What's news: Fox News has fired Maria Bartiromo. Martin McDonagh’s awards hopeful Wild Horse Nine enjoyed a whopping 14-minute standing ovation in Venice. Fox has placed a series order for an adaptation of the BBC comedy Mammoth. And Taylor Frankie Paul is returning for S6 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. — Abid Rahman
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'Criminal' Showrunner, Amazon MGM Sued for Hostile Work Environment |
►Disturbing allegations. A former production assistant on upcoming crime drama series Criminal has sued Amazon MGM Studios and Big Indie Pictures, accusing the companies of turning a blind eye to a hostile work environment created by showrunner Ed Brubaker. THR's Winston Cho reports that the production assistant, Ijaaz Noohu, seeks unspecified damages and brings claims for sexual and racial harassment, religious discrimination, assault, and battery, among others. In one alleged incident, Brubaker pointed a working firearm at Noohu’s face and pulled the trigger, according to the lawsuit filed on Wednesday in California state court. The story.
—Shocker! Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News and Fox Business Network, effective immediately. “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Fox News said in a statement Thursday. The announcement was sudden and unexpected, with Bartiromo’s last Mornings With Maria show on FBN airing Thursday. Fox did not give a specific reason for her exit, though a review of her programs show that she has not been on Fox’s channels since early August. The story.
—📅 Fitting tribute. 📅 Dolly Parton and Tim Curry are among the names being honored Sept. 8, when all Broadway theater marquees will dim in memoriam of the legendary performers and theater figures. Per a tradition established last year by the Broadway In Memoriam Committee, composed of theater owners who consult with industry service groups, all Broadway theaters will dim their lights once a quarter in recognition of prominent members of the theater community who have passed. The Sept. 8 light dimming will also honor the late Glen Hansard, Clive Davis, Josh Grisetti, Gina Ferrall, Louise Lasser, Anna Louizos, Seth Marquette, Anne Russell, James Walsh and Harold Wheeler. The story.
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Lucas Says Long-Delayed $1B Museum "Almost Broke My Will"
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►"This has been a long haul." The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles held a press preview on Wednesday and founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson made a surprise appearance. The approximately $1b museum, opens to the public Sept. 22 in Exposition Park, across from Lucas’ alma mater, USC, but the journey to the opening has been long and arduous. “Part of the problem is I’m a contrarian,” Lucas said. “I don’t like to do things that people think can be done. I’m fascinated by doing things that people say can’t be done. And even when you do it, they say, ‘Well, that’s not any good. You can’t do that.’" The recap.
—"A bold throwback to Gilded Age patronage." THR's Gary Baum was on site at the Lucas Museum on Wednesday and got to sample the collection. Gary writes that the billionaire filmmaker's cultural temple juxtaposes C-3PO, Frida Kahlo and Garfield — and recalls the largesse of wealthy turn-of-the-century eccentrics. The review.
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Maybe Paramount-Warner SHOULD Leave L.A. |
►"Moving out of L.A. is more possible than you think, because the real asset isn’t the soundstages and office buildings. It’s the IP." In his new column for THR, veteran filmmaker Joseph Kahn argues that it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to possibly-soon-to-be merged studios Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery if they make good on David Ellison's threat and leave Los Angeles. But it would be a disaster for Hollywood. The column.
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'Wild Horse Nine' Gets Venice's First Rapturous Reception
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►14-minutes! Martin McDonagh’s latest darkly literate, offbeat comedy drama Wild Horse Nine landed on the Lido by way of Easter Island Thursday evening, giving the world’s oldest film festival its first raucous standing ovation of 2026. During the lengthy standing ovation that clocked in at 14-minutes — the longest thus far at the 2026 edition — star John Malkovich looked visibly moved and emotional as he and co-star Sam Rockwell leaned in for several long embraces as the Sala Grande audience roared in applause. THR's full review for the film is further down this newsletter. The recap.
—6.5 minutes! Werner Herzog lifted the veil on Bucking Fastard in Venice on Thursday as the Rooney and Kate Mara starrer had its world premiere inside Sala Grande (THR's full review is also below). The iconic filmmaker wiped away tears at one point and repeatedly held his hand to his heart during the warm six-and-a-half-minute standing ovation. He looked emotional while soaking up the scene, even taking a moment to take a final bow before exiting the theater and blowing a kiss to his adoring audience. The recap.
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Telluride Film Fest Unveils Lineup |
►Plenty of awards hopefuls. The Telluride Film Festival, the unofficial launch of the Oscar race in North America, will kick off its 53rd edition on Friday and run through Monday. On Thursday morning, as festival regulars waited to depart from LAX for the Rockies, the fest unveiled its lineup. Highlights include the world premieres of several major Oscar hopefuls, among them Elsinore, which stars Andrew Scott as the ill-fated Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson; Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, a musical vehicle for Oscar winner Julianne Moore; and Tender Loving Care, which Mike Leigh has indicated may be his final film. The lineup.
🎭 Shut up and take my money. 🎭 On the heels of being cast in the new X-Men feature, Inde Navarrette is attached to star in The Waffle House Index, a sci-fi thriller package just picked up by Apple Original Films. And in a first for the Obsession star, she will also exec produce the project. Plan B Entertainment is producing the project, which has a screenplay by Andrew Nunnelly. The film centers on a Waffle House waitress whose already bad day gets worse when a stranger with a gun shows up during her night shift. What happens after involves a mass flood, killer crocodiles, a nuclear explosion, a magical bunker under the Waffle House, and aliens. The story.
—A theatrical odyssey. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is continuing its historic Imax run, with 70mm screening dates being added yet again. The epic now has additional showtimes for Imax 70mm locations through the end of September. This will stretch The Odyssey‘s Imax run into an 11th week. The film — the first theatrical release to be shot entirely with Imax cameras — is the highest-grossing Imax release of all time, having made $457m across Imax screens globally. Imax 70mm screenings — Nolan’s preferred format — have earned $66m worldwide, resulting in a $1.6m per screen average. The story.
—🎭 Stacked. 🎭 Meryl Streep, Colman Domingo, Bill Hader and Tom Waits have joined the A-list cast for the animated and live-action feature Lincoln in the Bardo. They board the Starburns Industries hybrid film that already has Tom Hanks on board to star as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the live-action portion of the film, while Willem Dafoe, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage become voice characters in the stop-motion animation side. Streep will voice four parts in the film: Abigail Blass, Elizabeth Crawford, one Angel sent to lure lost souls out of the bardo and a Demon trying to trap Willie Lincoln in the cemetery forever. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Badlands, the genre label run by Scott Strauss that is an arm of John Wick franchise producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road, have acquired Wildman, a spec by budding writer Jacob Rainer. The logline really sells the film: "When his little brother is killed by hunters, Bigfoot goes on a quest to retrieve the body while killing everyone responsible along the way." The story.
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'Heated Rivalry' S2 Adds Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich
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►🎭 Filling out. 🎭 Heated Rivalry has cast more key roles from its upcoming second season, adding Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich. Zegers will play Coach Weibe, the head coach of Ottawa’s professional team, where main character Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, will play during season two. Jovovich joins as Dr. Galina Molchalin, a therapist that Ilya sees during the events of Rachel Reid‘s novel The Long Game, which is the main source material for the second season. Gross will play the professional hockey league’s commissioner Roger Crowell. The story.
—🟢 Doubling up. 🟢 Fox has placed a series order for Mammoth, a comedy about a high school gym teacher who is buried in an avalanche in 1983 and rescued in the present day. Modern Family co-creator Christopher Lloyd and writer/executive producer Danny Zuker are co-showrunners on the series, which is based on a BBC Two show of the same name. Mammoth is set to premiere in the 2027-28 season on Fox. The network currently only has one live-action, half-hour comedy, Animal Control, on its schedule. The story.
—Doubling down. Disney+ and 20th Television are developing a series based on Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles book trilogy. Riordan and Angela Robinson are teaming to adapt the books. Should it go to series, Kane Chronicles — about a brother and sister who are descended from Egyptian pharaohs and who use magic — would join Percy Jackson and the Olympians, also based on books by Riordan, on Disney+. The story.
—New addition. MS NOW is deepening its partnership with Crooked Media, adding the political comedy show Lovett or Leave It to its Saturday night lineup. The show, hosted by former Obama speechwriter and Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett, will run on MS NOW Saturdays at 11 p.m. after Crooked's current block of podcast programming, beginning Sep. 12. The story.
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Taylor Frankie Paul Returning for 'Mormon Wives' S6 |
►The latest. Taylor Frankie Paul is returning for season six of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. ABC has not shared its plans for Paul’s pulled season of The Bachelorette, but that has not deterred her involvement with the Emmy-nominated Hulu reality series. Season six of Mormon Wives is currently in production, as majority of the cast (except for Paul) has been spotted filming in Utah and on their first international cast trip in Milan. It was unclear if Paul would have any involvement with Mormon Wives after season five, which is gearing up to release on Hulu on Sept. 10, as filming was halted due to an alleged domestic incident involving Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen. The story.
—Bandwidth. On Sept. 9, HBO Max will release the documentary Band of Brothers: Legacy in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the iconic HBO miniseries. Band of Brothers premiered on Sept. 9, 2001 — two days prior to the 9/11 attacks on America. Band of Brothers: Legacy aims to provide “an intimate look at the series’ production and enduring impact,” per HBO Max, serving as “a tribute to the groundbreaking series that helped preserve the story of Easy Company and deepened public appreciation for the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation.” The story.
—Still got it. After three years away, Ted Lasso showed it was a very reliable draw for Apple TV viewers. The Emmy-winning comedy had its biggest premiere week to date, drawing 866m minutes of viewing from Aug. 3-9, according to Nielsen. Ted Lasso’s fourth season debuted Aug. 5, and the single new episode released that day accounted for 36 percent of the weekly total, or about 312m minutes. The show’s third season in 2023 debuted with 539m minutes of viewing, meaning season four’s opening week grew by about 61 percent. The streaming rankings.
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Film Review: 'Wild Horse Nine' |
►"Dark comedy that sneaks up and floors you with sadness." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Martin McDonagh's Venice competition entry, Wild Horse Nine. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star in this story of two CIA operatives who take a trip to Easter Island while readying for the Chilean military coup that would overthrow the Salvador Allende government. Also starring Steve Buscemi, Mariana Di Girólamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits, Parker Posey and Paola Giannini. Written by Martin McDonagh. The review.
—"Cave of Unforgotten Dreams." David reviews Werner Herzog's Venice competition entry Bucking Fastard. Real-life sisters Kate and Rooney Mara star in this mock-Irish fable about siblings whose hunger for love compels them to tunnel through a mountain. Also starring Orlando Bloom, Domhnall Gleeson, Simon Delaney, Hugh O’Conor, Maeve Fitzgerald, John Kavanagh, Malcolm Adams, John Connors, Marion O’Dwyer, Brendan Conroy and Barry Ward. Written by Werner Herzog. The review.
—"An odd combo doesn't always make a successful one." THR's Angie Han reviews Elegance Bratton's By Any Means. Inspired by true events, the latest film by The Inspection filmmaker follows a Black FBI agent who must work with a mob hitman to investigate the murder of a civil rights leader in 1966 Mississippi. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry and David Strathairn. Written by Sascha Penn. The review.
—"Filmmaking as family therapy." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Robert Greene's Too Much Sugar. Debuting in Venice, Greene's latest hybrid feature mixes documentary and fiction to focus on a pair of 40-something friends from Missouri, exposing hardships they face as ex-cons and fathers. Starring Ryan Holliger, Michael Midgyett, Amanda Sanner, Gavin Jones, Wayde Holliger, Bonnie Holliger, Hank Holliger, Tray Martin, Candy Woods, Ashley Long and Auveon Jackson. Written by Robert Greene, Ryan Holliger and Michael Midgyett. The review.
—"Life — and journalism — during wartime." Jordan reviews Julia Loktev's My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile. Premiering out of competition in Venice, Loktev's doc follows a handful of independent Russian journalists forced to flee their country after the invasion of Ukraine in this follow-up to last year's Part I. Featuring Anna Nemzer, Valeria Ratnikova, Ksenia Mironova, Elena Kostyucheko, Yana Kuchina, Irina Dolinina, Alesya Marokhovskaya, Peter Ruzavin, Nataliya Gumenyuk and Sonya Groysman. The review.
In other news...
—No, Ben Affleck isn’t just randomly graffitiing signs in Los Angeles alleyways
—Connor Storrie’s managers join Linden Entertainment
—Chris Langham, BAFTA-winning The Thick of It actor convicted of child sex offences, dies at 77
What else we're reading...
—Ashley Spencer talks to the stars of Practical Magic 2 on the unlikely sequel, embracing their witchiness and their hopes for a third film [NYT]
—Tom Breihan writes that singer Stella Lefty has been accused of copying a third hit song on her new album [Stereogum]
—Ben Terris goes to Washington and inside Trump's obsessive bid for architectural immortality with his ballroom and other grandiose projects [Intelligencer]
—Tiffany Wertheimer looks at how Gloria Steinem changed the lives of generations of women [BBC]
—Here's your Friday list: Every Spider-Man movie villain, ranked [THR]
Today...
...in 2015, RADiUS gave Chris Evans' directorial debut Before We Go a limited release in theaters. The romantic drama, which starred Evans and Alice Eve, was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Beyoncé (45), David Jonsson (33), Damon Wayans (66), Noah Taylor (57), Mark Ronson (51), Wes Bentley (48), Max Greenfield (47), Kyle Mooney (42), Whitney Cummings (44), John DiMaggio (58), Charlotte Le Bon (40), Michael Berryman (78), Park Eun-bin (34), Victoria Moroles (30), Ione Skye (56), Richard Speight Jr. (57), Talitha Eliana Bateman (25), Mo Brings Plenty (57), Khandi Alexander (69), Judith Ivey (75), Ruby Stokes (26), Valyn Hall (41), Patricia Tallman (69), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (32), Jim Pirri (62), Françoise Yip (54), Ainsley Seiger (28), James Monroe Iglehart (52), Carter Jenkins (35), Sarah Solemani (44), Nona Gaye (52), Tenzing Norgay Trainor (25), Cédric Klapisch (65), Jennifer Salt (82), Alan Blumenfeld (74), Zachary Abel (46), Todd Sherry (65)
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Raffaele Annecchino, the Italian-born former president and CEO of Paramount International, died suddenly over the weekend while on vacation in the Balearic Islands from meningitis, his press office announced. He was 55. The obituary.
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