Scott Mendelson • August 19, 2025

Hollywood’s Summer of Meh

Most of the big studio movies performed as well as they needed to for their own commercial success. But a lack of regular releases, zero surprise breakouts, and a slew of less-special-than-before franchise titles left theaters begging for a #Barbenheimer…

Kim Masters • August 18, 2025

One Call Changed Zach Cregger’s Life

A lively conversation with horror’s new reigning duo, writer-director Cregger and producer Roy Lee, on the ‘Weapons’ bidding war, their new twist on ‘Resident Evil,’ and a fateful early-morning phone conversation.

Matthew Belloni • August 15, 2025

The Tragedy of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

Sony Pictures really needed a big box office hit this summer. Instead, the studio sold the sensation of the season to Netflix and will earn only a tiny fraction of what will likely become a billion-dollar franchise for the streamer. How did that happen?

Julia Alexander • August 13, 2025

Peacock’s Ruffled Feathers

Peacock isn’t just unprofitable—it’s the only major U.S. streamer without a vision for a future beyond sports. Alas, a platform can’t live on the NBA and Love Island alone, and the Philadelphia brain trust will have to get creative (and raise prices) if they want to compete.

Eriq Gardner, Ian Krietzberg & Julia Alexander • August 12, 2025

Will America Learn to Love A.I. Slop?

The hand-wringing around artificial intelligence is typically focused on the ways it will disrupt content production, but far less attention has been paid to how media platforms will decide to guardrail the technology. In this incisive conversation, Julia Alexander and Ian Krietzberg join Eriq Gardner to break down the legal considerations facing Hollywood, publishing, and the music industry.

Matthew Belloni • August 12, 2025

Why Ellison Doubled Down on UFC

David Ellison’s seven year, $7.7 billion deal to secure UFC rights for Paramount+ risks the streamer’s profitability in the pursuit of subscriber growth. But setting aside the debate about overpaying, this might be the statement play New Paramount needs.

Scott Mendelson • August 12, 2025

So, Who Gets the Credit for Warner Bros.?

David Zaslav’s once-flailing movie studio has notched its sixth straight $40 million-plus opening weekend, including two of the three top earners of the year. In simple terms, Warners’ hot streak comes from placing smart bets and making the most of them, but there’s always an asterisk in the new tangled Hollywood calculus.

Matthew Belloni • August 8, 2025

David Day One: The Ellison Era at Paramount Begins

Touring CBS News and making nice with ’60 Minutes’, Ellison met a media firing squad and unveiled a plan to leverage the tech prowess of his father’s Oracle and others to compete with Silicon Valley. Sounds great, but how?

Julia Alexander • August 6, 2025

Is Disney+ Ready to Become a Super App?

If Disney can successfully combine Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN into one app while leaning into bundling, the company’s future may begin to resemble its rich pay TV past.

Eriq Gardner • August 5, 2025

Will Bill Maher Get Loomered?

News and notes on Warner Bros. Discovery’s ‘Ugliest House in America,’ a sealed deposition in Loomer v. Maher, and the Florida man accused of hacking Tucker Carlson’s interview with Kanye West.

Kim Masters • August 5, 2025

Is Ellison After Warners Next?

As the Paramount-Skydance deal finally closes this week, many are wondering what else the young mogul has up his sleeve. Skydance-Paramount is still subscale, and David Ellison has access to unlimited capital. Is Warner Bros. in his sights?

Julia Alexander • July 31, 2025

Can an Ad Tier Solve Apple TV+?

As Tim Cook touts “double-digit” streaming growth, whatever that means, Hollywood’s most price-insensitive player is facing growing pressure to actually make money from its unprofitable service. Turning on the ad revenue spigot is probably inevitable.

Eriq Gardner • July 29, 2025

The Legendary–Lionsgate ‘Dune’ Drama

After a months-long secret dispute over foreign adaptation rights, the two studios recently reached a settlement in which Legendary forked over a pittance—just $13 million to resolve the claim. Perhaps not surprisingly, Legendary and Lionsgate are now in early talks about a potential merger…

Scott Mendelson • July 28, 2025

Is $800 Million the New $1 Billion?

As summer hits its final stretch, box office watchers are doing the math on all the ways in which 2025, even with its fearsome foursome and a Man of Steel, could be playing catch-up until Christmas. The subdued month of July tells the story.

Matthew Belloni • July 25, 2025

David Ellison and the Penis Politics of ‘South Park’

The would-be owner of Paramount scores the F.C.C. greenlight and survives the latest threat to the deal via Trey Parker and Matt Stone, whose outrageous (and nude) parody of Trump comes days after one of the most contentious talent negotiations I’ve covered.