| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is Hollywood's newest It Girl, Odessa A'zion. CBS News has offered buyouts to non-union staff on the CBS Evening News. Melania has been pulled from release in South Africa. Netflix has renewed The Lincoln Lawyer. And Bluey retained its title as the most streamed show in the world. — Abid Rahman
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Odessa A'zion Is Down to Play Crazy ►On the cover. In HBO's hit comedy I Love LA, she’s a manic TikTok striver. In Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme, she’s a combustible climber keeping up with Timothée Chalamet. In reality, Odessa A'zion, Hollywood’s newest It Girl, is a baggy jeans-wearing homebody with three roommates, seven pets and a complicated family legacy. The in-demand actress is, however, aware that she’s in the middle of an atmospheric rise. The signs are everywhere, including being asked to do her first major magazine cover. Despite her onscreen bravado, and growing up in the industry as the daughter of Emmy-nominated actress Pamela Adlon, A'zion tells THR 's Seija Rankin that she feels woefully underprepared: "I’m not used to this many people paying attention to me." The cover story.
—"Fuck that. I’m OUT." On Wednesday night, A’zion announced that she has exited Sean Durkin’s A24 film Deep Cuts following online backlash to her casting, which was only revealed 48 hours ago. A’zion took to Instagram Stories to tell her fans and followers that she’s listened loud and clear to their comments and concerns about whitewashing the adaptation of Holly Brickley’s novel. A’zion was poised to play a character named Zoe Gutierrez, who is described in the book as half Mexican and half Jewish. The story. |
Peacock Posts $552M Loss, Subs Rise to 44M ►Sporting ups and downs. Peacock has posted a widened Q4 loss of $552m, compared with $372m in the year-ago period. Parent company Comcast, which announced its latest financial results on Thursday, put the higher Peacock loss down in part to the launch of the NBA and an exclusive NFL game. Due to its sports and entertainment lineup, Peacock posted $1.6b in total revenue, up from $1.3b the year-ago quarter. The streamer recorded 44m paying subscribers, compared with 41m at the end of Q3 and 36m a year ago. The results.
—The purge begins. CBS News has offered buyouts to non-union staff on the CBS Evening News, as the network continues to move forward on its overhaul of the nightly news program under Tony Dokoupil. The new anchor took over the broadcast earlier this month, seeking to remake the show in pursuit of a larger strategy outlined by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Weiss held a town hall with CBS News staff Tuesday, in which she formally addressed her vision for the network news division. The story.
—🤝 Refinancing deal. 🤝 AMC Entertainment Holdings, parent of AMC Theatres, says it has reached agreement with some bondholders to allow another balance sheet refinancing to include new debt and guarantees by the mega cinema chain. AMC Theatres said some lenders holding Muvico, LLC senior secured notes due 2029 have allowed the company flexibility to refinance its existing term loan credit agreement and the 12.75 percent Odeon senior secured notes due 2027. The agreement, following talks with some bondholders, will allow new debt to be secured and guarantees by AMC Theatres, and its Odeon and Muvico subsidiaries. The story.
—🤝 Settlement. 🤝 Copshop writer Kurt McLeod has settled a lawsuit against his managers accusing them of having a conflict of interest when they negotiated his deal for the movie. Lawyers for McLeod and Zero Gravity Management founders Eric and Mark Williams on Wednesday notified the court of a deal to resolve the case. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The legal battle started in 2022 when McLeod sued Zero Gravity for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, among other claims, related to his compensation for co-writing the screenplay for the 2021 movie starring Gerard Butler. The story. |
'Melania' Abruptly Pulled From Release in South Africa ►Consequences. Earlier this week, Amazon and the filmmaking team behind Melania were expected to announce the 20 or more countries where the documentary is opening overseas this weekend, timed to its Jan. 30 release in North America. But those plans never materialized. One possible reason for the switch-up emerged on Wednesday when a media outlet in South Africa reported that the film’s distributor was pulling Melania from release at the 11th hour. Donald Trump has been extremely critical of South Africa since the start of his second term, including suggesting that the country’s white minority is facing a genocide, and introducing potentially crippling tariffs. The story.
—"I can’t work freely." Kristen Stewart is looking to potentially move out of the U.S. amid Trump's calamitous and increasingly dangerous second term in the White House. In a new interview, the Oscar-nominated actress and director, who currently lives in Los Angeles and New York, was asked if she thinks she will stay in America. "Probably not," she responded. "I can’t work freely there. But I don’t want to give up completely. I’d like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people." The story.
—The Boss steps up. Bruce Springsteen released a protest song Wednesday about what he called the "state terror" ICE committed in Minneapolis and the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The song, titled "Streets of Minneapolis" has Springsteen singing about "King Trump’s private army from the DHS," with the chorus line "Here in our home they killed and roamed / In the winter of ’26, we’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis." "I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen said Wednesday. "It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renée Good. Stay free." The story.
—Worst person in the world meme. Kid Rock returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon to testify before Congress on behalf of artists on the skyrocketing costs of concert and event ticketing, sharing with lawmakers his ideas on how to combat the corporations and scammers driving up ticket costs, leaving fans shut out and providing no benefit to the artists. "I’m in a unique position to testify, because unlike most of my peers, I am beholden to no one, no record companies, no managers, no corporate endorsements or deals," the singer told the committee. "To put it plainly, I ain’t scared, like many artists, managers and agents are, for fear of biting the hand that feeds them." The story.
—"2027 is definitely a wrap for me." Ray J has revealed that he only has months left to live after being hospitalized for a severe case of pneumonia earlier in January. The "One Wish" singer took to his Instagram on Jan. 25 to share an update on his health after he "almost died." "I was in the hospital. My heart’s only beating, like, 25 percent, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be alright," he said. While Ray J later admitted in the video that his health is still "not OK," he added that he’s appreciative of those standing by his side during this time: "Thank you to my mom, [sister] Brandy, and my dad, and everybody for helping me through." The story. |
'Bluey' Retains Title as Most Streamed Show in 2025 ►The biggest WOOF possible! Stranger Things was far and away the most watched original series on any streaming platform in 2025. It was so big, in fact, that just the five weeks at the end of the year when its final season debuted led all others. What Stranger Things was not, though, was No. 1 overall for the year in streaming. That title once again belongs to Bluey, the beloved kids show that racked up more viewing time than anything else in Nielsen’s streaming ratings. The ratings service’s year-end totals have Bluey at 45.2b minutes of viewing time on Disney+, leading the rankings for the second straight year (it also finished second overall to Suits in 2023). Grey’s Anatomy and its more than 450-episode library took second place with 40.92b minutes of viewing on Netflix and Hulu, and Stranger Things (39.95b minutes) came in third overall. The story.
—Tai-wins. Netflix on Thursday unveiled its full Chinese-language content slate for 2026, outlining seven new original series that further cement the streamer’s long-term bet on Taiwan as its primary hub for Mandarin-language production amid mainland China’s ongoing ban on foreign streaming services. Seven newly announced series span medical drama, psychological thrillers and genre fare. The new slate builds on Chinese-language projects Netflix has already unveiled for early 2026, led by Left-Handed Girl, which opens Jan. 30. The lineup.
—Staying on retainer. A week ahead of the show’s season four premiere, Netflix has renewed The Lincoln Lawyer for a fifth installment. The drama based on Michael Connelly’s novels stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller. Season four of the show is based on Connelly’s book The Law of Innocence, the fifth volume in his Mickey Haller series. It will pick up from the end of season three, when the body of a former client, Sam Scales, was discovered in the trunk of Mickey’s Lincoln. He decides to defend himself when he is charged with Scales’ murder. The story.
—We choo-choo choose Thomas. Mattel is planning a full franchise relaunch of Thomas & Friends, the long-running children’s brand, including a “bold new look” for Thomas the Tank Engine. The beloved character made his debut in a series of British children’s books in 1945, but it was the U.K. TV series, which debuted in 1984, that made the blue train a global phenomenon. Ringo Starr served as the original narrator, with stars like Pierce Brosnan, George Carlin and Alec Baldwin all lending their voices to the program at various points during its multi-decade run. The show has been at times live-action, CGI and most recently 2D animated (the latest iteration wrapped its run on Netflix late last year). The story. |
'Survivor 50': Jeff Probst Reveals Casting Secrets ►"For this cast, a lot of people weighed in — not just our producers, but people at CBS." For THR, Terry Terrones visited the set of Survivor's landmark 50th season and spoke to Jeff Probst. The long-running host of the reality competition dishes on putting together the roster for S50, why he still approaches the game as something he’s building for the next generation of fans — and whether or not we might see him jet ski into a Final Tribal Council ever again. The interview.
—The tribe has spoken. As the Survivor franchise gears up for the Feb. 25 premiere of a milestone season, THR takes a first look at the S50 tribes and the complete cast assembled in Fiji. The lineup. |
Brandon Sanderson's 'Cosmere' Picked Up by Apple ►🤝 Huge rights deal. 🤝 Could the next great fantasy screen franchise be here? Apple TV believes so. THR's Borys "Der Scoopmeister" Kit has the scoop that the streaming giant has closed what has been described as an unprecedented deal to land the rights to the Cosmere books, the fictional literary universe by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. The first titles being eyed for adaptation are the Mistborn series, for features, and The Stormlight Archive series, for television. The deal is rare one, coming after a competitive situation which saw Sanderson meet with most of the studio heads in town. It gives the author rarefied control over the screen translations, according to sources. Sanderson will be the architect of the universe; will write, produce and consult; and will have approvals. That’s a level of involvement that not even J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin enjoys. The story.
—Wan-wan! Japan’s box office came roaring back to good health in 2025 — a hopeful indicator for the battered global theatrical business, delivered from what remains the world’s third-largest film market. Annual grosses surged 32 percent to a record $1.79b, according to figures released Thursday by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. The 2025 total significantly surpassed the previous high of $1.70b set in 2019, underscoring a decisive recovery after several years of pandemic-era disruption. The rebound was driven overwhelmingly by high-quality local hits, led by anime mega-blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Part 1, which dominated the market with $255m. The box office report.
—🎭 Sweat equity. 🎭 Ana de Armas has signed on to play an ambitious fitness influencer whose carefully curated world falls apart in Sweat, the new film from J Blakeson, the British director of I Care a Lot. De Armas will play Emma Kent, a fitness influencer who dreams of becoming a social media star like her idol, Kat Highbrook. But when an encounter with Kat goes horribly wrong, Emma is forced into a dangerous arrangement with Trent, an obsessive fan, whose unhinged devotion pushes Emma to choose how far she’s willing to go for fame. Sweat is an English-language adaptation of Magnus von Horn‘s 2020 Polish feature of the same name, starring Magdalena Kolesnik, which premiered in Cannes in 2020. The story.
—🎭 Dream team. 🎭 Sam Worthington and David Duchovny have joined Taiwanese actress Ke-Xi Wu to star in The Exiles, the English-language debut of festival-favorite filmmaker Midi Z. A buzzy expat crime thriller inspired by true events, the film is currently shooting on location in Taipei with a multi-Oscar-nominated production team, including cinematographer Ed Lachman, editor Hank Corwin and composer Lim Giong. The film is said to follow “a desperate Westerner’s pursuit of greener pastures in Asia, where greed, rivalry and ego ultimately spiral into a shocking murder.” The story.
—🎭 New signing. 🎭 Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster is set to join the cast of Universal's live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2. Dunster will bring to life the character of Eret, who shows up in in the 2014 animated movie as the cocky, boastful and self-proclaimed “finest dragon trapper alive.” Dunster joins Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn in the sequel to Universal’s 2025 hit that earned $636m worldwide. The story. |
Broadway Grosses Tumble After Snowstorm ►Revenue freeze. Broadway grosses tumbled close to 14 percent as several productions canceled performances due to the snowstorm in New York City. Ten productions cancelled a total of 13 performances Sunday, including & Juliet, Aladdin, All Out: Comedy About Ambition, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mamma Mia!, MJ, Ragtime, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Book of Mormon and The Lion King. Still, the remaining 21 went on amid the snowstorm, even as total industry attendance for the week dropped 9 percent, suggesting reduced audiences Sunday. Some shows seized the opportunity by offering steep discounts, as in the case of Bug , starring Carrie Coon, which announced a last-minute deal on all remaining matinee tickets for $45 (the show took a $31,000 hit to grosses from the prior week with a slight drop in attendance to 92 percent). The box office report.
—🎭 Three more. 🎭 Stephanie Hsu, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Rachel Dratch and more are joining the Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show. Rodriguez will make her Broadway debut as Columbia, while Hsu will star as Janet. Dratch will play the narrator. Harvey Guillén will make his Broadway debut as Eddie/Dr. Scott, Juliette Lewis will make her Broadway debut as Magenta. Andrew Durand will play Brad, opposite Hsu. Amber Gray will play Riff Raff and Josh Rivera will make his Broadway debut as Rocky. The cast will also include Renée Albulario, Anania, Boy Radio, Caleb Quezon, Andres Quintero, Larkin Reilly, Paul Soileau and John Yi. The story.
—Shortening spell. The West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will “evolve into its reimagined format” and now serve as a single performance. The decision to turn the two-part stage extension of J.K. Rowling's Potterworld into one aims at making the show more accessible. The play, penned by Adolescence screenwriter Jack Thorne, will now have a runtime of two hours and 55 minutes and deliver the entire story in a single performance — the version of the show currently performed by companies around the globe, including the Broadway production in New York City since 2021. The story. |
Film Review: 'Give Me the Ball!' ►"Game, set, match." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff's Give Me the Ball! A ESPN’s 30 for 30 doc series entry, is a lovingly made account of the life and career of Billie Jean King, a galvanizing force in sports, women’s rights and LGBTQ visibility. Also featuring Ilana Kloss, Elton John, Serena Williams, Julie Heldman, Larry King, Rosie Casals and Chris Evert. The review.
—"An unholy icon sheds her celebrity skin." David reviews Edward Lovelace and James Hall's Antiheroine. This Sundance-bowing Courtney Love doc weaves an archival history of the Hole frontwoman in her own words as she works on her first album of new music in over a decade. Also featuring Michael Stipe, Melissa Auf der Maur, Eric Erlandson, Patty Schemel, Billie Joe Armstrong and Butch Walker. The review.
—"Not much depth, but a solid primer." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Antoine Fuqua's Troublemaker. The Training Day and Equalizer director's 94-minute Sundance premiering doc covers Nelson Mandela's life, with a boost from artist Thabang Lehobye. The review.
—"An engaging, human-centric take on an AI world." For THR, Caryn James reviews Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell's The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. The Sundance doc takes a personal, visually inventive approach to the fast-approaching AI future. The review.
—"Wrenching, illuminating and full of heart." THR's Sheri Linden's reviews Dawn Porter's When a Witness Recants. Ta-Nehisi Coates serves as an executive producer and interviewee in this film exploring a high-profile crime in 1983 Baltimore and the prosecutorial misconduct that targeted three innocent teenagers. The review. |
Film Review: 'Shelter' ►"Plenty of action, but some heart as well." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Ric Roman Waugh's Shelter. In this action thriller, Jason Statham plays a former Special Services soldier desperately trying to protect a young girl. Also starring Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Naomi Ackie and Bill Nighy. Written by Ward Parry. The review.
In other news...
—Paradise S2 trailer: Sterling K. Brown journeys above to find his wife
—Tallinn Fest names Triin Tramberg new artistic director
—Buchwald names Flora Huang new CFO
—Leonard Kornberg, longtime studio exec and story analyst, dies at 75
What else we're reading...
—Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg and Joe Flint report that media mogul Barry Diller told Warner Discovery he is interested in buying CNN [WSJ]
—Brian Stelter writes that the Trump-approved U.S.-owned TikTok is off to a calamitous start [CNN]
—Anna Russell ruminates on the Beckham family meltdown, and wonders whether estrangement with Brooklyn will be just as much of a public spectacle [New Yorker]
—Matteo Wong believes AI company Anthropic is at war with itself as it keeps shouting about AI’s dangers can’t quite bring itself to slow down [Atlantic]
—Michael Paulson reflects on the success of The Outsiders, the first new new musical to open on Broadway since 2022 to become profitable [NYT]
Today...
...in 2010, Warner Bros. Pictures released Martin Campbell's Edge of Darkness in theaters. The Mel Gibson-led conspiracy thriller, based on Campbell's own excellent 1985 BBC series, was a critical and commercial misfire. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Oprah Winfrey (72), Lewis Pullman (33), Heather Graham (56), Justin Hartley (49), Edward Burns (58), Sara Gilbert (51), Tom Selleck (81), Katharine Ross (86), MacKenzie Porter (36), Jason James Richter (46), Isabel Lucas (41), Amie Donald (16), Sam Trammell (57), Nicholas Turturro (64), Lisa Emery (74), Andrew Keegan (47), Terry Kinney (72), Michael Smiley (63), Madison Bailey (27), Mark Rowley (36), Marc Singer (78), Sam Jaeger (49), Monica Horan (63), Clifford Chapin (38), Sharif Atkins (51), Judy Norton (68), Bobbie Phillips (58), Tenoch Huerta (45), Brian David Gilbert (32), Madeleine Madden (29), Kelly Packard (51), Milena Radulović (31), François Civil (36), Brian Michael Smith (43), Winslow Fegley (17), Claudine Longet (84), Damien Leone (44), Julee Cerda (48) |
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