| | | | | | What's news: Walmart is stepping up its streaming aggregation plans. Today anchor Sheinelle Jones will return to the morning show this week. Gérard Depardieu is set to stand trial for rape and sexual assault. Chloe Malle is new head of editorial content for Vogue U.S. Farhana Bhula is the new director of Film4. And Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine received a 15-minute standing ovation in Venice. — Abid Rahman
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Fox, CBS May Want In on Local TV Station Buying Spree ►"Recent years have already seen creative dealmaking within the confines of FCC limitations." As Nexstar and Tegna gobble up more stations, the question arises: Are the big broadcast networks planning to join the local TV takeover? THR's Alex Weprin reports that some veteran media executives think so, and filings with the Federal Communications Commission suggest that the idea is very much top of mind in the C-suites … if the FCC lets them. The analysis.
—Stepping up. Walmart wants to take on Amazon Prime Video in the video aggregation space, overhauling its subscription offering with a new benefit called “Video Subscription Choice,” and adding Peacock as a partner. The retail giant on Monday announced its new plan, which includes an extension of its deal with Paramount+, originally signed three years ago. The new offering will see subscribers to its Walmart+ bundle be able to choose between a complimentary subscription to Peacock’s premium tier, or the Paramount+ essential plan. Subscribers can also switch between Paramount+ and Peacock every 90 days, if they so choose. The story.
—"[CNN employees] express their opinions too much in their news." John Malone's press tour for his new memoir Born to be Wired is offering up more revelations. In a new interview, the media mogul opened up about his relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, and revealed that he advised Zaslav on his new contract with the media giant. Malone also said he counseled Zaslav to stop bidding billions for NBA rights and offered his blunt assessment of the inherent problems with CNN. The story. |
Creative Arts Emmys: CPB to Receive Governors Award ►"CPB has been a steadfast champion of storytelling that informs, educates and unites us." The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be the recipient of the 2025 Governors Award at the Creative Arts Emmys, at which the Television Academy will recognize the organization’s five decades of “enriching America’s media landscape through funding and support for educational, cultural and public-interest programming,” the group announced on Tuesday. On Sept. 7, the trophy will be presented to Patricia de Stacy Harrison, the longest-serving president and CEO of the CPB. Harrison has led CPB since 2005. The news comes after Congress voted in July to eliminate all funding for the CPB, with NPR and PBS the highest-profile victims. The story.
—"We cannot wait to welcome Sheinelle back home, right where she belongs." NBC Today anchor Sheinelle Jones will return to the morning show this week, nearly four months after her husband passed away from a rare form of brain cancer. Jones will return to Today on Friday, Sept. 5, co-anchor Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday morning. Guthrie taped an interview with Jones, which will also air Friday. Jones, the co-host of Today’s third hour, has been absent from the show all year as her husband Uche Ojeh battled glioblastoma. Ojeh passed away in May at age 45. The story.
—The wait goes on. Howard Stern will reveal all … just not yet. The radio shock jock had been slated to return to his SiriusXM show Tuesday morning, after weeks of promos promised a big reveal following swirling speculation that his show would be canceled. However The Howard Stern Show’s social accounts posted early Tuesday that “Howard Stern will now speak Monday, September 8,” urging listeners to “stay tuned.” Stern’s return followed a news cycle dominated by questions about his future, after The Sun reported a month ago that his show was set to end because there was no chance that SiriusXM and Stern would be able to come to terms on a new contract. The story.
—Heading to trial. A French investigative judge has ordered veteran actor Gérard Depardieu to stand trial for an alleged 2018 rape and sexual assault of actress Charlotte Arnould. Arnould alleges that Depardieu, a friend of her father’s, raped her on two separate occasions in the summer of 2018 when she had visited his Parisian home to ask for advice. Arnould was 22 years old at the time. The Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac actor was 69. France's biggest film star facing a trial over rape and sexual assault allegations comes as the nation’s film industry grapples with its #MeToo moment. As part of an earlier trial and conviction, Depardieu was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence after two women accused him of assaulting them on the set of film The Green Shutters in 2021. The story. |
Anna Wintour Taps Chloe Malle as Vogue U.S. Head of Editorial ►Anointed. Anna Wintour has found her new U.S. editorial director for Vogue. Wintour has tapped protege and Vogue digital editor Chloe Malle as head of editorial content for the American edition of Vogue, taking the reins from Wintour, who ceded her role leading the publication in June. Malle reports to Wintour, and starts in the new role immediately. Wintour, who has led Vogue since 1988, remains global editorial director for Vogue, overseeing all the publication’s global editions (including the U.S. version), and also continues to work as chief content officer for Condé Nast. The story.
—Upped. Farhana Bhula is the new director of Film4, U.K. broadcaster Channel 4's feature film division. Bhula has served as interim director of Film4 since July, following the news of Ollie Madden’s departure. The executive joined Film4 in January 2022 as senior commissioning executive, later becoming head of creative & deputy director. She has overseen such film projects as Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, plus such upcoming titles as Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada, Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound, and Philippa Lowthorpe’s H Is for Hawk. The story. |
Oasis Just Glitched the Algorithm ►"This was a deeply human experience at a time, with its seething algorithmic outrage and a dawning AI, when we seem in danger of losing that humanity." THR's Steven Zeitchik was among the 60,000 people packed into the Met Life Stadium on Sunday for the latest leg of Oasis', so far, triumphant world tour. Unruly, undigital, and fiercely communal — the Gallagher Bros.' U.S. swing is everything our techno-entertainment world isn't, Steven writes. Which is exactly why we need them. The column. |
Graham Greene 1952 - 2025 ►"He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed." Graham Greene, the famed Canadian First Nations actor, died Monday in Stratford, Ontario, after a lengthy illness, his rep told THR. He was 73. Greene came to widespread prominence with the role of Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner's 1990 film Dances With Wolves that earned him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. The film launched Graham’s career to new heights; he had performances in more than 200 film and television productions and starring roles at the Stratford Festival. His other films included Maverick (1994), Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game (2017). The obituary. |
Venice: Kaouther Ben Hania on Gaza Drama 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' ►"At least, with this film, I wasn’t silenced." THR's Scott Roxborough spoke to Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania about her new film, The Voice of Hind Rajab , that tells the horrifying story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who phoned Red Crescent volunteers from a car in Gaza after her family was killed. The project has also drawn high-profile support from Hollywood figures including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer, who have all come aboard as executive producers on the film, raising the hope that Hind’s voice — once ignored — may now carry further. Tunisia has selected the film as its official entry for the Academy Awards in the best international feature category. The interview.
—15-minutes! Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as legendary mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, delivered a knockout punch in Venice. The A24 film had its world premiere Monday night inside Sala Grande and the audience went wild, responding with a 15-minute standing ovation. It proved to be a special night for Johnson as Kerr also made the trek to Venice for the showing where they were joined by co-star Emily Blunt. Amid cheers of “DJ,” “Benny” and “Emily,” the audience went wild as all four — Johnson, Blunt, Safdie and Kerr — were all teary-eyed throughout the emotional scene. The recap.
—"I have a headache just thinking of all the logistics we have to figure out to shoot here." Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s critically acclaimed Hollywood satire The Studio pulled back the velvet rope to let viewers inside high-profile industry events like the Golden Globes and CinemaCon. Hours after the Apple TV+ series tied the record for the most Emmy Award nominations for a comedy series, Rogen confirmed to THR that the team had zeroed in on other glitzy affairs to serve as episode backdrops for the upcoming second season that is currently being shaped. Though he remained mum on specifics, Rogen’s surprise appearance at this year’s Venice Film Festival all but confirmed that the Lido could figure prominently into Matt Remick’s next adventures. The story. |
Film Review: 'The Smashing Machine' ►"A well-performed and punishing fight flick, both in and out of the ring." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Benny Safdie's Venice competition entry, The Smashing Machine. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star in the true story of Mark Kerr, a former college wrestler who battled trauma and drug addiction during the early years of the UFC. Also starring Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten. Written by Benny Safdie. The review.
—"The story is more compelling than the way it's told." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin and Juan Camilo Cruz's Lost in the Jungle. The Free Solo directors tell the remarkable survival story of the Mucutuy siblings and the dueling rescue missions in the Amazon to save their lives in 2023. The review.
—"Should have been a six-hour docuseries." Daniel Fienberg reviews Marshall Curry's The New Yorker at 100. Premiering at Telluride, Curry's film features an assortment of New Yorker luminaries, as well as stars like Sarah Jessica Parker and Jon Hamm, all celebrating the magazine's recent anniversary. The review.
—"Overlong and uneven, but filled with musical magic." Daniel Fienberg reviews Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine's Everywhere Man: The Lives and Times of Peter Asher. From James Taylor to Linda Ronstadt to Twiggy to Eric Idle, the directors bring out the stars to chronicle Peter Asher's musical journey. The review.
—"Inspiring characters, but rushed and poorly formed." Daniel Fienberg reviews Oren Jacoby's This Is Not a Drill. Premiering at Telluride, this doc sees Jacoby follow three Davids fighting the Goliaths of the oil industry. The review. |
Film Review: 'The Testament of Ann Lee' ►"Dizzying, in ways both stirring and taxing." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Mona Fastvold's Venice competition entry, The Testament of Ann Lee. Fastvold's film is a portrait of the 18th century religious leader who founded the Shaker movement. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Matthew Beard, Christopher Abbott, Viola Prettejohn, David Cale, Stacy Martin, Scott Handy, Jeremy Wheeler and Tim Blake Nelson. Written by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet. The review.
—"As pleasing as it is unassuming." David Rooney reviews Jim Jarmusch's Venice competition entry, Father Mother Sister Brother. A starry ensemble feature in three minor-key stories about adult siblings and their parents, set in the Northeast U.S., Dublin and Paris. Starring Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Sarah Greene, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat and Françoise Lebrun. Written by Jim Jarmusch. The review.
—"Super-stylish and lighter than air." For THR, Caryn James reviews Sofia Coppola's Marc by Sofia. Premiering out of competition in Venice, the filmmaker's first non-fiction feature surveys the career and inspirations of designer Marc Jacobs, who is also her close friend. The review. |
Film Review: 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' ►"A portrait of power that's ambitious to a fault." Jordan Mintzer reviews Olivier Assayas' Venice competition entry, The Wizard of the Kremlin. Jude Law plays Vladmir Putin in the French filmmaker's sprawling, chronicle of post-Soviet Russia. Also starring Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge, Will Keen and Jeffrey Wright. Written by Olivier Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère, based on the novel by Giuliano da Empoli. The review.
—"The making of an icon." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's Broken English. Playing out of competition in Venice, the filmmakers call on the likes of Tilda Swinton, Courtney Love, Sophia Di Martino, Zawe Ashton and George MacKay to honor the late British singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull. Written by Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard, Ian Martin and Will Maclean. The review.
—"Her-story." Leslie Felperin reviews Alexandre O. Philippe's Kim Novak's Vertigo. In his Venice-bowing documentary, the Lynch/Oz director lets his subject share her version of why her career slowed to a halt. The review.
In other news...
—Trouble brews among family heirs in House of Guinness trailer
—The Ivy trailer: Ana Cristina Barragán's film tells of an unexpected Bond, unresolved Desire and trauma
What else we're reading...
—Andrew England reports that a leading organization of genocide experts believes that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza [FT]
—Eli Tan looks into how "clanker" became an anti-A.I. rallying cry [NYT]
—Olga Khazan expounds on "The Big Lebowski friendship test", or the stress of introducing something you love to someone you care about [Atlantic]
—Reflecting on the recent discourse surrounding Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, Clare Thorp looks into why female pop stars embracing sex is still controversial in 2025 [BBC]
—Isabella Simonetti talks to ESPN employees who lament working from the company's home base in Bristol, Conn. [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2011, Dimension released Gonzalo López-Gallego's found footage horror film Apollo 18 in theaters. The film was panned by critics but made five times its budget at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Keanu Reeves (61), Salma Hayek (59), Damson Idris (34), Eugenio Derbez (64), Austin Abrams (29), Mark Harmon (74), Tim Key (49), Nicholas Pinnock (52), Katt Williams (54), Jonathan Goldstein (57), Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (64), Yuen Wah (75), Gavin Casalegno (26), Jarred Harper (34), Ella Rubin (24), Linda Purl (70), Cynthia Watros (57), Allison Miller (40), Mary Jo Catlett (87), Merritt Patterson (35), Kristen Cloke (57), Tuc Watkins (59), Keith Allen (🏴72), Lala Kent (35), Rosanna DeSoto (75), Devrim Özkan (27), Jonathan Kite (46), Tiffany Hines (42), Sandra Knight (86), Samantha Quan (50), Cara Jade Myers (40), Michael Gray (74), Faye Mata (33), Gustaf Hammarsten (58), Michael Lombardi (49) |
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