• Sony Pictures’ “The Woman King,” starring Viola Davis, debuted at the top of the weekend box office, surpassing expectations with $19 million in ticket sales. 20th Century Studios’ horror film “Barbarian” fell to the second spot with $6.3 million, while A24’s horror prequel “Pearl” debuted at third place with $3.1 million. (The Associated Press)
  
• A report in Vanity Fair details the troubling behavior and misconduct allegations against “The Flash” star Ezra Miller, citing more than a dozen sources who claim the actor verbally and emotionally abused those around them and allegedly suffers from delusions. Warner Bros. Discovery and Miller declined to comment for the story, but a source close to the situation said Miller is working with a PR crisis professional and is considering undergoing therapy, while three sources say their legal problems have disappeared through nondisclosure agreements and paying off alleged victims. (Vanity Fair)
  
• Apple Inc. is reportedly discussing the possibility of releasing “Emancipation,” a Civil War era film starring Will Smith, by the end of the year in order to qualify for the 2023 Oscars, according to three people who worked on the film. The film, which completed filming before Smith’s infamous slap of comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, reportedly received positive reactions at an audience test screening. (The New York Times)
• Woody Allen plans to retire from filmmaking after his upcoming film to focus on writing, the director said in a recent interview with a Spanish newspaper. Allen has been shooting films in Europe after support for him in the United States cratered following sexual abuse allegations. (Variety)
  

If You Work in Film and TV, Get Ready for Layoffs

Bloomberg

SAG-AFTRA Issues “Do Not Work” Order Against Essential Audiobooks

David Robb, Deadline

SAG-AFTRA on Friday told its members to stop working for Essential Audiobooks for “failing to pay performers.” The guild filed a grievance and then an arbitration, but says the company didn’t respond to communications from either the guild or the American Arbitration Association.

L.A. judge halts claims by script supervisor against ‘Rust’ producers

Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times

Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor on the movie “Rust,” won’t be able to bring the bulk of her complaint against the film’s producers over a deadly shooting on the set, a judge ruled Friday.

As Regal Owner Cineworld Goes Chapter 11, Studios Gauge Hollywood Fallout

Georg Szalai and Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter

As the theater giant shutters some locations, industry sources appraise the financial reverberations: “On a scale of one to 10, this is a three.”

Hollywood Effects Artists Say It’s Time to Unionize

Thomas Buckley, Bloomberg

Graphics account for 60% of film budgets, yet the people who make them are some of the industry’s last to organize.

David Zaslav’s Strategy Shift: Licensing Out Warners’ IP Treasure

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter

The mogul’s “open for business” mantra has led Warner Bros. Discovery to aggressively pursue rights deals — even for its core brands.

Disney Shows Adjusted Pay Data by Race and Gender for First Time

Jeff Green, Bloomberg

Walt Disney Co. released data on employee pay by race and gender for the first time Friday, and committed to provide more compensation information within 18 months.

Oscars Show Hires Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner as Producers

Steve Pond, The Wrap

Both men have extensive experience in live television rather than film

Academy Announces Plans to Incorporate Crafts Into Oscars Broadcast and Improve Membership Engagement

Marcus Jones, IndieWire

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang also discussed the Oscars’ Inclusion Standards and new International Feature requirements.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ to close on Broadway next year

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

“The Phantom of the Opera” — Broadway’s longest-running show — is scheduled to close in February 2023, the biggest victim yet of the post-pandemic softening in theater attendance in New York.

Steven Spielberg’s ‘Fabelmans’ wins Toronto audience award

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical coming-of-age drama “The Fabelmans” won the Toronto International Film Festival’s top prize, the People’s Choice Award, solidifying its early status as Academy Awards frontrunner.

HBO Max Film Art Makes Cigars, Cigarettes Disappear

Katie Reul, Variety

As the pioneer of premium cable, HBO became popular for a programming lineup that offered plenty of adult-oriented choices alongside shows for children. But the cabler’s streaming service HBO Max continues to make tweaks in the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, film enthusiasts are fearful the service is over-compensating in trying to protect viewers from the dangers of smoking — through removing images of cigarettes and cigars.

The New, Improved James Cameron Wants to Reintroduce You to ‘Avatar’

Dave Itzkoff, The New York Times

Before the release of the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the iconoclastic filmmaker explains why he’s bringing the first film back to theaters.

Sony Announces New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie, Pushes ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’

Zack Sharf, Variety

Sony Pictures has announced the “return of the original ‘Karate Kid’ franchise” to the big screen by dating a new “Karate Kid” movie for June 7, 2024.

‘Constantine’ Sequel in the Works With Keanu Reeves

Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter

The HBO Max series from J.J. Abrams based on the character is no longer moving forward at the streamer.

What the Hell Is Happening with ‘Ted Lasso’?

Matthew Belloni, Puck News

Apple’s zeitgeist-defining Emmys magnet has been plagued by production delays and the perfectionism of star-auteur Jason Sudeikis. But the biggest obstacle to Season 3 might be the unresolved question of how streaming blockbusters are valued, and who reaps the benefits, in the post-TV era of television.

Leonardo DiCaprio Could Be Asked to Join ‘Squid Game’ Cast, Season 2 Set for 2024, Says Director Hwang Dong-hyuk

Rebecca Souw, Variety

Leonardo DiCaprio could be invited to join the cast of Netflix’s Emmy winning global smash hit “Squid Game” in a future season, series writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk has said.

Piracy Numbers Shed Light on ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Rings of Power’s’ Fantasy Faceoff

Bill Bradley, Adweek

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff has an edge over Prime Video’s “Lord of the Rings” series

For Gen Z, TikTok Is the New Search Engine

Kalley Huang, The New York Times

Need to find a restaurant or figure out how to do something? Young people are turning to TikTok to search for answers. Google has noticed.

YouTube remains rife with misogyny and harassment, creators say

Taylor Lorenz, The Washington Post

If a woman creator goes viral,YouTubeers told The Post, she will undoubtedly be subject to a waterfall of hateful comments.

Massive GTA 6 gameplay video leak depicts male and female playable characters

Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch

The trove of data, which PCGamer discovered via a GTAForums post by the alleged hacker themselves, contains some 90 videos of clips from the game, with debug code and interfaces running and helping back up the veracity of the claims.

Bad Bunny’s ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ Has Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Since 2016

Keith Caulfield, Billboard

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti holds at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Sept. 24), notching an 11th nonconsecutive week atop the list.

Ludacris’ manager charged with murder in shooting that left him injured

Dennis Romero, NBC News

Music entrepreneur Chaka Zulu, the longtime manager of rapper Ludacris, was charged with murder in a June shooting in which he was injured, Atlanta police announced Saturday.

Lady Gaga Breaks Down in Tears After Abruptly Stopping Miami Concert Amid Lightning Storm

Mitchell Peters, Billboard

‘What’s more worth it to me is life,’ the pop star and actress said through tears in a video post.

Post Malone is ‘sorry’ for on-stage accident in St. Louis

The Associated Press

Post Malone apologized to his St. Louis fans Sunday for an on-stage accident that sent him to the hospital and shortened his set the night before at the Enterprise Center.

Palm Trees Near the Hollywood Bowl Catch Fire Following ‘Sound of Music’ Sing-along

Shafiq Najib, People

Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department said no injuries were reported, and the venue was left untouched