What's news: Conan O'Brien will host the 2027 Oscars. S2 of Ahsoka will arrive in early next year. The Tonight Show will go dark for the Late Show finale. Lupita Nyong’o has a double role in The Odyssey. And Brett Ratner is tagging along on Trump's trip to China, hoping to scout locations for Rush Hour 4. — Abid Rahman
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Colman Domingo Is Suddenly Everywhere. (It’s About Time.) |
►"Maybe I’m saying this now because of the way things have been mapped out, but I feel like I wouldn’t change a thing. I really wouldn’t." From Michael and Disclosure Day to Euphoria to The Four Seasons, Colman Domingo, the consummate character actor, is getting all the attention — and setting the terms of his newfound stardom. The in-demand, and always impeccably dressed, star of film, television and stage spoke to THR's Mia Galuppo about his slow burn rise to becoming a cultural mainstay and why he’s pretty sure his late friend Chadwick Boseman is helping him "from the other side." The cover story.
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Paramount Says It's All in on Theatrical
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►Looking to stave off legal challenges. THR's Winston Cho reports that Paramount is looking to convince California’s top prosecutor that its megadeal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery will be a boon for movie theaters. Theaters will be a core part of the combined company’s plans to drive engagement on streaming platforms in order to compete in a crowded playing field led by Netflix, Disney and Amazon, said Paramount legal chief Makan Delrahim to California attorney general Rob Bonta in a letter last week. He wrote that Paramount sees the “prospect of rivaling their much larger competitors” by “leaning into theatrical releases to attract audiences and ultimately subscribers.” The story.
_Tragedy! One of the biggest names in movie marketing is stepping away from the trailers game and laying off staff. Trailer Park Group, the long-standing, Clio Award-winning marketing agency behind trailers and key art on movies including Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: Civil War and such TV shows as Netflix’s Stranger Things and Wednesday, has shuttered several key divisions and reorganized others. The company is shedding about 150 positions. The story.
_"Being thoughtful does not mean being weak." THR's Katie Kilkenny grabbed some time with SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and president Sean Astin to discuss the union's latest negotiations with the studios and streamers, include their happiness with the contract’s AI and pension provisions — but also their desire for more compensation gains. The interview.
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Disney's D'Amaro Makes First Upfronts Pitch |
►"In a marketplace where everyone is racing to assemble what we already have, Disney is in a category of one." Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro sought to distinguish his company from the pack at its annual upfront presentation Tuesday by observing the chaotic state of the entertainment industry. After a Devil Wears Prada 2-inspired sizzle reel and an introduction by Anne Hathaway — “The new boss claims he is nicer than Miranda Priestly. We’ll see,” she quipped — D’Amaro sought to frame Disney’s place in the larger media ecosystem. The recap.
—"I cost our company billions." Jimmy Kimmel took the stage at Disney‘s upfront presentation for his annual roast of the TV industry, which was perhaps more anticipated than ever given all the turbulence in late night over the last year. The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host let loose with his usual no holds barred jokes about broadcast and streaming — including his own ABC network bosses — just weeks after surviving yet another effort by Donald Trump to get his show canceled. The recap.
—Finally! After three-plus years wandering the galaxy, Ahsoka has a (rough) return date on Disney+. The second season of the Star Wars series is set to premiere in early 2027, star Rosario Dawson announced at Disney’s upfront presentation. She also introduced a behind-the-scenes reel showcasing some of the making of season two. Ahsoka premiered in August 2023 and drew solid viewing figures. A second season went into development in early 2024, but between then and now, Lucasfilm scaled back its live-action Star Wars series projects. The story.
—🎭 John-John joins the troupe. 🎭 Paul Anthony Kelly is joining the sizable group of actors who have appeared in multiple series from Ryan Murphy. After starring as John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story earlier this year, Kelly is joining the cast of American Horror Story‘s 13th season. He made an appearance alongside AHS veterans Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Billie Lourd and Emma Roberts Tuesday afternoon at Disney’s upfront presentation in New York. The story.
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Conan to Return as Oscars Host for Third Year in a Row
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►"His singular comedic voice makes Hollywood’s biggest night one of the most entertaining celebrations of the year." Conan O’Brien has signed up for a third year as Oscars host, Disney announced at its upfront presentation on Tuesday. O’Brien will emcee the 2027 Academy Awards, airing live on ABC and Hulu on March 14, 2027 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. In addition to O’Brien, the Oscars have brought back producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan for the fourth year in a row, and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney for the third year in a row. Sweeney will also serve as a writer for the awards. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Also at upfronts, Disney and the Recording Academy revealed that the 69th annual Grammy Awards are set to take place on Feb. 7, 2027, with nominations set to be revealed on Nov. 16. The Grammys will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on ABC and will stream on Disney+ and Hulu, a break from the Academy’s decades-long partnership with CBS for the show. The story.
—"The most formidable block of live events that’s ever been assembled on broadcast television." Among the more notable things about ABC‘s schedule for the start of the 2026-27 season is something that’s not there — the network’s most popular scripted series, High Potential. ABC will instead open the show’s third season in early 2027 as part of a first quarter packed with big events. The network will be home to the College Football Playoff championship game (simulcasting with ESPN), the Super Bowl, the relocated Grammy Awards and the Oscars in the first three months of next year. The story.
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'Tonight Show' Will Go Dark Opposite 'Late Show' Finale
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►✊ Solidarity! ✊ As CBS’ Late Show With Stephen Colbert nears the end of its run, another late-night host will give a nod to the show — by staying off the air. In “a sign of late-night solidarity,” a NBC put it, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will air a repeat on May 21, opposite the final episode of The Late Show. ABC said on Monday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will also go dark that night. The announcement comes a day after Fallon, Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver were all guests on The Late Show, discussing the end of Colbert’s tenure (and of late night as a whole). They will also release a new episode of their Strike Force Five podcast today. The story.
—🎭 Casting up. 🎭 Netflix has given a name to its Las Vegas-set drama starring Oscar Isaac and has started to fill out its cast. The series from Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien and executive produced by Martin Scorsese will be called The Roman. Betty Gilpin, Alec Baldwin and David Costabile have joined Isaac in the cast. The Roman centers on Isaac’s character, Robert “Bobby Red” Redman, president of a hot hotel-casino in Las Vegas. The show will chronicle his efforts to secure and expand his position in the city. The story.
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Ratner Hitches China Ride With Trump to Scout 'Rush Hour 4' Locations
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►Banana republic latest. Brett Ratner hitched a high-profile ride to China aboard Air Force One in the latest show of support Donald Trump has bestowed on the controversial director. The once-canceled director will use the trip to scout out locations for Rush Hour 4, his first narrative feature since being accused of sexual misconduct and harassment in 2017 (he’s always denied any wrongdoing). The buddy-cop movie, which Paramount is distributing, reunites Ratner with franchise stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The story.
—Dream team. THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit has the scoop that Netflix is reteaming with Olivia Newman, the writer-director of its weepie hit Remarkably Bright Creatures. After the streamer came on top of a bidding war to land the rights to prize-winning novel The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, Newman will write and direct the feature. A finalist for the National Book Award and placed on the International Booker Prize longlist, Soldier is a Dutch historical novel set in the aftermath of the First World War. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Inaugural Entertainment is set to release the Green Day-inspired film Nimrods theatrically on Aug. 14. Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Sean Gunn, Bobby Lee and Fred Armisen star in the movie that hails from Live Nation Studios. Nimrods is a coming-of-age film centering on three high school friends who set out on a wild road trip under the mistaken assumption that their fledgling band has been booked to open for Green Day on New Year’s Eve. The story.
—🎭 Things become clearer. 🎭 Lupita Nyong’o will play two roles in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming epic adventure The Odyssey. Confirming online speculation, Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world who is married to Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and gets blamed for starting a war after she’s spirited away by a prince. The Oscar winner also plays Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, who is married to Menelaus’ brother Agamemnon (Benny Safdie). The story.
—🎭 Room for a little one. 🎭 THR dryad Ryan Gajewski has the scoop Steve Zahn has joined the cast of Amazon MGM Studios‘ forthcoming romantic comedy feature Hello & Paris from writer-director Elizabeth Chomko. Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson were previously announced as the stars of the movie that is loosely inspired by author Deborah McKinlay’s 2014 novel, That Part Was True. The story.
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Will Politics Take Over Cannes This Year?
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►"Neutrality is sort of impossible, as Berlin and [Wim Wenders] found out." Debate over the war in Gaza overshadowed the movies at the Berlin Film Festival. THR's Scott Roxborough's looks into whether polemics — over Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Trump — will do the same in Cannes? The analysis.
—About that whole politics thing... Hollywood star Demi Moore and Korean auteur Park Chan-wook kicked off Cannes on Tuesday with a series of careful but unequivocal statements defending the role of politics in cinema. Asked whether she had concerns about political statements during the festival potentially distracting from the films themselves, Moore said she strongly hoped not. “I think part of art is about expression, so if we start censoring ourselves, then we shut down the very core of our creativity, which is, I think, where we can discover truth and answers,” she said. The story.
—Japan is so hot right now. With Kore-eda, Hamaguchi and Fukada in competition on the Croisette and a new generation pitching at the Cannes market, the country of honor is making the most of its moment, writes Mathew Scott. The story.
—"If [Bad Taste] hadn’t sold well at the marketplace here, I would have gone back to New Zealand to my photo engraver job. Fortunately, it sold really well. It started my career." Peter Jackson says he’s not really a “Palme kinda guy” but the Cannes Film Festival made him one anyway as the beloved filmmaker received an honorary Palme d’Or Tuesday night as the 2026 festival officially got underway inside the Palais’ Grand Lumiére Theatre. Jackson received the coveted trophy from Elijah Wood, who famously played Frodo Baggins in Jackson’s blockbuster Lord of the Rings series. The recap.
—ICYMI. You can read THR's Cannes Day 2 daily right here.
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Kevin McKidd Has Been Thinking About His 'Grey's' Exit for Years
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►"I’d been feeling like it was time for me to leave over the last couple of years, and not quite knowing how to do that." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to veteran Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd about his exit from the long-running ABC medical drama. McKidd, who also directed his final episode (along with 49 total episodes), shares why he came around to Owen’s happy ending as he reflects on two decades spent both starring on and directing Grey’s, reacts to the show’s decision and reveals if the door is open for a return. The interview.
—"When I read this script, I immediately recognized that instinct to forget." In a guest column for THR, filmmaker Kyle Balda opens up about how the death of his mother led to him working his new film, the excellent The Sheep Detectives. Balda writes that he saw himself in Craig Mazin's script about sheep who avoid living with painful memories — and believed the story could help audiences process their own losses. The column.
—"Kitana’s fighting style is very dance-like and very royal and very fluid." THR's Brian Davids spoke to rising Hong Kong-British actress Adeline Rudolph about her new film, Mortal Kombat II. The franchise newcomer dishes on how she would like to see Mileena return to the fold as Kitana’s sister-clone from the games, if a third installment gets the greenlight. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I don’t want to say it in a disrespectful way, but I believe that we can all understand that Israel hasn’t done its best work with PR." THR's Gary Baum spoke to former actress Noa Tishby about advocacy efforts on behalf of Israel. Tishby, who has made enemies of both anti-Zionist American leftists and Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, discusses her campaign to reshape what Americans think they know about her homeland. The interview.
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►"Winningly sweet, tonally shaky." THR's Angie Han reviews Amazon Prime Video's Off Campus. Adapted from the books by Elle Kennedy, the series follows a shy music major who agrees to tutor a star athlete in exchange for his help landing a date with her crush. Starring Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Stephen Thomas Kalyn, Antonio Cipriano, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Josh Heuston, Steve Howey and Julia Sarah Stone. Created by Louisa Levy, based on the books by Elle Kennedy. The review.
—"The muse stays dead." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Pierre Salvadori's The Electric Kiss. The 2026 Cannes Film Festival's opening film is a 1920s-set con-artist caper about a fake carnival psychic reconnecting a grieving painter with his deceased wife. Starring Pio Marmaï, Anaïs Demoustier, Gilles Lellouche, Vimala Pons, Gustave Kervern and Madeleine Baudot. Written by Benjamin Charbit, Benoît Graffin and Pierre Salvadori. The review.
—"Tender, sharp and luminous." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Phuong Mai Nguyen's In Waves. Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu lead the English-language voice cast of Nguyen’s debut feature, an animated adaptation of a graphic novel by AJ Dungo. Also featuring the voices of Johnny Young, Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, Griffin Puatu, Taiana Tully and Jacki Jing. Written by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, based on the graphic novel by AJ Dungo. The review.
In other news...
—Every Year After trailer: Amazon gives first look at summer love story
—Laika unveils Wildwood trailer in Cannes
—Jeffrey Chassen, veteran Hollywood publicist, launches Gingham PR
—Jack Taylor, American actor in European horror and fantasy films, dies at 99
—Barry Blaustein, writer for Eddie Murphy on SNL and the Coming to America films, dies at 71
—Michael Clemente, former news exec and producer at ABC and Fox, dies at 70
—Jason Collins, first openly gay NBA player, dies at 47
What else we're reading...
—Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, Lingling Wei, Annie Linskey and Alexander Ward look at what each side wants [WSJ]
—Maggie Harrison Dupré reports that the NYT has issued stern warnings to its freelance writers about the use of AI after a string of controversies [Futurism]
—Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have a truly WTF report on U.S. intelligence suggesting Iran still retains most of its missile capabilities despite Trump's blathering [NYT]
—Simon Chadwick outlines the fascinating, if hidden, politics of FIFA World Cup sponsorships [Forbes]
—Alexandra Steigrad has the scoop that CBS News chief Bari Weiss allowed Benjamin Netanyahu to choose his interviewer for a 60 Minutes sit down [New York Post]
Today...
...in 2011, Universal released Paul Feig's Bridesmaids in theaters. The ensemble comedy, starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Melissa McCarthy, was a huge hit and made a whopping $290m worldwide. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Robert Pattinson (40), Harvey Keitel (87), Lena Dunham (40), Stephen Colbert (62), Alan Ball (69), Mika Abdalla (26), Samantha Morton (49), Iwan Rheon (🏴41), Taylor John Smith (31), Brian Geraghty (51), Zoë Wanamaker (77), Debby Ryan (33), Antonio Cipriano (26), Frances Barber (68), Candice King (39), Siobhan Fallon Hogan (65), Hannah New (42), Hunter Parrish (39), Mark Heap (69), Joe Johnston (76), Sunny Leone (45), Jake Borelli (35), Tom Verica (62), Fred Melamed (70), Jeremy Bobb (45), Brian Thomas Smith (49), Eloise DeJoria (69), Zlatko Buric (73), Jo Han-chul (53), Cheryl Dunye (60), Shamea Morton (44), Ava Acres (22), Neil Hopkins (49), Caroline Ford (38), Dennis Rodman (65)
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Donald Gibb, the towering character actor whose massive physique and gravelly presence made him an unforgettable part of 1980s comedies like Revenge of the Nerds and martial arts films like Bloodsport, has died. He was 71. The obituary.
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