| | | | | | What's news: E. Jean Carroll is the subject of a new doc. Dexter prequel Origin Sin won't be back for S2. MGM+ has renewed The Institute for a second season. Jeffrey Katzenberg is going into business with Kimbal Musk. An assistant director died on the set of Emily in Paris. . — Abid Rahman
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Box Office: 'Demon Hunters' Sings to First Theatrical Win Ever for Netflix ►Well, well, wellity, well. Is the animated movie sensation KPop Demon Hunters a unicorn, or the beginning of a beautiful new friendship between Netflix and theater owners? THR's Pamela McClintock writes that most in Hollywood are betting on the former despite the fact that a special two-day sing-along event of the hit animated is grossing a chart-topping $18m to $20m from 1,700 North American theaters, the highest showing of any movie over the Aug. 22-24 weekend, according to exhibition sources and rival studios with access to certain data. Since Netflix — which has had a turbulent relationship with exhibitors — doesn’t report box offices, no one will ever know the actual number. That means that Weapons will be listed as the official winner of the Aug. 22-24 frame with $15.6m from 3,631 cinemas in its third outing. The box office report.
—More good news for Demon-heads! For those fans wondering, the sing-along version of KPop Demon Hunters is officially heading to Netflix. KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along dropped on Netflix on Monday, with the streamer seemingly keener than ever on capitalizing on the phenomenon. The story.
—Weaponized. Late last week, writer-director Zach Cregger‘s Weapons became the second original R-rated pic of the year to achieve the $100m milestone domestically after Ryan Coogler’s Sinners at a time when the overall genre has come under siege. And it’s a triple win on the horror front for Warner Bros.’ film empire, led by Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. The main studio made Sinners, while New Line is home of Weapons and the R-rated Final Destination: Bloodlines franchise reboot, which surprised many in scaring up more than $385m at the early summer box office. Like Bloodlines, Weapons is no slouch overseas, for an early worldwide tally of $170m or thereabouts. The story.
—Super milestone. Superman has become the first superhero pic to soar past the $600m mark at the 2025 global box office in a morale boost for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s Warner Bros.-owned DC Studios. Gunn also directed the film. The big-budget tentpole achieved the feat early Friday morning after finishing Thursday with $599.6m in global ticket sales, including $343.6m domestically and $256m overseas. The story. |
Filmmakers Urge Venice to Take Stand on Gaza in Open Letter ►"We’re in danger of going through yet another major event that remains indifferent to this human, civil, and political tragedy." Hundreds of Italian and international filmmakers, artists and cultural figures have signed an open letter calling on the Venice Film Festival to take a “clear and unambiguous stand” against what they describe as genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The appeal, organized under the banner of Venice4Palestine, was sent on Friday to the Venice film festival umbrella organization the Biennale di Venezia, as well as the festival’s independent sections Venice Days and International Critics’ Week. In the letter, the group accuses the Israeli government and military of carrying out genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing across Palestine, and urges the festival to avoid becoming "a sad and empty showcase." The story. |
E. Jean Carroll Has Cooperated With a Soon-to-Be-Unveiled Doc ►"I said, ‘No! No! No! Nooooooo!’ to all documentary filmmakers. Then I met the stupendous Ivy Meeropol." THR's Scott Feinberg has the scoop that E. Jean Carroll, the trailblazing journalist and advice columnist who, in June 2019, accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, and then took him to court and landed judgments against him for sexual abuse and defamation, has cooperated with a documentary feature about her life, work and legal battles. Ask E. Jean, directed and produced by Ivy Meeropol, will be headed to multiple fall film festivals as a sales title, hoping to land a buyer and a spot in this season’s awards race. The story.
—Late bloomer. Jerry Adler, the behind-the-scenes Broadway veteran who served as the stage manager on the original My Fair Lady before acting on such shows as The Sopranos, The Good Wife and Rescue Me, died Saturday in New York City, a publicist said. He was 96. A Brooklyn native who didn’t become an actor until he was in his early 60s — despite being related to famed acting teacher Stella Adler — Adler played Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, consigliere to James Gandolfini‘s mob boss Tony, on HBO’s The Sopranos. He also was the boorish law partner Howard Lyman on CBS’ The Good Wife, and on FX’s Rescue Me, he recurred as NYFD station chief Sidney Feinberg. The obituary.
—Tragedy. Diego Borella, a locally hired third assistant director, on the Netflix show Emily in Paris, has died. He was 47. Borella reportedly collapsed on set while the series was filming season five in Venice, Italy. “We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family,” a Paramount Television Studios spokesperson said in a statement to THR. “Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.” The story.
—"Casting is being very specific." Daniel Dae Kim is calling out what he believes is an “overcorrection” in nationality-specific casting for Asian roles. During a recent interview with American Masters PBS, the Butterfly actor shared why he believes there needs to be more thought behind casting for Asian and Asian American characters, as Asian actors are often held to more specific standards when it comes to identity compared to others. “Right now, there’s a focus on nationality-specific casting when it comes to Asian Americans that I feel is an overcorrection,” he said. “Very often, when we’re cast, if the role calls for a Korean American, they will not see a Japanese American or Chinese American or any other Asian nationality.” However, Kim explained that often “the role itself has not been thought through,” yet they’re already putting up nationality-specific barriers for actors who want to audition. The story. |
When There's Smoke, Is There a Side Deal? ►Trouble ahead? In a near-midnight announcement on July 1, Paramount Global said it would pay $16m “in total” to settle a lawsuit from Donald Trump, who sued over an interview that 60 Minutes conducted with Kamala Harris. Then, 16 hours later, the story took another turn when the New York Post's Charles Gasparino reported that there was also a “side deal” that helped seal the pact worth up to $20m of programming in support of conservative causes, which was immediately followed by Paramount clarifying that it wasn’t aware of such terms. THR's Winston Cho reports that now two leading House Democrats are investigating the terms of the settlement between Paramount and Trump, with the aim of answering whether Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison offered "a bribe." The story.
—Life after Quibi. DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and Kimbal Musk, the younger brother of Elon Musk, are taking to the sky for a new form of live entertainment. Katzenberg will become a strategic advisor for Nova Sky Stories, which aims to pair sky-based drones with animation artists and producers to create long form light shows. And the Hollywood power broker’s investment firm WndrCo has also taken an unspecified stake in Nova Sky Stories. Katzenberg will also join Nova’s board of directors and work with company CEO Musk to develop a new form of entertainment using light, music, and motion and the night sky as a canvas. The story. |
'Dexter: Original Sin' Un-Renewed at Paramount ►Tightening focus. THR's Rick Porter reports that Dexter prequel Original Sin won’t get a second season, despite an announcement to the contrary earlier this year. The Dexter franchise is still a going concern, however, with a writers room for season two of Dexter: Resurrection set to begin work in the near future. Showtime announced a second season renewal for Original Sin in April, six weeks after the 1991-set series following a young Dexter Morgan (played by Patrick Gibson) ended its 10-episode first season. Sources say, however, that the show had been on hiatus since production wrapped, and no start date for production on a second season was ever scheduled. With a change in leadership at Paramount, the Dexter franchise moved from Showtime/MTV Entertainment into the reborn Paramount Television Studios under Matt Thunell. The decision then came to focus on Resurrection, which continues the present-day Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) story from the original 2006-13 series and the 2021-22 follow-up Dexter: New Blood. The story.
—Keeping the lights on. Cable and streaming outlet MGM+ has picked up a second season of The Institute, its horror/thriller series based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The renewal comes two days ahead of the show’s first season finale, which premieres Aug. 24. The series centers on a group of kids with latent or emerging special abilities who are subjected to cruel experiments at the mysterious institute of the title, along with a local cop (Ben Barnes) whose story intersects with that of the kids. The season one cast also includes Mary-Louise Parker, Joe Freeman, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Jason Diaz, Jane Luk, Julian Richings and Robert Joy. The story. |
Kobe Bryant Film Lands at Warner Bros. ►In the works. A film project centered around NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's journey to the Los Angeles Lakers has landed at Warner Bros. Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen penned the spec screenplay for With the 8th Pick, which follows the high-stakes process that led to Bryant getting drafted into the NBA in 1996. The project was generating high interest from other studios and streamers before Warners stepped in preemptively to nab it. A director has not yet been attached. With the 8th Pick is said to focus on the New Jersey Nets and then-general manager John Nash, who held the eighth pick in the draft and considered taking Bryant out of high school. The future Hall of Famer ended up being taken by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick before he was traded to the Lakers, where he would win five NBA championships and become an icon of the city. The story.
—"Gobbled up by the zeitgeist." Tony Tost, the Poker Face showrunner who made his feature directorial debut with Americana , is looking forward to a time when his movie can be appreciated outside of this current cultural moment. Tost took to X late Thursday to offer his thoughts on the film that hit theaters last weekend from Lionsgate and stars Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey. Centering on an array of people tracking down a rare Native American artifact, the project was the subject of social media debate after collecting a mere $500,000 from its launch in more than 1,100 theaters. “One of the great things about movies is that they outlive the zeitgeist into which they were released,” Tost posted. “As someone whose first film sorta got gobbled up by the zeitgeist, I’ll be curious to see how it’ll stand up after this moment is over. Hopefully fairly well!” The story.
—Charlie work. Though Charlie Day and Jennifer Aniston's characters were often at odds in the Horrible Bosses films, they’re both aligned in wanting a third film in the R-rated comedy franchise. After Aniston recently revealed that she wants to revisit the project, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor told THR that he, too, “absolutely would be up for another” Horrible Bosses‘ film. In addition, speaking to THR at a recent New York screening of his latest movie, Honey Don’t! , now in theaters, Day said that he “had some conversations about it with some people involved in front and behind the camera,” suggesting that his and Aniston’s desire to return to the project might be more than idle speculation. The story.
—🎭 Filling out. 🎭 Musician Bif Naked, Pamela Carolina Martinez and Joshua Odjick are starring in Javier Badillo’s sci-fi comedy Lupe Q and the Galactic Earworms being shopped to international buyers at the Toronto Film Festival. Martinez stars as the titular Lupe, head of a Latinx punk rock band who discovers only her piercing musical scream can stop an alien invasion. So she and her bandmates become the target of two warring alien races hellbent on destroying each other, and taking planet Earth down with them. The story. |
Nia DaCosta Talks '28 Years Later' Sequel ►"I basically asked for more infected [to Alex Garland's script.] That was, like, my big contribution." THR's Lily Ford spoke to the in-demand director Nia DaCosta about the upcoming 28 Years Later sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. DaCosta reveals it was none other than The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer that convinced her to take on the sequel, which was filmed back to back with Danny Boyle's film released earlier this year. The interview.
—"In retrospect, Hell or High Water is a lot funnier, but there are still laughs and gallows humor in Relay." THR's Brian Davids spoke to filmmaker David Mackenzie about his new feature, Relay. Mackenzie discusses how the Riz Ahmed-starring Relay has a "yin and yang" relationship with his classic crime drama Hell or High Water. The Scottish director also dishes on his aversion to pre-branded entertainment, as well as his upcoming TIFF premiere of Fuze, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James. The interview.
—"Does that mean I'm getting a Bodhi Rook standalone movie?" Brian also spoke to Relay star Riz Ahmed. The British actor explains how a real-life robbery inspired his role in Relay, and also discusses the runaway success of Disney+'s Andor, and why he's glad he didn't take on his Rogue One character again. The interview. |
'Nobody 2' Producers Talk 'Gears of War' ►"It was Kelly’s idea to lobby the guilds to change the name from stunt coordinator to stunt designer on the contracts, and now you have the option to do that. It really crystallized in the Academy’s mind, this is a craft, not unlike production design or costume design." THR's second-nicest man Aaron Couch spoke to David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, mega producers, 87North principals and real-life married couple. The Hollywood power couple discuss Leitch’s How to Rob a Bank, the planned Gears of Wars feature adaptation, reveal how they landed a new director just eight weeks before production on the Bob Odenkirk sequel Nobody 2 and discuss how Fall Guy helped push the stunt Oscar over the finish line. The interview.
—"I cried all day [when "Golden" hit No.1]." THR's Nicole Fell spoke to singer-songwriter EJAE about the huge success of KPop Demon Hunters. EJAE who trained to be a K-pop idol before transitioning to songwriting, is finally getting her much-deserved moment in the spotlight thanks to the success of the Netflix animated film and its soundtrack. The interview.
—"Americana is legitimately my favorite movie I’ve ever made, which you can print." Nicole was also lucky enough to speak to the irrepressible talent that Paul Walter Hauser. PWH spoke about his new film Americana, as well as his other big summer turns in The Naked Gun and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The interview.
In other news...
—Venice trailer: Who Is Still Alive gives voice to 9 refugees from Gaza
—Venice: Francis Ford Coppola will give Werner Herzog his Golden Lion
—Sarajevo: Wind, Talk to Me, Our Time Will Come win top prizes
—Netflix House opening dates revealed for Philadelphia and Dallas locations
—Ryan Coogler and Mary Corse set to be LACMA gala honorees
—Harrison Dossick, entertainment lawyer and copyright litigator, dies at 65
—Per Holst, Danish filmmaker and Lars von Trier producer, dies at 86
What else we're reading...
—Mark Gurman reports that Apple is about to kick off a three-year plan to re-invent the iPhone [Bloomberg]
—With Born to Run celebrating 50 years this year, Daniel McGinn goes deep into Springsteen country [WSJ]
—Tatum Hunter has a piece on how spicy and pricey vertical mini-dramas put out by platforms like DramaBox, NetShort and DramaWave are taking over streaming [Washington Post]
—Tom Nichols writes that Gavin Newsom’s parodies are riling MAGA up, and posits that they are so close to getting it [Atlantic]
—Clay Routledge, a social psychologist, cites a new study that shows Gen Z is yearning for the 1990s, a time before social media and smartphones [NYT]
Today...
...in 2017, George Nolfi's Birth of the Dragon was released in theaters. The Bruce Lee biopic starred Philip Wan-lung Ng and focuses on Lee's notorious martial arts battle with kung-fu master Wong Jack-man in 1964. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Tim Burton (67), Alexander Skarsgård (49), Blake Lively (38), Tom Skerritt (92), Iñaki Godoy (22), Joe Wright (53), Rachel Bilson (44), Tom Hollander (58), Simon McBurney (68), Blair Underwood (61), China Anne McClain (27), Kel Mitchell (47), Ben Falcone (52), Fatih Akin (52), Kate Box (46), Chloe Pirrie (38), Caitlin FitzGerald (43), Jonathan Togo (48), Jackie Tohn (45), Joanne Whalley (64), John Savage (76), Ally Walker (64), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (31), Eric Millegan (51), Claire Rushbrook (54), Stacey Farber (38), Ben Diskin (43), Anthony Heald (81), Ashley Crow (65), Cameron Mathison (56), Christine McGlade (62), Donavon Stinson (49), Adam Beason (56), Julia Davis (59), Aras Bulut Iynemli (35), Julian Kostov (36), Rusty Schwimmer (63), Saverio Guerra (61), Madalena Aragão (20), Yoshi Barrigas (36), Billy Ray Cyrus (64) |
| David Ketchum, the goofy comic actor and prolific TV writer best known for squeezing into such stuffy spaces as vending machines, trash cans and airport lockers as Agent 13 on the fabled sitcom Get Smart, has died. He was 97. The obituary. |
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