| | | | | | The post-Oscars hangover in the news cycle lasted a bit longer this time (try a whole week). The Weekender picks up as the Josh D'Amaro era at Disney begins, Bari Weiss cuts at CBS News and Mike White gets booted off Survivor. — Erik Hayden
+ Ticker: Kevin Hart will roast; Lord and Miller defy box office gravity; Kevin Spacey settles; WME and Starz also cut.
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ABC Debacle If ABC keeps season 22 of The Bachelorette on the shelf for good, the network will eat a loss of $30 million or more, Rick Porter reports.
The Bachelorette costs about $2 million per episode to produce, which depending on its episode count, would likely put this season’s budget in the $20 million-$25 million range. Regardless of whether the season ever airs, ABC is on the hook for a license fee to Warner Horizon, which produces The Bachelorette and other shows in the franchise.
Is the franchise toast? That's the question here: It’s Time to End the Bachelor Franchise
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Iger's Farewell Tour On Wednesday, Bob Iger’s office on Disney‘s Burbank studio lot was cleared out for Josh D’Amaro, who got his formal start as CEO. That Iger’s things were packed up may not seem that unusual, given the carefully choreographed succession moves. But it’s worth remembering that when Bob Chapek was named CEO in 2020, Iger held on to his space given his role as exec chairman. The message this time is clear: It’s a new era. Alex Weprin's report.
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Kelly at War As she works to expand her empire, Megyn Kelly has found herself navigating a shifting political landscape — one in which her proximity to Candace Owens, and her reluctance to distance herself from Owens’ increasingly controversial claims, has drawn scorn and scrutiny from some of her longtime allies on the right. Kevin Dolak's report. |
Cannes Do Cannes could deliver a formidable auteur lineup, with new films from the likes of Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Paweł Pawlikowski and Lukas Dhont all widely expected to be ready in time. Here's a look at the projects most likely to make the Croisette cut — from returning Palme winners and Cannes regulars to a few wildcard premieres. Scott Roxborough's close read.
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Mark His Words David Ellison indirectly answered lawmaker questions about how the combination of two of Hollywood’s five remaining historic studios would impact California in a letter obtained by THR's Katie Kilkenny. The Paramount studio chief was responding to Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Laura Friedman, L.A.-area lawmakers who previously asked Paramount and former Warner Bros. suitor Netflix to address widespread concerns about a megamerger’s consequences. Ellison's full letter.
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Film Flight A few numbers to consider when thinking about the current state of Hollywood: Nearly half of all film and scripted series shot outside the United States last year; Los Angeles County lost more than 42,000 entertainment jobs from 2022 to 2024; and Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery made just 15 theatrical movies combined that filmed in the country over the last two years. Winston Cho's report.
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They Said It "Illinois is a top destination to make movies and television." — Gov. JB Pritzker, looking to take Hollywood market share from fellow Dem governor Gavin Newsom (and 2028 contender) by unveiling $703 million in production spending after expanding incentives. "There is no such principle." — Netflix film chief Dan Lin, on whether the service asks filmmakers to repeat plot points for viewers who are half paying attention. "Larry, it looks like Netflix is gonna get Warner Bros., but if you really really want it, Larry, I’ll make sure you get it." — Donald Trump, according to R.J. Cipriani, a high-stakes gambler and former adviser to Paramount exec Jeff Shell. "It’s disgusting. It’s not the way we operate." — Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, on his employees' "robbing them blind, baby" remarks about ticket buyers. The exec said he has not fired the employee. "Overall, we expect to have more people working at MS NOW by the end of 2026 than we do today." — MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler, unveiling a dramatic overhaul of the cabler's entire weekday and weekend schedule. |
Doomsday Who's going to blink? The biggest hero battle in Hollywood is shaping up over a release date: Dec. 18. While Warner Bros.' and Legendary's Dune: Part Three and Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday claimed the same release date for months, the drop of the Dune's poster publicly declaring the date solidified the stand-off. James Hibberd and Pamela McClintock's story. |
Her Reply Rosanna Arquette is pushing back against comments that Harvey Weinstein made in his jailhouse interview where the former mogul was asked about "blackballing" actresses. In an open letter shared with THR, the actress sets straight her account. Full letter: "Here are the facts." |
Final Comeback Playing a has-been sitcom actress in search of her second act, Lisa Kudrow braved two seasons' worth of cruel indignities. Now Valerie Cherish is back for her most harrowing (and mortifying) battle yet — starring in a sitcom powered by AI. Chris Gardner's cover story. |
Style Points Whoever said the clothes don’t make the man probably didn’t work in the movies. THR’s artistic and fashion director selects the most nattily dressed roles in cinematic history. Alison Edmond's No. 100-No. 1 countdown. |
Post Game Ratings for Oscars may have dipped — though you'd never know it. Social media chatter worn by stars resulted in a total of $225.84 million in earned engagement. The winner? Chanel, which captured $28.5 million in earned engagement thanks to Teyana Taylor, Jessie Buckley and Nicole Kidman. Laurie Brookins' report + charts.
Plus, two narratives driving the post-awards cycle:
Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party Light-Mare in Rambling Reporter.
"Apparently, in the hasty move to LACMA, someone had forgotten to bring a dimmer..."
It’s Time for a Chalamet Break by Josh Spiegel.
"There are ways that Chalamet can pick himself back up, perhaps most of all by ignoring the specter of the statue..." |
Around Town Directors Stephen Helstad and Edd Benda joined John Goodman for a SXSW chili truck activation in support of their film Chili Finger. HBO Max threw an drag brunch in Austin to celebrate the return of The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King. Kathryn Newton, Elijah Wood and Sarah Michelle Gellar premiered Ready or Not 2: Here I Come at SXSW. Mamoudou Athie, Robert Pattinson, Kristoffer Borgli, Zendaya and Alana Haim debuted A24's The Drama in L.A. Phil Lord, Sandra Hüller, Ryan Gosling and Chris Miller brought Project Hail Mary to New York. All 44 photos from this week's premieres and events. |
The Bottom Line Snapshots from THR's team of critics: First-time feature director Alex Prager conjures a nightmare future world in DreamQuil for Elizabeth Banks that's "on the pulse and yet off the mark." Matty Wishnow's The Last Critic doc revisits six decades of Robert Christgau's work chronicling the best and worst in music and is "a solid study of an A+ critic." Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler star in The Saviors, Kevin Hamedani's comic thriller "with good intentions and clunky execution." Joey Power's Chloë Grace Moretz-starring film Love Language, about an aspiring author whose side hustle is writing other people's wedding vows, "offers plenty of talk but too little feeling." Kevin Bacon directs a movie starring his family ( Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon) in Family Movie, which "benefits hugely from the audience’s preexisting goodwill." Ashley Park and Leighton Meester star in director Chelsea Devantez's Basic, a "fun, fizzy comedy about the perils of Googling your boyfriend’s ex." |
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