| | | | | | What's news: Sophie Turner suffered a "minor injury" during production on Amazon's Tomb Raider series. 83m people worldwide watched Fallout S2. Heather Graham and Rosie Perez have joined the cast of The White Lotus. Ezekiel Lewis has been promoted to CEO and chairman of Epic Records. And Céline Dion is set to perform a slate of concerts in Paris later this year! — Abid Rahman
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The Sandra Stern Exit Interview ►"You feel differently about somebody you’re making a deal with if you were drinking champagne and dancing with them at 3 o’clock in the morning the night before. But [as a business], we stopped having fun." Signing off after more than 40 years in the entertainment business, Lionsgate TV's vice chairman Sandra Stern sat down with THR's Lacey Rose for a brutally candid and surprisingly optimistic interview. Stern offers war stories, sage advice and a reason to be hopeful amid the industry struggles. The interview.
—"Children belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centers." A long list of actors, artists, filmmakers, physicians, organizations and policy experts signed a letter demanding the “immediate closure” of the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, a prison-like facility used to hold children and families following ICE raids in the U.S. The letter, which calls upon the federal government and private prison operator CoreCivic, has been signed by Madonna, Pedro Pascal, Ms. Rachel, John Legend, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Brittney Griner, America Ferrera, Elliot Page, Raffi, Jane Fonda, Brandi Carlile, Hannah Einbinder, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, Wunmi Mosaku, Glennon Doyle, Billy Porter, Keke Palmer, Hasan Minhaj, Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon and dozens of others. The letter.
—It's official. The National Football League is making its long-gestating flag football league official, lining up a murderers row of investors and partnering with TMRW Sports to launch the league, which will include both women’s and men’s teams. The NFL announced the deals Monday, with TMRW (best known for its golf league TGL) serving as an operating partner. Investors will include Silver Lake Ariel Investments/Project Level, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blue Pool Capital, and Dynasty Equity, with well-known athletes also joining the cap table, including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Joe Montana and Alex Morgan, among many others. The story.
—🏆 Yay us! 🏆 Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Timothée Chalamet and THR are among the nominees for the 30th annual Webby Awards. Other nominees this year include Jason and Travis Kelce, Kylie Kelce, Heated Rivalry, OpenAI, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Sinners, Waymo, Patreon, Amy Poehler, Netflix, PBS, MrBeast, Google Gemini, KATSEYE, Steven Bartlett, Justin Bieber, ACLU, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Dwayne Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, LeBron James, Rosalía, Keith Lee, Reese Witherspoon, Sydney Sweeney, LISA, Carmelo Anthony, Trixie Mattel, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert. The nominees. |
'Grey's Anatomy' Renewed for S23 ►LeBron numbers. ABC has renewed Grey’s Anatomy for a 23rd season, extending the show’s record as the longest-running primetime medical drama on American television — and the longest-running scripted primetime show ever on ABC. The pickup should take the series past the 475-episode mark next season. Grey’s will roll into the 2026-27 season without two long-serving cast members — Kim Raver and Kevin McKidd are leaving the show following the May 7 season finale. Three actors — Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. — have been with the show for its entire run. The story.
—🎭 From Elle to Dakota. 🎭 Stellan Skarsgård has lined up his first project since earning plaudits and an Oscar nomination for Sentimental Value this past awards season. The actor is set to star alongside Dakota Fanning in Apple TV’s untitled original thriller series hailing from Alex Cary, who previously created the mini-series A Spy Among Friends and earned his thriller cred as a writer-producer on Homeland . Per Apple, Fanning toplines as an undercover Treasury agent in a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate, with world-changing political and criminal tentacles, who becomes conflicted between her mission and a belief that her principal target, the heir apparent to all that corrupt power, is at his core a good man and worthy of her love. The story.
—On hold. Filming on Tomb Raider has been paused after star Sophie Turner suffered a “minor injury,” Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement. Turner plays Lara Croft in the series, which hails from Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The show is based on the Tomb Raider video game franchise, which follows the adventures of the famed archaeologist and adventurer. "Sophie Turner recently experienced a minor injury," Amazon MGM Studios said. "As a precaution, production has briefly paused to allow her time to recover. We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible." The story. |
Laura Dern to Star in Epstein Investigation Drama ►🎭 Vital. 🎭 Sony Pictures TV, Laura Dern and Adam McKay are teaming up for a limited series about the investigation that blew open the Jeffrey Epstein case. Dern is set to star in the drama, which is based on Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown’s book Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story. The Oscar and Emmy winner will play Brown in the series. Sharon Hoffman is writing and will serve as co-showrunner with Eileen Myers. Hoffman and Myers will executive produce the project with Dern, McKay and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries, and Brown. Sony is taking the series to potential buyers — and will likely find bidders for the first scripted take on the Epstein case. The story.
—Woof! The second season of Fallout amassed a widespread global audience. First-party data from Amazon Prime Video shows that 83m people worldwide watched at least some of the season during its first 13 weeks of release (it premiered Dec. 16, 2025). That puts Fallout in second place all time among returning series on the streamer, behind only Reacher’s second season in 2023-24. Season one of Fallout also had an uptick of viewing while season two was running, Amazon says, such that 100m people globally watched at least a few minutes of the series as a whole. The ratings.
—🎭 Running out of rooms, surely? 🎭 On Monday, HBO revealed that Heather Graham, Frida Gustavsson, Rosie Perez, Tobias Santelmann, Ben Schnetzer and Laura Smet have been cast in the fourth season of Mike White’s The White Lotus. They join an existing cast of 18 White Lotus resort guests — now 24! — and somehow casting is “still ongoing,” per HBO. The White Lotus season four will film in France, and follow a whole new crop of (wealthy) guests on a weeklong vacation. The story. |
'Super Mario Galaxy Movie': First Reactions ►"For a movie purely designed to jingle keys in front of an audience... it’s somehow pretty bad at that too." Mama mia! The Super Mario Galaxy Movie held its first press screenings on Monday and the early reaction on social media seems mixed at best. Alas. While full critics reviews for Galaxy are embargoed till Tuesday, Universal allowed press and others to post their limited reactions on social media on Monday. The followup to the hugely popular 2023 franchise starter The Super Mario Bros. Movie releases in theaters on April 1. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Sydney Sweeney‘s forthcoming sequel to The Housemaid is putting down roots. Lionsgate revealed that Paul Feig's The Housemaid’s Secret is set for wide theatrical release Dec. 17, 2027. The adaptation of Freida McFadden’s novel sees Sweeney reprise her role from last year’s hit thriller, while Kirsten Dunst joins the franchise. Michele Morrone also returns from the first movie to play Enzo. Housemaid’s Secret centers on Millie (Sweeney), the lead of the initial film, who agrees to keep house for a woman she is never allowed to see. Eventually, Millie discovers the truth behind the locked door that hides secrets darker than even the ones she herself keeps. The story.
—🎭 Filling out. 🎭 Amazon MGM has beefed up the comedy quotient for his holiday feature Clashing Through the Snow. Comedians Andrew Schulz and Zarna Garg, fashion designer and celebrity personality Tan France as well as comedy actor P. J. Byrne have joined the feature, which is currently in production with Carlson Young in the helmer’s chair. Wonderland Sound and Vision partners McG and Mary Viola and Lena Roklin of Luber Roklin Entertainment are producing. Penned by Daniel Mackey and Rebecca Ewing, who previously wrote Netflix hit Love Hard, the story is described as a Planes, Trains and Automobiles for the Gen Z generation. The story.
—Venice bound? Shinya Tsukamoto, the iconoclastic Japanese filmmaker best known for the body-horror landmark Tetsuo: The Iron Man, has set a Japan release for his latest feature, Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?, an English-language drama based on the true story of an African American Vietnam War veteran who became a peace activist with deep ties to Japan. The film is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters in September, setting up a potential Venice Film Festival launch. The project marks a significant departure for Tsukamoto, who wrote, directed, shot and edited the film — his first primarily English-language feature. The film stars Broadway veteran Rodney Hicks and Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush. The story.
—Up next. Japanese director Nanako Hirose, who trained under Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda at his Tokyo-based film collective Bunbuku Inc., has unveiled her second feature, Between Two Lovers, a romantic drama centered on a married woman who pursues a simultaneous relationship with a female lover — and proposes that all three live together. The film is set for release in Japan on Nov. 27. The Japan-Taiwan co-production stars Masami Nagasawa, Tasuku Emoto and Shizuka Ishibashi. The story. |
Céline Dion Announces Return to Stage ►"The best birthday gift of my life." Céline Dion is back. The international pop superstar used a birthday message Monday to confirm that she’d be taking the stage once again later this year, with a slate of concerts in France at the Paris La Défense Arena starting in September. Dion has been prominently battling health issues over past several years, revealing in 2022 she’d been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder stiff person syndrome. Dion went deep about her health issues in the 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion . Her last full-length concert was back in 2020, and she made a return at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Dion will be performing across 10 nights in Paris, starting on Sept. 12 and concluding on Oct. 14. Pre-sales for the concerts will begin on April 7, and a general on-sale will take place April 10. The story.
—Colosseum queen. Lisa is officially heading to Las Vegas for a historic residency this Fall. The 29-year-old — a member of supergroup Blackpink and a star on last season of The White Lotus — is set to become the first K-pop artist to host a residency in Vegas. Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manoban, will take over The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in November 2026 for Viva La Lisa. The Thai superstar is scheduled to perform at the arena for two weeks, Nov. 13, 14, 27 and 28. The story.
—Back on top. BTS has scored yet another No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their latest single “Swim." The K-pop supergroup also topped the Billboard 200 with their reunion album, Arirang. This marks the seventh time the group has taken the top sport on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts. The seven-member outfit returned for their first album in nearly four years last week, following a group hiatus to complete mandatory military enlistment in their home country of South Korea. The story.
—Upped. Epic Records president Ezekiel Lewis has been promoted to CEO and chairman of the record label, parent company Sony Music Entertainment announced on Monday. Lewis will report to Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer. The move comes about six months after former Epic CEO Sylvia Rhone stepped down from her post, after first joining as president in 2014 and getting the CEO appointment herself in 2019. The story.
—Trademark claim. Taylor Swift‘s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, has sparked a lawsuit from a writer, who accuses the singer of knowingly disregarding her claim to a similar name. In a lawsuit filed on Monday in California federal court, Maren Wade brings claims for trademark infringement, false designation and unfair competition against Swift and UMG Recordings. She seeks unspecified damages and a court order barring the singer from continuing to use the name of her chart-topping album. The story. |
Unwell's New YouTube Reality Show to Feature Dakota Mortensen ►"The kind of unfiltered drama that has defined Unwell across its programming slate." Alex Cooper's Unwell Network has revealed a new YouTube reality competition series that will feature a group of “polarizing” reality TV stars and influencers. Unwell Winter Games will follow 16 contestants living at a luxury chalet in Park City, Utah, where they will compete in a series of “mental and physical challenges over four days,” according to the company. The series will see the competitors split into two teams, with one team taking home the final prize. Participants will also compete for individual cash prizes throughout the challenges. Castmembers include Dakota Mortensen, from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives , who has recently made headlines over multiple domestic violence investigations involving ex Taylor Frankie Paul. The story.
—"This show fucks hard. Real hard. Get with it, baby!" Kid Cudi is embracing his Big Bro Scott persona for a forthcoming podcast and digital series. Wave Sports & Entertainment is set to team with the entertainer for Big Bro With Kid Cudi, which launches its first episode April 1. The weekly series will see the entertainer, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, transform into Big Bro Scott to offer the kind of perspective that one could expect from an older sibling as he interviews friends, collaborators, rising artists and legendary figures. Kylie Jenner makes only her second-ever podcast appearance for the premiere episode of the project that encourages visitors to discuss the sparks, shifts and stories that stand out from their path. The story. |
Film Review: 'The Drama' ►"Great invite, shame about the party." For THR, Richard Lawson reviews Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama. In this downbeat dramedy, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play an engaged couple reeling from the bride-to-be's shocking admission. Also starring Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie. Written by Kristoffer Borgli. The review.
—"A garish disaster of tone and tempo, dull and grating at once." Richard reviews Rupert Goold’s Broadway production of Dog Day Afternoon. Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach star in this stage adaptation of Sidney Lumet's classic 1975 film. Also starring Jessica Hecht and Jon Ortiz. Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Venue: August Wilson Theater, New York. The review.
In other news...
—Cape Fear trailer: Amy Adams and Javier Bardem star in intense Scorsese-produced series
—Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie trailer reveals new Backstreet Boys song
—Canneseries to honor Jisoo, Adam Scott, Richard Gadd
—John Legend parts ways with longtime manager, signs at Roc Nation
—Me’Arah O’Neal, daughter of Shaq, signs with LIFT Management
—Imax CEO Richard Gelfond takes medical leave for pneumonia treatment
—Robert Hinkle, who taught Rock Hudson and Paul Newman to talk like a Texan, dies at 95
What else we're reading...
—Graciela Mochkofsky profiles Carlos Eduardo Espina, the Spanish-language news influencer with millions of followers [New Yorker]
—Spencer Kornhaber reflects on the rising homophobia in the U.S. and the surprising reason behind it [Atlantic]
—Nate Rattner and Ben Fritz have a sobering look at the collapsing job market in Hollywood [WSJ]
—Monocle-popping story from Paul Murphy, Harriet Agnew, Joshua Franklin and James Politi who report that Pete Hegseth’s broker looked to buy defense fund before the U.S. attacked Iran [FT]
—Simbarashe Cha rounds up all the latest fashion trends from capital of cool Tokyo [NYT]
Today...
...in 1974, Universal premiered Steven Spielberg’s feature directorial debut The Sugarland Express in New York. The drama arrived a year before the filmmaker broke out with his first blockbuster, Jaws, the next summer. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Chloé Zhao (44), Christopher Walken (83), Brian Tyree Henry (44), Ewan McGregor (55), Phil Dunster (34), Rhea Perlman (78), William Daniels (99), Jack Antonoff (42), Edward Lachman (78), Alejandro Amenábar (54), Ryan Bingham (45), Damon Herriman (56), Jessica Szohr (41), Daniel Mays (48), Kate Micucci (46), Victoria Smurfit (52), Shirley Jones (92), Ruby Cruz (26), Valerie Curtin (85), Andrea Bordeaux (39), Aissa Wayne (70), Liza Koshy (30), Jonathan Stoddard (42), Erica Tazel (49), Beth Goddard (57), Tony Cox (68), William McNamara (61), Marc McClure (69), Kellee Stewart (50), Caitlin Carver (34), Adrian Holmes (🏴52), Melissa Ordway (43), Gabe Kaplan (81), Ed Marinaro (76), Peter Polycarpou (69), Josh Saviano (50), Jacqueline Kim (61), Andrew Bowen (54) |
| Mary Beth Hurt, the Tony-nominated actress whose demure demeanor drew moviegoers to her array of emotionally impactful performances in such films as Interiors, Chilly Scenes of Winter and The World According to Garp, has died. She was 79. The obituary. | |
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