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SAG-AFTRA Justifies Interim Agreements Amid Debate; The Auteurs of San Quentin; 'Barbie' Nearing Billion-Dollar Club; Ramy Youssef Talks Faith, Family and Strikes

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July 31, 2023

What's news: Barbie flew past $770m at the global box office while Oppenheimer crossed $400m. Fox Bet is set to shutter. Elizabeth Banks is open to directing a Cocaine Bear sequel. Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms won big at Fantasia Film Fest. — Abid Rahman

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SAG-AFTRA Justifies Interim Agreements Amid Debate

►"Vital part of our strategic approach." In the wake of prominent members airing concerns about SAG-AFTRA’s interim agreements, union leaders are justifying the granting of these pacts to independent productions. THR's Katie Kilkenny reports that in a message sent to members on Sunday evening, the union maintained that these agreements are a part of its negotiating strategy, adding that the majority of projects that are granted these agreements are “entirely independent” from the companies that comprise the AMPTP. The story.

—"I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward." Hours before SAG-AFTRA sent the message about interim agreements, Viola Davis announced that she is stepping away from her upcoming project, G20, despite the union providing the film with a waiver that allowed it to start production. The story.

—All bets will soon be off. Four years after becoming the first major media company to launch its own branded betting offering, Fox Corp. is pulling back in the space. Fox and its partner, FanDuel owner Flutter Entertainment, said that they will shut down the Fox Bet service. The shut-down will be done in phases, but will be completed by the end of August. The story.

The Auteurs of San Quentin

►"We want to create a pipeline to get people jobs in the industry and second-chance opportunities." San Quentin State Prison's ForwardThis Productions, the first film and TV production job training program located inside an American prison, is part of a burgeoning content empire staffed by incarcerated people that also produces a newspaper, The San Quentin News, website and the podcasts Ear Hustle, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Uncuffed. THR's Rebecca Keegan goes inside ForwardThis to see how it is offering incarcerated men a pathway to redemption. The story.

—"I will miss my friend forever." Lady Gaga posted a touching tribute to her late friend and collaborator Tony Bennett on social media. In an Instagram post, Gaga shared how Bennett taught her about music, life and maintaining a positive attitude: "He also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. ‘Straight ahead,’ he’d say.'" The story.

—"One month out of the hospital and I can reflect." Madonna took to social media Sunday to show her appreciation for her loved ones and all their support throughout her recovery following her hospitalization last month. The singer thanked fans and her family for helping her through the bacterial infection that led to a multiday stay in the hospital and the postponement of her Celebration World Tour. The story.

'Barbie' Nearing Billion-Dollar Club

►In a Barbie world. Barbie earned a spectacular $131.5m at the global box office in its second weekend, including an estimated $93m domestically and $122.2m from 70 markets overseas. That puts Barbie's domestic total at a whopping $351.4m. It has earned an equally impressive $423.1m overseas for a worldwide booty of $774.5m after just 12 days in release.

THR's Pamela McClintock writes that at its current pace, Barbie, could join the billion-dollar club at the global box office as early as next weekend; if not, shortly thereafter. It will be the first Hollywood movie in history directed by a woman to cross $1b, and is close to supplanting Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman ($822m). And it will be the second pic of 2023 so far to join the billion-dollar club after Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.34b).

Oppenheimer prospered in its second weekend. It dropped just 44 percent in North America to $46.2m — the biggest second weekend ever for an R-rated pic after passing up Deadpool 2's $43.5m — for a domestic total of $174.6m. Overseas, the three-hour biographical drama earned $72.4m overseas for a foreign haul of $226.3m and $400.4m worldwide, which makes it Nolan’s sixth-biggest film of all time. The box office report.

—Life is plastic, it's fantastic. After a soft start in China, Barbie began to make inroads in the world’s second-biggest movie market in its second frame, buoyed by great reviews and strong word-of-mouth. Boosted by a huge increase in the number of screens showing the film, Barbie made $7.3m in its second weekend, a small drop from the $8m opening haul, with a total cume of $25m. The film has also begun to filter into the public discourse with Chinese feminists encouraging women to go and see it which could help its prospects in the coming weeks. The China box office report.

Ramy Youssef Talks Faith, Family and Hollywood Strikes

►"My father told all of you this would happen." During a panel discussion on faith and comedy at the Just For Laughs festival on Saturday, comedian and actor Ramy Youssef talked about his father foretelling the actors strike when offering early career advice. Youssef, star of the Hulu series Ramy, told the comedy festival audience about his Egyptian-born father discouraging him early on from becoming an artist and entertainer because he’d have to provide for his family one day. The story.

—"A victory for cinema." Francis Ford Coppola had nothing but praise for Barbie and Oppenheimer following the two films’ record-breaking debut weekend. While answering fans’ questions on his Instagram Stories Friday, the five-time Oscar winning filmmaker was asked if he had watched either film yet, and while he conceded that he hadn't, Coppola was happy that people were rushing to see original films and not sequels or prequels. The story.

—🏆 Gold rooms 🏆 Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms (Les Chambres Rouges), a French-language thriller about a woman’s obsession with a high-profile serial killer case, took top honors as the Fantasia Film Festival handed out its Cheval Noir competition prizes this weekend. The Canadian psychological drama won best feature, best screenplay for Pascal Plante and best score for Dominique Plante. Red Rooms also earned lead Juliette Gariépy an outstanding performance award. The winners.

—"If I got the opportunity to surprise the audience and delight myself again, I would take it." Elizabeth Banks is open to making a Cocaine Bear sequel. In a new interview, the director and actress shared that she had a great time working on the film, which follows a 500-pound black bear after it consumes a significant amount of cocaine and embarks on a drug-fueled rampage in a Georgia forest. Banks shared that she hoped that directing the film would show that she can helm big, fun, bloody genre pictures. The story.

—The worrying trend continues. Cardi B was seen in a video throwing her microphone at an audience member who tossed their drink at the rapper onstage. The incident comes after several other artists have been violated while onstage in recent weeks. The clip began circulating on social media Saturday, and shows Cardi B surprised when someone in the crowd flings liquid from a cup at her while she is performing. In retaliation, Cardi B hurls the microphone back at the person while appearing to yell at them. The story.

Concert Review: Beyoncé's 'Renaissance'

►"Energetic and vibrant." THR's music editor Mesfin Fekadu reviews Beyoncé's Renaissance concert at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On the one-year anniversary of the Renaissance World Tour, the singer was joined on stage by daughter Blue Ivy who earned a rousing applause as she performed extended choreography. The review.

In other news...

—Saw X trailer: Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw seeks twisted justice in new deadly game

—Inside Chief L.A., a private club that offers female execs coaching and community

—Italian restaurant Nerano welcomes beloved Toscana veteran as new maitre d’

—ITV adds former Discovery exec Marjorie Kaplan to board

—Charlie Kaufman to receive Sarajevo Film Fest lifetime achievement award

What else we're reading...

—With Lionel Messi making an immediate impact in U.S. soccer, Tom Kludt writes that Apple, Adidas and the MLS are all pinning their hopes on the World Cup winner [VF]

—Ashley Wong looks at how Barack Obama's semiannual lists of his favorite books, movies and music is driving sales and streams but also eliciting derision [WSJ]

—Another excellent Oppenheimer piece from Bilge Ebiri, this time the writer analyzes the ending of the film and talks to Christopher Nolan about it [Vulture]

—Ashley Lee looks at how Barbie earworm "I’m Just Ken" brings toxic masculinity to its knees [LAT]

—Una Mullally reflects on the passing of Sinead O’Connor, adding that the late singer was Ireland’s alternative moral compass [NYT]

Today...

...in 1992, Universal unveiled Robert Zemeckis’ dark comedy Death Becomes Her, starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Wesley Snipes (61), Michael Biehn (67), Jessica Williams (34), Emilia Fox (49), B.J. Novak (44), Wunmi Mosaku (37), Eve Best (52), Alexis Knapp (34), Geraldine Chaplin (79), Ben Chaplin (54), Rico Rodriguez (25), Annie Parisse (48), Christina Cox (52), Kiara Advani (31), Tami Stronach (51), James Read (70), Sofia Pernas (34), France Nuyen (84), Ruby Modine (33), Al Sapienza (61), Barry Van Dyke (72), Charlie Carver (35), Zelda Williams (34), Asher Keddie (49), J.K. Rowling (58), Rudolf Martin (56), Susan Flannery (84), Dana Gourrier (44)

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Monday, July 31, 2023 at 7:08 AM.

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