| | | | | | What's news: Just before Christmas, we have a special THR digital cover, and it's those much talked about lads from Heated Rivalry. The spiked 60 Minutes segment was shown in Canada and is now floating around the internet. WBD will "carefully review and consider" Paramount's revised bid. And the Brett Ratner-directed Melania Trump doc will premiere at the recently renamed The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
Down to Puck: Why Women Are Going Wild for 'Heated Rivalry' ►On the digital cover. Steamy Canadian gay sports romance drama Heated Rivalry has become something of a phenomenon after tapping into a long-overlooked corner of the audience — and caught Hollywood by surprise. THR's Seth Abramovitch looks at how legions of women across the globe are tuning in, from Australia and New Zealand to Spain, with streamers in the U.K. and Ireland soon to follow. Against all odds, in a twist virtually nobody saw coming, a modestly budgeted drama featuring raunchy, borderline-graphic male-on-male sex has become one of streaming’s biggest recent hits thanks in a very significant way to females — straight, bi or otherwise. The cover story.
—The intricacies of intimacy coordination on TV’s hottest show. THR's Nicole Fell spoke to Chala Hunter, the intimacy coordinator for Heated Rivalry. Hunter dishes on the logistics of bringing some of the show’s sexiest scenes to life and responds to those Jordan Firstman comments: "Everyone has their own experience of what is and isn't authentic." The interview. |
How Disney's OpenAI Deal Changes Everything ►So, is this the future of entertainment or its end? On December 11, Disney and OpenAI announced a landmark partnership: The entertainment giant, according to CEO Bob Iger, would pay $1b to the artificial intelligence power player for an equity stake, while also licensing its Sora tech for short-form video on Disney+ (some 200 animated and live faceless characters). After a wild few weeks, THR's Steven Zeitchik and Julian Sancton dissect the tech-entertainment deal of the century. The story.
—Bari's bad at burying. The 60 Minutes segment that was spiked by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss for not being ready is now readily available online, after the network that airs the show in Canada ran the original version of the program and subsequently released it online. A source in Canada confirmed to THR that as of earlier Monday evening, the full original 60 Minutes episode, including the “Inside CECOT” segment that was pulled at the last minute, was available via Global TV’s streaming platform. The story.
—The saga continues. Warner Bros. Discovery's board of directors says that it will "carefully review and consider" Paramount's revised bid for the company. The company confirmed receipt of the revised tender offering Monday evening. Monday’s revised offer included a full backstop personally guaranteed by David Ellison’s father Larry Ellison. It also saw Paramount increase the termination fee to $5.8b, matching Netflix, and extended the deadline for the tender to later in January. The company is still offering to buy WBD shares at $30 per share, all cash. The story.
—Big hire. Adrienne O’Hara has been appointed to head communications at Discovery Global. O’Hara takes on the newly created role of evp, chief communications and public affairs officer for the company as it prepares to become an independent, publicly traded organization following the planned separation from Warner Bros. She takes on the new role Jan. 7 and will report to Gunnar Wiedenfels, president and CEO of Discovery Global. The story. |
Would Hollywood Unions Accept a 5-Year Contract? ►"If you’re only doing this every five years, there’s a lot more weighing on every five years." It’s a triennial tradition in Hollywood: The industry’s top unions and studios and streamers come together to hammer out new labor deals. Each side has its own priorities and aggressively asserts them. Cue the rattling of sabers and gnashing of teeth — until a deal is done that pleases (and displeases) both parties. But now, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of industry employers, is mulling the proposal of a longer-term deal, sources tell THR's Katie Kilkenny. Five-year deals instead of three-year contracts are under consideration following the 2023 strikes, which for months crippled top companies in the entertainment industry. The story.
—✊ Unionization vote. ✊ Production assistants on the NBC drama Chicago Fire have unanimously voted to unionize. This was the first show shot in Chicago to win a National Labor Relations Board election for production assistants, and the first NBC show to reach this election result. Out of 23 eligible voters, 18 cast ballots voting in favor, with an additional 10 votes that were challenged. The NLRB will need to certify the results, then the next step will be negotiating a collective bargaining agreement between NBC and the union. The story.
—When it rains, it pours. As he scours for funding to complete his epic Westerns, Kevin Costner has been sued for failing to pay for costume rentals on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2. Western Costume on Monday filed in California state court a breach of contract lawsuit against Costner and his production banner Territory Pictures. It seeks roughly $440,000 for unpaid costume fees, among other things that include alleged damage to some of the outfits. The lawsuit was filed as Costner, facing mounting legal and financial woes, marches forward with plans to realize his vision of finishing the Horizon series. Securing the necessary financing has been an uphill battle. Last year, he met with top Saudi officials and pitched them on helping to finance the third and fourth installments, though the talks didn’t culminate in a deal. The story.
—Pivot to video. iHeartMedia is adding free video distribution for podcast creators within its app and on the web. Starting in early 2026, creators will be able to distribute full-length videos within the iHeartMedia ecosystem. iHeartMedia is also not requiring exclusivity, thus allowing creators to continue sharing the videos on YouTube and other platforms, and is not requiring a revenue share deal from creators. The move comes after iHeartMedia struck a deal with Netflix to host more than 15 video podcasts on the streaming platform. The story.
—Colbert 2028? Stephen Colbert revealed whether he’d consider running for president in 2028 following the cancellation of The Late Show. Colbert offered his thoughts on a possible presidential run while appearing at Slate’s Political Gabfest event on Dec. 18. Event hosts John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz asked Colbert if a 2028 run was in his future, to which Colbert replied, “Absolutely, I should not run for president.” "I understand why you’d want me to," he continued. "I’d have to discuss with my faith leader and my family to see if, once my service on the Late Show ends in May, if I could be of some greater service to this nation that I love so much." The story. |
Feinberg Forecast: Scott's End-of-2025 Oscar Rankings ►The contenders emerge. THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg goes in-depth on the awards race with his final forecast of the year. Scott's projections, including explanations, cover all 24 Oscar categories, and it's good news for this year's dark horse, Neon’s Sirāt. The forecast.
—📅 On the move. 📅 Ridley Scott's thriller feature The Dog Stars has booked a new release date in theaters. Instead of opening on March 27, 2026, it will now ride into theaters on Aug. 28, 2026. Disney’s film empire announced the shift on Monday, along with a handful of other changes to its release calendar for next year and 2027. Searchlight’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is taking the March 27 date vacated by Dog Stars (it had been set to open on April 10, 2026). The other notable change involves moving up the release of Pixar's original pic Gatto from June 17, 2027, to March 5, 2027, the beginning of spring break. The story.
—Banana republic latest. First Lady Melania Trump has set a premiere venue for Melania, the Brett Ratner-directed documentary about her return to the White House. It will bow at the recently renamed The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, sources tell THR's Mia Galuppo. Amazon declined to comment, and no date has officially been set for the red carpet premiere. Amazon will release the film exclusively in theaters in the U.S. and select territories overseas on Jan. 30, with a streaming date on Prime Video not yet set. The film will later be accompanied by a three-part docuseries. The story. |
'Stranger Things 5' Part 2 Episode Runtimes Revealed ►The end is nigh. Your Stranger Things Christmas binge now has a total runtime. Ross Duffer, who created the Upside Down series with brother Matt Duffer, has revealed the final runtimes for the next batch of episodes in the final season of Stranger Things. The three episodes that make up Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 will run for just about three and a half hours total. The story.
—"He will not be forgotten." Mandy Patinkin, Kathy Bates, Jerry O’Connell and more of Rob Reiner’s friends and collaborators remembered the late director in a CBS News special, Rob Reiner — Scenes From a Life, that aired Sunday, one week after Reiner and his wife Michele were found murdered in their Brentwood home. Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Kiefer Sutherland and Albert Brooks also appeared in the special, which featured past interviews with Reiner pulled from the network’s archives. The recap.
—Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. We’re officially at the end of an era, as Taylor Swift's six-part Disney+ docuseries on the biggest concert tour of all time wrapped this week with episodes five and six dropping at midnight Tuesday. Episode five of Taylor Swift: The End of an Era is titled “Marjorie” in honor of Swift’s maternal grandmother, who’s also the namesake of the song from Swift’s 2020 album Evermore. The series ends with some updates about Swift—she’s bought her masters, got engaged and The Life of Showgirl became her biggest album to-date. The recap. |
Natasha Lyonne Opens Up About 'Poker Face,' AI and Making Movies ►"The character of Charlie Cale is a beautiful character to get to play, such a gift." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Natasha Lyonne about the raft of new projects she's working on, and one particular project she's leaving behind. Lyonne discusses her move into directing with her debut effort, the AI hybrid film Uncanny Valley, and the quick followup, Bambo. The multi-hyphenate also explains why she's not starring in Poker Face if it's revived, and says she's started working on more Russian Doll between script deadlines. The interview.
—"Fighting for representation for all marginalized communities is important, but it can sometimes suck if you’re not a part of that conversation." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Simu Liu about his new Peacock thriller series The Copenhagen Test, that debuts on Dec. 27. The Canadian actor discusses the lack of lead roles that followed his well-received performance in blockbuster hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and why he thinks that'd be very, very different if he were white: "A lot of these directors will never hire me." The interview.
—"Putting on the performance-capture suit and the helmet and then all the little pieces, it felt really easy to me. I felt very much at home." THR's David Canfield spoke to Oona Chaplin about her new film, Avatar: Fire and Ash. The breakout villain of the newest Avatar film discusses the sexuality of her role, that explosive ending (spoilers ahead!), and why "Jim Cameron is the most similar person that I can think of to Charlie Chaplin" The interview.
—"Honestly, it doesn’t feel real." THR's Lily Ford spoke to Adolescence actress Erin Doherty about her banner year. The Emmy-winning Brit star talks nabbing her first Golden Globe nom for the Netflix smash hit — and the show's impact on U.K. telly: "I think this has injected some kind of confidence in British art and British storytelling and just going, 'We're enough. Let's just do what's in your bones.'" The interview. |
Film Review: 'The Choral' ►"Hits some wrong notes." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Nicholas Hytner's The Choral. The latest cinematic collaboration between director Hytner and screenwriter and West End icon Alan Bennett is a drama about a British choral society during World War I. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, Lyndsey Marshal, Ron Cook, Amara Okereke, Emily Fairn, Shaun Thomas, Jacob Dudman, Oliver Briscombe, Taylor Uttley and Simon Russell Beale. Written by Alan Bennett. The review.
In other news...
—Industry S4 trailer: Kit Harington wants to know "who the f*** did I marry?"
—Chris Rea, British singer-songwriter known for “Driving Home for Christmas,” dies at 74
What else we're reading...
—Brian Stelter goes inside Bari Weiss' decision that led to a 60 Minutes crisis [CNN]
—Max Tani reports on the deep divisions at CBS News caused by Trump and new chief Bari Weiss [Semafor]
—Sam Schechner, Daria Matviichuk and Thomas Grove report on Telegram founder Pavel Durov, the Russian tech oligarch who is fighting global infertility by having 100 of his own children [WSJ]
—Lane Brown digs into the Eyes Wide Shut conspiracy floating around and asks whether Stanley Kubrick tried to warn us about Jeffrey Epstein [Vulture]
—Bethy Squires asks the important question: Which L.A. hotspots should HBO's I Love LA go to in season two? [Vulture]
Today...
...in 1952, John Huston’s Moulin Rouge was unveiled at the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, where it was described at the time as “one of the most dazzling world premieres ever staged in Hollywood.” The film went on to earn seven Oscar nominations at the 25th Academy Awards, winning for costume design and art direction. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Harry Shearer (82), Eddie Vedder (61), Peter Ramsey (63), Finn Wolfhard (23), Kieron Moore (29), Estella Warren (47), Alison Sudol (41), Belinda Lang (72), Joan Severance (67), Susan Lucci (79), Reg Rogers (61), Jess Harnell (62), Cheryl Howard (72), Elvy Yost (38), Caleb Foote (32), Nick Moran (56), Park Yoo-na (28), Noël Wells (39), Agam Darshi (38), Alex Reid (45), Spencer Daniels (33), Adrian Greensmith (24), Brooke Burfitt (37), Mishel Prada (36), Samuel Kircher (21), Eileen Seeley (66), Sophie Wu (42), Judy Strangis (76), Holly Dale (72), Anh Hung Tran (63), Holly Madison (46) |
| Vince Zampella, creator of the wildly successful Call of Duty video game franchise, died Sunday in a single-vehicle car crash on a Los Angeles-area highway. He was 55. The obituary. |
|
|
|
| | | |
