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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 contributions from veteran Hollywood journalist Kim Masters, media analyst Julia Alexander, entertainment law expert Eriq Gardner, and special box office dispatches from Scott Mendelson.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Matthew Belloni
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December 19, 2022
How Agents Ride Out a Recession
UTA C.E.O. Jeremy Zimmer speaks candidly about cuts at the streamers, the writers’ unrest, WME’s expansion, CAA’s M&A, and what’s next for his own agency amid an economic downturn.
Matthew Belloni
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December 16, 2022
Never Over-Estimate James Cameron
Even if Avatar: The Way of Water performs as Hollywood hopes, Cameron alone can’t save cinema. This year will end with theatrical revenue down about a third versus 2019. There simply aren’t enough big movies these days to sustain theaters—and far too many duds.
Matthew Belloni
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December 12, 2022
The One Film Academy Voters Should Watch
The troubling arc of Meg Smaker’s “Jihad Rehab,” from Sundance sensation to swift cancellation, represents an alarming trend for all filmmakers. But there’s a way to make amends this week.
Matthew Belloni
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December 12, 2022
How Taylor Swift Ended Up at Searchlight
Behind the scenes of Swift’s first feature foray in Hollywood.
Matthew Belloni
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December 9, 2022
The Obamas’ Hollywood Education
Netflix has quietly done what Spotify wouldn’t: re-up Barack and Michelle’s Higher Ground production company after a rocky experiment in entertainment. The question now is whether the Obamas can justify that hefty investment, or whether Hollywood is merely a pricy post-presidential hobby.
Matthew Belloni
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December 5, 2022
Netflix Doesn’t Want the Sequel to One of Its Most Important Movies
Icarus was a landmark, award-winning, zeitgeist-shifting film for Netflix. But even the genre obsessive Ted Sarandos has evolved his thinking as the financial picture has darkened.
Matthew Belloni
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December 2, 2022
‘Outright Betrayal’ Over a Music Industry Windfall
The story of how dozens of top touring acts allegedly pocketed $70 million in Covid grants, and the Hollywood legal war that erupted in the process.
Matthew Belloni
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November 28, 2022
‘No Great Options’: The Iger Succession Tarot Card
I talked, texted, and emailed with about 20 keen Disney observers this week about the succession issue, and here is the early rundown and buzz, based on my own research and conversations with those in and around Disney. All caveats apply.
Matthew Belloni & William D. Cohan
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November 26, 2022
Barbarians at the Disney Gates
How will returning C.E.O. Bob Iger defang Dan Loeb, and possibly even Nelson Peltz, the activist behind the coups at GE and DuPont? Plus, Wall Street’s Zazlovian doubts. Here’s the inside conversation on a big week in big media.
Matthew Belloni
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November 21, 2022
The Logic Behind a Horror Movie Megamerger
With the pending acquisition of James Wan’s Atomic Monster, Jason Blum’s hit-factory production company will become a behemoth that could be worth billions—if he makes smart moves.