Netflix Cuts 300 Staff in New Round of Layoffs

►The pain continues. Netflix has cut an additional 300 employees — around 3 percent of its workforce — marking the latest round of major layoffs at the beleaguered streaming giant. About 216 staffers impacted were in the United States; 30 employees were cut in Asia-Pacific countries; 53 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and 17 in Latin America. The story.  

—"It’s been created by Kit." New details have emerged about the Game of Thrones sequel series in development that’s centered around Jon Snow. Saga creator George R.R. Martin and Thrones stars Emilia Clarke and Gwendoline Christie have all weighed in on the project. Clarke revealed that Jon Snow actor Kit Harington pitched the idea and is intimately involved in the creative direction of the spinoff, something Martin confirmed at the same time as also confirming his involvement. The story.

—"Another classic Thor adventure!" Thor: Love and Thunder struck Hollywood Thursday for its world premiere, and the first reactions are in. And let's just say people seem to like it. Caveat: reactions from the nerderatti at premieres generally lean more enthusiastic than from critics’ screenings. Official reviews do not hit until July 5, so this is the first glimpse of what audiences are saying. The reaction. 

—Not cool. J.K. Rowling has fallen victim to a hoax by a prankster duo who tricked the Harry Potter author into believing she was having a Zoom call with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. In the video below, Rowling was fooled by Russian comedy outfit Vovan and Lexus, who are infamous for prank-calling celebrities. The story. 

—Intriguing additions. Netflix has added to the cast of its upcoming sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem. The drama series adapted from Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award-winning trilogy has added four more actors to its sprawling cast, including Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer and Eve Ridley. The series comes from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who co-created the show with True Blood veteran Alexander Woo. The story. 

Apple Orders Edith Wharton Drama 'The Buccaneers' 

►Bridgerton meets The Gilded Age? Apple TV+ has gone straight to series on an eight-episode drama inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton’s unfinished final novel, The Buccaneers. The series stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse and Mia Threapleton. The series, from writer and creator Katherine Jakeways, revolves around a group of fun-loving young American girls who exploded into London social scene of the 1870s, kicking off an Anglo-American culture clash. Production is already underway in Scotland. The story.  

—More from Apple. Obi-Wan Kenobi star Moses Ingram has landed her next role. The Emmy nominee will join fellow Star Wars alum Natalie Portman in the Apple TV+ limited series Lady in the Lake. Ingram replaces Lupita Nyong’o, who exited the role in May. The show is an adaptation of Laura Lippman’s novel and is created and directed by Honey Boy filmmaker Alma Har’el. The story. 

—Mimi's sticking around. Mimi Leder, the exec producer and director of Apple TV+’s signature drama The Morning Show, has signed an overall deal with the company. Under the multiple-year pact, Apple will have a first-look at streaming features and an exclusive deal for series delivered by Leder. The story.

—Expanding relationship. Robin Thede, the creator, showrunner, exec producer, writer and star of A Black Lady Sketch Show, has inked a three-year overall deal with the premium cable network. The pact expands her relationship with HBO, which recently renewed the sketch show for a fourth season. Under the HBO agreement, Thede will create content that’s exclusive to HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros. TV. The story.

—Awwww. Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody’s lives and relationship have inspired a Showtime scripted comedy. The premium cable network has handed out a pilot order to half-hour comedy Seasoned, starring the married actors and recent viral sensations. The couple’s son, Gideon Grody-Patinkin, and Ewen Wright co-created the series and co-write the pilot. The story. 

Zachary Levi Reveals Breakdown at 37 Led Him to Seek Treatment   

►"I’ve struggled with this stuff most of my life." Zachary Levi has a memoir coming out June 28 titled Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others. In it, the Shazam! star reveals that he has had a lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression, that led him to suffer a mental breakdown at 37. Speaking to Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast, Levi reveals how mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts led him to seek "life-changing" treatment in Austin. The story.

—"I would say I’ve been very blessed lately." THR rapscallion Ryan Gajewski spoke to Spiderhead star Jurnee Smollett about the Netflix film's powerful love story and working in demand filmmaker Joseph Kosinski. Smollet also  shares the valuable career advice she’s received from such luminaries as Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, offers her take on Lovecraft Country’s brief run and explains why her Black Canary future is "being made possible because of the fans." Warning spoilers. The interview. 

—"I was shut off from the world." Jussie Smollett says that after the alleged hate crime against him in 2019 and amid the police investigation that followed, his family shielded him from public responses. In a wide-ranging interview for SiriusXM’s Sway’s Universe, Smollett spoke about his family protecting him, the shame he felt after the incident and how that played into regret over his decision to do an interview with GMA’s Robin Roberts in February 2019. The story. 

—"It felt like we were hanging on to a pandemic thing." Late Night was one of the last late night shows to bring back a live audience, with the crowds returning in October 2021. THR's Hilary Lewis spoke to Seth Meyers on returning to 30 Rock studio, ditching the suit in favor of more casual wear, the stress ahead of the show's popular "Day Drinking" segments and the success of his Thanksgiving night family shows. The interview. 

—TikTok to TV. Josh Richards, the TikTok star and co-founder of CrossCheck Studios, will create and produce TV content exclusively for Amazon Studios under a first-look deal. Amazon will also take advantage of Richards’ social media bona fides by tapping the creator to make custom social content for Amazon Studios IP and potentially Thursday Night Football, which the company acquired the exclusive rights to this year. The story.

—On the road to Flavor Town. THR's Mia Galuppo has the scoop of Emmy winners Billy Porter and Guy Fieri joining road trip comedy 80 for Brady. The duo are among the ensemble cast of the Paramount Pictures and Endeavor Content movie, which is led by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field. Tom Brady will appear in and produce the movie through his 199 Productions shingle. The story. 

TV Review: 'Westworld' S4  

►"Great cast, super visual effects and, as ever, pregnant with the inevitability of disappointment." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews season four of HBO's Westworld. After two years away, it's back to the robotic future for Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul and the rest of the cast. The review. 

—"Uneven but involving." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Craig Boreham's Lonesome. Lingering trauma from his rural hometown follows a young gay Australian cowboy to the big city in writer-director Craig Boreham’s erotic drama of sex, solitude and human connection. The review. 

—"A big-hearted charmer." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews HBO Max's Gordita Chronicles. The comedy follows 12-year-old Cucu Castelli (Olivia Goncalves) and her family as they adjust to their new lives in 1985 Miami after moving from the Dominican Republic. The review.

—"Ingrid Goes West meets The Girl on the Train, with entertaining results." Angie reviews Amazon Prime Video's Chloe. The psychological thriller stars Erin Doherty (The Crown) as a woman stalking her childhood friend on social media, who infiltrates her inner circle following the friend's death. The review. 

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. The guys begin by running through the week's headline makers, including the GOT spinoff starring Kit Harington, a first look deal for Billy Porter and renewals for Peacock's Killing It and AMC's Dark Wind. They dissect all the goings on (and goings out) at WBD's "T-nets". Dan and Angie Han break down the best TV of 2022, so far. The Bear 's showrunner Joanna Calo drops by for a chat. And Dan reviews FX/Hulu’s The Bear, HBO Max’s The Gordita Chronicles, Apple’s Loot, Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, HBO’s Westworld, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and Amazon’s The Terminal List. Listen here. 
 
—Awards Chatter. Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott speaks to Lizzo. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter reflects on the highs and lows of her long journey to stardom, how she came to preach body positivity and why she agreed to host a reality competition program for Amazon. Listen here.

In other news...

—Taylor Swift releases new song “Carolina” for Where the Crawdads Sing

—Eurovision organizers rule Ukraine cannot safely host 2023 competition

—Japanese city launches campaign to preserve forest that inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro

—David Cronenberg to receive lifetime honor at San Sebastian Film Festival

—Disney teams with Starz for streaming bundle in Latin America

—Hacks and Somebody Somewhere lead Dorian TV nominations

—Jordan Moblo to oversee acquisitions, IP management at Universal Studio Group

—Duncan Henderson, Master and Commander producer and veteran assistant director, dies at 72

—Robert Katz, producer on Selena, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and Gettysburg, dies at 79

What else we're reading...

—Sophie Haigney and the NYT IT product team have an excellent (and fun to look at) piece on the explosion of product placement in films and TV as consumers increasingly skip ads [NYT]

—Cheyenne Roundtree has another disturbing report about Ezra Miller, this time about harboring a mother and three young children on his farm [Rolling Stone]

—Savannah Walsh profiles Martha Kelly, who is having a breakout year after starring in Euphoria, Hacks, Gaslit, Grace and Frankie, American Auto, and I Love That for You [VF]

—Interesting story from Coco Liu, Zheping Huang, and Sarah Zheng on why, after a crackdown, China's once proud tech giants may never get reach the same heights again [Bloomberg]

—Here's your Friday list: "Every Ed Wood movie ranked bad to worst" [Looper]

Today...  

...in 1987, Mel Brooks launched Spaceballs in theaters. The Star Wars spoof, starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga, became infamous in its own right. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Mindy Kaling (43), Beanie Feldstein (29), Erin Moriarty (28), Minka Kelly (42), Iain Glen (61), Dan Gilroy (63), Candice Patton (34), Vanessa Ray (41), Carla Gallo (47), Michele Lee (80), Nancy Allen (72), Peter Weller (75), Amber Rose Revah (36), Solange (36), Georg Stanford Brown (79), Mick Fleetwood (75), Vittorio Storaro (82)