| | | | What's news: Lucasfilm faces a lawsuit involving the new Indiana Jones movie. AMC Theatres abandons its "Sightline" pricing strategy. Indian film Project K causes a sensation at Comic-Con. Fashion designer Bob Mackie chats about helping to make Barbie an icon. Also, there's no Saturday newsletter this week, but we're back Monday! — Ryan Gajewski
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Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin Assail Studio Execs on SAG-AFTRA Picket Lines ►"Have you seen the houses they live in?" On day five of the actors strike, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin attended the demonstrations at Netflix, where they took aim at studio executives. THR's Sydney Odman spoke to both performers, who appeared on the picket lines last month in support of the WGA and are among few acting icons to publicly join SAG-AFTRA members at studio gates amid the ongoing labor dispute. The story.
—"Patience is a virtue." Netflix kicked off Hollywood's second-quarter earnings season with the typical bang after the market close on Wednesday, with the stock taking a hit in after hours, and Wall Street analysts updating their subscriber and financial models overnight. The company reported better-than-expected 5.9 million new subscribers to hit a global total of 238.4 million and $1.5 billion in earnings on revenue of $8.2 billion. But investors and experts also highlighted slightly lower-than-expected second-quarter revenue and third-quarter revenue growth guidance, amid lower-than-estimated average revenue per membership. The story.
—Lucasfilm sued in trademark dispute. Lucasfilm has been roped into a legal battle between rival clothing companies over the backpack Indiana Jones wore in the latest installment to the franchise. Frost River filed a suit in California federal court accusing Lucasfilm of using its products in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny without permission and then passing off its signature backpacks as a competitors' product in a deceptive marketing campaign. The story.
—"They can give you fucking good wages." THR's Rick Porter reports that more than 1,000 SAG-AFTRA members and supporters marched in downtown Chicago for a rally where guild leaders and representatives from other unions — including the WGA, the Teamsters, the Chicago Federation of Labor and the Chicago Teachers Union — spoke in solidarity. The chairmen of labor committees in the Illinois legislature, Sen. Robert Peters and Rep. Marcus Evans, also addressed the crowd. The story. |
After a Mass Exodus of Diversity Execs, What's Next? ►"You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube." Insiders worry that the departures of multiple DEI executives signal the unraveling of endeavors Hollywood companies trumpeted in the wake of 2020 protests for racial justice. THR's Mia Galuppo talks to a dozen individuals working in and adjacent to the DEI space, and the insiders address that, while DEI efforts are often the first line item to be cut in times of studio austerity, recent hard-won gains will be difficult to reverse in totality. The story.
—Pivoting "to ensure its ticket prices stay competitive." AMC Theatres is abandoning its "Sightline" pricing strategy, which charged different prices for seats in different locations within each theater. First announced in February, AMC's plan involved charging lower prices for seats at the very front of the auditoriums. The company said that it will end the pilot program in the coming weeks and replace it with a new program that aims to upgrade the seats at the front of each auditorium. The story.
—Baby is staying in the corner for a little longer. Lionsgate is making moves to its release calendar, including dating the video game feature Borderlands for summer 2024 and pushing dates for the Dirty Dancing sequel and its prequel to Wonder. The moves come at challenging times for studios as they navigate dual writers and actors strikes, which hamper both the production and the promotion of movies. The story.
—The union had warned a strike could happen as soon as Friday. The Broadway League and IATSE said they have reached a tentative agreement on the pink contract, after the theater crew union had warned that it was conducting a strike authorization vote. The agreement is still pending ratification from IATSE members, which is expected to take about two weeks. The story.
—"It's a part of their past that they're bringing with them to their present." THR's Abbey White chats with Sara Ramirez about playing Che Diaz on the second season of Max's And Just Like That. In a conversation conducted prior to the actors strike, Ramirez discusses the inspirations and relatability behind the character's latest storylines, in addition to the show's sexual freedom. The interview. |
Comic-Con Highlights Amid an Unusual Year ►"It’s amazing to have partners in Peter [Safran] and James [Gunn], particularly James." THR's Borys Kit celebrates the start of San Diego Comic-Con by sitting down with DC Comics president Jim Lee. Lee discusses the company returning to the convention floor for the first time since 2019, along with fan reaction to the hiring of DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran. The story.
—"It's what taught me to be a fan." It may have not have had the star power fans nor the studio hope for, but Borys Kit reports that Paramount's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem kicked off the movie panels at San Diego Comic-Con in fine style. Due to the writers and actors strikes, the studio didn't have Seth Rogen, who is both one of the movie's producers and actors, nor any other voice stars — although Rogen did appear in two videos. But the panel brought out director Jeff Rowe and plenty of footage from the movie. The story.
—"Indian cinema is on the world stage." Indian pride was on full display at Comic-Con's Hall H in an ear-splitting and thunderous panel for Project K, the first ever Indian movie to be showcased not only at the pop culture convention but also in the room that has launched so many Hollywood movies. The panel featured a who's who of Indian superstars — Prabhas, Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan (via Zoom), veteran Bollywood producer C. Aswani Dutt — and each one's entrance was greeted with chants and screams. Borys Kit reports that it was a form of Beatlemania hysteria rarely seen in Hall H. The story. |
Mattel Made Barbie Popular, but Bob Mackie Made Her a Fashion Icon ►"She could be anything we wanted her to be." For THR, Evan Nicole Brown talks to acclaimed designer Bob Mackie, who became one of the people most closely associated with Barbie's transformation into a feminist icon. Mackie created memorable outfits for the likes of Judy Garland, Diana Ross and Marilyn Monroe, but perhaps his greatest muse was a mass-produced toy less than 1 foot tall — and he admits that he wasn't initially impressed with Barbie's fashion sense. The story.
—"It's like [Warners] saved everything for Barbie." THR's Pamela McClintock explores the Barbie promotional strategy that saw Warner Bros. and Mattel paint the world pink and create marketing magic. From custom Crocs to a special Prada line to gay pride parade floats, Greta Gerwig's movie has attracted more than 100 promotional partners and generated countless headlines. The story.
—"It's a slippery slope." The Supreme Court's decision barring racial preference in college admissions has shaken up the DEI landscape. THR's Winston Cho and Scott Feinberg report that, with diversity initiatives being challenged throughout the private sector, the Film Academy's new inclusion standards for best-picture consideration are likely to face added scrutiny. The story.
—"Galifianakis in one of his best performances to date." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash's The Beanie Bubble. Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks star in the film that tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Beanie Babies phenomenon. The review.
—TV's Top 5. THR's Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg break down the latest TV news on the podcast. This week's episode covers such buzzy topics as Netflix earnings, the future of HBO's The Idol and why prestige comedies often end after three seasons. The hosts are joined by Justine Bateman, who served as a consultant to SAG-AFTRA's negotiating committee. The episode also includes Daniel's reviews of Minx, Special Ops: Lioness, Praise Petey and Command Z. Listen here. |
This Week's Must Reads ►"Weird sh** happened. It kind of went in the wrong direction to happiness." Recovering from an overdose-induced crisis that nearly killed her and forced her to relearn how to speak, Tatum O'Neal talks to THR's Seth Abramovitch about her life and career. The profile.
—"The existential, real threat is TikTok." THR's Kim Masters examines whether the Hollywood breach can be mended, given that everyone is mad at everyone during the dual strikes. Amid growing fears of a lengthy standoff between talent unions and studios, a handful of seasoned negotiators — including federal mediators Javier Ramirez and Jimmy Valentine and power agents Ari Emanuel and Bryan Lourd — are working in the shadows to find a way forward. The story.
—Can it make another splash? THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on the Aquaman sequel, which is set for release in December from Warner Bros. James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is coming off its nearly unprecedented third round of reshoots that occurred in New Zealand in mid-June and involved stars including Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson. The release for the expensive production will follow Warners' recent DC movies flopping at an unmatched level. The story.
—"I've been in things that I thought were going to hit big, and nobody saw them." THR's Mikey O'Connell sits down with Jake Johnson about his directorial debut, Self Reliance, in which he also stars. The New Girl actor talks about rejecting the studio blockbuster route, dinner with Tom Cruise and Max's "fucking gross" Minx cancellation. The interview.
In other news...
—All the actors strike questions you were afraid to ask
—YouTube hikes prices for Premium, music streaming offerings
—Michael B. Jordan and Drake among new round of investors in pickleball team
—Box office milestone: Sound of Freedom crosses $100 million in U.S.
—Boyd Holbrook breaks down his Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Justified: City Primeval baddies
What else we're reading...
—Bethy Squires wants to know why so many celebrities are playing Uno these days [Vulture]
—Ashley Lee explores how the Beetlejuice musical, which is currently running in L.A., beat bad reviews and became a Gen Z hit [LAT]
—Maura Judkis and Shelly Tan examine what Barbie's many careers say about feminism and American girlhood [WaPo]
—Nadira Goffe writes that Christopher Nolan movies are indeed for the girlies, as his films have a knack for minting internet boyfriends [Slate]
Here's your Friday list: "Nina Simone's 20 greatest songs — ranked!" [Guardian]
Today...
…in 1933, the Ann Harding-William Powell feature Double Harness began playing at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Norman Jewison (97), George Wallace (71), Juno Temple (34), Betty Gilpin (37), Josh Hartnett (45), Alysia Reiner (53), Vanessa Lengies (38), Anya Chalotra (27), Jaime Murray (47), Rory Culkin (34), Diane Guerrero (37), Jessica Barden (31), Charlotte Gainsbourg (52), David Dastmalchian (48), Justin Bartha (45), Jon Lovitz (66), Paloma Faith (42), Jasmine Cephas Jones (34) |
| | Carlin Glynn, who won a Tony Award for her performance as the madam Mona Stangley in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and had strong supporting turns in the films Sixteen Candles and The Trip to Bountiful, has died. She was 83. The obituary. |
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