Complete Oscars 2022 Party Guide

►Party people. We are well into Oscars week, so it's a great time to roll out our complete guide to this year's red carpet events and parties all put together as always by THR's nicest man Chris Gardner. The coming week has everything from Vanity Fair and Elton John's starry bashes to fashionable soirees by Chanel and Armani. The guide. 

—What's in the bag! THR's nicest man isn't just on the Oscars party beat, Chris has also been pounding the pavement (probably), making calls (likely) and getting the goods (definitely) on what's inside this year's “Everyone Wins” nominees gift bag. And the six-figure swag is 💯, including everything from liposuction treatments, serums and candles to plots of land in Scotland complete with Highland Titles (because why not) as well as a stay at a Scottish castle. Belter! The story. 

—"If the winners walk away with the same trophy, then the winners deserve the same recognition." The Oscars telecast controversy is refusing to go away, with union IATSE releasing a statement on Monday urging the Academy to reconsider its controversial decision not to present eight award categories live during the March 27 broadcast. The story.

—One for the yoof. On the subject of the telecast, Grammy-winning siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell are now confirmed to perform their Oscar-nominated song “No Time to Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name, during the ceremony. The story. 

—More big names. Bill Murray, Stephanie Beatriz, Jennifer Garner and H.E.R. are among the latest names to be added to the presenter lineup for the Oscars. Tiffany Haddish, Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater and Shaun White are also set to take the stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday. The story. 

'The Godfather' at 50 

►"I was so pissed off at Francis." To coincide with the 50th anniversary of The Godfather, THR's Ryan Parker has pulled off the mammoth task of speaking to key creative talents who worked on the film. The likes of James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire and John Martino look back on legendary movie, share new insights on the production, talk Marlon Brando and much more. The story.

—Back on track? After two and a half years in development limbo, the sequel to Warner Bros.’ sleeper smash Crazy Rich Asians has a new writer and hopefully new impetus. Relative newcomer Amy Wang, an Australian-Chinese writer, has been hired to pen the follow-up. Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, who adapted the 2018 film, walked away from the project after disputes over pay. The story. 

—Betty vs the Machines. Betty Gilpin has been tapped to star in Mrs. Davis, a Peacock drama series set to explore faith vs. technology. The casting pairs Gilpin and Damon Lindelof after the latter co-wrote the 2020 feature The Hunt. Lindelof co-wrote the show with Big Bang Theory alum Tara Hernandez, and it is being billed as an epic battle of biblical and binary proportions. The story. 

—Will he make the Oscars? Belfast filmmaker Kenneth Branagh will not attend the Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19. Branagh, who is up for three Academy Awards on Sunday, was going to make a stop at the Oscar Wilde event to be honored alongside Belfast actor Jamie Dornan, Don’t Look Up writer-director Adam McKay and Irish actor Dónall Ó Héalai. The story.

—Listen up, Bachelor Nation. Michelle Young, 2021 star of The Bachelorette, is joining the franchise-produced podcast Bachelor Happy Hour as co-host alongside Becca Kufrin. Young, who found love with fiancé Nayte Olukoya, steps into the co-hosting seat that has been vacant since Rachel Lindsay departed in April last year. The story.

'Gilded Age' Finale: Writers Talk Mrs. Russell's "Triumph," S2 Progress 

►"When one talks of illegal, it doesn’t have much meaning, actually, in the Gilded Age because practically nothing was illegal." THR's Katie Kilkenny spoke to creator and co-writer Julian Fellowes and co-writer and co-executive producer Sonja Warfield about that gilded finale to HBO's The Gilded Age. The pair discussed the real-life event that inspired one of the episode's juiciest moments and the robber barons with "a pretty primitive moral code" who informed George Russell and talk a little about season two. Warning spoilers.  The interview. 

—"We did it once with Gilmore Girls. We luckily did it again." THR's Christy Piña spoke to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's creator/showrunner husband and wife team Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino about their plans for the Amazon series that recently wrapped its fourth season. The duo say they didn't always plan for a five-season arc and talk about their hopes for "sticking the landing" with the fifth and final season. Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—Leads in place. The CW has cast the two title stars for its Supernatural prequel The Winchesters. Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger will star in the pilot as Mary and John Winchester, the future parents of Supernatural leads Sam and Dean. Jensen Ackles, who played Dean in the long-running series, will narrate the pilot and serve as an executive producer. The story.

—Prestige project. THR's scoop machine Borys Kit has the, well, er, scoop on Michael B. Jordan and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II teaming up for I Helped Destroy People, a dramatic thriller that adapts a 2021 NYT article that involved a whistleblower, the FBI, and racial and religious profiling. Jordan and his Outlier Society will produce while Abdul-Mateen will star in and also produce the Amazon project. The story.

—Whip around. New Wave nice guys Devo say they will donate their licensing revenue from their song catalog for the entire month of April, along with personal monetary contributions, to organizations that are helping support the Ukrainian people and refugees. Keep whipping it lads. The story. 

—'Cause it's hustlin' time, a whole new way to make a livin'. Dolly Parton, Reese Witherspoon and James Patterson are partnering for the feature film adaptation of Run, Rose, Run, the novel from Parton and Patterson. Parton is also set to star in the project from Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are producing alongside Patterson and Parton, with Ashley Strumwasser executive producing. The story. 

Guest Column: 'Winning Time' Is "Campy, Mean-Spirited Fiction"   

►"Cruel, dishonest and staggeringly insensitive." In a guest column for THR, former NBA uber-agent Arn Tellem, who is now vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons, takes issue with HBO's Winning Time over its depiction of former Lakers player, coach and general manager Jerry West. The column.

—"It’s been an eye-opening journey for me." We have more Winning Time content with star Adrien Brody speaking to THR's resident sports nut Ryan Parker about playing a young Pat Riley in the show. The Oscar-winning actor reveals that while he was preparing for the Lakers limited series, he was approached for his memorable guest spot on Succession. Warning spoilers. The interview.   

—"Absolutely true." Ryan also spoke to Winning Time co-creator Jim Hecht about that shocking and unsolved event in episode 3. Hecht, who also co-wrote a number of installments of the HBO limited series, talks key moments of the latest Lakers chapter and reveals two moments that, although loved, did not make the cut. Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—"Devastating in its compassion." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Hulu's The Girl From Plainville. Elle Fanning stars as Michelle Carter, the Massachusetts teen who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for texts encouraging the suicide of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III (Colton Ryan). The review. 

—"Rampling seizes the spotlight in bittersweet Kiwi drama." THR film critic Stephen Farber reviews Matthew Saville's Juniper. Oscar-nominated actress Charlotte Rampling shares the screen with New Zealand newcomer George Ferrier in this character-driven drama. The review. 

In other news...

—Apple Podcasts to provide follower metrics beginning in April

—Just for Laughs unveils plans for in-person comedy festival

—McDonald’s All-American Game feature doc in the works

—Jagged Little Pill, Tina, To Kill a Mockingbird coming to the Pantages

—Sony Interactive Entertainment to acquire game developer Haven Studios

—Canada, Georgia benefit most from California runaway productions

—Animation guild organizers call for “new era” at rally amid negotiations

—Range Media partners hires UTA’s Eman Redwan to oversee digital talent

—Nik Dodani, Brandon Flynn join New Line comedy The Parenting

What else we're reading...

—The China Eastern jet that nosedived from 29,000 feet is baffling crash specialists [Bloomberg]

—Critic Justin Chang on the Oscars embracing better movies but the show itself is embarrassed by this fact [LAT]

—Jeremy Orosz on why Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” plagiarism lawsuit could change music forever [Slate]

—A look back at the 1994 Oscars, the last time Jane Campion and Steven Spielberg went head-to-head [NYT]

—Alexis Petridis pays tribute to Mary Wilson of the Supremes who died a year ago last month [Guardian]

Today...  

...in 1985, Tri-Star unveiled Michael Schultz's PG-13 martial arts pop musical The Last Dragon, featuring a soundtrack that included Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, in theaters nationwide. The film, often titled as Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon, starred Vanity and Taimak and became a huge cult hit. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: William Shatner (91), Reese Witherspoon (46), Nicole Holofcener (62), Cole Hauser (47), Will Yun Lee (51), Nick Robinson (27), Tania Raymonde (34), Constance Wu (40), Matthew Modine (63), Keegan-Michael Key (51), Lena Olin (67), Kandyse McClure (42), Iben Hjejle (51), Daisy Haggard (44), Fanny Ardant (73), Eric Roth (77), Steve Toussaint (57), Carter Wong (75)