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.
The addition of Fox News anchors Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren to NBC News and MSNBC, respectively, may portend major shifts across the TV news landscape. For Fox, the loss of its biggest news star has resulted in a doubling down on conservative-leaning opinion hosts in primetime. And at Andrew Lack’s NBCUniversal news division, there could be a rightward tack in certain areas in response to the election of Donald Trump. 21st Century Fox leaders James and Lachlan Murdoch are said to have considered re-signing Kelly, 46, a key part of their strategy to focus Fox News more closely on news. But when Kelly passed up a reported four-year, $100 million Fox deal to join NBC on Jan. 3, the Murdochs instead elevated conservative host Tucker Carlson to her 9…
At least one Kevin Reilly bet appears to be paying off. Two-plus years after moving from Fox to Turner, the veteran programmer can claim bragging rights for reinventing the TBS brand. Before his arrival, the cable network was best known for repeats of The Big Bang Theory; Reilly quickly canceled what was left of the live-action scripted comedies and replaced them with a slate of bigger-swing series from a roster of Daily Show grads — Samantha Bee (Full Frontal), Jason Jones (The Detour) and Wyatt Cenac (People of Earth) — as well as established producers (Search Party’s Michael Showalter) and new faces (Wrecked’s Justin and Jordan Shipley). All five plus Angie Tribeca, which was greenlighted by Reilly predecessor Michael Wright, have been granted additional seasons, and several have generated the…
Entertainment’s leading animal training and handling firm is facing allegations of disturbing conditions at its 5-acre facility an hour north of Hollywood. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint Dec. 28 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture claiming violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act involving the shelter, nutrition and medical treatment of animals it owns, which were documented during a sting operation run between August and November. Birds & Animals Unlimited, based in Acton, boasts production credits on TV series (Game of Thrones) and films (Harry Potter, Night at the Museum) and is known for dog work (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Marley & Me). PETA provided a copy of its complaint to THR along with video and photo material the advocacy nonprofit tendered to the USDA to…
Hasbro is taking a decidedly Hollywood spin for the Jan. 12 rollout of its latest brand, Hanazuki. The wannabe franchise (about a moonflower that protects lunar worlds from dark forces) will get its own digital cartoon series on YouTube, an app debuting in April, then toys and clothes in the summer. The digital-series-first strategy is unusual for a toy giant. “We’re leading with stories because stories are key these days,” says Meghan McCarthy, Hasbro’s head of storytelling for girl brands. Starting with nine 11-minute episodes that are a mix of colorful psychedelia crossed with anime influences, viewers will meet Hanazuki, bunnylike creatures called Hemkas as well as Dazzlessence Jones, a sheriff of the moon. Hanazuki may sound familiar to some in Europe because of its Dutch origins: The brand was…
AWARDS SEASON 2017 BEST PICTURE Hidden Figures The NASA-set drama is turning into a hit — it was No. 1 at the weekend box office — and it made it onto the Producers Guild of America’s list of 10 nominees, edging out others like Nocturnal Animals (which received nine BAFTA nominations) and Silence. Sully Clint Eastwood’s re-creation of the “Miracle on the Hudson” has grossed a solid $239 million worldwide, but its awards-season flight appears threatened since it was left off the PGA list — despite the fact that Eastwood, with five previous noms, is a guild favorite. DIRECTOR Damien Chazelle La La Land With screenplay and director wins at the Globes — he beat Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins and Manchester by the Sea’s Kenneth Lonergan in both categories — he…
Who’s inking on the dotted line this week OBAMA ALUMS LAUNCH ‘CROOKED MEDIA’ TO FIGHT TRUMP WITH PODCASTS Deal of the Week Like the president himself, the former Barack Obama staffers behind the popular politics podcast Keepin’ It 1600 are starting fresh in 2017. Ahead of Donald Trump becoming commander in chief, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor are launching a media company that touts a tongue-incheek name: Crooked Media. “If Hillary [Clinton] had won, I think we would have kept doing the podcast part-time,” says Favreau, 35, an ex-Obama speechwriter who has been running a Los Angeles-based consulting firm with Vietor. “When Trump won, we felt the other jobs we had were no longer sufficient. There’s a lot at stake right now and in danger.” Their big play,…
