The all-new Hollywood Reporter offers unprecedented access to the people, studios, networks and agencies that create the magic in Hollywood. Published weekly, the oversized format includes exceptional photography and rich features.
In the days following Donald Trump’s stunning presidential win, ABC Studios chief Patrick Moran called Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. The men had a project at ABC about a pair of politically divided pundits who fall in love. Suddenly it felt more relevant. But now Moran wanted to be sure both sides of the spectrum were being presented with equal credibility. “In years past, it would be very easy to let one side feel like the cartoon and have the show assume that the audience is siding with the other,” Moran says of the liberal slant that often permeates Hollywood output. Barris agreed and has begun courting right-wing voices for his writers room: “There was no way I wanted to do something that was going to further the divide in this…
The departure of Greg Silverman as Warner Bros.’ production head on Dec. 14 came as a surprise only in that it finally happened. For many months, Silverman-is-out rumors swept the industry, usually pegged to the release of such flops as Jupiter Ascending, Pan and In the Heart of the Sea. Sources say that months ago, talent reps and even some major filmmakers began lobbying Warners chairman Kevin Tsujihara to replace Silverman, 44, having lost confidence in his leadership as the studio suffered through a drought. This year, Warners began to do better at the box office, pulling in $873 million worldwide for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, $746 million on Suicide Squad and $685 million and counting on J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Warners recently…
Don’t get rid of those window coverings just yet. There might be a glimmer of hope for film studios aiming to narrow the theatrical window for consumers willing to pay as much as $50 to see a new release in their own homes rather than trek to the theater. The major theater chains — including Regal and Cinemark — no longer are steadfast in their opposition to a posh premium VOD service that would kick in about 17 days after a movie first hits the multiplex. “We’re having very constructive conversations with the exhibitors for the first time that we’ve had in a long time,” Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara told investors Nov. 29 when discussing AT&T’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner. “We are working with them to create…
Like contestants on a reality show, the political media are being forced to play a waiting game until President-elect Donald Trump picks a press secretary and begins to set the rules of his communications policy. “Is he even going to have press briefings?” asks one TV news executive. “Who knows?” Until the networks get some clarity, they seem to be girding for an especially adversarial relationship with a commander in chief known for making false statements and turning the media into the story. Some news organizations are doubling down on fact-checking; ABC News is partnering with Facebook on an initiative to debunk fake news. At the same time, many newsrooms are working to lock down star anchors: NBC News recently re-signed Today anchors Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, CBS…
It appears Christopher Woodrow’s second act has run into problems. The former Worldview Entertainment CEO, who was ousted from the high-flying company behind Oscar best picture winner Birdman, has exited Vendian Entertainment just 18 months after launching the venture. Woodrow and partner Michael Bassick are going separate ways after their debut slate of films — which included Snowden, Free State of Jones and Black Mass — underperformed (though its Hacksaw Ridge has crossed $100 million worldwide). Sources say Bassick’s father, John Bassick, who made his fortune after patenting a NASAused spacesuit, pulled the plug on the enterprise. In May 2015, Vendian made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, touting $100 million in equity and plans for six films a year, including the Tom Cruise-Doug Liman collaboration American Made. The…
AWARDS SEASON 2016 PICTURE Silence Martin Scorsese’s lengthy, dense look at faith in 17th century Japan didn’t screen in time to be considered for Critics’ Choice noms, but it has no such excuse for failing to land any Golden Globe or SAG noms, a bad omen for its Oscar prospects. Captain Fantastic The indie about a countercultural family turned up as one of SAG’s nominees for outstanding cast, the equivalent of a best pic nom, and its star, Viggo Mortensen, got individual Globe and SAG noms for himself. ACTRESS Natalie Portman Jackie For her portrayal of the former first lady, the star surprised many by beating La La Land’s Emma Stone to win the Critics’ Choice Award and then picked up Globe and SAG noms. Kate Beckinsale Love & Friendship…
