HOLLYWOOD
Matthew Belloni
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August 15, 2022
A Manifesto to Save Movie Comedies
The raunchy, Apatowian films that dominated the mid-2000s box office and spawned a generation of comedy stars have gone the way of iPods and skinny jeans. Critics blame everything from Covid to cancel culture, but the real culprit is more insidious: an economic landscape that rarely rewards risk-taking. One producer has some ideas to fix it.
The Editors
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August 12, 2022
The Making of Elizabeth Holmes
In a candid conversation at New York’s Metrograph theater, Matt Belloni interviews actress Amanda Seyfried, creator/showrunner Liz Meriwether, and executive producer Rebecca Jarvis, about bringing Elizabeth Holmes to life in ‘The Dropout.’
Matthew Belloni
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August 12, 2022
The Return of Bob Greenblatt?
The legendary television executive just wrote a memoir about the hits he made and the networks he ran, but two years after his messy WarnerMedia ouster, the book might be a prelude to his own next moves.
Julia Alexander
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August 9, 2022
Zaz’s Law of Streaming
In light of his Batgirl slashing and earnings call manifesto, WBD C.E.O. David Zaslav is articulating a new logic for streaming: it’s going to be an important and growing revenue channel, but not the only one that matters. Here’s what Zaz is really saying, and how it might (or might not) work.
Eriq Gardner
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August 8, 2022
The Netflix-Disney Legal Squeeze
Netflix’s furious behind-the-scenes negotiation with Hollywood’s biggest union is putting rivals like Disney in a bind: either the studios take a similar deal, or face the wrath of California’s left-wing legislature. The outcome could redefine the entertainment calendar—or trigger a massive lawsuit.
Matthew Belloni
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August 8, 2022
Zaslav’s Next Move: Here Come the Layoffs
The rolling reductions will begin with smaller groups between Monday and Labor Day, followed by a ramp-up in bloodletting in September and October.
David T. Friendly
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August 8, 2022
Hollywood’s Billionaire Summer
A longtime producer reflects on how the growing preponderance of billionaire financing—smart money, dumb money, and everything in between—has transformed an industry in transition.
Matthew Belloni
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August 5, 2022
‘Batgirl’ Died For Our Sins
David Zaslav’s controversial and cold-hearted decision to kill off the movie for a tax credit isn’t simply the fault of the filmmakers or Jason Kilar or the herky jerky voyage of Warner Bros. It’s on Hollywood, as a whole, for worrying about being left behind by Netflix.
Julia Alexander
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August 2, 2022
The Only Surprise About Plepler’s New Hit Show
Richard Plepler has the surprise of the summer in Black Bird, but not because it is executive produced by the former HBO chief. It’s because the Apple TV+ show is so damn hard to find. Also: Notes on Hulu’s latest strategy.
Matthew Belloni
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August 1, 2022
Stallone’s War on Rocky: This Time It’s Personal
The 76-year old star is fighting his producers and MGM for a financial stake in his signature property, but it’s not just a play for more money.
Eriq Gardner
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August 1, 2022
Ron Meyer, The O.J. Movie & L’Affaire Charlotte Kirk
One of the most sordid episodes in modern Hollywood enters a strange new phase of legal maneuvering.
Julia Alexander
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August 1, 2022
Zaz’s Tween Gamble
As he recontorts the content strategy (and budget) of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav is making a bet that technology has forever changed the way kids consume content, particularly live-action fare.
Julia Alexander
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July 28, 2022
The Summer Box Office Wars Come to Streaming
At last, the streaming industry has matured to the state where it has multiple viable contenders, the best content on the market, and intense summer season face-offs can make-or-break a parentco’s quarter.
Eriq Gardner
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July 25, 2022
Inside Lachlan & Rupert’s Defamation Endgame
A pair of historic libel suits from Dominion and Smartmatic could open the door to billions of dollars in damages. But the smartest legal minds on both sides of the case perceive an exit strategy for the Murdochs—one in which Fox Corp avoids paying anything at all.
Eriq Gardner
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July 24, 2022
The Final Kiss Off from Hollywood’s Secret Keeper
Anthony Pellicano, the notorious former “private investigator to the stars,” has quietly returned to Hollywood and resumed pitching his services—only for a group of his long-ago victims to resurface, seeking nearly $4 million of justice.
Julia Alexander
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July 24, 2022
Netflix’s Animated Double-Down
Out with the Ryan Murphy deals, and in with the modest-sized bets on cheaper, “stickier” animation and anime fare.
Dylan Byers
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July 22, 2022
The Tao of Ari’s Abs & Licht’s Deck Chairs
Notes on the yacht-hosing photo of our age, the latest dish on Apple’s battle with Amazon over N.F.L. rights, and the Chris Licht narrative shift.
