Endeavor's UFC to Merge With WWE; 'Succession' Star Talks Kerry's Power Grab; 'D&D' Opens to $38.5M; 'Yellowjackets' Oral History on Shocking Episode

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( April 03, 2023 What's news: Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has died. John Wick 4's global cume nears $250m. Taraji P. Henson will guest star in Abbott Elementary. Paul Mescal and Jodie Comer were big winners at the Olivier Awards. Cineworld has struck a deal to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. — [Abid Rahman]( Endeavor's UFC to Merge With WWE ►It's official. Endeavor Group Holdings and World Wrestling Entertainment have unveiled a definitive agreement to form a new, publicly listed company consisting of two “iconic, complementary” global sports and entertainment brands: UFC and WWE. Endeavor will hold a 51 percent controlling interest in the new company, with existing WWE shareholders owning a 49 percent interest. The new company will be led by Endeavor's Ari Emanuel as CEO, with WWE's Vince McMahon as executive chairman. [The story.]( —🏆 Hot streak 🏆 Aftersun star Paul Mescal added to his fast-growing haul of accolades by winning his first Olivier Award. On the biggest night for British theater, the recent THR cover star won the best actor honor for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, in what was his West End debut. Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, meanwhile, won best actress for her West End debut, the solo drama Prima Facie, which was also named best new play. [The winners.]( —"Very confident." Keith Cox, president of development and production at Paramount Network, has addressed Kevin Costner’s future with the hit show Yellowstone. Speaking at a Yellowstone panel on Saturday night at PaleyFest, Cox said about Costner staying with the drama, “What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, are very confident he’s going to continue with our show. [The story.]( —"A vote-of-confidence." Regal theaters owner Cineworld said Monday that it has struck an agreement with lenders that would see it emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy via a restructuring during the first half of 2023. The proposed restructuring is due to reduce the firm’s indebtedness by about $4.53b, mainly through lenders getting equity in the reorganized group in exchange for releasing their claims. [The story.]( —"Technology is so important in our industry, and it’s great to see the Academy recognize its significance." Members-at-Large of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are applauding Friday’s news that they will become part of a new Production and Technology Branch. Comprising approximately 400 individuals previously classified as Members-at-Large, the new branch represents members working in various technical and production positions. [The reaction.]( —Founder exit. Bob Rosenthal has resigned as CEO of leading audio postproduction company Formosa Group. The news Friday came as a surprise, as the well-known industry vet had been with Formosa (which now operates under parent Streamland Media) since he founded the company in 2013. The reason for his departure wasn’t immediately clear. [The story.]( 'Succession' Star Talks Kerry's Power Grab ►"I don't think she's someone who gives up." For THR, Josh Wigler spoke to Succession star Zoë Winters about her character Kerry's very dangerous game in the second episode of the HBO show's fourth season. Winters talks about the mysterious Kerry’s rise to power, her ambitions at ATN and much more. Warning: Spoilers! [The interview.]( —"I can’t really fight this thing." Neil Diamond has opened up about living with Parkinson’s disease after being diagnosed with the condition in 2018. In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the singer-songwriter talked about putting his life on display “warts and all” for the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise, and adjusting to the condition. [The story.]( —Elephant in the room. With all the drama surrounding Donald Trump's indictment by a grand jury, the story would seem to be a layup for John Oliver. However, the Last Week Tonight host explained on Sunday's show why he's avoiding the story, for now, saying he doesn’t feel like we know enough about the actual charges to even talk about it. [The story.]( —"Acknowledge the work they do every day." Quinta Brunson’s Saturday Night Live opening monologue touched on her career journey from wanting to be on the sketch comedy show to hosting it. The Abbott Elementary creator also called for teachers to be paid the money they deserve. [The recap.]( —🎭 Mommy issues 🎭 Staying with Brunson and Abbott Elementary, Taraji P. Henson has signed on for a guest role in the award-winning show. The Empire actress will play the mother of Brunson's character Janine in season two’s penultimate episode, airing on April 12. [The story.]( 'Dungeons & Dragons' Opens to Solid $38.5M ►A franchise is born? Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opened to an honorable enough $38.5m at the domestic box office, enough to take out John Wick: Chapter 4 and top the chart. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( writes that the movie based on Hasbro’s fantasy tabletop game came in ahead of expectations but will still need strong legs throughout April and into May in order to launch a new movie franchise for Paramount and eOne after costing $150m to produce before marketing. Dungeons & Dragons certainly has a chance for a long run as it earned stellar reviews and an A- CinemaScore from audiences. Upcoming spring breaks and the Easter holiday will be another advantage. Overseas, the movie debuted to $33m from 60 territories representing 83 percent of the international marketplace for a global bow of $71.5m. John Wick 4 fell 62 percent to $28.2m in its second outing for a domestic tally of $122.9m. At the foreign box office, it took in another $35m from 75 markets for a hefty $245m globally so far. [The box office report.]( —Worrying trends. Makoto Shinkai’s Japanese anime sensation Suzume held strong at the top of China’s box office over the weekend, earning $22m while easily defeating Dungeons & Dragons and Sony’s 65, which both flopped. Suzume has earned $80.6m in China, better than any other international film released in the country this year. Dungeons & Dragons opened to just $5m while 65 debuted to $600,000, adding to worries that the Chinese audience may be losing its enthusiasm for U.S. studio films. [The China box office.]( Ryuichi Sakamoto 1952 - 2023 ►Pioneering maestro. Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning composer, musician, actor, singer, producer, writer and activist from Japan, has died. He was 71. During a career that saw him score more than 40 films, including The Last Emperor (1987), Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) and The Revenant (2015), Sakamoto also received two Golden Globes, a Grammy and a BAFTA. [The obituary.]( —Storied career. Seymour Stein, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who was the co-founder of Sire Records and the former vice president at Warner Bros. Records, has died. He was 80. Stein died Sunday morning in Los Angeles from cancer. Among his many notable achievements, he signed such music legends as Madonna and The Ramones at Sire. [The obituary.]( —"He created a soundtrack that is untouchable." THR's [Mesfin Fekadu]( spoke to Seymour Stein’s daughter Mandy about her father's enduring legacy in the music business. Mandy shared special moments and memories of Seymour, a "doting grandfather" and history buff who was passionate about the artists with whom he worked. [The interview.]( —"I feel y’all lifting me already." The Wayans family took to social media to pay tribute to their family patriarch, Howell Wayans, who died at 86. Air star Marlon Wayans, one of Howell Wayans' 10 children, was among the family members that shared an emotional message on social media. [The story.]( 'Yellowjackets' Stars Dish on Filming Fleshy Feast in Oral History ►"It turns animalistic." THR's [Jackie Strause]( undertook the Herculean task of gathering together the teen cast of Yellowjackets to talk through filming the most shocking episode yet of the Showtime series. Warning: Spoilers! [The oral history.]( —"I think keeping it ambiguous is the way to go." Jackie also interviewed Yellowjackets star Tawny Cypress about that second episode cliffhanger. The actress dives into the "other Taissa" and the ambiguities — and theories — around her storyline, while warning of what's to come in season two: "Some people are going to hate us." Warning: Spoilers! [The interview.]( In other news... —Samuel L. Jackson [faces off against an army of Skrulls in trailer for Marvel’s Secret Invasion]( —Kaley Cuoco [gives birth, welcomes first child with Tom Pelphrey]( —San Vicente Bungalows [inches closer to Santa Monica expansion with Ocean Boulevard property]( —Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure [exhibition debuts in Los Angeles]( —The secret [L.A. warehouse where Chloë Sevigny and more stars house their red carpet gowns]( —[Coslough Johnson]( writer on Laugh-In and Sonny and Cher variety shows, dies at 91 What else we're reading... —Are you also of the opinion that The Mandalorian doesn't feel all that big and special anymore? Shawn Van Horn breaks down why the Disney+ show has lost its luster [[Collider]( —Noor Al-sibai And Jon Christian have been digging and report that BuzzFeed is quietly publishing whole AI-generated articles and not just quizzes like it claimed it would [[Futurism]( —Felix Gillette and Thomas Buckley travel to Rhode Island to report on Hasbro's epic quest to finally make big money out of the Dungeons & Dragons IP [[Bloomberg]( —Hallie Lieberman meets the former child stars who found a second—and sometimes better—life in porn [[Slate]( —John Burn-Murdoch has an incredibly detailed and incredibly depressing report on why U.S. life expectancy is in freefall [[FT]( Today... ...in 1968, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was released nationwide after premiering in Washington D.C. the previous night. The epic science fiction film, based on an Arthur C. Clarke short story, went on to become regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Eddie Murphy (62), Ben Mendelsohn (54), Alec {NAME} (65), Rachel Bloom (36), Sofia Boutella (41), Matthew Goode (45), [Adam Scott]( (50), Cobie Smulders (41), Amanda Bynes (37), Paris Jackson (25), Natacha Karam (28), Jamie Bamber (50), Catherine McCormack (51), Jennie Garth (51), David Hyde Pierce (64), Elsie Fisher (20), Chrissie Fit (39), Hayley Kiyoko (32), Christiane Seidel (35), Sarah Jeffery (27), Alice Lowe (46), Sebastian Bach (55), Josh Safdie (39), Tomas Arana (68) Sharon Acker, the Canadian actress who portrayed Lee Marvin’s unfaithful wife in the 1967 neo-noir classic Point Blank and the right-hand woman Della Street opposite Monte Markham on a rebooted Perry Mason in the 1970s, has died. She was 87. [The obituary.]( 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. 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