| | | | | | What's news: Minecraft sails past $800m at the global box office. Banijay is in early talks to buy ITV. Alexander Payne will head up this year’s Venice Film Festival international jury. Netflix’s Tudum Live event will stream live on Netflix. — Abid Rahman
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'Sinners' Sinks Teeth Into Huge $45M ►Saints and Sinners. The weekend box office is on fire, with ticket sales up more than 120 percent over the same frame last year. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that the blaze was led by Warner Bros.’ Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan. Heading into its sophomore outing, the film was expected to compete with Ben Affleck-starrer The Accountant 2 for the top spot with anywhere from $20m to $25m. But the supernatural period vampire pic continues to defy all the odds and easily stayed No. 1 domestically with a phenomenal $45m to boast one of the smallest drops in history for a movie playing outside the year-end holidays, or 6 percent off from its $48m opening weekend.
Put another way, Sinners boasts the smallest second-weekend decline for any film opening north of $40m since 2009’s Avatar and the smallest ever for an R-rated horror title. That puts the film’s domestic tally through Sunday at $122.5m and an astounding $161.6m globally. At this pace, there’s no telling how far in the black the $90m movie will end up, after some naysayers labeled it a money-loser even before it had a chance to bare its teeth.
Disney’s 20th anniversary release of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Amazon MGM Studios’ The Accountant 2 are also fueling the boom (and don’t forget about WB's A Minecraft Movie, which remains high up on the chart in its fourth weekend as it races past the $800m mark globally). The box office report. |
'60 Minutes' Addresses Bill Owens' Departure in On-Air Segment ►"Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways." Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes ended by addressing executive producer Bill Owens’ shock departure last week. In the show’s “The Last Minute” segment, correspondent Scott Pelley took a moment to address Owens’ resignation as executive producer, a position he’d held since 2019. Noting that 60 Minutes has covered many controversial stories during its nearly six-decade run, Pelley gave Owens credit for making sure those stories "were accurate and fair. He was tough that way." He continued: "But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires." The story.
—Grim new reality. Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week’s worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer’s World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center’s Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, said that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington’s Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center. The move comes on the heels of massive changes at the Kennedy Center, with Donald Trump firing both the president and chairman in early February. Trump replaced most of the board with loyalists, who then elected him the new Kennedy Center chairman. The story.
—Tragic life. Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41. Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed. “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.” The story.
—Diva down. Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he heard his punishment. Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy, telling a court through tears that he was “humbled” and “chastised” and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust. "I offer my deepest apologies," he said, adding: "I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead." The story.
—Footage released. The Los Angeles Police Department released footage from a shooting involving Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife, Jillian Lauren, including body camera and surveillance video as well as audio from the 911 dispatch conversation from the April 8 incident. LAPD officers were responding to a hit-and-run involving three suspects in the Eagle Rock neighborhood before the shooting occurred. In the footage that was released Friday, the police can be seen looking over a backyard fence and warning Lauren, identified by the police as Jillian Shriner, to drop her weapon. After the shooting, Lauren was taken to a local hospital to be treated for “non-life-threatening injuries.” There, she was booked on an attempted murder charge. The story. |
Coppola's AFI Life Achievement Tribute: "F*** the Bankers and the Backers" ►"Francis, you changed my career, you changed my life. We’re all here tonight because of you. We love you." Francis Ford Coppola was honored by a star-studded group of friends and collaborators on Saturday night as he received this year’s AFI Life Achievement Award at the Dolby Theatre. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Ron Howard, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Spike Lee, Ralph Macchio, son Roman and granddaughter Gia all took part in the American Film Institute event, this year celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary. The story. |
Lux Pascal Is a Proud Sister ►"Pedro’s taught me there’s no reason to hide who I am." Lux Pascal is gushing over her older brother and his Hollywood domination. Pascal, whose acting credits include Chilean dramas Veinteañero a los 40 and Juana Brava, is the younger sister of Pedro Pascal spoke to THR's Lily Ford during the Platino Awards Sunday night in Madrid. Pedro Pascal recently made headlines for calling Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling a “heinous loser” for her support of the U.K.’s legal dial-back on what defines a woman. Lux, who grew up alongside her brother and two more siblings in Chile before moving to the U.S., came out as a transgender woman in 2021. "What makes him so fabulous is that [Pedro] wears all of his humanity on his sleeve, and he doesn’t hide who he is," Lux said. The story.
—"We're in a difficult time and I feel like one of the first victims." Karla Sofía Gascón became tearful while discussing her possible return to the U.S., explaining that though she believes Emilia Pérez will be a cult film, she feels as though the trans community are “losing their freedom” around the world. The Oscar-nominated star also spoke to Lily Ford at the Platino Awards, and was hesitant about a trip to the U.S. alluding to Donald Trump’s executive orders that targeted transgender, nonbinary and intersex people. The story. |
Why Adam McKay Is Endorsing a General Strike ►"Shut it down." Oscar-winning filmmaker Adam McKay appeared at the virtual town hall of a grassroots group last Thursday attempting to help organize a general strike, encouraging participants to “shut down this broken, befouled economy.” THR's Katie Kilkenny reports that McKay joined a town hall for the “General Strike 4 Resignations” group alongside Chris Smalls, the co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union and one of the subjects of the 2024 documentary Union , which McKay executive produced. The idea of a general strike — however realistic or unrealistic — has gained momentum in select activist and labor circles in the last few years as a means of changing the status quo in the U.S. The story.
—Deal talk escalates. Industry chatter about a possible takeover bid for U.K. TV giant ITV or its production arm ITV Studios is showing no signs of slowing down. On Monday, the spotlight was on French production powerhouse Banijay Group, which is in very early-stage talks about a potential acquisition offer for either the whole company or its studio unit, according to the Financial Times. Any potential deal would see the companies behind Peaky Blinders, Love Island, Fool Me Once, and Rivals tie up. The story.
—"A lifetime privilege." Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon is stepping down and will leave the U.K. broadcaster in the summer. Channel 4 chief operating officer, Jonathan Allan will serve as interim CEO while its board undertakes a search for new leadership. Mahon joined Channel 4 in 2017 as the broadcaster’s first female CEO and has focused on transforming the broadcaster into a digital-first public service streamer and showcasing creativity and diversity. The story.
—Making bank. NBCUniversal owner Comcast has disclosed the 2024 compensation packages for chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and president Michael Cavanagh, along with pay details for other top executives. Comcast’s proxy statement, filed with the SEC, showed that Roberts’ pay was $33.9m in 2024, compared with $35.5m in 2023. He had made $32.1m in 2022, $34.0m in 2021, $32.7m in 2020, and $36.4m in 2019. Cavanagh’s compensation package was worth $28.3m last year, compared with $29.6m in 2023. He had made $40.5m in 2022 when he served as chief financial officer until being promoted to president in October 2022. The story.
—All change. In a pivotal year for the Endeavor-controlled sports company, TKO Group Holdings filed its annual proxy statement with the SEC, disclosing compensation packages for its top executives and board members. TKO CEO Ari Emanuel received a package valued at $18.1m in 2024, down from $65m a year ago, which was connected to the completion of the deal. TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro received a package valued at $32m, up from $16m a year earlier. Dwayne Johnson, the TKO board member who has also performed for the WWE as 'The Rock,' had 2024 compensation valued at about $30m. The story.
—Quids in. Paramount Global, which is set to be acquired by David Ellison’s Skydance Media, has disclosed 2024 compensation details for its top executives, led by its three-person Office of the CEO. The company filed a form 10-K/A, disclosing the pay packages for co-CEOs George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, and Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios. Cheeks’ compensation for 2024 amounted to $22.1m, Robbins’ to $19.6m, and McCarthy’s to $19.5m, according to the regulatory filing. Combined, the compensation packages for the three men totaled more than $61m. The story. |
Mackey to Star as the White Witch in Gerwig's 'Narnia' ►🎭 Snow doubt 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop that British actress Emma Mackey has nabbed the coveted role of the evil The White Witch in Narnia, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy novels. Netflix is backing the adaptation of the books, with Gerwig’s feature reportedly tackling the sixth novel of the series, The Magician’s Nephew. Gerwig wrote the script and is directing. The casting marks a reunion between Gerwig and Mackey; the latter appeared in the filmmaker’s billion dollar grossing Barbie . Casting rumors have swirled around the high-profile project for months. Charli XCX was at one point tipped for the role of the White Witch, but that proved to be premature. And while many actresses vied for the part, it came down to Mackey and The Substance star Margaret Qualley. The story.
—🎭 May the odds be ever in his favor 🎭 Jesse Plemons is stepping into the shoes of late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plemons will star in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Plutarch Heavensbee, the character Hoffman portrayed in his final film roles, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Parts 1 and 2. He joins stars Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak and Mckenna Grace. Sunrise on the Reaping adapts the new novel from Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and takes place 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games. It starts on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Michael B. Jordan's new movie version of The Thomas Crown Affair will be hoping for a big score in early 2027. Amazon MGM Studios is set to release the heist film theatrically and in IMAX on March 5, 2027. Jordan directs and stars alongside Taylor Russell in the feature that follows Norman Jewison‘s 1968 original of the same name, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. The original Thomas Crown Affair landed two Oscar nominations and tells the story of an insurance investigator working to track down the perpetrator of a bank heist. It was remade in 1999, with the updated version starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Drew Pearce wrote the script for the new movie after Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson penned a previous draft. The story.
—"It’s an enormous honor and joy to serve on the jury." Two-time Oscar-winning director Alexander Payne will head up this year’s Venice Film Festival international jury. The Holdovers, Sideways and Nebraska filmmaker will oversee the jury of film professionals that picks the Golden Lion for best film at the 82nd Venice festival, which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 6. The story.
—Super-powered W. Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics will not have to face a lawsuit over the rights to Superman that looked to block the release of the studio’s tentpole film in several countries ahead of its July release, a court has ruled. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit from the estate of Joseph Shuster, the co-creator of Superman, finding that he doesn’t have authority over the case since the copyright infringement claims were brought under the laws of foreign countries. In a statement, a WBD spokesperson said, “As we have consistently maintained, DC controls all rights to Superman.” The story.
—🏆 Felicidades! 🏆 Walter Salles‘ I’m Still Here was the big winner at Madrid’s Platino Awards on Sunday night, honoring the best of Ibero-American film and television. The Brazilian filmmaker took home the best director and best Ibero-American fiction film awards, while the Oscar-nominated Fernanda Torres won best actress for her performance. Elsewhere, Daniel Fanego won the best supporting actor performance for Luis Ortega’s Kill the Jockey, and Clara Segura of El 47 won in the equivalent category for women. Eduard Fernández took home the best actor prize for his role in Marco. The winners. |
On the Set of 'The Studio' as a "Oner" Comes to Life ►"It creates a feeling of stress." In "The Pediatric Oncologist" episode of Apple TV+'s hit show The Studio, Seth Rogen's studio executive Matt Remick is confronted by people who don't think running a movie studio is the most important job in the world. THR's Rebecca Keegan writes that with the help of the comedy's cinematic shooting style, we all feel Matt's pain. The story.
—What a concept! Netflix’s Tudum Live is finally going to be … on Netflix. Tudum Live is the streamer’s fan fest — it’s like a Comic-Con/CinemaCon just for Netflix and finally move from a YouTube live-stream to a live-stream within the Netflix app. The whole event is being reimagined as a variety show format, including performances, stunts and segments. The story.
—"I’m going to miss him, but it was not a surprise." ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith addressed the decision by Shannon Sharpe and ESPN to have the former NFL star take a break from the daily sports opinion show after facing allegations of rape in a lawsuit. Sharpe, who denied the allegations, said that he would temporarily step aside from his ESPN duties to respond to the suit, adding that he hoped to return in time for the NFL season. Smith, on his YouTube show, addressed the allegations and Sharpe’s decision to step away for the first time, emphasizing his personal friendship with the analyst and Club Shay Shay podcast host. The story.
—"I thought, why is this a factor at all?" John Lithgow is brushing aside concerns about his playing Albus Dumbledore in HBO‘s upcoming Harry Potter series despite anti-trans rhetoric made by author J.K. Rowling, who also serves as an executive producer on the show. Speaking with U.K. newspaper The Times, Lithgow said he has received a lot of feedback from friends and fans suggesting he shouldn’t have taken the role because of Rowling’s comments. He said he received a text from a friend who had sent him a link to an article titled “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away From Harry Potter .” Before he had signed on for the role, he received another text from "a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child, and that was the canary in the coal mine." The story.
—🏆 Congrats, innit! 🏆 Baby Reindeer, Slow Horses, Rivals, Shōgun, and Bad Sisters were among the winners of the BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2025, which were handed out in London on Sunday. Supacell, Eric, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power were also part of the list of honorees. The craft award for best drama writer went to Richard Gadd for his Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, while Weronika Tofilska won the best director in fiction honor for her work on Baby Reindeer. That meant two awards on Sunday night for the hit show, with Rivals and Slow Horses also earning two honors each. The winners.
—Hell to pay. Amazon Prime Video is expanding the animated version of hell seen in Hazbin Hotel. The streamer has struck a deal with creator Vivienne Medrano to both bring her Hazbin spinoff Helluva Boss to Prime Video and extend its run. The show’s first two seasons, which are on YouTube, will begin streaming in the fall (while remaining in their original home), and the streamer has ordered two additional seasons that will have an exclusive first window on the streamer before joining YouTube. Additionally, Medrano has signed a first-look deal with Prime Video to develop new projects. The story. |
'Last of Us' Just Aired Bella Ramsey's Toughest Scene ►"I was really worried." THR's James Hibberd spoke to The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey about the latest episode of the hit HBO drama. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I just can’t do it anymore." For THR, Lisa de los Reyes spoke to Dark Winds showrunner John Wirth and director Chris Eyre about the series three finale of the critically acclaimed AMC show. The duo unpack their hero's heartbreak, as they recap the most harrowing action and sweetest moments of the episode, "Béésh Łį́į́ (Iron Horse)." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"This show has been something of a touchpoint culturally." THR's Carly Thomas spoke to Penn Badgley about the final season of his Netflix show, You. The man who has played the infamous Joe Goldberg for five seasons discusses bringing the series to a close, that intense season finale and displaying Joe as the monster he truly is. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
In Praise of Frederick Wiseman, America's Greatest Living Filmmaker ►"Wiseman’s genius lies in the way he’s been able to create layered, emotional works out of all the footage he’s culled together." Every so often, the work of a filmmaker is given a major critical and public reassessment, allowing them to enter the pantheon of great directors. It’s time the same thing happened for Frederick Wiseman, writes THR film critic Jordan Mintzer. As career-spanning retrospectives in three major cities come to a close, Jordan reflects on the 95-year-old documentarian's lasting importance and timelier-than-ever body of work. The critic's notebook.
In other news...
—The vibes are (purposely) off in Netflix’s Sirens trailer
—Mike Van named first-ever CEO of Billboard
—SiriusXM renews Kelly Ripa podcast, adds call-in show
—Director Todd Holland signs with Buchwald
—Damien Thomas, actor in Twins of Evil at Hammer Films, dies at 83
—Jiggly Caliente, RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant and Pose star, dies at 44
What else we're reading...
—With an antitrust case looming over Google, John Herrman imagines what the company would like if web search wasn't the firm’s primary business [Intelligencer]
—Stuart Heritage writes that Louis Theroux's searing new doc The Settlers forces him to do something he’s never done before [Guardian]
—Ben Smith reports on the secretive, scheming Signal chat groups involving Big Tech oligarchs, right wing celebrities like Ben Shapiro and more [Semafor]
—Utilizing a fancy-schmancy visualization, Pablo Robles, Agnes Chang and Lazaro Gamio illustrate how much of the average American home contains products from China [NYT]
—Bloomberg reports that Shein is hiking U.S. prices as much as a whopping 377 percent ahead of tariff increases [Bloomberg]
—Jason P. Frank reports that Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour has launched into instant meme-able infamy [Vulture]
Today...
...in 2017, Lionsgate released Ken Marino's How to Be a Latin Lover in theaters. The comedy starred Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raphael Alejandro, Rob Riggle, Rob Huebel, Rob Corddry, Renée Taylor, Linda Lavin, Kristen Bell and Rob Lowe as well as Raquel Welch, in her final film role. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Jessica Alba (44), Penélope Cruz (51), Kim Gordon (72), Mary McDonnell (73), Ann-Margret (84), Bridget Moynahan (54), Catherine Reitman (44), Madeleine Harris (24), Kari Wuhrer (58), Eileen Walsh (48), Kiawentiio (19), Stephanie Corneliussen (38), Melissa Fahn (58), Elisabeth Röhm (52), Austyn Johnson (19), Simbi Kali (54), Jay Leno (75), Claes Bang (58), Raechelle Banno (32), Jorge Garcia (52), Harry Shum Jr. (43), Basil Joseph (35), Paul Guilfoyle (76), Eric Vale (51), Aleisha Allen (34), Jonathan Gilbert (58), Nate Richert (47), Jenna Ushkowitz (39), Nancy Lee Grahn (69), Drew Scott (47), Zal Batmanglij (44), Kris Hitchen (51), Dan Goor (50), Anthony McCarten (64), Taylor Frey (36), Too $hort (59), Spyder Dobrofsky (33), Blake Neely (56) | | Bruce Logan, the special effects pioneer and cinematographer whose credits include Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and blowing up the Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, has died. He was 78. The obituary. |
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