50 Reasons We (Still) Love Hollywood; Behind Scott Stuber's Exit From Netflix; Lily Gladstone to Star 'The Memory Police'; 'Expats' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( January 26, 2024 What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover is dedicated to THR's love for all things Hollywood. Justin Timberlake is going on a world tour. Axios is launching a studio division. Paramount+ has canceled Wolf Pack. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's crime drama Animals has landed at Netflix. Colman Domingo will play Joe Jackson in Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. 50 Reasons We (Still) Love Hollywood ►On the cover. After a terrible, no good, very bad year, an early Valentine from THR and industry insiders including Aaron Sorkin, Oprah Winfrey and Bob Iger, to a town we just can’t quit (though we know you’ve thought about it). [The cover story.]( —"Social media may be able to create national conversations, but those conversations have to be about something, and Hollywood, writ large, often provides that something." In a guest column for THR, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls author Peter Biskind writes that if there’s any doubt that Hollywood still matters, one only has to look at TikTok. From Barbenheimer to Sony's stealthy hit Anyone But You, social media is obsessed with movies and might just save them (if it doesn’t kill them first). [The column.]( Netflix Is the King of Streaming. Is It a Benevolent Dictator? ►"Netflix's competitors appear willing to keep feeding the beast." In a Jan. 23 research note, Morgan Stanley proclaimed Netflix "The Undisputed," and the next day analysts at Bernstein declared the company "clearly the winner in streaming." The consensus is forming that Netflix has won the streaming wars, and the company and Wall Street still see plenty more room to grow. THR's [Alex Weprin]( writes that while the streamer is pulling far ahead of rivals, it is extending an olive branch as a buyer of shows and as a possible bundle partner. [The analysis.]( —"TV is always going to be king there." The end of Scott Stuber’s seven-year tenure as head of film at Netflix did not come as a shock. THR's editor-at-large [Kim Masters]( goes behind Stuber's exit from the streamer and writes that under the exec Netflix spent lavishly on original movies, but insiders point to the Bela Bajaria-run TV unit as the future: "Middle of the road programming." [The story.]( —Doubling down on anime. Netflix is increasing its animation output, striking a multi-film partnership with Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc. Under the deal, the tech giant will become the exclusive streaming home of upcoming films from Ponoc, which was founded in 2015 by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura. The first film out of the gate will be The Imaginary, due to stream later this year following an exclusive theatrical run in Japan. [The story.]( Lily Gladstone to Star 'The Memory Police' ►🎭 In demand 🎭 THR's [Borys Kit]( has the big scoop on Killers of the Flower Moon breakout Lily Gladstone finding her next starring role, one that reteams her with Martin Scorsese. The Oscar nominee is attached to star in The Memory Police, an adaptation of the acclaimed 1994 science fiction novel by Yoko Ogawa. Reed Morano, who helmed episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, is on board to direct from a script by Being John Malkovich writer Charlie Kaufman. Scorsese will executive produce along with Ogawa. [The story.]( —🎭 What about Bob? 🎭 Lewis Pullman is Marvel Studios' top choice to star in Thunderbolts, and has an offer for the role vacated by Steven Yeun earlier this month. Pullman, who is the son of actor Bill Pullman, played Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd in Top Gun: Maverick. Thunderbolts has been hit by delays due to the Hollywood strikes of 2023, with its release date pushed a year to July 25, 2025. The cast includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. [The story.]( —🎭 Heavyweight addition 🎭 Colman Domingo is set to play Joe Jackson, the controversial patriarch of the Jackson family, in Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic. Domingo, coming off a critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated performance in Rustin, joins Michael, the Antoine Fuqua-directed feature slated for release on April 18, 2025. Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the pop singer. [The story.]( —Together again. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reteaming once more, this time for a new crime thriller, Animals, that has landed at Netflix. Written by Connor McIntyre with revisions by Billy Ray, the crime thriller concerns a mayoral candidate and his wife whose son is kidnapped. Affleck will direct Animals, with Damon starring. The film could start shooting in Los Angeles by March, if all the pieces come together. Affleck and Damon will produce via their Artists Equity banner. [The story.]( —Snapped up. Focus Features had landed the rights to Black Bag, a Steven Soderbergh package that hit the town last week. As THR previously revealed, it will star Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp penned the script for the spy thriller. Casey Silver and Greg Jacobs are producing the project. This marks the second sale of the week for Soderbergh, whose horror film Presence sold to Neon out of Sundance. [The story.]( —Can they film it? Yes they can! Anthony Ramos will star in an animated Bob the Builder feature from Mattel and Jennifer Lopez's Nuyorican Productions. Animation house ShadowMachine, which was behind Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, will produce. Bob the Builder is the latest feature project from Mattel, which launched its slate last year with Barbie that has earned over $1.4b at the box office. [The story.]( Why All Oscars Snubs Are Not Created Equal ►"Despite Barbie’s own onscreen diversity and inclusiveness, the obsession over its awards snubs is an example of white feminism at its worst." There's been much ink spilled and gnashing of teeth over the snubs for Barbie filmmaker Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie when the Academy Award nominations were revealed this week. Contrary to viral opinion, there are no pat reasons behind some of the notable exclusions at the Oscars, writes THR's senior editor of diversity and inclusion [Rebecca Sun](. [The analysis.]( —Howling mad. Paramount+ has canceled Wolf Pack after a single season. The series, an offshoot of former MTV favorite Teen Wolf, wrapped its eight-episode run last March. Sources tell THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( that the streamer was keen on doing a second season of the series, but delays caused by the Hollywood strikes last year would have meant that season two would not have been ready until 2025. [The story.]( —Back in the game. As CNN appears poised to expand its original series offerings, the cable channel has set its next series: Vegas: The Story of Sin City. The series will premiere Feb. 25 at 10 p.m., and will explore the history and growth of Las Vegas and feature interviews with Vegas icons like Wayne Newton and Paul Anka, as well as journalists, showgirls, and historians. The series is produced for CNN by Bungalow Media+ Entertainment. [The story.]( —Going out with a big bang. The final week of 2023 was another big one for Young Sheldon, as it claimed the top spot in Nielsen’s streaming rankings for a second straight week. Disney+ got more strong returns from Percy Jackson and the Olympians as well. Young Sheldon scored 1.31b minutes of viewing time on Netflix and Max for the week of Dec. 25-31, topping second-place Bluey (1.11b) by about 200m minutes. The Crown also topped the billion-minute mark for Netflix. [The streaming rankings.]( The Media Is Melting Down ►Billionaires and private equity won't save the industry. The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Condé Nast, Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, New York Daily News, National Geographic and The Baltimore Sun have all been in the news just this month for layoffs, cost-cutting, labor walkouts or bleak prognosticating. THR's Alex Weprin writes that the grim times across the media industry are reminiscent of 2008 — but unlike then, insiders are less optimistic this time about any sort of recovery. [The story.]( —Betting on entertainment. Alex has the scoop on digital news outlet Axios launching a new studio division that will develop and produce original nonfiction film and series programming. The new division, Axios Entertainment, is led by Erica Winograd and has projects in development with Tom Brady’s Shadow Lion, Chrissy Teigen's Huntley Productions, Guy Ritchie, Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas, Ample Entertainment, and Maven, the company says. [The story.]( —"We will execute decisively to engage new audiences." After the sudden resignation of a top editor and a transformational round of layoffs, The Los Angeles Times' owner has named the newspaper’s new interim leader: editorial page editor Terry Tang. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong announced the appointment on Thursday, telling staff that the decision heralded a new direction for the organization. [The story.]( —Evacuation. Employees at CAA headquarters in Century City were forced to evacuate Thursday over a security threat. Agents and employees were instructed to leave the offices at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City for an evacuation that occurred out of “an abundance of caution,” according to a note sent to employees, while the threat was being investigated. Sources note that SWAT officers were present at the building, as well as at least one bomb-sniffing dog. The offices will reopen Friday. [The story.]( —It's happening! Justin Timberlake has revealed he's going on a world tour. The singer-actor dropped the news during his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Thursday. The Forget Tomorrow World Tour is set to kick off on April 29 in Vancouver, Canada. He will be making many more stops, including Seattle, Washington; Phoenix, Arizona; Fort Worth, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Miami, Florida. Tickets go on sale Feb. 2. [The story.]( Swift AI Nudes Provoke Fandom Uproar on X ►"Disgusting as hell." Pornographic images of Taylor Swift that were generated using AI have been circulating on social media, provoking massive outrage among her fans and beyond. The deep fake images were seen at least 22m times before X cracked down on the posts. Swift fans rallied to report the images and also flooded the social media site with positive posts about the singer that contained keywords such as “Taylor Swift AI” to try and drown out the lurid fakes, causing the topic to trend Thursday morning. [The story.]( —"We have to draw a line in the sand." George Carlin’s estate is suing over the release of a comedy special that uses generative AI to mimic the deceased comedian’s voice and style of humor. The lawsuit accuses the creators of the special, titled George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead, of utilizing without consent or compensation Carlin’s entire body of work consisting of five decades of comedy routines to train an AI chatbot, which wrote the episode’s script. It also takes issue with using his voice and likeness for promotional purposes. [The story.]( —Another lawsuit. WWE founder Vince McMahon and a former executive have been sued for sex trafficking and battery by an ex-administrative employee, who questioned the extent of the company’s investigation into hush money payments after she wasn’t interviewed despite stating her cooperation. Janel Grant accuses the wrestling mogul of coercing her into sex with him and others at the company. She calls the company probe into sexual misconduct allegations a "sham." [The story.]( —🤝 Settlement 🤝 A legal battle between comic creator Robert Kirkman and an artist who says he was tricked into abandoning his copyright to Invincible has settled. Lawyers for Kirkman and William Crabtree, a colorist for the first 50 issues who claims he co-created the series, notified the court of an agreement to resolve the case, according to a notice of settlement filed Thursday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. A jury trial was set to start Feb. 20. [The story.]( TV Review: 'Expats' ►"An empathetic drama with no easy answers." THR's [Angie Han]( reviews Amazon Prime Video's Expats. Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo star in Lulu Wang’s adaptation of Janice Y.K. Lee's novel The Expatriates that tells the story of three American women in Hong Kong struggling to move on after a tragedy. [The review.]( —"What's not inside is the problem." THR's chief film critic [David Rooney]( reviews Greg Jardin's It's What's Inside. Netflix made the largest acquisition out of Sundance, paying $17m for this psychological thriller about a reunited group of college friends and a party game gone wrong. [The review.]( —"Best when it grounds its meta-commentary in a real story." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews Jack Begert's Little Death. David Schwimmer, Talia Ryder, Gaby Hoffmann and Dominic Fike co-star in this Darren Aronofsky-produced satire about thwarted ambition. [The review.]( —"Sweet and very salty." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Charles Stone III's The Underdoggs. Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter and Mike Epps star in this R-rated Amazon Prime Video sports flick, which was produced by Kenya Barris. [The review.]( Thank Pod It's Friday ►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio. —TV's Top 5. THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( and [Dan Fienberg]( break down the latest TV news. This week's episode begins with the headlines with news on Sex and the City, Rick and Morty and The Flight Attendant. There's a section on Jon Stewart's shock return to The Daily Show and another on Netflix's $5b swing at WWE rights. There's also discussion on the potential suitors for Paramount and the wider dire state of the media. And Dan reviews Amazon’s Expats , Apple’s Masters of the Air, Netflix’s Griselda, Peacock’s In the Know and Sexy Beast on Paramount+. [Listen here.]( —Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this episode, Scott spoke to Ava DuVernay. The trailblazing filmmaker reflects on her circuitous path to the film industry, in which she originally worked as a publicist; the evolution of her social conscience; how her feelings about Hollywood have changed since Selma and #OscarsSoWhite; and why she is so passionate about her latest film, Origin. [Listen here.]( In other news... —Sydney Sweeney [haunted by mysterious pregnancy in Immaculate trailer]( —The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live [releases second trailer]( —Jake Gyllenhaal's [a nice guy with a mean uppercut in trailer for Road House]( —Julia Louis-Dreyfus [meets death in the form of a talking bird in A24’s Tuesday trailer]( —Christopher Nolan’s Tenet [sets rerelease in Imax to promote Dune sequel]( —Lionsgate Alternative Television [signs with UTA]( —Pureplay Entertainment [opens Nashville office, hires music execs]( —Sofia Richie [expecting baby girl with husband Elliot Grainge]( —[Nerene Virgin]( actress on the kids TV show Today’s Special, dies at 77 ​​​What else we're reading... —Tom Dotan and Charley Grant look at how an aggressive push into AI helped Microsoft become the second company to cross $3t in market cap [[WSJ]( —Patrick Lenton reports on the ever-so-slightly unhinged fan campaign to save Our Flag Means Death after it was shockingly canceled by Max earlier this month [[Guardian]( —With the Paris Olympics coming up fast, Liz Alderman warns sports fans thinking of heading to the City of Light of crazy prices for tickets, hotels and pretty much everything else [[NYT]( —Rebecca Jennings tries to make sense of the TikTokers documenting their life aboard a nine-month world cruise that has come to dominate the social media platform [[Vox]( —Here's your Friday list: "The 25 worst ways to be killed by Jason Statham" [[Vulture]( Today... ...in 2018, Kino Lorber gave a limited release to Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai's documentary West of the Jordan River. Featuring interviews with Israelis and Palestinians, the filmmaker tours the occupied West Bank in search of ways to break the political stalemate. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Joseph Quinn (30), David Strathairn (75), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (65), Ellen DeGeneres (66), Mimi Leder (72), [Park Hae-il]( (47), George Tillman Jr. (55), Taylor James (44), Sara Rue (45), Hannah Arterton (35), Kelly Stables (46), María Pedraza (28), Paul Johansson (60), Tracy Middendorf (54), Cameron Bright (31), Gilles Marini (48), Ester Expósito (24), Rachel DiPillo (33), Addison Riecke (20), Celia Keenan-Bolger (46), Björn Andrésen (69), Edwin Hodge (39), Kathryn Leigh Scott (81), Hemky Madera (47), Lucy Loken (25), Cyia Batten (52) Herbert “Cowboy” Coward, who as the sadistic toothless man in John Boorman’s Deliverance terrorized canoeists and audiences alike with the chilling line, “He got a real pretty mouth, ain’t he?,” has been killed in a car accident. He was 85. 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