What's news: Arrow writers and stars reunite on the picket line. Barbie's Greta Gerwig breaks a new record for a female director. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez pledge $100 million to help Maui. Filmmaker Matthew López discusses queer Amazon movie Red, White & Royal Blue. — Ryan Gajewski
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Writers Guild Evaluating Offer to Resume Talks With Studios
►"More progress can be made in negotiations when they are conducted without a blow-by-blow description."THR's Winston Cho and Lesley Goldberg report that WGA representatives convened Friday with major studios and streamers in the first formal return to the negotiating table since the strike was called May 2. The WGA negotiating committee says the union will "evaluate their offer and, after deliberation, go back to them with the WGA's response next week." The negotiations were led by AMPTP president Carol Lombardini and WGA West assistant executive director and chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman. The story.
—"[Amell] has our back, and we have his."THR's Lesley Goldberg reports that the writers and stars of The CW's Arrow gathered at Warner Bros. in Burbank to raise funds for industry crewmembers as well as to support their respective guilds. Organized by Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim, the bustling reunion brought out show stars including Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland, Katrina Law, Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz. Missing from Friday's event, however, was Arrow star Stephen Amell; Guggenheim said the actor was in NYC and picketed the Warner Bros. Discovery offices on the East Coast that day. The story.
—Another history-making week for Barbie.THR's Pamela McClintock reports that filmmaker Greta Gerwig now ranks as the highest-grossing female director of all time at the domestic box office after Warner Bros.' Barbie skates past Frozen II, which was helmed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. From Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2019's Frozen II grossed $477.4 million in North America, not adjusted for inflation. On Friday, Barbie becomes the 20th title in history to clear $500 million domestically. The story.
'Blue Beetle' First Reactions
►"My favorite post-Nolan DC film." Fans and influencers are tweeting their impressions of Warner Bros.' Blue Beetle before it hits theaters next weekend. From director Angel Manuel Soto, the movie stars Xolo Maridueña as the titular character and is DC's first film to center on a Latino superhero. The reactions.
—"Without revising the Copyrights Act, we don't have any bargaining power." South Korea's powerhouse entertainment industry is beginning to experience some of the same labor unrest that has rocked Hollywood. In an echo of the screenwriters and actors guild strikes that have brought the U.S. film and TV sector to a halt, the Directors Guild of Korea is lobbying its country's legislature to revise a Copyrights Act that prevents directors from receiving residual pay from hit movies, as well as even holding strikes for collective bargaining. The story.
—How will the Emmys delay impact awards season?THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg reports that on one level, the Emmys shift shouldn't impact the awards world at all, given that the dates for final Emmys voting are not being impacted by the postponement of the telecast, meaning that Emmys campaigning will be long over. But at the same time, the Emmys could become a spot where Oscar contenders will want to be seen. The analysis.
Top 25 American Film Schools, Ranked
►"Where I found a creative home with others who were just like me." THR shares its annual ranking of the top U.S. film schools. From Pasadena to Providence, the filmmaking talents of tomorrow are honing skills at these 25 storied institutions that boast Shonda Rhimes, the Duffer brothers and Pete Docter as alums. The list.
—"The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding." Amid the deadly devastation brought by fast-moving wildfires on the island of Maui, which has been in an extreme state of emergency since Tuesday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée and entertainment reporter Lauren Sánchez are joining the growing list of celebrities showing support for those impacted. Sánchez announced via Instagram that the "heartbroken" pair are pledging $100 million to aid in what will surely be a years-long recovery. The story.
—"Frequently funny, unexpectedly poignant and occasionally rather special." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews HBO docuseries Telemarketers. Danny McBride and the Safdies are among the executive producers of the three-part exposé. The review.
Director André Øvredal Talks 'Last Voyage of the Demeter'
►"I just thought it was a refreshing take on the Dracula mythology and presentation."THR's Brian Davids interviews filmmaker André Øvredal about Universal release The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which stars Corey Hawkins. The director discusses getting the blessing of Guillermo del Toro — who was previously attached to the project — and how a potential sequel would have to differ from the source material. The interview.
—"Those fans made it easier to get the film made."THR's Abbey White chats with Red, White & Royal Blue director Matthew López about Amazon Studios' queer rom-com. The filmmaker discusses the movie's R-rating, the gay casting debate and finding support in Hollywood as a first-time filmmaker of color. The interview.
—"We felt this bath of assuredness in being able to pull it off." For THR, Esther Zuckerman speaks with Only Murders in the Building showrunner John Hoffman about the comedy's evolution. Hoffman explains that much of the series' power comes from the actors portraying the various residents of their Upper West Side apartment building. The interview.
This Week's Must Reads
►On the cover. Before she was striking, actor-writer Ayo Edebiri was working — a ton. Now the Bear star is hitting screens in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and two buzzy indie comedies, made a memorable appearance in a Black Mirror episode and is sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week. Next up, she's joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before SAG-AFTRA called a strike, THR's Seija Rankin spoke to Edebiri about her rapid rise to prominence in Hollywood. The cover story.
—"If you see Bob start to divest things … that feels like he’s prepping for a sale." Facing the staggering problems afflicting all legacy studios, is Bob Iger contemplating a once-unthinkable option? THR's editor-at-large Kim Masters and Alex Weprin write that the signals the Disney CEO sent in Sun Valley suggest that it could happen. The story.
—Stranger than fiction. The real identity of one of the most infamous Capitol rioters, known as "Swedish Scarf" for his distinctive Jan. 6 neckwear, has remained a frustrating mystery — until now. For THR, Samuel Braslow looks into how a life of thwarted entertainment ambition descended into extremism. The story.
—"The vast majority of tickets are being bought by everyday people." Angel Studios, the company behind surprise box office hit Sound of Freedom, won't say how much of the film's $164 million domestic take comes from donated tickets or those bought directly by a moviegoer. THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Angel's results are staggering enough that it inspired one major Hollywood studio to commission a survey examining its success. The analysis.
—Josef Adalian reports that Sound of Freedom is eyeing huge-money streaming deals after its surprise box office success [Vulture]
—Justin Chang writes that Oppenheimer not showing Hiroshima and Nagasaki is an act of rigor, not erasure [LAT]
—Ann Lee explores why frontal female nudity is back in films like No Hard Feelings, Joy Ride and Asteroid City [Guardian]
—Natalie Jarvey asks five Hollywood insiders for their predictions on how long the strikes will last — and the guesses are depressing [VF]
—Sam Adams offers a solution for Hollywood's trend of drafting great directors to make bad franchise movies [Slate]
Today...
…in 2011, Sony released Ruben Fleischer's action-comedy film 30 Minutes or Less, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari. The original review.
Today's birthdays: LaKeith Stanfield (32), Cara Delevingne (31), Casey Affleck (48), Dominique Swain (43), Maggie Lawson (43), Bruce Greenwood (67), Yvette Nicole Brown (52), Rudy Pankow (25), Rebecca Gayheart (52), Peter Krause (58), Amanda Redman (66), Imani Hakim (30), Leah Pipes (35), River Butcher (41), Stephanie Vogt (48), Michael Ian Black (52)
Linda Lee Sylvander, known as Linda Haynes during her acting career in the 1970s and early '80s, including roles in Rolling Thunder and Brubaker, has died. She was 75. The obituary.
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