What's news: Skydance's Jesse Sisgold is joining RedBird Capital Partners. Kathleen Kennedy is new head of ceremonies for LA28. YouTube Premium and YouTube Music boast more than 150m subs. Hasan Piker is suing CNN's Scott Jennings. And Inside the NBA's Ernie Johnson is stepping down. — Abid Rahman
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Cheeks Sets Team at Skydance TV |
►Team in place. Skydance TV chief George Cheeks has set his senior leadership team. WBD veteran Channing Dungey will officially remain in control of Warner Bros. TV Studios. Bryon Rubin will be COO of the Skydance TV group, which will include oversight of the CBS Television Stations group. David Stapf will continue to lead CBS Studios, and Matt Thunell will run Paramount Television Studios. David Berson will continue to run Skydance’s Global Sports Group, with Amy Reisenbach continuing to lead CBS Entertainment. Mike Benson will lead marketing, Laurel Weir will lead research and programming, and Chris Ender will lead communications. The story.
—About Jesse Sisgold. Skydance is, however, losing one of its longest-tenured executives. Jesse Sisgold, the former president and COO of Skydance Media, who most recently ran Paramount’s Paramount Sports Entertainment division, is exiting the company. He will join RedBird Capital Partners, a strategic partner of Skydance, as a senior C-suite advisor across the firm’s sports and entertainment portfolio. The story.
—Star substitute. When news broke that Netflix had tapped Peter Rice to replace Bela Bajaria as chief content officer, it didn’t take long for insiders to wonder how he could lead such a massive portfolio while continuing on with a role as head of ceremonies for the 2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Question no more: Hollywood veteran Kathleen Kennedy has been tapped to replace Rice as head of ceremonies and content for LA28. The EP role will find the iconic producer helping shape the opening and closing ceremonies for back-to-back Games in four separate events. The story.
—Monster. YouTube now has more than 150m subscribers to its YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services, solidifying the video platform as a juggernaut not only in the video advertising space, but in the subscription space as well. The company had disclosed that the two services topped 125m subscribers (including trials) last year. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced the milestone in connection with the company’s Q3 earnings report Wednesday afternoon. YouTube also saw its ad sales surge to more than $11.2b in the quarter, up from $10.3b a year ago, and on par with Q2. The results.
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Why Fox News' Ratings Are Dipping
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►The Donald looms large. In the “two things can be true” category: Fox News still holds sizable ratings leads in cable news over CNN and MS NOW. It also suffered the largest year-to-year ratings drop in the month before an election in the past 10 years. THR's Rick Porter digs into the numbers, and what's behind the big drop in what should be a busy month for cable news. The analysis.
—"The defendants built their film using Frisco as their blueprint." Luca screenwriter Simon Stephenson has sued Alexander Payne for copyright infringement, accusing the director of ripping off his screenplay enroute to writing The Holdovers. In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Stephenson accuses Payne of transposing major elements from his screenplay, Frisco, into the film while adding surface-level cosmetic changes to avoid the appearance of copying. He claims the director read his script in 2013 and again in 2019 before Payne approached screenwriter David Hemingson about collaborating on the project. The Holdovers nominated for five Oscars, including one for best screenplay. The story.
—✊ First contract. ✊ Nonfiction workers at the prominent production company behind This Is a Gardening Show and Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich have ratified their first union contract. A roughly 50-member bargaining unit at the nonfiction division of RadicalMedia voted to greenlight the new five-year deal on Friday. The story.
—Fighting back. Hasan Piker has sued conservative commentator Scott Jennings for defamation, accusing the CNN contributor of falsely stating that Piker endorsed lynchings. In an August podcast, Jennings played clips of Piker from 2024 when he was reacting to a debate between two Black political commentators, one in which the Twitch streamer sarcastically said “I want to go back to lynching” to mock nostalgia for an era before the civil rights movement. Jennings told listeners that Piker was “out there calling for Black voters to be lynched” and had a “plan of returning our country to lynchings.” Piker is seeking $72.5m. The story.
—Closed. Police in South Carolina have closed their investigation into the overdose death of actor Hayden Panettiere following a coroner’s finding that it was accidental. The decision was based on the medical examiner’s determination as well as the findings of the investigation, Greenville police said Wednesday in a statement. Panettiere was pronounced dead in an apartment in Greenville on Aug. 16 at age 36 after paramedics found her unresponsive. The story.
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'The Diplomat' Renewed for S5 at Netflix |
►🟢 No-brainer. 🟢 The Diplomat has been renewed for a fifth season at Netflix. The news, announced Thursday, comes after season four ended with a dramatic scene at the G7 summit, raising questions about the careers of a number of the series’ long-term civil servants. Five seasons is a relatively long run in the streaming era but The Diplomat creator and showrunner Debora Cahn recently told THR that she’s not yet nearing the end of this tale. The story.
—🤝 Overall deal. 🤝 Netflix has signed an exclusive overall deal with Joseph Kay, the creator and showrunner of the medical drama Transplant, which landed on NBC stateside. As part of the deal, Kay will develop and write new TV series for Netflix in Canada, starting with an untitled new family drama. He most recently worked with Netflix as a consulting producer on North of North season 2, the Arctic-set comedy also on the CBC and set to return on Nov. 5. The story.
—"It’s totally my decision. It’s just time." Ernie Johnson, the long-serving host of Inside the NBA on TNT and ESPN, is stepping down. In an Instagram video Wednesday, Johnson said that this season — his 37th — will be his last as the host of the NBA highlights and analysis show. Johnson became host of Inside the NBA with its second season in 1990 and has been at the helm ever since, wrangling and playing off of analysts Kenny Smith (since 1998), Charles Barkley (since 2000) and Shaquille O’Neal (since 2011). The story.
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Fielder and Oppenheim On the Reaction to 'YCSE'
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►"I'm gleaning new things from just hearing what other people are saying." Less than two months ago, the world did not know the existence of You Can See Everything. In the time since, the A24 production has opened as one of the most successful documentaries of all time at the North American box office and made a strong case to become the first doc to ever be nominated for the best picture Oscar. THR's David Canfield spoke to directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim about the twisty ride in making the buzzy film. Warnings: Spoilers! The interview.
—"The Rogue One/Andor of the franchise." The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping held its London premiere on Wednesday, and the brief first reactions to the film have already hit social media. Full critics reviews for the film are not expected to drop until much closer to Sunrise on the Reaping‘s theatrical release date of Nov. 30, but Lionsgate is clearly feeling very confident about the latest entry to the Hunger Games franchise and is allowing people who attended early screenings to post reactions so far ahead of opening day. The reactions.
—"[Returning] was so emotional." Jennifer Lawrence finally confirming she’s returning to The Hunger Games franchise. The actress discussed being back as Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping. Lawrence also confirmed she reunited with her former Hunger Games co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson, whose participation has also long been speculated. The story.
—Helmer found. David Bruckner has signed on to direct Paramount's Smile 3. The follow-up to 2024’s Smile 2 will be written by Nick Antosca. Parker Finn, creator, writer and director of the first two Smile films, developed and pitched the framework of the third entry. He will remain involved as a producer for Smile 3, and Jonathan Fass will EP. Bruckner directed Hulu’s Hellraiser remake in 2022, and also previously helmed The Night House and The Ritual. The story.
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'Ali G: Who Iz I?' Extends Theatrical Run
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►Booyah! THR's Ryan Gajewski has the scoop on Amazon MGM Studios extending the theatrical run for the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy feature, Ali G: Who Iz I? The opened in theaters on Friday for a theatrical stint that was previously announced as lasting only two days but will continue at certain locations. This includes a number of L.A. area theaters, along with the AMC Empire 25 in New York and the AMC South Barrington 24 in the Chicago suburbs. Ali G: Who Iz I? debuts worldwide for streaming via Prime Video on Wednesday. THR had previously reported that the Who Iz I? theatrical strategy was conceived to eventize the release and add urgency to the opportunity to see the movie on the big screen before it heads to streaming. The story.
—Inside the attempted boycott. One of the most intriguing things about Ali G: Who Iz I? occurred off-screen, reports THR's Gary Baum. Gary writes there was campaign against the film, which included AI-fueled mass mailings to pressure exhibitors, was run by a group with ties to other efforts against Disney for employing the Israeli actresses Gal Gadot and Shira Haas. The story.
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'The Drop' Boss Lays Out Multi-Season Plan
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►"What we just saw was a dash of what’s coming." THR's Hilary Lewis spoke to Malcolm Spellman, the showrunner to Snowfall spinoff The Drop, about his plans for the buzzy FX drama. Spellman dishes on how the drama about the rise of West Coast hip-hop explains how record labels will continue to have "all the leverage," the future of the romance between central characters Wanda (Gail Bean) and Leon (Isaiah John) and why ultimately the series is about family. The interview.
—"You hear Jessica Lange’s name, and that you have scenes with her, and there’s an awe-inspiring thing." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to actor Joey Pollari about his show American Horror Story. Pollari reveals more of how his role came to be, what it was like having so many scenes with AHS royalty Jessica Lange (whose characters were the source of a major revelation heading into the finale) and Emma Roberts, and if he sees more AHS in his future after season 13 ends. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I hated him on Do the Right Thing, to be honest with you, and he probably hated me to a certain extent." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro about their acclaimed new film The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. The duo discuss their time working together on Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, and Esposito also outlines the Breaking Bad prequel he's already conceived in his head, The Rise of Gus. The interview.
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Film Review: 'The Mongoose'
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►"Speeds along mindlessly." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Mark Vaneslow's The Mongoose. Liam Neeson takes it on the lam in a souped-up sports car in this high-octane thriller. Also starring Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Marvel Meredith, Michael Chiklis and Ryan Morgan. Written by Thompson Evans. The review.
In other news...
—Pride and Prejudice trailer: Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman star in adaptation
—Jumanji: Open World trailer: Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black get flirty
—Camerimage: Project Hail Mary, Disclosure Day make lineup
—Camerimage: Janusz Kamiński to receive THR Visionary in Cinematography Award
—Sundance sets legacy screenings including films by Nolan, Lin and Cuarón
—Cate Blanchett warns against "unthinking certainty" as she accepts Japan’s Praemium Imperiale
—John Carpenter to receive ACE’s Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year award
—Dolores Huerta, influential labor leader, feminist and civil rights icon, dies at 96
—Barbara Barrie, actress in Breaking Away, Company and Barney Miller, dies at 95
What else we're reading...
—Alan Siegel picks out a section from his oral history on Coyote vs. Acme, an extended bit of his conversation with the late Eric Bauza [Ringer]
—Beth Kowitt writes that former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s startup Dazzle isn’t an answer to AI’s gender gap [Bloomberg]
—Emily Glazer, Georgia Wells and Hannah Critchfield report that tech giants are ramping up resistance to ICE in a bid to avoid the coming Democratic scrutiny [WSJ]
—With the AI vibe-coding leading to a glut of new apps, Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly wonders if anyone is actually using them [The Atlantic]
—Sarah Phillips looks at how millennials fell out of love with mid-century modern [Guardian]
Today...
...in 2010, Lionsgate released Kevin Greutert's Saw 3D in theaters. The seventh installment in the Saw franchise was critically slammed but was a box office success, earning $136m globally. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Winona Ryder (55), Richard Dreyfuss (79), Gabrielle Union (54), Michael Schur (51), Dan Castellaneta (69), Tracee Ellis Ross (54), Rufus Sewell (59), Ben Foster (46), Italia Ricci (40), Jodi Balfour (40), India Eisley (33), Janet Montgomery (41), Maria Sten (37), Jon Abrahams (49), Cleopatra Coleman (39), Chelan Simmons (44), Brendan Fehr (49), Milena Govich (50), Farrah Mackenzie (21), Joely Fisher (59), Andrew Lee Potts (47), Aksel Hennie (51), Carlson Young (36), Finola Hughes (67), Derek Theler (40), Jed Brophy (63), Daniel Feuerriegel (45), Christopher Wiehl (56), Cherilyn Wilson (38)
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Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director who guided Peter O’Toole in The Ruling Class, George C. Scott in the classic ghost story The Changeling and Gary Oldman in the crime thriller Romeo Is Bleeding, died Tuesday. He was 88. The obituary.
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