| | | | | | What's news: The monopoly case against Live Nation will proceed to trial. Shia LaBeouf has been accused of a hate crime related to his arrest in New Orleans. F1 races will screen live in U.S. Imax theaters. Bad Bunny, Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton and Javier Bardem will star in rapper Residente's directorial debut. And Paddington Bear will present an award at the BAFTAs. — Abid Rahman
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FCC Chair to Hollywood: Talk Shows Aren't Legitimate News ►"The general rule is equal time applies." Say goodbye to most appearances by political candidates on daytime and late night talk shows. After an open meeting on Wednesday, Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr said that networks should operate under the assumption that shows like The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show don’t qualify for long-standing regulatory exemptions that allowed them to discuss political candidates on their shows without having to meet unwieldy requirements. Failing to comply, he said, will trigger an enforcement action. The story.
—Rising from the rubble? The White House’s movie theater appears set to return as part of Donald Trump’s controversial ballroom and East Wing expansion. Plans submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission last week show the theater in the East Colonnade, in essentially the same location as the original theater. The plans submitted to the NCPC show seven rows of six seats, suggesting that the original 42-seat configuration will remain. Furniture from the theater has been "meticulously preserved," according to a letter sent to a commission overseeing the changes, and it may be incorporated after the new structure is done. The story.
—Bid to dismiss... dismissed! Live Nation must face some claims in a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department and several states accusing it of violating antitrust laws in the live events industry. A judge on Wednesday greenlit for trial allegations that Live Nation has monopolized ticket sales to major concert venues and illegally ties the use of its amphitheaters to its promotion business. "A jury must decide whether the exclusive contracts are the product of coercion (as there’s some evidence for) or venue preference (as there’s some evidence for)," he wrote. "There is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Live Nation has used monopoly power to foreclose competition." The story. |
Neon in Talks to Sell Major Stake ►Hottest indie outfit. Production outfit Department M is in talks to acquire a major stake in Anora distributor Neon. Mike Larocca and Michael Schaefer’s company is being backed by a consortium of private investors, including Forta Advisors, which backed Department M at its launch two years ago. Neon, which has previously explored a sale, is considered to be one of the biggest players in the domestic specialty space and famously acquired the distribution rights to six consecutive Palme d’Or winners. Larocca and Schaefer spent years as producers before breaking off to raise financing to form Department M. The story.
—"We’re not just opening doors and adding desks. This space was conceived as a creative hub." Netflix is doubling down on its presence in Mexico as it opens a new HQ south of the border. Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, was in the Mexico City to talk up the streamer's plans saying it now has 400 local employees and “expects to close 2026 with an additional workforce increase of approximately 15 percent.” Peters’ visit coincided with Netflix's 15-year anniversary in the country and came a year after fellow Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos also in Mexico City committed to invest $1b in Mexico for the production of original series and films over the four years to 2028. The story.
—"A bit apprehensive." Sean Gamble is not as much of a risk-taker as his surname suggests. Before Netflix sits down as the potential owners of Warner Bros., the Cinemark CEO would like to see a little “more action,” he says. On a Wednesday conference call timed to Cinemark’s Q4 earnings, Gamble faced a few questions about Netflix’s stated theatrical plans should the streamer’s $83b acquisition of WB, including its legendary film studio, go through. Gamble and the rest of the industry have good reason to be skeptical about Ted Sarandos‘ dedication to the theatrical exhibition industry considering how Netflix — and streaming in general — has upended the business. The story.
—🤝 First-look deal. 🤝 HalleHolly, the production company founded by actress Halle Berry and Holly Jeter, has inked a first look unscripted deal with Unanimous Media, the production company founded by NBA star Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton. The deal will see Sharla Sumpter-Bridgett, chief content officer of Unanimous Media, work closely with Berry and Jeter as the companies collaborate on telling women-led stories for all audiences. It also marks a new push into unscripted for HalleHolly, which has thus far been focused on scripted film and TV projects. The story. |
Former Prince Andrew Arrested ►Seismic. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother to King Charles III, has been arrested in the U.K. and remains in police custody. The BBC reported on Thursday that the Thames Valley police said a man in his 60s from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Authorities are carrying out searches at two addresses, with unmarked police cars spotted at the royal family‘s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk early in the morning. The former Duke of York, who turns 66 today, has for some years been under public scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The story.
—Shia surfaces. Shia LaBeouf posted “free me” on X Wednesday morning following his arrest early Tuesday in New Orleans during a Mardi Gras bar crawl. LaBeouf is not currently in custody, but the actor faces two charges of simple battery with a hearing scheduled for March 19. In addition, new videos circulated on social media showing the actor dancing on Bourbon Street after his release — with LaBeouf holding his jail release paperwork in his mouth, according to local news station WGNO. The story.
—Hate crime allegation. LaBeouf’s arrest in New Orleans is facing fresh scrutiny, as an alleged victim of the actor’s rampage that night says he was targeted in the confrontation, which he is characterizing as an alleged hate crime. Jeffrey “Dammit,” a longtime local fixture and master of ceremonies at various New Orleans events, tells THR that his initial confrontation with the Transformers star began hours before the now-viral street scuffle. “He smashed into me, knocking me into some boxes,” Jeffrey explained of his first encounter with LaBeouf around 5 p.m. on Monday. “Then he turned around screaming, ‘Don’t you fucking push me. I’ll kill you.’ I hadn’t touched him.” Jeffrey said he attempted to defuse the situation but alleges LaBeouf escalated things, putting a finger in his face and calling him a homophobic slur. The story. |
Oscars: Academy Reveals Scientific and Technical Awards Winners ►🏆 Congrats to all! 🏆 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that 15 scientific and technical achievements will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony. A total of 27 individual award recipients will be honored at the event, set for April 28 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards honor the “individuals and companies whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant and lasting ways to motion pictures.” The awards include the Scientific and Technical Service Award, the Technical Achievement Award and the Scientific and Engineering Award. The winners.
—Finally, some good news. As BAFTA gears up for the U.K. film industry’s biggest night on Sunday, it’s only right that it should add a fixture of British cinema to the exclusive guest list. BAFTA said on Thursday that none other than Paddington Bear will be in attendance at the 2026 Film Awards this weekend, where he will present the award for best children & family film. Four nominees make up this category: Arco, Boong, Lilo & Stitch and Zootropolis 2. The story. |
'The Gates': James Van Der Beek Stars In Trailer for One of His Final Projects ►📅 Dated! 📅 The late James Van Der Beek stars as a powerful pastor with a secret life in the trailer for The Gates. Lionsgate releases director John Burr’s thriller feature in theaters March 13. Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Brad Leland round out the cast for the movie that revealed its first footage Wednesday, a week after Van Der Beek died at 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. The Gates centers on three friends who witness a murder while driving through a gated community. When the residents get suspicious, the three pals find themselves in a battle for survival as the sinister church leader (Van Der Beek) targets them. The story.
—Lewis, Lando, and Max head to the biggest screen. After Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie zoomed to big box office in Imax theaters, the giant screen pioneer has partnered with Apple TV to bring five Formula One races live to hand-picked locations later this year. U.S. F1 fans will be able to view Grands Prix races from Miami, Monaco, Silverstone, Monza and Austin across at least 50 Imax locations nationwide. The partnership, unveiled on Thursday, comes as Imax continues to push into live sports and other alternative programming in its theaters to open up new revenue streams, and Formula One racing looks to become the marquee sport in the U.S. that it long has been in Europe and elsewhere overseas. The story.
—"We were all frustrated." Ever since Adam Driver let slip in October that Disney axed a planned Star Wars movie centering on his character Ben Solo, fans of the franchise have been rather upset that the studio didn’t greenlight the project. But nobody can possibly be as frustrated as director Steven Soderbergh, who says he wasted nearly three years working on the script for The Hunt for Ben Solo (which Driver called “one of the coolest scripts I had ever been a part of”). In a new interview, Soderbergh was asked about outgoing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy calling the script “great” last month. Driver had previously said that while Lucasfilm “loved” their take, Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chairman Alan Bergman rejected the project. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Sony has come out on top of a bidding war for Skeletons, a thriller that has JJ Abrams on board to produce and Brie Larson attached to star. The studio beat out Paramount, Warner Bros. and Neon for the project, which was also selling at the European Film Market. Sony’s deal is for worldwide rights. What makes the interest in the project even spicier is the involvement of JT Mollner, the filmmaker behind Strange Darling. He co-wrote the script and is attached to direct. Mollner has emerged as rising filmmaking talent in the mold of a Zech Cregger (Weapons) and Parker Finn (Smile), an original voice in the genre space. The story. |
Residente's Directorial Debut to Star Bad Bunny ►🎭 What a cast! 🎭 René Pérez Joglar, the Puerto Rican rapper also known as Residente, will make his feature directorial debut with historical epic Porto Rico, which is set to star Bad Bunny (aka Benito Martínez Ocasio). Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton and Javier Bardem are also set for the project that is described as “an epic Caribbean western and historical drama” that will explore Puerto Rico’s origins. Pérez Joglar co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar-winning Birdman screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris. The story.
—📅 On the move. 📅 Sony Pictures Animation is pushing back the release of its upcoming original comedy Buds from spring of next year to Christmas. The mystery project had been set to unfurl in theaters on March 12, 2027. It will now open over the lucrative year-end holiday corridor on Dec. 22, 2027. While no filmmaker or cast have been announced, it is expected to focus on talking plants. The news comes just days after Sony Animation continued its winning streak with the successful box office debut of GOAT. The animation house is also behind the groundbreaking animated Spider-Verse series and KPop Demon Hunters. The story.
—🎭 Princess Anna enters the chat. 🎭 Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has found the voice for its Amy Rose. THR's Borys "Scoopz" Kit has the scoop that Kirsten Bell has closed a deal to voice the character in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 , the latest in the studio’s hit movie hit based on the Sega video games. The franchise keeps adding bold-faced names to the voicecast with each entry. Bell now joins series stalwarts Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic; Idris Elba, who voices Knuckles and joined in Sonic 2; and Keanu Reeves, who voices Shadow as of Sonic 3. The story. |
Sony's 'Skeletons' Deal Caps Cautious Berlin Market ►"The Berlin boom days are ancient history." Berlin’s European Film Market ended with a bang after Sony Pictures won a bidding war to take worldwide rights for Skeletons (see above). The deal was reportedly pegged at $25m plus for domestic rights alone. THR's Scott Roxborough reports that it was the biggest reported deal, by far, out of EFM this year, which was otherwise quiet, though productive, according to sales and acquisition execs. The bulk of business, as always for Berlin, was in international pre-buys. The story.
—A week from hell. Tricia Tuttle, the Berlin Film Festival's director, has spent the past seven days, since the start of the 76th Berlinale on Feb. 12, in permanent crisis mode, forced to respond to one social media uproar after another. After a week of social media backlash, open letters and press conference flare-ups, Scott Roxborough spoke to Tuttle about the censorship claims, government funding and trying to keep the focus on film. The interview. |
Hudson Williams to Star in Crave's 'Yaga' Series ►🎭 Canadian A-list. 🎭 Hudson Williams has officially found his first post-Heated Rivalry role — Canadian streamer Crave’s half-hour drama Yaga. The series, led by Carrie-Anne Moss and also starring Noah Reid and Clark Backo, is now in production and is the first half-hour drama for the streamer, which produced Heated Rivalry. Yaga is based on the play by Kat Sandler, who serves as the show’s writer and showrunner, and is a contemporary reimagining of the myth of Baba Yaga set in a coastal town. The story.
—🎭 Touch of class. 🎭 Amazon Prime Video’s forthcoming drama Bishop is adding John Malkovich to its cast. The Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee will star with Joel Kinnaman in the series, which centers on a San Francisco detective (Kinnaman) tracking a serial killer. The show comes from co-creators Little Marvin and Tony Saltzman. The logline for Bishop reads, “Homicide detective Bishop Graves (Kinnaman) — brilliant, battle-scarred — will put all of his skills to the test in the hunt for an elusive killer targeting San Francisco’s moneyed class. As this increasingly audacious killer develops a devoted following among the city’s powerless, Bishop becomes convinced these murders connect back to SF’s most powerful man, his own father, Lincoln Graves (Malkovich).” The story.
—🎭 The safest of safe hands. 🎭 NBC has found another lead actor for one of its pilots. Former 911 star Peter Krause has boarded Protection, a drama about a law enforcement family targeted by a killer. He’ll play Mike Thornhill, a former Secret Service agent who’s now an assistant director of intelligence. NBC has been on a casting run in the past week, also signing David Boreanaz (The Rockford Files), Damon Wayans Jr. (Puzzled) and Emily Deschanel (an untitled drama about a criminal profiler) to lead roles in pilots. The story.
—📅 Heading back to The Valley. 📅 Bravo has unveiled the first official trailer for the third installment of the Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley, additionally announcing that the new season will drop April 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The teaser gives a first look at the group’s new dynamics, given Jax Taylor’s departure and the addition of Lala Kent and Tom Schwartz to the full-time cast. Mainstay cast members Danny Booko and Nia Sanchez Booko, Luke Broderick and Kristen Doute, Jason and Janet Caperna, Brittany Cartwright, Jasmine Goode, Jesse Lally, Michelle Saniei and Zack Wickham will all return for the sophomore season. The story. |
'Much Ado About Nothing' Heading to Broadway ►🎭 The British are coming! 🎭 Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell will bring their West End stage hit Much Ado About Nothing to Broadway for 10 weeks later this year. Sunset Boulevard and Evita director Jamie Lloyd wowed London critics and audiences last year with the Shakespeare adaptation, nominated for four Standard Theatre Awards including best director for Lloyd, best actor for Hiddleston and best actress for Atwell. Last week, the show was nominated for four Critics’ Circle Awards. Hiddleston has collaborated with Lloyd before in the Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, which premiered in London and transferred to Broadway in 2019. It later scored four Tony Award noms, including best actor for the Loki star. Atwell will be making her Broadway debut in Much Ado About Nothing. The story.
—It's happening. The world of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones is expanding to the perfect venue: London’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre. After years of rumors and preliminary reports, the official details were announced on Wednesday for the fantasy author’s long-awaited play, which is titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King. The story chronicles the fateful Tourney at Harrenhal that led to Robert’s Rebellion. The project is based on Martin’s novels and is adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke. The Mad King will have its world premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer. The story.
—🎭 Gleeful. 🎭 Another former Glee star has joined Just in Time on Broadway. On Thursday morning, it was announced that Matthew Morrison would join the production for a three-week engagement beginning April 1. The role of the 1950s singer was originated in the Broadway production by Jonathan Groff, who earned a Tony nomination last year. Just in Time is playing at Circle in the Square Theatre. The story.
—Solid week. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues to reign as the highest-grossing show of the week on Broadway, bringing in $2.7m last week as Tom Felton from the Harry Potter film series continues his run. Hamilton was the second highest-grossing show with $2.2m, followed by Wicked with $2m, The Lion King with $1.9m and Chess with $1.6m. These shows all saw big jumps from the previous week, with Lion King up $404,000, as did other big musicals such as The Great Gatsby (up $450,000), Aladdin (up $314,000) and MJ (up $350,000) as crowds came to New York for school breaks and ahead of Presidents Day weekend, and as the discounted Broadway Week program ended Feb. 12. The Broadway box office report. |
Theater Review: 'Dracula' ►"Erivo is the spellbinding center in thrilling display of Gothic 'cine-theater.' For THR, Demetrios Matheou reviews Kip Williams' West End production of Dracula. Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, back on the London stage for the first time in 10 years, follows in Sarah Snook's footsteps as the sole performer playing multiple roles amid much dazzling theatrical innovation. Written by Kip Williams, adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker. Venue: Noël Coward Theatre, London. The review.
—"If only everyone else were on Huppert’s level." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Ulrike Ottinger's The Blood Countess . The iconoclastic German filmmaker mines macabre humor from a fictionalized portrait of notorious real-life Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Birgit Minichmayr, Thomas Schubert, Lars Eidinger, André Jung, Marco Lorenzini, Tom Neuwirth, Karl Markovics and Felix Oitzinger. Written by Ulrike Ottinger and Elfriede Jelinek. The review.
—"A bit too scattered, but not uninteresting." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Eva Trobisch's Berlin competition entry, Home Stories. Trobisch's third feature casts a mix of young and old talents in a story centered around a teenage girl who scores a slot on a national TV talent show. Starring Frida Hornemann, Max Riemelt, Eva Löbau, Rahel Ohm, Peter René Lüdicke, Gina Henkel and Florian Geisselmann. Written by Eva Trobisch. The review.
—"An invaluable cinematic portrait." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Sam Pollard's Tutu. The MLK/FBI filmmaker's Berlin-bowing latest examines the life and legacy of South Africa's Nobel Prize-winning anti-apartheid activist, bishop and theologian, Desmond Tutu. The review.
In other news...
—Lee Cronin’s The Mummy reveals its creepy premise in new trailer
—Kate Mara’s secrets will kill her in Apple's Imperfect Women trailer
—Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black: Taylor Polidore Williams sharpens her knives in S2 Part II trailer
—BBC shares first look at The Split spin-off The Split Up
—Forthcoming KPop Demon Hunters products unveiled at New York Toy Fair
—Ellis Jacob set for CinemaCon honor
—Netflix’s chief comms officer makes 2 key overseas vp hires
—Christy Carlson Romano reveals positive cancer screening results
What else we're reading...
—Julia Jacobs considers the Lively v. Baldoni case, and how it tests what crosses the line on a "steamy" movie set [NYT]
—In an excerpt from his new book, former Sony Entertainment boss Michael Lynton opens up about his role in unleashing one of the worst cyberattacks in corporate history [WSJ]
—Stuart Heritage contemplates the rapidly growing Hollywood trend for minute-long, phone-friendly, vertical TV shows [Guardian]
—Khadeeja Safdar and Caitlin Ostroff report that French model scout and sex offender Jean-Luc Brunel was negotiating to provide prosecutors with evidence against Jeffrey Epstein in 2016 but then went dark [WSJ]
—Important piece from Mica Rosenberg about the immigrant detention center for families in Dilley, Texas, and the shameful treatment children there are suffering [ProPublica]
Today...
...in 2010, Paramount released Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island in theaters. After debuting in Berlin a few days previously, the psychological thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, was a big hit with critics and audiences and made almost $300m worldwide. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Millie Bobby Brown (22), Chappell Roan (28), Benicio Del Toro (59), Ray Winstone (69), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (48), Dan Fogelman (50), Jonathan Tropper (56), Josh Trank (42), Jeff Daniels (71), Bellamy Young (56), Victoria Justice (33), Sam Reid (39), Ophelia Lovibond (40), Justine Bateman (60), Arielle Kebbel (41), Andrew Buchan (47), Luca Pasqualino (36), Jessica Tuck (63), Haylie Duff (41), Eric Lange (53), Sigrid ten Napel (33), David Mazouz (25), Griffin Newman (37), Jackson Pace (27), Leslie David Baker (68), Lisa Faulkner (54), Mo Gilligan (38), Alex Mallari Jr. (38), Jeffery Self (39), Sonia Ammar (27), Camille Kostek (34), Zoë Robins (33), Stephen Nichols (75), Tatanka Means (41), Jade Catta-Preta (42) |
| Tom Noonan, the actor-writer-director best known for roles in Manhunter, The Monster Squad and Heat, has died. He was 74. The obituary. |
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