| | | | | | What's news: Train to Busan filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho is teaming up with Alfonso Cuarón for a Netflix feature film. Music battle platform Verzuz has signed a distribution deal with X. Ian McKellen will not return for the final three Players Kings performances. — Abid Rahman
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How 'Inside Out 2' Broke Hollywood's Box Office Curse ►"The perfect cure for the summertime box office blues." Inside Out 2 opened to a historic $154.2m domestically, the second-biggest animated launch of all time and the biggest since Barbie almost a year ago. And it is doing huge midweek business too, on Tuesday, it grossed $29.1m, the biggest Tuesday ever for an animated film and the eighth-biggest among any film. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that 2024's first big blockbuster put Pixar back in the game, pulling in a surprisingly diverse audience of different ages and ethnicities. The analysis.
—"This is unity." Kendrick Lamar's “Ken & Friends – The Pop Out” Juneteenth concert in L.A. on Wednesday electrified the audience at the Kia Forum and set social media ablaze after 25 big names joined him on stage. The likes of Dr. Dre, Tyler, the Creator, YG, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, Dom Kennedy and Steve Lacy, as well as NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook appeared with Lamar. The Compton rapper performed all of his recent Drake diss tracks, including "Not Like Us," which he played five times. The story.
—"We can’t wait to get back to work." Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are bringing their Verzuz music series back after inking an exclusive partnership for independent distribution with social media giant X. Verzuz, a music battle platform that saw the likes of John Legend, Alicia Keys, DMX and Snoop Dogg go head-to-head in a song-against-song competition, became incredibly popular during the pandemic, but growth stalled after a partnership with Triller. The story.
—"I’m still crying. I’m still grieving. I’m still mourning." Migos rapper Quavo's quest to transform his nephew Takeoff’s tragic shooting into a force for change convened with a summit against gun violence on what would have been the late rapper’s 30th birthday. Quavo held the inaugural Rocket Foundation Summit at the Carter Center in Atlanta on Tuesday — the same day as Takeoff’s birthday. The music performer was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris in a fireside chat during the one-day summit, which included panel discussions about gun violence prevention and youth programs. The story. |
THR's Stand-Up Roundtable ►"There really is nothing funnier than a fart joke." THR's award-winning Roundtable Series continues, next up are the stand-up comedians. Mike Birbiglia, Alex Edelman, Jacqueline Novak, Jenny Slate, Taylor Tomlinson and Ramy Youssef sat down with THR's Lacey Rose for the first ever Stand-Up Emmy Roundtable and discuss truth and trauma in comedy and the last person they want to see in the audience: "You don’t really want your friends to be there when you’re stripping." The roundtable.
In case you missed them, here are the other uncensored THR TV Roundtables....
—Drama Actress Roundtable. Featuring Jennifer Aniston, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Brie Larson, Anna Sawai, Sofía Vergara and Naomi Watts. The roundtable.
—Drama Actor Roundtable. Featuring Matt Bomer, Nicholas Galitzine, Jon Hamm, Clive Owen, David Oyelowo and Callum Turner. The roundtable.
—Comedy Actress Roundtable. Featuring Quinta Brunson, Michelle Buteau, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Ego Nwodim, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. The roundtable.
—Comedy Actors Roundtable. Featuring John Goodman, Kelsey Grammer, Theo James, Anthony Mackie, Ricky Martin and Bowen Yang. The roundtable.
—TV Producers Roundtable. Featuring Jonathan Nolan, Francesca Sloane, Steven Zaillian, Peter Morgan, Issa López and Jen Statsky. The roundtable. |
The Man Who Helps the Stars Come Out ►"Everyone should be allowed to navigate through life on their own terms and be in control of their story." Veteran PR maestro Simon Halls, who’s married to Matt Bomer, talks to THR's nicest man Chris Gardner about the many celebrities he’s supported out of the closet. The story.
—R&R. Ian McKellen will not return for a final three Players Kings performances in London’s West End after falling off the theatrical stage on June 17. The Noel Coward Theatre, in a statement on X, said David Semark would take the role of Sir John Falstaff for the last scheduled performances in London while the actor “recuperates following his fall.” McKellen, 85, was performing as Falstaff in the when he lost his footing and fell during a fight scene. The story. |
Yeon Sang-ho Teams With Alfonso Cuarón for Netflix's 'Revelations' ►Dream collab. THR's Patrick Brzeski has the big scoop on Train to Busan filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho teaming up with Alfonso Cuarón for a Netflix feature film. Yeon has signed to direct a movie adaptation of his own popular Korean webtoon, Revelations, with Cuarón onboard to executive produce and consult on the project. Revelations reunites Yeon with screenwriter Choi Gyu-seok, who scripted Hellbound and collaborates with the director on his webcomics. The film’s story centers on a missing persons case and follows a pastor and a detective, each driven by their own beliefs. The story.
—"It has to be really well done." Dave Filoni isn’t ruling anything out when it comes to Star Wars. Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer said this week that an R-rated installment of the franchise could be "interesting." "Sure, I mean, I don’t know. I think it’s interesting," Filoni said of the possibility of an R-rated installment during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The story.
—Harrowing story. British-Ukrainian production outfit United Heroes is set to adapt Live. Fight. Survive., British soldier Shaun Pinner’s memoir of his harrowing experience in the Ukraine War, as a feature film with the working title The English Warrior. Pinner’s book is a raw, firsthand account of being an English soldier caught in the midst of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Writer Edward “Chips” Hardy, who co-created the BBC/FX series Taboo with his son, actor Tom Hardy, is attached to adapt the book for the screen. The story. |
Jodie Comer, Austin Butler Talk 'The Bikeriders' ►"I love sets where you really immerse yourself in that world, and you just let the rest of the world fall by the wayside while you’re creating this vision together." THR's Brian Davids spoke to the in-demand Austin Butler about his new film, The Bikeriders. The Oscar-nominated actor talks balancing his time on old motorcycles for his new '60s-set drama while immersing himself in knife training for Dune 2: "That was the tricky part to figure out." The interview.
—"I would say that Kathy’s accent is probably the hardest one that I’ve done." Brian also spoke to The Bikeriders' Jodie Comer. The Brit actress discusses creating her contradictory accent in the film, and also spills on working on Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later, which began production last month, and almost appearing in Furiosa. The interview.
—"I don't want to get typecast as the cannibalism chick." That man Brian is back again, this time he spoke to Fallout star Ella Purnell. The actress, who plays Lucy MacLean in the breakout Amazon Prime Video show, discusses the show's reception and looks ahead to season two. Purnell talks about her emotions around exiting Yellowjackets. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"When I said, ‘Hey, I’m going to try acting,’ there was not a particularly positive response." And finally, Brian spoke to Alexis Ren about her new movie Latency. The model and entrepreneur (who boasts 25m social media followers), was drawn to the role, which ties in with her work as a mental health activism. The interview. |
TV Review: 'America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' ►"Falls short of the Cheer, Wrestlers pinnacle." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Greg Whiteley's latest documentary series follows Last Chance U and Cheer with a look at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The review.
—"Intriguing, but not so engaging." For THR, Justin Lowe reviews Joshua John Miller's The Exorcism. Russell Crowe, Sam Worthington, David Hyde Pierce, Adam Goldberg and Ryan Simpkins star in the tale of demonic possession, from a director whose late father Jason Miller played Damien Karras in The Exorcist. The review.
—"A gentle charmer." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Anthony Schatteman's Young Hearts. Schatteman’s assured debut boasts a standout lead performance from Lou Goossens as a 14-year-old boy struggling with self-discovery. The review.
—"A mostly charming ode to imaginative thinking and reading." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Yoshiyuki Momose's The Imaginary. Momose directs the second full-length feature from Studio Ponoc, the Japanese company spun out of Studio Ghibli, about a young girl's make-believe friend who endeavors to save her and their relationship. The review.
In other news...
—The Penguin second trailer: Colin Farrell stars in The Batman spin-off
—Simone Biles Rising trailer: Simone Biles heads for Paris Olympics in Netflix doc
—Canal+ boosts stake in Asian streamer Viu
—Erik Canuel, Bon Cop, Bad Cop director, dies at 63
What else we're reading...
—James Poniewozik considers the recent wave of TV shows like The Boys that imagine fascism coming to America [NYT]
—Jesse Hassenger writes that Tubi's surprisingly varied library and ad-supported model has allowed it to become America's favorite free streamer [Guardian]
—With a new album and a tour, 2024 was supposed to be Jennifer Lopez’s year. But it's all gone wrong. Chavie Lieber looks into what happened. [WSJ]
—Allyson Versprille reports that the families of the victims of two fatal 737 Max crashes are asking the Justice Department to seek to fine Boeing nearly $25b [Bloomberg]
—With companies like Target seemingly pulling back on Pride Month marketing, Li Zhou explains the hollowness of corporate Pride [Vox]
Today...
...in 1997, Julia Roberts brought My Best Friend’s Wedding to theaters, where it would become a summer box-office smash. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Nicole Kidman (57), John Goodman (72), Robert Rodriguez (56), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (35), Tika Sumpter (44), Stephen Frears (83), Mike Birbiglia (46), Josh Lucas (53), Geraldine Viswanathan (29), Bonnie Bartlett (95), Eve Harlow (35), Necar Zadegan (42), Tom Wlaschiha (51), Candy Clark (77), Dreama Walker (38), Brecken Merrill (16), Tress MacNeille (73), James Tolkan (93), Jarrad Paul (48), Alisan Porter (43), Wendy Craig (90), Adam Rothenberg (49), Kevin J. Ryan (40), Jon Glaser (56), Abi Monterey (24), Nia Sioux (23), Samantha Spiro (56), Benjamin Mascolo (31), Michael Landon Jr. (60), Kim Engelbrecht (44), Sarah Stiles (45), Serayah (29), Peter Paige (55) |
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