| | | | | | What's news: Letterboxd is launching a new film rental program. Matt Gutman is leaving ABC News for CBS News. Sheinelle Jones will join Bush Hager as the permanent co-host of Today's fourth hour. And Judi Dench has revealed her feelings towards the disgraced Hollywood duo Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. — Abid Rahman
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Inside Paramount's Wooing of Warners ►Dinners, job offers and Larry Ellison zooming John Malone. Just a few hours before word leaked of Netflix’s mega-deal for Warner Bros. on Dec. 4, Paramount CEO David Ellison realized something was up, reports THR's Alex Werpin. The exec had been pursuing WBD for months, and he and the Paramount board had been in regular communication with David Zaslav and his board of directors. That morning, Ellison had submitted a $30 per share all-cash bid, but Paramount had heard nothing from WBD following their submission. So Ellison texted Zaslav in what now reads as a last ditch effort to get a deal over the line. The story.
—"We’re super confident we are going to get it across." Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters aren’t worried about Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The Netflix co-CEOs addressed the elephant in the room right at the beginning of a session at a UBS conference in New York on Monday afternoon. "Today’s move was entirely expected," Sarandos said. "We have a deal done, and we are really happy with the deal for shareholders, for consumers, it’s a great way to create and protect jobs in the entertainment industry. We’re super confident we are going to get it across." The story.
—"THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP." A little after Paramount launched its hostile bid for WBD on Monday, Donald Trump railed against Paramount leadership after the airing of an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes. "My real problem with the show, however, wasn’t the low IQ traitor, it was that the new ownership of 60 Minutes, Paramount, would allow a show like this to air," Trump wrote on social media. The comments may spell trouble for Paramount should WBD take up its offer and the company needs regulatory clearance. The story. |
Kimmel Inks ABC Contract Extension ►🤝 Sticking around. 🤝 Jimmy Kimmel will remain at ABC for a while longer. The late night host has signed a one-year extension with the network that will take Jimmy Kimmel Live! through the end of the 2026-27 TV season. Kimmel’s current deal was set to end in May 2026. The extension comes on the heels of a tumultous few months for Kimmel that saw him briefly suspended in September for comments about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a record audience for his return and ongoing sparring with Donald Trump. The story.
—First hire. Matt Gutman is leaving ABC News to become CBS News chief correspondent — he is Bari Weiss’s first on-air hire since she took over CBS News. Gutman will report for CBS Morning, CBS Evening News, contribute to 60 Minutes and serve as the lead correspondent for 48 Hours. He’ll also be a substitute anchor as needed; Gutman’s new role begins on Jan. 5, 2026 and will be based in Los Angeles. Gutman was most recently chief national correspondent at ABC News. He first joined the division in 2008 as a radio correspondent. The story.
—Successor. A year after Hoda Kotb left NBC‘s Today show, the morning program has finally found her successor for the fourth hour, alongside Jenna Bush Hager. Sheinelle Jones will join Bush Hager as the permanent co-host of the hour, which will be renamed Today with Jenna and Sheinelle, beginning Jan. 12. Jones will appear on the program Tuesday morning to reveal the news. Bush Hager had been hosting the program alongside a rotating cast of co-hosts for the last year following Kotb’s exit. Craig Melvin succeeded Kotb in the lead anchor chair alongside Savannah Guthrie. The story.
—Lacking humanity. Leonardo DiCaprio believes AI could be an “enhancement tool,” but could never be considered art. In a new interview, the Oscar-winner discussed the controversial technology and how he "mourns the fact that talented and experienced people could lose their jobs because of it." DiCaprio added that the technology would never be seen as art because it lacks humanity. The story.
—"Kevin has been exonerated and I hear from Kevin, we text." In a new interview, Judi Dench revealed her feelings towards the disgraced Hollywood duo Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. Dench said she is still in touch with Spacey, who helped her when her husband died. As for Weinstein, Dench said, "I saw a bit of film of Harvey walking with two sticks and you think, ‘Well…’ ‘I knew Harvey and I knew him well and worked with him, and I had none of that experience — very fortunately for me,'” Dench said. The actress added, “I imagine he’s done his time… I don’t know, to me it’s personal — forgiveness." The story.
—Raising funds. James Van Der Beek recently shared prized memorabilia with fans, allowing him to earn funds to support his cancer recovery. On Saturday, Propstore’s Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction featured selected items from Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, two projects in which Van Der Beek starred. The assortment from Van Der Beek’s personal collection of props and costumes earned over $47,000, with all proceeds being used to help finance the 48-year-old actor’s fight following his diagnosis with stage 3 colorectal cancer in the summer of 2023. The story.
—Released. Jeremy O. Harris, the playwright and actor best known for Slave Play and as co-writer of A24’s Zola, has been released from detention in Japan on drug smuggling allegations. He was released on Dec. 8, according to media reports, after three weeks in custody. Harris, 36, was taken into custody on Nov. 16 at Naha Airport after customs officers allegedly found 780 milligrams of a crystal substance containing MDMA in his tote bag. The story. |
Letterboxd Launches Rental Program ►"The selection process is directly tied to specific films our members are asking for." Letterboxd, the cinephile-led social platform where users share reviews and thoughts on their favorite films, is set to launch its new film rental program, Video Store. The launch on Dec. 10 comes at a time when independent film, festival titles and foreign-language offerings are facing increasingly high barriers to entry when it comes to getting in front of potential audiences. At launch, Video Store will be offering a total of nine films, including Todd Haynes’ early offering Poison, international submissions for the 2026 Oscars like Indonesia’s Sore: A Wife From the Future, and 2025 Fantasia Fest and SXSW standout It Ends, among others. The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 The African American Film Critics Association has named Sinners as its best film of 2025, with the Ryan Coogler-directed movie also receiving seven other awards from the group, including best ensemble, with Coogler himself winning best director and best writing. Michael B. Jordan was named best actor for his lead role(s) as twins in the feature; Wunmi Mosaku won best supporting actress; and Ludwig Goransson won best music. Young actor Miles Caton received the Emerging Face (Actor) award, with One Battle After Another‘s Chase Infiniti winning the Emerging Face (Actress) counterpart. The winners.
—Yay us! THR won 13 first-place prizes at the 18th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, including Angie Han being named TV critic of the year. The awards, overseen by the Los Angeles Press Club, were handed out at an awards gala held Sunday night. Other THR wins included two first-place awards for Gary Baum — for his profile of awards guru Colleen Camp and his report on Matthew Perry’s “street dealer.” Katie Kilkenny also took home two top awards, for her feature pieces on the victims of the L.A. fires, as well as a piece on the Hollywood strikes one year on. Lily Ford won first place for her online TV/streaming feature on Netflix’s Adolescence. The story. |
'Kokuho' Director on Brutal Beauty Behind Japan’s Box Office Phenom ►"We had to make sure that the five decades the film covers felt right at every time period." With Kokuho set as Japan’s official Oscar submission, Lee Sang-il talks to THR's Patrick Brzeski about the 15-year journey behind his kabuki epic, guiding stars Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama through rigorous stage training and why the film’s elusive vision of beauty is “touched by the devil.” The interview. |
Feinberg's Golden Globe Noms Analysis ►Three big takeaways. THRs executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg dissects Monday's Golden Globes nominations announcement. Scott writes that the nominations proved that the Globes were truly global, that they leaned very far into art house fare and they reflected less star-fucking than in years past. The analysis.
—"I think the nomination represents the fight in everybody." Dwayne Johnson shared his thoughts with THR on receiving his first Golden Globe nomination for his performance in The Smashing Machine. The interview.
—"I’m feeling a sense of gratitude that people seem to have taken to the film as much as we did." Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler talked to THR about receiving his first Golden Globe nomination for best director, as well as his film receiving Globe nominations for best picture (drama), screenplay, drama actor (Michael B. Jordan) and more. The interview.
—"This is the hardest thing I've done." On the morning of his first Golden Globe nomination, Sinners star Michael B. Jordan spoke to THR about the news. The actor also discussed playing the Smokestack twins, and why he likely won't return to playing twin characters again. The interview.
—"It doesn’t feel like a goodbye, more like a see you later." Wicked: For Good star Cynthia Erivo reacted to her historic Golden Globe nomination in an interview with THR. The actress now holds the rare feat, alongside her cast member Ariana Grande, of being nominated twice for the same role in back-to-back years. The interview.
—"Until it's real, it’s not real." Amy Madigan just received her first Golden Globes nomination in 36 years, capping a dizzying week for the Weapons star. Madigan spoke to THR about the happy news and also chatted about a potential Aunt Gladys prequel. The interview.
—"Am I dreaming right now?" One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor wasn’t sure if her eyes and ears were deceiving her when she woke up to news of her Golden Globe Award nomination on the couch in her L.A. home on Monday morning, where she’d fallen asleep the night before. The actress spoke to THR about the news and also receiving a Grammy nom in the same year. The interview.
—"It’s been very gratifying." THR's Rick Porter spoke to Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn about her first ever Golden Globe nomination, for lead actress in a TV drama, for her work on the Apple TV series. The interview. |
THR's Doc Directors Roundtable ►"You have to trust that the story will reveal Itself." As awards season engulfs us, THR's award-winning Roundtable Series is back. Next up is the documentary filmmakers. THR's Scott Feinberg sat down with a group comprised Laura Poitras (Cover-Up), Mstyslav Chernov (2000 Meters to Andriivka), Petra Costa (Apocalypse in the Tropics), Raoul Peck (Orwell: 2+2=5), Gabe Polsky (The Man Who Saves the World?) and Mariska Hargitay (My Mom Jayne) to discuss filming in war zones, confronting trauma, negotiating access with world leaders and why distributors are increasingly afraid of politically charged content. The roundtable.
In other news...
—Simu Liu’s brain has been Hacked in Peacock’s Copenhagen Test trailer
—Red Sea Film Festival goes into emergency shutdown amid torrential rains
—Glasgow: James McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin to close festival
—British content creator Max Balegde signs with UTA
What else we're reading...
—Sam Schechner, Berber Jin and Keach Hagey report on Sam Altman’s race to correct OpenAI’s direction and fend off Google [WSJ]
—Matt Stevens profiles Alan’s Universe's Alan Chikin Chow and how the YouTuber has captured the attention of Gen Z [NYT]
—Rohan Goswami reports that Paramount’s Middle East financing doomed their Warner Bros. Discovery auction bid [Semafor]
—Ben Bryant reports on how Hollywood drug dealer the "Ketamine Queen" spiralled before Matthew Perry's death [BBC]
—Reflecting on I Love LA and Adults, Adrian Horton feels that Hollywood has yet to figure out how to make a must-see gen Z TV show [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1948, Paramount released the 88-minute Alan Ladd-starring Western Whispering Smith. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Emma Thomas (54), John Malkovich (72), Judi Dench (91), Felicity Huffman (63), Simon Helberg (45), Donny Osmond (68), Russell Carpenter (75), Nico Parker (21), Toby Huss (59), Michael Dorn (73), Leah Lewis (29), Jackson A. Dunn (22), Michael Nouri (80), Jesse Metcalfe (47), Reiko Aylesworth (53), SungWon Cho (35), Richard Brooks (63), Joe Lando (64), Sean Durkin (44), David Anthony Higgins (64), Pixie Davies (19), Joshua Sasse (38), Kevin Daniels (49), Jolene Purdy (42), Jaren Lewison (25), Cosmo Pfeil (48), Mario Cantone (66) |
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