What's news: Paramount is demanding that the states suing to block its deal for WBD post a nearly $1.9b bond. Round Hill is suing Suno and Anthropic on claims of mass copyright infringement. Peacock subscribers are getting another price hike. HBO has finally renewed Welcome to Derry. And Madonna is the top nominee heading into the MTV VMAs. — Abid Rahman
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ABC Sues FCC Over Threats to Broadcast Licenses |
►"The consequences of the Administration’s campaign against free speech reach well beyond ABC." ABC is suing the Federal Communications Commission over the agency’s efforts to challenge its broadcast licenses and the content of The View, saying that it is a free speech violation by the Trump administration. The Disney-owned network filed suit against the FCC Tuesday in D.C. District Court, asking the court to stop the early broadcast license renewal proceedings and asking for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. The story.
—Playing hardball. Paramount Skydance is demanding that the states suing to block its $111b deal for Warner Bros. Discovery post a nearly $1.9b bond, pending the outcome of the litigation. In a statement Monday, the company, led by CEO David Ellison, says that the bond demand is based on settled federal law. The company also notes that, as of Friday, all global regulators have signed off on the deal, including the U.S. DOJ, leaving the state lawsuit as the last hurdle to clear, thus reinforcing why the states should be on the hook for the bond. The story.
—🤝 MOU reached! 🤝 Six months after a fully AI-generated viral video of Tom Cruise battling Brad Pitt took the internet by storm, the tech behind the ripoff has been tweaked to protect Hollywood intellectual property and likenesses. The Motion Picture Association on Monday said that it had reached a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese tech giant ByteDance that will provide “strong guardrails” within its tech and platforms that will protect Hollywood. The agreement covers Seedance, the AI video model that generated the Cruise vs. Pitt video, as well as Seedream 5.0 Lite, TikTok, CapCut and Dreamina, among others. The story.
—The price of success... Peacock subscribers are getting another price hike after the NBCUniversal streamer just had its first profitable quarter. From today, and depending on billing dates, the company said the ad-supported Peacock Premium service will be $12.99 per month, up from $10.99, while the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus offering will go up by $3 to $19.99 per month and the Peacock Select tier will go up by $1 to $8.99 per month. The story.
—"False, defamatory and pernicious 'information'." A shock Lakers sale is reopening an internal schism within the family that had controlled the NBA franchise for 46 years. In a letter on Monday, Jeanie Buss’ attorney accused ESPN’s star NBA reporter Shams Charania of being the recipient of a “false” leak from Buss siblings Joey and Jesse. Charania reported that the trust of six siblings had voted to relinquish its 17.8 percent stake in the franchise. That would wind down the family’s involvement in the team. Jeanie Buss pushed back on Charania's reporting. The story.
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Nick Reiner Frustrated By Lack of Access to $1.5M Trust |
►The latest. Nick Reiner’s lawyers sought to extract money from his dwindling trust fund in L.A. Superior Court on Monday to pay a star defense attorney’s fee. He’s accused of killing his parents Rob and Michele Reiner at their Brentwood home in December 2025. A judge pushed the decision to October. Anita Wu, counsel to Reiner, expressed frustration that an estimated $200,000 had already been drained from his $1.5m trust in the fight over the disbursement. That $200,000 was spent by a trustee of Reiner’s account, with the money used to hire counsel to block Nick from accessing the fund. The story.
—Three decades in the making. The trial linked to the murder of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur finally began in Las Vegas, three decades removed from the rapper's death, with Duane “Keffe D” Davis accused of orchestrating the killing. The prosecution and Davis’s defense gave their opening statements on Monday morning, with Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal telling jurors that Davis arranged the murder in “an act of revenge" after Shakur had attacked Davis’s nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. The story.
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Round Hill Files $1B Copyright Suits Against Suno, Anthropic
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►"There is simply nothing fair about a company using theft to build for purely commercial purposes a multi-billion dollar business." Independent music publisher Round Hill is suing Suno and Anthropic on claims of mass copyright infringement, alleging that the two AI companies scraped hundreds of the publisher’s songs without permission to train their AI models. Round Hill is a prominent music publisher whose copyrights include "Iris" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart." The company provided a list of 500 songs that the defendants had infringed upon. Round Hill said it plans to "amend to list potentially ten thousand or more of their musical compositions," with those damages potentially exceeding $1b. The story.
—🏆 Diva domination. 🏆 Madonna is the top nominee heading into the 2026 MTV VMAs, the network announced on Tuesday, with the pop icon earning 11 nominations overall this year, including for artist of the year, video of the year, song of the year for her Sabrina Carpenter collaboration “Bring Your Love” and video of the year for “Confessions II – The Film.” Taylor Swift, the most-awarded act in VMAs history, came in second this year with nine nominations. Carpenter and Ariana Grande are tied for third with seven each. The nominations.
—Conflict of interest claim. Ellie Goulding is suing her former managers at TaP Management over conflict of interest claims, alleging that the company failed to disclose business ties to Live Nation Entertainment. In the suit, Goulding claimed that TaP Management’s founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett had frequently pushed the singer to work with Live Nation, while never disclosing that the company was a subsidiary of Live Nation. The story.
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'Welcome to Derry' Renewed for S2 and Going Back to 1935
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►🟢 Finally! 🟢 The residents of Derry get a 27-year rest between cycles of Pennywise the Dancing Clown menacing their small Maine town. Fans of IT: Welcome to Derry won’t have to wait quite that long for Pennywise to return to HBO, but they’ll still have to wait a little longer than they probably would have liked. HBO has officially greenlit Welcome to Derry for a second season nearly a year after the first season premiered last October. The series is also changing behind the scenes, with Brad Caleb Kane now serving as sole showrunner (instead of sharing duties with Jason Fuchs). EPs Andy and Barbara Muschietti also return. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Front Street Pictures has acquired the life story rights to actor, former boxer, DJ and ordained deacon Zak Santiago for a biopic TV series to be launched to international buyers at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as part of its inaugural Content Market. Front Street, backed by Blink49 Studios, has tapped veteran writer and producer Jonathan Lloyd Walker to showrun and produce the drama alongside fellow creators John Cassini and Santiago. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Season four of Netflix's hit political thriller The Diplomat, consisting of eight one-hour episodes, is set to begin streaming on Oct. 15. In a new teaser, Keri Russell's American ambassador to the U.K. and her vice president husband, played by Rufus Sewell, are trying to navigate a number of strained relationships. The story.
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Feinberg's Latest Emmy Predictions |
►Home stretch. The final round of Primetime Emmys voting kicked off on Monday morning and will run through Aug. 26. Some voters cast their ballots right away, but many wait until the bitter end of the process before locking in their picks, allowing them more time to catch up on the overwhelming amount of TV represented amongst just the nominees. With that in mind, THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg provides his latest read of the 63 Emmy categories. The forecast.
—"I really don't care. Do u?" For those whose appetite for documentary footage of the First Lady was not slaked by Melania, more is supposedly coming to Prime Video. Marc Beckman, Melania’s senior advisor and longtime manager, first announced that a docuseries was arriving this fall on Real America’s Voice. Beckman previously told THR that Amazon’s $75m deal for Melania included at least two episodes of bonus footage that were set to be released alongside the feature doc on Prime Video. Beckman pitched the new material as a “total different experience, completely new.” He added that the episodes will “show a part of the First Lady that hasn’t been seen yet.” The story.
—Another new face. As the clock ticks closer to the return of CBS’ 60 Minutes, the show continues to add new on-air talent in a bid to replenish its team of journalists. 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton on Monday informed staff at the newsmagazine that Ariel Levy is latest addition, joining the show as a contributor. Levy is currently a staff writer at The New Yorker. The story.
—🎭 Filling out. 🎭 The BBC has revealed the leads for drama series The Ministry of Time from A24 as filming begins in and around London. It will star Aoife Hinds as Sophy and Billy Howle as Commander Graham Gore. The Ministry of Time is based on Kaliane Bradley’s bestselling debut novel of the same name, adapted by Alice Birch, with Aneil Karia serving as the lead director. The story.
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Whitney Peak Joins 'Miami Vice '85'
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►🎭 Sneak Peak. 🎭 Whitney Peak, one of the stars of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, has joined the cast of Universal’s Miami Vice ’85, being directed by Joseph Kosinski. Peak joins Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler and Alden Ehrenreich in the feature, which is eyeing a November production start in and will shoot in New York and Miami. The new feature will explore the glamour and corruption of mid-’80s Miami in a new version of the property, inspired by the pilot episode of the landmark television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking. The story.
—🎭 Of-the-moment. 🎭 THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit has the scoop that Youssef and Sharon Stone will star in Martha & Muhammad, a comedy being produced and financed by A24. Youssef wrote the script and will make his feature directorial debut with the project, which sources say tackles several hot button flashpoints as it tells the story of a white widowed socialite in New York who develops a relationship with a young Muslim man. Class, religion, immigration and age are on the table on what promises to be a showcase for both Youssef and Stone. The story.
—"It looks dramatic. It looks very dramatic." Chris Hansen, you know how this looks, right? Because that Primetime movie trailer starring Robert Pattinson makes the former To Catch a Predator host look rather obsessed with fame. To his credit, however, Hansen says he refuses to judge Primetime until he actually sees it (which will be next week, he says). But during an interview with podcaster Annie Elise, Hansen gave some of his preliminary thoughts about the project. The story.
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Remembering Hayden Panettiere |
►A talent that never got the next chapter it deserved. THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg remembers the late Hayden Panettiere’s body of work. Daniel writes that shows like Heroes and Nashville let the actress evolve from precocity to maturity, but her personal struggles left that journey incomplete. The critic's appreciation.
—Her best roles. THR has rounded up a list of Hayden Panettiere's most memorable roles, from her early beginnings as a child actor on soap operas to her critically acclaimed performances in Heroes and Nashville. The list.
—"She left this world far too soon." Wladimir Klitschko has spoken out following news of the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, his former partner and mother to their daughter, Kaya. "Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief," the former boxing world champion posted on Instagram early Tuesday, adding to reactions from around the world. "Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief." The story.
—"Two shining talents." Tim Fywell, the director of the 2005 Disney movie Ice Princess that starred Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere, paid tribute to the actresses who both died tragically young. In a statement shared with THR, Fywell wrote, "In what was often a tough and technically complicated shoot, and my first Hollywood movie, they were delightful to work with and great to have around. I remember them both with huge affection, how they were 20-odd years ago, at that relatively uncomplicated time of their lives, two shining talents, gone far too soon." The story.
—"The world is losing a very talented actress and beautiful soul." Among the performances for which Hayden Panettiere has been most fondly remembered are her memorable turns in the Scream franchise. THR's Ryan Gajewski spoke to Scream 4 casting director Nancy Nayor about working with Panettiere. The interview.
—The latest. The coroner’s office overseeing the autopsy of Hayden Panettiere released a statement on Monday indicating that there were no signs of trauma found on her body. Panettiere’s death is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The story.
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►"Dude, where's my Cinquecento?" THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Giovanni Tortorici's Ketticè. Monica Bellucci plays the protagonist's mother in this Locarno-bowing teen stoner dramedy produced by Luca Guadagnino. Also starring Salvatore Gallina, Rachele Testagrossa, Davide Cirri, Rocco Sanfilippo, Anita Teresi, Giulio Amico and Stefania Raffadali. Written by Giovanni Tortorici. The review.
—"Love in a time of war." Leslie reviews Isabelle Stever's I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming. The film from the German director and her Ukrainian screenwriter wife will play in the New York Film Festival after its debut in Locarno and tells the story of a Ukrainian trans man facing excruciating choices. Starring Markus Bright, Tania Myronyshena, Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maiia Sobolevska, Maria Myronyshena and Oleksandr Rudynskyi. Written by Anna Melikova. The review.
In other news...
—The Drop trailer sees Snowfall characters go after "new gold rush" of West Coast rap
—Slow Horses S6 trailer: A ghost from the past returns
—Vigil S3 trailer: Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie investigate murder at Arctic research station
—London Film Festival: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Carol Morley films added to competition
—Katie Martin Kelley moving from Warner Bros. to Netflix as vp communications, film
—Kirsten Jacobson joins Writ Large as manager
What else we're reading...
—Frank Andrews reports on the comments of Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who called for "30 to 40" people to be killed per night in Gaza, describing some Gazans as "not even people" [CBS News]
—Daniel Chin wonders if HBO’s more grounded adaptation of the Green Lantern comics with Lanterns can take flight with DC fans [Ringer]
—Max Tani reports that The Daily Show faces uncertain future under Paramount [Semafor]
—Reflecting on the success of The Vampire Lestat, Kayleigh Dray looks at why TV vampires are so intoxicating [Guardian]
—Michael Paulson reports that struggling regional theaters are turning towards productions of "instant moneymaker" Les Misérables [NYT]
Today...
...in 2010, 20th Century Fox released Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's Vampires Suck in theaters. The parody kings took on the Twilight franchise in this spoof comedy that was hated by critics (4 percent on RT!) but loved by audiences. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Kaitlin Olson (51), Edward Norton (57), Christian Slater (57), Andy Samberg (48), Sarita Choudhury (60), Madeleine Stowe (68), Denis Leary (69), Richard Harmon (35), Carole Bouquet (69), Shalom Brune-Franklin (32), Maia Mitchell (33), Madelaine Petsch (32), Darren Pettie (56), Craig Bierko (62), Josephine Langford (29), Brady Hepner (21), Rivkah Reyes (34), Dar Salim (49), Michaela Jill Murphy (32), Glenn Plummer (65), Sergio Castellitto (73), Adam Storke (64), Daphnee Duplaix (50), Anna Akana (37), Jacob Vargas (55), Mizuo Peck (49), Brian Michael Bendis (59), Max Winkler (43), Alexa Davies (🏴31), Kieran Bew (46)
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Peggy Webber, the prolific radio actress who portrayed the mother of Jack Webb’s Joe Friday on the original version of Dragnet before appearing for Orson Welles in Macbeth and Alfred Hitchcock in The Wrong Man, has died. She was 100. The obituary.
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