| | | | | | What's news: Police say Alan Ritchson acted in self-defense during an explosive fight with a neighbor. HBO has revealed a first look at the Harry Potter series. A remake of 13 Going on 30 is heading to Netflix. And a Korean remake of FX's The Americans is in the works at Disney+. — Abid Rahman
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Disney Exits OpenAI Deal After AI Giant Shutters Sora ►Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. In a surprise move, OpenAI will shut down its Sora AI video app, just months after it was first launched. “We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you,” the company said in a statement. “What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing. We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.” A source familiar with the matter tells THR's Alex Weprin that Disney is also exiting the deal it signed with OpenAI last year, in which it pledged to invest $1b in the company and agreed to license some of its characters for use in Sora. The story.
—Headache for Josh D'Amaro. After the bombshell Disney-Sora news dropped on Tuesday, three veteran THR editors — editorial director David Katz and senior editors Steven Zeitchik and Julian Sancton — convened to make sense of the move by OpenAI and what it means for Disney: "A company sitting on that much IP doesn’t just walk away from the chance to mine it all with the help of AI and user-generated video." The conversation.
—More bad news. Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, is slashing more than 1,000 jobs as it deals with a “downturn” in engagement with its flagship game. CEO Tim Sweeney announced the cuts to staff Tuesday. Epic, of course, is a close partner of Disney, which invested $1.5b in the company two years ago, with plans to create a Fortnite-connected universe filled with Disney IP and characters. Disney characters have also made frequent appearances in limited edition Fortnite seasons. Sweeney is also close to new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who championed the Epic Games deal. Sources close to D’Amaro said that interactivity will be a centerpiece of his strategy for the company. The story. |
Savannah Guthrie Returns to 'Today' Show ►"Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable." Savannah Guthrie is returning to NBC’s Today show via a lengthy pre-recorded interview with her colleague and friend Hoda Kotb. The talk show rolled a short clip of their conversation on Wednesday morning — Guthrie and Kotb sat down together on Tuesday — the full thing will air in two halves across Thursday’s and Friday’s episodes. Kotb said the interview will cover the ongoing investigation into Guthrie’s missing mom, Nancy, as well as Savannah’s “faith” and “how she’s getting through.” The story.
—🤝 Re-upped. 🤝 MS NOW is sticking with Morning Joe. The cable news channel has inked new long-term deals with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. The contracts will run through the end of 2029. The new deal keeps the power duo, and arguably two of its most powerful on-air personalities, on the channel past the 2028 election. Not bad for a show that was originally a fill-in program when it launched on MSNBC nearly 20 years ago in 2007. That temporary show has since become a flagship of MS NOW’s lineup. The story.
—Taking a stand. Kara Swisher is drawing a line in the sand on working with the Ellisons. The podcast host, who recently inked a deal for CNN original series Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever, has indicated that she’ll cut ties with the network if the sale of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, goes through to David Ellison’s Paramount. “They have no interest in journalism,” Swisher said at a Syracuse University awards ceremony on Monday in Washington, D.C. “I refuse to work an organization that doesn’t respect journalists.” The story.
—Reacher in the clear! Local Nashville police concluded that actor Alan Ritchson acted in self-defense during an explosive fight with his neighbor, Ronnie Taylor, on Sunday in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee. As such, police have closed the investigation and will not pursue any charges in the matter, which stemmed from an altercation involving the two men over Ritchson’s motorcyle which Taylor claimed was causing a noise disturbance. “After reviewing available evidence, including video footage and witness statements, authorities determined that no criminal charges will be pursued. Mr. Ritchson’s actions were found to be in self-defense,” Brentwood Police Captain Steven Pepin tells THR. The story.
—Reported damage. The house of the late legendary Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami has reportedly been hit and damaged air strikes by the U.S. and Israel on the Chizar district of Tehran amid the ongoing Iran War. Posting on social media, Kiarostami’s son Ahmad Kiarostami said his father’s house was hit during last night’s bombing raid. Heavy airstrikes struck multiple areas in the Iranian capital city, resulting in blackouts across large section of Tehran. Abbas Kiarostami, who died in 2016, was one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors. He won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival for Taste of Cherry in 1997. His international work included the 2010 French drama Certified Copy starring Juliette Binoche. The story. |
Colbert Co-Writing New 'LOTR' Movie ►Fan boy dream. Stephen Colbert has found his post-Late Show job. The comedian has been tapped to pen a new Lord of the Rings movie, alongside Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee, which will be the second of two upcoming films in the blockbuster franchise. Colbert joined Peter Jackson to announce the news on social media Tuesday night. The installment, with the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, will come after Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum, which is currently in development from director Andy Serkis. Colbert will work with Jackson, Fran Walsh and Boyens — the Oscar-winning trio who initially brought the blockbuster LOTR and The Hobbit trilogies to life — on the film from author J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved books. The story.
—🤝 It's finally happening? 🤝 THR's Borys "Scoopz" Kit has the scoop that Don Pendelton’s The Executioner book series is taking another run at the big-screen. Sony has picked up a testosterone-fueled creative package that sees The Nice Guys ' Shane Black reteam with veteran action producer Joel Silver to adapt the action-adventure paperback novels. Black will write, with an eye to direct, the script with frequent collaborators Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. The package pick-up happened as Sony secured the complicated screen rights to the Executioner books, putting them in one house for the first time in decades. In the past, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Steve McQueen and Bradley Cooper have been in talks to play Mack Bolan, a sniper turned one man army fighting against organized crime. The story.
—Benn a minute. Kirk Jones, the writer-director of the BAFTA-winning I Swear, is working on a live-action adaptation of beloved British children’s animated series, Mr Benn. From 48 Films, BeaglePug Ltd, Jackpot Productions, and One Story High, Mr Benn — based on David McKee’s bowler hat-wearing character — is currently in development. The books, first published in 1967, follow an ordinary man who embarks on magical adventures whenever he visits a local costume shop. McKee’s stories became the basis of an animated series broadcast on the BBC from 1971 to 1972. The story. |
Akiva Schaffer to Direct 'Cinderella' Spinoff 'Stepsisters' ►Wait, what? The Naked Gun filmmaker Akiva Schaffer is set to helm Stepsisters, Disney's live-action spinoff of Cinderella. The film offers a comedic take on the property’s villainous characters who torment Cinderella. Writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who worked with Schaffer on Naked Gun and Disney’s Emmy-winning feature Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, will pen the screenplay that is based on an original script from Michael Montemayor. Ali Bell produces the film for Party Over Here, the production company founded by Schaffer and fellow Lonely Island members Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. The story.
—📅 On the move. 📅 Jumanji 3 is tweaking its year-end holiday release plans. The latest installment in the reinvigorated Sony Pictures franchise will now open in cinemas on Christmas Day of this year. It was originally set to open Dec. 11. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan are returning alongside filmmaker Jake Kasdan, who directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, Marin Hinkle, Bebe Neuwirth, Lamorne Morris and Rhys Darby are also returning for the latest installment, with Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes joining as new cast members. The story.
—🎭 13 going on Netflix. 🎭 Emily Bader and Logan Lerman are set to star in director Brett Haley’s feature reboot of 13 Going on 30 for Netflix. Jennifer Garner, who starred in the original 2004 comedy, serves as executive producer on the new film. Plot details have not been revealed for the movie that has a script from Hannah Marks, with revisions by Flora Greeson. Sony released director Gary Winick’s original 13 Going on 30 in theaters in 2004, and the film earned $96m at the global box office. Also featuring Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and Andy Serkis, the movie centered on teenage Jenna Rink, who gets embarrassed at a party and makes a wish that transforms her into her 30-year-old self, played by Garner. The story. |
HBO Reveals First Look at 'Harry Potter' Series ►Edging closer. HBO revealed the first photo from its highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series. The image shows the back of young Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) as he approaches the Quidditch pitch with a Griffindor cloak on a snowy day. The post also suggested that the first teaser trailer for the series will be released Wednesday with the caption “tomorrow” and a lightning bolt emoji. There’s also a banner calling out “Fred and George” (as in Weasley) in the upper right corner. The series is planned for 2027. The story.
—Still friends... Netflix is exploring another team-up with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Productions on a series about polo. After working with the couple on the 2024 docuseries Polo, the streamer is developing a scripted drama revolving around the sport. The series is being produced by Archewell and the company from Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Fake Empire. The former royals are set to executive produce. The drama, which is being framed as a story about the rivalry between two teams in the tony “horse town” of Wellington, Florida, is penned by Warrior and Monarch writer Francisca X. Hu. The story.
—🎭 Storrie full. 🎭 Fans of Heated Rivalry will get to see Connor Storrie in a very different kind of role later in the year. Storrie will guest star in Criminal Minds: Evolution’s coming season, which Paramount+ announced will premiere on May 28. The streamer has also renewed the series for a milestone 20th season, which will debut in 2027. Paramount+ and producers 20th Television and CBS Studios consider Evolution a continuation of the original Criminal Minds, which ran for 15 seasons on CBS. That run ended in 2020, and the show was revived two years later with the new subtitle. The story. |
FX's 'The Americans' Set for Korean Remake ►Must-watch. FX's acclaimed spy series The Americans is set for a big-budget Korean remake from Disney+. The Koreans is set to star No Other Choice actor Lee Byung-hun and Heavenly Ever After's Han Ji-min in the roles made famous by Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in the U.S. version. Instead of Russians spying in 1980s America, the show will focus on elite North Korean spies embedded in South Korea during the 1990s. Written and adapted by Park Eun-kyo (co-writer of Bong Joon-ho’s Mother, Disney+ series Made in Korea), The Koreans is helmed by Ahn Gil-ho, the director behind the hit Netflix psychological thriller series The Glory. The story.
—The end is nigh. Apple TV has renewed its alternative history space drama series For All Mankind for a sixth and final season. The pickup comes days before season five of the show premieres on March 27. With the renewal, For All Mankind (produced by Sony Pictures Television) will become one of the longest-running series in Apple TV’s six-plus years of offering original programming, with only Slow Horses going longer among the streamer's adult dramas. The final season of For All Mankind will debut in 2027. The story.
—Still going strong. There’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing in college basketball circles about the lack of Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA men’s tournament. TV viewers, though, haven’t seemed to mind. The first two rounds of the men’s tournament hit an all-time high with an average of 10.1m viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. That’s up 7 percent from 9.4m viewers last year — which was itself the best showing in more than 30 years. ESPN’s coverage of the women’s tournament is also putting up solid numbers, with a 9 percent gain year to year for the first round at 401,000 viewers. The company is also touting the total amount of time viewers spent watching games — more than a billion minutes’ worth so far. The ratings. |
Duffy to Share Kidnap and Sexual Assault Story In Disney+ Doc ►Horrific story. Welsh singer Duffy, who in 2020 revealed she had been drugged, raped and held hostage over several weeks, will share her story in a new Disney+ documentary. In the late 2000s, Duffy was one of the biggest names in music, with her multi-platinum album Rockferry and its lead single “Mercy” hitting the top of the charts across the globe. Then, she disappeared. For 10 years, Duffy vanished from the public eye. And in 2020, in a harrowing Instagram post that shocked Britain, the musician shared that a decade earlier, she had been drugged, kidnapped, and taken to another country, where she was violently and sexually abused. The story.
—Spinoff incoming. Made in Chelsea alums Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing will star in a new Disney+ reality show, Raising Chelsea. Premiering on the platform April 2 in the U.K. and Ireland, the three-part limited series will follow the reality stars-turned presenters and social media personalities as they face “the messy, scary and hilarious reality of becoming parents.” Made in Chelsea, which first aired in 2011, chronicles the personal and professional lives of the young, wealthy elite in the affluent West London neighborhoods of Belgravia, Chelsea, Fulham and Knightsbridge. The story.
—School's in. Paramount+’s YA drama School Spirits will get to keep haunting the halls of a high school (and beyond). The streamer has renewed School Spirits for a fourth season. The pickup comes about three weeks after season three concluded with a big change for several of its characters. The show centers on Maddie (Peyton List), a teenager who suddenly finds herself in the afterlife and haunting the halls of her high school. She and her fellow spirits had been confined to the school until the season three finale, when the barrier keeping them there was destroyed. The story.
In other news...
—Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari come face-to-face in Laguna Beach reunion trailer
—Hong Kong action film The Furious releases brutal first trailer
—Wim Wenders to receive lifetime achievement honor from German Film Academy
—Kevin DiCicco, owner of Buddy, the canine star of Air Bud, dies at 63
—Marcia Ann Burrs, character actress who played Mrs. Claus in Hallmark telefilms, dies at 85
What else we're reading...
—E.J. Dickson has the fascinating story behind all those fruit and veggie AI slop videos that have overwhelmed social media [Intelligencer]
—Joe Wallace reports on the global chaos set off by Trump's Iran War as oil shortages begin to bite [WSJ]
—Sudha G Tilak reports on the stellar success of Dhurandhar, a jingoistic Indian spy thriller that has revived the fortunes of Bollywood [BBC]
—Fuelled by new funding and transatlantic links, Henry Mance wonders if Britain is ready for American-style religious politics [FT]
—Alaina Demopoulos looks into the phenomenon of the "alpine divorce", where women are being abandoned by their partners on hiking trails [Guardian]
Today...
...in 2011, Warner Bros. Pictures released Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch in theaters. The action fantasy film, starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, and Oscar Isaac, was panned by critics and bombed hard at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Elton John (79), Mikey Madison (27), Jenny Slate (44), Lee Pace (47), Sarah Jessica Parker (61), Edgar Ramírez (49), Richard O'Brien (84), Amy Pascal (68), Lark Voorhies (52), Nate Bargatze (47), Alex Moffat (44), Chris Redd (41), Mary Gross (73), Domenick Lombardozzi (50), Kiowa Gordon (36), Elizabeth Lail (34), Kari Matchett (56), Katharine McPhee (42), Bonnie Bedelia (78), Brenda Strong (66), Sean Faris (44), Marcia Cross (64), Aly Michalka (37), Maribeth Monroe (48), Laz Alonso (52), Matthew Beard (37), Jessica Reynolds (28), Kim Cloutier (39), Paul Michael Glaser (83), LisaGay Hamilton (62), Seychelle Gabriel (35), Deirdre O'Kane (58), John Stockwell (65), Erik Knudsen (38), Justin Prentice (32), Peter O'Brien (66), Rhianne Barreto (28), Ryan O'Nan (44), David Lengel (44), Robert O'Reilly (76) |
| Chip Taylor, the singer and member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame who laid the groundwork for “Wild Thing” by The Troggs, “Angel of the Morning” by Juice Newton and “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)” by Janis Joplin, has died. He was 86. The obituary. |
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