| | | | | | What's news: Netflix is looking to "Netflix-ify" its NFL coverage. Janet Jackson has seemingly questioned Kamala Harris' race. Erik Menendez has slammed Netflix and Ryan Murphy over Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Max has canceled Pretty Little Liars. Ridley Scott is eyeing a third Gladiator film. — Abid Rahman
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Hollywood Can't Ditch Its Teslas Fast Enough ►"They're destroying their leases and walking away." Tesla is reportedly planning a reveal of its self-driving robotaxi on the Warner Bros. lot amid widespread anger in the industry over the brand’s controversial CEO, Elon Musk. For THR, Brett Berk looks at how liberals souring on the increasingly erratic and extreme Musk has seen Tesla go from the "It car" to a pariah in Hollywood. The story.
—"We plan to Netflix-ify [NFL games] a little bit." At a FT conference Friday, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters touched on a number of topics close to the streamer. In the case of the NFL, Peters said that the company is approaching it as a singular event, rather than something with a more regular cadence (“for one day, football will be on Netflix,” he said), and hinted that the streamer has plans to approach NFL games a bit differently than other rightsholders. "So we’ll plan to have a little bit of stuff around the games with our talent, stuff like that, that’ll hopefully make it super fun," Peters added. The story.
—✊ Quick as you like ✊ The crew of a romantic drama starring Julia Fox has unionized with IATSE after a brief picket of the production on Thursday. Workers on the film Perfect, a queer romantic drama co-starring Ashley Moore and Micaela Wittman, secured a union contract after staging a six-hour strike on Thursday. According to a source, director Millicent Hailes — who has helmed music videos for Lil Yachty, Adam Lambert and Young Thug — was sympathetic to the effort, which helped accelerate the process. The story.
—Past restraining order. Golden Bachelorette's Gil Ramirez, who received a rose from star Joan Vassos during this week’s Sept. 18 season premiere, saw details from his past come to light on Friday. The 60-year-old educator from California, had a temporary domestic violence restraining order filed against him three months ago from an ex-girlfriend over allegations of stalking. The woman said, "[Ramirez] made repeated unwanted contact with me, family members and friends" and that he "showed up at places I frequent to confront me on a daily basis." The story.
—For the kids. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has unveiled the next phase of its plans to put a spotlight on TV programming for children and families with the help of three new categories at its annual BAFTA Television Awards and BAFTA TV Craft Awards. The new awards categories are the children’s scripted award for scripted programs, such as drama and comedy, whether live-action or animated; the children’s non-scripted award for such content as factual, factual entertainment, documentary and news; and the children’s craft team award honoring the craft teams working in children’s scripted and unscripted programming in behind-the-camera roles. The story. |
How Diddy's Legal Team Will Fight Charges ►"I specialize in sensitive and high-profile matters." Indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, Sean Combs has engaged Marc Agnifilo, a do-it-all defense lawyer with extensive experience litigating complex cases involving criminal enterprises, like the one the scandal-plagued music mogul is facing. THR's Winston Cho and Gary Baum do a deep dive on the attorney who faced the feds in a similar RICO case involving NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, has a long history of representing high-profile figures including Harvey Weinstein, Martin Shkreli and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The analysis.
—"Can you even remember a time when something like that would have been disqualifying?" John Oliver and his Last Week Tonight team were busy winning an Emmy last week, so Sunday night’s show marked his first opportunity to weigh in on the Donald Trump–Kamala Harris presidential debate. Oliver chose to zero in on Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are abducting and eating cats and dogs. The HBO show’s host set up the clip by calling it an “exceptional moment in American oratory.” The recap.
—"I was told that they discovered her father was white." Janet Jackson has seemingly questioned Kamala Harris' race. Appearing on a Guardian podcast, the pop icon about the presidential election. When the reporter noted that America may be on the verge of voting for its first Black, female president, Jackson stopped her and shared her thoughts. "Well, you know what they supposedly said?" Jackson asked. "She’s not Black, that’s what I heard, that she’s Indian." She added, "Her father’s white, that’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days." The story.
—"Dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime." Erik Menendez is not very happy with Ryan Murphy's latest true-crime anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The Netflix show chronicles the case of real-life brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents. Erik shared in a statement, which his wife Tammi Menendez posted on social media Thursday night, “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose." The story.
—"We are taking a bit of time to ourselves, to reflect and to heal." Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is seeking medical treatment following an onstage confrontation with guitarist Dave Navarro that prompted the band to cancel all remaining dates on its North American tour. His wife, Etty Lau Farrell, revealed the update in an Instagram post on Saturday. "We are equally astonished at Perry’s physical outburst as you are - but you must know that Perry must had been pushed to his absolute limit... to that end we apologize," she posted on Instagram. The story. |
THR's 25 Most Powerful Entertainment Lawyers in NYC ►🤌 Best of the best 🤌 The entertainment industry in New York City, just like Los Angeles, has been adjusting to the effects of the post-strike contraction on top of a struggling economy. Still, the 25 attorneys on THR’s New York Power Lawyers list have been kept busy helping their clients with negotiating sports rights, inking deals for theater, film and TV, launching clothing lines, taking on behemoths like Google and navigating the legalities of AI. The list. |
'Friends' Creators Say 30th Anniversary "A Little Fraught" After Matthew Perry Death ►"He made us laugh every day." On Sunday, Friends celebrated its 30th anniversary, and the creators of the hit NBC sitcom, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as executive producer Kevin S. Bright are aware of how Matthew Perry’s death has cast a pall over what would otherwise be a celebratory time. On Friday's episode of Today, Kauffman, Crane and Bright spoke about the milestone as well as Perry's tragic death. The story.
—Gold medal effort. A big summer helped NBC claim the 52-week ratings crown for the 2023-24 season. The network’s primetime telecasts of the Summer Olympics, which averaged some 14m viewers nightly from July 26-Aug. 11, moved NBC into first place for the full year, measured from Sept. 25, 2023, to Sept. 22, 2024. The Olympics and other summer programming helped NBC overtake CBS, which won the traditional September-to-May season. Including the summer months — which also feature the start of the NFL season — NBC averaged about 4.9m primetime viewers for 2023-24, beating out the 4.7m for CBS. ABC ranks third at 3.9m viewers, while Fox averaged 2.8m. The ratings.
—Nearing near-death entertainment. Amazon Prime Video is developing a thriller called The Orpheus Project, centering on a group of young doctors who conduct dangerous experiments on themselves that skirt the line between life and death. The project, from writers Dee Johnson (Fellow Travelers) and Paul Keables (Nashville), is based on an Israeli series titled Metim Lerega that ran on that country’s Hot platform. Amazon MGM Studios is producing. The story.
—Donezo. The Pretty Little Liars sequel/reboot at Max is done after two seasons. The streamer has canceled the show, a horror-inflected take on the 2010s ABC Family/Freeform mystery. The decision comes about three months after PLL’s second season, subtitled Summer School, finished its run in June. Season two ended with a tease of more potential frights, showing a group of girls wearing masks resembling the five Liars walking down the hallway of their high school. That image will be left hanging, however. The story. |
Why Dating App Bumble Is Backing an Abortion Film ►"We had no plans to get into producing films, but we care about this issue a lot." THR's Rebecca Keegan writes that popular matchmaking app Bumble is financing pre-election screenings of Zurawski v Texas, a new documentary co-produced by Hillary Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence about the fight for abortion access in the Lone Star State. The story.
—"There's already an idea." It took Ridley Scott 20 years to return to the Colosseum with Gladiator II, but he is already plotting his third trip to ancient Rome. “I’d rather get on into Gladiator III,” Scott told THR, when asked about a different potential next project for the 86-year-old filmmaker. “There’s already an idea.” He added that he’s taking inspiration from The Godfather Part II for the next story. The story.
—Do you remember? Summer of Soul helmer Questlove is on board to direct the Earth, Wind & Fire documentary that is in the works. The feature is set to examine the iconic group’s lasting legacy, cultural impact and enduring body of work. For the project, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning filmmaker will feature exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio and written material, as well as the support of the estate of Maurice White and the band. The story.
—📅 Dated 📅 Sony Pictures' untitled R-rated comedy movie starring Keke Palmer and SZA will hit theaters Jan. 24, 2025. Lawrence Lamont is directing the TriStar Pictures film from a script by Syreeta Singleton. Alas, plot details have not been shared. Rounding out the cast are Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, Katt Williams, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Patrick Cage and Amin Joseph. The story. |
Box Office: 'Transformers One' Loses to 'Beetlejuice 2' ►Surprise twist! Paramount and Hasbro Entertainment’s Transformers One was expected to open to at least $30m to $35m in North America, more than enough to top the chart. Instead, it came in at an estimated $25m from 3,978 theaters versus an estimated $26m from 4,172 locations for Warner Bros.'s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which is now in is third weekend. Transformers One had held a slight edge as of Saturday morning, but the necessary traffic needed to eke out a victory didn’t materialize.
THR's Pamela McClintock writes that the unwelcome news for Transformers comes despite glowing reviews, awards buzz, an A CinemaScore and exceptional PostTrak exit scores, but Paramount and Hasbro always knew they were taking a risk by returning to the franchise’s roots and making a CGI-animated film with a family-friendly PG rating, versus a PG-13 live-action extravaganza targeting fanboys. The movie hoped to play to both demos similar to the blockbuster Spider-Man: Spider-Verse series, but so far, the turnout has been soft on both fronts. Chatter on social media indicates that some franchise fans were confused as to the film’s animated status. The box office report. |
Elizabeth Olsen's Sister Act ►"I never craved the wrong things in the industry because nobody in my family ever valued it." THR's Seija Rankin spoke to Elizabeth Olsen about her new film, His Three Daughters. Taking a break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the ethereal actress talks about getting back to her indie roots with Azazel Jacobs' drama — co-starring Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne. The interview.
—"These extreme situations are always a great reveal for the nature of characters." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Spanish filmmaker Alexandre Aja about his new feature, Never Let Go. Aja discusses working with Halle Berry and explores the film's many different interpretations and what themes struck him the most. He also provides updates on a Crawl sequel. The interview.
—"It’s a big thing in animation that people just tend to hold onto toys or collect toys. Then having worked on a Toy Story movie, then Transformers, I was like, 'Well, yeah, that just feels right.'" THR's Borys Kit spoke to Josh Cooley about his new film, Transformers One. Cooley also discusses the glory days of Pixar, why animation directors belong in the DGA, and why he isn’t going to convince Quentin Tarantino to see Toy Story 4. The interview.
—"Monet is a true character. She was hot. She was how I was feeling." For THR, Ronda Racha Penrice spoke to pop culture icon Mary J. Blige about her turn on Starz's Power Book II: Ghost. The singer-actress also talks about playing Rob Peace's mom in Chiwetel Ejiofor's film and looks back at how The Jamie Foxx Show kicked off her acting career. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Emmanuelle' ►"Fake it 'til you make it." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Audrey Diwan's Emmanuelle. The update of a ’70s softcore hit, that premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival, stars Noémie Merlant, Naomi Watts and Will Sharpe and chronicles the erotic adventures of a businesswoman on a trip to Hong Kong. The review.
—"Different enough from what you're expecting to be worth a look." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews CBS' Matlock. Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman updates the classic procedural about a geriatric lawyer (Kathy Bates) for a new generation. Kinda. The review.
—"Doesn't inspire enough creeping dread or jumpy frights." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Paramount+'s Apartment 7A. The Natalie Erika James-directed feature, which counts John Krasinski among its producers, follows a struggling dancer (Julia Garner) whose relationship with an older couple (Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally) takes a twisted turn. The review.
—"Hardly a tidal wave of excitement." THR's Angie Han reviews Fox's Rescue HI-Surf. The hourlong series chronicles the high-stakes rescues and interpersonal dramas of a team of first responders working a particularly dangerous stretch of Oahu's North Shore. The review.
In other news...
—Johnny Depp to receive lifetime achievement honor at Rome Film Festival
—John Mulaney and Olivia Munn announce arrival of second child
—The best moments from inside Milan Fashion Week
—K-pop idols killed it during Milan Fashion Week
—Kate, Princess of Wales, makes first appearance after cancer treatment
—Kale Culley signs with LBI Entertainment
What else we're reading...
—With Sally Rooney releasing her new book Intermezzo this week, Kate Dwyer profiles the Irish author, writing that there will never be another talent quite like her [Time]
—In light of Charter's recent deals with the likes of Disney+, Paramount+, AMC+ and Max, Josef Adalian wonders if there isn't a happy medium between cable and streaming [Vulture]
—Ben Sisario and Julia Jacobs do a deep dive at the "freak offs" that are at the heart of Sean Combs' legal problems [NYT]
—Alexandra Marvar has a story on an American couple who realized a dream and bought a 14,000-square-foot French château. Alas, it quickly turned into a nightmare [WSJ]
—Kate Lindsay asks why men are so weird about their own birthdays... (because they suck) [GQ]
Today...
...in 1962, ABC debuted The Jetsons at 7:30 pm to television audiences. Like the Stone Age Flintstones, the futuristic animated family sitcom would become an enduring franchise for producers Hanna-Barbera. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Bruce Springsteen (75), Yorgos Lanthimos (51), Anthony Mackie (46), Jason Alexander (65), Cush Jumbo (39), Skylar Astin (37), Hasan Minhaj (39), Joshua Oppenheimer (50), Christopher Miller (49), Aurora Perrineau (30), Alyssa Sutherland (42), Kip Pardue (49), Rosalind Chao (67), Jaime Bergman (49), Mary Kay Place (77), Keri Lynn Pratt (46), Robert James-Collier (48), Chi McBride (63), Alex Proyas (61), Kaylee DeFer (38), Warren Kole (47), Çagatay Ulusoy (34), Jenna Stern (57), Caroline Lagerfelt (77), Anneliese van der Pol (40), Crispin Bonham-Carter (55), Maren Jensen (68), Katarina Cas (48), David Lim (41), Lisa Loven Kongsli (45), Cosimo Fusco (62), Erik Dellums (60), Kate French (40), LisaRaye McCoy (57), Philippa Northeast (30), Tom Durant Pritchard (37), Faune Chambers Watkins (48), Karl Pilkington (52) |
| Kathryn Crosby, who starred in such films as Operation Mad Ball, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Anatomy of a Murder before she curtailed her acting career as the wife of Hollywood legend Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90. The obituary. |
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