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“The Problem With Jon Stewart” has been axed at Apple TV+ due to creative differences, according to media reports.

Despite being previously renewed for a third season, the streamer has abandoned the planned installment amid a clash of ideas between the former “Daily Show” host and Apple executives. Taping for the third installment was slated to begin in the coming weeks, per a report from The New York Times, but plans have since been scrapped.

According to the Times, Stewart and the tech giant’s leaders faced recent disagreements on the guests and content that would be covered in Season 3 of the talk show, with the host telling his staffers on Thursday that Apple was concerned about topics Stewart had brought forward, including China and artificial intelligence. Ahead of the 2024 election, one of the staffers told the Times more points of dispute were likely.

A spokesperson for Apple TV+ did...

Jon Stewart is making an early exit from Apple.

The former Daily Show host’s return to the talk show space has ended prematurely as Apple has abandoned plans for an eight-episode third season of the Stewart-hosted series The Problem, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the New York Times, which first reported the news, the cancellation came after creative differences between the iPhone maker and Stewart over potential topics and guests for The Problem. The Nyt reported that Stewart informed his staff Thursday that Apple pushed back on topics relating to China and artificial intelligence. Production on season three was already under way, with filming poised to begin shortly.

Apple declined to comment.

Sources tell THR that there had been tension between Apple and Stewart ahead of the show’s third season return over topics featured on The Problem. Those same sources note that Apple approached...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Talk Series

Weekly Commentary: Jon Stewart is facing off against his buddy Stephen Colbert in the talk series category, and it’s a race too close to call.

CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” could manage its first significant win against Apple TV’s “The Problem with Jon Stewart,...

Amazon Prime Video has released the official trailer for its upcoming sci-fi series “The Power.” The first three episodes will premiere March 31, with the remaining six episodes available each Friday until the finale on May 12.

Based on Naomi Alderman’s novel of the same name, the new sci-fi series follows as a group of teenage girls who have developed the power to electrocute people — and learn to monitor this newfound gift.

Toni Collette and John Leguizamo star in the series, along with Auli’i Cravalho, Toheeb Jimoh, Josh Charles, Eddie Marsan, Ria Zmitrowicz, Zrinka Cvitešić and Halle Bush. “The Power” is produced by Amazon Studios and Sister, with Raelle Tucker serving as showrunner,

See below for “The Power” trailer.

Also in today’s TV News:

Dates

Peacock’s two-part true crime docuseries “Who Killed Robert Wone?” will premiere March 7. The documentary tells the story of attorney Robert Wone, who was found...

“The Problem With Jon Stewart” will return in March after a three-month hiatus with interviews lined up that tackle the societal issues that have become a hallmark of the Apple TV+ show.

Season 2 will continue with episodes that feature one-on-one interviews with the likes of California governor Gavin Newsom, former CIA director David Petraeus and Oklahoma State senator Nathan Dahm, the show said in a release Thursday. Stewart will also travel overseas for the first time “as Jon engages foreign policy leaders,” according to the release.

Also Read:

Jon Stewart Asks: Have America’s Actions Led to an ‘Unstable’ World and ‘Inflamed Populism’? (Video)

In the interviews that kick off with the March 3 return, Stewart will discuss prison reform and rehabilitation with Newsom, national defense with Petraeus and, in a heated conversation with the hard-line Republican Dahm, crimes and guns.

To mark the return of new episodes, Stewart will host...

Apple has revealed the trailer for season two of the Emmy Award-nominated Apple TV+ original series “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” premiering globally on Friday, October 7 with all-new episodes to be released weekly. This season will tackle topics including gender, taxes, globalization, elections and more. The trailer highlights moments from the upcoming season, including Stewart taking on anti-transgender legislation, questioning the American tax proposition and confronting economic globalization, with special appearances from LeVar Burton and Susan Sarandon. Acclaimed host, writer, producer, director and advocate Jon Stewart, recipient of the 2022 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, leads with compassion and humor as he takes a deep dive into some of the most important issues of our time. Using comedy and common sense, the series features tough, topical and culture-moving conversations from the perspectives of stakeholders, experts, and individuals confronting these issues. The Writers Guild Award-nominated series “The Problem With Jon Stewart...

Apple TV+ sets premiere date for season two of Emmy-nominated series “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” premiering globally on October 7 with new episodes available weekly The companion current affairs podcast also continues with new episodes covering timely topics each week Apple today announced the premiere date for season two of the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ original series “The Problem With Jon Stewart.” The second season will premiere globally with six all-new weekly episodes starting on Friday, October 7. Acclaimed host, writer, producer, director and advocate Jon Stewart, recipient of the 2022 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, leads with compassion and humor as he takes a deep dive into some of the most important issues of our time. Using comedy and common sense, the series will feature tough, topical and culture-moving conversations from the perspectives of stakeholders, experts and individuals confronting these issues. The series’ official companion podcast of the same name is...

Showtime Sports Documentary Films is set to release a documentary feature based on the life of basketball star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, entitled “Stand.” The documentary will premiere in early 2023.

Directed by Joslyn Rose Lyons, “Stand” explores the personal and professional struggles of Abdul-Rauf, from being bullied as a child due to his Tourette’s syndrome to becoming a target of hate speech and Islamophobia during his basketball career. The documentary film features exclusive interviews with several basketball and entertainment stars including Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Shaquille O’Neal, Jalen Rose, Mahershala Ali and Ice Cube.

“It is an honor to be collaborating with Showtime and the production team and working with our director, Joslyn Rose Lyons,” Abdul-Rauf said in a statement. “Joslyn has brought a stellar, brilliant vision to this film. My hope is that my story will help heal and bring new perspective to the world.”

The film marks Lyons’ feature-length directorial debut.

Apple TV Plus released a first look at “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” which launches Sept. 30. The series’ companion podcast will also launch that same day.

Stewart returns to host a television series 16 years after he closed out his run on “The Daily Show.” He jokes about that in the clip, saying, “This is what I look like now.” But this new series is described as a “current affairs series,” rather than a talk show.

In it, Stewart will welcome a wide range of guests from celebrities, such as Jason Alexander, participating in sketches to experts on topics that the struggle for comprehensive veteran care and supporting the working class, and everyday people discussing their personal issues in America. Undoubtedly, healthcare will also come up, as Stewart has spent much of his time over the last few years fighting for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. The podcast will expand upon each...

After Spring, the critically praised documentary about the Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, executive produced by Jon Stewart and Chris McShane, will debut Friday, February 10 at 9 Pm on Starz. The film is available beginning today for Starz subscribers on the Starz app and Starz On Demand. Directed/produced by Steph Ching (Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon) and Ellen Martinez (Tested), the documentary film tells the heartbreaking and inspiring personal stories of Syrian…...

Jon Stewart has largely stayed out of the public eye since he signed off as host of The Daily Show in August. But he resurfaced at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday night to introduce the world premiere of After Spring, a documentary he executive produced, which takes a close look at the daily lives of Syrian refugees living in a massive camp in Jordan. Still sporting a beard and referring to himself as "Jon Stewart's grandfather," Stewart admitted that he and fellow executive producer Chris McShane did "very little" on the film. The former Daily Show host called

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The feature film Rosewater is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir “Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival,” written by the BBC journalist Maziar Bahari. A true story, the film marks the screenwriting and directorial debut of “The Daily Show” host and executive producer Jon Stewart, and stars Gael García Bernal, leading an international cast. Rosewater is produced by Scott Rudin, Stewart, and Gigi Pritzker, with Lila Yacoub, Eli Bush and Chris McShane serving as executive producers.

Rosewater follows the Tehran-born Bahari, a 42-year-old broadcast journalist with Canadian citizenship living in London. In June 2009, Bahari returned to Iran to interview Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was the prime challenger to controversial incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As Mousavi’s supporters rose up to protest Ahmadinejad’s victory declaration hours before the polls closed on election day, Bahari endured great personal risk by submitting camera...

Fathom Events and Open Road Films are partnering to present the exclusive“Rosewater: Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert Live” event, including the feature film Rosewater followed by a Live Q&A with Jon Stewart, the film’s screen writer, director and producer, interviewed by Stephen Colbert, host and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award Winning series “The Colbert Report,” broadcast from New York City.

Fans can join the conversation by Tweeting questions now via Twitter using the hashtag #RosewaterLive. https://twitter.com/RosewaterMovie

This special event will be showcased in select cinemas nationwide for only one night on November 13 live at 7:30 p.m. Et and tape delayed to 7:30 p.m. local time in all other time zones. Rosewater is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir “Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival,” written by the BBC journalist Maziar Bahari,...

The Works UK Distribution has picked up UK rights from Sierra/Affinity to Rosewater, set to receive its European premiere on October 12 at the BFI London Film Festival.

Transmission Films has acquired Australian rights to The Daily Show host Jon Stewart’s tale of BBC journalist Maziar Bahari, who was imprisoned and tortured by Revolutionary Guards while covering the 2009 presidential election in Iran.

Gael Garcia Bernal stars alongside Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidas and Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Stewart profiled the story as it developed on his TV show and eventually turned it into his feature debut after adapting Bahari’s book Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story Of Love, Captivity And Survival.

OddLot Entertainment founder Gigi Pritzker, Scott Rudin, and Stewart produced, with Lila Yacoub, Eli Bush and Chris McShane serving as executive producers. OddLot Entertainment financed the project

The Works UK Distribution will release Rosewater in March 2015 and Transmission Films will release in Australia in January...

Jon Stewart’s feature directorial debut and potential awards contender is set to premiere in Toronto next month.

Rosewater will open in select theatres on November 7 and is based on the true story of Tehran-born BBC journalist Maziar Bahari who was tortured and detained by Iranian authorities after he returned to his homeland to cover the 2009 election.

Gael Garcia Bernal stars in the lead role and Scott Rudin produced with Stewart (pictured) and Gigi Pritzker. Executive producers are Lila Yacoub, Eli Bush and Chris McShane and Sierra/ Affinity handles international sales.

Dimension Films has set a December 12 release date for the supernatural thriller Demonic presented by James Wan. Maria Bello and Frank Grillo star and Will Canon directed the story of an investigation into an amateur ghost-hunt that turned into a massacre. Wan produces with Lee Clay and came up with the original story idea.

He took a noticeable leave of absence from the Daily Show back in July to shoot a project close to his heart. With an A-team comprised of Shohreh Aghdashloo, Gael García Bernal and the presence of DS gagster Jason Jones, Jon Stewart shot his directorial debut in Jordan side by side with cinematographer Bobby Bukowski (Rampart). If ready on time, it certainly feels like a perfect match between the anti-Argo, Iranian political drama and the politicized festival.

Gist: Written by Jon Stewart, Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy, and based on the Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story Of Love, Captivity, And Survival, this is about a journalist is detained in Iran for more than 100 days and brutally interrogated in prison.

Production Co./Producers: Oddlot’s Gigi Pritzker, Scott Rudin and Stewart. Exec Producing: Lila Yacoub, Eli Bush and Chris McShane.

Prediction: Buyer interest through the roof for...

Chris McShane has been promoted to co-head of production and development for Jon Stewart's Busboy Prods. He will share  the role with current head Rich Korson as the two will oversee development and production of Busboy projects.  McShane is currently the executive in charge of production for Busboy on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. At Busboy, he has helped to develop and produce such shows as Important Things with Demetri Martin for Comedy Central, The Naturalized for the History Channel and was played a key part in the production of Jon Stewart's and Stephen's Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.