| | | | What's news: The 2024 Oscars telecast will start an hour earlier than usual. Apple has cancelled Swagger after two seasons. ABC will air the first season of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Eli Roth is developing a sequel to Thanksgiving. Beyoncé has dropped a new song. — Abid Rahman
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Margulies Says Black, LGBTQ Palestine Supporters Are "Brainwashed" ►"It’s those kids [who use pronouns] who are spewing this antisemitic hate that have no idea if they stepped foot in an Islamic country." Julianna Margulies has called out the Black and LGBTQ community’s lack of support for Israel in its fight against Hamas, and suggested that people backing Palestine in the conflict were "brainwashed to hate Jews." Appearing on The Back Room with Andy Ostroy podcast, Margulies seemed exasperated by the lack of solidarity from other minority groups in the face of rising antisemitism, and also had harsh words for Hollywood and the MeToo movement for what she perceived as their silence over the conflict. The story. —"A tragic act of violence." A woman has been arrested for the fatal shooting of Michael Latt, the founder of entertainment marketing firm Lead With Love. The 33-year-old was shot in his Miracle Mile home on Monday night and died after being transported to a hospital. Latt was the son of Michelle Satter, the founding senior director at the Sundance Institute, and film producer David Latt. His brother, Franklin, is an agent at CAA. The story.
—Jury selection complete. Jonathan Majors’ trial on misdemeanor assault and harassment charges is expected to start in earnest Monday, after a six-person jury was selected Thursday. The arrest of the woman involved in the incident can be brought up during the trial, Judge Michael Gaffey ruled. Majors has appeared in court, in person, this week, alongside his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. He clasped his hands to his chest and slightly bowed to the jury as they entered Thursday, and took notes as they responded out loud to the jury questionnaire. The story.
—"Trian intends to take our case for change directly to shareholders." Disney will have to deal with a new proxy fight, as activist investor Nelson Peltz will seek board seats at the company. Trian said that it spoke with Iger this week, and that Disney extended an offer for Trian to meet with its board of directors. However, the board also said that it would not extend an offer for Peltz to join it as a director. Disney’s next shareholder meeting will take place in the spring. The story.
—Good news for the East Coast. The 96th Academy Awards, which ABC will broadcast on Sunday, March 10, 2024, will start earlier than any prior edition. Rather than starting at 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT, as has been the case in recent years, the Oscars ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. PDT / 7 p.m. EDT, following a half-hour preshow. The telecast’s targeted — but rarely met — length is three to three and a half hours. The story. |
'Golden Bachelor' Wedding to Air Live on ABC ►First since 2014. Gerry Turner will not be a Golden Bachelor for much longer, as he is set to get married in a wedding ceremony televised live on ABC. During Thursday’s live finale of The Golden Bachelor, which featured series lead Turner getting engaged to Theresa Nist in Costa Rica, the couple announced that they will tie the knot Jan. 4, 2024. The Golden Wedding Special will air at 8 p.m. and mark the first televised nuptials for the franchise since The Bachelor favorites Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici exchanged vows in 2014. The story.
—Broadcast play. ABC will air the first season of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building in January. The season will run in two-hour blocks on Tuesday nights over three weeks starting Jan. 2, with a one-hour slot for the season finale on Jan. 23. ABC will also move Celebrity Jeopardy! to Tuesday nights for its final episodes of the season, starting with a semifinal on Jan. 2. The game show will air at 8 p.m., followed by Only Murders at 9 p.m. The two-hour blocks on Jan. 2, 9 and 16 will contain three episodes each. The story.
—"What an amazing adventure." Apple TV+ has canceled its drama series Swagger after two seasons. The series about a high school basketball star and his journey through the world of youth hoops is loosely inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant, who’s an executive producer. The cancellation comes a few months after season two’s final episode streamed in August. Series creator, showrunner and director Reggie Rock Bythewood shared the news of Swagger’s end on Instagram. The story.
—"Words cannot express how excited I am to officially be a part of the Amazon family." Ronald Gladden’s Hollywood journey isn’t over. The solar contractor-turned-breakout star of Amazon hit Jury Duty has inked a two-year overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. As part of the new pact, he will produce, develop and star in a variety of content. The story.
—Shakeup. MSNBC is overhauling its weekend lineup ahead of the 2024 election season. The biggest change is a new morning panel show, called The Weekend, which will be hosted by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele. The program will run from 8-10 a.m. and originate from Washington D.C., with Kyle Griffin as executive producer. Sanders-Townsend and Menendez currently host weekend afternoon hours on MSNBC, but will shift to focus on the morning show. The story. |
Greta Gerwig Led a Banner Year for Female Writers, Directors ►Annus mirabilis. This year has been a banner year for female filmmakers, and among 2023’s standout titles made by women are Chloe Domont’s Fair Play, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up, Nicole Holofcener’s You Hurt My Feelings, Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Celine Song’s Past Lives, Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel, Ava DuVernay’s Origin, Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and A.V. Rockwell’s A Thousand and One. For THR, Stacey Wilson Hunt reflects on the vintage year for female writers-directors. The story.
—Coming back for seconds. Eli Roth is developing a sequel to his horror feature Thanksgiving, which bowed earlier this month and has grossed more than $30m globally. It stands as Roth’s best reviewed movie as a director. Sony’s Tristar plans on releasing the sequel in 2025. The first Thanksgiving began life as a fake trailer in Robert Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse, released in 2007. The story.
—New producer in place. THR's second-nicest man Aaron Couch has the scoop on Shane Black’s latest thriller, Play Dirty, getting a new producer. Amazon, which is backing the feature, is in negotiations to tap Jules Daly to replace Joel Silver after the streaming giant parted ways with the veteran moviemaker over claims of verbal abuse. Silver was steering Play Dirty, a feature seen as a comeback vehicle for both him and longtime collaborator Black, who is writing and directing for Amazon. The story.
—Rough seas ahead. Early tracking suggests Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be opening to $40m over the four-day holiday weekend (Dec. 22-Dec. 25), according to sources with access to data compiled by the National Research Group. NRG also gives a range, which in this case is $36m to $44m. Warner Bros., home of DC, is being more bullish in providing a projection of $50m or more for the four days for the superhero sequel. The box office report.
—🏆 Spread of winners 🏆 The New York Film Critics Circle named Killers of the Flower Moon its best film of 2023. The Martin Scorsese-directed movie was also recognized with the best actress award for star Lily Gladstone. Oppenheimer and May December each received two awards as well. Christopher Nolan won best director for Oppenheimer, which also picked up a best cinematography award, while May December was recognized with the best screenplay award and best supporting actor for Charles Melton. The winners. |
The Rise of AI-Powered Stars ►Big money and risks. Meta has beta-launched a cast of AI “characters,” all of which share the likenesses of such celebrities as Tom Brady, Snoop Dogg and MrBeast. And tech startups, like the AI-focused firm Soul Machines are launching AI-powered celebrity avatars. THR's Alex Weprin writes that the tech giants are now in a race to mainstream AI technology — flawed guardrails and all. The analysis.
—"A gift from the queen." Beyoncé surprised fans with a new song, “My House,” to celebrate the release of her new concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé on Friday. It’s the Grammy-winning singer’s first new music since she dropped her album Renaissance last year. The track.
—Wait for me. A judge sided with Daryl Hall on Thursday in his request to keep John Oates temporarily blocked from selling his potentially lucrative share of the Hall & Oates duo’s joint venture without his longtime partner’s permission. Chancellor Russell Perkins in Nashville extended his pause on the sale of Oates’ share of Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC while the music duo moves through the early stages of arbitration. The story.
—No dice. Disney, 20th Century Studios and CAA won’t have to face a copyright lawsuit brought by production executive Madison Jones, who accused them of conspiring together to steal ideas from a screenplay he pitched for Ad Astra. U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter found that the makers of the 2019 sci-fi film couldn’t have ripped off Jones’ work since they didn’t have access to his screenplay, which was completed after Ad Astra was already written. The story.
—"It’s a phase that’s lasted a little too long for me." Add Jodie Foster to the list of celebrities who are not the biggest fans of superhero movies. In a new interview, the Oscar-winning actress explained that she feels like Marvel and DC movies are "a phase." She continued, "But that’s not why I became an actor. And those movies don’t change my life. Hopefully, there’ll be room for everything else." The story. |
'The Crown' Sparks Debate on Retelling of Diana's Final Days ►Verisimilitude. The first half of the sixth and final season of Netflix's hit historical drama The Crown centered around Princess Diana's shocking death in 1997. THR's Jackie Strause writes that now, as viewers sit with the first four episodes and await the final six, the retelling of Diana’s end-of-life story has left viewers with burning questions about how much of what they saw actually took place. Warning: Spoilers! The story.
—"We were all really focused on making this a cautionary tale, a warning about what could happen." THR's Lacey Rose spoke to Sam Esmail about his new Netflix feature Leave the World Behind. Esmail discusses casting America’s sweetheart Julia Roberts as a “Karen” in the psychological thriller and opens up about his disapproving parents, his preemptively pulled passion project, and the calming energy wife Emmy Rossum and their two young children provide. The interview.
—"It’s something that no one else could do but Ridley." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Napoleon producer Kevin J. Walsh about achieving the best of both the streaming and theatrical worlds with the film's release strategy. The veteran of 12 Ridley Scott productions shares lessons he learned along the way, including how to solve the problem of replacing an actor after principal photography has wrapped. The interview. |
Female Rappers and the Visibility Trap ►"Black women in hip-hop have been forced to grapple with for decades as they wade through narratives built on assumptions about their skills, their integrity, their innocence or guilt." From Megan Thee Stallion’s new single to the latest season of Issa Rae’s Rap Sh!t, THR's Lovia Gyarkye writes that recent pop culture highlights a conundrum for women in hip-hop as undersupported players and overscrutinized subjects. The critic's notebook.
—"All over the place." Lovia reviews Reginald Hudlin's Candy Cane Lane. Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross play a married couple whose determination to win a neighborhood house-decorating contest puts them in the path of a vengeful elf. The review. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week's episode is an extended interview with Chuck Lorre. The king of broadcast sitcoms discusses burying the hatchet with Charlie Sheen and his status on broadcast TV with both of his remaining CBS comedies, Young Sheldon and Bob Hearts Abishola , coming to a close in 2024. Other topics discussed in the podcast include a December TV preview as well as scores of renewals and cancellations, plus Critic’s Corner, in which Dan offers a guide on what to watch (or skip) in the week ahead. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this live episode, Scott spoke to George C. Wolfe. One of the premier writers and directors of stage and screen reflects on directing the original Broadway production of Angels in America, transitioning to film directing and, most recently, telling the story of the largely forgotten Black gay activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington in Rustin. Listen here.
In other news...
—Furiosa trailer: Mad Max: Fury Road prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth
—Netflix’s new releases coming in December 2023
—Taylor Swift supports Beyoncé at London premiere of Renaissance film
—TV ratings: CNN’s King Charles premiere flops
—Aidy Bryant to host 2024 Independent Spirit Awards
—Tubi hires David Salmon to lead international expansion
What else we're reading...
—Adam Gopnik reports that the French are not happy about Ridley Scott's Napoleon [New Yorker]
—Alexa Corse, Suzanne Vranica and Patience Haggin report that Elon Musk's outbursts against advertisers is making Linda Yaccarino’s job at X almost impossible [WSJ]
—Amanda Hess reflects on the complex, enduring friendship of the late Irish singers Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor [NYT]
—Former Obama administration deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes excoriates the record of the late Henry Kissinger [NYT]
—Here's your Friday list: "Every Godzilla movie of the past 40 years, ranked" [Vulture]
Today...
...in 1983, Universal premiered Brian De Palma’s 170-minute, R-rated gangster remake Scarface in New York. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sarah Snook (36), Riz Ahmed (41), Janelle Monáe (38), Bette Midler (78), Zoë Kravitz (35), Natasha O'Keeffe (37), Camille Cottin (45), Katherine LaNasa (57), Sarah Silverman (53), David Hornsby (48), Jeremy Northam (62), Nate Torrence (46), Larry Charles (67), Akiva Schaffer (46), Reign Edwards (27), Nestor Carbonell (56), Danielle Galligan (31), Ilfenesh Hadera (38), Mark Ghanimé (46), Taj Atwal (36), Dean O'Gorman (47), Karissa Lee Staples (36), Charlene Tilton (65), Charles Michael Davis (39), Stefan Kapicic (45), Matt Fraction (48), Olivia Grace Applegate (32), Obba Babatundé (72), Jessica Ransom (42), Carol Alt (63), Michael Esper (47), Nicole LaLiberte (42) |
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