'Queer as Folk': Four Creators on 23 Years of Three Groundbreaking Shows

►"Start shouting and protesting and fighting, yet again." With Peacock's updated adaptation of Queer as Folk debuting today, THR's Lesley Goldberg spoke to the creative minds behind all three iterations of the pioneering show: Swansea-born Russell T Davies, the creator of the U.K. original; Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, the duo behind the early 2000s Showtime adaptation; and Stephen Dunn, who has reimagined Davies' groundbreaking work to create a thoroughly modern and topical Peacock series. 

The creators of all three shows talk about authentic casting (including Davies’ decision to hire out gay actors for his 2021 series It’s a Sin) and discuss how much has changed in the intervening years, yet how things sadly remain the same. The conversation. 

—One last ride. Jurassic World Dominion opens this weekend in more than 4,600 theaters across North America. The more bullish box office pundits believe Dominion will open well north of $125 million, considering Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opened to $148 million in June 2018 and Jurassic World debuted to $208.8 million in 2015. The film should have no trouble taking the top spot away from Top Gun: Maverick. The box office preview. 

—"If you’re a Ghostbusters fan, you’ve got a lot coming your way." Yesterday was Ghostbusters Day, and THR's Ryan Parker was able to get the scoop on the ton of content Sony has lined up to expand the venerable franchise, including two films, a Netflix animated TV series, video games, and a Dark Horse comic series. Ryan also spoke to Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan about the next film, which has the official code name: "Firehouse." The story.

—Still keen on animation, then. Ahead of this month’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Netflix has unveiled a slate of new animated films and series from creatives across Europe. The eight-strong list includes new features from the teams behind Ron’s Gone Wrong, Klaus and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The lineup.

—Worrying trend. Come From Away will play its final Broadway performance on Oct. 2, making it the third production to announce its closing in recent days. The closing announcement follows Dear Evan Hansen and Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, which have all faced lower grosses and attendance this season. The story.  

—"Our bet in this space is already starting to pay off." Spotify brought in “close to” $215 million in podcast revenue last year, the company revealed at an investor day presentation in New York on Wednesday. The company has spent $1 billion for its podcast expansion but says it is still in "investment mode." The story. 

Biden Talks Guns and Abortion With Kimmel

►"You got to make sure that this becomes a voting issue." President Joe Biden had a somber conversation with Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, where the pair discussed gun legislation and the ongoing debate surrounding Roe v. Wade. Kimmel pressed Biden hard on the lack of action on gun control in particular, and the president implored viewers to use a politician’s views on gun legislation as a determining factor when they vote in the upcoming midterms. The recap.  

—The saga continues. Twitter plans to comply with Elon Musk’s demand for internal data on spam bots and fake accounts after threatening to walk away from the deal. The billionaire on Monday formally threatened to pull out of the purchase, accusing Twitter of lying about the portion of users that are bots. The story.

—New charges. Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein is set to be charged with two counts of indecent assault in the U.K. The two charges stem from an incident involving a woman now in her 50s and are alleged to have taken place between July 31 and Aug. 31, 1996 in London, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police. The story.

—Set to be sentenced. Convicted sex offender R. Kelly deserves at least 25 years behind bars for sexually abusing women and girls, prosecutors said in a memo filed Wednesday in advance of his sentencing later this month. Kelly’s lawyers have argued that he deserves only a maximum of about 17 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. The singer is set to be sentenced on June 29. The story.  

—The secret ingredient is crime. USA Network is keeping its long-running reality series Chrisley Knows Best on the air despite fraud convictions for two of its stars. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted Tuesday on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. Despite the convictions, USA still plans to air the second half of the show's ninth season — the network’s most watched original series — as planned beginning on June 23. The story.

THR's Comedy Showrunner Roundtable

►"This is why women are so dope." THR's Emmy roundtable series continues with the Comedy Showrunner Roundtable. A Black Lady Sketch Show's Robin Thede, Russian Doll's Natasha Lyonne, The Chair's Amanda Peet, Hacks' Jen Statsky, I Love That for You's Jessi Klein and What We Do in the Shadows' Stefani Robinson open up to THR's Mikey O'Connell about actor notes, audience appetite for senior sex scenes and the “bullshit” they hear from too many peers: "There is a myth, a rumor going around Hollywood that white men are no longer employable."  The roundtable. 

—Magnetic. Apple TV+ has released a trailer for its limited series Black Bird, which features Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. The six-episode drama from Dennis Lehane, which premieres July 8, centers on Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), the son of a police officer who’s convicted of a crime and sentenced to 10 years in a minimum-security prison. The trailer. 

—Round three. The third round of Peabody Awards were announced on Wednesday, with We Are Lady Parts and The Wonder Years taking home prizes in the entertainment category. Other notable winners include the HBO Max documentary In the Same Breath and ABC News’ The Appointment. The winners.

—Heading out. Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Group COO Carolyn Blackwood is exiting her post. Blackwood’s departure was widely expected after new owner Warner Bros. Discovery announced last week that movie studio chief Toby Emmerich, her boss and longtime confidante, would be stepping down. The story. 

—Coming in. Longtime studio dealmaker Steve Spira is finalizing his returning to Warner Bros., taking on the mantle he held once before, that of president of business affairs. Spira parted ways with Warners in November 2020. In his 35 years at Warners, he oversaw massive talent deals and managed key relationships with filmmakers, Clint Eastwood and Christopher Nolan among them. The story. 

—"It was just a question of finding the right partner." Two years to the month that it was canceled by A&E following nationwide protests against police brutality, the reality show Live PD is set to return to production with a new name, a tweaked format and a new television home. The program will now be called On Patrol: Live, and it will air on Reelz, the independent cable and satellite TV channel. The story. 

Depp Won in Court, But That Only Gets Him So Far

►"It’s easier for a man to redeem himself than a woman." Johnny Depp may have been handed a sweeping legal victory against Amber Heard, but that win can’t undo years of a deteriorating public image. The question is whether the verdict wiped off enough dirt for any studio to roll the dice on casting him. THR's Winston Cho writes that Depp, with his sizeable fanbase, may try to cash in on the indie film market circuit. The story. 

—It never ends. Discovery+ U.K. has landed two of the most high-profile legal figures involved in the Depp vs. Heard trial for its next docuseries about the court battles between the pair. Camille Vasquez and Benjamin G. Chew, who represented Depp, are set to appear in the second series of Johnny vs. Amber, which will feature extensive testimonies and interviews with the lawyers, alongside representatives from Heard’s side. The story. 

—Fitting tribute. The Foo Fighters will celebrate the life and legacy of their late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a pair of giant rock shows in September. The gigs are slated to take place on Sept. 3 at Wembley Stadium in London and Sept. 27 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, with tickets slated to go on sale on June 17. The story. 

—"A losing choice for everyone." Disney has decided to drop the French theatrical release of the animated film Strange World in response to France’s strict windowing regulations, which require a 17-month period between a film’s theatrical release and its debut on a streaming platform. The move to debut the film on Disney+ has angered French exhibitors who say it "seriously undermines the economy of cinemas and the sector as a whole." The story. 

—Moving back. The British Academy has set the date for the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards. The 76th edition will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19, shifting the ceremony back into its usual February slot after being held on March 13 this year. The move keeps the BAFTAs ahead of the Oscars, which are being held on March 12, 2023. The story.

Film Review: 'Jurassic World Dominion'

►"Larger, louder, more laborious." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World Dominion. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by original franchise stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum in this globe-hopping conclusion to the de-extinct dinosaur saga. The review. 

—"Equal parts silly, sexy, serious and smart." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Peacock's Queer as Folk. Stephen Dunn's reimagining of Russell T. Davies' groundbreaking gay drama centers on a group of friends in New Orleans dealing with the aftermath of a Pulse-style shooting. The review. 

—"A breezy doc with some sincere moments." THR critic Lovia Gyarkye reviews Amanda Micheli's Halftime. This Netflix documentary charts the Jennifer Lopez's ascendance from the streets of the Bronx to the Super Bowl stage in Miami. The review. 

In other news...

—Jodie Comer to make Broadway debut with Prima Facie

—Grammys add new categories, including Songwriter of the Year

—Barry star Sarah Goldberg to lead IFC dark comedy series

—DC unveils Black Adam comics tied to Dwayne Johnson movie

—2021-22 TV ratings: Final seven-day numbers for every network series

—Munich Film Festival lineup includes Cannes winners Broker, War Pony

—Xbox partners with Samsung to bring gaming app to Smart TVs

—Warner Bros. Discovery sets India, Korea and SEA leadership team under Clement Schwebig

—UTA acquires data and analytics firm MediaHound 

What else we're reading...

—Rebecca Jennings makes the compelling case that One Direction fangirls created the internet as we know it [Vox]

—Sam Schube on the grand plans of FaZe Clan, the highly influential collective of gamers, esports stars, and YouTube creators [GQ]

—This is bad right?: "Big Tech has spent $36 million on ads to torpedo antitrust bill" [WSJ]

—This also sounds bad: "The IRS is coming for your Venmo income" [Bloomberg]

—Yeah this is definitely bad: "Facebook's 2018 algorithm change boosted local GOP groups, research finds" [NBC News]

Today...  

Today's birthdays: Natalie Portman (41), Johnny Depp (59), Aaron Sorkin (61), Mae Whitman (34), Michael J. Fox (61), Xolo Maridueña (21), Eddie Marsan (54), Gloria Reuben (58), David Koepp (59), Michaela Conlin (44), Keesha Sharp (49), Logan Browning (33), Danielle C. Ryan (29), James Newton Howard (71), Justin Benson (39), David Cage (53), Hayden Schlossberg (44), Matt Bellamy (44), Rodman Flender (60), Thomas Tull (52)