What's news: Scott Herbst is the new president of Lionsgate Television Group. Jafar Panahi has been sentenced in absentia to 5 years in prison by Iran. HBO has picked up a limited series based on Daphne du Maurier’s The Birds. Connor Storrie is in talks to play the villain in Ghost Rider. And 8 of Bravo’s Real Housewives will appear Off-Broadway this winter. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com.
|
THR Tops NAEJ Awards With 96 Noms!
|
►WOOF! THR is nominated for 96 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards — more than any other outlet — including best publication, best website and two journalist of the year honors. The 96 noms also marks a record for THR at the NAEJ Awards. Among them, Steven Zeitchik and Carly Thomas are up for print and online journalist of the year, respectively. Daniel Fienberg, Angie Han and David Rooney are nominated for best critic across multiple categories, and Scott Feinberg will vie for best anchor/host in the radio/podcast section. THR's other noms span the breadth of categories from cover art to photos to investigative stories to illustrations. The nominees.
|
Studios Balk at California's Diversity Initiative
|
►Potential roadblocks. Opposition is mounting among some major Hollywood studios against the California Film Commission’s diversity initiative designed to encourage more inclusive hiring on movies and TV series. At the heart of their frustration: concerns that compliance could violate federal law as the government cracks down on diversity programs hailed not too long ago as representing a much-needed step forward in getting films and TV shows to more accurately reflect audiences in California and the rest of the world. Participation in the state’s diversity initiative, which gives movies and TV shows a small bump in their overall tax credit, isn’t mandatory. Productions, however, risk leaving money on the table by choosing not to opt in. The story.
—Every little bit helps. As filming levels in the city continue their downward momentum, the Los Angeles City Council passed two measures in a meeting on Wednesday to attempt to stem the bleeding. The measures create a free microshoot permit for ultra-small productions and open up city-owned parking lots, yards, civic properties and staging areas to productions for just $1 a day. The microshoot motion will provide small projects with 10 or fewer production personnel with permits to film on-location in L.A. without a fee, making filmmaking less onerous and expensive for student filmmakers, documentary crews and ultra-low-budget projects in the city. The story.
—Upped. Longtime TV development head Scott Herbst has been promoted to president of the Lionsgate Television Group. The studio’s TV Group has also seen Lee Hollin, head of current programming, and Marcello Bellisario, head of casting, sign new longterm deals as part of a revamped TV group leadership that follows Sandra Stern, vice chairman of the Lionsgate TV Group and a 23-year veteran of the studio, stepping down from her post in March 2026. The story.
—Intriguing hire. The Lego Group is bringing on an in-house Hollywood whisperer. The Danish toy giant has hired WME veteran Kelsey Gray Sherman as head of celebrity talent and brand first partnerships, where she will work with Hollywood talent (and their agents and managers) and develop opportunities for Lego in entertainment projects and brand campaigns. She will also be tasked with developing relationships with brands that stretch beyond licensing and product collaborations. The story.
|
Panahi Facing 5 Years Imprisonment in Iran |
►Sentenced. Oscar-nominated Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been sentenced in absentia to five years and one month in prison by an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Iran. According to independent film journalist Mansour Jahani, based in Tehran, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court also ordered the confiscation of all movable and immovable assets belonging to the It Was Just an Accident filmmaker, along with a two-year travel ban and a two-year ban on social media activities. The story.
—The latest. Russell Brand took the stand for the first time in his ongoing rape and sexual assault trial on Wednesday and revealed that no one else has agreed to testify on his behalf. At London’s Southwark Crown Court, the prosecution has completed presenting its case and Brand’s defense team, led by Ian Winter, are set to detail their arguments for the jury. The story.
—"What can I say about my precious child?" Dyna Mitte is paying tribute to R.J. Mitte 15 days after discovering her son at his Texas home after he died by suicide at 34. “We are lost without him, yet we know he wouldn’t want us to be,” Dyna wrote about the Breaking Bad actor and activist in a social media post on Tuesday. “He would want his message heard and the work we were doing with The Mitte Foundation in Brownsville to continue.” The story.
—"I’m still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever." Despite being misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, commonly referred to as MS, Christina Applegate says she will continue to be a “warrior” for the community. On Tuesday’s episode of Applegate and co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s MeSsY podcast, Applegate reflected on her recent revelation that she doesn’t have MS, saying she’ll keep advocating for those living with the disease. Elsewhere in the episode, Applegate also shared an update on her health, describing the symptoms of what she believes may be another undiagnosed illness. The story.
—Bleak. A former senior vice president of Jerry Bruckheimer Films and a Hulu founder are applying Comic-Con tactics to a very different kind of subculture: America’s military community. That Bruckheimer executive, Jennifer Worthington, has worked on films like Black Hawk Down, The Rock and Armageddon. She and former NBC executive George Kliavkoff have teamed to launch Military Con, with inaugural events planned for next year at convention centers in San Antonio and San Diego. The story.
—"A writer’s writer." Kevin Bleyer, who won four writing Emmys for his work on The Daily Show, died Sunday in a car crash, his family announced. He was 54. Bleyer was driving on a rural road in Millrift, Pennsylvania, where he had a home, when he was killed, his publicist told THR. No one else was hurt. Bleyer worked on the ABC's Politically Incorrect from 2000 until its 2002 cancellation and wrote for Dennis Miller’s CNBC show during its lone 2004-05 season before he landed on The Daily Show in 2005. He also authored books and penned speeches for Barack Obama. The obituary.
|
The NFL's Biggest Dramas Are in the Booth |
►Distraction. The NFL might be the undisputed king of TV content, but it is off-the-field drama that has dominated much of the conversation around the game this season so far. From Troy Aikman to Tony Romo, the on-air talent who function as the gateway to the game have become the story, much to the league's chagrin, writes THR's Alex Weprin. The story.
—Prodigal Val returns. Val Chmerkovskiy returned to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for Tuesday night’s Horror Movie episode after his one-week suspension due to a reference he made to Will Smith’s Oscars controversy when criticizing Carrie Ann Inaba‘s judging. How — and if — DWTS was going to address Chmerkovskiy’s return to the show with Jenna Dewan after the controversy was a big question heading into Tuesday’s episode, partly because his absence on Dedication Night was not really addressed. The recap.
—The future is here. Fox‘s Fear Factor: House of Fear is going in a couple of new directions: The reality series will be the basis for a scripted microdrama. Fox Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America are teaming up for a vertical video show inspired by the current iteration of Fear Factor, which is going into its second season on the network (Endemol Shine North America, a Banijay company, produces the unscripted series). The microseries will stream on the My Drama platform owned by Holywater Tech, in which Fox has an equity stake. Fox Entertainment Global will handle international distribution. The story.
|
'The Birds' Series in the Works at HBO |
►🎭 This isn't 'a few birds'! 🎭 HBO has picked up a limited series project based on The Birds for development. Succession's Sarah Snook is attached to star in the drama, an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s story and the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film based on the book. Tom Spezialy is writing the show and executive producing with Snook and David Heyman. The Birds is a co-production of Universal Global Television and HBO. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 THR's Tony Maglio has the scoop on A24 optioning the TV rights for Chad Harbach bestselling-novel The Art of Fielding and its sequel, The Brightness. Iron Claw producer Sean Durkin will showrun and direct the series. The show will be produced by Westward. Both The Art of Fielding and The Brightness celebrate stories about friendships formed at (the fictional) Westish College. The story.
—🎭 Death cap for cutie. 🎭 Melanie Lysnkey’s next TV series will keep her at Paramount+. The Yellowjackets and Heavenly Creatures star will lead and executive produce a limited series currently titled Mushroom Murders at the streamer. Created by Anya Beyersdorf, Daina Reid and Deb Balderstone and produced by Soapbox Pictures, the drama is based on a notorious 2023 homicide case in Australia. The story.
|
Storrie in Talks to Join Marvel's 'Ghost Rider'
|
►🎭 Hellish rivalry. 🎭 Rising star Connor Storrie, who broke out with the hockey drama series Heated Rivalry, is in talks to star opposite Ryan Gosling in Ghost Rider for Marvel Studios. It is presumed that Gosling is playing Johnny Blaze, although Marvel has not officially confirmed that. It is not known which villain Storrie would be playing. Shawn Levy is directing the film, which reunites Levy with his Star Wars: Starfighter star Gosling and their scribe, screenwriter Jonathan Tropper. The story.
—🏆 The Audience Award is back! 🏆 The 2026 Gotham Film Awards nominations have been announced. All of a Sudden, Clarissa, La Gradiva, The Invite and Tender Loving Care top this year’s nominees with four nods each. Clarissa and The Invite are both nominated for the top prize, best feature, alongside Club Kid, The Debut, Dreams in Nightmares, Josephine, Mouse, Paper Tiger, Primetime, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. This year, the Gothams is bringing back its Audience Award, which returns after a six-year absence. The nominees.
—Helmer found. THR's Borys "Scoopz" Kit has the scoop on Lawrence Lamont being tapped to direct Last Friday, the first installment of New Line’s buddy comedy movie franchise in 25 years. Ice Cube, who co-created the movie series, is writing the script and producing, and will also star in the feature. Also producing are Bob Teitel and CubeVision’s Michael Gruber. Lamont made a splash last year with One of Them Days. The story.
—🟢 Greenest of green lights. 🟢 A feature documentary about Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles is getting ready to roll. Andscape has began production on Fair Play: The Jordan Chiles Story from filmmaker Trishtan Williams. The film is set to be released on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in fall of 2027 amid the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A. Fair Play offers unprecedented access to the 25-year-old gymnast who faces a pivotal moment in life. The story.
—🎭 Witchy to wicked. 🎭 Melissa Joan Hart is coming back to Lifetime to play serial killer Judy Buenoano, aka "The Black Widow." Hart will also executive produce the cable brand’s new true crime movie, Black Widow Killer: The Judy Buenoano Story, which is a working title. The movie is part of the channel’s winter “Ripped From the Headlines” slate. The film will also stars Chris Bauer as Detective Chamberlain and Matthew Settle as Judy’s fiancé, John Gentry. The movie premieres on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2027, at 8 p.m. on Lifetime. The story.
|
8 'Housewives' to Star Off-Broadway
|
►🎭 High drama. 🎭 Eight of Bravo’s Real Housewives will appear Off-Broadway this winter. The Housewives will star in a reimagined revival of Neil Simon’s Rumors this winter at the Newman Mills Theater at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space. Zhailon Levingston will direct the production, which will play a strictly limited 14-week engagement starting Jan. 9, 2027, ahead of Jan. 25 opening night. The production will feature two separate casts of Housewives including Lisa Rinna, Phaedra Parks, Stacey Rusch and Dolores Catania from Jan. 9 through Feb. 28, followed by Cynthia Bailey, Eileen Davidson, Carole Radziwill and Candiace Dillard-Bassett from March 2 through April 21. The story.
—Ramping up. Two more shows began previews last week, with several more on deck, as Broadway‘s fall season heats up. Hamilton, with original cast member Christopher Jackson back on stage, remained the highest grossing show last week bringing in $2.5m, followed by Other Desert Cities, with $2.3m. The latter play, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney and Joe Keery, retained the highest average ticket price on Broadway, at $290, and played to 100 percent capacity, after opening Oct. 18 and receiving mixed reviews. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was the third highest grossing with $1.99m, The Lion King with $1.9m and MJ with $1.7m. The Broadway box office report.
|
Okamoto Receives THR's Trailblazer Award in Tokyo
|
►"I had never imagined becoming an actor, so it was a big, unexpected gift." All eyes were on Japanese actress Tao Okamoto as she received THR's Trailblazer Award at a glitzy gala event in the cavernous ballroom of the Tokyo American Club on Tuesday night. The 2026 edition of American Film Night, a collaboration between THR Japan and the Motion Picture Association, took place during the Tokyo International Film Festival and saw top executives from the Japanese film industry, senior government ministers and leading local filmmakers and actors mingle with visiting Hollywood powerbrokers. The recap.
—"The Academy is becoming more and more global." The U.S. may be growing ever more isolationist under the “America First” rubric of Donald Trump, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remains steadfastly global in its outlook and ambitions. That was the thrust of Academy CEO Bill Kramer’s comments at the Tokyo Film Festival on Wednesday, where he spoke at length about his organization’s ongoing efforts to bring more international filmmakers and film lovers into the Oscars fold. The story.
In other news...
—Frank Capra was darker than you think, says author of new biography
—Never-before-seen 2-hour Elizabeth Holmes Theranos interview might be released
—Jessica Biel says she won’t let her son "just get handed" acting opportunities
—Abbi Jacobson signs with Anonymous Content
What else we're reading...
—Daniel Carvalho and Eric Martin report that Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Tuesday after fleeing Brazil following a defeat in its presidential election [Bloomberg]
—Angelina Chapin talks to Jennifer Lawrence about getting into the oversaturated celebrity beauty game with her new brand Mes, a “biodesigned haircare” company [The Cut]
—Ever wonder what happened to NBA Twitter star World Wide Wob? Ryan Glasspiegel spoke to the man behind the account and why he stopped posting after the Knicks won the championship [Front Office Sports]
—Jessica Grose writes the "new casinos" like prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket are terrible for teens [NYT]
—Pauline McLean pens the obituary of infamous Heavenly Creatures killer Pauline Parker (played in the film by Melanie Lynskey) who died in Orkney, Scotland aged 88 [BBC]
Today...
...in 2011, FilmDistrict released Bruce Robinson's dramedy The Rum Diary in theaters. The Johnny Depp film, based on the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson, was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Joaquin Phoenix (52), Julia Roberts (59), Matt Smith (44), Wes Ball (46), Kevin Macdonald (59), Annie Potts (74), Lauren Holly (63), Jami Gertz (61), Gwendoline Christie (48), Chris Bauer (60), Dennis Franz (82), Troian Bellisario (41), Andy Richter (60), Sierra McCormick (29), Finn Wittrock (42), Daphne Zuniga (64), Nolan Gould (28), Ben Harper (57), Jason Watkins (64), Eliana Jones (29), May Calamawy (40), Nicholas Podany (30), Romy Rosemont (62), Zoie Palmer (49), Michael Dougherty (52), Devon Murray (38), Lola Tung (24), Jane Alexander (87), Joe Thomas (43), Jake Kasdan (52), Lexi Ainsworth (34), Telma Hopkins (78), Michael Stahl-David (44), Luka Peros (50), Phoenix Raei (36)
|
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who delighted TV viewers with her light-hearted turns on The Name of the Game, McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie before quitting at the peak of her powers, has died. She was 80. The obituary.
|
|
|
|
