| | | | What's news: Happy Thanksgiving! Melissa Barrera has made her first public comments since she was fired from Scream 7. Hall & Oates are in the midst of a legal battle. Christopher Nolan will not be directing the next Bond film. Focus Features has landed the rights to Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders. Disney's Wish is eyeing a $45m-$50m opening. And finally, Today In Entertainment is back next Tuesday, till then! — Abid Rahman
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Jenna Ortega Drops Out of 'Scream VII' ►Implosion. One day after Spyglass fired star Melissa Barrera from Scream VII, it has been revealed that Jenna Ortega will also not be returning. Losing the two main leads who were instrumental in revitalizing the aging franchise now puts its future in question. Christopher Landon remains on board as director — for now — but next steps for Spyglass remain unclear. Sources insist that Ortega’s departure has nothing to do with Barrera’s firing. The Wednesday star's reps informed Spyglass prior to the actors strike that the actress would not be coming back. The story.
—"Silence is not an option for me." Regarding Barrera, the actress shared her first public comments after her shock exit from the Scream franchise. "First and foremost, I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people," she wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram Story Wednesday. The story. |
Axl Rose, Jamie Foxx, Cuba Gooding Jr. Sued In Wave Of Sexual Assault Suits ►Window closes midnight Thursday. As a THR story from yesterday outlined, a series of high-profile figures in the entertainment industry are being sued ahead of a deadline to file lawsuits under a New York law that suspended time constraints on claims involving allegations of sexual misconduct for one year. At the top of the list of defendants who are expected to be sued or were named in complaints filed on Wednesday in New York’s state Supreme Court: Axl Rose, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jamie Foxx and Jimmy Iovine. The story.
—They can't go for that. A legal battle is brewing between rock duo Hall & Oates, with Daryl Hall securing a temporary restraining order against John Oates. Hall, through his trust, filed a lawsuit against Oates on Nov. 16, along with a motion to keep the case under seal. The next day, a Nashville court issued a restraining order to start Nov. 30. It’s unknown why the order was issued or how long it will stay in effect. The nature of the matter is unclear, though the court labeled it a “contract/debt” dispute. The story.
—"Paul and I would not have done that." Ringo Starr is brushing off “terrible rumors” that he and Paul McCartney used AI to recreate John Lennon's voice for their newly released Beatles song "Now and Then." In a new interview, Starr spoke about his reunion with McCartney to produce the unfinished track, a process that was inspired by Peter Jackson's Disney+ documentary Get Back. The story. |
NFL Looks to Thanksgiving to Expand Halftime Show Ambitions ►"When you look at what these two games do in terms of viewership — compared to anything else on television — we knew that these platforms really are unique opportunities for artists." The Super Bowl Halftime Show is a bona fide cultural phenomenon. THR's Alex Weprin writes that now the NFL wants to do the same thing for its Thanksgiving games. The story.
—"I think it’s great for the league to have that kind of attention. So we welcome it." Roger Goodell thinks the flurry of attention Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s relationship is bringing to the Kansas City Chiefs and the larger league is “great” for the game. The NFL commissioner shared his feelings on the duo’s impact on broadcast viewership and league interest — particularly about Swift’s fans — during an interview on Wednesday with CBS Mornings. The story.
—Wait, not: "I’m gonna grind his f**king bones to make my bread"? Brian Cox has shared his favorite all-time Succession line — and it’s one many viewers will hear and nod with in agreement. "I love you, but you’re not serious people … that really sort of summed it all up, didn’t it?" host Seth Meyers asked while welcoming Cox to his Late Night show. "I loved that line and I just thought, ‘Why didn’t I say that earlier?’ They were damned unserious most of the time," said Cox. The story.
—"Who’s this? It’s a writer, it’s nobody." The author behind Netflix's The Witcher franchise had some words about his relationship with the streamer, or lack thereof. Speaking at Vienna Comic-Con last week, Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski says Netflix “never listened” to his ideas for the hit adaptation of his novels and games. The story. |
'Barbie' and Oscar: A Match Made in Awards Heaven? ►"The Academy is known for favoring previous nominees and winners." There’s a common misconception that’s repeated nearly every Oscar season: The Academy just doesn’t go for popular movies. THR's Tyler Coates looks at whether Barbie — a populist film that exceeded all expectations to become both a critical and box office success — can convince stodgy Academy voters to clear that last hurdle to Oscar glory. The analysis.
—That's too many! Just one day after Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan announced Sony Pictures' open casting call to find the next Karate Kid, THR has learned that the studio has already received more than 10,000 submissions. Interest in the role has come from countries across the globe, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., India, Australia, Singapore, Finland, Sweden and South Africa. The story.
—"No, sadly no — no truth to those rumors." Christopher Nolan says he’s not doing a James Bond movie as his next project. In a new interview, the Brit director shot down speculation he might pivot to the 007 franchise after the blockbuster success of his summer period drama Oppenheimer. The story.
—"I feel like that old guy who owns a little piece of property and won’t sell to the big power-plant that wants to take my land." Tim Burton has officially spoken out about not wanting more A Nightmare Before Christmas movies, including sequels, prequels or reboots. In a new interview, the filmmaker said that the 1993 stop-motion animated film is “very important” to him, which is why he wants to leave it alone. The story.
—New home. Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to The Bikeriders, the New Regency movie which was previously set up at Disney’s 20th Century. It had been scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 1 after making several stops on the fall festival circuit, before Disney and New Regency announced that the film was being taken off the release calendar. Directed by Jeff Nichols, the movie tells the story of a motorcycle club in the 1950s and stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. The story. |
'Wish' and 'Napoleon' Aim For Strong Thanksgiving Run ►A box office feast. Disney Animation Studios’ holiday tentpole Wish opened everywhere across North America on Wednesday after starting off its domestic run with $2.3m in Tuesday previews. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Wish is tipped to win the Thanksgiving stretch with at least $45m to $50m for the five-day corridor, including $30m to $35m for the weekend.
Apple and Sony has entered the fray with Ridley Scott's historical epic Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the infamous French emperor. The event pic — which grossed $3m in Tuesday previews — is pacing to open to at least $22m for the five-day holiday corridor, including $16m for the weekend.
Both Wish and Napoleon go up against The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together. Those two films opened last weekend to get a jump on Thanksgiving week, which can be one of the most lucrative stretches of the year for moviegoing. The box office report. |
'Squid Game: The Challenge' Producers Respond to Criticisms ►"I take issue over the notion that Squid Game has just one point." THR's James Hibberd spoke to the team behind Netflix's new reality show Squid Game: The Challenge. The producers respond to complaints their show misses the anti-capitalist point of the original drama series, why one familiar game was eliminated, and how they pulled off the most ambitious indoor reality competition ever made. The interview.
—"Countless films that you love didn’t do well on their initial release." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Edgar Wright about Netflix's new anime adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The Brit filmmaker discusses the long road to continuing the franchise after the underwhelming box office for his live-action film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Wright also talks the Scott Pilgrim cast email thread that’s remained active since 2010 and how painless it was to get the original cast to reprise their roles for Takes Off. The interview.
—"From doing WandaVision, I absolutely learned so much about telling personal stories set against a big large canvas." Brian also spoke to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters director Matt Shakman about the first television series in Legendary's MonsterVerse. The filmmaker discusses the unique position of directing Kurt and Wyatt Rusell’s shared role of Lee Shaw in the Apple TV+ kaiju drama, bringing a second film franchise to TV as he did with Marvel Studios’ WandaVision and also those tiresome Fantastic Four rumors. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"There was no way I was going to split this one." Brian again, and this time he spoke to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence. The filmmaker behind four of the five films in Lionsgate's Hunger Games franchise discusses bringing Suzanne Collins' work back to the big screen and explains why he does not recommend two-part stories and titles. He also gives an update on Constantine 2. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I did reading on cults." One last one from Brian, he also spoke to Daisy Ridley about her new film, The Marsh King’s Daughter. The Brit actress breaks down her most emotional scene in Neil Burger's film and how she instantly bonded with co-star Ben “Mendo” Mendelsohn. She also dishes on her return to the Star Wars franchise and reveals that when Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy invited her to breakfast in early 2023, she assumed it was to catch up, but instead it was to pitch her on a new feature starring Rey. The interview. |
How 'Twilight' Captured "Love That’s Like a Drug" ►"How often does anybody in their career get to direct a vampire baseball scene?" THR's Carly Thomas spoke to Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Ashley Greene and Peter Facinelli as the film celebrates its 15th anniversary. Among other things, the trio discuss the toughest days on set and the hair extensions Robert Pattinson couldn’t stand wearing. The interview.
—"One of the things I'm most proud of is that, finally, after 26 years, he will be known a little and hopefully loved a little." For THR, Brande Victorian spoke to actor Khalid Abdalla about his portrayal of the doomed Dodi Fayed in Netflix's The Crown. Abdalla reveals that he built his interpretation of Dodi from a 17-second audio clip of him talking and discusses how "filming, in some ways, for me, that was also an act of research." The interview.
—"We worked to keep it as ambiguous as possible." THR's Beatrice Verhoeven spoke to Anatomy of a Fall director Justine Triet and her co-writer (and partner) Arthur Harari. The duo explain how they crafted their beguiling and emotional thriller that earned the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year and is primed to be a major Oscar contender this season. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Genie' ►"Put it back in the bottle." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Sam Boyd's Genie. In this Peacock holiday film written by Richard Curtis, Melissa McCarthy stars as a genie tries to help a man (Paapa Essiedu) repair his fractured family. The review.
—"Touchdown." Frank reviews Rod Lurie's The Senior. Michael Chiklis stars in this film that tells the true-life story of Mike Flynt, who played college football at age 59, also starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Brandon Flynn, James Badge Dale, Rob Corddry, Corey Knight, Terayle Hill. The review. In other news...
—Extraordinary, Under the Banner of Heaven set for ITVX under deal with Disney
—Cineplex sells Player One Amusement Group for $155m
—YouTube star and comedian Daniel Howell signs with UTA, InterTalent
What else we're reading...
—John Carreyrou (yeah that John Carreyrou) has a jaw-dropping piece on filmmaker Carl Rinsch taking $55m of Netflix's money for a show that was never made [NYT]
—Aneesa Ahmed reports that musicians are nervous as Spotify announces royalty changes [Guardian]
—As Doctor Who hits 60, five Whovian experts offer their verdicts on who is the greatest Doctor of them all [BBC]
—Eric Olson writes that Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast as Bonaparte in Ridley Scott's new epic, as he is the sad boy Napoleon we deserve [Daily Beast]
—Here's your Thanksgiving holiday list: "The 61 best Thanksgiving movies" [Rotten Tomatoes]
Today...
...in 1988, moviegoers were greeted by a slightly darker holiday tale. Bill Murray’s Scrooged was greeted as a “scathing satire” and eventually became a holiday staple. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Miley Cyrus (31), Destin Daniel Cretton (45), Rodrigo Prieto (58), Robin Roberts (63), Robert Towne (89), Kayvan Novak (45), Oded Fehr (53), Vincent Cassel (57), Maxwell Caulfield (64), Lesley Fera (52), Nicole Polizzi (36), Bruce Vilanch (75), Lonnie Chavis (16), Michelle Gomez (57), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (56), Kelly Brook (44), Brennan Brown (55), Jonathan Sadowski (44), Lucas Grabeel (39), Neil Breen (65), Page Kennedy (47), George DelHoyo (70), Joe Eszterhas (79), Boyd Kestner (59), Tim Chiou (44), Ludovico Einaudi (68), Danielle Walters (41) |
| Phil Quartararo, the former EMI, Virgin and Warner Bros. record mogul who helped break Paula Abdul, the Spice Girls, Linkin Park and numerous other pop megastars, has died. He was 67. The obituary. |
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