What's news: Thea Sharrock will direct Lionsgate's The Things We Leave Unfinished. Crave will adapt Penelope Douglas’ Five Brothers. Dutton Ranch launched to 12.9m views. And Sunset Studios L.A. is offering services tailored to microdrama production. — Abid Rahman
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THR's Most Powerful Women in Canadian Entertainment |
►Maple moguls. With the 2026 Women in Entertainment Canada Power List, THR once again salutes the actresses, execs, producers and other powerful females who are shaping Canada's screen culture — and making gay hockey players an international thing. The list.
—Spotting slop. YouTube is making a major change to its user interface to make it clear when a video has used AI tools in its creation, particularly for photorealistic or “meaningfully altered” content. The video platform said Wednesday that it will move its “AI” label from video descriptions to more prominent locations on both desktop and mobile, for long-form videos and Shorts. The story.
—Dream team. THR has opened a new front in the creator economy with the launch of UP NEXT: The Creator IP Market, to be held in L.A. in October 2026 in partnership with Access Media. The first-of-its-kind event market will offer global development-ready digital content producers a bridge to major studios, streamers, broadcasters, talent agencies, digital platforms, production companies, brands and buyers. The story.
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Sunset Studios Debut Microdramas-Ready Standing Sets
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►Embracing the future. Sunset Studios are courting microdrama productions with the debut of standing sets tailor-made for the verticals format. The Hudson Pacific Properties-owned brand announced the launch of the sets, which were developed in partnership with the verticals studio Knockout Shorts, at its Sunset Las Palmas Studios lot on Tuesday. Sunset Las Palmas is offering courtroom, apartment, bar-slash-restaurant and hospital settings, all adapted from previous productions for major studios. The move points to the rise of microdrama filming in L.A. The story.
—Huge names. SXSW London announced the latest wave of speakers for its 2026 festival lineup, taking place June 1-6. Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, are set for a live recording of their podcast. Other speakers will include London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Emmy-winning actress Claire Foy, Piers Morgan, Oracle Red Bull Racing's Laurent Mekies, Oracle's svp of corporate marketing Dave Rosenberg, Olympian Max Whitlock and cultural strategist Zara Rahim. The lineup.
—Upped. Adolescence and Reunion producer Warp Films has appointed Peter Balm as managing director. Balm joined the company as business and commercial executive in 2012 and most recently held the role of commercial director. In his new role, he will oversee the company’s commercial strategy and operations, continuing to work closely with the senior leadership team, including CEO Mark Herbert, COO and CFO Niall Shamma, and chief creative officer Emily Feller. The story.
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'Summer House' Reunion Reaches Boiling Point
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►"She’s very mute, she’s gonna be that weak figure that he needs." Bravo aired the first part of the Summer House season 10 reunion on Tuesday night, where West Wilson and Amanda Batula shared new details about the beginning of their romance that triggered reality television’s latest scandal. Warning: Spoilers! The recap.
—Woof! A large contingent of viewers followed two of the key figures in Yellowstone to their new home. The premiere of Dutton Ranch, a spinoff that follows Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) as they leave Montana for a new life in Texas, set a ratings record for a Paramount+ original series premiere. Based on the streamer’s internal data, the May 15 premiere racked up 12.9m views worldwide in its first seven days, that put Dutton Ranch in range of another very successful series from the Taylor Sheridan empire, Landman. Dutton Ranch also surpassed the March debut of The Madison. The ratings.
—Woof! Woof! Off Campus has skated its way to a strong debut for Amazon Prime Video. The streamer says Off Campus, based on Elle Kennedy’s romance novel series, has reached 36m viewers worldwide over its first 12 days of release (including the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S.). The key word there is “reached” — that’s ratings-speak for the number of people who have watched at least a few minutes of the series. The 36m figure puts Off Campus among the three biggest series debuts in Prime Video’s history over 12 days, according to Amazon. It’s behind only The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout. The ratings.
—Next obsession. Penelope Douglas’ adult romance novel Five Brothers has been optioned by Canada’s Crave streaming service for a TV series after the breakout success of its Heated Rivalry gay romancer adaptation. Released in 2024, Five Brothers follows one woman who learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers: Macon, Army, Iron, Dallas, and Trace. Crave parent Bell Media plans to develop the book as a multi-season TV series after successfully adapting Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry book into a gay hockey TV drama that was also sold to HBO Max in the U.S. market. The story.
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'Mando' Opens to Series-Low. Does It Even Matter? |
►Looking leggy. In the post-pandemic era, any title opening to $98m in North America that The Mandalorian and Grogu did would be celebrated, while out-of-this-world exits, especially among kids, could fuel a long run and win over a new generation of fans. Globally, the movie has already amassed more than its production budget, or $167m through May 25. THR's Pamela McClintock unpacks the numbers and what it could mean for the film's long term prospects. The box office report.
—Helmer found. THR's Borys "Scoops" Kit has the scoop that Thea Sharrock, the filmmaker behind the hit romantic drama Me Before You, has been tapped to helm Lionsgate’s feature The Things We Leave Unfinished. The film is adaptation of the love story by Fourth Wing author Rebecca Yarros. Todd Lieberman, who produced Lionsgate’s nearly $400m worldwide smash hit The Housemaid, is producing via his banner Hidden Pictures. The story tells of a woman who, after a devastating public big city divorce, returns home in the Rockies where she must reluctantly work with an arrogant bestselling author to finish her late great-grandmother’s WWII love story. The story.
—🎭 All set. 🎭 THR's resident fancy boy Ryan Gajewski has the scoop that Janel Parrish, Leslie David Baker and Erinn Hayes will star in a forthcoming feature centering on a kidnapping. Production has wrapped on writer-director Alec Bewkes’ dark comedy Stockholm Squad. The trio lead an ensemble cast that also includes Bewkes, Rizwan Manji and Malia Pyles. Stockholm Squad centers on six kidnapped strangers who get locked in a basement and attempt to connect amid the chaos. The movie is described as a mash-up of The Breakfast Club and 10 Cloverfield Lane. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 A documentary exploring the tumultuous final years of Stan Lee has found a home. Osmosis Global has taken the rights to Stan Lee: The Final Years, which Lee’s former assistant Jon Bolerjack directed and edited based on hundreds of hours of footage he shot before Lee’s death at age 95 in 2018. Osmosis is now in the stages of figuring out a release plan. But first, some audiences will get to see the movie June 27 at the Dances with Film festival in Los Angeles. The story.
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The Action Star Playing Frank-N-Furter on Broadway
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►"You don’t take on a role like Frank, and expect to be covered up." THR's Caitlin Huston spoke to Welsh actor Luke Evans about his Tony-nominated role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the revival of The Rocky Horror Show. The Pontypool-born star, who made his Broadway debut playing Frank, dishes on the challenge of performing in platform-heeled boots, a corset, a wig and a jock strap. The interview.
—🎭 Long time coming. 🎭 Julia Louis-Dreyfus will make her Broadway debut in Other Desert Cities, alongside Allison Janney, Ed Harris and more. Joe Keery and Lily Rabe will also appear in the revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s play, directed by John Benjamin Hickey. Other Desert Cities will play a 16-week limited engagement at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre, with previews starting Sept. 29 ahead of an Oct. 18 opening night. The play centers on a politically connected family whose Christmas Eve is upended when their daughter reveals she has written a tell-all book about a family tragedy that they have tried to keep secret. The story.
—📅 Rooked. 📅 Chess will close earlier than expected, with a final Broadway performance on June 21. The musical revival, starring Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher, ends its run after about seven months on Broadway. Michele previously announced she would be leaving the show June 21, but the musical had put tickets on sale through mid-September and announced Joanna “JoJo” Levesque as her replacement. The story.
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►"Unnerving but never quite frightening." THR's Angie Han reviews Kane Parsons' Backrooms. Produced by James Wan and Osgood Perkins, the A24 film adapts director Parsons' own series of shorts set in an extra-dimensional maze of office-like rooms and hallways. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell. Written by Will Soodik. The review.
—"Raw emotions, overcooked execution." Angie reviews Jim Rash's Miss You, Love You. The HBO film follows a woman who is forced to work with her son's assistant to make funeral arrangements for her recently deceased husband. Starring Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells. Written by Jim Rash. The review.
—"Weather forecasting makes for a surprisingly edge-of-your-seat thriller." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Anthony Maras' Pressure. This tense historical D-Day drama is about the meteorologist who played a key role in the Allied invasion of Europe. Starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina and Damian Lewis. Written by David Haig and Anthony Maras. The review.
—"Just like the old days." THR's Leslie Felperin reviews Katharina Rivilis' I'll Be Gone in June. The German actress's first feature as a director draws on personal experience for her Cannes-bowing drama about a European navigating post-9/11 America. Starring Naomi Cosma, David Flores, Bianca Dumais and Rebecca Schulz. Written by Katharina Rivilis. The review.
—"Perceptive and credible." Leslie reviews Hélène Rosselet-Ruiz's Madame. A working-class Frenchwoman looks after a Saudi prince’s mistress in this Cannes premiere from the director who offers personal insight into lessons learned in a very similar situation some years ago. Starring Malou Khebiz, Soundos Mosbah, Ziad Bakri and Kassem Al Khoja. Written by Hélène Rosselet-Ruiz and Pauline Guéna. The review.
In other news...
—Robert Pattinson’s big year continues with chilling Primetime trailer
—Drake dominates charts as 42 songs debut on Hot 100
—Toronto Film Fest sets Christopher Nolan retrospective
—Blue’s Clues star Steve Burns signs with UTA
—Spotify exec Sulinna Ong departs to join U2's management team
—Howard Storm, stand-up comic and Mork & Mindy director, dies at 94
What else we're reading...
—Following Everlane's acquisition by Shein, Kyle Chayka laments the death of the “good” millennial life-style brand [New Yorker]
—Logan Murdock talks to I Love Boosters filmmaker Boots Riley on the revolutionary power of art [Ringer]
—Nikita Yadav reports on Indian film industry unions calling for a boycott of Bollywood star Ranveer Singh over his abrupt decision to drop out of a film [BBC]
—Derek Thompson talks to economist Jesús Fernández-Villaverde about why birth rates are dropping everywhere around the world [Atlantic]
—Incredible Joe Barrett story about a South Dakotan luxury survivalist community that is tearing itself apart [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2010, Warner Bros. released Michael Patrick King's Sex and the City 2 in theaters. Despite making $297m at the global box office the film was excoriated by critics for its racism and for being "blatantly anti-Muslim" and holds a 16 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
André 3000 (51), Lily-Rose Depp (27), Joseph Fiennes (56), Paul Bettany (55), Adam Carolla (62), Ben Feldman (46), Jack McBrayer (53), Shanola Hampton (49), Izabela Vidovic (25), Cindy Sampson (48), Richard Schiff (71), Bella Heathcote (39), Peri Gilpin (65), Lee Meriwether (91), Mara Brock Akil (56), Eddie McClintock (59), Linnea Quigley (68), Chelsea Field (69), Darin Brooks (42), Chris Colfer (36), Kimberley Sustad (39), Orli Shuka (50), Giuseppe Tornatore (70), Jane Musky (72), Todd Bridges (61), Mac Brandt (46), Sara Wiseman (54), Ken Lerner (78), Michael Steger (46), Lorne MacFadyen (36), Dondré T. Whitfield (57), Steven Brill (64), Gianni Paolo (30), Atsuko Okatsuka (38)
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Albert Wolsky, the French-born costume designer who won Oscars for All That Jazz and Bugsy and set hearts racing by dressing Olivia Newton-John in body-hugging black sharkskin pants and a leather jacket for Grease, has died. He was 95. The obituary.
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