| | | | | | What's news: Blake Lively is seeking to dismiss Justin Baldoni's defamation suit. Meet the Parents 4 may have found its director. Coco 2 is in the works at Disney. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Hollywood Studio Profit Report ►Mixed bag. It was another recovery year for Hollywood in 2024, following the dual strikes that affected the film pipeline just a few years after the COVID pandemic hit. The global box office dropped 10 percent to $30.5b last year, but it wasn’t bad news for everyone. In THR's annual studio profit report, it was a mixed year for the industry, with the film divisions of some legacy entertainment conglomerates actually posting profit growth for the calendar year 2024, while others recorded drops. The report.
—Spine detected. Disney shareholders rejected proposals to sever ties with the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index; to issue a report on the risks of climate change to the company’s businesses; and to issue a report examining the risks related to ad buying and selling. The company held its annual shareholder meeting Thursday, where stockholders voted against the proposals by overwhelming margins, at least according to preliminary results. The story.
—New move. In a bid to dismiss Justin Baldoni's lawsuit, Blake Lively is pointing to a change in California law prohibiting the weaponization of defamation claims that concern accusations of sexual assault. California lawmakers in 2023 expanded libel protections to include communications based on public disclosures of sexual misconduct, effectively making it harder for accused individuals to retaliate by suing. Baldoni brought his lawsuit against Lively in New York federal court but said his defamation claims should be considered under California law. Lively’s lawyers on Thursday agreed and said the lawsuit should be dismissed, pointing to the amendment to California law. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate has closed on a deal to sell a stake in the legendary rapper’s catalog to Primary Wave. The deal comes weeks after THR first broke the news on the deal’s development. Primary Wave didn’t disclose the financial details of the deal. Sources previously told THR that Biggie’s publishing rights were up for about $100m, while the master rights were on the table for another $30m to $50m. Sources said the deal gives Primary Wave 50 percent to both rights, and the late rapper's name and likeness. The story. |
'Severance' Renewed at Apple TV+ ►Waffle parties for everyone! Severance will return for a third season at Apple TV+. The streamer announced the renewal just a few hours after the second season finale of Severance debuted early Friday. The series is Apple TV+’s most watched drama to date. Through the first six episodes of season two, Severance has amassed 3.68b viewing minutes in the U.S., according to Nielsen. Among Apple TV+ series, only season three of Ted Lasso has had better numbers. Apple says Severance is its most watched series globally (though as is usually the case with streaming services, it did not provide viewing figures). The story.
—"People have such crazy, very specific theories, and obviously there are some that do have some truth." For THR, Zoe Phillips spoke to Severance director and executive producer Ben Stiller about the second season finale. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
Tina Fey's 'Four Seasons' Releases First Teaser ►📅 Dated! 📅 Netflix's star-studded series The Four Seasons is set to join the already crowded spring TV calendar. The series, starring and co-created by Tina Fey, is set to premiere May 1. The show is an adaptation of the 1981 movie written, directed by and starring Alan Alda (who’s a producer and guest star of the new version) and centers on three couples — played by Fey and Will Forte, Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani — who vacation together and are thrown when one of the couples announces they’re divorcing. The streamer also released a teaser trailer. The story.
—Pitching. Endeavor chairman Patrick Whitesell’s ex-sister-in-law is taking meetings around town pitching a TV series based on her life — but the Whitesell brothers can relax. None of them make an appearance in the project. Instead, Iranian-born Ladan Rafii, who was briefly married to TV writer Chris Whitesell in the 1980s, is focusing the plot of her series on her time as a political, legal and civil affairs officer at the UN in the late 1970s and early 80s, after the fall of the Shah in Iran. The story.
—Still got it. The big first-night audience for Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special carried over to streaming the week after — giving the show its first-ever appearance on the Nielsen streaming charts. SNL, which streams on Peacock, notched 863m minutes of viewing in the U.S. for the week of Feb. 17-23. That was good for seventh place overall and third among library series. The show has an absurdly large library — 1,109 episodes spanning half a century — but Nielsen notes that 68 percent of viewing for the week was for episodes from the current season, including the anniversary special. Netflix’s Zero Day and Prime Video’s Reacher finished first and second overall for the week after premiering on Feb. 20. The streaming rankings. |
Bourne Franchise Shopped as Rights Leave Universal ►Bidding war incoming. THR's second-nicest man Aaron Couch has the huge scoop that Universal's rights to the Jason Bourne character have lapsed. WME is shopping the rights to the spy franchise and the rest of the Robert Ludlum library on behalf of the late author’s estate. The goal is to find a new home for the franchise and make the superspy a more regular presence onscreen. Bourne last appeared nearly a decade ago in Jason Bourne (2016), from Universal and producer Captivate Entertainment, which manages the film rights for the Ludlum estate. It is too early to say if longtime star Matt Damon would be involved in the new iteration. Skydance, Apple and Netflix are said to have met with the estate for the rights. Universal, too, could potentially win the rights back if it made an attractive bid. The story.
—Helmer found? In better news for Universal, the studio is moving forward with a new Meet the Parents sequel. John Hamburg, who wrote the script for the forthcoming film, is in talks to direct the project, the fourth in the franchise, that has original stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner set to return. Hamburg worked on the screenplay for the 2000 original and the two subsequent sequels. Plot details have not yet been shared. The story.
—In the works. A sequel to Coco is in development at Pixar, Disney CEO Bob Iger said Thursday. Speaking at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting, Iger announced the title, Coco 2, and said the film is still in early stages of development. The theatrical release is set for 2029. The sequel will bring back members of the creative team from the original film, including director Lee Unkrichn and co-director Adrian Molina. Mark Nielsen will produce. The story.
—From Reddit to the big screen. Four years ago, a high school English teacher posted a short story to Reddit, a tale with Gone Girl-worthy twists and turns. Now, Joe Cote is in the midst of his own real-life plot twist. The Massachusetts-based educator’s project is in development as a feature, with Sydney Sweeney attached to star and produce, and Oscar-winning Forrest Gump scribe Eric Roth penning the script. Warner Bros. has won the rights to the package in a competitive situation that now puts the teacher on Hollywood’s radar. He first landed representation after manager Aaron Folbe of Underground Entertainment stumbled upon the story and sought Cote out for a meeting. The story. |
Can Jenny Slate Make Cancer Funny? ►"I am a person of many appetites and curiosities." THR's Seija Rankin talks to Jenny Slate about her new show, Dying for Sex. The actress and comedian (and It Ends with Us player) stars opposite Michelle Wiliams on FX’s harrowing new comedy, a role that could change Slate's career — and her life. The interview.
—"There is a rich legacy of comedic writing in the Shondaland world." THR's Lexy Perez spoke to Paul William Davies, the showrunner behind Netflix's new mystery series The Residence. Davies discusses spearheading Shondaland into its comedy era, honoring the series' original star — the late Andre Braugher — and the Hugh Jackman cameo that got away. The interview.
—"This was presented to me and I thought, 'Well, that sounds insane. Why would I want to do that?'" THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Ellen Pompeo and showrunner Katie Robbins about their new Hulu limited series, Good American Family. Pompeo reveals her initial hesitations about appearing in the series about Natalia Grace, which dramatizes the true story with multiple conflicting perspectives. The interview.
—"In movies like this, you don’t always get to see a female love interest with the complexity and the darkness that she has." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Amber Midthunder about her new films, Dan Berk and Robert Olsen's Novocaine and Mark Anthony Green's Opus. Midthunder discusses Novocaine’s twists and turns in a delineated spoiler section, before explaining how Opus was a homecoming for her. The busy actress also discusses her future in the Predator franchise. The interview. |
Film Review: 'Ash' ►"Lots of style and mood help to conceal spotty story." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Flying Lotus' Ash. In the rapper, producer and DJ's latest film feature, an amnesiac astronaut wakes up on an unknown planet after a mission goes wrong. Starring Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott and Beulah Koale. 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 Jane Lynch. One of the all-time great comedic scene-stealers reflects on having her career breakthrough at 40 with the first of her four Christopher Guest collaborations, shooting to stardom as Sue Sylvester on Glee and, most recently, playing the stunt double of Steve Martin's character on Hulu's hit ensemble series, Only Murders in the Building. Listen here.
—It Happened in Hollywood. THR senior writer Seth Abramovitch goes behind the scenes of the pop culture moments that shaped Hollywood history. In this episode, Seth spoke to Patrick Wilson. The Little Children “Prom King” discusses all the laundry room trysts and suburban ennui encapsulated by Todd Field's classic 2006 film. Listen here.
In other news...
—Leonardo DiCaprio goes guns blazing in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another teaser
—Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco release new album I Said I Love You First
—Jack Harlow and Doja Cat drop new single “Just Us”
—Japanese Breakfast release new album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
—Vladimir author Julia May Jonas to release sophomore novel
—Tom Cruise will receive BFI fellowship
—Quinta Brunson files for divorce from Kevin Anik, husband of 3 years
—Lionsgate Television promotes Joel Meyer to evp, worldwide production as Gary Goodman retires
—Diana Sanchez named Hot Docs fest executive director
What else we're reading...
—Julie Watson reports that the detentions of tourists and visa-holders is fueling the anxiety of foreigners about travel to the U.S. [Time]
—Ella Yurman talks to Vivian Jenna Wilson about being Elon Musk’s estranged trans daughter [Teen Vogue]
—After years of getting glazed by fanboys on YouTube, John Herrman reports that Elon Musk and Tesla have become a favorite topic to dunk on, on the platform [Intelligencer]
—Roxana Hadadi talks to Noah Wyle about his hit new medical drama The Pitt, and also about his old hit medical drama ER [Vulture]
—Here's your Friday list: "The 51 best Canadian films of all time" [THR]
Today...
...in 1997, Warner Bros. brought Selena, the story of Selena Quintanilla Perez, to the big screen with Jennifer Lopez in the title role. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Gary Oldman (67), Rosie O'Donnell (63), Timothy Dalton (🏴79), Matthew Broderick (63), Scott Eastwood (39), Rhys Darby (51), Karyn Kusama (57), Lorenzo Zurzolo (25), Laura Allen (51), Jasmin Savoy Brown (31), Sonequa Martin-Green (40), Joseph Mawle (51), RJ Cyler (30), Sam Troughton (48), Jaye Davidson (57), Jace Norman (25), Rachael MacFarlane (49), Cynthia Geary (60), Sandra Mae Frank (35), Narges Rashidi (45), Forrest Wheeler (21), Suraj Sharma (32), Ellise Chappell (33), Jill Schoelen (62), Melanie Stone (37), Greg Ellis (57), Lisa Ann Russell (53), Rani Mukerji (47), Brad Hall (67), Vanessa Branch (52), Catinca Untaru (28), Salome Azizi (50), Sabrina Le Beauf (67), Kevin Guthrie (37), Rini Bell (44), Kathryn Greenwood (63) | | Wings Hauser, the versatile character actor known for his intense turns in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Vice Squad and Tough Guys Don’t Dance, has died. He was 77. The obituary. |
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