What's news: Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash for her Novig campaign. May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown won the Golden Lion. Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky has entered the awards conversation. And Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has become Universal's highest-grossing release of all time. — Abid Rahman
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Nick Reiner and the Problems Money Can't Solve |
►"There is no bottom to hit. There’s always a safety net." Nick Reiner’s next pretrial hearing in the apparent patricide of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner is Sept. 15. Their son, who struggled with drug addiction and severe mental health issues, has pled not guilty. For other families quietly and often despairingly living with similar problems of addiction and mental illness involving their children, the tragedy is an unnerving, looming specter — a worst-case scenario made real. The wealthy Reiners for decades accessed every form of professional assistance their money could buy. THR's Gary Baum spoke to Los Angeles therapists who explain how family fame and fortune "isn't an escape" from the vortex of addiction and mental illness. The story.
—The coming cataclysm? As the legal battle over the $110b Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger drags on, a coalition of state attorneys general is fighting to block the sale on antitrust grounds — and the buyer is threatening to leave California if the lawsuit succeeds. A leaked report, published Friday, now puts a number on the fallout: As many as 58,000 lost jobs and up to $21b a year in losses for California. The story.
—Moving forward. Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta will sit down for two straight days at the end of October to explore a deal settling the state’s lawsuit challenging the studio’s bid to acquire WBD. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson told both sides on Friday to tell him the specific dates for the settlement conference by next Tuesday. The directive was issued after a hearing to schedule the talks, which will include the Writers Guild of America. The story.
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CBS Warns of AI Dangers, Right After ChatGPT Sponsors NFL Broadcast
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►Playing both sides. CBS on Sunday night warned that the world may be sleepwalking toward a future where AI runs amok, and perhaps destroys all of humanity. For now, however, we will have to be content with the AI companies subsidizing our football broadcasts. Sunday afternoon, viewers of the NFL on CBS were surprised to hear that the broadcast has a new sponsor this season: OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Just after the NFL ended, 60 Minutes' season 59 premiere ended with its “Last Minute” segment, featuring new correspondent Ross Douthat addressing the AI elephant in the room. The story.
—"A flat episode of television with some obvious problems." On the subject of 60 Mintues, THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviewed the opening episode of season 59. After a summer of turmoil following the high profile exits of Scott Pelley, Tanya Simon, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, the venerable news show is looking to forge a new path. The review.
—"Exactly why women in sports aren’t taken seriously." More than a year after her American Eagle ad controversy, Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash for another campaign: her sexualized promotion for sports trading app Novig. Many online users, including women who work in the sports industry, have shared their frustration with the actress' campaign for the sports trading app, which features multiple shots of her mostly naked body covered with different sports balls and uniforms. The reaction.
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Israeli Minister Threatens to Revoke Citizenship of 'NAZA' Duo
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►"Treason." Israel‘s culture minister has said he will work to revoke the citizenship of Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor over their new documentary, NAZA. Writing on X, Miki Zohar described the film as “vile,” saying it “constitutes treason.” The doc, which won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, features testimony from 24 Israeli military officers outlining the systems and protocols they allege Israel uses to target and kill civilians in Gaza. The story.
—"Because this is not something of the past. It’s still ongoing." THR's Scott Roxborough spoke to NAZA directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor about the making of their documentary. The Israeli filmmakers discuss fighting the “complicity of silence” and whether their film can bring about real-world change. The interview.
—Aiming to pool resources. SHOOQ, a just launched online platform for Jewish filmmakers, is looking to tap investors, funders and philanthropists. Ben Silverman, former NBC co-chairman; Micah Green, CEO of 30 West; Tanya Cohen, co-CEO of Made by Us; actress Emmanuelle Chriqui; and Keshet International producer Anthony Bregman are among backers of the non-profit venture. SHOOQ was launched by Ari Pinchot and Jonathan Rubenstein, producers of the Roast of Anti-Semitism comedy show, and comes amid a rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment impacting Jewish filmmakers and their ability to tap production funding. The story.
—"The big distributors really can boast about how they want films like this made, and they want films from unique voices or from different diasporas, but they’re not actually taking those risks." On the topic of SHOOQ, Scott Roxborough has a piece on the ongoing difficulty faced by producers of finding distribution for films about Israel and Palestine. Scott writes that from Palestinian-focused Watermelon Pictures to new Jewish financing platform like SHOOQ, a parallel industry is forming around the films the majors won't touch. The analysis.
—"Standing up for my own people." Pink issued an extensive statement on Friday addressing the backlash she faced for resharing a post calling out Macklemore for his pro-Palestine comments and demanding he be removed from Ed Sheeran’s ongoing tour. In an Instagram post, the singer said that the post she had shared “said things in words I didn’t write, and I wouldn’t have chosen all of them,” further stating that “I’d rather be disagreed with for what I actually said than hated for what anybody else wrote, so let me say it.” “I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” she wrote. The story.
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Feinberg Forecast: Oscar Race Post Venice, Telluride and With TIFF Underway
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►Lots of new info! THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg is back with another read of the Oscar race. Since Scott's first forecast of the season posted on Sept. 2, the 83rd Venice Film Festival and the 53rd Telluride Film Festival have come and gone, and the 51st Toronto International Film Festival has kicked off, so there has been significant movement on the charts. The forecast.
—"Polarized critics but played through the roof with festivalgoers." On Saturday, Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky debuted at TIFF and instantly became one of the most talked about films of the fest. Scott Feinberg writes that like Farrelly's earlier film Green Book, this crowd-pleaser could seriously contend for TIFF's audience award en route to major Oscar noms (including best actor for Anthony Ippolito, who plays Sylvester Stallone). The analysis.
—"You got a letter from my doctors?" Seth Rogen declared it “ominous” to receive a career achievement award from the Toronto Film Festival at 44 years of age. “Does TIFF know something I don’t know? You got a letter from my doctors?” he questioned while on stage at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto on Sunday. Rogen received a Career Achievement honor at the Tribute Awards at TIFF. Helen Mirren, Penelope Cruz and Isabelle Huppert were also honored. The recap.
—🏆 Congratulazioni! 🏆 May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown won the Venice Film Festival‘s coveted Golden Lion for best film. At an awards ceremony on Saturday night, the honors were handed out by the international jury, headed up by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Among the other big winners were DAU director Ilya Khrzhanovsky, who took home the Silver Lion for best director; Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, which won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize; and NAZA, which received the Special Jury Prize. The winners.
—A visual feast! Netflix is offering global cinephiles a deeper dive into the work of Korean master Lee Chang-dong as it ramps up the awards-season rollout of his acclaimed new drama Possible Love. Fresh off Lee's Silver Lion win at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend, the streamer is expanding the availability of all six of Lee’s previous features across various international markets. The rollout includes Green Fish (1997), Peppermint Candy (1999), Oasis (2002), Secret Sunshine (2007), Poetry (2010) and Burning (2018). The story.
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'Practical Magic 2' Summons $30M to Take No. 1
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►Witches brew. Practical Magic 2 conjured up a win over the unstoppable Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the box office had a sleepier weekend overall amid its shift to fall. Earning a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, Practical Magic 2 opened to around $30m domestically for the weekend, hitting the low end of Warner Bros.’ projected range. Susanne Bier’s sequel launched in over 4,000 North American locations and carries a $75m production budget. Internationally, the movie added $16m from 77 overseas markets. This marks the first frame without Brand New Day in the top spot since its July 31 release. The box office report.
—WOOF! Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey has become Universal's highest-grossing release of all time, beating 2015’s Jurassic World for the top spot. The Odyssey has collected $601.2m domestically for a global cume of $1.684b. It now stands at No. 12 on the all-time worldwide box office chart and holds the mark as the third-highest-grossing non-franchise movie ever. The story.
—🎭 Familiar faces. 🎭 The Stone family is reuniting for another chaotic holiday season. The cast for the sequel to the 2005 holiday classic The Family Stone has been unveiled, with much of the original cast set to return. Titled The Families Stone, the follow-up will be set 20 years after the events of the original film. The returning cast includes Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider and Brian White. The review.
—🎭 All set. 🎭 THR's Scott Roxborough has the scoop that Carla Woodcock has signed on to play the lead in White, the upcoming shark survival thriller from horror director Jake West. Woodcock will play Willa Harba, which the film’s press copy describes as “a struggling actress trying to catch her big break” who is traveling overseas for a shoot with a self-obsessed star when their private jet crashes into the Pacific. The film also stars Kate Beckinsale and Katherine McNamar. The review.
—🏆 Laban lang! 🏆 The Philippines has selected Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana, a formally striking class satire set within the confines of a swanky Manila-area golf club, as its submission for best international feature at the 99th Academy Awards. Manuel’s feature directing debut was well received on the festival circuit before landing in the Oscars race. The film world premiered in Sundance’s world cinema competition in January, where it won the special jury award for creative vision. It later made its European premiere in the Berlinale’s section for debut features, where it earned strong reviews. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 THR's Steven Zeitchik has the scoop that HBO is buying distribution rights to Rapinoe, Rebeca Huntt’s documentary about the U.S. soccer legend. The movie gives the streaming platform a big star around which to market a doc as well as a chance to court some political headlines. Rapinoe is of course the longtime Seattle Reign and USWMNT star who won two World Cups and Ballon d’Or but gained even more recognition for her activism. The story.
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'Point Break' Series Surfs to Green Light
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►🟢 Utah! Get me two! 🟢 AMC and sibling streamer AMC+ have greenlit a series based on Point Break, the 1991 surfing-and-bank-robbing action thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Alcon Television Group is the lead studio on the show, with AMC Studios and StudioCanal as co-producers. Dave Kalstein and Christopher C. Rogers will be co-showrunners on the series, which is set in the same world as the original film. Production is set to begin in early 2027; no casting has been announced yet. The story.
—Dolly tribute. Reba McEntire has been tapped to perform a special tribute to the late Dolly Parton during the 2026 Emmy Awards on Monday night. The Grammy-winner is expected to sing a song by the Queen of Country Music, who died last month. In addition to McEntire’s performance, New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is also expected to make a guest appearance during a pre-taped segment at the beginning of the telecast. The story.
—Final few. NBC and the Television Academy have revealed another batch of stars who are set to present at tonight's Emmys. Stephen Amell, Awkwafina, Noah Beck, Jessica Belkin, Scott Caan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma D’Arcy, Julia Garner, LL COOL J, Woody Harrelson, Hassie Harrison, Paul Anthony Kelly, Thaddeus LaGrone, Matthew McConaughey, John Mulaney, Brooks Nader, Emmy Rossum, Sofía Vergara and Shailene Woodley have all been tapped to present awards at the Monday night ceremony. The story.
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'Sunday in the Park With George' Revival Scrapped
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►No path forward. The London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George has been scrapped after Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey both exited the production. “The planned 2027 production of Sunday in the Park With George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled,” said producers Empire Street Productions in a statement to THR on Monday. But the team does retain the rights to the show, and Empire Street is looking to present the production in 2028, they added. The story.
—🎭 Stage to screen. 🎭 Andrew Scott will star in a new feature film version of the play Sea Wall. The filmed version of the solo play, written by Simon Stephens, will be captured during 19 performances at the Off-Broadway theater Studio Seaview from Oct. 16 through Oct. 30. The film will also include behind-the-scenes shots of backstage, the audience and more. Tina Satter will direct. Stephens originally wrote Sea Wall as an onstage monologue for Scott more than a decade ago, with Scott performing the piece in London and in Edinburgh. The story.
—🤝 Creative collab. 🤝 Dior is teaming up with A24. The fashion and indie film brands are coming together for a two-year creative partnership that will include film, theater and live events, with Dior as the premier partner for A24’s Cherry Lane Theatre Off-Broadway. The two will work together on a slate of programming featuring established as well as emerging talent, with works appearing on and off screen. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Oprah Winfrey is the latest star to take her act to Las Vegas‘ Sphere. The mogul will launch Oprah Winfrey’s AHA from April 2-4, 2027 at the immersive venue that’s played host to residencies from the Eagles, Dead & Company, No Doubt and more. The two-hour show will feature Winfrey live onstage with a number of special performances from guests designed to take the audience on a journey of wonder, joy and the “AHA.” The story.
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Film Review: 'Misty Green'
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►"Simultaneously breezy and steeped in melancholy." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Chris Rock's Misty Green. The character study centers on a talented but self-sabotaging actress and singer looking to restart her career. Starring Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock, Topher Grace, Alexandra Shipp, Amy Landecker, Tracie Thoms, Necar Zadegan and Rich Sommer. Written by Chris Rock. The review.
—"Basta!" THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Edoardo De Angelis' Venice competition entry, The Fire Within You. Vanessa Scalera stars as a caustic matriarch hosting family members whom she subjects to constant and withering criticism. Also starring Lino Musella, Elena Radonicich, Ivana Lotito, Tommaso Ragno, Nicole Malaj, Samuele Mazza, Tony Laudadio and Giovanni Franzoni. Written by Francesco Piccolo, Ilaria Macchia and Edoardo De Angelis, based on the novel Il fuoco che ti porti dentro by Antonio Franchini. The review.
—"Just fine until a silly swerve." Leslie reviews Paul Andrew Williams' Faith. Erin Doherty and James McAvoy play working-class Brits navigating the early stage of a relationship in this TIFF premiere. Also starring Liv Hill, Smylie Bradwell, Nuala Poulter, Clea Martin, Jason Milligan, Missie Milligan and Laura McAlpine. Written by Paul Andrew Williams. The review.
—"A bargain bin B-movie." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Barthélémy Grossmann's Father Joe. Luc Besson wrote and produced this high-concept, B-grade shoot-em-up about a gun-toting priest who takes on the New York crime world. Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Ever Anderson, Al Pacino, Michael Rispoli and Fred Melamed. Written by Luc Besson. The review.
—"A somber historical drama marred by some contrivances." Jordan reviews Marco Bechis' Venice competition entry, Back to Buenos Aires. The Argentine director drew from his experience as a survivor of the 1976 military coup for this story of a political prisoner who returns to the place of his torment 30 years later. Starring Adriano Giannini, Ana Celentano, Verónica Gerez, Olivia Nuss and Adrian Fondari. Written by Marco Bechis, in collaboration with Vijaya Bechis Boll. The review.
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Film Review: 'The Surgeon'
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►"Ready for cult-classic status." For THR, Caryn James reviews Roshan Sethi's The Surgeon. Michelle Yeoh plays a kidnapped doctor trying to outwit her captors in deliriously fun genre-bender that premiered in Toronto. Also starring Martin Freeman, Laurie Davidson, Yuri Kolokolnikov and Joseph Mydell. Written by Roshan Sethi. The review.
—"Never quite gets up to speed." For THR, Michael Rechtshaffen reviews Michael Dowse's The Stunt Driver. Bowing in Toronto, the film is based on a doc chronicling the life and times of daredevil dreamer Ken Carter. Starring Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms, Ben Foster, Laurence Leboeuf, Dan Bakkedahl, Joe Cobden and Marc Beaupre. Written by Michael Dowse. The review.
—"Watts makes it worth your time." Michael reviews Ben Shirinian's The Housewife. Directed by newcomer Shirinian, the TIFF-bowing thriller about a Nazi officer living in Queens. Starring Naomi Watts, Tye Sheridan, Michael Imperioli, Luke Evans, Lena Olin and Debi Mazar. Written by Alyssa Hill. The review.
—"An affectionate but clear-eyed portrait of a time and place." THR's Angie Han reviews Alexandra Pechman's Magazine. Lily McInerny leads Pechman's directorial debut, following an aspiring poet who interns at a prestigious literary mag in 2010s New York. Starring Joshuah Melnick, Lukita Maxwell, Daniel Zolghadri, Ruby Cruz, Iris Apatow, Delaney Rowe, AnnaSophia Robb and Jake Lacy. Written by Alexandra Pechman. The review.
—"A stirring odyssey, daylong and low-key." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Ali Asgari's Venice competition entry, A Bit of Light. Asgari, one of the writer-directors of Terrestrial Verses, is back with the story of a persecuted Iranian doctor and his matter-of-fact plan to end his life. Starring Misagh Zareh, Sadaf Asgari, Forouzan Jamshidnejad, Ramtin Daghigh and Mina Rahimzadeh. Written by Ali Asgari and Shadmehr Rastin. The review.
In other news...
—Crystal Lake trailer sends Linda Cardellini’s Pam Voorhees over the edge
—Minotaur trailer: Andrey Zvyagintsev's latest feature enters the Oscar race
—WME’s sleek new HQ gives agents every reason to come to the office
—Dave Chappelle announces fall 2026 arena tour
—WBD veteran Dan Weinberger to join Disney as deputy general counsel
—Lady Gaga welcomes first child with fiancé Michael Polansky
—Bill Kerby, screenwriter on The Rose, The Last American Hero and Hooper, dies at 88
What else we're reading...
—The AI panic has supposedly spread to China, with Lily Kuo reporting that the country's top spy chief warning that the tech is a threat to the CCP's rule [NYT]
—Ben Fritz profiles Xbox head Asha Sharma, the exec who has won over gamers with her startling honesty [WSJ]
—Suzanne Kapner reports on the divorce of Lululemon billionaire Chip Wilson, who doesn’t have a prenup, and without one could see his $6b fortune split in half [WSJ]
—Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski report that Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding in May was secretly bankrolled by a Russian oligarch close to Putin [ProPublica]
—Hugh Pym talks to real-life doctors, the biggest fans of HBO's monster hit The Pitt [BBC]
Today...
...in 1977, during the 8-9:30 p.m. time slot, the TV movie Spider-Man swung to screens across America in CBS’ special presentation before launching a 14-episode run on the network. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Bong Joon Ho (57), Melissa Leo (66), Andrew Lincoln (53), Robert Wisdom (73), Walter Koenig (90), Howard Deutch (76), Jessica Brown Findlay (39), Emma Kenney (27), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (55), Jacqueline Byers (37), Callum Keith Rennie (66), Lolly Adefope (36), Kristen Renton (44), Haviland Morris (67), Faith Ford (62), Jin-Ah Im (35), Dan Cortese (59), Álvaro Mel (30), Robert Ben Garant (56), Pat Healy (55), Michelle Bonnard (46), Michelle Jenner (40), A.J. Trauth (40), Shannon Kane (40), Miyavi (45)
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Jeremy Thomas, the British film producer known for his work on the 1987 Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor, has died. He was 77. The obituary.
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