Judge Suspends Britney's Father From Conservatorship

►"The current situation is untenable." Britney Spears will no longer have to deal with her father Jamie Spears handling her business affairs. An L.A. judge on Wednesday granted the artist's petition to suspend him from his role as conservator of her estate immediately, finding the arrangement was no longer in her best interest. 

"I believe that the suspension is in the best interests of the conservatee. The current situation is untenable," L.A. County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny said in issuing the order. The story. 

—An American obsession. THR critic Lovia Gyarkye considers the raft of recent Britney Spears docs, including one from Netflix and two from FX/Hulu, and how they make it clear that when it comes to the nation’s fascination with the singer's life, little has changed from the dark days of 2006-8 which originally led to the conservatorship. The critic's notebook. 

—Deep pockets. Another big coup for Apple Original Films, with the fledging studio winning the Hollywood bidding war for Jon Watts' untitled (and very handsome) thriller with George Clooney and Brad Pitt attached to star. The story.  

—All risen, from the dead. All Rise, the scandal-plagued canceled CBS legal drama starring Simone Missick, has officially been revived for a 20-episode third season at OWN. Additionally, HBO Max and Hulu will share streaming rights to the series. The story.

—"I’m not saying it to be mean, I’m saying it to be funny." Dave Chappelle is releasing a new comedy special on Netflix, his sixth with the streamer. The comedian’s latest is titled The Closer and a teaser trailer dropped Wednesday. The teaser. 

Review: Apple TV+'s 'The Problem With Jon Stewart'  

'No Time to Die' Faces First Box Office Test Overseas

►Yes, time to make money. After its release was delayed numerous times because of the COVID-19 pandemic, No Time to Die, at last, began rolling out in theaters yesterday, opening in a raft of major foreign markets ahead of its North American debut on Oct. 8. Early estimates suggest the movie could clear anywhere from $80 million to $100 million from more than 50 markets by Sunday. The box office analysis. 

—"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me." Following his final outing as 007, Daniel Craig and Bond producer Barbara Broccoli are reteaming for a Broadway production of Macbeth. Directed by Sam Gold, and co-starring Ruth Negga, the Scottish play is slated to run for 15 weeks at the Lyceum Theatre with previews beginning March 29, 2022. The story. 

—"Today is an amazing day." The Blink-182 bassist and co-lead singer Mark Hoppus announced on social media that he’s been declared “cancer free” after he publicly disclosed he diagnosed with stage-four lymphoma in July. The story. 

—Christmas bonus. Disney+ will expand its Star Wars universe in December, with the streamer setting a Dec. 29 premiere date for The Book of Boba Fett, a spinoff of The Mandalorian that follows the bounty hunter, played by Temuera Morrison. The story. 

—Big hire. Ryan Coogler has recruited former HBO exec Kalia Booker King to oversee the TV division of his Proximity Media production company. King, as vp drama, had a hand in developing such HBO originals as Lovecraft Country, Outside, I Know This Much Is True and His Dark Materials. The story. 

Review: 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' 

►"More brains-eating banter helps an otherwise familiar-feeling monster rampage." THR critic John DeFore reviews Andy Serkis’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Tom Hardy returns as the man duelling/bantering/flirting with his alien symbiote with Woody Harrelson playing the villain in this anti-hero sequel based on Marvel characters. The review. 

—What happened to the man who suddenly got the cast he wanted. Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman are the latest heavyweight names to have joined Timothée Chalamet in Wonka, Warner Bros.’ prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The story. 

—This Week in TV. THR's Rick Porter runs down the TV premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. The things to look out for over the coming week include Jon Stewart's return to TV with The Problem, SNL and Grey’s Anatomy starting their seasons and the revival of CSI: Las Vegas on CBS. On cable, the second and final season of The Walking Dead: World Beyond debuts and on streaming Netflix's On My Block comes to an end, Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark debuts on HBO Max.  The full guide.

—Doc winners. Israel's Advocate won best doc at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Phillippe Bellaiche for PBS, the story follows the work of human rights lawyer Lea Tsemel as she represents political prisoners. The story. 

In other news...  

—NYFF film review: Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis' The Tale of King Crab.

—Fantastic Fest film review: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe's The Beta Test.

—TV review: HBO Max's Ten Year Old Tom.

—TV ratings: La Brea avoids Nielsen sinkhole with solid premiere.

—Universal Studios Hollywood to require proof of vaccination beginning in October.

—The Real World Homecoming renewed for 2 more seasons at MTV. 

—ViacomCBS closes acquisition of WarnerMedia’s Chilevision, boosting Spanish-language business.

—Twitch launches new safety feature for creators amid harassment concerns.

—New Sunset Strip nightclub welcomes Kid Cudi, Tom Holland and more stars.

—Beijing Winter Olympics to have no international fans, require 21-day quarantine for unvaccinated athletes.

What else we're reading...

—"For Al Franken, a Comeback Attempt Goes Through Comedy Clubs" [New York Times]

—"Why Amazon Studios Suffered Rare Drought At The Emmys" [Los Angeles Times]

—"Squid Game Is About To Become Netflix’s Most Popular Series Ever — Here’s Why" [GQ]

—"YouTube to Remove Videos Containing Vaccine Misinformation" [Wall Street Journal]

—"Brian Cox Talks to Us About Sandman, Succession, the Wonder of Podcasts and Audio Storytelling, and the Obligatory ‘F*ck Off’" [Uproxx]

Today... 

...in 1983, Columbia unveiled the R-rated Lawrence Kasdan ensemble drama The Big Chill in theaters. The film went on to be nominated for three Oscars at the 56th Academy Awards, including best picture. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Monica Bellucci (57), Marion Cotillard (46), Kieran Culkin (39), Ezra Miller (29), Katrina Law (36), Alistair Petrie (51), Lacey Chabert (39), Fran Drescher (64), Jenna Elfman (50), Eric Stoltz (60), Bella Ramsey (18), Tony Hale (51), Caren Pistorius (36), Daniel Wu (47), Vondie Curtis-Hall (71), Ki Hong Lee (35), Omid Djalili (56)