| | | | | | What's news: FX has greenlit Ryan Murphy's adaptation of The Shards. Brie Larson will star opposite Olivia Colman in FX's Cry Wolf. The former members of Jane's Addiction are all suing each other. Jax Taylor won’t be back for S3 of The Valley. AMC has renewed TWD offshoot Dead City. And the Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane has sold for $14.75m. — Abid Rahman
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Who Will Succeed Janet Yang? ►Tough act to follow. After three years as the Film Academy's top officer, term limits are forcing Janet Yang to vacate her role. Insiders tell THR's Scott Feinberg that fellow producer Lynette Howell Taylor, who currently serves as one of the organization's vice presidents and chairs its Awards Committee, is the heavy favorite to succeed her. The story.
—Not suspicious at all. The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a veteran federal prosecutor who worked on the cases against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jeffrey Epstein. There was no specific reason given for her firing, according to one of the people. The Trump administration has moved to fire Justice Department lawyers who have worked on cases that have provoked the president’s ire, and Maurene Comey was long seen as a potential target given her father’s fraught relationship over the last decade with the Republican president. The story.
—🤝 Settlement. 🤝 NBCUniversal will pay $3.6m to settle a lawsuit accusing it of failing to provide users an easy mechanism to cancel automatically renewing Peacock subscriptions. As part of the deal, Peacock must give users a 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. The money from the settlement will go to Los Angeles County, which filed the lawsuit alongside the settlement on Wednesday, to enforce consumer protection laws. The story. |
Josh D'Amaro on Disneyland's Future ►"Disneyland will never be completed as long as there’s imagination left in the world." Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products talks to THR's Alex Weprin about the impact the Anaheim park had on immersive entertainment on its 70th anniversary, that groundbreaking Walt Disney animatronic, and what the next evolution may be. The interview.
—Changing of the guard. In what amounts to a coronation of the video-sharing platform by the international television industry, YouTube will be given pride of place at the 41st MIPCOM, the global TV trade fair, which runs in Cannes from Oct. 13 to 16. The Google-owned outfit will be everywhere at this year’s TV market: Pedro Pina, vp YouTube for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will be giving a MIPCOM headliner keynote; there will be a branded YouTube Space hospitality location in the Cannes Palais; and the company will host multiple professional workshops and events at MIPCOM and the kids-focused MIP Junior market (which runs Oct.11-12). The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 The sled known as Rosebud — or at least one of the original red sleds created for the 1941 Orson Welles masterpiece Citizen Kane — has just sold for $14.75m at auction. The pine hardwood prop, which bears its original paint but signs of production use, wear and removed rails likely sacrificed to wartime scrap drives, has belonged to director Joe Dante since 1984. While Dante was directing Explorers (1985), the sled was given to him by someone clearing out a portion of the Paramount lot that once served as the home of RKO Pictures. Scientific testing has confirmed its authenticity. The story. |
Ryan Murphy's 'The Shards' a Go at FX ►🎭 It's happening. 🎭 A Ryan Murphy-produced series based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel The Shards is officially happening at FX. The outlet has picked up the drama, which FX put into development in May with Kaia Gerber attached to star. She’ll be joined by Igby Rigney, Homer Gere and Graham Campbell in the cast. Ellis first released The Shards as a serialized audiobook via his podcast in 2020-21; a print version followed in early 2023. A different series project based on the novel had been set up at HBO but didn’t make it out of development. The Shards is set in the early 1980s and contains some autobiographical elements from Ellis’ life. It centers on Bret (Rigney), a student at an elite L.A. prep school whose world is upended by the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory (Gere), which coincides with the murders of a serial killer. The story.
—🎭 Oscar-winning leads. 🎭 Staying with FX, the network has picked up a limited series called Cry Wolf, with Brie Larson signing on to star opposite Olivia Colman. The six-episode drama comes from Sarah Treem, co-creator of Showtime's The Affair, and FX Productions and is based on a Danish series, Ulven Kommer, by Maja Jul Larsen. Oscar winners Colman and Larson will play, respectively, a social worker and a mother thrown into crisis when the mother’s teenage daughter alleges abuse. The allegations “push both women to their limits as they navigate an impossible situation,” per the show’s logline. The story.
—Three is the magic number. AMC is booking a third trip to Dead City. The cable and streaming outlet has picked up a third season of its Walking Dead offshoot Dead City, which stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan. The pair reprise their roles from the TWD flagship as Negan and Maggie, who are trying to survive and build a community in what’s left of Manhattan. Season three will also feature a showrunner change: Franchise veteran Seth Hoffman will take over Dead City from Eli Jorné, who ran the show’s first two seasons. The third season will pick up in the aftermath of the second season finale, which saw Maggie make a choice to put away her long-standing grudge against Negan. The story.
—Stepping away. Jax Taylor won’t be back for season three of The Valley. Bravo's reality series that spawned from Vanderpump Rules is currently airing its second season. Ahead of the July 22 finale, Taylor released a statement about his future on the series. "After an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of The Valley," said Taylor in the statement. "Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health and coparenting relationship. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz." The story. |
'Odyssey' 70MM Imax Tickets on Sale a Year Out ►They are probably all gone by the time you read this. Exactly a year to the day of the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, advance tickets are already on sale for Imax theaters who are equipped to screen the epic in 70mm film, the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s format of choice. The offer officially commenced Thursday at midnight EDT. By all accounts, it’s the first time in history that any tickets have gone on sale a year before a film’s release. One caveat: as of now, there are only a few dozen Imax screens in the U.S. that have the ability to play a title in 70mm film. The story.
—📅 Heading to the biggest screen. 📅 Darren Aronofsky's award-winning Black Swan is getting the Imax treatment in celebration of its fifteenth anniversary. The psychological thriller — starring Natalie Portman in her Oscar-winning role as a troubled ballerina — is being remastered for an exclusive Aug. 21-24 run in more than 200 Imax locations across the U.S. and Canada, Searchlight Pictures announced Wednesday. It will be the first time that audiences can watch Black Swan in the premium Imax format. Plans for additional anniversary events will be announced at a later date. The story. |
Sindy, the Singing Movie Star? ►It's my time to shine, guvnor! Sindy, the popular British doll that emerged from Pedigree Dolls & Toys in the 1960s as a rival to America’s iconic Barbie, may soon be singing her way onto the big-screen. A2R2 Productions — the production company launched last fall by actor Archie Renaux and manager-producer Arjun Rose — has acquired rights to adapt Sindy and they’ve set plans for a "bold, feel-good live-action musical that mixes heart, humor and high fashion." Rose will produce along with Renaux, the British talent who was last seen on the big screen in Alien: Romulus. Daniel Hulme, a leader in the tech and artificial intelligence space who currently serves as chief AI officer at WPP, joins the team as executive producer. The story.
—🎭 Nice guy to fall guy to tough guy. 🎭 Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell ready for a tough new project. The duo are in talks to star in and produce Tough Guys, an action-comedy being set up at Amazon MGM Studios. Longtime Workin’ Moms scribe Daniel Gold penned the script as a spec, which has the following logline: “Fed up with being ‘disposable,’ two henchmen break free from the criminal underworld and rewrite the rules as they abandon their ruthless boss and dodge the elite assassin on their trail.” Gosling helped bring Ferrell onto the project after becoming enamored with the script. The Oscar-nominated actor is already a favorite at Amazon MGM Studios, which will release Project Hail Mary on March 20, 2026. The story.
—🎭 Phoning it in. 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Millie Bobby Brown and Gabriel LaBelle, who broke out with Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, starring in Just Picture It, a romantic comedy set up at Netflix. Lee Toland Krieger, known for helming the drama The Age of Adaline and episodes of Netflix’s hit You , will direct the feature. Written by Jesse Lasky, the script centers on two care-free college students (Brown, LaBelle) who are surprised when their phones glitch and start showing them pictures from 10 years in the future featuring them as a happily married couple with kids. The real glitch? They have yet to meet each other. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Colin Farrell is making some risky moves in the first-look photos from forthcoming Netflix feature The Ballad of a Small Player. The streamer announced Wednesday that director Edward Berger's thriller film is set to screen in select U.S. theaters Oct. 15 and in select U.K. and Ireland theaters Oct. 17 before debuting on Netflix on Oct. 29. Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings and Tilda Swinton also star in the movie that adapts author Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name. The Ballad of a Small Player centers on a high-stakes gambler who is dealing with debts and his questionable past. While trying to keep a low profile in Macau, he ends up meeting a kindred spirit. The story.
—Latest additions. The Toronto Film Festival has added to its 50th edition world premieres the latest films by Paul Greengrass, Rian Johnson, Hikari, Agnieszka Holland and Canadian auteur Clement Virgo. TIFF programmers unveiled six news Gala titles on Wednesday, including world premieres for Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral, with the U.K. director reteaming with writer Alan Bennett for a First World War drama that stars Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. Also getting a first look in Toronto is Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman, an upcoming Paramount release that stars Channing Tatum as a real-life former Army Ranger who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs. The story. |
Jane's Addiction Members Sue Each Other Over 2024 Altercation ►Can't quit each other. Perry Farrell has filed a lawsuit of his own against Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins over the 2024 onstage altercation that derailed the band’s tour, his complaint coming just hours after the three members sued him earlier on Wednesday. In the complaint, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles and obtained by THR , Farrell maintains that the rest of the band were the original aggressors in the September 2024 incident that culminated in him punching Navarro on stage. He claimed in the suit that the band took part in a “years-long bullying campaign” where they harassed him onstage and attempted to “undermine him by playing their instruments at a high volume so that he could not hear himself sing without blasting his own in-ear monitors at an unsafe level.” The story.
—"I’m working on a plan to sing for you all next year." Ariana Grande is not leaving music and singing behind. The 32-year-old pop star-turned Oscar-nominated actress took to Instagram to set the record straight about her music career, denying that she intended to stop working as a singer. “Very silly of you all to assume that just because I have my hands full with many things that I plan to abandon singing & music … !!! It is and has always been my lifeline. There will need to be room made for all of it,” the Wicked star said in the caption of her latest post. The story.
—Leading the way. Morgan Wallen's I’m The Problem was the biggest album in the U.S. through the first half of 2025, and Kendrick Lamar and SZA had the biggest song with “Luther,” data company Luminate reported. Since its release in May, I’m The Problem has already amassed 2.56m equivalent units, per Luminate, buoyed most directly by over 2.9b streams, while also amassing about 200,000 album sales and another 250,000 song sales. SZA’s SOS, which has enjoyed a significant boost since she released her deluxe Lana reissue of the album at the end of last year, was the second-biggest album in the U.S. at the midyear with about 1.71m equivalent units. Kendrick Lamar’s GNX came in third with just over 1.7m, Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos took fourth with 1.65m, and Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 Short n’ Sweet rounded out the top five with over 1.3m. The story.
—The show must go on. The famed main stage of Belgium's Tomorrowland electronic music festival suffered serious fire damage on Wednesday. A day before Tomorrowland was set to kick off, videos of the main stage engulfed by flames began circulating online. Despite the damages, Tomorrowland confirmed that no one was hurt by the fire and that the festival was planning to open its doors today as planned. The story. |
Film Review: 'Smurfs' ►"You won't want to channel your inner child." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Chris Miller's Smurfs. Rihanna and James Corden lead an all-star voice cast for the latest reboot of the Belgian comic franchise, this time from Paramount. Voice cast also features Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Mariduena, Marshmello, Kurt Russell and John Goodman. The review.
—"Should have stayed buried." Frank reviews Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's I Know What You Did Last Summer. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt return for a legacy sequel set three decades after the 1997 original. Also starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols and Joshua Orpin. The review.
—"Like a slightly undercooked True Detective, for better or worse." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's Untamed. Co-created by American Primeval scribe Mark L. Smith, this six-episode thriller traces a murder investigation in Yosemite National Park. Starring Eric Bana, Lily Santiago, Sam Neill, Wilson Bethel and Rosemarie DeWitt. The review.
—"Low-key and hypnotic." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Alexandra Simpson's No Sleep Till. The film follows a group of coastal residents as they decide whether to stay or leave in light of an approaching hurricane. Starring Jordan Coley, Xavier Brown Sanders, Brynne Hofbauer and Taylor Benton. The review.
In other news...
—Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac slide (tackle) into Eva Longoria’s Necaxa trailer
—A cornered Julia Roberts confronts dark past in After The Hunt trailer
—Jeff Buckley wants to be remembered for “just the music” in It’s Never Over doc trailer
—Christina Applegate to publish memoir You With the Sad Eyes
—K-pop group Riize announces venues, ticketing details for North American tour
—Amazon Music to exclusively stream KCON L.A. 2025
—Pete Davidson expecting first child with Elsie Hewitt
—Henry Samuel, son of Heidi Klum and Seal, signs with Next Management
—Three Six Zero names Aimee Jessiman U.K. head of management
—Debbie Nightingale, Hot Docs Festival co-founder, dies at 71
What else we're reading...
—Erin Vanderhoof goes inside the monstrous rise and rise of Labubu [Vanity Fair]
—David Mack reports that the right and evangelical Christians have turned on the HGTV superstars Chip and Joanna Gaines for putting a gay couple on their new show [Slate]
—Are diamonds still a luxury item as prices plunge? Jenny Strasburg and Suzanne Kapner talk to De Beers' CEO who is reckoning with the massive growth of lab-grown stones [WSJ]
—Charlie Warzel writes that nobody (not even Trump) can control the Epstein story [Atlantic]
—Luke Broadwater and Erica L. Green report that Trump's new, kinda hilarious, strategy to deal with the rapidly growing Epstein scandal is to blame the Democrats [NYT]
Today...
...in 1987, director Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop hit theaters. The Orion Pictures sci-fi actioner went on to gross $53m that summer and launched a franchise. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Wong Kar-Wai (67), Justine Triet (47), Brett Goldstein (45), Alex Winter (60), F. Gary Gray (56), Tom Cullen (🏴40), Billie Lourd (33), Eric Winter (49), Sarah Jones (42), Dagmara Dominczyk (49), Jason Clarke (56), Mike Vogel (46), Elena Anaya (50), Maggie Wheeler (64), David Hasselhoff (73), Grace Caroline Currey (29), Alun Armstrong (79), Cécile de France (50), Katharine Towne (47), P.J. Soles (75), Heather Langenkamp (61), John Ventimiglia (62), Robin Shou (65), Jessica Amlee (31), Stefania Spampinato (43), Simon West (64), Kamilla Kowal (28), Lucie Arnaz (74), Sasha Stallone (75), Mélanie Thierry (44), Perla Haney-Jardine (28), Summer Bishil (37), Margot Rose (69), Jonno Davies (33), Micaela Diamond (26), Brando Eaton (39), Janeen Damian (64), Robert Romanus (69), Beth Littleford (57), Robert Bobroczkyi (25) |
| Connie Francis, the actress and beloved pop vocalist who had hits with “Who’s Sorry Now?,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Stupid Cupid” and “Where the Boys Are” before her life took several turbulent turns, has died. She was 87. The obituary. |
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