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.
Kate Young (left) and Michelle Williams Photographed by Austin Hargrave on Feb. 23 at a residence in Beverly Hills. There was no shortage of Louis Vuitton options on hand for Williams, the face of the brand. Says Young (who topped THR’s list in 2012 and 2016), “We both know right away if things are going to work or not.” THR style editor Carol McColgin, who spearheads the annual Stylists issue, calls the pair “two of the chicest people I can think of.” On Young and Williams: Louis Vuitton sweaters. From left: Celine Dion, Law Roach and Zendaya Photographed by Dewey Nicks on Feb. 26 with Caesars’ private plane in its hangar in Las Vegas. “When I was looking for someone to work with, I said, ‘Who do I like?’ ”…
↑ Film PG Power Family-friendly is the new hot rating p. 32 Television Midseason Mess Why no breakout broadcast hits this winter? p. 32 Scott Stuber The veteran producer and executive lands the top film job at Netflix, which has plans to disrupt the movie business just like it has TV. Wang Jianlin The Wanda chairman’s planned $1 billion purchase of Dick Clark Productions is called off as his company is sued to recover a $25 million breakup fee. Gabrielle Carteris The SAG-AFTRA leader celebrates as Telemundo’s Spanish-language performers vote to join the union, ending a yearslong battle with the NBCU-owned network. Terrence Malick The reclusive director makes a rare public appearance at SXSW, but his new film, Song to Song, is ridiculed by critics as a “humiliating wreck.” Showbiz…
The Motion Picture Academy’s 54-person board of governors is set to convene March 28 for the first time since the chaotic ending of the 89th Academy Awards. That follows a brief phone conference, when the governors were told that accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is creating new protocols for handing out award envelopes because of the error that tarnished the Feb. 26 show. With those proposals, to be presented at the board meeting, PwC and the Academy’s leadership believe the matter will be put to rest. But there’s a split between those who attribute the snafu to “human error” (as Disney CEO Bob Iger put it to shareholders following a damage-control call from PwC chairman Tim Ryan) and others who see deeper flaws. “The Academy was at fault for not doing a…
Politics may be the latest battleground in the agency wars, but to hear insiders tell it, it’s a matter of differing approaches to a shared goal. UTA has gotten in front of much of the conversation, most notably with its Oscar weekend rally, which raised more than $325,000 for the ACLU and International Rescue Committee. “At this moment in time, UTA feels driven to have a voice that reflects our agency’s culture and supports artists and our clients,” says global corporate communications head Seth Oster. Meanwhile, news surfaced of WME-IMG’s plans to form a political action committee, while CAA held a daylong summit on activism Feb. 23 and ICM Partners hired an in-house political strategist. Even as rivals privately accuse one another of flash over substance, each maintains that its…
The year 2017 hasn’t been forgiving to the broadcast networks. With a whopping 17 scripted launches since Jan. 1, nearly all new series are languishing with low ratings, even by today’s modest standards. But that may not be entirely the new shows’ fault: The root of midseason’s problem, some say, is the middling fall that preceded it. “In the past, midseason success was typically built on the foundation established in the fall,” says Sam Armando, lead investment director at MediaVest-Spark, noting all but NBC (and sportslifted Fox) are down this year. “Since only This Is Us popped in the fall, there just aren’t any coattails to ride on.” Even Fox’s Super Bowl-launched 24: Legacy, a seemingly safe bet, can’t crack a live 1.0 rating in the key demo on Monday…
I n the battle for box-office glory, Imax is placing a new bet. The exhibitor — long a haven for fanboys — is bumping Warner Bros.’ Kong: Skull Island in favor of Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, which hits March 17 and will have a full-week run, unprecedented for a PG title. The decision to go with Beauty is the latest proof of a market segment that’s heating up after years of often playing second fiddle to PG-13 superhero movies and action spectacles. Animated sequel The Lego Batman Movie, currently the top-grossing film of the year domestically with $159.7 million, and the live-action A Dog’s Purpose, which has overperformed with $142.8 million to date worldwide, are the latest examples of films rated PG that don’t scare away teens or…
