| | | | | | What's news: It's magazine day! This week's issue is the Sports Issue, and the cover is a two-parter, with part one donned by Glen Powell and Eli Manning. The Duffer Bros. are officially moving their deal to Paramount. The American Music Awards will stay on CBS. A feature adaptation of the Archie comics is in the works at Universal. Zack Snyder will direct war drama The Last Photograph. Guy Pearce is in talks to play Rupert Murdoch in Danny Boyle's Ink. — Abid Rahman
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Eli & Glen: Meet Hollywood's Most Unlikely 'Powers' Couple ►On the cover. What happens when a white-hot movie star and a champion quarterback team up for a risky football comedy with heart? Chad Powers happens. The upcoming Hulu comedy about a disgraced former college quarterback — played by Glen Powell — out for redemption is co-produced by the Mannings, and is adapted from a 2022 viral video in which Eli, donning prosthetics and a wig, went undercover at Penn State’s annual open football tryouts. THR's Tony Maglio spoke to Powell and Eli Manning about the show. The cover story. |
SAG-AFTRA Confronts a Fran-less Future ►"Though Drescher is exiting the political stage, The Coalition 2025 slate in key ways represents a continuation of her approach." Plushie-toting SAG-AFTRA boss Fran Drescher is riding off into the sunset after four years. But, writes THR's Katie Kilkenny, the race to replace her as the Hollywood union's boss will be a referendum on her tumultuous tenure — and on the bruising strike she helped lead. The story.
—They're running. As the current leader of the Writers Guild of America East prepares to step aside, two writers are throwing their hats in the ring to take her place. Charles Kipps and Tom Fontana are both running for president of the union, the WGA East announced on Monday. After two years in the top role and two previous years serving as vice president, incumbent Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is stepping aside. Kipps, who has previously written on shows like Little Bill and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, is running on a platform of serving the “overlooked or unproven members” of the WGA East, the emerging writers and senior writers. Fontana has created and served as showrunner on the series Monsieur Spade, Oz, Borgia, Copper and The Jury, among other credits. If elected, the veteran writer and creator says he will fight for the union’s health plan and pension fund, wage standards and workplace safety while also working on “defending free speech and the value of our work.” The story. |
How ESPN Aims to Prop Up Disney+ ►"We’re not looking to lure people from existing environments who are perfectly happy." Fueled by its massive array of rights deals, THR's Caitlin Huston writes that ESPN's streaming app (which launches Aug. 21) is being counted on to boost daily engagement with Disney's flagship streamer Disney+, reduce churn and draw sports fans to sign up. The analysis.
—New twist. The bankruptcy of Dr. Phil‘s Merit Street Media has taken another turn, with its distribution partner suing the company for fraud and breach of contract. In a lawsuit filed in Texas federal court on Tuesday, Trinity Broadcasting accuses Dr. Phil, whose surname is McGraw, of swindling the Christian TV network under a $500m, 10-year deal in which he allegedly failed to deliver a single episode of his flagship talk show. In a statement, a spokesperson for McGraw said 214 new episodes of Dr. Phil Primetime aired on Merit. “To say otherwise is absolutely false,” he added. McGraw’s Merit Street Media is simultaneously in bankruptcy court and suing Trinity Broadcasting for breach of contract over its downfall. The court has called the dispute anything but “routine,” mainly because McGraw conditioned a loan to Merit Street on the company winning its lawsuit against the network. The story.
—Speaking out. As Shari Redstone steps away from studio mogul life following the sealing of the $8b deal to transfer ownership of Paramount Global to Skydance Media, she’s now ready to go public on that 13-month process. And Redstone is particularly candid about what she says she didn’t know about some of the dealmaking that needed to get done to clear the merger. In a series of interviews with The New York Times, Redstone spoke freely with a condition that the interview couldn’t be published until after a deal closed. One of the biggest hurdles to closing the deal was Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News’ 60 Minutes over its interview with Kamala Harris. In the interview, Redstone said, "I believed it was always in Paramount’s best interest to settle … We may not like the world we live in, but a board has to do what’s in the best interest of shareholders." The story. |
Aubrey Plaza Opens Up About Her Husband's Suicide ►"It’s a daily struggle." Aubrey Plaza gave some insight into how she’s coping with her late husband’s suicide. The White Lotus actress appeared on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast where she discussed how she’s doing in the wake of Jeff Baena’s death in January. Poehler broached the subject with her former Parks and Recreation castmate, noting that many of her fans want to know how she is given the tragic circumstances. "I’m in this very present moment I’m happy to be with you," Plaza said tentatively. “Overall I’m here and I’m functioning and I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I’m OK. But, you know, it’s a daily struggle, obviously." The story.
—Dropped. Michael Franti is no longer a client at Activist Artist Management, a source familiar with the matter confirms to THR, as the singer faces allegations of sexual misconduct from fellow singer Victoria Canal. Canal first came forward with her claims on Aug. 11 in an Instagram post, withholding Franti’s name but alleging that Franti had groomed her and took pictures of her without her consent when she was 19 years old. Days later, Canal shared a follow-up post that contained screenshots from more women who came forward to her with similar allegations against him. The story.
—Stepping back from the brink. Mark Hamill almost left the U.S. after Donald Trump was re-elected in November, but his wife ultimately convinced him not to make the big move. In a profile in The Times of London, the legendary Star Wars actor recalled telling his wife, Marilou Hamill, that they could move to London or Ireland after Trump won the 2024 presidency. Despite wanting to exit the country, Marilou led him to have a change of heart. "She’s very clever," he said. "She didn’t respond right away, but a week later she said, ‘I’m surprised you would allow him to force you out of your own country.’ That son of a bitch, I thought. I’m not leaving." The story. |
Duffer Bros. Officially Move to Paramount ►🤝 Woof! 🤝 The new Paramount has officially made its first big talent deal: Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer are moving to the studio. Paramount and parent company Skydance made the announcement Monday, five days after reports that the brothers were in talks to leave Netflix, where they created the megahit Stranger Things. The Duffers’ deal at Paramount is an exclusive, four-year pact that covers film, TV and streaming projects, with an emphasis on the brothers “fulfill[ing] an ambition to write, produce, and direct large-scale theatrical films.” They’ll move to Paramount following the conclusion of their current Netflix deal in April 2026. The story.
—🎭 Gingers assemble! 🎭 HBO's Harry Potter series has found its Ginny, George, Fred and Percy. Ron’s ginger-headed siblings have been filled by a quartet of young actors, and a first photo of them has been released. The production — which is currently filming its first season — has cast Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley. They join the previously announced Alastair Stout as Ron, Katherine Parkinson as Molly. Ron’s father, Arthur Weasley, has yet to be announced. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Palm Beach’s most exclusive club is reopening its doors, as Palm Royale sets a date for its season two return. The Kristen Wiig– and Laura Dern-starring Apple TV+ series returns Wednesday, Nov. 12 with the first of a 10-episode second season, followed by one episode weekly until the Jan. 14, 2026, finale. The announcement comes with first-look photos of the ensemble cast, which includes Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Carol Burnett, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy and Kaia Gerber. The story.
—🤝 Renewal. 🤝 CBS and the American Music Awards will stay together for a longer term. Dick Clark Productions, which produces the awards, and CBS have signed a five-year deal to continue airing the AMAs on the broadcast network, with a simultaneous stream on Paramount+. The deal comes after the 2025 awards, which aired in late May, averaged 4.86m viewers — the highest total for the awards since 2019. The audience was up about 38 percent from its last telecast on ABC in 2022. Replays on other Paramount channels and delayed viewing brought the audience to more than 10m. The story.
—🎭 Injection of star power. 🎭 Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are joining the cast of Rivals. Disney+ unveiled on Wednesday that MCU and Mission Impossible star Atwell, as well as beloved British actor Everett have boarded season two of the Jilly Cooper adaptation as guest stars. Principal photography on the drama, produced by Happy Prince (part of ITV Studios), is underway in the U.K. Atwell will be playing Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and mother of his two children, Marcus and Tabitha. Everett is set to take on the role of her husband Malise Gordon, Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor. The story. |
'Demon Hunters' Singalong Shows Sell Out ►Phenomenon. Netflix is delivering the late-summer box office a surprise (and needed) gift. The streamer and theater owners, and particularly the major chains, have been at loggerheads for years over exclusive theatrical windows. Netflix has always made it clear that its subscribers are its first priority, resulting in its titles often being boycotted by the bigger circuits. But in this case, the rules are being tossed aside as cinema operators rush to be part of the KPop Demon Hunters, which is fast on its way to becoming the most viewed movie of all time on the streamer. THR's Pamela McClintock reports that on Aug. 23 and 24, Netflix is hosting singalong screenings of the animated feature in North America, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. Insiders tell THR that 1,700 cinemas in the U.S. and Canada have already booked the special event, with more locations being added daily. And, as of late on Aug. 19, 1,000 showtimes were already sold out. The story.
—In the works. A feature adaptation of the Archie comic books is in the works at Universal, with producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller at the helm. Tom King will pen the script for the untitled Archie movie, with plot details for the film remaining under wraps. Archie Comics, over an 85-year history, has sold over three billion comics worldwide and retains a massive social media presence. Emma Watts will produce the project after bringing it to Lord and Miller, the duo behind the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse movies and earlier 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie. Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater will also produce, while Universal's Britt Hennemuth and Christine Sun will oversee the film project for the studio. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 THR truffle pig Ryan Gajewski has sniffed out another scoop, this time revealing that Justin Long and Kate Bosworth are set to continue their obvious big screen chemistry in the horror-comedy feature Coyotes. Aura Entertainment has acquired Coyotes for theatrical release on Oct. 3. The cast for director Colin Minihan’s film also includes Mila Harris, Brittany Allen, Katherine McNamara and Norbert Leo Butz. Coyotes centers on a family who must fight for their lives while trapped in their Hollywood Hills home as a pack of coyotes targets them. It premieres at Fantastic Fest on Sept. 20. The story.
—🎭 Moving up to the big screen. 🎭 Not to be outdone by Ryan, THR's Borys Kit has the scoop that Gabriel Basso, star of the Netflix hit series The Night Agent, has joined the cast of Amazon MGM’s romantic drama Love of Your Life. Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre and Patrick Schwarzenegger are already on the call sheet for the tear-puller, which tells of a young woman (Qualley), suddenly single, who goes on a journey to find a way forward in her life. The script is written by Julia Cox. Character details, including those of Basso’s role, are being kept under wraps. The story. |
Snyder to Direct War Drama 'Last Photograph' ►🎭 Finally! 🎭 Zack Snyder is tackling his passion project, and there is not a single cape, zombie or rebellious moon in sight. Starting later this month, Snyder will begin filming The Last Photograph, a war drama that he originated and has been developing since the mid-2000s. Stuart Martin and Fra Free, both of whom appeared in Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies, will star in the feature, an indie whose budget will be significantly lower than many of the epics Snyder has captained before. The story is about "an ex-DEA operative must return to the mountains of South America in an effort to find his missing niece and nephew, following the brutal murders of their diplomat parents." The project will shoot in several locales around the globe, including Colombia, Iceland and Los Angeles. The story.
—Not going away. Kevin Spacey’s comeback bid rolls on with another cameo at a high-profile international film festival. The actor is set to appear at a gala event during the Venice Film Festival in Italy, where he will present a trailer for his sci-fi thriller, Holiguards Saga — The Portal of Force. The film, intended to launch a franchise, also stars Spacey alongside Dolph Lundgren, Tyrese Gibson, Brianna Hildebrand, Disha Patani, Eric Roberts, Harry Goodwins and Lado Okhotnikov. The story centers on the conflict between two ancient supernatural factions, the Holiguards and the Statiguards, as they wage a secret war for control of humanity. The event is set for Aug. 29 and is being presented in partnership with Elledgy Media Group. The story.
—🎭 Bonza! 🎭 Guy Pearce, who is coming off his recent Oscar nomination for The Brutalist, is circling a starring role as media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Pearce is in talks to lead director Danny Boyle's movie Ink, which is set to center on Murdoch’s path to power. The film from Studiocanal, Media Res and House Productions also has Jack O’Connell eyeing a role as Larry Lamb, the late editor of The Sun. Boyle helms the film from a script by James Graham, who adapted his play of the same name that opened in London in 2017. In his 2019 review for THR of the Broadway run that earned two Tonys, critic David Rooney wrote that the play “has undeniable currency in the era of Brexit and Trump.” The story.
In other news...
—Fallout S2 trailer reveals premiere date and a sinister Justin Theroux
—Dylan O’Brien, Diane Lane spar over his girlfriend in trailer for Anniversary
—Oldenburg: First wave of premieres for 32nd edition revealed
—Santa Barbara: Cynthia Erivo tapped for Kirk Douglas Award
—Catalina: Ken Jeong to receive King of Comedy Award
—Zurich Fest set to honor Wagner Moura
—Cody Simpson signs with CAA
—Jerry Rojas launches awards and events agency JRo Collective
What else we're reading...
—Julianna Ress reflects on the recent return of the "hag" in horror films like Weapons and The Substance, and whether this "hagsploitation" trend is problematic [Ringer]
—Heather Schwedel writes that Freakier Friday's Manny Jacinto should be Hollywood's next leading man [Slate]
—Jessica Gelt reports that Trump is expanding his crusade against "woke" from the Smithsonian to museums across the country [LAT]
—Margaret Hartmann runs through everything wrong with MS Now [Intelligencer]
—With the Netflix docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, Emmanuel Morgan writes that Jerry Jones' team always wins the battle for attention [NYT]
Today...
...in 1993, Universal unveiled John Woo’s excellent R-rated action thriller Hard Target, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, in theaters. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Amy Adams (51), Andrew Garfield (42), Ke Huy Quan (54), Joan Allen (69), Demi Lovato (33), Al Roker (71), Robert Plant (77), Connie Chung (79), David O. Russell (67), Sylvester McCoy (82), Fred Durst (55), Ben Barnes (44), Meghan Ory (43), Misha Collins (51), Ray Wise (78), James Marsters (63), John Noble (77), Liana Liberato (30), Noah Bean (47), Billy Gardell (56), Michael Rady (44), Alexandra Roach (🏴38), Kristen Miller (49), Colin Cunningham (59), Patrick Kilpatrick (76), Olivia Cheng (46), Richard Marrero (44), Ali Liebert (44), Peter Horton (72), Brant Daugherty (40), Stanley Townsend (64), Randeep Hooda (49), Natasha Culzac (39), Alex Newell (33), Geoffrey Blake (63), Adrian Bower (55), Neslihan Atagül (33), Jeanie Bacharach (62), Tony Terraciano (25), Simon Shepherd (69), Paolo Genovese (59), Markus Flanagan (61), Billy Jenkins (18) |
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