What's news: Hollywood is coming to terms with the Paramount settlement. National CineMedia has acquired Captivate Holdings. Taylor Frankie Paul has seemingly quit The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mike Leigh has likely made his last film. And Neon will give James Gray's Paper Tiger a major awards push. — Abid Rahman
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We Have a Deal! Paramount and 12 States Settle |
►🤝 Breakthrough. 🤝 After days of marathon negotiations, Paramount Skydance and the state attorneys general have settled the blockbuster antitrust lawsuit over the $111b Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition. At a press conference called in Los Angeles on Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta revealed the agreement with Paramount but stipulated at the beginning that that it was not an endorsement of the Paramount-WBD deal. The story.
—Deal terms. Following the announcement of the Paramount settlement, we finally had details on the agreement with the 12 states. THR's Alex Weprin lays out the terms of the pact that comes after a long bitter fight that had paralyzed Hollywood. The agreement.
—After all of that sound and fury, that’s it? THR's Erik Hayden digs into the agreement that puts guardrails on Paramount-WBD's domestic film production, cable channels, news outlets and studio lots in Los Angeles — but not any divestitures of assets unless it fails at commitments. The analysis.
—Why did California fold? THR's Winston Cho writes that political pressure, a dice roll of an antitrust trial and competing factions within the alliance of states and the Writers Guild of America all played a part in California's decision to settle with Paramount. The analysis.
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CNN, CBS News to Have An "Editorial Independence Board" |
►Wait, what? With NBC News, MS NOW and CNBC now split between multiple companies, the combined CNN and CBS News will be unrivaled in scale, certainly in the U.S, if not the entire world. But the Paramount settlement throws a wrinkle in that merger: An “Editorial Independence Board” that will have oversight over both news organizations. THR's Alex Weprin unpacks this new board, who will sit on it and how it will work. The analysis.
—"Billionaires have yet again bribed, censored, and bullied their way to the top." Opponents to the Paramount-WBD deal reacted with alarm and dismay on Monday. Before the settlement was even officially announced, the American Economic Liberties Project sent out a fiery statement. The Block the Merger coalition called the settlement "a bad deal for the future of film, entertainment, independent journalism, and a strong democracy in this country." Mark Ruffalo, who has been an outspoken opponent of the deal, posted on X: "Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies." The reaction.
—Lifeline. THR's Rick Porter also goes inside the Paramount settlement, and specifically what it means for the company's free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV. Rick writes Pluto is the only free streamer either of Paramount and WBD currently operates, and because of that, the free streamer received its own protections under the consent decree. The analysis.
—"We aren’t going anywhere." Fresh off brushing past Rob Bonta with a settlement in which arguably only minor concessions were made, David Ellison is ready to re-commit to the idea of keeping his Paramount-WBD empire in Los Angeles. "Now that we reached and announced a settlement, we’re eager to get to work building a stronger Hollywood," Ellison said in a statement. "Let me be clear: the newly merged company will be headquartered in Los Angeles. We aren’t going anywhere. Our history is here and this is where our future is being built." The story.
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Clavicular Charged With Rape, Drugging Person for Sex
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►The latest. “Looksmaxxing” influencer and streamer Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been charged with one count each of rape, drugging a person for sex and providing alcohol to a minor in Massachusetts, according to new court documents obtained by The Bulwark. The 20-year-old’s arraignment is set for Oct. 14. CBS 4 Miami previously reported that 18-year-old Alorah Ziva accused Peters of battery, fraud and sexual misconduct. She alleged the influencer injected her with Aqualyx, a fat-dissolving substance not approved by the FDA, during a livestream in 2025 without her consent. The story.
—Investigation. Presley Gerber’s death is being investigated as a suspected overdose, the Santa Monica Police Department said Monday. Gerber, the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and brother of Kaia Gerber, died Sunday at age 27. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner online records, Gerber died at a “rehabilitation facility.” The story.
—Tragedy. Elliot Graham, the film editor who received an Oscar nomination for Milk and cut films including Steve Jobs, Captain Marvel and No Time to Die, has died. He was 50. Graham died by suicide Saturday in Los Angeles, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. Graham served as film editor on Bill Paxton’s The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), Robert Luketic’s 21 (2008), Stephen Daldry’s Trash (2014) and Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game (2017). The obituary.
—🤝 New perk. 🤝The AMC A-List theater subscription program now offers something more than free popcorn and drink size upgrades: the best seats at private American Film Market screenings in November. A partnership between AFM, AMC Theatres and the L.A.-based B-List Movie Club unveiled on Monday will see film fans attend private market screenings and slate presentations alongside industry buyers at the AMC Century City 15 multiplex, directly across from the AFM HQ at the Fairmont Century Plaza. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 National CineMedia, the in-theater advertising company that works with AMC Theatres, Cinemark and Regal for pre-show commercials content, has closed a major deal to venture outside of the cinema. The firm has sealed an agreement to acquire Captivate Holdings, which powers tens of thousands of small screens in office buildings, lobbies and elevators that show short ads and content as people walk by (or when waiting for your floor in an elevator). The deal is valued at $275m. The story.
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'Daredevil: Born Again' to End With S3
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►Hell's Kitchen nightmares. THR's Borys "Scoopz" Kit and Rick Porter have the big scoop that the forthcoming third season of Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again will be its last one. The decision comes about two months after the Marvel Studios show’s third season wrapped filming. Marvel has also quietly parted ways with Daredevil showrunner Dario Scardapane, whose contract was up and was not renewed. The parting of ways is eyebrow-raising as it means that Scardapane is exiting the show in the middle of post-production. It is unclear who will see the show through completion. The story.
—Exiting? Just weeks after learning Taylor Frankie Paul was returning for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the reality TV personality and content creator has seemingly quit the hit Hulu show. Paul took to Instagram Monday to air out her side of the story in a lengthy post. “My gratitude goes to all the networks that supported me throughout this and gave me the chance to return. However I don’t desire to move forward like this,” she said in the post. The story.
—"I still think there’s a world in which something could work." Kit Harington is feeling warmer — a bit — towards the idea of reprising his iconic fan-favorite role of Jon Snow, and discussed his return to HBO in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series. The actor told the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he actually feels more comfortable with the idea of reprising the reluctant Game of Thrones warrior than he did in the past. The topic was raised when Harington was asked about HBO’s Snow spinoff sequel that was developed several years ago and then shelved. The story.
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Neon Sets 'Paper Tiger' Awards Categories |
►Oscar push. THR's Scott Feinberg has the scoop that Paper Tiger, James Gray’s crime-thriller starring Miles Teller, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, will be given a full-fledged awards push this fall by its U.S. and U.K. distributor Neon. Scott reports that Neon will promote Teller for best actor, Driver for best supporting actor and Johansson for best supporting actress, ending months of speculation about where the trio of A-listers would wind up. The story.
—"It’s more than probable." Beloved British auteur Mike Leigh has explained to the San Sebastian Film Festival why it’s “more than probable” his latest drama-comedy, Tender Loving Care, will be his last. The 83-year-old filmmaker appeared via video link at a press conference for the competition title. Leigh has touched on struggling with a medical condition — a disease affecting the immune system — a few times this year. The story.
—Man-of-the-moment. THR's Brian Davids spoke to Austin Abrams about his new film, the excellent action horror Resident Evil. The in-demand actor unpacks the film's ending and also discusses the 150-pound blood bag that nearly crushed him during his sprint through snowy Raccoon City. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
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Film Review: 'Sense and Sensibility'
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►"Glum and glummer." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Georgia Oakley's Sense and Sensibility. Daisy Edgar-Jones and George MacKay lead the latest big screen adaptation of Jane Austen's classic Regency romance. Also starring Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Frank Dillaane, Herbert Nordrum, Fiona Shaw, Stacy Martin, Tom Brooke, Turlough Convery, Chloe Pirrie, Eliot Sumner, Bethany Slater and Ceara Coveney. Written by Diana Reid, based on the novel by Jane Austen. The review.
—"Packs a surprising emotional punch." THR's Frank Scheck reviews David Ayer's Heart of the Beast. A former Special Forces soldier and his combat dog struggle to survive in the Alaskan wilderness in this adventure from the Fury filmmaker. Starring Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. Written by Cameron Alexander. The review.
—"A kitchen-sink take on the federal agent thriller." THR's Angie Han reviews NBC's Line of Fire. The law enforcement drama series follows the Hollingsworth clan, whose various members belong to the Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals and the Department of Justice. Starring Hope Davis, Peter Krause, Kat Cunning, Tommy O'Brien, Taylor Bloom and Charlie Barnett. Created by Joshua Safran. The review.
In other news...
—Exclusive excerpt: New book reveals extent of Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer’s feud
—Netflix’s Cliff Booth trailer has Brad Pitt taking a playful poke at Leonardo DiCaprio
—R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 trailer teases Cassandra Peterson’s new role and the Curse’s return
—Peter Berg’s Netflix war movie The Mosquito Bowl to premiere at AFI Fest
—Taylor Swift to receive inaugural MTV VMA artist director honors
—VFX house 22Dogs launches new facility at Pinewood Toronto Studios
—Warner Chappell COO and co-chair Carianne Marshall to depart
—Josephine Vaccarello named president of MSG Entertainment
—James Sloyan, actor in The Sting, Xanadu and Oh Madeline, dies at 85
What else we're reading...
—Shane Goldmacher has an in-depth interview with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez including her thoughts on a possible presidential run [NYT]
—Jessica Toonkel and Eliza Collins dig into the $1.5b concession that unlocked Paramount’s deal with California [WSJ]
—Magdalena Del Valle reports that the secretary general of the UN is stepping up his calls for regulation of AI "to avert a dystopian future of rampant corporate power and killer robots" [Bloomberg]
—Emma Brockes reviews Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer's new score-settling book that has caused a media firestorm in the U.K. [Guardian]
—Rob Wile reports on Toys ‘R’ Us' comeback, with rapidly increasing toy sales to adults fueling the opening of 120 new stores [NBC]
Today...
...in 1989, NBC brought an hour of surf, sand and drama to TV screens with Baywatch. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Curry Barker (27), John Woo (80), Tatiana Maslany (41), Teyonah Parris (39), Tom Felton (39), Will Sharpe (40), MyAnna Buring (47), Dina Shihabi (37), Ashley Eckstein (45), Mireille Enos (51), Bonnie Hunt (65), Laura Vandervoort (42), Billie Piper (44), Michael Rainey Jr. (26), Ruth Jones (🏴60), Joan Jett (68), Nick Cave (69), Toni Basil (83), Samantha Béart (42), Rupert Penry-Jones (56), Ukweli Roach (40), Juliette Goglia (31), Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (55), Katie Lowes (44), Shari Belafonte (72), Catherine Oxenberg (65), Melvin Gregg (38)
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Anjanette Comer, the 1960s ingenue who had leading roles in The Loved One, The Appaloosa and The Baby but passed on two major starring opportunities that could have transformed her career, has died. She was 86. The obituary.
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