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What's news: AMC Theatres is getting into the live concert business. Casey Wasserman’s The Team has acquired Provisions Golf. Live Nation made a loss of $371m tied to $450m in legal accruals from antitrust case. Some of Matthew Perry's personal items are heading to auction. And PBS Kids is rebooting Clifford the Big Red Dog. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
The Colbert Exit Interview►"I did not expect it to end this way." Last July, Stephen Colbert looked straight to camera and announced that his 11th season of The Late Show would be his last. CBS, whose parent company, Paramount, was in the midst of closing a multibillion-dollar merger with David Ellison’s Skydance that required the Trump administration’s approval, insisted it was “purely a financial decision.” But the choice to cancel the No. 1 show in late night raised more than a few eyebrows. As The Late Show nears its final bow, Colbert opens up to THR's Lacey Rose about the cancellation that shocked the industry, the win of going out as a “martyr” and his next act in Middle-earth. The cover story.
—The Colbert Reportage. Are you a big fan of pictures of Stephen Colbert looking dapper? Yes? Well you'll love this little gallery from our cover feature of Colbert out and about in New York, snapped by photographer Guy Aroch. The gallery. |
D'Amaro Lays Out "Long-Term View" for Disney►Talking a good game. Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro is laying out his long-term vision for the company, using his first quarterly earnings report since succeeding Bob Iger two months ago to introduce himself to Wall Street, and explain where he sees the company going. The company beat expectations in its fiscal Q2, which ended March 3, reporting revenue of $25.2b (up 7 percent) and segment operating income of $4.6b (up 4 percent). The entertainment division led the pack, with revenues of $11.7b, up 10 percent from a year ago and operating income of $1.3b, up 6 percent. That was followed by experiences, which had revenues of $9.5b, up 7 percent, with operating income of $2.6b, up 5 percent (they also said that the Abu Dhabi park plans remain “unchanged” given the years-long development process). The results.
—Will Disney split linear from streaming business? Across the entertainment business, a clear trend has emerged: Linear TV and streaming need to be separated apart, and in some cases even spun out, in order to lean into the future. Don’t expect Disney to follow suit, at least not anytime soon. During the company’s fiscal Q2 earnings call, Disney CFO Hugh Johnston explained the company’s thinking on linear vs. streaming, and how it views them all as being connected. The story.
—"It’s an area we’re focused on." Disney will continue to lean into short-form content under Josh D’Amaro and push forward with investment in original IP and existing franchises under president Dana Walden. On Disney’s earnings call Wednesday, D’Amaro noted that the company has already introduced vertical video onto Disney+, while noting that it’s still early, but “already driving deeper engagement,” and the ESPN app. The story. |
AMC Posts Higher Revenue on Attendance Rebound►We are so back! Better Hollywood box office led AMC Entertainment Holdings to higher theater attendance and revenue in the first quarter of 2026. U.S. markets attendance was up 14 percent to 30.7m filmgoers, against a year-earlier 27m, while international attendance rose 12.6 percent at 16.8m ticket buyers, against a year-ago 15m patrons, as AMC sees a continuing roller coaster ride for Hollywood box office into 2026. During the latest quarter, AMC played on its screens tentpoles like Project Hail Mary, compared to the year-earlier period when it relied on Snow White and Christmas holdovers like Moana 2 and Wicked to drive box office. The results.
—Look out Live Nation! AMC Theatres is getting into the live concert business. The company is counting on fan backlash to steep concert ticket prices to see their favorite artists up close and personal at their local theater. Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres, unveiled the launch of what it calls Arena One at AMC during the company’s May 5 earnings call. Aron said Arena One has a revenue share model where AMC retains a “significant” percentage of the admissions revenue and food and beverage sales in theaters, and Arena One will also get a “significant” share of the revenues. AMC will have the Arena One deal as exclusive to itself “for the foreseeable future." The story.
—The price of monopoly. Live Nation posted $3.8b in revenue for the first quarter, the company reported in its Q1 earnings report on Tuesday, though the live music giant also posted an operating loss of $371m tied to $450m in legal accruals from the company’s recent antitrust trial loss last month. Tuesday’s earnings marked Live Nation’s first quarterly since the antitrust decision last month, where a jury determined that the company violated antitrust laws and functioned as a monopoly. The results.
—On the move. Hasbro is planning to relocate 100 employees that work across film, TV, gaming, licensing, toys and its AI studio to The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood in the first quarter of next year. The company inked a long-term lease for 31,435 square feet on the third floor and part of the fourth floor at the Formosa West office building. The firm will vacate its lease on Empire Ave in Burbank, where it had been occupying 80,000 square feet of office space that housed its consumer products and entertainment segments, per a regulatory filing. The story. |
Will a Murdoch Own New York Magazine Again?►No. 2 son making moves. James Murdoch, the beneficiary of an extra $1.1b thanks to a settlement that extricated himself from his older brother and father’s News Corp and Fox empires, may getting back in to the media game in a big way. The younger Murdoch is said to be in talks with Vox Media about buying New York Magazine and Vox podcast division assets, Rupert Murdoch’s own crown jewel WSJ reported, citing sources. Buying New York would be more akin to being a steward to one of the magazine world’s last standing giants — and it’s a publication that was also owned by his father for a 15-year run until Rupert’s News Corp. divested of its holdings in 1991 sale. The story.
—Wait, what? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued The New York Times, alleging the news organization discriminated against a white male employee by passing him over for a promotion. More broadly, the lawsuit filed in New York federal court on Tuesday accuses the Times of implementing race and sex-based hiring goals that favor minorities and women in violation of civil rights laws. The government seeks a court order barring the company from carrying diversity, equity and inclusion policies, plus unspecified damages for the unnamed employee. The lawsuit marks another escalation by the Trump administration against the Times, this time by putting DEI objectives in its crosshairs. The story.
—"Absolutely, I would do it tonight." With CNN on the cusp of changing hands once more, this time as part of Paramount’s $111b mega-deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, media mogul Barry Diller says that if given the opportunity he would snatch up the iconic news brand instantly. "Absolutely, I would do it tonight and tomorrow night,” Diller told WSJ reporter Cara Lombardo at the Future of Everything summit in New York Tuesday. "Before they ruin it any further. Hopefully before it’s extinct, which, I mean, it’s not gonna be." The story.
—New banner just dropped. French studio Pathé, together with backer Merit France, the holding company of French billionaire Rodolphe Saadé, are partnering with CODA producer Vendôme Pictures to launch a new production and finance company, Emotion Pictures, that will specialize in commercial, English-language feature films. The new studio, unveiled Tuesday, plans to develop, acquire, fully finance and produce a slate of wide-appeal English-language movies, which Pathé will release theatrically in France, Switzerland and Benelux. Emotion Pictures will have offices in Paris and Los Angeles. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Even as it preps for a potential sale, Casey Wasserman’s The Team is bulking up in its core sports representation category and snapping up another boutique agency. The Westwood-based company is acquiring agency Provisions Golf in its latest move in to the creators category, it said on Wednesday. The firm reps pro golfer Grant Horvat as well as golf influencers the Bryan Bros, both of which have large YouTube followings on their channels, 1.7m and 853,000 respectively. Founders Joe Gilliland and Josh Morgan will join The Team as svps. The story. |
Perry's Personal Items Up for Auction►All for charity. Photos and a collection of Friends scripts are among personal items from the estate of Matthew Perry that are now up for auction in partnership with his nonprofit foundation. Net proceeds from the charity auction will “advance Matthew’s most meaningful legacy: building a future free from addiction stigma, where every person seeking recovery has access to the care, resources and the community they need to thrive,” according to a statement from Heritage Auctions. Beneficiaries also include the Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital; Healing Appalachia, a recovery-focused sober music festival; and grassroots recovery grants for other frontline organizations. The story.
—Bloody oath! THR's nicest man Chris Gardner reports that the Cannes Film Festival was close to having a 6-foot-5 movie star serving on its competition jury. Jacob Elordi, who has been on a busy spell with back-to-back-to-back projects like Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and the new season of Euphoria, was confirmed for a spot on the jury under president Park Chan-wook. But the actor broke his foot, making the appointment nearly impossible due to the physical demands of hoofing it up and down the Palais steps and shuttling back and forth to screenings and jury commitments. The story.
—No such thing as cancel culture. In 2017, Louis C.K. was largely exiled from comedy after five women accused him of sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement. Cut to 2026, and he headlined a show at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. THR's Kirsten Chuba reports that C.K. took the stage in L.A. on Tuesday night, the show serving as the final stop of the worldwide “Ridiculous” tour he’s been on for the last year. The iconic venue was roughly 75 percent full, mostly of male fans in their 20s and 30s, who came to life when the comedian started his set after four opening acts. The story. |
Peele's Monkeypaw Cuts Down Development Team►"Refocusing." THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit has the scoop that Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions is slimming down. The genre-skewing banner, which has a first-look deal at Universal, has quietly let go of three members its development team. It is unclear who was let go, but insiders say that the development department will maintain a staff of four and is still receiving new material. The move has been described as a “refocusing” by those in the know. Sources also say Peele wants to be take a more hands-on involvement in the development of projects. The layoffs may be an acknowledgement of business realities for the banner that became a Hollywood name thanks to Peele’s success in the wake of Get Out and Us . In 2019, Peele signed a rich, five-year deal with Universal, with Monkeypaw becoming one of the bigger-staffed companies of its type in town. The story.
—"I really liked what I saw. It has vibes of the original trilogy, the action looks great." There has been a ton of speculation — and a fair amount of skepticism — about the first Star Wars movie in seven years, The Mandalorian & Grogu. The trailers and two clips released so far have resulted in no shortage of opinions. On Monday night, some Star Wars fans and influencers were treated to the film’s first 25 minutes in Imax, and then took to social media to share their thoughts. Keep in mind these are influencers who did not see the full film and Disney is rather savvy about who gets invited to such events. The reaction.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Mubi has picked up Coward, the new film from Belgian director Lukas Dhont for multiple territories, including the U.K, Germany, Australia/New Zealand and Latin America. Mubi said it will outline its release plans in the near future. Coward will have its world premiere in competition in Cannes later this month. Dhont’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated Close (2022) is a period drama set in the trenches of World War I. The story. |
PBS Rebooting 'Clifford the Big Red Dog'►Old dog, new tricks. Clifford the Big Red Dog is being rebooted in a new PBS Kids animated series. The new Clifford, from 9 Story Media Group, aims to teach preschoolers “important foundational social skills,” like how to engage in social problem-solving, joining groups, making friends and including others in play, as well as modeling how young children can contribute to their communities. The 26-episode show is set to premiere on PBS Kids in 2027. The story.
—Back for seconds. NBC has renewed The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe, for a second season. The pickup comes six days ahead of NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation, which will include NBC’s schedule for the 2026-27 season. The comedy stars Morgan as the titular character, a former football star whose career ended in a gambling scandal. He hires documentarian (Radcliffe) to make a film about him in an effort to rehabilitate his image. With the renewal of Reggie Dinkins, NBC has only two shows remaining on its bubble for next season — the long-running Law & Order and second-year drama The Hunting Party. The story.
—📅 Red, white, and chill. 📅 Netflix is ringing in America’s 250th anniversary with a new documentary by Brian Knappenberger. The streamer will premiere a five-part documentary about the founding and future of democracy in the U.S. called The American Experiment on June 24. Featuring interviews with former and current lawmakers, former vice presidents and cabinet members, a former Supreme Court justice, historians, tribal leaders and military experts, the film is being marketed as a nuanced take on how America wrestled with some early contradictions in its quest to form a new kind of government. The story.
—Surprise, cousin! The fifth (and likely final) season of The Bear isn’t out yet, but fans of the show can get a taste of the show before the season premieres. The show dropped a surprise prequel episode Tuesday on Hulu. Titled “Gary,” the hour-long episode follows Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey (Jon Bernthal) on a trip to Gary, Indiana, before the events of the main series. It’s searchable on Hulu under the episode title. Moss-Bachrach and Bernthal — who are currently starring in a stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway — co-wrote the episode, and The Bear creator Christopher Storer directed. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Hulu will return to Arlen, Texas, in July. The streamer has set a premiere date for season 15 of King of the Hill — the second season of the animated series’ revival. All 10 episodes will debut on July 20, just under a year after the revival’s first season debuted. The logline for season 15 reads, "Hank and Peggy settle into retirement life on Rainey Street while attempting to keep their neighbors from going off the rails. Bobby navigates old friendships while dealing with the stresses of being an entrepreneur." The story. |
TV Review: 'The Other Bennet Sister'
►"Grounded yet enchanting." THR's Angie Han reviews BritBox's The Other Bennet Sister. This Pride and Prejudice spinoff is based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, and is a 10-part series that follows Mary, the odd duck of the family, as she begins a new chapter of her life in London. Starring Ella Bruccoleri, Indira Varma, Dónal Finn, Laurie Davidson, Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant and Richard Coyle. Created by Sarah Quintrell, based on the book by Janice Hadlow. The review.
—"Nicely eerie, if not truly scary." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews AMC+/Shudder's The Terror: Devil in Silver. Victor LaValle, with co-showrunner Chris Cantwell, adapts his novel about a New York City asylum that may be harboring the Devil in this third season of the anthology franchise. Starring Dan Stevens, Judith Light, CCH Pounder, Aasif Mandvi, Hampton Fluker, Chinaza Uche, Stephen Root and John Benjamin Hickey. Created by Victor LaValle. The review.
In other news...
—Dutton Ranch trailer: Rip and Beth find new trouble in Texas
—Evil Dead Burn ignites with gory first trailer
—New Rolling Stones album Foreign Tongues to release in July
—Kyle Benn joins Family Theater Productions as head of production
—Boardroom taps Speedy Morman as host, exec producer
What else we're reading...
—Sobering read from Ryu Spaeth about "the cursed generation," the kids who had high school wrecked for them due to COVID and with AI likely coming for their first jobs [Intelligencer]
—Danny Chau celebrates Sir David Attenborough, who turns 100 this week, as one of the most powerful voices in history [Ringer]
—Rebecca Jennings pays tribute to Netflix's Love on the Spectrum, the "nicest show on reality TV" [Vulture]
—Edward Luce writes that under Trump we live in the "age of the American pharaoh" and dynastic succession is most likely on the president's mind [FT]
—Chavie Lieber looks at how "mall brands" like Zara and Gap won big at the Met Gala [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2011, Summit Entertainment released Jodie Foster's The Beaver in theaters. The dramedy, which starred Mel Gibson, Foster, Anton Yelchin, and Jennifer Lawrence, was mired in constroversy over Gibson's involvement and bombed at the box office. The original review.
Today's birthdays: George Clooney (65), Gabourey Sidibe (43), Naomi Scott (33), Adrianne Palicki (43), Emily Alyn Lind (24), Beatrice Grannò (33), Drew Tarver (40), Ginna Claire Mason (36), Leslie Hope (61), Gregg Henry (74), Lars Mikkelsen (62), Tyler Hynes (40), Hammed Animashaun (35), Sadie Sandler (20), Alan Dale (79), Kavan Smith (56), Roma Downey (66), Anne Parillaud (66), Sasheer Zamata (40), Geneva Carr (55), Noah Galvin (32), Christian Clavier (74), Shamier Anderson (35), Tiera Skovbye (31), Nuno Lopes (48), Lindsay Pulsipher (44), Paul Bazely (58), Julianne Phillips (66), Dominic Scott Kay (30), Stacey Oristano (47), Bresha Webb (42), Jaime Winstone (41), Tristán Ulloa (56), Aryan Simhadri (20), André Øvredal (53)
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