| | | | | | What's news: THR won 11 awards at the SoCal Journalism Awards! Alec Baldwin has failed in another attempt to have his involuntary manslaughter charge dismissed. Inside Out 2 has sailed over $700m worldwide. Jennifer Lawrence will star in a new film from Apple and A24. — Abid Rahman
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'Inside Out 2' Soars to Record $100M Second Weekend in U.S. ►Monster hit. Inside Out 2 is on fire at the global box office, where it grossed a record-shattering $100m domestically and $164.4m overseas in its second weekend to finish Sunday with $724.4m in ticket sales. The Pixar film has easily become the top-grossing film of the year after racing past Dune: Part Two ($711m).
THR's Pamela McClintock writes that the animated tentpole is among an elite group of films that have earned $90m or more in their second weekend of play at the domestic box office. Inside Out 2 enjoyed the biggest sophomore outing of any animated film domestically and the seventh-biggest of any film behind such behemoths as installments in the Avengers, Star Wars and Jurassic World series. It even earned more than Barbie, which grossed $93m in its second outing.
Inside Out 2's tally stands at $355.2m in North America, where it fell a scant 35 percent, the best hold of any film in history that opened to $150m or more. At 40 percent, Star Wars: The Force Awakens previously held that distinction. Overseas, Inside Out 2 has raked in $369.4m, and it still has major markets yet to open.
Among new offerings, Focus Features and New Regency’s The Bikeriders opened in third place with $10m, on the high end of expectations. Russell Crowe starrer The Exorcism also opened nationwide, but failed to scare up much business. From Miramax, the film opened to an estimated $2.4m, one of the worst wide launches of Crowe’s career. The box office report. |
Jamie Kellner 1948 - 2024 ►TV titan. Jamie Kellner, the charismatic and crafty executive who expanded the broadcast television landscape by helping hatch the Fox and WB networks in 1987 and 1995, respectively, had died. He was 77. Kellner died Friday at his Montecito, California, home after a battle with cancer. He also spent a couple of years overseeing TBS, TNT and CNN at Turner and co-founded the station ownership group ACME Communications. The obituary.
—Another one. Bob Buchi is stepping down as president of worldwide home entertainment at Paramount. Also departing Paramount is Craig White, who served as executive vp, worldwide sales and distribution for home entertainment. As part of a restructuring in the home entertainment division, Andres Alvarez is set to come on board from July 15 in the new role of executive vp, head of home entertainment. The story.
—Denied. Alec Baldwin was denied the second of four attempts his legal team is bringing to the court seeking to have his involuntary manslaughter charge dismissed for the accidental shooting death of Rust’s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. A New Mexico judge ruled on Friday that justice will be served when a jury decides the fate of the actor accused of recklessly killing Hutchins and gravely injuring the director on the set of the film in 2021. That Santa Fe jury is set for selection in early July. The story.
—"We are not interested in bargaining against ourselves." In their latest update on ongoing negotiations with studios and streamers, leaders of the Hollywood Basic Crafts union coalition singled out an alleged “lack of urgency” on the employer side of the discussions. Leaders from the union coalition that includes the Teamsters Local 399 and IBEW Local 40 said "the ball is now in the employers’ court to set the tone for our final month of negotiations." The story.
—Petition submitted. As it continues to press forward with its campaign to organize VFX workers, IATSE has made a bid to represent a small group of these professionals who work on Apple television series. On Friday the union announced that it had submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board to represent 17 workers at six Apple TV+ shows. The union is seeking to rep roles such as VFX production supervisor/manager, VFX coordinator, VFX production assistant, VFX witness camera operator and VFX on-set supervisor, among other classifications. The story. |
THR Wins Big at SoCal Journalism Awards ►🏆 Yay us! 🏆 THR won best website and Rebecca Keegan was named print journalist of the year at the 66th annual SoCal Journalism Awards, which were handed out Sunday night. THR won a total of 11 first-place prizes, the most awards for any publication, including prizes for critics Daniel Fienberg, David Rooney and Sheri Linden, as well as a win for best feature under 1,000 words by Gary Baum and Ryan Gajewski. On a stellar night for Rebecca, she also won an award for best culture/arts feature under 1,000 words for her piece, "The Auteurs of San Quentin." The story.
—Not happening. Robert Winnett will not now become editor of The Washington Post, the newspaper’s embattled CEO and publisher Will Lewis told staffers Friday. Winnett’s thwarted plans to take the job at the Post were apparently upended by recent allegations of journalistic ethical lapses by himself and Lewis when they worked together in the U.K. The allegations include using hacked phone and company records as part of their reporting. The story.
—Sudden exit. THR's Lachlan Cartwright reports that The Daily Beast’s Washington bureau chief Martin Pengelly has quit just five weeks after being hired, leaving the site without a political editor just months before the election. His departure comes as most unionized journalists at the publication are preparing to flee after taking generous buyouts. Pengelly joined the Beast last month from The Guardian, where he had served for 20 years. The story. |
Jonathan Majors Tearily Accepts Perseverance Award ►"I reckon folks want to know about the last year." Jonathan Majors was honored with the Perseverance Award at the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards on Friday. The scandal-plagued actor gave a tear-filled, 17-minute long speech about his much-publicized trial and misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault in April. The story.
—"We actually play live." Dave Grohl has come under fire by Taylor Swift fans for comments he made about Swift’s Eras Tour during a Foo Fighters performance over the weekend. Grohl joked that his band played live, insinuating that Swift's band didn't. The comments came during the band’s Saturday night show in London. Swift also happens to be in London for the latest stop on her Eras Tour. She performed at Wembley Stadium, while the Foo Fighters were at London Stadium. The story.
—About Taylor's show... Travis Kelce made a surprise appearance during Taylor Swift's performance in London on Sunday. Swift brought her boyfriend out during a performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” The Kansas City Chiefs star was dressed in a tuxedo and sparkly top hat. He picked up Swift and carried her for her outfit change bit. He also powdered her face, busted a move and gave a big smile when exiting the stage. The story. |
'HOTD' Creator on Sansa Stark's Link to Twins Fight Scene ►"We have these two people who found themselves on different sides of this conflict and not knowing what to do with this oath." THR's James Hibberd spoke to House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal about the second episode of the second season of the HBO fantasy drama. Condal discusses adapting the Cargyll twins clash, and what to expect with the show's pace for the rest of the season. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"We endeavored to put one or two Things No One Has Ever Seen Before on the screen." In a guest column for THR, Alexander Woo, showrunner on Netflix's 3 Body Problem, writes about accurately portraying the political violence of the Cultural Revolution in China, rarely depicted onscreen, from a personal place. The column.
—New boss. Todd Harthan, a veteran of Fox’s medical drama The Resident, has joined ABC's High Potential as showrunner. He takes over the post from Rob Thomas, who exited the show earlier in June. The series is currently on a planned production hiatus and is scheduled to resume filming in July. Created by Drew Goddard and based on a French series, High Potential stars Kaitlin Olson as a single mother who works as an office cleaner and helps crack a seemingly unsolvable case when she rearranges evidence during her shift at a police precinct. The story. |
Donald Sutherland, the Man of a Thousand Arched Eyebrows ►"Watching Sutherland in a movie is like watching someone with a red raincoat trying their best to blend into a crowd of people all wearing black ones." THR film critic Jordan Mintzer pays a special tribute to Donald Sutherland, the revered Canadian actor, who died Thursday at 88. Jordan writes that Sutherland was a versatile screen presence for more than half a century, embodying a wide range of character types while always remaining true to himself. The critic's appreciation.
—Snapped up. Apple Original Films, A24 and Jennifer Lawrence are reteaming for a new feature film. In a competitive situation, Apple acquired the murder mystery package The Wives, which has Lawrence attached to star and produce. Plot details are scant, but the project is described as being partly inspired by the Real Housewives franchise. Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley wrote the script, but no director is attached. Wives will be co-produced by Apple Studios and A24. The two companies, as well as Lawrence, previously teamed on 2022's Causeway. The story.
—Short to full-length. Liz Sargent's Take Me Home, a deeply personal short film that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, will be retooled as a full-length feature. The adaptation is being done in partnership with Caring Across Generations, a national advocacy organization that focuses on aging, disability and care, which will help finance the project while raising additional financing in part through philanthropic support. Sargent wrote, directed and produced the short film based on her own unique family situation. The story. | A Lesbian Actress Playing an Anti-Gay, Anti-Trans Superhero on 'The Boys'? ►Count her in! For THR, Eric Spitznagel spoke to The Boys star Valorie Curry. The actress, who stars as conspiracy-minded homophobe Firecracker on the Amazon Prime Video series’ fourth season, says she found the character both relatable and repulsive: "It sounds gross, but I really connected with her." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"It’s like, I don’t want to say ‘no’ to June Squibb. Look at this person!" THR's Mia Galuppo spoke to filmmaker Josh Margolin about his thrilling new action-comedy, Thelma. Margolin discusses how the movie was inspired by someone trying to scam his grandmother and how he landed June Squibb for the lead role. The interview.
—"The opportunity to just sit and observe all of these amazing actors that I’m genuinely such a fan of and just watch their processes, I was just too curious to pass up the opportunity." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Mike Faist about his new film, The Bikeriders. The actor plays real-life photographer Danny Lyon in the feature, and took some inspiration from former co-star Zendaya's habit of photographing her sets. The interview.
—"I look for parts that have a very rich backstory." Brian also spoke to Krysten Ritter about starring in the new BBC America/AMC show, Orphan Black: Echoes. Ritter explains why her death in Breaking Bad paved the way to revisiting Tatiana Maslany series via a spinoff, and also talks about the future of Jessica Jones. The interview. |
Film Review: 'It Was All a Dream' ►"Affirms the importance of archival work." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews dream hampton's It Was All a Dream. In her latest feature, the veteran music journalist and filmmaker delves into her personal archives to tell the story of hip hop as a nascent genre, surveying its biggest artists and fervent custodians. The review.
—"A mostly compelling collision of dreamscape and the everyday." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Brett Wagner's The Big Bend. Writer-director Wagner’s feature zeroes in on two young families whose getaway to a remote corner of Texas veers into rough terrain. The review.
—"Finds some virtues after a sluggish start." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews BBC America/AMC's Orphan Black: Echoes. Krysten Ritter, Amanda Fix and Keeley Hawes star in this spinoff about human printing — definitely not cloning — in 2052. The review.
In other news...
—Will Smith to perform brand-new song at 2024 BET Awards
—Jenny Slate announces her Lifeform national tour
—MrBallen launches first live tour this fall
—Sizzling summer timepieces from Chanel, Hermès, Hublot, Zodiac and more
—The 30 New York real estate agents on Hollywood’s hot list
—THR’s 2024 New York Power Broker Awards: Winners and nominees
What else we're reading...
—With Biden set to square off against Trump this Thursday, Jackie Calmes wonders whether it will be the most performative presidential debate ever [LAT]
—Josef Adalian talks to the execs in charge of specialty streamer Acorn, which has found a loyal and growing audience for its offering of cozy murder mysteries, period epics, and gritty crime dramas set in distinctly non-American places [Vulture]
—Julia Jacobs goes behind the scenes at Showtime's Couples Therapy, which for four seasons has given audiences an intimate look inside real relationships [NYT]
—Laura Bliss and Mark Glassman report that more disabled Americans are employed, thanks to remote work [Bloomberg]
—Gerry Moddejonge writes that the Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of rewriting Stanley Cup history [Edmonton Journal]
Today...
...in 1987, Mel Brooks launched Spaceballs in theaters. The Star Wars spoof, starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga, became infamous in its own right. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Mindy Kaling (45), Erin Moriarty (30), Harris Dickinson (28), Peter Weller (77), Nancy Allen (74), Beanie Feldstein (31), Dan Gilroy (65), Iain Glen (63), Minka Kelly (44), Vanessa Ray (43), Carla Gallo (49), Sherry Stringfield (57), Dominique Tipper (36), Amber Rose Revah (38), Lotte Verbeek (42), Kassius Nelson (27), Ariana Madix (39), Joanna Kulig (42), Nicole Muñoz (30), Mary Holland (39), Candice Patton (36), Lydia West (31), Joe Penny (68), Michele Lee (82), Amirah Vann (44), Stassi Schroeder (36), Liane Balaban (44), Raven Goodwin (32), Georg Stanford Brown (81), Richard Lumsden (59), Dan Soder (41), Betsy Randle (69), Stella Grace Fitzgerald (14) |
| Taylor Wily, who rose to fame on the sumo circuit in the late 1980s before moving into acting, appearing in memorable roles on the TV reboot of Hawaii Five-0 and the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, has died. He was 56. The obituary. |
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