Meet the Couple Supplying Military Hardware to Hollywood; Writers Assess 2007 Strike; THR Critics Pick TV Winners; Imax Falters Despite 'Avatar 2' Boost; 'Party Down' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( February 23, 2023 What's news: Warner Bros. film The Flash will debut at CinemaCon. Netflix teams with NFL Films for the star-studded docuseries Quarterback. Dave Bautista's My Spy lands an Amazon sequel. NPR is cutting its workforce by 10 percent. Rust is set to wrap up production in Montana this spring. And I'm honored to fill in for my trusted colleague and dreaded nemesis Abid "Big Dog" Rahman during his paternity leave. — [Ryan Gajewski]( Need a Black Hawk on Set by Friday? Call This Couple ►"We're going to help you get stuff." THR's [Gary Baum]( sits down with the married product-placement team that has become Hollywood's go-to for the tricky minefield of procuring military hardware, from the bomb-diffusing robot in The Hurt Locker to the C-130 cargo plane in Don't Look Up. Adam and Cat Stone explain how they've cornered the market in the "tactical space" and what they've learned from negotiating with defense contractors. [The story.]( —"It is a privilege to work with such great partners as we see this through on Halyna's behalf." Rust is set to finish filming at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana this spring, the movie's producers announced. The production will include star and producer Alec {NAME}, who's facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. It will also feature a mix of new and old crew, with Bianca Cline (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) joining in Hutchins' place. [The story.]( —"Playing quarterback in the NFL is a unique experience." The NFL is adding Netflix to its roster of media partners. The league's NFL Films and the streamer are teaming up for a docuseries called Quarterback, which follows three QBs — Patrick Mahomes of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons — through the 2022 NFL season. [The story.]( —Thanos prevails this time. Disney has won a skirmish in sprawling litigation surrounding the use of allegedly stolen VFX technology to animate some of the entertainment giant's most iconic characters, including Avengers villain Thanos, in its highest-grossing movies. A federal judge dismissed the suit from Rearden, finding that the company didn't back up its claims of copyright and patent infringement. [The story.]( —"An embarrassing travesty." Phil Davis, an English actor who has appeared on TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock, as well as in such films as Vera Drake and Alien 3, said that he has resigned from BAFTA after Sunday's show. He mentioned that he didn't like the arrival of host Richard E. Grant and cuts to winners' speeches during the TV broadcast of the ceremony on BBC One, as well as the omission of Doctor Who actor Bernard Cribbins during the "In Memoriam" video. [The story.]( Writers Debate 2007 Strike Ahead of Contract Talks ►"I will defend it to this day." As Hollywood's writers prepare for a round of union negotiations that is expected to be especially combative and potentially even trigger a strike, some are revisiting the wins and losses of their last work stoppage, in 2007-08. More than 15 years after the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike that rocked the industry, THR's [Katie Kilkenny]( talks to scribes about what the action did and did not accomplish. [The story.]( —Speeding toward its release. The long-awaited The Flash movie will screen for the first time in April at this year's CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners. The DC film, which has a release date of June 16, stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/the Flash. Michael Keaton is back as Batman for the first time since 1992, while Ben Affleck also plays a version of the Caped Crusader. [The story.]( —Bond, who? Dave Bautista is getting back into the spy business, with a sequel to the 2020 action-comedy My Spy set at Amazon. My Spy: The Eternal City is casting up as it heads toward a production start date this month and has added Anna Faris, Craig Robinson and Flula Borg to the franchise. [The story.]( —"Our financial outlook has darkened considerably." National Public Radio will reduce its workforce by 10 percent as it grapples with what CEO John Lansing says is a "sharp decline" in sponsorship revenue. The exec notes that most of the open jobs will be eliminated by the public media firm that employs more than 700 individuals. [The story.]( Critics' Conversation: A Topsy-Turvy TV Winter ►"It strikes me as an early contender for one of the best episodes of the year." Preconceived notions were flipped on their heads these past few months as reviewers rallied around a video game adaptation, Peacock piqued interest and Apple TV+ stumbled (though all hail Harrison Ford, small-screen comic MVP). THR critics [Daniel Fienberg]( and [Angie Han]( pick their winter television favorites ahead of the Emmys' May 31 eligibility deadline. [The analysis.]( —"I'm doing what I want to do as opposed to thinking about what I need to." Usher's got it bad for Las Vegas. THR's [Mesfin Fekadu]( spoke to the Grammy-winning artist, who is currently performing in Sin City for Usher: My Way The Vegas Residency, about moving to Nevada, his upcoming single and a possible Super Bowl halftime show. [The interview.]( —"We can't fix it just by making tweaks." Since the curtain came down on the 2023 BAFTAs, there's been a lot of discussion about the vast majority of this year's award recipients being white. THR's man in London [Alex Ritman]( discusses the situation with experts who point the finger at the U.K. film industry as a whole. [The story.]( —A top star. Tom Cruise had quite the day on Feb 13. After he was the toast of the Oscar nominees luncheon, the Top Gun: Maverick performer cruised over to Century City for a meeting with his CAA agents. THR's nicest man [Chris Gardner]( reports that CAA employees surprised the actor by leaving their offices and gathering in the lobby and along the stairwells on every floor for a greeting that included five minutes of applause. [The story.]( TV Review: 'Party Down' Season 3 ►"Generating some laughs, many smiles and a lot of nostalgic warmth." Daniel Fienberg reviews the return of Party Down after the Starz comedy initially signed off back in 2010. Newcomers Jennifer Garner and Zoë Chao join the cast that includes returnees Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr and Ryan Hansen. [The review.]( —"Punishingly slow, grandiloquently depressing." THR film critic [Leslie Felperin]( reviews Portuguese auteur Joao Canijo's film Bad Living (Mal Viver), which is screening in Berlin. Anabela Moreira, Rita Blanco and Madalena Almeida star as three generations of women perpetually at odds with one another. [The review.]( —"It remains resolutely theoretical and uninvolving." THR film critic [Sheri Linden]( reviews Patric Chiha's Henry James adaptation The Beast in the Jungle, screening in Berlin. Anaïs Demoustier and Tom Mercier star in the feature revolving around a young man who's certain that his life will be shaped by an extraordinary event. [The review.]( —Good times. Italian Disney+ drama The Good Mothers has won the inaugural Berlinale Series award for best TV drama at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. The U.K.-Italy co-production tells the true story of three women inside the notorious Calabrian 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate who worked with a female prosecutor to bring down its empire. [The story.]( Even With 'Avatar' Sequel, Imax Quarterly Revenue Falls ►"You're seeing a global rebound now." Imax has posted lower revenues and earnings even amid a record Avatar: The Way of Water box office run on its screens and a strong Chinese market turnaround. Overall fourth-quarter revenue came to $98 million, down 10 percent from a year-earlier $108.6 million, amid a rapid reopening of cinemas in China, where Imax has around 800 screens. The large-format technology company recorded a profit of $2.6 million, which compared to a year-earlier profit of $10.1 million. [The story.]( —"It was Untitled Bear Comedy for a while." At the Cocaine Bear premiere, THR's [Kirsten Chuba]( chatted with the Universal comedy's team, including director Elizabeth Banks, star Keri Russell and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The creature feature hits theaters Feb. 24 ahead of its (presumable) 2024 Oscars campaign. [The story.]( In other news... —NAACP Image Awards: Wakanda Forever, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer [among night three's non-televised winners]( —Ben Platt and Parade producers [respond to antisemitic protests outside preview performance]( —Writers Guild to begin [contract negotiations next month]( —Woody Harrelson gets in trouble [for oversharing in Saturday Night Live promo]( —Whoopi Goldberg [boards The Conners for guest role]( —Waco follow-up series [to debut on Showtime]( —Athena Film Festival sets [Till, Plan C as opening, closing night films]( What else we're reading... —Alex Abad-Santos is asking the important questions, namely: What really happens if a bear does cocaine? [[Vox]( —Chris Lee talks to VFX artists from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to learn about the process behind the Marvel film's critically maligned visuals [[Vulture]( —Matthew Cantor explores the legacy of Calvin and Hobbes following the news that creator Bill Watterson is set to publish his first major work in nearly 30 years [[Guardian]( —According to A.O. Scott, movies depicting A.I. have imagined the wrong disaster [[NYT]( —As Party Down returns, Alan Siegel connects with the show's team for an oral history of the Starz comedy [[Ringer]( Today... ...in 2018, Alex Garland unveiled Paramount's Annihilation, the director's follow-up to Ex Machina. Natalie Portman stars as a scientist investigating the cause of mysterious deaths in a Florida forest. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Emily Blunt (40), Niecy Nash (53), Dakota Fanning (29), Josh Gad (42), Samara Weaving (31), Emilia Jones (21), Kristin Davis (58), Aziz Ansari (40), Kelly Macdonald (47), Patricia Richardson (72), Zión Moreno (28), Tye White (39), Marie-Josée Croze (53), Emily Cox (38), Skylar Grey (37), Alan Ford (85), Shakira Caine (76) Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](mailto:tips@thr.com?subject=). This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. Please add email@email.hollywoodreporter.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. 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