| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is comedy legend Lisa Kudrow. Sarah Michelle Gellar has gone public with Buffy reboot drama. Hulu has renewed Paradise for a third and final season. Episodes of Netflix's Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 will get a limited theatrical release. And Michaela Coel is teaming up with A24 to write and direct a remake of Bloodsport (no, really!). — Abid Rahman
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Lisa Kudrow's Final 'Comeback' ►On the cover. Playing a has-been sitcom actress in search of her second act, Lisa Kudrow braved two seasons' worth of cruel indignities in HBO's cult comedy series The Comeback. Now Valerie Cherish is back for her most harrowing (and mortifying) battle yet — starring in a sitcom powered by AI. And Kudrow is doing everything for the character in her final outing, including starring in, co-writing and executive producing the show. THR's nicest man Chris Gardner spoke to Kudrow about The Comeback 's ultimate comeback and how each season has managed to telegraph major shifts in the industry: "Without planning it, we’ve been telling these stories about potential extinction events." The cover story. |
Hollywood Studio Profit Report 2025 ►Paramount plummets. It’s not all glamour in Hollywood. Yes, the global box office rose 12 percent in 2025 to $33.6b, but domestic revenue only edged up 1 percent to $8.7b, and the business remained well below pre-COVID pandemic levels. What’s more, the profit picture for the film divisions of legacy entertainment conglomerates last year wasn’t rosy across the board either. THR's business editor Georg Szalai reports that Sony and the belle of the recent bidding ball, Warner Bros., posted profit growth for the calendar year 2025 before Paramount struck a deal to acquire it and the rest of Warner Bros. Discovery, while other Hollywood studio giants recorded profit declines. And Paramount, for its part, even reported a widened loss. The report.
—Not great. The first few months of 2025 didn’t give the new and upcoming soundstages in Los Angeles much in the way of hope for a rebound in production. The average occupancy rate for major soundstages in the city was 62 percent during the first six months of 2025, down one percent from the anemic 63 percent recorded in 2024, according to new data from local film office FilmLA released on Wednesday. Contrast that with the period between 2016 and 2022, when soundstages participating in the annual report survey reported an average occupancy rate of 90 percent or higher. The story.
—Open for business! Warner Bros.‘ The Ranch has opened its doors. Less than a mile away from the iconic main lot, the Ranch is home to 16 soundstages, a construction workshop, office building and production support facilities across a nearly 1m square foot campus. It opened earlier this year and has drawn shooting commitments from four shows. All of the stages are have been certified by the California Film Commission, meaning productions can draw subsidies by filming at the property. The expansion augments WBD's position as among the largest soundstage operators in the region. The story.
—Good Lord. A self-deputized crisis communications adviser for Paramount Skydance president Jeff Shell is claiming to have intimate knowledge of talks between Larry Ellison and Donald Trump on the bidding war for Warner Bros. The adviser, R.J. Cipriani, alleges he was told by Shell that Trump personally assured Ellison that the government would intervene in Netflix’s proposed deal to acquire the studio, with the aim of ensuring that Paramount prevailed. “Larry, it looks like Netflix is gonna get Warner Bros., but if you really really want it, Larry, I’ll make sure you get it,” Trump said, according to an amended complaint filed on Tuesday. The disclosure laid the groundwork for Cipriani to name Larry and David Ellison, Paramount, RedBird Capital and the Paramount board in his lawsuit against Shell for allegedly failing to properly oversee the exec. The story. |
It's Time for a Chalamet Break ►Timmy timeout. What should Timothée Chalamet have done differently? That’s the question du jour for some Oscar viewers after Michael B. Jordan walked away with the best actor Oscar. Even before the ceremony, Chalamet was the subject of countless pieces dissecting perceived campaign missteps or questioning the kind of leading man he had become. In a guest column for THR, Josh Spiegel writes that the nine months until Dune 3 may help some of the terminally online to mentally separate themselves from the movie star and give audiences time to miss him. The column.
—Striking disconnect. At a Los Angeles event celebrating the release of her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Liza Minnelli was introduced, repeatedly and reverently, as a living legend. Which she is. But what unfolded onstage was something far more complicated, reports THR's Seth Abramovitch . As clips of her electrifying prime played and a polished audiobook voice filled the room, the EGOT winner’s halting live appearance revealed something Hollywood rarely knows how to process in real time: not just what it looks like when a legend keeps going — but how that legend is increasingly mediated, shaped and, perhaps, quietly reconstructed along the way. The story.
—"It’s been really difficult and heavy given, you know, all the headlines and what’s going on." Taylor Frankie Paul is breaking her silence after The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives paused filming due to an alleged domestic incident involving the Bachelorette star and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. While speaking with THR on Tuesday at a press event in New York City for her upcoming season of The Bachelorette, Paul admitted she’s “struggling,” but also “trying to show up” amid the domestic assault investigation. The story. |
Oscars Fall to 17.9M Viewers, Lowest Since 2022 ►Oooooof! The TV audience for the 2026 Oscars declined some, in keeping with a pattern from other recent awards shows. Sunday’s 98th Academy Awards drew 17.86m viewers on ABC and Hulu, based on Nielsen’s big data plus panel ratings. That’s down about 9 percent from last year’s Oscars, which drew 19.69m viewers for a post-pandemic high, and the smallest audience for the awards since 2022, when 16.68m people watched. The show delivered a 3.92 rating among adults 18-49 (equivalent to about 5.34m people in that age group), a 14 percent decline from 4.54 last year. On the plus side, the Oscars maintained its usual spot as the most watched primetime entertainment telecast of the season. The ratings.
—Bunker mentality. Paradise has been renewed for a third season at Hulu, which is all a part of creator Dan Fogelman‘s plan. The third season has been promised to be the last one by the creative team, as the This Is Us creator pitched the hit series starring Sterling K. Brown as a three-season story. Hulu confirmed the renewal on Tuesday, following the release of the cliffhanger sixth episode of the currently airing second season. "We know what the end is, and it’s an end that would make it very difficult to make a season four come afterward,” executive producer John Hoberg recently confirmed to THR about sticking with Fogelman’s original three-season plan. The story.
—"What is a tomato?" Zach Galifianakis is set to host Netflix's new gardening show that's appropriately titled, This is a Gardening Show. The comedian will reveal his green thumb and also do some talking, digging, harvesting, picking and inquiring about what really goes down in the garden across the six episode series. Netflix will drop the series on Earth Day, April 22. The story. |
Gellar Slams 'Buffy' Reboot Cancellation ►But sources say pilot wasn’t good. Sarah Michelle Gellar is detailing what went wrong with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, and says one executive is to blame for the show not moving forward. The actress was set to reprise her iconic role in Buffy: New Sunnydale from Hamnet director Chloé Zhao that was being made for Hulu and Searchlight Television. On Friday, Gellar shared the news that the project was not moving forward, citing Hulu for the decision. Gellar says one executive who made a point of saying he never liked Buffy scrapped the show. While Gellar declined to name the executive, Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich was the ultimate decision-maker, sources confirm. Sources also counter that the pilot simply wasn’t very strong. The story.
—🎭 Two more. 🎭 Claes Bang and Nabhaan Rizwan have joined the cast as series regulars on Netflix‘s Assassin’s Creed adaptation. The live action series was finally greenlit in July last year, with Roberto Patino and David Wiener as creators, showrunners and executive producers. The official logline reads: “Assassin’s Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity’s destiny." The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 PCCW Media has locked down a June 2026 launch for The Season, its glossy Hong Kong-set limited series co-produced with SK Global, the studio behind Crazy Rich Asians. The rollout, announced at Filmart, will see the buzzy, rich-people-behaving-badly series stream on Hulu — and Hulu on Disney+ — in the U.S., while regional streamer Viu airs the title across markets in Asia, the Middle East and South Africa, and Now TV launches it in Hong Kong. The series has a White Lotus-like premise set amidst Hong Kong high society. The story. |
'Dune 3' Epic First Trailer Revealed ►"It’s a good idea to come back to those worlds, not by nostalgia, but by urgency." Denis Villeneuve never planned to make a third Dune movie so soon after Dune: Part Two. After all, they are massive undertakings, and he felt the need to make a different film first to clear his mind. "I went to my crew and said, ‘I’m taking a break. That’s it. Bye bye.’ I went back home and I kept waking in the middle of the night with those images. I was supposed to do another movie," he said during a trailer launch event on Monday at AMC Century City. Stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem and Anya Taylor-Joy were also in attendance as fans got a first look at the final chapter of the trilogy. The story.
—WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? Nearly forty years ago, Bloodsport launched the career of Jean-Claude Van Damme and helped propel him as a bankable leading man known for his glistening muscles and martial arts prowess. The 1988 film centered on a U.S. Army captain who partakes in an underground martial arts competition in Hong Kong. Among the fans of the Bloodsport concept turns out to be Michaela Coel, the BAFTA-winning creator of the acclaimed series I May Destroy You. The actor, writer and director is teaming with A24 for a reimagining of the film, which she will write and direct. The story.
—🎭 Family affair. 🎭 Christopher Meloni is teaming with his daughter, Sophia Meloni, for a role in her feature directorial debut called Chop Cheese, alongside a cast that includes Michael Gandolfini, Luca Rickman, Anki Alvarez and Dylan Frankel. The film is described as a coming-of-age story set in New York’s bodega culture. It follows a 16-year-old boy as he reckons with manhood while vying for “boss” status from the grill master at the local bodega, only to learn that respect has a price and must be earned. The story.
—Warming up to theatrical. After giving Stranger Things a sendoff that included a short theatrical run for the series finale, Netflix is headed back to cinemas for the next iteration of the show. Netflix is partnering with AMC Theatres to preview the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85. The show’s first two episodes (which have a total run time of about 55 minutes) will play in select AMC cinemas on April 18, five days before the show’s full season debuts on Netflix. The theatrical run for Tales From ‘85 is on a decidedly smaller scale than that of the Stranger Things series finale. The animated show’s preview will have two showings (noon and 3 p.m. local time) in 34 AMC theaters across 20 states, plus the Netflix-run Paris Theater in New York and the Netflix House in Philadelphia. The story. |
Film Review: 'Summer of '94' ►"Earnest and inspiring, if somewhat bland." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker's Summer of '94. The doc film, executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and debuting at SXSW, features Team USA favorites including Cobi Jones, Alexi Lalas, Tony Meola and Eric Wynalda. The review.
—"A worthwhile if somewhat shallow dive into a deep man." Daniel reviews Jonah Tulis' Serling. Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio among its producers, Tulis' film uses previously unheard dictaphone recordings to capture The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling's thoughts on politics, television and more. The review.
—"A thin if occasionally fun genre exercise." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer's Drag. The first feature from the filmmakers follows two kvetching sisters who break into a stranger’s home and get way more than they bargained for. Starring Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos and Christine Ko. Written by Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer. The review.
—"On the pulse and yet off the mark." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Alex Prager's DreamQuil. First-time feature director Prager conjures a nightmare future world where a cutting-edge wellness treatment promises women a new lease on life. Starring Elizabeth Banks, John C. Reilly, Juliette Lewis, Sofia Boutella, Lamorne Morris, Toby Larsen, Anna Marie Dobbins and Kathryn Newton. Written by Alex Prager and Vanessa Prager. The review. |
Film Review: 'Pretty Lethal' ►"Fitfully fun, ultimately forgettable." THR's Angie Han reviews Vicky Jewson's Pretty Lethal. In this John Wick-esque actioner debuting at SXSW, five American ballet dancers are forced to fight off violent Hungarian gangsters. Starring Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Uma Thurman, Millicent Simmonds and Iris Apatow. Written by Kate Freund. The review.
—"A worthwhile message, flatly conveyed." Angie reviews Kevin Hamedani's The Saviors. A suburban California couple on the brink of separation begin to suspect that their Airbnb guests, a pair of Middle Eastern siblings, are up to something nefarious. Starring Adam Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Kate Berlant, Nazanin Boniadi and Greg Kinnear. Written by Kevin Hamedani and Travis Betz. The review.
—"Words fall short." Angie reviews Joey Power's Love Language. Debuting at SXSW, Power's film is about an aspiring author whose side hustle writing other people's wedding vows brings her back into contact with an old crush. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Manny Jacinto, Anthony Ramos, Isabel May, Billie Lourd and Lukas Gage. Written by Joey Power. The review.
—"Hardly basic." Angie reviews Chelsea Devantez's Basic. This SXSW comedy follows a young woman who, in the wake of a devastating break-up, becomes increasingly fixated on her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Starring Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, Taylor John Smith, Nelson Franklin, Kandy Muse, Ashley Nicole Black and Kenzie Elizabeth. Written by Chelsea Devantez. The review.
—"Good for them, just okay for us." Angie reviews Kevin Bacon's Family Movie. Bacon, his IRL wife Kyra Sedgwick, Travis Bacon and Sosie Bacon star in the comedy about a director father, his actor wife and their kids, who gather to make one last low-budget horror film together. Written by Dan Beers. The review.
In other news...
—Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer: Peter Parker teams up with Bruce Banner, Punisher
—Jonah Hill’s Outcome trailer: Keanu Reeves sets out on apology tour amid blackmail scare
—The most stylish party of Oscar week had nothing to do with movies
—Olivia Dean, Lorde, Charli XCX among Lollapalooza headliners
—Peabody Awards: Amy Poehler and Sterlin Harjo set to be honored
—Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music opens London office
What else we're reading...
—Ryan McMorrow, Tina Hu and Nian Liu unpack the OpenClaw AI craze that is sweeping normies in China [FT]
—Lucy Knight talks to body doubles and stand-ins, and discovers what it's like to be Michael B Jordan’s twin, Andie MacDowell’s hands and Rachel Weisz’s hair in the movies [Guardian]
—David Smith looks at how Paramount buying Warner Bros will upset the fragile balance in Hollywood [Guardian]
—With gas prices popping off across the U.S. due to Trump's Iran War, Francesca Paris puts the increases into historical context [NYT]
—With Keith Haring's work seemingly everywhere, Nick Levine wonders if the art icon's importance has been sanitized and diluted [BBC]
Today...
...in 1942, Paramount unveiled Cecil B. DeMille’s high seas adventure movie Reap the Wild Wind in Los Angeles. The film went on to earn three nominations at the 15th Academy Awards ceremony, winning in the special effects category. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Lily Collins (37), Queen Latifah (56), Vanessa Williams (63), Sutton Foster (51), Madeline Carroll (30), Sophia Myles (46), Lilli Kay (30), Abigail Cowen (28), Ciara Bravo (29), Cindy Busby (43), Keana Lyn Bastidas (28), Julia Goldani Telles (31), Luci Christian (53), Eva Noblezada (30), Jemma Moore (34), Adam Pally (44), Dane Cook (54), Geoffrey Owens (65), Adam Levine (47), Shay Hatten (32), Danneel Ackles (47), Yul Vazquez (61), Kevin McGarry (41), David Cubitt (61), Michael Bergin (57), Thomas Ian Griffith (64), Parker Finn (39), François Goeske (37), Chris Geere (45), Shin'ichirô Miki (58), J.G. Hertzler (76), Tamer Hassan (58), Clayton James (41) |
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