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.
Five days after several women accused CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves of sexual misconduct in a July 27 New Yorker exposé, the company’s board of directors issued a near-midnight press release saying it had hired two prestigious New York law firms to lead an internal investigation. The announcement offered the immediate impression that the company is taking seriously the Moonves claims, as well as allegations against 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager of creating a hostile work environment at CBS News. But some corporate governance and employment law experts already are questioning the integrity of the probe — criticisms that have implications for other workplace misconduct investigations currently playing out in entertainment and media. Legal insiders note the CBS investigation is being handled by two highly respected female attorneys…
Film MoviePass Lifeline? The app’s new strategy could impact theaters. p. 16 Digital Jeffrey’s $1B Bet Studios back Katzenberg’s ‘NewTV’ video push. p. 17 LeBron James The NBA star and producer sells three new unscripted shows (to HBO, Showtime and CBS) as he raises his Hollywood profile in advance of a move to the L.A. Lakers. Heather Schuster Amazon’s head of unscripted programming exits after slightly less than a year in the job following an investigation into claims of verbal abuse. Priya Swaminathan The Obamas anoint the former Annapurna Pictures development exec as their Higher Ground production company’s first key hire under their new Netflix deal. Johnny Depp The star’s Notorious B.I.G. thriller City of Lies is pulled a month before its release amid his bizarre behavior, likely making Warner…
Covington & Burling Nancy Kestenbaum, 54 Partner Background The Yale Law School grad spent nine years as a federal prosecutor in New York and is co-chair of the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice group. Among her clients is the United States Olympic Committee in connection with sexual abuse issues. In January, she told Law360 that the #MeToo movement has “empowered” employees to raise issues at companies. Debevoise & Plimpton Mary Jo White, 70 Partner Background The Columbia Law School grad was the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2013 to 2017. During the Bill Clinton presidency, she served as a federal prosecutor and probed Clinton’s last-minute pardon of convicted commodities trader Marc Rich with encouragement from George W. Bush’s then-Attorney General John Ashcroft.…
More than a few TV sellers have been angling for a meeting with former Epix CEO Mark Greenberg since the The Wall Street Journal reported July 28 that the executive was consulting with Walmart on a prospective subscription video platform. The retailer has yet to make the rounds with its vision for the type of content it could bring to its streamer — and may not until it has a top programming executive in place, a position that one agency source says Walmart is seeking to fill. Although it is still early, another insider says the feeling among potential partners “is that they’re here to play.” Starting a viable streaming business won’t come cheap, and Walmart, a studio source tells THR, is expected to spend a couple billion dollars to…
In August 2017, when MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe launched a service that gave subscribers a movie ticket per day for just $10 a month, theater chains responded with silence or outright hostility. AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest circuit, said that it would review its legal options to “prevent” the app from being used at its locations. One year later, the chains may need to be careful about what they wished for. As MoviePass shutters that “all you can eat”-style offering — to be replaced Aug. 15 with a $9.95 plan for three tickets a month — the change could have an impact on theaters. That’s a potential difference of many per month, per sub, that MoviePass won’t be buying for its 3 million members. Theaters will miss out on that…
After pitching Hollywood on his plan to turn bitesized content into a big business, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s bet on the future of entertainment is coming into focus. Now, the mogul has closed his first $1 billion funding round for streaming video startup NewTV set to launch in 2019. THR looks at the details. WHO’S IN? Every major studio, including Fox, Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony, WarnerMedia, Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM, plus e-commerce giant Alibaba and institutional investors Madrone Capital, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Liberty Global. Former HP CEO Meg Whitman is leading the venture. WHAT IS IT? A mobile-first subscription video service aimed at viewers ages 25 to 30 with programming delivered in 10-minute episodes. As with Hulu, there will be a higher-priced tier without advertising and a lower-priced one with…
