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HOLLYWOOD

SAG-AFTRA members chant outside Paramount Studios on day 118 of their strike against the Hollywood studios on November 8, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

2023: A Hollywood Labor Odyssey

What did we learn from a tumultuous 2023? As an extraordinarily challenged year sunsets, here are five takeaways.
Jonathan Handel • December 22, 2023
Julia Alexander • December 20, 2023
What Is Paramount Actually Worth?
The argument for breaking up Shari Redstone’s Paramount Global, of course, is that its parts would be worth more than the whole.
Exploring the value, and content synergies, among CBS, Nickelodeon, and the Taylor Sheridan Cinematic Universe, among other assets within Paramount Global.
Scott Mendelson • December 18, 2023
The 10 Commandments of Movies in 2024
Margot Robbie in 'Barbie'
As the industry takes stock of a year that will fall short of $9 billion at the domestic box office, here are 10 rules that can help executives decide what movies to make.
Ted Sarandos arrives for the premiere of ‘Leo’ at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on November 19, 2023.
Matthew Belloni • December 15, 2023
The Netflix Radical Transparency Flex
Is the new Engagement Report a historic data dump in the name of radical transparency, or a leverage-inducing display of the streamer’s dominance over the industry—a subtle attempt to regain negotiating power over the talent and streamers in town?
For all the money that Netflix spends on content—about $17 billion this year and counting—viewership still tends to agglomerate around the broadest, most populist fare.
Julia Alexander • December 12, 2023
Netflix’s Data Bomb & Iger’s Hulu Wish List
A talmudic reading of Netflix’s first-ever, hotly anticipated “What We’re Watching” report. Plus, an evaluation of what Disney+ needs from Hulu in their new streaming marriage.
Previous rulings indicate that Cher should be deemed the favorite. But all of Hollywood will be watching closely to see how broadly Kronstadt rules.
Eriq Gardner • December 11, 2023
The Sonny Side of Cher’s Royalty War
A million-dollar legal battle between the late Sonny Bono’s second and fourth wives could have major implications for how rights are valued in Hollywood.
David Ellison arrives for Paramount's ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ premiere in New York City on June 5, 2023.
Matthew Belloni & William D. Cohan • December 11, 2023
The Inside Conversation: Shari, Ellison & The Paramount Sale Scenarios 
Should Skydance and RedBird go after National Amusements, the parent company of the Redstone media assets? Or does a deal for Paramount Global make more sense?
Shari Redstone arrives at the Sun Valley Resort for the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 10, 2018, in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Matthew Belloni • December 8, 2023
Shari Inches Toward Parting With Paramount
Skydance is kicking the tires on the Redstone assets. David Ellison and RedBird’s Gerry Cardinale are taking the lead, but it’s super early, and a potential deal could take several different shapes.
The most popular next stop for U.S. viewers who watched Suits on Netflix was actually Hulu.
Julia Alexander • December 5, 2023
Streaming’s ‘Suits’ Lesson
So, what happens after Netflix subscribers binge on a decade-old piece of I.P.? Do they stay on the platform, or search for their next fix somewhere else?
Beyoncé in Tamara Ralph for the opening of night two of the Renaissance Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sept. 2, 2023.
Scott Mendelson • December 4, 2023
All Hail the Niche Event Film
A subgenre of demographically specific movies, as exemplified by current hits featuring Beyoncé and Godzilla, used to be gravy for the theatrical business. Now it’s a necessity.
NYT Columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin and C.E.O. of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger speak during the New York Times annual DealBook summit on November 29, 2023 in New York City.
Matthew Belloni • December 1, 2023
Iger’s Disney De-Wokening
The “go woke, go broke” narrative persists, despite its origins as social media and Fox News noise. And now it’s clear that Disney C.E.O. Bob Iger himself believes that, whether it’s B.S. or not, the company’s progressive “messaging” has become a problem.
Producer David Ellison attends the Royal Film Performance and U.K. Premiere of Top Gun: Maverick at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022 in London.
Matthew Belloni • November 27, 2023
Final Strike Jitters, Disney Blame Game & A Shari-Ellison Scenario
A special Thanksgiving mailbag answering the town’s most burning questions, including what happens if SAG-AFTRA rejects its deal, an odd funeral no-show, and what to do with all the antisemitism around Hollywood.
Say what you will about Netflix’s film strategy, but the company consistently nails holiday fare.
Julia Alexander • November 22, 2023
The Christmas Streaming Miracle
You have no earthly idea how much people watch holiday movies between Thanksgiving and New Years. But is owning and developing this I.P. a worthy R.O.I.?
Jonathan Handel • November 20, 2023
A Quick Fix for (Some of) the Actors’ A.I. Contract Fears
SAG-AFTRA can take some control of the playing field by issuing its own consent forms for digital replicas.
Jay Penske celebrates on the podium during the Hyderabad E-Prix on February 11, 2023 in Hyderabad, India.
Matthew Belloni • November 20, 2023
And the Golden Globes Go to… CBS
In a last-ditch, third-try effort, Jay Penske sold the Golden Globes telecast to CBS. The deal is a huge discount from NBC’s previous $60 million-per-year offering, but it prevents the awards from being the Billboards—at least for now.
Brie Larson in 'The Marvels.'
Matthew Belloni • November 20, 2023
Apple, Marvel, and the Great Box Office Fallacy
In a perverse side effect of the streaming age, Hollywood seems unwilling to call a flop a flop. Instead, the question of what is “profitable” or “value-additive” has become convoluted—especially if it involves a pure-play streamer or a Scorsese movie.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher speaks as SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland looks on at a press conference discussing their strike-ending deal with the Hollywood studios on November 10, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Jonathan Handel • November 17, 2023
Are Actors Overthinking the A.I. Threat?
A close look at the three primary concerns raised by SAG-AFTRA members regarding how “synthetic performers” and other computer-generated replacements could threaten their livelihoods.
There were a few Easter eggs in Bob Iger’s analysis of Disney’s quarterly performance that may appease Nelson Peltz.
William D. Cohan • November 15, 2023
Iger’s Living Peltz
Will embattled Disney chief Bob Iger manage to ward off a looming proxy fight with Trian’s hyper-aggressive activist investor Nelson Peltz after his latest incursion into Disney’s cap table?