Why Force Majeure Isn't in Writers' Suspension Letters; Louis Leterrier on 'Fast X' Cameos; Latest Cannes Reviews; Sophie Thatcher Talks 'Yellowjackets'

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( May 20, 2023 What's news: Mortal Kombat 2 finds its Jade. Aziz Ansari's Good Fortune is suspended indefinitely after picketers target the production. NFL legend, action star and activist Jim Brown dies at 87. Jonathan Glazer reacts to the seven-minute Cannes standing ovation for his Holocaust drama, Zone of Interest. — [Ryan Gajewski]( Why Force Majeure Isn't in Writers' Suspension Letters ►"Sometimes even at the same studio there are different force majeure provisions." When it comes to work stoppages in Hollywood, what exactly is an act of God? THR's [Ashley Cullins]( talks to top Hollywood attorneys who say, yes, studios could be looking for a way to offload deals to cut costs — but there's a ton of confusion regarding specifics. [The story.]( —Ansari's directorial debut is on hold. In one of the more significant disruptions of the writers strike, the Aziz Ansari film Good Fortune is shutting down indefinitely. Ansari was directing and starring opposite Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves in the comedy, which he also wrote and was producing for Lionsgate. THR's [Aaron Couch]( and [Katie Kilkenny]( have the scoop on the studio making the decision after picketers interrupted filming earlier in the week. [The story.]( —"I haven't hyped it up or used it beyond those initial few weeks." Writers Guild of America negotiating committee member John August has publicly disclosed his company's investment in an artificial intelligence-powered writing tool. The Big Fish screenwriter is facing some member blowback as the WGA is seeking to regulate the use of the technology in its current negotiations. [The story.]( —"I look forward to the robust analysis of this current election cycle." Less than a month after ABC News slashed the staffing at its FiveThirtyEight data-driven journalism brand, and saw founder Nate Silver announce his departure, the news division has found a new leader that will oversee FiveThirtyEight and all of ABC's data journalism. ABC News president Kim Godwin told staff that G. Elliott Morris will soon join the organization as its editorial director of data analytics. [The story.]( —"No one can tell our stories better than we can." THR's Katie Kilkenny reports that picketing at Netflix this week took a celebratory turn as trans and gender non-conforming writers hosted a block party-esque picket aimed at improving their visibility both within the industry at large and in their own guild. [The story.]( 'Fast X' Director Louis Leterrier on Those A-List Cameos ►"As I got more comfortable, I added my DNA throughout the entire movie." THR's [Brian Davids]( interviews director Louis Leterrier about Fast X. The filmmaker discusses those buzzy cameos and the disturbing moment with Jason Momoa that needed a stamp of approval from Universal film boss Donna Langely. [The interview.]( —🚗 Off to a fast start 🚗 THR's [Pamela McClintock]( reports that Fast X zoomed to $7.5 million in previews at the North American box office. The Universal pic is expected to open to $60 million to $70 million domestically, with plenty more coming from its overseas launch. [The box office report.]( —"She's going to be carrying that guilt with her for the rest of her life." THR's [Jackie Strause]( interviews Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher about the penultimate episode of season two. The actress discusses the clarity that this episode provides for Natalie, who grows up to be so haunted by what they did in the wilderness that her addiction spirals and she ends up suicidal in season one. [The interview.]( —The motion cites "improper political motives." The former armorer for Rust is looking to seize upon dysfunction from New Mexico prosecutors to dismiss involuntary manslaughter charges faulting her for the fatal shooting of the movie's cinematographer when the revolver Alec {NAME} was holding discharged. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed argues in a motion that prosecutors tainted the investigation, didn't have the authority to bring charges and that her due process rights were violated. [The story.]( —Get over here. THR's [Borys Kit]( has the scoop that Tati Gabrielle, known for her work in Netflix sensation You, is in final negotiations to join the fist-flying cast of New Line's sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat. Gabrielle will play Jade, a heroine first seen in the second installment of the video game series. [The story.]( Cannes: Jonathan Glazer "Overwhelmed" After 'Zone of Interest' Premiere ►Read THR's day 5 Cannes digital daily [here.]( ►"To be part of this, to be part of you, means everything." The Cannes Film Festival hosted the world premiere of auteur Jonathan Glazer's anticipated Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest. THR's [Chris Gardner]( reports from France that after the credits rolled, the audience responded with a standing ovation lasting seven minutes in total, with Glazer telling the crowd, "I'm really overwhelmed by this." [The story.]( —"I was reading a lot of articles about how young Chinese people these days are struggling." THR's Patrick Brzeski chats with filmmaker Anthony Chen on The Breaking Ice, premiering at Cannes. After spending years developing his first two acclaimed features, the Singaporean director conceived, financed, wrote, cast and shot the movie in remote northern China over a period of just a few months. [The interview.]( —"The father-daughter relationship is polar opposite to me and my dad." THR's Scott Feinberg interviews Francesca Scorsese, the 23-year-old daughter of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and wife Helen Morris, as Francesca is screening her directorial debut Fish Out of Water at Cannes. It's a big week for the family, with Martin Scorsese's latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, holding its world premiere Saturday at the fest. [The interview.]( —🎭 The Killer's Game is getting more players 🎭 Joining Dave Bautista in the action-comedy The Killer's Game will be Oscar winner Ben Kingsley and Star Trek and The Mummy star Sofia Boutella. Lionsgate is selling the J.J. Perry-directed project out of the Cannes market. [The story](. Cannes Film Review: Cate Blanchett in 'The New Boy' ►"An original, ultimately affecting meditation." THR chief film critic [David Rooney]( reviews Warwick Thornton's The New Boy, debuting at Cannes. Cate Blanchett plays a rule-breaking nun in the drama about spiritual survival. [The review.]( —"A devastating Holocaust drama like no other." David Rooney also reviews Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest after its Cannes premiere. The Holocaust drama is loosely adapted from the Martin Amis novel and focuses on a camp commandant's family living their bucolic dream life just over the wall from Auschwitz. [The review.]( —"A devastating chamber piece." THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( reviews Kaouther Ben Hania's Cannes competition entry Four Daughters. With the feature, the filmmaker invites professional actors to re-enact one family's experience of loss. [The review.]( —"Charges forward with trademark intensity." THR's chief TV critic [Daniel Fienberg]( reviews the third season of Happy Valley. The concluding chapter in Sally Wainwright's police thriller features Sarah Lancashire and James Norton. [The review.]( This Week's Must Reads ►On the cover. Action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger — set to make his series TV debut in Netflix's FUBAR — sounds off to THR's [James Hibberd]( about his Terminator and Conan futures, identity politics and why emotions are overrated: "We have to work our ass off and stop worrying about feelings." [The cover story.]( —"Where are OUR Jay Leno donuts? Where’s MY hug from Mandy Patinkin?" THR's series of frank accounts of the strike continues. The Well-Known Creator returns, and in his latest dispatch, the showrunner of a streaming hit attempts to get inside the head of his studio executive rivals. [The diary.]( —"How is this going off the rails on day one?" THR's [Mikey O'Connell]( talked to Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and other Top Chef insiders who reflect on how the Bravo show, which began with an eleventh-hour host pivot and one "massive French-chef hissy fit," transcended the reality TV genre to change food media and the American restaurant landscape forever. [The oral history.]( —Upfronts recap. If TV's upfront week used to be defined by spectacle — a parade of stars and musical performances culminating in glamorous parties with open bars and lobster canapés — to say the 2023 installment was muted would be an understatement. THR's [Alex Weprin]( assesses the events and also doles out his picks for upfronts superlatives. [The story.]( —"I don't know what [Elvis] had on, but he always smelled great." THR's [Seth Abramovitch]( spoke to screen legend Ann-Margret, who burst onto the scene in the early 1960s. Now 82, she is nowhere near retiring. In a colorful conversation, the star discussed everything from Marilyn Monroe to Mad Men. [The interview.]( In other news... —Original Joe Schmo Show host explains why he [turned down cameo in TBS' reboot]( "I felt disrespected" —As Horses co-owner Elizabeth Johnson's abuse claims go public, [Will Aghajanian files lawsuit]( —Kiefer Sutherland joins Nicholas Hoult in Clint Eastwood's [Juror No. 2]( What else we're reading... —In case you missed the most important story of the week, here it is (and we're completely unbiased, of course): Alaina Getzenberg examines how one player's devastating reaction to a missed catch during a bleak stretch for the NFL's Buffalo Bills helped birth the so-called Bills Mafia [[ESPN]( —Alan Rusbridger assesses how Succession is — and isn't — about Rupert Murdoch and Fox [[WaPo]( —Kaitlin Fontana takes a look at the food options available for striking writers on the picket line [[Eater]( —Heather Schwedel analyzes how Vanderpump Rules became the greatest show ever made [[Slate]( —Angelique Chrisafis writes that Johnny Depp's return to Cannes exposes the French split over #MeToo [[Guardian]( Today... Today's birthdays: Cher (77), Josh O'Connor (33), Timothy Olyphant (55), Mike Flanagan (44), Matt Czuchry (46), Bronson Pinchot (64), Tony Goldwyn (63), Alex Høgh Andersen (29), Jack Gleeson (31), Naturi Naughton (39), Anton Corbijn (68), Busta Rhymes (51), Gabriele Muccino (56), Jon Amiel (75), Daya Vaidya (43) Jim Brown, the incomparable Cleveland Browns fullback who quit the NFL at the peak of his prowess to become a Hollywood action hero in such films as The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra and 100 Rifles, has died. He was 87. [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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