What's news: The domestic box office hit a record $430m this weekend! Stephen King's Desperation is headed to the big screen. CBS NFL commentator Tony Romo has taken a leave from the network. Snapchat is banning AI-generated videos on Spotlight. The Booster Gold series is dead at HBO. And Gavin Newsom is concerned about the states antitrust case against the Paramount-WBD deal. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com.
|
'Brand New Day' Soars to Record Opening Weekend |
►WOOF! Spider-Man: Brand New Day received quite the friendly welcome in its opening weekend, as Sony Pictures‘ superhero feature got off to a spectacular start at the box office. The movie scored a head-spinning $355m from 4,487 North American screens to land as the second-biggest domestic launch ever. Analysts had been holding their collective breath all weekend in a photo finish between Spidey and Avengers: Endgame, as the latter’s $357.1m opening from April 2019 ultimately hung on to retain its title as the No. 1 all-time domestic opening frame.
That said, the situation could still shift if Brand New Day overperforms beyond the $84m that Sony is projecting for Sunday.
Globally, Brand New Day added $572m from 66 international markets for a worldwide opening sum of $927m. This stands as the second-best global launch, behind only the earth-shattering $1.2b start for Endgame.
After leading the box office for the two previous weekends, Universal’s The Odyssey traveled to second place with $51m and a domestic total of $395.5m. This weekend is estimated to hit a collected $430m to represent the biggest domestic frame ever, overtaking the $402.1m from the opening weekend of Endgame. The box office report.
|
Paramount-WBD Deal: Newsom Concerned About State Antitrust Suit
|
►Gavin second thoughts? Gov. Gavin Newsom is concerned about the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general led by California against Paramount‘s $111b takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and what it will mean for the entertainment industry. In a Friday report in the WSJ, Newsom reportedly said that if the merger is blocked due to the lawsuit, state employment will suffer. The outlet also notes that “Newsom’s office has encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which has independent authority to file such suits, to find a resolution out of court.” The story.
—Plans afoot. Is a group of ousted 60 Minutes staffers plotting a streaming comeback? Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens has been seeking to raise cash to launch a new news program, potentially with former producers and correspondents from the CBS newsmagazine like Scott Pelley, per the New York Post. The Post reported that there’s a pitch deck involved, and a fundraising goal of $50m for the program. It’s worth noting that someone close to Owens told the Post that its report was not true. The story.
—Standing against slop. As short-form digital video appears to be heading toward a wave of AI-generated slop, Snapchat is setting new ground rules for how that sort of content can exist on its platform moving forward. The tech company said that it will ban wholly AI-generated videos in its Spotlight product, which surfaces trending and original content from creators and studios. The story.
|
Ariana Grande to "Step Back From Visibility"
|
►"Taking a much-deserved break." Ariana Grande is planning to take a step back from the public eye after the Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps, including dropping out of Sunday in the Park with George. This decision comes after the Grammy-winning singer has faced a wave of online commentary surrounding her health and body over the last year. Most recently, discussions intensified after the release of her new music video for her song “Petal,” with many fans pointing out her noticeably thinner appearance in the footage. The story.
—"She perished shortly after she was taken." Chris Nanos, the sheriff in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, has released a pair of ransom notes initially sent to the CBS affiliate in her home city of Tucson, Arizona. The second of the two notes states that Nancy has “perished.” The notes “purport to have been written by kidnappers,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a press release timed to the six-month anniversary of Nancy’s disappearance. The first note was sent to KOLD-TV 13 News on Feb. 2; Nancy was last seen alive on Jan. 31. The story.
—"We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward." In the wake of the release of the Nancy Guthrie ransom notes, Savannah Guthrie shared another emotional message Saturday morning asking the public for help. "Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual — perhaps with someone they deeply love," the message said. The story.
—Also stepping away. CBS NFL commentator Tony Romo has taken a leave from the network following a recent arrest. Romo was arrested July 23 in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was also cited for having an open bottle of alcohol in the SUV he was driving, unsafe passing on the right and refusing to take a test for intoxication after he was arrested. Romo was released later that night and is due for a court appearance on Sept. 21. The story.
—Parting of the ways. Tori Spelling has left her and Jennie Garth‘s Beverly Hills, 90210 rewatch podcast, 90210MG. Garth and co-host Amy Sugarman addressed Spelling’s exit on Friday’s episode of the show. “As everyone knows, Tori has not been here for a bit, right? She’s not been doing the show for a bit for many reasons,” Sugarman said, calling Spelling’s move “100 percent her decision.” “About two weeks ago, she made the decision — which I’m sure was a really, very tough decision for her — but she let us know about two weeks ago that she had decided she wasn’t going to continue with the podcast.” The story.
|
'Barbie' Sequel Stalled at WB
|
►Doesn't sound good. The Barbie sequel has hit a roadblock on its way back to Barbieland. Warner Bros. has until December to reach a deal with the stars of the 2023 film, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, before the rights revert to Mattel. WB has been negotiating with the principal talent for months, offering them a share of the profits if the film reaches certain box office milestones. WBD CEO David Zaslav reportedly declined to approve the proposed deal because he believed it was "too generous." The story.
—🟢 Desperation sets in. 🟢 Stephen King's Desperation is headed to the big screen, with Searchlight bringing together some high flying names to develop a take on the 1996 novel by the horror maestro that tells the story of a possessed cop. In-demand filmmaking duo Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein are in talks to direct. And in a first, Sam Raimi and King will be working together on a project, with Raimi producing along with his Ghost House Pictures partner Robert Tapert. Ryan Brennan is writing the script. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Magenta Edge Films, the new specialty label from Bob Yari’s Magenta Lights Studios, has picked up Sabrina Greco’s dark comedy Lockjaw. Greco’s first feature about life with your mouth wired shut, and acquired out of Slamdance, is set to hit theaters from Aug. 8, before a VOD and digital release on Sept. 8. The story.
—Making moves. Paramount Primal, the genre label run by J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, continues to roll in high gear. The label, which launched in late 2025 and is currently in production on its first feature, has picked up an original erotic thriller spec script titled Sweet Spot by screenwriting social media influencer Nic Curcio and his wife Kirby Gladstein. Details are being kept tied up in the bedroom but the project is described as a high-concept erotic thriller. No producers or filmmakers are attached. The story.
—🎭 A real Doozie. 🎭 Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie delivered a surprising end-of-movie reveal when the 2025 film adaptation of Gabby’s Dollhouse the series announced that Gabby, played by Laila Lockhart-Kraner, has a little sister. But that sister didn’t have a name or an actress attached — until now. Gabby’s little sister is named Doozie, and she’ll be voiced by Celestina Harris. Doozie, the adorable, dog-loving little sister to the cat-loving Gabby, is “set to bring a fresh dynamic, relatable sibling fun, and plenty of paw-some moments to the beloved franchise." The story.
|
Mahershala Ali Confirms He's Not Doing Marvel's 'Blade'
|
►"If they wanted to do it, we would've done it." Mahershala Ali won’t be Marvel‘s Blade. The two-time Oscar winner confirmed to GQ that he won’t star in a long-gestating reboot of the iconic vampire slayer — and he firmly suggested Marvel dropped the ball. "I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not,” Ali said in the new interview. “For whatever reason, that project is not for me. If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it. So I have to move on … Again, you had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would’ve done the movie. So we’re not doing the movie … But I feel ready to move on from the Blade questions." The story.
—"Everything will shake out." Marvel‘s Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is speaking out after the Disney+ series was un-renewed. The streamer picked up the series for a second season in March before reversing course and canceling the renewal on Thursday. The decision came as a surprise after Wonder Man had a solid debut on Disney+ in late January, and Abdul-Mateen was nominated for an Emmy. Following the cancellation, Abdul-Mateen took to Instagram to share his reaction. The story.
—Not moving forward. HBO is not boosting Booster Gold to a series order anytime soon. Writer David Jenkins posted Friday that his version of the DC Comics adaptation is not moving forward at HBO. Jenkins added, “Can’t improve on Mahershala’s lovely statement so I’ll just apply it here as well.” The writer then re-posted Mahershala Ali’s viral comments calling out Marvel Studios for his Blade reboot not moving forward. The story.
—Marvel team-up. Hasbro and Working Title are developing an Action Man film based on cult British toyline — and a trio of creatives with ties to Marvel Studios are joining forces to develop it. Writing the script are Simon Hatt, who spent a decade at Marvel working with James Gunn and rising to become EP on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Anthony Sellitti, a scribe best known for his work on the X-Men ’97 animated series. Jeremy Latcham, who executive produced the early Avengers movies, is producing the project. The story.
|
Glen Hansard Was a Hero Right Out of the Movies
|
►"Hansard seemed like he stepped off a movie screen even when he wasn’t acting." THR's Steven Zeitchik reflects on the death of Oscar-winning singer Glen Hansard, who died last week at 56 in a motorcycle accident in the late-night hours after performing at a traditional music session in an Irish pub. Steven writes that the star of John Carney's 2007 movie Once didn't just make films — he lived as cinema. The appreciation.
—"All I know is that my career-long dread of a long-running series has not continued with this one." THR's David Canfield spoke to Rufus Sewell, the Emmy-nominated star of Netflix's The Diplomat. The Brit actor talks Hal Wyler’s shifting loyalties, messy ambition and the thrill of a series that keeps evolving. The interview.
—"It sounds so corny, but telling a story with a group of people and finding value in that and getting to connect with people, it just makes me want to do more of that." David also spoke to the ever-busy Greta Lee about her slew of recent projects, including Toy Story 5, The Last House, her Emmy-nominated turn in The Morning Show and the Venice-bowing film, Late Fame. Lee also talks about shifting to directing and prioritizing smaller films. The interview.
|
As 'Ted Lasso' S4 Became Real, Its Stars Wondered: "Am I In It?" |
►"I think we were all just trying to keep it rooted, but we were also giddy as shit." THR's Lacey Rose spoke to Ted Lasso regulars Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple about the swirl of emotions they've felt as Apple TV's hit soccer comedy returns more than three years after signing off. The interview.
—"I’ve wanted to do more action. I’ve felt like there’s something that I can bring to an action film." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Kathryn Newton about her new film The Devil’s Mouth. The actress dishes on becoming a bona fide scream queen with her sixth horror film and she also discusses the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The interview.
|
Vincent Pastore 1946 - 2026
|
►Late bloomer. Vincent Pastore, the Bronx-born actor who portrayed Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, the mob informant who winds up sleeping with the fishes, quite literally, on The Sopranos, has died. He was 80. Pastore was found dead by Steve Villano, the actor’s self-described “right-hand man,” in his Bronx home on Saturday, he told THR. He apparently died in his sleep, he added. The son of a real-life wiseguy, he said, Pastore made a living running and owning bars and nightclubs for two decades and didn’t get into acting until he was 42. The obituary.
In other news...
—Netflix’s new releases coming in August
—Ariana Grande's new album Petal: A track-by-track breakdown
—Sam Fender, Olivia Dean take longest-running No. 1 in U.K. record
—Morgan Wallen’s year-old album manages to climb back atop the charts
—EchoStar loses 241,000 pay TV subs
—Woody Harrelson to receive Heart of Sarajevo honor at Bosnian film festival
—Jamie Eisman joins TFC Management
—Scott Hylands, star of TV’s Night Heat on both sides of the border, dies at 83
What else we're reading...
—After his turns in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, critic Alison Willmore wonders when Hollywood will let Tom Holland grow up [Vulture]
—Fascinating Suzanne Kapner story on the mainstreaming of the trend for barely-there "naked dressing" and the awkward situations it is causing at weddings and business conferences [WSJ]
—Valerie Bauerlein, Jared Mitovich and Hannah Critchfield go inside the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case and all the missteps made by police [WSJ]
—Rebecca Jennings talks to influencers about the new reality of their profession where to stand out now you have to "carpet-bomb social media with clips or to enrage wide swaths of the public" [Vulture]
—Lucas Shaw reports that Netflix is keen to add Hot Ones to its growing stable of YouTube hits [Bloomberg]
Today...
...in 2012, Sony Pictures Classics released Lee Toland Krieger's rom-com Celeste and Jesse Forever in theaters. Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the film starred Jones and Andy Samberg, Chris Messina, Ari Graynor, Elijah Wood and Emma Roberts. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Martin Sheen (86), Evangeline Lilly (47), John C. McGinley (67), John Landis (76), Michael Ealy (53), Mathieu Kassovitz (59), Isaiah Washington (63), Lambert Wilson (68), Justin Kurzel (52), James Hetfield (63), Stephen Graham (53), Lisa Ann Walter (63), Molly Hagan (65), Hannah Simone (46), Brigid Brannagh (54), Mamie Gummer (43), Christine Ko (38), Steven Berkoff (89), Kyle Schmid (42), Georgina Haig (41), Melissa Ponzio (54), Anne Marie DeLuise (57), Oona Roche (31), Tommy Dewey (48), Tómas Lemarquis (49)
|
Richard L. O’Connor, an Emmy-winning producer who served as an executive in charge of production on films including On Golden Pond, The Muppet Movie and Across 110th Street, has died. He was 96. The obituary.
|
|
|
|
