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What's news: The Netflix breakup fee wiped out WBD's quarterly profits. Sony Music Group is in talks to acquire Recognition. Matt Shakman is set to direct a new Planet of the Apes film. Mortal Kombat II is tracking to open above $40m in North America. Saturday Night Live U.K. has been renewed. And FX's The Bear will officially end with S5. — Abid Rahman
Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com. |
THR's 50 Most Powerful People in New York Media ►"This devil wears Banana Republic." THR’s New York Issue returns after an extended break. Editor-in-chief Maer Roshan pens a letter on the issue's comeback, our first since 2022, that once again looks at the most powerful media figures in the Big Apple. The letter.
—It's back! THR's list of the most powerful people in New York media returns after a four-year break. The most influential execs, editors, writers, anchors and polarizing personalities take our survey on their dream interviews, what they love most about the city right now and how they define power in an industry in constant flux. The list. |
Ted Turner 1938 - 2026 ►Media icon. Ted Turner, the larger-than-life media visionary who forever altered the news business by founding CNN and helped introduce Americans to pay TV by creating cable channels like TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, has died. He was 87. Turner, who later turned his attention to saving the planet and pushing progressive political causes, died Wednesday, according to a statement from the family released by Turner Enterprises. He battled Lewy body dementia in recent years. Aside from building a "superstation" into a media empire, in a colorful life, Turner owned a baseball team, won the America’s Cup, took on Vince McMahon, married Jane Fonda and donated $1b to the United Nations. The obituary.
—"His legacy is not just in what he built, but in how he inspired others to build." Ted Turner was a “visionary” who reshaped the media landscape, some of the moguls who worked with, competed against and followed him are saying in tribute to the CNN and Turner Networks founder. Long-time rival Rupert Murdoch, WBD CEO David Zaslav, Comcast chairman Brian Roberts and Versant CEO Mark Lazarus were among the media execs who paid tribute to Turner on Wednesday. The reaction.
—"He gave me confidence." Jane Fonda paid tribute to ex-husband Ted Turner on Wednesday. Fonda took to social media to share her thoughts, writing, “He swept into my life, a gloriously handsome, deeply romantic, swashbuckling pirate and I’ve never been the same. He needed me. No one had ever let me know they needed me, and this wasn’t your average human being that needed me." Fonda added, "He had a big life, a brilliant mind and a soaring sense of humor." The reaction.
—Classy as always. Donald Trump released a statement in honor of Ted Turner on Wednesday, where he argued that the media mogul was “personally devastated” that he sold CNN and the company “became woke,” also sharing his hopes that the Ellisons “will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory.” The reaction.
—"The speed of news today in a way represents exactly how Turner lived his life." Reflecting on Ted Turner's impact on TV news, THR's Alex Weprin writes that the iconoclasitc media mogul created the 24-hour news cycle, which kept the world more informed and more stressed. Alex writes that while most people view "the media" at large as elite and out-of-touch, Turner actually moved the nexus of news away from New York and to the American heartland. The story. |
Netflix Breakup Fee Forces WBD to $2.9B Loss ►Pricey divorce. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery reported $8.9b in Q1 2026 revenue, down a bit from the same quarter last year. The company lost an eye-popping $2.9b from January through March, but that includes the $2.8b termination fee it had to pay to Netflix (and was reimbursed by Paramount Skydance, essentially). There was also $1.3b in expenses that includes layoff costs and severance monies. WBD's advertising revenue for the first quarter declined to $1.85b — the organization continues to feel a lack of the NBA on its Turner cable stations. The results.
—RKO everybody, everywhere. TKO Group Holdings continues to ride a wave of major media rights deals to stronger growth, with Paramount’s lucrative new deal with the UFC officially kicking off in Q1. The company, which owns UFC, WWE, IMG and other brands like On Location and PBR, revealed that in Q1 it had revenue of $1.6b (up 26 percent), net income of $250m, and adjusted EBITDA of $550m (up 32 percent). The company also disclosed a plan to increase its share buybacks by $1b. The results.
—Circling. Sony Music Group is in talks to acquire Recognition Music Group, sources tell THR's Ethan Millman, in what would mark just the latest 10-figure music deal to hit the market this year following Primary Wave’s acquisition of Kobalt and BMG’s acquisition of Concord. The deal, which hasn’t been finalized yet, would encompass mainly publishing rights from some of the most iconic acts in music including Justin Bieber, Neil Young and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Financial details of the sale aren’t known, though Bloomberg reported the deal would be between $3.5b and $4b. The story. |
'Fantastic Four' Director Set to Helm 'Planet of the Apes' Movie ►Not a sequel? 20th Century Studios is returning to Planet of the Apes. Matt Shakman, who directed Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has been tapped to helm a new installment of the long-running sci-fi property. Josh Friedman, who co-wrote First Steps as well as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will write the new script. In a twist, the new feature project will not be a sequel to Kingdom, which made $397.3m worldwide and is generally considered a success. Kingdom was a continuation of the trilogy produced starting in 2011 that rebooted the franchise and focused on the rise of the ape leader known as Caesar. The story.
—🤝 We choo, choose Netflix. 🤝 Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, the filmmakers behind Netflix’s Oscar-nominated drama Train Dreams, have signed a first-look deal with the streamer. The duo, via their production banner Ethos, will develop and produce features for Netflix. The filmmakers work together in a way that sees them co-write their projects and then alternate among themselves on who sits in the director’s seat. Train Dreams, for example, was helmed by Bentley while Kwedar took on their previous effort, 2023’s Sing Sing . Bentley and Kwedar will also develop a slate with up-and-coming filmmakers selected from the world’s top festivals and film schools. Netflix will fund the development and production of these low-budget films, and release them. The story.
—🎭 Filled out. 🎭 James Nelson-Joyce and Emily Fairn will lead Thomas Napper’s darkly comic period heist The Man Who Stole Portugal, also starring Richard E. Grant and Dominic West. Principal photography is now underway on the movie, written by Richard Galazka, with Beta Cinema set to launch the project to international buyers in Cannes. Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925. The story.
—Fatality! While most tracking services are betting on the violent video game adaptation Mortal Kombat II to prevail and top the North American chart with $40m or more — one research firm is even suggesting $45m to $49m — New Line and parent company Warner Bros. are predicting a far more conservative opening in the $35m range for a worldwide launch anywhere between $65m and $80m. In 2021, Mortal Kombat was by all accounts a resounding hit on streaming when launching simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max due to the ongoing pandemic and a badly lagging box office, where the martial arts movie debuted to $23m on its way to topping out at a tepid $42m domestically and $84.4m globally. The box office report. |
With TV News In Free Fall, Anchors Try Breaking Away ►"It’s certainly been a phenomenon for a while that individual journalists have started paying even more attention to their personal brand." As cost cuts roil the big networks, THR's Alex Weprin reports that A-list news talent (and their agents) are mulling ways to follow the likes of Mehdi Hasan, Megyn Kelly, Jim Acosta and Tucker Carlson and go indie to make up for slashed salaries — a move that's not only risky but expensive. The analysis.
—The end is nigh. The Bear is indeed closing its doors. FX on Wednesday announced a June 25 premiere date for the Emmy-winning series and for the first time confirmed that season five will be the last one. All eight episodes will stream on Hulu at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT that day, exactly a year after the premiere of season four. The final season will also air on FX’s cable channel, with two episodes on the premiere date and weekly airings through early August. Season five being the end for The Bear hasn’t exactly been a secret — cast member Jamie Lee Curtis said as much in a red-carpet interview in early March. The story.
—🎭 Double duty. 🎭 Oscar Isaac is staying in business with Netflix, both in front of and behind the camera. Isaac has signed on to star in and executive produce a drama series set in Las Vegas for the streamer and has also signed a first-look deal at Netflix. The series, which the streamer ordered in December, comes from Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien and also counts Martin Scorsese among its executive producers. Under the first-look deal, Isaac’s company Mad Gene, which he heads with Elvira Lind and Gena Konstantinakos, will develop series and movie projects for Netflix. The story. |
'Harry Potter' Renewed for S2 at HBO ►The Chamber of Secrets will be opened. HBO has officially greenlit Harry Potter for a second season. The renewal comes seven months before the debut of the show’s first season, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The second season is scheduled to begin shooting this fall. HBO didn’t declare a title for the second season, but the show’s creative team has previously stated they’re planning to spend one season on each book and J.K. Rowling’s second novel is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The story.
—Lovely jubbly! Saturday Night Live U.K. will be back for a second season, Comcast-owned Sky said on Thursday. The U.K. network has ordered 12 episodes of the British incarnation of NBC’s legendary late-night comedy show for season 2, up from eight episodes in the debut season. Season 2 will start airing in September and run until early 2027. The story.
—The resurrection. A few days before it announces its lineup for the 2026-27 season, Fox is looking ahead to 2027-28 — and also a good ways back in TV history. The network has greenlit a remake of the 1980s series Highway to Heaven. Fox Entertainment Studios will produce and own the series, with Amblin Television and Michael Landon Productions also involved. Landon created and starred in the original series, which ran from 1984-89 on NBC. Jason Katims will be the showrunner on the new series, which like its predecessor will follow a “probationary angel” who’s sent to Earth to earn his wings by helping people in need. The story.
—🟢 Greenest of green lights. 🟢 Apple TV has ordered a thriller series titled Disavowed, with James Marsden set to play the lead role. The series comes from Apple Studios, Blue Marble Pictures and creators Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Disavowed is the first TV series from Marcum and Holloway, who helped launch the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man. The show, based on an original idea by Marcum and Holloway, will star Marsden as Brad Griffin, a legendary CIA case officer. Brad “is abruptly fired in the middle of a global hunt for an elusive assassin responsible for killing his colleague,” the show’s logline reads. The story. |
Broadway: 'The Lost Boys' Hits $1M ►Pre-Tony bounce. Even before the Tony nominations buzz, new musical The Lost Boys saw its highest grossing week yet, bringing in $1m last week at the Palace Theatre. Capacity dipped slightly to 85 percent, but it’s still promising for the musical. Schmigadoon!, in a much smaller theater and therefore with a lower gross potential, played to 75 percent capacity last week and brought in $646,129. Death of a Salesman is still selling fairly strong, with $1.7m last week and playing to 88 percent capacity, as is Ragtime, which brought in $1.1m last week and played to 99 percent capacity, even after being open since the fall. Cats: The Jellicle Ball is still commanding strong attendance at 94 percent capacity, even as grosses fell slightly to $935,627. The Broadway box office report.
—Dan the man. Every Brilliant Thing, starring Daniel Radcliffe, has recouped its $5.75m Broadway capitalization. It’s a big win for the show, as only the third production of the 2025-2026 season to announce recoupment out of more than two dozen commercial projects. The production recouped its investment in record time, less than two months after opening at the Hudson Theatre on March 12. The show is helped by the star-power of Radcliffe, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his role on Tuesday. The play also has relatively low running costs. The story.
—📅 New date. 📅 The Book Of Mormon has canceled performances through May 17 after a fire broke out at the theater the morning of May 4. However, the production says performances are “anticipated to resume” at the Eugene O’Neill Theater “in the coming weeks.” This comes after the New York Fire Department had initially said there was “substantial” damage to the fourth floor of the electrical room after responding to the fire Monday. The exact cause of the fire is unknown. The story. |
Film Review: 'Mortal Kombat II'
►"Not a flawless victory." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat II. The battle for Earthrealm continues in this follow-up to the 2021 screen version of the popular action-laden video game. Starring Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Min, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada. Written by Jeremy Slater. The review.
—"Promising start and end, dull in the middle." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Peacock's M.I.A. A Miami-set thriller from the creator of Ozark stars Shannon Gisela as a young woman out to kill a dozen cartel members. Also starring Cary Elwes, Danay Garcia, Brittany Adebumola, Dylan Jackson, Alberto Guerra, Maurice Compte, Gerardo Celasco and Marta Milans. Created by Bill Dubuque. The review.
In other news...
—Elle Woods has to move in Amazon's Elle teaser
—Francesco Sossai’s Last One for the Road sweeps David di Donatello Awards
—Noah Wyle to host MPTF’s NextGen summer party
—Clavicular facing firearm charges after alligator shooting
—Obamas’ Higher Ground sets Stories From a Stranger companion podcast
What else we're reading...
—Kyle Chayka reports on the "lo-fi rebellion against A.I." where artists and designers are embracing a style of handmade imperfection [New Yorker]
—Maxwell Adler reports on comedians Hannah Einbinder, Joel Kim Booster, and Chris Fleming turning their stand-up sets into political engines for Democratic Socialists of America candidates in L.A. [Vanity Fair]
—Another phenomenal story from Sarah Fitzpatrick about Kash Patel, this time with the revelation that the FBI director gifts bottles of personalized branded bourbon [Atlantic]
—Anas Baba reports on the harrowing attempts to retrieve the thousands bodies still under the rubble in Gaza [NPR]
—Rachael O'Connor explains the rise of "blue dot fever" which is plaguing Millennial pop stars [Newsweek]
Today...
...in 1999, Universal resurrected the Mummy franchise in theaters as an actioner starring Brendan Fraser. The original review.
Today's birthdays: MrBeast (28), Aidy Bryant (39), Alexander Ludwig (34), Amy Heckerling (72), Maya Erskine (39), Breckin Meyer (52), Andrew Barth Feldman (24), Dylan Gelula (32), J Balvin (41), Asghar Farhadi (54), Dariusz Wolski (70), Jennifer Yuh Nelson (54), Nicholas Hytner (70), Carrie Henn (50), Lela Loren (46), Ivan Sergei (55), Mark O'Brien (42), Morgana Robinson (44), J.D. Hall (79), Mhairi Calvey (38), Brandon W. Jones (38), Scheana Shay (41), Adain Bradley (28), Melissa Tang (41), Kristen Vaganos (30), Rada Rassimov (88), Peter Reckell (71), Darrin Baker (61), Lynsey Baxter (67), Marina Mazepa (29), Adam Bernstein (66), Dominik Moll (64), Gard B. Eidsvold (60), Lucile Hadzihalilovic (65), Yôsuke Kubozuka (47), Nicco Annan (37)
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