| | | | | | What's news: Paramount Global is signaling it will fight back against Trump's lawsuit against CBS News. Bond fans are not happy at Amazon's takeover of the franchise. A second season of Amazon's Jury Duty has already been shot. Another Avatar: The Last Airbender spinoff animated series is heading to Nickelodeon. Omar Sy will star in Netflix's Extraction TV series. ABC has placed a series order for 911: Nashville. — Abid Rahman
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Justin Baldoni's Leap of Faith ►"I honestly feel like it was a perfect storm of two opposing personalities." From the outset, the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni feud has been framed as the newest chapter in Hollywood’s ongoing fight for gender equality. But what if much of it — the alleged inappropriate hugging and pre-filming praying — could be explained by a very specific faith-driven community with its unique mores. Indeed, what role did Baldoni's Baha'i religion play on the set of It Ends With Us? THR's Peter Kiefer looks at whether everything that went wrong with the movie actually have been one big cultural misunderstanding. The story.
—"There is zero protection for us and it makes me afraid." With publicists caught in the crossfire in the industry’s biggest scandal, insiders tell THR's James Hibberd that the Lively-Baldoni case has had an immediate impact on their business. One seeming point of agreement among Hollywood publicists is that the scandal has embarrassed the profession as a whole: "This will change the personal publicist game forever, 100 percent." The story.
—So much going on. Blake Lively's public relations representative is arguing that she should be dismissed from the legal standoff between the actress and Justin Baldoni because she never defamed him. Leslie Sloane of Vision PR, in a motion filed in New York federal court on Thursday, says that the allegedly false statements cited in Baldoni’s lawsuit are opinions that can’t be subject to a defamation claim. She also argues that the assertions are largely true, pointing to the absence of an explicit denial from Baldoni that he sexually assaulted Lively. The story.
—The Rashomon of our times. The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni has riveted Hollywood and become the talk of social media. In dueling lawsuits and PR missives, both sides paint portraits that overlap at some points, and wildly diverge at others. It's getting a little confusing! THR has put together a chronology of the conflict, presenting what is known — and what is being told multiple ways — in the lawsuits and its accompanying documents released by both sides. The timeline. |
ESPN Breaks Up With MLB ►Seismic. In a move that dramatically shakes up the sports TV landscape, ESPN and Major League Baseball have decided to part ways after the upcoming season, ending a 35-year relationship between the sports TV giant and league, and bringing some prime sports rights to the market. The decision comes at a pivotal moment for ESPN, which is preparing to launch a new streaming service this year. A source described the decision as “mutual,” with the league seemingly happy to test the market for some of its most valuable rights. The story.
—Potential spanner in the works. Elizabeth Warren is asking the Department of Justice to investigate and potentially block Disney‘s surprise deal to buy the streaming service Fubo, arguing that it raises notable antitrust concerns. The Democrat Senator wrote a letter on Feb. 19 to Omeed Assefi , acting DOJ assistant attorney general, asking the agency to look into the Jan. 6 deal that, if it closes, would have Disney merge its Hulu + Live TV business with rival Fubo to create a new holding company — of which Disney would own 70 percent — but keep Fubo CEO David Gandler at the helm. The story.
—Fighting back. In January, reports that Paramount Global was mulling whether to settle a long-shot lawsuit filed by President Trump against its CBS News unit sparked a frenzy over the appearance that the company was capitulating to the administration as it sought regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance Media. A month later, that settlement hasn’t materialized, with Paramount now signaling that it’s prepared to go on the offensive. THR's Winston Cho writes that the company's multipronged legal strategy revolves around arguments that Trump is judge-shopping, choosing to file the lawsuit at a court where a sympathetic judge is likely to oversee the case, and the possibility that those suing the company agreed to arbitration clauses when they used services hosted by the entertainment conglomerate. The story.
—Boffo. Live Nation reported operating income of $825m and concert attendance up 4 percent in 2024, with 151m fans attending over 50,000 company events. Live Nation brought in total revenue of $23b for full year 2024, with the concert segment bringing in $19b of that revenue, up 2 percent from the prior year. The company reported adjusted operating income of $530m, up 65 percent. For Q4, Live Nation reported revenue of $5.7b, down 2 percent year-over-year, with concert revenue of $4.6b, down 6 percent. The company reported adjusted operating income of $157m, compared to $117m a year ago. The results.
—🤝 AI pact 🤝 Spotify will now accept more AI-narrated audiobooks on its platform through a partnership with ElevenLabs. The AI software company provides voice narration that has the ability to narrate books in 29 languages and gives the author control of the voice and intonation. Books that use AI narration will be marked in the metadata on Spotify and the book description will lead with the statement, “This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.” The story. |
Daniel Craig Responds to Amazon Taking Control of James Bond ►"My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished." Daniel Craig praised for producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli after news broke that the pair have passed creative control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon MGM Studios. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them," Craig said in a statement to THR. Craig is the actor to have most recently played the British spy character, having starred in five films in the long-running series: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021). The story.
—"RIP James Bond." For the last four years, James Bond fans have been hunting for any sign that a new Bond movie was gaining momentum following the exit of lead Daniel Craig. Thursday’s news that Amazon MGM Studios had struck a deal to seize creative control of the franchise suggests Bond 26 will move forward. THR's James Hibberd writes that fans aren't jumping for joy at the news of the Amazon take over, especially given the studio's TV and movie track record. The reaction. |
A-listers Sign Up for Scorsese's Hawaii-set Crime Film ►Shut up and take my money! Martin Scorsese is looking to make a splash with a star-studded crime movie set in Hawaii. A new package that hit the town would star Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. Scorsese would direct the feature from a script by journalist and author Nick Bilton. The fact-based untitled movie is said to be in the mold of Scorsese’s Goodfellas and The Departed and center on a mob boss vying for control of the Hawaiian islands in the 1960s and 1970s. Scorsese, Johnson, Blunt, DiCaprio, Bilton, Dany Garcia, Lisa Frechette and Rick Yorn serve as producers. The story.
—The secret ingredient is crime. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop that David Leitch and his 87North banner is teaming up with Amazon MGM Studios and Imagine Entertainment for an untitled crime action thriller. The movie is being eyed as the next movie for Leitch, the director behind snappy heist thriller Bullet Train, comic book sequel Deadpool 2 and last year’s breezy stunt lovefest Fall Guy. Plot details are scant, but the script is written by Mark Bianculli. Sources say that the story centers on a group of savvy bank robbers that use social media to document their heists, playing a cat and mouse game with police. Bianculli and Imagine have spent the better of a decade developing the project, according to sources. The story.
—Loose lips, sinks ships. Will Smith might be returning to another one of his past roles. While appearing on xQc’s live stream on Twitch, Smith answered some fan questions when one asked about the possibility of another Hancock film, the 2008 superhero movie directed by Peter Berg. The actor teased, “There’s a really cool, really cool Hancock 2 idea. We haven’t even talked about it, so I’m going to give you on little piece — Zendaya will be approached for a role in Hancock 2.” The story. |
New 'Avatar' Animated Series Greenlit at Nickelodeon ►Let's go!!!!! Nickelodeon has greenlit an animated series set in the world of its beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender. The new show, titled Avatar: Seven Havens, has a 26-episode order and will follow a new Avatar. The series will be the third in the Avatar-verse, following the original show and The Legend of Korra. The announcement is timed to the 20th anniversary of the original series’ debut on Feb. 21, 2005. Nickelodeon will also mark the anniversary with new YouTube content, in-person experiences and books. The Last Airbender creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are behind Seven Havens as well. The initial order will be split into two parts (“books,” in Avatar parlance) of 13 episodes each and is in production from Nickelodeon Animation’s Avatar Studios banner. The story.
—Thinking ahead. CBS is locking in a large portion of its primetime slate for the 2025-26 season — and, in one case, 2026-27 as well. The network has renewed nine series, including a two-season order for its comedy Ghosts. The pickup will take the show through its sixth season in 2026-27. CBS has also renewed all three NCIS series — the original, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney — along with Elsbeth, Fire Country, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Hollywood Squares and Tracker for 2025-26. The story.
—Tyler Rake's progress. Netflix has ordered an Extraction TV series to star Lupin star Omar Sy. The action thriller from AGBO is set in the world of the Netflix movie franchise that starred Chris Hemsworth as highly skilled commando Tyler Rake taking on dangerous missions and has Glen Mazzara as its showrunner and executive producer. An initial eight episodes of the series will follow Sy as a mercenary on a dangerous mission to rescue hostages in Libya. The story.
—Paradise found. Hulu has renewed Paradise, the twisty drama from This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and starring Sterling K. Brown, for a second season ahead of its season one finale. Paradise released its sixth of eight episodes this week; the finale releases March 4. Following the finale, Paradise will get a full first season run on ABC beginning starting April 7 at 10 p.m. James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Jon Beavers, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Krys Marshall, Charlie Evans, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV and Enuka Okuma round out the cast. The story.
—Back for seconds. Netflix thriller The Night Agent recorded its biggest week to date with the opening of its second season. The show amassed 3.11b minutes of viewing for the week of Jan. 20-26 (season two premiered Jan. 23), according to Nielsen’s streaming ratings, topping its previous best of 3.06b minutes in March 2023. After making its debut on the streaming charts a week earlier, Apple TV+’s Severance improved a little on that performance with 622m minutes of viewing (a gain of about 6 percent week to week). That’s the highest weekly total for any Apple TV+ show since Ted Lasso in 2023. The streaming ratings. |
'Jury Duty' Renewed at Amazon, S2 Already Filmed ►Surprise! Jury Duty will return for — and has already filmed — a second season at Amazon Prime Video. Season one of the show aired in 2023 on Amazon’s Freevee and endeared audiences with its candid camera comedy starring an unknowing Ronald Gladden. Actors — including that man James Marsden (playing himself) — improved along as caricatures of fellow jurors, a judge and other courtroom personalities while Gladden went the whole stint believing the entire ruse was real. Sources report Jury Duty‘s second season will leave the witness stand behind in favor of a corporate retreat setting. It was shot in the Agoura Hills suburb of Los Angeles. The story.
—Finding a happy place. NBC has renewed Happy’s Place, its multi-camera sitcom starring Reba McEntire, for a second season. The series joins fellow first-year comedy St. Denis Medical in NBC’s lineup for 2025-26. The renewal doesn’t come as a big surprise: NBC gave the show a vote of confidence in November with an order for five additional episodes, bringing its total for the season to 18. The story.
—🎭 Gossip Girl reunion 🎭 Netflix‘s rom-com Nobody Wants This has cast Leighton Meester and Miles Fowler in its forthcoming second season. Both actors will be guest stars in season two, with Meester joining her real-life husband, Adam Brody, on the show. She’ll play a character named Abby, Joanne’s (Kristen Bell) former middle school nemesis who is now an Instagram mommy influencer. The story.
—Heading to Music City. ABC has placed a series order for 911: Nashville, marking the third show in the 911 first-responder franchise. The pickup comes on the heels of 911: Lone Star ending on Fox. As with the other shows in the 911-verse, 911: Nashville hails from 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Television. Murphy, Tim Minear and Rashad Raisani will serve as executive producers and writers; Brad Falchuk and 911 star Angela Bassett are also EPs. Casting and other details will be announced later. The story. |
Film Review: 'Timestamp' ►"A lesson in resilience." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Kateryna Gornostai's Berlin competition entry, Timestamp. The powerful doc chronicles schools around Ukraine following Russia's invasion, revealing how students and teachers have managed to adapt. The review.
—"Both poignant and political." Jordan reviews Brandon Kramer's Holding Liat. The Berlin-bowing film is a bracing account of an Israeli-American family whose lives were upended when two of them were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th, 2023. The review.
—"Lights! Camera! Provocation!" Jordan reviews Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay's Hysteria. The German filmmaker's new feature follows a second assistant director trying to save a production that spins out of control when a copy of the Koran is burnt on set. The review.
—"Pure whimsy." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Michel Gondry's Maya, Give Me a Title. The French filmmaker’s first animated feature, competing in Berlin’s Generation Kplus section, is an hourlong compilation of handmade shorts he made for his daughter over a period of six years. The review.
—"Less creepy than Rosemary’s, but just a fraction." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Johanna Moder's Berlin competition entry, Mother's Baby. Marie Leuenberger, Hans Löw and Claes Bang star in the Austrian director's psychological thriller about a woman convinced her infant son was swapped at birth in a private fertility clinic. The review.
—"The road to misery porn is paved with good intentions." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Jon Gunn's The Unbreakable Boy. A couple (Zachary Levi and Meghann Fahy) struggles to take care of their autistic son suffering from brittle bone disease in this movie based on a true story. The review. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—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 The Brutalist star Guy Pearce. The veteran Aussie actor and first-time Oscar nominee reflects on how a childhood tragedy may have set him on the path to becoming an actor; how his experience with early TV stardom influenced the sorts of projects that he did and didn't pursue after he established himself internationally via L.A. Confidential and Memento; and why he’s as proud of his latest film as any he has been a part of. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. Scott also spoke to Anora star Mikey Madison. One of the most exciting young actresses in the business — a newly-minted best actress Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner — reflects on her decision to abandon competitive horseriding for acting, breakthrough roles on Better Things and in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and bringing to life the character of a sex worker in Sean Baker's latest film. Listen here.
In other news...
—Andrew Lincoln is a repressed family man in first look at his U.K. TV return, Cold Water
—NAACP Image Awards to honor BET Media Group, taps Deon Cole to host live broadcast
—David St. John, I Am Jazz and America’s Next Top Model producer, dies at 56
What else we're reading...
—Shocking report from Lizzie Presser, Andrea Suozzo, Sophie Chou and Kavitha Surana, who reveal that sepsis rates soared in Texas after the state banned abortion [ProPublica]
—Suzanne Vranica has a bombshell exclusive that Elon Musk's X hinted at possible deal trouble for advertising giant Interpublic if it didn't increase spending on the social media platform [WSJ]
—Koh Ewe reports that Chinese nationalism is fuelling the insane success of animated hit Ne Zha 2 [BBC]
—Eric Vilas-Boas talks to GKIDS president Dave Jesteadt about the company's sale to Toho and the future of international animation [Vulture]
—Here's your Friday list: "Every Bond film ever, ranked" [Esquire]
Today...
...in 2014, Relativity Media released McG's action spy thriller 3 Days to Kill in theaters. Starring Kevin Costner, Amber Heard and Hailee Steinfeld, the film was panned by critics but was a moderate box office success. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jordan Peele (46), Elliot Page (38), Jennifer Love Hewitt (46), Sophie Turner (29), Joe Alwyn (34), William Petersen (72), Kelsey Grammer (70), Christine Ebersole (72), Tyne Daly (79), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (56), William Baldwin (62), Kitty Winn (82), Anthony Daniels (79), Kim Coates (67), Ashley Greene (38), Mélanie Laurent (42), Damien Molony (41), Tuppence Middleton (38), Scout Taylor-Compton (36), Hayley Orrantia (31), Brendan Sexton III (45), Corbin Bleu (36), Christopher Atkins (64), Tituss Burgess (46), Joel McKinnon Miller (65), Jack Coleman (67), Ella-Rae Smith (27), Eoin Macken (42), Gary Lockwood (88), Jim Simpson (69), Amy Shiels (34) |
| Alice Hirson, who played a confidante of Barbara Bel Geddes’ Miss Ellie Ewing on Dallas and the mother of Ellen DeGeneres’ character on the comic’s groundbreaking ABC sitcom, has died. She was 95. The obituary. |
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