| | | | What's news: A documentary about John Williams is in the works from Spielberg's Amblin Television. Vox Media Union vows to fight after "unconscionable" layoffs. The Mandalorian season three trailer breaks records. Family of Les Moonves' late accuser speaks out about the LAPD's mishandling of her case. NBC is developing a series with comedian Heather McMahan. — Ryan Gajewski |
How Doug Liman Directed a Kavanaugh Doc in Secret ►"We were promised an investigation that never happened." Doug Liman spent all of 2022 making his documentary debut about the government investigation into now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. THR's Mia Galuppo talks to the filmmaker about how he kept his project under wraps with the help of NDAs and a commitment to self-financing, with assistance from Liz Garbus and others. The interview.
—Conduct yourself accordingly. John Williams, the legendary screen composer behind some of the most recognized movie themes of all time, is now the subject of a feature-length documentary. His longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg is among those spearheading the project. The story.
—"We are furious." The Vox Media Union responded to layoffs at its parent company, which publishes Vox, The Verge and New York magazine, among others, saying the action was "unconscionable." The publisher, which is also behind Eater and SB Nation, laid off 7 percent of its workforce. The story. |
Netflix's 'Cobra Kai' to End With Season 6 ►"We've never once taken this opportunity for granted." Netflix has picked up a sixth season of Cobra Kai — which will also be its last. The streamer made the announcement with a video that teases what it calls "the biggest … baddest" season of the series. The story.
—Why so much sad TV news? The agents of NCIS: Los Angeles are about to work their final cases. The long-running spinoff of NCIS will come to a close in May at the end of its 14th season, which presumably is better than their mamas knocking them out. The story.
—NBC can right now. THR's Rick Porter has the scoop on comedian and podcast host Heather McMahan developing a comedy for NBC. She has sold a comedy script for I Can't Right Now, based loosely on her own life, and is attached to star as well. The story. |
Stephen King's 'The Boogeyman' Moves From Streaming to Theatrical ►A shining moment for horror. The Boogeyman, the adaptation of a Stephen King short story by Disney arm 20th Century Studios, is getting a theatrical release after initially being made for Hulu. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Rob Savage's movie getting a surprisingly muscular test screening in December that made studio executives and producers reconsider their release strategy. The story.
—Raise a mug to celebrate! The trailer for the third season of Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian drew a record 83.5 million views in its first 24 hours after premiering Jan. 16 during the NFL wild card playoff game. THR's Pamela McClintock has the scoop on this easily marking the top showing for a Star Wars Disney+ series, according to Disney. The story.
—"A chilling effect on victims' willingness to seek justice." The children of the late TV executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, whose claims of sexual misconduct against Les Moonves helped lead to his resignation as CEO of CBS in 2018, spoke out about the LAPD's mishandling of her confidential police report. The story. |
Sundance Review: 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' ►"Easily the Oscar winner's best film." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews the Sundance premiere of Davis Guggenheim's Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. The Apple TV+ documentary uses interviews, movie clips and a tremendous amount of access to tell Fox's story, from entertainment superstar to Parkinson's advocate. The review.
—"Exhilarating exploration of fearless queer identity." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews the Sundance premiere of Roger Ross Williams' Cassandro. Gael García Bernal portrays Saúl Armendáriz, the groundbreaking real-life lucha libre wrestler. The review.
—"Never fully hatches." David reviews the Sundance premiere of Sophie Barthes' The Pod Generation. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the sci-fi satire that takes place in a future where corporate science has removed nature from the maternity process, taking control away from parents. The review.
—"Where's the news?" David reviews the Sundance screening of Doug Liman's documentary Justice. The late Sundance addition reflects on the inadequate FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and the political power grab that swiftly elevated him to a lifetime Supreme Court seat. The review. |
Top Unscripted TV Execs on Controversies, Next Big Bets ►"We're obviously trying to get better." The TV execs behind The Bachelor, Real Housewives, Love Is Blind and more discuss facing social-media uproar, castmember legal drama and how to find the next genre-defining hit. THR's Ryan Gajewski talks to the unscripted-TV gatekeepers about Jen Shah's future, another white Bachelor and more. The interview.
—"I will only do this if you guys are committed." Director Sing J. Lee's The Accidental Getaway Driver premieres Monday at Sundance. THR's Rebecca Sun spoke to Lee and producer Andy Sorgie about telling the true-life story of an elderly Vietnamese war veteran whose life is changed by one fateful passenger pickup. The interview.
In other news...
—Apple TV+ cancels Justin Theroux's The Mosquito Coast after two seasons
—Brad Pitt's Plan B nabs Audible development deal
—How viral New Yorker short story Cat Person became a modern dating horror story
—Eve Hewson discusses Sundance-bowing music drama Flora and Son and why she didn't ask dad Bono for singing tips
—Leslie Jones blasts ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for comparing Rihanna to Beyoncé
What else we're reading...
—Chris Lee examines why Sundance's identity crisis might be a good thing for Hollywood [Vulture]
—Monica Lewinsky writes about the 25th anniversary of the Clinton calamity [Vanity Fair]
—Timothy Bella reflects on Elvis Presley's funeral [WaPo]
—Anousha Sakoui looks at why actors are worried about pending criminal charges against Alec Baldwin [LAT]
—Dan Bilefsky explains why American expats in the City of Light aren't fans of Emily in Paris [NYT]
Today...
...in 2011, Paramount Pictures unveiled No Strings Attached, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher's friends with benefits comedy from director Ivan Reitman. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Geena Davis (67), Luke Grimes (39), Booboo Stewart (29), Ken Leung (53), Jerry Trainor (46), Emma Bunton (47), Kelly Rohrbach (33), Karina Lombard (54), Charlotte Ross (55), John Early (35), Craig Roberts (32), Izabella Miko (42), Jackson Brundage (22) |
| Donn Cambern, film editor on Easy Rider and Romancing the Stone, dies at 93. The obituary. |
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