"The Easiest 'Yes' We Have Ever Gotten"

►"I think we are shocked that we were able to keep it quiet." The blockbuster merger agreement between CAA and ICM was signed at 8:17 a.m. PST, a little more than an hour before the news ricocheted across the entertainment business.

THR's Kim Masters and Alex Weprin spoke to CAA's Bryan Lourd and Richard Lovett and ICM's Chris Silbermann about the consequences of the mega-deal including potential layoffs and moving the two companies into a single office. The interview. 

—ICYMI. If you missed the news or just want to relive the drama, here again is THR's story on the CAA-ICM merger that shook Hollywood to its core yesterday and will leave the town with three top talent firms. The story. 

—What of those Century City office leases? With the prospect of a CAA-ICM merger, the question arises of what will happen to each agency’s valuable office building space, just across the street from each other in Century City. The story. 

Disney's Avengers-Sized Legal Problem 

►Will the brass blink? With Disney facing new copyright termination attempts from the heirs of other comic book authors including Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, THR's Eriq Gardner says the smart money should be on the company settling. The story. 

—12 bombshells. THR's Chris Gardner recaps the biggest revelations from the Netflix documentary Britney vs Spears which dropped at midnight. Just a few of the can't miss moments from Erin Lee Carr's film include Adnan Ghalib recounting the moment Jamie Spears took over as conservator, Sam Lutfi denying he drugged the singer, and Jenny Eliscu passing a petition underneath a bathroom stall inside a Beverly Hills luxury hotel. The story.  

—"The Lost formula remains difficult to crack." THR critic Angie Han reviews La Brea, NBC's attempt to replicate the Lost magic. The show takes place in L.A., where massive sinkhole opens up beneath the La Brea Tar Pits and those who fall in find themselves transported to a mysterious primeval land. The review.

—Bong, Apichatpong, Kore-eda, oh my! Tokyo Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 34th edition, featuring a slew arthouse talent from around the world and a new “Asia Lounge” conversation series, hosted and programmed by Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda, with Bong Joon-ho and Apichatpong Weerasethakul among the featured filmmakers. The lineup.

—Boys, boys, boys! The Boys spinoff is moving forward at Amazon. The streamer has handed out series order for its college-set spinoff from Eric Kripke’s breakout superhero drama. As part of the pickup, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters — who previously oversaw ABC Marvel drama Agent Carter — have boarded the untitled series as showrunners. The story.

Netflix Drops Viewing Data  

►625 million hours! Netflix has already said that Bridgerton is its most-watched original series ever. Among a newly released trove data on its biggest shows, the streamer suggests that a large majority of those who tuned in stayed with it through the eight-episode first season, a massive 625 million hours of watch time. There was also data on The Witcher, Stranger Things 3 and many of its original films. The story. 

—Billion users club. TikTok said Monday that it has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, representing a 45 percent increase compared to last year. In contrast, Facebook disclosed 2.9 billion monthly active users as of the end of June. The story.

—"I didn’t feel as confident as I should have." Simone Biles is opening up more about struggling to compete during the Tokyo Olympics and why it was the right decision to withdraw. In a new interview, the gymnast says she should have quit before the Games. The story. 

—All by myself (and Sony). Continuing a pattern of celebrity docs with the close involvement of the subjects, Sony Music Entertainment is producing a film on Celine Dion. The feature-length doc will be directed by Irene Taylor, with distribution by the label. The story. 

—Good innings. Bruce Berman, chairman and CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures, is stepping down after 24 years with the company. The “planned exit” comes as Berman looks for new opportunities in the film industry. The story. 

R. Kelly Found Guilty  

►Convicted sex offender. R&B superstar R. Kelly was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. Kelly, 54, was found guilty of all nine counts, including racketeering, on their second day of deliberations. The story.  

—New unit. WME has launched a new division to handle domestic and international film sales and film financing consulting services. The newly titled WME Independent division will be headed by Deborah McIntosh and Alex Walton. The story.

—Fire in Babylon. The CW is teaming up with Babylon 5's original creator J. Michael Straczynski for a reboot of the cult sci-fi series. Described as a "from-the-ground-up reboot," Straczynski will pen the script for a new potential version revolving around John Sheridan, an Earthforce officer with a mysterious background. The story.

—Con heir. A Hollywood unscripted producer’s story of befriending an Irish “heiress” and eventually loaning her nearly $70,000 before learning she wasn’t the royal she claimed to be is becoming a multi-part podcast. On Thursday, iHeartMedia and AYR Media are releasing Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress, a new, eight-part take on a story chronicled in THR in Feb. 2020. The story.

In other news...

—Fantastic Fest film review: Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone. 

—TIFF film review: Eric Warin and Tahir Rana's Charlotte. 

—Kevin Durant unimpressed with David Letterman crashing Brooklyn Nets media day.

—William Shatner on how he came to collaborate with Joe Jonas on spoken word album: "It’s still a mystery."

—Fremantle promotes Andrea Scrosati to added role of continental Europe CEO.

—FaZe Clan reveals new member: Gamer and musician FaZe Kaysan.

—Steve McQueen to receive Cologne Film Prize. 

—The View hosts recall dramatic COVID-19 false positive experience.

—Microsoft CEO says failed TikTok deal was "strangest thing" he’s worked on.

—Macao Film Festival artistic director Mike Goodridge to step down.

—Melissa Yandell Smith, Nomadland actress and acting teacher, dies at 64.

—Jean Hale, actress in In Like Flint and Batman, dies at 82.

What else we're reading...

—"How Do You Follow The Sopranos?" [Vulture]

—"For a Broadway Torn by a Pandemic, a Split-Personalities Tonys" [New York Times]

—"Cures For A Patriarchal Hangover On Y: The Last Man" [Salon]

—"Doctors Are Being Forced Off Clubhouse by Anti-Vax Harassment" [Vice]

—"Activision Blizzard Strikes $18 Million Settlement With Us Employment Watchdog" [The Verge]

Today... 

...in 2001, what could have been a forgettable comedy became a pop-culture staple, when Ben Stiller’s Zoolander hit theaters. Featuring memorable turns from Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell, as well as iconic cameos from the likes of David Bowie, Billy Zane and David Duchovny, the movie would spawn a sequel in 2016. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Hilary Duff (34), Ranbir Kapoor (39), Naomi Watts (53), Mira Sorvino (54), Dita Von Teese (49), Janeane Garofalo (57), Sarah Wright (38), Brigitte Bardot (87), Sabina Gadecki (38), St. Vincent (39), John Sayles (71), Moon Unit Zappa (54), Bam Margera (42)