Gen Z Obsession Reneé Rapp Gets Candid; Past Winners to Introduce Acting Nominees at Oscars; How Shane Smith Fiddled While Vice Burned; 'The Regime' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( February 28, 2024 What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is singer, songwriter and actress Reneé Rapp. Disney is merging its India business with Reliance Industries. Dune: Part Two is eyeing a $150m+ worldwide opening at the box office. Lionsgate has filled out its cast for its Michael Jackson biopic. Netflix is set to produce Peter Morgan's Broadway play Patriots. Eugene Levy has joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. Gen Z Obsession Reneé Rapp Gets Candid ►On the cover. Reneé Rapp is having a moment. The Mean Girls actor turned pop star recently completed a sold-out U.S. tour, selling more than 65,000 tickets within the first 24 hours. Her Interscope Records debut, Snow Angel, is a pop album with a mix of bops and ballads, with Rapp spilling her feelings on all the songs, whether she’s telling you she loves you or to fuck off. Rapp dishes to THR's [Mesfin Fekadu]( about her love for Justin Bieber, getting flowers from Beyoncé and how playing a lesbian on The Sex Lives of College Girls changed her life: "I don’t see a character. I’m like, 'That’s me.'" [The cover story.]( Oscars: Past Winners to Introduce Acting Nominees ►Finally! THR's Scott Feinberg has the big scoop on the Academy bringing back a hugely popular format to this year's Oscars telecast that it first and last tried at the ceremony held 15 years ago. The 2009 Oscars remains an all-time favorite for many, largely because of the thrilling way in which the four acting Oscars were presented: Five past winners introduced the five current nominees for each award. Scott reports that the Field of Dreams-like format is coming back this year. [The story.]( —Brutally honest Oscar ballot No. 1. And we are back with Academy voters, with the benefit of anonymity, giving us their unfiltered views on the Oscar contenders. First up is a member of the Academy's short films and feature animation branch who says that The Zone of Interest is the clear best picture, Poor Things deserves a makeup Oscar for "Willem Dafoe's face alone — holy sh**" and that Oppenheimer "makes me sad that one day I'm going to die, because I won't get to see movies like this." [The honest ballot.]( How Shane Smith Fiddled While Vice Burned ►"He was good at selling a brand and a vibe but it wasn’t real." How did Vice, the Brooklyn media giant valued at $5.7b just a few years ago, wind up going bankrupt and folding its newsroom? THR's [Lachlan Cartwright]( writes that you don't really need to look any further than Vice's brash (and still highly paid) founder Shane Smith, whom many blame for its demise. [The analysis.]( —🤝 Deal done 🤝 Disney is officially merging its India business with Reliance Industries, forming a joint venture that will bring together Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney’s Star India. Disney has been exploring options for its India business for months, and the deal with Reliance has been rumored for some time. On Wednesday, the companies made it official. Under the terms of the deal, Reliance will invest $1.4b into the JV, which is valued at $8.5b. [The story.]( —"A transformational year." Despite the SAG-AFTRA strike dragging on well into the fourth quarter (not to mention the WGA strike ending just as the quarter began), Endeavor's WME business saw earnings growth in Q4 thanks to the agency’s music, sports and fashion representation segments. Endeavor disclosed its latest earnings results Wednesday morning, reporting revenue of $1.58b, a net loss of $29.3m, and adjusted EBITDA of $292.8m. The company also disclosed $56m in restructuring and impairment charges. [The results.]( —Wooo! In the first full quarter to incorporate WWE earnings since its formation, TKO Group Holdings reported revenue of $614m and adjusted EBITDA of $223.2m, laying a roadmap for growth in 2024 and beyond as the company seeks to capitalize on its media rights renewals, as well as live events and sponsorship growth. TKO was formed last September when Endeavor spun out the UFC and merged it with the WWE. [The results.]( —Ooooof... Sony is the latest tech and gaming giant to undergo a significant round of layoffs. The company’s Sony Interactive Entertainment unit is cutting 8 percent of its workforce, or about 900 people, its CEO Jim Ryan told employees Tuesday morning. The division includes Sony’s PlayStation devices, as well as multiple game development studios. [The story.]( —Meh. Imax released its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday, and posted slightly lower net earnings on falling overall revenues. That came amid tentpoles like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Wonka playing on the company’s large format screens. Overall fourth-quarter revenue came to $86m, down 12 percent from a year-earlier $98m when Imax was boosted by the rapid reopening of cinemas in China. [The results.]( 'Dune 2' Eyes $150M-$175M Global Opening ►Rejoice! After enduring one of the worst early winters in years (outside the pandemic), theaters are banking on Dune: Part Two to usher in a steady stream of event fare that was delayed by last year’s labor strikes. THR's [Pamela McClintock]( writes that year-to-date, the box office is running 18 percent behind last year, and more than 38 percent behind 2019. In terms of Part Two’s potential this weekend, tracking services have it opening to $74m domestic and at least $85m overseas. [The box office report.]( —🎭 Young and old 🎭 Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic has found the rest of its Jackson 5. The studio announced eight new castmembers on Tuesday who are joining Michael to fill out both the younger and older versions of Jackson’s four brothers. Jayden Harville and Jamal R. Henderson will portray younger and older Jermaine. Marlon will be played by Jaylen Lyndon Hunter and Tre Horton. Tito will be brought to life by Judah Edwards and Rhyan Hill. And Nathaniel Logan McIntyre and Joseph David-Jones will portray Jackie. [The story.]( —Gloves are off. A legal fight is brewing over the upcoming Road House remake, with the original film’s screenwriter suing Amazon MGM Studios. R. Lance Hill, in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, accuses MGM Studios and its parent, Amazon, of copyright infringement for refusing to license his 1986 screenplay after he allegedly clawed back the rights to his work. The lawsuit claims generative AI was used to finish the movie, which stalled amid the actors strike, in violation of collective bargaining agreements. Hill is seeking a court order to block the release of the movie. [The story.]( Netflix to Produce Peter Morgan’s Broadway Play 'Patriots' ►A first. Netflix has joined as a producer of the stage play Patriots, marking the streamer's first Broadway producing credit. The historical play, which is written by The Crown creator Peter Morgan, is set in 1991 and follows Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky trying to recruit a then-unknown Vladimir Putin to run for president. Netflix confirmed that it is also developing a screen adaptation of the play. While this is Netflix’s first Broadway credit, the streamer is also a producer on the London production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. [The story.]( —🎭 Treading the boards 🎭 Sandra Oh will appear in the Off-Broadway premiere of The Welkin, written by Lucy Kirkwood, at Atlantic Theater Company this spring. The Emmy nominee has previously appeared on the New York stage in Off-Broadway productions including Satellites, Stop Kiss and Wild Goose Dreams. Directed by Sarah Benson, an Obie Award winner for her direction of Fairview, The Welkin is scheduled to begin performances at the Linda Gross Theater on May 16, and to open June 12, for a limited engagement through June 30. [The story.]( In 'Expats,' Stalwart Actors of Color Show Their Range ►"Each of these actors received their breaks when a filmmaker... had the vision and authority to create those meatier parts." THR's [Rebecca Sun]( writes that in an industry that loves established stars and next big things, the working class of POC actors tend to be passed over for substantial roles. Not so on Lulu Wang's Amazon Prime Video series Expats, where veterans Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee are, finally, "receiving their flowers." [The story.]( —"Thrilled generations of fans for over five decades." The longest-running scripted series in CBS’ history will add several more years to its total. The network has ordered four more seasons of its daytime soap The Young and the Restless. The renewal — which comes as a previous four-year pickup is about to end — will take the show through its 55th season in 2027-28. [The story.]( —🎭 Another gem 🎭 Eugene Levy is the newest castmember to join Only Murders in the Building season four. The Emmy-winning actor will have a recurring role in the series’ upcoming season, marking his first regular television role since Schitt’s Creek ended. Levy is the third new actor introduced for season four. His casting follows Molly Shannon and Eva Longoria, who will both have recurring roles in the series. [The story.]( —🎭 Il Loto Bianco 🎭 Jesse Williams has landed the lead role in Costiera, an Italian original drama from Amazon Prime Video. Williams will play Daniel De Luca, a half-Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, his childhood home, as a fixer in a luxury hotel where one of the owner’s daughters disappears. Production on Costiera on the Amalfi Coast follows the success of the second season of The White Lotus, the HBO series also set in a luxury hotel in the same picturesque region of Italy. [The story.]( —Let's go! Amazon Prime Video is moving forward with its Benito Skinner comedy. The streamer has handed out a series order for Overcompensating, which has been in development since November 2022. Skinner, better known as comedian Benny Drama, stars in the college-set ensemble comedy that Amazon describes as being about the "wild, chaotic journey of Benny (Skinner), a closeted former football player and homecoming king, as he becomes fast friends with Carmen, a high school outsider on a mission to fit in at all costs." [The story.]( Israeli Filmmaker Slams German Politicians for "Antisemitic" Jibe ►"If this is what you’re doing with your guilt for the Holocaust — I don’t want your guilt." No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham has hit out at German politicians and the Israeli media for branding his award acceptance speech at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday as “antisemitic.” In a post on X, Abraham, part of a collective of four Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers that took home the prize for best documentary at the Berlinale for No Other Land, said he had received death threats and had to cancel his flight back to Israel. [The story.]( —Dramatic escalation. In Germany, the heated debate over the awards ceremony of this year’s Berlin Film Festival shows no signs of cooling down. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann called out the Berlinale for allowing what he called “antisemitic” statements from multiple filmmakers to go unchallenged at the awards gala. Buschmann said the film festival “suffered serious damage” as a result and suggested there could be criminal consequences for some of the statements and slogans. [The story.]( —"I have no choice but to rest thoroughly." Adele has revealed that she had to postpone several dates of her Las Vegas residency due to an illness that has taken a toll on her voice. The Grammy-winning singer shared the news on her Instagram Tuesday, writing, "Sadly, I have to take a beat and pause by Vegas residency. I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break." The impacted shows include all her dates throughout March. [The story.]( —Convicted. Two men were convicted of murder Tuesday in the death of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, a brazen 2002 shooting in the rap legend’s studio. An anonymous Brooklyn federal jury found Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington guilty on charges of murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and firearm-related murder for killing the pioneering DJ over what prosecutors characterized as revenge for a failed drug deal. [The story.]( —Assault allegation. Taylor Swift’s father is being accused of attacking a paparazzo on Tuesday morning in Sydney after exiting a boat with the pop superstar, just hours after her final performance of her Eras Tour in the capital. Scott Swift has been a fixture as his daughter’s sold-out shows have moved from city to city. On Tuesday, the 71-year-old dubbed Papa Swift by fans allegedly charged at a photographer after he and his daughter disembarked a boat around 2:30 a.m. in Sydney. [The story.]( 'Office Space' at 25 ►"I don't know that there's a right way to market this movie." Office Space, Mike Judge's enduring and endlessly quotable workplace satire, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. THR's resident mischief-maker [Ryan Gajewski]( spoke to the film's creative team about the making of the comedy, including studio tension, favorite improvised lines, residual checks, typecasting and the surprising path to classic status. [The interview.]( —"One of the worst nightmares would be to be forgotten." For THR, Brande Victorian spoke to The Rookie star and executive producer Nathan Fillion about the ABC cop show hitting 100 episodes. Fillion recalls how his show survived the strikes and pandemic to become a bonafide hit. [The interview.]( —"Sometimes the difference between real Larry and TV Larry is vast. And sometimes, there’s no difference at all." THR's queen of chat [Jackie Strause]( spoke to Curb Your Enthusiasm executive producer Jeff Schaffer about the latest episode of the HBO comedy. Schaffer reveals the episode's country club storyline is based in reality. [The interview.]( —One last dance. Sam Waterston said goodbye to NBC's long-running drama Law & Order last week, ending his 19-season, 405-episode run as prosecutor-turned-New York County District Attorney Jack McCoy. THR's [Rick Porter]( spoke to Waterston about being the longest-tenured castmember of the original series, why he returned when the show was revived in 2022 and why he’s not in a big hurry to find his next acting work. Warning: Spoilers! [The interview.]( TV Review: 'The Regime' ►"Kate the Great, Show the OK." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews HBO's The Regime. Kate Winslet plays the autocratic chancellor of a fictional European republic in this new six-parter from Succession veteran Will Tracy. [The review.]( In other news... —The Valley: [Jax Taylor and Kristen Doute bring on the drama in trailer for Vanderpump spinoff]( —First [look at German fantasy epic Hagen]( —Kelsea Ballerini [set to host and perform at CMT Music Awards]( —Latto to [headline Women’s Final Four free concert]( —Fox Entertainment CEO [Rob Wade to keynote Banff Festival]( —Max Greenfield [to publish children’s book inspired by Leslie Jordan]( —@JerryGogosian's [Hilde Lynn Helphenstein signs with UTA]( —[McCanna Anthony Sinise]( Gary Sinise's son, dies at 33 —[Buddy Duress]( Robert Pattinson’s Good Time co-star, dies at 38 ​​​What else we're reading... —Anne Steele and Meghan Bobrowsky break down Universal Music Group deploying the "nuclear option" against TikTok and pulling its music off the platform [[WSJ]( —Stacy Perman talks to billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz about his ongoing, and increasingly fractious, battle with Disney's Bob Iger [[LAT]( —Scarlett Harris writes that Saltburn's "tacky rich-kid" fashion (a blend of aristocratic and Y2K styles) is taking over [[BBC]( —David Canfield talks to Japanese acting icon Hiroyuki Sanada about his new FX show Shōgun, and his tumultuous experiences in Hollywood [[Vanity Fair]( —Will Leitch laments the slow, painful death of sports Twitter since Elon Musk took over the social media platform [[Intelligencer]( Today... ...in 2014, 20th Century Fox released the biblical epic Son of God in theaters. Produced by The Apprentice's Mark Burnett, Christopher Spencer's film, a dramatic retelling of the life of Jesus, was panned by mainstream critics but was a box office success, making $71m during its run. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Ali Larter (48), Robert Sean Leonard (55), John Turturro (67), Mercedes Ruehl (76), [Mike Figgis]( (76), Sarah Bolger (33), Rae Dawn Chong (63), Denise Gough (44), Bernadette Peters (76), Kelly Bishop (80), Katy Wix (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿44), Alice Kremelberg (34), Amanda Abbington (52), Rory Cochrane (52), Jennie Jacques (35), Noureen DeWulf (40), Stephanie Sigman (37), Geoffrey Arend (46), Angelababy (35), Charles Halford (44), Stephanie Beacham (77), Tasha Smith (53), Ilene Graff (75), Anabelle Acosta (37), Tim Baltz (43), Tommy Tune (85), Guy Maddin (68), Amat Escalante (45) E. Duke Vincent, the writer and two-time Emmy-winning producer who partnered with Aaron Spelling on such hugely popular shows as Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, 7th Heaven and Melrose Place, has died. He was 91. [The obituary.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} by The Hollywood Reporter. 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. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 11175 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 [View in Browser]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Your Privacy Rights]( | [Ad Choices]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Unsubscribe](