| | | | | | What's news: The Paramount-Skydance deal will officially close on Aug. 7. The production assistants on The Pitt are looking to unionize. Family Guy is set for 2 specials this year. The first trailer for Avatar 3 has leaked online. — Abid Rahman
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'Fantastic Four' Rockets to $218M Globally ►First Family affair. In a much-needed win for both Kevin Feige‘s Marvel Studios and the franchise itself, Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four: First Steps rocketed to a global opening of $218m, including $118m domestically and $100m overseas. That’s a good start for a film series that’s been long dormant, and was never hugely successful to begin with. And it’s virtually on par with the recent $220m global box office debut of DC and Warner Bros.’ Superman, which, alongside Spider-Man and Batman, is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time.
THR's Pamela McClintock writes that the overall early performance of First Steps, which is winning over critics and audiences, is welcome news for the Disney-owned Marvel, where Feige and his team are looking for redemption after a rough few years (Deadpool & Wolverine being the exception). Outside of Deadpool 3, the Fantastic Four reboot marks one of the best domestic openings for Marvel in several years. It is also the 37th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to open in first place, as well as helping Disney become the first Hollywood studio to cross $3b in 2025 worldwide ticket sales. The box office report. |
Letterman, Leno Weigh in On Colbert Cancellation ►"Pure cowardice." Former Late Show host David Letterman has made his first direct comments about the cancellation of the CBS late night franchise — and they aren’t positive. Speaking with his former executive producer, Barbara Gaines, in a YouTube video, Letterman called the axing of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “pure cowardice” and said he doesn’t believe the official line from CBS that the decision was purely about economics. "The idea that they’re hiding behind money — they’ve given [Colbert] another 10 months, that’s another huge chunk of money they’re gonna lose, according to them," Letterman says. "I don’t think it was money. I think it was all to make sure [Skydance head David Ellison, set to become CEO of Paramount when the two companies’ merger closes in early August] were solid spending dad’s money." The story.
—"Nobody wants to hear a lecture." Jay Leno took aim at late-night hosts whose political humor appeals to only "half their audience" by making jokes targeting only one side of the ideological spectrum. The 75-year-old former Tonight Show host made the comments during a recent interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. While the interview was taped at least two weeks ago — likely before CBS made its shock announcement that it was canceling The Late Show on July 17 — the portion of the interview containing the late-night criticism was posted on YouTube last week and has been making the rounds this weekend due to recent headlines. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Nearly thirteen months after Shari Redstone and David Ellison came to terms on a megadeal that will transfer ownership of Paramount Global, there’s now a close date in sight: Aug. 7. The new company will trade on Nasdaq as “PSKY,” it disclosed in a securities filing on Friday. The agreement clears the way for Top Gun: Maverick producer Ellison’s firm Skydance to merge with the owner of Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET and Comedy Central. On Thursday, the FCC approved the deal, which was seen as the final hurdle to the close after a fraught few months of speculation involving how Donald Trump may have influenced discussions given his $16m settlement with the company in his legal battle with CBS News’ 60 Minutes. The story.
—ICYMI. In a memo sent on Friday, Paramount Global's current co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins thanked staff for their work during what has been an uncertain time amid the protracted Skydance deal. "As we near the end of a historic chapter for Paramount and prepare for a new era, we want to thank you for your resilience, creativity and dedication," McCarthy, Robbins and Cheeks wrote. "Because of you, Paramount is in a much better place today than it was a year ago, and it has been an honor to lead the company over the past year and work alongside you." The story.
—"Undermines the fundamental principles of free speech and creative expression." The union representing live musicians at The Late Show is speaking out against the cancellation of the show. In a statement, Robert Suttmann, president of Local 802 American Federation of Musicians, called the show’s surprise cancellation “deeply concerning” both because of the loss of jobs for the musicians in the show’s band, and for the broader implications on free speech. The story.
—"This is a dangerous thing." When the FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger, one commissioner blasted the decision, calling it an act of “cowardly capitulation” on behalf of Paramount and warning that this could lead to a further “erosion of our First Amendment protections.” The commissioner, Anna M. Gomez, is one of three leaders at the FCC, in addition to Chairman Brendan Carr and fellow commissioner Olivia Trusty, and is the only Democrat on the commission. THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to Gomez about what’s been happening at the FCC and what she’s urging the public to do. The interview. |
Meet the Sisters Battling to Become L.A.'s New Billboard Queen ►Move over Angelyne. For THR, Mickey Rapkin profiles Adriana and Veronica Gallardo, the sisters who are embroiled in an unique, and very L.A., battle. With her rags-to-riches rise from undocumented immigrant to insurance mogul — and her ubiquitous billboards — Adriana Gallardo has caught Hollywood’s attention. It’s a one-of-a-kind story, unless you count her sister and rival, Veronica. The story.
—✊ It's on. ✊ The hit, Emmy-nominated show The Pitt is notching another distinction: In a rare move, its production assistants are announcing an attempt to unionize. Support staffers on the second season of the show requested voluntary recognition for a union and filed a petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday, THR's Katie Kilkenny has learned. Their effort is the first backed by Production Assistants United — a movement that aims to unionize this class of workers nationwide — to go public. The story.
—Seeking new management. Keanu Reeves has parted ways with his longtime manager. The John Wick and Matrix star had been repped by Meredith Wechter at Range Media Partners. Insiders say Reeves has made multiple changes to how he runs his business and changing management was one of those decisions recently. On the agency side, Reeves is still said to be repped by a team at WME, where he has been since 2016 after leaving CAA. And he’s still repped by attorney Scott Sims at law firm Ziffren Brittenham. The story.
—Taking a stand. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are yanking their catalog from Spotify, the Australian rock band confirmed on Friday, citing founder Daniel Ek‘s investment in a military defense company. "Hello friends, A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology," the band wrote in an Instagram Story. "We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better? Join us on another platform." King Gizzard is most likely referring to Helsing, a German defense technology company that Ek’s investment firm Prima Materia led a $700m investment round on last month. Ek is also chairman of Helsing. The story.
—Messy. The production company behind Rebel Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb, has stepped into the legal battle over the film’s release, accusing the actress of blocking a distribution deal with the intent of buying the rights to the musical herself. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Australia, AI Film alleges a prospective distributor withdrew its offer after Wilson threatened to sue to prevent the movie from coming out. It claims breach of contract and seeks unspecified damages, as well as an apology and a court order preventing Wilson from continuing to make allegedly false statements about misconduct by the film’s producers. The story. |
'Rick and Morty' Creator on S8 Tinkering, Fan Demands ►"I've become my own Chevy Chase." THR scoundrel Ryan Gajewski spoke to Dan Harmon about the future of Adult Swim's monster animated series Rick and Morty. Harmon discusses the recently wrapped eighth season and reveals that he has already written season 10 episodes, which he jokes has led to confusion for him about when everything is airing. The interview.
—What's in a name? AMC is making a big change to Interview With the Vampire for the show’s third season. The core cast remains, as does showrunner Rolin Jones, but the series is being retitled as The Vampire Lestat. The change, marks a shift in the series based on Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels. Seasons one and two of Interview With the Vampire , inspired by Rice’s first novel, focused on the relationship between Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and the vampire who turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), with Louis recounting his story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Season three will shift to Lestat’s point of view, as Reid’s character becomes a rock star and tries to reclaim his story from the way Louis told it, inspired by Rice’s second novel in the series. The story.
—📅 Two specials. 📅 The Griffin family will celebrate Halloween and the winter holidays with two more Family Guy specials on Hulu. The streamer will be the exclusive home for the two episodes, which will stream before Family Guy begins its 24th season on Fox in 2026. The two shows will be the second set of Hulu-exclusive specials, following Halloween and Christmas editions last year. The Halloween special, titled “A Little Fright Music,” is set to premiere Oct. 6. In the episode, Brian and Stewie realize there aren’t many quality Halloween songs, so they set out to write a hit. Peter and the guys, meanwhile, discover that lying about trick or treating can have deadly consequences. Details and a premiere date for the holiday special will be announced later. The story. |
'Avatar 3' Trailer Leaks Online ►Fiery stunner. The action-packed first trailer for James Cameron's next Avatar fantasy epic has leaked online — and the footage looks spectacular. Disney has released the trailer for Avatar: Fire & Ash “exclusively” in theaters in front of Fantastic Four: First Steps. And just like with Christopher Nolan’s “only in theaters” trailer for The Odyssey earlier this month, grainy unauthorized copies have begun to circulate online. Disney is clearly trying its best to cut down on the viral spread — the Fire & Ash trailer has been a bit tougher to find Nolan’s — with copies being taken down almost as fast as they pop up. The story.
—Not great? Rebecca Romijn shared an update on her return as Mystique in the highly-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. At THR's SDCC suite, the original X-Men star admitted that she wasn’t sure if she’s finished filming for the forthcoming Marvel film because the script isn’t fully complete. “[I’m] not quite sure,” she said when asked if she was done shooting her scenes. “The script hasn’t — they haven’t finished writing it. It’s been very, very fun, and we don’t know yet. They keep everything very close to the vest themselves in an effort to keep everything under wraps.” The story.
—Coy-ote. Piper Perabo says there has been “some discussion” about a sequel to Coyote Ugly. The actress visited THR 's suite at San Diego Comic-Con to promote her upcoming spy-thriller series Butterfly. Choosing her words very carefully, Perabo then confirmed that “there has been some discussion about that. Some things are being discussed. I can’t really say, but people that were doing it are talking about some stuff.” The film, which was released 25 years ago next month, stars Perabo as an aspiring songwriter who moves to New York to pursue her dreams and winds up taking a job at a trendy bar, Coyote Ugly. The cast also includes Adam Garcia, John Goodman, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko, Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan and Melanie Lynskey. The story.
—Bringing down the house. Project Hail Mary’s newly revealed footage was greeted with huge laughter during the Amazon MGM Studios feature’s San Diego Comic-Con panel. Ryan Gosling, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, author Andy Weir and screenwriter Drew Goddard debuted various clips from the first third of the sci-fi movie that hits theaters March 20, 2026. Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher who finds himself in outer space and tasked with saving humanity. The recap. |
George Lucas Makes Comic-Con Debut ►Finally! George Lucas stepped into the cavernous Hall H and stepped into history, as the legendary creator of Star Wars made his first ever appearance at Comic-Con, the popular arts convention that has partially been built off his stories and creations. It was the largest ever Sunday panel for the convention, according to sources, which usually sees its marquee presentation headline on Friday or Saturday. But such is the power of Lucas. Thousands waited hours just to get inside, chanted “Lu-cas, Lu-cas!” while they waited, and then gave a wild standing ovation as the filmmaker took to the stage, introduced by rapper-actress Queen Latifah, and sat down next to filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Star Wars production designer Doug Chiang. The recap.
—Stick around. Disney was in full on show-don’t-tell-mode for Predator: Badlands, unveiling the intense first 15 minutes of the upcoming sci-fi adventure movie for a primed Comic-Con crowd. The panel showed a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover that is being inserted into the recent animated Predator movie beginning today, and it wrapped up the panel by giving away Predator masks for every person, all 6,500 of them, inside Hall H. The recap.
—Walking tall. Lionsgate’s The Long Walk marched into Hall H with a mission: to make a tough subject matter too enticing to resist. The SDCC panel not only revealed the newest trailer for the adaptation of the Stephen King novel, that has at its heart a downer of a conceit, but it also showed the first 22 minutes of the movie. The story focuses on an annual contest in which 100 teen boys set out on the titular journey under the watchful eye of a hard-driving army commander played by Mark Hamill. The recap. |
James Gunn Receives Hero's Welcome at Comic-Con ►Holding court. With Superman a box office hit in North America, filmmaker and DC Studios co-head James Gunn took a victory lap and received a hero’s welcome at the epicenter of geek culture, San Diego Comic-Con. On Saturday, Gunn enjoyed a standing ovation in the 6,500 person-packed, cavernous Hall H during the panel for the HBO Max series Peacemaker, with star John Cena and moderator Josh Horowitz encouraging the crowd. Just over an hour later, the filmmaker surprised guests at the Jim Lee & Friends panel, where he also was greeted with wild enthusiasm. The recap.
—Back from the dead. After a very bumpy road, Coyote vs. Acme's team took to SDCC to celebrate the movie finally heading to the big screen and announce its forthcoming release date. "I’m pretty speechless," Will Forte told the crowd about the movie landing a release from Ketchup Entertainment after being dropped by Warner Bros. "It blows my mind. You think back to the journey this movie has taken. I had kind of given up hope at a certain point, so this is amazing." The first footage from Coyote vs. Acme featured a montage of Wile E. Coyote’s failed attempts to thwart the Road Runner, which was set to Johnny Cash’s version of the Nine-Inch Nails hit "Hurt." The recap.
—Bridging generations. Before Jeff Bridges got to the set of Tron: Ares, he was informed that his co-star Jared Leto would prefer to be addressed by his character, Ares. The Oscar-winner is known for his method acting ways. “He’s one of those guys. Everyone has different methods and modes man,” said Bridges to laughs during Tron: Ares’ laser-heavy presentation at SDCC. “I didn’t want to offend him as a thespo,” Bridges continued. The recap.
In other news...
—Starz unleashes Spartacus: House of Ashur trailer
—Star Trek goes full Gen Z in first trailer for Starfleet Academy
—Gen V S2 trailer promises uncovered secrets, lots of blood
—Berlusconi's MFE ups takeover offer for Germany's ProSiebenSat.1
—Dick Clark Productions appoints Mike Chuthakieo as chief commercial officer
—Marlene Warfield, actress in Network and The Great White Hope, dies at 83
—Cleo Laine, the U.K.'s greatest jazz voice, dies at 97
What else we're reading...
—Lucas Shaw goes inside the billion dollar bidding war over South Park [Bloomberg]
—Shaimaa Khalil tracks the rise of Japan's far right that was supercharged by Trump, and a domestic backlash to tourists [BBC]
—Las Vegas is in trouble, reports Konrad Putzier, with the city's workers seeing a drastic fall in their income as tourist numbers decline [WSJ]
—Shams Charania reports on the $5b effort to launch an elite basketball league to rival the NBA [ESPN]
—Sarah Whitten, Lillian Rizzo and Alex Sherman dig into CBS canceling Colbert and whether more late night shows are in trouble [CNBC]
Today...
...in 1978, Warner Bros.’ Burt Reynolds-starring stuntman actioner Hooper hit theaters. The film went on nab an Oscar nomination for sound editing at the 51st Academy Awards ceremony. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Hannah Waddingham (51), Elizabeth Berkley (52), John David Washington (41), Elia Suleiman (65), Allan Hawco (48), Noma Dumezweni (56), Anya Chalotra (29), Dustin Milligan (40), Tom Pelphrey (43), Lori Loughlin (61), Sally Struthers (78), Peter Cullen (84), Dhanush (42), Asher Grodman (38), Richard Flood (43), Brandon Potter (43), Nolan Gerard Funk (39), Alexandra Chando (39), Dey Young (70), Michael Hitchcock (67), Alicia Hannah-Kim (38), Linda Kelsey (79), Frances Lee McCain (81), Huma Qureshi (39), Rachel Blakely (57), Carlos Jacott (58), Diarmaid Murtagh (43), Melissa Marsala (50), Randall Wallace (76), Jon Michael Hill (40), Mine Tugay (47), Leonor Watling (50), Victoria Baldesarra (27) |
| | Tom Lehrer, a mathematician and satirist whose musical influence peaked in the 1950s and ’60s with his topical songs, died Saturday. He was 97. The obituary. |
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