HOLLYWOOD
Eriq Gardner
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October 29, 2024
A Menendez Hollywood Ending
Thanks to Ryan Murphy and a Netflix docuseries, everyone is reconsidering the fate of the infamous brothers—including L.A. District Attorney George Gascón, who is in danger of being deposed in next Tuesday’s election.
Matthew Belloni
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October 29, 2024
Pearls of TV Wisdom from John Landgraf
The FX C.E.O. and reigning Emmys champ sounds off on Silicon Valley’s influence over Hollywood, the perils of the algorithm, and what would’ve happened if Disney hadn’t acquired his network: “It would be dead.”
Scott Mendelson
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October 29, 2024
Chris Hemsworth’s Box Office Poison
Why is Disney considering the Thor actor for ‘Prince Charming’ despite prodigious evidence that he has failed to lure audiences to theaters outside of his Marvel movies?
Matthew Belloni
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October 25, 2024
Pre-Election Vibe Check: Hollywood Edition
A pre-election check-in on the Hollywood donors and activists, from a studio chairman to an emerging screenwriter and a late-night TV host, who are simultaneously freaking out and (cautiously) optimistic about the final push for the Harris-Walz campaign.
Eriq Gardner
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October 22, 2024
Ellison’s New CBS Headache & Venu’s Political War
Unexpected legal developments, each with a uniquely political twist, have emerged in David Ellison’s deal to take over CBS, as part of his $8.4 billion Paramount acquisition, and Fox, Disney, and WBD’s struggle to launch their sports streamer, Venu.
Matthew Belloni
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October 22, 2024
Hollywood’s Offshoring Blame Game
Sony Pictures’ C.E.O. blamed union contracts for a shift in film and TV production out of the U.S. Now the head of SAG-AFTRA responds: “A cynical attempt to manipulate workers while masking the industry’s own business failures.”
Scott Mendelson
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October 22, 2024
‘Anora’ & The Perils of the Platform Release
Sean Baker’s Cannes-winning dramedy wowed in six theaters this weekend, but in a world of fractured and fatigued audiences, can word of mouth still sustain a movie from a few screens to a few hundred?
Matthew Belloni
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October 18, 2024
Netflix’s Too Big to Fail Moment
Yesterday’s earnings portrayed a company pulling away from its competitors, with business fundamentals and future growth pleasing investors. But Netflix’s executives also offered plenty of clues about how they’re going to manage their headaches (the ad tier, their competitors’ ability to gang up, etcetera) and the comp and movie theater questions.
Eriq Gardner
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October 15, 2024
‘Live PD’ & The Legal Perils of Uncancel Culture
A&E thought its Summer of Floyd decision to drop its top-earning police reality show was good governance. Then Mark Burnett and MGM started shopping a strikingly similar version.
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.
Scott Mendelson
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October 15, 2024
Send in the Clowns!
The success of ‘Terrifier 3’ further proves that a mainstream theatrical release still trumps nontheatrical distribution—at least in terms of cash-in-hand revenue and pop culture impact.
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.
Shirley Halperin
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October 8, 2024
The Sound of Silence, One Year Later
For many American Jews in the entertainment and music industries, the anniversary of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack in Israel is a stark reminder of their isolation in a culture that is terrified of speaking up, or speaking out, in support of the very community that built Hollywood as we know it.
Scott Mendelson
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October 8, 2024
The Joker’s Sequelitis
At one point, a big-budget follow-up movie that grossed less than the original was an anomaly. But with The Marvels and now Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s becoming a trend.
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.
Scott Mendelson
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October 1, 2024
Can Lionsgate Recover From an Epic Run of Mega-Flops?
With six bombs in a row, the ‘Megalopolis’ distributor has leaned on foreign presales to paper over an astoundingly bad slate of 2024 movies. Thankfully, at least, the next year is looking up.
