| | | | | | What's news: Harvey Weinstein has voluntarily discontinued his fraud and financial conspiracy suit against his brother. Ana Nogueira is in talks to pen a Wonder Woman movie for DC Studios. Adria Arjona is replacing Taylor Russell in The Thomas Crown Affair. Production on S4 of Apple's Ted Lasso is underway. — Abid Rahman
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Did Jeffrey Epstein Pay Steve Bannon for His Infamous, Never-Seen Media Training Sessions? ►"Without question he’s the biggest opportunist I have met in a lifetime of meeting opportunists." Like just about everybody else these days, Steve Bannon, one of the most prominent figures in MAGA world, has been pounding the table for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, blasting the disgraced financier as a "globalist child molester" and calling for full public transparency. Turns out, though, Bannon wasn’t always so critical of the late billionaire. In a bombshell exclusive, THR's Peter Kiefer reports that the much-talked about 15 hours of footage Bannon shot with Epstein were reportedly training for a 60 Minutes-style redemption tour that never happened. The story. |
Malcolm-Jamal Warner 1970 - 2025 ►Shock death. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Theo Huxtable on NBC’s The Cosby Show, has died. He was 54. The actor and director died Sunday in an accidental drowning off the coast of Costa Rica. Warner’s role on the long-running Cosby Show earned him an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy and positioned him for later success in Hollywood. His more recent TV work included the role of surgeon AJ Austin on the medical drama The Resident and the courtroom drama Accused, both on Fox. The obituary.
—"What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant." Questlove, Tracee Ellis Ross, Magic Johnson, Sherri Shepherd, Tyrese Gibson, Jennifer Hudson, Larenz Tate, Jamie Foxx, Taraji P. Henson, Ben Crump, Maxwell and Niecy Nash-Betts are among the Hollywood stars mourning Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Eddie Griffin, who starred alongside Warner on UPN’s Malcolm & Eddie from 1996-2000, wrote on social media, “My Heart is heavy today… For what the world lost was a Father a Son a Poet a Musician a Actor a Teacher a Writer a Director a Friend a Warrior that I had the pleasure of going to war with against the Hollywood machine and sometimes with each other because that’s what Brothers do but the Love was and is always there. You’ve taught me so much and I thank you. Rest Well My Big little Brother.” The reaction. |
'Late Show': Colbert's Famous Friends Make Cameos ►Love-in. Stephen Colbert was feeling all the love and support from some of his late-night allies and famous friends on Monday night after it was announced that The Late Show had been canceled. Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Weird Al” Yankovic came out to cheer up the crowd in the Ed Sullivan Theatre by singing Coldplay’s "Viva la Vida." The camera then panned to the audience for a Coldplay kiss cam parody, except it featured several more famous faces showing their solidarity to Colbert, including Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper, Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon, Late Night's Seth Meyers and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. The recap.
—"You are fucking wrong." On Monday night, it was Jon Stewart's turn to offer his take on his close friend and former colleague Colbert's cancellation — and he didn’t hold back. In fact, he might have set an f-bomb record for The Daily Show. "I believe CBS lost the benefit of the doubt two weeks prior when they sold out their flagship news program to pay an extortion fee to settle with the president," Stewart said about CBS' reasons for ending the Late Show. "Look, I understand the corporate fear. I understand the fear that you and your advertisers have with $8b at stake. But understand this truly: The shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control — a not-insignificant portion of that $8b value came from those fucking shows." The recap.
—"I don’t like what's going on one bit." “I am your host,” The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon kicked off, telling his Monday broadcast crowd. “Well, at least for tonight,” the comedian added, referencing The Late Show cancellation. "CBS could lose millions of viewers, plus tens of hundreds watching on Paramount+," Fallon joked in his monologue. The recap. |
Soon-Shiong: L.A. Times Set to Go Public ►Surprise news. The Los Angeles Times is set to go public, that’s according to billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who made the surprise announcement in an interview with Jon Stewart on Monday’s episode of The Daily Show. In a wide-ranging interview, Soon-Shiong spoke about his medical research work as well as his ownership of the Times. After Stewart asked whether there was a conflict of interest in Soon-Shiong seeking FDA approval for some of his businesses as well as owning a major newspaper, the billionaire replied that he would look to “take L.A. Times public, [for it] to be democratized. And allow the public to have ownership of this paper,” to move away from ethics concerns. Soon-Shiong said he hoped the move to take the Times public would happen over the next year, and he was working with an organization to make it happen. The story.
—Messier and messier. Justin Baldoni and his production banner Wayfarer could be on the hook for a steep legal bill to litigate allegations of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. Wayfarer’s insurer for the film, Harco National Insurance, filed a lawsuit in New York federal court on Monday seeking a court order that it has no duty to pay legal fees for the production company or its officers. It says that the alleged misconduct occurred before the effective date of the policy and that it wasn’t informed of Blake Lively's complaints, a precursor to the sprawling litigation, during the filming of the movie. The move adds another wrinkle to a labyrinthine web of lawsuits over the shooting and public relations machinations behind It Ends With Us . The story.
—Withdrawn. Harvey Weinstein has voluntarily discontinued his fraud and financial conspiracy claims against his brother, Bob Weinstein. In a suit, which was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in February, Weinstein alleged that Bob Weinstein, David Glasser and others made Harvey Weinstein guarantee a $45m loan from AI International Holdings in 2016 to support the film production and distribution company. Harvey Weinstein alleged that the money was not used to help the company, but rather that Bob Weinstein and Glasser took the money for “personal use, unauthorized bonuses, and unrelated financial dealings.” Harvey Weinstein alleged he was then wrongfully left solely responsible for repaying the loan after his sexual assault allegations led to a breach of contract. The story.
—Suit filed. Paramount Pictures has been sued by two former employees, who allege the studio turned a blind eye to sexual harassment and assault by their supervisor. One of the accusers, in a Jane Doe lawsuit filed on July 14 in California state court, claims she was sexually assaulted multiple times from 2016 to 2018 at the studio lot and offices. The other, also brought by a woman identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment in which her supervisor bombarded her with sexual comments and advances. At the center of the litigation: Patrick Smith, senior vice president of worldwide print production, who resigned earlier this year following an investigation into his alleged misconduct. The women bring claims for sexual assault and harassment, discrimination, negligence and retaliation, among several others. The story.
—More changes. JP Richards and Keri Moore, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s heads of marketing, are set to leave the company. Richards' and Moore's roles will not be immediately filled after they step down. Instead, Amanda Kozlowski, executive strategy and chief of staff; Jack Teed, executive vp of global creative advertising, and Nasim Cambron, executive vp of worldwide publicity, are expected to lead global campaigns for the studio’s theatrical release slate as Adam Fogelson, chair of the Motion Picture Group assumes a more active role in overseeing the department. The story. |
'Thomas Crown Affair': Adria Arjona Replaces Taylor Russell ►🎭 Drafted in. 🎭 Adria Arjona is set to star alongside Michael B. Jordan in The Thomas Crown Affair for Amazon MGM Studios. Jordan directs and stars in the feature reimagining that is currently in production in London and follows Norman Jewison's 1968 original of the same name starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. Kenneth Branagh, Lily Gladstone, Danai Gurira, Pilou Asbæk and Aiysha Hart round out the cast for the new project that hits theaters March 5, 2027. Taylor Russell was previously set to star opposite Jordan in the film. THR reported last week that the Bones and All actress exited the movie amid creative differences. The story.
—Edging closer. DC Studios is taking one step closer to a Wonder Woman movie, with the studio in talks with Ana Nogueira to pen the script. Nogueira is a favorite at the studio, where she has a blind deal and wrote next summer’s Supergirl movie and is working on a live-action Teen Titans movie. Wonder Woman is a crown jewel of the DC Universe, and along with Superman and Batman, makes up part of the Trinity of its key heroes. Gal Gadot previously starred in a pair of Wonder Woman films, with 2017’s Wonder Woman breaking ground for female led superhero films and earning both acclaim $822m globally. She also starred in Wonder Woman 1984 and appeared in Justice League, The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods . The role will be recast for the new DCU. The story.
—The truth! The director of the latest I Know What You Did Last Summer movie knows about Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.'s chemistry in the new film. Sony's feature reboot from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson hit theaters over the weekend, landing in third place at the domestic box office with $12.7m. A social media user’s post on Saturday asked fellow fans whether they thought Hewitt and Prinze — who reprise their roles from the original movie and its sequel — “filmed their scenes together” in the 2025 installment. “People are starting to notice the ‘cuts and separate shots,'” the post continued. Robinson was quick to clear up any confusion surrounding the pair’s scenes. “They absolutely shot their scenes together. Hope this helps,” the filmmaker wrote, adding a heart emoji. The story. |
Venice 2025 Lineup Revealed ►Stellar. Oscar season starts here. With its 2025 lineup, announced Tuesday, the Venice Film Festival has (again) taken the award season pole position, with a program packed with a frankly absurd number of must-see movies. Among the hot awards titles heading to the Lido are Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, from A24, featuring Dwayne Johnson as two‑time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr and Emily Blunt as his wife Dawn; Luca Guadagnino’s #MeToo–inspired thriller After the Hunt, for Amazon MGM Studios, starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri, will premiere out of competition; and Guillermo del Toro’s dark reimagining of Frankenstein, featuring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, a Netflix production. The lineup.
—Latest additions. The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled new star-driven Gala and Special Presentations titles, including Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, Maude Apatow’s Poetic License, Isabel Coixet’s Three Goodbyes, David Michod’s Christy, James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg and Alice Winocour’s Couture. World bows have also been added for the latest movies starring Sydney Sweeney, Russell Crowe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves and Lily James. The lineup. |
'Ted Lasso' Kicks Back Into Gear ►LFG!!! The fourth season of Ted Lasso is underway, with filming beginning Monday and the core of the show’s cast returning. Several actors have also joined the Apple TV+ series, which will find its title character (Jason Sudeikis) taking on the coaching of a women’s soccer team. After a long period of speculation about the show’s future following its third season finale in May 2023, Apple officially ordered a fourth season in March. Sudeikis was the only castmember that Apple would confirm at that time, but producer Warner Bros. TV had previously picked up options for Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift, who play, respectively, Rebecca Welton, Roy Kent and Leslie Higgins. All three are returning, as are Juno Temple (Keeley Jones) and Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard), who at the time of the season four pickup were in negotiations to reprise their roles. The story.
—Upped. The Daily Show is giving another one of its correspondents a shot behind the host’s desk. Josh Johnson will anchor the Comedy Central late night show’s Tuesday through Thursday editions this week, marking his first time in the host’s chair. Jon Stewart will have his usual spot Monday night. Johnson is joining a Tuesday-to-Thursday host rotation that also includes Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic. Since Stewart’s return to the show in February 2024, he has hosted one show per week (typically on Mondays) along with a Thursday podcast called The Weekly Show, with members of the news team hosting the remaining three installments. The story. |
TV Review: 'Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time' ►"Not definitive, but still powerful." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews NatGeo's Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time. Released ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Traci A. Curry's Ryan Coogler-produced five-part docuseries looks back at the lessons learned, and why we can't forget the tragic aspects that were man-made. The review.
In other news...
—Anne Hathaway shares first look at The Devil Wears Prada 2
—Mariah Carey confirms release date for 16th album Here For it All
—Rob Lowe lands new brand ambassador gig
—Busan to honor Jafar Panahi as Asian Filmmaker of the Year
—Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood No. 1 passes $500K in sales
—Justin Balsamo, Cari Sanders launch new awards shingle Tenth House PR
—DNEG’s immersive experiences unit names Jeff Lehman exec producer
—Jimmy Hunt, young star of Invaders From Mars, dies at 85
What else we're reading...
—Critic James Poniewozik writes that classic TV shows like The X Files and The Prisoner trained us to become conspiracy theorists [NYT]
—Paul Farhi goes inside Trump's campaign to crush the media, a war he's currently winning [Atlantic]
—John Herrman writes that Reddit, "the front page of the internet," is fast becoming the last vestige of the old web in the age of AI [Intelligencer]
—Nesrine Malik looks into how tiny oil-rich Qatar became the global capital of diplomacy [Guardian]
—Dov Lieber and Anat Peled report on Israel’s chaotic food program in Gaza that has turned deadly [WSJ]
Today...
...in 1996, Comedy Central unveiled a news-driven variety series, The Daily Show, with host Craig Kilborn. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Selena Gomez (33), Willem Dafoe (70), John Leguizamo (65), Terence Stamp (87), Danny Glover (79), Albert Brooks (78), Rhys Ifans (🏴58), Paul Schrader (79), Skyler Gisondo (29), Franka Potente (51), A.J. Cook (47), Josh Lawson (44), David Spade (61), Colin Ferguson (53), Jamie McShane (59), Blake Harrison (40), Madison Pettis (27), Patrick Labyorteaux (60), Joanna Going (62), Clive Standen (44), Alisha Newton (24), Adam Godley (61), James Arnold Taylor (56), Irene Bedard (58), Katherine Cunningham (39), Camila Banus (35), Rob Estes (62), Johnny Strong (51), Javon Walton (19), Jaz Sinclair (31), Sharni Vinson (42), Keegan Allen (36), Rosie Dwyer (29), Rena Owen (63), Sarah Lind (43), Jaime Camil (52), Jonathan Zaccaï (55), Diana Maria Riva (56), Ricky Russert (42), Parisa Fitz-Henley (48) |
| Gary Smith, the eight-time Emmy winner who produced six Tony Awards broadcasts, four Emmy telecasts and TV specials for the likes of Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Burt Bacharach, has died. He was 90. The obituary. |
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