What's news: Some surprising Hollywood names are linked with Peter Thiel's secret society. Netflix has canceled The Boroughs after one season. Starz has acquired acclaimed queer drama Tip Toe. Wagner Moura is in talks to join the Ocean's Eleven prequel. And Ben Stiller, A24 and HBO are working on a docuseries about the Knicks long journey to glory! — Abid Rahman
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►Things fall apart. For a decade, the Fox News network and Donald Trump have fueled each other’s rise. As the midterms approach, THR's Kevin Dolak writes that both are learning who really owns the Republican base. The story.
—Thiel's secret society. Behind closed doors, powerbrokers across the world in politics, tech and media have convened at an annual in-the-know retreat hosted by Peter Thiel to rub elbows and examine hot-button issues. Dialog, the invite-only society that bills itself as a forum for leaders to “discuss topics off-the-record,” maintains a low public profile and has never shared a list of its members. For decades, little to nothing has been uncovered about the group. That changed earlier this week when a researcher leaked information about the organization. And some surprising Hollywood names are involved. The story.
—"We now see the path closing for people of color and women to premiere their film on a major streamer." Representation for women and people of color went down, down, down in streaming films in 2025 — and that’s counting Netflix‘s smash hit KPop Demon Hunters. UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report found that as the number of streaming films decreased, so did minority employment across directors, writers, leads and overall cast. The report.
—Alleged racist and sexual comments. CBS Television Studios has been sued by a writer on Matlock, who accuses the show’s top brass of directing disparaging sexual and racist comments at him and other Black cast and crew members. The writer, John Lowe, alleges in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in California state court that Matlock‘s showrunner and executive producers created a hostile work environment “permeated by sexually explicit and discriminatory conduct.” He was terminated after allegedly reporting an incident in which his supervisor referred to Juneteenth as “Coonteenth.” The story.
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Game of Porn: The Battle to Topple OnlyFans |
►Passing the Fleshlight. OnlyFans conquered adult content, then spent years acting ashamed of it. Now that its founder Leo Radvinsky is dead, a Texas upstart called Fansly is poaching its NSFW talent and proudly moving in on its turf, writes Gustavo Turner. The story.
—"I’m smelling the roses." Lil Nas X shared an extensive video on social media Wednesday morning, giving his most extensive update about his mental health and since his infamous arrest last year, opening up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, going through rehab and therapy and confirming that he has new music in the works. “I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist which has been really helpful," the Grammy-winner says. The story.
—Tragedy. Daveigh Chase, best known as the child star in the horror film The Ring and also the voice of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, has died. She was 35. The actress’ boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ that Chase died Tuesday after battling meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to septic issues. Born in 1990, Chase rose to fame with several starring roles including 2002’s The Ring. Her role as Samara Morgan spooked audiences and led to a MTV Movie Award for best villain. The obituary.
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Netflix Cancels 'The Boroughs' After One Season
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►Breakups are hard. Netflix has swiftly canceled the Duffer brothers series The Boroughs after just one season. The show premiered less than a month ago. The Boroughs was highly anticipated as it represented Matt and Ross Duffer‘s first series after Stranger Things, which is arguably a foundational piece in Netflix’s history. Part of the problem with The Boroughs, a source tells THR, is that the show was expensive. Also in the background, the Duffers are taking their talents to Paramount. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Starz is bringing Swansea-born Russell T Davies' queer drama Tip Toe to the U.S. and Canada. Tip Toe, which recently premiered on Channel 4 in the U.K., stars Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as “warring neighbors.” The five-part series is described as a “darkly witty yet harrowing and explosive thriller” that “explores the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today.” Tip Toe will premiere on Starz in the U.S. later this year. The story.
—More to tell. Amazon Prime Video has renewed One Night in Idaho: The College Murders for a second season. The three new episodes will deliver “first-time, exclusive access to the police and lead investigators who bore the weight of a nation’s obsession and — until now — were unable to tell their story due to a gag order on the case,” the streamer says. One Night in Idaho comes from director Matthew Galkin and showrunner Katie A. King. The team behind the docuseries pivoted to a second season after Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to the gruesome murders. The story.
—Dip it (new) low, Christina. THR's Tony Maglio has the scoop on Lifetime's summer 2026 original movies slate. The lineup includes a secret baby born at prom, the “dangerous obsession” of a creepy funeral director and one killer clown. If that sentence doesn’t shake you, this one should: Those are the three ripped-from-the-headlines films from the overall slate of five. The story.
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The NHL's 'Heated Rivalry' Offseason Dilemma |
►Time to capitalize. Hockey romance is booming. Canadian streamer Crave’s breakout hit Heated Rivalry — one of the most talked about shows of the last year — became a pop culture phenomena. Meanwhile, Off Campus has also become a hit for Prime Video in the month since its release and Netflix has Icebreaker in the works. The rise of hockey romance has given the sport a real pop culture moment. Given the hype, THR's Nicole Fell looks at how pro leagues like the NHL and PWHL are figuring out how to get fans to the rink — and keep them. The story.
—Together again. Abbott Elementary star Janelle James is lining up her next TV project — as a writer. James and Happy Endings creator David Caspe are teaming for a Hulu comedy, Rock City, set in the Virgin Islands. They’ll write and executive produce the project, which comes from Universal Television and is in development at Hulu. For the time being, at least, James will be only behind the camera. James and Caspe previously worked together on Showtime’s Black Monday. The story.
—Just in time for picnic season. Trusted Media Brands’ Taste of Home has a new YouTube-first food series, The Great American Sandwich Show. The show features comedian, writer and chef Lindsay Ames as she chats with familiar faces in culinary industry and puts on a spin on their favorite sandwiches. The biweekly show, which is now streaming, kicks off with an episode featuring Top Chef winner and now host/judge Kristen Kish. The story.
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THR's 10 Best Films of 2026 So Far
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►No Backrooms! Bah! Following on from THR critics' list of the best TV of 2026 (so far!) from yesterday, here are the best films up to the half point of the year, according to our crack team of reviewers. David Rooney, Jon Frosch, Angie Han, Jordan Mintzer and Frank Scheck list their faves from the first half of the year include a breakout blast of horror, the latest from auteurs both pop (Spielberg) and art house (Dardennes), and a doc that brings The King back from the afterlife. The list.
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Venice: The Films Most Likely to Make the Cut |
►🤌 Incredibile! 🤌 After Hollywood snubbed the Cannes Film Festival — for the first time in decades not a single studio-backed movie premiered on the Croisette this year — the focus has shifted to Venice and the question of whether the majors will return to the Lido in force. THR's Venice veterans Scott Roxborough and Patrick Brzeski consider the prospective lineup in Italy where David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, Werner Herzog and a deep art-house field could make for a landmark 83rd edition. The list.
—🎭 Incrível! 🎭 THR's Borys "Scoopinho" Kit has the scoop that Brazilian star Wagner Moura is in negotiations to join Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper in Warner Bros.'s untitled Ocean's Eleven prequel. The Secret Agent actor is eyeing the villain role. Cooper is directing on top of starring and producing. Robbie is also starring and producing via her LuckyChap banner. The feature is expected to begin shooting in late July in Paris before moving to the South of France. The story.
—Incredible! Knicks superfan Ben Stiller has revealed he’s working on a multi-part documentary about the storied NBA team that just took home its first championship in 53 years. After teaming up with the NBA, A24 and HBO for the doc, Stiller is set to direct the project, which will follow the team’s full arc from the 90s to the improbable, record-breaking run that saw the Knicks finally win after half a century. Stiller was seen at various points during the Knicks' playoff run filming long stretches of the action with his phone, leading to speculation he was working on a doc. The story.
—Incredible baby, yeah? With Mike Myers reviving Dr. Evil for a Verizon ad, Austin Powers fans are still hoping for a shagadelic fourth movie to someday hit the big screen. During an appearance on Trevor Noah’s World Cup Watch Party that streamed live Tuesday, a fan asked, “Are we ever going to see an Austin Powers 4?” to which Myers quickly replied, "Yes." The story.
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TV Review: 'I Will Find You'
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►"Capably built to be watched while doing other things." THR's chief film critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Netflix's I Will Find You. Sam Worthington and Britt Lower lead the latest limited series from the prolific mystery writer Harlan Coben, about a father locked up for killing the son he now believes is still alive. Also starring Milo Ventimiglia, Erin Richards, Jonathan Tucker, Madeleine Stowe, Logan Browning and Chi McBride. Created by Robert Hull, from the book by Harlan Coben. The review.
In other news...
—Tom Holland is back swinging in Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer
—Ryan Gosling to receive 2026 American Cinematheque Award
—Richard Linklater to get lifetime honor at Zurich Film Fest
—Locarno: Seven-time Oscar-winner Rick Bake set to receive Vision Award
—New Paramount+ promo is essentially a two-month free trial
—First official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizzeria opens in L.A.
—Streamer Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter signs with CAA
—Betches signs with CAA for podcasts and creator representation
—Jeremy Clarkson reveals prostate cancer diagnosis
—Tom Dreesen, stand-up comic and Sinatra’s opening act, dies at 87
What else we're reading...
—Ben Fritz talks to Silk White, a former L.A. drug dealer turned indie filmmaker, who is making nearly $2m a year from his projects on free streamers like Tubi and Roku [WSJ]
—Arjun Kharpal reports that Yann "Godfather of AI" LeCun has slammed Elon Musk’s xAI as a "failure" and worries the AI bubble is about to burst due to rising costs [CNBC]
—Dan Wetzel wonders why it took Nike so long to come out with a signature shoe for Caitlin Clark [ESPN]
—A powerful personal essay from 19-year-old Côte d'Ivoire star forward Yan Diomande who pens a tribute to his dead younger sister who never got to see him become a pro, or play at a World Cup [The Players' Tribune]
—Another incredible viral Isaac Chotiner interview, this time with an ultra right wing, and frankly delusional, Israeli TV anchor who thinks America stabbed Israel in the back [New Yorker]
Today...
...in 2010, Disney/Pixar released Lee Unkrich's Toy Story 3 in theaters. The film became an instant classic, with universal acclaim from critics, $1.1b in box office and two Oscar wins. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Kane Parsons (21), Paul McCartney (84), Isabella Rossellini (74), Barbara Broccoli (66), Richard Madden (40), Jacob Anderson (36), Carol Kane (74), Sean Teale (34), Alana De La Garza (50), Kim Dickens (61), Bailey Bass (23), Willa Holland (35), Meaghan Rath (40), David Giuntoli (46), Jeremy Irvine (36), Kevin Bishop (46), Greg Yaitanes (56), Kaitlyn Leeb (38), Renee Olstead (37), Alex Hirsch (41), Brian Benben (70), Mallory Jansen (37), Emma Heming Willis (48), Ralph Brown (69), Lisa B (55), Rafael L. Silva (32), Itziar Ituño (52), Christopher Lloyd (66), Mara Hobel (55), Miriam Flynn (74), Jonathan Levine (50), Jamel Debbouze (51), Christina Pazsitzky (50), Sebastian Chacon (33)
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Walter Parazaider, co-founder, saxophonist and flautist in the rock band Chicago, has died following a battle with Alzheimer’s, the band confirmed Wednesday. He was 81. The obituary.
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