Eriq Gardner • June 2, 2026

The Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni Suit Could Be Headed for a Do-Over

While Lively elected to settle with her ‘It Ends With Us’ director, her search for attorneys fees and damages has vexed the judge overseeing the case. Will the solution be a new suit in a new venue?

Eriq Gardner • June 2, 2026

Disney Is Ready to Clobber Brendan Carr

The F.C.C. chairman is forcing a showdown with Disney over its D.E.I. policies—seemingly a thin pretext for punishing ABC News. But Carr, usually a savvy operator, has an unusually weak hand. And Disney’s lawyers have figured out exactly how to exploit it.

Matthew Belloni • June 2, 2026

The 27-Year-Old Assistant Who Found ‘Backrooms’

Shawn Levy’s production company assigned a young staffer to monitor YouTube for potential talent. Four years later, Kane Parsons’ fantasy thriller opened to $118 million worldwide and has everyone in town talking about a possible sea change.

Matthew Belloni • May 29, 2026

The Hollywood A.I. Appeasement Vibe Shift

As the industry—even the creative class—shifts to cautiously accept A.I., a Cate Blanchett–founded nonprofit is pushing to adopt a framework of consent for performers. Meanwhile, the business is groping around for new ratings standards in an effort to separate out the slop. Both battles are just beginning.

Kim Masters • May 27, 2026

Hollywood’s Saudi Tax Rebate Problem

Saudi Arabia has been offering generous rebates to lure productions to the Gulf. But even before the region experienced war and instability and spending slowed, some producers had been left holding an empty bag.

Eriq Gardner • May 26, 2026

The Ellison Trust-Busting Is Getting Political

Paramount’s planned takeover of Warner Bros. has triggered an all-out legal arms race between white-shoe law firms and an increasingly aggressive coalition of state A.G.s. Among the first battle lines: whether the Ellisons secured favorable regulatory treatment in exchange for favorable coverage.

Matthew Belloni • May 26, 2026

Hollywood’s Gen Z Gap Is Real… and It’s Growing

In a complementary study to my annual survey of L.A. teens, it turns out that young people across America have pretty specific—and not all that shocking or unfair—gripes with the movie business.

Matthew Belloni • May 22, 2026

What I’ve Heard: Five Years of Hollywood Disruption

A half decade of M&A opportunists, Peak TV casualties, industry contraction, devastating strikes, and approximately 1,500 David Zaslav mentions later, show business still can’t figure out if it’s reinventing itself or fading away. So I asked 100 industry sources what they think is going on.

Scott Mendelson • May 20, 2026

Summer Box Office Blackjack: What the Biggest Movies Need to Beat the House

From Grogu to Spidey, here’s what each of this summer’s top 10 tentpoles actually needs to earn—and why success means something different for everyone.

Eriq Gardner • May 19, 2026

SAG-AFTRA’s Surprise A.I. Détente

News and notes on the union’s peace treaty with digital “actress” Tilly Norwood. Plus: The bizarre lawsuit over Tung Tung Tung Sahur, which may be the first major test of whether trademark law can do what copyright won’t—protect an A.I.-generated creation.

Julia Alexander • May 19, 2026

Streaming TV’s Romantasy Problem

Hollywood keeps trying to mine the red-hot genre for adaptations with built-in female fandoms. So why haven’t Amazon or Netflix cracked the code?

Matthew Belloni • May 15, 2026

The Hollywood C.E.O. Gluttony Index

Executive compensation in media has exploded in the past 30 years, even in a period of steady decline for the industry and a generally stagnant stock market. An eye-opening new study ranks the boom’s victors and their jaw-dropping spoils.

Kim Masters • May 12, 2026

Netflix Goes to the Movies & Baldoni’s Second-Act Chances

News and notes from around town: Will the famously theater-shy streamer go all-in on distribution? And now that the Blake Lively war is almost over, what are Justin Baldoni’s Hollywood prospects?

Eriq Gardner • May 12, 2026

Yes, the Blake-Baldoni Case Does Have a Winner

Lively’s lawyers say the ‘It Ends With Us’ settlement is just the preface to another battle to recover attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and potentially punitive awards, too. But will a Manhattan judge really apply an untested California law to a conflict on a New Jersey film set?

Matthew Belloni • May 8, 2026

Disney’s Josh D’Amaro Manifesto Translator

In his first earnings call as C.E.O., D’Amaro dropped a 3,000-word mission statement preaching A.I., a “One Disney” strategy, and a super-app to end all super-apps. But perhaps what’s most telling is what he glossed over: coming layoffs, the rising costs of sports, and the price for each attempted spin of the Disney flywheel.