| | | | | | What's news: A+E Networks has settled a lawsuit with Big Fish Entertainment and Reelz. Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell will lead Gadd's next TV project. Apple TV+ has renewed Your Friends & Neighbors several months before it debuts. Chad Duell is leaving General Hospital. Idris Elba is close to agreeing to play Man-at-Arms in the Masters of the Universe feature.— Abid Rahman
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Box Office Gets Glicked: 'Wicked' Opens to $114M, 'Gladiator II' Conquers $55.5M ►Combo deal. It’s not at the level of Barbenheimer, but the combination of Universal’s Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II — call it Glicked, Wikiator or whatever you want — made for a phenomenal weekend at the pre-Thanksgiving box office, the best in over a decade. Wicked came in at an estimated $114m to top the domestic chart. While that’s behind Friday’s estimate of $120m, it’s still a history-making number for a film based on a Broadway show, as well as one of the top openings of the year to date. Globally, the movie’s total is is $164.2m. Gladiator II is projecting a $55.5m domestic opening, a strong start for a male-skewing, swords-and-sandals film. Ridley Scott's epic is expected to draw in huge numbers overseas, where it has already earned $165.5m for a global total of $221m. The box office report.
—Let's never talk about Cats ever again. Universal has been vindicated, thanks to the witches of Oz and the tenacity of studio chief and top NBCUniversal executive Donna Langley. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Wicked's estimated $114m domestic opening is the biggest box office launch of all time for a Broadway adaptation, way ahead of previous record-holder Into the Woods, which opened to $31m in 2014, not adjusted for inflation. Moreover, Wicked is the fourth-biggest domestic opening among any musical behind three marquee Disney titles. The story. |
NBCU's Bonnie Hammer to Exit at End of the Year ►The queen of cable abdicates. Bonnie Hammer is set to exit NBCUniversal after 35 years with the company. Hammer, currently NBCU’s vice chairman, helped transform the cable TV industry over her career, leading channels like USA and Sci-Fi, and Universal Cable Productions, before taking over the company’s entire cable business (hence her nickname, the “Queen of Cable”). She was also the executive tasked with developing and launching Peacock, NBCU’s foray into streaming. Hammer is set to exit at the end of the year, in a move that sources say has been long-planned by her. The story.
—🤝 Licensing deal 🤝 A+E Networks has settled a lawsuit against production company Big Fish Entertainment and cable network Reelz over their series On Patrol: Live — albeit in an unconventional way. As part of the settlement, A+E Networks has closed a multi-year licensing deal with Amazon — which owns Big Fish — to feature a host of titles from the A&E cable channel on Amazon’s Prime Video. The deal also includes an extension for currently available A&E FAST channels on Prime Video as well as the launch of new ones. The story.
—Delayed. A decision in Friday’s third bail hearing for Sean “Diddy” Combs was delayed until Monday, with the judge weighing the case and asking for more information on proposed conditions for the scandal-plagued rapper’s potential home confinement as he awaits his racketeering and sex trafficking trial, which is set for May. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian suggested both parties submit proposals by Monday at noon regarding what type of communications Combs would be able to engage in were he to be granted home confinement. The story.
—Settlement. Months after landing his first film role following a highly-publicized trial and misdemeanor assault conviction, Jonathan Majors has settled a lawsuit brought by ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, who claimed he subjected her to extensive physical abuse. Lawyers for both sides on Thursday informed the court of a deal to resolve the case. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, though Brittany Henderson, a lawyer for Jabbari, said the lawsuit was “favorably settled.” In December, Majors was found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment, and in April this year he was sentenced to a 52-week in-person domestic violence intervention program. The story.
—Moving forward. Rebel Wilson has lost a bid to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by three producers behind her directorial debut, The Deb, who said they were falsely accused by the actress of sexual harassment and embezzlement. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thomas Long ruled that the lawsuit will move forward, finding that Wilson can’t take advantage of a California statute allowing for the early dismissal of cases intended to chill free speech. The actresses’ “statements are not protected activities” and were made in the context of a private business dispute, the court concluded in an order issued on Thursday. The story. |
How 'Prophecy' Showrunner Created a Conversation With 'Dune' Movies ►"It is such an ambitious piece of material to engage with, and it’s so beloved by so many people." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Dune: Prophecy showrunner Alison Schapker about the first two episodes of the Max series. Schapker discusses how the end of the Great Machine Wars 116 years earlier informs the fraught world of the series' dual timeline. Warning: Spoilers! The review.
—"Unraveled and broken apart." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Yellowstone star Wes Bentley about the third episode of season 5B of the Paramount Network hit series. Bentley unpacks that shock ending. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—🎭 Leading the way 🎭 Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd‘s next series has found its two leads — one of which is Gadd himself. Jamie Bell will star with Gadd in Half Man (formerly Lions), which will run on HBO in the U.S. and the BBC in the U.K. and Ireland. The series, which Gadd is also writing and executive producing, is his first since Baby Reindeer became a Netflix breakout and multiple Emmy winner. HBO and the BBC jointly ordered the series in June. Half Man will follow a long and complicated friendship between two men. The story.
—📅 A hit on their hands? 📅 Apple TV+ won’t release its Jon Hamm-led drama Your Friends & Neighbors for several months, but it’s ready to get going on a second season of the series. The streamer has renewed the drama for season two, while also setting a premiere date and offering up a first look at the inaugural run. The nine-episode first season will premiere April 11. Hamm, who’s also an executive producer, stars as Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a hedge fund manager who’s recently been fired in disgrace from his job and is coming to terms with a recent divorce. He resorts to stealing from the homes of his affluent neighbors, only to discover the secrets and affairs hidden behind the wealthy facades. The story.
—"See you later." Chad Duell, who for 14 years has played Michael Corinthos on ABC’s General Hospital, will exit the show. Duell announced the news on Saturday, with a post on social media. “After many incredible years with General Hospital, I’ve decided to step away from the show,” the actor wrote. “This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right time in my life. I’m beyond grateful to Frank Valentini, the cast, crew and everyone behind the scenes who have been like family to me throughout this amazing journey.” The story. |
Camerimage: 'Girl With the Needle' Wins Golden Frog ►🏆 Moje gratulacje! 🏆 The acclaimed Danish period horror drama The Girl with the Needle, shot by cinematographer Michal Dymek, took home the Camerimage Film Festival’s Golden Frog Saturday night in Toruń, Poland. The winner was selected by a jury led by two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. The Camerimage jury awarded the event’s Silver Frog to British DP Lol Crawley for his work on Brady Corbet’s monumental immigrant artist epic The Brutalist. The third-place Bronze Frog went to Paul Guilhaume’s inventive work on Emilia Pérez, the Mexican cartel musical genre swirl from French maverick Jacques Audiard. The winners.
—🎭 In the mix 🎭 Idris Elba is getting ready to help power Masters of the Universe for Amazon MGM Studios. Elba is in final negotiations to play Duncan, aka Man-at-Arms, in the live-action feature adaptation of the popular Mattel toy line. Travis Knight is directing the movie that has Nicholas Galitzine set to star as He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes as Teela and Alison Brie as Evil Lyn. Masters of the Universe film hits theaters June 5, 2026, and hails from Escape Artists and Mattel Films. The story. |
International Emmys Host Vir Das on His "Public A** Whooping" ►"Every time an American comedian complains about getting canceled, I’m like: ‘Grab a flight to India, just let me show you something." THR's Scott Roxborough spoke to Indian stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das, who is set to host the 52nd International Emmy Awards ceremony at the New York Hilton Midtown on Monday night. Das discusses how he turned getting canceled into comedy gold, stereotypes he’d like to see go away and why the awards show “allows you to punch above your weight.” The interview.
—"We were literally knee-deep in mud last night on the shoot." Australian comedy Deadloch has been a breakout international success for Amazon Prime Video, and on Monday night, the Tasmanian-noir has the chance to be recognized as the best comedy at the International Emmys. THR's intrepid newsletter guy (that's me, btw) spoke to Deadloch creators Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney about the global success of the show, the inspiration Olivia Colman had behind its origins, the eagerly anticipated second season and its move north to Darwin and the fabled c-word manifesto they wrote to producers at Prime Video to convince the streamer to keep all the “integral” swearing in the show. The interview.
—ICYMI. Lupin star Omar Sy, Picket Fences and Chicago Hope producer Michael Pressman and Jane Seymour are among the presenters tapped for the International Emmy Awards ceremony. Also on the list as presenters are Seymour, Ali Ahn, Ken Leung, Laura Benanti, Armin Amiri, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Isadora Cruz, Rhenzy Feliz, Damian Hardung, Skye P. Marshall, Juliana Aiden Martinez, Folake Olowofoyeku and Lorraine Toussaint. The story. |
The De-Kardashian-ification of America ►Deflating boobs, shrinking butts and little lips. Plastic surgeons on both coasts are noticing a clear trend: Women are eschewing exaggerated hourglass figures and injectables (so 2021!) for a more athletic, less obviously redone look. For THR, Beth Landman asked surgeons what their clients are asking for these days. The story.
—Will “Mar-a-Lago Face” take over D.C.? Even as the rest of the country is dialing back on plastic surgery, MAGA figureheads like Kimberly Guilfoyle and Laura Loomer are cranking up the fillers. And you can thank Fox News for that. The story. |
Chuck Woolery 1941 - 2024 ►Charisma personified. Chuck Woolery, the game show host who kicked off the long run of Wheel of Fortune before spending 11 years playing matchmaker on Love Connection, has died. He was 83. Woolery's friend and podcast co-host Mark Young told TMZ that Woolery died Saturday at his home in Texas, and he posted about it on X. No other details were immediately available. Woolery also did some acting and was a singer in a band that had a Top 40 hit, "Naturally Stoned," in 1968. The obituary.
In other news...
—The Traitors offers first look at season 3
—Sundance set to honor one of its own in Michelle Satter at festival gala
—Alec Baldwin to receive lifetime achievement honor at Turin Film Fest
—LAX luxe: The new Delta One lounge is so nice you’ll gladly miss your flight
—Barbara Taylor Bradford, author of bestselling novel A Woman of Substance, dies at 91
—Colin Chilvers, VFX veteran and Oscar recipient for Superman, dies at 79
—Larry Auerbach, longtime William Morris agent and USC industry relations head, dies at 95
—Michael Villella, The Slumber Party Massacre actor, dies at 84
—Alice Brock, who helped inspire Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” dies at 83
What else we're reading...
—Dave Itzkoff talks to Pamela Hayden, the voice of Milhouse and many more on The Simpsons, who is retiring from the show [NYT]
—Annie Lowrey writes that "bro-economy" of day-trading, sports betting, and crypto are about to get bigger under Trump, which is not good news for the overall economy [Atlantic]
—Incredible must-read Dan Kois interview with Vincenzo Barney, the writer who broke the recent Cormac McCarthy story, and went viral for his own very purple prose [Slate]
—Matthew Cantor explains why 'kakistocracy' has already come to define the incoming second Trump administration [Guardian]
—With Dwayne Johnson often flirting with a presidential run, Barbara Ellen believes we should all take any prospective run from The Rock seriously [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1992, Disney unveiled Aladdin in theaters nationwide, where it would go on to gross $504m globally and be nominated for five Oscars at the 65th Academy Awards, winning in the song and score categories. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Christina Applegate (53), Joel Kinnaman (45), Katie Cassidy (38), Stephanie Hsu (34), Dougray Scott (59), Billy Burke (58), Jill Hennessy (56), Murray Hill (53), Jill Flint (47), John Larroquette (77), Amy Seimetz (43), Stefanie von Pfetten (51), Zane Phillips (31), Valerie Azlynn (44), Philippa Coulthard (31), Mary Jo Deschanel (79), Rome Flynn (33), Jerry Ferrara (45), Natalia Cordova-Buckley (42), Eddie Jemison (61), Kevin Chamberlin (61), Kristian Nairn (49), Eddie Steeples (51), Haley Webb (39), Diego Tinoco (27), Matt Clark (88), Cole Escola (38), Bruno Tonioli (69), Catherine Dyer (66), Emily Althaus (38), Jenna Bush Hager (43), Gregg Turkington (57) |
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