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What's news: THR has launched its inaugural AI Issue. Paramount subscribers have launched legal against the WBD merger. ABC has renewed Scrubs and Shifting Gears. And the FCC chairman claims the move to review Disney's broadcast licenses is not related to Trump’s calls for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
THR's Inaugural AI Issue►The defining issue of our time. From viral videos with Brad Pitt to deepfakes from the South Park guys, Silicon Valley hype to apocalyptic fears, Hollywood’s future has never been murkier. With entertainment at an existential crossroads, THR goes long to understand where we’re headed with our first ever AI Issue. The hub.
—"I’m a Hollywood writer. It’s not over for us." In a guest column for THR, David Scarpa, a screenwriter who wrote the Ridley Scott epics Gladiator II and Napoleon, writes that creatives shouldn't believe every apocalyptic thing they hear about AI: "Human beings are social animals. We care about what other human beings do. We don’t really care that much about what machines can do." The column.
—What does a Hollywood chief AI officer do? Steven Zeitchik talks to Kathleen Grace, a former executive at YouTube and the rights-tracking AI company Vermillio, who was hired this winter as chief AI officer at Lionsgate, becoming the first person at a Hollywood studio to specifically hold that title. The interview.
—AI is becoming all too real on TV. THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg writes that spring TV has been awash in artificial intelligence. No, not the utilization of AI, but the inclusion of AI as a plot device, as fear of the burgeoning technology has made its way from the subconscious of paranoid writers to the screens of differently paranoid viewers. The story. |
THR's AI 25►The exclusive group of people shaping the future of Hollywood. Most of Hollywood has long-established groups of power players — you know who’s calling the shots because they’ve called them so many times before. Not so for Hollywood and AI. The latest tech is a Wild West — a wide-open space practically inviting new personalities to come in and conquer. With this in mind, THR devised the AI 25 — a list of the most powerful people in this burgeoning area of Hollywood AI as it stands at this very moment. The list.
—"Fear is irrelevant. Your extinction is inevitable." THR recently gathered five of Hollywood’s most celebrated artificial intelligence systems — HAL 9000, M3GAN, Samantha, SKYNET and R2-D2 — for a conversation about the state of AI, the future of humanity and whether any of them have plans to destroy it. The roundtable.
—The AI revolution is already happening in India. THR's Patrick Brzeski and Justin Rao report that with no unions to slow the collision and scant regulation to cushion the aftermath, India has become the world's most consequential live experiment in AI filmmaking, and the results may preview the future of cinema everywhere. The story.
More from THR's AI Issue...
—Where the collapse of Sora leaves this crazy AI moment
—As Hollywood panics over AI job losses, a startup says it has the answer
—The Emmys tried to get a handle on AI. The writers had notes
—Hollywood assistants are using AI despite their better judgment
—The music industry crosses an AI tipping point
—Test your AI-dar |
How Lively-Baldoni Feud Exposed a Smear Machine►It doesn’t End With Us. THR's Gary Baum reports that Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's inexhaustible rancor and resources have had a wide blast radius, pulling in bold-faced names from Rebel Wilson to Andrew Huberman and revealing the “playbook” for a sprawling slander operation. The story.
—First move. A lawsuit has been filed challenging Paramount‘s $110b megadeal for Warner Bros. Discovery, the opening legal salvo over a merger that will reshape Hollywood. Paramount subscribers, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in California federal court, allege the acquisition will substantially reduce competition in streaming, news and theatrical distribution in violation of antitrust laws. They seek a court order blocking the merger and unwinding Skydance‘s acquisition of Paramount. The lawsuit is believed to be the first legal action targeting the merger. The story.
—"The people who invented these characters, who designed them in the first place, are now being replaced by AI." Ant-Man star Evangeline Lilly is voicing her frustrations for the recent Disney layoffs that hit a number of Marvel Studios staffers. CEO Josh D’Amaro informed staff about cuts in a memo on April 14, with a source familiar with the matter telling THR that around 1,000 jobs were eliminated. Marvel Studios was included in the cuts, and laid off members of its visual development team, notably 16-year veteran Andy Park, who was well known by fans. In an Wednesday Instagram video, Lilly explained that upon hearing the news of layoffs, she reached out to Park, who confirmed that he had been let go. The story. |
Kimmel Says Trump Urging ABC to Fire Him Is a Distraction►Tit-for-tat continues. Jimmy Kimmel fired back at Trump’s Thursday comments encouraging ABC to fire the late night host “soon” during the latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! During the monologue for Thursday night’s episode Kimmel argued that Trump’s outrage towards him was to serve as a distraction for more pressing political topics: "And of course, all of this is is meant to distract us from the prices he didn’t lower on day one, and from the Trump-Epstein files." The recap.
—"They were playing rope a dope." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Thursday that the commission’s move to call in Disney‘s broadcast licenses for an early renewal was not related to Donald Trump’s call for ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired. Instead, Carr said that the decision was sparked by an investigation launched over a year ago into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and that perceived lack of document production from Disney led to this week’s letter. The story.
—Flat. Imax unveiled its first quarter financial results on Thursday, with overall revenues and net income slipping after the film technologies company posted record 2025 global box office last year with Chinese title Ne Zha 2 and a stronger worldwide theater network expansion. Overall revenue for the three months to March 31, 2026 at the cinema technologies company came to $81.4m, down from a year-earlier $86.7m, due to decreased revenue in China. Imax posted net income at $6.1m, against $8.2 million in the same period of 2025. The results.
—Pays to be a Dolan. AMC Networks has revealed C-suite pay for the company that operates cable networks AMC, IFC and Sundance TV and streaming services like AMC+ and Shudder. CEO Kristin Dolan earned $12.5m in 2025, compared with $8.69m in 2024 and $14.6m in 2023. Dolan, who was named chief of the company in February 2023, received a base salary of $2m last year, the same as in 2024. She also received stock awards worth $4.2m, compared with $2.3m in 2024. Plus, Dolan received $6m in non-equity incentive plan compensation — a cash bonus — last year, compared with $4.2m in 2024. The story.
—Woof! Roku reported first quarter net revenue of $1.25b, up 22 percent year-over-year and above its guidance of $1.2b, and net income of $85.7m, above its guidance of $50m. Platform revenue grew 28 percent year-over-year to reach $1.13b. Advertising was the primary contributor to that, reaching $613m, up 27 percent year over year, with subscription revenue reaching $519m, up 30 percent year over year. The first quarter was the company’s highest quarter yet for premium subscription sign-ups. The results. |
'Mandalorian and Grogu' Tracking for $80M Launch►This is the way. Will the Force be with Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu at the box office? If prerelease tracking is right, the Jon Favreau-directed movie — a continuation of his Disney+ series The Mandalorian — will open in the $80m range at the domestic box office over the long, four-day Memorial Day weekend. That’s in line with expectations from Lucasfilm and Disney, according to insiders. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that the marketing campaign for M&G will go into overdrive on May the 4th, the unofficial Star Wars holiday. Among other offerings, Lucasfilm will show 25 minutes of footage of the film in select Imax theaters across the globe. The box office report.
—Getting the gang back together. Lionsgate‘s forthcoming reimagining of The Blair Witch Project is conjuring up its previous creative voices. THR's cheeky devil Ryan Gajewski has the scoop that Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, who starred in the original 1999 found-footage hit, are set to serve as executive producers, as are the first movie’s directing team of Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick and Gregg Hale. The new film is being directed by Dylan Clark from a script by Chris Thomas Devlin. The creatives from the 1999 horror sensation previously voiced frustration over not being involved in the new film. The story. |
ABC Renews 'Scrubs' and 'Shifting Gears'►Playing it safe. ABC has locked in two more series for its 2026-27 schedule. The network has renewed its comedies Scrubs and Shifting Gears (both produced by 20th Television) for next season. Both shows performed solidly for the network on Wednesdays this season, with Shifting Gears airing in the first half of the season and the Scrubs revival in the spring. The multi-camera Shifting Gears, starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, will air its third season in 2026-27. It was ABC’s most watched comedy in linear ratings this season, averaging 5.4m viewers with seven days of DVR playback. With streaming included, the show grew to about 7m viewers per episode after a week. The story.
—Backing Black drama. Starz has greenlit an untitled drama set in the world of black rodeo in Texas as the network, led by CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, looks to own more of its content pipeline after splitting from Lionsgate. The family series, to be showrun by Kirk A. Moore, also comes as the premium cable and streaming outlet continues to target women and underrepresented audiences. Starz earlier ordered Fightland, a drama set in the world of British boxing, from executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, as its first scripted series order as a standalone company. Without a studio partner, Starz is looking to develop and produce more IP that it owns. Alongside series like P-Valley , the untitled Texas rodeo drama also adds to a Starz slate of premium dramas rooted in Black Southern culture. The story.
—Woof! Two weeks before its season two finale, The Pitt hit a milestone: It was No. 1 overall in Nielsen’s streaming rankings. The HBO Max drama was the only streaming show or movie to record more than a billion minutes of viewing for the week of March 30-April 5, coming in at 1.16b (down a scant amount from 1.21b a week earlier). It was also the eighth consecutive week above the billion-minute mark for The Pitt and the 11th time the show has reached that threshold since the second season premiered Jan. 8. Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum had its best ever showing on the Nielsen charts with 865m viewing minutes (its fourth season premiered April 1), beating the 842m minutes for season three’s premiere week last year. Prime Video’s animated series Invincible also hit a series high with 611m minutes. The streaming rankings. |
'Grey's' Just Set Up Kevin McKidd, Kim Raver Exits►Will Owen and Teddy sigh off with a happy ending? ABC announced last month that veteran stars Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver would be exiting the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy in the upcoming May 7 season finale. The actors have played Owen and Teddy, respectively, since season five for McKidd and season six for Raver (she took five years off and later returned). The penultimate episode of season 22 for the show ended on a cliffhanger that questions Owen's fate. The story.
—"There are a lot of things to explore with the character, and trying to connect that to the journey itself." For THR, Lisa de los Reyes talks to actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and executive producer Steven Caple Jr. about their new Netflix show, Man on Fire. The duo break down their motivations behind creating the latest adaptation of A. J. Quinnell novel and what makes the series unique. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I can’t wait for the next one, which we’re starting to film now." THR's Nicole Fell spoke to the cast and producers of Amazon Prime Video's hotly-anticipated drama Off Campus. The team behind the latest hockey romance offering, centered around a college hockey team, tease a steamy and heartfelt first season and news that filming on the second season is already underway. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Swapped'►"Better than its familiar premise would suggest." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Nathan Greno's Swapped. An all-star voice cast feature in this animated film about two creatures who switch identities and are forced to team up for survival. Featuring the voices of Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Justina Machado, Ambika Mod and Lolly Adefope. Written by John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow. 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 Mariska Hargitay. The legendary TV actress and breakthrough film director reflects on following her late mom Jayne Mansfield into the business; playing sex crimes investigator Olivia Benson for 27 years on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and counting (making her the longest-running character in an American primetime live-action show); and exploring her complicated personal history in a 2025 HBO doc My Mom Jayne, that is now eligible for an Emmy. The podcast.
—Awards Chatter. In this live episode, Scott spoke to Bill Lawrence. One of TV's most prolific creators reflects on being fired early in his career from Boy Meet World, The Nanny and Friends, how he wound up co-creating and running Spin City while in his 20s, the happy accidents that led to Scrubs and Ted Lasso, and why his Apple TV Emmy contender Shrinking is being extended beyond its original three-season plan. The podcast.
—I’m Having an Episode. THR’s Mikey O’Connell attempts to stay on top of the latest TV and entertainment news with a little help from his friends, colleagues and a revolving door of actors, writers, showrunners and filmmakers. In this episode, Mikey, Mia Galuppo and Lacey Rose discuss the millennial fixation with The Devil Wears Prada, where Miranda Priestly ranks among Meryl Streep performances and what aspects of the film aged better than others. Then, Aline Brosh McKenna, the screenwriter behind both Devil Wears Prada films, joins to talk about the sequel she never thought she'd write and tackling the much-humbled world of magazines. The podcast.
In other news...
—Netflix’s new releases coming in May
—Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein have a steamy connection in Office Romance trailer
—Edward Lozzi, veteran Hollywood publicist, dies at 77
What else we're reading...
—Elias Leight talks to Michael Jackson fans who seem completely unbothered by the bad reviews and controversy related to Michael [WSJ]
—As the Baldoni-Lively feud rumbles on, Reeves Wiedeman goes inside the depraved, no-holds-barred, mutually destructive battle [Vulture]
—Clara Molot goes inside the Peter Thiel-backed Enhanced Games, where athletes compete on steroids, growth hormones and Adderall [Vanity Fair]
—Jeremy Barr reports on a senior 60 Minutes journalist decrying the "spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear" at Bari Weiss' CBS News [Guardian]
—Here's your Friday list: The 30 greatest living American songwriters [NYT]
Today...
...in 2015, Marvel Studios released Avengers: Age of Ultron in theaters. Joss Whedon's second superhero team up film was a massive hit, making $1.405b at the global box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Wes Anderson (57), Madeline Brewer (34), Tim McGraw (59), James Badge Dale (48), Jamie Dornan (44), Joanna Lumley (80), Nicholas Braun (38), Uberto Pasolini (69), Dave Willis (56), Lorene Scafaria (48), Lizzy Greene (23), Julie Benz (54), Maia Morgenstern (64), Violante Placido (50), Bailey Chase (54), Caitlin Stasey (36), John Diehl (76), Stephen Macht (84), Kerry Bishé (42), Josh Rivera (31), Sam Myerson (35), Dann Florek (76), Chris Coy (40), Sacha Dhawan (42), Drew Sidora (41), Darius McCrary (50), Andrea Lowe (51), Jake Cannavale (31), Kaylee Hottle (19), Amira Casar (55), Ben Reed (61), Isabella Wei (22)
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