What's news: A jury found Jussie Smollett guilty on five counts. Netflix cut its losses on Cowboy Bebop. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer added more A-list talent to an already stacked cast. Peacock will debut most Universal films exclusively 45 days after release. Plus: Bob Iger returned to his weatherman roots and Brian Cox worries about his method acting Succession co-star Jeremy Strong— Abid Rahman
Netflix Cancels 'Cowboy Bebop' After One Season
►Hello, goodbye. THR's messengers of doom Borys Kit and James Hibberd have the scoop on Netflix canceling its ambitious, widely hyped and ultimately disappointing Cowboy Bebop . The move comes less than three weeks after the show’s Nov. 19 debut on the streaming service. The live action adaptation of the beloved anime had a rough reception. The 10-episode series garnered only a 46 percent positive critics rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Fans seemed to agree, giving the show a 56 percent positive audience score on the site. The story.
—Yer blues. The cast and crew of Cowboy Bebop have been commiserating on social media following THR's exclusive. Bebop co-executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach and stars John Cho, Daniella Pineda and Mason Alexander Park all posted reaction to the news on Thursday night. The story.
—Here comes the sun? Decades before he became Disney's head honcho, Bob Iger delivered the weather forecast to viewers in Ithaca, New York. On Thursday, with his departure from the company weeks away, Iger returned to his weatherman roots, appearing on ABC affiliate KABC Los Angeles’ 6 a.m. news program for an interview, and to update viewers with the latest forecast. The story.
—Carry that weight. Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday on charges he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself nearly three years ago and then lied to Chicago police about it. The jury found the 39-year-old guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct. The story.
—Getting better. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Florence Pugh, Rami Malek and Benny Safdie joining the quite ridiculous cast of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The trio joins Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy on the call sheet in what has become one of the most stacked feature projects in recent memory. The story.
THR Cinematographer Roundtable
►Tell me what you see. THR's Carolyn Giardina spoke to cinematographers Alice Brooks (Tick, Tick … Boom! and In the Heights), Chung Chung-hoon (Last Night in Soho), Bruno Delbonnel (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Greig Fraser (Dune), Janusz Kaminski (West Side Story), Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog) and Haris Zambarloukos (Belfast) about their latest films, their craft as well as wider subjects such as industry rest periods and gun safety in the aftermath of the tragedy on the set of Rust. The roundtable.
—Two of us. Electronic Arts/Hazelight Studios' It Takes Two took the top honor at the eighth annual Game Awards, which were unveiled at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday. Deathloop won best game direction, while Maggie Robertson was recognized for her performance in Resident Evil Village.The full list of winners.
—Across the universe. Following its rivals, Peacock said that most feature films from sister company Universal Filmed Entertainment Group could debut exclusively on the streamer as early as 45 days after their theatrical release. The big caveat: Event pics including next year’s Jurassic World and Minions installments, or Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, aren’t expected to be part of the slate. The story.
—All together now. The full lineup for the 2022 Sundance Film Festival is out, finally, and highlights include Lena Dunham's Sharp Stick, a pair of Dakota Johnson star vehicles to one of the final performances of Michael K. Williams. Sundance’s doc lineup includes provocative and controversial fare covering Kanye West, Al-Qaeda and the late Princess Diana. The lineup.
—You can't do that. Brian Cox has serious concern his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong is going to burn himself out due to his intense method acting approach. In an interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Cox was asked about the recent, viral New Yorker profile on Strong in which the actor said he takes his character "as seriously as I take my own life." The story.
How 'West Side Story' Hopes to Defy Box Office Odds
►Tomorrow never knows. Musicals have struggled at the box office, but Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story hopes to reverse that curse. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Disney has thrown its full marketing might behind selling the film, but despite an iconic property, an A-list helmer and early rave reviews, there are major challenges. The story.
—Revolution. THR's Evan Nicole Brown speaks to And Just Like That... star Sara Ramírez about being the first nonbinary character in the Sex and the City universe. The queer, bisexual actor, who plays stand-up comedian Che Diaz in HBO Max's SATC sequel series, says producers "have been very mindful not to tokenize anyone." The interview.
—Mother nature's son.THR's Seth Abramovitch speaks to Colson Baker on why he ditched his music stage name Machine Gun Kelly for his burgeoning acting career. The rapper, who stars in the violent Western The Last Son, says it's all about "respect for the art" when it comes to embracing his given name. The interview.
—Every little thing. Netflix is boosting its growing editorial efforts with the launch of a new website titled Tudum. The site will host news like renewals and consumer content about series and films. The story.
—Ticket to ride. THR's Patrick Brzeski has the scoop onNetflix’s latest travel docuseries from Asia that will offer viewers an outlet for their pent-up wanderlust. Midnight Asia: Eat. Dance. Dream. streams from Jan. 20 and explores the nocturnal worlds of six Asian megacities — Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai, Taipei, Manila and Bangkok. The story.
Thank Pod It's Friday
►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5.Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week the guys discuss the wave of renewals, Peacock's movie strategy and The CW's love of franchises. They also look at FX's rebrand, the latest on Jeopardy!'s search for a permanent host and look ahead to the Succession finale. And Dan looks back at ABC and NBC’s live broadcasts and ahead to HBO Max’s Station Eleven. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter. Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In the latest episode, Scott speaks to Harvey Keitel. The Lansky star reflects on how he was shaped by his time in the Marines, his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and working with first-time directors like Quentin Tarantino. Listen here.
—Behind the Screen. Tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this special Animation Roundtable episode, Carolyn speaks to The Mitchells vs the Machines producer Phil Lord, Encanto producer Clark Spencer, Spirit Untamed director Elaine Bogan, Vivo writer Quiara Alegria Hudes, Raya and the Last Dragon director Carlos López Estrada, Flee director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, and Luca director Enrico Casarosa. Listen here.
—Paramount+ Thinks Live Channels Can Make Your Streaming Life Easier [Vulture]
—The Sublime Spectacle of Yoko Ono Disrupting the Beatles [New York Times]
—Only Simon Rex Could Play a Washed-Up Porn Star and Maybe Win an Oscar [Daily Beast]
—The Second Coming of Octavia E. Butler [Vanity Fair]
—What Is the Point of Boris Johnson? [The Atlantic]
Today...
... in 2004, Wes Anderson unveiled his latest comedy, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, in theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The ensemble cast featured Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, Bud Cort and Seu Jorge. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Kenneth Branagh (61), Emmanuelle Chriqui (46), Melissa Roxburgh (29), Fionnula Flanagan (80), Summer Phoenix (43), Patrick John Flueger (38), Teyana Taylor (31), KiKi Layne (30), Raven-Symoné (36), Nia Peeples (60), Xavier Samuel (38), Arden Myrin (48), Bobby Flay (57)
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