The 'Elemental' Box Office Debacle

►Not in their element, anymore. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that for decades, revered animation studio Pixar could do no wrong, using the most unlikely concepts to create compelling stories that became both commercial and critical hits at the box office. That all changed in the past several years, capped by the dismal debut of Elemental, the worst three-day weekend start in the company’s history when adjusted for inflation. The film's failure to galvanize moviegoers leaves Pixar stuck at a crossroads. The analysis. 

—The weekly show. Spotify has signed up Trevor Noah to host a new weekly podcast. Debuting later this year, the currently unnamed podcast will feature the former Daily Show host’s commentary on timely topics and in-depth conversations with influential figures from around the world, the company said on Tuesday at Cannes Lions. The news comes a few days after the audio streaming giant ended its high profile podcast deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The story. 

—🤝 Strategic partnership 🤝 Former TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer is getting back in business with the social media giant. On Tuesday, Mayer's content company Candle Media said that it would be striking a “broad strategic partnership” with TikTok, one that will see it co-developing premium content with the video platform, with branded content and advertising sales as part of the deal. The TikTok-Candle deal was announced at the Cannes Lions advertising festival. The story. 

—🤝 Sold! 🤝 UTA is expanding its presence in the executive search and consulting space, acquiring James & Co., which operates in the sports, media, entertainment, digital and consumer sectors. James & Co. founders Michele James and Roysi Erbes will continue to lead the business as a new division within UTA. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. UTA is already in the executive search and consulting field through Medialink, which it acquired for $125m in late 2021. The story. 

Cruise Thanks Rome for Helping Make 'M:I 7' Possible

►"Together we did something extraordinary." At the world premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Rome Monday night, Tom Cruise held court, standing at the top of the Spanish Steps with the entire Piazza di Spagna below him. Cruise, co-stars Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Pom Klementieff, and Vanessa Kirby, as well as director Christopher McQuarrie were all in attendance for the glitzy event. The story. 

—"Yes. It’s gonna happen." Also at the Rome premiere of Dead Reckoning, Cruise said he's keen to work with Scarlett Johansson. At the premiere of Asteroid City, Johansson had revealed to THR that Cruise was the one actor she wanted to work with. Cruise said that he was “absolutely” on board to star opposite Johansson in a potential project. The story. 

—The search continues. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department shared an update on Monday that they have continued their search for British actor Julian Sands, who was reported missing in January in the Mount Baldy area of Southern California. Since the A Room with a View star was reported missing, the Sheriff’s Department noted that they have conducted eight searches, ground and air, with volunteer searcher hours exceeding 500 hours. The story. 

Are Emmy Noms for Genre Shows Merely a Fantasy This Year?

►The showdown becomes a skirmish. A year ago, it looked like TV was on the verge of a fantasy boom. HBO/Max’s House of the Dragon and Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power were set to premiere within weeks of each other in 2022 — two big, expensive productions featuring mythical creatures that sought ratings, prestige and, one would assume, Emmys. For THR, Esther Zuckerman writes that now, heading into nominations, both shows are fighting for spots that do not appear to be guaranteed. The story. 

—Jumping on board. The Roku Channel is the latest free streamer to get enough viewer attention to make Nielsen’s monthly platform rankings. The streaming device maker’s programming outlet joins fellow FAST services Tubi and Pluto TV in Nielsen’s Gauge snapshot for May. The Roku Channel gathered 1.1 percent of all TV use for the month, tying Peacock in rankings of individual streaming services. Tubi had 1.3 percent of TV use in May and Pluto TV, 0.9 percent. The story. 

—Together again. Spanish director J.A. Bayona is re-teaming with his Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom composer Michael Giacchino for his new Netflix project, La sociedad de la nieve (Society of the Snow). The film retells the harrowing story of the Uruguayan rugby team which, en route to Chile in 1972, crash-landed on a glacier in the heart of the Andes, with the survivors were forced to resort to extreme measures in order to stay alive. The story.

—Cha-ching! THR's Caitlin Huston reports that the Broadway production of Prima Facie has recouped its $4.1m capitalization costs as of June 18 and broke a house box office record on the way. The one-woman play, starring Tony winner Jodie Comer, recouped its Broadway capitalization in 10 weeks of performances — a quick turnaround for any production — and grossed $1,107,829 last week, a record for any eight-show week at the Golden Theatre. The story. 

Elton John on Giving Up Tour Life

►"It’s like the end of an era, and it’s a happy end to an era." THR's Mesfin Fekadu spoke to music legend Elton John about retiring from touring, as his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour enters the home stretch. John also discusses the concert special, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, having a No. 1 hit at 75, recalling Aretha Franklin’s last performance and gives his thoughts on inching toward EGOT status. The interview.

—"Im good." Bebe Rexha has updated her fans on her condition after being struck by a phone while performing in New York City. The pop star was rushed to the hospital on Sunday night after a flying cell phone from the audience hit her in the face during a concert at The Rooftop at Pier 17. Videos circulating on social media show Rexha falling to her knees after being pelted by the device as stagehands rush to her assistance. The story. 

—🎵 All I Ask 🎵 Sylvester Stallone has revealed the one dealbreaker Adele had before buying his Los Angeles mansion last year. In a new interview, the actor said the Rocky statue that overlooks the pool at his former home became a part of the $58m deal after the British singer insisted on it being included. The story. 

'Black Mirror' Star and Director Talk "Joan Is Awful" Feminist Themes 

►"When I got the script, I was like, I’ll kill someone to do this." THR's Abbey White spoke to actress Annie Murphy and filmmaker Ally Pankiw about "Joan Is Awful," an episode from season six of Netflix's Black Mirror. The pair discuss the episode's inclusive crew, that Cate Blanchett cameo, filming the poop joke and why the AI conversation amid the writers strike is a "mindf***." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.  

—"Tina and I have done so many shows over the years where people haven’t necessarily paid to come see us." THR's Mikey O'Connell spoke to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler about their Restless Leg Tour, which has just added another seven shows in six cities. The pair also talked about getting Lorne Michaels’ blessing to replicate the "Weekend Update" set on tour, finally having the chance to refine material over a long period of time and why the current Writers Guild of America strike feels different from the last one. The interview. 

—Attempted comeback. Kevin Spacey’s thriller Peter Five Eight has been picked up for multiple territories by SPI International, a division of Canal+/Studio Canal. The film, which also stars Rebecca De Mornay and Jet Jandreau, will receive a U.S. release in August as Spacey looks to return to the big screen. The scandal-plagued actor's U.K. sexual assault trial is expected to have ended before the film is released. The story. 

—On to discovery. A federal judge has ruled that A&E’s copyright infringement lawsuit against Reelz and the producers of its biggest show, On Patrol: Live, can move forward. In the ruling, the judge denied a motion to dismiss the case from defendants Big Fish Entertainment, Half Moon Pictures and ReelzChannel — which produce and air On Patrol: Live. A&E filed a copyright infringement suit in August 2022, alleging that the Reelz show is a clone of its former show Live PD. The story. 

Carol Burnett in 'Saul' Shouldn't Be a Dark Horse Contender

►"Burnett’s performance, whether it’s more “guest” or “supporting” in your mind, is a subtle symphony of world-weary nuance." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg writes that legendary actress Carol Burnett, who has various accolades to her name including six Primetime Emmy, should be considered a serious awards player for her supporting role in the sixth season of Better Call Saul. The critic's appreciation. 

In other news...

—Aaron Taylor-Johnson is on a wild rampage in Kraven the Hunter trailer

—Burn the House Down: Netflix unveils first trailer for Japanese revenge series

—Robin Wright to be honored at Karlovy Vary Festival, Champions set as closing film

—Aaron Rodgers' Online Sports Database aims to crowdfund $1.25m

—Jim Tweto, Flying Wild Alaska star, dies in plane crash at 68

What else we're reading...

—Kevin T. Dugan reflects on the career of CNBC's Jim Cramer and how he's become the butt of jokes amongst investors on social media who advocate doing the exact opposite of anything Cramer recommends [Intelligencer]

—James Gandolfini died 10 years ago yesterday. To mark the occasion Jason Bailey spoke to more than two dozen of his costars, collaborators, and friends about Gandolfini the actor and Gandolfini the man [VF]

—In a lengthy interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Brandy Zadrozny reveals the absolutely batshit insane beliefs held by America's most prominent anti-vaxxer [NBC News]

—McKay Coppins looks into the gross spectacle of murder fandom that has seen TikTokkers and Redditors descend en masse on cases like the University of Idaho murders [Atlantic]

—Fun piece from elder millennial Dan Kois who tries to explain to zoomers what his generation used to do after work in the era before smartphones [Slate]

Today... 

...in 1997, Julia Roberts brought My Best Friend’s Wedding to theaters, where it would become a summer box-office smash. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Nicole Kidman (56), John Goodman (71), Robert Rodriguez (55), Tika Sumpter (43), Stephen Frears (82), Mike Birbiglia (45), Jon Glaser (55), Samson Kayo (32), Eve Harlow (34), Josh Lucas (52), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (34), Tom Wlaschiha (50), Geraldine Viswanathan (28), Necar Zadegan (41), Sarah Stiles (44), Candy Clark (76), Dreama Walker (37), Claudia Lee (27), Abi Monterey (23), Kim Engelbrecht (43), Maria Lark (26), Alisan Porter (42), Samantha Spiro (55), John McCook (79), Peter Paige (54), Benjamin Mascolo (30), Serayah (28)