Ben Affleck Talks 'Air,' New CEO Role and Memes; Hollywood Rethinks Bank Relationships; Inside Young Stars' House-Flipping Trend; 'Shazam 2' Review

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( March 16, 2023 What's news: It's magazine day! This week's cover star is Air director and actor Ben Affleck. James Gunn will helm Superman: Legacy. Disney+ cancels Willow after a single season. T-Mobile acquires Mint Mobile, which counts Ryan Reynolds as minority owner. — [Ryan Gajewski]( Ben Affleck on 'Air' and Those Memes: "I Am Who I Am" ►On the cover. Ahead of the release of Amazon's Air, which counts him as director and co-star, Ben Affleck sits down with THR's [Rebecca Keegan]( for a candid conversation about his ups and downs. The actor, filmmaker and budding mogul talks about the disruptive production company he launched with Matt Damon, why he's done with D.C., getting Michael Jordan's blessing for his new film and the advice wife Jennifer Lopez gave him for this interview. [The cover story.]( —"I love this script." James Gunn is officially making Superman: Legacy his next directorial vehicle. Gunn has been writing the feature since before he became the co-head of DC Studios in November, and it was widely expected he would direct, though it was unclear given his duties overseeing the expanding DC slate with partner Peter Safran. Warner Bros. has the film dated for July 11, 2025, making it the first big-screen project of the Gunn-Safran era. [The story.]( —Reynolds will continue to serve in a creative capacity. Actor and producer Ryan Reynolds has cut his first billion-dollar deal. Mint Mobile, the wireless firm that counts Reynolds as a minority owner, has been acquired by wireless giant T-Mobile in a deal that could value the startup firm at $1.35 billion. [The story.]( —The journey is over. After a single season, Disney+ has canceled the Lucasfilm series Willow, a sequel to the 1988 movie of the same title. The news comes two months after the eight-episode season concluded its run. [The story.]( Hollywood Assesses Bank Relationships ►"This is a real wake-up call." The entertainment industry has long leaned on regional banks that specialize in working with film, TV and theatrical productions. But after Silicon Valley Bank's failure rattled tech moguls, execs may rethink where they put their money. THR's [Alex Weprin]( and [Caitlin Huston]( hear from insiders, including former Rep. Barney Frank, about the threat facing independent Hollywood's preferred banking partners. [The story.]( —"I have to be optimistic about what we can do." A call for action and innovation in the fight against climate change rang out during the first day of the annual Environmental Media Association Impact Summit. Held in partnership with Apple TV+ and The Hollywood Reporter, entertainment and sustainability leaders focused on the positive impact of environmentally conscious storytelling in the global media landscape. Kit Harington, Sienna Miller, Tahar Rahim and Yara Shahidi, who star in Apple TV+'s Extrapolations, were among those taking part. [The story.]( —"Why does Steven Spielberg get to have all the fun?" THR's [Brian Davids]( interviews 65 filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods about their Adam Driver-led thriller. The pair discuss the origins of the project, as well as the memorable day on set in which Driver blessed a rather unusual creative choice. [The interview.]( Young Hollywood House Flippers Are Raking It In ►"If the owner is notable, people want to buy their properties." Following in the footsteps of Diane Keaton and Ellen DeGeneres, a new generation of savvy stars — including Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Vanessa Hudgens — are buying and reselling houses for big profits. [Hadley Meares]( writes for THR about the favorable markets in Southern California that mean sellers can often make a tidy profit remarkably quickly. [The story.]( —"We launched it as a reactive measure against other platforms." Sean Kim, the former head of product for TikTok's U.S. operations, said the company's $2 billion creator fund was not launched with the altruistic goal of helping creators monetize on the platform. Instead, according to the executive, TikTok created the fund as a "reactive measure" against competition like YouTube and Snap and as a way to keep creators engaged on the platform. THR's [J. Clara Chan]( reports on Kim's comments from a recent SXSW panel. [The story.]( —How much is the postage on that? After more than 20 years, Jack Black is reconnecting with his Shallow Hal filmmakers the Farrelly Brothers for the Paramount comedy Dear Santa. The feature centers on a child who intends to write a letter to Santa Claus but mixes up the letters and sends it to Satan instead. [The story.]( Film Review: 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' ►"Some of the magic is missing." THR's Frank Scheck reviews David F. Sandberg's Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Zachary Levi returns as the title character in this follow-up to the DC superhero film, with newcomers Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler as villainous Greek goddesses. [The review.]( —"Fleet and compelling." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews Jon S. Baird's Tetris following the film's SXSW debut. Taron Egerton stars in the fictionalized look at the licensing battle around the popular puzzle game. [The review.]( —"Wildly entertaining and occasionally touching." THR's [Angie Han]( reviews the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, which premiered at SXSW. An ordinary teenager becomes involved in a celestial power struggle in Kelvin Yu's graphic novel adaptation that reunites Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. [The review.]( —"Audacious and provocative." THR's chief TV critic [Daniel Fienberg]( reviews Amazon's Swarm. Janine Nabers and Donald Glover's series stars Dominque Fishback as a young woman whose obsession with a Beyoncé-esque pop star gets out of hand. [The review.]( —"A sad and inspiring love story." Daniel also reviews Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's Wild Life, which premiered at SXSW. The documentary looks at Doug and Kris Tompkins' quest to turn Chilean wilderness into national parks. [The review.]( 'Ted Lasso' Stars Analyze the Season 3 Premiere ►"It creates new complications in Ted's heart." Apple TV+'s beloved comedy series Ted Lasso is finally back for what could be its final trip to the pitch. THR's [Rick Porter]( talks to Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Hannah Waddingham and Nick Mohammed about the season three premiere, including the impending heartbreak. [The story.]( In other news... —Madison Square Garden Entertainment's board reaches [$85 million deal to settle shareholder suit]( —Gattaca reboot from Homeland duo [in the works at Showtime]( —Netflix wins [defamation suit over Making a Murderer]( —Monk movie starring Tony Shalhoub [a go at Peacock]( —Whoopi Goldberg apologizes for [using Romani slur on The View]( —Kevin Hart inks new [multiyear deal at SiriusXM]( —Julia Roberts joins [Chopard as global ambassador]( What else we're reading... —Kyle Buchanan explores Michelle Yeoh's future leading opportunities after her Oscar win [[NYT]( —Katie Cunningham argues that Vanderpump Rules is the greatest reality TV show of all time [[Guardian]( —Rebecca Jennings examines what "passive income" YouTube influencers are really selling you [[Vox]( —Kylie Cheung writes that Ted Lasso's new season hits differently following the drama between exes Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde [[Jezebel]( —Please keep in mind that we're just the messenger as we note that Andrea Petersen explains why sandwiches are the surprise villain of American diets [[WSJ]( Today... Today's birthdays: Alexandra Daddario (37), Alan Tudyk (52), Sienna Guillory (48), Lauren Graham (56), Brooke Burns (45), Aisling Bea (39), Sophie Hunter (45), Victor Garber (74), Paul Schneider (47), Tim Kang (50), Isabelle Huppert (70), Gore Verbinski (59), Jerome Flynn (60), Jon-Michael Ecker (40), Sierra Aylina McClain (29), Judah Friedlander (54), Erik Estrada (74), Nancy Wilson (69), Rupert Sanders (52) Soul singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell, best known for his 1978 hit "What You Won't Do for Love," has died. He was 71. [The obituary.]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](mailto:tips@thr.com?subject=). This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. 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. 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