| | | | What's news: The Joe Rogan controversy rumbles on, with Spotify adding disclaimers and the podcaster addressing the criticisms. Laura Dern and Benedict Cumberbatch sign up for Justin Kurzel's next film. Peter Jackson's 60-minute cut of the Beatles rooftop gig makes $500,000 at select IMAX theaters. Plus: David Hayter is writing a TV adaptation of EA's American McGee's Alice — Abid Rahman |
Joe Rogan Backs Down (Kinda) On Vaccine Misinformation Controversy ►"If I’ve pissed you off, I’m sorry." Joe Rogan addressed the rumbling controversy surrounding his Spotify podcast and accusations of spreading COVID misinformation. In a nearly 10-minute video posted on Instagram on Sunday night, Rogan appeared to accept some criticism, saying he agreed with Spotify’s decision to add a disclaimer to certain episodes. He also promised to “do my best in the future to balance things out" on his podcast and talk to a wider variety of experts. The story.
—New rules. Spotify on Sunday revealed updated platform rules and a new approach to dealing with COVID-19 information, including adding a dedicated content advisory to podcast episodes (ahem, JRE) that contain discussions about the virus. The story.
—Another one. Nils Lofgren, a longtime guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, is the latest musician to pull music from Spotify in the wake of the COVID-19 misinformation controversy. The story.
—Farewell Johnny Fever. Howard Hesseman, who made a career out of portraying off-the-wall characters, none more popular than the disc jockey Johnny Fever on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, has died. He was 81. The two-time Emmy nominee and improv veteran also played teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class. The obituary.
—Big names. Laura Dern, Noah Jupe and Benedict Cumberbatch have signed up for Aussie director Justin Kurzel's sci-fi feature Morning. The virtual EFM-bound project — set in a world where a pill has done away with the need for sleep — is being shopped by HanWay Films. Cumberbatch will play a supporting role and executive produce alongside Dern. The story.
—"Of course, it was an accident." Lifetime's two-part Janet Jackson documentary dropped on Friday night, and it had a raft of revelations, including the singer's version of events in the aftermath of the infamous Super Bowl Halftime Show wardrobe malfunction which led to her being disinvited from the Grammys. Jackson also responds to the sexual abuse allegations made against her late brother Michael. The story. |
'Get Back' Rooftop Gig Film Scores $500K in One-Night IMAX Screenings►The Fab Four still a draw. The Beatles: Get Back — The Rooftop Performance, Peter Jackson's 60-minute cut of the band's legendary rooftop concert, played to near sold out audiences at almost 70 IMAX locations in North America and London. According to IMAX the special generated roughly $500,000 in grosses. The story. — Another quiet weekend. Spider-Man: No Way Home topped the domestic box office chart in its seventh weekend as omicron continued to weigh on moviegoing. The film grossed an estimated $11 million to finish Sunday with a domestic cume of $735 million. Internationally, the superhero sensation has passed the $1 billion mark and its global total sits at $1.74 billion, the sixth best showing ever, all without China. Elsewhere, Nightmare Alley saw a nice bump as it reversed course and offered a black-and-white version of the pic in hundreds of theaters across the U.S. Guillermo del Toro’s film earned north of $530,000 from 1,103 theaters, a gain of more than 130 percent from the previous weekend. The full box office report. — Box office bonanza incoming. During Chinese New Year in 2021, ticket sales totaled a record $1.2 billion in China. With the CNY 2022 weeklong holiday kicking off on Feb. 1, box office analysts believe a bumper crop of high-profile potential blockbusters — eight local titles are currently scheduled for simultaneous release this year — could lift the market to unprecedented heights. The analysis. |
THR Critics Pick Sundance's 20 Best ►Best of the best. THR's crack team of critics select their standouts from Sundance 2022, which include a Spanish revenge thriller, Lena Dunham's latest polarizer, a sex comedy starring Emma Thompson, and documentaries about a fallen TV icon, French volcanologists and a Korean immigrant's wrongful conviction. The 20 best films.
—"Her great light was one that inspired others." Cheslie Kryst, an Extra correspondent and former Miss USA, has died. She was 30. A cause of death was not provided by them, but the New York Police Department confirmed to THR that it was a death by suicide. The obituary.
—ICYMI. On a huge weekend for the NFL, two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning dropped by Saturday Night Live to offer his expert opinion on "Weekend Update." Alas, despite rampant speculation over the retirement of Tom Brady, Manning just wanted to talk about Emily in Paris. The recap.
—"I don’t think I can do six days a week anymore." NBC’s Weekend Today meteorologist Dylan Dreyer is leaving the weekend show to focus on her family. Saturday’s episode was the final one for Dreyer, who will continue to co-host 3rd Hour Today on weekdays. The story.
—On the move. Due to COVID concerns, the Oscar Wilde Awards are returning to their original home, the Ebell of Los Angeles, for its 16th annual edition March 24. The event celebrates the cultural work of those from Ireland — and some who are not. The story.
—Rights snapped up. THR's Etan Vlessing has the scoop on Ted Field’s Radar Pictures nabbing the rights to American McGee’s Alice, the action adventure game from publisher Electronic Arts. X-Men writer David Hayter is attached to do a TV adaptation in partnership with Abandon Entertainment. The story.
—Stacked, guv. Young Brit director Adam Deacon has added a bumper crop of names to his urban action comedy and return to filmmaking Sumotherhood, which is now about to start production in London. Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Saunders and Peter Serafinowicz are the big names added to the ensemble. The story. |
W. Kamau Bell on Reckoning With Bill Cosby's Legacy ►"Something is happening here. This is too many women with too many stories." In the Showtime docuseries We Need to Talk About Cosby, W. Kamau Bell tackles his feelings about Bill Cosby, as well as the comedian’s legacy in American culture in light of the 60-plus women who accused him of sexual assault. Bell spoke with THR's Rick Porter about the people who didn’t agree to be interviewed — though he didn’t name any names — why he didn’t feel the need to give Cosby a voice in the series and how his feelings changed after making the documentary. The interview. — "Absolute dumpster fire of a meltdown." The second season of HBO's Euphoria has spent time delving into the background of one of the show's most loathsome characters, Eric Dane’s Cal Jacobs. THR's Christy Piña spoke to Dane about the unraveling of his anti-McSteamy character in ways he never did during the first season. Warning spoilers. The interview. — "Moral gray areas." THR's Tyler Coates spoke to Sean Baker on his latest, the critically acclaimed Red Rocket and how audiences have received the film. The indie auteur also talked about the power of smart casting and location scouting, why he’s so interested in characters who can’t resist the hustle and his desire to tell "stories that I want heard that are not being told." The interview. In other news... —Why Rihanna, Kevin Hart and more stars are rushing to buy the house next door —L.A.’s ultra-competitive real estate market sparks nontraditional negotiation tactics —Where Hollywood insiders plan to travel in 2022 as omicron cases begin to decline — My Favorite Murder, Force Multiplier podcasts to receive iHeartRadio's Icon Awards —Hollywood flashback: Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes bonded on Road to Perdition 20 years ago —How Cyrano captured the romantic lighting of Sicily set —How The Green Knight took audiences back in time to Camelot —How Free Guy VFX team built film’s video game world What else we're reading... —Lucas Shaw on Joe Rogan brining the misinformation debate to podcasting [ Bloomberg] —Elif Batuman’s profile of Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma [ New Yorker] —Jen Chaney on how the doc We Need to Talk About Cosby wrestles with a fractured legacy [ Vulture] —How Don’t Look Up assembled its insanely starry cast [ Vanity Fair] —With the Skywalker saga wrapped and Boba Fett kinda meh, the Mandalorian is the mainline Star Wars story now [ Esquire] Today... Today's birthdays: Minnie Driver (52), Kerry Washington (45), Jonathan Banks (75), Kelly Lynch (63), Patricia Velasquez (51), Portia de Rossi (49), Justin Timberlake (41), Dexter Fletcher (56), Anthony LaPaglia (63), Glynn Turman (75), Paul Scheer (46), Bobby Moynihan (45), Tyler Ritter (37), Preity Zinta (47), Marcus Mumford (35) |
| Hargus “Pig” Robbins, a Country Music Hall of Fame member and renowned session pianist who played with the likes of George Jones, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and many more, has died. He was 84. The obituary. |
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