What's news: Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro are buying into the Las Vegas Raiders. ABC has given a straight-to-series order for a Grey’s Anatomy Texas spinoff. The Boys S5 has hit 57m viewers per episode globally. Netflix is developing a remake of Steve McQueen's The Getaway. And Lionsgate is developing a live stage adaptation of The Housemaid. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Comedy Actors Emmy Roundtable
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►"A woman is literally eating my face." And we're back! It's out with the movies, and in with TV as THR's award-winning Roundtable Series returns as Emmy season ramps up. Up first are the comedy actors — Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Glen Powell (Chad Powers), Owen Wilson (Stick), Zach Braff (Scrubs), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man) and Riz Ahmed (Bait) — who gathered at The Georgian Hotel for a frank conversation with THR's Lacey Rose. Over a few Bloody Marys, the men swap stories and advice about navigating fame, fandom and their own insecurities. The roundtable.
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James Murdoch Reveals Deal for New York Mag, Vox
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►🤝 Sold! 🤝 James Murdoch‘s Lupa Suystems has acquired New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network and Vox. Notably, Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff will also join New York and Vox within the new company, which will take the name Vox Media. The deal gives Murdoch control over the prominent magazine, which includes sub-brands like The Cut, Vulture, Intelligencer, The Strategist, Curbed, and Grub Street, as well as Vox.com. The podcast networks includes shows like Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Criminal, and Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel. The story.
—✊ Big endorsements. ✊ Hollywood’s crew establishment has come out in favor of re-electing Karen Bass to the position of mayor of Los Angeles. The California IATSE Council, the political wing of the crew union IATSE in the state, revealed on Wednesday that it was endorsing Bass for the position due to “her consistent commitment to labor and the issues affecting union workers.” The same day, the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, representing a workforce of professional musicians including those working in film and television, also came out in favor of Bass. The story.
—🤝 Linking up. 🤝 Excel Sports Management and Patrick Whitesell’s WIN Artists are forming a commercial partnership that will give Excel’s vast roster of athletes access to WIN’s expertise in media and entertainment across broadcast, digital media and content creation. Excel, which was acquired by a division of Goldman Sachs last year, has a client roster that includes the likes of Tiger Woods, Nikola Jokic, Caitlin Clark, Derek Jeter, and Clayton Kershaw, among many others. WIN's clients include Bryson DeChambeau, Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. The story.
—🤝 Stake deal. 🤝 Media moguls Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro are now NFL owners. The WME Group and TKO executives are each buying personal stakes in the Las Vegas Raiders. The stakes, which are expected to close this month, will be less than 10 percent, joining an ownership group that includes Mark Davis, Egon Durban (whose Silver Lake controls both TKO and WME), Michael Meldman, Michael Dell and Tom Brady. The story.
—This can't be good. Sora may be dead, but some of its most buzzed-about features are about to land on YouTube. Google on Tuesday hosted its Google I/O event, where it unveiled a slew of new products and changes, including some notable additions to YouTube, the world’s dominant free video platform. In YouTube Shorts, a new “Remix” option will let users write a prompt to remix a creator’s video by changing its style or even adding themselves into the video, without changing the basic context of the video. The story.
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'Grey's' Texas Spinoff Scores ABC Series Order
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►Not quite done. ABC has given a straight-to-series order for a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff set in Texas for next season. Series creator Shonda Rhimes and showrunner Meg Marinis are the co-creators and writers of the new, as yet untitled series. The series will be the third spinoff of Grey’s, after Private Practice and Station 19. The show will follow the team at a rural West Texas medical center — “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” according to the show’s logline. The story.
—"You deserve a gift that befits the sacrifice and work that you have put into this show." Even though it’s bittersweet for Stephen Colbert as he nears the end of The Late Show, Jon Stewart quite literally lifted the host’s spirits on Tuesday. During Stewart’s visit to the CBS late night talk show for his final guest appearance, he brought Colbert a gift, previewing the host’s new life once The Late Show ends on May 21. The recap.
—Woof! The Boys has been generating plenty of fan debate for its final season. But there’s no arguing the fifth season’s popularity. The season has reached 57m viewers per episode globally. That’s the highest yet for the series despite only five weeks of data, according to Prime Video. The season also ranks among the Top 10 most-viewed seasons of any Prime Video original series, and drove the streamer’s largest three week ratings surge of any show or movie. The ratings.
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Late Deals End Cannes Market With A Bang
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►🤝 Sold! 🤝 After a sluggish opening week that left many sellers staring at their phones, the Cannes Film Market found something like a second wind in its final days, with a flurry of high-profile acquisitions injecting some much-needed energy into what had been a cautious, defensive Marché. The late surge was headlined by two deals that had been quietly percolating on the Croisette. Netflix moved to acquire the animated feature In Waves, while Warner Bros.’ nascent specialty label Clockworks entered exclusive negotiations to take Park Chan-wook‘s upcoming revenge Western The Brigands of Rattlecreek. The story.
—Do it, do it now! Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christopher McQuarrie are ready to take a stab at relaunching the Conan franchise. To celebrate the 44th anniversary of the release of the original 1982 fantasy film, Schwarzenegger told the website TheArnoldFans that sequel feature King Conan is eyeing a 2027 start for production. THR reported earlier this year that McQuarrie is attached to write and direct the follow-up for 20th Century Studios that would see Arnie reprise his role as the sword-wielding Conan the Barbarian. The story.
—🎭 All set. 🎭 Heidi Gardner and William H. Macy are set to star in the indie film The Swimming Lesson from writer-director Casey Twenter. Production is scheduled to begin this summer in Gardner’s hometown of Kansas City. The film centers on Tay (Gardner), a single mother who leaves behind her complicated life in L.A. to return to her childhood home. She winds up embroiled in a custody battle over her autistic son. Macy co-stars as Leonard, Tay’s foul-mouthed father. The story.
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Billy Joel Blasts Unauthorized Biopic
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►"Legally and professionally misguided." A biopic chronicling the early life of legendary rockstar Billy Joel is in the works, though the piano man himself isn’t affiliated with the project, and he’s calling out the film as “both legally and professionally misguided.” John Ottman, who edited the recently released Michael, is directing Billy & Me, and Adam Ripp is writing the screenplay. For the project, Ottman and Ripp secured the life rights of Joel‘s former manager, Irwin Mazur, as well as Jon Small, a longtime friend of Joel’s. But a rep for Joel says the singer has been in touch with the filmmakers for several years to confirm that they do not have his own rights for the picture. The story.
—🤝 Lets-a-go! 🤝 THR's Borys "Skewpz" Kit has the scoop that Netflix has signed overall deal with Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath, the creators of the long-running Teen Titans Go! series and more recently the duo behind the billion dollar-grossing Super Mario Bros. movies made by Universal and Illumination. The deal will see Jelenic and Horvath develop both animated series and films exclusively for Netflix. And, as a bonus, the pair will also dip their toes into the live-action pool, with the streamer getting a first look at those projects. The story.
—Revving up. Skewpz Kit also has the scoop that Netflix has reteamed with Philip Barantini, the director of its acclaimed mini-series Adolescence, to make a new version of the 1972 Steve McQueen classic action movie The Getaway. Peter Craig will write the script and also produce with partner Bryan Unkeless via the duo’s Night Owl Stories. The story.
—Edging closer. Rick and Morty is taking aim at the big screen. Jacob Hair, who has directed episodes of the long-running Adult Swim series since 2019, is in talks to helm an animated feature version for Warner Bros. Plot details have not yet been publicly shared for the film that is in early development. The story.
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Tonys Bounce Continues on Broadway
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►Woof! The Tony nominations continue to boost the fortunes of several Broadway shows, while the Daniel Radcliffe-effect also remains in full force. Death of a Salesman, which received nine Tony noms, hit $1.7m, its highest gross yet, last week playing to 100 percent capacity crowds. Ragtime has similarly been drawing increased interest since the Tony noms, bringing in $1.2m last week. The Lost Boys, which tied with Schmigadoon! for the most Tony noms this season, has also been seeing an upswing, with grosses hitting $1.16m last week, even as capacity dropped slightly to 89 percent. Schmigadoon! is also still riding a post-Tonys boost, bringing in close to $843,000 last week. The Broadway box office report.
—🎭 Long-time coming. 🎭 Tracee Ellis Ross will make her Broadway debut this summer in the one-person show Every Brilliant Thing. Ross begins performance July 7, for a run through Aug. 9. Daniel Radcliffe opened the play at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre on March 12 and will lead the show through May 24. Mariska Hargitay takes over for a run from May 26, through July 5, before Ross steps into the role. This marks the fourth extension of the play, which was nominated for best revival of a play. The story.
—🎭 London calling. 🎭 Gaten Matarazzo has found another pretty exciting post-Stranger Things project: the West End revival of Rent. The young star’s outing as Mark Cohen will mark his London theater debut, with the musical set to open in September at the Duke of York Theatre. The story.
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'The Housemaid' Set for Stage Adaptation
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►IPmaxxing. Lionsgate is developing a live stage adaptation of The Housemaid. Bekah Brunstetter, who adapted The Notebook into a Broadway musical, will write the stage treatment of the psychological thriller, with Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska, the duo behind the stage productions of Life of Pi and Paranormal Activity, producing. The Housemaid play will be based on both the film, released in December 2025, as well as the 2022 novel, written by Freida McFadden. The story.
—Beached as. Beaches, The New Musical is the first Tonys casualty of the season and will now close May 24 after being shut out of the nominations. The show began previews at the Majestic Theatre March 27, ahead of an April 22 opening date, but has failed to catch on with audiences and with critics, who delivered mixed to negative reviews. Last week on Broadway, the musical played to just 51 percent capacity, and it has been bringing in $550,000 or less per week since opening, which is far below the running costs of an average musical. The story.
—Death becomes them. Death Becomes Her, the musical adapted from the 1992 film, will end its run June 28, after about 20-months on Broadway. While it was initially a well-attended, high-grossing show, often bringing in more than $1.2m a week, the musical has seen its grosses and attendance slump starting in January. As of the week ended May 10, the musical brought in just above $760,000. The story.
—First! Just in Time has recouped its $12.5m capitalization, becoming the first Broadway musical of the 2024-25 season to reach that milestone. The musical about singer Bobby Darrin, directed by Alex Timbers, has been well attended throughout its run and has broken multiple weekly box office gross records at the theater. The story.
—Quick as you like. Giant has also recouped its $5.6m Broadway capitalization. The play, starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, recouped its investment 10 weeks into its Broadway run, and while only playing seven shows a week from March through May. The story.
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►"Compellingly squirm-inducing, if far from the director’s best." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Cristian Mungiu's Cannes competition entry Fjord. Norway’s controversial child protection system comes under glaring scrutiny in a drama that considers the blind spots in both progressive thinking and traditional values. Starring Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa and warn Loven Kongsli, Henrikke Lund-Olsen, Vanessa Ceban, Christian Rubeck and Markus Scarth Tonseth. Written by Cristian Mungiu. The review.
—"More pain, less glory." David reviews Pedro Almodóvar's Cannes competition entry, Bitter Christmas. The Spanish auteur returns to France with this semi-autobiographical meta-fiction about a film director whose screenplay violates a close friend’s privacy. Starring Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit, Quim Gutiérrez, Rossy de Palma, Carmen Machi, Gloria Muñoz and Amaia Romero. Written by Pedro Almodóvar. The review.
—"A wildly entertaining assault of turbo-charged thrills." David reviews Na Hong-jin's Cannes competition entry Hope. Set in the DMZ between North and South Korea, this thriller tells the story of rural villagers fending off what appears to be a violent invasion. Starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Eum Moon-suk. Written by Na Hong-jin. The review.
—"Simultaneously hypnotic and elusive." David reviews Arthur Harari's Cannes competition entry The Unknown. This third feature from Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall co-writer fuses existential horror with naturalistic drama. Starring Léa Seydoux, Niels Schneider, Valérie Dréville, Lilith Grasmug, Radu Jude, Shanti Masud, Jonathan Turnbull and Victoire du Bois. Written by Arthur Harari, Lucas Harari and Vincent Poymiro. The review.
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TV Review: 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed'
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►"A wildly exciting and surprisingly funny ride." THR's Angie Han reviews Apple TV's Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson star in the David Gordon Green-directed series, following a divorced mom who gets tangled up in a web of murder, blackmail and deceit after witnessing a violent crime. Also starring Dolly de Leon, Murray Bartlett, Charlie Hall, Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg, Jessy Hodges, Nola Wallace and Jon Michael Hill. Created by David J. Rosen. The review.
—"A top-notch performance in a wavering drama." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Jeanne Herry's Cannes competition entry Another Day. The latest feature by actress turned director chronicles a struggling thespian who can’t put down the bottle long enough to sustain a job. Starring Adèle Exarchopoulos, Sara Giraudeau, Sarajeanne Drillaud, Anne Suarez, Mathilde Roehrich, Brigitte Sy and Hélène Alexandridis. Written by Jeanne Herry. The review.
—"Hell is the right word." Jordan reviews Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell. Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton star in the Danish director’s arthouse B-movie mashup, which premiered as a midnight screening in Cannes. Also starring Havana Rose Liu, Diego Calva, Kristine Froseth and Hidetoshi Nishijima. Written by Nicolas Winding Refn and Esti Giordani. The review.
—"A minimalist drama that highlights life's quiet pleasures." Jordan reviews Lisandro Alonso's Double Freedom. The Argentine auteur revisits the main character and setting of his minimalist first feature, Freedom, chronicling a few days in the life of a solitary woodcutter. Starring Misael Saavedra, Catalina Saavedra, Adrián Fondari, Alcides Fink and Laura López Moyano. Written by Lisandro Alonso. The review.
—"Delicately crafted and dramatically diffuse." Jordan reviews Sandra Wollner's Everytime. The third feature from the Austrian writer-director behind The Trouble With Being Born chronicles a family in the wake of a major tragedy. Starring Birgit Minichmayr, Lotte Keiling, Tristan López and Carla Hüttermann. Written by Sandra Wollner. The review.
—"Both crazy and contained." Jordan reviews Sarah Arnold's Too Many Beasts. Arnold’s first feature depicts a bloody feud between hunters, farmers and gendarmes in the forests of northeast France. Starring Alexis Manenti, Ella Rumpf, Vincent Dedienne, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h, Pscal Rénéric, Bertrand Belin and Jade Fiess. Written by Sarah Arnold, Jérémie Dubois, Olivier Seror, Romain Winkler and Mehdi Ben Attia. The review.
In other news...
—THR’s Emmy Roundtables return this week — watch the teaser now
—Power Book III: Raising Kanan trailer reveals major star return
—The Agency S2 trailer: Trust no one. Not even Richard Gere
—John Cena, Eric André form dysfunctional family in Little Brother trailer
—Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson bond on the phone in Voicemails for Isabelle trailer
—Jonas Brothers launch a podcast
—Twitch streamer QTCinderella signs with CAA
What else we're reading...
—Bess Levin writes that the SpaceX IPO could make Elon Musk a trillionaire — and essentially "unfireable" [Intelligencer]
—Bananas story from Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman about how Israel and the U.S. planned to install Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a puppet Iranian leader [NYT]
—Terrible news from Sarah Perez, who reveals all the way Google plans to destroy search by going all-in on AI [Techcruch]
—Alex Rogers reports that Trump and sons will be granted "forever" immunity from existing tax audits after outrageous DOJ deal [FT]
—With The Mandalorian and Grogu not inspiring the usual excitement for a Star Wars movie, Hanna Flint looks at why the once dominant franchise went wrong [BBC]
Today...
...in 2011, Disney released Rob Marshall's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in theaters. The fourth installment in the franchise scored $1b at the box office, justifying its insane $400m production budget. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Cher (80), Mike Flanagan (48), Tony Goldwyn (66), Josh O'Connor (36), Louis Theroux (56), Timothy Olyphant (58), Robert Emms (40), Bronson Pinchot (67), N.T. Rama Rao Jr. (43), Jane Wiedlin (68), Naturi Naughton (42), Matt Czuchry (49), Jack Gleeson (34), Michaela McManus (43), Emilie Blichfeldt (35), Tahmoh Penikett (51), Constance Towers (93), John Billingsley (66), Joel Fry (41), Ray Chase (39), Alex Høgh Andersen (32), David Proval (84), Owen Teale (65), Kim Shaw (42), Matt McCoy (70), Mindy Cohn (60), Louisa Krause (40), Dean Butler (70), Dave Thomas (77), Gina Ravera (60), Daya Vaidya (46), Fra Fee (39), Yon González (40), Kyle Harris (40), Marla Sucharetza (61), Juan Minujín (51), Darya Ekamasova (42), Alice Hewkin (33)
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