Movies developed and financed outside of the major studios and streamers have a massive hill to climb. It happens that Topic Studios, one such independent shop, has made it all the way up the Rockies — with some of the year’s buzziest films in tow.
On the ground at this weekend’s Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, Topic will show Jesse Eisenberg’s anticipated follow-up to “A Real Pain,” the Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti dramedy “The Debut.” The studio will also let Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” out of the gate for the second time after enchanting the Cannes Film Festival in May. In a month, Black Bear will release Topic’s “Wicker” after a successful bow at Sundance in January.
Founded in 2017, the company is a division of First Look Media and has been behind some of the most acclaimed projects of the past decade (including Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” Michael Angelo Covino’s “The Climb” and the Oscar-winning “Spotlight”). Variety caught up with Topic film and documentary head Ryan Heller to discuss the company’s secret sauce, surviving without M&A and what’s next.
Topic is on a roll. How did you get here?
Ryan Heller: We’ve worked hard over the last few years to identify things that we feel uniquely suited to make happen. In this post-COVID period, which we’re all still living in, we’re figuring out what new the behaviors look like and how movie culture has changed. We’ve leaned into things that resonate with us – on the filmmaker and story level. Things that have a communal aspect. We never take anyone showing up to a movie theater for granted, so we’ve tried to earn their trust.
How do you think movie culture has changed?
RH: It seems like audiences are showing up for specific movies now, instead of walking into theaters [looking to discover]. We approach the projects we take on by asking how we’re uniquely suited to help. That means projects that are independent as a feature, not a bug. Our responsibility is to figure out how to guide those things to market with a shot at getting the audience they deserve.
How would you define your palate for story?
RH: Distinctive and filmmaker-driven. Movies that may have to fight to be seen, but in execution can find a sizable audience. We want movies that drive conversation. We’re mostly developing or financing projects on the way to production or financing them through, and we gravitate toward writer-directors. We love that sort of intimacy.
There seems to be something confrontational about each of these movies, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Splitsville” confronts the terrors of insecurity and marriage. “Club Kid” is about acknowledging self-destruction, in a way, and realizing that better decisions mean more happiness.
RH: I’m sure there’s truth to that, but it’s not intentional. The hardest thing for us is finding the projects. So, when we see something we fall for it’s the greatest thing. Some of what you’re saying is just inherent to what gets made in the independent system.
So what makes you “fall for” a project?
RH: I think we gravitate toward big laughs and big feelings. We love comedies that have the stakes of a drama. That’s why we love “Club Kid” so much. That script knocked us out. We all had expectations of what it was going to be, and every single person at Topic who read that script ended it in tears. And it was all earned. Getting to have a front row seat to how Jordan pulled that off at every stage of production while also acting in almost every scene was really special. It was a career highlight. The same goes for “The Debut” and “Wicker.” They really got us.
“The Debut” is the hottest ticket in Telluride this year, it seems.
RH: The expectations are hard to control. I don’t know that we think about them too much. We are truly over the moon excited for people to see this movie. We’ve been working on it since the release of “A Real Pain.” We’ll lean on our great partners at A24 to figure out how we how we get as many people to see the film as possible. We’re counting down the minutes to let this thing loose in front of audiences.
So you’ve got the hot hand. Are people talking to you about sales and mergers and acquisitions, or are you tuning that out?
RH: We love where we are, and we’ve built such great relationships with so many partners. We focus on being deliberate and going in on things finding ways to be self-reliant. What we’ve built is an internal capability to make a movie from start to finish. There’s a real value to companies like Topic supplying certain kinds of movies to distribution partners. They have different economics than we do. I think we’re part of a healthy ecosystem. We love where we are and want to keep doing it.
What’s next?
RH: We have some stuff we haven’t announced yet, but we’re in postproduction on a movie called “Scorn.” It’s from a writer-director named Sarah Bliss, who co-created the series “Search Party.” That’s a house favorite over here. She’s incredible, and it gave a chance to reteam with the incredible Adria Arjona, who we worked with on “Splitsville.” It’s a surprising and very modern take on the psychological erotic thriller. It goes to very unexpected places.
The 53rd Telluride Film Festival got underway on Friday with its annual Patron Brunch, a gathering of the fest’s biggest-name talent and highest-dollar supporters, followed by the annual Patron Preview, a screening of one of the fest’s most anticipated titles.
Among the big names on hand for the brunch were Elsinore star Andrew Scott, The Debut director Jesse Eisenberg and star Julianne Moore, The Man I Love star Rami Malek, Wild Horse Nine stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, Ink director Danny Boyle and star Jack O’Connell, Fatherland and Rose star Sandra Hüller, Avedon director Ron Howard and Léa Seydoux, star of a record-breaking three fest films, Alpha Gang, Gentle Monster and The Unknown.
A large contingent of the Club Kid team were also present, including director/star Jordan Firstman, stars Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva and scene-stealer Colleen Camp, who many know for hosting swanky awards season shindigs of her own.
Tender Loving Care’s legendary writer/director Mike Leigh, who is 83 and in fragile health, was not able to make it to this year’s fest, but his film is being represented here by its entire principal cast, save for Kate O’Flynn. Leigh was present, in a way, via “A Film by Mike Leigh” hats that Tender Loving Care distributor Bleecker Street handed out to brunch attendees.
Some who were at the brunch, like Boyle, are festival regulars — he previously was here with Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and Steve Jobs. Others, such as Moore, had gone decades since their last visit — she said she was last here in 1994 with Vanya on 42nd Street. And, surprisingly enough, a few veteran makers of high-quality films were at the fest for the first time — among them, the legendary cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, here as part of the team behind the not-yet-completed animated film Wildwood, clips of which are being shown at the fest.
The Ink and Wild Horse Nine teams were still acclimating to the high altitude after flying in directly from Venice, where their films were greeted with lengthy standing ovations. They, like most other talent at the fest, will have little time to rest or watch movies, as the fest’s official Q&As and panels, and adjacent press opportunities, will consume most of their waking hours. Eisenberg lamented to THR about being so close to screenings of so many top-notch movies, but not having time to see them. Elsinore’s Scott, however, said he would try to see as many of the “gay movies” at this year’s fest as possible, citing La Bola Negra, Club Kid and A Long Winter as top priorities.
The belles of the ball, or at least two of them, were “Los Javis,” the exes who co-directed La Bola Negra, for which they were honored at Cannes, and which is Netflix’s primary contender this season. Speaking of Netflix, the streamer held a listening party late Thursday night celebrating its documentary feature The Disciple, which is about the Wu-Tang-Clan’s infamous Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album. Only one copy of the album was ever produced, and it has rarely been played, but an arrangement was strucky whereby it was blasted at this cool gathering.
The first big screening at the fest is always the Patron Preview, the title of which is not revealed until festivalgoers are seated inside the Werner Herzog Theatre. This year, it turned out to be Wild Horse Nine, hot off its world premiere in Venice. The film is screening now, and it will screen again on Saturday night at the Palm Theatre, after which THR will moderate an on-stage Q&A with McDonagh, Malkovich, Rockwell, supporting actors Steve Buscemi and Mariana di Girolamo and producer Graham Broadbent.
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from “Troy,” the Season 3 finale of “Silo,” now streaming on Apple TV.
In the Season 3 finale of Apple TV’s “Silo,” an amnesia-stricken Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) finally regains her memories just in time to declare war. But first, she confronts the disembodied voice behind The Algorithm, the malevolent force controlling the silos. With milliseconds to spare, her team of Silo 18 misfits and former leaders — herself included in both distinctions — managed to cap the safeguard, a pipe that would have flooded their silo with toxic gas and killed its nearly 10,000 residents for their insolence.
Courtesy of Apple TV
But viewers now know who is on the other end of that threat: Daniel Keene (Ashley Zukerman), the once-idealistic congressman who sought refuge in the newly opened silos when the bombs went off in the season’s penultimate episode last week. Now decades (centuries?) later, he is known as Troy, and he’s periodically awoken from a cryogenic slumber to make some cold-hearted decisions about what to do when silos go rogue and ask too many questions. He doesn’t recognize his own sister Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay), he commits genocide with a second thought and he doesn’t like being bested by Juliette.
But with the pipe capped, Daniel and Silo 18 are at a stand off. When Juliette, Shirley (Remmie Milner), Knox (Shane McRae), Camille (Alexandria Riley) and Deputy Murphy (Billy Postlethwaite) venture down to the sealed-off tunnel that connects all the silos, Daniel as the omni-present voice all but congratulates them on outsmarting The Algorithm. Knowing they are trapped inside, Daniel offers a truce to let them live in peace — until their rapidly dwindling resources run out, at least. Knowing that he almost certainly doesn’t mean it, Juliette accepts, and retreats her team to strategize. But one thing is clear: This is war.
Ferguson tells Variety that Juliette keeps her cool in that moment, “But I think she’s shit scared!” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to come up with all the solutions because no one else is.”
How Juliette and company plan to fend off The Algorithm when they barely know anything about the purposes of the silos, the history of other failed rebellions or who they are even fighting will be the crux of the fourth and final season, which series creator Graham Yost confirms has already been shot and will pick up mere hours after the Season 3 finale. On Friday, Apple TV released a teaser of the show’s fourth and final season, and announced it will premiere on July 9, 2027.
Ahead of that final season, Ferguson and Yost break down the finale, the uncomfortable journey of Juliette the hero, whether viewers might see some of these other failed silo rebellions — and who might see the night sky by the end.
Rebecca, you spent two seasons with Juliette being this ascendant but reluctant leader. This season, she doesn’t have any memory of that. Reflecting on Season 3 as a whole, how was it clawing your way back to her sense of self?
Rebecca Ferguson: I think memory loss is an interesting one, because you’re not really aware of your being. So there is such a powerful underline of her character, this sort of fierce rebel constantly wanting to find out the truth, constantly aware of her surroundings, aware of everything. I sometimes feel she’s a bit like Jason Bourne — she clocks everything. It was fun playing it, because it’s challenging to do. But the fun moments were the moments where something happened, and we had to figure out, how important is this on a scale of one to 10? How much does it affect her, what is the memory storyline. We even had Shelley [Birse], one of the writers, break down just the memory bit, so it all made sense, because it’s difficult to hold everything.
Courtesy of Apple TV
But instinctively now, she gravitates toward being a leader. Even without her memories, she slowly assumes that position again by this finale.
Ferguson: Graham said it so well: She’s a leader with no power. She hasn’t chosen this, she never chooses to be the sheriff, she kind of accepts it because she’s looking for something. The ripple effects make her a leader, but I don’t think she would position herself as a leader even now. She is a truth finder.
Graham Yost: That’s all she cares about — finding out the truth and looking for, perhaps, freedom. One of the most fun things we came up with in the room were the fan girls [to show how people see Juliette as a leader]. We loved it because we knew it would make Rebecca uncomfortable.
Ferguson: Oh, I hated it!
Yost: It was just so cool to have the young women all dressed up like Juliette the leader. But another thing that just came to me is that in the writers’ room, we always talk about how Juliette has to learn something in every season. In Season 2, she has to learn how to work with someone because she has to rely on Solo [Steve Zahn], and then finds out that’s not even his name. She needs something, and she also needs to help him, and the fact that she steps up for him still makes me very emotional. But in Season 3, she has to find out who she is, and she has to rely on other people. That’s not easy for someone who’s a “I’m gonna pick up the wrench and fix it myself” kind of person. She has to rely on her friends to solve the big problem at the end of the season.
Ferguson: Without actually knowing who her friends are.
Yost: Exactly! But the successful capping of the safeguard at the end of the season, that was all done by other people and she had to rely on that.
How was it for you, Rebecca, to allow Juliette to let others step up for her?
Ferguson: I had difficulties. I sometimes merged into her on set. I would fight it. I’d be like, “But why wouldn’t she do that, Graham? Why would she let people do it? I wouldn’t just sit here waiting.” And then he’s like, “Well, what can you actually do here?” I don’t know but you write it because I can’t just sit around!
Even Juliette’s role this season is something she doesn’t really choose, but rather just goes along with when she is made mayor. She doesn’t quite know how to wear it, which is probably why she has completely shed it by the end of the season.
Ferguson: I had to put that bloody frock on, and I had little high-heeled shoes. I just remember being like, “This isn’t Juliette.” I started walking like me in high-heeled shoes, and I couldn’t do it. So, in some scenes, I would put my old boots on, so I could have the walk, because nothing in her body would change even if she lost her memories. But that juxtaposition is so great, having jewels in the frock.
Courtesy of Apple TV
War is declared by the end of the finale, but one soldier is gone. Bernard (Tim Robbins) was sent out to clean and dies moments later, for real this time. For longtime viewers, Tim’s exit is surreal. But what does the former embodiment of oppression’s death mean for those who came to like him?
Yost: He ends up being this inspiration to a number of people who just never believed he would be an inspiration. For us as writers, performers, it was important to see a character that we had really feared and hated, but now realize he was lied to as much as anyone. Initially he gave up, though. He was going to go out to clean, and when the pain got too much, he was going to kill himself, right? But as he says to Juliette, “You happened.” So now he’s had a reason to keep going, and then he gives his life to try and win. To let the good guys win.
What is the state of Silo 18 at the end of Season 3? You have Juliette and her faction, who, as she says at the end, need to take the battle to Silo 1. Is the rest of Silo 18 ready for a war?
Ferguson: Were we ever prepared?
That’s an incredibly vague tease for the future. But you’ve shot Season 4, correct?
Both: Yep!
More than previous seasons, this season felt like half the story. The first of a two-chapter ending, if you will. How much time will pass between Season 3 and Season 4?
Yost: Season 4 picks up, literally, three hours after the finale.
Courtesy of Apple TV
Moving forward, after their really beautiful walkie-talkie conversation, do you think Juliette is ready or even interested in acknowledging any feelings she has for Lukas (Avi Nash)?
I think there are so few people in her life that crack her, who can actually decode her. Walker [Harriet Walter] being No. 1. George was one, and Shirley kind of can, but is more a mate. But Lucas has a possibility of tapping into the vulnerability and seeing something. He’s the one who will push her further. He holds space for her, which is uncomfortable, but it’s also a safety net. It’s familiar, so someone she would lean to, and someone who’s very intelligent, who can help her solve big issues and problems throughout.
The moment when he finally goes outside and gets to look at the stars was a beautiful acknowledgment of their conversation before. It feels like Juliette would have done something similar had she been outside at night. If nothing else, they feel like kindred spirits in curiosity.
Ferguson: Hmm, can you imagine what a moment that would be? [Looks to Yost]
Yost: Wouldn’t that be great if Juliette went out to see the stars at night? Hmm…
Ferguson: Just pay attention. There’s a Season 4 coming.
So we can file that tease away for when Season 4 comes out. Throughout this season, Camille and her conversations with The Algorithm make mention of other rebellions. Graham, could we see those bits of history come into play in Season 4?
Yost: It would be interesting, wouldn’t it, Rebecca? [They both laugh.] Yeah, there’s stuff to come. There was a joke [in the writers’ room], about what was happening in the other silos, and the musical silos are 5678. Get it? We were really proud of that one! And there was a question of where all the plumbing goes. Of course, it is Silo 13. But to answer your question, yes, there is stuff coming about the other silos.
Ferguson: It will all make sense by the end of Season 4.
Yost: We hope. Unless we totally screwed the pooch.
Rebecca, you’ve already shot Season 4, so this might be a tough one. But coming out of Season 3 and looking to the end of this series, what did you want for Juliette as a character? What can fans hold onto that awaits her?
Ferguson: There’s something very lonely for Juliette in the beginning of Season 3 with the memory loss and not knowing people, to then gradually get to know them and understand that there are actually people out there who are trying to fight to bring her back. But there are also the powers that be who are gaining profit from her loss. It is a constant struggle for her, but here at the end, we get together. The group is together, she’s not lonely. There’s something about being united for her. But I think she’s shit scared. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with all the solutions because no one else is.
Yost: It was a huge Juliette moment for us that she’s talked to The Algorithm — they’ve gone down to the tunnel at the bottom of the silo and supposedly made a truce. But she says, they’re not going to stand by it, and we’re not. Basically, they now have the responsibility to not just to save themselves, but to save any other silos. If they can do this to any silo, we have that responsibility to stop them. [Looks at Ferguson] You’re the hero now.
It’s hard to scroll social media at the moment without seeing Adults star Malik Elassal. The FX sitcom returned for its second season last week, and between some creative show marketing and meme-able scenes, Elassal and his costars are seemingly everywhere.
Season two of Adults is just as funny as the first, if not more, and apparently just as delightful to make. “Seeing these people again is exciting,” Elassal tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom. It’s late on a Friday and the 30-year-old’s fresh from a mid-press cycle nap — more on that later, though. He adds, “It just feels like we’re doing a good thing.”
Throughout much of the season Elassal plays the dutiful friend to his core group — Lucy Freyer’s Billie, Owen Thiele’s Anton, Amita Rao’s Issa and Jack Innanen’s Paul Baker — and dutiful boyfriend to Rachel Marsh’s Carly. Well, except when he’s not, particularly in the season’s sixth episode “Pop Girlie.” Thanks to some bad advice from Anton, Marsh’s Carly decides to ditch dental school and focus on her real passion — becoming a K-pop star.
“That was actually a tough one to play,” says Elassal. The comedian notes how unlikeable it is for a character to not support their girlfriend and try to manipulate her into finding her new endeavor, even if he’s right. The song “Hiccups (Body Go Crazy)” is a fan favorite online right now, so maybe he wasn’t completely right.
But the angst makes for good comedy. “It was just a very conflicting thing, which is the best thing for a sitcom. I think somehow, just because he thinks he’s a good person, that he thinks he can do no wrong. Even if the thing is messy, you see that he feels that way about himself a little bit,” Elassal says. He quickly adds, “I didn’t know that I felt that way until I just said that.”
“It just feels like we’re doing a good thing,” Elassal says of making ‘Adults.’
Courtesy
It’s strange to see himself acting out things he remembers shooting. It’s not his own life, but it does feel real at times. He and the cast will work tirelessly to get something just right, only for it to play for mere seconds onscreen, but that’s just the way it works. “It is really odd, but we just all really care about making this thing so much,” he says.
There’s never been a “phone it in” day for Adults, but there are plenty of days where it’s hard to not break on set. The show just released a blooper reel that proves just how much laughter is happening while the team is shooting. But no portion of season two made Elassal laugh harder than Julian Manjerico’s Zac Carlos.
“I cannot convey to you how hard every single person was laughing on that day and how hard it was to do that, to watch Julian Manjerico dance like that,” the comedian says. “I was specifically watching Jack try so hard not to laugh, that literally tears were stress falling from his eyes from trying not to ruin the take.”
Another highlight of season two was the introduction of Paul Baker’s “bro” friends, a gaggle of stereotypical, although well-meaning, dude bros. Those bros also happened to witness one of the hardest days on set for Elassal. In the show’s dramatic and jam packed finale, his character Samir and Marsh’s Carly call it quits before she moves to Seattle.
Elassal and the ‘Adults’ cast never phone it in, but they do struggle not to break during particularly funny moments: “I was specifically watching Jack try so hard not to laugh, that literally tears were stress falling from his eyes from trying not to ruin the take.”
Courtesy
Unfortunately, Samir was in the middle of trying to make a grand romantic gesture when the breakup happened, which included the bros, Julia Fox and a basketball. Elassal had to shoot the ball “like 40 times” on set. “All these bros have to watch him hit a basketball shot. I hit it once in rehearsal and thought, no worries,” he says.
“When it came time, I was just fucked. I had to do it 40 times and keep a tear in my eye. I didn’t have any thoughts in my head,” the actor continues, lamenting on how ridiculous it was to be wasting Fox’s time. “It was like being on mushrooms. There was no time or space. There’s a hundred crew members looking at me. There’s just money flying around my head.”
After that finale breakup comes another big plot moment for Samir — hooking up with Billie. It’s the first time Elassal’s talking about it with someone not involved in the show, and he’s not totally sure how he feels about it.
“I’m worried for Billie and Samir,” he says. “I’ve had that happen in a friend group before, where two people hooked up. They either got to get married or this is bad.”
The actor’s hopeful that it’ll be sweet and turn out well. But as the actor playing Samir, he’s a little nervous his character is going to “fuck this up.” He was also very surprised when he got that final script, even though he saw the breadcrumbs along the way. The team chose not to tell the actors beforehand, so they wouldn’t play towards that throughout the season.
Elassal as Samir and Freyer as Billie in the season two finale of ‘Adults.’
FX
“The fans already think we’re doing that all the time, and we’re really not. We’re just playing the scenes out,” he says. Elassal’s seen plenty TikTok edits of himself with long looks that he doesn’t even remember. “Where did you even get that footage? I didn’t even do that,” he jokes.
The comedian and actor is trying to find moments of rest amidst the busy promotion schedule for the season, which has been extensive. But he’s also found that he sometimes needs a little bit of structure. He was late for the scheduled start time of this interview, for instance: He was trying out being a “nap guy,” but it didn’t work out.
“Can you include this?” he asks. “He took his retainer out and locked in for the interview. This guy needs to be working at Walmart again. I’m too off leash.”
***
All episodes of Adults season two are streaming on Hulu. The show also airs weekly on FXX.
Jordan Firstman is hoping to join an exclusive club: the Oscars. And he might have someone on his team that can help him do it.
“Club Kid,” Firstman’s directorial debut, arrived in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and drew a six-minute standing ovation before A24 acquired it for a reported $17 million. Suddenly, one of the internet’s more recognizable comic personalities — currently a regular on Rachel Sennott’s comedy series “I Love L.A.” — had a movie, a major distributor and a fall festival trajectory far more serious than anyone might have expected. It bowed at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday night with much anticipation for those who weren’t on the Croisette, and the film is ready to make its big splash on the circuit.
That’s the first awards story. The second may belong to one of his co-stars, Colleen Camp.
Firstman writes, directs and stars as Peter, a washed-up New York party promoter whose life on the dance floor screeches to a halt when the 10-year-old son (played by the exquisite British newcomer Reggie Absolom) he never knew existed turns up on his doorstep. The premise invites the easy shorthand — a gay “Big Daddy” — but Firstman uses it as a way into something more complete. It’s a study of responsibility, loneliness and the possibility that adulthood might begin long after you’ve stopped expecting it. The film works on three fronts with a touching script, naturalistic direction and a genuinely endearing lead turn.
A24’s fall strategy only heightens the opportunity. The company is running “Club Kid” through Telluride before heading to Toronto and New York ahead of a November release, which is the classic runway for a movie built to play as a crowd-pleaser rather than a critics’ curiosity.
This is where Camp comes in — the veteran embedded in the ensemble whom many still aren’t clocking as the film’s secret weapon.
At 73, Camp is a character actress-turned-social connector whose close friends include half the A-listers in town. By many estimates, she’s a significant reason Andrea Riseborough landed that shocking best actress nomination for “To Leslie.” Da’Vine Joy Randolph even thanked her by name from the Oscar stage while winning for “The Holdovers.” In recent years, Camp has become an influential operator on the circuit, with high-powered parties, star-studded dinners and taste-making events that have redirected more Oscar campaigns than anyone will admit on the record. Think Countess Luann from “The Real Housewives of New York,” but with real sway over the people at her table. She’s part of the reason a healthy share of today’s Oscar nominees and winners got there at all, which is exactly why it would be foolish to discount her now.
Adam Newport-Berra
But long before she was hosting the parties, Camp was working the sets. A Hollywood lifer whose credits run from “Apocalypse Now” to “Clue,” she has spent five decades inhabiting roles that make movies richer without turning into awards contenders. In fact, she has only two award nominations on her IMDb page — from the Razzie Awards — “The Seduction” (1982) and “Sliver” (1993). Wouldn’t it be heartwarming to see that rectified in a meaningful way?
In addition, she turns up twice in A24’s awards corridor, also appearing in Chris Rock’s “Misty Green,” which is just more visibility.
That could make “Club Kid” a particularly appealing vehicle, and one that awards pundits shouldn’t underestimate. The best comeback narratives aren’t manufactured. They tend to emerge when an actor with a real body of work lands a part that reminds everyone why they loved watching them in the first place. Camp’s turn here as a kooky neighbor who stumbles into an unexpected romance is exactly the kind of role that gets a room talking (and laughing).
The challenge here is scale, because she doesn’t have a ton of screen time. Not to mention, a scene stealer isn’t automatically an Oscar performance, especially in a supporting actress field expected to be overly crowded. A24 would have to convert the affection for Camp, and the film, into a sustained argument about the work, not merely leaning on nostalgia.
But nostalgia isn’t nothing. Voters love a rediscovery story, especially when it’s attached to a movie they actually enjoyed. “Club Kid” may offer the rare double with two generations of Hollywood recognition at once; Firstman is the new face arriving from the internet, and Camp, the veteran whose face the establishment already knows.
Within just 30 minutes of opening, the wait for “Sinners”” had already reached 60 minutes. “Hellraiser,” which made its Halloween Horror Nights debut, had a 50-minute wait, while “Killer Klowns From Outer Space,” “Evil Dead Burn” and “Killceañera: Music by Slash” were each at 30-minutes. “Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness” reached 35-minutes, and “Stranger Things 5” and “Dead, Deader, Deadest” sat at 25 minutes.
The scares extended beyond the haunted houses, with characters from this year’s lineup of horror roaming the park. Among them was a crazed, blood-soaked Nikki, from “Obsession.” She emerged from the crowds with the same unnerving affection she carried throughout the film, telling guests she loved them “so, so much” before slipping back into the masses in search of her next victim. Nikki doesn’t have a designated meeting location, instead roaming the park at random. Fans of the film will have to seek her out, or perhaps, Nikki will see vistors out!
The most crowded area could be found in the Lower Lot, where Universal paid homage to music legend Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy’s Bar drew in an approximately hourlong wait by the end of the night, serving themed cocktails such as the Blizzard of Ozz-arita and the Ultimate Sin-ammon, as well as meals including a naan taco named Bark at the Naan.
His haunted house, “Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness,” featured different variants of the musician jumping out to scare visitors, ranging from mad-scientist Ozzy to a demon-esque bat carrying what seemed to be Ozzy’s head. The house also had a room dedicated to “Crazy Train,” where dead bodies sat along a train car while his famous song played in the background.
Also in the Lower Lot was the “Stranger Things 5” haunted house, where guests traveled past Castle Byers and into the Upside Down. Vecna frequently lunged out from hidden corners and windows while a Demogorgon nearby battled Karen Wheeler in her blood-soaked kitchen.
“Sinners,” meanwhile, transports guests into the world of Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film in the Upper Lot. Opening with a performance by Sammie, the haunted house recreates Club Juke, where characters including Mary, Annie and Pearline run rampant.
Also on the Upper Lot was an area dedicated to Fortnite, which drew significant crowds along the walkway as guests stopped to take in the scares and pose in front of the game’s signature Battle Bus.
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights until Nov. 1.
Given that late country icon Dolly Parton was one of the most beloved people in the world — no, she really was — it’s a no-brainer that cities across the nation are making Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Appreciation Day.
The date that’s chosen isn’t the date of her birth (Jan. 19, 1946) or her death at age 80 on Aug. 25, after a brief battle with cancer, but a date that will forever remind fans old and new of one of the legendary songwriter’s hands-down classic songs and her role in the beloved 1980 comedy film. In case you haven’t grasped it yet, 9/25 is kind of like “9 to 5.”
On Friday in New York, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal was the latest local leader to officially proclaim Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Appreciation Day. The day will honor the country superstar’s enormous contributions to music, entertainment and philanthropy.
The borough of Manhattan joins several cities that have decided, with little to no debate, to honor Parton with a day of her own. New Orleans city officials also designated Sept. 25 as Dolly Day on Friday; the upcoming celebration includes a city-supported parade and a slew of musical events hosted by the Krewe of Dolly.
Lexington, Kentucky, has also established official community events on Sept. 25 to recognize and celebrate her legacy and philanthropy benefiting local literacy programs.
In her home region of East Tennessee, multiple counties have made local proclamations for Dolly Parton Day, with the most recent designation in Cocke County on Sept. 25. Parton and her legacy already have broader state-level recognitions in Tennessee tied to her birthday on Jan. 19.
While it’s not on Sept. 25, Nashville has also celebrated Parton with her official day for seven years. In 2019, former Mayor David Briley signed an official proclamation declaring Aug. 5 Dolly Parton Day to recognize her legendary career and her major philanthropic efforts during her lifetime.
Jim Thornton, the longtime announcer for Wheel of Fortune, has been fired by Sony.
“Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,” a company spokesperson said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
He was suspended from the show on Tuesday, with the company sharing at the time that an investigation had been launched. “We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” the company said in a statement to THR. “He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
TMZ reported on Thursday that he was suspended after alleged pedophilia chatroom photos prompted an investigation. The outlet published photos they alleged were screenshots of Thornton’s laptop that were taken by a passenger on an American Airlines flight in May from Charlotte to Los Angeles.
The passenger who took the photos told TMZ she saw images and texts that made it appear to be a chatroom for pedophiles; that same passenger notified a flight attendant about the alleged messages, sharing the photos with them. The captain reportedly notified the authorities and was questioned at LAX after the flight landed, but was free to leave, per TMZ.
THR has not vetted TMZ’s photos, and has reached out to the Los Angeles Airport Police Department for more details.
Thornton’s lawyer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that he had “become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.”
She said Thornton was provided with a link to a different chatroom, Lifeline.chat, from another member in the suicide prevention group. Lifeline.chat, per its website, “is a real-time support chat for people who are attracted to children.” Hart claimed that once Thornton realized what the chatroom was, he left.
Hart additionally said Lifeline.chat is “not unlawful, there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophilic content, and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography whether on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.”
She also noted that he was never arrested or charged with a crime, and law enforcement determined no crime had occurred. “In short, my client did nothing wrong,” she said.
Thornton has served as the Wheel of Fortune announcer since 2011.
“Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has been fired from the game show, producer Sony Pictures TV confirmed. “Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been terminated, effective immediately,” the studio said in a statement.
According to insiders, Thornton won’t be heard on the show when it returns for a new season on September 14, as an interim announcer has revoiced all of Thornton’s parts on the shows. No permanent replacement has been announced.
Thornton’s firing came just hours after TMZ posted photos of what were allegedly him on an American Airlines plane with his laptop opened on “disturbing chat room” that appeared to be “images and texts that made it appear it was a chat room for pedophiles.” The up-close photos of the laptop’s screen showed lewd conversations about minors.
The alleged incident took place in May, when according to TMZ, a passenger informed a flight attendant about the chat screen on Thornton’s laptop. Authorities were waiting to question Thornton when his flight landed at LAX, and after they spoke to the Thornton he was given permission to leave.
Neither Thornton nor his lawyer have publicly addressed the allegations; an attorney who said they represented the announcer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that Thornton had “become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.”
The announcer joined “Wheel” in 2010 after the death of the show’s previous announcer, Charlie O’Donnell, and has also worked as a substitute announcer on “The Price Is Right.” He’s also been the voice of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” on ABC.
Thornton’s other credits include “Celebrity Deathmatch,” where he voiced Johnny Gomez, and as an announcer on “The Cleveland Show” and “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” He’s also been heard on several video games and appeared as a commercial narrator in the 2001 animated film “Monsters, Inc.” He also voiced the 2011 Oscar-nominated short animated film “Let’s Pollute.”
Thornton has been a local media presence in Los Angeles for decades, having previously worked as an afternoon anchor on KNX 1070 Newsradio, which he first joined in 1985 as a traffic reporter with Metro Traffic. He also provided traffic reports on KCBS-TV.
His other broadcast credits include Westwood One Radio Networks, and he was the voice of L.A.’s KCOP-TV for four years. He has received an Edward R. Murrow award, Golden Mike awards and an Emmy.
