| | | | | | What's news: Howard Stern has inked a new 3-year deal with SiriusXM. Elizabeth Warren and a handful of other top Dems have sent a letter to the FCC and DOJ about Nexstar's proposed deal for Tegna. Donald Trump is suing the BBC for $5b. And the BBC has launched a review of its royal charter. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
A Reporter Had Dinner With Rob, Michele and Nick Reiner. It Was Heartwarming and Jarring. ►"Rob wanted this story told... Nick seemed less game, a little almost like he didn’t fully want to be there." At the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, THR's Steven Zeitchik sat down for dinner with Rob, Michele and Nick Reiner to talk about Being Charlie, a feature about a family dealing with a son with addiction which Rob directed and Nick co-wrote. Now, with a son suspected of murder, Steven recalls that Toronto restaurant session from 10 years ago — and the light it sheds on a dark dynamic. The story.
—The latest. Nick Reiner has been arrested and booked on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail as the LAPD declares that the 32-year-old is “responsible” for the homicide death of his parents. According to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department records made public on Monday, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested Sunday at 9:15 p.m. local time and booked into custody at 5:04 a.m. on Monday. Though bail was initially set at $4m, the LAPD later Monday said the younger Reiner is being held “with no bail” ahead of the case being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. The story.
—Stay classy. Donald Trump spoke out on the deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, Monday in a post that spurned them for their progressive politics. In the post on Truth Social, Trump wrote a “very sad thing happened” to Reiner and his wife but went on to say that it was “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.” The story.
—"Hateful and vile." Jimmy Kimmel called Donald Trump a “sick and irresponsible man” in the wake of the latter’s rant about Rob Reiner. Said Kimmel in his monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday night: “Just when you think he can’t go any lower, he somehow finds a way to do that. His description of what happened, of course, is not at all what happened, and this is exactly what I’ve spoken about before, this rush to pin the tail on the donkey in pursuit of the Trump-friendly narrative, not to mention blaming his death on the fact that he is an outspoken liberal, insulting someone who’s just been murdered, who leaves children behind, without having any idea of what actually happened. It’s so hateful and vile. When I first saw it, I thought it was fake." The story.
—"I don’t remember that he was particularly interested in 12-step work." THR's Ryan Gajewski spoke to a podcast host who had numerous exchanges with Nick Reiner. At the time of the release of the film Being Charlie, Nick Reiner joined podcast hosts Dave Manheim and Chris O’Connor at Manheim’s New York City apartment to record an episode of Dopey , which aims to take a humorous look at recovery. (O’Connor died of an overdose in 2018.) Manheim, who estimates having had 10 conversations with Nick Reiner over the years, recalls Reiner as struggling with recovery at the time that they spoke. The story. |
From Meathead to Mentor ►"The genius and lasting impact of All in the Family hinge on its uniquely inverted pyramid of empathy." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reflects on Rob Reiner's television career. Daniel writes that from All in the Family to regular news network advocacy to roles on New Girl and The Bear, Reiner grew, and grew righteously, in the small-screen spotlight. The critic's appreciation.
—"Few directors these days seem interested in having quite as zig-zaggy a trajectory as did Reiner." For THR, critic Richard Lawson considers Rob Reiner's film work, writing that the filmmaker was so much more than a capable company man. Richard add that the director's deft marrying of prestige and populism in classics like When Harry Met Sally… and The Princess Bride now seems like a wondrous lost art. The critic's appreciation. |
THR's Producers Roundtable ►"Am I insane? What am I doing?" THR's award-winning Roundtable Series continues, next up is the film producers. THR's Mia Galuppo said down with Nia DaCosta (Hedda), David Heyman (Jay Kelly), Joseph Kosinski (F1: The Movie), Sara Murphy (One Battle After Another), Sev Ohanian (Sinners) and Marc Platt (Wicked: For Good) to talk about the current moment in moviemaking, the state of the modern movie star and bringing people back into theaters. The roundtable. |
Stern Sticks With Sirius ►🤝 "I’m happy to announce that I’ve figure out a way to have it all." 🤝 Howard Stern is sticking with SiriusXM. The radio host has inked a new three-year deal with the satellite radio company, he said Tuesday morning. Stern’s future with SiriusXM has been the topic of tabloid fodder for months, after a report earlier this year suggested that his show was about to be canceled. Stern would go on to prank his listeners (and some in the media) by hyping his return to the radio, only to have Andy Cohen sign on to announce that Stern had been fired, and that he would be taking over his channel. The story.
—"Block this deal if you determine that it violates federal telecommunications or antitrust laws." THR's Alex Weprin has the scoop that Senator Elizabeth Warren and a handful of other top Democrats have sent a letter to FCC chairman Brendan Carr and Department of Justice antitrust chief Gail Slater, asking them to take a close look at Nexstar‘s proposed deal for Tegna, and to block it if they find it anticompetitive. The letter was signed by Warren, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representatives Summer Lee (D-PA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), who’s Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications & Technology in the House. The story.
—Suit filed. Donald Trump has made good on an earlier threat of a $5b lawsuit against the BBC over an edited speech of his in a Panorama documentary. The 33-page legal action, brought in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, alleges the BBC made “a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump, which was published in a BBC Panorama documentary, that was fabricated and aired by the defendants one week before the 2024 presidential election in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the election’s outcome to President Trump’s detriment.” The story.
—Review launched. U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on Tuesday launched the once-in-a-decade review of the BBC’s royal charter, which governs its operations and priorities, with the aim of “bolstering trust in the broadcaster and putting it on a sustainable financial footing.” As part of the charter renewal process, the government of Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is considering options to ensure the BBC is sustainably funded for decades to come, commands the public’s trust – being independent and accountable to the public it serves, represents all communities across the U.K. and drives growth, opportunity and good jobs. The story.
—Chief storyteller. As it attempts to close a $83b deal to acquire Warner Bros., Netflix has hired a new chief communications officer. The streamer has hired Dani Dudeck, chief corporate affairs officer at grocery delivery app Instacart, to lead its PR efforts. She’ll report directly to Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Dudeck previously held roles at Myspace and mobile game-maker Zynga. She will start her new role at Netflix on Jan. 12, 2026. The story.
—"This is a great moment for us to engage with the next generation of documentary makers." The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund for the U.K. and Ireland is returning for its fourth year. Five filmmakers and their teams will have the chance to make a short documentary film with a budget of £30,000 ($40,187) each. The brief for these short docs is simply “CHANGE.” Applications will open on Jan. 9. The shortlisted teams will be invited to a pitch day at Netflix’s U.K. HQ in London in summer 2026 where they will pitch to a panel of industry professionals led by Kate Townsend, director, Netflix original feature docs. The story. |
'Stranger Things' and Football Power Heavy TV Use in November ►Broadcast bounce back. A record-setting NFL Thanksgiving slate and the return of one of streaming’s biggest shows helped both broadcast outlets and streamers in November. The return of Stranger Things to Netflix on Nov. 26 helped streamers claim 46.7 percent of all TV viewing in the U.S. for the month. That’s up from 45.7 percent in October and the second-highest share of TV use streaming has ever had, behind only July’s 47.3 percent. Broadcasters also took a larger piece of the viewing pie in November with 23.2 percent of TV use, up from 22.9 percent a month earlier. Network sports broadcasts accounted for 6.4 percent of all TV use by themselves. The story.
—🤝 Overall deal. 🤝 Writer and producer Kerry Ehrin has found a new studio home. Ehrin has signed an overall deal at Sony Pictures Television. Under the multi-year pact, the former Morning Show boss and Bates Motel co-creator (who had a previous deal at Apple TV) will create, develop and produce scripted series for the studio via her Bad Attitude Entertainment. Christine Pham heads development for the company. The deal also brings Ehrin back together with Sony Pictures TV Studios president Katherine Pope; the two worked together when Pope was an NBCUniversal executive and Ehrin worked as a writer and producer on Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. The story.
—📅 More to come. 📅 After CBS aired an Everybody Loves Raymond reunion special in November, Ray Romano told THR's Rick Porter that he would have liked to see a few more things make the cut. The network will air a second special, Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 , on Dec. 2. The hour-long special will feature moments that didn’t make it into the first, 90-minute special, including more clips and outtakes from the series and unaired interviews with writers, producers and guest stars. Romano and producer Phil Rosenthal also filmed new wrap-arounds in which they discuss the experience of filming the reunion. The story. |
Live-Action 'Gaston' Spinoff in the Works at Disney ►Bring back Luke! Disney is hoping that audiences will want to be guests for a live-action Beauty and the Beast spinoff. The studio is developing Gaston, a feature based on the story’s villain character. Plot details have not yet been disclosed for the movie that is still in early stages. Dave Callaham penned the latest draft for the live-action film after Kate Herron and Briony Redman worked on a previous one. Michelle Rejwan is set to produce. The studio released Bill Condon’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, with Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, and Luke Evans as Gaston. That movie surpassed $1.26b at the global box office. The story.
—🏆 Demon Hunters momentum. 🏆 The American Cinematheque has announced its honorees for the 5th annual Tribute to the Crafts, which includes Avatar: Fire and Ash, Frankenstein, Kpop Demon Hunters, Sinners and Weapons, among others. Tribute to the Crafts “honors those who are at the very heart of filmmaking and have exhibited extraordinary work behind the camera over the past year,” according to American Cinematheque. The evening honors 13 categories across every major craft, and honorees are selected by a jury of journalists, film historians and cinephiles. The story.
—🏆 Congrats to all! 🏆 The screenplays of Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Peter Hujar’s Day and Train Dreams, as well as the source material from which they were drawn, are nominated for the USC Scripter Award for best film adaptation. The teleplays for episodes of Dark Winds, Death by Lightning, Dept. Q, Slow Horses and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, as well as the source material from which they were drawn, are nominated for the USC Scripter Award for best TV adaptation. Winners will be announced at the 38th annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony, a black-tie affair in the Town & Gown ballroom on the USC campus, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. The story. |
Film Review: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' ►"Enough with the Modigliani Smurfs already." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash . Oona Chaplin brings her witchy villain as the gang head back to the future to continue the Pandoran struggle against genocidal colonists from Earth. Also starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo and Duane Evans Jr. Written by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver; story by Cameron, Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. The review.
In other news...
—Rotterdam: IFFR sets competition lineup, opening and closing films
—Ciara to perform at inaugural TikTok Awards
—Serayah McNeill signs with Kensington Grey
What else we're reading...
—Lucas Shaw looks at how Hollywood is grappling with a future that will have a lot more AI in it [Bloomberg]
—Eamonn Forde writes that musicians are deeply concerned about AI. So why are the major labels embracing it? [Guardian]
—Jeff Horwitz and Engen Tham report that Meta is tolerating rampant ad fraud from China to safeguard billions in revenue [Reuters]
—Critic Alissa Wilkinson writes that Rob Reiner's progressive politics were always front and center in his works [NYT]
—Tom Ley reflects on CBS News big bet on Bari Weiss interviewing Erika Kirk and how it proved to be a big dud [Defector]
Today...
...in 1974, 20th-Fox and Warner Bros. unveiled in theaters what would become a landmark disaster movie: The 170-minute, John Guillermin-directed Towering Inferno. The movie grossed $116m domestically at the time. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Liv Ullmann (87), Krysten Ritter (44), Theo James (41), Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (47), Benjamin Bratt (62), Shane Black (64), James Mangold (62), J.B. Smoove (60), Anna Popplewell (37), Miranda Otto (58), Xander Berkeley (70), Supriya Ganesh (28), Park Seo-joon (37), Hallee Hirsh (38), Jon Tenney (64), Joe Absolom (47), Owen Vaccaro (20), Jonathan Scarfe (50), Catharine Daddario (33), Frida Hallgren (51), Sam Robards (64), Melanie Smith (63), Alison La Placa (66), Regis Harrington (48), Stephan James (32), Sebastian Croft (24), Luisa Ranieri (52), Daniel Cosgrove (55), Kearran Giovanni (44), Olive Gray (31), Terence Knox (79), Larry Poindexter (66), Samantha Richelle (37), Amanda Setton (40) |
| Anthony Geary, the thoughtful General Hospital actor who as the complex Luke Spencer raped and romanced Genie Francis’ Laura Webber Baldwin on the way to an unprecedented eight Daytime Emmy Awards and soap opera superstardom, has died. He was 78. The obituary. |
|
|
|
| | | |
