| | | | | | What's news: Nikki Glaser will host the 2026 Golden Globes. Paramount+ has renewed Landman. Bill Simmons has re-upped at Spotify. Slanted won the narrative grand jury prize at SXSW. Sadie Sink has joined the cast of Spider-Man 4. — Abid Rahman
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Michael Wolff: Trump Scared the News Networks Into Banning My Book ►"The difference this time is striking and frightening." In a guest column for THR, Michael Wolff, the author behind the bestselling Donald Trump expose Fire and Fury, discusses how the news networks — in stark contrast to the way that book was received — have instituted a virtual blackout of his latest tome on the president, All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America. The column.
—Dismissed. Fox News will not have to face a lawsuit brought by a former associate producer who accused the network of ignoring the risk that she’d be raped by former White House chief correspondent Ed Henry. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams on Wednesday dismissed sexual assault, sex trafficking, revenge porn, harassment and retaliation claims from Jennifer Eckhart against the network while allowing the majority of her case against Henry to proceed to trial. In a statement, a lawyer for Eckhart said the ruling will be appealed. “We look forward to holding Mr. Henry accountable before a jury,” the statement added. The story.
—The latest. Harvey Weinstein appeared in Manhattan court Wednesday, as his attorneys and prosecutors laid out a preview of what may happen at his April trial. Judge Curtis J. Farber ruled on several motions ahead of the trial, saying that neither side can use evidence or arguments related to the reversal of the disgraced mogul's 2020 conviction nor the jury’s decision to acquit Weinstein on certain charges at that time. Weinstein’s health condition will not be allowed to be brought up in court, unless he testifies on the stand. Prosecutors said they expected testimony to take about a month, with a planned 25 witnesses. The story. |
Inside Disney's 'Snow White' Troubles ►"They need to get this over with." Disney’s Snow White won’t hit theaters until March 21, but for the team at the Mouse House, that date can’t come soon enough. The live-action reboot starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot seemed like a can't-miss project five years ago, but some PR missteps combined with anti-woke outrage have seemingly turned marketing the film into a poisoned apple. THR's James Hibberd and Pamela McClintock dig into the controversy-plagued project and its prospects. The story.
—Up for sale. UK VFX group Jellyfish Pictures, which has credits on such projects as Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and the upcoming series of Black Mirror, has announced it has suspended all operations and is currently “exploring all options for sale and investment.” The studio, first launched in 2001, said in a statement it has “taken legal steps to protect the position of the business while we strive to find a way forward.” The shuttering of Jellyfish follows last month’s news of the shuttering of Technicolor Creative Studios UK, the British division of the storied Hollywood company, which laid off its 400 U.K. staff and put its assets up for sale. The story.
—Members only. Boardroom, the sports media and entertainment brand co-founded by NBA star Kevin Durant and his longtime manager Rich Kleiman, is betting that there is room for a premium membership opportunity in the sports space. The company is planning to launch what it is calling Boardroom Members Club, which will combine in-person experiences, unique opportunities and gifts, and a digital platform, to create a compelling value proposition for what Kleiman hopes will be an ambitious set of members. The experiences will include what the company is calling “intimate programming” and networking events, an annual conference exclusive to members, entry to Boardroom’s flagship events throughout the year at events like Art Basel, the NBA All Star Game. The story.
—🤝 Re-upped 🤝 Bill Simmons will remain as head of talk strategy at Spotify after re-upping his contract there. The podcast host and executive joined Spotify in 2020, after the company bought his website and podcast company, The Ringer. That podcast network now includes over 50 popular podcasts, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables and The Ryen Russillo Podcast. Simmons will report to the new head of podcast business, Roman Wasenmüller. The story. |
Nikki Glaser to Return as Globes Host in 2026 ►No-brainer. Nikki Glaser, the Golden Globe-, Grammy- and Emmy-nominated comedian who hosted the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, will return as the emcee of that ceremony — the highest-profile awards show that celebrates the best of both film and TV, and the first major telecast of the awards season — in January 2026, CBS and the Golden Globes announced on Thursday. On Jan. 5, at the 82nd Golden Globes Awards, Glaser became the first female solo host of a Globes telecast, and received rave reviews. The story.
—🎭 Emmy-winning addition 🎭 Jeff Daniels will guest star in Apple TV+'s Shrinking's third season, playing Jimmy’s (Jason Segel) father. The two-time Emmy winner joins a cast that also includes Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley; co-creator Brett Goldstein recurred in season two of the comedy. Details of how Jimmy’s dad enters the show are being kept quiet for now. The story.
—Expanding empire. Alex Cooper, who hosts the viral podcast Call Her Daddy, has landed her first unscripted series at Hulu, a “unique” dating show with the working title Overboard for Love. Cooper will executive produce the series via her Unwell Networks banner. The official logline reads in part: "Step aboard the ultimate luxury yacht, where sexy singles are ready to mix and mingle … and find love. But there’s a twist … gaining access to the yacht’s extravagant amenities won’t be so simple. As the journey unfolds, romance ignites; alliances form; and hearts are shattered. In the end, only one couple will reign supreme." The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Natasha Lyonne is back as TV’s favorite gumshoe detective in the first teaser for Poker Face season two, and the footage teases the roster of high-wattage guest stars who have been brought in to play in Charlie’s murder mystery sandbox when the series returns. The 12-episode season launches with three episodes on May 8, followed by a weekly releases Thursdays on Peacock. The teaser. |
'Landman' Renewed at Paramount+ After Breakout S1 ►Sheridanverse supreme. Paramount+ has renewed its drama series Landman for a second season. The pickup comes two months after the show, co-created by Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan and starring Billy Bob Thornton, concluded a breakout first season. Landman ranked among the top 10 original streaming series during the fourth quarter of last year and continued its strong run into January, racking up almost 9.7b minutes of viewing over 11 weeks in Nielsen’s top 10 streaming rankings. Two other Paramount+/Sheridanverse shows, Tulsa King and Lioness, also ranked among the top 10 streaming originals in the fourth quarter. The story.
—The perfect solution. Netflix's The Perfect Couple wrapped up its murder-mystery story at the end of its six episodes, seemingly obviating the need to continue telling the story of the wealthy Winbury family. The show was also, however, one of the streamer's most popular shows in the second half of 2024, suggesting viewers might want more. The solution? Turn the show into an anthology series, which sources say Netflix is planning to do. The streamer is developing a possible second season of the show that would retain The Perfect Couple’s Nantucket setting but center on a different rich family, played by a new cast — and based on a different novel by Elin Hilderbrand. The story.
—Quick as you like. The Tyler Perry-created drama Beauty in Black is getting a second season. Netflix announced the renewal Wednesday, six days after the second half of the show’s first season debuted. The new batch of episodes returned Beauty in Black to Netflix's worldwide top 10 for the week of March 3-9 after part one (released in October 2024) spent four weeks on the list. Beauty in Black centers on Kimmie (Taylor Polidore Williams), a stripper who becomes entangled in the world of a family that runs a cosmetics empire — and a trafficking scheme. The story.
—Topical. Netflix has snagged an of-the-moment drama about a crisis PR consultant, with Lizzy Caplan attached to star. The currently untitled show comes from A24, Vox Media Studios and American Horror Story: Delicate showrunner Halley Feiffer. Netflix outbid several other outlets for the project and has begun development on it. It’s based on a New York Magazine profile of PR executive Risa Heller, whose firm specializes in crisis communications and has represented the likes of Jeff Zucker, Anthony Weiner and Jared Kushner. The story. |
Tiger Woods Biopic in the Works at Amazon ►Tiger, Tiger, burning bright. Amazon MGM Studios is developing a biopic about Tiger Woods, with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground banner in talks to produce. The studio picked up the film rights to Kevin Cook’s book, The Tiger Slam, and King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green is in talks to helm the film adaptation, with Winkler Films also producing. Cook, a former Sports Illustrated senior editor and editor-in-chief of Golf Magazine, in his book offers an inside look at the early streak of victories that left Woods far ahead of his rivals on the pro golf tour. The book includes accounts from Wood’s caddie, his coach, opponents and supporters. The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 Slanted, directed by Amy Wang, won the grand jury prize in the narrative competition section of the 2025 SXSW Film and TV festival. In the narrative section, special jury awards were given to Annapurna Sriram for Fucktoys and Amanda Peet for Fantasy Life for multihyphenate and performance, respectively. Shuffle, directed by Benjamin Flaherty, landed the grand jury prize for the documentary feature competition. Special jury awards were given to The Python Hunt directed by Xander Robin and Remaining Native directed by Paige Bethmann. The winners.
—🎭 Let that Sink in 🎭 Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will join Tom Holland in the fourth Spider-Man film. The plot for the film is being kept under wraps, with the last film, No Way Home, ending with the world forgetting that teenager Peter Parker was Spider-Man, including MJ (Zendaya). It is unclear who Sink will play in the film. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton is helming the movie that is currently untitled. Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna penned the screenplay. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Bleecker Street has nabbed the U.S. distribution rights to the 1984 cult comedy This Is Spinal Tap and its upcoming sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Both films are directed by Rob Reiner, with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reprising their roles as the fictional English heavy metal band Spinal Tap in the latest outing. Spinal Tap II follows the band as they reunite after a 15-year break for one final concert, according to a synopsis from the producers. Spinal Tap II will get a wide theatrical release on Sept. 12, and has Reiner returning in the onscreen role of documentarian Martin “Marty” DiBergi, in addition to cameos by Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. The story.
—Madferit. Oasis is set to release an accompanying film for their highly anticipated upcoming reunion tour, Sony Music announced on Thursday. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is producing the film, and it will be directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace. The duo previously directed Meet Me in the Bathroom, the documentary on the 2000s rock scene in New York, as well as Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary film about LCD Soundsystem. A release date hasn’t been set yet. The story. |
Film Review: 'Are We Good?' ►"A scrappy portrait of grief." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Steven Feinartz's Are We Good? Feinartz's documentary explores how comedian Marc Maron's life changed after his partner, the filmmaker Lynn Shelton, died in 2020. The review.
—"Modest to a fault, but perfectly observed." THR's Angie Han reviews Matthew Shear's SXSW narrative feature competition entry, Fantasy Life. After getting fired from his job, a 30something paralegal finds a new gig as a "manny" for a wealthy family. Starring Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban and Andrea Martin. The review.
—"Promising cast, just-okay movie." Angie reviews Amy Landecker's For Worse. The Transparent actress also wrote and stars in the dramedy about a newly divorced mom who joins an acting class and strikes up a flirtation with a hunky younger classmate. Starring Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Gaby Hoffmann, Ken Marino, Missi Pyle, Kiersey Clemons, Claudia Sulewski, Simon Helberg and Liv Hewson. The review.
—"Only in New York." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Ben Jacobson's SXSW narrative feature competition, Bunny. Jacobson directs and co-stars in this caper set in an East Village tenement during one long and crazy summer day. Starring Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Tony Drazan, Linda Rong Mei Chen, Genevieve Hudson-Prie, Eleonore Hendricks and Kia Warren. The review.
In other news...
—Jon Hamm robs his rich friends in Your Friends & Neighbors trailer
—Lilo & Stitch live-action remake makes splash with full trailer
—Liz Garbus ties Lost Girls to arrested suspect in Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer trailer
What else we're reading...
—Lauren Costantino and Aaron Leibowitz have a chilling report that Miami Beach's mayor is looking to end the lease of a cinema for screening Oscar-winning doc No Other Land [Miami Herald]
—In a thoughtful piece, Joseph S. Nye considers Trump and the end of American soft power around the world [FT]
—Amid all the chaotic tarrifs and disrespect, Peter Beaumont reports that from Canada to Europe, a movement to boycott U.S. goods is spreading [Guardian]
—Jack Seale looks at how Netflix's Drive to Survive became the apex of TV documentaries [Guardian]
—Holly Yan digs into the deeply concerning air traffic controller staffing shortages in the U.S. [CNN]
Today...
...in 1992, 20th Century Fox introduced Jonathan Lynn's My Cousin Vinny in theaters. The comedy featured Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, the latter claimed a best supporting actor win at the 65th Academy Awards for her role. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Common (53), Kaya Scodelario (33), Emile Hirsch (40), William H. Macy (75), Noel Fisher (41), George MacKay (33), Tim Story (55), Jack Harlow (27), Dana Delany (69), Annabeth Gish (54), Emory Cohen (35), Lucy Fry (33), Pierre Niney (36), Corinne Massiah (22), Adina Porter (54), Leigh-Allyn Baker (53), Gigi Rice (60), Michael Hogan (76), Shane Taylor (51), Steve Bacic (60), Laura Berlin (35), Nimrat Kaur (43), Christopher Collet (57), Rachael Bella (41), Lee Jun-hyuk (41), Kira Miró (45), Molly Stanton (45), Kim Nam-gil (45), Kathy Hilton (66), Cole Doman (32) |
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