| | | | | | What's news: TMZ faced a furious backlash for publishing cropped photos of Liam Payne's body. Shooting in the L.A. region dropped by 5 percent in the last quarter. The FTC finalized a “click to cancel” initiative requiring companies to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions. Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca was arrested on a domestic violence charge. A film based on the View-Master toy is in the works. — Abid Rahman
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Liam Payne 1993 - 2024 ►Shock death. Liam Payne, a singer and former member of the British boy band One Direction, has died. He was 31. Payne died after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to local authorities. Police said in a statement to local media that Payne’s fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said. The Buenos Aires Security Ministry told AP that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” They added that police responded to an emergency call warning of an "aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol." The story.
—"I can not believe he is gone." Charlie Puth, DJ Zedd, Paris Hilton and Juicy J are among the musicians and entertainment figures paying tribute to Liam Payne. "I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with," Charlie Puth wrote on his Instagram Story. The reaction.
—"Disgrace." TMZ has drawn outrage for publishing cropped photos of Liam Payne’s body taken after the singer fell to his death from the roof of a hotel in Buenos Aires. The photos showed portions of Payne’s arm and waist, which were covered in identifying tattoos. The decision to run the photos drew fierce condemnation on social media. Rylan Clark, a BBC presenter and TV personality, wrote, “TMZ fucking shame on you." The story. |
The CW Shake-Up: Dennis Miller Exits, Brad Schwartz Moves Up ►Surprise move. The CW is shaking up its C-suite. The Nexstar-owned broadcast network will see its president Dennis Miller exit, the company says. CW entertainment chief Brad Schwartz is expected to succeed him, a person familiar with the matter says. The decision is a surprising one, with Miller signing a multiyear contract extension last year that would have kept him atop the network through 2027. Miller will exit his role at the end of the month, and will stay on as an adviser through the end of 2024. The story.
—New heads. Fox is rounding out the executive ranks at its Fox Entertainment Studios, naming Hannah Pillemer as head of scripted entertainment and Allison Wallach as head of unscripted entertainment. Fox Entertainment, led by Fernando Szew, underwent a restructuring earlier this year, splitting the Fox network, Fox Entertainment Studios, and sales arm Fox Entertainment Global into their own business units. Pillemer and Wallach — both Fox veterans — will lead the entertainment division’s programming development. The story.
—Uh-oh. Los Angeles’ film permitting office is ringing the alarm about low production levels after shooting in the region saw another decline. The three-month period from July to September logged the weakest quarter so far this year, slipping 5 percent to roughly 5,000 shoot days, according to the latest report from FilmLA. The figure falls short of shooting in the area during the same time last year, when production was halted amid Hollywood’s dual writers and actors strikes. Industry output and employment continues to fall short of expectations. Every category of scripted production trails the five-year averages on both a per-quarter and year-to-date basis. The story.
—Finally. It’s about to get easier to cancel your Netflix (or Hulu or Max or Disney+) subscription. The FTC on Wednesday finalized a “click to cancel” initiative requiring companies to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up. Under the rule, businesses must provide consumers with simple cancellation mechanisms to immediately halt all recurring charges and get their consent to convert auto-renewals and free trials to paid enrollments, among other things. It’s intended to eliminate drawn-out cancellation processes aimed at trapping consumers in unwanted subscriptions. The story. |
Cynthia Erivo Speaks Out on Fan-Edited 'Wicked' Poster ►"This is just deeply hurtful." Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has called out a fan-made movie poster for the highly anticipated movie musical from Universal. The altered version of the official studio poster hides Erivo’s eyes and much of her face to get closer to the original animated Broadway poster, where her character’s eyes were obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. "The original poster is an illustration. I am a real life human being, whose chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer … because without words we communicate with our eyes," Eviro said on social media. The story.
—Arrested. Actor and former reality TV star Francesca Eastwood was arrested in Beverly Hills over the weekend on suspicion of a domestic violence charge and has been released on bail, local law enforcement confirmed. The 31-year-old former star of the E! docuseries Mrs. Eastwood & Company, the daughter of Clint Eastwood and actress Frances Fisher, was arrested just after 11 p.m. on Saturday and booked into a BHPD jail cell “based on statements and injuries’”; a $50,000 bond was set and she was scheduled to appear before a judge Tuesday morning. The story.
—Unionizing efforts. Entertainers and crewmembers at the Casa Bonita immersive restaurant, owned by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are looking to unionize with Actors’ Equity and IATSE. The restaurant, based in Lakewood, Colorado, recently reopened after being bought out of bankruptcy by Parker and Stone. The restaurant features cliff divers, actors, puppeteers, magicians and more as part of the dining experience, supported by crewmembers. The workers are looking to unionize due to a range of concerns, starting with safety at work, and including insufficient training, as well as fair pay, greater benefits, and better communication between workers and management. The story. |
Ryan Murphy's 'Grotesquerie' Reveals Itself With Big Twist Episode ►"That none of this got out is a miracle." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Grotesquerie creator Ryan Murphy and FX's chairman John Landgraf about the seventh episode of the show. The duo say that we should expect a "series of reveals" still to come as the Niecy Nash-Betts horror story continues to roll out its final episodes, barreling towards a finale that will set up a second season. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"Every decision that's been made in the first half of the series is leading up to that." For THR, Brande Victorian spoke to Max Winkler, executive producer and director of Grotesquerie, about his thoughts on the seventh episode of the FX show. Winkler also talks about working on his fifth Murphy project and why he considers Nash-Betts an “American treasure” as he shares cryptic insights on Grotesquerie’s labyrinthine plot. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—🎭 New face 🎭 One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D. star Sophia Bush will join Grey’s Anatomy season 21 in a recurring role. Bush will play Dr. Cass Beckman, a trauma surgeon who is amiable, fun and a little messy around the edges. She works at Seattle Presbyterian Hospital and is married to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital cardiothoracic surgeon David Beckman. Bush will make her Grey’s Anatomy debut in episode six of the current season, which will air Nov. 7. The story.
—Maxing out. Dutch royal drama series Maxima continues its global rollout, with sales outfit Beta Film closing deals in 50 territories, including with Australia’s public broadcaster SBS. The drama, which premiered at TV festival Canneseries earlier this year, is a Dutch-style The Crown, a dramatization of real-life events surrounding the Dutch royal family. Adapted from Marcia Luyten’s 2022 novel Máxima Zorreguieta: Motherland, the series revolves around the romance between the Argentinean Máxima Zorreguieta and Willem-Alexander, the future King of the Netherlands. The story. |
How 'Terrifier 3' Upended the Movie Ratings System ►Not clowning around. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that in a history-making move, the uber-gruesome indie slasher pic Terrifier 3 took out a Hollywood institution in one fell swoop — the movie ratings system. Before the pandemic, few movie theaters would book a title that didn’t have a rating, because of strict limits on TV advertising, among other things. But times have changed, and Terrifier 3 was able to secure a berth in 2,513 cinemas. The story.
—Different view. Mattel has set its latest toy-to-feature title with a live-action project based on View-Master. Mattel Films will partner with Todd Black’s Escape Artists on the project that is set up at Sony Pictures. Described as a “four-quadrant family adventure film,” the feature is based on the stereoscopic viewing device that allows users to collect 3-D reels with thematic images. It was first introduced to the public in 1939. A View-Master movie was previously set up at MGM in 2019. The story.
—Stepping into the ring. Sydney Sweeney has shared a couple of behind-the-scenes images from her time on the set of the Christy Martin biopic in which she’s set to star. David Michôd will direct the film, which is currently untitled and follows the true story of Martin’s rise to being one of the most well-known female boxers in 1990s America. Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Ethan Embry and Katy O’Brian also star in the film. The story. |
TV Review: 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' ►"Low-key likable, but stuck in its predecessor's shadow." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews CBS' Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. Montana Jordan and Emily Osment lead the latest extension of the Big Bang Theory universe (a spinoff of Young Sheldon) as a Texas couple navigating parenthood, in-laws and the general challenges of adulthood. The review.
—"A reliable story and cast hampered by overfamiliar tropes." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Hallie Meyers-Shyer's Goodrich. Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis star in Meyers-Shyer's second film, about a man who must lean on his eldest daughter from his first marriage after his second wife unexpectedly leaves him with their two young kids. The review.
In other news...
—Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl teaser resurrects Feathers McGraw
—Megan Thee Stallion reveals struggles after mom’s death in doc trailer
—Taron Egerton battles Jason Bateman to protect plane in Netflix's Carry-On trailer
—New Hunger Games book Sunrise on the Reaping cover revealed
—Santa Barbara Film Fest: Angelina Jolie tapped for Maltin Modern Master Award
—CAA Sports promotes Alexa Cook, Rob DeAngelis
—Why is this $495 crystal necklace suddenly all over Hollywood?
What else we're reading...
—George Chidi asked Trump supporters why they keep leaving his rallies early [Guardian]
—Christine Mui reports that Elon Musk’s politics are crashing hard into his business [Politico]
—Lorraine Ali writes that she is sick of discussing Trump’s madness, but that we have to [LAT]
—Holly Williams talks to Julie Taymor on turning The Lion King into the most successful musical ever [BBC]
—The Victoria's Secret fashion show is back, but Vanessa Friedman feels like it should never have returned [NYT]
Today...
...in 1939, Frank Capra’s drama Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart, premiered in the nation’s capital. The film went on to earn 11 Oscar nominations at the 12th Academy Awards, winning in the original story category. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Eminem (51), Matthew Macfadyen (49), Mike Judge (61), Felicity Jones (40), Michael McKean (76), Mark Gatiss (57), Wood Harris (54), Erin Kellyman (25), Rob Marshall (63), Michael Felker (35), Harriet Dyer (35), Liam Garrigan (42), Dora Madison (33), Max Irons (38), Christopher Lowell (39), Erin Karpluk (45), George Wendt (75), Sharon Leal (51), Laura Regan (46), Fern Sutherland (36), Alimi Ballard (46), Michelle Ang (40), Witney Carson (30), Angel Parker (43), J.C. MacKenzie (53), Bryan Bertino (46), Daniel Booko (40), Vincent Van Patten (66), Guy Henry (63) |
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