Councilmember’s Push to Improve L.A. Filming Conditions Passes Latest Hurdle: “We Can’t Lose Any More Time”

A group of people from the entertainment industry stood in a long line around the block on Tuesday to get into L.A. City Hall, where an important meeting was happening. This meeting was about a committee looking at motions from Councilmember Adrin Nazarian to make it easier for filming in the city.

Those who got into the Economic Development and Jobs Committee hearing saw all the council members on the committee approve most of Nazarian’s nine proposals, though some changes were made.

Nazarian got the go-ahead for several of his ideas, including making it faster to get approval for soundstages and asking all city departments to follow Mayor Karen Bass’s order about filming.

 He also got support for an independent review of the city’s permit system, a free permit for small shoots (those with 10 or fewer people), and a plan to work with nearby cities and counties to make their permit rules easier to follow.

Some changes to his proposals were approved, like making it simpler for police and fire departments to handle filming, lowering fees for parking and filming on city property to just $1, and removing special rules that make it harder to film in certain neighborhoods like Hancock Park or the Arts District.

After the meeting, Nazarian told The Hollywood Reporter that only one change would need more discussion, the one about removing the special conditions.

 He said he wanted to keep talking to make sure everyone feels okay about moving forward with the plan to bring more filming to Los Angeles.

People who support the “Stay in L.A.” movement, which has been pushing for better policies for the film industry since early 2025, filled the hearing.

 As the motions passed, workers in the industry cheered loudly.

Not everyone was happy.

 The Motion Picture Association wrote a letter to the council members with some concerns about the proposals, as did some unions. They especially didn't agree with the idea of an independent audit for FilmLA and wanted a way to monitor microshoots to stop bad actors from causing problems.

Since the motions passed on Tuesday, they can now be considered by the whole council as soon as later this month.

 Until then, Nazarian said he wants to talk with everyone who had concerns to find the best way forward. He said it’s better to make precise changes than to make broad changes.

He also said there's a need for urgency.

 He believes the industry has been taking things too slowly and that they need to act quickly now.

During the hearing, people shared their struggles.

 A production designer said she can't afford to live off her film work anymore and is having trouble paying rent and food. A former studio worker who was laid off said if she can't pay rent, she'll have to find another job to survive. A member of the IATSE Local 728 union said some of his coworkers have even taken their own lives.

Councilmember Traci Park, whose partner is in the Editors Guild and hasn’t worked in a while, said she understands the pain firsthand.

 She said, “We feel the pinch every single day,” and “I feel your pain on this.” She said she had questions about the motion but added, “I just want you all to feel heard.”

Josh Duhamel, Sharlto Copley Join Daisy Ridley in ‘The Good Samaritan’

Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Shotgun Wedding) and Sharlto Copley (District 9, Monkey Man) have joined Daisy Ridley in The Good Samaritan, an upcoming action movie directed by Pierre Morel, who also directed Taken and Peppermint.

In the film, Daisy Ridley, who is known for Star Wars, plays Dr. Rosalind Carver, a successful businessperson.

 She and her husband, Matt, save a hurt man who is floating near the coast of Indonesia. But they don’t realize they’re about to get involved in something dangerous. Within a few hours, Matt is taken by a group of pirates led by Langbore, played by Copley. Rosalind ends up working with an ex-mercenary played by Duhamel, who has his own reasons for fighting the pirates. Together, they uncover a big global crime network.

The Good Samaritan is based on a screenplay written by Matthew Ian Cirulnick, who also wrote Rambo: Last Blood.

 The film is being produced by Mark Canton and Dorothy Canton through their company Canton Entertainment, along with Oakhurst Pictures and Renee Tab from Sentient Entertainment. Production is set to start in July.

Highland Film Group is handling the international rights to the film and is showing it to buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin.

 CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are handling the U.S. rights.

Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser said, “The Good Samaritan is a big, bold action movie with a strong female lead at its center, along with a great group of actors like Josh Duhamel and Sharlto Copley.

 It’s exciting and intense, with real emotional depth. With Pierre Morel directing and our talented cast, it’s set up to be a big hit.”

The executive producers of The Good Samaritan include Pierre Morel, Matthew Ian Cirulnick, Ryan Winterstern, and David Hopwood.

 David Lipper, Delphine Perrier, and Arianne Fraser from Highland Film Group are also involved. Karley Ferlic from Canton Entertainment will act as a co-producer on the project.

Josh Duhamel is currently in Netflix’s Ransom Canyon.

 He has also appeared in Joe Carnahan’s upcoming thriller Not Without Hope and in Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon. Sharlto Copley is best known for his roles in Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 and Chappie. He recently acted in Dev Patel’s Monkey Man and is part of the Netflix series The Witcher.

‘Wuthering Heights’ Opens to $38 Million in North America, $83 Million Globally Over Presidents’ Day Weekend Box Office

 "Wuthering Heights" is now the top movie at the box office. The movie, directed by Emerald Fennell, made $38 million in North America and $45 million outside the U.S., totaling $83 million worldwide. That's just a bit more than the $82 million that was expected for the weekend.

Although the numbers in North America were slightly lower than expected (Warner Bros. had predicted around $40 million for four days), the movie did better than expected in other countries.

 With lower turnout in the U.S., the R-rated film might depend more on international audiences to stay popular. Warner Bros. spent $80 million to make the movie, and that doesn’t include the millions spent on marketing around the world.

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi play the main characters, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, in this new version of Emily Brontë’s classic story.

 The movie was a big choice for women during Valentine’s Day, with more than 75% of the opening weekend audience being female.

This is the ninth time in a row that Warner Bros. has had a movie open at number one.

 Other big hits from 2025 include "A Minecraft Movie," "Sinners," "Final Destination Bloodlines," and "Weapons." Earlier in 2024, Netflix offered Warner Bros. $150 million to make "Wuthering Heights," but the director and producer, Margot Robbie, chose to work with Warner Bros. for a lower budget and a full marketing push.

During the Valentine’s and Presidents’ Day weekend, "Wuthering Heights" was the number one movie in North America, beating out two new movies: Sony’s animated film "GOAT" and the Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo movie "Crime 101."

"GOAT" was second, earning $35 million over four days, including $27.2 million on the weekend.

 That's the biggest opening for an original animated film since "Elemental" in 2023, which made $29 million over the weekend and eventually earned $496 million worldwide. With a $80 million budget, Sony hopes "GOAT" will have a long run at the box office. Families mostly watched the movie, and they gave it high marks, which is a good sign for its future. Overseas, "GOAT" made $15.6 million, totaling $50.6 million worldwide.

"Crime 101" came in third with $16.3 million over the holiday, with $14.2 million on the weekend.

 Internationally, it made $12 million in 60 countries, totaling $28.3 million. Although that's a decent start for an R-rated movie, the $90 million budget for "Crime 101" is a big investment. Since theaters keep about half of ticket sales, the movie needs to stay in theaters for a long time to be worth it. Reviews were positive, but the audience mixed reaction, as seen by the "B" grade on CinemaScore. Bart Layton directed "Crime 101," which stars Chris Hemsworth as a jewel thief planning big heist operations across Los Angeles.

Overall, the box office was 8% higher than last year, according to Comscore.

 The attendance was good, but still lower than the 2025 Presidents’ Day weekend when "Captain America: Brave New World" made $100 million. The next big movie is Paramount's "Scream 7," coming out on February 27. Until then, movie theaters are hoping "Wuthering Heights" and "GOAT" will keep the box office busy."

Robert Duvall, Star of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Great Santini,’ Dies at 95

Robert Duvall, who won an Oscar for *Tender Mercies* and was nominated for his roles in movies like *The Godfather*, *Apocalypse Now*, and *The Great Santini*, has passed away. He was 95 years old.

The news of his death was shared on Facebook by his wife, Luciana Duvall.

 She wrote, "Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort. To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, and a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything."

She went on to say, "His love for his work was matched by his love for characters, great food, and being the center of attention.

 For every role he played, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable for all of us. Thank you for your support over the years and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind."

Duvall's rough, natural style of acting became the standard for a generation that included Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Gene Hackman.

 He acted in movies like *Network* and *The Apostle*, which he also directed.

Even though he wasn't as famous as De Niro, his ability to truly become the characters he played earned him admiration from both his fellow actors and critics.

 Francis Ford Coppola once said, "At a certain point, it's hard to tell the difference between leading men and great character actors."

He was an actor who was respected by other actors.

 He received seven Oscar nominations and also shone in TV shows like *Lonesome Dove* and *Broken Trail*, earning five Emmy nominations and winning two.

His first big movie role was as the scary Boo Radley in *To Kill a Mockingbird* in 1962.

 Although his career had some challenges at first, by the early to mid-1970s, he was really finding his footing, combining strong character acting with some bigger roles.

In 1969, he worked with a young director, Francis Ford Coppola, on the small film *The Rain People*.

 The next year, he had a major role as Frank Burns in Robert Altman's *MASH*. He also appeared in George Lucas's experimental movie *THX 1138*. He was also doing interesting work on stage.

The movie that really made him famous was *The Godfather* in 1972, where he played the patient and clever Tom Hagen.

 That role earned him his first Oscar nomination. He returned as Hagen in *The Godfather: Part II* in 1974. He also acted in Coppola's *The Conversation* and played Dr. Watson in Herbert Ross's *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution*.

In 1976, he played a cruel TV boss in *Network*, and three years later, as Colonel Kilgore, he said the famous line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," in *Apocalypse Now*.

 That earned him a second Oscar nomination.

In 1977, he and Ulu Grosbard brought David Mamet's *American Buffalo* to Broadway, which had mixed reviews.

 That same year, he made a documentary called *We're Not Jet Set*. In the early 1980s, he directed the small but finely made film *Angelo, My Love*.

It wasn't until *The Great Santini* in 1980 that he became a leading man on film.

 He played a loud, tough father, which earned him his first Oscar nomination as best actor. The next year, he won praise at the Venice Film Festival opposite Robert De Niro in *True Confessions*.

Then, in 1984, his quiet and detailed performance in *Tender Mercies*, written by Horton Foote and directed by Bruce Beresford, brought him the Oscar for best actor.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Team Breaks Down Dunk and Aerion’s Gritty, Exhausting Episode 5 Battle

 "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" Episode 5 put the Trial of Seven right at the front and showed one of the toughest fights in the "Game of Thrones" world.

A lot of the episode took us back to Dunk's past, when he was growing up in Flea Bottom before joining Ser Arlan.

 This helped explain how the battle in the trial played out. The fight was really hard and exhausting from the start. Showrunner Ira Parker told TheWrap he wanted viewers to feel how tired and scared Dunk got, even though he was bigger than his opponents.

Parker said, "Because we're only seeing things from Dunk's point of view, I wanted everyone to feel what it's like to wear armor and a helmet."

 He added, "Dunk isn't going to be great at this. Even though we might think, 'Oh, he's big and the hero, he's going to kick some ass,' the first thing he does is get a spear in his gut and fall off his horse."

Sam Spruell in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (Credit: HBO)

Getting thrown off his horse made Dunk rely on the skills he had before he met Arlan.

 Fighting like a knight and fighting like a beggar or thief from Flea Bottom, Peter Claffey explained to TheWrap that this difference was important. It was Dunk's toughness and determination in tough situations that gave him an edge over his size.

Claffey said, "That's pretty much how the book wrote it too, from the fight in 'The Hedge Knight'—George's words, this isn't Sir Duncan the Tall, this is Dunk from Flea Bottom.

 The hardship and grit he had to face to survive and overcome, and he uses all of that against this highly skilled, high-born prince—a Targaryen who thinks he's a dragon. In the end, it's that grit and fight that overcomes and defeats him. It was really important to show that."

Although Dunk is bigger, Aerion is more trained and better protected.

 He's also quicker on his feet than Dunk. It was important to Parker that despite Aerion being a annoying Targaryen prince, he was still very skilled and a real threat to Dunk.

Parker said, "Aerion, even though he's much smaller, is very skilled and very quick, and has been trained by the best people in the world.

 So Dunk is in some trouble. We wanted viewers to feel that all the way up until Dunk lands one big hit late in the game. That hit is really important. All of a sudden, Aerion's little shield is broken, and he just says, 'I've been pretty seriously injured here.'"

Those big hits were a key part of the episode.

 The stunt coordinators made sure each of Dunk's punches against Aerion—and vice versa—felt really hard. This was a messy, brutal fight in the mud, not a proper knightly battle. The moment had to feel real—either rising or falling to the occasion.

Claffey said, "When we talked with Florian [Robin] and C.C. [Smiff], the stunt coordinators, we had to throw these almost ground-and-pound punches.

 It was cool because I felt like it was almost a tribute to Jon Snow getting his final revenge on Ramsey Bolton after he kidnapped his brother. It really does symbolize that grit and ground and pound in the dirt. It's like what you'd do to survive and eat in Flea Bottom."

Finn Bennett remembered shooting the trial battle.

 Director Owen Cooper told him and Claffey that showing how both Aerion and Dunk were getting tired as they fought each other would make the fight more real. That was easy for Bennett to remember because of how hard those days were.

He said, "It was just rolling around.

 I remember being dragged through the mud, on a pulley, and Pete had one of my legs and was dragging me. I remember looking around and thinking, 'Remember this moment, this is a good thing happening to you.'"

He finished, "You really do get a sense of how brutal things are.

 I remember Owen saying, 'What's really going to sell this moment is how tired you both are. You start standing up and look at each other again when you're going back to fight again. Like, how exhausting. I'm really proud of that section."

‘Wuthering Heights’ Dominates Global Box Office With $82 Million, ‘GOAT’ Scores $47.6 Million Worldwide

 "Wuthering Heights" was number one at the global box office, making $82 million, which is the best opening for a movie in the world this year. The ticket sales include $42 million from international markets in 76 countries, and $40 million from the first four days of its release in the U.S. Rival studios think that the U.S. sales might end up closer to $35 million by Monday, which is President's Day. Warner Bros. made the movie, which cost $80 million to produce. Directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, it's a daring and passionate remake of Emily Brontë's classic novel. The story is about a dangerous love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff in 18th century England.

Since some reviews and word-of-mouth have been mixed and the domestic sales were a bit lower than expected, "Wuthering Heights" might need help from international audiences to make up for its budget.

 This is because movie theater owners usually get about half of the money from ticket sales. The top international markets were the United Kingdom with $10.3 million, Italy with $4.4 million, and Australia with $4.3 million. Warner Bros. hasn't shared any numbers from Asian countries yet, and the movie hasn't opened in China and Japan yet.

Second place went to "GOAT," a Sony animated comedy about a young sports hero.

 It made $47.6 million in its opening, including $15.6 million from 42 international areas. The movie, which is like a mix between basketball and something else, hasn't opened in 40% of overseas places, including China, Australia, Germany, and South Korea. Where it is playing, the biggest earnings came from the U.K. with $4.8 million, then Mexico with $1.8 million, and Spain with $1.2 million.

"GOAT" cost $80 million to make, and Sony hopes it will be as long-lasting as other recent animated movies like "Migration" and "The Wild Robot."

 Both of those earned a lot more money in the end. It helps that there aren't many new movies for families to watch since "Zootopia 2" came out around Thanksgiving. The next big movie for kids is Pixar's "Hoppers," which is coming out in March.

"Crime 101," a crime thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, came in third with $12 million from 60 countries.

 It made $15 million in the U.S. over the weekend, and is expected to reach $17.7 million by Monday, making its total global earnings $29.7 million in four days. The top countries for "Crime 101" were the U.K. with $2 million, Australia with $1.4 million, and Saudi Arabia with $790,000.

Though it's a good start for an R-rated movie aimed at adults, "Crime 101" cost $90 million to produce, not including marketing.

 That means it needs to do well for a long time to make back its cost. Amazon MGM, which is new to theatrical releases, thinks showing movies in theaters helps make them more popular before they come out on streaming. Directed by Bart Layton, "Crime 101" stars Hemsworth as a clever thief planning big heists across Los Angeles.

Netflix Wins U.S. Rights to ‘Lord of the Flies’ Series From ‘Adolescence’ Creator Jack Thorne

 Netflix has bought the U.S. rights to the upcoming "Lord of the Flies" series created by Jack Thorne, who also worked on "Adolescence." Sony Pictures Television shared this news on Friday as the series prepares to show at the Berlin Film Festival. Besides selling to Netflix, the show, which first aired on BBC in the U.K. on February 8, has also been sold in many other countries across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

"Lord of the Flies" has been sold to Sky in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy; CBC in English Canada; Radio-Canada in French Canada; TVNZ in New Zealand; Syn in Iceland; U-NEXT in Japan; Yes in Israel; Globoplay in Brazil; Telia in Estonia; Telia Play in Lithuania; Tet+ in Latvia; HBO and HBO Max in Central and Eastern Europe and Poland; and beIN in the Middle East and North Africa.

The series is the first TV version of William Golding's book and stars Lox Pratt, who will play Draco Malfoy in HBO's "Harry Potter" series.

 Other actors include Winston Sawyers, David McKenna, Ike Talbut, and Thomas Connor. Like the book, the show follows a group of boys who end up on a tropical island and have to survive.

Mike Wald, co-president of distribution and networks at SPT, said, "Jack Thorne's modern version of this classic story is, in one word, powerful.

 This first-ever TV adaptation of the iconic novel hits every level, including its cinematic feel and captivating music. We're really excited about the strong interest from buyers everywhere."

Thorne's "Adolescence," which he co-created with Stephen Graham and follows a 13-year-old boy arrested for killing his classmate, was a big hit on Netflix.

 It received great reviews and commercial success, winning eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Lead Actor in a Limited Series for Stephen Graham, and Supporting Actor for Owen Cooper.

Deadline Hollywood was the first to report this news.