| | | | | | What's news: Live Nation reported record fan attendance of 159m in 2025. The Jennifer Hudson Show will be back for a fifth season. Sandra Stern is leaving Lionsgate. Michael Ireland is the new president of production at WB. And French drama series The Hunt will finally debut on Apple after a major plagiarism scandal. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
Inside Epstein's Hollywood ►The stars, moguls, directors, producers and fixers in the monster's orbit. Sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s social graph mostly centers on international politics and finance, with a particular interest in science. But like many ultra-rich power brokers, he hobnobbed with Hollywood, too. His contacts ranged from A-list talent to entertainment moguls to some of the industry’s top fixers. Some of these figures were close to him. Others were casual acquaintances. THR's Gary Baum writes that the Justice Department’s drip-drip-drip of documents in the sex trafficker's case have helped complete the map of Epstein's entertainment industry connections. The story.
—Moving forward. The sale of Wasserman is shifting into high gear, with the management powerhouse retaining the investment bank Moelis & Co. to advise on the transaction. Founded by Casey Wasserman in 2002, the firm is a rollup of a number of agency, management and marketing businesses, with a particularly strong presence in the sports sector and the music business. It also owns the management-production firm Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Moelis, as it happens, advised Brillstein in its sale to Wasserman three years ago. The story.
—"I fully understand why Bari would cancel." Bari Weiss, the Free Press founder and editor-in-chief of CBS News, was scheduled to deliver the Daniel Pearl Memorial lecture at UCLA‘s Burkle Center next week. The topic? The future of journalism. The reaction? Swift, with planned protests from Code Pink, and angry students and professors soliciting petitions in opposition to the lecture. The lecture was canceled for security reasons, sources say, though UCLA’s student paper reports that Weiss is still weighing a Zoom appearance. Jay Sures, the vice chairman of UTA, and a member of the University of California Board of Regents, came out in support of Weiss and tells THR why he understands she made the call to cancel. The story.
—"Artists try to avoid being politically active, but socially engaged artists cannot stay silent about what happens in society." Oscar-nominated Iranian director Jafar Panahi used a rare public appearance at the Berlin Film Festival to denounce what he described as an “unbelievable crime” unfolding in his home country, as indie filmmakers mounted a parallel campaign to spotlight artists killed and detained in a sweeping crackdown by the Islamic Republic. In an on-stage discussion with THR's Scott Roxborough on Thursday, Panahi said the festival wanted to retroactively present him with the Golden Bear honor he won in 2015 for Taxi [the director, under a travel ban at the time, was unable to attend in person]. He said he declined, wanting to keep attention fixed on the Iranian regime’s violent repression of protestors, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The story. |
Cameron Sounds Alarm Over Netflix-WB Deal ►Heavyweight backing. James Cameron is going to bat for Paramount in the bidding war for WBD. In a letter sent to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cameron argues that allowing Netflix to purchase the studio will deal a disastrous blow to movie theaters and weaken an essential cog of the Hollywood machinery in a way that will lead to substantial job losses. The letter, dated Feb. 10, amplifies concerns from lawmakers and the DOJ that the potential sale will result in fewer films being released in theaters. While the government’s main focus has been Netflix’s dominance in streaming, it’s also pressed Netflix on what will happen to WB movies if it were to acquire the company. Cameron nods to prior remarks from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos calling movie theaters an “outdated concept” and an “outmoded idea.” The story.
—New home... but for how long? Michael Ireland — a widely regarded Hollywood studio production executive who departed Paramount last year — has found his new home. And the irony couldn’t be richer — if not a ready-made script. Warner Bros. announced to staff Thursday that Ireland has been named president of production at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group alongside current motion picture president Jesse Ehrman, who is likewise well regarded. In August, Ireland was given no indication that he was going to be let go from Paramount when David Ellison closed his deal to buy the studio, insiders say. But on the first day the new regime arrived, Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein informed Ireland he was out. The story.
—End of an era. Sandra Stern, vice chairman of the Lionsgate TV Group and a 23-year veteran of the studio, will leave her position at the end of March. She’ll exit as the highest ranking woman executive at Lionsgate. Stern will also continue her relationship with the studio as a long-term consultant to the Lionsgate TV Group. “Sandra has been my friend, partner and protégé for the past 40 years,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. “She is an amazing strategist with unparalleled relationships with our partners, and few people understand our business as well as she does. Sandra has been a pillar of our studio’s growth and success for 23 years." The story.
—The high water mark? Amid a monopoly lawsuit, Live Nation reported record fan attendance for 2025, reaching 159m globally, as revenue surged to $25.2b, above analyst expectations. Attendance was up from 151m in 2024, and international markets surpassed the U.S. in fan attendance for the first time. Live Nation reported operating income up 52 percent, reaching $1.3b for the year. In turn, concerts delivered record results with adjusted operating income of $687m, up 3 percent. In Q4, Live Nation revenue climbed 11.1 percent to $6.31b, also beating analyst expectations. The results. |
Eric Dane 1972 - 2026 ►"He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always." Eric Dane, the hunky actor who found fame and the nickname “McSteamy” for his eight-year run as the plastic surgeon Mark Sloan on the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, has lost his battle with ALS. He was 53. Dane died Thursday afternoon, his reps announced in a statement. He revealed in April that he had been diagnosed with the rare degenerative disease, having first experienced symptoms a year and a half earlier. The San Francisco native also starred for five seasons (2014-18) as the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer searching for the cure to a global pandemic on the TNT post-apocalyptic drama The Last Ship. And on HBO’s Euphoria , he had a secret sex life as the father of Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs during that show’s first two seasons (2019-22). The story.
—"He led with kindness." A host of Hollywood stars and creatives took to social media to pay tribute to Eric Dane. Sam Levinson, Ashton Kutcher, Nina Dobrev, Alyssa Milano, Kevin McKidd, James Pickens Jr., Michael Grassi, Selma Blair and Alexander Ludwig were among the people to pay a personal tribute to the late actor. Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, said in a statement shared with THR, "I’m heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing." The reaction. |
'The Hunt' Gets New Apple Date After Plagiarism Allegations ►📅 Change in credits. 📅 The Hunt is coming to Apple TV after all. The French drama series will debut on the streamer March 4 following the resolution of a plagiarism controversy. The series was originally scheduled to drop Dec. 3, but was pulled from the schedule after production company Gaumont began investigating claims the project might have been plagiarized. The show — titled Traqués in France — was billed as an original work from “creator” and director Cédric Anger. But an investigation found plot similarities between the project and Douglas Fairbairn’s 1973 novel Shoot (which was also made into a 1976 movie). The story.
—Expanding roster. Netflix is adding another adult animation show to its lineup with a series from several members of the creative team behind The Good Place. Andrew Law and Matt Murray are the creators of Dang!, which will follow three adult siblings in New York. They’ll serve as showrunners and executive produce with (among others) Mike Schur, who was involved in the show’s development. The three worked together on The Good Place. The story.
—There can only be one. Jennifer Hudson’s daytime show will continue for another year. Fox-owned stations have picked up The Jennifer Hudson Show for a fifth season in 2026-27. The station group has carried the show since its beginning in 2022. The pickup for the show, produced by Warner Bros. Discovery’s Telepictures, offers some stability in the daytime syndicated arena going into next season. Earlier this month, two of Hudson’s fellow daytime talkers, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri, announced they would end after this season. The story.
—Grim boost. NBC’s biennial Olympics broadcasts tend to lift the network’s other programming as well, with the NBC Nightly News and morning show Today typically surging in the ratings during the summer and winter games. The past two weeks have been no exception, with both Nightly News (7.52m viewers) and Today (3.4m) scoring significant gains compared to the same time last year. In Today’s case, however, there’s also likely been another, far less celebratory reason for the ratings spike: the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Today anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother. The ratings.
—Woof! Landman concluded its second season on Paramount+ on Jan. 18, and the finale contributed to a series high for show in Nielsen’s streaming ratings for that week. It barely slowed down in the week following the finale. The Billy Bob Thornton-led drama had 1.62b minutes of viewing time for Jan. 19-25, pushing Landman’s streak of weeks over a billion minutes to 10. Since it premiered in November, only Stranger Things has logged more viewing time among original streaming series. Speaking of Stranger Things, the Netflix show returned to the No. 1 overall ranking with 1.66b minutes of watch time, just ahead of Landman. The prior week’s top title, His & Hers , slid to fourth overall but still drew a strong 1.37b viewing minutes. The streaming rankings. |
2025 Oscar Acting Winners to Present at 2026 Ceremony ►First batch. Continuing a long-running Oscars tradition, last year’s acting winners will return to the 2026 Academy Awards as presenters. Best actress winner Mikey Madison (Anora), best actor winner Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and best supporting actress winner Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez ) are all set to present at the 2026 Oscars. Executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan announced the news Thursday as the first batch of presenters set for this year’s ceremony. It’s unclear which awards Madison, Brody, Culkin and Saldaña will present, but in the past, the Oscars have often had the best actress and supporting actress winners present the best actor and supporting actor categories and vice versa. The story.
—🎭 Meet your January Andrews. 🎭 Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor will star as January Andrews in the film adaptation of Henry’s 2020 bestseller Beach Read. Yulin Kuang, who co-wrote the adaptation of Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation for Netflix, is directing the feature take from her own script for 20th Century Studios. Beach Read follows romance writer January Andrews who no longer believes in love, and Augustus Everett, a literary writer enduring severe writer’s block. When the polar opposites find themselves living in neighboring beach houses, they eventually devise a plan to help each other get out of a creative rut. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Mickey Rourke and Peter Facinelli are among the castmembers of a forthcoming crime feature aiming to bring thrills to theaters. Level 33 Entertainment is set to release filmmaker Scout Taylor-Compton’s Bring the Law theatrically in the U.S. and Canada on Feb. 27, when it will also be available on VOD. Brendan Fehr, Nicky Whelan, Danielle Harris and Leah Pipes round out the cast for the indie film. Set in Los Angeles, Bring the Law centers on a veteran homicide detective (Fehr) assigned to lead a task force to bring down a notorious criminal syndicate. As the investigation progresses, he discovers corruption stemming from his own department. The story. |
Film Review: 'How to Make a Killing' ►"Not dark or funny enough." THR's Frank Scheck reviews John Patton Ford's How to Make a Killing. Glen Powell leads Ford's reimagining of the classic Ealing black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. Also starring Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace and Ed Harris. Written by John Patton Ford. The review.
—"Heavy on atmosphere, light on chills." Frank reviews Natasha Kermani's The Dreadful. Game of Thrones stars (and screen siblings) Sophie Turner and Kit Harington headline Kermani's loose remake of Japanese classic Onibaba, playing childhood friends turned lovers facing ominous threats in medieval England. Also starring Marcia Gay Harden and Laurence O'Fuarain. Written by Natasha Kermani. The review.
—"Small is beautiful." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Fernando Eimbcke's Berlin competition entry, Moscas (Flies ). While waiting for news of his hospitalized mother, a young boy breaks down the resistance of a lonely woman who has forgotten the value of human connection in this Mexican drama. Starring Teresita Sánchez, Bastian Escobar, Hugo Ramírez and Enrique Arreola. Written by Vanesa Garnica and Fernando Eimbcke. The review.
—"Don't think too hard about it." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Yoshitoshi Shinomiya's Berlin competition entry, A New Dawn. The Japanese anime feature centers on three friends who band together when a fireworks factory in their hometown is to be destroyed by the local government. Starring Riku Hagiwara, Kotone Furukawa and Miyu Irino. Written by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya. The review.
—"A character study turned too much toward the past." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel's Berlin competition entry, The Loneliest Man in Town. The latest feature from the filmmaking duo behind La Pivellina, follows an 80-year-old Austrian musician obliged to let go of the past. Starring Alois Koch, Brigitte Meduna, Alfred Blechinger, Flurina Schneider, Sarah Morrissette, Natascha Hierman and Ingrid Schaffernack. Written by Tizza Covi. The review.
—"Fans of pop culture trivia won't object to the lack of depth." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's Strip Law. The adult animated comedy focuses on a strait-laced Las Vegas lawyer who teams with a flamboyant magician to bring pizzazz to the city's stupidest court cases. Featuring the voices Adam Scott, Janelle James, Stephen Root, Shannon Gisela and Keith David. Created by Cullen Crawford. The review. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ►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 EJAE. The Korean-American singer/songwriter reflects on her pursuit of a career as a K-pop idol, her pivot to songwriting and how she came to be involved with KPop Demon Hunters, the animated film that became the most -watched original title in Netflix history — and to create for it the song "Golden," for which she won the first Grammy ever awarded to K-pop and is now nominated for an Oscar. The podcast.
—I’m Having an Episode. THR’s Mikey O’Connell attempts to stay on top of the latest TV and entertainment news with a little help from his friends, colleagues and a revolving door of actors, writers, showrunners and filmmakers. In this episode, Mikey interviews comedian Taylor Tomlinson, who digs into the evolution of her stand-up with Netflix special Prodigal Daughter and her two-year tenure as a late-night host. But first, THR's David Canfield returns to help Mikey understand allure (and Applebee's references) of CBS' Survivor. The podcast.
In other news...
—House of the Dragon goes to war in fiery S3 trailer
—Meet Tommy Shelby’s grown son, played by Barry Keoghan, in the Peaky Blinders movie trailer
—Toy Story 5 trailer: Buzz Lightyear and a balding Woody reunite to rescue kids from electronics
—Brendan Fraser stars as Eisenhower amid D-Day tensions in Pressure trailer
—Joni Mitchell set for Juno Awards career tribute
—UTA, Gold House celebrate AAPI awards season nominees at Beverly Hills dinner
—Dua Lipa joins Bulgari as global brand ambassador
—Influencer Krystiana Tiana signs with CAA
What else we're reading...
—Duncan Walker and Tom McArthur answer whether Andrew is still in line for the British throne, and other questions, after the disgraced former prince's arrest [BBC]
—Jason Zinoman profiles Iranian-American comic Max Amini, the "most popular comedian you've probably never heard of" [NYT]
—Sam Amick reports that Adam Silver is telling NBA teams that the league plans to make anti-tanking rule changes [The Athletic]
—Drew Harwell talks to the Nashville comedian who created a fake ICE deportation hotline that went viral, and which many people are describing as "the banality of evil personified" [Washington Post]
—Here's your Friday list: Robert Duvall’s 20 best performances – ranked! [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1941, Alfred Hitchcock took a detour from mystery films and opened his comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Rihanna (38), Mike Leigh (83), Brenda Blethyn (80), Olivia Rodrigo (23), Trevor Noah (42), Miles Teller (39), Cindy Crawford (60), Jason Blum (57), Jay Hernandez (48), Ric Roman Waugh (58), Chelsea Peretti (48), Zoë Winters (41), Sandy Duncan (80), Jocko Sims (45), Tracy Spiridakos (38), Ray Nicholson (34), Lauren Ambrose (48), Anthony Head (72), Lili Taylor (59), French Stewart (62), Andrea Savage (53), Daniella Pineda (39), Ron Eldard (61), Michael Zegen (47), David Herman (59), Imogen Stubbs (65), Louis Ferreira (59), Dan Schachner (52), Majandra Delfino (45), Peter Strauss (79), Rodney Rowland (62), James Wilby (68), Jack Falahee (37), Jay Hayden (39) |
| | | |
