What's news: The DOJ is taking a closer look at Fox's bid for Roku. Channel 4 is set to slash its workforce by 28 percent. Suno has launched a new AI model trained on tracks from WMG and BMG. Netflix has greenlit a series adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. John Mulaney is in talks to star in a Get Smart reimagining. And the Harvard Lampoon has lampooned THR! — Abid Rahman
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►Box office ballers. With actors buying teams and athletes becoming studios, the line between sports and entertainment has never been blurrier. THR has partnered with Sportico for a special issue examining the growing overlap — from the new rules of styling sports gods to the turf wars over ownership and influence. We’re also launching Game Recognize Game, a conversation series uniting the biggest names in Hollywood with the athletic stars they admire most. These worlds are colliding — we’re covering the impact. The hub.
—"It's always me versus me." THR's Game Recognize Game series unites an actor with one of his favorite athletes. First up are two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and NBA All Star Jaylen Brown who get deep on faith, frustrations and fearlessness. The conversation.
—The athlete is the studio. Forget brand deals. Coco Gauff joins LeBron James, Tom Brady and a generation of athletes building production companies and media empires. But in today’s Hollywood, star power only gets you so far, writes Sportico's Justin Birnbaum. The story.
—Can Michael Rubin become a Hollywood player? THR's Alex Weprin writes that Michael Rubin, the billionaire founder and CEO of sports merchandising giant Fanatics, has cultivated a growing Rolodex of A-listers and created a hit pop culture live events business. Now Fanatics wants to be a studio, too. The story.
More from THR's Sports Issue...
—The $100B race to build the world’s next sports Mecca
—WAGs on the rise: The Real Housewives of the NFL build content empires
—Don’t wear loud Versace if you’re on a losing streak: The new codes of sports styling
—The bet that could break sports
—Esports was supposed to be bigger than the NBA. What happened?
—AI is bringing broadcasters back from the dead — and creating new ones
—The 10 greatest sports TV shows of all time, ranked
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Hansen on Pattinson, 'Primetime,' and 'Predator' Sting That Ended in Suicide
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►"I think [the film is] an insult to the thousands of men and women who work hard every day to protect children from predators." Chris Hansen has not seen Primetime, and has no plans to sign anything in order to do so. But following the news out of the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere, the former host of To Catch a Predator has read enough about Robert Pattinson‘s performance and the film’s fictionalized depiction of his work to know that he objects. In a wide-ranging interview, THR's Seth Abramovitch talks to Hansen about the buzzy A24 film, and responded, with little hesitation, to questions about the controversial death of a sting target that serves as Primetime‘s dark climax. The interview.
—Lampooned! THR has been raking in the awards and accolades this summer, but perhaps the most flattering honor of all is that of being mocked by a bunch of college kids. Not just any college kids, mind you, but the editors of the Harvard Lampoon, the venerable campus humor magazine that has birthed such Hollywood luminaries as Conan O’Brien, Colin Jost, Mike Schur, Greg Daniels, Lisa Henson, Jim Downey, and scores of others. The rag has a cherished tradition of publishing parodies of iconic titles, from the New York Times in 1968 to Cosmopolitan in 1972 to National Geographic in 2008. For its 150th anniversary year, the Poonsters chose to target THR. We gave them our enthusiastic blessing (and our fonts) but the product is 100% grade-A Lampoon (so don’t sue us, Timothée!). The Harvard Lampoon THR parody.
—"We did what reporters worth their salt do — we questioned authority." Guy Campanile, the former managing editor of 60 Minutes, broke his silence on his 2026 exit from the program on Tuesday, revealing that editorial independence at the news program had become a "casualty of corporate priorities and ideological intrusion." Campanile, who says he was a 34-year veteran of CBS News, was subject to a round of firings in May as new leader Bari Weiss overhauled 60 Minutes. In his words, the axing came as he and several colleagues “refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news program on American television.” The story.
—Grim, innit. Channel 4 is set to slash its workforce by 28 percent — approximately 340 roles — by the end of the year, as the U.K. broadcaster unveils a “long-term transformation strategy.” On Wednesday, CEO Priya Dogra shared proposals for a new organizational design in a bid to "create a simpler, more focused organization that directs a greater proportion of its revenues towards distinctive British content." The story.
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Paramount Argues That 12 States Post a $1.88B Bond
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►Not letting it go. Paramount is continuing to press a dozen states led by California and the Writers Guild of America to bear the costs of the hold up caused by their lawsuits challenging the $111b megamerger. The studio has asked for a $1.88b bond to cover losses if it wins the cases. In July, a judge temporarily halted the deal and scheduled a trial for March. Under the agreement, Warners shareholders are owed roughly $6.9m per day if the merger hasn’t closed by Oct. 1. In a brief filed on Tuesday, Paramount says that the states are obligated to post the bond under antitrust laws and federal procedures governing injunctions. The story.
—A closer look. The Department of Justice is taking a closer look at Fox Corp.’s $22b megadeal for Roku, the media company said Wednesday, potentially signaling regulatory scrutiny on a deal that would turn it into a digital video power player. Fox says it still believes the deal is on track for a first half of 2027 close for the deal, which was announced in June. The story.
—"We believe this is a blueprint." Suno launched its long-awaited new model trained exclusively on licensed music on Tuesday, a major milestone for the AI generation platform that has faced allegations of mass copyright infringement from across the music industry. Suno announced three new models on Tuesday — V6, V6-wild and V6-mini — all trained on music from Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe Music, which had carved out partnerships with the company for their content. With the new models here, the old models will be retired. The story.
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'Lonesome Dove' Series a Go at Netflix
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►🟢 Greenest of green lights. 🟢 Netflix is heading to Texas, circa the 19th century, for its latest literary adaptation. The streamer has given a straight-to-series order for a new adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. The drama comes from Teton Ridge Entertainment and co-showrunners Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart. Birthday girl Kazan and Stuart recently wrapped Netflix’s East of Eden limited series, based on John Steinbeck’s novel. Published in 1985, Lonesome Dove was a huge bestseller for McMurtry. It was previously adapted for an Emmy-winning 1989 CBS miniseries starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. The story.
—Transfer in the offing. As Netflix prepares to host its NFL kickoff game in Australia later this week, the streaming giant is also in the process of securing talent for its coverage of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, and THR's Alex Weprin has learned that it is closing in on a deal with a soccer broadcasting legend. The streaming giant is circling Andres Cantor to provide Spanish-language coverage of the event. He is also expected to have a role in the draw, which is set to be held in December. The story.
—Travesty. Beloved Welsh musician Tom Jones has claimed he’s been fired from The Voice U.K. over “financial difficulty with insurance.” The “It’s Not Unusual” and “What’s New Pussycat?” singer has featured on the show on and off since it first aired on the BBC in 2012. Having been on the coaching panel for three years, Jones took a break before rejoining when The Voice U.K. moved to ITV, where it’s now produced by Lifted Entertainment, an ITV Studios company. The story.
—Lads! South Park says it’s “changing its name” ahead of the show’s 29th season. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced Tuesday that the show will supposedly change its title to South America. “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,” the duo wrote in a press release. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.” The story.
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Feinberg and Canfield's Telluride Wrap-Up
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►Rocky Mountain highs and lows. THR’s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg and senior entertainment writer David Canfield discuss the 2026 Telluride Film Festival's world premieres, surprise screening, sales titles — and what and whose Oscar prospects shifted the most over Labor Day weekend. The conversation.
—Curry, Kane and now Spencer. THR's second-nicest man Aaron Couch has the scoop that Spencer Lackey is making the jump from social media (where he has 7m followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) to feature filmmaking. Neon, Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Spooky Pictures are teaming up on Lust, a movie Lackey wrote and will direct. The logline is being kept under wraps, with Neon and Blumhouse Atomic Monster co-financing the project. The story.
—🎭 Smart play. 🎭 John Mulaney is in talks to star in a Get Smart reimagining that is in early development at Warner Bros. Seth Grahame-Smith is writing the screenplay for the project that counts Charles Roven and Andrew Lazar as producers. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the original spy spoof series Get Smart, which debuted on NBC in 1965. Peter Segal directed a 2008 Get Smart feature adaptation, which starred Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson. It collected $230m globally, and a sequel was in development before going dead. The story.
—🎭 Full speed ahead. 🎭 Josh Heuston is set to star in Throttled, an upcoming film based on Lauren Ashers book. Throttled, the first of four books in Asher's Dirty Air sports romance series, was published in 2020. It follows a young woman joining her brother on the racing circuit and falling into “a forbidden, high-stakes romance with her brother’s ruthless teammate and fiercest racing rival,“ played by Off Campus star Heuston. Melissa Osborne will adapt the script and Nzingha Stewart is set to direct. The story.
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Malkovich Cancels 'The Music Critic' Israel Performance |
►"I did not utter these phrases, and they most certainly are not approved by me, nor do they reflect my feelings." John Malkovich has canceled a planned performance of The Music Critic in Israel next year over an unauthorized press release that falsely attributed quotes to the actor. Malkovich was scheduled to return to Tel Aviv for the satirical theatrical-musical production on April 13 at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium. A press release sent out on Sept. 5 had quoted Malkovich saying he was "thrilled to return to Israel." Malkovich said he never authorized the announcement. The story.
—Back with a bang. Controversial producer Scott Rudin is back on Broadway this season with the boldest works of his comeback thus far. Downstate, a critically acclaimed play about four convicted sex offenders written by Bruce Norris, will be directed by Rudin regular Joe Mantello, and run this fall at the Booth Theatre starting Oct. 17, ahead of a Nov. 15 opening. The nearly wordless play, Small Mouth Sounds, written by Pulitzer-winner Bess Wohl, will run this spring and stars Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd, as well as Martin Freeman, Greta Lee, Sarah Paulson and Isaac Powell. The story.
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►"Flawed but compelling." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Florian Zeller's Venice competition entry Bunker. Real life couple Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem lead Zeller’s latest, about the ethical and emotional questions raised when an architect considers a lucrative commission from a tech billionaire. Also starring Stephen Graham, Paul Dano, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Mark Gattis, James Bisping and Karen Ascoe. Written by Florian Zeller. The review.
—"Delectably nasty fun." David reviews Paolo Strippoli's Venice competition entry The Spiral. Italian genre specialist Strippoli’s new film traces the escalating horror of a wife and mother whose fear of having a less-than-perfect family takes her to dark places. Starring Jasmine Trinca, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Adriano Giannini, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Gabriella Telegrafo, Mariandrea Cesari, Andrea Genovese, Alessandro Carbonara, Andrea Rossini and Marina Limosani. Written by Paolo Strippoli and Salvatore de Chirico. The review.
—"Equal parts exhilarating and infuriating." David reviews Luca Guadagnino's Joie de Vivre. Martin Scorsese, James Gray, Alfonso Cuarón and David Cronenberg are among directors chiming in on this freewheeling two-part conversation about Italian auteur Bernardo Bertolucci, along with actors Debra Winger and Margot Robbie. Written by Luca Guadagnino and Carlo Antonelli. The review.
—"A ponderous philosophical triptych with some added bite." For THR, Richard Lawson reviews Casey Affleck's Venice competition entry Company. Scoot McNairy, Adelaide Clemens, Nick Nolte, Ben Mendelsohn and Affleck’s sons Atticus and Indiana star in this drama that is a triptych of interconnected stories fueled by a mystery. Also starring Emily Alyn Lind and Caylee Cowan. Written by Casey Affleck and Ron Hansen. The review.
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Film Review: 'Practical Magic 2'
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►"Harmless, but hardly enchanting." THR's Angie Han reviews Susanne Bier's Practical Magic 2. In a followup to the 1998 romantic fantasy drama, the Owens clan head to the U.K. in an attempt to break the family's love curse. Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. Written by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel. The review.
—"Broadly likable, mostly forgettable." Angie reviews Jennifer Peedom's Tenzing. The Telluride-bowing feature tells the story of the titular Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, who became the first humans to ascend the Himalayan summit in 1953. Starring Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, Tenzin Dalha, Thinley Lhamo, Johnny Flynn, Tenzin Jigmey and Samdrup Dorje Lama. Written by Luke Davies and Jennifer Peedom. The review.
—"Impressive but a little dull." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Wim Wenders' From Inside Out: The Architecture of Peter Zumthor. Premiering out of competition in Venice, the 3D doc allows the viewer new perspectives, in this case on the work of the visionary Swiss architect of the title. Featuring Peter Zumthor, Anna Trauffer, Carin Caduff, Tarek Atoui, Karl Schloegel, Suzanne Ziellenbach and David Regehr. Written by Wim Wenders. The review.
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TV Review: 'The Drop: A Snowfall Saga'
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►"Less ambitious than Snowfall, but easy to jump into." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews FX's The Drop: A Snowfall Saga. In this spinoff series, Gail Bean and Isaiah John reprise their roles in the new drama which blends music and crime in South Central circa 1991. Also starring Asante Blackk, Peyton Alex Smith and Simmie Sims III. Created by Malcolm Spellman. The review.
—"Fails to stand out as a romance, thriller or period piece." Daniel reviews MGM+'s A Tale of Two Cities. Kit Harington and François Civil fight for the affections of Mirren Mack in a new four-episode adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel co-produced by the BBC. Created by Daniel West. The review.
—"Strong acting and narrative brevity cover for plot holes and contrivances." Daniel reviews Apple TV's Last Seen. In this six-episode Aussie thriller, a police dispatcher remains convinced that his daughter is still alive 11 years after she was kidnapped. Starring Patrick Brammall, Maxine Peake, Brandan Cowell, Daniel Henshall, Jessica Wren and Chloe Jean Lourdes. Created by Kris Mrska. The review.
—"Funnier in theory than in practice." THR's Angie Han reviews Netflix's Dang! The half-hour animated comedy focuses on three very messy siblings living in New York City. Featuring the voices of Andrew Law, Poppy Liu and Stephanie Hsu. Created by Andrew Law. The review.
In other news...
—Remain teaser: Jake Gyllenhaal, Phoebe Dynevor star in M. Night Shyamalan supernatural romance
—Artificial trailer: First look at Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman in creepy biopic
—Carrie trailer: Mike Flanagan reimagines Stephen King’s horror classic for Amazon
—Dexter: Resurrection gets focused with S2 premiere date, teaser reveal
—SNL UK S2: All the hosts and musical guests
—Netflix reveals South Africa content slate
—Nicolas Cage’s Malibu mansion damaged by massive sinkhole
—Carter Gregory signs with CAA
What else we're reading...
—Tom Gerken reports on a Anthropic researcher who believes that there is more than a 10 percent chance AI "could kill all humans" [BBC]
—E. Alex Jung has a piece on the "Wasian Generation," a collection of part Asian, part white stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, and Chase Sui Wonders who are dominating pop culture at the moment [Vulture]
—Alan Siegel has the oral history on the shelved-and-then-resurrected Coyote vs. Acme [Ringer]
—Meridith McGraw reports that Trump gifted Natalie Harp and two other aides $45,000 each last Christmas [WSJ]
—Walter Marsh says goodbye to "TV’s loveliest comedy" Colin from Accounts [Guardian]
Today...
...in 2001, HBO premiered Band of Brothers, exec produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The World War II ensemble series went on to nab 20 Emmy Awards nominations and 7 wins, including outstanding miniseries. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Michelle Williams (46), Adam Sandler (60), Hugh Grant (66), Amita Rao (28), Kelsey Asbille (35), Henry Thomas (55), Eric Stonestreet (55), Goran Visnjic (54), Bonnie Aarons (66), Jeffrey Combs (72), Julie Gonzalo (45), Zoe Kazan (43), Julia Sawalha (58), Akshay Kumar (59), Constance Marie (61), Shaun Johnston (68), Nikki Deloach (47), Adam James (54), Charles Esten (61), David Bennent (60), Charles Vandervaart (26), Tom Wopat (75), Elisha Applebaum (31), Nathan Lee Graham (58), Chloe Van Landschoot (29), Clayton Snyder (39), Edward Hibbert (71), Mekki Leeper (32), Amy Manson (41), Ava Phillippe (27), Yang Yang (35), Anthony Byrne (51), Jo Woodcock (38), Ronni Hawk (27), Gretchen Egolf (53), Timothy Granaderos (40)
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Jim Geoghan, the co-creator of Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, has died. He was 79. The obituary.
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