| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! And this week's cover star is THR's Sherry Lansing Leadership Award recipient Gwyneth Paltrow. LAT journalists won’t be going on strike after all. Stranger Things: The Finale is heading to 500 cinemas. Lori Loughlin is returning to Hallmark Channel drama When Calls The Heart. And Hamilton hit its highest gross ever last week with a whopping $4.9m. — Abid Rahman
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THR's 100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment 2025 ►Leading lights. It might be the end-of-year euphoria talking, but the most influential women in Hollywood sound downright bullish on the industry’s future. And why not? Facing consolidation and tighter budgets, those creating, funding and toplining film and TV delivered box office optimism and streaming breakouts. In THR’s annual survey of the most powerful females in entertainment, this year’s honorees discuss how they got it done while revealing the trends they’re ready to let die, confess their AI flirtations and much, much more. The list.
—Why the WIE issue still matters. THR's editor-in-chief Maer Roshan pens an open letter on the continuing importance of long-running THR's Women In Entertainment issue. Maer writes that in the 33 years THR has been publishing our annual WIE issue, "massive strides have been made — but not enough. We’re working hard to make sure some day it’s obsolete." The editor's letter. |
Gwyneth Gets Why You're Obsessed ►On the cover. Gwyneth Paltrow, the Goddess of Goop, is back onscreen with the buzzy Marty Supreme. On a rainy morning in mid-November, Paltrow, who’s being honored with THR's Sherry Lansing Leadership Award for her professional and philanthropic contributions, settled in for a wide-ranging conversation with Lacey Rose about her Hollywood reemergence, her L.A. exodus and her famously divisive role in culture. The cover story. |
WBD Empire Hangs in the Balance Amid New Bids ►Hotting up. The future of Warner Bros. Discovery is hanging in the balance, with the entertainment company’s board of directors now weighing second round bids for the company from Comcast, Paramount and Netflix. The offers were due Monday, and all three companies submitted their revised plans. While the specific cash amounts were not immediately clear (also complicated by the fact that only Paramount is pursuing the whole company), the second round bids included some notable tweaks. Netflix, for example, is now a mostly cash bid, after initially leaning on its stock as a key part of the deal. Paramount is offering all-cash, having secured debt financing. And Comcast is said to have proposed a deal that would see it spin out NBCUniversal into WBD in what would likely be a stock-heavy transaction. The story.
—✊ No strike! ✊ Los Angeles Times journalists won’t be going on strike after all. A little less than two months after its members authorized a strike, the newsroom union for L.A.’s paper of record has ratified a new labor contract. Around 87 percent of Los Angeles Times Guild members voted to support the deal on Tuesday. The development concludes a tortuous bargaining process that lasted longer than the term of the three-year contract. As it was negotiated, the Times lost a respected top newsroom editor, underwent rounds of layoffs and implemented an AI tool that drew a sharp rebuke from the union. The union also initiated its first-ever work stoppage over a round of staff cuts. The story.
—✊ First contract. ✊ It didn’t exactly get done in a 15-hour day, but production assistants on The Pitt finalized their first union contract in a relatively speedy manner. Just a few months after voting to unionize, the workers on the HBO Max medical drama have unanimously ratified their first contract with the production. The deal will apply to the show’s still-in-the-works second season and a third season if HBO Max renews the series. Reps from the labor group Production Assistants United announced the news on Tuesday. The labor contract allows PAs on the show to qualify for the Motion Picture Industry Health and Pension plans like other crew members. The story.
—The latest in corporate courage. The Federal Communications Commission has persuaded another major telecom company to eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. AT&T wrote a letter to FCC chairman Brendan Carr Monday that it is eliminating its DEI initiatives, "not just in name, but in substance." The changes include eliminating all roles focused on DEI, and ending any DEI-related training. The move by AT&T follows similar commitments to end DEI by Verizon and T-Mobile, as well as media companies like Paramount, with Skydance promising the FCC it would eliminate DEI at the company should the deal be approved. The story. |
'Stranger Things' Finale Runtime, Movie Theater Locations Revealed ►It's all happening. Stranger Things: The Finale is coming. The highly anticipated final showdown of the mega-hit series will be simultaneously playing out on both the small and big screen, and Netflix on Tuesday revealed both the official runtime for the feature-length ending, and the locations where fans can see the final episode in movie theaters. First, the official run time for The Finale will be two hours and five minutes. Next, fan screenings of the final episode of the coming-of-age sci-fi saga will be taking place in more than 500 theaters in the U.S. and Canada starting on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET — the same time the episode makes its global premiere on Netflix — and will run through Jan. 1, 2026. The story.
—WOOF! The final season of Stranger Things roared to its best opening week ever — and the second-biggest premiere for any Netflix original series. The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 racked up 59.6m views worldwide in the five days after their Nov. 26 premiere, according to Netflix’s first-party data. That’s the highest opening week total to date for any English-language series on the streamer — passing the 50.1m views for season one of Wednesday in November 2022 — and second among shows in all languages, behind only the 68m views for season two of Squid Games in its first week. The ratings. |
Regé-Jean Page to Star in "Erotic" Netflix Series ►🎭 Streamboat. 🎭 Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page is returning to Netflix in a new “erotic” thriller series Hancock Park, which is currently in development at the streamer. The Brit actor will also executive produce the potential series from studio Fifth Season. All going well, Page will play a member of Los Angeles high society whose family is struggling to hold onto their status. The series is written by Matthew Barry, the scribe behind The Guest, Industry and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The story.
—Jug Ears, Big Meeks and Smokey Alan are heading to NYC! The Rest Is Football podcast gang have signed on with Netflix to bring their popular soccer show to the platform during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Hosts Gary Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer will present daily episodes of TRIF, one of the world’s biggest sports podcasts, during the showcase soccer tournament, that is set to be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer. The trio will cross the Atlantic and film the show in a studio in New York City, and will offer analysis on the games, interviews and insights. The story.
—Chatting up a storm. My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman is returning to Netflix on Dec. 16 with Michael B. Jordan, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and Jason Bateman as the subjects for season six of the streamer’s Letterman-hosted interview series. The three episodes in the season with actor-director-producer Jordan, creator-entrepreneur MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) and Emmy-winning producer-director Bateman will all release at once. The story. |
Macfadyen, Hunnam, Brühl Set for BBC/MGM+ Spy Series ►🎭 Le Carré heads rise up! 🎭 Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam and Daniel Brühl are headlining a new John le Carré series for the BBC and MGM+. Written by Stephen Cornwell with Clarissa Ingram, Legacy of Spies adapts the author’s best-selling novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and will also draw on additional material from A Legacy of Spies. The eight-part drama for BBC One in the U.K. and MGM+ in the U.S. is anchored by two-time Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning Macfadyen as master-spy George Smiley, Hunnam as British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, Brühl as East German spy Jens Fielder and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as Doris Quinz a.k.a. Agent Tulip. The story.
—🎭 Buzzy drama latest. 🎭 Nicholas Hoult and Daisy Edgar-Jones are set to lead a new Disney+ relationship comedy, Mosquito. From Poor Things screenwriter Tony McNamara, the six-part series is a sardonic look at a young couple’s relationship. The British powerhouse leads play Kate and Ed, a recently married couple whose secrets begin to reveal as daily life chips away at the personas they present — all started by an intrusive mosquito. The story.
—🎭 All-in on Alldridge. 🎭 Hulu has found the title star for its drama pilot Foster Dade. Death by Lightning actor Jack Alldridge has been cast in the lead role in the project, written by Greg Berlanti and Bash Doran and based on the novel Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos by Nash Jenkins. Production on the pilot is set to begin Tuesday in New York. Alldridge joins a cast that also includes Chloe East, Matt Bomer and Cameron Mann. The story.
—🎭 Restarting the Heart. 🎭 Former When Calls The Heart star Lori Loughlin is returning to the Hallmark Channel drama for season 14 after ties with the series were cut in 2019 following her arrest in a college admissions bribery scandal. Loughlin, an original cast member, will reprise her role as Abigail Stanton and will appear in six of the 12 episodes set for the upcoming season. The 14th season will shoot next year in and around Vancouver ahead of a 2027 premiere. Based on the novel by Janette Oke, the next cycle for the period-set series will also star Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry, Jack Wagner, Chris McNally, Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith. The story. |
NYFCC Name 'One Battle After Another' Best Film ►🏆 Aunt Gladys! 🏆 The New York Film Critics Circle has named One Battle After Another as its best film of 2025. Benicio del Toro also won best supporting actor for his work in the Paul Thomas Anderson film, which the night before won best feature at the Gotham Awards. In another repeat of the Gothams, Jafar Panahi was named best director for It Was Just an Accident. Elsewhere, The Secret Agent won two awards, for best international film and best actor (Wagner Moura). Best actress went to Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, while Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme scored best screenplay honors. Weapons‘ Amy Madigan was named best supporting actress. The winner.
—"The best movie of the year." Reviews are in for Marty Supreme — and they hint at a big awards season for Timothée Chalamet. The A24 feature is directed by Josh Safdie, who also wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborator Ronald Bronstein. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a born hustler and talented ping-pong player, who is loosely based on the real-life American table tennis champion Marty Reisman. The film, which had a surprise screening at the New York Film Festival in October, has received an impressive 95 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes as of Tuesday afternoon. And in addition to the movie’s overall praise, Chalamet, in particular, is receiving Oscar buzz for his work in the picture. The story.
—Give them the marketing Oscar. Table tennis is about to take over New York City. Airbnb is hosting the “Marty Supreme Invitational” on Dec. 17 at a secret Lower East Side location where guests can compete in an exclusive table tennis tournament celebrating the film. Guests will be immersed in a members-only table tennis gymnasium: arriving after hours, heading through the locker room and preparing to play. According to Airbnb, the referee is a New York table tennis “legend.” Top players will move through the bracket, while eliminated players will join the crowd for the final match. The story.
—Rising stars. The 2025 BAFTA Breakthrough U.S. cohort has arrived, with One Battle After Another's Chase Infiniti and Sinners star Miles Caton included on the list of rising star creatives working in film, games and television. BAFTA North America unveiled the lineup Tuesday. The British Academy’s flagship talent initiative provides a springboard for stars on the rise, and includes creatives working in costume design, production, casting, editing and games design, as well as performance, directing, composing and cinematography. Also featured on this year’s list is Nickel Boys' Brandon Wilson, Sorry, Baby writer-director-star Eva Victor, The Studio writer-producer Frida Perez and KPop Demon Hunters writer and director Min Ji (Maggie) Kang. The story. |
'Hamilton' Hits Record $4.9M on Broadway ►Boffo! Hamilton hit its highest gross ever last week with an eye-popping $4.9m. The total comes during the lucrative Thanksgiving week, but also with Leslie Odom Jr., an original cast member, in the company. Theatergoers had been flocking back to the musical since he returned Sept. 9 for a run that concluded Nov. 26. The musical also had a massive $454.81 average ticket price last week, leading to its close to $5m windfall for eight performances. Wicked still holds the highest weekly gross achieved by a Broadway show, after bringing in just over $5m across nine performances at the end of last year. The Broadway box office report.
—🎭 Leads in place. 🎭 Death of a Salesman will return to Broadway this spring starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf. This marks the second Broadway play produced by Scott Rudin and Barry Diller, since Rudin left the industry in the wake of a THR story about workplace bullying. The revival will be directed by Joe Mantello. Christopher Abbott will star as Biff Loman and Ben Ahlers will star as Happy Loman to Lane’s Willy Loman and Metcalf’s Linda Loman. The play is set for a 14-week run at the Winter Garden Theatre. The story. |
Film Review: 'Oh. What. Fun' ►"Not. That. Fun." THR's Angie Han reviews Michael Showalter's Oh. What. Fun. Michelle Pfeiffer leads this Amazon Prime Video Christmas dramedy about a woman who's fed up with her ungrateful family. Also starring Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Danielle Brooks, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu, Maude Apatow, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria and Joan Chen. Written by Chandler Baker and Michael Showalter. The review.
—"He's still a lethal weapon." THR's Frank Scheck reviews RJ Collins' Hunting Season. Mel Gibson plays a reclusive survivalist, who with his young daughter shelter a badly wounded woman in this violent thriller. Also starring Shelley Hennig, Sofia Hublitz and Jordi Molla. Written by Adam Hampton. The review.
In other news...
—People We Meet on Vacation trailer: Emily Bader and Tom Blyth are tense travel buddies
—Taylor Swift unveils The Eras Tour | The Final Show trailer
—Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Chappell Roan, Mariah Carey, Pitbull to perform
—Fox News names Aishah Hasnie anchor and White House correspondent
—Guillermo del Toro to receive BFI Fellowship honor
—Make-A-Wish gala: Goldie Hawn to be honored by son Oliver Hudson
—Gary Dauberman signs with WME
—David Matalon, co-founder of TriStar Pictures and former Regency CEO, dies at 82
What else we're reading...
—Brutal review from Scaachi Koul of Olivia Nuzzi's new audaciously boring book, American Canto [Slate]
—Must-read piece from Rose Horowitch about the explosion of registered disabled students at elite U.S. colleges, all to secure extra time on tests, housing accommodations and other benefits [Atlantic]
—With Spotify Wrapped season upon us, Liz Pelly writes that the streamer’s annual charts are just another version of the AI tech that’s alienating us from our inner lives [Guardian]
—Sacre bleu! A celebrated French critic says that Chinese wine now outshines France in technical precision [Vino Joy News]
—Kyle Buchanan reckons there are five certs for best picture this year, and he looks at the contenders that could fill the remaining slots [NYT]
Today...
...in 2003, New Line held the Los Angeles premiere of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The sequel went on to win 11 Oscars at the 76th Academy Awards, including best picture and director. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Brendan Fraser (57), Julianne Moore (65), Daryl Hannah (65), Amanda Seyfried (40), Andrew Stanton (60), Tiffany Haddish (46), Anna Chlumsky (45), Jenna Dewan (45), Michael Angarano (38), Keegan Connor Tracy (54), Holly Marie Combs (52), Liza Lapira (44), Dascha Polanco (43), Ethan Sandler (53), Brian Bonsall (44), Mark Deklin (58), Jake T. Austin (31), Steve Harris (60), Ola Rapace (54), Lisanne Falk (61), Shanley Caswell (34), Joseph Gatt (54), Bruno Campos (52), Adam Wingard (43), Filippo Nigro (55), Rainbow Sun Francks (46), David Gridley (35), Ruby Jay (21) |
| Craig Kellem, a onetime agent for comic legends George Carlin and Lily Tomlin who served as a producer on the chaotic first season of Saturday Night Live and on syndicated reboots of The Munsters, Dragnet and Adam-12, has died. He was 82. The obituary. |
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