What's news: Ynon Kreiz will be the co-CEO of the merged Paramount-WBD. Ben Affleck confessed he used AI “for lots of things” in his new film Animals. Upworthy is launching a studio. Blake Lively has signed with ID-PR. And the IDF has published its pushback on the doc NAZA. — Abid Rahman
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Paramount's $111B WBD Buy Greenlit By Judge
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►Cleared for takeoff. A federal judge has signed off on a settlement allowing Paramount to close its $111b megadeal for Warner Bros. Discovery, ending a monthslong deadlock between the studio and states challenging the acquisition. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin on Wednesday entered a consent decree agreed to by Paramount, the states and the Writers Guild of America. The deal is expected to close on Oct. 6. The court’s decision greenlighting the settlement was the last obstacle to CEO David Ellison marrying two legacy Hollywood studios to create the next entertainment and media colossus. The story.
—It's official. After much buzz, David Ellison named Mattel exec Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the merged Paramount-WBD. Ellison will focus on “the company’s long-term strategy, creative vision and direction, including its talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation,” the company said, while Kreiz will focus on day-to-day management and integration of the combined businesses. Kreiz’s exit as CEO of Mattel was announced Wednesday morning. The story.
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Sarandos: Netflix "Not Growing as Fast as I Want Us To" |
►"We're not in the [user-generated content] business." Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged on Wednesday his streaming service’s slowed growth in engagement: Netflix viewership grew just 2 percent over the first half of 2026. “Overall, we’re not growing as fast as I want us to, and we’re working on making that move faster,” Sarandos said at Bloomberg‘s 2026 Screentime event. Sarandos said that one potential kickstart to engagement is the service’s recent move into live programming, including a few high-profile NFL games. The recap.
—Oh Ben... Ben Affleck used AI “for lots of things” in his upcoming Netflix thriller Animals, he said Wednesday at Bloomberg's Screentime event. Not that he’s going to tell you which things. "I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie. I’m a little bit hesitant to point out what they are — or even talk about it — because in my business, we’re trying to foster the illusion of reality, right?" he told Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw. The recap.
—Exiting. Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul, the head of communications for Disney Entertainment Television, is leaving the company. Bulochnikov-Paul announced her exit in a memo to staff on Wednesday, saying she’s leaving Disney for a new job opportunity. Her departure is not related to a round of layoffs that hit Disney this week; those cuts came primarily in the company’s tech and human resources departments. The story.
—Hollywood comeback. THR's Alex Weprin has the scoop that Upworthy, which originally gained viral fame thanks to its positive, uplifting articles and photo galleries before shifting toward a more social-first content strategy after it was sold to Good Worldwide, is launching a studio. Upworthy Studios is launching with a goal to push beyond digital publishing and social content to new entertainment formats and partnerships that can bring the brand to new platforms, while staying true to its positive, humanity-first storytelling. The story.
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Kennedy Admits to "Relief" in Leaving Lucasfilm |
►"I’m always proud of the work that’s been done." Kathleen Kennedy admitted to feeling “a bit of relief” after stepping down from Lucasfilm earlier in 2026 following 14 years at the helm of one of the biggest American film franchises. The longtime producer reflected on the end of her leadership tenure in the Star Wars universe during a Wednesday night interview devoted to her career at Bloomberg’s Screentime event. Asked if she felt “bittersweet“ about leaving Lucasfilm, Kennedy said no. “I suppose there’s a bit of relief. These jobs are not easy and stepping into something like that that George [Lucas] had created was an incredible challenge.” The recap.
—Fresh start. Blake Lively has made significant changes to her representation. The actress and entrepreneur has signed with power publicist Kelly Bush Novak, CEO and founder of ID-PR, after parting ways with her longtime publicist Leslie Sloane, founder and owner of Vision PR. The move comes months after the settlement of a high-profile legal battle with Justin Baldoni earlier this year. Lively had been with Sloane for more than two decades, dating to the early days of her acting career when Sloane was a senior rep at the now-defunct firm BWR. The story.
—Dismissed. A lawsuit from Alec Baldwin accusing Santa Fe officials of malicious prosecution and civil rights violations for pursuing criminal charges against him in an accidental shooting death on the set of Rust has been dismissed. U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs found on Wednesday that the prosecutor in the case is entitled to immunity while acknowledging a “very disturbing picture of malicious prosecution.” The story.
—"Distorted, misleading and disingenuous." The IDF on Thursday came out with an official, and lengthy, response to NAZA, the Israeli-army whistleblower doc about the war in Gaza. The film, from Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is a series of anonymous interviews with two dozen IDF veterans of the Gaza war. They lay out what they claim is Israel‘s deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians in the war. The IDF pushed back saying NAZA omits "context essential to understanding the war." The story.
—"I’m honestly blown away." After Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour over his pro-Palestine comments, the rapper has revealed that his own “Free Palestine” Tour has sold out. The “Can’t Hold Us” artist took to Instagram on Wednesday to share that “all three shows sold out immediately.” The rapper is set to perform in Dublin, Paris and London later this month. The story.
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Why Is 'Digger' Facing Such a Bumpy Box Office Road?
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►"It's going to be a very interesting weekend." Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Tom Cruise's Digger, essentially Warner Bros.' big-budget awards play, has sparked plenty of debate. THR's own plucky navvy Ryan Gajewski unpacks of the box office hopes for the film, with the data suggesting Digger will likely open far below Amazon MGM's Colleen Hoover adaptation Verity. The box office report.
—"F**k those people." Don’t listen to those hoity-toity critics. Go see Digger and make up your own mind! That’s the gist behind WB's new online ad for the film, which has received some scathing reviews (and, to be fair, many rather positive ones, as well). “Decide for yourself,” declares the text introducing the ad. The ad then kicks off with a critic quote saying Digger “is an ambitious film sure to polarize audiences,” before Cruise’s titular character exclaims, "You know what? Fuck those people!" The story.
—🎭 Terrific casting. 🎭 THR's Borys "Scoop Jackson" Kit has the scoop on Edi "Mr. Terrific" Gathegi joining the starry cast of Miami Vice ’85, Universal's big-screen take on the classic TV series. The Superman actor joins a call sheet that already includes Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler, Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, Danny Ramirez, John Leguizamo and Andrew Schulz. Joseph Kosinski is directing, with the feature project eyeing a November production start and shoots in New York and Miami. The story.
—"A well-funded and glorified WWE." It’s safe to say Nicolas Cage isn’t a big fan of where the MCU is headed. During a recent Q&A at Fan Expo Dallas, the Oscar winner said he misses when movies in the MCU prioritized story over action, describing newer films as “well-funded and glorified WWE." "It started out, in my view, terrific. Some of the early stories were marvelous," Cage told the crowd. "The way that they wove all the threads together and told the different character stories and backstories." The story.
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Sony Dates '24 Jump Street,' 'Treasure Island'
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►📅 Dated! 📅 Sony has announced a slew of new movie release dates. Ridley Scott's Treasure Island will hit theaters Nov. 11, 2027. 24 Jump Street will launch theatrically on Dec. 10, 2027. Justin Lin's video game adaptation Helldivers is shifting to June 9, 2028. Roshan Sethi’s The Surgeon is set to hit theaters April 2, 2027. John Phillips' comedy Narcs has been dated for Aug. 20, 2027. And Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki's English-language directorial debut Grandgear shifts to Jan. 14, 2028. The story.
—Smaller scale. Joachim Rønning is setting sail for System, an original horror movie he is writing and directing. The feature hails from Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios. The film is in production in London, with both the plot and its cast being kept under wraps. A slimmed down horror movie is a change of pace for Rønning, who has mostly worked on big franchises in recent years, such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) and last year’s Tron: Ares. The story.
—Wait, what? THR's Scott Feinberg has the scoop that Focus Features has decided to submit Curry Barker's Obsession for consideration as a musical or comedy at the Golden Globes. Scott writes that many pundits assumed the film would be pushed as a drama, but insiders cite as precedents numerous other genre-blurring films that were submitted, accepted and nominated at the Globes in the musical or comedy categories, including Get Out, The Banshees of Inisherin, Poor Things, The Substance and Bugonia. The story.
—Sugoi! The Tokyo International Film Festival has revealed its full lineup for the 39th edition of Asia‘s largest film event. As ever, the lineup is a mix of new features from Asia’s best auteurs, a sprinkling of Hollywood movies and projects from up-and-coming filmmakers. Among the gala screenings are Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth!, Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine and Michael Showalter’s Verity. The lineup.
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Ariana Madix to Star in Sci-Fi Drama 'Future Housewives'
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►Interstellar drama. Ariana Madix's next TV project will take her to outer space. The Vanderpump Rules alum and Emmy-nominated Love Island USA host will star in a sci-fi series called Future Housewives. The show, created by Brannon Braga, is in development at Peacock. Madix will also be an executive producer, as will Seth MacFarlane, who worked with Braga on The Orville. Future Housewives blends science fiction and the reality TV world that made Madix a household name. The story.
—Come on, man. A woeful update for Wednesday fans wondering when they’ll get a third season. The good news is the third season of the Netflix supernatural hit has just wrapped production. The bad news is that still means a long wait for the new episodes given the show’s extensive postproduction effects work. There was a three-year gap between season one (2022) and season two (2025). The wait for season three will almost certainly be a bit shorter, with a return next fall seeming very plausible given the second season had an eight-month turnaround after filming wrapped. The story.
—The price was right. CBS is beefing up its unscripted series roster with two new shows and an updated version of one that hasn’t aired for several years. The latter is Undercover Boss, which last aired on the network in 2022. The show is in preproduction on a new season, with CBS mainstay Drew Carey joining the series as host (previous seasons haven’t had one). The new series are a game show called Stacks of Cash and reality competition 24 Hour Millionaire. The story.
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Broadway Grosses Drop 11 Percent Amid Nor’Easter
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►Blown off course. Broadway attendance and capacity took a plunge last week, with both dropping about 11 percent from the prior week. This came amid a weekend storm that led to a state of emergency in several New York areas, and came the week after the end of the Broadway Week promotion, which offered discounted tickets to several shows in an effort to boost attendance before the fall season heats up. Hamilton was the highest grossing show last week, with $2.6m, followed by The Lion King with $1.7m. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was the third highest grossing, as the play rebounded up $600,000 from the prior week, to $1.6m, as Tom Felton returned after a scheduled absence. The Broadway box office report.
—🎭 30-year wait is over. 🎭 A revival of Damn Yankees is coming to Broadway starring Neil Patrick Harris, Julianne Hough and Austin Scott. Harris will star as Applegate, alongside Hough as Lola and Scott as Young Joe. Further casting will be announced at a later date. The new adaptation features a book by Will Power and Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. This is the first Broadway revival of Damn Yankees in more than 30 years. The story.
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TV Review: 'East of Eden'
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►"Imperfect but admirably nuanced." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's East of Eden. The seven-episode miniseries is truer to the source material than the 1955 feature from Zoe Kazan's grandfather, Elia Kazan. Starring Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Joseph Zada and Joe Anders. Created by Zoe Kazan, from the novel by John Steinbeck. The review.
—"Not your father's Carrie, for better or worse." Daniel reviews Amazon Prime Video's Carrie. Summer H. Howell and Samantha Sloyan play telekinetic teen Carrie White and her terrifying mom Margaret in the new series adaptation of the novel. Also starring Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder and Matthew Lillard. Created by Mike Flanagan, from the novel by Stephen King. The review.
—"Breaking up is fun to do." THR's Angie Han reviews HBO's War. From the creator of Lupin, the series follows the rival law firms representing either side of an obscenely expensive, extremely high-profile divorce between a tech mogul and a movie star. Starring Sienna Miller, Dominic West, Archie Renaux, Phoebe Fox, Nina Sosanya, Pip Torrens, James McArdle and Miles Jupp. Created by George Kay. The review.
In other news...
—Netflix’s new releases coming in October
—The Lowdown S2 trailer plunges Ethan Hawke’s Lee into a new conspiracy
—Julianne Moore to receive Rome Film Festival lifetime honor
—Disney+ strikes streaming bundle and content deal with Indonesia’s Vidio
—Taylor Hanson signs with WME
—Peppino Mazzullo, voice of Topo Gigio, the Italian puppet on The Ed Sullivan Show, dies at 100
What else we're reading...
—Debra KaminMatt Flegenheimer and Amy Julia Harris talk to the "Jane Doe" at the heart of the Cornell University rape case [NYT]
—Marc Myers talks to Zoe Kazan about the creation of Netflix's East of Eden, her grandfather Elia Kazan, and how her Hollywood parents shaped her career [WSJ]
—Kevin Roose goes inside the feud between Anthropic and OpenAI over the future of AI [The Atlantic]
—Jing Feng and Vicky Nguyen report on more ticket price shenanigans, revealing that the same ticket at an upcoming Harry Styles concert at MSG is eight different prices [NBC News]
—California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 U.S. states [BBC]
Today...
...in 2006, Showtime premiered the Michael C. Hall-starring Dexter, a crime series that would go on to run for eight seasons and be revived for two spinoff shows. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Julie Andrews (91), Brie Larson (37), Michaela Coel (39), Charles Edwards (57), Emerald Fennell (41), Zach Galifianakis (57), Jurnee Smollett (40), Esai Morales (64), Matthew Daddario (39), Hazal Kaya (36), Sarah Drew (46), Katie Aselton (48), Danika Yarosh (28), Ayden Mayeri (36), Danielle Bisutti (50), Marielle Heller (47), Josh Brener (42), Luna Blaise (25), Angela Giarratana (33), Jay Underwood (58), Priah Ferguson (20), Nanci Chambers (63), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (64), Sherri Saum (52), Ciarán McMenamin (51), Cassandra Freeman (48), Elizabeth Dennehy (66), Christian Borle (53), Olga Fonda (44), Tara Buckman (70), Isaiah Stannard (22), Natalija Nogulich (76), Ted King (61), Roxane Mesquida (45)
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John Grover, the British film editor who helped assemble a half-dozen James Bond movies and spent six long months breathing heavily at the behest of Stanley Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey, has died. He was 87. The obituary.
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