| | | | What's news: Stephen King will testify for the government in its case to stop the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger. Star Trek star Zoe Saldaña paid tribute to the late Nichelle Nichols. Beyoncé is removing an ableist slur from her new album. The producers behind Broadway musical Paradise Square have been hit by a new lawsuit — Abid Rahman |
Zoe Saldaña on How Nichelle Nichols Made Her Feel Safe to Play Uhura ►"We have lost a true star." Zoe Saldaña “knew she had big shoes to fill” when she was cast as Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 feature film reboot of the Star Trek franchise, stepping into a role made famous by the late Nichelle Nichols. But she found a champion in Nichols herself, who offered sage advice Saldaña revealed in an Instagram tribute post. The story.
—"Nichelle was the first Black person I’d ever seen who made it to the future." Whoopi Goldberg took time to remember Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols on Monday’s The View. Goldberg took a deep breath before speaking about the woman she called a “trailblazer, a heroine and an extraordinary woman." The story.
—Removed. Beyoncé will replace an offensive lyric on her just-released Renaissance album after a line in the track “Heated” drew backlash from users on social media. The pop star faced criticism for using the same ableist term that Lizzo removed from "Grrrls" following similar blowback. The story.
—"I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect." Diane Warren has issued an apology after facing criticism for her tweets that seemingly called out the songwriting credits listed on Beyoncé’s seventh studio album Renaissance. "How can there be 24 writers on a song?" Warren tweeted before facing criticism for seemingly calling out the singer. The story.
—"A surrealist comedy about a quiet man named Nathan." Showtime has ordered an autobiographical half-hour comedy pilot titled Mason that will star Nathan Min. Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan — the team behind the indie sensation Everything Everywhere All at Once — will direct and executive produce alongside Min and Nope star Steven Yeun. The story. |
'The Flash' to End With Season 9 ►It’s official. The Flash’s upcoming ninth season will be its last. The CW on Monday announced that its Grant Gustin-led DC Comics superhero drama from Warner Bros. TV and Greg Berlanti Productions will end with a 13-episode final run. The conclusion of one of the network’s most watched shows will air in 2023 as part of its midseason roster. Production on the final season will begin next month. The story.
—"The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive." Stephen King has placed himself in opposition to Simon & Schuster, his longtime publisher, and agreed to testify for the Justice Department as it bids to convince a federal judge that the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster is bad for indie publishers. King has been vocal in his opposition to the proposed $2.2b deal. The story.
—Surging. Georgia saw $4.4b in spending from film and TV productions in the fiscal year that ended June 30, the state’s film office said Monday. Shooting in Georgia continues to surge thanks to its generous tax incentive program: The film industry spent $2.9 billion in 2019 and $4b in 2021 — both records at the time. The story.
—Guns before safety. The long-running Music Midtown festival at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, scheduled for Sept. 17-18 with headliners My Chemical Romance, Future, Jack White and Fallout Boy, has been called off, according to a statement issued by festival organizers. The likely cause, according to industry sources, are recent changes to Georgia gun laws that prevent the festival from banning guns on the publicly owned festival grounds. The story.
—Mounting legal problems. Broadway musical Paradise Square is facing another legal complaint, this time from the union representing the directors and choreographers who worked on the show. The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society is seeking to enforce payment of owed royalties, fees and pension and health contributions. This follows similar actions taken by Actors’ Equity and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829. The story. |
'Saul' Writer Breaks Down the Momentous "Breaking Bad" Episode ►"It did feel like old times. We slipped right back into it." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Better Call Saul writer and exec producer Thomas Schnauz about season six episode "Breaking Bad." The scribe reveals part of the hour was shot in secret months before the rest of the episode. Warning spoilers. The interview.
—"I have learned not to speak in absolutes on this show." THR's Abbey White spoke to James Marsden about his return to play a new (maybe more sentient) Teddy in season four of HBO's Westworld. Marsden revealed when (and how) he learned about his planned return, his and Evan Rachel Wood’s characters’ role reversal (and Matrix “vibes”), as well as getting to work with the actress again. The interview.
—Stunt hosting. Following the success of ESPN’s Peyton and Eli Manning-led "Manningcast," Amazon is planning a major push into alternative broadcast streams for the upcoming season of Thursday Night Football. The company said Monday that the hosts of Dude Perfect, the popular YouTube and social media trick shot personalities, will host an alternate stream this season. The story.
—Game changer. A peak audience of 17.4m tuned in to watch England defeat Germany in the Euro 2022 final match on Sunday, a record audience in the U.K. for a women’s soccer match. Over in Germany, public broadcaster ARD reported an average audience of 17.9m — 65 percent of the total TV audience — and a peak viewership of nearly 22m for the match, both records for women’s soccer. The story.
—New benefit. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Writers Guild of America East and West’s health plan has added a new benefit to cover travel and accommodation costs for participants who are seeking to cross state lines for abortions. The change resembles some recent modifications made to benefits at fellow entertainment union the Directors Guild of America. The story. |
Film Review: 'Bullet Train' ►"A high-octane bore." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews David Leitch's Bullet Train. Brad Pitt plays one of a cluster of assassins on interconnected missions in David Leitch’s comedy action-thriller set aboard the Japanese high-speed train, also featuring Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. The review. In other news... —Israel unveils 30 percent incentive for international film, TV productions —Director David France signs with CAA —Endeavor Content names Kasee Calabrese CFO —Nexstar CEO Perry Sook inks multiyear contract extension —New Zealand’s Studio West launches Auckland’s largest sound stage —What to read right now: Timely books with Hollywood appeal What else we're reading... —Brianna Sacks reports on Atlanta's Trilith Studios, that has been dogged by claims of racism from Black residents in the new town development and former employees [ BuzzFeed] —Alissa Wilkinson writes that this summer’s movies are all about loneliness, longing, and love [ Vox] —Alex Barinka reports on Drew Afualo, TikTok’s misogyny watchdog, who trolls the trolls [ Bloomberg] —David Betancourt on how Nichelle Nichols made Black sci-fi fans believe they could reach for the stars [ WaPo] —Josef Adalian asked readers what they thought of the all the streamers out there (and there are a lot of them!), and the answers are eye-opening [ Vulture] Today... ...in 1967, In the Heat of the Night, starring Sidney Poitier, opened in theaters in New York. The film would go on to win five Oscars at the 40th Academy Awards, including best picture. The original review. Today's birthdays: Sam Worthington (46), Mary-Louise Parker (48), Kevin Smith (52), Edward Furlong (45), Joanna Cassidy (78), Angus Imrie (28), Matthew Del Negro (50), Apollonia Kotero (63), Simon Kinberg (49), Skyler Day (31), Susanne Bormann (43), Charli XCX (30), Donna Air (43), Chiara Mastalli (38), Angell Conwell (39), Aline Brosh McKenna (55), Charles Roven (73) |
| Mo Ostin, the legendary label executive who led Warner Bros. Records through a storied time of both artistic and commercial success for more than 30 years, died Sunday. He was 95. The obituary. |
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