Julia Alexander • April 24, 2024

The New Netflix Narrative

Yes, yes, Netflix’s earnings knocked it out of the park and entirely reversed a narrative from a few years ago. But can Peters and Sarandos convince Wall Street to view it more like Apple than Disney, by focusing on engagement rather than subscriber counts? And wouldn’t it be nice if Madison Avenue played along, too.

Scott Mendelson • April 23, 2024

American Horror Story

Horror flicks simply aren’t performing at the box office with the potency they demonstrated as recently as last year. But is this the result of oversaturation or simply a natural come-down from previously unsustainable highs?

Eriq Gardner • April 22, 2024

Gaming the Trump Trial: Clink Questions, Legal Bills & Mistrial Potential

As the first Trump criminal trial kicks off in Manhattan, the largest questions loom: Can prosecutors claim to know Trump’s state of mind? Can they convince the jury that a payoff to a porn star qualifies as criminal election interference? And why, at the end of the day, the lawyering will make the difference.

Matthew Belloni • April 19, 2024

Death of a Hollywood Savior

Jeff Skoll, the eBay billionaire behind Participant Media, was happy to take risks and lose money on “important” projects like Oscar winners ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Green Book.’ But after a year of trying to sell, including a potential lifeline from Eric and Wendy Schmidt that went south, he shut the company down. Why?

Julia Alexander • April 16, 2024

Peacock’s M&A Endgame

How many streamers is too many? This quarter’s earnings season may finally hold the magical clue.

Scott Mendelson • April 16, 2024

Meltdown at the Multiplex

Can Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman save summer box office? Or is Hollywood’s ’24 strategy simply to wait till ’25?

Matthew Belloni • April 12, 2024

Planet of the Ape

AMC C.E.O. Adam Aron and I have had many, uh, spirited conversations in private over the past few years, so I was excited when he agreed to join a panel that I moderated in Las Vegas, where we talked candidly about bankruptcy fears, his faith in a 2025 box office rebound, his desires for Apple and Amazon, and all his meme-stock-loving APE buddies.

Julia Alexander • April 9, 2024

It’s Not HBO, It’s Max

A strategic assessment of HBO one year after its name was stricken from the title of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, and two years after it was bundled with ‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ and ‘90 Day Fiancé’: What’s working, what’s broken, and what’s next.

Matthew Belloni • April 9, 2024

Why Haven’t More Movie Theaters Closed?

The U.S. is clearly over-screened, with the new normal of moviegoing falling far behind all the available theaters. What’s needed is a wholesale murder of the multiplex, so why won’t that happen anytime soon?

Eriq Gardner • April 8, 2024

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Accounting…

Twenty years ago, films by Scorsese, Soderbergh, and Michael Mann collectively grossed half a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. This month, Lionsgate and Content Partners are getting dragged into court over their share of the pie.

Matthew Belloni • April 5, 2024

Ari and Egon Take the Bromance Private

News and notes on Endeavor’s take-private: the eye-popping windfalls for leaders Ari Emanuel, Patrick Whitesell, and Mark Shapiro, whether this was the deal Silver Lake wanted, what Whitesell’s next move will be with $250 million of Egon Durban’s money, and much more.

Julia Alexander • April 2, 2024

The Story of Disney+

At the core of the current Disney proxy war is a battle to control the company’s streaming business. Herewith, a level-headed evaluation of the mistakes made, the lessons in success, and the most profitable path forward.

Matthew Belloni • April 2, 2024

The Iger Legacy’s Last Stand

The Peltz-Ike-Rasulo proxy battle may seem like the ultimate indignity for Bob Iger, but it’s also the direct result of the few (but glaring) mistakes amid his own tenures atop Disney: “If Peltz finds his way to the Disney board, that will be Iger’s biggest failure as C.E.O.”

Scott Mendelson • April 2, 2024

Zaz-Adjusted Box Office Mojo

So far in ’24, Warner Bros. Discovery accounts for nearly 30 percent of domestic box office and—depending on how you slice it—19 to 40 percent of international.

Julia Alexander • March 29, 2024

Tubi or Not Tubi?

The jury is still out on the durability of free, ad-supported streamers. But Tubi seems to have found a foothold by leaning into how younger viewers actually consume TV: as something to put on in the background while they watch other screens.