October 16, 2025

What's news: Josh Goldstine is Paramount Pictures' new president of global marketing and distribution. CNN has revealed the details for its subscription offering. NBC News has cut 150 jobs. Diane Keaton's cause of death has been revealed. Jim Carrey is in talks to star in a live-action Jetsons movie. And KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along is heading back to theaters. — Abid Rahman

Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at tips@thr.com.

How Sam Altman Played Hollywood

►"They knew exactly what they were doing when they released this without protections and guardrails." Hollywood has been in turmoil since OpenAI brazenly regurgitated major studios’ characters to allow its video app Sora 2 to spit out clips tailor-made for users. THR's Winston Cho reports that insiders at the major agencies are alarmed — and some wonder whether the studios are doing enough. The story. 

—"If the music industry doesn’t lead in this moment, AI-powered innovation will happen elsewhere, without rights, consent, or compensation." Spotify has announced an extensive partnership with all three major music companies (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group), digital licensing company Merlin and distribution services company Believe to develop AI music products. Spotify didn’t specify what specific software or AI tools the company was developing, stating only in a blog post Thursday morning that the audio streaming giant was working with the partner companies to create “responsible AI products that empower the artists and songwriters they represent, and connect them with the fans who support them.” The story. 

—"Too scared to sign it." Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom “too scared” to sign a bill that would have put additional regulations on AI, specifically involving children. On Monday, Newsom vetoed legislation that would have banned companies from making AI chatbots available to people under the age of 18 unless companies could ensure the technology couldn’t engage in sexual conversations or encourage self-harm. The governor attributed his decision to the bill’s “broad restrictions” on AI, which “may unintentionally lead to a total ban on the use of these products by minors.” However, Newsom did sign a law that requires platforms to remind users they are interacting with a chatbot and not a human, as well as maintain a protocol to prevent self-harm content. Gordon-Levitt, took to X on Wednesday to slam Newsom, saying he’s not “telling the truth” over the bill he signed into law, which “claims to protect kids from predatory AI companions.” The story.

—Not great. More consumers are using AI, but don’t want it anywhere near their media and entertainment. A new study from iHeartMedia found that 70 percent of the respondents surveyed use AI and called it “helpful” and “time-saving,” but 75 percent don’t want AI used in the media or entertainment they consume. Further, two-thirds of those surveyed feared job loss related to AI, with Gen Z and lower-income consumers among the most worried, while the same number feared it could go to war with humans. This comes after iHeartMedia found that more than half of consumers were not aware of AI about two or three years ago. While usage and knowledge is now up, there is still a distrust among even those who are incorporating it into their daily lives. The story.

—"You are real, right?" Ryan Reynolds is starring in a new ad with Tilly Norwood. No, not the AI-generated Tilly Norwood, the real Tilly Norwood, an actual Mint Mobile customer named Natalie “Tilly” Norwood, who Reynolds roped in to star in a new ad campaign to launch his wireless company’s new home internet offering, Minternet. The story. 

Why Influencers Suddenly Love Facebook

►"It's my biggest source of income." Creators have neglected Facebook page for years, dismissing it as a relic for older people, but there's been a (lucrative) vibe shift. THR's Caitlin Huston reports that the shift, noticed by many other creators, was the effect of a change in the social media site’s monetization policy last fall: Facebook now pays creators based on the performance of their posts rather than through a share of ad revenue. The move has creators now treating the platform as a top income source. The story.

Josh Goldstine Joins Revamped Paramount Pictures

►It’s official. Veteran movie marketer Josh Goldstine is back in the Hollywood studio fold. Goldstine is joining David Ellison‘s revamped Paramount Pictures as president of global marketing and distribution. He’ll report to newly minted Motion Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein. Goldberg and Greenstein announced the news in a note to staff on Wednesday, although his arrival on the Melrose lot had been widely expected. Goldstine is widely respected for his talents as a legacy studio marketer. The executive has a long list of wins under his belt that he amassed during stints at Warner Bros., Universal and Sony Pictures, although his career took a more turbulent turn in recent years. At the beginning of 2025, he was shown the door at WB despite guiding the campaigns for blockbuster breakouts including Barbie, the Dune movies, The Batman and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The story.

—Only for news junkies. CNN has set the details for its forthcoming premium subscription offering, which will include live-streaming video and access to the news division’s library of video content, alongside complete access to CNN’s digital products. CNN launched a digital paywall a year ago for much of its digital content, and that paywall is now being branded as the Basic tier. Joining it will be a new All Access tier, priced at $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. The company is launching a promotion at launch, offering one year for $41.99. The new premium tier will include “a selection of CNN’s live US and International programming,” as well as access to the full library of CNN Originals and documentary programming. There will also be exclusive live and on-demand programming. The story. 

—Cuts. Layoffs hit NBC News on Wednesday, with the network news division facing cuts ahead of Comcast’s spinoff of Versant. About 150 jobs were eliminated, representing about 2 percent of the workforce of the NBC News Group. The cuts were across the News Group, without specific teams being targeted. The Versant spin will see MSNBC and CNBC separated from NBC News. NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC are currently all part of the NBC News Group, led by Cesar Conde. Per a source, the cuts were driven by the fact that NBC News will no longer be providing newsgathering capabilities for CNBC and MSNBC, as well as broader concerns around the overall economic environment for the media sector. The story.

—🤝 Production deal. 🤝 Warner Bros. Discovery and leading Korean studio CJ ENM have inked a multi-year strategic partnership to co-produce Korean dramas and bring CJ’s TVING streaming service into the HBO Max ecosystem across Asia. The agreement marks WBD’s most significant commitment to date to the buzzy category of Korean content, and it underscores the ongoing drive by CJ ENM, the studio behind Bong Joon-ho’s multi-Oscar winner Parasite and smash-hit drama series like Crash Landing on You, to expand the reach of Korean storytelling worldwide. The story.

—First mover. The founder of E! Entertainment Television, Alan Mruvka, is set to launch the first-ever U.S. platform for microdramas. Mruvka is funding the platform himself. Verza TV is weeks out from launch, THR is told, which will make it the first such American platform to market; others have been announced, but are not ready. Most of the existing platforms for microdramas are Chinese. Verza TV, a mobile-first, vertical streamer, has a pay model with a somewhat generous trial. Users can watch up to five episodes of any and every title for free — it will cost $4.99 to access the rest. The story.  

Kevin Federline Opens Up About Memoir, Britney's Parenting Skills

►"Joan Crawford on crack." The Britney Spears saga is about to take another hairpin turn with the Oct. 21 release of ex-husband Kevin Federline‘s shocking tell-all, You Thought You Knew. The memoir details Federline’s journey from the streets of Fresno to Hollywood, where he once showed enough raw dance talent to be cast by Michael Jackson in what would turn out to be the singer’s final music video. But the bulk of the story belongs to Federline’s tumultuous two-year marriage to — and ensuing co-parenting arrangement with — Spears. THR's Seth Abramovitch spoke to Federline about his book and the revelations about his ex-wife. The interview.

—"I have felt demoralized." Late on Wednesday, Britney Spears hit back at claims Kevin Federline made about her in his new memoir. The singer took to X where she addressed Federline’s claims about her parenting, writing, “The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting. I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys.” The story.

—Cause of death revealed. Diane Keaton's cause of death has been revealed, days after the Hollywood icon died at age 79. The Oscar winner’s family told People Magazine that she died from pneumonia on Oct. 11. “The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11,” they wrote in a statement. The story.

The Righteous Fury of Spencer Pratt

►"I’m just not stopping." Spencer Pratt, the onetime reality television villain turned content creator and energy crystal purveyor, is now in his unlikely third act — emerging as a zealous crusader against those he believes failed to protect the Palisades from the January wildfire that consumed it. THR's Gary Baum spoke to Pratt about his around-the-clock posting, and raising awareness about the purported dereliction of duty at Democrat-managed local, county and state government agencies. The interview. 

'South Park' Returns to Roast Oligarch Peter Thiel

►6-7. South Park returned Wednesday after a three-week hiatus and left us with the terrifying prospect of Eric Cartman being the only human to save us from the Antichrist. For reasons unexplained, the episode is listed as season 28, episode one — not the sixth episode of the 27th season. Perhaps it’s a contract issue with Paramount and South Park Studios, but it doesn’t seem to have much to do with the plot, which carries on where it left off. The recap.

—🎭 Bosch-heads rejoice! 🎭 The world of Harry Bosch continues to grow. Cable and streaming outlet MGM+ has ordered a series called Bosch: Start of Watch, a prequel to the Bosch series that starred Titus Welliver as the title character, the LAPD detective from Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels. Cameron Monaghan will play the young Harry, and Omari Hardwick will also star. Start of Watch will be the fourth series in the Bosch-verse, following Prime Video’s Bosch, sequel Bosch: Legacy and spinoff Ballard , which was recently renewed for a second season. Franchise veterans Tom Bernardo and Brian Anthony co-created the series and will executive produce, with Bernardo serving as showrunner. The show is set to film in Los Angeles. The story. 

Jim Carrey in Talks for 'Jetsons' Live-Action Movie

►🎭 Jetting ahead. 🎭 Jim Carrey is zooming toward a live-action feature version of The Jetsons. The actor is in talks to star in the project from Warner Bros. Pictures that has Colin Trevorrow attached to direct. Trevorrow and Joe Esptein are in talks to pen the script. The Jetsons, which debuted as an animated comedy series on ABC in 1962, centered on a futuristic family comprised of George Jetson, wife Jane, their two kids, robot housekeeper Rosie and dog Astro. Hanna-Barbera produced the Space Age show that counted William Hanna and Joseph Barbera as co-creators. A live-action feature version of Jetsons has been in various stages of development for decades, with filmmakers such as Robert Rodriguez, Adam Shankman and Conrad Vernon in talks at different stages over the years. The story.

—📅 Dated! 📅 The anticipated Everything Everywhere All at Once follow-up from Oscar winning duo Daniels is back on the Universal calendar. The untitled feature will hit theaters on Nov. 19, 2027. The feature previously was set for June 12, 2026, but fell off the calendar in February. This will be the first Universal movie from Daniels (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) following a long-term pact they inked in the summer of 2022. That deal came months before they became among the most sought-after directors in Hollywood when Everything Everywhere won best picture, best director and best original screenplay at the Oscars, among other wins. The story. 

—🎭 Some good news. 🎭 In an era in which filming in Los Angeles has hit new lows, new indie feature What Now is gearing up to begin production this month in the thirty-mile zone — with some new additions to the cast. Happy Endings star Eliza Coupe, Our Flag Means Death's Rhys Darby and The Mindy Project‘s Beth Grant have joined the female buddy comedy. What Now is inspired by the real-life friendship of Health-Ade Kombucha founder Daina Trout and internet personality Sharzad Kiadeh, both of whom star in the film and executive produce. It centers on a burned-out protein bar CEO and a canceled TV host who, per the logline, “collide at a desert wellness retreat. The story.

—📅 In time for spooky season. 📅 Sony and Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters is returning to theaters. KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along is slated to return to the three major movie chains – AMC, Regal and Cinemark – across the country this Halloween weekend. The sing-along film was last in theaters for a weekend in August, raking in an estimated $17m to $18m at the box office. It previously wasn’t released in AMC Theatres. The film will also screen in theaters across the world including Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Korea, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Tickets for the showing go on sale at 6 a.m. pacific time on Oct. 17. Netflix is now offering Demon Hunters merch, and an official Spirit Halloween costume line, for fans who want to dress up for their showings. The story.

—🤝 Sold! 🤝 Tom Blyth is adding to his portfolio with the forthcoming release of the film Bull Run. Vertical has acquired U.S. rights to the existential comedy from first-time feature director Alfredo Barrios Jr. and will release it in select theaters and via VOD on Nov. 14. Chris Diamantopoulos and Jay Mohr also star. Bull Run centers on Bobby Sanders (Blyth), a former pro hockey player who lands a job as a junior investment banker and attempts to find the meaning to life while navigating the world of high finance. The story.