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Jason Statham & David Ayer Reteaming On Action Movie ‘John Doe’

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EXCLUSIVE: After working together on The Beekeeper and A Working Man, David Ayer and Jason Statham are reteaming on action-thriller John Doe, with Ayer directing from a script by blockbuster screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, The Avengers).

Statham is set to play the Man With No Name in the film, which will chart the story “of a man with no memory, no past, and no name — and only one face he can’t forget: Eliza. As fragments of his identity return, he discovers he was trained for a mission still in motion and is being hunted by the very people who sent him. With enemies closing in, John must choose between finishing what he started… or protecting the one thing that makes him feel human: love.”

Miramax is producing and financing, with Statham producing via Punch Palace Productions. Paul Schiff and Zak Penn are also producing.

Black Bear will introduce the film to international buyers at the upcoming Cannes market where it’ll be a strong commercial option thanks to the track records of the creatives and backers. Production is being lined up to begin in September 2026.

Miramax and Black Bear have had recent success with the filmmaker-star duo, having produced The Beekeeper ($163M WW) and A Working Man ($89M), respectively.

Fast & Furious star Statham remains a box office pull. His films have grossed more than $8.5BN at the box office. Upcoming films include multiple Black Bear productions, including Guy Ritchie’s Viva La Madness, also starring Ben Foster, Jason Isaacs, and Camila Mendes, and Jason Statham Stole My Bike, the meta-action-comedy from David Leitch. He is also collaborating with Miramax on The Beekeeper 2, alongside Jeremy Irons and Pom Klementieff.

Ayer is best known for Suicide Squad, Fury, The Beekeeper, and A Working Man and upcoming has Paramount action-adventure film Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons.

Penn served as a writer on three Academy Award-nominated blockbusters: Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, and Shawn Levy’s Free Guy. He also wrote or co-wrote films including The Incredible HulkX2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last StandElektraBehind Enemy Lines, and Inspector Gadget.

Schiff’s credits include RushmoreMona Lisa Smile, My Cousin Vinnie, and How It Ends, as well as the television series Super Pumped

“We’re thrilled to be reuniting Jason and David on John Doe, powered by Zak Penn’s sharp, propulsive script. With wildly inventive action and modern themes that will resonate with a global audience, this takes the Statham/Ayer collaboration to a new level,” said Jonathan Glickman, CEO, Miramax.

“Jason is a singular talent in the action genre who consistently delivers for his audience,” added John Friedberg, President of International for Black Bear. “David has also firmly established himself as one of the top action directors working today. Their previous collaborations rank among the most successful independent action movies in recent years, and we are thrilled to deliver their third movie together in John Doe.

Statham is represented by GGSSC. Ayer is represented by WME and Sloane Offer. Penn is represented by WME and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Schiff is represented by Lawrence Kopeikin.

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‘Real Time’: Bill Maher Makes Boob Joke About Dolly Parton

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As Dolly Parton leaves behind an untouchable legacy, Bill Maher went for an easy boob joke in his on-air tribute.

On Friday’s episode of Real Time, the comedian mentioned the 11x Grammy-winning Queen of Country’s death at age 80 this week in his opening monologue, before making a quip about her signature busty appearance.

“All this was going on, and all America could really talk about this week was how sad it is we lost Dolly Parton,” began Maher. “Everybody around the country, even around the world—London, they’re doing things, the Santa Monica ferris wheel is lit up with hearts, the Empire State Building was put up in pink. The Sphere in Las Vegas added a nipple.”

Parton’s family announced that she died in Nashville on Tuesday following a brief sickness with cancer. Although she remained busy until her final days, the “I Will Always Love You” artist had dealt with health issues over the past year.

In addition to her legendary country music career and Golden Globe-nominated screen career, Parton was also heavily involved in philanthropy through the Dollywood Foundation, advocating for children’s education and literacy. She also raised money for HIV/AIDS research and helped fund the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, as well as dedicating herself to disaster relief, animal welfare and LGBTQ causes.

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Judge Jackie Glass Dead: ‘Swift Justice’ Host Was 70

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Judge Jackie Glass, the former Clark County judge who hosted the syndicated court show Swift Justice, has died. She was 70.

Glass died on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, TMZ reported after Glass’ daughter Rachel Wolfson posted a tribute to her late mother on social media.

“RIP my rock,” wrote Wolfson on Facebook. “I don’t know how I’ll do this life without you, I love you so much mommy Jackie Glass, I’ll see you again someday.”

Judge Glass made headlines in 2008 when she sentenced O.J. Simpson to 33 years in prison for armed robbery in a Las Vegas hotel. Simpson was released on parole in 2017 before dying of cancer in Vegas in 2024.

In 2011, Glass took over for Nancy Grace as host of the small claims court show Swift Justice in Season 2, which moved production from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Glass hosted the syndicated reality series until it ended in April 2012.

Glass is survived by husband, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, and two daughters.

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CA Lawmakers Compromise With Film Industry On Corporate Tax Credit Cap

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The California production community can breathe a sigh of relief: State lawmakers have officially introduced a bill meant to allow studios a few key exemptions from a recently enacted restriction on corporate tax credits.

AB136, introduced Friday evening, addresses concerns raised from stakeholders including the Motion Picture Association about the threat of undermining the efforts to expand California’s Film & TV Tax Credit pool to $750 million.

Lawmakers have to consider legislation for 72 hours before voting. With that in mind, a vote on AB136 is likely to come Monday evening, hours before the midnight end to the legislative session.

The state budget, passed this summer, seeks to stabilize revenue by preventing corporations from offsetting more than $5 million in tax liability annually for the next three years. Several advocacy groups pushed for a complete exemption, but the solution introduced by lawmakers on Friday evening does fall short of that.

Instead, only independent productions will be completely exempt from the $5 million cap. The legislation also addresses concerns about the payback period for studios that have elected to refund credits for cash. Current law allows studios to get cash instead of claiming the credit against tax liability for a 10% discount on the total with a payback period of five years. The fix accelerates that to two years with just a 5% discount.

The new legislation will also extend the expiration date of the non-refundable tax credits that were issued prior to 2025.

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