Will Warner Bros.' World of Westeros Fly or Fail?

►"The success of this show will dictate how deep the exploration of this universe goes." When House of the Dragon, HBO’s big-budget prequel to Game of Thrones, premieres Sunday night, the future of the Targaryen family won’t be the only thing at stake. THR's Scott Roxborough looks at how the success of the show could determine how much fans get to see from the broader George R.R. Martin fantasy franchise. The story. 

—Hard act to follow. Game of Thrones ended its eight-season run in 2019 as HBO’s most watched series ever and arguably the biggest show on all of television at that time. THR's Rick Porter looks at how House of the Dragon could beat GOT in the ratings — at least at first. Rick writes the built-in brand recognition could help the prequel reach the audience its predecessor did in its inaugural season. The analysis.

—Zaz is convinced. Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav heaped high praise on House of the Dragon in an email to staffers Friday morning. As critics’ reviews began pouring in, the exec wrote that “the entire HBO team have shepherded what looks to be the next big cultural moment." The story. 

—ICYMI. Here again is THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg's review of House of the Dragon. The review.

—"A magical miracle." If you're wondering what other critics are saying about House of the Dragon, we have you covered. The review roundup. 

Dan Levy Joins 'Sex Education' S4

►Award-winning addition. THR's Lesley Goldberg has the scoop on Emmy winner Dan Levy joining the fourth season of Netflix’s Sex Education. Levy is set to have a recurring role, and is one of seven new faces joining the retooled season of the critically praised series. Also joining as series regulars are Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther and newcomers Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James and Imani Yahshua. The story. 

—Barbie and Ken, together again. Ryan Gosling is in negotiations to join Barbie co-star Margot Robbie in the Ocean’s Eleven reboot for Warner Bros. The new Ocean’s movie will be helmed by Jay Roach, with Robbie producing with Tom Ackerley and Michelle Graham. Details on the script by Carrie Solomon are being kept under wraps, but it is known to be an original story that is set in Europe in the 1960s. The story. 

—Wood for the trees. More casting news from Lesley, this time Elijah Wood is joining Showtime's Yellowjackets for a season-long guest role on the second season of the Emmy-nominated drama series. Wood will play the role of Walter, a dedicated citizen detective who will challenge present-day Misty (Christina Ricci) in ways that she won’t see coming. The story.

—Best news ever. HBO has ordered a second season of Nathan Fielder’s comedy series The Rehearsal. The renewal comes just ahead of the show’s first season finale on Friday. The show features the Nathan for You creator staging elaborate trial runs for people (and himself) who are facing significant events in their lives and want to practice getting them just right. The story. 

—Snapped up. Netflix has acquired the doc The Redeem Team, about the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team looking to reclaim the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Executive produced by Olympic champs and NBA legends Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, the doc will be released on the streamer on Oct. 7. The story. 

Indie Box Office Battles the Dog Days of August

►Small but significant. There's been a lot of discussion about a lack of tentpoles at the box office currently, which is causing problems for the likes of AMC and Regal. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that specialty films including A24's Bodies Bodies Bodies hope to provide a late-summer boost amid the dearth of major Hollywood studios fare. The analysis. 

—Not good. Related to the quiet late summer at the box office, Cineworld Group, the owner of Regal Cinemas, is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S., according to a Friday report in the WSJ. On Aug. 17 the company told the markets that it was eyeing unspecified strategic options as it was struggling to get through the summer doldrums for Hollywood tentpoles in its theaters. In a statement to THR, execs at the company said Cineworld and Regal theaters remain open for business as usual. The story. 

—The Sonic boom. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on video game giant Sega partnering with production company Picturestart (Cha Cha Real Smooth, Am I Ok?) to develop film adaptations of two of its 1990s video game titles, Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone. Barry Battles and Nir Paniry are writing Space Channel 5 and Mae Catt is writing Comix Zone. The story. 

—Back of the net! Paramount Global has won the U.S. rights to UEFA, including the UEFA Champions League and the Euros soccer tournaments, through 2030. A source familiar with the talks says that the six-year deal is valued at $1.5b, more than 2.5 times the value of the prior deal. And that figure just includes the English-language rights, with Spanish-language U.S. rights remaining to be sold. The story.

CNN Staff Brace for Change

►"There will be more changes and you might not understand it or like it." On Friday morning, CNN CEO Chris Licht addressed the decision to cancel the Sunday show Reliable Sources, and told staff on the news channel’s 9 a.m. editorial call that there will be more changes to come. CNN’s decision to cancel Brian Stelter’s show brought renewed anxiety to the halls of 30 Hudson Yards, multiple CNN staffers told THR's Alex Weprin. The story.

—"I no longer wanted to carries his lies." A woman who says she was sexually abused hundreds of times by R. Kelly before she turned 18 testified Friday that she agonized several years ago about whether to cooperate with federal investigators who were looking into child abuse allegations involving the singer, but that she ultimately did because she didn’t want to lie for him anymore. The story.

—"I felt like I wanted to run, run down the block and scream." Vanessa Bryant testified Friday that she was only beginning to grieve the loss of her husband, basketball star Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna when she was faced with the fresh horror of learning that sheriff’s deputies and firefighters had shot and shared photos of their bodies at the site of the helicopter crash that killed them. The story. 

—"The role of a lifetime." Broadway’s Funny Girl unveiled the first official preview of Lea Michele in the starring role on Friday. The production shared a short teaser video on its official Twitter, with the clip showing the Glee alum running through rehearsals with the cast as she sings part of “I’m the Greatest Star” as Fanny Brice. The teaser. 

—"He actually was the one who volunteered the answer to that question." Marvel boss Kevin Feige knew exactly when and who Captain America lost his virginity to, according to She-Hulk showrunner Jessica Gao. Cap's V-card is the subject of a discussion in the debut episode of the Disney+ show, and has since become a hot on social media. In a new interview, Gao said that Feige was not only on onboard with settling the age-old debate but also swooped in to help with details. The story. 

Aaron Paul Bids Farewell to Jesse Pinkman

►"It was a nice farewell." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Aaron Paul about his final appearance as Jesse Pinkman in the final season of Better Call Saul, with the actor confirming he is done with the Breaking Bad universe. Paul also discusses Westworld and why he can't watch his character's showcase episode "Fidelity." Warning spoilers. The interview. 

In other news...

—Will Smith teases return to social media in first non-apology post since Oscars 

—MTV VMAs: Red Hot Chili Peppers to receive Global Icon Award

—Hollywood flashback: In 1981, Roar pitted lions against humans without CGI 

—L.A.’s historic Culver Hotel just reopened after a stylish makeover

What else we're reading...

—Yeah, this is bad: "Salma al-Shehab: Concern for Saudi student jailed for 34 years over tweets" [BBC]

—Kelly Gilblom has an interesting interview with Will Packer that covers a lot of ground, including diversity, or the lack of, in Hollywood and the Oscars slap incident [Bloomberg]

— Lewis Gordon looks at the great consolidation of the video game industry and what it all means [Ringer]

—Clare Malone reflects on the exit of prominent Trump resister Brian Stelter from CNN [New Yorker]

—With appearances in music, film and on the runway, Keziah Weir posits that it's "horse girl season" [VF]

Today...  

...in 1993, Universal unveiled John Woo’s R-rated action thriller Hard Target, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, in theaters. The film was Hong Kong legend Woo's Hollywood debut and made a healthy $74m at the box office. The original review. 

Today's birthdays: Andrew Garfield (39), Amy Adams (48), 👀 Ke Huy Quan 👀(51), Robert Plant (74), Ben Barnes (41), James Marsters (60), John Noble (74), Meghan Ory (40), Joan Allen (66), David O. Russell (64), Misha Collins (48), Laura Donnelly (40), Demi Lovato (30), Fred Durst (52), Nikki SooHoo (34), Ray Wise (75), Michael Rady (41), David Walliams (51), Alex Newell (30), Mary Stavin (65), Randeep Hooda (46), Al Roker (68), Patricia Rozema (64)