Disney Family Back Iger in Fight With Peltz; Bill Weinstein Sues Verve Over Exit; Richard Lewis' Chemistry With Larry David; 'Elsbeth' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( March 01, 2024 What's news: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Happy St. David's Day!/Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 BBC Studios has taken full ownership of BritBox. Selma Blair has parted ways with CAA. Elon Musk has sued OpenAI. Starz has renewed BMF. The next feature from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert will hit theaters in June 2026. Emily Blunt is eyeing a reunion with Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. Disney Family Back Iger in Fight With Peltz ►"We know that our grandfather would be especially proud of what Disney means to the world today." The grandchildren of Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney are voicing their support for Bob Iger in his board battle against billionaire Nelson Peltz. Two separate letters were sent to shareholders Thursday from each set of grandchildren, including Abigail Disney, who has been outspoken against recent Disney practices. One letter calls activist investor Peltz one of the "wolves in sheep’s clothing" and also one of the "villains" in a Disney story. [The story.]( —"This is not the Wild West." Bill Weinstein has sued Verve talent agency stemming from his exit as CEO, accusing the firm’s leadership of conspiring to oust him in a move to sell the company without cutting him in on the deal. Weinstein, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday, claimed that agency co-founders Bryan Besser and Adam Levine terminated him following his attempts to resolve a deadlock on personnel and administrative matters such as board of director composition and compensation. He says he was fired for unspecified “cause,” which allowed Verve to purchase his equity interest at a substantial discount. [The story.]( —"A closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company." Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against ChatGPT owner OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging the AI company’s alliance with Microsoft has changed its mission from building AI systems for the benefit of humanity to corporate profits. Musk helped found OpenAI in 2015, agreeing with co-founders Altman and Greg Brockman, the president of the firm, to focus on non-profit work. The X owner left the board of the start-up in 2018 before OpenAI launched a for-profit unit. [The story.]( —🤝 Full ownership, innit 🤝 BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial content studio and streaming business, is acquiring ITV’s 50 percent stake in BritBox International for $322m. The deal, announced Friday, will give BBC Studios full ownership of the BritBox streaming platform and values the unit at $631m. As part of the agreement, BBC Studios has extended its licensing agreements with ITV. [The story.]( —End of an era. Oprah Winfrey is parting ways with Weight Watchers after nearly 10 years on the company’s board of directors and being the public face of the company. Winfrey disclosed in December that she was using a prescription drug to manage her weight. According to the company’s last proxy statement, Winfrey’s stake was valued at more than $18m before it announced her exit. Weight Watchers says that Winfrey will donate all her shares to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. [The story.]( Richard Lewis Delighted in Sparring With Larry David on 'Curb' ►"There’s a real energy of two real friends going after it. You can't fake it." In the wake of Richard Lewis' death, THR's [Jackie Strause]( spoke to Curb Your Enthusiasm executive producer Jeff Schaffer about the chemistry between Lewis and his longtime friend and co-star Larry David, a chemistry epitomized by a particular season 12 episode. [The interview.]( —All change. THR's [Chris Gardner]( and [Carly Thomas]( report that Selma Blair has parted ways with her agents at CAA as well as her publicity team at Narrative. It also appears that the actress has made changes to her management and legal reps as well. The change up comes weeks after Blair faced backlash for posting an anti-Islam comment on another Instagram user’s video, which was seemingly defending the Jewish community in the wake of the Israel–Hamas war. [The story.]( —More big names. Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef have been added as presenters for the 2024 Oscars, showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producers Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan announced Thursday. [The story.]( —"I am humbled and delighted." Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan is returning to Cannes Film Festival, this time to head up the Un Certain Regard jury as president. A veteran of the Croisette, Dolan won the Jury Prize at Cannes with Mommy in 2014 and the Grand Prix trophy for It’s Only the End of the World in 2016. Dolan made his first entry in the Un Certain Regard sidebar with his second film, Heartbeats, in 2010. Two years later, his film Laurence Anyways earned the section prize for best actress for Suzanne Clement. [The story.]( Netflix Orders First Procedural Medical Drama ►Own brand Grey's. Netflix has handed out a series order to Pulse, in what it says is its first procedural medical drama series. The series, which is created by Zoe Robyn (The Equalizer), is set at Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center as they navigate medical emergencies. Justina Machado returns to Netflix after starring in its One Day at a Time update and stars as Natalie Cruz, a doctor who serves as chair of surgery and emergency medicine. Robyn and Carlton Cuse will serve as co-showrunners and exec produce the series. [The story.]( —They pulled him back in. Terence Winter is returning to Tulsa King. The Sopranos veteran is back on board the Paramount+ drama after being the showrunner of its 2022 debut season. Winter and Tulsa King's creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan famously conflicted about the creative direction of the series. The drama follows a former mobster, played by Sylvester Stallone, who forms a new crime empire in Oklahoma. [The story.]( —BMF BFD. Starz has handed out an early season four renewal for BMF, the drama from executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. The pickup arriving a day before the series otherwise known as Black Mafia Family launches its third cycle. The show is based on the lives of Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who parlayed a successful drug business into the world of hip-hop. [The story.]( —🎭 Filling out 🎭 Chaske Spencer has signed on to Peacock’s horror thriller series Teacup, which is inspired by Robert McCammon’s novel Stinger. The Echo star joins Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman in the series from Universal Studio Group’s UCP and James Wan’s Atomic Monster. Details on Spencer’s role are being kept under wraps for now. [The story.]( —Godmother dominance. Netflix’s Griselda spent a second week as the top streaming title in the U.S., according to Nielsen. It was one of three shows to snag more than a billion minutes of watch time for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4. Mr. and Mrs. Smith also had a solid start for Amazon’s Prime Video, coming in just below the billion-minute mark. HBO’s True Detective: Night Country also joined the rankings as it reached the midpoint of its fourth season. [The streaming rankings.]( Oscars' Best Casting Award ►Which movies would’ve won over 96 years of Academy history? For THR, Oscarmetrics author Ben Zauzmer conducts a year-by-year "what if," guided by math, to make educated guesses filling in a nearly century-long gap of recognition for casting directors. [The list.]( —The spice is flowing! Dune: Part Two is off to a promising start at the foreign box office, where it opened to $5.2m on Wednesday from its first 13 markets. Including previews, the running foreign tally is $7.6m. The Legendary and Warner Bros. film debuted in a raft of additional countries on Thursday, before playing in a total of 71 territories by the weekend. France led on Wednesday with $1.4m, followed by South Korea with $1.1m. [The box office report.]( —📅 Dated 📅 Almost a year after Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated the Oscars, the filmmaking duo behind the indie sensation are getting closer to their next feature. Universal has set a June 12, 2026, release date for the next film from filmmakers Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). No other details were available, though the studio is describing it as an “untitled event film,” suggesting a large scope for the project. [The story.]( —Jungle Cruise reunion. Emily Blunt is in talks to star opposite Dwayne Johnson in A24’s The Smashing Machine, which is written and directed by Benny Safdie. Johnson is set to play real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr, a two-time UFC champion, Blunt would star as Dawn Staples, Kerr's new wife. [The story.]( —No Legacy. James Gunn revealed that his new Superman movie will simply be called Superman, dropping the Legacy suffix that the title had when the film was first announced. In an Instagram post celebrating the first day of filming, Gunn aslo shared a photo of the Superman logo the film will use. [The story.]( —Heading into space. Thunder Road has acquired the movie rights to iconic sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury’s short story Frost and Fire. Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper are attached to direct the feature adaptation, based on a script written by Doug Simon. Frost and Fire follows the intrepid young pilot of a space mining mission who finds himself scrambling to survive after crash-landing on a mysterious planet where life moves at a frighteningly accelerated pace. [The story.]( The Rise and Fall of Paramount During Hollywood's Golden Age ►"A company that, from the very start, meant tops in this business." For THR, Thomas Doherty, a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, writes that Paramount Pictures, the venerable movie studio now up for grabs, once defined the industry's zeal for consolidation, pioneering vertical integration and serving as the model for each of its major rivals. [The story.]( —"It's incredible." Will Forte has posted an open letter to the cast and crew of Coyote vs. Acme after he finally got to watch his own film. Amid heavy rumors the film is officially dead following Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent quarterly report that included a mysterious $115m tax write-off, Forte admitted he assumed the film must have been “a hunk of junk … but then I saw it.” Forte’s comments also seem to confirm that the movie will not be released, following news WBD was entertaining offers to sell it. [The story.]( —"Hop the 3:15 freight to Windrixvill." Four decades after its release, director Francis Ford Coppola took to Instagram on Thursday to share audition tapes from his 1983 film, The Outsiders. The film, based on the 1963 novel by S.E. Hinton, is known for, among other things, launching the careers of many of its young stars, including Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon and Emilio Estévez. In his post, Coppola recounted his unique casting process for the project. [The story.]( TV Review: 'Elsbeth' ►"A comfort-food spinoff." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews CBS' Elsbeth. Carrie Preston’s Good Wife character, the cheery and calculating Elsbeth Tascioni, leaps from her Chicago legal practice to a Columbo-esque mystery-solving gig in New York City in Robert and Michelle King's new series. [The review.]( —"Riveting and propulsive." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews Johan Grimonprez's Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat. In this kinetic doc, delves into Belgium's past to investigate the plot against Congolese independence. [The review.]( —"A reverent biopic in every sense." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Alejandro Monteverde's Cabrini. The story of the Italian nun who established an empire of charitable institutions is recounted in this biographical drama from Angel Studios, starring Cristiana Dell’Anna, John Lithgow, Romana Maggiora Vergano, David Morse and Giancarlo Giannini. [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, the 250th, features an in-depth interview with married showrunners Michelle and Robert King, who discuss their new show Elsbeth, the Carrie Preston vehicle in which the beloved actress reprises her role from both The Good Fight and The Good Wife. [Listen here.]( —Awards Chatter. THR's executive awards editor Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood. In this live episode, Scott spoke to Celine Song. The Korean-Canadian filmmaker, who is Oscar-nominated for her autobiographical feature debut Past Lives, reflects on her transition from playwright to director, and the biggest challenges that a first-time helmer faces. [Listen here.]( In other news... —Netflix’s [new releases coming in March 2024]( —Camila Mendes, Rudy Mancuso [connect through rhythm in Música trailer]( —Jared Leto shares [Tron: Ares first look image]( —Essence [sets talent lineup for fifth annual Hollywood House event]( —Vanderpump stars [Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright split after 4 years of marriage]( —Allegra Madsen [named executive director of LGBTQ org Frameline]( —Sarah van Mosel [returns to SiriusXM as podcast strategy executive]( —[Dave Myers]( Hairy Bikers star, dies at 66 —[Nina Avramides]( longtime manager for Jimmy Buffett, dies at 82 ​​​What else we're reading... —Chris Morris breaks down what's driving all the layoffs in the video game industry [[Fast Company]( —Charlotte Klein reports that the NYT is conducting a leak investigation after The Intercept broke a story on how an episode of The Daily related to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel was pulled [[Vanity Fair]( —Kevin Fallon reflects on a big week for the U.K. where the Willy Wonka fiasco in Glasgow and the whereabouts of Kate Middleton dominated the discourse [[Daily Beast]( —Citing Dead Ringers, Paris in Love, Scrambled and False Positive, critic Amanda Hess reflects on the complex layers of the onscreen infertility plot [[NYT]( —Here's your Friday list: "Richard Lewis' 10 best movies and TV shows, ranked" [[Screen Rant]( Today... ...in 2013, Fox Searchlight Pictures releases Stoker in theaters. The film, the English-language debut of Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, starred Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman and was a hit with critics. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Javier Bardem (55), Justin Bieber (30), Ron Howard (70), Don Lee (53), Kesha (37), Zack Snyder (58), Lupita Nyong'o (41), Catherine Bach (70), Zach Cregger (43), Brad Falchuk (53), Joachim Trier (50), Jensen Ackles (46), Tim Daly (68), [Mark-Paul Gosselaar]( (50), Cara Buono (53), Jack Davenport (51), Joe Tippett (42), George Eads (57), Ava Allan (24), Dirk Benedict (79), Jackson White (28), Emeraude Toubia (35), Russell Wong (61), Marco Perego (45), Daniella Monet (35), Parker Bates (17), Otmara Marrero (35), Kim Min-hee (42), Luke Mably (48), Roger Daltrey (80) Anne Whitfield, who appeared in the beloved holiday classic White Christmas and on dozens of TV shows, from Father Knows Best, 77 Sunset Strip and Perry Mason to That Girl, Ironside and Emergency!, has died. She was 85. [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](                              Â