| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover feature is a special piece on the late Hollywood icon Robert Redford. The entertainment industry is reeling over ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. Vernon Sanders is leaving Amazon MGM. Amazon has confirmed a The Summer I Turned Pretty feature. Seth Rogen is reviving The Muppets Show for Disney+. — Abid Rahman
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Robert Redford, The Way He Was ►On the cover. For THR, Stephen Galloway recalls the time he interviewed Robert Redford, the legendary actor and Sundance founder who was famously late for everything — but always ahead of his time. Stephen reflects on Redford's life and legacy, writing that, "when we talk of Hollywood’s second golden age, the 1970s, it’s in part because of films like Butch Cassidy and a swirl of other Redford vehicles that followed it, like The Sting and The Candidate. The actor may have looked like an old-school studio star, perfect for lush romances like 1973’s The Way We Were; he may not have appeared in other, grittier ’70s masterpieces like The Godfather or Taxi Driver. But the era is unimaginable without him." The cover story.
—"Not your garden-variety celebrity." In a special piece for THR, famed film scholar Peter Biskind recounts how Robert Redford, the reluctant movie star, shook up cinema — and Hollywood— forever: "Redford was too liberal to embrace the old Hollywood establishment, and throughout his career, he devoted himself to deploying the power that celebrity confers to effect progressive social change, showing a particular affinity for environmentalism, Native American rights and, above all, nurturing young filmmakers by imbuing them with his own independent spirit." The story. |
Shocker: ABC Suspends 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' ►Chilling. ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show over his comments about the Charlie Kirk shooting. A network spokesperson said Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be pulled from the schedule "indefinitely." The network’s action came just after Nexstar, one of the biggest owners of local TV stations in the country — including 28 ABC affiliates — said it will preempt the series for the immediate future. A source said that ABC had also heard from at least one other station group about the show, suggesting that an affiliate revolt may have played a role in the decision. The story.
—So, comedy is illegal again? It’s safe to assume that Donald Trump is jumping with joy over Jimmy Kimmel Live! getting suspended by ABC. After attending a state dinner earlier on Wednesday evening, the president took to Truth Social at 1 a.m. in the U.K., writing, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT” The story.
—"We are seeing the results of electing a fascist and what it feels like to be living under a fascist regime." As Trump gloated, several Hollywood figures and politicians slammed ABC's decision. The likes of Ben Stiller, Jean Smart, Wanda Sykes, Michael Kosta, Paul Scheer and Chuck Schumer weighed in on the news on Wednesday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the network's move an attack on free speech, writing on X, “Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous. The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.” The story.
—"The type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms." The WGA and SAG-AFTRA put out statements on Wednesday night ripping ABC for pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. "The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other — to disturb, even — is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice," said the WGA West and East. The industry’s performers’ union's statement said, "Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on." The story.
—"He is now cancelled and unemployed." Leading MAGA personalities were reveling in the news about Jimmy Kimmel Live! On Wednesday evening, several right-wing figures, including Benny Johnson, Laura Loomer and Matt Walsh, were quick to celebrate the cancellation, with many seeing it as appropriate action given Kimmel’s comments about Kirk. Others saw it as retribution for what they believe was years of cancellations suffered by conservatives, and others felt that it was comeuppance for Kimmel for his many years of being an outspoken critic of Trump. Jeremy Hambly, a MAGA YouTuber known as The Quartering, called for more scalps. “Stephen Colbert Is Gone Jimmy Kimmel Is Gone. We’re not done yet. Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers. All Have To Go,” Hambly tweeted. The story. |
How Legacy Media Fumbled the Charlie Kirk Shooting ►"Too many outlets don’t employ reporters who truly live online." In a guest column for THR, Taylor Lorenz writes that the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting exposed how little traditional journalists understand the platforms shaping online radicalization and real-world violence. The column.
—Moving on. Vernon Sanders, the head of TV for Amazon MGM Studios, is exiting the company. "Throughout my tenure, the company has repeatedly entrusted me with expanded responsibilities and new challenges," Sanders wrote to staff on Wednesday. "While I have been deeply honored by that growth in scope, I’ve found myself increasingly distant from what originally drew me to this industry – the day-to-day creative process of making television. Earlier this summer, I made the decision to return to those creative roots." Sanders joined Amazon Studios in 2018 from NBC, reuniting with his former colleague Jen Salke, who had been tapped to lead the tech giant’s entertainment division. Salke exited Amazon MGM Studios earlier this year, launching a new production company with a first-look deal with the studio. The story.
—🤝 Licensing deal. 🤝 Spotify and Sony Music Group have reached an agreement for a new multi-year global licensing deal, the companies announced on Wednesday. The companies didn’t disclose specifics on the deal beyond confirming it includes both recorded music and music publishing, which they said means “songwriters share more directly in the growth of streaming.” With Sony secured, Spotify has officially reached new agreements with all three of the major music companies, after announcing new deals with Universal Music Group back in January and Warner Music Group a month later. The story.
—✊ "We deserve to fight for sustainable careers." ✊ The Animation Guild has launched an ambitious attempt to unionize feature production workers at Netflix Animation Studios as part of its broader effort to expand its reach inside the animation production space. On Wednesday, a group of 60 workers requested voluntary recognition of a union from management, according to the guild. The group is attempting to bring an array of production workers — from production assistants to production supervisors to script coordinators — under the tent. The group has worked on titles including the streamer’s upcoming projects based on Roald Dahl’s works and 2023’s Leo . The guild simultaneously announced that it is attempting to organize the series Ted, the Peacock continuation of Seth MacFarlane’s franchise. The story. |
America's Most Trusted News Stars in the Trump Era Are… ►Fox News up, Joe Scarborough and Chris Cuomo down. TV viewers may not watch The Late Show live anymore, but if Stephen Colbert has something interesting to say, it’ll rack up millions of views instantly on social platforms and YouTube and be recirculated by creators and journalists repurposing those comments for their own audiences. Ditto for, say, news talent like Anderson Cooper or Gayle King or Sean Hannity or Rachel Maddow. That’s influence. Right now, even though it may sound counterintuitive, more Americans overall may recognize David Muir than Joe Rogan. Broadcast’s enduring megaphone of awareness and (to some extent) credibility, is undeniable, a new THR/Morning Consult poll shows. The poll.
—"I deeply regret that my words." ABC News reporter Matt Gutman has issued a statement in the wake of backlash to his on-air comments about the suspected Charlie Kirk assassin and his roommate. The network’s chief national correspondent drew condemnation on Tuesday for calling the texts between suspected shooter Tyler Robinson and his roommate “very touching in a way we did not expect.” The comments drew immediate blowback online, with some accusing Gutman of romanticizing the person accused of murdering the conservative activist. On Wednesday, Gutman posted an explanation and apology on X. The story.
—📅 The end is nigh. 📅 MSNBC and NBC News, which have shared editorial resources going back to the cable news channel’s 1996 founding, will officially split beginning next month. Scott Matthews, senior VP of newsgathering for MSNBC, outlined the timeline on the channel’s daily editorial call Wednesday. The first key date will be Oct. 6, which is when NBC News staff that will be joining MSNBC move over to their new roles (for example, Vaughn Hillyard, NBC News White House correspondent, will become MSNBC White House correspondent on that day). All MSNBC staff will also begin using guidance from the newly-created MSNBC standards team. The story. |
'Miami Vice' Lands Release Date, Casting Underway ►📅 Dated! 📅 Director Joseph Kosinski‘s Miami Vice movie is a go. The Universal Pictures event pic will hit theaters on Aug. 6, 2027. Casting is currently underway, with shooting set to begin next year. Kosinski, who is coming off directing back-to back blockbusters — F1: The Movie and Top Gun: Maverick — will explore the glamour and corruption of mid-’80s Miami in a new version of Miami Vice, inspired by the pilot episode and first season of the landmark television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking. Kosinski will film the movie for Imax, much as he did with F1 and Maverick. The story.
—First-look. Ryan Gosling will make a splash with the forthcoming Star Wars: Starfighter. Director Shawn Levy posted a photo to Instagram on Wednesday of the actor in costume, offering the first look from the film’s shoot. Gosling and co-star Flynn Gray are seen posing with the Mediterranean Sea behind them. “Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea #Starfighter,” Levy captioned the image. Disney is set to release the film on May 28, 2027, after announcing the date earlier this year at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo. Plot details have not been revealed, but the stand-alone movie is set roughly five years after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The story.
—Never ending. It appears the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty won’t be the last word on the series after all. Hours after the season three finale debuted on Prime Video, the streamer announced it has greenlit a feature-length installment that will serve as the series ender. Jenny Han, author of the novels on which the series is based, will write alongside Sarah Kucserka and direct the movie, which will wrap up Belly’s (Lola Tung) story. “There is another big milestone left in Belly’s journey, and I thought only a movie could give it its proper due,” Han said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to Prime Video for continuing to support my vision for this story and for making it possible to share this final chapter with the fans.” The story.
—🎭 Hot property. 🎭 Paul Walter Hauser is joining the cast of director Zach Cregger's new Resident Evil movie. The busy actor, who appeared this summer in such films as The Naked Gun and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, will star alongside previously confirmed castmember Austin Abrams in Sony Pictures‘ new take on the franchise. The feature hits theaters Sept. 18, 2026, and adapts the popular video game series about an elite task force battling zombies. Cregger, who had a hit this summer with Warner Bros.’ Weapons, will helm Resident Evil from a script he is co-writing with Shay Hatten. Plot details have not yet been disclosed for the project that hails from Constantin Film. The story.
—🏆 Bonne chance! 🏆 France has selected Jafar Panahi‘s Iranian drama It Was Just an Accident to represent the country at next year’s Oscars in the best international feature category. This is the second year running that a European country has nominated a film from an Iranian dissident director for the Academy Awards. Last year, Germany put forward Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which secured an Oscar nomination. It Was Just an Accident premiered in Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or for best film. It is also considered a frontrunner for the best international feature race. The story.
—🏆 Held og lykke! 🏆 Denmark has gone for politics over drama and comedy in its Oscar selection, choosing David Borenstein’s Sundance award-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The film, which won the World Cinema documentary special jury prize at Sundance, follows a primary school teacher in Russia who pushed back against Putin’s propaganda, covertly recording how the regime uses misinformation and agitprop to brainwash a generation of future military conscripts in its ongoing war against Ukraine. The story. |
'South Park' to Skip Another Week as Creators Issue Statement ►Don't panic! South Park is skipping yet another week, with the cable network releasing the news on Wednesday, Sept. 17 — the same day as the new episode was supposed to air. This time, however, the news came with a rare statement from creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone: "Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done. This one’s on us. We didn’t get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!" The move follows the show shifting from a weekly to a biweekly schedule this season, which has been breaking ratings records. Comedy Central says the remaining six episodes will air as follows (subject to change, obviously): Sept. 24, Oct. 15, Oct. 29, Nov. 12, Nov. 26 and Dec. 10. The episode was particularly anticipated as it was the first one scheduled in the wake of Charlie Kirk being assassinated. The story.
—Going Gonzo. Seth Rogen is basically a Muppet in human form, so it makes sense he would be the one to revive The Muppet Show. The iconic franchise will return in 2026 as a Disney+ special starring and executive produced by Sabrina Carpenter. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the original variety series and the hope is for the special to serve as a backdoor pilot for a new season of the series that debuted in the ‘70s. Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee will executive produce the special for Point Grey Pictures. David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach executive produce for The Muppets Studio. The story.
—🎭 Hiring from within. 🎭 Apple TV+ has greenlit a limited series called The Off Weeks, with Severance executive producer/director Ben Stiller and Jessica Chastain, who stars in Apple's forthcoming drama The Savant, set for the lead roles. Both will also serve as exec producers. Alissa Nutting will serve as showrunner on The Off Weeks , with Michael Showalter (who developed the project through his Semi-Formal Productions) directing. Apple Studios and Wiip are producing the show. The series will follow a recently divorced professor, Gus Adler (Stiller), who struggles to hold things together during “on weeks” when he has custody of his kids. In his “off weeks,” he’s falling dangerously in love with Stella West (Chastain), a mysterious woman who puts Gus’ on-week obligations and off-week ambitions “on a fatal collision course,” per the show’s logline. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 A new four-part drama adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale Of Two Cities starring Kit Harington, Francois Civil and Mirren Mack has been picked up by MGM+ in the U.S. and the BBC in the U.K. Hong Khaou will direct the limited series and Daniel West has penned the script for the adventure drama that will start production next month. Set in London in 1782, a synopsis reads: "Tensions run high in the war between France and Britain. A young woman, Lucie Manette, (Mack) has her life upended when she receives a message from Paris — her father, assumed dead for almost 20 years, may be alive. The messenger — idealistic French emigré, Charles Darnay (Civil) — is arrested and charged with treason. Lucie enlists the help of a brilliant but erratic young lawyer, Sydney Carton (Harington), to free Darnay in the hope he will lead her to Paris to track down her father." The story. |
Kidman, Fanning to Star in A24 Legal Thriller 'Discretion' ►🎭 Together again. 🎭 Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and A24 are teaming up for a legal thriller series. The indie studio outbid several others for Discretion, based on a short story by best-selling author Chandler Baker. Kidman and Fanning are set to star in the project and will also serve as executive producers. The project is a reunion for Kidman, Fanning and A24, who are also behind Apple TV+’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles. Plot details are being kept quiet, but the Dallas-set story is based in part on Baker’s experiences as a corporate attorney. Baker will adapt her story with the intent for Discretion to become an ongoing series. A24 will shop the project to potential buyers soon. The story.
—The truth! Amazon Prime Video has renewed We Were Liars, the hit mystery thriller from Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie that is based on E. Lockhart’s bestselling 2014 novel. "We loved making this show with so many spectacular humans," said the co-creators. "The fan response was truly special. There are still plenty of secrets buried on Beechwood Island and we can’t wait to keep digging them up." Lockhart added that MacKenzie and Plec have "big, big plans for season two, including everything readers of my books are dying to see onscreen — and a lot of surprises as well." The story.
—Early vote of confidence. CBS has ordered seven additional episodes of of DMV, the first-year single-camera comedy set at a DMV office in L.A. The seven extra shows will bring the show to a full-season order of 20 episodes. It’s somewhat unusual for a broadcast network to extend a full-season order before a show debuts — DMV is scheduled to premiere Oct. 13 — but CBS has liked the episodes it has seen thus far. DMV landed a series order in April and is nearing the end of production on its initial set of 13 episodes. The series, from creator Dana Klein and CBS Studios, follows the underpaid workers at the East Hollywood DMV office as they navigate workplace politics and relationships and interact with customers who would rather be anywhere else. The cast includes Harriet Dyer, Tim Meadows, Tony Cavalero, Molly Kearney, Alex Tarrant and Gigi Zumbado. The story. |
Film Review: 'One Battle After Another' ►"A furious American epic, with style." For THR, Richard Lawson reviews Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall and Benicio Del Toro star in the film about an ex-revolutionary group, aimed squarely and righteously at the nightmare politics of today. Written by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's Vineland. The review.
—"Not the GOAT." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Justin Tipping's Him. In this Jordan Peele-produced feature, a promising young football player endures a hellish week of training under the guidance of his idol, a charismatic star quarterback nearing retirement. Starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker and Jim Jeffries. Written by Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers and Justin Tipping. The review.
In other news...
—The Diplomat S3 trailer has Allison Janney’s president "about to do something apocalyptically dumb"
—Ozzy's health struggles, Post Malone collab teased in Ozzy: No Escape From Now trailer
—Victoria Beckham gets emotional in Netflix docuseries trailer
—Batman No. 1 comic sells over half a million copies
—Mario Lopez to host 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards
—Brad Everett Young, celebrity photographer and actor, dies at 46
What else we're reading...
—Ben Smith goes inside FCC chief Brendan Carr and the White House’s war on the media [Semafor]
—Steve Fisher, José de Córdoba and Santiago Pérez report that due to Trump's war on fentanyl, Americans are back in love with cocaine and the demand has been a boon to Mexico's new drug king [WSJ]
—Evelyn Cheng reports that China's Huawei is touting the "world’s most powerful" AI chip, which is likely bad news for Nvidia [CNBC]
—Emma Specter talks to Hannah Einbinder about her viral Emmy speech and getting a fresh haircut for S5 of Hacks [Vogue]
—Tom Faber goes inside the bitter lawsuits and recrimination behind attempts to create a sequel to Disco Elysium, widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made [NYT]
Today...
...in 1965, NBC debuted a new comedy series, Get Smart. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jada Pinkett Smith (54), James Marsden (52), Patrick Schwarzenegger (32), Jason Sudeikis (50), Aisha Tyler (55), Billy Eichner (47), John Powell (62), Alison Lohman (46), Holly Robinson Peete (61), Gerry Bamman (84), Christina Chong (41), Christopher Heyerdahl (62), Babs Olusanmokun (41), Beth Grant (76), Chidi Ajufo (43), Tim McInnerny (69), Tara Fitzgerald (58), Adeel Akhtar (45), Sepideh Moafi (40), Keeley Hazell (39), Aidan Gallagher (22), Nina Arianda (41), Michael Landes (53), Natalia Safran (55), Charity Wakefield (45), Denis Ménochet (49), Anna Thomson (72), Nicole da Silva (44), Jinkx Monsoon (38), Barrett Foa (48), Lee Joo-bin (36), Marissa Lenti (33), Jackson Robert Scott (17), Tomasz Schuchardt (39) |
| John Masius, the writer and producer who won two Emmys for his work on St. Elsewhere and created the uplifting network dramas Touched by an Angel and Providence, has died. He was 75. The obituary. |
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