Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon medley of Puck’s best new reporting. First up today, Matt Belloni opens his mailbag to address the most burning questions from the What I’m Hearing faithful: the 007 director derby (the shortlist includes Denis Villeneuve, Edgar Wright, and Jonathan Nolan, among others…), aftershocks from the Baldoni-Lively drama, Hulu’s disappearing library, the fate of The Batman: Part II, Apple’s post-F1 theatrical plans, Disney’s succession sweepstakes, and much, much more. Plus, below the fold: Julia Ioffe investigates Bibi Netanyahu’s shadow campaign to enlist Trump in his attacks against Iran. John Ourand taps NBC Sports president Rick Cordella for an inside look at Peacock’s next-gen approach to live sports. Lauren Sherman gets Ryan Murphy to reveal his team’s plan for the American Love Story costumes—and, exclusively for Inner Circle members, Lauren analyzes the fashion and business headwinds facing Kering’s new chief, Luca de Meo. Meanwhile, on the pods: Dylan Byers and Julia Alexander huddle up on The Grill Room to ponder how YouTube has transformed the media business over the past 20 years. On Fashion People, Lauren and investor Nick Brown discuss the evolution of venture capital firms investing in consumer products. And on The Powers That Be, Julia Alexander and Kim Masters examine the MAGA turn of mega-producer and longtime Democratic donor Brian Grazer—and the latest Disney succession chatter following the Dana Walden–Kamala Harris summit.

With the first half of 2025 nearly behind us, let’s open up my inbox for reader questions on everything from the 007 director bake-off and why Warner Bros. didn’t win the Matrix auction, to Baldoni-Lively aftershocks and Tom Cruise’s honorary Oscar. Read Now

An apparent Israeli campaign to credit Trump for the attack on Iran, and to flatter the president into joining the war, has met internal resistance and plenty of eye-rolling in the national security world. Still, there’s no question that Bibi knows how to play his counterpart—and that the American president is uniquely susceptible to ego stroking. Read Now

For your consideration: Sponsors include Max, presenting the HBO Original THE WHITE LOTUS. Taking place over one eventful week, Season 3 of The White Lotus follows the guests and employees of a luxury spa and wellness sanctuary in Thailand as they grapple with spirituality, secrets, self-discovery, revenge, and death while on their unique journey toward finding peace. Don't miss the series Vanity Fair is calling “SHARP & INTRIGUING”.  Emmy-eligible for Outstanding Drama Series and all other categories. Now streaming on Max.

NBC Sports president Rick Cordella chats candidly about Peacock’s streaming journey, leveraging premium sports to drive subs, the prophetic decision to carry the Big Ten, why they got into the NBA, and what linear and streaming still have in common. Read Now

Amid the outcry over early images from his new FX show, American Love Story, Murphy sets out to prove that he knows what he’s doing with the J.F.K. Jr.–C.B.K. saga, and explains why the ongoing obsession with their clothes reflects the very reason he took this project in the first place. Read Now

For decades, François-Henri Pinault executed a playbook that transformed his father’s retail business into a modern luxury superconglomerate. But macroeconomic headwinds and internal havoc call for a new playbook. Does Luca de Meo, who turned around Renault, have the magic touch? Read Now

In a special anniversary episode, Dylan and Julia ponder how YouTube has totally transformed the media business over the past 20 years: the proliferation of the creator economy, the amateurization of news, and whether Jake and Anderson should grab a microphone and ditch the suit. Listen Now

For your consideration: Sponsors include Max, presenting HACKS. Starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, the new season picks up with Deborah Vance’s late-night show finally in production—and Ava Daniels stepping in as head writer, to Deborah’s dismay. Their ever-complicated relationship is pushed to new limits as they clash over creative direction and get entangled in blackmail and betrayal. Slate says HACKS has "NEVER BEEN BETTER." Emmy-eligible for Outstanding Comedy Series and all other categories. Now streaming on Max.

Lauren sits down with Nick Brown, the managing director of Imaginary Ventures, which he co-founded in 2018 with Natalie Massenet. Through his work at Imaginary and, previously, 14W, Nick has invested in dozens of modern brands, including but not limited to: The RealReal, Glossier, Everlane, Reformation, Skims, The Row, Cann, and many others. They discuss the evolution of venture capital firms investing in consumer products, the rise of digital commerce, the importance of branding for long-term commercial success, changing consumer behavior, exit scenarios, and plenty more. Listen Now

The legendary Kim Masters joins Julia Alexander to examine the MAGA turn of mega-producer Brian Grazer, a longtime Democrat, and what his conversion portends for the industry. Plus, whether Trump is coming around on the Ellison-Paramount deal, and the latest Disney succession chatter following the Dana Walden–Kamala Harris summit. Listen Now

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