| | | | | | What's news: The Golden Reel Awards is banning AI content. Bill and Lewis Pullman are in talks to star in Spaceballs 2. Jurassic World Rebirth is tracking to open at $120m+. Paramount+ has renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fifth season. Starz has ordered its first original series since it split from Lionsgate. Disney+'s Andor has finally topped Nielsen's streaming rankings. — Abid Rahman
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Weinstein's New York Case Isn't Over Yet ►"Today is not the end of my fight." There was one conviction in Harvey Weinstein's New York criminal case, but the saga continues. A jury of 12 had found Weinstein guilty Wednesday of one count of a criminal sexual act against former Project Runway assistant Miriam Haley, but not guilty of the other count of a criminal sexual act against former model Kaja Sokola. The jurors were sent home Wednesday afternoon, amid inflamed tensions and one juror saying he was being threatened by others, with plans to resume deliberating the next day on the remaining charge of rape in the third degree. However, on Thursday, the juror refused to return to the deliberation room and a mistrial was called on that charge. THR's Caitlin Huston reports that prosecutors said they plan to retry Weinstein on the rape charge. The story.
—Served. Blake Lively is serving Scooter Braun and Hybe America, where he serves as CEO, with subpoenas in her ongoing lawsuit against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni. Hybe Corp., the South Korean entertainment giant, has an investment stake in The Agency Group, the publicity firm founded by crisis PR veteran Melissa Nathan, who was brought aboard to represent Baldoni around the time of the movie’s release in late summer 2024. Months later, Nathan was among those named in a lawsuit filed by Lively alleging that Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer retaliated against her by weaponizing social media after she raised claims of sexual harassment. The story.
—Bleak. The future of federal funding for public media is, for the first time in decades, facing a very real risk of being eliminated, after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass Donald Trump’s rescission package, which pulls $1.1b in funding for PBS and NPR. The House passed the package by the slimmest of margins, 214-212, after one Republican switched their vote. The rescission package now heads to the U.S. Senate, which can pass it with a simple majority (or 50 votes, with the Vice President breaking a tie). Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat majority, and while some moderates like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have expressed concerns about the package, it may not be enough to stop it from passing. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 The Recording Academy has revealed the key dates for this year’s Grammy season, as the awards ceremony itself will take place on Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, while the nominations will go live Nov. 7, 2025. Music released between Aug. 31, 2024 and Aug. 30, 2025 will be eligible for consideration for the 68th Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy also announced a few updates to its rules and categories for this year’s awards, including in the country, best new artist, packaging and classical categories. The story.
—🤝 JV deal. 🤝 Universal Music Group has established a new joint venture with Patrick Whitesell and his Silver Lake Capital-backed investment firm WTSL. The deal puts Whitesell — who left his post as executive chairman of WME back in March — in business with the world’s largest music company. Neither UMG nor Whitesell disclosed any specific financial details of the new partnership. Among UMG’s roster of superstars are Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift among others. Whitesell and UMG said the JV is focused around taking UMG’s music and artists and creating more opportunities with their IP through “film, television, fashion, consumer products and branded experiences” among other potential avenues. The story.
—Podcast push. CNN wants to expand its podcast business, bringing new talent and formats to the fast-growing audio (and increasingly video) business. But first, it needs to do a little rebrand. CNN is rebranding the division from CNN Audio to CNN Podcasts, recognizing the fact, well, people call them podcasts. THR's Alex Weprin spoke to Steve Lickteig, the head of CNN Podcasts, about the strategy behind the expansion. The story. |
Why Disney's AI Lawsuit Will Determine Whether Studios Survive ►"This was but the first shot — even an early symbol — of what will almost certainly be a larger war." On Thursday, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney over tools that allow users to create images and videos that can manipulate famous characters at the click of a prompt. THR's Steven Zeitchik digs into the massive importance of the legal action and why its bigger than just a fight to shape the rules of the road for automated content. The analysis.
—🏆 A big fat no. 🏆 A Hollywood awards body is taking a stand against AI content. The Motion Picture Sound Editors group announced on Thursday that its prizes for the 2025 calendar year will not be open to any work in which generative AI was used to create sound for the finished product, drawing a line in the sand that the Oscars, Emmys and other major bodies have yet to impose. The ban for the MPSE’s Golden Reel Awards, which for now will apply only to this year, is meant to slow down a mainstreaming of the technology as it continues to come at Hollywood fast. The story.
—🤝 A big fat yes. 🤝 Toy giant Mattel has struck a strategic partnership with Sam Altman’s OpenAI that will see artificial intelligence-powered products help develop and launch fan experiences based on iconic toy brands. The first product driven by OpenAI’s technology, which includes ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, will be unveiled laster this year. Mattel said using OpenAI’s technology “will bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences with an emphasis on innovation, privacy, and safety.” The story. |
Annecy: Pixar Gives First Look at 'Toy Story 5,' Teases New Original 'Gatto' ►Lots of goodies. Pixar offered an exclusive first look at its hottest upcoming features — including Hoopers and Toy Story 5 — and announced a brand-new original production, Gatto, during a studio presentation on Friday at the Annecy animation film festival in France as part of a broader showcase that also included extensive footage from the 2025 release Elio. Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter took the stage to present behind-the-scenes material from Toy Story 5, revealing early footage and confirming the return of franchise veterans Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cussack. Docter also announced a brand-new animated feature, the original Gatto, which will be directed by Luca filmmaker Enrico Casarosa and release in summer 2027. Gatto follows Nero, a water-hating black cat living in the picturesque city of Venice, who befriends Maya, a lonely street musician. The story.
—🎭 Family affair. 🎭 Thunderbolts* breakout Lewis Pullman is ready to reunite with his father Bill onscreen and is in talks to star in the upcoming Spaceballs sequel. The elder Pullman starred as the Han Solo-esque character Lone Starr in the Mel Brooks-directed film, which was released in 1987 and is fondly remembered for its riffs on Star Wars. Amazon MGM Studios is behind the sequel and intends to give it a theatrical release in 2027. Josh Greenbaum is directing from a script by Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez and Josh Gad; the latter is also starring along with Keke Palmer. Brooks returns as the Yoda-esque character Yogurt. Also expected to return to their roles are Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga. The story.
—🏆 Congrats! 🏆 The Tribeca Festival announced the 2025 award winners on Thursday. Charliebird, Happy Birthday and Natchez took the top awards in the U.S. narrative, international narrative and documentary competitions, respectively. Happy Birthday won three awards in total including best screenplay in an international narrative feature and the Nora Ephron award for first-time director Sara Goher. Natchez also received special jury mentions for cinematography and editing. And Esta Isla won two awards — best new narrative director for Cristian Carretero and Lorraine Jones Molina and best cinematography in a U.S. narrative feature — and received a special jury mention for best U.S. narrative feature. The winners.
—Dino might. A new Jurassic World film stomps back into theaters just in time to set off major fireworks at the Fourth of July holiday, or at least that’s the hope. If tracking is correct, Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth should open anywhere from $120m to $125m over the five-day holiday corridor. The pic opens in North America on July 2, a Wednesday. Universal and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin, home of the multi-billion dollar franchise, are trying to manage expectations by stressing that the pic could come in on the lower end of tracking, and even in the $90m to $100m range. The box office report.
—Boarding. THR's Etan Vlessing has the scoop that Bob Odenkirk and I Saw the TV Glow filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun have boarded Jess McLeod’s dark comedy She’s Nonbinary as executive producers. The film, shot in Vancouver, sees major misgendering when Max, played by McLeod, and their straight, cisgender boyfriend Jake (Alexander Steele Zonjic) face a major identity crisis after Max reveals they are finally off the waitlist for top surgery, or a medical procedure to create a more masculine or feminine appearance. McLeod had a key role in Odenkirk’s latest feature, the action film Normal , that was directed by Ben Wheatley and shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The story. |
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' to End With a Shortened S5 ►Phased-out. Paramount+ has renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fifth season, which will consist of six episodes. The season will also be the show’s last. The announcement comes ahead of the show’s third season premiere on July 17. So not only do fans have a new season this summer, but there is also a fourth season to come before the shortened fifth season final run (previous seasons — including the upcoming third and fourth — have consisted of 10 episodes each). Season four is already in production, and season five will begin production later this year. There are no premiere dates for the remaining seasons as of yet, but one can expect Strange New Worlds will likely not conclude until 2027 or 2028. The story.
—Wait, what? Adult Swim’s newest series will brush up against the world of the NFL — or, at least, its most famous team owner. The cable network has ordered a series called Keeping Up With the Joneses from creators Hugh Davidson, Rachel Ramras and Larry Dorf. The 10-episode, half-hour show will chronicle the Newberry family of Dallas as they try to “keep up” with their staggeringly wealthy neighbors — including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who lives next door. The animated version of Jones will be a character in the series (though voiced by an actor, not by Jones himself). The story.
—Get in! Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios have greenlit Mister Miracle, an adult animated series based on the 12-issue Eisner Award-winning comic from writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads. King is executive producer and showrunner on the series, which is currently in production. Mister Miracle marks the second adult-oriented animated project from Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios, following Creature Commandos, the James Gunn-created series is currently in production on its second season for HBO Max. Other recent animated series orders from DC Studios include Starfire!, My Adventures with Green Lantern, and DC Super Powers. The story.
—Fiddy up first. The newly independent Starz has placed its first series order after splitting off from Lionsgate. The premium cable and streaming outlet has ordered Fightland, a drama set in the world of British boxing from executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Damione Macedon and Raphael Jackson Jr. will serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers; Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith are also writers and EPs. Starz formally split from its former parent company, Lionsgate, in May. Now without a studio partner, the company is looking to develop and produce IP that it owns and will continue to center programming aimed at (and made by) women and traditionally underrepresented audiences. The story. |
'Andor' Tops Streaming Rankings ►Go watch Andor! The conclusion of Andor propelled the Star Wars series to another high mark — including the No. 1 overall ranking — on Nielsen’s streaming charts. Andor collected 931m minutes of viewing for the week of May 12-18; its final three episodes debuted on May 13. It grew by 101m minutes week to week and set a series high in viewing time for the fourth consecutive time — one for every week Disney+ released episodes of season two. (Disney+ had the top two titles for the week, as Bluey came in just behind Andor with 922m viewing minutes.) Also of note: Rogue One, the Star Wars movie that takes place directly after the events of Andor , made the streaming movie chart for the week as well. It tied for ninth place in those rankings with 179m viewing minutes. The previous week’s overall leader, Netflix’s comedy The Four Seasons, dropped out of the overall top 10 but remained in the original series rankings with 549m minutes. The streaming rankings.
—In for the long haul. Bravo has renewed Andy Cohen's late night show Watch What Happens Live through 2027, keeping the former TV executive at the brand for years to come as a host and producer. NBCUniversal also extended Cohen’s first-look deal through 2028. Cohen will also continue to host reunions and specials, and serve as an executive producer on the Real Housewives franchise. The story.
—Sticking around. David Letterman’s post-retirement career will continue for a while longer. Netflix has renewed the former Late Show host’s interview series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, for two more seasons. The pickup will take the show through its seventh installment. Season six of the series is scheduled to premiere later this year; a specific date and guest lineup have yet to be announced. My Next Guest has aired 27 episodes (plus two “bonus” editions that fall under the show’s listings on Netflix) over five seasons dating back to 2018, when the show’s first guest was Barack Obama. The story.
—Gladiators, ready! Amazon Prime Video’s American Gladiators reboot has found its gladiators. The new season will feature 16 gladiators — eight women and eight men — picked from across the country. The group includes bodybuilders, pro wrestlers, former Division I athletes, CrossFit champions and military veterans. The series will be hosted by WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin. His sidekicks will be sideline reporter Rocsi Diaz, the former co-host of BET’s 106 & Park, sports commentator Chris Rose will be on play by play. The story. |
TV Review: 'Revival' ►"An overstuffed but entertaining remix of familiar tropes." THR's Angie Han reviews Syfy's Revival. Wynonna Earp star Melanie Scrofano returns to the network for an Image Comics-based series about a Wisconsin town where the dead suddenly return to life. Also starring Romy Weltman, David James Elliott and Andy McQueen. The review.
—"A strong start yields to a disappointing finish." THR India's Anupama Chopra reviews Mani Ratnam's Thug Life. Thirty-eight years after the juggernaut success of Nayakan, its director and star reunite for a crime drama about an aging gangster seeking revenge. Starring Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha, Abhirami, Nassar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Ali Fazal and Mahesh Manjrekar. The review.
—"A decent, if thin, primer." THR's Daniel Fienberg reviews Jackie Jesko's Tribeca spotlight documentary selection, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything. Executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Jesko's film traces the iconic journalist's life and career. The review. |
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 live episode, Scott spoke to Nobody Wants This star Adam Brody. In front of an audience at the Newport Beach TV Fest, in the heart of the O.C., the fan-favorite reflects on playing Seth Cohen on the show of that name, the highs and lows of the years after it went off the air, and how he landed on another hit series, the Netflix rom-com on which he plays a rabbi. Listen here.
In other news...
—The Diplomat S3 teaser brings Bradley Whitford into the fold
—Heather Morgan named head of global distribution at Imax
—Loren Ruch, HGTV content chief, dies at 55
What else we're reading...
—Natalie Korach writes that fired ABC News reporter Terry Moran is the latest big name in the TV news–to–Substack pipeline [Vanity Fair]
—Katherine J. Wu writes that with his latest anti-vax moves, RFK Jr. is barely even pretending anymore [Atlantic]
—Critic James Poniewozik writes that Trump's new Apprentice boardroom is the Oval Office [NYT]
—Reflecting on the deaths of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, Craig Jenkins considers the double standards of White and Black genius [Vulture]
—Here's your Friday list: "The best stunts of all time, over nearly 100 years of the Oscars" [THR]
Today...
...in 2014, DreamWorks Animation released Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon 2 in theaters. After premiering in Cannes a month earlier, the animated sequel was a huge critical and commercial hit, scoring $622m at the global box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (35), Chris Evans (44), Stellan Skarsgård (74), Malcolm McDowell (82), Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (39), Charlotte Wells (38), Steve-O (51), Tim Allen (72), Kat Dennings (39), Ally Sheedy (63), Ethan Embry (47), Richard Thomas (74), Kodi Smit-McPhee (29), Greg Daniels (62), Ruth Codd (29), Théodore Pellerin (28), Disha Patani (33), Brande Roderick (51), Lisa Vidal (60), Luke James (41), Laura Kightlinger (56), Daisy Waterstone (31), Kathy Burke (61), Tygh Runyan (49), Kate Lyn Sheil (40), Ian McClarren (39), Jeff Davis (50) |
| Beans Morocco, the comic character actor who showed up in everything from Blazing Saddles, Used Cars and Eating Raoul to episodes of Mork & Mindy, The Bob Newhart Show and Growing Pains, has died. He was 90. The obituary. |
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