| | | | | | What's news: The Harris-Trump debate drew 67m viewers. Diddy has been sued by his former bandmate Dawn Richard. WBD and Charter have inked an early renewal agreement. Disney+ is discounting its ad tier. Judd Apatow is set to direct Sony's Cola Wars feature. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Top 40 Hollywood Forces For Change ►"The most powerful DEI agents don’t have it in their title." What a difference four years makes. Back in 2020, companies loudly proclaimed their commitments to DEI via million-dollar pledges, conspicuous hires and black squares on Instagram. These moves now have been walked back — to put it mildly. Despite the setbacks, the likes of Eva Longoria, RuPaul, Quinta Brunson, Lily Gladstone, Ramy Youssef and others on THR’s Forces for Change power list are still speak out on increasing inclusion in the industry in the face of economic and social headwinds. The list.
—New charges. A grand jury has indicted convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein on additional charges, prosecutors said in New York City criminal court Thursday. The charges are currently under seal, but Weinstein is expected to be arraigned at a later date. The indictments are reportedly related to sexual assault allegations from three accusers. The hearing comes days after Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in New York to undergo heart surgery. Weinstein’ did not appear in court Thursday as he did not receive medical clearance. The story.
—More legal trouble. Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sued by his former bandmate Dawn Richard, who accused him of sexual harassment and assault when she was a member of a musical trio with the hip-hop mogul. The multipronged lawsuit, filed in New York federal court on Tuesday, brings several claims for battery, false imprisonment, withholding millions of dollars in unpaid royalties and wages, as well as stealing her copyrighted works. Along with Combs, it names his label Bad Boy Entertainment and its president Harve Pierre, Universal Music Group and Epic Records, among various others. The story.
—This is going to save the tour. Justin Timberlake is expected to accept a plea deal on Friday for his June DWI arrest. Though the pop singer initially pled not guilty, he will submit a guilty plea for a lesser charge this week. The original DWI misdemeanor carried a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Timberlake will only have to pay a fine between $300 and $500, depending on a judge’s decision come Sept. 13. The story. |
Actors Call on SAG-AFTRA Leaders to Protect Pro-Palestine Members From Blacklisting ►"As artists and storytellers, we cannot stand idly by as our industry refuses to tell the story of Palestinian humanity." SAG-AFTRA members Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera and Cynthia Nixon are among the hundreds of union members calling on their organization’s leadership to keep people from being blacklisted for their views on Palestine. In a statement provided with an open letter from organization SAG-AFTRA and Sister Guild Members for Ceasefire, members claim their numerous attempts to communicate with leadership about their concerns and work on a ceasefire statement together have been consistently ignored. The letter.
—🤝 Cable rebuild continues 🤝 Warner Bros. Discovery and Charter Communications said Thursday that they have inked an early renewal agreement that will see a tier of Max, including HBO content and Discovery+, be made available to Spectrum TV Select packages without an extra fee for customers. It marks the first time that HBO programming will be available in a standard cable bundle, and not sold as an add-on. The story.
—Price cut! Disney+ is discounting its advertising tier in a new push for subscribers, and adding a slew of perks for users as a value-add. The streamer will offer new and returning subscribers three months of the ad tier for $1.99 per month, an $18 discount to the $9.99 per month standard rate announced earlier this summer. The offer begins Thursday, and will run through Sept. 27. Disney’s price hikes are set to go into effect in October. The story.
—Pivot to video. THR's Mesfin Fekadu has the scoop that Spotify is launching a new video interview series that dives into new albums before they are released. Countdown To will feature artists conversing with fellow performers, collaborators, family members or friends to discuss the inspiration behind their new projects. The series will debut on Fridays at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT Thursday, and the first episode will feature Jelly Roll in conversation with MGK ahead of the release of Beautifully Broken, the Grammy-nominated country-rap act’s new album out on Oct. 11. The story. |
MTV VMAs 2024 ►Ladies night. Taylor Swift topped the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, winning seven awards, including video of the year for “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone. Sabrina Carpenter took home the Moon Person for song of the year, and Chappell Roan was named best new artist. SZA, Eminem, Lenny Kravitz, Blackpink’s Lisa and Tyla were among the other winners. Megan Thee Stallion hosted the show, which aired live from New York’s UBS Arena. The winners.
—Records tumble. Taylor Swift took home the most coveted award of the night at the VMAs, breaking several records with the win. Swift won seven VMAs this year, bringing her all-time total to 30, tying her with Beyoncé for most VMA wins of all time. The story.
—"Everything that happens tonight falls behind that." Taylor Swift took a moment to remember the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when she accepted her first award during the telecast at the VMAs. Taking the stage to accept her best collaboration Moon Person with “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone, Swift began by reflecting on the 23rd anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on New York’s World Trade Center. The story.
—Déjà vu. Eminem's latest album may be called The Death of Slim Shady, but for his first TV performances from the album, the rapper brought back his platinum-haired alter ego, along with a horde of look-alikes. In an opening reminiscent of his 2000 VMAs performance of “Real Slim Shady” and “The Way I Am,” in which Eminem was accompanied by 100 look-alikes, the rapper kicked off the 2024 VMAs and his “Houdini” performance by entering the UBS Arena sporting a platinum-blond wig, joined by many men with the same hair. The story.
More from the 2024 VMAs...
—Sabrina Carpenter gives out of this world performance
—Blackpink’s Lisa is a red-hot “Rockstar” in fiery solo VMAs debut
—Shawn Mendes debuts new single "Nobody Knows"
—Halsey rocks out in a garage for performance of “Ego”
—Chappell Roan offers fierce performance of “Good Luck, Babe”
—LL Cool J performs medley of his classic hits and new songs
—VMAs red carpet photos |
Harris-Trump Debate Draws 67M Viewers ►Humiliation ritual. The first (and possibly only) presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump drew a substantially larger audience than a June debate between Trump and Joe Biden. Final Nielsen ratings figures for Tuesday’s telecast, produced by ABC News but simulcast on multiple broadcast and cable networks, show the debate drawing about 67.14m viewers across the big four broadcast networks, CNN, Fox News, Fox Business and MSNBC. That’s almost 16m more people (a 31 percent jump) than the final tally for the June 27 debate between Trump and Biden. The ratings.
—Swifties assemble! Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris led to a surge of visitors to Vote.gov, the U.S. government website that helps citizens understand how they can register to vote. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Government Services Administration, Swift’s endorsement post on Instagram led directly to 337,826 people visiting vote.gov. The story.
—GOMTV. Decades after MTV began covering the presidential elections through the lens of young voters via its “Choose or Lose” programming, the network’s parent company, Paramount, is once again urging young people to make their voices heard in the 2024 election. Ahead of the VMAs, Paramount launched its Vote ’24 campaign in partnership with the Ad Council. People can go to the Vote ’24 online hub, VoteVoteVote.com, and check their registration status, register to vote, preview their ballot and find voting information and resources. The story. |
HBO's 'HOTD' and Amazon's 'ROP' Facing Epic Headaches ►The impossible task. As Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin rips HBO over changes to prequel series House of the Dragon and fans ding the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s pricey The Lord of the Rings adaptation, THR's James Hibberd writes that studio executives are cautiously navigating a minefield. The analysis.
"There’s definitely a new reality when it comes to budgets." With The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon cutting to a four-day weekly schedule, THR's Alex Weprin and Rick Porter write that the late-night genre — perhaps more than any other entertainment format — is struggling to adapt to a streaming world. The analysis.
—Changing it up. Alex Weprin has the scoop that CBS is planning to supercharge the long-running newsmagazine 60 Minutes for its 57th season, giving it additional time on the broadcast network, and adding a slew of digital spin-offs, including a podcast and a free, ad-supported streaming channel. For the second straight year, six episodes of 60 Minutes this fall will expand to 90 minutes. In digital, that means CBS News correspondent Seth Doane will lead a new podcast extension called 60 Minutes: A Second Look, which will dig into the show’s rich archives. The story.
—"This was not my choice." Chloe Troast has revealed her exit from Saturday Night Live was not mutual. "I wish I was there getting to be with my friends. It truly felt like a second home. Thank you to everyone. I love you all," the comedian wrote on TikTok. Troast joined SNL as a featured player for season 49. Her exit comes after one season with the sketch series. NBC announced the move on Tuesday, in conjunction with the hiring of three new featured players for season 50: Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim and Jane Wickline. The story.
—🎭 Baek for Beckett 🎭 Netflix has cast Halo star Yerin Ha as Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) love interest in the upcoming season of the hit series Bridgerton, which will focus on the second-eldest brother’s love story. In the Julia Quinn novels, Sophie’s last name is Beckett, but for the television adaptation, showrunner Jess Brownell worked with star Ha to come up with a Korean surname (Baek) for the character out of respect for Ha’s culture — she is Korean and from Australia. The story. |
Michael B. Jordan to Direct and Star in 'Thomas Crown Affair' ►Sophomore effort. Michael B. Jordan will direct, star and produce The Thomas Crown Affair for Amazon MGM Studios. The feature reteams Jordan with the Creed III studio after that film earned $276.1m globally. The star has long eyed Thomas Crown, first attaching himself as an actor in 2016. The Thomas Crown series dates back to Norman Jewison’s 1968 original, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. McQueen played a wealthy businessman who happened to be a bank robber on the side, and when an insurance investigator (Dunaway) got on his trail, the two had an affair as he planned another heist. Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo starred in a 1999 remake. The story.
—Bubbling up. Judd Apatow is set to direct Sony Pictures' Cola Wars feature, with Steven Spielberg on board to produce. The film that is still in its initial stages of development after the studio bought a pitch for the project earlier this year. Cola Wars is set to focus on the battle for soda supremacy that kicked off in the mid-1980s as Pepsi aimed to challenge Coke’s longtime dominance in the soft drink space. Jason Shuman and Ben Queen are working on the script. The story. |
The Last Thing Standing Between Kathy Griffin and a Real Comeback ►"It does make me feel that, in Hollywood, I’m still canceled if I can’t make a deal for a special." Seven years after that infamous photo, and a dump truck’s worth of drama later, Kathy Griffin is back in at least half of the country’s good graces. THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to the celebrity-skewering comic about her life and career after the Trump photo and attempts to sell her comedy special. The interview.
—"A lot of what this memoir was really about was to humanize the immigrant experience." THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to Wilmer Valderrama about his new memoir, An American Story: Everyone’s Invited. The actor discusses the themes of the book, as well as the upcoming presidential election, in which immigration is a key issue. Valderrama also shares his thoughts on That ’70s Show co-star Danny Masterson’s rape conviction and his lifelong dream of bringing Zorro back to the screen. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Friendship' ►"A total cringe-fest, and that's a compliment." For THR, Michael Rechtshaffen reviews Andrew DeYoung's Friendship. Paul Rudd, Netflix funnyman Tim Robinson, Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer star in DeYoung's bro-comedy about two neighbors whose friendship takes an awkward turn. The review.
—"Strong acting makes an overlong voyage worthwhile." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Uberto Pasolini's The Return. The English Patient co-stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite for Pasolini's stark take on a section of Homer's epic The Odyssey, in which the beleaguered soldier comes home. The review.
—"Easily the best in the series." Frank reviews Josh Cooley's Transformers One. Based on the Hasbro toy line, the animated origin story, featuring the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry and Scarlett Johansson, explores the friendship — and eventual animosity — between Optimus Prime and Megatron. The review.
—"A compelling premise in search of sturdier handling." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Nacho Vigalondo's Daniela Forever. The Colossal helmer's latest, starring Henry Golding and Beatrice Grannò, revolves around a heartbroken man who joins a trial drug program that reunites him with his deceased girlfriend in his dreams. The review.
In other news...
—Dexter: Original Sin reveals first look trailer, premiere date for prequel series
—Samurai thriller 11 Rebels to open Tokyo International Film Festival
—Sandra Oh doubles Reel Asian Film Fest donation to $100K
—Venice community housing receives $500K donation from Eric and Dana Newman
—TikTok, YouTube star Larray signs with CAA
—Sean Cohan to chair Banff World Media Festival board
What else we're reading...
—Emily Maskell looks back at the 1999 film But I'm a Cheerleader, and talks to director Jamie Babbit on how her lesbian comedy became a cult classic [BBC]
—Sohee Kim and Shery Ahn report that South Korea's government are building a Hollywood-like new city dedicated to making movies, TV, music and other art by 2035 [Bloomberg]
—With Taylor Swift addressing AI use of her image, John Herrman considers the brutal backlash that's coming for the tech [Intelligencer]
—Jonathan Abrams talks to Wendell Pierce and Courtney B. Vance about the influence, inspiration and legacy of the late James Earl Jones [NYT]
—Nitish Pahwa explains why New York Mayor Eric Adams’ cellphone might be his undoing [Slate]
Today...
...in 1978, ABC debuted a new half-hour comedy, Taxi, for television audiences. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sydney Sweeney (27), Emmy Rossum (38), Joe Pantoliano (73), Amy Yasbeck (62), Alfie Allen (38), Hans Zimmer (67), Jennifer Hudson (43), Paul F. Tompkins (56), Alexia Fast (32), Ben McKenzie (46), Robert John Burke (64), Rachel Ward (67), Colin Ford (28), Clara Paget (36), Darren E. Burrows (58), Lauren Stamile (48), Sabrina Bartlett (33), Josh Hopkins (54), Michael McElhatton (61), Jennifer Nettles (50), George Robinson (27), Linda Gray (84), Michel Qissi (62), Sophie Colquhoun (35), Felicity Montagu (64), Gideon Emery (52), Ryan Potter (29), Bruce Mahler (74), Juanita Jennings (72), Maximiliano Hernández (51), Zackary Arthur (18), Deva Cassel (20), Christopher Neame (77) |
| Frankie Beverly, the honey-coated baritone frontman for the soul and funk group Maze, has died. He was 77. The obituary. |
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