| | | | | | What's news: THR launches its first ever Travel Issue, presented by Boden. Adolescence leads the noms for the BAFTA TV Awards. A jury ruled that Bill Cosby must pay $19.25m to a woman he drugged and assaulted. Primary Wave has acquired Kobalt. Kirsten Dunst has joined the cast of The Housemaid 2. And Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling will be the focus of Bridgerton S5. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Travel Issue ►Hollywood on Holiday. THR has put together its first ever Travel Issue, presented by Boden. From jet-setting hotspots to star-approved hideaways to the new ways film and TV are reshaping how we vacation, this is your guide to where Hollywood is sending the world next. The hub.
—On the cover. Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page and director Kat Coiro flew halfway around the world to make the romantic comedy, You, Me & Tuscany. Turns out Italy had the romantic part covered, and provided yet more proof that a location can be as potent a lure as any movie star, writes David Hochman. The cover story.
—Going overboard for superyachts. High-end hospitality brands — like Aman, Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton and Orient Express — are betting that travelers who hate traditional cruises will happily climb aboard their smaller, sleeker and much more exclusive vessels. The story.
—Privacy: The ultimate luxury. Forget St. Barts. Entertainment’s most well-traveled are ditching the Cabo-Amalfi circuit for destinations where no one knows their name — and that’s exactly the point. The story.
—100 hot Hollywood hotspots. Location, location, location: If the destinations featured on big and small screens are any indication, these are the ultimate trips to put on your bucket list. The list.
More from the Travel Issue presented by Boden...
—The 2026 hotel and restaurant openings everyone will be talking about
—For Daniel Dae Kim, Korea is personal
—That time Matt Bomer lost his passport in Japan
—Eva Longoria’s French connection
—Neil Patrick Harris wants to murder your next vacation
—The Big Life in Big Sky Country: What to do in Montana |
Cosby to Pay $19M After Losing Sex Assault Case ►Justice. A Los Angeles jury found on Monday that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted Donna Motsinger, a former server at a Sausalito restaurant who was drugged by the disgraced comedian at one of his comedy shows in 1972. The jury awarded Motsinger $19.25m in damages as Cosby navigates financial woes caused by a series of lawsuits from women with rape accusations, many of which were filed under state laws that extended the window to sue for sexual assault alleged to have occurred decades ago. She could be paid more depending on whether jurors decide to grant punitive damages, meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious misconduct. The story.
—"Rigorous, not perfunctory, review." A group of Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about foreign investors backing Paramount Skydance‘s $111b proposed deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The senators, in a letter to the FCC on Monday, called for a “full and independent” probe of the merger, citing concerns that financing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese gaming giant Tencent could give them influence over editorial decisions at CBS News and CNN. Saudia Arabi’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abud Dhabi Investment Authority are collectively providing roughly $24b in funds to help bankroll Paramount’s bid for WBD. The story.
—Incident. Police officers in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee are currently investigating an alleged assault that occurred over the weekend involving Reacher star Alan Ritchson. TMZ broke the story by publishing a video that reportedly features Ritchson in an altercation with a neighbor named Ronnie Taylor. The man said that the situation unfolded over two days, beginning on Saturday when he claimed he witnessed Ritchson speeding through the neighborhood on a motorcycle causing a disturbance. The story. |
CNN Stars: Welcome to Our Humble Podcast Studio ►What were they thinking? On an otherwise normal hour of CNN last week, viewers may have been greeted by the title card “Global Report: War With Iran” and an array of correspondents fanned out across the Middle East — from Tel Aviv to Doha — speaking with Anderson Cooper on AC360. The substance was the same. The style was not. Out were the crisp, buttoned-down trappings of a stereotypical Cable News studio set. In were podcast-style audio setups and messy, center-of-the-newsroom production vibes more line with the aesthetic of indie influencers. THR's Alex Weprin and Erik Hayden look into why CNN is experimenting with less formal settings and whether it works. The analysis.
—RIP Ringer. Spotify has laid off about 3 percent of staff in its podcasting group. The layoffs Monday impacted 15 positions across The Ringer and Spotify Studios. The changes are being described as improving the unit’s execution and speed, rather than as a cost-cutting matter, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company is expected to continue investing across both Spotify Studios and The Ringer. As part of the layoffs, the Ringer podcast New York, New York With John Jastremski will be ending. Andrew Gruttadaro, special projects lead at The Ringer, and staff writer Miles Surrey, both wrote on social media that they had been laid off. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Primary Wave has acquired Kobalt, a major deal in the publishing landscape that turns Primary Wave into one of the most powerful indie music companies in the industry. Neither Kobalt nor Primary Wave disclosed financial details of the acquisition, though Billboard previously reported that the deal could be worth as much as $1.5b. The deal is expected to close by the third quarter of this year. Kobalt will remain a separately run company under Primary Wave’s ownership, the companies said, with Kobalt CEO Laurent Hubert continuing to run the publisher. The story.
—New media on the rise. Scott MacFarlane has found his next job post-CBS News. MacFarlane, who was CBS News’ Justice correspondent and left the company nine days ago, announced Monday that he was joining MeidasTouch Network, a digital media company which bills itself as doing “pro-democracy” journalism and has been a fierce critic of Donald Trump. In a video on social media, MacFarlane said he would be the chief Washington correspondent for MeidasTouch, and will also anchor a daily program called Scott MacFarlane Reports. The story. |
'PHM' Offers 4 Lessons Hollywood Should Learn — But Won't ►Embrace sincerity and optimism! Amazon's Project Hail Mary blasted off to a spectacular $80.6m at the domestic box office, blowing past expectations to land the second-biggest opening for a non-franchise film in the past decade after Oppenheimer. Critics are likewise heaping praise on Christopher Miller and Phil Lord’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, with a 95 percent positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. For once, moviegoers are in lockstep with the critics, with the film’s audience score at 96 percent. From assuming audiences are smart to using practical effects, THR's James Hibberd lists some lessons for Hollywood from the blockbuster sci-fi epic. The story.
—🎭 Maid to order. 🎭 Kirsten Dunst is moving in for The Housemaid sequel. Dunst will join star Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid’s Secret, the follow-up to Lionsgate’s late 2025 theatrical hit, which has earned nearly $400m at the global box office. The sequel is based on Freida McFadden’s second book in her Housemaid series, which focuses on Millie Calloway, who takes on attendant duties for a new (and, of course, wealthy) couple, cleaning their penthouse in the city. When Millie is not allowed to see her new employer, Mrs. Garrick, she immediately becomes suspicious of her husband and secrets abound. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Coming out on top in a competitive situation, Sony Pictures has staked claim on 71 Minutes, an original spec script from Ian Shorr. Jason Reitman will produce the feature via his Ghost Corp banner along with the company’s Erica Mills. He is not attached to direct at this stage. While many of the details are being kept under the tombstones, the project is described as a real-time thriller about a man who needs to elude his pursuers in a ticking clock scenario and only has 71 minutes until the sun rises to do so. Shorr is known for his sci-fi work, penning the Antoine Fuqua-directed Paramount+ feature Infinite. The story. |
BAFTA TV Awards Nominations ►🏆 Congratulations, innit! 🏆 Unsurprisingly, Adolescence leads the nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards, unveiled in London on Tuesday. The smash-hit Netflix phenomenon earned 11 nods, followed by Disney+’s A Thousand Blows with seven, Andor and Trespasses with six apiece, and The Celebrity Traitors with five. The Emmy-winning cast of Adolescence has continued to garner critical acclaim, with a best lead actor nod for creator-star Stephen Graham. He’ll go up against Colin Firth (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), Ellis Howard (What It Feels Like For a Girl), James Nelson-Joyce (This City Is Ours), Matt Smith (The Death of Bunny Munro) and Taron Egerton (Smoke ) at the May 10 ceremony, hosted by Taskmaster's Greg Davies. The nominations.
—The continuing adventures of Yahya and Ben. Marvel Television’s Wonder Man, perhaps the least comic book movie-coded of the superhero factory’s shows, has been renewed for a second season. And the key creative and talent team in front and behind the camera are also set to return. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley will return as Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, the respective super-powered actor and ex-terrorist-thespian around which the show revolved. Also returning are co-creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest. Cretton is coming back as director and executive producer while Guest is reprising his role as showrunner and executive producer. The story.
—Only for the hardcore. True crime platform Law&Crime is launching a subscription service. Law&Crime+ won’t be your typical plus-signed streaming service, and promises an “immersive behind-the-scenes look at the justice system,” much of which will come from behind the crime-scene tape. Subscribers will gain access to Law&Crime’s “Case Files,” including evidence photos, court documents and 9-1-1 calls — much of which, as Law&Crime puts it, are “typically reserved for the jury’s eyes only.” The service will cost $3.99/month or $40.99/year on Roku, Google TV, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. The story. |
'Bridgerton' S5 to Follow Francesca and Michaela's Love Story ►Shooting right now! Dearest gentle readers, Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza are set to lead the next season of Bridgerton, now in production. Netflix confirmed on Tuesday that Dodd’s Francesca Bridgerton will be the next sibling to find true love in the adaptation of Julia Quinn’s bestsellers. In season four of the hit series, which premiered in two parts earlier this year, Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha took the helm as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek. They fell in love despite Sophie’s position in society, while she was working as a maid. The story.
—🎭 Award-winning addition. 🎭 Season two of Task is beginning to take shape at HBO with the casting of Mahershala Ali. The two-time Oscar winner will join returning lead Mark Ruffalo in the drama from creator and writer Brad Ingelsby. Ali is the first new cast member announced for season two; Ruffalo is the only confirmed returnee from the show’s first season. Season two of Task will follow Ruffalo’s Tom Brandis, an FBI agent, as he “takes the helm of a new task force, but the deeper the operation runs, the harder it is to tell who’s the target,” per the show’s logline. Ali will play Eddie Barnes, a well-respected DEA agent in Philadelphia whose team comes into conflict with Tom’s. The story.
—Cancel culture strikes! So much for Paramount+‘s Gen Z Star Trek show. The streamer has decided to end Star Trek: Starfleet Academy after season two. The show had recently finished airing its debut season. Paramount+ had (rather optimistically, as it turned out) already ordered a second season, which recently wrapped production. Starfleet Academy has been a polarizing entry in the Trek canon. Many critics have celebrated the show for focusing on a younger generation and its coming-of-age themes. On social media, the show has been a frequent target of mockery from those who claim the show is too “woke.” The story.
—🎭 Five more. 🎭 As production on season two of Shōgun ramps up, the Emmy-winning drama is adding more actors to its cast. Risei Kukihara, Ryô Satô, Seishiro Nishida, Mantaro Koichi and Takashi Yamaguchi have joined the ensemble for season two of the FX series, which is filming in Vancouver for a likely premiere sometime in 2027. Details of who the actors will play are being kept quiet, save for character names: Gabriel (Kukihara), Rin (Satô), Jōshin (Nishida), Saitō (Koichi) and Kanō (Yamaguchi). Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis will reprise their roles in season two, which is set more than a decade after the events of the first season. Fumi Nikaidô, Shinnosuke Abe, Hiroto Kanai, Yoriko Dôguchi, Tommy Bastow, Yuko Miyamoto, Eita Okuno and Yuka Kouri will also return. The story. |
Beth and Rip Return ►📅 Dated and first look! 📅 Fan-favorite Yellowstone couple Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler will soon be continuing on the Dutton legacy in their own spinoff. On Monday, Paramount+ dropped a first look at Dutton Ranch and revealed the drama series will stream on Paramount+ and air on the Paramount Network beginning May 15, at 8 p.m. with two episodes, and then weekly throughout the nine-episode first season. The series is created by executive producer and showrunner Chad Feehan, based on the characters created by executive producers Sheridan and John Linson. The story.
—📅 Edging closer. 📅 Half Man, Richard Gadd's follow-up project to the multi-Emmy-winning Baby Reindeer, will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on April 23. For viewers in the U.K., episodes will drop weekly on the BBC and BBC iPlayer from April 24. The six-part drama about two men, starring Gadd and Jamie Bell, released new artwork on Monday showing the Brit actor in their roles as Ruben and Niall, respectively. Half Man is created, written, and executive produced by Gadd. The story.
—No-brainer. After a solid start to its first season, CBS’ drama CIA is locking down a second. The network has renewed CIA, a spinoff of FBI, for the 2026-27 season. The pickup comes after just four weeks on the air for CIA, which has put up good ratings numbers so far. The show’s Feb. 23 premiere drew 8.4m viewers after a week of streaming and other delayed viewing, and the second episode on March 2 came in at 7.6m. In both cases, CIA more than doubled its initial audience over seven days. CIA follows an FBI agent (Nick Gehlfuss) who’s loaned out to a clandestine CIA/FBI task force and partnered with an agency operative (Welsh actor Tom Ellis) with a very different approach to his job. The story.
—Dark side. NSYNC's Joey Fatone is serving as executive producer on an upcoming documentary series that will chronicle the dark side of the boy band boom of the 1990s, ID announced on Tuesday. Boy Band Confidential is set to premiere on April 13 and 14, and it will feature interviews from the likes of NSYNC’s Lance Bass, Backstreet Boys‘ AJ McLean, and Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman, among others. ID said the upcoming series "exposes the secret machinery of manufactured superstardom and the devastating human cost of the era’s glossy perfection." The story. |
TV Review: 'Saturday Night Live UK' ►"Good cast, spotty writing — like the mothership." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Peacock's Saturday Night Live UK. NBC's long-running live sketch comedy show gets a British spinoff. Starring Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young. The review.
In other news...
—Moana: New trailer shows a bewigged Dwayne Johnson as a live-action Maui
—Hacks final season trailer sees Jean Smart’s Deborah fighting for her legacy
—Film Academy awards 5 Nicholl Fellowships in screenwriting
—Wavelength adds Matt Kline as chief growth officer
—Ted Nichols, famed Hanna-Barbera composer on The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, dies at 97
—Leonid Radvinsky, OnlyFans owner, dies at 43
What else we're reading...
—HBO changed TV for ever, but Phil Harrison wonders if its crown is under threat in the age of streaming and Trump [Guardian]
—Mark Ellwood opines that the points problem is destroying the hotel experience, and wonders whether "anything [can] stop the freeloaders" [Airmail]
—Max Tani reports that Vox Media recently tried to sell its podcast unit, New York Magazine as well as its entire business [Semafor]
—With perpetual war and fading American popular support, Gideon Rachman writes that Benjamin Netanyahu is gambling with Israel’s future [FT]
—Miles Klee has a must-read story of "the rise of the Ray-Ban Meta creep," the pickup artists and juvenile pranksters who are making nefarious use of popular smart glasses [Wired]
Today...
...in 1933, Paramount and producer B. P. Schulberg unveiled the George Raft and Sylvia Sidney starrer Pick-Up in theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jessica Chastain (49), Lake Bell (47), Lara Flynn Boyle (56), Alyson Hannigan (52), Keisha Castle-Hughes (36), Kelly LeBrock (66), Tig Notaro (55), Diêm Camille (34), Jim Parsons (53), Finn Jones (38), Megyn Price (55), Peter Jacobson (61), Olivia Burnette (49), Christopher Briney (28), Amir Arison (48), Amanda Brugel (48), María Valverde (39), Jack Bannon (35), Kim Johnston Ulrich (71), Lauren Bowles (53), Philip Winchester (45), Eriko Hatsune (44), Michelle Harrison (51), Donna Pescow (72), Charlie Creed-Miles (54), Patrick Malahide (81), Nicholas Campbell (74), Luke Edwards (46), Brennan Elliott (51), Park Jeong-min (39), Gabriel Olds (54), Emraan Hashmi (47), Dominique Provost-Chalkley (36), Lisa Arrindell (57), Tyler Lepley (39), Neil Grayston (45), Haruka Ayase (41), Omari Douglas (32), Sam Daly (42) |
| Valerie Perrine, the former Las Vegas showgirl who earned a best actress Oscar nomination for portraying Lenny Bruce’s drug-addicted stripper wife in Lenny and played Lex Luthor’s secretary in a pair of Superman films, has died. She was 82. The obituary. |
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