| | | | | | What's news: Venice director Alberto Barbera has extended his contract. BBC COO Leigh Tavaziva is leaving the organization. Fox has renewed Best Medicine. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will call a live Wrexham match for Paramount+. And the creator of video game God of War hated the first look of the Amazon TV adaptation. — Abid Rahman
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Iranian Diaspora Filmmakers Celebrate Khamenei's Death ►"He is undoubtedly the most hated figure in contemporary Iranian history." Iran‘s large community of diaspora filmmakers has broadly come out in support of the U.S.-led attacks that resulted in the killing, on Saturday, of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In public statements and across social media, Iranian filmmakers are celebrating Khamenei’s death and the international intervention they see as striking a blow against Tehran’s theocracy. “Everybody is extremely happy the dictator is dead,” said Mahshid Zamani, a film critic and member of the Independent Iranian Filmmakers Association, based in L.A. “That’s overshadowing all other reactions at this point, though people are concerned about what happens next.” The story.
—"This is Trump’s whole presidency." Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show on Monday by launching into criticism of Trump‘s attack on Iran. During his opening monologue, the comedy host mocked what the show dubbed “Mess O’Potamia: America’s Next Top Muddle.” Letting the f-bombs fly, Stewart laid into Trump’s inconsistent communication and lack of congressional approval on the issue. The recap. |
Europe Could Make Ellison Wait to Complete WBD Deal ► "The thorniest questions are likely to center on traditional television." Washington appears ready to rubber-stamp David Ellison’s proposed $110b merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. But while the deal may (despite a brewing challenge from California) sail through the U.S., it could encounter a slower, more complicated review across the Atlantic — one that is more likely to delay the transaction than derail it outright, writes THR's Scott Roxborough. Anticipating that scrutiny, Ellison went on a European charm offensive in January, hoping to win over regulators. The story.
—A mentalist for a mentalist. Donald Trump says he will attend the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner, marking the first time he’ll do so as president after skipping the dinner during his first term and last year. Trump’s decision comes after the WHCA selected mentalist Oz Pearlman as this year’s featured entertainer, bypassing the frequent practice of having a comedian as the entertainer, which often included an extended routine roasting the president. The story.
—🤝 Streaming pact. 🤝 Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity has found a streaming home with Netflix, signing a multi-year first-look deal, production and distribution agreement with the company. Artists Equity, which was also founded by RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale, recently partnered with Netflix on the crime thriller The Rip, starring both Affleck and Damon, which spent three weeks as the No. 1 movie on Netflix’s Top 10 chart, according to the streamer. Netflix is also set to release Affleck’s next directorial feature, Animals, starring Affleck, Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson, which is due out later this year. The story.
—🤝 Contract extension. 🤝 It’s the kind of job security a Berlin Film Festival director can only dream of. Alberto Barbera, the long-running director of the Venice Film Festival, has extended his contract for another two years. Barbera, whose mandate was due to expire after this year’s 83rd edition, will stay in the role for 2027 and 2028. The Venice Festival board of directors, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, approved the re-appointment. Barbera has been artistic director in Venice since 2012 and previously held the post from 1998 to 2001. He’s widely credited with boosting the festival’s standing internationally and positioning it as a can’t-miss event for awards season. The story. |
Versant Files First Earnings Report Since Comcast Spinoff ►Trending down. Versant, the cable TV-focused spinoff from NBCUniversal that owns CNBC, MS NOW, USA, Golf Channel and other assets, reported its first earnings report as a standalone company Tuesday. That report highlighted clearly the perils and profits that come with exposure to pay-TV, even as the company itself is focused on transforming its business model over time to be less reliant on the declining legacy business. Versant reported 2025 revenue of $6.69b, down 3.3 percent from 2024. Of that, $4.1b came from distribution revenue, and $1.6b came from advertising revenue, with $826m coming from platforms revenue, the only growth area, up 3.9 percent from last year, and $193m from content licensing. The results.
—All about Steve. As NBC News prepares to kick off its 2026 midterm election coverage Tuesday with the Democratic and Republican primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas viewers will get a taste of what the network has in store for the rest of the year. And it involves a whole lot of chief data analyst Steve Kornacki, on every platform. The NBC News data analyst will get an expanded “Kornacki Cam” for 2026, and this year’s edition will stream everywhere people are already consuming news content: On NBC News’ digital platforms, plus YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, all complementing NBC’s main coverage. The story.
—Crisis? BBC COO Leigh Tavaziva will step down from her role in September, she has revealed in an internal letter sent to staff. The move makes Tavaziva the third board-level exec to depart the British broadcaster in recent months, following the resignations of director-general Tim Davie and BBC News boss Deborah Turness late last year. Tavaziva has been in the role for just over three years. The story. |
How the Jim Carrey Clone Theory Spiraled ►Social media was a bad idea. Jim Carrey’s appearance at the César Awards in Paris last week spawned a surge of conspiracy theories that the Dumb and Dumber actor had been replaced by a clone. The reason for the theories seemed to be the 64-year-old actor’s face looking possibly a bit inflamed in some of the footage online. By Monday, César Awards organizers and Carrey’s reps seemingly had quite enough. The story.
—"I apologize if that’s a shock – it was to me too." Evil Dead franchise star Bruce Campbell revealed on Monday that he’s been diagnosed with cancer. The beloved self-proclaimed “B-movie actor” took to social media to tell fans he had a condition, which was “treatable not curable.” In a detailed post on X (below), the 67-year-old actor wrote, “Hi folks, these days, when someone is having a health issue, it’s referred to as an ‘opportunity,’ so let’s go with that — I’m having one of those. It’s also called a type of cancer that’s ‘treatable,’ not ‘curable.’" The story.
—"I absolutely meant no harm." Scream 7 star Anna Camp issued an apology for a statement she shared on social media that taunted those who protested the new movie in the wake of Melissa Barrera’s controversial departure from the franchise. Camp shared another account’s Instagram story that taunted: “The boycott didn’t work. The critics’ hate didn’t work. The pathetic leaks didn’t work. What worked was audiences coming out and making the film a success.” The story.
—"Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane. I absolutely do NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind." Kesha slammed the Trump administration Monday afternoon for the unauthorized use of her song on TikTok “to incite violence and threaten war.” The pop star took to Instagram and X to clear the air after her song “Blow” was used in a social media clip posted by the White House’s official account featuring fighter jets in the sky with the caption, “Lethality.” The story. |
🏴 Rob and Ryan to Call Live Wrexham Game 🏴 ►📅 Tidy! 📅 For the past five years, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have owned Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club, with their exploits chronicled in the FX series Welcome to Wrexham. But there is one thing that the pair has not done with the club, until now: Call a live game. Mac and Reynolds will co-host a live broadcast for the all important Welsh derby, which will see Wrexham take on the mighty Swansea City (come on you Jacks!) on March 13, live from the STōK Cae Ras. The special, called Live from Wrexham with Rob & Ryan, will feature unscripted match analysis and real-time reactions from Mac and Reynolds alongside Sky Sports presenter David Prutton. The special will stream in the U.S. on Paramount+ and on Sky Sports in the U.K. The story.
—🎭 Another lead found. 🎭 NBC’s drama pilot Protection has cast Hope Davis as one of its leads. The three-time Emmy-nominated actress will star opposite Peter Krause in the show, about a family of law enforcement officers who are targeted by a killer. Like Krause, Davis starred in an 2010s NBC show, in her case the short-lived drama Allegiance. Protection, from creator Josh Safran, kicks off “when a U.S. Marshal falls in the line of duty,” the show’s logline reads. The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded the winners of the fourth annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards during a ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York on Monday night. Disney won the most awards, with a total of 22 honors across its content brands and studios. Among the winners on the night included Joe Locke, John Lithgow, Ana Gasteyer, Tabitha Brown and Andrew Garfield. The winners.
—Appointment viewing. Fox has renewed Best Medicine, the dramedy starring Josh Charles for a second season in 2026-27. The pickup is not much a surprise, as the show has put up very solid ratings through its first season so far. Additionally, THR's Rick Porter has learned exclusively that Eliza Coupe will guest star in the final two episodes of season one as an ex of Charles’ Dr. Martin Best. Best Medicine is an adaptation of the long-running British series Doc Martin , and has performed well for Fox this season, averaging 6m cross-platform viewers over seven days. The Jan. 4 series premiere has accumulated 12.6m viewers to date. The story. |
'God of War' Creator Slams "Terrible" First Look Photo ►"[Kratos] just looks stupid." The creator of video game God of War did not hold back when he saw the first photo released from Prime Video’s big-budget adaptation of his blockbuster PlayStation title. David Jaffe took to YouTube and ripped almost every element of the rather low-key photo that shows star Ryan Hurst as Kratos with his son Atreus, played by Callum Vinson, hunting in the woods. From Hurst’s expression and pose to Atreus’ styled hair, to a fake-looking rock in the background, Jaffe had plenty of notes. “I’m sure everybody’s trying real hard, but it’s so dumb,” Jaffe said (below), adding it was “a terrible image.” The story.
—Yet another show. The ever-busy Tyler Perry has set a new firefighter drama, Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke, at Netflix. The prolific filmmaker has cast Tyler Lepley to play Owen, Mike Merrill in the role of Cameron, Da’Vinchi will play Noah and Eltony Williams will play Jermaine. The 16-episode show will follow “the lives of a group of firefighters as they navigate the intense challenges of their high stakes profession while grappling with personal struggles, fractured relationships and the emotional toll of saving lives in a world filled with danger, drama and heartbreak,” according to a synopsis from the producers. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Harry Styles is bringing his upcoming one night only Manchester concert to Netflix, with the British superstar celebrating this week’s release of Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally with a performance of the entire album. The Manchester show itself is taking place on Friday, the day the album drops, and the stream comes to Netflix two days later on March 8, airing at 3 p.m. EST/Noon PST. The show, taking place at Co-Op Live, marks Styles’ first full concert in almost three years. Grammy Awards producer Fulwell Entertainment is producing the stream. The story. |
Inside the Brazilian Cinema Revolution ►"It’s a constitutional right." Global success stories like the Oscar-nominated features The Secret Agent and I'm Still Here have reawakened a vibrant cinematic culture in Brazil that goes back decades, but has been decimated by political shifts. Now its power players are seizing the opportunity for lasting change, writes THR's David Canfield. The story.
—And we're off! The latest sequel in Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise is getting a running start. Director Jeff Fowler took to social media on Monday to announce that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has begun production. The post includes an image of the filmmaker appearing to wield the hammer that is associated with the franchise’s pink hedgehog Amy Rose, which follows THR exclusively revealing last month that Kristen Bell is set to voice the role. “Ready 4 Action,” Fowler, who helmed the first three movies, captioned his post. “#SonicMovie4 now filming.” The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Ahead of the 2026 SXSW film festival, Yana Alliata’s Reeling, a standout of the narrative feature competition at the 2025 fest, is getting distribution. Future of Film is Female, supported by Neon, will release Reeling on March 18 at the Los Feliz American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, after which a national expansion will follow. Tribeca Films will be handling digital distribution. The Oahu-set film takes place during a birthday luau, where Ryan struggles to fit in with his family and friends after a life-altering accident that has left him with missing memories. As the party wears on, Ryan uncovers the memory that changed everything for him. The story. |
Film Review: 'Hoppers' ►"Pond life rules." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Daniel Chong's Hoppers . Piper Curda leads the voice cast as an animal lover with a fight on her hands, alongside friends and foes in this Pixar animated feature. Also featuring the voices of Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Tom Law, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villaseñor, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Steve Purcell, Ego Nwodim, Nichole Sakura, Meryl Streep, Karen Hule and Vanessa Bayer. Written by Jesse Andrews. The review.
—"A vivid debut." For THR, Jourdain Searles reviews Olive Nwosu's Lady. The Nigerian filmmaker's first feature centers around a Lagos cab driver who accepts a gig shuttling her childhood friend and other sex workers around the city. Starring Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti and Bucci Franklin. Written by Olive Nwosu. The review.
In other news...
—Netflix’s new releases coming in March
—TV premiere dates 2026: The complete guide
—Matthew Macfadyen shrinks Elizabeth Banks in Peacock's The Miniature Wife trailer
—Vince Vaughn, James Marsden come to blows in trailer for Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
—Todd Meadows, a deckhand on Deadliest Catch, dies at 25
What else we're reading...
—Miles Surrey writes that the Scream franchise has become the butt of its own joke [Ringer]
—Salamishah Tillet writes that Sinners arrived at a time when Hollywood needed it the most, and that "the movie is about the pursuit of liberation, not just for its characters, but also for filmmaking itself" [NYT]
—Marc Caputo, Barak Ravid, Alex Isenstadt and Zachary Basu write that Marco Rubio's wild presser on the Iran war has blown open MAGA's Israel divide [Axios]
—J Oliver Conroy has more on the infighting in conservative media over Iran [Guardian]
—As the Middle East deals with oil and gas supply issues, Paola Tamma, Andy Bounds, Christopher Miller and Marton Dunai report that EU is urging Ukraine to allow access to a pipeline carrying Russian oil [FT]
Today...
...in 2017, Open Road Films released Ry Russo-Young Before I Fall in theaters. The teen drama, starring Zoey Deutch, received middling reviews but was a big box office success. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Charlie Brooker (55), George Miller (81), Miles Caton (21), Kelly Reichardt (62), Jessica Biel (44), Julie Bowen (56), Katherine Waterston (46), Miranda Richardson (68), Laura Harring (62), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (53), Tone Loc (60), Camila Cabello (29), Inde Navarrette (25), Julia Schlaepfer (31), Mercedes Mason (44), Jared Rushton (52), Patrick Renna (47), David Faustino (52), Aarti Mann (48), Sarah Smart (49), Harry Richardson (33), Mary Page Keller (65), Robert Gossett (72), Sandy Martin (77), Ben Rosenbaum (39), Heidi Swedberg (60), Carsten Norgaard (63), Andrea Brooks (37), Thomas Barbusca (23), Oksana Lada (50), Megan Everett-Skarsgard (50), Eric DaRe (61), Juliette Angelo (27), Taylor Nichols (67), Larry Pine (81) |
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