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.
On July 25, news broke that James Franco was in talks to direct Focus Features’ ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun, a film about the origin of the network. The hire seemed especially significant considering Franco would mark the first case of a Hollywood figure accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault or domestic violence in the post-#MeToo climate to land a high-profile job. The project was coupled with news the same day that Chris Hardwick would be reinstated as host of Talking Dead after AMC investigated claims made by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra of sexual assault and emotional abuse. Between Franco and Hardwick, it appeared the dam holding back Hollywood’s dozens of accused was about to burst. Not so fast. According to a knowledgeable source, Franco signed a development deal…
↑ Awards The Popcorn Oscar How the new “popular” category could work p. 20 Deals Agency Wars UTA’s $200 million private-equity war chest p. 26 Travis Scott The rapper’s third album, Astroworld, tops the Billboard 200 chart with the second-largest debut of 2018, trailing only Drake. Jack Dorsey The Twitter CEO becomes Silicon Valley’s punching bag for allowing Alex Jones to remain on the platform as others boot the Infowars pundit for violating hate speech policies. Ethan Peck The actor and grandson of legend Gregory Peck lands the coveted Spock role in CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery reboot. Fan Bingbing As the Chinese star is investigated for tax evasion, the government aims to crack down on film and television actor pay and sharply curtail earnings. Showbiz Stocks ↑ $55.38…
There’s a good argument to be made that the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1948 decision in United States v. Paramount Pictures is the most misconstrued legal decision ever. The case forever changed Hollywood — but it did not ban studios from owning theaters. The misconception that there is a ban in place is important in light of the Department of Justice announcement Aug. 2 that the government would review the Paramount Consent Decrees. No matter what happens, don’t expect Disney to make a bid for AMC or Regal for the simple reason that Disney could have acquired either theater giant anytime during the past few decades and hasn’t seen any need to get into the popcorn business. What, then, would be the ramifications for Hollywood of ending the Paramount Decrees? When…
There’s a new reason to tune in to the 91st Oscars on Feb. 24. In a major break with tradition, the Academy will not only introduce a new Oscar — the first since the best animated feature award 17 years ago — but it is putting out the welcome mat for big commercial, fan-friendly movies that haven’t been considered typical Oscar fare. On Aug. 7, the Academy’s board of governors approved the creation of an award for “outstanding achievement in popular film.” It was immediately dubbed the “Popcorn Oscar” by its critics; making things worse, the Academy hasn’t yet settled on what criteria to use to determine eligibility for the prize. A few industry notables applauded. “I think it’s great,” Jason Blum, who scored a best picture nom for Get…
How do you keep the always-unwieldy Oscar show from running into overtime? The Academy’s board of governors has vowed the Feb. 24 Oscars will clock in at a brisk and “more accessible” three hours. Easier said than done. In March, the 90th Academy Awards ran 3 hours and 53 minutes. The reduction plan calls for presenting some of the 24 awards during commercial breaks, then airing highlights later in the broadcast. But even if all eight craft categories as well as the three short-film categories (which, combined, took up nearly 40 minutes during the most recent show) were eliminated — and insiders are predicting only six or seven categories will be affected — the telecast still would spill over three hours. And that’s before the Academy introduces an Oscar for…
Like it or not, the Academy’s board of governors decided Aug. 7 to create an Oscar for “outstanding achievement in popular film.” Because no specifics were spelled out, it’s unclear how it will define “popular.” So here’s a proposal for making it work. 1. Create a shortlist based on box office. Identify the 20 highest-grossing movies of the year and the films that had the year’s 20 highest-grossing opening weekends so that a movie is not disadvantaged by opening at year’s end. (All numbers should be worldwide, not domestic, as the Academy is an international organization.) There will be overlap, so the norm will be a shortlist featuring about 25 titles. 2. Clearly differentiate it from best picture. It should be explicitly emphasized on the ballot, directly above the best picture…
