| | | | | | What's news: The entertainment industry is reeling after Trump's bombshell tariff announcement on Sunday. Lady Gaga performed to an estimated 2.5m people in Rio. John Skipper is leaving Meadowlark Media. Sinners nears $250m at the global box office. — Abid Rahman
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Trump Plans 100% Tariff on Movies Made Outside U.S. ►"The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death." In a move that could shake up the entertainment industry, Donald Trump says he’s directed his administration to put a “100% tariff” on any movies coming into the U.S. that were not produced in America. He posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that he’s authorized the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to institute the tariff. For years, Hollywood has flocked to countries such as the U.K., Australia, Ireland and Spain for their tax incentives. Talking with C-SPAN on Sunday, Trump was asked about the tariffs, and he briefly expounded upon his post and put some of the blame on California Gov. Gavin Newsom in addition to other countries. The story.
—"How could this even work?" For the first 100 days of Trump's second presidency, it looked like the entertainment industry might just escape the huge costs and relentless chaos unleashed by his radical attempts to remake global trade. Entertainment products like movies were exempt from Trump’s original “Liberation Day” tariffs because they are classified as services, rather than physical goods. But with Sunday's bombshell, the film industry has been left reeling. THR's Patrick Brzeski and Scott Roxborough eight key questions Hollywood and the international movie business is now pondering and dreading. The analysis.
—"Blatantly unlawful." Paula Kerger is not taking the Trump cuts to PBS and NPR funding lying down. As a matter of fact, it sounds like she may take them into a courtroom. In a statement shared with THR on Friday, Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, called Trump’s latest executive order “blatantly unlawful,” said it “threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years.” Kerger is not alone here. Patricia Harrison, the president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, also says Trump has no actual say in the funding. The story.
—"I’m genuinely shocked Trump doesn’t drink alcohol because that is the most ‘drunk at an IHOP’ conversation." John Oliver mocked Trump for repeatedly insisting that a photo that appeared to be edited was real during an interview with ABC News last week. On Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, Oliver showed a 90-second clip from an interview that Trump gave to ABC News senior national correspondent Terry Moran pegged to the president’s first 100 days in office for his second term, that focused on Trump insisting that the deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia had the letters and numbers “MS-13” tattooed on his knuckles. The recap. |
California, Once a Mecca for Animation Work, Is Rapidly Losing Ground ►Worrying trend. When Walt Disney Animation Studios opened its Vancouver production facility in 2021, the first project it took on was the series adaptation of Moana, which later became the more than $2b feature-film box office hit Moana 2. This development served as a “warning sign” for the California animation industry, according to a new report from the Animation Guild, BRIC Foundation and Titmouse Foundation in partnership with CVL Economics. The original Moana was largely produced at Disney’s Burbank studio, and the move up north meant that much of project's economic impact — Moana 2 could have entailed as many as 817 jobs, $87m in wages and $178m in state GDP, the study claims — went to Canada, rather than to California. The report states that between 2010 and 2023, California’s share of the highest-grossing animated films dropped from 67 to 27 percent. The report.
—🤝 Settlement 🤝 The daughter of Stan Lee, J.C., has settled a lawsuit against Max Anderson, the comic book legend’s former longtime road manager accused of elder abuse and pilfering tens of millions of dollars in memorabilia, autograph revenue and appearance fees. Ahead of a trial slated to start next week, both sides on Thursday informed the court of a deal to resolve the case. The agreement is conditioned on the completion of certain undisclosed terms. Further details weren’t revealed. At the heart of the lawsuit: Allegations that Anderson leveraged his control over Lee’s life to steal over $21m — as well as hundreds of pieces of collectibles and memorabilia — toward the end of his former boss’ life. The story.
—Moving on. Meadowlark Media CEO John Skipper is exiting the media company. Skipper co-founded Meadowlark in 2021 alongside radio host Dan Le Batard with a goal of bringing his show to digital platforms. Skipper, the former president of ESPN, subsequently pushed Meadowlark to develop documentary and unscripted fare, inking a first-look deal with Apple TV+, and developed a franchise called Sports Explains the World that would encompass both anthology series and podcasts. In a statement posted to his social media accounts, Le Batard indicated that the company will continue to produce documentary fare, and that Skipper would remain involved providing “leadership and guidance” to the company. The story.
—End of the road. Redwood is ending its run after being snubbed by the Tony Awards. The musical, starring Idina Menzel, which opened at the Nederlander Theatre on Feb. 13, will now end its run May 18. The show, directed by Tina Landau and featuring music by Kate Diaz and lyrics by Diaz and Landau, is the first show to announce closing after the Tony nominations were announced Thursday, suggesting it was depending on the nomination and a possible win to propel it forward. The show follows Menzel as she plays a grieving mother who goes to the woods and climbs a giant redwood tree to process her grief. The story.
—📅 Will it ever come out? 📅 The most anticipated video game release of 2025 has been delayed until mid-2026. Take-Two Interactive says that Grand Theft Auto VI, the sixth installment of the blockbuster franchise, will now be released on May 26, 2026. The game had been scheduled to be released later this year. Rockstar Games, the Take-Two owned studio that is responsible for the GTA franchise, announced the news Friday. Details on GTA6 remain scarce, though it will be set in and around Vice City, the GTA universe’s version of Miami, Florida. GTA5 was released in 2013, while GTA4 was released in 2008, underscoring the long development cycle for the open world franchise, which relies on cinematic flair to engage players. The story. |
Gaga Draws Record-Breaking 2.5M to Rio Concert ►Iconic. Lady Gaga performed the biggest show of her career Saturday night, playing to an estimated 2.5m fans at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach. The show, dubbed Mayhem on the Beach, broke the record for the highest attended concert by a female artist, according to the show’s organizers. Madonna previously held the title for a show she performed at Copacabana Beach last year. Both events were free of charge. Gaga brought her buzzy five-act performance, which she debuted during her Coachella headlining set last month. The “Abracadabra” singer’s show included her new album, Mayhem, along with several hits from her long career in pop, including “Paparazzi,” “Born This Way” and “Judas.” The story.
—Terror plot. Police in Brazil said Sunday that two people have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to detonate a bomb at the Lady Gaga concert. Rio's state police said they had worked with the Justice Ministry to disrupt an attack allegedly planned by a group that was spreading hate speech against the LGBTQ community. Police said the group sought to radicalize and recruit teenagers to carry out attacks using Molotov cocktails and improvised explosives. The story.
—"We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning." Lady Gaga's addressed the news that Rio police had arrested two people in connection with an alleged bomb plot. In a statement to THR, Gaga's team said, "Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks. Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place." The story. |
Julia Garner Eyes FTX Limited Series at Netflix ►🎭 Crypto romance 🎭 Emmy winner Julia Garner is eyeing her next project at Netflix. The Ozark and Inventing Anna star is in talks to play Caroline Ellison in a series about the rise and fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Garner would also be an executive producer on the limited series, which comes from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground. Graham Moore is writing and will serve as co-showrunner alongside Jacqueline Hoyt. James Ponsoldt is set to direct. The FTX series is described as a wild romance centered on FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Ellison, who tried to remake the global financial system — and then seduced, coaxed and teased one another into stealing billions. FTX collapsed in late 2022 after a run on customer withdrawals at the crypto exchange brought to light an $8b imbalance in its books. The story.
—Abrupt end. On Friday, CBS canceled its drama series The Equalizer, bringing the show to a close at the network after five seasons. The decision came before the show’s fifth season finale on Sunday. That episode now serves as a series finale. Ratings for the Queen Latifah-led show fell off a good amount this season as it moved to a later hour on Sunday nights; it averages a little under 6m viewers with a week of Nielsen-measured delayed viewing (not including streaming), compared to 7.89m last season. CBS had developed a potential spinoff series starring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz but later opted not to go ahead with it. With the cancellation, CBS has no more scripted series from the 2024-25 season in limbo. The Equalizer joins fellow veteran dramas FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted and first-year comedy Poppa’s House in being canceled; the long-running Blue Bloods ended in December. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 The eagerly anticipated “Last Supper” season of The Chosen now has a trailer and a premiere date. The hit biblical historical drama from showrunner Dallas Jenkins has revealed a rather intense season five trailer, which teases the drama’s most ambitious episodes yet as Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) rages against the moneychangers at the Temple in Jerusalem and sets in motion the events that eventually lead to his crucifixion. The new season will have its premiere on Prime Video on June 15. The streaming move follows the producers rolling out the eight-episode season in select theaters via Fathom Special Events. The Chosen: Last Supper Parts 1, 2 and 3 have collectively grossed a whopping $60m globally at the box office since March 26. The story.
—🎭 Filling out 🎭 Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie series is moving quickly to fill out its core cast. Newcomer Alice Halsey will play Laura Ingalls in the drama, with the streamer casting Aussie actor Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald and Skywalker Hughes as other members of the Ingalls family. Bracey will play Charles Ingalls, the family’s patriarch. Fitzgerald is set to play Caroline, Charles’ wife and the mother of older daughter Mary, who will be played by Skywalker Hughes. CBS Studios and Anonymous Content Studio are producing Little House, which is based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical novels. The books previously formed the basis for a 1974–83 series. The story. |
Ryan Reynolds Exploring Deadpool/X-Men Teamup Movie ►Early days. In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds remained firm that he did not see another solo Deadpool movie in his future. That was despite the film grossing $1.338b, a number that validated the extraordinary amount of creative control he wields over the franchise, and which proved he was the most valuable new player in the Marvel's arsenal. Now, nine months after Deadpool 3 became the top-grossing R-rated movie of all time, Reynolds is quietly plotting his return to the character, but true to his word, it won’t be as the lead of a solo movie. THR's Pamela McClintock and Aaron Couch have the scoop that Reynolds is exploring ideas for a Deadpool movie that would feature X-Men characters, as well as continuing to script the Paramount comedy Boy Band after making writing a priority for much of this year before tackling other obligations. The potential film is separate from a potential X-Men movie that Michael Lesslie is penning for Marvel. The story.
—Shoot your shot. Chloë Sevigny wants in on Luca Guadagnino‘s new American Psycho film. Sevigny played Patrick Bateman’s secretary, Jean, in the 2000 satire, directed by Mary Harron. When she heard that Guadagnino would direct a new adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, she made her interest known to the filmmaker. “I pitched to him that I should play Jean again and that they do that reverse-aging on me. I thought that would be something that he would be into, conceptually having the same actress play the same part,” Sevigny recently said in an interview. Casting is still underway for the role of Jean. Patrick Schwarzenegger is also hoping to turn Guadagnino's head with a cheeky public plea to play Patrick Bateman. The White Lotus breakout has made no secret over the years of his affinity for American Psycho, is continuing to publicly voice his interest in playing the lead. The story.
—🎭 Keandra trilogy is on 🎭 Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are reuniting to star in a new feature film. The actors, who famously starred in the 1990s action classic Speed as well as romantic drama The Lake House, are attached to star in an untitled romantic thriller being developed at Amazon MGM Studios. Noah Oppenheim, who wrote the 2016 Jackie Kennedy Onasis biopic Jackie and is one of the co-creators of the Robert De Niro political thriller Netflix series Zero Day, is penning the script. Plot details are scant, but it is described as “propulsive.” The story.
—🎭 Two more 🎭 Amazon MGM Studios is continuing to lock up its cast for the forthcoming comedy feature Judgment Day from director Nicholas Stoller. Heidi Gardner and golfer Bobby Ray have joined the cast for the movie that is set to star Will Ferrell and Zac Efron. Other previously announced castmembers include Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jimmy Tatro, Michael Peña, Fortune Feimster, Bill Camp, Billy Eichner, Tyler Lofton, Rachel Hilson, Rory Scovel, Bobby Cannavale and Regina Hall. Judgment Day focuses on a young convict (Efron) who gets out of prison and takes an unscripted TV courtroom hostage, as he blames the egomaniacal judge (Ferrell) for the ruling that destroyed his life. The story. |
'Thunderbolts*' Flies to Solid $76M Opening ►What about Bob? Marvel and Disney’s Thunderbolts* soared to the top of the domestic chart with an estimated domestic opening of $76m from 4,330 theaters, slightly ahead of expectations for a superhero pic that features lesser-known characters. While Disney would no doubt have liked north of $80m, the biggest factor will be how the $180m movie legs out. Overseas, the star-studded ensemble pic pulled in $86.1m for a global start of $162.1m, again, in line with expectations. The global Imax haul was a huge $20m.
THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Thunderbolts* drew impressive audience sentiment across the board, including boasting a glowing 95 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third-highest score for a title in the MCU in a tie with Spider-Man: Far From Home and behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (98 percent) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (97 percent). And on PostTrak exit polls, audiences are giving it a rave 4.5 out of 5 stars, while it received an A- CinemaScore.
Ryan Coogler’s sleeper sensation Sinners enjoyed a phenomenal third weekend as it came in second with $33m. The supernatural vampire pic, from Warner Bros., continues to break all the rules and fell a scant 28 percent or less for a domestic tally of $179.7m and $236.7m globally.
And WB's decision to hold “rowdy” screenings of A Minecraft Movie seems to have paid off as it climbed back up the chart to third place with an estimated $13.7m as it approaches the $400m mark domestically and $1b in worldwide ticket sales. The box office report. |
Danny McBride Talks 'Righteous Gemstones' Finale ►"It’s been so fun have this many characters." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Danny McBride about the series finale The Righteous Gemstones. The creator-star, signing off from his third HBO series, opens up about ending his megachurch comedy, his lessons from relocating to Charleston and what he thinks the movie studios should really be worried about. (Hint: it's not the movies.) Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I think every baby gay should be allowed to be confused and should be allowed to be curious and figure it out." THR's James Hibberd spoke to Isabela Merced about the latest episode of HBO's The Last of Us. Merced breaks down Dina's roller coaster fourth episode, "Day One," and how spending a few days in The Last of Us editing bay changed her entire view of acting — and of Pedro Pascal. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"There are flavors of assistants across the board." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine Viswanathan about their new film, Thunderbolts*. The duo, who play the CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and her assistant Mel in the film, have a playful conversation about their Marvel futures and what makes a good assistant. The interview.
In other news...
—Samuel L. Jackson, Pierce Brosnan battle for missing gold in Unholy Trinity trailer
—Timothée Chalamet to receive Italian award for "cinematic excellence"
—Shelter PR promotes four
—PR Machine expands with launch of Influence Public Relations for digital talent
—Ruth Buzzi, the lady with the handbag on Laugh-In, dies at 88
—Kirk Medas, Floribama Shore star, dies at 33
—Phyllis de Picciotto, Santa Barbara International Film Festival co-dounder, dies at 84
What else we're reading...
—Josh Tyrangiel talks to disgraced ex-congressman Anthony Weiner, who incredibly is running for office again — worth reading for the opening paragraph alone [Atlantic]
—Ben Fritz digs into Kevin Feige's major "less is more" strategy shift at Marvel, with fewer MCU related TV shows in the future [WSJ]
—Must-read Ben Terris piece on the sad and worrying decline of Sen. John Fetterman [Intelligencer]
—Mia Sato writes that Trump’s tariff plan is a potential death blow to cheap online shopping from the likes of Temu, AliExpress [Verge]
—Deborah Nicholls-Lee looks at how Black men historically have used flamboyant fashion to express pride and resistance [BBC]
Today...
...in 2000, Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe unveiled their R-rated Roman epic, Gladiator, in theaters nationwide. The film claimed five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, including best picture. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Henry Cavill (42), Lance Henriksen (85), John Rhys-Davies (🏴81), Vincent Kartheiser (46), Richard E. Grant (68), Danielle Fishel (44), Kurt Sutter (65), Michael Palin (82), Zach McGowan (45), Lisa Eilbacher (69), Santiago Cabrera (47), Clark Duke (40), Virginie Efira (48), Jenna Davis (21), Jessie Cave (38), Melinda Culea (70), Marc Alaimo (83), Kurt Loder (80), Mark McKenna (29), Takehito Koyasu (58), Gabrielle Nevaeh (20), Tina Yothers (52), Justin Kuritzkes (35), Rebeccah Bush (57), Samantha Cope (38), Nicholas Guest (74), Jesse Wolfe (58), Marion Bailey (74), Don Benjamin (38), Brendan Bradley (42), Ellie Gall (29), Peter Howitt (68), Anna Bergman (77), Bobby Coleman (28), Dylan Tays (54) |
| Charley Scalies, the Philadelphia-bred character actor who portrayed the stevedore and union guy Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa on the second season of The Wire and Tony’s high school football coach in a dream sequence on The Sopranos, has died. He was 84. The obituary. |
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