| | | | | | What's news: Trump and Paramount Global are in "active settlement discussions." Allen Entertainment Studios has settled its lawsuit with McDonald's. Take-Two Interactive will continue making the NBA 2K video game franchise. Lilo & Stitch flew past the $850m mark at the global box office. Nick Cannon will take over as host of Fox's Lego Masters. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Top Hollywood Marketers 2025 ►Who did it best? As leaders from the tech, marketing and entertainment industries convene in France for Cannes Lions, THR toasts the brand leaders finding innovative ways to get their message across. The story.
—🤝 Huge W. 🤝 McDonald’s reached a settlement in the $10b lawsuit brought by Byron Allen's Allen Entertainment Studios, in which the media mogul accused the fast food company of discriminating against Black-owned media companies. Allen’s companies and McDonald’s released a joint statement on Friday, revealing that they’d come to “an agreement to settle pending litigation between them.” At the tailend of last year, U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin found that McDonald’s may have violated federal and state civil rights laws by keeping a separate advertising tier for companies who create content target toward Black audiences. The news comes after McDonald’s was set to go to trial for the lawsuit. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The story.
—🤝 Extension. 🤝 The NBA, video game giant Take-Two Interactive and the National Basketball Players Association have agreed in principle to a multiyear extension of their partnership, continuing the NBA 2K video game franchise, while also expanding into new areas. One of those new areas is media and entertainment, with the companies unveiling what they are calling NBA Take-Two Media, which will combine competitive gaming, social and long-form entertainment programming and live events. The story. |
Hollywood Stars Hit the Streets For "No Kings" Protests ►ICYMI. Hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. took part of the "No Kings" protests on Saturday, ahead of Donald Trump's ultimately underwhelming military parade. Among the teeming masses protesting were a host of A-list stars, including Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, Gracie Abrams, Kerry Washington, Anna Kendrick, Gina Rodriguez-LoCicero and Tessa Thompson. Ruffalo spoke with MSNBC at a protest in New York City and was asked why people were out protesting in the rain “to send a message,” to which he responded, “Because we see our democracy is in real trouble.” The story.
—In talks. Donald Trump and Paramount Global are in “active settlement discussions” amid a lawsuit that Trump filed against the company over an interview that CBS’ 60 Minutes aired last year with Kamala Harris. The revelation came in a motion filed Friday by Trump’s attorneys asking for an extension in the deadlines in his lawsuit against Paramount Global, parent company of CBS. The motion states that both sides “respectively submit that good cause to extend the deadlines set forth in the table below exists because the Parties are engaged in active settlement discussions, including continued mediation.” The story.
—"He is such a dick." John Oliver again criticized Donald Trump on Last Week Tonight, this time over the latter’s response to increasing protests against immigration raids across the country. “Why would you send troops if there is nothing for them to do?” Oliver asked. “You’re just gonna have 4,000 soldiers wandering around L.A. swinging by the Hollywood Walk of Fame and going, ‘Oh, Christian Slater. OK.'” The recap.
—Reduced sentence. Former Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti had his federal prison sentence from a June 2022 financial fraud conviction reduced from an initial 14 years during a resentencing on Thursday in California. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday confirmed to THR that U.S. District Judge James V. Selna on Thursday cut Avenatti’s prison sentence to 135 months, or 11 years and 3 months, for a 2022 conviction for ripping off his California clients and others for millions of dollars. An incarcerated Avenatti, who made a name for himself representing porn actor Daniels against Donald Trump during his first term in the White House, will spend just under eight more years in prison to complete his federal prison sentence, after factoring in time served. But his legal woes aren't over. The story.
—ICYMI. Kanye “Ye” West made a brief, surprise visit to Manhattan federal court on Friday to support Sean “Diddy” Combs in the fallen mogul’s ongoing sex-trafficking trial. West arrived at the courthouse dressed in a white denim jacket and sporting sunglasses shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time and spent about 40 minutes in the building, but his appearance instantly created a media frenzy. West indicated he was there to support Combs, but he didn’t respond when a reporter asked if he’d testify on Combs’ behalf. The story. |
'How to Train Your Dragon' Roars to $198M Global Opening ►Follow the leader. Borrowing a page from Disney’s playbook is paying off big time for Universal at the box office, where the live-action remake of DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon opened to a series-best $83.7m domestically and $197.8m globally, according to Sunday estimates. That includes a huge international haul of $114.1m from 81 markets. Graced with rave exit scores from moviegoers — including an A CinemaScore and an almost-unheard-of 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the summer event pic is winning over both families and younger single adults who grew up on the animated franchise. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that it’s the same phenomenon that has turned Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch into a box office blockbuster.
After ruling the roost for three consecutive weekends and shattering numerous records, Lilo & Stitch fell to second place domestically with an estimated $15.5m from 3,675 cinemas, while earning another $31.1m overseas as it flew past the $850m mark worldwide.
Turning to the weekend’s other new nationwide offering, filmmaker Celine Song’s specialty offering Materialists opened in third place with a better-than-expected $12m from 2,844 cinemas to score A24’s third-biggest wide opening ever behind Civil War ($25.5m) and Hereditary ($13.5m), unadjusted. The box office report. |
'Arco' Wins Annecy ►🏆 Félicitations! 🏆 Arco, a French animated feature about of unexpected friendship and the fate of a world impacted by climate change, has won the Cristal for best film at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The feature debut of famed French illustrator Ugo Bienvenu, which premiered in Cannes and counts Natalie Portman among its producers, follows Arco, a 10‑year‑old boy from the year 2932 who inadvertently travels back in time, via a rainbow, to 2075, where he encounters Iris, a young girl living through environmental collapse. Their burgeoning friendship becomes a tender yet urgent bond across time, rooted in innocence, curiosity and shared heartbreak. The winners.
—🎭 Together again, Part I. 🎭 Darren Aronofsky is looking to reteam with his The Whale studio A24, and is in talks to direct Dwayne Johnson in the feature Breakthrough. The logline for the film reads: “In turn-of-the-millennium Southern California, an alienated young man comes under the influence of a motivational guru, whose intoxicating charm masks his morally questionable methods of manipulation and his own concealed darkness.” Johnson will be playing a supporting role in the film. A24 will produce and finance the feature written by Zeke Goodman. The story.
—🎭 Together again, Part II. 🎭 It’s time for Matthew McConaughey and True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto to collaborate again. McConaughey is in talks to star in a movie centering on the detective character Mike Hammer for a project that has a script from Pizzolatto. Skydance has acquired rights to the Mike Hammer property, with the character having originated in a 1947 novel by author Mickey Spillane and continued after Spillane’s death in books by Max Allan Collins. In the book series that kicked off with Spillane’s I, the Jury, Mike Hammer is a private investigator who plays by his own rules and carries a torch for assistant Velda. Baby, It’s Murder is billed as the final book in the series and was released this year. The story. |
'Last of Us' Ratings Declined During S2. But Why? ►Slipping. The first season of The Last of Us was a ratings blockbuster for HBO, setting records from the moment it premiered in 2023. The adaption of the postapocalyptic PlayStation game was the second-biggest series debut for network since 2010 and grew its audience significantly over its first few weeks. The second season told a slightly different story, and in more ways than one. The Last of Us season two was still an extremely popular and acclaimed success. But according to Nielsen, the seven-episode second season has been softer in the ratings overall, despite kicking off slightly higher. THR's James Hibberd has some theories as to why the ratings for the drama have slipped, and some lessons learned from Game of Thrones. The analysis.
—🎭 Fresh batch. 🎭 A new crop of Faithfuls (and Traitors) are preparing to head to the Scottish Highlands. Donna Kelce, former Housewives Lisa Rinna and Dorinda Medley, actors Ron Funches and Michael Rapaport, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Monét X Change and Love Island USA‘s Rob Rausch are among the 23 castmembers joining season four of Peacock's hit reality show The Traitors. Candiace Dillard Bassett, Michael Rapaport, Eric Nam, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski are also set to join the Emmy Award-winning reality series. The story.
—Block change. The next edition of Lego Masters of Fox will be built a little differently from the show’s prior runs. The network has ordered a sixth season of the competition show — and announced that Nick Cannon will take over as host. Will Arnett has hosted the first five seasons of Lego Masters — including the one currently airing on Fox — and three editions of the spinoff Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular. The parting of Arnett and Lego Masters appears amicable; sources told THR that scheduling conflicts made him unavailable to host season six. The story. |
TV Showrunners on the Revival of the Medical Drama ►"People need hope now." Shows revolving around health care workers have long been a big part of television, but this year, fans of the genre have more fare to choose from than ever. THR's Beatrice Verhoeven spoke to the showrunners behind Brilliant Minds, The Pitt, Watson, St. Denis Medical and more about the renaissance of the medical drama. The story.
—Reality TV’s unlikely golden boy. THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Alan Cumming, the Emmy-winning host of Peacock's surprise breakout hit, The Traitors. The Scot gets candid about arrogant contestants, an Anniversary Party sequel and his surprise invite to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. The interview.
—"There’s a genre of docuseries that really borrows from the language of reality television." Mikey also spoke to prolific filmmaker Liz Garbus about entering the Emmy conversation with her latest works, Hulu’s Good American Family and her Netflix doc Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer. The two-time Oscar nominee also talked about the tricky tone of making a scripted show about the real-life girl whose foster parents passed her off as an adult and what viewers can expect from the Idaho project that will premiere long before a verdict. The interview. |
Adria Arjona Felt "Great Honor" Tackling Rape in 'Andor' ►"If you’re going to tell all sides of one story, then you cannot leave out the abuse of power." THR's Brande Victorian spoke to Adria Arjona about her groundbreaking role in Disney+'s critically-acclaimed Star Wars series Andor. The actress discusses the attempted sexual assault of her character Bix in season two of the show, that has sparked a great deal of debate. The interview.
—"To the team that made Andor, I guess I can say that you're the ones who've finally brought me back in." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Colin Trevorrow about producing the new Amazon Prime Video comedy feature Deep Cover. The Jurassic World Dominion filmmaker also discusses the return of dino franchise with Rebirth and also his thoughts on the Star Wars series eight years after his high profile departure from Episode 9. The interview.
—"I'm trying to live in imposter syndrome as much as possible these days." THR's Nicole Fell spoke to Karen Gillan about her new film, The Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan's adaptation of the Stephen King novella of the same name. The Scottish actress and filmmaker chats about working with Flanagan again, why she’s focusing on directing and if she’s considering returning to Marvel. The interview. |
With 'Thunderbolts*', Has Wyatt Russell Finally Broken Through? ►"I’ve always looked to do something completely different than I did on the last thing." Wyatt Russell, the son of Hollywood royalty Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and brother of Kate Hudson, has been doing critically acclaimed work for years. But with a Marvel blockbuster under his belt, people are finally putting the pieces together. THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to the actor about graduating to the A-list, and his next two films, including Steven Spielberg’s secretive sci-fi project and Avengers: Doomsday. The interview.
—"It’s dangerous territory, but rock and roll can’t kill you." Seth also spoke to Matt Berninger, frontman of The National, about his new solo album, Get Sunk. The singer opens up about overcoming burnout, his "pile of Legos" lyrics and the cosmic connection between sad dads and Taylor Swift-loving teenagers. The interview.
—"I felt so lucky to put something good out into the world." THR's Hilary Lewis spoke to director Stephen Chbosky and writer Liz Maccie about their new film, Nonnas. The married couple discuss the "amazing women" being celebrated in the Netflix film, based on a true story, that stars Susan Sarandon, Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire and Lorraine Bracco. Warning: Spoilers! The interview. |
Film Review: 'Everything's Going to Be Great' ►"Minor charms, major frustrations." THR's Angie Han reviews Jon S. Baird's Tribeca spotlight narrative selection, Everything's Going to Be Great. A theater kid navigates an unconventional upbringing with a starry-eyed wannabe Broadway producer father in a coming-of-age story directed by the Tetris filmmaker. Starring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Allison Janney, Bryan Cranston, Jack Champion, Chris Cooper and Simon Rex. The review.
—"More than a call to action." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Gianna Toboni's Tribeca spotlight documentary selection, Just Kids. Toboni's feature follows a handful of trans kids and their families as they navigate the hostile environment of conservative states in America. The review.
In other news...
—Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson team up in Naked Gun reboot’s full trailer
—Final Squid Game trailer promises to "put an end to it"
—The Boys star Erin Moriarty reveals Graves’ disease diagnosis
—Daniel Lasker signs with Innovative Artists
—Betsy Gay, Little Rascals child actress and yodeler, dies at 96
What else we're reading...
—With Jaws hitting 50 this year, Nigel Andrews looks at why the movies have never been the same since it came out [FT]
—Google has seemingly killed the media, with Isabella Simonetti and Katherine Blunt reporting that news sites are getting crushed by the tech giant's new AI tools [WSJ]
—Dustin Volz, Isabella Simonetti and Robert McMillan report that a big cyberattack hit The Washington Post, including journalists’ email accounts [WSJ]
—Yasmin Rufo and Alex Taylor dig into the family feud that has the potential to derail the Beckham empire [BBC]
—Christopher Helman reports on the trillion-dollar AI data center tsunami that is about to overwhelm the U.S. [Forbes]
Today...
...in 1993, Disney brought the witchcraft feature Hocus Pocus to the big screen, where it earned $39m stateside during its run. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Laurie Metcalf (70), Daniel Brühl (47), John Cho (53), Clifton Collins Jr. (55), Charlotte Kirk (33), Billy Barratt (18), Park Bo-gum (32), Missy Peregrym (43), Sibel Kekilli (45), Jessica McNamee (37), Abby Elliott (38), Arnold Vosloo (63), Eileen Atkins (91), Eddie Cibrian (52), Camila Morrone (28), Frederick Koehler (50), Lyndsey Marshal (47), Nathan Parsons (37), James Patrick Stuart (57), Geoff Pierson (76), Joan Van Ark (82), Kekoa Kekumano (27), Iantha Richardson (35), Ali Stroker (38), Tom Lenk (49), Joseph May (51), Anya Chipovskaya (38), Adam Ray (43), Olivia Hack (42), Débora Nascimento (40), Imtiaz Ali (54), Jonny Weston (37), Tobias Segal (44) |
| Terry Louise Fisher, the former Los Angeles assistant district attorney who put her legal expertise to work when she teamed with Steven Bochco to create the acclaimed NBC drama L.A. Law, has died. She was 79. The obituary. |
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