What's news: Lachlan Murdoch has extended his Fox Corp. contract to 2030. Apple has renewed Widow's Bay and acquired a buzzy Jennifer Lawrence film package. WB is backing Maggie Gyllenhaal's next directorial effort. And Stanley Tucci is taking his food show to Great Britain. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com.
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Jeff Shell Settles Lawsuit From Whistleblower
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►π€ Trial avoided. π€ Jeff Shell has settled a lawsuit from a self-deputized former public relations adviser who accused the ex-Paramount Skydance president of reneging on a deal involving a TV show. Both sides on Wednesday moved to dismiss their claims. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The adviser, R.J. Cipriani, triggered the dramatic chain of events that ended with Shell’s exit at Paramount. The story.
—How much did it all cost? THR's Winston Cho reports that Jeff Shell personally paid nothing to R.J. Cipriani to settle the scorched-earth lawsuit between the two men. ”He did not pay a single cent,” said a person familiar with the situation. “Nothing.” A source, however, confirms that Cipriani was paid off, just not by Shell or Paramount. Patricia Glaser, a veteran industry litigator who had represented both men separately in unrelated matters and arranged a meeting between the two sides in 2024, offered Cipriani $150,000 of her own money to resolve the dispute, according to his lawsuit. He rebuffed that offer. The lawyer, who declined to comment for this story, later offered to pay more than $1m. The story.
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A Thiel-Backed AI Tribunal Is Putting Journalists on Trial. A THR Reporter Is Its First Target
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►"What I know from the Gawker litigation, having dealt with not just Hulk Hogan but dozens of other parties who felt like they were aggrieved by the media, is that they actually don’t want a financial remedy. What they want is a moral victory." THR's award-winning journalist Gary Baum reveals the legal battle he faces initiated by Objection — a new tech startup backed by billionaire Peter Thiel and operated by the people that brought down Gawker — that is looking to start an AI-powered appeals court for the rich and aggrieved. The story.
—π€ Extension. π€ Lachlan Murdoch will continue as CEO of Fox Corp. for years to come. The company on Thursday disclosed in a SEC filing that it had given Murdoch an extension to his deal as CEO through June of 2030. CFO Steve Tomsic also scored a contract extension. Murdoch’s $3m salary remains unchanged, but his target annual bonus is being raised to $9m and his target annual equity award is being raised to $20m. Tomsic, meanwhile, will see his salary rise to $2m, target annual bonus to $3m (with a further increase to $3.5m effective as of July 1, 2028) and target annual equity award to $4m. The story.
—✊ Move to unionize. ✊ Workers at A+E’s nonfiction television division voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East in a National Labor Relations Board election on Wednesday, nearly two years after they went public with their organizing efforts. The election saw 84 percent of more than 140 eligible workers vote to join the New York-based WGA East. A+E Factual Studios is co-owned by Hearst and Disney. The story.
—π€ Sold! π€ Sumner Redstone’s movie theater empire has been sold to a new buyer in a $30m deal. Harbor Lights Entertainment, the successor to National Amusements Inc., has sold its 13 movie theaters in the Northeast and Midwest to Kinepolis Group, the European theatrical exhibitor that is seeking to expand its U.S. presence. Harbor Lights, which is controlled by the Ellison family and holds the preferred voting stock in Paramount Skydance, was created after David Ellison acquired National Amusements from the Redstone family last year. The story.
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Tribeca Festival Awards 2026
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►π Congrats! π The Tribeca Festival revealed this year’s competition award winners on Thursday, with top prizes going to the films Cotton Fever, Labrador – Autopsy of Silence and Jail Time Records in the U.S. narrative, international narrative and documentary sections, respectively. Labrador and Jail Time Records each won two more awards. Labrador was also recognized with best performance in an international narrative feature for Christopher Angatookalook and best cinematography. Jail Time Records also won best cinematography in the documentary competition category and the Albert Maysles Award for best new documentary director. The winners.
—Sprung from directors jail. Warner Bros. is reteaming with Maggie Gyllenhaal, the actress-filmmaker behind the studio’s high-profile box office bomb The Bride! The studio has optioned the Rachel Kushner novel Creation Lake for Gyllenhaal to write, produce and develop as a directing vehicle. The novel tells of a spy who disrupts a farming collective in France only to develop second thoughts about her life. It is described as tackling ideas of activism, paranoia, and nihilism in the form of a philosophical thriller. The story.
—π
Dated! π
Amazon Prime Video will continue its romance streak, announcing Thursday that the upcoming feature adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis will have a fall release on the platform. The feature film, set to release on the streamer Sept. 23, stars Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith, a stressed-out graduate student, and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen, a grouchy young professor. The story follows the age-old romantic-comedy trope of fake dating. The story.
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Lawrence to Star in Apple's 'One Month Mark'
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►π€ Sold! π€ Coming on top of a competitive situation, Apple Original Films has secured One Month Mark, a romantic comedy that has Jennifer Lawrence attached to star and produce. Playwright-writer-director Sophie Fleur de Bruijn wrote the spec script, which saw a chase ensue to land it by producers and studios. The logline, such as it is, reads thus: “She has never made it past a month in a relationship. He has never gone longer than a month without one.” The project does not have a director but a search for one is already underway. The story.
—π Big screen debut. π Paul Anthony Kelly has booked his first big post-Love Story role in The Housemaid’s Secret, joining series star Sydney Sweeney and the recently cast Kirsten Dunst as well as director Paul Feig. The follow-up to the 2025 psychological thriller The Housemaid, which grossed over $400m at the global box office, is based on Freida McFadden’s second book in the series. The story.
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'Widow's Bay' Renewed at Apple
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►No-brainer. Apple TV has ordered a second season of Widow’s Bay, a horror comedy starring Welsh national treasure Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a New England town whose residents all — save for him — believe the town is cursed. The renewal comes six days before the show concludes its first season; the finale is scheduled for June 17. The streamer has also signed Widow’s Bay creator Katie Dippold to a multiyear overall deal. She’ll continue to serve as showrunner of the series and also develop new projects. The story.
—More than just Greggs and Nando's, innit. National Geographic is spinning off its Emmy-nominated series Tucci in Italy with Tucci in Great Britain. The new show will consist of five episodes following its host’s "culinary journey … through [Stanley Tucci's] adopted homeland." The docuseries will be available only on Disney+, Hulu and National Geographic. The story.
—π Johnny Dogs returns! π Netflix and the BBC's Peaky Blinders sequel series has cast Conleth Hill, Daniel Monks, Samuel Bottomley, Arturo Muselli, Eugene Collins, Lucie Shorthouse and Cal O’Driscoll. In addition — perhaps most exciting news for fans of the franchise — Ned Dennehy and Packy Lee are set to reprise their roles of Charlie Strong and Johnny Dogs, respectively, from the original series and its own sequel film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The story.
—π Filling out. π Mr. & Mrs. Smith is expanding its circle of operatives for season two. Levon Hawke (brother of Maya) has joined the cast of the Prime Video series. Sources say he’ll be playing Mr. Smith — or rather, one of the Mr. Smiths, as the show will feature several characters using the pseudonym in the coming season. The show is in production in L.A. Hawke joins a cast that also include Mark Eydelshteyn, Talia Ryder, Francesca Scorsese and Matt Rogers. The story.
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Why TV's Small Towns Are Having a Huge Season
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►"People are inherently weird." THR's Brande Victorian spoke to the creators behind The Burbs, Widow’s Bay and The Boroughs who explain why stories on the fringes are an award season hit. The story.
—Surprise! FX‘s Adults is getting a prequel. The comedy will release, later this summer but prior to the August drop of season two, a standalone episode, titled “Marathon Day,” that will introduce the friend group and provide the origin story for Jack Innanen‘s Paul Baker. The full episode, written by series creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw and directed by Jonathan Krisel, will be available on July 31, on FXX and Hulu at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT and will also receive a limited release on Hulu’s YouTube channel and FX’s TikTok and Instagram channels. The story.
—Courtney A. Kemp undefeated. A pair of new series got off to good starts in Nielsen’s streaming rankings for May 11-17, but the overall top 10 was led by a one-off special. Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart led the week with 1.35b minutes of watch time in its first full week. Amazon's The Boys (1.01b minutes of watch time) was the only series to cross the billion-minute mark for the week, but a few premieres performed fairly well. Netflix’s Nemesis led the group with 832m viewing minutes, and Paramount+’s Dutton Ranch drew 725m minutes for its first two episodes. Amazon's Off Campus also made the top 10 original series chart with 516m minutes of viewing. The streaming rankings.
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Film Review: 'The Death of Robin Hood'
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►"Not very merry." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Michael Sarnoski's The Death of Robin Hood. The Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One helmer offers a revisionist take of the English legend for A24. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgard, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe and Faith Delaney. Written by Michael Sarnoski. The review.
—"Worth watching for Hall." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews BBC/Starz's The Listeners. Rebecca Hall plays a woman who starts hearing a mysterious hum in Jordan Tannahill's adaptation of his novel. Also starring Ollie West, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Amr Waked, Gayle Rankin and Mia Tharia. Created by Jordan Tannahill. Directed by Janicza Bravo. The review.
—"A galvanizing start to a long-overdue conversation." THR's Angie Han reviews Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater and Mike Attie's Hollywood Does Abortion. Produced by actress Rachel Bloom, the film chronicles over 50 years of the conversation around choice as it played out onscreen, from Maude to Dirty Dancing to Blonde and beyond. Written by Jamie Boyle. The review.
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►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this live episode Scott spoke to Seth MacFarlane. The prolific multi-hyphenate reflects on the evolution of his interests in animation, comedy and music; the longevity and future of Family Guy; and why he insisted upon expensive CGI for Peacock's adaptation of his Ted films. The podcast.
—Awards Chatter. In this episode Scott talked to Wanda Sykes. The trailblazing standup comedian, actress and writer, whose seventh hourlong comedy special recently dropped on Netflix, reflects on why she left a job at the NSA at the age of 27 to pursue standup, how her comedy changed after she divorced her husband and came out as gay, and what she makes of "cancel culture." The podcast.
—Awards Chatter. In this episode Scott talked to Noah Wyle. The actor, writer, director and producer, who is best known for playing emergency room doctors on two Emmy-winning drama series 16 years apart, reflects on the pros and cons of landing his big break at 22, the creative frustrations and rewards of the years between Dr. Carter and Dr. Robinavitch, how COVID sparked the conversations that led to a reunion with ER showrunner John Wells and writer R. Scott Gemmill, and what it’s like to now be back at the center of the cultural conversation with The Pitt. The podcast.
—Awards Chatter. In this live episode, Scott talked to Mindy Kaling. The trailblazing writer/director/producer/actress reflects on her time on The Office and how it shaped the series she subsequently created, including The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls; the sense of responsibility and pressure that comes with being an American-Indian creator and making shows with American-Indian protagonists; and why she has enjoyed working strictly behind the camera on her most recent series. The podcast.
—It Happened in Hollywood. THR senior writer Seth Abramovitch goes behind the scenes of the pop culture moments that shaped Hollywood history. In this episode, Seth spoke to filmmaker Mary Harron, who discusses I Shot Andy Warhol, her extraordinary docudrama about the near-assassination of an art world superstar. The podcast.
In other news...
—Netflix unveils first trailer for Little House on the Prairie revival
—Lioness S3 first Look: Zoe SaldaΓ±a, Nicole Kidman are back in the fight
—Slow Horses S6: Apple drops first look at Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden
—Larry David is in Pursuit of Unhappiness in first look at new HBO comedy
—Sylvia Rhone to receive “Ultimate Icon” honor at BET Awards
—Obsession star Michael Johnston signs with Gersh
—Elizabeth Marvel signs with Verve
—David Hockney, legendary British artist, dies at 88
What else we're reading...
—Bilge Ebiri has a wonderful oral history that involves actors, filmmakers and friends reaffirming the genius of Steven Spielberg [Vulture]
—Henry Bushnell reports on Fox missing action from the opening game of the World Cup in order to air ads during the controversial hydration breaks [The Athletic]
—Melanie Zanona and Katherine Doyle talked to the four GOP House members who were excommunicated from MAGA for their push to release the Epstein files [NBC News]
—Jonathan Liew calls out cowardly FIFA boss Gianni Infantino for the disgraceful treatment of Somalian referee Omar Artan [Guardian]
—Here's your Friday list: All the celebrities spotted at Knicks vs. Spurs games [THR]
Today...
...in 1981, America met Indiana Jones when George Lucas and Steven Spielberg brought Raiders of the Lost Ark to theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Dave Franco (41), Rick Hoffman (56), Frances O'Connor (59), Gregory Alan Williams (70), Jared Bush (52), Takashi Yamazaki (62), Timothy Simons (48), Georgina Campbell (34), Abbey Lee (39), Tim DeKay (63), Jason Mewes (52), Louisa Jacobson (35), Eamonn Walker (64), Timothy Busfield (69), Paula Marshall (62), Mel Rodriguez (53), Paul Schulze (64), Cody Horn (38), Jenilee Harrison (68), Spencer Macpherson (29), Ryan Malgarini (34), Rich Ting (46), Carly Craig (46), Stephanie Bennett (37), Scott Thompson (67), Chris Witaske (43), Jessica Keenan Wynn (40), Cathy Tyson (61), Jeremy Howard (45), Tyner Rushing (38), Adriana Lima (45), James Ashcroft (48), Kendra Wilkinson (41), Sarah Trigger (58), Andrew Howard (π΄σ §σ ’σ ·σ ¬σ ³σ Ώ57), Abid Rahman (π΄σ §σ ’σ ·σ ¬σ ³σ Ώ45)
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Margaret Kerry, the perky actress and dancer who served as the model and inspiration for the Disney animators creating the pixie Tinker Bell for the 1953 classic Peter Pan, has died. She was 97. The obituary.
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