What's news: Virgin River actor Stewart McLean has been found dead. The final episode of The Late Show drew 6.74m viewers. Obsession saw a 30 percent increase over its opening box office gross. CBS News Radio is no more. Fjord won the Palme d'Or. And Arsenal are Premier League champs! COYG! — Abid Rahman
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'Mando & Grogu' Opens to $165M WW
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►This is the way. After a bumpy opening day, the Force has thrown its weight behind Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. On Friday, Jon Favreau‘s feature film adaptation of his hit Disney+ series appeared at risk of scoring the lowest box office opening of any title in the storied Star Wars franchise since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012.
THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Mando instead snagged a franchise-best audience score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and equally strong exit scores on PostTrak. Disney insiders believe the film could become the most family friendly film of any title in the iconic series, at least in modern times. Now it has a fighting chance of matching or besting the dismal debut of 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, the current record-holder for the lowest opener in the Disney era. Mando is estimated to open well ahead of expectations domestically with a four-day haul of $102m domestically for a global start of $165m.
The other big headline of the Memorial Day weekend is the runaway horror hit Obsession, the $1m-bugdeted film directed by YouTuber Curry Barker. The film, from Focus Features and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, is coming in No. 2 in its sophomore outing with $22.4m for the three-day weekend after enjoying an almost unheard of 30 percent increase over its opening gross. Obsession is projecting a four-day haul of $28.2m for an 11-day domestic total of $58.5m. The box office report.
—Can Mando save Star Wars on the big screen? In a more in-depth analysis piece, Disney insiders break down how Mando will end up in the black. But can the film broaden out the audience? And do the optics further hurt a franchise whose core fandom has become increasingly discontent? The analysis.
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Bass Dismisses Pratt's Insurgent Campaign
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►"It’s not prompted any soul searching from me." THR's Katie Kilkenny spoke to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass about her reelection campaign, and the much-talked about mayoral bid from reality star Spencer Pratt. Bass also discussed her track record on entertainment and her plans for the future. The interview.
—Becerra's Hollywood plan. Since he surged to the top of the California governor polls several weeks ago, Xavier Becerra has not offered his plan for how to save entertainment, even as various rivals did exactly that. This changed Friday, as the former Biden H.H.S. Secretary and California AG published his proposals to save a Hollywood in crisis. Becerra is looking to ban streamers from withholding data, wants a “California Entertainment Summit" and thinks entertainment tax credits should expand based on specific areas "where we are losing work.” The story.
—Clipping over cable. Spencer Pratt's is running an unorthodox campaign in more ways than one. THR's Alex Weprin reports that campaign finance filings suggest that the Pratt campaign is eschewing local TV and radio ads, instead spending tens of thousands on professional clipping agencies and social media. The story.
—"F*** this guy already." Drew Carey took to social media to slam Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. “Anyone who votes for, or endorses Spencer Prattfall for Mayor of LA needs to get their head out of their ass,” Carey wrote on Threads. “I understand being angry/unsatisfied, but at least get behind someone competent and not some serial scammer without a soul or moral compass.” The story.
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►Guessing game. As Imax appears up for sale with early-stage talks with possible suitors, financial analysts have lost no time speculating on who may be a likely buyer. And Wall Street’s list, right now, is long. It stretches from traditional exhibitors (possibly), to private equity firms (could be circling) and tech giants (it would be a rounding error for them) along with a couple major entertainment conglomerates. The story.
—Team in place. Jeffrey Kessler, a heavyweight in antitrust litigation who most recently secured a landmark win for states suing Live Nation, will defend Paramount‘s $110m megadeal for Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio doesn’t expect legal challenges from the Justice Department, state prosecutors or foreign regulators, though Kessler would lead the studio’s defense if any are filed, according to a person familiar with the situation. The story.
—"The sole mission of the new company will be to service its debt." In a guest column for THR, Joseph M. Singer, a producer, slate film financier and former studio executive at Universal, takes a cold, hard look at the debt, potential job losses and synergies of the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. deal, and argues the impact will be damaging to the industry. The column.
—"A single reckless and shortsighted decision." CBS News Radio signed off on Friday following a near century of broadcasting — and the union that has long represented its journalists didn't go quietly. Writers Guild of America East, which bargains on behalf of 26 of its news writers, desk associates and assignment editors, slammed Paramount chief David Ellison and CBS News boss Bari Weiss in a statement, accusing the duo of breaking "its trust with its employees and its audience." The story.
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Missing 'Virgin River' Actor Found Dead
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►The latest. Canadian actor Stewart McLean has been found dead after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced Thursday that his missing person case was turned into a homicide investigation. Canada’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced on Friday that McLean’s remains were located in the Lions Bay area. The actor has appeared in a season seven episode of Netflix‘s Virgin River, a second season episode of the Fox crime drama Murder in a Small Town, and in Paramount+ true crime series Happy Face. The story.
—✊ Solidarité. ✊ A French petition condemning right-wing media mogul Vincent Bolloré has gained international support, with stars including Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo and directors Yorgos Lanthimos and Ken Loach adding their names to an open letter calling out what signatories describe as Bolloré’s “far-right grip” on the French industry. A billionaire industrialist, Bolloré is the largest shareholder in French studio Canal+, which owns Studiocanal, the country’s largest production and distribution company. Canal+ is in the process of trying to acquire full control of UGC, France’s third-largest cinema chain. The story.
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'Fjord' Wins Cannes Palme d’Or
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►🏆 Félicitations! 🏆 Cristian Mungiu‘s Fjord, the Romanian director’s English-language debut starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as religious parents who relocate to a small Norwegian village and find themselves accused of child abuse, won the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. With the win, Mungiu joins Cannes’ elite two-timer club, following his 2007 victory with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, his searing account of illegal abortion in Communist-era Romania. For those keeping score, this marks the seventh year running that Neon has successfully picked the Palme winner. Tom Quinn’s indie outfit snatched up Fjord for domestic release ahead of this year’s festival. The winners.
—🏆 Omedetou gozaimasu! 🏆 The final season of My Hero Academia was awarded the coveted anime of the year prize, and the massive global hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle took home film of the year award at the 10th edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards that took place on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan. Organizers said a stunning 73m votes were cast by fans from around the world for this year’s Crunchyroll Awards, blowing past 2025’s record of 51m votes cast, and another sign of the exponential growth of anime globally. The winners.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Mubi made its first major Cannes buy this year, swooping in to acquire Lukas Dhont‘s Coward. The arthouse streaming picked up the North American rights to the film, a WWI drama about queer love in the midst of the horrors of war. Mubi already secured rights for Coward across most of its international footprint ahead of Cannes. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Netflix is set to acquire Cannes competition title The Black Ball (La Bola Negra), featuring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close in supporting roles, for the U.S. The Spanish-language movie, directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, tells the story of three men in three different periods connected by the last works of the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 A new action thriller feature is ready to hit the ground running at Netflix. The streamer has scooped up the spec script for Run the Football from writing team Josh and Spencer Marentette. Producing the project are Dylan Clark and Brian Williams for Dylan Clark Productions, along with Jaume Collet-Serra and Max Jacoby for Jadis Collective. Plot details for the film are being kept under wraps, but sources describe it as a nuclear weapons thriller that involves Air Force One going down. The story.
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Colbert's Public-Access Appearance Erupts in Online Brouhaha
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►The reality. The social media-verse exploded over the weekend with rumors that Paramount is trying to “suppress” the episode of a public-access show that Stephen Colbert hosted, but the truth is something different, sources told THR's Kimberly Nordyke. Paramount is not actually trying to “suppress” copies of Colbert’s surprise appearance on Only in Monroe, as rumors across social media suggested over the weekend. The story.
—ICYMI. 24 hours after hosting the last ever Late Show on CBS, Stephen Colbert returned to late night… on Michigan public access TV. Colbert hosted Only in Monroe in Monroe, Michigan, at 11:30 p.m. Friday, bringing out surprise guests like Jack White and Jeff Daniels, and surprise appearances from Steve Buscemi, Eminem and Byron Allen (via FaceTime). He also hosted the show’s normal hosts, Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson (a former Miss America!). The story.
—Woof! The final episode of The Late Show drew 6.74m viewers for CBS on Thursday, the most-ever for a weeknight episode, according to preliminary Nielsen data. That’s more than double the season average, with the Late Show generally drawing between 2.4m and 2.7m viewers an episode this past season, which was its last on CBS. It is however only about half the viewers that David Letterman saw for his farewell episode in 2015, when 13.7m viewers tuned in. The ratings.
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Hardy's 'MobLand' Future in Limbo Over On-Set Behavior
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►The plot thickens. A source tells THR's Tony Maglio that Tom Hardy‘s future on Paramount+ series MobLand is very much in limbo following clashes with producers. Hardy has not yet been fired as other outlets have reported, the source says, but there are definitely ongoing discussions about the possibility. Part of this personal purgatory situation is due to the fact that Paramount+ has yet to pick up MobLand for a third season. A writers room for a potential season three has been opened, THR is told, but that’s an early innings indicator of intent and not an episode order. The crime thriller is a strong enough performer to warrant such a greenlight, even without Hardy. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Popular YA novel writer Tom Ryan’s first adult murder mystery, The Treasure Hunters Club, has been optioned by indie producer Skywild Pictures for a TV adaptation. The Simon and Schuster book title features three strangers converging on the remote seaside town of Maple Bay to uncover lost pirate treasure, only for fresh bodies to pile up as they collide with one another and a local mysterious legend. The story.
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Film Review: 'The Samurai and the Prisoner'
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►"Katanas Out." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Kiyoshi Kurosawa's The Samurai and the Prisoner. The legendary Japanese director of Cloud and Cure returns to Cannes with a period piece set in 16th-century feudal Japan, when warring samurai clans fought for control of the land. Starring Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki and Bando Shingo. Written by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, based on the book by Honobu Yonezawa. The review.
—"Intriguing and meandering." Jordan reviews Valeska Grisebach's Cannes competition entry The Dreamed Adventure. The latest from German director of Western, follows a pair of old friends who find their way back to the crime-ridden Bulgarian town they left years ago. Starring Yana Radeva, Syuleyman Letifov, Stoicho Kostadinov, Nikolay Shekerdjiev, Denislava Yordanova and Tiana Georgieva. Written by Valeska Grisebach and Lisa Bierwirth. The review.
—"Lyrical and authentic." Jordan reviews Louis Clichy's Iron Boy. The first feature from animator Clichy, who worked on Pixar hits Wall-E and Up, was bought by Sony Pictures Classics following its premiere in Cannes and is moving coming-of-age story. Featuring the voices of Gary Clichy, Rod Paradot, Dimitri Colas, Aurélie Vassort and Brune Moulin. Written by Louis Clichy, Franck Salomé. The story.
—"Augurs a potentially interesting career." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Maria Martinez Bayona's The End of It. A feature debut for writer-director Bayona, this Cannes premiere is a sci-fi comedy-drama. Starring Rebecca Hall, Gael Garcia Bernal, Noomi Rapace and Beanie Feldstein. Written by Maria Martinez Bayona. The review.
—"Beautifully acted but heavyhanded." Leslie reviews Clio Barnard's I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning. Set in the mean streets of Birmingham, this celebration of working-class folks surviving late-stage capitalism premiered in Cannes' Directors' Fortnight sidebar. Starring Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack, Lola Petticrew and Tracey Green. Written by Enda Walsh, based on the novel by Keiran Goddard. The review.
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Film Review: 'Victorian Psycho'
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►"We are not amused." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Zachary Wigon's Victorian Psycho. Debuting in Cannes, Wigon’s tale tells a story of a governess serving carnage to the entire household of a Gothic manor. Starring Maika Monroe, Jason Isaacs, Ruth Wilson, Thomasin McKenzie, Evie Templeton and Jacobi Jupe. Written by Virginia Feito, based on her novel. The review.
—"Highly watchable, though needs a new third act." David reviews Léa Mysius' Cannes competition entry The Birthday Party. A family living in a remote farmhouse and their Italian artist neighbor get a nasty surprise when three brothers bully their way in, the eldest of them with a personal agenda. Starring Hafsia Herzi, Benoît Magimel, Bastien Bouillon, Monica Bellucci, Tawba El Gharchi, Paul Hamy, Alane Delhaye, Servane Ducorps and Tatia Tsuladze. Written by Léa Mysius, based on the novel Histoires de la Nuit, by Laurent Mauvignier. The review.
—"Never let a successful franchise go to waste." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Andrew Bernstein's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War. John Krasinski reprises the role from his Amazon Prime Video series, in a feature length story. Also starring Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Max Beesley, JJ Feild, Douglas Hodge, Betty Gabriel and Sienna Miller. Written by Aaron Rabin and John Krasinski. The review.
—"Not worth the ride." Frank reviews André Ovredal's Passenger. In this highway horror, a nomadic couple periodically encounter a malevolent supernatural force while on the road. Starring Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Joseph Lopez, Miles Fowler and Alan Trong. Written by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess. The review.
In other news...
—Vought Rising trailer gives a first look at The Boys spin-off
—Peaky Blinders new era: First look at Charlie Heaton as Charles Shelby
—Stephen Amell shares first Baywatch reboot promo
—New York’s top 15 power dining restaurants
—Rob Base, “It Takes Two” rapper, dies at 59
—Dolphia Blocker, wife of Bonanza star Dan Blocker, dies at 93
—Peter Helm, actor in Inside Daisy Clover and The Andromeda Strain, dies at 84
What else we're reading...
—With spectacular title celebrations around the world, and a ridiculously large celebrity following, Janan Ganesh looks at how the mighty Arsenal were able achieved such cultural reach in an unsuccessful era [FT]
—Rebecca Ford reports on the efforts of AI companies to infiltrate the Cannes Film Festival and talks to filmmakers about the tech [Vanity Fair]
—As the search for a new James Bond gets underway, Mark Allison outlines the 5 things the prospective 007 needs to be [BBC]
—Margherita Stancati and Sam Schechner report on Pope Leo comparing the threat of AI to a Biblical "Tower of Babel" [WSJ]
—Robert Ito looks at how a new Star Wars film and the soon-to-be-released Masters of the Universe will reinforce the relationship between Hollywood and toys [NYT]
Today...
...in 1934, MGM unveiled the mystery The Thin Man in theaters, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. The film went on to be nominated for four Oscars at the 7th Academy Awards ceremony. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Ian McKellen (87), Octavia Spencer (56), Cillian Murphy (50), Mike Myers (63), Jacki Weaver (79), Frank Oz (82), Esmé Bianco (44), Ethan Suplee (50), Lisseth Chavez (37), Scarlet Rose Stallone (24), Brec Bassinger (27), Steven Krueger (37), Erinn Hayes (50), Patti D'Arbanville (75), Brandon Perea (31), Kevin Heffernan (58), Neil Marshall (56), Joseph D. Reitman (58), Molly Dunsworth (36), Joe Anoa'i (41), Vincent Piazza (50), Bill Fellows (69), Lauren Swickard (33)
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Grizz Chapman, best known for playing Grizz Griswold on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, has died. He was 52. The obituary.
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