| | | | | | What's news: The Highlander film reboot and Pacific Rim series are heading to Amazon. Peacock is developing a Clueless series. Netflix reported $10.5b in revenue and operating income of $3.3b this quarter. Star Wars villain Darth Maul is getting his own animated Disney+ series. — Abid Rahman
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Higher Costs Are Hitting Film, TV Producers Despite Deep Cuts ►"There might be some artistic decisions that will be made." Hollywood is bracing as Donald Trump’s promised (and ever-fluctuating) tariffs threaten to balloon the price of materials required for physical production, from lumber to fabric. For many in the production space, fears are mounting that the current and threatened tariffs, as well as the unpredictability of the future of global trade, could harm the already-weakened state of domestic film and television set work. Creatives who spoke to THR's Katie Kilkenny said that largely they aren’t yet feeling the impacts of the latest developments in import taxes, but as the number of projects going into production gets cut, disruptive trade policy will only drive up prices for costumes and sets for U.S. shoots. The story.
—Pressure mounts for a breakup. Ever since Donald Trump took office, chatter has swirled around whether his Justice Department will continue to pursue breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It’s an open question, and there are signals both ways. Trump’s inner circle has voiced support for the previous administration’s antitrust crackdown, with J.D. Vance openly praising the work of the FTC under Lina Khan, and merger enforcers haven’t abandoned their bids to split giant tech companies. On the other side, it appears that the DOJ won’t sue to block Capital One’s proposed acquisition of Discover Financial Services, which was initially met by concerns that the deal poses competition issues. The story.
—End of the monopoly? Google abused its dominance to suppress competition in some digital advertising markets, a court has found in a ruling that could lead to the tech giant being forced to sell off parts of its business. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema concluded on Thursday that Google violated antitrust laws to build and illegally maintain a monopoly over the technology that places ads across the internet. For over a decade, the company imposed anticompetitive policies on customers and eliminated desirable features in ways that ultimately deprived rivals of the ability to compete, she said. The story.
—Surprise! Nintendo has set a new U.S. pre-order date for its upcoming Switch 2 video game console, keeping its $450 price unchanged … but raising prices on many of its accessories. The Japanese video game giant says that pre-orders will now begin April 24, and deliveries are still on track to begin in June. Nintendo announced the Switch 2 release date, as well as new Mario Kart and Donkey Kong games, earlier this month, just hours before Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs. The story. |
Netflix Shifts Focus to Revenue and Income ►Dominance. In its first quarterly earnings report without disclosing subscriber numbers, Netflix pointed Wall Street toward revenue and operating income as the streaming giant seeks to control the story of its growth potential. Netflix reported $10.5b in revenue, operating income of $3.3b, and a margin of 31.7 percent. All up substantially from a year ago. Netflix also said that Reed Hastings, its founder and executive chairman, would give up that role to become chairman and non-executive director of the company. Hastings moved from co-CEO to executive chairman two years ago. The company beat Wall Street expectations handily, continuing to demonstrate its strength in the marketplace. The results.
—Playing it cool. At the top of Netflix‘s quarterly earnings call with analysts, co-chiefs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters downplayed a report that the company was eyeing a $1t market capitalization by 2030 and attempted to reorient Wall Street’s expectations. “We often have internal meetings and we talk about long term aspirations,” Sarandos told an after-market analyst call, in reference to the April 14 WSJ story “Netflix Aims to Join the $1 Trillion Club” that arrived days before its first quarter 2025 earnings. “It’s important to note that this is not the same as forecast. Our operating plans are the same as our external forecasting guidance,” he added in response to a question from an analyst. The story.
—"As the popularity of video podcasts grow, I suspect you’ll see some of them find their way to Netflix." Podcasters and creators could find a new home on Netflix. On the streaming giant’s first quarter earnings call Thursday, Ted Sarandos said the company is “constantly looking at all different types of content and content creators” to feature on the platform. The company already produces several of its own podcasts related to its shows or talent, which are currently widely available, but Sarandos said some podcasts could find their way to airing on Netflix. The story.
—Coining it. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos saw his total pay package rise to $61.9m in 2024, while co-CEO Greg Peters brought in $60.3m. The pay package for Sarandos included a base salary of $3m, unchanged from the prior year, as well as stock awards of $42.7m, in addition to a $12m bonus. Last year, Sarandos' total pay package was $49.8m, as no stock awards were granted to him in 2023 (or in 2022). The pay package for Peters also included a base salary of $3m, up slightly from $2.89m the prior year, as well as a $12m bonus and $42.7m in stock awards. Peters' total pay package was up from $40.1m in 2023, as he also did not receive stock awards at that time. The story. |
Palestinian Journalist Featured In Cannes Doc Killed in Gaza ►Tragedy. A Palestinian artist and photojournalist who is the protagonist of a documentary due to premiere in Cannes in May has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to multiple media reports. Fatma Hassouna, a Palestinian photojournalist and artist and a protagonist in Sepideh Farsi’s Cannes-bound documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, was killed Wednesday by a direct Israeli military strike on her family home in Gaza City. The attack occurred just 24 hours after Cannes’ sidebar section ACID announced it had picked Farsi’s film for its 2025 selection. Hassouna died in the attack, along with nine members of her family. The story.
—Suit filed. The Associated Press has been sued for defamation by Zachary Young, who earlier this year was awarded $5m in a libel lawsuit against CNN over a 2021 report falsely portraying him as a profiteer running a “black market” scheme to evacuate Afghans in the aftermath of the U.S. military withdrawal from the country. Young, in a lawsuit filed in Florida state court, claims AP defamed him by saying that he ran a business that “helped smuggle” people out of Afghanistan in its report about the verdict. He alleges that the outlet’s characterization of his efforts to evacuate individuals from the country implies he’s a criminal. The story.
—The British are coming! The British Film Institute has launched BFI America, whose board members include Barbara Broccoli and Terry Gilliam. The BFI will be out in force in L.A. later this month to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the BFI National Archive, one of the world’s oldest and most significant film and TV collections. At the celebratory event on Apr. 23, BFI America will be formally launched. BFI America, formerly known as Friends of the British Film Institute, will "champion the work of the BFI in the U.S. and internationally." The story. |
Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling's 'Star Wars' Movie Dated and Titled ►📅 "This script is just so good." 📅 The Star Wars feature project that teams Ryan Gosling with director Shawn Levy has a name and a release date. Star Wars: Starfighter will open on May 28, 2027. That’s just three weeks after fellow mega-Disney title, Avengers: Secret Wars, which bows on May 7, 2027. The announcement was made in Tokyo at a packed panel at Star Wars Celebration, the biennial convention that fêtes all manner of things related to Jedis, Siths, and other creations from the galaxy far, far away. It’s unclear if the title has any connection to the 2001 computer game of the same game. Levy has been developing the Star Wars feature since 2022 and Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as This Is Where I Leave You and The Adam Project, wrote the script. The story.
—Grogu goes hard. Also at the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, debut footage for the first Star Wars movie in seven years was shown to fans. Lucasfilm and Disney revealed the first-look at for The Mandalorian & Grogu, the film spun off from Disney+’s The Mandalorian TV series. Jon Favreau, who directed the movie and co-wrote it with Star Wars guru Dave Filoni, were on hand to introduce it. In the action-heavy footage, the audience sees snowtroopers inside an AT-AT preparing to engage in battle. The story.
—Sith happens. Star Wars villain Darth Maul is getting his own series. The popular character, who first appeared in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, will headline Maul: Shadow Lord, a new animated series for Disney+, it was announced at Star Wars Celebration on Friday. The show, which will tell the story of Maul teaching an apprentice, will debut in 2026. Sam Witwer, who voiced the Maul character in previous animated series, will reprise the part. The story. |
'Highlander' Departing Lionsgate for Amazon MGM Studios ►The bargaining. A year ago, Lionsgate flew Henry Cavill to Las Vegas, where he charmed audiences at CinemaCon with tales of the extensive sword training he was undergoing to star in Highlander for the studio. The project had been in development for almost a decade with filmmaker Chad Stahelski, but finally seemed to be moving forward. Now, that project is indeed still moving forward, but it will be headed to Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists, which is in final negotiations to acquire the package from Lionsgate. The film is intended as a theatrical play. At one time, Lionsgate was plotting an entire universe for Highlander, with Stahelski to oversee it all. But the new deal will give UA full rights to the franchise. The story.
—🎭 Parrish the thought 🎭 Jennifer Lopez and Robert Zemeckis are bringing The Last Mrs. Parrish to life. Netflix is developing the psychological thriller feature that has Zemeckis set to direct and Lopez to star. Oscar-nominated screenwriters Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) and John Gatins (Flight) are penning the script. The Last Mrs. Parrish is based on author Liv Constantine’s 2017 novel that was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection and has sold more than a million copies. The book centers on Amber Patterson concocting a plan to get closer to the wealthy Daphne Parrish, whose lavish life Amber envies. The story.
—🎭 Swine and punishment 🎭 Korean star Don Lee’s next feature Pig Village — which reunites the action icon with the director behind two installments of the blockbuster franchise The Roundup — has unveiled its ensemble cast. Pig Village marks a notable milestone for both Lee and the Korean film industry, as the project will be shot primarily in South Korea but told entirely in English. Producers revealed Thursday that the film’s key international cast is led by Lee and includes Michael Rooker, Colin Woodell, Lisette Olivera, Ali Ahn and Abraham Popoola. Set against the backdrop of the U.S.-Mexico border, Pig Village follows Hammer (Lee), a bare-knuckle boxer who becomes ensnared in a deadly web of crime and corruption after botching a fixed fight in San Diego. The story.
—Heading to the big screen. A feature film adaptation of Leslye Headland’s stage play Cult of Love is in development. Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum are set to produce the feature adaptation of the play under their Gloria Sanchez Productions banner. Headland is set to adapt the screenplay and direct. The play, which ran on Broadway from November 2024 through January 2025, focuses on the “complex sin of pride” as a family returns to their parents house for Christmas. The production, which was well-reviewed by critics, ran at the Second Stage’s Hayes Theater, with a cast including Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto and Barbie Ferreira. Casting for the film will be announced at a later date. The story. |
HBO's Bet On 'Harry Potter' Faces 3 Big Questions ►Looking good? HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series will re-imagine J.K. Rowling’s seven fantasy novels which have sold more than 600m copies worldwide, and its eight movie adaptations have cumulatively grossed $7b-plus. Each season will cover one of the seven books, with Succession writer Francesca Gardiner as showrunner and Game of Thrones veteran Mark Mylod directing several episodes. THR's James Hibberd writes that the closer you look at the TV adaptation of the novels and its criticisms, the more it seems like this show has all the ingredients to silence its doubters. The story.
—Jaeger bomb. Legendary's Pacific Rim series has landed at Amazon MGM Studios. The two studios will adapt the IP together for Prime Video streaming service. The Pacific Rim TV project, currently in development, is the first from Legendary’s first-look television deal with Eric Heisserer and his Chronology banner. Heisserer will write and executive produce the series. The Pacific Rim universe first launched in 2013 with the Guillermo del Toro-directed feature film of the same name. The title has since expanded into animated television (Pacific Rim: The Black), comic books, novels, gaming and toys. In 2018, Steve S. DeKnight wrote and directed a second feature film in the franchise: Pacific Rim: Uprising. The story.
—Cher-naissance. Peacock is developing a follow-up series to Clueless, with Alicia Silverstone attached to reprise her iconic role as Cher. She’ll also be an executive producer of the project, which comes from writers Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Jordan Weiss. Amy Heckerling, who wrote and directed the 1995 film, and its producer Robert Lawrence are also EPs. CBS Studios, which owns rights to Clueless — corporate sibling Paramount Pictures released the movie — and Universal Television are producing. Other than Silverstone once again playing Cher, story details are being kept quiet. The story.
—🎭 Mon Dieu! 🎭 Lily Collins is heading back to Paris and Rome this summer. Season five of Netflix’s hit show, Emily in Paris, is set to begin production in May, filming in Rome first before moving back to Paris later this summer. Series regulars Collins (Emily Cooper), Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Sylvie Grateau), Ashley Park (Mindy Chen), Lucas Bravo (Gabriel), Samuel Arnold (Julien), Bruno Gouery (Luc), William Abadie (Antoine Lambert), Lucien Laviscount (Alfie), Thalia Besson (Genevieve) and Eugenio Franceschini (Marcello) will all reprise their roles. The story.
—🎭 Here comes your man 🎭 Joel Kinnaman has joined the cast of Apple TV+'s Imperfect Women, a limited series already starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara about three women and the destructive harm of their hidden secrets. The TV adaptation of Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name by Annie Weisman will also be executive produced by Moss and Washington. Kinnaman will play Robert in Imperfect Women, a psychological thriller centering on a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship between three women. The story.
—She's back. Padma Lakshmi is returning to the culinary competition world. The former Top Chef host and producer will front a new food series at CBS with the working title of America’s Culinary Cup. Lakshmi created the format and will executive produce alongside former NBCUniversal content chief Susan Rovner. The project has been in the works for several months, as Lakshmi and Rovner inked a development deal with CBS in September 2024. America’s Culinary Cup will feature “the nation’s most decorated chefs,” per the show’s logline, competing in a format “designed to challenge their creativity, endurance, presentation, leadership and more.” It’s slated to premiere in the 2025-26 season. The story.
—Monster hit, innit. Netflix’s word-of-mouth breakout Adolescence climbed to the top of the U.S. streaming charts in late March. The four-part miniseries, which has climbed the streamer’s all-time rankings in recent weeks, drew 1.44b minutes of viewing for the week of March 17-23, according to Nielsen. It displaced the previous week’s leader, Moana 2, from the top overall spot — although the Disney movie didn’t fall far, finishing third overall with 1.13b viewing minutes. In between them was Netflix’s murder mystery-comedy The Residence, which premiered March 20 and racked up 1.36b minutes of watch time in its first four days. Prime Video’s Reacher ran its billion-minute streak to five weeks, adding another 1.1b to its tally. The streaming rankings. |
Thank Pod It's Friday ►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to Kenneth Turan. The former Los Angeles Times film critic reflects on his path from Brooklyn to Hollywood, the current state of film criticism and the LAT, and what inspired him to spend four years writing Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation, the first dual-biography in 50 years of MGM's two most legendary executives. Listen here.
In other news...
—Fantastic Four trailer teases a pregnancy and Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer
—Ginny & Georgia S3 teaser sees Brianne Howey on trial for murder
—Richard Pryor’s essential albums released as box set
—Steve Zahn, Rick Gomez unveil their banner, Macaroni Art Productions
—Podcaster and creator Drew Afualo signs with CAA
What else we're reading...
—Theodoric Meyer, María Luisa Paúl and Maria Sacchetti report on hero Sen. Chris Van Hollen meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador [WaPo]
—Elie Honig considers the three ways the Kilmar Abrego Garcia standoff could end [Intelligencer]
—Asa Fitch and Dan Gallagher write that Amazon is better prepared for the trade war than investors think [WSJ]
—Paddy Manning reports that new modeling data shows how the death toll from extreme weather is becoming clearer [Bloomberg]
—Here's your Friday list: "16 memorable studio exec portrayals in film and TV" [THR]
Today...
...in 2014, Disney released Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey's Bears in theaters. The critically lauded nature documentary film about a family of brown bears living in the coastal mountain ranges of Alaska made over $20m at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Conan O'Brien (62), Vanessa Kirby (37), David Tennant (54), Alia Shawkat (36), Eric Roberts (69), Hayley Mills (79), Edgar Wright (51), Jane Leeves (64), America Ferrera (41), Rick Moranis (72), Eric McCormack (62), Melissa Joan Hart (49), Kenny Ortega (75), Virginia Gardner (30), Britt Robertson (35), Maria Bello (58), Chloe Bennet (33), Moises Arias (31), Laura Mennell (45), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (38), Tom Hughes (40), Abigail Hawk (43), Sean Maguire (48), Cindy Pickett (78), David Hewlett (57), Kevin Rankin (49), Bryce Johnson (48), Mary Birdsong (57), Frederick Weller (59), Pegah Ghafoori (26), Derek Phillips (49), Baran bo Odar (47) |
| Patrick Adiarte, the Philippines-born dancer and actor who appeared in The King and I and Flower Drum Song on Broadway and the big screen and had a recurring role on M*A*S*H, has died. He was 82. The obituary. |
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