Steve Pond's Blog, page 189

TV Writing Jobs Fell 42% in the Year After Hollywood Strikes, WGA Says

Despite resolving 2023’s Hollywood writers’ strike, a new report from the Writers Guild of America reveals that jobs for its members have taken a major hit post-peak TV.

Per the report, TV writer jobs for the 2023-24 season declined by 42%, or 1,319 positions, to a total of 1,819 positions. Of those jobs, 642 were lost at the co-executive producer or higher level — a decline of 40% year over year — while lower-level positions, such as staff writers, story editors and executive story editors, fell by 378 positions, or 46%. Mid-level positions, from co-producers to consulting/supervising producers, declined by 42%, or 299 positions.

For 2023-24, total lower-level positions came out to 446, while mid-level jobs totaled 421 and upper-level jobs totaled 952.

The WGA blamed the job declines on pay TV cord-cutting, a “massive run-up and then pullback in streaming series as Wall Street demands quicker streaming platform profits,” and studios’ “prolonged unwillingness to negotiate a fair deal in 2023.”

The WGA strike ran from May to September 2023. While the Directors Guild of America reached a deal with media companies, actors with SAG-AFTRA joined writers on the picket lines with its own strike that ran from July through November 2023. As a result of the strikes, some seasons of scripted shows were trimmed and some previous pickups were canceled. The WGA’s report notes approximately 37% fewer guild-covered episodic series aired in the 2023-24 season.

In addition to the strikes, Los Angeles has also fallen victim to wildfires and has seen some TV and film productions move outside the U.S. due to tax incentives. Adding further uncertainty are sweeping reciprocal tariffs from President Donald Trump.

“Writing careers have always been difficult to access and sustain, but the contraction has made it especially challenging,” the guild wrote in an email to members Friday. “We are all subject to the decisions of the companies that control this industry, who have pulled back spending on content based on the demands of Wall Street. Compounding that, the current administration seems intent on causing economic chaos and undermining our democracy.”

Though jobs came in stronger than expected in March, with nonfarm payrolls increasing 228,000 for the month, up from the revised 117,000 for February, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate moved up to 4.2%, higher than the 4.1% forecast. The motion picture and sound recording industries lost 1,200 jobs for a total of 409,000 for the month, while broadcast and content providers shed 800 positions for a total of 331,200 and publishing shed 1,500 for a total of 920,000.

The Hollywood Reporter first covered the news.

The post TV Writing Jobs Fell 42% in the Year After Hollywood Strikes, WGA Says appeared first on TheWrap.

Olivia Munn Says She Was ‘Really Nervous’ to Bare All for Jon Hamm Sex Scenes Because of Cancer-Related Scars

Olivia Munn had to overcome some insecurities while filming sex scenes in her latest TV show.

The actress stars opposite Jon Hamm in the new Apple TV+ series “Your Friends and Neighbors” and the pair have an affair. Many of the scenes were very sexual, which forced Munn to push through insecurities about her body following her handful of treatments for her cancer diagnosis.

“I was really nervous about doing any sex scenes because I have a lot of scars,” she told the L.A. Times. “Scars that can be seen in clothing and scars that you wouldn’t know unless I was completely nude.”

She continued about the dynamic between her and Hamm’s characters and the role sex plays: “She wants something so much more from him than he’s willing to give and their only connection is through sex. I really wanted that to be portrayed. I wanted the sex scenes to feel like sex scenes — I wanted them to feel visceral and intense and not hold back at all.”

Munn announced in March 2024 that she had been battling bilateral breast cancer since April 2023 following genetic testing. Along the way she had a double mastectomy, partial hysterectomy and oophorectomy. She went into remission following the surgeries.

“I did feel insecure, but each time I did it, I felt better,” she added of filming the intimate scenes. “I’m so grateful for my body because it got me through this.”

The new Apple TV+ show is not the only thing keeping Munn busy lately. She also recently appeared on an episode of “The Daily Show” as a correspondent for host Desi Lydic. She briefly appeared on the show for a 16-episode stint from June 2010 to September 2011.

“You know how Jon [Stewart] comes in one day a week? Yeah, I have the same deal. I just come in once every 14 years,” Munn began her surprise appearance on Wednesday night. “My dad’s a cicada.”

The post Olivia Munn Says She Was ‘Really Nervous’ to Bare All for Jon Hamm Sex Scenes Because of Cancer-Related Scars appeared first on TheWrap.

Where to Watch ‘Drop’: Is Christopher Landon’s New Movie Streaming?

If you were to imagine the worst possible first date ever, would it include being blackmailed into killing your date under the threat of your son being murdered? We’d really hope not.

But such is the case for Meghann Fahy in the new movie “Drop.” In it, she plays a single mom headed out on her first date in years. While there, she begins receiving mysterious messages from an unknown numbers, escalating in how menacing they are.

Filmmaker Christopher Landon is the writer-director of the film, following “We Have a Ghost” and hits like “Freaky,” “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” and the “Happy Death Day” films. 

Here’s what you need to know.

When does it come out?

“Drop” released nationwide on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Is it streaming?

It is not. For now, you can only catch “Drop” in theaters. It is a Universal film though, meaning it’ll most likely head to Peacock when it comes time for its streaming release. We’ll keep you posted on when that’ll be. For now, you can find tickets here.

What is “Drop” about?

Like we mentioned, “Drop” really shows the first date from hell. While out for dinner with a very charming man (Brandon Sklenar), Violet (Fahy) starts receiving instructions to kill him, or else her son at home with a babysitter will be murdered.

She’s not allowed to be caught, nor is she allowed to tip anyone off in an effort to get help. What follows is a truly terrible evening, in which Violet tries to ensure everyone gets out alive.

Who’s in it?

Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson and Ed Weeks star in the film alongside Fahy and Sklenar.

Watch the trailer

The post Where to Watch ‘Drop’: Is Christopher Landon’s New Movie Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The King of Kings’ Review: Oscar Isaac Stars in a Bland, Animated Bible Greatest Hits Album

It’s hard to tell a story about Jesus Christ that actually follows The Bible and fits into a single movie without making it feel like a greatest hits compilation. Oh look, here’s the part where Jesus walks on water. I love that one! Remember the bit about throwing stones? That’s in here too! They’re playing all the hits!

Well, they’re playing most of the hits. “The King of Kings” is a new animated retelling of the life of Christ, filtered through Charles Dickens’ interpretation of the so-called “Greatest Story Ever Told.” It’s a CG-animated film aimed at children and it’s less than two hours long, so it speeds past most of the Christ story episodically, giving kids the gist of it without engaging with most of The Bible’s big ideas in depth.

It’s no surprise that “The King of Kings” doesn’t have time for everything, but it’s still weird to consider everything the filmmakers thought it was okay to cut. A film about Jesus Christ with barely a mention of Mary Magdalene, the Sermon on the Mount or the whole “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” routine is a lot like “Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits” without “The Longest Time,” “Uptown Girl” or “Pressure.” The best a movie like that can do is “The Okay-est Story Ever Told.”

“The King of Kings” stars Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, who the film portrays as a good Christian who cares deeply about The Bible (never mind his notorious adultery). Yet somehow this great Christian forgot to tell any of his children about Jesus, or anything else that happens in The Bible, for about ten years running. Literally, all his kids act like they’re hearing about this stuff for the very first time. When Dickens’ youngest child, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis), interrupts a live performance of “A Christmas Carol” with a lively-yet-inappropriate King Arthur cameo and a finicky comic relief cat named Willa (Dee Bradley Baker), Dickens’ wife Catherine (Uma Thurman) instructs him to tell Walter a story about the greatest king of all: “The King of Kings.”

So Charles gives Walter the gist of The New Testament, with Walter repeatedly interrupting like Fred Savage in “The Princess Bride,” asking when Jesus will do something truly heroic, like slay some dragons. It makes sense that Dickens would tailor this story to his hyper-specific, hyperactive audience, focusing on the melodramatic VFX-driven parts like dueling with the Devil in the desert, exorcising demons and raising the dead. After all, it’s hard to keep a little kid’s attention.

It’s harder still when your protagonist, Jesus Christ, is played like a wet blanket. Oscar Isaac voices the Son of God, and until the Passion he’s weirdly dispassionate, speaking most of his dialogue under his breath in a dull, serious monotone. When Jesus finally gets to do some “Acting” with a capital-A, his portrayal gets more involving, but the damage has already been done. It doesn’t help that he’s awkwardly visualized, dead-eyed and more of an idea than a character. Charles Dickens may be telling his son the story about the cool stuff Jesus did, but he’s not telling a very good story about Jesus as a person.

“The Kings of Kings” is directed and co-written by Seong-ho Jang, a visual effects artist with a quarter century of credits that include Park Chan-wook’s “Joint Security Area” and Jackie Chan’s “Chinese Zodiac.” The direction ranges from stodgy to competent, and for brief, noteworthy moments, it’s pretty grand. The moment when Walter accepts Jesus into his heart is heavy-handed yet moving. You’ll be forgiven for thinking that “The King of Kings,” despite all its flaws, was being completely genuine.

And then, of course, we find out otherwise. Just a short while after Jesus Christ rages at all the sinners who dared to turn his father’s temple into a marketplace, the movie concludes with a bunch of real children saying how much they loved the movie you just watched, which is hardly a sign of confidence on the part of the filmmakers. Worse yet, those same kids are also directed to tell the audience to give this studio extra money, because — as the children repeat — “Every kid should see this movie.”

Now granted, Angel Studios has been giving away tickets to see “The King of Kings”: one children’s ticket per adult ticket sold, which is nothing to sneeze at (but also isn’t technically following their claim of “Kids Go Free” to the letter, if we’re being honest about it). Nevertheless, it’s impossible to watch a film in which Jesus Christ says it’s wrong to profit from religion and then watch the filmmakers panhandle for profit at the end. At least, not without imagining the screen getting struck by lightning.

Maybe there’s a reason that “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” speech didn’t make the cut after all.

The post ‘The King of Kings’ Review: Oscar Isaac Stars in a Bland, Animated Bible Greatest Hits Album appeared first on TheWrap.

Wall Street Rallies After Trump Says He Is ‘Open to Talks’ With China on Tariff Deal

Another day, another wild trading session, with all three major stock indexes jumping more than 1.50% on Friday. The strong close to a whiplash-inducing week comes after a few more twists in the ongoing U.S.-China tariff battle, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the Trump Administration was “open to talks” with China on trade deals.

Leavitt’s comment came hours after China increased its tariff on American goods to 125% on Friday — a move that followed President Trump raising the tariff on Chinese imports from 104% to 125% to 145% this week.

“We are doing really well on our TARIFF POLICY,” the president posted soon after the markets opened on Friday. “Very exciting for America, and the World!!! It is moving along quickly. DJT.”

The S&P 500 increased 1.81%, the Dow Jones climbed 1.56% and the Nasdaq jumped 2.06% on Friday. All three indexes are up more than 6% compared to where they started off on Monday, following brutal back-to-back days at close last week.

Here is a look at how several prominent media and tech stocks performed:

Meta: -0.50%
Google: +2.59%
Fox Corp.: -1.27%
News Corp.: +2.34%
Amazon: +2.01%
Disney: -0.39%
Comcast: +0.12%
WBD: -1.60%
Netflix: -0.31%
Roku: +1.60%
Snap Inc.: +1.66

Apple’s stock price, meanwhile, was up 4.06% to $198.15 per share. The world’s most valuable company had at one point this week seen $1 trillion shaved from its market cap following the president’s announcement of his “liberation day” tariffs on Apr. 2, but the company has climbed back in recent days. The company, led by CEO Tim Cook, is now down about $550 billion from where it was before the tariff plan, closing the week with a valuation of $3 trillion.

Investors have been spooked because Apple assembles iPhones and a number of other products in China; the company recently flew in planes full of devices to avoid being hit by the new tariff on Chinese imports.

Friday’s trading action was a fitting close to a rollercoaster week for the markets. Wall Street took a big hit on Thursday, one day after a historic rally on Wednesday, following President Trump’s announcement he was pausing his reciprocal tariff plan for 90 days on most countries so that deals could be made.

Another important development on Friday was the Federal Reserve being “absolutely” ready to step in to help stabilize skittish markets, if necessary.

The president and his team of financial advisors have said a stiff tariff on China is warranted, considering the country’s communist government rips off American businesses and their IP. President Trump has also said it is not great that a foreign adversary produces so many of the goods that are shipped into the States.

“Hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” Trump said on Wednesday.

The U.S.-China trade standoff has caused a ripple effect that has been felt across virtually every industry, including Hollywood. The China Film Administration on Thursday said it would “moderately reduce” the number of American films it shows moving forward.

When it comes to how this will shake out, one Disney executive told TheWrap “We’re not panicking. We are waiting and seeing.”

The post Wall Street Rallies After Trump Says He Is ‘Open to Talks’ With China on Tariff Deal appeared first on TheWrap.

The 7 Best New Movies Streaming Free on Tubi Right Now

Wondering what to watch this weekend? Whether you are looking for horror, comedy or something you have never heard of before, you can probably find it on Tubi this month. The ad-supported streaming service has stealthily become one of the best streaming destinations for cinephiles in recent years — and heck, you don’t even need an account to start watching. This month’s new-on-Tubi offerings range from some of Quentin Tarantino’s best to iconic ’90s comedies and one of the scariest movies of the last 10 years. Whatever you are looking for, here’s a hand-picked list of the best new movies on Tubi in April 2025.

Miramax‘Kill Bill: Volume 1″ (2003)

Tubi has both of the “Kill Bill” movies streaming free right now, so if you like to think of them as “The Whole Bloody Affair,” you can watch them both back-to-back for the full experience. However, they were initially released a year apart, and when “Volume 1” hit theaters in 2003, it was a shotgun blast of cinematic mayhem — Tarantino at his most loose, playful and gleefully referential. A profane, blood-spattered ode to vintage films, from Kung Fu to exploitation to Samurai cinema, “Kill Bill” is one of the greatest revenge sagas of the 21st Century, led by an unforgettable Uma Thurman as The Bride. In true Tarantino fashion, it’s so openly inspired by so many myriad references that it becomes its own singular thing, and a spectacular one at that.

Neon“Shirley” (2020)

If the return of “The Handmaid’s Tale” has you hankering for more of Elisabeth Moss’ spectacular performances, there is a slept-on 2020 indie drama that might just fit the bill. Not quite a biopic, the film tells a semi-fictional tale about legendary author Shirley Jackson (played by Moss) and her husband (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) in a prickly, extremely “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”-ish power play. Known for her elusive, unconventional films, including “Madeline’s Madeline” and “Thou Wast Mild and Lovely,” director Josephine Decker does not deliver the Shirley Jackson movie anyone would have expected, but a challenging, claustrophobic character piece about a tangled knot of inspiration, desire and destruction.

MGM“Fighting With My Family” (2019)

Coming off of her breakout roles in “Lady Macbeth” and “Outlaw King,” Florence Pugh had a trio of can’t-miss movies in 2019 that cemented her as one of the most versatile up-and-coming actors in the business: the Oscar-winning drama “Little Women,” her instantly iconic horror turn “Midsommar” and the lesser-known but perhaps most delightful of all, “Fighting With my Family.” Written and directed by Stephen Merchant, the sports drama is inspired by the true story of beloved wrestler Saraya (played by Pugh), who strives to find balance between her tight-knit WWE superfan fan family and the cutthroat world of Pro wrestling. Also starring Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn and Jack Lowden, it’s a super-sweet, feel-good sports movie that’s all heart.

Universal“Liar Liar” (1997)

Nobody does it quite like Jim Carrey and the generational funnyman was arguably in his finest form in the 1997 family comedy, “Liar Liar.” Carrey stars as a duplicitous attorney and deadbeat dad, who finds his carefully constructed schtick comes to a halt when his son’s birthday wish — that his father can’t lie for a single day — comes true and turns his life upside down in just 24 hours. There’s never been a better fit for Carrey’s signature physical comedy than a man who’s lost control of his faculties, fighting with his whole body not to tell the truth.

Universal“Death Becomes Her” (1992)

It’s not often you get an A-list ensemble and revered filmmaker on board for a completely campy horror-comedy, which is part of what makes “Death Becomes Her” such a rarity and a gem. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis in refreshingly atypical roles for each (especially Willis), “Death Becomes Her” follows two vain women as desperate rivals who connive to one-up each other and steal the other’s man, cemented in the status of that competition from their humble origins all the way through immortality. Game-changing practical effects, fearlessly committed performances by some of cinema’s greats, rich cinematography and clever editing, “Death Becomes Her” boasts a lot to ooh and ahh over despite its undeniable messiness. But at the end of the day, it’s unforgettable because it’s just so fun; cruelly playful and completely committed to the bit.

“Wrath of Man” (United Artists Releasing)“Wrath of Man” (2021)

“Wrath of Man” is an unusual entry in Guy Ritchie’s resume. As the title suggests, it’s angrier and darker than the bulk of his signature cheeky crime fare, starring Jason Statham as a crime boss who goes on a revenge spree after the death of his son (the film still has his signature silly names, don’t you worry about that — in fact, it might have the best of them all with Josh Hartnett’s Boy Sweat Dave, rivaled only by “Legend of the Sword’s” Goose Fat Bill). It sets up what at first seems like a fairly straightforward thriller around a botched armored truck robbery, but told in four acts, the film bucks genre tropes at every turn, winding down an unexpected, surprisingly bleak path of vengeance.

“Hereditary” (A24)“Hereditary” (2018)

The scariest movie of the 2010s, “Hereditary” is not for the faint of heart, but if you don’t mind the scares, it’s also one of the most complex and eviscerating family dramas of its era with an extraordinary, all-time banger performance from Toni Collette. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro and Ann Dowd, “Hereditary” follows the grieving Grahams after a death in the family rattles their foundations, leading them to dig up inherited secrets that are beyond dark and depraved. The feature debut from the now much-lauded Ari Aster, “Hereditary” is a technical stunner that had none other than Martin Scorsese championed early for its depth of character and meticulous construction. But it’s also an emotional meat grinder that puts you through the paces of grief, shock and despair — yes, that’s a compliment.

The post The 7 Best New Movies Streaming Free on Tubi Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.

Jimmy Kimmel Asks ‘Why Does Donald Trump Even Need a Shower’ After Weird Water Pressure Order | Video

Jimmy Kimmel, per usual, spent a lot of time discussing Donald Trump during his monologue on Thursday night, and he was particularly perplexed by the weird executive order Trump issued regarding shower water pressure.

“What is he focused on?” Kimmel asked after having discussed a lot of the other chaotic events of the day. “I’ll tell you what he’s focused on. Shower heads. Yeah. ‘It comes out drip, drip, drip.’ “I believe that’s how Stormy described it too. Right?”

“Trump… this adult man felt it necessary to issue an executive order to ‘make water pressure great again,” Kimmel continued. “He still only has ‘concepts’ of a healthcare plan, but he’s cracking down on shampoo. He loves signing these executive orders in front of the cameras.”

After going a digression about an employee who, apparently, announces what Trump is about to sign, Kimmel continued talking about the executive order.

“The White House put out a statement saying, ‘no longer will shower heads be weak and worthless.’ This is a statement from the right. And Republicans act like, ‘oh, this is normal.’ If Joe Biden spent this much time talking about the showerheads, not only would they vote to put him in a home, we would let them do it,” Kimmel said.

“We’d be like, ‘yeah. He’s gotta go.’ Why does Donald Trump even need a shower?  You’d think the three-hour tongue bath he gets every morning from ‘Fox & Friends’ would be sufficient to keep him clean.”

Watch the whole monologue below:

The post Jimmy Kimmel Asks ‘Why Does Donald Trump Even Need a Shower’ After Weird Water Pressure Order | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Chris Hayes Wonders ‘Who Voted for This?’ After Trump Cancels Children’s History Contest | Video

Chris Hayes took four minutes during Thursday night’s episode of “All In” to ask “who voted for this?” after the latest apparently pointless bit of “seemingly pointless” cruelty and “destruction” from the Trump administration: the cancellation of a celebrated annual national history contest for children and teenagers.

“It is almost impossible to keep up with all the destruction being caused by Donald Trump, even when it’s your job to do so like it is mine,” Hayes began. “Now, some of this we basically knew was going to happen, right? He campaigned on it. But then there are the things that just never came up in the campaign that are now happening. Some are cruel and seemingly pointless things that make you wonder who voted for this. For instance, who voted against National History Day?”

Hayes explained that National History Day is “a nationwide history competition that more than half a million students work to qualify for each year, and it is, well, awesome and adorable.” Hayes then played clips of the extremely enthusiastic students who showed up and showed out for it in 2024.

“I mean, come on, this is the most amazing, all American, wholesome, non ideological, non political thing I can imagine, right? And if you look at any local news seriously over the past few weeks, you will see articles about students in places like Iowa or Texas or Mississippi or Ohio or Missouri or Pennsylvania proudly qualifying for their regional competition, and then once they clear that, they go to the big national competition, which was set to start in just nine weeks,” Hayes continued. “But last week, Donald Trump and Elon Musk killed its funding.”

This is true, and you can read the NHD organization’s statement on this incomprehensible decision here.

“Why? Who can say? Who the heck knows? So the executive director had to take the social media asking folks to donate so the kids can make it to the national competition in June.”

Hayes then ran a clip of said director doing just that, begging for what, as Hayes quickly pointed out, is literally a trivial amount of money when it comes to things funded by the U.S. government.

“In the context the federal government and Doge and Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and the ‘efficiencies’ they’re bringing, $336,000 over two years, or $132,000 for the competition this year, $132,000 is what they’re saving the taxpayer,” Hayes said with audible disgust. “And that’s all that is standing between these kids and this big national award that will imprint them for life.”

Then Hayes pointed out that “Donald Trump could skip one golf weekend down in Florida, and the savings could fund National History Day for decades. Elon Musk gets millions of dollars a day in federal contracts. I wonder if in the campaign, one of the candidates ran on the promise to destroy a history contest for sixth graders, if that would have affected anyone’s decision.”

“Seriously, who voted for this”” Hayes asked again. Watch the full clip below:

The post Chris Hayes Wonders ‘Who Voted for This?’ After Trump Cancels Children’s History Contest | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Smash’ Broadway Review: Taking a Sharp Pin to the Marilyn Monroe Balloon

The Broadway version of “Smash” does in a swift and an engaging 90 minutes what it took the NBC TV series two seasons of episodes to accomplish. The only problem for the stage musical, which opened Thursday at the Imperial Theatre, is what to do with its second act.

There’s a musical called “Bombshell” inside the musical called “Smash,” and there isn’t much story to tell, or suspense to sustain, after the star of “Bombshell” (Robyn Hurder) fails to show up for the invited-dress performance and her understudy (Jacqueline B. Arnold) has ingested a horse-laxative-laced cupcake, meaning the show’s assistant director-choreographer (Bella Coppola) must play Marilyn Monroe in “Bombshell,” the new bio musical.

Book writers Bob Martin and Rick Elice galvanize our attention in the first act by making Hurder’s Ivy Lynn a pleasant no-nonsense singer-actress who very gradually turns into a performer as troubled, neurotic and arrogant as Marilyn herself. Martin and Elice’s best departure from the TV series, created by Theresa Rebeck, is bringing Paula Strasberg into the saga. They’ve done their homework.

When Laurence Olivier directed Monroe in “The Prince and the Showgirl,” he was aghast to find that his female star took directions from the Method guru during a table reading of the screenplay. Martin and Elice take that horror story and put it into their “Smash” book when Ivy Lynn rehearses a scene in the stage musical “Bombshell” where Marilyn visits husband Joe DiMaggio (Casey Garvin) in the Yankee’s locker room. Unbeknownst to everyone is an old woman dressed in black who gives Ivy line readings before her every utterance.

Paula Strasberg has been renamed Susan Proctor and embodied to comic perfection by Kristine Nielsen. In the beatification of Marilyn Monroe, the Strasberg connection (Paula as well as Lee) is the facet that most needs to be atomized, and “Smash” does a brilliant job of trashing the Strasbergs’ reputation. Hurder’s performance takes a sharp pin to the Marilyn balloon. Playing Ivy, she is pleasant and professional. Playing Ivy playing Marilyn, Hurder goes from ditzy and breathless to hard and monstrous. One of the real surprises of “Bombshell” is its skewering of the Marilyn myth, and that includes a sly send-up of the star’s suicide. I was hoping for appearances from Jack and Bobby. Alas, they’re a no-show.

For Act 1, Martin and Elice have written a first-rate musical. The “Smash” ensemble, led by Hurder and Nielsen, make it better than first-rate. Their stellar performances are joined by equally great work from Brooks Ashmanskas, the harried stage director, and Krysta Rodriguez and John Behlmann, the married couple who watch their marriage disintegrate as they try to write the book and songs for “Bombshell.” Susan Stroman directs, and she hasn’t been this good with a cast since she brought “The Producers” to the stage over two decades ago. The “Smash” ensemble is every bit as talented as that legendary cast. A wonderful quirk of the direction and book is that the show’s musical numbers are, for the most part, backstage looks at the rehearsal process. Broadway aficionados will love it.

The second act of “Smash” hinges on which actress will end up playing Marilyn on opening night. Frankly, we don’t care, because the show is loaded with many songs for each of them to sing. Too many. In the second act, the female empowerment anthems become numbing, since each is delivered as a showstopper. How many times can a show be stopped before it actually stops?

Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman have recycled their songs from the TV series, and at their best, those tunes are ersatz Andrew Lloyd Webber, which, at their best are ersatz Giacomo Puccini.

It’s a wonder that someone didn’t cut the intermission after Coppola sings “Let Me Be Your Star,” the show’s best known song, and wrap things up in a neat 20 minutes.

The post ‘Smash’ Broadway Review: Taking a Sharp Pin to the Marilyn Monroe Balloon appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Hacks’ Star Carl Clemons-Hopkins Breaks Down Marcus and Deborah’s Difficult Conversation

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Hacks” Season 4, Episode 2.

When Carl Clemons-Hopkins first read what was in store for Marcus in “Hacks” Season 4, he felt “excited.” That may be surprising considering that Episode 2 all but closes the book on the character’s story in this career-obsessed show.

“Really, I’m in love with this man, so I’m rooting for him all the time. I was just cheering as each line went by,” Clemons-Hopkins told TheWrap. “I’m excited that this character is taking the reins of his own life, and I hope that he’s an inspiration.”

From Season 1, Marcus has always been the “Hacks” poster child for having a terrible work-life balance. In the beginning, he served as a model of sorts to Ava (Hannah Einbinder), living proof of how Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) was able to transform a super-fan into a high-powered COO. But there was always an ominous edge to Marcus’ poise and success, stemming from the fact that he spent nearly every waking moment either thinking about Deborah or anticipating her needs. As “Hacks” progressed, Marcus has been repeatedly admonished by his mother, his ex, his friends and even his colleagues for his unrealistic dedication to Deborah. But it’s not until Season 4 that he finally stands up to Deborah and for himself.

As Deborah’s late night show takes off, Marcus realizes that her QVC empire will become a conflict of interest. Knowing that this show is a lifelong dream for the woman he idolizes and who no longer has time for him, Marcus makes a move that even Clemons-Hopkins admits is “a bit underhanded.” He finds a buyer for the QVC deal without telling Deborah.

“I believe that was the only point of recourse he had. There was a timetable on it,” Clemons-Hopkins said. “He started doing a number of things to try to get this done gently, but at the same time he has his own neck to think about. This is also partly his business. I don’t think there was an option of delaying it, losing money and possibly incurring more lawsuits from either the network or QVC.”

That decision leads to one of the most devastating yet interesting fights in the history of this award-winning Max comedy. Once Marcus presents his plan to sell QVC to Deborah, she immediately lashes out at him, accusing him of using her for her fame and fortune, and abandoning her like everyone else in her life. It’s a classic Deborah temper tantrum. But instead of rising to her level like Ava does this season or cowering before her as Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) often does, Marcus stays even-tempered. Because of this, he’s one of the few characters to stay true to himself after emerging from a Deborah fight.

“Marcus can see that she is definitely reacting to things that are outside of their current conversation. In my opinion, Deborah’s reaction is much more to do with how she’s feeling about Ava, residual feelings about [Deborah’s sister] Kathy and fears about the show. I think Marcus just gave a place to put all those things,” Clemons-Hopkins said. “The fact that he finds a way to not only do what he needs to do but do it in a professional manner, while also disarming Deborah’s tantrums or attacks, that was really fun to explore.”

What truly impressed the actor about the confrontation is the fact Marcus is able to find peace with his former boss without losing any love or respect from the notoriously cutthroat Deborah.

Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) in “Hacks” Season 4 (Photo Credit: Max)

“I think Marcus and DJ [Kaitlin Olson], especially last season, are the only two people we have seen come out of the other side,” he said. “Honestly, I would say those are the only two people outside of the dogs that truly love her in the actual sense of ‘We’ll have more conflict. But I know the better parts of you, and I know that I may not be getting that right now. But I’m willing to have the patience to get through this and get back to the better parts of you.'”

Though Marcus and Deborah professionally part ways on good terms, Clemons-Hopkins acknowledged that this severing is coming during an especially difficult time in Deborah’s life. Ever since her standup special gained critical acclaim in Season 3, the army of yes men around Deborah has only grown stronger. Without Marcus in her daily life, another one of the few honest voices around her has disappeared.

“Marcus is one of the few people who will actually listen to her past what she’s saying to see what she needs, I think that’s one of the reasons why he has to move so quickly on this deal,” Clemons-Hopkins said.

Episode 2 may mark the end of their professional relationship, but Clemons-Hopkins is confident the two will remain in each other’s lives. (The actor is also set to return later in Season 4).

“Marcus’ relationship with this person really does proceed and supersede anything that may be going on, however long, with this current late night show,” he said. “I believe they would still be in each other’s lives.”

“Hacks” Season 4 releases new episodes Thursdays on Max.

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