Fran Drescher's Role of a Lifetime

►"I’m sure that people have underestimated her for her entire life." TV’s favorite nanny Fran Drescher has morphed into an improbable Norma Rae, hailed by SAG-AFTRA’s rank and file even as she’s dismissed as a plushie-toting neophyte by some studio brass. THR's Rebecca Keegan and Katie Kilkenny look at whether Drescher will be remembered as an eccentric scene-stealer or a fiery labor iconoclast.  The story. 

—Still we wait. SAG-AFTRA is set to continue deliberations on Wednesday over the latest offer from the studios and streamers. On Monday night, the AMPTP made its offer, which included changes to proposals on AI. Since receiving the offer, the union's negotiating committee has been deep in deliberations, holding a 10-hour marathon session on Tuesday. The story.

—"We are hopeful we will reach a resolution." WBD CEO David Zaslav weighed in on the state of the SAG-AFTRA negotiations Wednesday, saying the studios’ offer had “met virtually all of the union’s goals.” Zaslav has been one of the four main studio heads at the table alongside Disney’s Bob Iger, Universal’s Donna Langley and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos. The story. 

"Mattman": Behind Matthew Perry's Last Public Post

►Rosebud moment. "I’m Mattman." Those were Matthew Perry’s last public words, in a cryptic Oct. 22 Instagram post accompanied by a photo of the Friends superstar reclining in his hot tub. Was it code? An inside joke? TikTok conspiracy theorists questioned if it was a cry for help. THR's Seth Abramovich digs into the mystery of “Mattman" and talked to filmmaker Adam McKay for some answers. The story.
 
—Mixed. In a pivotal quarter for Endeavor, with its TKO spin-out complete, and with the legacy company now pursuing strategic options for its businesses, the company reported mixed results, with a strong performance from its sports businesses, but with the Hollywood strikes taking its toll on its core WME representation business. Endeavor reported revenue of $1.34b in Q3, and had a net loss of $116m. The results.

—Losses narrow. WBD shrunk its overall losses in Q3 on higher revenues as the impact of the dual Hollywood strikes weighed on the major studio. WBD’s overall revenues rose 2 percent to $9.97b, just shy of a revenue estimate of $10b. And the net loss at the Hollywood studio fell back to $407m, against a year-earlier loss of $2.28b. With Barbie having generated around $1.5b in global box office, WBD’s studio segment saw overall revenues up 4 percent to $3.2b. The results. 

—Not so great. Nexstar‘s Q3 earnings reflected the soft TV ad market, with political ad revenue down 85 percent from last year, and so-called “core” advertising revenue down 2.3 percent. Similarly, The CW keeps losing money for the broadcast TV giant, though its losses continue to narrow quarter by quarter. The CW lost $60m in Q3, down from $78m last quarter. Overall in Q3, Nextsar had revenue of $1.1b (down 10.8 percent from a year ago), and net income of $8m, down more than 97 percent from a year ago. The results. 

—🤝 Buying spree continues 🤝 Peter Chernin's North Road Company has acquired a significant stake in Two One Five Entertainment, the film and TV production company from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter, co-founders of The Roots. As part of the deal, North Road will take an equity stake in the company and will also “finance future Two One Five film, television and other creative projects to scale the company and solidify it as the leading voice at the intersection of culture, music and race." The story. 

'Legend of Zelda' Movie in the Works

►At long last. Nintendo's iconic video game franchise The Legend of Zelda is heading to the big screen. After Universal’s $1b hit adaptation Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo is developing the new Zelda project with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Wes Ball, the director behind the Maze Runner trilogy, will helm the live-action feature, with Sony distributing. Nintendo and Avi Arad’s Arad Productions, Inc. are behind the film that will be co-financed by the gaming giant and Sony. The story. 

—🎭 Chauncey thrillups 🎭 Jurassic World Dominion actor DeWanda Wise is set to star in and executive produce the horror thriller Imaginary for Blumhouse Productions and Lionsgate. The film, directed by Jeff Wadlow pre-strike, is set for a March 8, 2024 release. In Imaginary, Jessica (Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, and her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey. The story. 

—Trading barbs. THR's Winston Cho reports that Paramount and the heirs to the author of a 1983 magazine story that the original Top Gun was based on are each moving for a federal judge to declare victory in their favor in a copyright lawsuit revolving around the sequel. In a summary judgment motion filed on Monday, the two sides trade arguments over the copyrightability of certain aspects of Ehud Yonay’s article and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski’s inspirations for some parts of the movie alleged to infringe on the writer’s intellectual property. The story.

THR's Most Powerful Latin Players in Film, TV and Music

►"These leaders are not only speaking to Latinos and making content that resonates with us, but are also reshaping the complexion of the business and culture for all." THR editors consulted with industry insiders and our staff beat reporters to identify and vet the 55 executives, creatives and talent of Latin descent who currently wield the most power in their respective media and entertainment fields, and have the greatest impact in shaping mainstream culture. The list. 

—"I have been exploring EVERY type of therapy since Jan 14th." Jeremy Renner says that, amid various therapy treatments following his New Year’s snow plow accident last January, the best therapy continues to be his mental resolve and resilience. The Hawkeye star shared an update on his recovery Monday night, while recalling all the ways he’s spent almost a year trying to return to walking after being run over by a 14,300-pound snowcat at his Nevada home. The story. 

—Finally! People Magazine has named Patrick Dempsey as its Sexiest Man Alive for 2023. The selection was revealed on Tuesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The 57-year-old actor and racing car driver, famed for playing neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy, takes the title from Chris Evans. The story.

—"I thought it was the new James Bond film." When Brian Cox joined the new reality competition series 007: Road to a Million, he admitted that he thought he signed up for something a little different. In a new interview, the Succession actor revealed he had longed to feature in a Bond film and thought he had finally been given the chance before he quickly learned that “there was no script and there was no James Bond movie.” The story. 

—"I think I played it all wrong." The Bear star Jeremy Allen White has revealed why he may have missed out on starring in a Marvel-related movie. In a new interview, the actor said he knew a superhero movie opportunity would eventually make its way to him, given that so many fellow rising stars have found themselves in a similar place but that he went into the meetings with studio execs with the wrong attitude. The story. 

A 'Real Housewives' Novice Spends 52 Hours at BravoCon

►"You traveled far, maxed out your credit cards, drained your bank accounts, and it will be worth it." BravoCon is a three-day weekend where eager viewers of Bravo shows pay to speak, mingle and take photos with the stars of the NBCUniversal cable network’s various franchises. THR's Mikey O'Connell found that at BravoCon everything is for sale and everyone seems game for a selfie — but if you want to steal a moment with enigmatic Below Deck star "Captain Jason," you're really going to have to work for it. The story. 

—End of an era. Showtime's The Circus is set to end after its current season. The Nov. 12 episode of the political docu-series fronted by John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and Jennifer Palmieri, will be the show’s last. Launched in 2016 to follow that year’s presidential campaign, The Circus ran for eight seasons and 130 episodes as it chronicled the ins and outs of the Trump administration, the 2020 presidential campaign and election and the current Biden administration. The story. 

—Returning to The CW, brother! The WWE is keeping a weekly spot on broadcast television in its next round of media rights deals. WWE NXT, the weekly showcase for up-and-coming wrestlers, is set to move from USA Network to The CW in October 2024. The move follows that of WWE Smackdown, which will depart Fox for USA at the same time, when the company’s new media rights deals begin. The story. 

—FAST love. Jonathan Katz, who founded Katz Broadcasting (Bounce TV, Court TV, Laff), is launching Free TV Networks with two diginets on Jan. 1. The new channels will be offered over the air and via free, ad-supported streaming in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Lionsgate — which will both provide content for the channels — and station owner Gray Television. The story.

'The Marvels' Tracking Towards Lowest Starts Ever for Marvel

►Yikes! THR's Pamela McClintock reports that three weeks ago, The Marvels was tracking to open to $75m-$80m at the domestic box office. While not a huge sum for a title in the MCU, it was a respectable number. Now, however, the female-fronted superhero pic may only clear $60m-$65m in what would mark one of the lowest starts ever for Marvel Studios (and likely the lowest if adjusting for inflation). And at least one service, The Quorum, is predicting south of $60m. The box office report. 

—"Short, sweet, and a hell of a lot of fun." Audiences finally got their first look at The Marvels on Tuesday night following the film's premiere in Las Vegas, and press screenings also held in New York and Los Angeles. First reactions are hitting social media, ahead of formal reviews, which arrive this morning. The reaction.

TV Review: 'The Buccaneers'

►"Wharton by way of Bridgerton." THR's Angie Han reviews Apple TV+'s The Buccaneers. Inspired by the Edith Wharton's final, unfinished novel, the series follows a tight-knit clique of wealthy young American women who head to London in search of titled husbands, starring Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, Mia Threapleton and Christina Hendricks. The review. 

—"Delectably moody." Angie reviews Hulu's A Murder at the End of the World. A Gen Z hacker (Emma Corrin) seeks the truth behind the death of a guest at an ultra-exclusive retreat hosted by a tech billionaire (Clive Owen) in the series created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (The OA). The review. 

In other news...

—Edward Fletcher named CEO of U.K. cinema chain and distributor Curzon

—Private equity firm STG completes acquisition of Avid for $1.4b

—Lori Harvey and Damson Idris split after one year of dating

—Jungkook plans to tour once he feels like he’s "ready"

​​​What else we're reading...

—Kayti Burt writes that concert movies are the future of pop music fandom [Polygon]

—Stacy Perman reports on scandal-plagued producer Bret Saxon's trail of fraud lawsuits that provide a glimpse into the murky and freewheeling world of indie film financing [LAT]

—With the Attack on Titan animated series now officially concluded, Kirsten Carey reflects on the polarizing politics of one of the most popular Japanese shows ever made [Daily Beast]

—John Herrman valiantly attempts to decipher how Elon Musk's new AI chatbot is "anti-woke" [Intelligencer]

—With WhatsApp becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., Mike Isaac reports that Mark Zuckerberg is positioning the app as the "backbone of Meta’s business" [NYT]
​​
Today...  

...in 1973, Disney unveiled its 83-minute animated adaptation Robin Hood, featuring music and songs from George Bruns, Roger Miller, Floyd Huddleston and Johnny Mercer. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Parker Posey (55), Nia DaCosta (34), Alfre Woodard (71), Gretchen Mol (51), Matthew Rhys (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿49), Alain Delon (88), Richard Curtis (67), Gordon Ramsay (57), Tara Reid (48), Courtney Thorne-Smith (56), Kaniehtiio Horn (37), Jessica Lowndes (35), Dania Ramirez (44), Jocelin Donahue (42), Azura Skye (42), Roxana Zal (54), Chris McNally (35), Jack Osbourne (38), Andrew Gower (34), Jade Pettyjohn (23), Magda Apanowicz (38), Bradley Gregg (57), Leif Garrett (62), Keir O'Donnell (45), Megan Cavanagh (63), Don McManus (64), Brooke Lyons (43), Benjamin Wadsworth (55), Phil Fondacaro (65), Micah Abbey (15), Karin Argoud (63)