September 03, 2021

What's news: China wants to ban effeminate men, boy bands and talent shows from television and the internet. Apple's Dickinson will end with season 3. ABBA are back with a new album after 40 years. Plus: Rob Lowe is making a Parks and Rec podcast — Abid Rahman

Fran Drescher Elected President of SAG-AFTRA

►Fran-tastic. After a hard-fought battle during yet another contentious national election, Fran Drescher has been elected SAG-AFTRA’s next president, prevailing over rival Matthew Modine. Joely Fisher was also elected to succeed Camryn Manheim as the union’s secretary-treasurer, besting Anthony Rapp. The story.

—No "sissy" boys. China’s ongoing crackdown on the country’s entertainment industry stepped up a notch after the state media regulator called for the boycott of “sissy” boybands and effeminate men on television, the end of reality talent shows and a ban on vulgar social media influencers among a raft of other measures. The story.

—"There are no goodies and no baddies." Depicting Princess Diana onscreen is a potentially precarious road for any filmmaker to go down (as Oliver Hirschbiegel knows all too well), so the creative team behind Spencer decided to keep it simple. Pablo Larraín’s film, which stars Kristen Stewart as Diana, opts to focus on one momentous weekend to form an intimate portrait of the icon. The story.

—All good things, etc. Dickinson is going to end the way creator Alena Smith envisioned. Apple said that the previously announced third season of its Peabody-winning series would officially be its last. The Hailee Steinfeld-led comedy will return with its remaining 10 episodes starting in November. The story.

—Martin Henderson's hanging in there. Netflix’s Outer Banks was the runaway No. 1 program in Nielsen’s streaming rankings for the first week of August. Among original series, Netflix's Virgin River and Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami came in second and third. The rankings.

'King Richard' Catapults Will Smith to Front of Best Actor Race

►"It may well be his time." Fresh from the King Richard world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, THR's awards analyst Scott Feinberg is convinced Will Smith has leaped into the frontrunner spot in the best actor race: "It’s hard to imagine many better performances coming along this season." The analysis.

—Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ABBA are back! After almost 40 years, Benny, Björn, Anni-Frid and Agnetha are releasing a new album. Voyage will be released on Nov. 5, with the group set to perform their new songs in concert next year via digital avatars (yes, avatars). Fantastisk! The story.

—No brainer. FX on Hulu is sticking with Reservation Dogs. The streaming hub for FX Networks has picked up a second season of the comedy that centers on a group of Indigenous teenagers on a reservation in rural Oklahoma. The story.

—Competition titles. The 65th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the eight movies in its competition program. Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, Harry Wootliff’s True Things and Belle from Mamoru Hosoda are among the titles. The full list.

—Back to Pawnee. Rob Lowe is bringing Parks and Recreation fans back to Pawnee, Indiana with his new podcast, Parks and Recollection. Lowe will be teaming up with series writer and producer Alan Yang for the podcast. The story.

—Big hire. Spotify has hired former Paramount+ executive Julie McNamara as its new head of U.S. studios and video. The story.

—Games to movies. League of Legends maker Riot Games has hired former Netflix executive Brian Wright to a key post at its entertainment studio. Wright will be chief content officer of Riot Entertainment. The story.

Venice Day 3

►All the latest news and reviews from THR's team on day three of the Venice Film Festival. The full Day 3 daily can be found here.

—Not ideal. The strain of holding a major cinema event with strict COVID-era safety measures is starting to show as several film critics on Thursday took to social media to complain about missing the start of two hotly anticipated movies due to long security lines. The story.

—"Deal me in." THR's chief film critic reviews Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, the brooding redemption drama about a former military interrogator turned professional gambler. A companion piece to the director's First Reformed, the film stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe. The review.

—"Greater beauty." David gives his considered take on Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God. The Oscar-winning Italian director pens a love letter to his native Naples, looking back poignantly at the formative experiences of his youth in the 1980s: "It’s the work of a director in full command of his gifts." The review.

—"Powerful indeed." Twelve years after her last feature, Jane Campion makes a thrilling return with The Power of the Dog. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in this study of blistering family tensions in the American West, adapted from Thomas Savage's novel. The review.

In other Venice news...

—Venice film review: Benedict Cumberbatch in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.

—Venice film review: Loup Bureau's Trenches (Tranchées).

—Venice film review: Sheila Vand and Matt Dillon in Land of Dreams.

—Venice flashback: Antonio Banderas unveiled his directorial debut in 1999.

—Venice hidden gem: Noh Theater meets arena rock in Inu-Oh.

—Venice sparks political controversy with Taiwan films name change.

Thank Pod It's Friday

►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.

—Awards Chatter. Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In the latest episode, Scott spoke to the late Ed Asner. In his last interview, the TV legend reflects on his career and late-breaking success, his date with Mary Tyler Moore and life during the pandemic. Listen here.

—Behind the Screen. Tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focused on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode, Carolyn speaks to Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings production designer Sue Chan. Listen here.

—Hollywood Remixed. Senior editor Rebecca Sun's podcast about inclusion and representation in the entertainment industry. In this episode Rebecca speaks to Shang-Chi star Simu Liu and Nerds of Color EIC Keith Chow talk about film and TV portrayals of Asian masculinity and complicated relationship Asian American men have with martial arts. Listen here.

In other news...

—Telluride film review: Joaquin Phoenix in Mike Mills’ C’mon C’mon.

—Telluride film review: John Hoffman and Janet Tobias's Fauci.

—Telluride film review: Liz Garbus' Becoming Cousteau.

—Telluride film review: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's The Rescue.

—Telluride film review: Max Lowe's Torn.

—Telluride film review: Lisa Hurwitz's The Automat.

—Telluride film review: Mark Cousins' The Story of Looking.

—Film review: Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Netflix’s Kate.

—Film review: Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza in Best Sellers.

—Vice raises $135m in funding from James Murdoch firm, existing investors.

—Wheel of Time: Amazon releases trailer for fantasy series.

—Republic of Sarah canceled after single season on The CW.

—Rainn Wilson boards AMC’s Dark Winds.

What else we're reading...

—"Kanye’s Power and Glory Finally Feel Finite" [Vulture]

—"How Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Knocked Down Stereotypes" [New York Times]

—"Ivermectin, the Crate Challenge, and the Danger of Runaway Memes" [New Yorker]

—"The Supreme Court’s Radical Texas Abortion Law Ruling & What Comes Next" [New York Magazine]

—"Money Heist Flopped on Spanish TV. On Netflix, It Became a Global Phenomenon" [Washington Post]

Today...

... in 1969, Peter Collinson’s heist film The Italian Job made its way stateside to theaters. The Brit comedy caper starred Michael Caine as the leader of a cockney gang of criminals planning a big job in Italy. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Garrett Hedlund (37), Kaia Gerber (20), Charlie Sheen (56), Holt McCallany (58), Christine Woods (38), Noah Baumbach (52), Nina Kiri (29), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (68), Maria Bamford (51), Yûki Kaji (36), Jack Dylan Grazer (18)

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