Joe Barbara, Josh Fadem and Mark Ivanir will have recurring roles. The story. |
'South Park' Ratings Momentum Continues ►Capturing the zeitgeist. South Park’s 27th season continued its strong start with episode two. After a big jump in on-air ratings for the Aug. 6 episode, the Comedy Central show’s cross-platform numbers also improved on the season 27 premiere. Over three days of streaming and other delayed viewing on Paramount+ and Comedy Central, the episode brought in 6.2m viewers, Paramount Skydance says, based on Nielsen numbers and internal streaming data. That’s up about 5 percent from the 5.9m people who watched the season 27 premiere over three days. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a rich new deal with Paramount just ahead of the season, which gave the show a next-day streaming outlet for the first time. That has helped boost the show’s cross-platform viewing significantly. The ratings.
—"It’s an honor to join a show that’s been a cornerstone of entertainment news for over 30 years." The syndicated entertainment news show Extra has found its new host. Derek Hough will join the show for its 32nd season, which is set to premiere Sept. 8. The former Dancing With the Stars pro and judge and TV host will take over for Billy Bush, who announced in May that he wouldn’t return after five years. Extra , produced by Warner Bros. Television Group’s Telepictures, has also undergone some off-camera changes recently. The show parted ways with long-time executive producer Theresa Coffino and senior producer and music correspondent Adam Weissler and laid off a number of staff members. Jeremy Spiegel, who has been an EP on the show for a decade-plus, will be the showrunner for the coming season. The story.
—🤝 Content machine go Burrrrr. 🤝 Comedian, actor and director Bill Burr has inked a first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios. Burr and his North Hill Productions will bring original scripted and unscripted comedic content to Fox’s studio and production arm. Under the strategic partnership, Burr and longtime business partner Mike Bertolina will executive produce and generate scripted and unscripted TV content, with Fox Entertainment at the head of the line for a first-look. The story. |
Film Review: 'Nobody 2' ►"Bone-crunching fun." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Timo Tjahjanto's Nobody 2. The rising Indonesian action filmmaker takes over directing duties for this follow-up to 2021's surprise action hit about an ordinary family man who's actually a professional assassin. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, RZA, Colin Hanks, Christopher Lloyd and Sharon Stone. The review.
—"Twists and turns over timeliness." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews USA's The Rainmaker. John Slattery, Lana Parrilla and Milo Callaghan lead this take on John Grisham's 1995 bestseller about the U.S. legal and healthcare industries, brought to the big screen by Francis Ford Coppola in 1997. Also starring Madison Iseman, P.J. Byrne, Dan Fogler, Wade Briggs and Robyn Cara. Developed by Michael Seitzman and Jason Richman. The review.
In other news...
—Wednesday S2 P2 trailer reveals return of deceased major character
—Kanye “Ye” West declares “I’m off my meds” in teaser for doc In Whose Name?
—aka Charlie Sheen trailer: Actor "finally ready to confess" in Netflix’s brutally candid doc
—LL Cool J set to host 2025 MTV VMAs
—The Smashing Machine, Hedda, The Lost Bus among Zurich gala premieres
What else we're reading...
—Mark Gurman reports that Apple is looking to catch up in the AI race via expansion in robots, home security and smart displays [Bloomberg]
—Jessica Shaw reports that as AI threatens careers, writers, actors and musicians are pivoting to pursue master’s degrees in psychology and social work to become therapists [WSJ]
—Kieran Press-Reynolds profiles popular leftist streamer Hasan Piker, who offers his thoughts on Trump, Israel-Palestine, Democrats, Zohran Mamdani and why America might be "cooked" [GQ]
—Eric Ducker reports that decades-old songs by the likes of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, LL Cool J and Talking Heads are becoming popular with young fans, leading to new music videos being created for those tunes [NYT]
—Great piece from Yola Mzizi on how the recent portrayals of the Black elite in HBO's The Gilded Age and Ralph Lauren's fashion campaign shows the complexities that can come with representing class [NYT]
Today...
...in 2015, Warner Bros. released Guy Ritchie's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in theaters. Inspired by the 1960s TV show of the same name, the film featured Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant, but was a big misfire at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Steve Martin (80), Halle Berry (59), Wim Wenders (80), Mila Kunis (42), Marcia Gay Harden (66), Lamorne Morris (42), Jackée Harry (69), Andrew Kevin Walker (61), Spencer Pratt (42), Jamie Sives (52), Catherine Bell (57), Neil Newbon (48), Christopher Gorham (51), Jessica Sipos (36), Brianna Hildebrand (29), Carl Lumbly (74), Emmanuelle Béart (62), Adrian Lester (57), Chris Jenks (37), Scott Michael Campbell (54), Adrienne C. Moore (45), Charlotte Nicdao (34), Alison Thornton (26), Marsai Martin (21), Peter Franzén (54), Susan Saint James (79), Miranda Rae Mayo (35), Jim Wynorski (75), John Hillcoat (64), Cassi Thomson (32), Olivia Sui (32), Antonio Fargas (79), Raoul Bova (54), Terry Notary (57), Jose Coronado (68), Jennifer Flavin (57), Ben Bass (57), Tomer Sisley (51), Andrei Mignea (48) |
| Lorna Raver, who chillingly portrayed the elderly woman who plants a curse on Allison Lohman’s bank executive to set the horror in motion in the Sam Raimi-directed Drag Me to Hell, has died. She was 81. The obituary. |
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