| | | | | | What's news: Bob Iger is set to sell around $41m worth of Disney shares. Sophie Turner is close to becoming Lara Croft in Amazon's planned Tomb Raider series. A Boyz II Men biopic is in the works. Celebrities are fleeing X for Bluesky. — Abid Rahman
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Conan O'Brien Set to Host the Oscars ►COCO! Conan O’Brien has accepted an invitation to host the 97th Oscars telecast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday morning. The beloved comedian will emcee Hollywood’s biggest night for the first time when the industry convenes at the Dolby Theatre at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 2, 2025, for a ceremony that will be televised live on ABC. The 96th Oscars — like the 89th, 90th and 95th — was hosted by ABC’s own late night stalwart Jimmy Kimmel, but Kimmel reportedly declined an invitation to return for the 97th. John Mulaney, who hosted the Academy’s 2023 Governors Awards ceremony and once expressed interest in hosting the Oscars, is said to have also passed on the opportunity to emcee the 97th. The story.
—Liberty "may not be in the media business." John Malone has never been afraid to shake up his businesses. The media and telecom mogul owns a slew of companies and stakes in companies, spanning Warner Bros. Discovery and Charter Communications to Live Nation and Formula 1. But the moves he has made this week, to dramatically simplify his holdings into separate stocks, merge Charter and Liberty Broadband, and see the exit of longtime CEO Greg Maffei with Malone taking the helm on an interim basis, is far more than a typical management change. Malone raised eyebrows Thursday in a live interview on CNBC, where he said quite openly that his role as CEO of Liberty Media would be “transitional.” The story.
—Suit filed. Netflix has been sued for copyright infringement by a producer, who alleges that his script for a project he’s producing was ripped off to make Rez Ball. Rob Grabow, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in California federal court, says the movie copied elements of his script for The Gift of the Game. Like Rez Ball, it follows a high school basketball team on a Native American reservation with state championship aspirations while exploring issues of community, race relations and poverty. The story. |
Iger Talks Disney M&A Under Trump ►"We don’t really need more assets right now." While other media and entertainment companies are planning for more M&A under the Trump administration, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company will likely not go that route. Speaking on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call Thursday, Iger said the company had already undergone a great consolidation, after acquiring the assets of 20th Century Fox in 2017. While noting that Disney will “always look opportunistically at opportunities,” Iger said the company does not have immediate plans for acquisitions under the new administration. The story.
—Stonks. Disney shares rocketed higher in Thursday trading after the major studio reported its latest quarterly results, including strong film unit results, driven by the likes of Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. The stock was up 6.23 percent at $109.12 at market close, with multiple analysts raising their stock price targets on the Burbank-based studio conglomerate as it provided Wall Street a rare look at three-year guidance. The story.
—Cashing in. Bob Iger is planning to sell some of his Disney shares. According to a regulatory filing released Thursday, Iger could sell as many as 372,412 shares, which he had acquired as part of his vested stock options. With a share price of $110.33 (where the Disney stock opened Thursday), that would amount to up to about $41m, if all shares are sold. Iger adopted the trading plan on Aug. 14 that allows for the potential exercise of his vested stock options. The story. |
Celebrities Flee "Toxic" X for Bluesky ►A blue wave. A host of actors, directors, musicians, journalists and other prominent people are dumping X and flocking to social media platform Bluesky. In the past week, an increasing number of bold faced names have announced that they plan to post less on X, formerly known as Twitter, or leave the platform altogether, citing a myriad of issues with the social media company, including far right content, hate speech, transphobia, racism, harassment, pornography, crypto scams, bots and the political views of owner Elon Musk, the billionaire oligarch who is a vocal supporter and financial backer of Donald Trump. The Twitter-like social media upstart Bluesky, which has seen incredible growth since the presidential election, gained over 1m new users on Thursday alone. The story.
—Still packing them in. Despite the controversy over Nicole Scherzinger’s recent social media post, Sunset Blvd. just had its highest grossing week yet. The musical revival, starring Scherzinger as Norma Desmond, brought in $1.86m last week, the third-highest total in the industry for the week, and played to close to 97 percent capacity at the St. James Theatre. The grosses came in a week in which Scherzinger came under fire for commenting on a social media post by comedian Russell Brand, in which Brand posted a picture of himself holding a hat that said “Make Jesus First Again,” with the appearance of a Trump MAGA hat. The Broadway box office report. |
What Happened to the Celebrity Telethon? ►"There’s no longer the same requirement to create an elaborate production when a disaster happens to draw focus." On Nov. 2, CBS and CMT simulcast a one-hour prerecorded benefit on behalf of the United Way for relief following hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused $50b-plus in damages across Appalachia and the broader Southeast. Blake Shelton, the Zac Brown Band, J.B. Smoove and others made appearances and performed. While the effort raised $6.2m, it was also indicative of the shrinking footprint of linear television. THR's Gary Baum writes that star-studded television benefits once raised massive dollars for disaster relief and disease research. Now, as viewership plummets, nonprofits are relying on livestreams from celebrities. The story.
—🎭 Almost there 🎭 Sophie Turner is closing in on the highly coveted role of British archeologist Lara Croft in Amazon MGM Studios and Crystal Dynamics’ adaptation of adventure video game Tomb Raider. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is writing and exec producing the live-action series, which received a series order in the spring and will stream on Prime Video. Turner, best known for playing Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, is in talks to play the lead role, previously portrayed by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander in feature film adaptations of the video game series. The story.
—New No. 1. The third season premiere of The Lincoln Lawyer moved the show to the top of the streaming docket. The Netflix drama based on Michael Connelly’s novels recorded 1.64 billion viewing minutes for the week of Oct. 14-20 (season three premiered Oct. 17), according to Nielsen’s streaming ratings. That’s the third best weekly tally in the show’s history, behind season one’s second week in May 2022 and the debut of the back half of season two in August 2023. Lincoln Lawyer pushed the previous week’s No. 1 show, Love Is Blind, down one spot to second overall. The ratings. |
The Future of 'Star Wars' on the Big Screen ►The race for Rey. Forget the Death Star, the most coveted weapon in the Star Wars movie arsenal is Daisy Ridley's character of Rey Skywalker. Since the Nov. 7 reveal that Simon Kinberg had signed on to develop and write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy for Lucasfilm and Disney, debate has focused on whether it would be a continuation of the so-called nine-film Skywalker Saga, tying it to the legacy of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and storylines first laid out by George Lucas in 1977. THR's Borys Kit writes that the reason for the debate is that the new, hoped-for trilogy would feature Rey in some form or fashion. The story.
—Capturing the journey from boys to men. R&B group Boyz II Men, who dominated airwaves in the 1990s thanks to such hits as “Motownphilly,” “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee,” are set to get the biopic treatment. The group has partnered with Compelling Pictures and Primary Wave to develop a movie about the musical act that is composed of members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanyá Morris. (Michael McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues.) Producers have begun talks with potential writers and directors for the film. The story.
—🎭 Three more 🎭 The Terminator star Michael Biehn, Family Matters actor Reginald VelJohnson and comedian Eric Wareheim are the latest names to join the growing cast of Onslaught, the action thriller that Adam Wingard is directing for A24. Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company are also backing the picture, which stars Adria Arjona and has Wingard favorite Dan Stevens and Queer actor Drew Starkey in the cast. UFC champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira is also in negotiations to join the project. The story.
—🎭 Fillling out 🎭 Netflix romantic-comedy feature Ladies First is lining up its talent. Richard E. Grant, Emily Mortimer, Charles Dance, Fiona Shaw, Tom Davis and Weruche Opia are joining the cast of the feature from director Thea Sharrock. Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike were previously announced to star in the project that adapts director Éléonore Pourriat’s French-language movie Je Ne Suis Pas un Homme Facile. The story.
—🎭 Up-and-comers 🎭 Orlando Norman and Spence Moore II along with Heidi Grace Engerman and Cassady McClincy Zhang are starring in Out Come the Wolves, an indie drama which is marking the directorial debut of producer Danny Peykoff. Sam Rechner, West Mulholland and Curran Walters are also cast in the feature that began shooting in Portland, Oregon this week. Set against the East Bay punk music scene in the mid 1990s, Wolves is a story of grit and dreams in a world of violence and desperation. The story. |
Jake Borelli Was "Heartbroken" Over 'Grey's' Departure News ►"It was pretty devastating." THR's Christy Piña spoke to Grey's Anatomy star Jake Borelli about the latest of episode of the ABC medical drama. The actor opens up about saying farewell to a character he's played for seven years, the similarities he's had with Levi Schmitt and how the political climate is villainizing queer people. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"Tyler Perry got screwed. The director just screwed him." For THR, Brande Victorian spoke to author James Patterson about the Amazon Prime Video series Cross based on the character he created. Patterson talks about creating Alex Cross more than 30 years ago, refusing to whitewash him and why this character is still ripe for reimagining. The interview.
—"I’m carving out a nice little career. If you need an Asian guy willing to work for minimum wage, I’m number eight on the list." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Ronne Chieng about his new Hulu series Interior Chinatown. The comic also discussed The Daily Show’s transition from Trevor Noah’s exit to Jon Stewart’s return and why his comedy goal hasn’t changed from when he first turned to performing while in college in Australia. The interview.
—"[I was] just thinking about how to give everyone the same level of entertainment and story and emotion." THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to Bad Sisters creator and star Sharon Horgan and star Anne-Marie Duff about season two of the Apple TV+ comedy. The duo breakdown the two-episode season two premiere and discuss what's in store for the rest of the season. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
Matt Reeves on Whether 'The Penguin' Will Return ►"I told [Lauren LeFranc] it was very important this also fit with the next movie." THR's James Hibberd spoke to The Batman director Matt Reeves, about the future of HBO's critically acclaimed The Penguin series, which he executive produced. Reeves discusses the show's season finale and how it will impact The Batman Part II. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"The big essential heart is the character of Charlie — he is the hero and the justice you didn't see coming." THR's Brian Davids spoke to actors Rami Malek and James Hawes about their new film, the terrorism thriller The Amateur. Malek and Hawes also discuss the other updates they’ve made to the property, before revealing a particular cameo from the 1981 film. The interview.
—"It was an equal marriage of concept and execution, and sometimes, one is lacking. So we thought it would attract talent." Brian also chatted to filmmakers Adam Schindler and Brian Netto about their engrossing and tense new Netflix feature, Don't Move. Schindler and Netto discuss the particulars of star Kelsey Asbille’s challenging physical performance, as well as the personal reason for why they want to bring Miles Morales’ Spider-Man into live-action for the first time. The interview. |
TV Review: 'Landman' ►"Taylor-made for Sheridan's insatiable audience." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Paramount+'s Landman. Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, Demi Moore and Ali Larter star in Taylor Sheridan's West Texas-set drama about a corporate fixer navigating the booms and busts of the oil industry. The review.
—"A revealing look at the machinations of power." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Alexis Bloom's The Bibi Files. The Alex Gibney-produced documentary film includes leaked footage of the police interrogations of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara and their son Yair. The review. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this live episode, Scott spoke to The Apprentice and A Different Man star Sebastian Stan. The star of two of 2024's most widely discussed and debated films reflects on his journey from Romania to America, how he landed the part of Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier in the MCU and what it was like to play — and what he really thinks about — Donald Trump. Listen here.
In other news...
—Hulu’s Paradise trailer: Sterling K. Brown is accused of killing the president
—Netflix's The Madness trailer: Colman Domingo is the wrong man in the wrong place in thriller series
—Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story trailer sees Hunter King, Tyler Hynes spark romance
—Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano struggle to hide a house’s dark secret in No Good Deed trailer
—George Clooney appears as Edward R. Murrow in new trailer for Broadway play
—Charli XCX says the nation will decide if Marcello Hernández’s outfit is "Brat" in SNL promo
—Adrien Brody to receive Palm Springs Film Festival honor
—Shel Talmy, who produced hits by The Who, The Kinks and other British bands, dies at 87
What else we're reading...
—Lindsey Bahr interviewed James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who dropped some hints on the next 007 [Associated Press]
—Lachlan Cartwright reports that Trump has threatened The New York Times and Penguin Random House over critical coverage [CJR]
—Alex Sherman reports that NBC still doesn’t have a deal for John Tesh’s "Roundball Rock" theme [CNBC]
—Umar Shakir reports on the spot of bother YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) found himself in recently [Verge]
—Here's your Friday list: "All 43 live-action DC Comics shows, ranked" [Vulture]
Today...
...in 1991, Universal unveiled Martin Scorsese’s thriller Cape Fear in theaters, where it would go on to gross $182m globally. The film was nominated for two Oscars at the 64th Academy Awards, for Robert De Niro in the best actor category and Juliette Lewis as best supporting actress. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sam Waterston (84), Shailene Woodley (33), Jonny Lee Miller (52), Beverly D'Angelo (73), Winston Duke (38), Judith Chapman (73), François Ozon (57), Roger Donaldson (79), William Eubank (42), Yaya DaCosta (42), Sean Murray (47), Jay Harrington (53), Bob Gunton (79), Kevin J. O'Connor (61), Asia Kate Dillon (40), Sophia Di Martino (41), Ray McKinnon (67), Virginie Ledoyen (48), Rachel True (58), Emma Dumont (30), Kathleen Rose Perkins (50), Sadie Stanley (23), Susie Abromeit (42), Maggie O'Neill (62), Sydney Tamiia Poitier (51), Henry Eikenberry (26), Samantha Shelton (46) |
| David Korda, a prominent member of the Korda family movie dynasty who served as a producer and important film financier in a show business career that spanned more than 60 years, has died. He was 87. The obituary. |
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