Not long ago, before the streaming revolution engulfed this town like a creative tsunami, status for top producers was fairly straightforward. An invite to the Allen & Co. conference; 100 hours on a G4; or, better yet, the highly-coveted first-dollar gross deal. These were the perks that confirmed power, wealth, and prestige.
But now, as they say on the green felt, the price of poker has gone up. Way, way up. Day after day, stories tumble forward about the latest megadeal, and the numbers make you re-read the lede. Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine sold for $900 million? Greg Berlanti pocketed $400 million through his Warner Bros. TV deal? Bridgerton added even more cash to the nine-figure deal Shonda Rhimes made with Netflix? What is happening here?
