| | | | | | What's news: Jason and Travis Kelce are taking their podcast to Wondery. Oasis have revealed details on a U.K. and Ireland tour. Matthew Fox has joined Yellowstone sequel The Madison. Kate Winslet will lead A24/Hulu's The Spot. HBO's Somebody Somewhere will end with S3. DJ Angie Martinez is set to make her directorial debut. — Abid Rahman
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Bronfman Drops Paramount Bid ►"It was a privilege to have the opportunity to participate." In the latest development in the Paramount Global sale saga, Edgar Bronfman Jr. has withdrawn his bid to buy the film and TV studio. "Tonight, our bidding group informed the special committee that we will be exiting the go-shop process," Bronfman said in a statement to THR. Bronfman initially submitted a roughly $4.3b bid last week, which included $2.4b in debt and equity for Shari Redstone’s holding company, National Amusements. Bronfman would also have contributed $1.5b to Paramount’s balance sheet. A few days later, he raised the number to $6b. The story.
—🤝 Nine-figure deal 🤝 Wondery has snapped up the rights to the podcast New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. The podcast studio, owned by Amazon, has signed a distribution and an exclusive, ad-sales representation deal with the podcast from the two brothers turned NFL stars. The deal size was described as being in the nine figures and “very competitive,” according to a person familiar with the matter. As part of the multi-year deal, Wondery will have global distribution rights to all audio and video episodes of the podcast, the podcast’s back catalog and the right to create international audio adaptations of the podcast. The story.
—🤝 Settlement 🤝 Sony Corp. and Zee Entertainment have settled all legal disputes over their scrapped $10b merger in India. More than two years after unveiling a bold merger of its TV and streaming businesses in India with local giant Zee, Sony had said in January that it was officially abandoning the deal. The decision led to litigation brought by both companies. The story. |
Matthew Perry's Dealer Managed Rehab Where Client Died ►"He wasn’t known for having any real credentials in health services." THR's Gary Baum reports that two entertainment industry figures connected to Matthew Perry’s death, one of whom pled guilty in the federal investigation, were involved in another fatal L.A. area overdose nearly three years earlier. Erik Fleming, described by authorities as a "street dealer," was a program director at Bel-Air treatment center the Red Door. His friend Brooke Mueller, who cooperated with investigators in the Perry case, was dating William Cooney when he died there. Cooney's family is now asking why authorities have yet to investigate. The story.
—Devastating. Mariah Carey shared on Monday that her mother and sister died on the same day last weekend. “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” the Grammy-winner told THR. “I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.” Carey did not share the causes of death for either women. The story.
—Motion to dismiss. Embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a motion on Monday to dismiss the explosive civil case filed by producer Lil Rod, which accused Diddy of grooming him and exposing him to several crimes, including drug trafficking, sexual assault and serving drug-laced cocktails at his infamous parties. The motion in the Rodney Jones v. Sean Combs civil case was filed in New York by defendants Sean Combs, Love Records, Inc. and Combs Global. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is also a defendant in the case, as is Universal Music honcho Lucian Grainge, along with various other powerful executives. The story.
—"This is it, this is happening." It’s official: Noel and Liam Gallagher have officially reformed Oasis, with the band set to perform a series of massive, money-spinning reunion concerts in 2025. The 14 gigs announced so far include Cardiff (Principality Stadium July 4/5), Manchester (Heaton Park, July 11/12/19/20), London (Wembley Stadium, July 25/26 and Aug. 2/3), Edinburgh (Murrayfield Stadium Aug. 8/9) and Dublin (Croke Park, Aug. 16/17). Tickets are set to go on sale 9 a.m. U.K. time on Aug. 31. The story.
—"It’s a gun. You are a partner in the responsibility to some degree." Quentin Tarantino believes Alec Baldwin has some culpability in the Rust set shooting. The topic of the tragic incident came up during Tarantino’s recent appearance on the Club Random podcast. The filmmaker said, “I think I’m being fair enough to say that the armorer, the guy who hands him the gun, is 90 percent responsible for everything that happens when it comes to that gun.” Tarantino added, however, that “the actor is 10 percent responsible” in this type of situation. The story. |
DNC EP: Even My Staff Believed Beyoncé Was Coming ►"We never put out anything about Beyoncé. We denied it every time the media asked us." With the 2024 Democratic National Convention consigned to history, THR's Steven Zeitchik spoke to live-show veterans Ricky Kirshner (DNC executive producer) and Glenn Weiss (director) about the highly rated event. The pair discuss what they’re proud of, what they’d do differently, and that Beyoncé rumor that wouldn’t go away. The interview.
—Finally! Team Trump and multiple associations and organizations affiliated with the former president will finally have to appear before a judge to explain its unauthorized use of popular music at the GOP candidate’s rallies and events. The estate of soul legend Isaac Hayes was granted an emergency injunction in its lawsuit against the former president, according to a Friday social media post from the songwriter’s son, Isaac Hayes III. An emergency hearing is set for Sept. 3 in Atlanta in the copyright case over the song "Hold on, I'm Coming." The story.
—"I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever." Charli XCX has reluctantly embraced her tweet declaring Kamala Harris is “brat” becoming a phenomenon during this year’s presidential election. In a new interview, the Brit pop star was asked about the divisive social media statement about the vice president. She explained that she wrote it while relaxing in the pool at her Los Angeles home, not thinking much about it as a political endorsement, but rather “something positive and lighthearted” to welcome the new presidential nominee. The story.
—"Profile in courage." Bradley Whitford is criticizing Cheryl Hines after the actress issued a statement supporting her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The former West Wing star took aim at the former Curb Your Enthusiasm star on social media after Kennedy dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump last week. Whitford wrote on X, “Hey Cheryl Hines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights. Gutsy. Great example for the kids." The story. |
ESPN Reveals Sweeping Content Reorg Under Burke Magnus ►Some cuts incoming. ESPN is making big changes to its content organization, with president of content Burke Magnus outlining a sweeping new organization structure that will elevate some top executives and see the company part ways with others. In a memo to ESPN staff Monday, Magnus wrote that the changes will make the company “more strategic, collaborative and nimble." At the top of the new structure will be Mike McQuade, a 37-year ESPN veteran who has been named executive vp sports production, while David Roberts will be executive vp and executive editor of sports news and entertainment. The story.
—🎭 Fox in the henhouse 🎭 The Madison, Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone sequel series, continues to add to its cast. Lost star Matthew Fox is joining the show, and will star alongside lead Michelle Pfeiffer and Patrick J. Adams. Fox will play Paul, a "self-reliant bachelor who loves the outdoors." The Madison is described as "a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana." The story.
—🎭 Busy, busy 🎭 Emilia Clarke is adding another series to her schedule. The multiple Emmy nominee will star in Ponies, a spy thriller that has landed a straight-to-series order at Peacock. Ponies is set in Moscow in 1977 and centers on two “PONIES” (persons of no interest) who work anonymously as secretaries at the American embassy — until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, leading to them becoming CIA operatives. The Cold War-era show comes from Universal Television and co-creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson. Clarke is currently filming Criminal for Amazon Prime Video. The story.
—🎭 Give her the awards now 🎭 Kate Winslet is set to star in The Spot, a drama from screenwriter Ed Solomon and A24 ordered straight to series by Hulu. The show, also from 20th Television, centers on a successful surgeon and her schoolteacher husband starting to suspect she may be responsible for a child’s hit-and-run death. Their quest for truth only spirals into a web of mounting suspicion and dark secrets, testing their resolve and their relationship as they confront the possibility of hidden guilt and betrayal. Solomon created, wrote and will showrun The Spot, while also executive producing along with Winslet and her Juggle Productions banner and A24. The story.
—Bowing out. Peabody Award-winning dramedy Somebody Somewhere will end with its forthcoming third season. The final run is set to premiere Oct. 27. HBO picked up a third season of the series in June 2023. It began filming soon after the end of last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike, making it one of the first productions to get running again after writers and actors secured new contracts. Created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen and starring Bridget Everett (who’s also a writer and EP), Somebody Somewhere centers on Sam (Everett), who moves back to her Kansas hometown and eventually finds her people in a community of outsiders. The story.
—Big twist! Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are returning to TV — but they won’t be telling viewers what not to wear. The two hosts are reuniting for a Amazon Prime Video series titled Wear Whatever the F You Want, whose title is pretty much the inverse of their long-running What Not to Wear. The show comes from All3Media’s Bright Spot Content and Amazon MGM Studios; London and Kelly are among the executive producers. The story. |
Angie Martinez to Make Directorial Debut With DJ Clark Kent Doc ►"A rare gem whose influence is seen in nearly every era." THR's Mesfin Fekadu has the scoop on veteran radio personality Angie Martinez, making her directorial debut with a feature-length documentary on seminal hip-hop figure DJ Clark Kent. God’s Favorite DJ: The Story of DJ Clark Kent will be produced in partnership with Green Leaf Productions and Mark Sparks Productions, and it will include appearances by popular acts like Jay-Z, Questlove, DJ Khaled and more. Clark Kent’s production credits include Jay-Z’s “Brooklyn’s Finest,” the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Sky’s the Limit,” Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s Anthem,” and Mariah Carey’s "Loverboy." The story.
—Free tickets. Movie producer turned director Mohit Ramchandani has unveiled plans for a $1m ticket giveaway to promote his upcoming Roadside Attractions’ release City of Dreams. With sneak previews starting Aug. 28, Ramchandani is giving away tickets to individuals and groups for free thanks to a donation from John Devaney, founder of United Capital and Manor House Films. City of Dreams, based on true events, follows a young Mexican teenager who is enslaved, beaten and forced to work in the squalor of an L.A. sweatshop after being brought to the U.S. as part of a premier soccer camp that turns out to be a scam. The film is produced by Sean Wolfington, executive producer of Sound of Freedom. The story.
—🎭 Dream team 🎭 Anders Thomas Jensen is getting the Riders of Justice team back together. For his new dark comedy, tentatively titled Back to Reality, writer-director Jensen has tapped his Riders of Justice stars Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas to headline. The duo is joined by a Danish who’s who of acting talent, including Lars Brygmann, Sofie Grabol, Bodil Jorgensen, Soren Malling and Nicolas Bro. Shooting began in Funen, Denmark, on Aug. 19. Back to Reality is described as a drama/crime comedy mashup involving a bank robbery and two very different brothers. The story.
—"Everything was very secret." Jenna Ortega is pretty sure she auditioned for Zendaya's role in Dune. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actress said she was 15 when she went in for the audition. “I think it was Chani, I think it was Zendaya’s,” Ortega recalled in a new interview. “But they weren’t saying that, everything was very secret.” Ortega added that she remembers being “really excited” because Denis Villeneuve “is one of my favorite filmmakers.” The story.
—"I was like, ‘I need to focus on this. I can’t be bothered with whatever that is.'" Laurence Fishburne had politics on the mind when he learned of the furor surrounding the latest trailer, which he narrates, for director Francis Ford Coppola’s star-studded feature Megalopolis. The Oscar-nominated actor spoke with THR ahead of the Aug. 30 launch of his new sci-fi thriller Slingshot, that he was overseas when the drama unfolded. As it happens, he was actually in the middle of viewing footage from the Democratic National Convention when he was informed of the situation. The story. |
Film Review: 'I'll Be Right There' ►"Modest and well grounded." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Brendan Walsh's I’ll Be Right There. Edie Falco, Jeannie Berlin, Bradley Whitford and Michael Rapaport star in this comic look at middle age and the ties that bind. The review.
In other news...
—Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer brings Keanu Reeves’ Shadow into the light
—Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer hints at sexual abuse claims by brothers
—Christopher Reeve’s career, post-paralysis life chronicled in Super/Man doc trailer
—Emilia Perez teaser sees Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón in queer crime musical
—Comedy Central’s Everybody Still Hates Chris reveals first look, premiere date
—Wim Wenders to be honored with European Lifetime Achievement Award
—Jeremy Allen White hangs by pool in Calvin Klein Underwear in BTS campaign images
What else we're reading...
—Nicole Sperling reports on Apple rethinking its movie strategy after a string of big budget misses [NYT]
—Meredith Blake believes the bantery British twist to Love Is Blind has revitalized Netflix's reality franchise [LAT]
—Ten years after the debut of Netflix's BoJack Horseman, Alan Siegel talks Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, and more who reflect on the creation and legacy of the animated show [Ringer]
—Andy Vasoyan reports on the fake band problem on Spotify: Cover bands farming millions of streams from unsuspecting listeners [Slate]
—With the frankly frightening AI photo tools available on new phones like the Pixel 9, Sarah Jeong writes that the public isn't ready for the debate over photos capturing reality [Verge]
Today...
...in 1953, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The film would go on to win three Oscars at the 26th Academy Awards, for costume design, Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay and for Hepburn as best actress. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Tom Ford (63), Sarah Chalke (48), Suranne Jones (46), Chandra Wilson (55), Dean Devlin (62), Robert Richardson (69), Ariana Greenblatt (17), Alexa PenaVega (36), Peter Stormare (71), Patrick J. Adams (43), Aaron Paul (45), Amanda Fuller (40), Jack Kesy (38), Tuesday Weld (81), G.W. Bailey (80), Blake Jenner (32), Vic Mignogna (62), Ellar Coltrane (30), Kayla Ewell (39), Sugar Lyn Beard (43), Diana Scarwid (69), Peter Mensah (65), Leanna Creel (54), Mike Smith (52), Reece Shearsmith (55), Jessie Mei Li (29), Charles Fleischer (74), B.K. Cannon (34), Mirela Balic (25), Tiffany Boone (37), Claire Stansfield (60), Monica Lacy (54), Usman Ally (42), Kerr Logan (36), Reema Sampat (37), Danica Curcic (39), Harrison Page (83), Dan Donohue (58) |
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