| | | | What's news: Robert Blake dies at 89. Jenna Ortega is circling a role in Beetlejuice 2. SNL postproduction workers date a potential strike. Scream VI eyes a possible series-best opening at the box office. And this week, there is no Saturday edition of Today in Entertainment; it's back Monday with all things Oscars. — Ryan Gajewski |
Bob Iger: Disney to Reduce Costs, Focus on Quality Over Volume ►"Sequels typically work well for us, but do you need a third or a fourth?" Disney CEO Bob Iger told an investor conference that his company is closely examining all aspects of its content business, across film and TV, in this tricky media environment. Iger said that the company will specifically be looking at how much it is spending on content, and how many projects it produces going forward. He also had frank comments about Marvel and Star Wars, suggesting that the company is carefully thinking about its approach to those brands. The story.
—"The environment is very, very tricky right now." Bob Iger also discussed the fact that the fate of Hulu is still up in the air. During his conference address, the Disney CEO said the company is continuing to evaluate the best option for the streaming service, which he praised as a strong platform, but one that features "undifferentiated" entertainment content, compared to what he sees as the highly differentiated content on Disney+. The company is said to have hired Goldman Sachs to explore strategic options for its stake in Hulu, which could include a sale. The story.
—Holy platform change! Batman: Caped Crusader has found a new home at Amazon. THR's Lesley Goldberg reports that the streamer has handed out a two-season order for the animated series, which was originally set up at HBO Max and counts J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves as executive producers. Following a straight-to-series order, Warner Bros. Discovery scrapped the show in August amid a round of cost-cutting. The story.
—It's showtime, again. Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is looking to stay in the Tim Burton family. THR's Beatrice Verhoeven and Borys Kit report that the actor is circling a role in Beetlejuice 2 from Warner Bros. Burton, who helmed the 1988 film starring Michael Keaton, is expected to direct, with Keaton returning as well, according to sources. The story.
—Apparently, people like scary movies. The masked killer Ghostface is back and as terrifying as ever. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that Paramount and Spyglass' Scream VI has a shot at a series-best $35 million-plus domestic opening. To set an overall franchise record, Scream VI will have to best the $34.7 million debut of Scream 3 in 2000. The story. |
SXSW Preview: Film, TV and Tech ►Chester Cheetah and Tetris and BlackBerry — oh, my! You've heard of "ripped from the headlines" — but what about "swiped from store shelves"? THR's Mia Galuppo reports that this year's SXSW film festival is filled with features inspired by beloved brands and the people behind them. The consumer products making their way to the fest's screens include everything from snacks to cellphones. The story.
—"It definitely felt subversive and terrifying to us." Among the shows premiering at SXSW is Peacock's Mrs. Davis, an AI-focused series from Big Bang Theory veteran Tara Hernandez and Watchmen creator Damon Lindelof that pits faith against technology run amok. THR's James Hibberd talks to the pair, who share what "the most exciting thing" is about the show that stars Betty Gilpin as a nun. The story.
—And did we mention AI? If last year's SXSW was driven by panels and events around Web3, NFTs and the metaverse, this year's has decidedly cooled on the crypto craze and is instead focused on something entirely different: chatbots. THR's J. Clara Chan looks at the discussions planned for SXSW, where executives and creatives are set to gather to assess the ramifications of generative AI. The story. |
Oscar Parties 2023: Inside the A-List Events ►In full swing. Oscars week has already been memorable, bringing days of A-list celebrations leading up to Sunday night's 95th annual Academy Awards. Thankfully, parties have returned in full force this year for the first time since the pandemic. THR's Chris Gardner and Kirsten Chuba share insider highlights from the festivities, which include Paul Mescal, Halle Bailey and Julia Garner serving as hosts for the Young Hollywood party. The highlights.
—"I do hope the formation of these affinity groups will inform what we’re doing." The 95th annual Oscars carpet will feature American Sign Language interpreters for the first time, one among several accessibility additions the Academy is making to both the 2023 ceremony and live telecast this Sunday. THR's Abbey White talks to Jeanell English, the Academy's executive vp impact and inclusion, about the changes made to this year's ceremony. The story.
—Behind the Screen. THR's tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode, THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg joins Carolyn to take a last look at the crafts categories before the 95th Academy Awards. Listen here. |
Film Review: '65' ►"Seems rather low-rent." THR critic Frank Scheck reviews Scott Beck and Bryan Wood's sci-fi thriller 65. Adam Driver stars as an astronaut battling dinosaurs with help from a young girl. The review.
—"The result is unwieldy." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews the third season of Apple TV+ favorite Ted Lasso. Jason Sudeikis' endlessly optimistic soccer coach returns for a season that may or may not be the last for the Emmy-winning comedy. The review.
—"Chastain is superb." THR's David Rooney reviews Amy Herzog's modern Broadway adaptation of A Doll's House. Jessica Chastain stars as Nora Helmer in the Henrik Ibsen classic. The review.
—"Lands more softly than it should." THR's Angie Han reviews Sin Eater: The Crimes of Anthony Pellicano. The FX docuseries focuses on a private investigator notorious for deploying illegal tactics on behalf of Hollywood elites. The review. |
Penn Badgley Unpacks 'You' Season 4's Major Twist ►"He's not just some guy anymore." THR's Christy Piña interviews Penn Badgley about the game-changing second part of You's fourth season. The actor, who plays serial killer Joe Goldberg in the hit Netflix series, opens up the latest episodes' surprise cameos and how his character only has further to fall. The interview.
—"The possibilities seem limitless." THR's Jackie Strause chats with Poker Face creator Rian Johnson and showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman about the Peacock show's season one finale. They discuss how the ending will propel Natasha Lyonne's lead character forward and their hopes for bringing back the A-list guest stars. The interview.
—Back to the couch. Apple TV+ has handed out a second-season renewal for the comedy Shrinking, which is in the midst of its first season. The series, hailing from Ted Lasso producers Warner Bros. TV, stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. The story.
—"NBCU wants to shut us up." As negotiations for their first contract have hit the skids, postproduction workers at Saturday Night Live are preparing for a strike. In a series of tweets, the union representing these workers described bargaining sessions that haven't come close to addressing the concerns of the group, a set of 12-20 crew members who primarily work on the show's pretaped sketches. The story. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. As always, there's a run-through of the week's TV headlines, including Mike Schur teaming with Netflix and the end of HBO's Barry. This week features a visit from Cash Carraway, the creator of HBO's dark comedy Rain Dogs , for an interview about the working-class series that is inspired by her life and memoir. Plus, Dan reviews Apple's Ted Lasso , Paramount+'s School Spirits and Hulu/Onyx Collective's UnPrisoned. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to The Banshees of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh. The Tony-nominated playwright and Oscar-nominated filmmaker reflects on his path to theater and film, the roots of his interest in Ireland and his latest reunion with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon. Listen here.
In other news...
—Chris Rock's flubbed Will Smith joke edited out of Selective Outrage special
—Why David Chase's next show landed at FX — and not HBO
—Pedro Pascal, Kate Hudson, Harrison Ford added to list of 2023 Oscars presenters
—Artios Awards: Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On among winners
What else we're reading...
—Ahead of the Oscars, Alison Willmore calls this the year that the movies died (over and over and over again) [Vulture]
—Dan Zak and Amy Argetsinger pick their choices for the real best pictures of the past 47 years [WaPo]
—Tim Robey examines how A24 has been ripping up the Oscars playbook [Telegraph]
—Gabriella Paiella explores why so many guys are obsessed with Master and Commander, 20 years after its release [GQ]
—Here's your Friday list: "Andrea Riseborough's 10 best performances — ranked!" [Guardian]
Today...
Today's birthdays: Olivia Wilde (39), Jon Hamm (52), Sharon Stone (65), Chuck Norris (83), Danny Pudi (44), Bad Bunny (29), Jasmine Guy (61), Ego Nwodim (35), Paget Brewster (54), Rafe Spall (40), Robin Thicke (46), Emily Osment (31), Shannon Tweed (66) |
| Robert Blake, who played the crazed real-life killer Perry Smith in Truman Copote's In Cold Blood and the popular TV cop Tony Baretta before a sensational Hollywood murder trial destroyed his career, has died. He was 89. The obituary. |
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