What's news: Trump reiterated his backing for the federal film and television tax incentive. Netflix has renewed Tires for S4. Hulu has canceled Love Overboard after one season. Mel Gibson has apologized after appearing to mock an ASL interpreter. And, the number of women working as TV creators and directors on original U.S. shows airing on streamers has declined. — Abid Rahman
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Lonergan's Letter in Defense of Ruffalo
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►"The tissue-paper accusations levied at him by his targets lead directly back to the soft places in their own positions, which they can’t or won’t defend by actually addressing what he has to say." Oscar-winning filmmaker and playwright Kenneth Lonergan has come out in support of actor Mark Ruffalo, who has become a focal point in an increasingly heated public fight that involves the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. In a letter sent to THR, Lonergan defended Ruffalo from accusations of antisemitism after the Marvel star wrote an Aug. 21 social media post linking the billionaire Ellison family with Israel’s military effort in Gaza and called the conflict a “genocide” that “was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle.” The letter.
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Duane "Keffe D" Davis Convicted of Tupac Murder |
►Justice at last. Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been convicted in the murder trial of Tupac Shakur, a Las Vegas jury ruled on Monday, marking the first conviction since the rapper’s infamous death in a drive-by shooting in the city 30 years ago. The trial was originally expected to last a month, though jurors heard closing arguments after two weeks of testimonies. The prosecution had called over two dozen witnesses, including police officers and investigators. Shakur’s murder had long been one of the most infamous unsolved cases in pop culture, and Davis had long been associated with the case. The story.
—The latest. Lionel Richie is stable after the singer was hospitalized following his show in St. Louis on Saturday, a source close to the singer’s tour told THR. The news comes about two months after Richie had to abruptly end a concert in Minnesota in June after he appeared to fall ill on stage. Then on tour with Earth, Wind and Fire, he told the crowd he was feeling dizzy and performed several songs sitting down before leaving the stage for an intermission. The story.
—Some good news. Rob and Michele Reiner‘s son Jake Reiner married his longterm girlfriend Maria Gilfillan in a small ceremony at the beginning of August. Jake was wearing what appears to be a wedding band when he gave an interview to Los Angeles’ KABC earlier this month about the brutal murder of his parents on Dec. 14, 2025. Jake’s brother, Nick, has been charged with and pleaded not guilty to the murders. He is currently in jail awaiting trial. The story.
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Fewer Women Are Creating TV Shows Now Than 10 Years Ago
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►Concerning. The number of women working as TV creators and directors on original U.S. shows airing on streaming services has declined, in addition to female characters in major roles, according to the latest “Boxed In” study released Tuesday. The report, which tracked over 2,500 characters and more than 3,600 behind-the-scenes credits during the 2025-26 television year, was penned by Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. She found that the amount of women creating shows across streaming plummeted from 36 percent in 2024-25 to 24 percent in 2025-26, which was a stark contrast to the increase the year prior (27 percent in 2023-24 to 36 percent in 2024-25). The study.
—A little sweetener. If Gov. Gavin Newsom decides to sign a bill attempting to lure more postproduction work to California, $10m has been earmarked to launch the effort, THR's Katie Kilkenny has learned. The news arrives after AB 2319, a bill aiming to support post work on projects that currently aren’t incentivized by California, passed the state legislature on Sunday. The state Senate voted to advance the bill, carried by Assemblymember Nick Schultz, with 65 members in support and two in opposition. The story.
—Dr. Jekyll. For some time now, the idea of a federal film and television tax incentive has had bipartisan support, but Republican lawmakers have seemingly been waiting on word from the White House. Now, it appears, that word has come. On Monday, Donald Trump expressed support for the idea of a federal tax credit and posted that he wants to “get this done” in a lengthy Truth Social message. The story.
—Mr. Hyde. Trump has threatened to bring the full power of the FCC against NBC News’ Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker over a comment made about his influence in the electorate, marking the first time he’s wielded the power of a U.S. agency to threaten an individual journalist by name. Welker’s comment was made on local Washington, D.C. affiliate WRC-TV and were innocuous or even complimentary to Trump by suggesting an outsized importance in this year’s elections. But he did not see it that way. The story.
—No joke. Howard Stern officially handed over one of his SiriusXM channels to Andy Cohen today. The transition comes about one year after Stern and Cohen pranked listeners by having Cohen take over the airwaves and imply that Stern was fired and that Howard 100, Stern’s main channel, was now his own. This time, Stern is actually giving Cohen Channel 101, his second channel which hosted archival clips of his show, as he returns and transitions to only doing one show a week, rather than the typical two. Stern has also struck a deal with HBO Max to adapt his live SiriusXM show into streaming episodes. The story.
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Could the Met Gala Fiasco End Anna Wintour's Reign? |
►"She’s never seen this level of bitter backlash." With the withdrawal of the Costume Institute’s latest honoree, John Galliano, over controversy surrounding past racist and antisemitic comments, and the canceling of the exhibit, that hallowed 70-year-old tradition may be going on an embarrassing hiatus. For THR, Merle Ginsberg writes that Met Gala organizer Anna Wintour, the fashion world's ultimate survivor, knew the risks of honoring Galliano and thought she could ride out the controversy — but it may have been a disastrous miscalculation. The analysis.
—"Thoughtless idiocy." Mel Gibson has apologized in the face of online backlash following an appearance on Saturday at Fan Expo Canada, where he appeared to mock an American Sign Language interpreter as he was welcomed on stage. The scandal-plagued actor and filmmaker was taking part in a Q&A about his career when, in a video making the rounds on social media, he apparently made hand gestures as he came out from behind a curtain and walked directly past an ASL interpreter. The story.
—Suit filed. An executive producer on Obsession who allegedly “rescued“ the box office smash hit from a bad edit is suing two fellow producers for cutting her out of her share of the profits. In a lawsuit filed Monday, producer Leonora Ann Darby accuses Tea Shop Productions‘ co-founders and her colleagues James Harris and Mark Lane of reneging on an agreement to treat her as an equal producer at the company and not acknowledging her key role on Obsession, with financial ramifications. Though she was formally credited as an EP on Obsession, the lawsuit argues Darby acted as a lead producer within the functional, internal definition used by Tea Shop. The story.
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AMC Moves to Put Smaller Films Into Theaters |
►"A modestly scaled initiative." AMC Entertainment is launching a new distribution company to allow movies without traditional distributors to run on its screens. The new label, titled Leawood Films, will distribute and market films for established and emerging filmmakers. The company will focus on small and medium sized films. It will be genre agnostic — not just focusing on concert films or low budget horror, ala Obsession. AMC believes that in addition to its own screens, it will convince other theater owners to carry the films as well. The story.
—Nightmare fuel. The Sphere in Las Vegas is adding what the company says are “new and expanded 4D effects” to its reimagining of the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. The Sphere version of the film has grossed north of $450m since it launched a year ago, and the venue says that tickets are now on sale into early 2027. The film combines the Sphere’s vast screen with effects in the venue, including fire, falling apples and a tornado that forms inside the room. The enhanced effects will include new animatronic winged monkeys that will fly over the audience and additional pyrotechnic fireworks. The story.
—A-list support. Soleil Moon Frye‘s documentary Werewolf in the Waves, an intimate look at her relationship with late Crazy Town rocker Shifty Shellshock, has a new team riding the surf with her. Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way and Emmy winner Dax Dasilva have boarded as EPs. Frye, who previously directed the nostalgia-laced doc Kid 90 about her experience in Hollywood as a child star turned young adult in the 1990s, directed the majority of Werewolf in the Waves on her iPhone. The story.
—🎠One more. 🎠Off Campus star Stephen Kalyn has officially joined the upcoming Housemaid sequel The Housemaid’s Secret. Kalyn is slated to play the role of Brock in the Paul Feig-directed film. He joins Sydney Sweeney, Kirsten Dunst and Paul Anthony Kelly. Brittany Snow, who’s playing Marybeth, is also among the cast, while Michele Morrone, who’s playing Enzo, is set to reprise his role from the The Housemaid. The story.
—"Anne isn’t sexy." On the heels of Tom Cruise announcing a Days of Thunder sequel, the actor’s former co-star Randy Quaid crudely blasted the action movie icon for picking Anne Hathaway as his co-lead. In the 1990 original, Quaid played a race team owner who recruits Cruise's character into NASCAR, while Nicole Kidman played a neurosurgeon who becomes Cole’s love interest. "We need Nicole back," wrote Quaid on X. "Don’t be a pussy, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking. Anne isn’t sexy, because and if you haven’t noticed, she’s pregnant." The story.
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Shane Gillis' 'Tires' Renewed for S4 at Netflix
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►🟢 No-brainer. 🟢 Netflix has renewed Shane Gillis' Tires for a fourth season. The third season of the workplace comedy recently received the series’ highest-ever ranking on the streamer’s Global Top 10 English TV list — it hit number five the week of Aug. 17, 2026. Gillis and John McKeever co-created the series with Steve Gerben, who plays Shane’s cousin on the show. Tires films at Gerben’s dad’s real tire chain in suburban Pennsylvania. The story.
—🎠Helping hand. 🎠Apple TV has found a second star for its spy thriller Disavowed. Norman Reedus will be a series regular alongside James Marsden in the series from creators Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Disavowed, which Apple greenlit in May, stars Marsden (who also executive produces) as Brad Griffin, a CIA case officer who’s fired in the middle of a global manhunt for an assassin who killed one of Brad’s colleagues. Cast out from the intelligence world, Brad decides to go freelance and try to collect a $15m bounty on the assassin. The story.
—That sinking feeling. Love Overboard, the dating reality series executive produced by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper has been canceled at Hulu after one season. The series, which premiered March 26, was Cooper’s first step into unscripted television. However, Love Overboard did not garner the same level of attention as some of Hulu’s other unscripted originals, including The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Kardashians and Vanderpump Villa. The story.
—🟢 Full speed ahead. 🟢 Shadow Has Fallen, the third season of the Has Fallen franchise, is a go and has started filming in South Africa and the U.K. It follows Paris Has Fallen and the upcoming Apollo Has Fallen. It also continues the high-octane ambition of Gerard Butler’s Has Fallen film franchise. Ritu Arya and Tewfik Jallab reprise their respective roles as fearless MI6 operative Zara Taylor and former French Secret Service agent Vincent Taleb. Joining the cast for season 3 are Iwan Rheon, Brendan Coyle and Atandwa Kani. The story.
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►"Tons of promise, not quite enough payoff." THR's Angie Han reviews Adam Wingard's Onslaught. Adria Arjona leads this action thriller about an Army vet whose trailer park is attacked by a trio of experimental super soldiers. Also starring Blake Kennedy, Reginald VelJohnson, Eric Wareheim, Dan Stevens, Michael Biehn and Rebecca Hall. Written by Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett. The review.
—"More nostalgic than fresh, for better or worse." Angie reviews Paramount+'s The Varnell Hill Show. Martin Lawrence executive produces and guest stars on the comedy, which sees Tommy Davidson reprising the role of the late-night talk show host more than three decades since he was first introduced. Also starring Wendy Raquel Robinson, Chris Williams, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Kym Whitley. Created by Kevin G. Boyd, Sherri McGee McCovey and Bentley Kyle Evans. The review.
—"Dead in the water." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Brando Benetton's The Girl in the River. Tiffany Haddish heads up this police procedural about criminologists searching for the killer of a teenage girl. Also starring Maggie Grace, Devon Sawa, Ralph Macchio, and Andrew Stevens. Written by Brando Benetton. The review.
In other news...
—Netflix’s new releases coming in September
—LFF: Andrew Scott, Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Eisenberg among Screen Talk slate
—Ari Emanuel and his brothers donate $550,000 to Palestinian doctor training program
—Dolly Parton estate announces 2027 Dollyfest shows in Nashville, London
—Sheri Herman, former executive at E! and American Cybercast, dies at 71
What else we're reading...
—Jason P. Frank helpfully explains who Stella Lefty is and why the internet keeps talking about her [Vulture]
—Critic James Poniewozik reflects on the impact of Hulu's Furious, a show of "complicated women and ineffable emotions" [NYT]
—Robert Ito talks to filmmaker John Boorman who is still feeling the sting of Exorcist II: The Heretic bombing hard in 1977 [NYT]
—Suzanne Kapner reports that GAP is pushing into the lucrative accessory business with new handbags [WSJ]
—Christal Hayes and Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty report on efforts to find the killer of Notorious B.I.G. after the Tupac guilty verdict [BBC]
Today...
...in 2010, Focus Features released Anton Corbijn's The American in theaters. The crime thriller, starring George Clooney, was a modest box office success although it divided critics. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Zendaya (30), Lily Tomlin (87), Ludwig Göransson (42), Padma Lakshmi (56), Scott Speedman (51), Boyd Holbrook (45), Craig Gillespie (59), Gloria Estefan (69), Billy Blanks (71), Cosmo Jarvis (37), Lara Pulver (46), Burn Gorman (52), Hannah Emily Anderson (37), Zoe Lister-Jones (44), Steve Pemberton (59), Ashley Holliday Tavares (41), Ricardo Chavira (55), Michelle Meyrink (64), Maury Sterling (55), Morven Christie (45), Aisling Loftus (36), Stephanie Koenig (39), Lilan Bowden (41), Taylor Blackwell (28), Cassady McClincy Zhang (26), Polly Shannon (53), Nishi Munshi (39), Welker White (62), Camille Chen (47), Sarah Allen (46), Jack Roth (42), Minha Kim (31), Hwang Jung-min (56)
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Marty Nadler, the writer, producer and stand-up comedian who collaborated with Garry Marshall on projects including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride for more than four decades, has died. He was 80. The obituary.
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