Only Spidey may outrun Christopher Nolan right now, as The Odyssey aims for an astounding $80 million sophomore weekend. Plus, hundreds of millions of dollars in California tax incentives haven't turbocharged L.A. shoot days yet. And choice selections from THR's latest 116-page glossy issue. — Erik Hayden
Ticker: Casey Wasserman's buy out; David Zaslav's summer camp; Darren Aronofsky's AI fund raise; David Kramer's Empire state of mind.
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Paramount has agreed not to close its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery until a court decides whether the deal violates antitrust laws. That could mean holding off on consummating the acquisition until June 2027 or five days after the court issues a ruling on the states' case, whichever is earlier.
For Paramount, the delay in closing the deal may prove costly. Under the merger agreement, Warners shareholders are owed roughly $650 million per quarter or $6.9 million per day if the deal isn’t done by Sept. 30. Both the Makan Delrahim-led Paramount team and California AG Rob Bonta are jockeying for an edge in preliminary injunction proceedings. Winston Cho's report.
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When Ted Lasso returns for its long-awaited, once inconceivable fourth season on Aug. 5, it will feature AFC Richmond’s all-female team rather than the male one at the center of the past three seasons. But after more than three years without any new episodes, it’s impossible to predict how much of the series’ once-massive fan base will return with it. Lacey Rose has the details on how the show made it back in this week's cover story.
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A few thousand IATSE members were flagged for removal from a key industry resource because it’s believed they haven't held a union job since 2023. Allegations of "purging" the Hollywood crew workforce have followed. "Removing these people from the roster really does take away their ability to find and accept union jobs," says Michael Wheelock, an art director. "And it's not because they're not working and haven't worked in three years, it's because the jobs are that much harder to find." Katie Kilkenny's report.
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As the Rich Gelfond-led Imax navigates a post-pandemic box office rebound for the Hollywood studios, the company’s main movie suppliers, the film tech firm is spearheading a push by major exhibitors into in-demand premium screens and movies shot with proprietary Imax cameras like The Odyssey. The numbers.
+ The Narrative of the Week +
"Audiences in 2026 are sending a clear message to filmmakers: We want movies to look real - and for you to sweat while making them." - James Hibberd, making the case in THR. At The New York Times, Michelle Goldberg sees that line and runs with it.
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A massive downpour hit Telluride, Colorado causing multiple mudslides that pummeled numerous businesses including Michael D. Palm Theatre, the town's premier arts venue where the Telluride Film Festival is held each year. Fest organizers are saying that the venue will be operational by Labor Day weekend. The news.
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"I thought, 'Why would they be celebrating it?' And I thought because they've just been voiceless for so long." — Michael J. Fox, along with Harrison Ford at THR's Social Impact Summit, speaking about going public with his Parkinson's diagnosis. He would go online and see patients talking about how great his announcement was: "It was considered an old person’s disease ... And in fact, it didn’t have to be that."
Payday of the Week
$15M
Adam Aron, the CEO of the world’s largest movie chain, AMC Theatres, saw his compensation rise nearly 30 percent year-over-year as he guides the debt-laden exhibitor.
Logline of the Week
[Protective Custody]
"Follows a disgraced financier accused of massive fraud who is thrown into protective custody, where he must navigate prison politics, salvage his reputation and confront the consequences of his actions while awaiting trial." - Benicio Del Toro will star in a Ben Stiller-Mike Judge comedy for Apple TV.
By the Numbers
(Most-read stories on THR.com this week)
1) "Adam Driver Has Passed on So Many Marvel Roles..."
2) "The Odyssey Cast Guide"
3) "Chris Affleck, Mother of Ben and Casey Affleck, Dies at 83"
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The expansion to California’s film and TV tax credit program hasn’t notably curbed lethargic production levels in Los Angeles, at least not yet. L.A. saw a nearly 13 percent drop in shoot days from April to June compared to the same period last year and an 8 percent drop compared to the previous quarter, per the latest report from permitting office FilmLA. Production in the region trails the five-year average by about 36 percent. So far, 170 projects have been awarded tax credits under the newest iteration of the program. Winston Cho's report.
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Almost exactly six years after NBCUniversal first launched Peacock, the streaming service reported its first-ever profitable quarter. Comcast reported its Q2 earnings with EBTIDA of $189 million, and subscribers growing to 48 million, driven by the NBA playoffs, FIFA World Cup, and Love Island. Alex Weprin's story.
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Between Steph and Ayesha, the couple has four NBA championships, a business empire, flourishing entertainment careers, an Oakland charity and four young children: "The thrive-in-chaos lifestyle is a real thing." They've also been named Philanthropists of the Year at THR's Social Impact Summit this week. Chris Gardner profiles the duo.
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As colleges race to keep up with the creator economy with new courses and Greek-like clubs, USC Reach has emerged as one of the flagship programs turning students into social media superstars. Each semester, USC Reach receives more than 100 applications for roughly 20 to 30 open spots. The competition reflects the club's growing influence as a creator incubator and networking accelerator. Avery Stone's report.
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As studios embrace AI and analog film makes a comeback, the nation's top programs are racing to future-proof their students with courses that run the gamut from emerging tech to the celluloid arts. THR’s annual rankings anoint the top programs as they navigate an industry in flux and graduate the next Ryan Coogler and Chloé Zhao. The top 25 list.
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Come for the shvitzing, stay for the schmoozing. The private membership brand Soho House is opening a wellness club — with ice baths and cold martinis — near Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach at the old NeueHouse building. Oren Peleg's visit.
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Above, that's Johnny Depp taking to the streets of San Diego to promote Paramount's Ebenezer at Comic-Con. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer showed off Prime Video's Blade Runner 2099 in San Diego. Chloe Fineman, Ed Harris, Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen and Aaron Chen celebrated Apple TV's The Dink in L.A. Kevin Sussman, Chuck Lorre and Danny Elfman debuted HBO Max series Stuart Fails to Save the Universe in L.A. Jay-Z made an appearance at Fanatics Fest for the reimagined return of his iconic 40/40 Club. 50 Cent premiered his new Starz series Fightland in NYC. All 34 photos from the week in premieres and events.
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Upcoming Releases
Notable movies heading to theaters
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One-liners from THR's team of critics
Tim Story's action-comedy starring Kevin Hart "feels longer" than 72 Hours.
Jake Johnson stars in the "watchable but entirely vanilla" Apple TV pickleball comedy The Dink. Emmy Rossum and Lola Petticrew lead Hulu's "complex, ultimately satisfying Epstein-era serial killer thriller" Furious. Chuck Lorre's Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe "isn't a dimension worth visiting." Rebekah Fortune's whimsy-laced film Learning to Breath Under Water, which premiered at Karlovy Vary, "swims in circles." Paramount's Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has "impressive action, but not much else."
And finally,
A Hollywood Flashback
"The visual masterwork finds Spielberg atop his craft, weaving heart-pounding action and gut-wrenching emotion — often during the same sequence — that will leave viewers silently shaken..."
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