| | | | | | What's news: WBD CEO David Zaslav is reportedly meeting potential candidates to replace film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy. Zack Snyder and the UFC are teaming up for a movie. Scott Rudin plans to stage 3 Broadway plays next season. QVC is laying off 900 people. Amber Ruffin is no longer hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. — Abid Rahman
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Behind Amazon MGM's Salke Ouster and Its Fallout ►"Part of the job is to manage talent. Hollywood is a freak show and your job is to manage the animals. And she just wasn’t doing it." Jennifer Salke's exit as Amazon MGM Studios chief came as something of a surprise when the news dropped last Thursday. THR's Alex Weprin, Mia Galuppo, Peter Kiefer and Borys Kit report that, despite some big hits like Reacher, pricey underperformers like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Citadel along with little movement on the James Bond franchise didn't help Salke's cause, even if, as Prime Video and Amazon MGM chief Mike Hopkins is telling insiders, it was simply a matter of streamlining the org chart. The story.
—First casualty. Citadel, Amazon MGM’s spy series executive produced by Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO, has hit more turbulence. The expensive series, which was positioned as a flagship show with a global reach, has a history of ballooning budgets and creative strife, but still managed to snag a second season order. Now, that season is in flux. Multiple sources tell THR that Amazon MGM is pushing the show from a planned fall 2025 release to a spring 2026 debut. Additionally, the continuation of all Citadel spinoff series are on hold, a least until the second season is released, if not indefinitely. The story. |
Zaslav Meeting With Candidates to Replace Warner Bros. Heads ►Uh-oh. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is meeting with potential candidates to replace film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, according to a Sunday report by Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. The talks are “at an early and informal stage” with a final decision about De Luca and Abdy’s fate at the company having not yet been made. The Bloomberg report comes on the eve of CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners in Las Vegas, where De Luca and Abdy are expected to present Warner Bros. upcoming slate on Tuesday night. De Luca and Abdy have faced pressure, and strings of negative headlines, in the wake of several high-profile bombs, such as Joker: Folie à Deux and Mickey 17 , though deals for some of those misses were largely in place before they took the reins of the studio in June 2022. The story.
—Targeted. As the Trump administration campaigns against diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the media and entertainment sector, FCC chair Brendan Carr has urged the agency’s enforcement arm to open an investigation into Disney and ABC. Carr, in a letter to Disney chief executive Bob Iger released on Friday, said the probe will relate to whether Disney maintains discriminatory policies through racial quotas, among other things. He cited concerns the entertainment giant and ABC “have been or may still be promoting invidious forms of DEI” in a manner that doesn’t comply with FCC regulations, which bars discrimination on the basis of race or sex. The story.
—Weak. This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner will go forward without a featured entertainer. White House Correspondents’ Association president Eugene Daniels told members Saturday that the organization has opted to cancel comedian Amber Ruffin’s scheduled performance at this year’s gala, which is set to be held April 26. Members of the White House team have expressed criticism of the decision to pick Ruffin as the performer and suggested that organizations should rethink sponsoring the event. Daniels however said that the decision of the WHCA board was “unanimous,” and that the decision has been in the works for a few weeks as part of a “re-envisioning of our dinner tradition for this year.” The story.
—"It’s rooted in a principle of protecting free speech and expression." Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said his decision to stand by Dave Chappelle and his Netflix special, The Closer, after backlash about what was seen as transphobic jokes was not an easy choice, but one that he continues to stand by. Speaking at an event at the Paley Center For Media, where Sarandos was interviewed by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith, Sarandos was asked whether there are certain lines he would not cross for standup specials on the show, including the decision to order three comedy specials from Tony Hinchcliffe, after the comedian made derogatory remarks about Puerto Rico and at rally for Trump. The story.
—Sign of the times. Legacy home shopping brand QVC Group says that it is laying off approximately 900 staffers and consolidating operations as it pivots to focus on the opportunity presented by “live social shopping.” The company said that most staffers would be notified this week, with its Florida office (where HSN had been based) particularly impacted. QVC is consolidating operations in its West Chester, Pennsylvania headquarters. QVC Group is the parent company of both QVC and HSN (formerly Home Shopping Network), and is controlled by the cable and media mogul John Malone. The story.
—Out with a bag. Carol Lombardini, the top negotiator representing Hollywood’s major studios in contract deals with unions, saw pay rise to $3.7m in the fiscal year that included the monthslong writers’ and actors’ strikes. Lombardini, the longtime president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, recently stepped aside for an advisory position after a 15-year run. The AMPTP, which negotiates with labor organizers for its member studios that include Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery, named Gregory Hessinger as its incoming president on March 25. The story. |
Rudin Plans Broadway Producing Return ►Come back. Scott Rudin is planning to return to Broadway next season. The film and theater producer, who left the Broadway industry in 2021 after an article in THR detailed numerous claims of Rudin bullying assistants, now says he plans to stage three Broadway productions next season, with two starring Laurie Metcalf and directed by Joe Mantello. As he prepares his return, Actors’ Equity says it will safeguard against any “bullying, harassment and discrimination” for stage managers or actors on productions he would be involved in. The story.
—"The statement by Bill Kramer and Janet Yang fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for." An open letter signed by around 600 Oscar voters, including Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman and Javier Bardem, has criticized the leadership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its initial response to the recent assault and arrest of Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal. “It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later,” the open letter updated Friday and signed by AMPAS members across a range of genres, including documentaries, stated. Other well-known Academy members who signed the letter include Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Glazer, Emma Thompson, Tony Kushner, Richard Gere, Andrea Riseborough and Todd Haynes. The story.
—ICYMI. Later on Friday, the Academy sent a statement to members, apologizing for not publicly supporting No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal. In Bill Kramer and Janet Yang's new statement to AMPAS members they wrote, "On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name." The story.
—"Her family is accusing me of driving her to her death just because I was her ex-boyfriend." After mounting controversy, South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun publicly denied allegations that he groomed and then dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was underage at a surprise press conference in Seoul on Monday. Flanked by his lawyer, Kim Soo-hyun, the 37-year-old star of several hit K-dramas and one of best paid Korean stars, tearfully addressed his relationship with Kim Sae-ron, an actress who died Feb. 16 at 24. The date of her death, which was ruled a suicide, was the same date as Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday. Kim Soo-hyun was reacting to Kim Sae-ron’s family releasing statements and more photos as well as text messages this month, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun dated their daughter for six years from 2016, beginning when she was 15 and the actor was 27. The story.
—Guilty. Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, were found guilty of all counts of wire fraud in their trial on Friday. Their federal charges involved $1m in wire fraud. Turner and Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, both faced federal charges of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud in connection with a luxury scheme aiming to "defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods purchased." Kingston and Turner’s sentencing is scheduled to take place on July 11. They are both facing 20 years in prison. The story. |
Michael Bublé Takes Dig at Trump at Canada's Juno Awards ►"We are not for sale." Michael Bublé struck a pointedly patriotic tone when hosting the Juno Awards on Sunday night as he pushed back at Donald Trump amid an escalating tariffs war and talk of turning Canada into the “51st state.” “Folks, we’re one of a kind. We are beautiful. We are the greatest nation on Earth. And we are not for sale,” the popular crooner told his hometown Vancouver audience when hosting Canada’s music awards. Ever since Trump launched his trade war, set to include a threatened 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada starting April 2, Canadians have responded with a surge of nationalism that has seemingly brought the country together and was echoed by Bublé from his Vancouver award show stage. The story.
—"It’s absurd. It's not true." Jack Thorne, the co-creator of Netflix‘s hit drama Adolescence , has responded to accusations that the show is “anti-white propaganda,” saying the allegation was “absurd” in a recent podcast interview. The accusation began with a post on X by Ian Miles Cheong, a Malaysian troll and far right commentator, who claimed the series was based on real knife crime incidents and the producers race swapped the main character. Elon Musk then signal boosted Cheong's tweets. Thorne, who created the show with star Stephen Graham, responded: “They’ve claimed that Stephen and I based it on a story, and another story, so we race-swapped because we were basing it on here, and it ended up there, and everything else. Nothing is further from the truth." The story.
—A bit of fun. Saturday Night Live writer Josh Patten poked fun at Morgan Wallen's Instagram post following the country music star’s much-talked about abrupt exit from the NBC sketch show. Wallen performed two songs on Saturday night’s show, but during the closing credits he was seen abruptly walking off the stage. Afterward, he posted on his Instagram Stories an image of what looked like a private jet on the runway with the caption “Get me to God’s country.” Patten poked fun at the post with his own photo posted to Instagram Stories. The photo showed a Krispy Kreme truck with the back end open, and the same caption. The story. |
Richard Chamberlain 1934 - 2025 ►"An amazing and loving soul." Richard Chamberlain, the handsome leading man who thrilled women as the young star of Dr. Kildare and then centered the epic, melodramatic miniseries Shogun and The Thorn Birds, has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke. On the big screen, Chamberlain played Julie Christie’s brutal husband in Richard Lester’s Petulia (1968), the woman-loving Aramis in a trio of Three Musketeers films and the fortune hunter Allan Quatermain opposite Sharon Stone in King Solomon’s Mines (1985) and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986). Chamberlain started off his miniseries career by starring as trapper Alexander McKeag in James Michener’s 16 1/2-hour, 12-episode saga Centennial, which aired on NBC in 1978-79, and he was the first actor to portray Jason Bourne onscreen when he starred as the Robert Ludlum character in an ABC miniseries in 1988. The obituary. |
Could 'The Critic' Make a Comeback? ►An idea that doesn't stink. In an era where adult animation enjoys remarkable popularity and longevity, could another classic (albeit short-lived) 1990s animated sitcom make a comeback? Jon Lovitz thinks so. On Friday, the comedian said that he and creator Al Jean are developing a revival of The Critic, the series in which Lovitz played the film critic and Coming Attractions TV host Jay Sherman. The chances of a Critic comeback look rosier after recent revivals of Futurama and Beavis and Butthead, as well as King of the Hill's return later this year and American Dad! returning to Fox. The story.
—No-brainer. Adult Swim has ordered a second season for the animated thriller Common Side Effects. Mike Judge and Greg Daniels executive produce the half-hour series about a mysterious mushroom with healing properties from creators Joe Bennett and Steve Hely. The first season bowed Feb. 2 and the second season renewal comes ahead of the season one finale on Sunday. The animated comedy follows Marshall and Frances, two former high school lab partners who share a secret: Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine, a mushroom that can heal almost anything. But getting it out into the world won’t be easy – the DEA, big pharma, and international businessmen are all on the chase to stop them. The story. |
'Working Man' Opens to $15M, Beats 'Snow White' ►Stath infection. Middle America is taking charge of the box office, where David Ayer’s blue-collar drama A Working Man beat Snow White in a surprise upset with a better-than-expected domestic opening of $15.2m from 3,262 theaters.
THR's Pamela McClintock's writes that the Jason Statham-starring Working Man's victory comes at a symbolic juncture for Amazon MGM Studios, which late last week saw the surprise ouster of studio head Jennifer Salke as it embarks on an ambitious journey to become a major Hollywood studio with global distribution powers after acquiring rights to the James Bond franchise.
Snow White took in $14.2m from 4,200 locations, a steep decline of 66 percent as the live-action update continues to be dogged by poor word-of-mouth and controversial headlines. The film’s domestic tally throughout Sunday is a muted $66.8m domestically and $143.1m globally. The box office report. |
Snyder to Direct 'Brawler' for UFC ►One of the lads. Zack Snyder is partnering with the UFC to direct Brawler, a movie that promises bone-breaking action scenes likely not seen before in Snyderverse superhero films. Brawler will portray a young fighter rising from the rough streets of Los Angeles to get a shot at a UFC championship but having to battle his inner demons as he fights for redemption, according to a logline from the film’s producers. Snyder, his wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder, and Wesley Coller will produce Brawler through their Stone Quarry banner, with Turki Alalshikh and UFC chief content officer Craig Borsari executive producing. The story.
—🎭 Rising talent 🎭 Anna Lambe is set to co-star alongside Brad Pitt in Paramount's action-adventure movie The Heart of the Beast. Lambe, known for North of North and True Detective: Night Country, joins previously announced castmembers Pitt and J.K. Simmons in director David Ayer's feature. Cameron Alexander wrote the script and serves as executive producer. The Heart of the Beast centers on a former Army Special Forces soldier (Pitt), who fights for survival with his combat dog after a plane crash strands them in the Alaskan wilderness. Details of Lambe’s role remain under wraps, and a release date has not yet been announced. The story.
—First up. Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are tackling an adaptation of Road of Bones, a horror novel by best-selling author Christopher Golden, for Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems label. The filmmaking duo, respected horror maestros thanks to movies such as Sinister, Doctor Strange and The Black Phone, will write the screenplay with Derrickson set to direct. The two will also produce via their Crooked Highway production banner. The project marks the first venture to come from Crooked Highway’s first-look deal with Screen Gems/Sony. The story. |
Walton Goggins Waited 6 Months to Film That 'White Lotus' Scene ►"All of a sudden, 10,000 pounds lifted off of my shoulders." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Walton Goggins about the latest episode of HBO's The White Lotus. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I’m emotional even talking about it now." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to 1923 co-stars Michael Spears and Jeremy Gauna about the penultimate episode of season two, "The Mountain Teeth of Monsters." The two actors break down the episode and discuss the real-life emotions behind their heroic characters. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"This is above my pay grade." For THR, Lisa de los Reyes spoke to Dark Winds star Jessica Matten on the shocking end to the fourth episode of season three. The actress also discusses how she helped engineer this season’s mini Twilight reunion, Bernadette’s quest to prove herself and why she’s charging her friends a tariff. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
TV Review: 'MobLand' ►"Puts the "bland" in MobLand." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Paramount+'s MobLand. Guy Ritchie directs the first two episodes of the series, in which two rival factions escalate violence to take control of London's criminal underbelly. Starring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Daniel Betts and Geoff Bell. The review.
In other news...
—First look at Apple's Chief of War: Jason Momoa’s Hawaiian war epic series
—Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement
—Papa Roach marks 25th anniversary with L.A. concert
—Chris Rock signs with WME
—Billie Eilish, Finneas enlist Jason Owen and Sandbox Entertainment for management
—Bruce Glover, the villainous Mr. Wint in Diamonds Are Forever, dies at 92
—Denis Arndt, Tony-nominated star of Heisenberg and actor in David E. Kelley shows, dies at 86
What else we're reading...
—Daniel Strauss talks to Tim Walz on why the Democrats lost in 2024, and why 2025 provides a real opportunity for a comeback for the party [Intelligencer]
—Chris Murphy writes that the attempts by Disney insiders to blame Snow White's box office woes on Rachel Zegler are backfiring and turning the actress into a Gen Z icon [Vanity Fair]
—With Netflix's Adolescence touching a raw nerve in the U.K., Rachel Obordo talks to young British people about what they think of the mush-talked about drama [Guardian]
—Josef Adalian talks to HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys about the outstanding success of medical procedural The Pitt [Vulture]
—In a tribute piece, James Poniewozik writes that back when TV's biggest shows were all miniseries, the late Richard Chamberlain was a mega star [NYT]
Today...
...in 1973, NBC aired the political TV movie Savage, directed by an up-and-coming helmer: Steven Spielberg. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Christopher Walken (82), Brian Tyree Henry (43), Ewan McGregor (54), Phil Dunster (33), Rhea Perlman (77), William Daniels (98), Chloé Zhao (43), Jack Antonoff (41), Edward Lachman (77), Alejandro Amenábar (53), Ryan Bingham (44), Damon Herriman (55), Jessica Szohr (40), Daniel Mays (47), Kate Micucci (45), Victoria Smurfit (51), Shirley Jones (91), Ruby Cruz (25), Valerie Curtin (84), Andrea Bordeaux (38), Aissa Wayne (69), Liza Koshy (29), Jonathan Stoddard (41), Erica Tazel (48), Beth Goddard (56), Tony Cox (67), William McNamara (60), Marc McClure (68), Kellee Stewart (49), Caitlin Carver (33), Adrian Holmes (🏴51), Melissa Ordway (42), Gabe Kaplan (80), Ed Marinaro (75), Peter Polycarpou (68), Josh Saviano (49), Jacqueline Kim (60), Andrew Bowen (53) |
| Richard Norton, the Australian actor and martial arts expert who demonstrated his considerable skills alongside Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Cynthia Rothrock in action films, has died. He was 75. The obituary. |
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