| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is the multi-talented Ben Stiller. The Grammys drew 15.4m viewers. Jelly Roll has become American Idol’s first "artist in residence." Love It Or List It has been renewed at HGTV with Page Turner replacing Hilary Farr. Hulu has canceled its comedy series How to Die Alone. — Abid Rahman
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Ben Stiller Takes Control ►On the cover. Ben Stiller’s latest project, executive producing and directing the majority of episodes of the Apple TV+ show Severance, which began its second season Jan. 17, is the fulfillment of a childhood obsession. The show exemplifies a certain kind of storytelling, a genre-straddling project with tension, drama and humor that was common on the big screen during the ’70s and has mainly been found on television over the past decade, in programs like Better Call Saul, Fargo and Stiller’s own 2018 limited series, Escape at Dannemora. THR's Rebecca Keegan spoke to the obsessive actor-director on finally fulfilling his creative ambitions with Severance — but perfectionism has its price. The cover story. |
'Moana 2', Streaming Power Disney In Latest Quarter ►Wowee Maui! Disney toppled Wall Street expectations in its latest quarter, with the company’s entertainment division and streaming business leading the charge. Disney reported revenue of $24.7b in its fiscal Q1, which ended Dec. 28, up 5 percent from a year ago. Segment operating income totaled $5.1b, up 31 percent with earnings per share of $1.76, up 44 percent. In entertainment, Moana 2 powered the division, with revenues surging by 9 percent year over year and operating income rising to $1.7b. And direct-to-consumer continued to be on a growth trajectory, generating $293m in operating income. Disney had previously guided Wall Street to a slight decline in subscribers, and while that did come to fruition, subs were better than the Street had anticipated, particularly growth at Hulu. The results.
—Dominance. YouTube continues to be the dominant player in ad-supported streaming, reporting Q4 advertising revenue of $10.5b, up from $9.2b a year ago, and surging past $10b in a quarter for the first time. YouTube reported ad revenue of $8.9b in Q3. The Google-owned video platform is by far the biggest player in ad-supported streaming video, and frankly streaming overall, with the latest Nielsen Gauge report showing that YouTube comprised more than 11 percent of all TV viewing. According to Google chief business officer Philipp Schindler, the 2024 presidential election was a major driver in ad revenue. The results.
—Steady. Snapchat reached 453m daily active users in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 39m, or 9 percent year-over-year. The social media company reported revenue of $1.55b up from $1.36b in the prior year. Advertising revenue made up $1.41b of that revenue, and was up 10% year-over-year. Net income was $9m, after a net loss of $248m in the prior year. Snap attributed the swing to profit to several factors, including a $117m improvement in adjusted EBITDA, a $78m reduction in stock based compensation and related expenses, favorable net investment impacts of $27m and an improvement of $22m in non-recurring items due to business restructuring costs incurred in the prior year. The results.
—Not great. Electronic Arts saw revenue fall to $1.88b in its third quarter, compared to a year-earlier $1.94b, due in part to weakness in sales for its football game EA Sports FC and Dragon Age game franchises. Net income for the quarter was $293m, just up from $290m in Q3 of 2023. “Q3 was not the financial performance we wanted, or expected,” Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, told analysts during a post-market conference call, as he cited the “underperformance” for EA Sports FC. He added Dragon Age “did not resonate with a broad enough audience in this highly competitive market.” The results.
—"Failed or refused to bargain in good faith." The layoffs hitting Alamo Drafthouse have roiled the union representing employees at two locations in New York, which is hitting back with a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board. The theater chain, known for its in-theater dining, strict cellphone policy and cinephile-targeted programming, is the subject of an unfair labor practice charge filed on Monday by the United Auto Workers Local 2179. The union, which represents workers at the chain's Lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn locations, is alleging failure to bargain in good faith amid cuts to staff. The story. |
Rogan Says Harris Campaign Lied About Being Misled by Show ►"We have the receipts." Joe Rogan is — for the first time — detailing exactly what he says happened between his podcast and the Kamala Harris campaign following reports that his show misled the vice president’s team. In Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan took issue with reports stemming from a new book, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House: "It's someone trying to cover their ass." The story.
—Huge haul! The FireAid benefit concerts in Los Angeles are expected to have raised more than $100m to support recovery across the city, organizers announced on Tuesday. The massive funding haul will support immediate needs in the region and aid long-term recovery from the recent wildfires that devastated the city. More than 50m viewers watched the major event as over 30 artists performed at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum. Proceeds from FireAid, which streamed across 28 platforms, came from ticket sales at both of the venues, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and donations from the public, including private gifts. The story.
—Not his problem. Raj Kapoor, an executive producer for the Grammys, has addressed Kanye West and Bianca Censori's controversial red carpet appearance at Sunday's event. The rapper and his wife quickly drew heat online after Censori wore a nearly nude look and seemingly no underwear. Many on social media questioned whether she violated the Grammys dress code or potentially broke the law. “Obviously there is a dress code for anybody actually performing on the show that we have to adhere to standards and practices,” Kapoor added. “But as far as people attending and nominees attending, that would be something the [Recording] Academy [which presents the Grammys] would have to answer.” The story.
—"She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor." Amber Ruffin, the late night and Emmy- and Tony-nominated writer, has been tapped to entertain at the 2025 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Ruffin, who writes for and appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers, will host the annual event, a fundraiser for the White House Correspondents’ Association. This year’s WHCA dinner is scheduled for April 26 in Washington, D.C. Last year the WHCA tapped Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live as its featured entertainer. The story.
—"Some of them might in 10 years wake up and say, ‘Why did I justify that?’" Wallace Shawn this week compared the Israeli treatment of Gaza to Nazi Germany. The Princess Bride and Clueless actor, who is Jewish, said on The Katie Halper Show that Israel is “doing evil that is just as great as what the Nazis did.” His comments have sparked outrage from the Jewish community, although Shawn has made similar comments before. Regarding the Nazi comparison, Shawn contended: “In some ways it’s worse, because they kind of boast about it. Hitler had the decency to try to keep it secret." The story. |
Amazon's 'Beast Games' Is Breaking Gen Z ►"The show is that good — addictive in a Squid Game knock-off kind of way." Amazon Prime Video’s Beast Games mega game show has received plenty of flak from critics. Averaging only 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, professional TV reviewers have called it "a sad reflection of our modern times." THR's James Hibberd begs to differ, writing that Beast Games has evolved into a riveting demonstration of the ideological gulf between brutal Gen X pragmatism and fragile Gen Z idealism. The column.
—Big on social. The 2025 Grammy Awards drew a sizable audience but fell short of last year’s show. Sunday’s CBS telecast of the 67th Grammys drew 15.4m viewers, according to same-day ratings from Nielsen. That’s down about 10 percent from the 17.09m who watched the 2024 show, which set a post-pandemic high for the Grammys. While the on-air numbers are off year to year, CBS says the Grammys delivered the most social media traffic ever for a TV broadcast, according analytics firm Talkwalker’s social content ratings. The show recorded 102.2m such interactions, more than any single program (including Super Bowls) ever has. The ratings.
—It's official. Love It Or List It has been renewed at HGTV more than a year after its future was cast in doubt over the departure of original cast member Hilary Farr. She will be replaced by existing HGTV talent Page Turner, who joins returning co-star David Visentin. Love It Or List It first premiered in 2008 and, prior to Farr’s exit, taped a wild 258 episodes. It thrived on the sparring between Visentin and Farr — at times playful and at others a little exhilarating. But Farr, who also has Tough Love With Hilary Farr at the network, formally departed in December 2023. At the time, she said she was leaving the show because she was “bored” with the gig and found it “stale” and “formulaic.” The story.
—"This is hard to comprehend." Hulu has canceled its comedy series How to Die Alone after one season. The news comes about 4 1/2 months after the series, created by and starring Natasha Rothwell, wrapped its eight-episode season on the streamer. The show was produced by Onyx Collective, which like Hulu is part of Disney. Rothwell indicated in an Instagram post that she’ll try to find a new home for the show. How to Die Alone stars Rothwell as a “a broke, fat, Black JFK Airport employee who’s never been in love and forgotten how to dream, until an accidental brush with death catapults her on a journey to finally take flight and start living by any means necessary.” The story.
—Stepping up. After serving as a mentor to contestants on American Idol last year, Jelly Roll is taking a more prominent position on the series. The country star has been named Idol’s first “artist in residence.” It’s a new wrinkle for the show: Jelly Roll will join the show beginning with the Hollywood Week round, where the first cuts for audition round winners take place. ABC says he’ll “work closely with the Idol hopefuls, giving them firsthand advice on how to navigate the journey.” The story. |
Marvel Denies Using AI for 'Fantastic Four' Poster ►Nuh-uh. Despite speculation on social media, Marvel did not use AI to create a new poster for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the studio said Tuesday. The Disney-owned studio unveiled the First Steps poster in conjunction with the film’s first teaser early Tuesday morning. In the image, a group of 20th century men and women stand in a crowd to wave at (ostensibly) The Fantastic Four taking flight on a superhero mission. Though many celebrated the release, others quickly pointed out inconsistencies with the design, including some people who appear with only four fingers and two women with the same face. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 After its Sundance Film Festival premiere, Ira Sachs’ latest film, Peter Hujar’s Day, has landed at specialty distributors Sideshow and Janus Films for North America. Peter Hujar’s Day, which is next set to screen at the Berlin Film Festival, is a word-for-word rendering of a 1974 conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz. Ben Whishaw stars as Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz. The story. |
Film Review: 'Kinda Pregnant' ►"Zany premise, predictable execution." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Tyler Spindel's Kinda Pregnant. Amy Schumer, Will Forte and Damon Wayans Jr. star in this Netflix feature about a woman who pretends to be expecting, after growing jealous of a friend who's having a baby. The review.
—"Not very edgy, but reasonably full of heart." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Amazon Prime Video's Clean Slate. Norman Lear is credited as an executive producer on the single-cam series about a trans woman (Laverne Cox) reuniting with her father (George Wallace) in their Alabama hometown. The review.
—"Too scattershot to hit its mark." THR's Angie Han reviews Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar. In this true-ish story, Kaitlyn Dever plays Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness guru who claims to have cured her own terminal brain cancer through a healthy diet and other "natural" treatments. The review.
—"A weak retread." THR India's Anupama Chopra reviews Rosshan Andrrews' Deva. Shahid Kapoor plays a police officer with memory loss in the new Hindi action thriller, which features a different ending from the 2013 Malayalam-language original. The review.
In other news...
—The Weeknd faces breakdown in Hurry Up Tomorrow movie trailer
—Jurassic World Rebirth: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali hit the jungle in first trailer
—Spike Lee, Regina King, Janelle Monáe named to Met Gala host committee
—Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s A Simple Favor 2 to open SXSW
—Warner Bros. Discovery names new U.S. advertising sales chiefs
—Brian Murphy, George and Mildred star, dies at 92
What else we're reading...
—Peter Baker reflects on Trump's imperial aspirations, as he covets Greenland, the Panama Canal and now Gaza [NYT]
—With the reckless chaos at USAID, Katharine Houreld and Rachel Chason report on the dire impact funding cuts are having in Africa [WaPo]
—Chris Crowley reports that following a number of raids, ICE has restaurant workers in the U.S. terrified [Grub Street]
—Anthony Breznican talks to Jurassic World Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey and offers an in-depth first look at the film [Vanity Fair]
—After some underwhelming films and some disinterested buyers, Benjamin Lee wonders if Sundance has lost its mojo [Guardian]
Today...
...in 2010, Sony released Lasse Hallström's Dear John in theaters. The romance war film, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks, starred Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried and was a big box office hit. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Michael Mann (82), Laura Linney (61), Jennifer Jason Leigh (63), Michael Sheen (🏴 56), Charlotte Rampling (79), Christopher Guest (77), Henry Golding (38), Tony Jaa (49), Darren Criss (38), Jane Schoenbrun (38), Tim Meadows (64), Abhishek Bachchan (49), Errol Morris (77), Chris Parnell (58), Nora Zehetner (44), Barbara Hershey (77), Brittany Allen (39), Aparna Brielle (31), Jeremy Sumpter (36), Esme Creed-Miles (25), Luke Newton (32), Amy Johnston (35), Sara Foster (44), Leslie Zemeckis (56), David Meunier (52), Alex Brightman (38), Raymond Lee (38), Crystle Lightning (44), Andrea Deck (31), Jordan Nagai (25), Arabella Field (60), Adassa (44) |
| David Edward Byrd, who created psychedelic posters for Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Grateful Dead shows and for such Broadway productions as Follies, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar and Little Shop of Horrors, has died. He was 83. The obituary. |
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