| | | | | | What's news: The first presser at the Berlinale sparked controversy over the presence of politics at the festival. Soccer icon Abby Wambach is latest big name to leave Wasserman. Jason Momoa has nabbed the lead role in Helldivers. Jennifer Hudson is joining the producing team for Dreamgirls on Broadway. And HGTV canceled Rehab Addict after host Nicole Curtis was caught using a racial slur during filming. — Abid Rahman
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James Van Der Beek 1977 - 2026 ►"He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace." James Van Der Beek, the charismatic actor who starred as the sensitive and insecure Dawson Leery on The WB teen melodrama Dawson’s Creek, lost his battle with colorectal cancer on Wednesday. He was 48. The father of six kids, Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 that he had “been privately dealing with this diagnosis” — it was Stage 3 — since August 2023. He also starred in the films Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction and in the sitcom Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. The obituary.
—"Inspired us to be better in all ways." On Wednesday, a host of Hollywood figures took to social media to mourn James Van Der Beek. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chad Michael Murray, Nahnatchka Khan, Reese Witherspoon, Noah Beck, Busy Philipps, Lin Manuel Miranda, Paul Walter Hauser, Jennifer Garner, Kate Walsh, Lance Bass, Stacy Kiebler were among those that paid tribute to the beloved actor. "Beautiful human inside and out. Smart, funny, empathic, kind, talented and just pure magic. I’m so grateful for our friendship and so heartbroken. All my love goes out to his amazing wife Kimberly and their children," wrote Van Der Beek's Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 co-star Krysten Ritter on Instagram. The reaction.
—"I formed some words with a heavy heart." Katie Holmes also shared her feelings about her friend James Van Der Beek. Holmes and Van Der Beek famously co-starred together on Dawson’s Creek, as beloved pair Joey and Dawson. “James, thank you,” she began in a touching, hand-written note that she shared on Instagram on Thursday morning. “To share a space with your imagination is scared — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression… these are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs — adventures of a unique youth.” The story.
—"He took unpredictable chances." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg pens an appreciation piece on James Van Der Beek's impactful and varied career. Daniel writes that the actor will be remembered for Dawson’s Creek, but his best work was far funnier and odder as things like Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 and What Would Diplo Do? showed his true talent. The critic's appreciation.
—Kindness is back! Less than 24 hours after James Van Der Beek's friends launched a GoFundMe page for the late actor’s family, the account topped more than $1m in donations. Several notable Hollywood names have also seemingly donated to the GoFundMe. The story.
—Range. THR has pulled together a gallery of James Van Der Beek's most memorable roles. The gallery. |
L.A. Olympics Board Backs Embattled Casey Wasserman ►"Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented." As he faces a client rebellion after appearing in the Epstein files, Casey Wasserman is being publicly backed by the Los Angeles Olympics Committee board. The exec committee of LA28 issued the voted of confidence after meeting on Wednesday and said it had enlisted outside law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP to review Wasserman’s emails with Ghislane Maxwell from 2003, three years before Epstein was first arrested in Florida on a count of soliciting prostitution. The story.
—"Casey should resign." The fallout from Casey Wasserman‘s inclusion in the Epstein files is growing, as Hall of Fame soccer player Abby Wambach announced Wednesday that she’s leaving the management firm, marking the first athlete to weigh in publicly on the scandal after several recording artists including Chappell Roan had already announced their intent to leave earlier this week. "I know what I know, and I am following my gut and my values," Wambach said. "I will not participate in any business arrangement under his leadership." The story. |
Where Disney's Josh D'Amaro Is Placing His Bets ►"Whoever’s sitting in the C-suite now does not have the luxury of time." Disney's current CEO Bob Iger transformed the company, making blockbuster acquisitions like Pixar and Marvel and pushing it into new tech-forward lines of business like streaming with Disney+. Incoming chief Josh D’Amaro has indicated he would keep up with the disruption. THR's Alex Weprin writes that when D’Amaro officially takes the top job in March he’ll try to put his own stamp on the company, rolling the dice on gaming, AI and interactivity. The analysis.
—Upping the heat. Activist investor Ancora Capital, led by CEO Fred DiSanto, has revealed a major stake in Warner Bros. Discovery and is pressuring the studio to abandon its deal to merge with Netflix. Holding a WBD stake at around $200m, Ancora said it will vote against the proposed merger between Netflix and the rival studio as it backs a rival offer from Paramount. The activist investor in a presentation argued the currently proposed Netflix-WBD deal offers investors inferior value, an uncertain spinoff of legacy media assets and regulatory risk. The story.
—"This is about more than attracting productions." Movies and TV shows that shoot in San Francisco are eyeing an expanded tax credit program to lure more productions to film in the area, in a tit-for-tat race to host Hollywood. Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday signed legislation updating the long-running but antiquated film incentive program. Under the new version, productions will get a 20 percent rebate on qualified spending and a full rebate on city fees up to $1m. In a statement, San Francisco Film Commission executive director Manijeh Fata said the changes “mark a turning point for our city” in boosting the local economy with money from the entertainment industry. The story.
—Mixed bag. AMC Networks, the company behind such cable channel brands as AMC, IFC and Sundance TV, as well as such streaming services as AMC+, Acorn TV and horror streamer Shudder, reported a 10 percent drop in fourth-quarter U.S. advertising revenue to $124.8m on Thursday. U.S. subscription revenue of $314.8m was up slightly from a year-ago $314m on higher streaming revenues offsetting the 13 percent fall in affiliate revenues to $138m. Streaming revenue, which is driving growth at the company, rose 17 percent to $177m on gains from sub price increases. The results.
—Trending down. Cineplex saw its fourth quarter profits and revenue fall on lower theater attendance. The Canadian exhibition giant reported a profit of $369,000, down from $3.3m a year earlier, as its revenue for the three months to Dec. 31, 2025 fell nearly 2 percent to $334.8m, against $340.9m in the same period of 2024. That revenue fall came as theatre attendance dropped 1.8 percent to 10.1m patrons, against a year 11.1m cinema-goers in its circuit. The results.
—🤝 Financing deal. 🤝 For the last few years, Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens have built production-management firm Propagate Content without major private equity financing that fueled the biggest Hollywood agencies over the past decade. That’s now changing. The Los Angeles-based company behind Apple TV’s Owen Wilson starrer Stick as well as reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu, launched with early backing from the likes of A+E Networks then landed outside financing from merchant bank Raine Group in 2018. Seven years later, Silverman and Co. have now secured a private equity infusion of $50m from Michael Arougheti-led investment manager Ares Management Corporation. The story. |
'Rehab Addict' Canceled by HGTV After Host Used Racial Slur ►"We remain dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion across our content and our workplace." HGTV has canceled its home restoration series, Rehab Addict, after host Nicole Curtis was caught using a racial slur during filming. The network told THR in a statement on Wednesday, "Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV. Accordingly, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms." The show followed Curtis as she rescued historic homes in Detroit and Minneapolis from demolition, and then restoring them. The show’s first three seasons ran on DIY Network before moving to HGTV in 2014. The story.
—"I don't come from the ghetto, it doesn't speak my language." Gene Simmons says legendary rap and hip-hop artists don’t have a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The KISS frontman tried to make a case for excluding certain artists from rock’s biggest honor during a podcast interview with LegendsNLeaders. “The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums and Grandmaster Flash is, right?” he said in an interview first posted last week. “Ice Cube and I had a back and forth [about this]. He’s a bright guy and I respect what he’s done. It’s not my music." The story.
—"I need help finding a kidney." Actress Bijou Phillips is hospitalized in Los Angeles and has sent out a public plea for help in finding a donor kidney. "I’m asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt and, most importantly, a single mother to an incredible and brave daughter. I am in need of a kidney," Phillips, 45, posted on Instagram on Wednesday morning. Per a rep for the actress, Phillips was born with an acute kidney disorder. She received a kidney transplant from a friend in 2017, however that kidney has failed and led to serious health challenges in recent times (including BK virus, which can be acute for kidney patients). The story. |
Daytime TV's Big Problem ►Talk is cheap, talk shows are not. Back-to-back cancellations of talk show staples like The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri have heightened fears that video podcasts are coming for traditional TV. THR's Alex Weprin, Caitlin Huston and Katie Kilkenny write that podcasts have already been taking a greater share in the media space, as the shows are able to land the same high-profile guests (take Michelle Obama on Call Her Daddy or Leonardo DiCaprio on New Heights). At the same time, they command a broad reach on YouTube, and now on platforms like Netflix. The analysis.
—Possible Pat alt cast? ESPN will have its first-ever Super Bowl in 2027, capitalizing on sister network ABC’s turn in the new NFL rights rotation. We know ABC and ESPN will both televise the game, and that ESPN2 will put on its popular alternative telecast the Manningcast starring Peyton and Eli Manning (and guests), but the greater Disney simulcast may bring a few new options to the gridiron. Among the possibilities in very early discussions is a possible Field Pass alt cast with Pat McAfee and his cronies, a person with knowledge of the considerations confirmed to THR's Tony Maglio. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Kitty Song Covey and the gang are back for their final year year of school in the first look at XO, Kitty season three. The romantic dramedy, a spinoff of Netflix’s To All the Boys trilogy, follows the youngest Song Covey sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart), as she navigates her teenage years full of love and friendship while attending Korean Independent School of Seoul, often called KISS. Season three will premiere on April 2. The story. |
"We Have to Stay Out of Politics" ►Testy. "We have to do the work of people — not politicians," declared legendary German filmmaker Wim Wenders as the Berlinale’s international jury presser kicked off Thursday. The presser swiftly turned to politics at just the second question, when a journalist said the Berlinale “doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” but has, historically, as an institution, “been able to show [loyalty] with people in Iran and Ukraine.” He then asked the entire jury about the German government’s “support” of the war in Gaza and “its role as main funder” of “the genocide in Gaza.” The recap.
—Timing is everything. If real estate is all about location, location, location, international film markets are all about timing, timing, timing. Berlin mid-February is not an ideal spot for red carpet fashion — pity the stars facing icy winds and sub-zero temperatures at this year’s Berlinale — but if you want to do business, the timing of the European Film Market couldn’t be better. THR's Scott Roxborough writes that strong international box office, star-driven packages, and a wave of new distributors fuel optimism for the EFM, even as domestic buyers remain risk-averse. The analysis. |
Jason Momoa Joins Justin Lin's 'Helldivers' ►🎭 Busy, busy. 🎭 Jason Momoa has nabbed the leading role in Helldivers, Justin Lin’s video game adaptation for Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions and based on the popular video game franchise from Arrowhead Game Studios. Sony Pictures has also set a Nov. 10, 2027 theatrical release for the feature adaptation. The project is based on a video game that launched in 2015 and the sequel, Helldivers 2, sold over 12m units and centers on an elite unit of soldiers who must battle alien creatures threatening to destroy the fictional planet of Super Earth. The story.
—Shut up and take my money! Shooting wraps next week in London on Mike Leigh’s latest, still untitled film — his first since the multi-award-winning Hard Truths. Leading the Brit auteur's cast is Marion Bailey, who worked with him on Mr. Turner, Paul Jesson, star of Leigh’s All or Nothing, as well as Kate O’Flynn and Alice Bailey Johnson. Plot details for his untitled feature are yet to be released. The seven-time Oscar nominee, known for Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy and Vera Drake , is joined behind the camera by frequent collaborators, including costume designer Jacqueline Durran, hair and make-up designer Nora Robertson, production designer Jane Brodie, composer Gary Yershon, editor Tania Reddin, director of photography Lucy Bristow, and casting director Nina Gold. The story.
—🎭 In demand. 🎭 Roman Griffin Davis, the breakout star of Jojo Rabbit, has joined the voice cast of Wonderland, a new animated feature from Polish studio Lightcraft, lending his voice to the film’s lead role opposite Mads Mikkelsen. Davis will voice Jake, a 12-year-old boy who, together with his friend Jenny, confront the mysterious Vagapulga creatures in their dreams. Polish studio Lightcraft is producing the 3D English-language animated feature, which was previously titled Dreamworld. The story. |
Jennifer Hudson Joins 'Dreamgirls' Broadway Producing Team ►Expert advice. Jennifer Hudson is joining the producing team for Dreamgirls on Broadway. Hudson joins the team of the revival after winning an Oscar for her role as Effie White in the 2006 film adaptation. The musical is planned for Broadway this fall, with direction and choreography by Camille A. Brown, choreographer of Hell’s Kitchen and the most recent Gypsy revival. This marks the third Broadway producing credit for Hudson, who became an EGOT Award winner after joining the producing team for A Strange Loop, which won the 2022 Tony for best musical. She was also a producer on Smash last season. The story.
—Legendary entertainment. New musical Imitation of Life will premiere Off-Broadway this fall with a score by John Legend. The musical, based on the novel by Fannie Hurst and the Universal films, will premiere at the Griffin Theater at The Shed starting in Fall 2026. Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage is writing the book, and Liesel Tommy is directing. This would be the first major theatrical production for Legend, who previously contributed a song to the 2017 Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants and served as a producer on the 2017 revival of Jitney. The story.
—Raul's return. New musical Galileo is coming to Broadway next season. Four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza will star in the titular role, in his first time back on Broadway in more than 13 years. He will star alongside Joy Woods, recently nominated for her role in Gypsy, and Jeremy Kushnier. Danny Strong, who revamped the book for Chess on Broadway this season, wrote the book for the show. The musical features direction by Michael Mayer, also directing Chess this season, and an original score by Zoe Sarnak and Michael Weiner, with choreography by David Neumann. The story.
—Something's afoot! The Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is being filmed this week. The producers of the show, Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions, are filming the stage production with the intent of releasing it in the future. No timeline or release schedule has yet been set, but the goal was to capture the original Broadway cast before they depart the production on March 29. The production cancelled performances from Feb. 10 through Feb. 14 to allow for filming. Public performances are set to resume Feb. 15. The story. |
Film Review: 'Crime 101' ►"Well-made but overly familiar." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Bart Layton's Crime 101. A crime film based on a Don Winslow novella, the story revolves around the pursuit of an ingenious jewel thief who commits his heists on the 101 freeway. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte and Halle Berry. Written by Bart Layton. The review.
—"A little substance buried under a lot of sensationalism." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews HBO's Neighbors. Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein executive produce this half-hour series about property disputes, misused surveillance and a situationally inappropriate Speedo. Created by Harrison Fishman and Dylan Redford. The review.
—"Effective as both comedy and whodunit." Daniel reviews Netflix's How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls follow-up follows three friends who begin to suspect something is suspicious about an old chum's death. Starring Sinead Keenan, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Roisin Gallagher, Emmett J. Scanlan, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Bonagh Gallagher. Created by Lisa McGee. The review.
In other news...
—Nicole Kidman scrubs in to find a serial killer in Amazon’s Scarpetta trailer
—Robert Schildhouse named CEO of direct to consumer at BBC Studios
—ATG Entertainment names Melanie Smith as CEO
—Lory Patrick, Tales of Wells Fargo actress and widow of Disney star Dean Jones, dies at 92
What else we're reading...
—Daniel Victor, Karoun Demirjian, Luke Broadwater, Edgar Sandoval and Laura Chung try to explain the mad El Paso airspace shutdown [NYT]
—Hugh Leask looks at why Google parent Alphabet’s 100-year bond is raising new fears over a debt-fuelled AI arms race [CNBC]
—Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck investigate former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler's links to Jeffrey Epstein [CNN]
—Reflecting on Melania and Kid Rock’s halftime show, Jesse Hassenger wonders why MAGA art is so dreadful [Guardian]
—Daniel Lippman reports that fundraising efforts at the Kennedy Center are in deep turmoil after Trump's takeover [Politico]
Today...
...in 2010, Warner Bros. released Garry Marshall's Valentine’s Day in theaters. The rom-com featured a large and starry ensemble cast and was a massive box office hit. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Josh Brolin (58), Darren Aronofsky (57), Taylor Dearden (33), John Michael Higgins (63), Christina Ricci (46), Katy O'Brian (37), Valorie Curry (40), Jesse Spencer (47), Iko Uwais (43), Arsenio Hall (70), Angus Sampson (47), Sarah Lancaster (46), Lochlyn Munro (60), Tara Strong (53), Michael Ironside (76), Raphael Sbarge (62), Maud Adams (81), Clare-Hope Ashitey (39), Enver Gjokaj (46), Tanaya Beatty (35), Christine Elise (61), Anna Hopkins (39), Jesse Hutch (45), Lisa Brenner (52), Scott Menville (55), Josef Altin (43), Cliff De Young (81), Zach Grenier (72), Joanna Kerns (73), Park Bo-young (36), Georgina Reilly (40), Celia Pacquola (43), Robin Thomas (77), Ajay Naidu (54), Jennifer Stone (33), Hunter Emery (40) |
| Bud Cort, the co-star of Harold Ashby’s black comedy classic Harold and Maude, has died. He was 77. The obituary. |
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