What's news: The Art Directors Guild slammed Martin Scorsese. Nick Reiner is seeking access to his trust fund to pay for lawyers. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is getting a third and final season at Netflix. And at the Toy Story 5 premiere, Randy Newman performed "You’ve Got a Friend in Me" with Taylor Swift. — Abid Rahman
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Callum Turner's Moment of Truth
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►"He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do [Bond]." Callum Turner, Hollywood’s latest “It” Brit and is newly married to Dua Lipa, is leading the race to be the next James Bond. But he also has a slew of projects that could see him graduate to the A-list even without getting the 007 gig. THR's David Canfield profiles Turner who is now entering a pivotal summer. Two art house passion projects will soon land in theaters — the starkly innovative Rose of Nevada, out June 19, and the polarizing satire Rosebush Pruning, bowing in July — before he faces his most significant test to date in August: leading the studio-backed, handsomely mounted rom-com One Night Only opposite Oscar nominee Monica Barbaro and helmed by a master of the genre in Will Gluck. This signals an inflection point for the rising talent who already has the ringing endorsement of George Clooney. The cover story.
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Welcome to the Oscar Race 'Toy Story 5' and Taylor Swift!
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►"They really pulled out all the stops for this." In what may well be a preview of things to come this awards season, Toy Story 5, the latest installment in Disney/Pixar’s beloved 31-year-old animated film franchise, was the toast of Hollywood on Tuesday night at the Dolby Theatre, the home of the Oscars. THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg writes that the film looks well-positioned to make a major impact in the awards season, including buzz for Taylor Swift's original song, "I Knew It, I Knew You." The analysis.
—"A genuine home run." The first reactions to Toy Story 5 hit social media after the film’s world premiere on Tuesday night, and the early consensus suggests that Pixar has crafted another classic that will hit you right in the feels. The reaction.
—What a treat! Taylor Swift is officially in her Toy Story era, making an appearance at the Toy Story 5 premiere. Though Swift was not included on the guest list sent to press ahead of the premiere, she hit the carpet ahead of the screening. Inside the Dolby, Swift surprised the audience with a performance of “I Knew It, I Knew You” as she played the piano. Randy Newman later joined her on stage and they also performed together his beloved 1995 song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” The recap.
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DGA Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios, Streamers
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►🤝 4-year deal. 🤝 The Directors Guild of America and the bargaining group representing studios and streamers have reached a tentative deal on a new four-year contract. The agreement was announced Tuesday after a little less than a month of talks between the union and the AMPTP. If approved by the board, the fine print of the agreement will be released to DGA members. The pact would then go to DGA members, a roughly 19,500-strong group of helmers, assistant directors, associate directors, unit production managers and stage managers, for a ratification vote. The current deal is set to expire on June 30. The story.
—"Mr. Scorsese, the business is not in flux." The Art Directors Guild is not happy with Martin Scorsese’s promotion of an AI tool for storyboarding. The union clapped back at the legendary director on Tuesday for a recent ad he filmed with startup Black Forest Labs. The ADG called this an example of the director “turning his back on the human artists who throughout his career have helped him create his most memorable works.” The story.
—Bonza! Paramount's proposed $111b takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery has been cleared to close the acquisition by regulators in Australia and New Zealand. In its decision, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission concluded that the megadeal was “unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in relation to the wholesale supply of films for theatrical release in Australia,” Paramount said in its filing. The story.
—"A highly trusted voice in Washington from both sides of the aisle." Paramount has tapped Shuwanza Goff to lead its engagement with Democratic lawmakers as the company attempts to push through its merger with WBD in the face of deep-blue skepticism. Goff, a former staffer of the Biden White House, has been named the company’s new vp of U.S. government affairs. The story.
—Tooling up. THR's Winston Cho has the scoop that Robert Van Nest, a superstar trial lawyer for leading tech companies across Silicon Valley facing bet-the-company litigation, is in talks to represent California and other states if they file a lawsuit to block Paramount‘s bid for WBD. Van Nest met with California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office on Friday to discuss a role on the case, said a person familiar with the situation. No final decision has been made. The story.
—Upped. Sony Pictures Television executive Devon Hammonds has been promoted to head of nonfiction following the exits earlier this year of former unscripted heads Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman. Hammonds, formerly an evp of business development and strategy, will oversee the studio’s documentary and reality projects in the role as well as other formats like the talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and the competition show On Brand With Jimmy Fallon. The story.
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Nick Reiner Seeks Trust Funds to Pay for Defense Attorney
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►The latest. Nick Reiner is seeking access to an individual trust established by his late parents — filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner — to rehire a powerhouse attorney to defend him in his upcoming criminal trial for their murders. The 32-year-old has filed a probate petition in L.A. to access some of the $1.5m placed in the trust. The Reiners were found dead in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, and Nick, their middle child and second son, was ultimately arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for multiple murders and use of a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody in L.A. The story.
—Court appearance. French actor and singer Patrick Bruel appeared before investigating judges in Paris on Wednesday for questioning related to alleged acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment involving nine victims, committed between 2010 and 2019. Bruel has been in police detention since Monday for questioning. Though not an international star, Bruel is a household name in France, with dozens of television and film credits, including What’s in a Name? (2012) and The Best Is Yet to Come (2019) as well as several chart-topping albums as a singer. The story.
—ICYMI. A November California election will see a television personality make a run after all. A day after Spencer Pratt was eliminated from the L.A. mayoral race, former Fox News host Steve Hilton clinched second place in the California gubernatorial primary and will face Biden-era HHS secretary Xavier Becerra in the general election. The British-born newbie candidate held off progressive Tom Steyer, who had been nipping at Hilton’s heels as votes rolled in but could never quite close the gap. The story.
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BBC Scraps 'Doctor Who' Xmas Special, Russell T. Davies Exits |
►Sonic screwdriver to the gut. On Wednesday, the BBC finally gave an update on the future of its long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who, and it's not good news. The broadcaster has scrapped the previously promised Christmas special and will put Doctor Who out to “competitive tender.” It’s a formal, open process in which the BBC invites independent production companies to pitch for rights on an existing series, and they then pick a favorite. Essentially, legendary showrunner, Swansea's own Russell T. Davies, and production company Bad Wolf are exiting the show. The story.
—🎭 A touch of class. 🎭 Amazon Prime Video‘s comedy Escorted, starring and created by Brett Goldstein, is adding Lesley Manville to its cast. The newly crowned Tony winner will play the mother of Goldstein’s character in the series. Escorted stars Goldstein as Denny, a divorced dad in Manhattan who accidentally becomes a male escort. The story.
—The end is nigh. Netflix has announced a third — and final — season for the YA series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder based on novels by Holly Jackson. The final season is based on As Good As Dead, the third book in Jackson’s trilogy. Season three has wrapped production and is set to premiere in 2027. Emma Myers stars in the show as Pip Fitz-Amobi, who begins the series by re-investigating the death of a schoolgirl a few years earlier. Season two premiered May 27 and follows Pip as she investigates the disappearance of a friend’s brother. The story.
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'Summer House' S10 Reunion Revelations |
►Are they in love? Are they in a monogamous relationship? Were they on beta-blockers during filming for the reunion? Part three of the Summer House season 10 reunion aired on Tuesday, putting a bow on the show’s biggest season to date. THR's McKinley Franklin breaks down the biggest moments from the episode. Warning: Spoilers! The recap.
—Surprise! After the second part of the explosive Summer House reunion, Bravo wasn’t quite ready to reveal what they had planned next for viewers of the hit reality series. But now that the third and final episode of the must-see reunion has aired, the network has some news: Summer House: The Aftermath is coming. Summer House is airing a bonus episode June 16 at 8 p.m. on Bravo. The story.
—"Network error on the app I’m gonna lose it." Love Island USA fans took to social media to share their frustrations after a technical glitch hit the voting process. On Tuesday night, shortly after episode seven aired on Peacock, the show announced that voting had opened for fans on the app. However, when some viewers went to vote, they were met with glitches and a message that read “network error.” The story.
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Film Review: 'Disclosure Day' |
►"No living director better understands the magic of movies." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day. Spielberg’s spellbinding return to what he does best asks the question, “What if we discover we’re not alone in the universe as our own world teeters toward destruction?” Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Elizabeth Marvel. Written by David Koepp from a story by Steven Spielberg. The review.
—"A joyful banger." David reviews Jyllian Gunther and Stephanie Schwam's Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story. HBO's Sarah Jessica Parker-produced doc pays tribute to the freedom-of-expression champion and queer community activist who took on a corporate monolith and won a national censorship battle. Featuring Robin Byrd, Shelley Byrd, Sandra Bernhard, Lou Cass, Marjorie Heins, Heather Hunter, Michael Musto, Cheri Oteri and Annie Sprinkle. The review.
—"Filled with sentiment, only some of it earned." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Jason Bergh's The Symphony of Dance. Months after nearly dying from an injury, Hayley Erbert Hough rejoined her husband, Dancing With the Stars fave Derek Hough, for a comeback chronicled in Bergh's Tribeca premiere. The review.
—"Dull and dour." THR's Angie Han reviews Amazon Prime Video's Every Year After. Adapted from Carley Fortune's bestselling novel, the drama chronicles the tumultuous connection between two childhood best friends over 15 years. Starring Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett, Michael Bradway, Aurora Perrineau, Joseph Chiu, Abigail Cowen and Elisha Cuthbert. Created by Amy B. Harris and Leila Gerstein. The review.
In other news...
—Social Reckoning trailer reveals Jeremy Strong’s fiery portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg
—HBO's Robin Byrd doc Bang My Box — watch the trailer
—BET Awards: Teyana Taylor to receive Icon of the Year honor
—Jay-Z announces concerts in Los Angeles and Paris
—Filmmaker Spencer King signs with Rewind Artists
—Anthony Guidera, actor who had a memorable kiss in Species, dies at 65
What else we're reading...
—Julia Boorstin talks to Backrooms producer Peter Chernin on how Hollywood needs to change [CNBC]
—Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan go inside the White House freakout over the Epstein Files last summer [NYT]
—Brian Schwartz, Krystal Hur and Katherine Long report that scandal-plagued prediction market Kalshi is planning a workplace disclosure rule to combat insider trading [WSJ]
—Sophie Gilbert unpacks why Amazon's Off Campus "driving women wild" [Atlantic]
—Elaine Godfrey relives her "disorienting" weekend with the women of Erika Kirk's Turning Point USA [Atlantic]
Today...
...in 1994, 20th Century Fox revved up actioner Speed in theaters, where it would go on to be a summer hit grossing $120m-plus stateside. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Bill Burr (58), Jeremy Saulnier (50), Gina Prince-Bythewood (57), Elizabeth Hurley (61), Jeanne Tripplehorn (63), Gina Gershon (64), Kate Upton (34), Andrew Niccol (62), Jürgen Prochnow (85), Timothy Van Patten (67), Dustin Lance Black (52), DJ Qualls (48), Leelee Sobieski (43), Titus Makin Jr. (37), Juliet Doherty (29), Jonathan Bennett (45), Betsy Sodaro (42), Shane West (48), Ben Daniels (62), Frankie Faison (77), Tina Ivlev (37), Nicholas Duvernay (27), Tristin Mays (36), Marko Zaror (48), Randee Heller (79), Susannah Fielding (41), Colton Ryan (31), Helena Zengel (18), Laura Silverman (60), Andrew Stevens (71), Doug McKeon (60), Mike Dopud (58), Luciana Paluzzi (89), Kate Flannery (62), Nicole Bilderback (51), Maggie Thurman (24), Carolyn Hennesy (64), Jessica DiCicco (46), Veronica Ferres (61), Elsie Lovelock (34), Toby Levins (45), Sasha Obama (25)
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