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We do a lot of lists at The Hollywood Reporter, but the annual Power Lawyers anointment (page 70) is my favorite. That’s probably because I was an attorney before I was a full-time journalist (I practiced entertainment litigation at a firm in Santa Monica for about five years), and one of the first things I did when I joined THR 12 years ago was to help curate the inaugural Power Lawyers list. Back then, researching the top 100 showbiz attorneys required only a deep dive into the deals and lawsuits making headlines. This year, it’s a bit different. No look at entertainment law in 2018 would be complete without an exploration of the issues and key figures behind the sexual harassment-related claims and investigations. I hear it over and over…
The panel went from tense to overheated during a debate held by Don Lemon on Feb. 6, when CNN contributor and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told his colleague, Republican Ana Navarro, that he was “sick and tired of listening to your shrill voice in my ears.” Lemon, looking defeated, pleaded four times to his arguing panelists, “One at a time, please.” The remark was just the latest time that Cuccinelli, representing a pro-Trump perspective, got into hot water for on-air remarks. On Aug. 14, during a panel about clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, he told contributor Symone Sanders to “just shut up for a minute.” CNN is hardly alone in airing contentious debates on cable news, but these skirmishes are far more prevalent on the Time Warner network. During…
↑ Film 007 Hunt MGM uses Bond as bait for a potential sale p. 22 Digital China’s Netflix IQiyi strikes gold with internet-only movies p. 18 Steven Spielberg The legendary filmmaker’s Ready Player One debuts to $41.8 million stateside (and $181.2 million worldwide), his biggest opening weekend in a decade. Michael Rapino The Live Nation CEO faces a Department of Justice probe into “serious accusations” of anticompetitive business practices based on its ownership of Ticketmaster. Channing Dungey The ABC chief’s bet on a Roseanne revival pans out spectacularly, with more than 25 million viewers tuning in to the premiere in just four days. David Smith The Sinclair executive chair draws ire when a video of anchors reading anti-“fake news” editorials goes viral and an email surfaces of him calling all…
While music streamer Spotify’s IPO is generating the most headlines, Chinese streaming video giant iQiyi somewhat quietly went public March 29 on the Nasdaq exchange, raising about $2.25 billion for a valuation of $12.7 billion. The cash influx of the second-largest IPO by a Chinese company will be integral to helping iQiyi, led by founder and CEO Tim Gong Yu, retain its slight edge over rivals Tencent Video and Alibaba’s Youku Tudou. To claw its way to 61 million subscribers, iQiyi has had to innovate rather than pour capital into licensing and originals. A promising new tool has been a unique revenue sharing model targeting China’s market for online movies. As recently as 2015, filmmaking for the internet in China was equated with the basest of B-movies — cheaply made…
During the first months of 2018, TV’s three biggest awards shows — the Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes — lost 14 million viewers, a stunning 18 percent decline from their collective haul the previous year. Hot takes from the #MAGA peanut gallery called it a referendum on Hollywood elitism. Insiders have another explanation. The exodus of younger viewers is now impacting even event TV, while unexciting nominees are scapegoats in network conference rooms. But even that narrative can’t quiet the fight for broadcast rights. And the Globes and Emmys are currently up for grabs. “These things are still incredibly important to broadcast television,” says Rob Mills, senior vp alternative series, specials and late-night at ABC Entertainment, which has the Oscars through 2028. “It’s important to lock them in long term.”…
As the dust settles on MGM CEO Gary Barber’s sudden March 19 ouster, eyes are turning to the studio’s future, a possible sale and what happens to the James Bond franchise. Many observers assumed that Megan Ellison’s Annapurna had long ago locked up domestic rights to the mega-franchise, but insiders say that is not the case. Neither domestic nor international rights (where Warners’ Kevin Tsujihara is said to be the frontrunner) have been closed, leaving a question mark with only 19 months till the Nov. 8, 2019, release of the next Bond film, which Danny Boyle is set to direct. So why the delay? MGM is holding off because it is using the Bond rights as a carrot for whoever wants to buy the studio, according to a knowledgable source.…
