Zaz’s Max Gamble, Gavin’s DiFi Headache, Meatballs & Strikes

Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon dose of Puck’s latest reporting.

Today, we lead with Tara Palmeri’s Tallahassee dispatch on the early days of Jeff Roe’s DeSantis makeover. Can the elite G.O.P. operative shape the candidate’s media image before Trump defines him, or is it already too late?

Plus, below the fold: Matt Belloni details Ben Affleck’s quest to remake how Hollywood finances films. Tara unearths the battle lines surrounding Gavin Newsom’s potential Feinstein swap. And On The Powers That Be, Matt and Peter Hamby discuss David Zaslav’s long overdue release of Max, the colossal success of the Mario Bros. movie, and what to make of the early returns for Air.

TARA PALMERI

Roe is remaking DeSantis land in his image as Tallahassee considers bringing in more made-for-TV surrogates who can shape the candidate’s image rather than let Trump craft it. Is it too late?

MATT BELLONI

In an age of global buyouts, a vanishing middle class of actors and filmmakers, and a likely upcoming writers strike, it’s easy to see why Artists Equity feels revolutionary. So why are so many executives, producers, and finance types so skeptical?

TARA PALMERI

The California governor is in a tough spot as the person empowered to fill Feinstein’s seat if she retires. There are three crucial voting blocs he could upset, and his own political future to consider.

PETER HAMBY & MATT BELLONI

Matt joins Peter to discuss David Zaslav’s long overdue delay of Max, the colossal success of Super Mario Bros, and what to make of the early returns for Air.