| | | | What's news: The Flash's Ezra Miller will seek treatment for mental health issues. The Academy has finally apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather for the harassment and abuse she faced at the 1973 Oscars. Layoffs hit HBO/HBO Max. Paramount+ will feature on Walmart+. The John Wick TV series heads to Peacock. Kenya Barris will write, direct and produce a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz — Abid Rahman |
Academy Finally Apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather ►Long overdue. At the 1973 Oscars, activist and actress Sacheen Littlefeather appeared on the live telecast to refuse an Academy Award that Marlon Brando won for The Godfather. She was booed onstage, heckled with mock ululations and so-called “tomahawk chops” offstage, and threatened with arrest and physical assault.
THR's Rebecca Sun has the important scoop that after nearly 50 years of suffering harassment and discrimination for protesting Native American mistreatment, the Academy has formally apologized to Littlefeather and that she will be the guest of honor at an evening of healing and Indigenous celebration hosted by the Academy Museum on Sept. 17. The story.
—"Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly." As expected, layoffs have hit Casey Bloys’ HBO Max and HBO teams. An estimated 14 percent of Bloys’ teams — an estimated 70 people — have been let go as part of the workforce reduction following the merger of WarnerMedia with Discovery. The moves are the latest step in cost-cutting for the combined Warner Bros. Discovery under CEO David Zaslav. The story.
—Spin-off ESPN? As his investment firm, Third Point, builds its stake in Disney, activist investor Dan Loeb sent a letter to CEO Bob Chapek outlining his call for how the company can unlock value in the near-term — and at the top of his list is cost-cutting. Loeb is also calling for Disney to evaluate whether to spin off its ESPN business and integrate Hulu directly into Disney+ platform. The story.
—🤝 Groundbreaking deal 🤝 Amazon and Nielsen have signed a three-year deal for the measurement company to provide audience data for Thursday Night Football on Prime Video. The agreement marks the first time a live streaming program will be part of Nielsen’s national TV measurement service. The story.
—🤝 + + pact 🤝 Paramount Global has struck a deal with Walmart to include its streaming service as an added offering to subscribers of the retailer's subscription service, Walmart+. Walmart+ membership program currently cost $12.95 a month, or $98 a year, and gives subscribers unlimited free deliveries of groceries and other household items. The partnership will provide Walmart+ members access to the entire Paramount+ streaming service under the ad-supported tier. The story. |
Ezra Miller Seeking Treatment for "Complex Mental Health Issues" ►"A time of intense crisis." After troubling behavior that has led to charges of harassment and felony burglary, as well as allegations of assault and abuse, Ezra Miller says they are seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues.” In a statement to THR, The Flash star says, "I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior." The story.
—Timeline of trouble. With the news that Ezra Miller is seeking treatment for mental health issues, here is a chronology of the arrests, disturbances and court orders that led to this point for The Flash star. The timeline.
—"No, you can’t just let it flow." Emma Thompson supports the use of intimacy coordinators, calling them "fantastically important." In a new interview, Thompson was asked about Sean Bean’s recent comments that intimacy coordinators can “spoil the spontaneity” of scripted sex scenes. The Oscar-winning actress added that simulating sex on screen is “not a comfortable situation, full stop,” and does require structure for the actors. The story.
—"I just knew in my gut." Dwayne Johnson says he lobbied to split the origin stories for Black Adam and Shazam into two separate movies after seeing the first draft of Shazam!'s script. In a preview of the upcoming DC movie Black Adam, the film’s star and producer took at least partial responsibility for the decision to split the films as it would have been a disservice to his character. The story.
—"I was blindsided and I’m still shocked and saddened." Lisa LaFlamme, chief news anchor at Canadian broadcaster CTV, has taken to Twitter to announce the shock news that she has been forced out as host of CTV National News, the country’s top-rated newscast. The story. |
More Stars Are Hiring At-Home Bodyguards ►"Instead of being reactive, they’re becoming more proactive." With a recent spike in crime in Los Angeles, and particularly a few high-profile incidents, security companies have seen increased demand in Hollywood for everything from bodyguards to drone surveillance and even celebrity look-alikes to keep clients safe, with yearly protection costs sometimes topping $1m. The story.
—Fresh take. Kenya Barris is set to write and direct a fresh take on The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros. Details are scant, but Barris will reimagine the 1939 Oscar-winning fantasy musical classic, which starred Judy Garland. The Black-ish creator will also produce through his production banner, Khalabo Ink Society. The story.
—Checking in. The long-gestating John Wick prequel miniseries The Continental will premiere on Peacock in 2023 as part of a deal with Lionsgate, which produces the film franchise. The streamer already has rights to the three John Wick movies. The Continental had previously been set up at the Lionsgate-owned Starz, where it had been in development (in various permutations) since 2018. The story.
—Touch of class. Viola Davis has joined Lionsgate’s Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Davis will play Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games. She joins Tom Blyth, who will play the young Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler, who plays tribute Lucy Gray Baird from the impoverished District 12. The story.
—Shante, you stay. VH1 has given the green light to more of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Emmy-winning series has earned a renewal for its 15th season, which will take the show past the 200-episode mark. After-show Untucked has also been renewed. The story. |
Hollywood Remembers Anne Heche ►"A truly epic, vibrant spirit and a profound talent." Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Ed Helms, and James Tupper were among the Hollywood stars who shared their remembrances and tributes on social media following the news of actress Anne Heche’s death. The tributes.
—Renewed interest. Anne Heche’s death has inspired a renewed interest in the words she wrote about herself in Call Me Crazy. The memoir was published Sept. 4, 2001, and has long since been out of print. Prices have skyrocketed in recent days, and it is available through online retailers that specialize in used books with prices from $304 to $750. The story.
—"I was at a great disadvantage." Bryce Dallas Howard is setting the record straight on her Jurassic World salary. The actress, who starred opposite Chris Pratt in the trilogy, disputed a 2018 report that stated she was paid $2m less than Pratt for Fallen Kingdom, offering that her pay was “so much less” than what was printed. However, she praised Pratt for making sure that she got equal pay on franchise opportunities like video games and theme park attractions. The story.
—"Devastating." More than six months after Adele announced that she would have to postpone her Las Vegas residency tour dates, the singer is publicly reflecting on the decision. In a new interview, Adele outlined the reasons behind the postponement, revealing that "it was the worst moment in my career, by far." The story.
—Charged. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced on Monday that A$AP Rocky has been charged in connection to an alleged shooting in Los Angeles in November 2021. The rapper faces two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm with allegations of personally using a firearm. The story. |
'Saul' Co-Creator On Why Finale Was So Different From 'Breaking Bad'►"Boy, I wish I could say that was all carefully planned." THR's chief TV critic Dan Feinberg spoke to Better Call Saul co-creator Peter Gould who wrote and directed the final episode of the series "Saul Gone." Gould breaks down the series' ending and explains whether he and Vince Gilligan are done with the Breaking Bad universe. Warning spoilers. The interview. — "I didn’t realize it was a bigger deal until I was racially abused on social media." THR's James Hibberd spoke to House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint on his game-changing portrayal of Lord Corlys Velaryon in HBO's hotly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series. Toussaint discusses the character, the power of speaking slowly, the Sea Snake prequel series and the unfortunate online backlash after he was cast as a character who is white in the books. The interview. — "I can’t believe this reaction." THR swell Ryan Gajewski spoke to Jennette McCurdy on the response to her much-discussed memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died. The iCarly star talks about the laughter and tears she experienced while writing the book and her hopes for using humor to connect with audiences on future film projects. The interview. In other news... —New Saw movie sets 2023 release date —East End Studios proposes production campus in L.A. arts district —Impact Awards to honor George and Mayan Lopez, Colman Domingo, Francia Raisa and Yvett Merino —MTV VMAs: Lizzo, BLACKPINK among new performers —WME Fashion hires Conde Nast’s Susan Plagemann as new president —Marketing executive Carol Goll leaving ICM Partners to join Range Media — Nicholas Evans, The Horse Whisperer author, dies at 72 What else we're reading... —Crypto is a huge scam, exhibit 9,090,367: "The crypto geniuses who vaporized a trillion dollars" [ New York] —Joe Pompeo has an exclusive interview with Rachel Maddow, in which she talks about stepping away from her nightly show and what's coming next [ VF] —On the subject of alleged scams, Adam "WeWork" Neumann’s new startup has incredibly scored $350m of funding from Andreessen Horowitz [ Bloomberg] —Interesting Jessica Gelt and Christie D’zurilla piece on why Anne Heche's death revealed the nuanced definition of "death" among media companies [ LAT] —Ashley Lee reflects on the subtle and not so subtle changes to the musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada [ LAT] Today... Today's birthdays: James Cameron (68), Julie Newmar (89), Angela Bassett (64), Madonna (64), Taika Waititi (47), Steve Carell (60), Cristin Milioti (37), Elpidia Carrillo (61), Cameron Monaghan (29), Evanna Lynch (31), Cam Gigandet (40), Lesley Ann Warren (76), Matt Lauria (40), Arden Cho (37), Piper Curda (25), Rumer Willis (34), Marcella Lentz-Pope (34), Bob Balaban (77), Jeff Perry (67), Laura Innes (65), Reginald VelJohnson (70), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (50), Lorraine Gary (85), Okieriete Onaodowan (35), Hope Olaidé Wilson (37), Vincent Curatola (69), Saif Ali Khan (52) |
| Bill Robinson, the well-liked talent agent and manager who represented the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, James Garner and Robert Duvall during his long career, has died. He was 92. The obituary. |
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