What's news: Justin Trudeau has launched a film and TV production banner. Janelle Rodriguez is exiting NBC News. Destin Daniel Cretton is developing a Hawaii Five-O movie. & Juliet will end its Broadway run in January. And Asa Germann will play Angel in the X-Men movie. — Abid Rahman
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Toronto's New Film Market Opens!
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►Finally! After years of unofficial dealmaking — capped by the record $15m sale of Curry Barker’s global box office sensation Obsession last year — Toronto has finally launched an official market, called, straightforwardly, TIFF: The Market, which runs alongside North America’s biggest film festival from Sept. 10-16. In typically Canadian fashion, TIFF’s plans are both modest and boldly ambitious. THR's Scott Roxborough and Mia Galuppo pick out the film's that are generating buzz — from a Mara sisters reunion to Michelle Yeoh's action pre-seller and Cynthia Erivo's awards-season play. The selection.
—The shadow of Trump. Oscar-winning CODA director Sian Heder says Being Heumann, her new film about disability rights that opened the 51st Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night, is timely because “collective action matters.” “We are living in a time when a lot of groups of people are getting left behind,” Heder told festivalgoers at the Roy Thomson Hall. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was also in attendance and declared her city’s waterfront “will always be Lake Ontario” during a gala opening night for TIFF overshadowed by Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. The recap.
—"We believe in the power of great storytelling to bring people closer." Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has found time away from new romantic partner Katy Perry to launch his own film and TV production banner at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday. Hope & Hard Work, to be run alongside co-founder Katie Telford, also unveiled a film and TV scripted and unscripted slate with a focus on Canadian stories for global export. The story.
More from the Toronto Film Festival...
—Read THR's Day 1 festival daily
—How Obsession rewrote TIFF history
—With TIFF's market, Toronto builds its one-stop shop
—The Don of Hollywood North takes his final bow
—Toronto’s best hotel lobbies
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America Marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
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►"New York seemed stuck. Downtown seemed dead. The only thing we could do is try to change that." THR's Steven Zeitchik reflects on the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks and its aftermath in New York, and how art, and in particular the Tribeca Festival, helped the city heal. To mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks and the release of the doc Tribeca 25, Steven sat down with Tribeca founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal to talk to them about 9/11, the anniversary and the festival’s place in both. The interview.
—"Leave it for a day of remembering all those people." Bill Spade, one of the first responders featured in National Geographic‘s new docuseries 9/11: Reunited, has a message for those seeking to turn today’s 25th anniversary commemoration into a political battle: “Leave politics out of it.” Spade, the only member of Staten Island’s FDNY Rescue Company 5 crew to return home on Sept. 11, 2001, spoke to THR's Seth Abramovitch after former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani called on current Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the ceremony at Ground Zero. The interview.
—Six movies show how Hollywood has grappled with 9/11. THR's Gary Baum highlights six films that helped to shape the country’s understanding of one of the hinge moments in American history. The story.
—9/11 programming guide: Everything airing and streaming for the 25th anniversary
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The Clock Is Ticking to Pull Off an Entirely New '60 Minutes'
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►The pressure is on. The brute force overhaul of 60 Minutes was the talk of the business earlier this summer, with its EP and a slew of senior producers exiting, and high-profile correspondents choosing to exit (Anderson Cooper) or unceremoniously shown the door (Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega). CBS News, led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, needs the new 60 Minutes to work. Its success or its failure could define her tenure at the network, writes THR's Alex Weprin. The analysis.
—Shuffle, shuffle. NBC News is reorganizing its executive ranks, with executive vp of programming Janelle Rodriguez telling staff Thursday that she will exit the network. Rodriguez oversaw NBC Nightly News, breaking news coverage, and the NBC News Now streamer. Catherine Kim will become executive vp of editorial and content, adding oversight of NBC News Now and specials. Matt Carluccio will add oversight of NBC’s editorial units, including business, health, investigations and climate. Matt Frucci, the EP of Nightly News, will now report directly to NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein. The story.
—Upped. Aisha Summers-Burke has been named head of BET Studios and BET Creative Programming, Louis Carr, the president of BET, informed his staffers on Thursday. With her new role, Summers-Burke will oversee all creative content for BET’s linear network while continuing to lead BET Studios. BET+ was recently folded into Paramount+, so that is the streaming destination for Summers-Burke’s content. The story.
—Dismissed. A defamation lawsuit from former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider against Warner Bros. Discovery over his portrayal in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has been dismissed. California’s Second District Court of Appeal on Thursday reversed a decision allowing Schneider to proceed with his lawsuit, rejecting arguments that the docuseries implied that the producer sexually abused children who worked on the Nickelodeon series he created and ran. The story.
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Asa Germann Nabs Role of Angel in 'X-Men'
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►🎠Swooping in. 🎠THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit has the scoop that Asa Germann is in final talks for a high flying key role in Marvel Studios’ X-Men revival. The actor, known for his roles in superhero series Gen V and horror hit Scream 7, was among those who was up for the role of Cyclops. The studio was impressed enough with Germann that they offered him the part of Warren Worthington III, aka Angel. The roll call for X-Men already includes Sadie Sink (Jean Grey), Kit Connor (Cyclops), Christopher Abbott (Prof. X), Samara Weaving (Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (Rogue) and Maya Boyd (Storm). Adam Driver is also among the cast as the villain Mr. Sinister. The story.
—Raiding the archives again. Destin Daniel Cretton could be ready to make a splash with Hawaii Five-O. The filmmaker, who is coming off the record-breaking success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is developing a feature take on the classic television property at Paramount. Still in early stages, this potential big-screen package has set Chris Bremner and Noah Oppenheim to pen the screenplay. Guymon Casady is producing and spearheaded the project with the estate of original series creator Leonard Freeman. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Lily James and Jack Reynor‘s forthcoming horror-suspense film is aiming to terrify moviegoers just after the traditional spooky season. Writer-director Drew Hancock‘s feature Seasons is set for wide theatrical release on Nov. 12, 2027. Ron Perlman, Elizabeth McGovern, Wes Studi and Dane DiLiegro round out the cast for the project that began its life as a viral short story. The story.
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'Ransom Canyon' Canceled by Netflix
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►Trail ends here. Ransom Canyon will not be returning for a third season at Netflix. The streamer has canceled the Texas romantic drama starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly after two seasons. The decision came a few months after the eight-episode second season premiered on July 23. Ransom Canyon, created by April Blair, followed three ranching dynasties in a small Texas town as they fight for their land, their legacies and the people they love. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Netflix‘s hit rom-com series Nobody Wants This has set its season three return date for Oct. 22. The first-look images show Noah (Adam Brody) and Joanne (Kristen Bell) still in love while continuing to navigate their differences, as Joanne contemplates whether to convert to Judaism for her rabbi boyfriend following the ending to season two. The new photos also show that Sarah Silverman will play Rabbi Eden, while Andrew Rannells and series creator Erin Foster are also making their onscreen debuts in the show. The story.
—🟢 Greenest of green lights. 🟢 After several years in development, a series based on author Kennedy Ryan’s novel Before I Let Go has scored a series order at Peacock. The romantic drama comes from sibling studios Universal Global Television and Universal TV. Ryan and Malcolm D. Lee created the series and co-wrote the pilot episode. Attica and Tembi Locke, who have a first-look deal at Universal TV, will serve as showrunners and writers on the series. Before I Let Go is the first novel in Ryan’s three-book Skyland series. It centers on a divorced couple, Yasmen and Josiah Wade, who are still drawn to each other. The story.
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'P-Valley' to End With S3 at Starz
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►📅 The end is nigh. 📅 Starz will make one final trip to P-Valley. The streaming and cable outlet has set a Dec. 4 premiere date for the critically acclaimed Lionsgate TV series’ third season — and also announced that the coming season will be the last one for P-Valley. When the nine-episode season premieres, it will have been more than four years since the show’s second season concluded (in August 2022). Season three was put on hold during the 2023 strikes, but filming had begun by May 2024. The final season of creator and showrunner Katori Hall‘s drama will find the dancers and staff at The Pynk dealing with the opening of a casino in their town. The story.
—It’s Rush Week somewhere. A Leslie Bibb dark-comedy series The Rush Whisperer is in development at HBO. Bibb will executive produce and star in the series set in “the cutthroat world of sorority recruitment.” The Rush Whisperer is based on New York Magazine article “How Much Would You Pay for Friendship? Private Rush Coaches are Selling Teens the Sorority Dream” by Grey Battle, who is consulting producer. Kelly Hutchinson will co-write and executive produce along with Grace Parra Janney. The story.
—Oh, boy! Oh, Mary! is coming to HBO next year. A live capture of the play, starring creator Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, will debut on HBO and stream on HBO Max. The special was filmed during the July 28, 2026 performance at the Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End. Escola penned the play, which reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a wannabe cabaret singer with a prediction for booze, and originated the role of Mary Todd. The story.
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'& Juliet' to Close on Broadway In January
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►What a run! & Juliet will end its Broadway run in January, after more than four years on Broadway. The show, created by David West Read, reimagines the Shakespearean tragedy so that Juliet lives and is set to a pop score from Max Martin. The musical, which is set to close Jan. 3, 2027, is the last remaining show on Broadway from the 2022-2023 season. The show began in the U.K. before opening at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Nov. 17, 2022. The Broadway musical recouped its $17m capitalization in 2024 (and the tour recouped in 2025), and has since grossed more than $175m. The story.
—🎠Double debut. 🎠Sacha Baron Cohen will star in the West End production of Quentin Tarantino‘s stage play, The Popinjay Cavalier. Baron Cohen is said to be playing the title character in the play, which is described as a “swashbuckling comedy.” The play is set to open at a yet-to-be named London venue in spring 2027. This marks Baron Cohen’s stage debut. The play, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment, also marks the stage debut for Tarantino. The story.
—As you were. Hamilton was the highest grossing Broadway show last week, bringing in $2m, followed by MJ with $1.85m, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with $1.8m, The Lion King with $1.7m and new musical The Lost Boys, which has been selling well post-Tonys, with $1.1m. Labor Day weekend fell within the week, but seemed to have little impact on the gross. Overall industry gross was up 2 percent with attendance down 1.3 percent. The industry was also down one show, after the closure of Moulin Rouge! on Aug. 30. The Broadway box office report.
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►"A crucial act of bearing witness." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor's Venice competition entry NAZA. Helmed by members of the directing team behind 2024 Oscar winner No Other Land, and produced by The Guardian and Jonathan Glazer, this exposé reveals the state-of-the-art killing machine employed by the IDF in Gaza. The review.
—"He'll always have Paris." Jordan reviews Nicolas Pariser's Venice competition entry One Minute to Midnight. Melvil Poupaud stars in the fourth feature by critic turned director Pariser, who based some of the movie on his own past as a journalist. Also starring Chiara Mastroianni, Anaïs Demoustier, Golshifteh Farahani, Léonie Simaga, Clara Pacini and Micha Lescot. Written by Nicolas Pariser. The review.
—"An intriguing look at a star in flux." THR's Angie Han reviews Rebeca Huntt's Rapinoe. Debuting at TIFF, the doc feature sees two-time World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe reflecting on her life and career in the wake of her retirement as a soccer player in 2023. Written by Rebeca Huntt, Gabriel Rhodes and Isabel Freeman. The review.
—"Thoughtful and touching, if trying a bit too hard to remind you it is." Angie reviews Edward Lovelace's Zero Intention of Living Quietly. The Telluride doc debut centers on the friendship between actor Adam Pearson, who has facial disfigurement from neurofibromatosis, and a teenage girl with the same genetic condition. The review.
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Film Review: 'Being Heumann'
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►"Earnest but effective." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Siân Heder's Being Heumann. Ruth Madeley plays the leader of a milestone 1977 anti-discrimination protest, Judy Heumann, in Apple’s crowd-pleaser from the CODA director, which opened the Toronto Film Festival. Also starring Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Madeline Delp, Roberta Colindrez, Jon Beavers, Antwan Tolliver, Ray Fisher, Andrew Pilkington, Michael Patrick Thornton, Russell Harvard and Daniel Durant. Written by Siân Heder and Rebekah Taussig. The review.
—"Effective until overkill sets in." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Guy Moshe's The Fix. Zachary Levi and Liam Neeson lead this action film revolves around a former Special Ops soldier who leads a mission to retrieve a fortune in cash in Tehran. Starring Quincy Isaiah, Wes Chatham, Jake Choi, Augusto Aguilera, Elnaaz Norouzi, Navid Negahban, Lara Wolf, Annet Mahendru, Grant Harvey, Oliver, Trevena, Alon, Moni Aboutui, Numan Acar and Titus Welliver. Written by Guy Moshe, Mark Bacci and Ron Hutchinson. The review.
—"Another must-see work from organized labor's premier chronicler." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Barbara Kopple's Union Town. Premiering in Venice, the latest from the Harlan County, USA director studies the disparate and shared interests of workers in the gig economy. The review.
—"A gnarly romance set to even gnarlier songs." For THR, Richard Lawson reviews Theo Rhys' Stuffed. Jodie Comer and Harry Melling star in this TIFF-bowing body-horror musical romance about lonely hearts making a strange connection. Written by Theo Rhys and Joss Holden-Rea. The review.
In other news...
—The Trial of Alec Baldwin trailer: A verité look at Rust shooting and subsequent legal battle
—AHS S13 trailer returns Jessica Lange, Evan Peters and more to iconic franchise roles
—Jennifer Lawrence joins Instagram, threatens to quit if fans say "something negative"
What else we're reading...
—25 years after the 9/11 attacks, Peter Baker writes that Donald Trump personifies a nation moving on from the fear of foreign attacks [NYT]
—Oriana González and Kadia Goba talk to Hollywood Democrats who think their comically unpopular party has lost the plot [Washington Sun]
—Rather concerning Laura Cress and Nardine Saad report that Anthropic blocked possible attempts to use AI to make biological weapons [BBC]
—Adam Blenford and David Hellier report on the growing disconnection between working class fans and the Premier League, as the world's most watched soccer league becomes ever bigger [Bloomberg]
—Here's your Friday list: All 65 movies that topped $1b at the global box office, ranked [THR]
Today...
...in 2015, IFC Films released Leslye Headland's Sleeping with Other People in theaters. The Will Ferrell and Adam McKay-produced rom-com, starred Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, and Adam Scott. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Taraji P. Henson (56), Amy Madigan (76), Tony Gilroy (70), Brian De Palma (86), John Hawkes (67), Michelle Randolph (29), Ludacris (49), Scott Patterson (68), Ariana Richards (47), MarÃa Gabriela de FarÃa (34), Virginia Madsen (65), Tyler Hoechlin (39), Elizabeth Daily (65), Harry Connick Jr. (59), Matilda De Angelis (31), Elizabeth Henstridge (39), Roxann Dawson (68), Anne Ramsay (66), Cameron Richardson (47), Sarah Holcomb (68), Kristy McNichol (64), Todd Williams (49), Julia Nickson (68), Reed Birney (72), Susan Gibney (65), Tiffany Shepis (47), Ben Lee (48), Lauren Maher (49), Laura Wright (56), Hayden Szeto (41)
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