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Matthew Belloni, Eriq Gardner, Julia Alexander, Kim Masters & Scott Mendelson
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Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
An essential, insider-friendly Hollywood tip sheet from Matthew Belloni, who spent 14 years in the trenches at The Hollywood Reporter and five before that practicing entertainment law. What I’m Hearing also features veteran Hollywood journalist Kim Masters, as well as a special companion email from Eriq Gardner, focused on entertainment law, and weekly box office analysis from Scott Mendelson.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Matthew Belloni
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October 15, 2024
David Ellison Will See You Now
Paramount’s new mogul and his post-merger deputy Jeff Shell are taking meetings with their top executives, as plans for the storied studio—and especially its streaming video ambitions—come into clearer focus.
Matthew Belloni
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October 11, 2024
The Oscars’ No-Big-Deal Rebrand
What if hosting Hollywood’s marquee awards show were less of a heavy lift, with the added benefit of a telecast with more stars and performers who went beyond simply presenting. That’s what the Academy wants. Could it work?
Matthew Belloni
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October 8, 2024
‘Joker 2’ Was a Flex, Not a Sabotage
‘Folie á Deux’ may repulse moviegoers, but Todd Phillips isn’t inflicting self-harm or sabotaging Warner Bros., he’s showing off his clout as a billion-dollar grosser.
Matthew Belloni
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October 4, 2024
CAA’s Scare Tactics
An agency founded by a group of William Morris agents is now trying to shut down its own defectors over the legal definition of “talent managers.” But CAA’s battle with Range Media Partners isn’t just about preventing former agents from taking clients like Bradley Cooper to a new company.
Matthew Belloni
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September 27, 2024
Da Saga of Spike Lee, Colin Kaepernick & ESPN
A pricey seven-episode docuseries about Colin Kaepernick, produced by Spike Lee and Jemele Hill, won’t be released for at least another year—and ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro is open to the them shopping it elsewhere.
Matthew Belloni
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September 27, 2024
Comp Wars: Netflix vs. The Agents
As the streamer prepares to introduce its new contingency compensation model, Netflix executives are giving the same old spiel about the company’s marketing and hit-making potential. But everyone, especially the people who represent talent, would benefit from an honest conversation about aligning interests.
Matthew Belloni
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September 20, 2024
Ted’s Transparency Soapbox
After years of advocating data obfuscation, Netflix’s Sarandos is focusing on transparency with his twice-a-year data dumps to frame the competition in a way he knows he can win, then advocating for his rivals to play his new game.
Matthew Belloni
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September 17, 2024
The Plan to CAA-ify Talent Managers
TPG leveraged its investment in an agency into a $7 billion sale and $2.4 billion return. Can it run the same playbook in the management space?
Matthew Belloni
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September 6, 2024
Hollywood’s 10 Percent Problem
According to a new study, only one-tenth of the 500+ movies either released or scheduled for release by the major studios and streamers between 2022 and 2026 actually came from an internal development slate. Is this the new normal, or a wake-up call that the system has become far too risk-averse?
Matthew Belloni
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August 30, 2024
How the Zaz Fire Sale Could Play Out
Coming off a stock price nadir, with its legacy TV business cratering, Warner Bros. Discovery has reached the point where it may need to sell some stuff. Herewith, a rating of marketable assets and the highly speculative likelihood that David Zaslav will part with them.
