| | | | What's news: Keanu Reeves has dropped out of Hulu's Devil in the White City series. Fox has renewed its upcoming animated series Krapopolis. Andrew Stanton will direct the sci-fi film In the Blink of an Eye. Ben Kingsley will star in the Violent Cases film adaptation. NBC has ordered a spinoff of America's Got Talent. — Abid Rahman |
THR's 20 Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment ►"There is always more work to be done." By several metrics, 2022 has been a good year for women in the international film and TV business. From Lagos to London, these female execs are challenging the status quo, paving the way for the next generation and shaping what the world watches. The selection.
—No dice. Two months after Hulu confirmed that Keanu Reeves would lead its Devil in the White City series from Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, the actor has exited the project. Sources tell THR's Lesley Goldberg the streamer is searching for a replacement lead for the drama, which has been in various stages of development for more than a decade. The story.
—All falling into place. The Penguin, HBO Max’s upcoming spinoff series of Matt Reeves' The Batman, has found a director to helm the first two episodes. The Mare of Easttown filmmaker Craig Zobel has joined the series, and will also exec produce. The series stars Colin Farrell as gangster Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin. The story.
—"These early episodes of Krapopolis far surpass even our highest expectations." Fox has renewed Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon’s upcoming animated series Krapopolis ahead of its 2023 series premiere. The series is set in a mythical Ancient Greece and tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters. The story.
—$100m suit. A battle for the estate of Larry King is getting messier. Shawn King, the broadcaster’s widow, is suing her former business managers, accusing them of stealing money and conspiring to help King’s son Larry King Jr. usurp her as executor of the estate. King died in January 2021 after being hospitalized for COVID-19. A month later, Larry King Jr. moved to become special administrator of the estate. The story. |
Actor Tells Jury That Spacey Abused Him When He Was 14 ►"I was frozen." Actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance on him as a 14-year-old, recounted the episode for a New York City jury on Friday, testifying he felt helpless when Spacey climbed on top of him in bed. Rapp first came forward with the accusation in 2017. The story.
—Epic in scope. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on WALL-E and Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton returning to the world of live-action moviemaking. Stanton is set to direct In the Blink of an Eye, a sci-fi drama for Searchlight Pictures. Written by Colby Day, the epic project seeks to explore the entire history of the world and tackle the nature of life, love, hope and connection, through three intersecting storylines. Russian Doll's Jared Ian Goldman is producing. The story.
—Rising talent. Borys also has the scoop on M.T. Anderson's acclaimed YA novel Feed getting the movie treatment via 20th Century Studios. Zachary Green will produce the dystopian love story with Stanley Kalu, a 25-year-old Nigerian filmmaker who recently graduated from USC, set to write and direct. The story.
—First look. Michael Mann’s upcoming Ferrari movie, in which Adam Driver plays Italian motoring icon Enzo Ferrari, has released the first official photos of the actor in character. Set in 1957, Ferrari sees the famed race carmaker facing bankruptcy and in a tempestuous marriage with his wife, Laura, who is played by Penélope Cruz. The story.
—If it ain't broke. M. Night Shyamalan and Universal are continuing their fruitful relationship, setting a new untitled thriller from the Sixth Sense filmmaker for wide release on April 5, 2024. The studio has partnered with Shyamalan on his last four films — Old (2021), Glass (2019), Split (2017) and The Visit (2015) — and will release his latest, Knock at the Cabin, on Feb. 3, 2023. The story. |
Academy Museum Is Making Money, Luring Young Audience ►"Far exceeded our expectations." On the occasion of The Academy Museum's one-year anniversary, THR's Rebecca Keegan spoke to museum director Jacqueline Stewart and chief operating officer Brendan Connell Jr. about the institution’s surprising visitor demographics, their response to the critique that the museum lacks Jewish representation and how their goal to lure the “film-curious” inside their doors is working out. The interview.
—AGT legends. NBC’s has ordered a spinoff to its long-running hit competition series America’s Got Talent. The new series — America’s Got Talent: All-Stars — will feature contestants from the past 17 seasons of AGT. Exec producer Simon Cowell will judge along with AGT veterans Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. The story.
—Finally. Ben Kingsley is attached to play the lead in a feature adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's 1987 graphic novel Violent Cases. The film is being led by the creative team behind the BAFTA-nominated The Girl With All the Gifts, including writer Mike Carey, director Colm McCarthy and producer Camille Gatin. The story.
—🎭 Casting news 🎭 THR's man in London Alex Ritman has the scoop on Twilight star Cam Gigandet and True Blood‘s Sam Trammell signing up to play as brothers in the action crime-thriller 72 Hours. Christian Sesma will direct from an original screenplay he co-wrote along with Sean Crayne, based on a story by Roberto Sanchez. The story. |
'Bros' Bombing and Billy's Blame Game ►"It didn’t make a compelling case for a movie that was a must-see in theaters." When the comedy Bros bombed, opening to a dismal $4.8m, star Billy Eichner put the blame on the audience. THR's Richard Newby writes that for years, talent has urged the crowds to show up opening weekend to ensure the future of inclusive content, but Eichner’s series of tweets felt more like finger-wagging than an invitation. The analysis.
—"It was a bold swing." Billy Eichner further addressed the disappointing box office performance of Bros and his controversial Twitter response. Speaking at the New Yorker Festival on Friday, Eichner said homophobia was just one factor keeping audience members away, with a theatrical release and the film's marketing also contributing. The story.
—"I have no lesson to draw from this." THR mondain Ryan Gajewski spoke to Bros director Nicholas Stoller and producer Guy Branum about the LGBTQ rom-com's "confusing" opening weekend performance, its polarizing marketing and the fierce debate it has sparked. The interview. |
TV Review: 'Let the Right One In' ►"Alternately interesting and frustratingly safe." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Showtime's Let the Right One In. Demián Bichir plays a father trying to take care of a daughter who happens to be a vampire in this drama inspired by John Ajvide Lindqvist's oft-adapted novel of the same name. The review. — "A film of gentle but transporting pleasures." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Nora Twomey's My Father's Dragon. Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon brings hand-drawn 2D magic to the fantastical tale for Netflix, with a voice cast led by Jacob Tremblay and Gaten Matarazzo. The review. — "Could use more spark." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews CBS' Fire Country. Max Thieriot stars as a man who joins California's inmate firefighter program in hopes of reducing his sentence — and finds himself assigned to serve the very hometown he fled years ago. The review. In other news... — The Rings of Power unveils fiery S1 finale trailer —Lindsay Lohan is an heiress suffering from amnesia in trailer for holiday romance Falling for Christmas —The Aster, a new members club and hotel, officially opens in the heart of Hollywood —Oscars: Dominican Republic picks Bantú Mama as international feature submission —Analyzing the Kardashians: How a psychotherapist and media theorist views their cultural sway —Nick Jonas on creating "lasting memories" for patrons with his first restaurant What else we're reading... —Emma Brockes writes that Disney+'s She-Hulk is a powerful symbol of female rage [ Guardian] —Victoria Bekiempis spoke to three of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers about the disgraced mogul's upcoming L.A. sexual-assault trial [ Vulture] —Sonia Rao writes that David O. Russell is latest face of Hollywood’s workplace abuse problem [ WaPo] —Good content: "Inside the search for the best mullet in America" [ NYT] —I'm suddenly obsessed with Cottagecore: "Is your house style modern farmhouse, modern modern farmhouse or modernized farmhouse?" [ WSJ] Today... Today's birthdays: Martin Henderson (48), Sigourney Weaver (73), Matt Damon (52), Nick Cannon (42), Edward Zwick (70), Karyn Parsons (56), Bruno Mars (37), Jeremy Davies (53), Bella Thorne (25), Anne-Marie Duff (52), Molly C. Quinn (29), Chevy Chase (79), Kristanna Loken (43), Emily Procter (54), Angus T. Jones (29), Ian Hart (58), Paul Hogan (83), J.R. Ramirez (42), Peter Greene (57), Stephanie Zimbalist (66), David Yates (59), Amy Beth Hayes (40), R.L. Stine (79), Darrell Hammond (67) |
| Fred Schneier, who oversaw programming at Showtime, headed Viacom Pictures and produced films for his own banner, has died. He was 95. The obituary. |
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