| | | | | | What's news: Village Roadshow's film library is up for sale for $417.5m. CBS has canceled Poppa's House and The Summit. Fox is launching its own version of The Traitors with The Snake. Kendrick Lamar leads the AMAs noms. And more than 20t (that's trillion) videos have been uploaded to YouTube since it was founded. — Abid Rahman
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'Sinners,' Ryan Coogler and Questions of Ownership ►"Freedom and ownership. These are the core tenets of America." It’s not often that a movie comes out of the gate and instantly feels essential to the art form, filling a void in our culture that many weren’t even aware they were missing. But Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is that film. There’s a larger meta-narrative happening within the context of Sinners as well. Coogler’s deal with Warner Bros., in which he retains the rights to the film in 25 years, has been the source of much conversation opening weekend, with some insiders calling it dangerous or a potential death knell for studios. For THR , Richard Newby writes that there was a time when Black creatives could simply be grateful for the opportunity to make something, but that wasn’t true freedom. True freedom is to make it, own it, and build a legacy from it. The column.
—"We’re also happy that as an original swing, it’s worked out and we hope it inspires the other studios to take more original swings." With blockbusters Sinners and A Minecraft Movie at their back, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, the embattled duo heading up Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, hope they're finally off the hot seat. At least that's what their boss, David Zaslav, assured them, the duo tell THR's Peter Kiefer: "We took him at his word." The interview.
—Salvation! Heading into Easter weekend, the opening projections for Sinners were all over the place. Warner Bros. stuck to $35m-$40m, while tracking services showed the supernatural vampire pic coming in as high as $45m. Others predicted north of $50m. Nonetheless, Sinners more than found salvation at the Easter box office, toppling A Minecraft Movie in an unexpected upset with a $48m domestic debut, thanks to powerful word of mouth and an A CinemaScore. THR's Pamela McClintock breaks down how Sinners cocked a snook at the naysayers and came out swinging at the box office. The story.
—"If we’re not doing something industry standard, maybe we’re finding a different way to do it, and it might be just as good." Before Sinners topped the box office and became the talk of the town, THR's Mia Galuppo spoke to Ryan Coogler, his wife Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, the co-founders of Proximity Media. The trio discuss how the banner behind the Michael B. Jordan movie, as well as the critically accalimed Judas and the Black Messiah, operate and how they are playing the long game. The interview. |
'60 Minutes' Producer Resigns Citing Inability to Make "Independent Decisions" ►Shocker. Longtime 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens is resigning. In an email to staff, Owens cited an inability "to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes." "Over the past months, it has … become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens wrote. "To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience. So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward." The decision from Owens sent shock waves throughout CBS News, a source tells THR. The story.
—Happy Birthday! Twenty years ago today, YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim uploaded a 19 second video titled “Me at the zoo” to the platform. As anyone who follows YouTube knows, it was the first video hosted by the platform. On its 20th anniversary, YouTube now says that since Karim’s video was posted, more than 20 trillion videos have been uploaded (and no, that isn’t a typo). The video behemoth dropped a number of jaw-dropping stats Wednesday, along with significant updates to its TV experience, which has become a strategic priority for the platform, all connected to its anniversary. The story.
—Arraigned. Mark Measures, owner and president of talent agency KMR, was arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday after allegedly stealing money from the clients he represented. Measures is alleged to have stolen $1.8m from 160 actors based in New York and about $26,000 from six employees between June 2021 and March 2024. He was arraigned Tuesday as part of a 40-count indictment, which included one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree, three counts of grand larceny in the second degree, 28 counts of grand larceny in the third degree, five counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and three counts of petty larceny. While there are 160 alleged victims in New York, prosecutors stressed that there are more than 300 alleged victims nationwide. The story.
—"He is doing well." Carlos Santana postponed a concert in San Antonio Tuesday night after the legendary guitarist was hospitalized for dehydration, a rep for Santana confirmed Tuesday. Santana was slated to play San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre this evening, but his manager, Michael Vrionis, said he was taken in for observation after suffering an incident while prepping for the show, and doctors determined Santana, 77, was suffering from dehydration. The story. |
Want to Buy Village Roadshow's Stake in 'The Matrix'? ►It’ll cost ya. Village Roadshow Entertainment Group’s film library will sell for at least $417.5m. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Horan on Tuesday approved an offer from Alcon Media Group for Village Roadshow’s collection of 108 feature films, including stakes in The Matrix and Ocean’s franchises, its fledgling studio business and ownership of various copyrights that’ll give the buyer the rights to co-produce proven tentpoles. The stalking horse bid, which sets a price floor for the assets, will be tested at auction. Rival offers, including from Warner Bros. Discovery and investment firm Content Partners, may still surface. Blade Runner 2049 coproducer Alcon outbid Content Partners, which offered $365m. The court will oversee an auction to maximize the value of Village Roadshow’s assets. The deadline to enter a bid is May 16. The story.
—A little treat. Max rolled out an “Extra Member Add-On” feature for U.S. subscribers on Tuesday. At $7.99/month (regardless of tier), it costs $1 more than the entry-level price to Netflix’s own precedent-setting program and $1 less than its ad-free version. The new Max feature will also include the ability to transfer an existing adult profile to the extra-member account, so the added-on user does not lose their place in binges. Netflix started this whole password-sharing crackdown nearly two years ago. All the top streamers have since followed suit. The story.
—🤝 First-look TV deal 🤝 Paul Feig and his TV partner Laura Fischer have signed a multiyear first-look deal with the Warner Bros. Television Group, marking his first deal with the Warner Bros. studio. The news comes exactly three weeks after Feig inked a first-look film deal with Lionsgate, which is where he previously had a similar deal for television. Feig will develop and create original programming in all genres — live-action scripted, unscripted, animation — to be produced through his Feigco Entertainment production company for all platforms. Those platforms include HBO and Max, as well has external streaming services and broadcast networks. The story.
—✊ It's time ✊ Nearly two years ago, the Writers Guild of America launched a historic 148-day strike that shut down scriptwriting industry-wide, made picket lines a staple of the Los Angeles landscape and compelled CEOs to the bargaining table. While rank-and-file writers populated the picket lines and eventually voted through the strike-ending contract, much of the Sturm und Drang of that work stoppage was also facilitated by the work of internal union staffers in member organizing and legal departments (among others). Now, many of those staffers are attempting to organize their own workplace, citing a desire to have their voices heard. The story. |
Next 'Golden Bachelor' Star Revealed by ABC ►Here he is. The Golden Bachelor has found its next leading man. Following the success of ABC’s inaugural senior-aged spinoff of The Bachelor in 2023, season two of The Golden Bachelor has been officially renewed, and a new star has been selected to hand out roses. Mel Owens, a 66-year-old former NFL player-turned-lawyer, is the second Golden Bachelor. A premiere date, along with the rest of the cast, will be announced later. The story.
—Sharpe comedy. Will Sharpe and Ayo Edebiri are set to lead a new AppleTV+ rom-com, Prodigies. Written and directed by Sharpe of The White Lotus and A Real Pain fame, the seven-part series also boasts Edebiri as an executive producer. From Sister, the rom-com will explore the universal complexities of long-term relationships through the lens of "a very unique couple." "Didi (Edebiri) and Ren (Sharpe) are two ex-child prodigies who have been together since they were children," a plot synopsis reads. "Now in their early 30s, they are starting to question whether their very ordinary existence is living up to the extraordinary promise of their childhood." The story.
—No surprises here. Dancing With the Stars will hit the floor once again in the 2025-26 TV season. Following a strong run last fall, ABC has renewed the long-running competition show for a 34th season. DWTS has also named its first castmember for the coming season: conservationist and TV host Robert Irwin. The rest of the celebrity cast and their professional partners will be announced closer to the season premiere. As has been the case since its return to ABC in 2023, DWTS will air on the broadcast network and stream simultaneously on Disney+ next season, then stream on Hulu the following day. The story.
—If you can't beat them, join them. Fox is mounting its own entry into the burgeoning subgenre of unscripted TV that involves people playing a game, some of whom are secretly working to control the rest of the group. Shorter version: Fox is doing its take on The Traitors. The network’s show is called The Snake, and like its titular animal it contains a number of twists and turns (more on that in a couple of paragraphs). Comedian Jim Jefferies will host the series, which comes from Jersey Shore creator SallyAnn Salsano. It’s set to premiere in the summer. The story. |
'CIA' Drama Set in 'FBI' World Lands Series Pickup at CBS for 2025-26 ►Hat on a hat. CBS is adding to its FBI universe — but going outside the bureau — with its latest drama series order. The network has given a straight-to-series order to CIA, a series set in the same fictional world as FBI but centering on, as the title suggests, the Central Intelligence Agency. Welsh dreamboat Tom Ellis will star in the series, which like FBI comes from Universal Television, Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios. The series order for CIA means Wolf will continue to have multiple series at CBS in the 2025-26 season. FBI is one year into a three-season order that will carry it through 2026-27, but the network canceled spinoffs FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted in March. The story.
—One and done. CBS has canceled Poppa’s House and The Summit after just one season apiece. Produced by CBS Studios, Poppa’s House brought Damon Wayans and his son Damon Wayans Jr. together and also starred Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson. Reality competition The Summit set 16 strangers on a journey through the New Zealand Alps in an attempt to reach the peak of a distant, giant mountain within just two weeks. There was danger at every turn and an equal share of $1m in everyone’s backpacks — the full prize went to the winner. The story.
—Two out, two in. A busy Tuesday saw CBS adding to its roster of new series for the 2025-26 season, giving series orders to two pilots: a drama titled Einstein and a comedy called DMV. Einstein, from Monk creator Andy Breckman, stars Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler as the title character, alongside Rosa Salazar. DMV, a single-camera comedy set at a motor vehicle office, is led by Harriet Dyer and Tim Meadows. Both shows come from CBS Studios. The two series orders are the first from CBS’ crop of development projects this season. They join fellow newcomers Sheriff Country, which the network ordered last year, and straight-to-series pickups Boston Blue and CIA. The story. |
American Music Awards Nominations 2025 ►🏆 He can't be beat 🏆 The nominees for the 2025 American Music Awards have been revealed, and it’s good news once more for Kendrick Lamar as his stellar year continues with an artist-leading 10 nominations, ahead of Post Malone who has eight, and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey, who all received seven AMA nominations respectively. Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Taylor Swift make up a group of artists with six nominations. The fan voting period is now open via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram profile in all award categories. Voting closes on Thursday, May 15. Hosted by Jennifer Lopez, the 51st annual American Music Awards will air live from Las Vegas on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. The story.
—Back home. The Latin Grammys are returning to Las Vegas, with the show slated for Nov. 13 back at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This year’s Latin Grammys will bring the annual awards show back to Sin City for the 15th time — and the first time since 2022. The Latin Grammys have taken place in several cities since the first awards show back in 2000, but the show’s mainly been held in Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Michelob Ultra Arena. The Latin Grammys ended an 11-year streak in Vegas in 2020 when the show moved to Miami, but it came back to Vegas for 2021 and 2022. The awards moved to Spain in 2023, the first and only time the show has taken place outside the U.S., and the Latin Grammys came back to Miami last year. The story. |
Why Netflix Brought 'Stranger Things' to Broadway ►"It goes back to the core of what we love doing at Netflix." Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the Broadway play that serves as a prequel to the events of the Netflix television series Stranger Things, opened at New York's Marquis Theatre on April 22. THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to the creative team behind the production, as well as the Netflix execs involved in the project on the reasons why they created their play and their hopes for the Broadway run. The interview.
—Gorgeous George. Good Night and Good Luck broke its own record for highest weekly gross for a play, bringing in $3.9m last week, up close to $100,000 from when it broke the record the prior week, and playing to more than 100 percent capacity. The ticket price for the George Clooney-led play creeped up slightly to $309.77 from $303.40 the prior week. The Broadway play was the highest grossing show in the industry last week, even as the popular shows Aladdin, Wicked and The Lion King played nine performances in an effort to capture the spring break crowds, rather than the typical eight. Wicked was the second-highest earner on Broadway with $3.3m, followed by Othello with $3.1m, The Lion King with $2.9m and Glengarry Glen Ross with $2.3m. The Broadway box office report. |
'Clean Slate' And the End of Freevee's Creatively Impressive, Commercially Botched Brand ►"There were the half-hour shows, some clearly comedies and some defying classification, all designed as showcases for fresh voices and fresh casts." When news broke on Friday afternoon that Amazon wouldn’t be making a second season of the comedy Clean Slate, media reaction hovered between two viable extremes: “Amazon Cancels Show We Never Knew Existed” and “Amazon Canceled Norman Lear’s Kinda-Final Show.” THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reflects on Clean Slate's demise, as the show joins the likes of Primo, High School, Sprung on the scrap heap of Freevee, the now-deceased ad-supported platform. The crticic's notebook.
In other news...
—Wednesday S2 teaser trailer and premiere dates released by Netflix
—HBO's Mountainhead trailer puts four billionaires at the end of the world
—The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives S2 trailer: Old drama, new faces and Vanderpump Villa
—Kevin Hart to host 2025 BET Awards
—YouTube influencer Jesser signs with CAA
—Sophie Nyweide, actress in Mammoth and An Invisible Sign, dies at 24
—Roy Thomas Baker, Queen and The Cars record producer, dies at 78
—Will Hutchins, star of ABC’s Sugarfoot, dies at 94
What else we're reading...
—Critic Craig Jenkins reflects on the music in Ryan Coogler's Sinners, suggesting it "goes for the jugular" [Vulture]
—Stefania Palma and Hannah Murphy report from Meta's monopoly trial, where Instagram’s co-founder testified Mark Zuckerberg withheld resources [FT]
—After the death of Pope Francis, Adrian Horton talks to Vatican experts about the realism of the movie Conclave, and how it gets "a lot of the details right" [Guardian]
—Daniel Politi looks at why Francis never returned home to Argentina while he was pope [NYT]
—Dawn Gilbertson reports from the Swissport Lounge at O’Hare International Airport, the U.S.'s "saddest airport lounge" [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2010, Warner Bros. Pictures released Sylvain White's The Losers in theaters. The action film, an adaptation of the Vertigo Comic series, starred Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldaña, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Óscar Jaenada and Jason Patric and bombed at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: John Cena (48), Dev Patel (35), Judy Davis (70), Michael Moore (71), John Oliver (48), George Lopez (64), D.B. Weiss (54), Gigi Hadid (30), John Hannah (63), Jaime King (46), Sally Bretton (45), Jesse Lee Soffer (41), Gemma Whelan (44), Melina Kanakaredes (58), Lee Majors (86), Kal Penn (48), Barry Watson (51), Valerie Bertinelli (65), Craig Sheffer (65), Joyce DeWitt (76), Molly Burnett (37), Teagan Croft (21), Rachel Skarsten (40), Jane Widdop (23), Song Kang (31), James Russo (72), Vic Carmen Sonne (31), Charlie Rowe (29), Eric Edelstein (48), Blair Brown (79), Agni Scott (45), Langston Kerman (38), Anastasia Baranova (36) |
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