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Can Lizzo Survive the Allegations?; Booming Box Office as 'Barbie' Bounds Over a Billion; 'Freaky Friday' Oral History; 'Only Murders in the Building' S3 Review

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August 07, 2023

What's news: Meg 2 opened to $142m worldwide. Barbie has been cleared for release in Saudi Arabia and UAE. The DGA re-elects Lesli Linka Glatter as president. Emerald Fennell's Saltburn will open the London Film Festival. More of Paramount Global's international original series will head to Paramount+ in the U.S. — Abid Rahman

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Can Lizzo's Career Survive the Allegations?

►"Her career is not done." For THR, Brande Victorian writes that despite the blizzard of negative headlines and social media backlash around claims that Lizzo created a hostile work environment for her former dancers, observers including Roxane Gay say she shouldn't be counted out: "The story may be a little more complicated than the media is portraying it as right now." The analysis.

—"His last day was a joyful one." Angus Cloud’s mother shared a tribute on social media to remember the late Euphoria actor. A cause of death has yet to be determined, but Cloud's family statement noted that the actor recently “buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss." His mother, Lisa Cloud, also acknowledged her son’s grief in a Facebook post, but added that she does not believe Cloud’s death was a suicide. The story.

—"My deepest apologies to anyone who was offended." Jamie Foxx has apologized for an Instagram post that was perceived as being antisemitic. In a since-deleted post, Foxx wrote “They killed this dude name Jesus … What do you think they’ll do to you???!” The controversy around Foxx’s post also spread to Jennifer Aniston. In a screenshot shared by A Wider Frame, a newsletter that covers current events in the Jewish world, it appeared that Aniston liked Foxx’s original post. The actress took to her Instagram to clarify things. The story.

—The change paid off. Funny Girl has recouped its capitalization costs on Broadway. The musical, which originally opened at the August Wilson Theatre in April 2022, was capitalized for $16.5m. The production, starring Lea Michele, is set to close on Broadway on Sept. 3, with a tour to follow. The production started with Beanie Feldstein in the leading role, but after she received mixed reviews, grosses and attendance began to fall. Feldstein was then replaced with Michele. The story.

Booming Box Office: 'Barbie' Crosses $1B, 'Meg 2' and 'TMNT' Open Strong

►Enjoy it while it lasts. New entrants Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Meg 2: The Trench came in ahead of expectations in another great weekend at the domestic box office. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that combined domestic revenue for all films came in at around $180m this weekend, up a staggering 90 percent from the same frame last year and even 19 percent up over 2019.

In a huge win for Warner Bros. and Mattel, Barbie grossed another $53m to hit $459.4m in North America and crossed $1b globally. The global number includes an impressive $572.1m from the foreign box office for a worldwide cume through Sunday of $1.03b. It is the second film of the year to cross $1b after The Super Mario Bros ($1.35b).

Fellow WB release Meg 2 opened in second place domestically with an estimated $30m, compared to $45m for 2018 summer success The Meg, which launched amid a far-less-crowded marketplace. Overseas, Meg 2 made an impressive $112m from its first 76 markets — including $26m in China — for a global start of $142m against a reported budget of $129m before marketing.

Mutant Mayhem had a five-day debut of $43.1m, including $28m for the three-day weekend. Overseas, it earned $8.2m from its first raft of markets for an early global tally of $51.3m, and has little competition in sight. The box office report.

—More good news. THR's Alex Ritman reports that Barbie is set to be released in Saudi Arabia and the UAE this Thursday, ending weeks of speculation that the film would join a growing list of movies to be banned. The release is currently limited to the Gulf’s two biggest box offices; there’s no news on Barbie opening in other Gulf territories. Generally, most follow whatever decision is made in Saudi Arabia. The story.

—"Sometimes the only way to express your feelings is through song and dance!" Ryan Gosling came up with a memorable celebration for his Barbie director, Greta Gerwig, to help mark her birthday. The Barbie film’s official Instagram account posted a video showing Gerwig getting surprised during what appears to be a Pilates class as a flash mob of Barbies and Kens pop into the room in honor of the filmmaker turning 40 on Friday. The story.

Lesli Linka Glatter Re-Elected President of DGA

►"I am honored to once again accept the responsibility." Lesli Linka Glatter has been re-elected for a second term as president of the Directors Guild of America. The veteran director was re-elected by delegates at the guild’s National Biennial Convention on Saturday at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. A total of 164 delegates representing more than 19,500 members also elected new officers and national board members. The story.

—"A beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire." Saltburn, the sophomore feature from Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell, is set to open the BFI London Film Festival. The followup to Fennell's directorial debut Promising Young Woman will have its international premiere on Oct. 4 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe and Carey Mulligan, the film has been likened to The Talented Mr. Ripley. The story.

—"Eccentric and highly idiomatic cinema." Wes Anderson will receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at this year’s Venice International Film Festival. Anderson will receive the prize in Venice on Sept. 1, ahead of the world premiere out-of-competition screening of The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, his new 40-minute work inspired by the writings of Roald Dahl. The story.

—Shifting strategy. Paramount Global has revealed that internationally produced Paramount+ original content is set for the company's U.S. service. The move arrives as the Hollywood studios reshuffle fall and winter premiere plans amid the double strike. Among the standout titles, Paramount+ said that British drama The Gold will become available across all of its international markets on Sept. 14 and in the U.S. on Sept. 17 and globally acclaimed Korean crime-thriller Bargain will debut globally on Oct. 5. The story.

Emmys: The Most Competitive VFX Race in Years

►Fierce. This season’s Emmy category for outstanding visual effects in a series or movie might just be the most epic and competitive in memory, with five contenders from iconic sci-fi properties. THR's Carolyn Giardina writes that the pros behind this season’s lineup — Andor, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Mandalorian — had to create new locations and characters to broaden their series’ IP. The story.

—"The pots and pans and all the props that they need — those aren’t things you can fake easily." Carolyn also spoke to the Emmy-nominated sound editing and mixing teams from The Bear, who share their recipe for immersing audiences in the fast-paced culinary world of the hit FX/Hulu series. The story.

—Right royal barnets. For THR, Esther Zuckerman talked to the Emmy-nominated hair designers behind The Crown and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The Netflix dramas feature detailed interpretations of their monarchs’ coifs, but while one show sometimes has to re-create a look exactly as it appeared on camera, the other has full creative license. The interview.

'Freaky Friday' Turns 20: An Oral History

►"It was the perfect time in history for the movie." As the Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan cult classic Freaky Friday turns 20 this year, director Mark Waters, producer Andrew Gunn and stars Chad Michael Murray, Lucille Soong, Ryan Malgarini, Rosalind Chao and Christina Vidal reflect on the body-swap comedy, which survived a last-minute casting change to become an enduring favorite. The oral history.

—"There was a lot of good stuff that we were planning." Louis Leterrier has revealed plans for the scrapped sequel to his 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, which starred Edward Norton in the title role. In a new interview, the Fast X filmmaker shared that he had “a whole sequel” planned for the Marvel character that would have introduced other versions of the Hulk, including Grey Hulk and Red Hulk. The story.

—Dumbest timeline. On Sunday, billionaire techbros Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg re-upped their talk about taking part in a cage match against each other in posts on their respective social media platforms. “Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on 𝕏,” posted Musk adding that proceeds would go to charity. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg responded on his Instagram story with a screenshot of Musk’s message and this jab: “Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” The story.

TV Review: 'Only Murders in the Building' S3

►"A profound meditation on loneliness compensates for weak comedy." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews the third season of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez reprise their roles with Meryl Streep joining the fun in a series that keeps finding murders in and around a Manhattan building. The review.

In other news...

—Oscars: Switzerland selects Carmen Jaquier's Thunder as international feature submission

—Ferrari producer plans $55m studio in Tuscany

—Why Matrix star Lambert Wilson has always been afraid of AI

—John Gosling, former keyboard player for the Kinks, dies at 75

What else we're reading...

—Charlotte Klein looks into whether the public will get to watch Donald Trump's upcoming trial on television [VF]

—In a guest column, Navajo cultural advisor George R. Joe explains the painful history, and present-day controversies, that shaped his work on AMC crime drama Dark Winds [LAT]

—With the U.S.'s dramatic exit from the World Cup, Rachel Bachman writes that the end of the dynasty was foretold in the two-year slide since the Tokyo Olympics [WSJ]

—With Sound of Freedom crossing $150m at the global box office via some unorthodox methods, Aja Romano wonders whether a movie is still just a movie if it becomes a culture war battleground [Vox]

—Ben Sisario looks at how Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour conquered the world in the fragmented age [NYT]

Today...

...in 2005, Showtime unveiled Jenji Kohan’s Weeds, starring Mary-Louise Parker. The dramedy went on to run for eight seasons on the premium cabler. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Charlize Theron (48), Michael Shannon (49), David Duchovny (63), Alexandre Aja (45), Sasha Calle (28), Abbie Cornish (41), Brit Marling (41), Harold Perrineau (60), Tobin Bell (81), Doon Mackichan (61), Wayne Knight (68), David Rasche (79), John Glover (79), Maggie Wheeler (62), Francesca Eastwood (30), Caroline Aaron (71), William Stanford Davis (72), Liam James (27), Sydney Penny (52), Charlotte Lewis (56), Megan Gale (48), Julian Wadham (65), Simon Kassianides (44), Cirroc Lofton (45), Jon Jon Briones (58), Julia Ford (60)

Sharon Farrell, who starred as the mother of a murderous infant in It’s Alive and contributed strong supporting turns opposite James Garner and Steve McQueen, respectively, in the 1969 films Marlowe and The Reivers, has died. She was 82. The obituary.

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Monday, August 07, 2023 at 7:18 AM.

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