Coyote vs. Acme Opens at $14M, Big Bang Theory Hits No. 1, and Tim Curry Is Remembered
A fast scan of Aug. 24–30 Hollywood news, from Coyote vs. Acme's estimated opening and Nielsen's new sitcom No. 1 to fresh renewals, awards, tributes, and creator deals.
The Aug. 24–30 week gave Hollywood a rescued Looney Tunes movie with a $14 million domestic opening estimate, a first-ever Nielsen No. 1 for The Big Bang Theory, and a wave of tributes for Tim Curry. Streaming, renewals, awards, and creator deals filled out a busy Sunday scan.
| Story | Lane | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Coyote vs. Acme and the weekend chart | Box office | The rescued Warner Bros. movie is tracking for $14 million in third place. |
| The Big Bang Theory | Streaming | Nielsen puts the sitcom at No. 1 overall for the first time. |
| Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu | TV and deal | Disney+ orders an Aardman stop-motion series under a new global deal. |
| Not Suitable for Work | TV | Hulu cancels Mindy Kaling's comedy after one season. |
| Love Island USA | Renewal | Peacock orders Season 9 with Ariana Madix returning. |
| I Love Lucy | Awards | The sitcom becomes the first recipient of the Television Academy's Legacy Award. |
| Tim Curry | People | Co-stars remember the actor after his death at 80. |
| Shonda Rhimes and Netflix | Deal | Rhimes and Shondaland sign a new five-year pact. |
| Rafe Judkins and Paramount | Deal | The Wheel of Time creator gets an overall deal to develop scripted series. |
Box office and streaming
1. Coyote vs. Acme makes the weekend's loudest comeback
Spider-Man: Brand New Day was tracking for $21 million and first place in its fifth weekend, while Coyote vs. Acme was aiming for $14 million in third and The Dog Stars for $8 million in fifth in Deadline's Saturday estimates. The rescued Looney Tunes movie also posted an A CinemaScore and a 93% positive PostTrak response, giving Ketchup Entertainment a record domestic opening for the indie distributor.
2. The Big Bang Theory finally reaches No. 1
Nielsen placed The Big Bang Theory at No. 1 overall for the week of July 27–Aug. 2, with 1.14 billion viewing minutes on U.S. television sets. The Devil Wears Prada 2 led the movie chart with 911 million minutes, while Netflix's The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare led original series with 864 million.
Franchise and TV updates
3. Disney+ orders an Aardman Pokémon series
Disney+ greenlit Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu, a stop-motion series from Aardman that will debut on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2027. The order arrives with a global distribution deal covering the new series and Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, which is already streaming on Disney+.
4. Hulu cancels Mindy Kaling's Not Suitable for Work
Hulu canceled Mindy Kaling's comedy Not Suitable for Work after one season.
5. Peacock orders Love Island USA Season 9
Peacock renewed Love Island USA for Season 9, with Ariana Madix returning as host after earning her first Emmy nomination for the series. Peacock said Season 8 ranked as its top streaming title of Summer 2026 to date, and the reunion special is set for Aug. 31.
Awards and people
6. I Love Lucy gets the Television Academy's first Legacy Award
The Television Academy named I Love Lucy the first recipient of its Legacy Award, with a tribute planned for Night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys on Sept. 6. The 1951–57 sitcom helped establish the three-camera format and, through Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's ownership of the negatives, helped create the modern model for television syndication.
7. Tim Curry's co-stars remember a singular performer
Kiefer Sutherland, Luke Evans, Carol Burnett, Michael McKean, Lesley Anne Warren, and Josh Gad were among those paying tribute to Tim Curry after the actor died Tuesday at 80. Curry's roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, Annie, It, and Home Alone 2 made him a genre-hopping favorite across film, television, and theater.
Hollywood deals
8. Shonda Rhimes stays with Netflix for five more years
Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland, and producing partner Betsy Beers renewed their overall deal with Netflix for five years, covering series, films, games, merchandise, and live events tied to their projects. Netflix said the Bridgerton franchise has recorded 610 million views since the first half of 2023, giving the pact a very recognizable anchor.
9. Wheel of Time creator Rafe Judkins joins Paramount
Paramount Television Studios signed Rafe Judkins to an exclusive overall deal to create, develop, and produce original scripted series. The studio is pairing Judkins' fantasy-worldbuilding background with Paramount+'s push for genre shows that can define the streaming service.
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