'Succession' Star Kieran Culkin on Childhood, Co-Stars and Fame

►On the cover. Kieran Culkin, the hyperactive breakout of HBO’s dynastic hit show Succession gets candid with THR's Seth Abramovitch about growing up with a famous surname, the behind-the-scenes dynamics of his onscreen family, and his early fears of Hollywood success: "I knew I would not have been able to handle it. So I quite literally ran away from it." The cover story. 

—"I’m fully embracing the challenge." The Academy has tapped Will Packer to produce ABC's telecast of the 2022 Oscars. The media mogul is best known for his films and scripted TV series and like Steven Soderbergh, who produced the 2021 Academy Awards, Packer comes to the event without any prior award show experience and without any notable track record in live telecasts. The story. 

—Next up. Fresh off his Billions exit, Damian Lewis has closed a deal and begun filming his follow-up role. The actor will star alongside Guy Pearce in the BritBox/Spectrum Originals limited drama series A Spy Among Friends. Created by Alexander Cary, the series is based on the best-selling book by Ben Macintyre. The story. 

—Strike impact. THR's Katie Kilkenny and Carolyn Giardina survey the landscape after Monday's historic vote among IATSE members that authorized strike action, and consider that if a strike does indeed happen then not all productions would be affected equally. The story.

—Major addition. Jane Lynch is joining Beanie Feldstein in the first Broadway revival of the 1964 Barbara Streisand-led musical Funny Girl. The five-time Emmy winner will star as Mrs. Rosie Brice, the adept, supportive and perceptive mother to Feldstein’s Fanny. The story.

Why 'Law & Order' Revival Isn't a Peacock Original

►Different path. More than a decade after its surprising cancellation, NBC has revived Dick Wolf’s mothership series Law & Order for what the network is calling its 21st season. But what may be most surprising thing about the news is that the revival is for NBC and not its fledgling streaming counterpart, Peacock. THR's Lesley Goldberg runs through the strategy behind the move. The story. 

—How big can a Zoom call get? The Academy board has overwhelmingly approved a motion to hold a full-membership meeting. The only prior examples of such meetings occurred on May 4, 2013 and Sept. 28, 2017. The story. 

—Scheming councilman. Larenz Tate will become a bigger part of Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost in its second season. After appearing in two episodes of the Power spinoff’s first season, Tate will become a regular for season two, which is set to premiere Nov. 21. The story. 

—"I apologize." ESPN’s Sage Steele is on a brief hiatus from her SportsCenter anchor duties after making controversial remarks on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast, including the comment that vaccine mandates are "sick." Steele apologized for her comments on Tuesday. The story. 

—Monster numbers. Korean War blockbuster The Battle of Lake Changjin has continued its epic siege on Chinese cinemas, roaring past the $400 million mark Wednesday, less than a week after its release. Forecasts for film's career earnings continue to be revised upwards, with many expecting it to finish its run with $812 million. The story. 

Blair Underwood Back for 'L.A. Law' Sequel

►Moving forward. With Clinton-Blair years nostalgia all the rave, L.A. Law is inching closer to a return to primetime. ABC has handed out a pilot order to a sequel to the former NBC legal drama, with former star Blair Underwood set to reprise his role as attorney Jonathan Rollins. The story. 

—Honorees. Halle Berry, Barry Jenkins, Anthony Anderson and Jennifer Hudson are set to be honored at the 2021 Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. The story.

—Overall deal news. Breaking Bad and Preacher veteran Sam Catlin is making a home at Apple TV+. Catlin has signed an overall deal at the streamer, where he’ll develop scripted series projects via his Short Drive Entertainment. The story. 

—New Candy. Jessica Biel will star in Hulu's Candy, a true-crime drama about Candy Montgomery, a Texas woman who in 1980 killed her friend Betty Gore with an ax. Biel takes over for Elisabeth Moss, who was originally attached to star but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The story.

—Critical extension. The U.K.’s Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, the groundbreaking emergency $647 million insurance fund launched by the country last summer to help support the indie sector during the pandemic, has been extended by six months. The story.

'Last Night in Soho' and the "Dangerous" Side of Nostalgia   

►"Dark valentine." THR's Alex Ritman speaks to Edgar Wright about his hotly anticipated thriller Last Night in Soho, the director's decidedly dark take on swinging-'60s London. The film showcases not simply the glamor of London's Soho district in its colorful glory years but also the darker, seedier and more dangerous elements — especially for women. The story. 

—Trial by combat. A nearly five-minute extended clip for Ridley Scott's The Last Duel dropped Tuesday, giving audiences a better look at the historical epic that stars Matt Damon and Adam Driver as medieval knights preparing to fight to the death. The clip. 

—Cash for content. Snapchat will begin giving out cash prizes up to $25,000 next month to users who create top-performing content that meet the criteria of specific “challenges.” The story. 

—Panem et circenses. David Arquette revealed Tuesday he is opening the Empire Circus in Brooklyn this fall. The actor will serve as the creative director for the interactive spectacle, which will transform Empire Stores into a choose-your-own-adventure circus experience. The story. 

In other news...

—TV review: Peacock's One of Us Is Lying.

—Film review: Jason Sudeikis in South of Heaven.

—Red Rocket trailer: Simon Rex plays porn star struggling after return to Texas hometown.

—TV ratings: Monday Night Football continues strong early season run.

—YouTuber Jacksepticeye signs with CAA.

—Dutton acquires debut novel Kismet in deal that reunites WME interns.

—Riot Games promotes Naz Aletaha to global head of League of Legends esports.

—Robert Pattinson, Lily Collins and Ewan McGregor to reunite for Go Campaign virtual gala.

—IFC, FilmNation take Venice winner, French abortion drama Happening.

What else we're reading...

—"YouTube Removes R. Kelly’s Channels, But Still Offers His Songs" [Bloomberg]

—"Marvel's Shang-Chi Was Made With China In Mind. Here's Why Beijing Doesn't Like It." [NBC News]

—"Facebook Harms Children And Weakens Democracy: Ex-Employee" [BBC]

—"Who Is the Bad Art Friend?" [New York Times]

—"The Refreshing, Bad Romance Of Venom: Let There Be Carnage" [Vox]

Today...   

...in 2006, Martin Scorsese’s star-studded, crowd-pleasing gangster film The Departed hit theaters, eventually grossing more than $280 million worldwide and claiming the best picture Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Ioan Gruffudd (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿48), Emily Mortimer (50), Olivia Thirlby (35), Elisabeth Shue (58), Addison Rae (21), Britt Ekland (79), Brett Gelman (45), Luisa d'Oliveira (35), Ida Engvoll (36), Jeremy Sisto (47), Stefanie Martini (31), Amy Jo Johnson (51), Rhyon Nicole Brown (29)