What's news: The U.K. has formally opened a probe into Paramount’s takeover of WBD. Outkick is being integrated into Fox News Digital. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow return for Romy and Michele 2. Phil Lord and Chris Miller will produce Universal's I Promise We’re Cool. And Jason Momoa is no longer attached to star in Helldivers. — Abid Rahman
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Inside Fox's World Cup Play |
►Primetime push. It's almost here! The World Cup, the world's biggest sporting event (pipe down IOC), kicks off on Thursday and ahead of the opening match, THR's Alex Weprin takes a closer look at Fox's big tournament plans. Alex writes that with a big focus on primetime soccer and a star-studded on-air team, the media company is betting that the World Cup, on home turf, can supercharge the sport. The story.
—Swallowed. Alex Weprin has more news out of Fox, with the scoop that big changes are coming to Outkick, the digital sports and culture brand founded by Clay Travis. Outkick is being integrated into Fox News Digital, with Travis exiting the site, where he ran day-to-day operations and worked as talent. He will remain with Fox, however, having inked a new deal as a Fox News contributor. He will also continue to host OutKick the Show with Clay Travis on FS1. The story.
—Formal review, innit. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority has formally opened a probe into Paramount’s proposed $111b takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the merger watchdog said on Tuesday. In a statement, the CMA set an initial deadline of Aug. 7 for a ruling on the megadeal. The deal is receiving regulatory scrutiny in North America and Europe, with various industry players expressing concerns about the impact that the merged powerhouse could have on the entertainment industry and on consumers. The story.
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Savannah Guthrie Opens up Mom's Ongoing Disappearance
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►"I cry every morning." It’s been two months since Savannah Guthrie returned to NBC’s Today show amid the ongoing disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. And it’s still a struggle for her to get through the day, Savannah Guthrie shared Monday as she joined close friend Jenna Bush Hager as a guest co-host on the fourth hour of Today, now known as Today With Jenna & Sheinelle. "I can’t really even look at you every day without crying," Savannah Guthrie told Bush Hager while tearing up. "You are my best friend. You know, it’s really hard to come back. I’ve been trying so hard to hold it together, and I promise I will." The story.
—Hometown zero. Donald Trump didn’t have too many fans at the NBA Finals in New York City Monday night. During Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, the president made a guest appearance to watch his hometown team. However, when Trump was shown on the Jumbotron saluting the flag as Broadway star Avery Wilson sang the National Anthem, a wave of loud boos could be heard across the arena. The story.
—Return to normalcy. Spencer Pratt, who for a brief dizzying moment went from reality-show afterthought to the potential next mayor of Los Angeles, is back to being the person from that reality show. The AP late Monday afternoon officially called second place for his progressive rival Nithya Raman, after six days of the City Council member steadily gaining ground as more and more ballots were counted. The story.
—No match for L.A.’s Democratic machine. THR's Gary Baum reflects on Spencer Pratt's unorthodox run for office. Gary writes that the ex-reality TV star's redemption arc ushered in a new era of the influencer candidate and reframed Los Angeles' narrative around homelessness. The analysis.
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Feinberg's Emmy Forecast Ahead of Nominations Voting |
►Edging closer. The nominations round of Primetime Emmys voting will kick off this Thursday, June 11, and run for 11 days thereafter, through Monday, June 22. Then, things will go quiet until the nominees are announced on July 8. THR's executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg offers his latest assessment of 35 categories. The forecast.
—📅 Daté! 📅 Netflix has unveiled the release date and series poster for season four of Lupin. Omar Sy will reprise his iconic role as gentleman thief Assane Diop in the new eight-episode season of the hit French series. Netflix will drop Lupin season four on Oct. 23. Alongside Sy as Diop, the new season will feature Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella, Théo Christine and Laïka Blanc-Francard. The story.
—🟢 Greenest of green lights. 🟢 Netflix has lined up its next Korean crime drama. Paper Man (working title) will star Cho Jung-seok, Park Hae-soo and Claudia Kim, from director Lee Il-hyung. The series follows Cha Myung-jo (Cho), a downtrodden husband who works at a maker of knockoff character stickers and lives in the shadow of his far more accomplished wife. When he turns out a counterfeit bill so flawless it can’t be told from the real thing, he is pulled into a dangerous world he never imagined. The story.
—🎠He's got the little grey cells. 🎠BritBox and the BBC are putting a new spin on one of the most famous fictional detectives of the past century. The two outlets have greenlit Hercule, a six-episode mystery that will delve into the early stories featuring Agatha Christie’s iconic detective Hercule Poirot. Sex Education star Edward Bluemel will play the title character. Benji Walters is writing the series, and Jonny Campbell is set to direct the first two episodes. The story.
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Kudrow, Sorvino Back for 'Romy and Michele 2'
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►Dream to stream. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow’s comeback as Romy and Michele is officially a go — and headed straight to streaming. The 20th Century Studios sequel to 1997’s Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is now in production in Los Angeles with filmmaker Tim Federle at the helm. But unlike the first installment, which hit the big screen as a theatrical release, the sequel will stream exclusively as a Hulu Original. Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Patrick Warburton and Nathan Lee Graham are set for the sequel with returning stars Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim and Julia Campbell. The story.
—Project High Concept. THR's Borys "Skewpz" Kit has the scoop on Phil Lord and Chris Miller coming aboard to produce I Promise We’re Cool, a high concept comedy that was just set up at Universal. Charlie Hall, best known for his acting work in such shows as The Sex Lives of College Girls and Monster: The Ed Gein Story, is set to write the script, while Max Tzannes, who is part of the filmmaking collective Dirty Shot Clean, is on board to direct. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the project is described as a high concept high school comedy with a sci-fi twist. The story.
—🎠Injection of funny. 🎠Skewpz also has the scoop that Saturday Night Live's Ashley Padilla has joined to Emma Stone and Chris Pine in The Catch, a romantic comedy from Universal. Dave McCary, who acted as a segment director on SNL in the 2010s and is married to Stone, is helming the feature, which begins shooting in July in New York. While many of the plot details are being kept in the catcher’s mitt, sources say the rom-com is described as Bull Durham meets Notting Hill with Stone playing the most hated woman in baseball. The story.
—Hell-no-divers. Jason Momoa is no longer attached to star in filmmaker Justin Lin‘s movie adaptation of the Helldivers video game property. Lin’s feature version is still moving forward at Sony Pictures, with Gary Dauberman having penned the script. Helldivers is set for theatrical release on Nov. 10, 2027. Hailing from PlayStation Productions, the Helldivers movie adapts the 2015 game and its sequel that have collectively sold more than 12m units. The story.
—Another one! Obsession has broken yet another box office record, one set before filmmaker Curry Barker was in grade school. With $225.5m globally, the horror hit is now the top-grossing festival acquisition title of all time, beating Michael Moore‘s political doc Fahrenheit 9/11, which grossed $222m worldwide in 2004. Focus landed Obsession out of the Toronto Film Festival, with the studio beating out competitors such as Neon and A24 for around $15m. The story.
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Matthew Rhys Talks 'Widow's Bay'
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►"The big performances Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman did, they’re massive swings — and I’m like, ‘I should start doing that because time’s running out.’" Welsh heartthrob Matthew Rhys can seemingly do no wrong on TV at the moment. In the past year, the Cardiff-born star has delivered two genre-bending performances, first in Netflix’s The Beast in Me, and presently in Apple TV’s buzzy Widow’s Bay. For THR, Max Gao spoke to Rhys about his recent hot streak on the small screen, and he also explains why his ABC drama Brothers & Sisters could be rebooted. The interview.
—"Sometimes you just have to harness your enthusiasm and then it kind of dies, and that didn’t happen with this project." THR's resident Off Campus expert Nicole Fell spoke to the show's creator Louisa Levy on how she adapted the beloved romance novel into a hit Amazon series. Levy a first-time showrunner, has found herself with a certified hit on her hands. Now, she’s ready to dive back into the world of Briar University for season two, and she’s teasing what’s to come. The interview.
—"There’s crossover — similarities in the financial world, the wealth — but in terms of personal character, they’re quite different. And Marissa is probably closer to myself." THR's Lily Ford spoke to Sarah Snook about her TV show, All Her Fault. The Emmy-winner dishes on why, after her recent theater triumphs, the Peacock drama was the perfect post-Succession small screen project for her because Marissa Irvine is “not Shiv." The interview.
—"We had a lot of conversations about that kiss." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to The Testaments star Mattea Conforti about the season one finale of the Hulu drama. The actress who plays Becka breaks down her interpretation of that final kiss. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
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Film Review: 'The Last Day'
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►"A pair of powerhouse performances." THR's Angie Han reviews Rachel Rose's The Last Day. Alicia Vikander, Victoria Pedretti and Wagner Moura star in the debut feature by artist Rose, which follows two moms struggling with their places in life over a Fourth of July holiday. Written by Rachel Rose. The review.
—"A jumble of lovely and twee." For THR, Caryn James reviews Zach Woods' The Accompanist. A wacky, wise foster mother takes in a 9-year-old girl in this Tribeca-premiering film helmed by the Silicon Valley actor. Starring Susan Sarandon, Aubrey Plaza, Everly Carganilla, Kevyn Morrow and Emma Farnell-Watson. Written by Zach Woods and Brandon Gardner. The review.
In other news...
—Elle makes her debut in trailer for Legally Blonde prequel series
—Netflix’s live-action Scooby-Doo series reveals first look at Scooby
—Ariana Grande earns 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
—Producer Sigurjón “Joni” Sighvatsson to receive Locarno Award
—Lord of the Rings films to celebrate 25 years with Elijah Wood at CCXP
What else we're reading...
—Sopan Deb reports on the growing number of American orchestras that are eschewing Mozart and Beethoven and programming more live performances of movie soundtracks in a bid for box office revenue [NYT]
—John Herrman believes that corporate America is experiencing AI sticker shock as costs skyrocket [Intelligencer]
—Adam Nayman writes that with the return of Scary Movie it is good to have the Wayans back, "but it’d be better if they stuck their necks out farther" [Ringer]
—Max Tani reports on the drama and intricate office politics inside CBS News in the wake of Scott Pelley's exit [Semafor]
—Tom Bergin reports that the Trump family generated at least $2.3b in profit from their crypto ventures, while more than a million investors had net losses totaling $2.3b [Reuters]
Today...
...in 2006, Pixar unveiled its latest original feature Cars in theaters. The John Lasseter-directed pic revved up to gross $460m globally, kicking off another franchise for the studio. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Michael J. Fox (65), Natalie Portman (45), Aaron Sorkin (65), Gloria Reuben (62), Mae Whitman (38), Michaela Conlin (48), Xolo Maridueña (25), David Koepp (63), James Newton Howard (75), Damian Romeo (32), Mark Tallman (46), Eddie Marsan (58), Finn Little (20), Andrew W. Walker (47), Lucien Laviscount (34), Tim Loden (44), Josh Hamilton (57), Danielle C. Ryan (33), Louis Cancelmi (48), Tennille Read (47), David Troughton (76), Justin Benson (43), Lauren Socha (36), Rory Keenan (46), Lee Hyeri (32), Logan Browning (37), Ash Santos (33), Dino Fetscher (38), Keesha Sharp (53), Matt Bellamy (48), Benj Pasek (41), Robbie Fairchild (39), James DeBello (46), Youssef Kerkour (48), Rheagan Wallace (39), Sonam Kapoor (41)
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