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.
BOB GREENBLATT In this Emmys preview issue, the 57-year-old chairman of NBC Entertainment pens a guest column in defense of broadcast television (page 70). Greenblatt, who was president of Showtime for seven years before leaving in 2010 for NBC, argues that network TV has successfully embraced time-shifted viewing and digital platforms. As an example, he reveals that the premiere of the hit drama This Is Us has been watched more than ER in its heyday. As he puts it: “The power, reach and resonance of broadcast television is still very much alive and kicking.” TOM HANKS With “A Junket in the City of Light” (page 142), the 61-year-old two-time Oscar winner adds fiction writer to a résumé that includes producer, director and actor. The story, debuting exclusively in THR, comes…
Cheers! The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA are teaming to honor this year’s Emmy nominees at the inaugural Emmy Nominees Night on Sept. 14. The celebration, presented by American Airlines, Breguet and Dacor, marks the first time that THR and SAG-AFTRA have joined forces to celebrate nominees and will serve as the unofficial kickoff to Emmy weekend. The invitation-only event will also be the first major industry red carpet gathering to be held at Jean-Georges Beverly Hills, the first Los Angeles restaurant of James Beard Award-winning and Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, located in the new Waldorf Astoria, which opened June 1. “Emmy nominees have all worked so hard,” says THR editorial director Matthew Belloni. “This is a night to come together and celebrate.”…
The biggest trend of the fall television season is a move toward what could be called “Patriotic TV.” Shows like CBS’ SEAL Team, NBC’s The Brave and The CW’s Valor focus on the U.S. military or the heartland, a move seen by some as an attempt by broadcast networks to appeal to Trump’s army of supporters. But the shift in focus is threatening one of the most lucrative aspects of the American TV business: international sales. And the risky move comes at a time when U.S. programming is facing more challenges from home-grown product around the world. International buyers who watched pilots of the new series at the L.A. Screenings in May tell THR they worry how their viewers back home would react to them. “These shows are all really…
Andy Muschietti It, the Argentine director’s second English-language film, opens to a monster $123.4 million in the U.S., blowing past records for horror films and September debuts. Up next: a sequel. The Murdochs U.K. regulators hit pause on 21st Century Fox’s $15.5 billion bid for TV power Sky and question Fox’s commitment to the country’s broadcasting standards. Patty Jenkins The Wonder Woman helmer closes an $8 million deal (plus backend) for a sequel, making her the highest-paid female director ever. Marc Evans The Paramount motion picture president is replaced by Twilight producer Wyck Godfrey after a 2017 that has included flops Baywatch and Ghost in the Shell. Showbiz Stocks $17.66 (+4.7%) TWITTER (TWTR) BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield says on CNBC that “Disney needs to own Twitter,” given that the social…
What the heck is going on at Amazon Studios? TV observers could be forgiven for asking that question in early September. The streaming giant is said to be taking a hard look at its original scripted programming choices amid a lack of buzz and a mere 15 Emmy nominations, far less than the 91 garnered by rival Netflix. As a result, Amazon has started to clean house, canceling pricey dramas The Last Tycoon and Z: The Beginning of Everything after one season apiece, and, sources say, is reevaluating its ambitions in the unscripted space. The decision to drop the Christina Ricci starrer Z came months after Amazon gave a surprising second season to the series about Zelda Fitzgerald, with about $7 million spent on the now-scrapped season, sources say. Tycoon,…
With Stranger Things nominated for 18 Emmys and season two set to drop Oct. 27, the series is pulling Netflix into a new business and into a new negotiation with key players, including the show’s child stars. After the homage to 1980s horror movies became a surprise sensation in summer 2016, Netflix — with unauthorized merchandise selling on the internet — made quick licensing deals with clothing company Hybrid Apparel and retailer Hot Topic. The streaming giant subsequently began a search for an executive to run a licensing effort and in August hired Jess Richardson, WWE’s former licensing vp for North America, as director of global licensing, merchandising and promotions. A source tells THR that Netflix is making deals for the second season of Stranger Things that will dwarf the…
