| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is Oscar record breaker Ryan Coogler. Early Winter Olympics viewership is up by more than 60 percent from 2022. Spotify now has 290m paying subscribers. YouTube TV is rolling out a sports plan. And The Academy has decided that it will no longer host screenings of films that are nominated for Oscars. — Abid Rahman
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Ryan Coogler on Shattering Oscar Records, Losing Chadwick and Battling Imposter Syndrome ►On the cover. Ryan Coogler is on one helluva hot streak, with his first five directorial efforts all finding favor with critics and audiences alike. Last month, the Oakland filmmaker's audacious genre mash-up Sinners, the highest-grossing movie not based on any preexisting material in North America since 2010’s Inception, became the Oscars‘ most nominated film ever with 16 nods. Oh and he's busy writing his hotly anticipated The X-Files reboot series. Despite all the success, Coogler reveals to THR's David Canfield that he has struggled throughout his career with imposter syndrome: "When you come from where I’m from, that’s not necessarily an affirming environment all the time. You can convince yourself that somebody’s playing a joke on you. You can convince yourself that none of this is real." The cover story. |
Wasserman Faces Artist Rebellion Amid Epstein Fallout ►Crisis. Days after Casey Wasserman was named in a tranche of Department of Justice documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and accomplice Ghislane Maxwell, the entertainment mogul is facing an internal schism at his namesake company. Grammy-winner Chappell Roan, singer Chelsea Cutler and the bands Best Coast and Beach Bunny are all cutting ties with the agency and THR reports that there are efforts afoot by some of Wasserman's own agents to buy out the music side of his representation business to spin it off into an independent branded agency without the Wasserman name. The story.
—Woof! Spotify reached 290m paying subscribers in its fourth quarter, up 10 percent year over year. Overall, monthly active users hit 751m, an increase of 38m, marking the highest number of net adds in the audio streamer's history. Both users’ numbers were above Spotify’s guidance. The company attributed the growth in monthly active users to a successful Wrapped campaign, as well as enhancements to the free tier on mobile. Total revenue reached $5.3b, while operating income reached $834m. The results.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Holywater, an AI-first vertical video company, has acquired visual effects company Jeynix. And from here on out, Holywater will be known as Holywater Tech. Holywater is the tech company behind microdramas platform My Drama, books platform My Passion, and AI streaming platform My Muse. Holywater operates out of the Ukraine, where it was founded, but targets the U.S. vertical video market. Jeynix is described as a high-end AI-assisted production team specializing in hyper-realistic visual effects and performance preserving techniques for video. The story.
—Sports! Plan! In the wake of the Super Bowl, YouTube TV is rolling out a sports plan. The imaginatively titled "Sports Plan," will cost $18 less than the platform's main tier, which costs $82.99/month and gives a user access to 100-plus channels spanning all genres. Existing YouTube TV users can choose the sports-centric plan for $64.99 per month, newcomers get it for $54.99 for the first year. The plan gives a subscriber access to the major broadcast networks, as well as all of ESPN’s networks, streamer ESPN Unlimited (coming in the fall), FS1 and NBC Sports Network. The story. |
Paramount Adds New Sweeteners In Hostile Bid For WBD ►Not giving up. Paramount has upped its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery with a fee for shareholders and a promise to pay a $2.8b termination fee. Per a filing Tuesday, Paramount will continue to offer $30 a share to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, but will now add a $0.25 per share “ticking fee,” which it will pay to WBD shareholders for each quarter its transaction has not closed beyond December 31, 2026. Additionally, the company said it will pay the $2.8b termination fee to Netflix, which is payable if the streamer’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery does not go through. Paramount said it will also “offer solutions” for Warner Bros. financing costs and obligations. The story.
—Say what you really think! Netflix‘s chief global affairs officer says the human cost of a Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery deal would be astronomical. On Fox Business Network on Monday, Clete Williams rang the alarm bells on Paramount‘s bid for all of WBD; Netflix currently has a deal in place for the WB's streaming and studios business. "They have what we call the Noah’s Ark problem, which is, if they effectuate this deal, they’re going to have two of everything," Williams said. The largest cost of sorting the duplication out would be the human cost, Williams added. Paramount has identified $6b in synergies with WBD Discovery. The story. |
Savannah Guthrie Pleads for Public's Help Finding Mother ►"An hour of desperation." Savannah Guthrie has a message for the public as the search for her mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues. The Today show co-host took to her Instagram account on Monday to share a new video, asking for people’s help directly. "We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken and we don’t know where. And we need your help. So I’m coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement. We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help." The story.
—Cause of death revealed. Catherine O'Hara's cause of death has been determined. The actress, who died Jan. 30 at 71, suffered from a pulmonary embolism, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Rectal cancer was listed as the underlying cause of death. The comedic actress and two-time Emmy winner died at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her reps at CAA confirmed. No further details of her illness were given at the time. The story.
—"I've always felt sort of nonbinary." Olivia Colman is opening up about her personal connection to her new film Jimpa. In the movie, which released on Feb. 6, the Oscar-winner stars as Hannah, who takes her nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to visit their grandfather Jim (known as “Jimpa”), who came out as gay, in Amsterdam. In a new interview, Colman, who is married to husband Ed Sinclair, went on to explain her personal resonance to the film and why she has always felt nonbinary. The story.
—Sneaky. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson have demanded that music from the movie Phantom Thread be removed from the Melania doc, saying it was licensed by Universal without their permission. "It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary. While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright in the score, Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use, which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary," the duo said in a statement. The story. |
"When Did the Right Become Such F****** P******?" ►"Why the f*** is it the Super Bowl Halftime entertainer’s job to unify the country? Is that their job? Isn’t there another person whose job description is much more along those lines?" The right-wing meltdown over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show performance had Jon Stewart fired up more than usual on Monday’s episode of The Daily Show. On a particularly ridiculous weekend in America’s ongoing culture wars, that took in the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and the disgustingly racist social media post by Donald Trump about the Obamas, Stewart jumped in with gusto in his opening monologue. The recap.
—Liberal celeb that finally broke Trump. Colbert had his moments. Kimmel landed some punches. Robert De Niro sometimes seemed to be living rent-free. But when it comes to a celebrity who could best Donald Trump and MAGA at the troll game no one could finish the job. Until Bad Bunny came along. THR's Steven Zeitchik writes that entertainers have been trying for a decade, but it took a formerly niche Latin rapper to improbably crack the Trump code. The story.
—"I am so humbled." Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin are still trying to process their emotions after joining Bad Bunny on stage on Sunday. Gaga took to her Instagram to express her gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the special moment. “Thank you Benito for including me in this powerful, important and meaningful performance. I am so humbled to be a part of this moment," she wrote. “They have to give me several hours to let me understand the tsunami of emotions I am feeling,” Martin wrote in Spanish on Instagram. The story.
—"When you have 114 No. 1s, you can only sing a certain amount." Bad Bunny‘s historic month feels like a coronation for Latin music. For Marc Anthony, it’s just confirmation of what he’s always known — that salsa and particularly the rhythms and culture out of the two singers’ native Puerto Rico are worthy of a mass, crossover celebration. THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to Anthony ahead of the Feb. 13 debut of his residency at the Fontainebleau Vegas, and the salsa king dishes on Bad Bunny, the Beckhams and his surprising new setlist. The interview. |
Academy Will No Longer Show Oscar Films to Members on Big Screen ►Wait, what? In a move that has left some members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scratching their heads, the Oscars-dispensing organization has decided that it will no longer host screenings of films that are nominated for Oscars, THR 's Scott Feinberg has learned. The announcement was included in January’s Academy Bulletin that was emailed to members, but only began to gain wider notice in recent days after some members attempted to rally others to join them in issuing a protest. The Academy has long hosted screenings of Oscar-hopefuls for its members throughout the year in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York and London, and then again after the announcement of the Oscar nominations. But in recent years attendance at all of these screenings has markedly declined. The story.
—Sprechen sie Deutsch? The global box office for movies made in Germany soared last year, with official figures from national promotion body German Films recording a 115 percent jump to nearly $300m in 2025. More than 33 million tickets were sold outside Germany for majority German productions and German-international co-productions, the group said, compared to 15.8m a year earlier. More than a sudden cultural revival of German movies, the figures reflect Germany’s strength as a co-production partner for mid-budget studio films. The two most successful German productions of 2025 were Regretting You (global box office $90m), which Paramount produced together with Constantin Film; and The Phoenician Scheme ($40.5m), which Focus Features co-financed with Studio Babelsberg. The story.
—🎭 Together again. 🎭 THR's Borys "Der Skoopmeister" Kit has the scoop that Eddie Murphy and Eva Longoria are teaming up to star in Attachment Parenting , a comedy newly set up at Amazon MGM. The company has preemptively picked up the short story by Julianna Baggott from Davis Entertainment and Eddie Murphy Productions. Murphy and Longoria are attached to produce on top of starring via their respective companies along with veteran John Davis of Davis Entertainment. The new project is a reunion for the three, who worked together on last year’s Amazon’s Murphy-starring action comedy, The Pickup. The story.
—🎭 Tidy! 🎭 Swansea-born stunner Catherine Zeta-Jones has been cast to star in the psychological thriller Cupid, to be directed by The Help and The Girl on the Train filmmaker Tate Taylor. The Oscar and Tony winning star of Chicago and Traffic will play an unorthodox marriage counselor whose methods push a fractured relationship into increasingly dangerous territory. The film follows a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. They attempt, over the course of a single weekend, to repair their relationship at the home of a seemingly helpful counselor (Zeta-Jones). What begins as a hopeful exercise turns dark as her techniques become increasingly cruel and hazardous. The story. |
Inside Steve Carell's HBO Show 'Rooster' ►"One of the best comedy pilots I’ve read — period." THR's David Canfield spoke to Steve Carell, Bill Lawrence and HBO comedy head Amy Gravitt about the upcoming comedy Rooster. The Office alum teams with the Ted Lasso and Scrubs creator for a series exploring fatherhood and academia, which HBO sees as an anchor point for its comedy slate. The interview.
—🎭 Atreus found. 🎭 The series adaptation of the God of War video game franchise at Amazon Prime Video has cast another key role. Callum Vinson has joined the series as Atreus, the 10-year-old son of the title character, Kratos (Ryan Hurst). God of War will follow the storyline of the two most recent games in the franchise, with Kratos and Atreus going on a journey to spread the ashes of Faye, Kratos’ late wife and Atreus’ mother. The show’s cast so far also includes Max Parker as Heimdall, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and Danny Woodburn as Brok. The story.
—Off to a flyer. The 2026 Winter Olympics are looking like a much bigger TV draw than the 2022 games. Friday’s opening ceremony and the first full day of competition on Saturday drew big audiences for NBCUniversal (with a little help from a couple of its former cable channels). Based on preliminary Nielsen ratings and streaming data from Adobe Analytics, viewership is up by more than 60 percent compared to the same two days of the 2022 Winter Olympics — which scored all-time lows for the winter games. Huge growth in streaming on Peacock and less pronounced time zone differences between the host cities (Milan and Cortina, Italy) and the U.S. likely played roles in the ratings gains. The ratings. |
'Voice of Hind Rajab' Director on the Power of the 6-Year-Old's Voice ►"We can't live in a world without accountability." THR's Scott Roxborough spoke to Kaouther Ben Hania about her harrowing Oscar-nominated film, The Voice of Hind Rajab . Denied access to Gaza, the Tunisian filmmaker discusses how they created the film from the recordings of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab as she was trapped inside a car, as well as the approach of blending documentary and fiction to reconstruct the failed rescue effort. The interview.
—"Why is AI helping me write a song or tell a story? I don't want it to breathe or fuck for me; I want it to solve cancer." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Gore Verbinski about his new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. The Pirates of the Caribbean filmmaker is back after nearly a decade, and is ready to skewer how technology and AI in particular has taken over our lives (even more) in that time. The interview.
—"That [final shot] was improvisation on my part." Brian also spoke to actress Madelaine Petsch about her film, The Strangers: Chapter 3. Petsch breaks down the trilogy's intimate ending, and reveals she is leaning in a particular direction as to what it all means. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
THR's Red Carpet Essentials 2026 ►Crème de la crème. THR's shopping editors have logged hundreds — if not thousands — of hours testing makeup, skin care, hair tools and fashion hacks. We pooled our knowledge to narrow down the crème de la crème of beauty products and wardrobe secrets worthy of — and coveted by — Hollywood’s biggest names. From cult-favorite makeup formulas well-deserving of their hype to less-than-sexy staples keeping bad breath at bay, we present THR‘s 34 Red Carpet Essentials Award winners for 2026. The winners. |
Film Review: 'Wuthering Heights' ►"A ripe and juicy bodice-ripper." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights. The Promising Young Woman and Saltburn filmmaker's third film is a lush reinterpretation of the 1847 Brit-lit classic about obsessive love, possession and doomed passion on the West Yorkshire moors. Starring Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, Ewan Mitchell and Amy Morgan. Written by Emerald Fennell, based on the novel by Emily Brontë. The review.
—"Like poutine, an acquired taste." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Matt Johnson's Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. This Canadian mockumentary concerns a pair of Toronto-based musicians who go to elaborate lengths to score a gig. Starring Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol, Ben Petrie, Ethan Eng, Michael Scott, Reid Janisse, Steve Hamelin, Luke Lalonde, Maddy Wilde and Mitch Derosie. Written by Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol. The review.
In other news...
—Virgin River S7 trailer teases new married chapter for Mel and Jack
—First look at Nika King’s Euphoria S3 return
—Advanced Imaging Society Lumiere Awards winners
—Ex-Beta Cinema exec Thorsten Ritter joins Weydemann Bros.
What else we're reading...
—Meridith McGraw and Benoît Morenne report that Trump is set to repeal landmark climate finding in a huge regulatory rollback [WSJ]
—Kaitlyn Tiffany explains the importance of the first in a wave of legal cases alleging that social media is dangerously addictive [Atlantic]
—Rohan Goswami, Liz Hoffman, and Ben Smith report that the Live Nation settlement talks are dividing Trump’s DOJ [Semafor]
—Teddy Rosenbluth reports that Dr. Oz is offering a forceful call for vaccinations as measles outbreaks become more dire [NYT]
—Nicholas Barber reflects on how Wuthering Heights became this year's most divisive film [BBC]
Today...
...in 2012, Sony released Michael Sucsy's The Vow in theaters. The based-on-a-true-story romantic drama, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, was a massive box office success, making $196m worldwide. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Laura Dern (59), Elizabeth Banks (52), Chloë Grace Moretz (29), Vince Gilligan (59), Uzo Aduba (45), Daniel Kwan (38), Christopher Abbott (40), Alexander Payne (65), Cho Yeo-jeong (45), Trevante Rhodes (36), Megan Skiendiel (20), Archie Madekwe (31), Stephanie Beatriz (45), Emma Roberts (35), Keeley Hawes (50), Karen Fukuhara (34), Philip Glenister (63), Yara Shahidi (26), Max Brown (45), Makenzie Vega (32), Adeline Rudolph (31), Henry Ashton (35), Barry Sloane (45), Sooyoung Choi (36), Rupert Vansittart (68), Amelia Tyler (45), Charlotte Vega (32), Meadow Williams (60), Tom Schilling (44), Harold Sylvester (77), Isabella Eklöf (48), Carol Royle (72), Tanoai Reed (52), Francesca Neri (62), Debs Howard (37) |
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