What's news: Borys Kit has more casting news from Wes Anderson's next feature. Cameron Diaz has opened up on why she stepped away from acting. Tony Bennett will not resume his tour. Plus: Erykah Badu has apologized to the Obamas for sneak-posting a video from Barack's birthday bash — Abid Rahman

Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman Join Wes Anderson's Next Film

►All-star additions. THR's Borys Kit has been scooping most of the cast announcements for Wes Anderson's next project and he's done it again with the news that Rupert Friend and Jason Schwartzman are joining the fun. The duo join Margot Robbie and Tom Hanks as well as Anderson regulars Adrien Brody, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton for the untitled feature that starts shooting this month in Spain. The story. 

—Post-Black Widow lawsuit. Emma Stone has closed a deal to star in the sequel to Disney+ release Cruella. The move is significant being that it comes amid the turmoil caused by Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney over her compensation for Black Widow, which like Cruella, debuted day-and-date in theaters and on Disney+. The story. 

—Disney+ Plus? Bob Chapek isn’t ready to ditch the Disney streaming bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ in favor of an all-in-one offering, but the Disney CEO isn’t taking the option off the table, either. The story.

—"Would I like it to happen? The answer is yes." Speaking at the TCA virtual summer press tour, FX chairman John Landgraf made it clear his network would be interested in signing up prolific producer Ryan Murphy when ​his current $300 million deal with Netflix expires. The story.  

—Toss the suit. Michael Ovitz’s insurance company says it’s not obligated to pay a larger share of his nearly $13m settlement with journalist Anita Busch — in a suit that alleged he hired infamous fixer Anthony Pellicano to intimidate her following a series of critical articles — because her claims against him didn’t arise from an accident. The story. 

'Cobra Kai' Is More Than Just Nostalgia 

►A show for two audiences. THR's Dan Fienberg speaks to Cobra Kai co-showrunner Josh Heald on how there's more to the Emmy-nominated sequel series than simply nostalgia: "We’re giving the audience what they expect, but it’s not just, ‘Hey, remember this? Let’s go do this again.’'" The interview. 

—"I feel whole." Cameron Diaz has opened up on why she decided to step away from acting. During a sit-down interview with Kevin Hart on Thursday on his Peacock talk show, Hart to Heart, Diaz discussed how acting previusly occupied much of her life which ultimately led her to take a step back and reevaluate everything. The story. 

—Lawsuit. Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, are facing a lawsuit by a woman who accused Petty of rape in 1994 in New York. In the filing, Jennifer Hough also accuses the married couple of "witness intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, harassment, assault, battery, sexual assault, and sexual harassment." The story. 

—"Please forgive me 4 being the terrible guest." Erykah Badu has apologized for being a “terrible guest” after posting a video at former President Barack Obama’s 60th birthday party that caused a minor political furore. The story.
 
—You know something Jon Snow, sadly. Game of Thrones star Kit Harington helped celebrate the 1,500th episode of The Tonight Show with his own rendition of Train’s "Drops of Jupiter." A bad song, sure, but Kit kinda nails it. The story. 

In the Britney Case, It’s Time to Negotiate

TV Review: Starz's 'Heels'

►"Bittersweet drama appeals to wrestling fans and newbies alike." THR critic Angie Han reviews Starz's new wrestling drama Heels created by Loki writer Michael Waldron. The show stars  Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig star as brothers and rivals in a bittersweet drama about a struggling wrestling league in small-town Georgia. The review. 

—Moving forward. The long-in-the-works Spawn movie is back in action. Brian Tucker, who penned the 2013 Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg crime thriller Broken City, has been hired to write the script for the feature project. The story. 

—A dream come true. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are now the proud owners of Casa Bonita, the beloved Colorado restaurant featured on South Park. The story.

—The OA creators set up shop at FX. Longtime collaborators Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling are re-teaming for Retreat, a The OA-like mystery drama that has been picked up as a limited series at FX. The story.  

In other news... 

—American Horror Story: Double Feature trailer seduces Finn Wittrock in mysterious beach town.

—Outfest 2021 film review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. 

—Netflix sets week of L.A. FYC activations for Emmy-nominated shows.

—Two major film/tv studios in Ireland sold for $100m.

—How film and luxury label collaborations can overshadow costume designers’ work.

—SXSW winner Not Going Quietly celebrates activist and ALS survivor Ady Barkan at premiere.

—FX explains how Y: The Last Man will handle trans characters.

—Gossip Girl actress Yin Chang says character was rewritten into Asian stereotype on CW series. 

—What If…? blows the doors open for Doctor Strange 2.

—New California getaways offer staycation in Charlie Chaplin’s old haunts.

—How Stephen Lang turned Don’t Breathe villain into a protagonist.

—The Truman Show star Ed Harris looks back on his "pretty twisted" character.

—Obamas catch preview screening of Jennifer Hudson starrer Respect about close friend Aretha Franklin.

What else we're reading...

—"TV’s White Guys Are in Crisis" [Vulture] 

—"Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Return Tests the Limits of 'Good Cops'" [Slate]

—""My First Starring Role": Selma Blair’s Incredibly Candid Documentary" [Vanity Fair]

—"A Nigerian Internet Scammer Is Becoming An Action-movie Villain" [QZ]

—"From The White Lotus to Mad Men, Here Are The 11 Best Shows About The Worst People" [Washington Post]

Today... 

... in 1998, 20th Century Fox unveiled Kevin Rodney Sullivan's How Stella Got Her Groove Back in theaters. The film, adapted from Terry McMillan's best-selling 1996 novel, starred Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg, Regina King and Taye Diggs. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Mila Kunis (38), Charlotte Nicdao (30), Steve Martin (76), Halle Berry (55), Marcia Gay Harden (62), Emmanuelle Béart (58), Peter Franzén (50), Lamorne Morris (38), Wim Wenders (76), Jackée Harry (65), Jennifer Flavin (53), Joseph Marcell (73), Antonio Fargas (75)