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'Succession,' 'Barry' Finale Coverage; 'Little Mermaid' Opens to $117.5M; Scorsese Unveils Jesus Film; THR's Best Films From Cannes; 'Elemental' Review

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May 30, 2023

What's news: And we're back! It's a Succession, Barry, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Yellowjackets heavy newsletter today, as three of those shows came to an end and the other had its season finale. Little Mermaid debuted to a disappointing $68.1m outside the U.S. Fast X crossed the $100m mark in China and $500m globally. — Abid Rahman

'Succession' Finale Was a Brilliant Family Nightmare

►"It was always going to get Biblical." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg offers his take on Succession's 90-minute series finale, "With Open Eyes." Dan writes that series creator Jesse Armstrong and executive producer and director Mark Mylod explored what made the Roy family so relatably unrelatable in the vicious, funny and haunting ultimate episode of the sublime HBO show. Warning: Spoilers! The critic's notebook.

—Who won? For THR, Josh Wigler breaks down that breathtaking end to Succession and how it went for each major character. Josh also looks at what the future holds for Kendall, Shiv, Roman and the rest of the Roy clan. Warning: Spoilers! The recap.

—"A completely tragic ending." Offering more reaction, Jesse Armstrong and Succession stars Jeremy Strong and Alexander Skarsgård spoke on HBO's post-finale featurette and podcast about the conclusion of the Roy family saga. Warning: Spoilers! The story.

—"The greatest work experience ever." As the chatter continues about the end of Succession, star Brian Cox took to social media to share his heartfelt thoughts about his time playing Logan. On Instagram, the Scottish actor expressed his appreciation for the show’s cast and crew, saying "[Succession] was on [its] way to become a great series but the love and commitment from crew to cast and writers made it memorable." The story.

Bleak Finale Brings 'Barry' to a Satisfyingly Unsatisfying Close

►"Barry still finds pinpricks of hope that the truth might set one free." THR TV critic Angie Han writes that the final episode of Bill Hader and Alec Berg's HBO hitman dramedy Barry finally gives its character the hero's journey he's been reaching for this whole time. Sort of. Warning: Spoilers! The critic's notebook.

—"I was speechless." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Barry star Henry Winkler about his thoughts on the finale episode, "Wow." The actor discusses Gene’s headspace as the camera pulled away from the wrongfully disgraced acting teacher and his lifeless protégé, Barry, for the final time. Winkler also reflects on the HBO series’ invaluable writing in the wake of the current WGA strike. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—"Finally, she has some peace." THR's Tyler Coates spoke to Barry star Sarah Goldberg about Sally’s final moments in "Wow." The actress discussed her character's journey across season four and her excitement about getting to film scenes with co-star Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

'Yellowjackets' Star Talks S2 Finale

►"Seven hours of crying." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to Yellowjackets star Kevin Alves about the season two finale episode, "Storytelling." Alves discussed the moment he had to stop reading the script and the emotional toll of the complex ending (he also talks cast "death parties" and says all the series regulars are on a group text, including the one who died in the finale). Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—Full-circle moment. The star whose character met a tragic end in the Yellowjackets season two finale, along with co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, weighed in on the finale for Showtime's "Behind the Buzz" series. Warning: Spoilers! The story.

—"It felt like there were a lot of opportunities for me to say things that I’m interested in, and see whether anyone wanted to ask these questions with me." Jackie also spoke to Fatal Attraction showrunner Alexandra Cunningham about the finale of the Paramount+ series. Cunningham explains the drama's major changes from the movie as she braces for the reception to the series, including a response from Close herself. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—"There’s still so many moments that I would love to see and love to know about." THR's Christy Piña spoke to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Alex Borstein about the series finale. The actress who plays Midge opens up about seeing how far Susie's career went and why the manager refuses to take no for an answer. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

'Little Mermaid' Swims to $117.5M Memorial Day Debut

►Solid. Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid made an estimated four-day domestic debut of $117.5m, the holiday’s fifth-biggest opening of all time, according to studio projections. The three-day gross is an estimated $95.4m. On Saturday, the film looked to earn north of $120m over the long holiday weekend but domestic estimates shifted. Grosses will be updated Tuesday morning when weekend actuals are tallied.

Overseas, THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Little Mermaid started off with a disappointing $68.1m from 51 markets for a projected global launch of $185.6 million through Monday. Box office pundits say the social media campaign protesting a Black actress being cast as Ariel could be having an impact in Asian markets and elsewhere.

Universal’s Fast X easily came in No. 2 as it crossed the $500m mark at the global box office in its first 12 days of release. The pic grossed $28.5m for the four days and $22.9m for the three, which represented a 66 percent drop from its opening weekend. Fast X will finish Monday with an estimated worldwide haul of $507.3m after earning another $24.3m internationally for a fantastic foreign total of $399.3m. The box office report.

—Not so solid. Fast X cruised to another easy win at China’s theatrical box office over the weekend, earning $17.6m for a cumulative total of $109.9m. Little Mermaid, though, is clearly sinking rather than swimming in the China market, with the film opening to just $2.5m — on the far low end for Disney’s live-action remakes in China. Maoyan predicts Little Mermaid will take only $4m during its China run, in comparison Cruella made $24m in 2021, The Lion King made $120m in 2019 and The Jungle Book made $150m in 2016. The box office report.

Scorsese Unveils New Jesus Film

►"I responded to the pope’s appeal to artists." Martin Scorsese is turning his attention to a new movie about Jesus, the director said during a visit to Italy after bringing his Killers of the Flower Moon to Cannes. During a conference organized by a religious magazine in Rome, the legendary filmmaker also spoke about his experience with grace and mercy, and the presence of violence in his life as well as in his films. The story.

—"I got so much hate mail, I was told Judy Garland 'is turning over in her grave.'" Stephanie Mills, who originated the role of Dorothy in Broadway’s The Wiz nearly 50 years ago, says she can relate to Halle Bailey, the star of Disney’s new live-action film The Little Mermaid, and the racist backlash she’s been the target of since casting was announced. Mills wrote a letter to the “beautiful and talented” Bailey, who plays Ariel in the remake, and shared it on Twitter. The story.

—"I spent the first 5 years of my career getting absolutely OBLITERATED by you fools for being boyish." Billie Eilish is expressing her disappointment in critics who have had a lot to say about her changing style recently. The Grammy winner took to social media to call out people who have commented on her posts, telling her that she’s “changed” and is a “sellout” for embracing a more feminine sense of style lately. The story.

THR Critics Pick the 20 Best Films of Cannes 2023

►Crème de la crème. THR's team of film critics —David Rooney, Jon Frosch, Sheri Linden, Lovia Gyarkye, Leslie Felperin and Jordan Mintzer — run through their Cannes favorites, that included Scorsese’s wrenching true-crime epic, two riveting French courtroom dramas, a Holocaust film like no other, a handcrafted Moroccan documentary, and the latest from auteurs Aki Kaurismaki and Wim Wenders. The list.

—Beyond the Croisette. The 2023 Cannes Film Festival wrapped this weekend. For posterity, THR once again partnered with award-winning photographer and visual storyteller Julian Ungano for exclusive images of some of the festival’s most captivating stars. The gallery.

—Potential contenders. With Cannes over for another year, THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg offers his take on the jury prize winners and losers to watch for come Oscar season. Scott writes that there is a lot of Academy-friendly work in the five overlooked English-language titles in the main Cannes competition — Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s Black Flies, Karim Aïnouz’s Firebrand, Todd Haynes’s May December and Ken Loach’s The Old Oak. The analysis.

Film Review: 'Elemental'

►"Too elementary." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Peter Sohn's Elemental. The high-concept film tells the story of a fire family immigrating to a metropolis dominated by the opposing element of water, and the romance that ensues. The review.

—"Only in France." Jordan reviews Catherine Breillat's Cannes competition entry Last Summer. Léa Drucker stars as a woman who begins a fiery love affair with her teenage stepson, wreaking potential havoc on their bourgeois French family. The review.

—"So sweet, it's cloying." THR's Lovia Gyarkye reviews Weston Razooli's Cannes Directors' Fortnight selection Riddle of Fire. The filmmaker's sentimental debut feature follows three kids on a mythic quest. The review.

—"Charged and vibrant." THR's Sheri Linden reviews João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora's Cannes Un Certain Regard selection The Buriti Flower. The filmmakers' collaborated with indigenous villagers in Brazil for their hybrid nonfiction and drama feature. The review.

In other news...

—MasterClass lowers price of subscription

—Karlovy Vary Film Festival unveils 2023 line-up

—Shanghai Film Festival unveils 2023 competition selection (featuring no U.S. movies)

—LVMH concedes defeat on Cheval Blanc Hotel project in Beverly Hills

—Tamaya Petteway named svp of partnerships at Dick Clark Productions

—Peter Simonischek, Austrian actor and star of Toni Erdmann, dies at 76

—Milt Larsen, co-founder of The Magic Castle in Hollywood, dies at 92

—George Maharis, star of Route 66, dies at 94

What else we're reading...

—Jo Yurcaba and Daniel Arkin report on how conservatives have weaponized brand boycotts to target LGBTQ people [NBC News]

—With the end of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, Succession and possibly Ted Lasso, Brian Phillips toots the horn for TV shows that never really end [Ringer]

—Succession writer and co-executive producer Georgia Pritchett reveals how a bunch of scruffy Brits created a slick New York drama about the super rich [Guardian]

—Adrian Horton looks at how Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has taken over America [Guardian]

—Christopher Weaver and Meghan Bobrowsky talked to inmates at a Texas prison camp where disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is expected to begin an 11-year sentence today [WSJ]

Today...

...in 2003, Pixar unveiled Finding Nemo, which opened to $70m in its first weekend, a then record debut for an animated title. The film went on to win the best animated feature Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Idina Menzel (52), DeWanda Wise (39), Colm Meaney (70), Duncan Jones (52), Tom Morello (59), Joachim Rønning (51), Jonah Hauer-King (28), Ted McGinley (65), Rachael Stirling (46), Mark Sheppard (59), Stephen Tobolowsky (72), Ruta Lee (88), Sean Giambrone (24), John Ross Bowie (52), Javicia Leslie (36), Jared Gilmore (23), Will Peltz (37), Catherine Corcoran (31), Fahim Fazli (57), Nikita Efremov (35), Rosalie Craig (42), Minae Noji (50), Tadhg Murphy (44)

Robin Wagner, a set designer who worked on more than 50 Broadway plays and musicals over a 50-year career and won three Tony Awards for best scenic design, has died. He was 89. The obituary.

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 7:02 AM.

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