What's news: Britney Spears has been cleared of any charges following an altercation with her housekeeper. Jordan Peele signs an overall TV deal with Universal. Nielsen's ratings system is coming under fire. Plus: Telluride has released its full lineup and Michael Moore is Team Joe over the Afghanistan withdrawal— Abid Rahman
Joe Rogan Tests Positive for COVID-19, Takes Unproven Horse Dewormer
►Not authorized or approved. Spotify starJoe Rogan posted a video to social media on Wednesday in which he revealed that he has COVID-19. The comic and popular podcast host also said he's treating himself with Ivermectin, a dewormer meant for horses that the CDC says is "not authorized or approved by FDA for prevention or treatment of COVID-19."
Rogan has made headlines during the pandemic for sowing doubt about vaccines. In April, Rogan walked back comments he made on his show when he said young, healthy people could skip the jab. The story.
—Cleared. Britney Spears will not be charged with any crimes related to an incident that occurred at her residence involving her housekeeper, the Ventura County District Attorney announced Wednesday. The story.
—Shuffle, shuffle, delay, delay. Paramount has pulled the ejector seat on Top Gun: Maverick's November release date. In a move pushing back two Tom Cruise tentpoles, Top Gun 2 will now open May 27, 2022, with Mission: Impossible 7 leaving that May 27 date and will now open Sept. 30, 2022. The studio has also pushed back Jackass Forever, which moves from Oct. 22 to Feb. 4, 2022. The story.
—Undercounting. The Media Rating Council has suspended its accreditation of Nielsen’s national and local TV ratings services. MRC revoked its stamp of approval from the measurement company following a string of complaints from networks and advertisers about possible undercounting of viewers during the pandemic. The story.
—Overall deal news. Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions are moving their TV business. Monkeypaw has signed a multiyear overall TV deal with Universal Studio Group, bringing it under the same roof as Peele’s film production partnership with Universal Pictures. Monkeypaw previously had a first-look TV deal with Amazon. The story.
Venice Day 2
►All the latest news and reviews from THR's team on day two of the Venice Film Festival. The full Day 2 daily can be found here.
—"I deserved a kitten, a kitten. Not a lion!" Bong Joon-ho was emotional and Jane Campion was touching but the evening belonged to Roberto Benigni. The Oscar-winning Italian actor-director stole the show at the opening gala of the 78th Venice Film Festival as he received his lifetime achievement award. The story.
—"All about two mothers." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Venice opening film, Pedro Almodóvar's Parallel Mothers, the Spanish auteur’s sumptuous melodrama starring Penélope Cruz and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. "[This] is a ravishingly crafted work that again illustrates with ineffable beauty that no one uses the expressive power of color and design quite like Almodóvar." The review.
—Sales buzz. There's no official market on the Lido, but these Venice Film Festival titles still stand a chance of landing international deals. The hot list.
—Time for a market?THR's Scott Roxborough writes that Venice is the A-lister among 2021’s A-list fests (sorry Cannes), the only thing the Lido is missing is its own version of Cannes’ Marché du Film, but insiders worry about ruining the vibe: "It’s the last bastion for cinema romantics." The story.
—Venice: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver to star in Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener.
—Next big thing: Kodi Smit-McPhee generates awards buzz with The Power of the Dog.
—Venice hidden gem: Anatomy of Time tells story of a mother’s sacrifice honored.
—Venice flashback: Ennio Morricone was honored with a Golden Lion in 1995.
Moore "Proud" of Biden Over Afghanistan Withdrawal
►"It never goes right, it never goes well." Michael Moore, a long-time critic of establishment Democrats, had nothing but praise for President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. The Oscar-winning documentarian said there were "no points for being right" about America's longest war, while also recalling the fallout from his infamous 2003 Academy Awards speech criticizing the war. The story.
—Telluride lineup. Kristen Stewart, Benedict Cumberbatch and Joaquin Phoenix are among the stars set to travel to the Colorado's Telluride which has revealed its full lineup and also its COVID protocols, which includes proof of vaccination, a negative test and masks indoors. The story.
—Sold! Los Angeles-based studio operator Hudson Pacific Properties has acquired Star Waggons and Zio Studio Services for a combined $222 million to expand its transportation and logistics offerings. The story.
—*DJ Khaled voice* Another one. NBC’s Annie Live has added another familiar name to its cast. Jane Krakowski will join Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr., Tituss Burgess and Nicole Scherzinger in the musical, which has also tapped young actress Celina Smith to play the title role. The story.
—Hurricane Hazzard. Another victim of Hurricane Ida’s wrath: The iconic General Lee car from the 1980s television series The Dukes of Hazzard. Actor John Schneider’s studios in Holden, Louisiana were hit by the devastating storm, leaving one of his General Lees crushed and a second apparently stuck up in a tree as if caught in mid-jump. The story.
'Impeachment,' 'Money Heist' and College Football
►This Week in TV. THR's Rick Porter runs down the TV premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. Things to look out for over the coming week include the show that everyone will be talking about, FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. On cable, there's the return of What We Do in the Shadows for its third season, Showtime's Rick James doc and Billions resumes its long-delayed fifth season. There's also the fifth and final season of Netflix's global sensation of Money Heist. The full guide.
—Synergy. WarnerMedia will give cross-platform runs to several HBO Max shows, including a quiz show for Harry Potter superfans, as part of a family programming block on Cartoon Network. The story.
—Could be a contender. Common is set to star and produce The Faith of Long Beach, an indie boxing drama being made by Adonis Tountas and his Everlast Pictures banner. The story.
In other news...
—TV review: Sean Hayes and Wanda Sykes in Netflix's Q-Force.
—Film review: Shea Whigham and Olivia Munn in The Gateway.
—Film review: Camila Cabello and Billy Porter in Amazon’s Cinderella.
—"Hong Kong Legend Tony Leung Tries His Hand at Hollywood" [GQ]
—"Coming to Terms With the Legacy of Rick James" [New York Times]
—"YouTube’s Music Service Eclipses 50 Million Subscribers" [Bloomberg]
—"Shattering the Hollywood Myths of the Tulsa Race Massacre" [Daily Beast]
Today...
Today's birthdays: Keanu Reeves (57), Salma Hayek (55), Mark Harmon (70), Eugenio Derbez (60), Nicholas Pinnock (48), Katt Williams (50), Tim Key (45), Anthony Wong (60), Merritt Patterson (31), Tiffany Hines (38), Damson Idris (30)
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