| | | | | | What's news: Trump, unsurprisingly, hated Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show. Paul Thomas Anderson won the top prize at the DGA Awards. Melania dropped a whopping 67 percent in its second frame. And Austin Butler is attached to star in Edward Berger's Lance Armstrong biopic. — Abid Rahman
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Review: Bad Bunny's Exhilarating, Vital Super Bowl Performance ►"Good gracious this Super Bowl needed an injection of whatever it was that Bad Bunny brought to the game." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviewed Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. With Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a few celebrity guests dropping by, Daniel writes the Puerto Rican superstar pulled off one of the biggest parties to ever hit the field at a Super Bowl The review.
—Meanwhile on Earth 2. THR's Ethan "Sin Eater" Millman took one of the for the team and watched Turning Point USA’s MAGA-friendly “All American” Halftime Show, featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, a lineup that was billed as the "anti-woke" alternative to Bad Bunny. The recap.
—"The world saw some of Hollywood’s most popular Latino artists and actors, partying Boricua style." For THR, Cata Balzano reflects on how Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show put Boricua culture on the world’s stage. Cata writes, "Benito made the world adapt to him, not the other way around, and his performance on the Super Bowl stage was no different. He expects us all to understand where he is coming from and what he wants to say." The story.
—"Well. That made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done." Following his 13-minute set, reviews began pouring in for Bad Bunny's performance, with prominent Hollywood figures taking to social media to weigh in on the Grammy Award winner's landmark performance. The reaction.
—Classy, as always. While Bad Bunny was expressing love during his performance, Donald Trump decided to stay consistent and predictable and react with hate. Shortly after the halftime show wrapped Sunday night, the president quickly took to Truth Social to share his thoughts on the performance. And to no surprise, as Trump has been outspoken about his disdain for the Grammy winner, he called it “absolutely terrible” and “disgusting.” The story.
—AI overload. THR's Steven Zeitchik reflects on the ubiquity of AI at the Super Bowl, with the Big Tech giants selling us all their vision of the future. Steve writes that from Google to Meta to Microsoft, we were handed a world in which all our cares have been whisked away. Except for all the new ones that have come to take their place. The analysis.
All the Super Bowl trailers...
—Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer shows Yoshi powering up
—Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel drops surprise teaser
—Minions & Monsters Super Bowl trailer reveals sequel’s first footage and film’s title
—Mandalorian & Grogu pays homage to great Super Bowl spots
—Steven Spielberg beams into Super Bowl with Disclosure Day spot
—Supergirl soars on Super Bowl Sunday
—Ryan Gosling makes an alien best friend in Project Hail Mary |
Savannah Guthrie Acknowledges "Message" From Suspected Kidnappers ►"We will pay." Savannah Guthrie has issued a new video message on Saturday acknowledging that her family has received a message from the suspected kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. Sitting with her her brother, Camron Guthrie, and sister, Annie Guthrie, Savannah began, “We received your message, and we understand.” “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in the new video shared on Instagram. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.” The story.
—Moving to trial. A grand jury in New Mexico has returned an indictment against actor and director Timothy Busfield, according to a review of the court docket. Busfield was charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. He’s been accused of sexually abusing two boys on the set of the former Fox/Warner Bros. Television series The Cleaning Lady. “As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in a statement. “This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial.” The story.
—"He was an amazingly talented young man." Lil Jon has announced that his missing son, Nathan Smith, known professionally as DJ Young Slade, has died after a body was discovered in a pond near Smith’s home in an affluent Georgia town. Smith was 27. "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother (Nicole Smith) and I are devastated,” Lil Jon wrote in a statement the rapper shared on social media. “Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted — he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest." The story. |
Hollywood Studios' D.C. Lobbying Blitz ►Who's spending what in Washington. Hollywood has long wielded both quiet and overt influence in the nation’s capital. Last year, however, marked a sea change in how the entertainment business lobbies: AI-spurred disruption, the surprise tariffs (Trump’s “Liberation Day” and his attempts at keeping production in the U.S.) and other geopolitical issues have been top of mind for the major studios. THR's Alex Weprin looks into the Big Media (and Big Tech counterparts) pouring vast resources into securing a seat at the table when it comes to AI policy and IP protection. The story.
—Banana republic latest. Donald Trump is showing support for the pending Nexstar–Tegna merger. Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday where he shared his thoughts on the deal, which is under review by the FCC, writing in favor of the merger that he says “will help knock out the Fake News.” “We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks. Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar – Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition, and at a higher and more sophisticated level,” the president wrote. The story.
—"I was thinking driving over that in the face of the regressive and despicable video that we were subject to last week — from the leader of the free world no less — that stories like these remain evermore urgent and important." Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group CEO Tom Rothman was vocal about championing Black storytelling at the 17th annual African American Film Critics Association Special Achievement Awards, held Sunday at the Maybourne Beverly Hills. Rothman accepted the Impact Award, recognizing Sony's decades-long commitment to diverse stories and talent. Taking a moment to plug their upcoming animated sports comedy Goat, Rothman made a reference to the now-deleted racist post Donald Trump uploaded to social media about the Obamas. The recap. |
Rick Caruso on Spencer Pratt's L.A. Mayoral Chances, Bass Scandal ►"She's just not willing to be held accountable — for anything — and that's not good leadership." THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to Grove developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso about the state of the race. The billionaire opines on the fire report scandal that is engulfing Mayor Karen Bass, the multiple of issues roiling L.A. Olympic organizers, and reality star Spencer Pratt's insurgent campaign. The interview.
—"Pretending this isn’t a big deal is not an option for me." The calls for Casey Wasserman to step down from not only his role as chairman and CEO of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also his own company, are growing after the leading agent and marketer appeared in the latest tranche of the Epstein files, which revealed that he had a cozy and flirtatious relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell. Wasserman Group artist Bethany Cosentino, frontwoman of the band Best Coast, as well as three Los Angeles city councilmembers, two county supervisors, and a state senator are among those now urging Wasserman to resign. The story.
—Omnishambles. The Washington Post has unveiled that Jeff D’Onofrio will be its new publisher and CEO. D’Onofrio’s position is effective immediately. He is set to take over for William Lewis just days after the company’s mass layoffs, which resulted in one-third of its staff being let go and the sports department being eliminated in full. D’Onofrio joined The Post in June 2025 as chief financial officer following leadership roles at companies such as Raptive, Tumblr, Yahoo and Google. Lewis served as publisher and CEO for the past two years. The story.
—"We must see concrete commitments to Californian and American workers." Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Laura Friedman have questions for the CEOs of Netflix and Paramount. In a letter sent on Friday, the Southern California legislators call on Netflix leaders Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters and Paramount head David Ellison to get specific about how their companies will “preserve and expand good-paying film and television jobs in Los Angeles” in their attempted mergers with Warner Bros. Schiff and Friedman point out that Sarandos and Ellison have both claimed that their warring bids for the century-old studio will benefit the consumer and enhance competition. The story. |
'Send Help' Scores $10M Repeat Win at Box Office ►Everything is turning up Disney. Sam Raimi's acclaimed Send Help stayed atop the domestic chart in its second outing with $10m despite a crowded pack of new indie films — not to mention the NFL championship game itself and bitterly cold weather on the East Coast. Disney-owned 20th Century’s $40m movie has grossed $35.8m in its first 10 days domestically and $17.9m at the foreign box office for a global haul of $53.7m against a modest net budget of $40m before marketing.
That’s not all Disney had to celebrate. Zootopia 2 is now the fifth top-grossing Hollywood title of all time at the international box office after passing up Avengers: Infinity War ($1.374b), while Avatar: Fire & Ash has moved up to No. 11 on the same list after edging out Inside Out 2 ($1.046b). Zootopia 2 was already No. 8 on the list of the top global releases of all time, not adjusted for inflation.
Angel Studios‘ feel-good rom-com, starring Kevin James, Solo Mio opened in second place with $7.2m, while indie sensation Iron Lung gained yardage in its sophomore outing despite falling a steep 67 percent. From Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier) of YouTube gaming fame, Iron Lung came in third with $6m for a 10-day cume of $31m. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that that's a huge win for a self-distributed title that reportedly cost $3m to make. The box office report.
—Back to earth. Melania is having trouble staying on the field at the Super Bowl weekend box office, where it fell off a steep 67 percent, leading to a likely 10th-place finish with $2.4m. Amazon MGM Studios was out spinning this weekend, stressing in a statement Saturday that Brett Ratner's film is already a win for cinemas after opening to a better-than-expected $7.2m a week ago, the biggest launch in a decade for a doc and that Melania is sparking huge interest among Prime Video subscribers. The story.
—Sure Jan. Our great national political divide has come to Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ score for Melania is an abysmal 6 percent. The doc’s audience score is an incredible 99 percent. This is the biggest critics vs. audience split in the movie review site’s history, confirmed a site’s spokesperson. And Rotten Tomatoes says those audience numbers are, in fact, very real: “There has been NO manipulation on the audience reviews for the Melania documentary,” the company has said in a statement provided to THR. The story. |
DGA Awards 2026 ►🏆 Congrats! 🏆 The Directors Guild of America recognized the best film, TV and commercial directors of the past year at the 2026 DGA Awards. Heading into Saturday night’s ceremony — hosted this year by Kumail Nanjiani from the Beverly Hilton — Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) were up for the top prize of outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film, in what tends to be a major predictor for the best director category at the Oscars. Anderson took it home, emotionally taking the stage and calling his directing team up to join him. The winners.
—🎭 The Bikeriders 2? 🎭 Austin Butler is attached to star as cyclist Lance Armstrong in a biopic from Conclave director Edward Berger and Deliver Me From Nowhere producer Scott Stuber. Zach Baylin, the Oscar-nominated writer behind King Richard , is penning the screenplay. Berger will produce the film with Stuber and Nick Nesbit. Baylin, Josh Glick and Zac Frognowski will serve as executive producers. The Armstrong biopic does not fall under Stuber’s United Artists shingle, with the project predating his pact and revival of the Amazon MGM-owned brand. Because of this, the package, stacked with Academy Award-nominated talent, is being shopped around to studio partners. For the film, Stuber acquired Armstrong’s life rights. The story.
—Sacre bleu! Netflix is finally taking steps to move on a sequel to Under Paris, its hit 2024 French shark movie, tapping horror mainstay and Frenchman Alexandre Aja to direct the new project. The original movie, with the French name Sous la Seine (which translates to Under the Seine), was helmed by Xavier Gens. Under Paris starred Bérénice Bejo as a marine researcher who must overcome her traumatic past in order to save Paris from a mutant shark (and her offspring) that can live in fresh water and is now terrorizing the city. Especially the citizens taking part in a triathlon that the mayor has refused to cancel. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Paramount is drafting some new release dates for a number of its films. An untitled, inspirational biopic of NFL player John Tuggle starring David Corenswet will take the Dec. 25, 2026 spot. Paramount’s Get Lite, One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor‘s directorial debut, is set for April 9, 2027. The Brandon Sklenar-led modern-day western The Rescue arrives on Jan. 29, 2027. And the studio has also set an untitled event horror film for July 16, 2027. The studio still has A Quiet Place Part III set for two weeks later on July 30, 2027. The story. |
How Boulder Can Breathe New Life Into Sundance ►"Sundance’s move to Boulder is coinciding with a fortuitous moment in the specialty film space, with an uptick in post-pandemic interest from younger moviegoers." With the last ever Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah now in the books, THR's Mia Galuppo looks forward to the future of the indie fest in Boulder, Colorado. Mia writes, "The most common grumblings (of which there were many) I encountered about Sundance’s move to Boulder revolved around a lack of premium lodgings, few skiing opportunities and overall unfamiliarity with the food, screening venues and general populace. The most common positive: A potential new audience." The story.
—📅 Search over. 📅 Finding Emily, a romantic-comedy feature from Focus Features is set to find its way to theaters this summer. Director Alicia MacDonald’s film that stars Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn and Minnie Driver is set for theatrical release in the U.S. on Aug. 28. Focus holds worldwide rights to the title that Universal Pictures International previously announced it would release in U.K. theaters on May 22. Finding Emily centers on a smitten musician who receives the wrong number for his perfect woman and teams up with an ambitious psychology student to locate her. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Neon has picked up twin filmmakers’ Arie and Chuko Esiri’s latest feature, Clarissa, which stars Sophie Okonedo and David Oyelowo, for a U.S. theatrical release. Neon International will also shop the film, which has India Amarteifio, Ayo Edebiri and Toheeb Jimoh in its ensemble cast, in Berlin after nabbing the foreign sales rights. Clarissa, which was shot in Lagos and Delta State, Nigeria, is a modern take on Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs. Dalloway. The story.
—📅 On the move. 📅 Warner Bros is staking its claim on Valentine’s Day 2027 corridor, with the help of M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks. The studio has dated Remain, which is directed by Shyamalan from a story by Sparks, for Feb. 5, 2027, moving it off of a fall 2026 release. The supernatural romance features Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor as leads and also stars Ashley Walters, Julie Hagerty, Jay O. Sanders, Tracy Ifeachor, Hannah James, Caleb Ruminer, Kieran Mulcare and Maria Dizzia. The story. |
TV Review: 'The 'Burbs' ►"Uneven, though not unpleasant." THR's Angie Han reviews Peacock's The 'Burbs. Inspired by the 1989 film starring Tom Hanks, the series centers on a new mom who begins to suspect something sinister is afoot in her idyllic neighborhood. Starring Keke Palmer, Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch and Kapil Talwalkar. Created by Celeste Hughey. The story.
In other news...
—A pickleball sports comedy was bound to happen. Now there’s a trailer
—Camilla Carr, actress in Keep My Grave Open and Designing Women, dies at 83
—Brad Arnold, lead singer and founding member of 3 Doors Down, dies at 47
—Peggy Steffans, actress and widow of sexploitation director Joseph Sarno, dies at 87
What else we're reading...
—Never mind the lit-bros! Michelle Zauner writes that David Foster Wallace’s epic novel Infinite Jest, 30 years old this year, is a true classic [Guardian]
—Angela Yang digs into how YouTuber Markiplier’s Iron Lung became a box office hit [NBC News]
—Erica L. Green writes that the reaction to Trump’s racist social media post shows he is not always immune to politics [NYT]
—Wedaeli Chibelushi looks into why major Black American stars like Samuel L Jackson and Ciara are taking up citizenship with African countries [BBC]
—Peter Whoriskey has a piece on the rise of nihilistic violent extremism in the U.S. [WaPo]
Today...
...in 2018, Universal released James Foley's Fifty Shades Freed in theaters. The third and final installment in the Fifty Shades series, the film bombed with critics (11 percent on RT!) but was a big box office success, scoring $372m globally. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Joe Pesci (83), Mia Farrow (81), Zhang Ziyi (47), Michael B. Jordan (39), Makoto Shinkai (53), Tom Hiddleston (45), Charlie Day (50), Rose Leslie (39), Ciarán Hinds (73), Fede Alvarez (48), Rawson Marshall Thurber (51), Carole King (84), Margarita Levieva (46), Avan Jogia (34), Isabella Gomez (28), Colin Egglesfield (53), Judith Light (77), A.J. Buckley (49), Matty Cardarople (43), Amber Valletta (52), Marianna Hill (84), Julie Warner (61), David Gallagher (41), David Hayman (78), Jason George (54), Crispin Freeman (54), Kelli Berglund (30), Daniel Zolghadri (26), London Thor (29), Jimmy Bennett (30), Choi Jin-hyuk (40), Gloria Votsis (47), Camille Winbush (36), Rati Gupta (42), Penny Peyser (75) |
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