Ahead of her upcoming episode on Thursday, “The Drew Barrymore Show” dropped a teaser with the actress behind Galinda/Glinda, where she was surprised with the iconic wand from the “The Wizard of Oz.”

“I have something that’s extremely exciting and special. It actually was owned by The Smithsonian and now it’s owned in private hands — but for the purposes of our sit-down, they loaned it to us,” Barrymore explained in Tuesday’s preview clip. “Bring out the original Glinda wand, please.”

“Are you serious right now? Thank you guys, it’s been fun,” Grande replied as she feigned an early exit with the prop. “How did you even pull this off? Oh my god, did you break in?”

“I have to give credit to everyone on this show, because literally we were so excited about you coming here, we were like, ‘OK, let’s get the wand, let’s get Nonna,'” Barrymore added. “That is the original wand from ‘Wizard of Oz.’”

Indeed, the starry silver wand was first seen held by actress Billie Burke in the 1939 film. But this isn’t the first time Grande has been in awe over a thrillifying set piece as of late.

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As part of NBC and Peacock’s “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked,” the “Popular” singer discussed with co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey just how important props and costumes were in bringing their musical film to life.

“I’m excited to attempt to get through airport security with this,” she joked while holding her pink iteration of the wand on the Universal set. “I don’t think I’ll be stopped. We have to take these home. It’s kind of emotional, I don’t want to let go of it.”

“We’re so lucky to have these physically grounding pieces,” Grande added of Elphaba’s broom. “When you put the costume on, when you put her shoes on, when you hold our things and wear our crowns, when we’re supported by such brilliant artists who designed these pieces — that just takes it to the next level.”

“Wicked – Part I” is now playing in theaters. “The Drew Barrymore Show” airs weekdays in syndication on CBS stations.

The post Ariana Grande Receives Glinda’s Original ‘Wizard of Oz’ Wand From Drew Barrymore: ‘Oh My God!’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

While speaking at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit Actress Roundtable, Hahn was asked about working on the “WandaVision” spinoff series and, specifically, with showrunner Jac Schaeffer, and the star said that having a woman steering the ship did indeed change things.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with mostly women – women writers, directors – and there is a shift that happens where it just feels like a wholeness wanted to be brought to the table,” Hahn said. “This is me speaking crazy generalizations because there’s a lot of men that come to it with a more female point of view or female energy, but there is something a little less black and white or binary about working with a woman. There is not only expected but encouraged complexity.”

She continued, “So that’s the end of like an allowance. That I guess, would be the thing that feels different. There’s a safety and just emotional safety, especially being with a group of women. That coven in particular was vibing and buzzing.”

TheWrap’s PWS Actress Roundtable also included “True Detective: Night Country” star Kali Reis, “Before” actress Judith Light and “Thelma” star June Squibb. Light echoed Hahn’s sentiment about how an emotional safety net can make the work better – though, in her case, it was working with longtime scene partner Billy Crystal who stars opposite her in the Apple TV+ show.

“Because you’re with someone that you know and you love, and there’s comfort in that, you actually can have this incredible freedom,” Light shared. She later added, “It’s such a joy when you know somebody, relating with them, that there’s an intimacy where you don’t express and really push yourself, but because there is comfort you can go forward. You can put yourself into a different place with that person, and we can really love each other in a very deep way.”

Ultimately, Hahn further praised Schaeffer’s writing of Agatha in the “WandaVision” sequel series.

“We wanted to start with a woman without her powers, powerless, getting her powers back and finding the truth … which we also thought was really potent,” the actress said. “It felt very much in the literal sense of trying to get her power, find her voice, and at the same time being chased and in a very tangled, complicated relationship with death.”

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws. For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 coverage, click here.

The post Kathryn Hahn Says Working With Female Creatives on ‘Agatha All Along’ Fostered ‘Emotional Safety’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“We will kick off literally in about a week, some very early, gentle messaging,” Perrette said during a tech and media conference hosted by Wells Fargo on Tuesday. “We’ll start some early messaging to people who we think are definitely in the higher tier of usage.”

Beginning in the first quarter of 2025, Max will offer “a way to essentially add a member,” according to Perrette, who serves as Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming chief. He added that it’s an “art and a science” to figure out which Max users are sharing their passwords or if their account is being used in a vacation home or on a business trip.

“We will then start, gradually as we get the data … figuring out, with some explicit and implicit signals … how good we are at detecting and then as we go through [20]25 you’re going to see the filters get tighter and tighter,” Perrette said. “We think that’s a meaningful growth driver, likely more as it … begins to kick in in the back half of [20]25 and into [20]26.”

Perrette cautioned that he didn’t want to “oversell the scale” of the password crackdown and its potential margin for growth, saying “it won’t be Netflix — we haven’t been in the market for 15 years.” Still, the executive predicted the crackdown could translate into “meaningful growth driver on subs and on revenue,” likely beginning the back half of 2025 and into 2026 and 2027.

Perrette also provided several updates on HBO’s upcoming slate of releases, including revealing a February launch date for the third season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus.” He revealed that “The Last of Us” Season 2 slated for spring 2025 premiere while “Game of Thrones” prequel series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is eyeing launching in late 2025.

“Euphoria,” which is gearing up to begin production on its third season in January 2025, is looking at a 2026 premiere date, moving from its previously aimed release date in 2025.

The post Max Password Sharing Crackdown to Kick Off Next Week, WBD Exec Says appeared first on TheWrap.

“Many times when we work on projects, you get the job, and then you don’t
have a relationship with the creator or the producers. And I hate that,”
Bates said, adding that she had thought about going into “semi-retirement”
prior to reading the script. “I’ve always said I felt like a little capsule out in
space in my pod and the people behind the video screen, they’re in their
own bubble. And it makes me feel alone. It makes me feel like a child.”

With Urman’s assurances, Bates sealed the deal to star in the reimagining
of the 1980s Andy Griffith drama as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a lawyer in
her 70s who infiltrates a prestigious law firm to expose wrongdoing. Little
did the Oscar-winning actress know at the time that she would find kinship
with her costar Skye P. Marshall, who plays Olympia, the tough-to-crack
senior attorney for whom Matty works. When the they popped up on Zoom
to do one of their first joint interviews for the series, they greeted each
other warmly. “I was so excited that we’re doing this together,” Bates said,
smiling.

For Marshall, who can be seen on CBS’ “Good Sam,” the CW’s “Black
Lightning” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” the prospect of working
opposite a legend like Bates was initially intimidating, though it ended up
being what she called “the easiest acting” she’s ever done. “All I had to do
is look into her eyes and listen to her because when she delivers the line, it
comes from such a true place that if I allow myself to just feel it from an
equally truthful place, I’m going to react, I’m going to respond,” Marshall
said.

Portraying a senior woman reentering the workforce and a Black senior
attorney, respectively, both Bates and Marshall portray characters who are
historically underestimated. Matty even uses stereotypes of harmless older
women as a weapon to get ahead as she attempts to avenge the death of her
daughter. Matty resonated with Bates as she reflected on her own mother’s
journey of having Bates as an unplanned child later in life. “She gave to me
the things that I needed to grow into the woman that I wish she could have
been,” she said.

Likewise, Marshall notes Olympia isn’t “awarded the luxury to be
average”— a challenge she herself has felt tenfold across her career, which,
in addition to acting, has included active duty in the Air Force as well as
positions in the medical industry and a corporate pharmaceutical company.

“I have always had to stretch myself further to be seen, to be recognized
like Olympia,” Marshall said. “She is a warrior and sometimes she’s a mess.
It didn’t come easy and the fight’s not over, and I feel like Olympia and
Matty both hold on to that fight, hold on to that gumption that is required to
rise above.”

Any chatter about Matlock being Bates’ final project is a “misunderstanding,” according to the actress, who has no plan to slow down any time soon, especially now that “Matlock” scored an early Season 2 renewal at CBS after just two episodes. After joking that she’ll have to hire Swarovski to craft a “gorgeous walker,” she added, “I’m in really good health now. I’ve been in this business for a long time. I had talent, but it took me a long time to develop it. And I’m still developing it.”

A version of this story first appeared in the SAG Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the SAG issue here.

The post Kathy Bates Says She Had One Request for ‘Matlock’ Creator Jennie Snyder Urman Before Signing On: ‘Don’t Abandon Me’ appeared first on TheWrap.

The Taylor Sheridan hits keep coming. “Landman” secured 14.6 million global multiplatform viewers in its first seven days across Paramount+ and its linear premiere, TheWrap has exclusively learned. Based on households, this marks the biggest global premiere week ever for a Paramount+ original.

Additionally, in its second week, “Landman” reached 2.4 million domestic households, a 60% increase from its previous week. This metric was found by comparing the first day of “Landman” Week 1 to the first day of Week 2. These numbers are based off of internal data from Paramount+, which measured average minute audience for the show’s first seven days, as well as all linear plays of “Landman” (the linear metrics, which were not broken out separately, were measured by VideoAmp).

This continues a massive fall season for MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions. It all started with “Yellowstone” — the second half of Season 5 scored 21 million viewers in the United States in live plus three day viewing, making its return the most-watched installment of “Yellowstone” to date. Its premiere night alone saw 16.4 million viewers in total, according to VideoAmp, marking a 3% increase from Season 5, Part 1.

That was then followed by “Lioness” Season 2, which scored 12.4 million viewers globally across all platforms. This number accounted for viewing on Paramount+, where the series premiered on Oct. 27, as well as its linear preview, which happened the week of Nov. 10, and reflects internal global data from Paramount.

From Sheridan and Christian Wallace, the drama stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, the titular landman at an oil company in the boomtowns of West Texas. The series seeks to be a “modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs,” according to a press release for the series, and is based off the 11-part podcast “Boomtown” from Imperative Entertainment and Texas Monthly. In addition to Thornton, the series stars Demi Moore, Jon Hamm and Michael Peña, who appears in a guest role.

New episodes of “Landman” stream every Sunday exclusively on Paramount+.

The post Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ Sees 14.6 Million Global Multiplatform Viewers in First 7 Days, Biggest Debut for a Paramount+ Original | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.

David Ellison, who will run Paramount as chairman and CEO after the $8 billion transaction closes in the first half of 2025, is also looking to cut staff and trim the amount of original programming at the cable networks, the outlet reports.

As for leadership changes, Bloomberg reports that Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks is expected to stay following the merger, but co-CEO Brian Robbins is expected to depart the company, though a final decision hasn’t been made. The outlet added that the future of co-CEO Chris McCarthy, the third member of the “office of the CEO” remains “less certain.”

The Skydance chief may also explore strategic partnerships that could involve selling off the cable network, but Ellison is not open to selling off CBS, Bloomberg reports. He is also reportedly looking more closely at integrating free, ad-supported streamer Pluto TV into Paramount+.

An insider familiar with the matter emphasized to TheWrap that no decisions have been made.

Another insider familiar with the matter disputed the claim by Bloomberg about McCarthy, telling TheWrap he has been “instrumental” in making some of Paramount and Showtime’s biggest series, from “Yellowstone,” “Lioness,” “Tulsa King,” “Yellowjackets” and “Landman” to the currently running “The Agency” and the upcoming “Dexter: Original Sin.” The insider assured TheWrap that if McCarthy doesn’t end up staying, “he will for sure have options elsewhere.”

Ellison has reportedly discussed putting Skydance chief creative officer Dana Goldberg in charge of the film business. Skydance has hired former Sister global CEO Cindy Holland as an advisor to the company and she is seen as a likely candidate to take over the streaming business, Bloomberg reports.

Representatives for Skydance and Paramount declined to comment.

During a call with investors back in July, Ellison and Jeff Shell, who will serve as Paramount’s president, gave an initial outline for their plans to turn Paramount into a tech hybrid, leverage animation and sports content and rebuild the Paramount+ streaming service.

At the time, the leadership team also said they identified $2 billion in cost efficiencies and synergies as they look to manage Paramount’s declining linear business and would not rule out asset sales, though they did not cite specific assets that could be offloaded.

On that call, Shell referred to Pluto as a “very strong and powerful asset,” while RedBird Capital’s Andy Gordon said a merged Skydance and Paramount sees an opportunity in the tech platforms for Paramount+ and Pluto to drive “a lot more efficiency” and “further cash flow generation.” During a call with reporters in July, Shell referred to CBS as a “cornerstone” asset that would be part of its plans going forward.

The Paramount deal is currently being reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission. Petitions to deny the transaction are due by Dec. 16, while oppositions to petitions to deny must be filed no later than Jan. 2 and replies must be filed no later than Jan. 13.

Kayla Cobb contributed to this report

The post David Ellison May Fold Paramount TV Networks Into Single Unit, Co-CEO Brian Robbins Might Exit | Report appeared first on TheWrap.

Begleiter was let go from CAA after seven years in the agency’s recent round of executive-level layoffs. He was at UTA for 18 years before that.

“After serious consideration, it became clear to me that the opportunity to do something more entrepreneurial was ultimately undeniable. I’m excited to join the team at TFC,” Begleiter said in a Tuesday statement. “I am thrilled to work with exceptional friends and partners that I’ve spent my entire professional career getting to know and trust.”

TFC was launched in 2020 by Ben Jacobson and David Stone. Brittany Kahan Ward (who is taking part in TheWrap’s Power Women Summit) and Graciella Sanchez previously joined as partners in 2023.

“We’re so excited to welcome Joel to TFC. He’s an incredible advocate, a very well-liked and well-respected executive, and a longtime friend,” Jacobson and Stone added in a joint statement. “He brings with him not only a dynamic roster of clients, but a wealth of industry relationships and experience across a variety of mediums and genres.”

Deadline was first to report the news.

The post Former CAA Agent Joel Begleiter Boards TFC Management as Partner appeared first on TheWrap.

The series follows Centineo as Owen Hendricks, a man who just started working for the CIA as a lawyer. Most of Season 1 involved him grappling with a dangerous Eastern European asset as he got sucked further into the world of international politics. This time around, Owen will be pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea — but the more he works the case, the more he realizes there may be a bigger threat inside the Agency itself.

“Owen rolls into this season basically screwed. Owen knows that if he does not walk away with a win this season, his career is going to be over,” creator, showrunner and executive producer Alexi Hawley told TUDUM. “He might go to prison. Depending on what people are into, they can show up this season for the big, flashy, splashy action stuff, but they can also be on a journey with this guy who’s just trying to fix something that he broke.”

“Owen’s headspace is complete chaos. He has just witnessed Max — the former CIA asset whom he almost died multiple times trying to protect — get shot by her daughter Nichka. Owen is wondering how in the hell he is going to survive the next few seconds of his life,” Centineo added.

This season, Centineo will be joined by Teo Yoo (“Past Lives”). Other series regulars include Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn, Fivel Stewart, Kristian Bruun, Kaylah Zander, Maddie Hasson, Angel Parker and Vondie Curtis-Hall. Additional key cast members in Season 2 are Young-Ah Kim, Felix Solis, James Purefoy, Do Hyun Shin, Sanghee Lee, Omar Maskati, Brooke Smith, Devika Bhise, Alana Hawley Purvis, Daniel Quincy Annoh, Jesse Collin and Nathan Fillion.

Altogether, there will be six hourlong episodes in Season 2. In addition to Hawley, who writes and directs this season, Maya Goldsmith, George Ghanem, Brian Oh, Sue Chung and Hadi Deeb wrote Season 2, while Julian Holmes, Jessica Yu, Viet Nguyen and John Hyams served as its directors. This season was executive produced by Centineo, Doug Liman, Gene Klein, David Bartis, Adam Ciralsky, Charlie Ebersol and Julian Holmes in addition to Hawley.

“The Recruit” first premiered in December of 2022 to so-so reviews. Though Centineo was praised for his charming performance, the drama was criticized for feeling generic for the genre. Still, it was well-watched on Netflix, leading to a Season 2 renewal.

The post Noah Centineo’s ‘The Recruit’ Returns With Season 2 in January, First Look appeared first on TheWrap.

On Sunday, President Biden announced he would be pardoning his son, even though he previously said he would not “interfere” with the decision-making process of the Justice Department. Earlier this year, Hunter was convicted of three federal firearms-related felony charges and indicted on one count of tax evasion and two counts of filing false returns.

“Fine. It’s his right. He’s an 82-year-old man. He doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life visiting his son in prison. Republicans get away with this s–t all the time,” Stewart said on “The Daily Show” on Monday night.

The Comedy Central host went on to say that “hypocrisy isn’t illegal” nor is it “unusual” in politics. “It’s not like he’s ever going to run again. So why not take care of your kid, even if you said you weren’t going to?” Stewart asked. “I respect it. I don’t have a problem with it. The problem is the rest of the Democrats made Biden’s pledge to not pardon Hunter the foundation of their defense of America, this grand experiment.”

Stewart went on to say that Democrats made Biden’s promise a case for “why Americans should believe in our system.” That, he argued, is a problem because these sorts of arguments backfire again and again, putting the alleged moral high ground of the party into question.

“At every turn, Democrats keep getting caught in a purity test for a system that they can’t seem to pass themselves,” Stewart explained. To back up his argument, he showed a clip of Biden rebuking former President Donald Trump for keeping classified files in Mar-a-Lago before defending himself for keeping files in his garage. Stewart also pointed to when Biden fist-bumped Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after speaking out against the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as when he barred asylum seekers despite saying he would never do such a thing.

“The distance between the system Democrats say they are revering and the one that they’re using when they need to is why people think it’s rigged,” Stewart concluded. “Use the rules. Use the loopholes. F–k the norms. But also, use it to help the people, not just those people related to you. All of us are somebody’s son or somebody’s daughter. And we all need that break, too. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, especially this weekend, it’s that everyone deserves a chance to fly.”

If you didn’t assume Stewart tried to sing those last six words, this is clearly your first time here. Watch the full monologue, above.

The post Jon Stewart Dismisses ‘Hypocrisy’ of Hunter Biden Pardon: ‘Republicans Get Away With This S—t All the Time’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The series, which is set in modern-day Los Angeles, follows young Will in a new, dramatic take on his complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.

As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.  

“Bel-Air” stars Jabari Banks as Will, Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey, Jordan L. Jones as Jazz and Simone Joy Jones as Lisa.

The series has also featured an array of notable guest stars across seasons, including original “Fresh Prince” cast members Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell, Vernee Watson-Johnson and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

Other guests have included Bianca Belair, Bill Bellamy, Justin Cornwell, Andra Day, Melissa DeSousa, Nicholas Duvernay, Dulé Hill, Anna Maria Horsford, April Parker Jones, Melanie Liburd, Jazlyn Martin, Vic Mensa, DK Metcalf, Saweetie, Alycia Pascual-Peña, David Ramsey, Karrueche Tran, Joivan Wade and Marlon Wayans. 

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Westbrook Studios, a division of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s media company Westbrook Inc.

Showrunner and writer Carla Banks Waddles serves as an executive producer alongside Morgan Cooper, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, and Andy and Susan Borowitz. 

“Bel-Air” is the latest original series renewal for Peacock, joining a roster that includes “Poker Face,” “Ted,” “The Traitors,” “Twisted Metal” and more. Its upcoming slate further includes “Laid” and “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth,” along with the recently released Season 2 of “Based On a True Story.”

The post ‘Bel-Air’ to End With Season 4 at Peacock appeared first on TheWrap.