What's news: Taylor Swift and Madonna won big at the VMAs. Avengers Endgame: Encore grossed $86m globally this weekend. The Traitors: New Blood scored big ratings on Peacock. And Universal became the first studio to cross $5b at the worldwide box office this year. — Abid Rahman
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Taylor, Madonna Dominate MTV VMAs |
►🏆 Madge! 🏆 The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards belonged to Taylor Swift and Madonna. Swift won video of the year and also was presented with the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors by Dakota Johnson, who stars in Swift’s new video for “Patient Zero,” which premiered during the VMAs. She also won best direction for “Opalite.” Meanwhile, Madonna was the big winner of the night, nabbing a total of seven awards on Sunday. She and Sabrina Carpenter won best collaboration not long after opening the show together with a performance of “Bring Your Love.” The winners.
—"She ain’t a virgin no more." Snoop Dogg knows how to wow a crowd, and the 2026 VMAs was no exception. The rapper hosted the ceremony at the Peacock Theater, where he kicked off the festivities by poking fun at Madonna, and shared a special shoutout to his hometown of L.A. The monologue.
—"He was one of one." Public Enemy frontman Chuck D celebrated Nirvana‘s musical legacy as he presented the ’90s grunge rock band with the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs. After a pretaped segment showing the group in its early days, reflecting on memorable music videos, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl accepted the award alongside Pat Smear, who smoked a cigarette onstage. The recap.
—For Dolly. Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton at the VMAs. Musgraves, who was nominated this year for best country for “Dry Spell,” performed one of Parton’s biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You.” Though the tribute aired onscreen at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Musgraves wasn’t at the ceremony in person. The performance.
—7 things you didn’t see on TV. The 2026 VMAs offered some fun behind-the-scenes moments that TV viewers at home didn’t see during the live broadcast and wouldn't you know it, THR has you covered. The missed moments.
—One stop shop. As well as the missed moments, THR has put together all the best bits from the VMAs telecast. The moments.
—Show stoppers. As ever the VMAs were a spectacle on the red carpet as much as it was on stage during the ceremony. THR has gathered together all the best looks from Sunday night including stunning outfits from the likes of Lisa, Teyana Taylor, Raye, Charli xcx and more. The looks.
More from the MTV VMAs...
—Madonna opens VMAs with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX
—Raye delivers red-hot rendition of hit "Where Is My Husband!"
—Lisa debuts thrilling first televised performance of "SaWaDiKa"
—Taylor Swift debuts music video for new single "Patient Zero"
—Adam Lambert performs hit-filled George Michael tribute
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YouTube, Meta Will Now Accept 'Musk' Trailer Ad
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►Well, welll, well. Following an outcry over potential suppression, YouTube and Meta are changing direction on an ad for an Elon Musk documentary. Bleecker Street, the studio behind Alex Gibney’s upcoming Musk, will be allowed to buy an ad for the trailer on the platform after all, a YouTube spokesperson tells THR's Steven Zeitchik. The trailer “was temporarily restricted by our system. Following review, the ad has been cleared to run,” the company said, also posting the message to social media. Meanwhile, a Meta spokesperson tells THR that a decision to reject the ad “was an error and we’re restoring the ads.” The story.
—ICYMI. On Friday, THR reported that YouTube, along with Meta, TikTok and X had all refused to allow Bleecker Street to run a paid ad for the Musk trailer, raising the specter of suppression on a documentary about the very subject. The trailer had been released Thursday ahead of the film’s Oct. 9 release. The story.
—What's in a name? Paramount Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery? It's a bit of a mouthful, assuming the $111b merger goes through. THR's Erik Hayden considers the dilemma facing David Ellison: What does he name a company that just seemingly vacuumed up half of Hollywood? The story.
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'NAZA' Premieres at NYFF to Protests |
►About the film. Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor's Gaza war documentary NAZA premiered at the New York Film Festival on Saturday and THR's Steven Zeitchik was there. Steven reports that Abraham made clear that his purpose in bringing the film to New York as well as to release it theatrically across the U.S. beginning Oct. 9 was to change the political calculus. "Netanyahu compared this film to a barrage of ballistic missiles. And you know what happens to people who shoot missiles — they kill them," Abraham said at the screening. The recap.
—About the protest. Dozens of Israeli Americans and members of Jewish communities gathered outside the Lincoln Center on Saturday to protest the NYFF premiere of NAZA. During the protest, demonstrators screened footage from the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel from LED screens mounted on trucks outside the premiere. Nova festival survivors Rom El-Hai and Shalev Biton also spoke to the crowd, sharing their accounts of Oct. 7. The story.
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Jon Watts to Direct Next 'Star Wars' Movie
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►Watts the kark! Even as Lucasfilm is deep in post-production on its next Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Starfighter, the next phase of a potential new Skywalker Saga is coming into focus. THR scoop machine Borys Kit has the scoop that Jon Watts, the director behind a trio of Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, is now attached to direct the first installment of the Simon Kinberg-penned trilogy. Sources tell Borys that the project is still in development and has not yet been greenlit by Disney. It is a return to the franchise for Watts, who previously co-created Star Wars series Skeleton Crew in 2024. The story.
—Taking flight. Borys also has the scoop on Netflix developing the police helicopter action thriller feature Helo, setting Narcos' Andrés Baiz to direct. Conclave filmmaker Edward Berger is producing via his Nine Hours banner with partner Luke Rivett. While plot details are being kept under wraps, it is known that Berger and Rivett brought the concept to executives, who then enlisted Patrick Aison, known for his work on the recent live-action Predator movies, to write the script. The story.
—🎭 Dance partners in place. 🎭 Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter are joining Tom Holland in his Fred Astaire movie for Sony. Qualley will play Adele Astaire, Fred’s older sister and Broadway partner. Carpenter will play Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire’s frequent film co-star. Paddington filmmaker Paul King is directing the project. Steven Levenson and King penned the script based on the book The Astaires: Fred & Adele by Kathleen Riley. The story.
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Viral Lesbian Bar Story Piques Hollywood's Interest
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►Please God. THR's second-nicest man Aaron Couch reports that the viral lesbian bar Boston Globe article that has captured the zeitgeist, has attracted Hollywood’s attention too. "A Western Mass. lesbian bar required KN-95 masks. When it changed the rules, all hell broke loose," the Sept. 22 article by Annalisa Quinn, was all over social media feeds this week and quickly became one of the most read stories in Globe history. Now, insiders tell THR that UTA, which represents the Globe, has been fielding inquiries about potential adaptations for the article — both in the scripted space and the documentary sphere. The story.
—🏆 Fitting farewell. 🏆 Mike Leigh’s dramatic comedy Tender Loving Care, likely the auteur's last film, took home three top awards at Saturday night’s closing ceremony of the San Sebastian Film Festival, including the Golden Shell for best film and Silver Shell for Kate O’Flynn’s lead performance. O’Flynn shared the award with Asta Kamma August for her work in Hans Petter Moland’s Growth of the Soil, which also took home best cinematography for DP Oskar Dahlsbakken. The winners.
—Can you see everything? A24‘s buzzy Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything has just been given a R-rating. But it’s the reason for the rating for the Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim doc that’s raised eyebrows among some online. The MPA stated the rating is for “language” (as you might expect) and “graphic nudity” (oh-oh, really?). In the film, Fielder moves in with Holmes and her husband, William Evans, for an intensely candid portrait of the disgraced Theranos founder in the period before her incarceration. The story.
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'Endgame' Powers $26M Return at Crowded Box Office |
►Party like its 2019. Avengers: Endgame made a heroic return to the box office during a crowded weekend that saw Resident Evil race to No. 2 despite strong competition from Brad Pitt‘s Heart of the Beast and Robert Pattinson‘s Primetime. Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island got a bit lost in the shuffle. Marvel Studios‘ 2019 blockbuster headed back to 3,060 North American screens with Avengers Endgame: Encore, grossing $26m to top the domestic chart. With an additional $60m internationally, Endgame: Encore’s $86m global haul marked the No. 2 worldwide rerelease ever, behind only 2012’s Titanic 3D rerelease.
Sony’s Resident Evil still has teeth at second place, collecting around $23.3m domestically (it added $27m internationally) in its sophomore frame as it crossed $100m in North America. Paramount's Heart of the Beast notched around $20m domestically for the weekend from 3,400 North American locations. The studio is encouraged by its $30.1m international take, seeing that strong reviews (A- CinemaScore from audiences and 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) and word of mouth helped overseas.
A24’s Primetime got off to an impressive start, collecting roughly $19.1m from 2,800 North American theaters. The film has a $15m production budget and holds an 87 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite positive reviews, Forgotten Island had a tepid launch with $12.8m domestically for the weekend. The box office report.
—Woof! On Friday, Universal became the first studio to cross $5b at the worldwide box office for 2026. This week’s grosses helped Universal reach that milestone, as it has now collected $1.788b domestically and $3.218b internationally this year. This marks the third time that Universal has surpassed $5b globally, with the most recent coming in 2017. The studio first hit that mark in 2015. Universal’s impressive theatrical year has been bolstered by such blockbusters as The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael, which represent three of the five movies this year to have reached $1b globally. The story.
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John Goodman Joins 'The Last of Us' S3
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►🎭 Three more. 🎭 John Goodman, Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey have joined HBO's The Last of Us. HBO made the announcement Saturday, as Sept. 26 is a key date in Last of Us lore: It’s when the cordyceps outbreak sets the events of both the video games and the TV series in motion. Goodman and Alexander will play Joey and Paco, a “friendly duo” who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway.” Bailey is set to play Elizabeth, one of the leaders of a religious sect called the Seraphites. The story.
—Woof! The Traitors: New Blood, a version of The Traitors featuring non-famous players, drew 2.58m viewers on NBC for the first half of its two-episode premiere on Sept. 17. The second episode dipped to 1.93m viewers. Repeats the next night helped some, adding 1.14m viewers to the first episode’s total and 901,000 to the second. That put the two episodes at 3.72m and 2.84m viewers — or an average of 3.28m. Three days of streaming on Peacock and other delayed viewing, however, put New Blood into another tier, with each episode growing to more than 6m viewers. The ratings.
—Upped. Saturday Night Live has promoted Keri Powers to serve as the sole head of its talent department, meaning she will lead the team responsible for host, musical guest and guest star bookings for late night show. Rebecca Schwartz has also been upped to producer, increasing her responsibilities supporting the show’s cast and production efforts. The news arrives after SNL‘s longtime music booker Brian Siedlecki departed from the series. The story.
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Film Review: 'Godzilla Minus Zero'
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►"A radioactive blast." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus Zero. This direct sequel to the 2023 global sensation picks up in 1949, as a makeshift family finds its domestic harmony again threatened by a rampaging creature’s path of destruction. Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Saski, Jun Kunimura, Mio Tanaka, Sakura Ando, Masami Nagasawa, Min Tanaka and Hidetaka Yoshioka. Written by Takashi Yamazaki. The review.
—"A fun if rather thin single-set thriller." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Ned Crowley's Dead Drop. The third feature from the writer-director behind Killing Faith follows eight strangers who get caught in a freight elevator and face dire consequences. Starring Melissa Neal, Daniel Adeosun, Victor Rivera, Christina Tam, Alexandra Kate, Roger Adjogbe, John O’Mahony and Elijah Craft. Written by Ned Crowley, from a story by Crowley, David Martin. The review.
—"An intriguing talent in need of a better project." Jordan reviews Michael Polish's Kill Me Now. Mena Suvari, Balthazar Getty, Judd Nelson and Mira Sorvino make cameos in Polish’s deadpan take on movies and murder, which premiered at the Oldenburg Film Festival. Also starring Jacqueline Singer, Mario Van Peebles, Keith Carradine, Colleen Camp and Duke Nicholson. Written by Jacqueline Singer. The review.
In other news...
—Rose trailer: First look at Sandra Hüller’s next must-see performance
—Werwulf trailer: Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s monstrous transformation teased in Robert Eggers’ latest
—Chris Hansen strikes back at Primetime (again) with I’m Chris Hansen doc trailer
—Carrie-Anne Moss, Hudson Williams are at the center of witchy Yaga trailer
What else we're reading...
—With questions being raised about Cindy Crawford’s son death, Richard Winton and Clara Harter go inside the Santa Monica mansion where Presley Gerber died [Los Angeles Times]
—Deeply disturbing investigation from Jake Pearson, who pretended to be a problem gambler and was made a VIP by DraftKings [ProPublica]
—Rich Pelley spoke to Peep Show's Super Hans (comedian Matt King) about surviving a stroke and the prospect of brining the iconic character back [Guardian]
—Colleen Creamer goes inside the new Dolly Parton hotel in Nashville that's opening weeks after the icon's death [NYT]
—Shimul Sood reports on a disturbing story of a man who let Meta's AI agent Muse run his Facebook Marketplace [Android Authority]
Today...
...in 2001, Paramount unveiled Ben Stiller’s Zoolander in theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Naomi Watts (58), Mira Sorvino (59), Hilary Duff (39), Sarah Wright (43), Janeane Garofalo (62), Susan Walters (63), Maria Canals-Barrera (60), Pauletta Washington (76), Dita Von Teese (54), Hana Mae Lee (38), Kirsten Zien (36), Jerrika Hinton (45), Antonia Desplat (32), Moon Unit Zappa (59), Hannah Leder (40), Laura Cerón (62), Momona Tamada (20), Carré Otis (58), Sabina Gadecki (43), Leilani Sarelle (60), Vernee Johnson (77)
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Mark Piznarski, the much sought-after pilot director who helmed the first episodes of series including Gossip Girl, Veronica Mars and Everwood, has died. He was 71. The obituary.
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