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Strike Claims More Hollywood Events; 'Yellowjackets' Star on S2's Tragic Finale; 'Little Mermaid' Set for $120M Opening; 'Perfect Days' Review

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May 26, 2023

What's news: Marvel has paused production on the Thunderbolts movie and Wonder Man series. MoviePass plans a nationwide expansion. A24 has closed international deals for Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest. Jack Quaid will lead buzzy sci-fi feature Companion. Paramount won't face a $500m suit over a nude scene in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. — Abid Rahman

Obama "Hopeful" About Strike Deal

►"[The studios] wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for writers creating the stories that matter." Former President Barack Obama said he was “hopeful” that writers would get “a fair share of the fruits of their labor” as a result of the ongoing writers strike. During a live-streamed interview with Ira Glass in Washington, D.C., to promote his Netflix docuseries, Working, Obama opened up the conversation by sharing his support for the writers on strike. The story.

—Paused! The strike has caused Marvel Studios to delay production on a second feature. A few weeks after the studio decided to press pause on Blade, Marvel has opted to hold off on filming for Thunderbolts. The hope is to begin production after the strike, which has also caused Marvel to stop filming on the TV series Wonder Man. The story.

—Match abandoned. The stoppage has also forced the cancellation of the Paley Center’s Ted Lasso season three finale screening and panel. The WGA has asked its members to not participate in press events that were organized by studios who are members of the AMPTP. Series stars Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein have frequently been spotted walking the picket lines alongside their fellow writers on Ted Lasso. The story.

—No dice. The strike has also claimed the 2023 Television Academy Honors. The Television Academy said it was canceling the reception which was scheduled for the evening of May 31. The event was set to honor As We See It, Mo, The U.S. and the Holocaust, We’re Here, 37 Words and The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks with this year’s accolades, which recognize remarkable programs and producers “who have harnessed the extraordinary power of storytelling to fuel social change.” The story.

—Anonymous strike diary. THR's series of frank accounts of the writers strike continues. The Well-Known Creator is back, and in his latest picket-line dispatch, the showrunner recalls the time a producer accidentally sent him back his own script for thoughts on how it could be improved. The diary.

'Yellowjackets' Star on S2's Tragic Finale

►"She already let herself go." THR's Jackie Strause spoke to Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher about the season two finale, "Storytelling." The star who plays young Natalie on the hit Showtime series opens up about the gut punch viewers didn't see coming, and the surprise reveal for her character. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—"It was up close and personal and incredibly upsetting to film." The ever busy Jackie also spoke to filmmaker Lesli Linka Glatter about the finale of the HBO limited series Love & Death. Glatter discusses recreating the ax murder with her two stars, Elizabeth Olsen and Lily Rabe, the looming questions around the trial and aftermath and explains the show’s decision to put the audience in Candy’s shoes. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—🎭 Lead in place 🎭 THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on The Boys star Jack Quaid signing on to topline Companion, a sci-fi thriller from the team behind last year’s horror hit Barbarian. Drew Hancock wrote the original script and is making his directorial debut with the feature, although the plot is being kept hush-hush. Companion was won by New Line in an auction near the beginning of the year. The story.

—🎭 Sabrina reunion 🎭 Borys also has the scoop on Adeline Rudolph joining the cast of New Line’s sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Rudolph, who made her debut in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, has joined Tati Gabrielle, her co-star on the Netflix series. Simon McQuoid is returning to direct the feature, which sees Karl Urban leading the ensemble and diverse cast. The story.

—Opening strong. John Mulaney’s first stand-up comedy special in five years got off to a solid start on Netflix. John Mulaney: Baby J, gathered 379m minutes of viewing for the week of April 24-30, ranking 10th among original series in Nielsen's rankings. Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso hit a series high for the second consecutive frame, growing to 795m minutes of viewing for the week its seventh episode of season three debuted. The streaming rankings.

Why Tina Turner Was a Beaming Light

►"There she was: Pure energy and joy." In a guest column for THR, Emmy-nominated actress Gloria Reuben recalls being a backup singer for the late Tina Turner's 24/7 world tour in 2000 and remembers the icon's "incredibly generous spirit, support and belief in me." The column.

—Common Hugh W. A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by News Corp. tabloid The Sun to throw out a lawsuit by Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him. A January 2024 trial will determine whether The Sun carried out unlawful information gathering, including tapping the star’s landline, bugging his car and breaking into his home. The story.

—Sold! A24 has closed deals across Europe and Japan for Jonathan Glazer’s bracing, critically-acclaimed Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest. Since its Cannes debut, the film, based on a book by the late Martin Amis, has been among the most talked-about films at this year’s festival and a clear front-runner for the Palme d’Or, which will be announced Saturday. THR's Scott Roxborough reports that the sales came despite several buyers complaining about A24’s steep asking price for international rights. The story.

—Poached! Emma Miller and Carrie Gillogly have departed their roles as AMC’s co-heads of scripted for new jobs at Netflix. Miller now serves as Netflix's director of overall deals and series for the U.S. and Canada. She reports to Nne Ebong, vp overall deals and series. Gillogly will board the streamer as director of drama series, U.S. and Canada. She will report to Jinny Howe, vp drama series. The story.

—"If all the girls were in, I absolutely would." Rose Byrne is the latest Bridesmaids star to say she would be down to return for a sequel of the hit comedy. In a new interview, the Platonic star said she would “of course” do a follow-up to the 2011 film although confessed it would be hard to follow such a huge hit. Last month, Melissa McCarthy revealed she was super keen on a sequel. The story.

'White Lotus: All Stars'? Mike White Would Love to See it Happen

►"It’s the closest to shooting a Bond movie that I’ve come." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to The White Lotus creator Mike White, star Jennifer Coolidge and others about the trials of filming season two’s nautical conclusion. White also addressed that closed-caption mystery and his hopes for the series’ future. The story.

—Still kicking. MoviePass, a rebooted version of the app that once burned through cash promising theatergoers all-you-can-watch features for a single fee, says it’s now going to expand nationwide again during the busy box office Memorial Day frame. In its latest incarnation, the company has subscription plans that range from $10 a month (for one to three movies) as well as $40 a month (for 30 movies a month). And the company claims that moviegoers can use the app at 4,000 locations. The story.

—Injection. Paramount Global owner National Amusements Inc. is getting a $125m cash infusion that the Redstone family holding company says will help shore up its ownership of the entertainment firm. The strategic preferred equity investment, from BDT & MSD Partners, will be used to pay down its debt and pay back loans that had been secured by shares of Paramount. The story.

—Thrown out. Some good news for Paramount, the company won’t have to face a $500m lawsuit accusing the studio of sexual abuse over a nude scene in the 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. THR's Winston Cho reports that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie signaled on Thursday that she’ll dismiss the suit, finding claims that the movie depicts sexual acts are a “gross mischaracterization” of the scene. She said in a tentative ruling that the claims “arise from protected activity” under the First Amendment. The story.

—"It was a real coup for us." Lionsgate is back in business with Quentin Tarantino. The studio revealed on Thursday that it has picked up the distribution rights to three of Tarantino movies: Kill Bill: Volume I & II and Jackie Brown. Besides the re-release of those iconic titles, Lionsgate will team with the filmmaker to celebrate Kill Bill’s 20th anniversary later this year with a new and remastered 4K edition. The studio already held the rights to five other Tarantino films. The story.

—"I’ve always thought that the beginning of the downfall of society was with [American Idol]." Whoopi Goldberg is sharing her thoughts on American Idol — and she isn’t too keen on its impact on society. While discussing Netflix’s Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me documentary on a recent episode of The View, the co-host brought up the singing competition show and said the early seasons put a spotlight on drama, judgment and criticism. The story.

'Little Mermaid' Set for $120M Opening

►Deep dive. The Little Mermaid is expected to open to $120m in its four-day domestic box office debut, making it one of the better Memorial Day weekend openings. Overseas, the movie is tracking for an $80m opening through Sunday. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that if the film did indeed open to $120m, Little Mermaid would mark the fifth-biggest domestic start for Memorial Day weekend, a ranking currently occupied by Disney’s live-action Aladdin, which opened to $116.8m. The box office report.

—Not looking so hot. Pamela reports that DC’s highly anticipated superhero pic The Flash and Pixar’s Elemental have their work cut out for them before opening in North American theaters on June 16, according to early tracking. The Flash is pacing to open in the $70m range, a soft number for a movie that’s been heavily promoted by WB as the best superhero film of all time. Elemental is tracking to even softer numbers, with a projected $40m domestic opening. The box office report.

—Out of gas? For Pamela's hat trick of box office stories, she looks at the waning domestic performance of the Fast films. Fast X's anemic $67m North America opening was rescued by a boffo $251.5m debut in the rest of the world, a continuation of a trend for a franchise that is tracking huge internationally but losing ground domestically. The box office report.

Film Review: 'Perfect Days'

►"Ineffably lovely." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Wim Wenders' Cannes competition entry Perfect Days. Distinguished screen veteran Koji Yakusho plays a middle-aged Tokyo man who has pared down his life to a routine of service and small pleasures in this delicate character study. The review.

—"Mainly for samurai movie fans." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Takeshi Kitano's Kubi. Hidetoshi Nishijima from Drive My Car co-stars as a warlord trying to protect his male lover in the latest genre film with a queer twist from the legendary Japanese director. The review.

—"Bring someone to grab." THR film critic Frank Scheck reviews Rob Savage's The Boogeyman. A slow-burn and atmospheric adaptation of a Stephen King short story, starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina and Vivien Lyra Blair. The review.

—"Forget it Laurens, it’s Perpignan." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Claude Schmitz's Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection The Other Laurens. The writer-director’s third feature follows a private detective trying to uncover the truth behind his twin brother’s death. The review.

Thank Pod It's Friday

► All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.

—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week is another stoppage special, with strike captain Warren Leight dropping by to discuss how he’s working to force the AMPTP back to the bargaining table. Also covered in this edition, HBO Max’s transition to Max, Disney’s programming purge and reviews of Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Apple comedy Platonic , Netflix’s FUBAR and American Born Chinese on Disney+. Listen here.

—Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to Sydney Sweeney. The in-demand star reflects on the sacrifices that her family made to enable her to pursue an acting career, the challenges and rewards of her Emmy-nominated performances on HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus and why she is so proud of her new film Reality. Listen here.

—It Happened in Hollywood. THR senior writer Seth Abramovitch goes behind the scenes of the pop culture moments that shaped Hollywood history. In this episode Seth spoke to Penelope Spheeris. The director of cult fave Wayne's World shares her experience making her first studio film with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. Listen here.

—Behind the Screen. THR's tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode Carolyn spoke to Shelly Westerman and Payton Koch. The editors for season two of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building talk about cutting the scenes for the comedy mystery show and what to expect for season three. Listen here.

In other news...

—Bloodhounds trailer reveals thrilling fight scenes in Netflix’s latest Korean series

—Barbie trailer teases an existential doll crisis alongside new Dua Lipa single

—Disney+ Korean drama Red Swan to star Kim Ha-neul and Rain

—Jeremy Kipp Walker, Chaz Salembier join Laika live-action team

—Canadian actress Samantha Weinstein dies at 28

What else we're reading...

—With the disastrous Twitter Spaces launch, Noah Bierman wonders whether Ron DeSantis and his campaign team are "too online" [LAT]

—Soraya Roberts pens a love letter to the campy masculine pleasures of Gerard Butler [NYT]

—Anna Nicolaou and Sujeet Indap have a deep dive on the downfall of Vice Media [FT]

—Must-read Ezra Marcus story on the incredible allegations surrounding Horses chef Will Aghajanian, complete with new grim details, extensive sources and lots of missing cats [Grub Street]

—Here's your Friday list: "The 10 best mermaid movies" [Vulture]

Today...

...in 1982, Steven Spielberg unveiled E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial at the Cannes Film Festival. The sci-fi classic would become a summer smash en route to four Oscar wins at the 55th Academy Awards. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Lauryn Hill (48), Stevie Nicks (75), Pam Grier (74), Alex Garland (53), Helena Bonham Carter (57), Bobcat Goldthwait (61), Elisabeth Harnois (44), Richa Moorjani (34), Lenny Kravitz (59), Matt Stone (52), Tarsem Singh (62), Megan Charpentier (22), Ashley Bell (37), Lola Flanery (18), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (37), Philip Michael Thomas (74), Alexander Karim (47), Tamara Clatterbuck (60), Barbara Stock (67), Kevin Gage (64), Musetta Vander (60), Genie Francis (61), Margaret Colin (65), Selenis Leyva (51), Julianna Rose Mauriello (32), Lisa Niemi (67), Benji Gregory (45), Madeleine Mantock (33), Oliver Hermanus (40), Adam Curtis (68), Adam Robitel (45)

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Friday, May 26, 2023 at 7:14 AM.

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