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 Iger watched Hulu’s 2008 launch from the sidelines, as Disney refused to join the parent companies of NBC and Fox in the streaming service until the following year. But his long game paid off May 14 when Disney gained full operational control over Hulu in a deal that maps out a new future for the long-challenged joint venture once dubbed “Clown Co.” by its digital rivals. Now, for the first time in its 12-year history, Hulu has a single corporate parent. And while top brass is still hammering out details of how it will be integrated with other direct-to-consumer offerings, Disney expects to grow Hulu into at least a $27.5 billion business by 2024. Hulu’s name is often rattled off alongside Netflix and Amazon as one of the dominant…
↑ Film Ryan for Real? Kavanaugh attempts a comeback in China p. 18 Television Town Hall Mania CNN goes for broke with Dem contenders p. 18 Keanu Reeves The star’s third John Wick film launches to a $57 million U.S. weekend, nearly doubling the second Lionsgate movie’s opening in 2017. Jason Mitchell In the wake of multiple claims of misconduct, the Straight Outta Compton star loses his agent, manager, and roles in Showtime’s The Chi and the Netflix film Desperados. Lauren Dolgen The MTV alumna leaves BuzzFeed to rejoin Viacom and run unscripted programming at Paramount TV. Steve Harvey Days after his syndicated talk show is formally canceled amid low ratings, the TV host also loses his Little Big Shots gig to Melissa McCarthy. Showbiz Stocks ↑ $18.49 (+9%) CUMULUS…
Since April 26, Avengers: Endgame has barreled through every record in its path, save Avatar’s box office of $2.78 billion. It faces an uphill climb. “It’s slowed down more than we all expected,” says Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice Media, who initially had forecast Endgame to cross the record in mid-June but moved that to Labor Day. “Avatar was all about the marathon, and now it’s about the sprint,” adds Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “If it performs like it has been up to this point, there is about a $10 million to $20 million margin that falls half north and half south of Avatar,” says Robbins, adding, “But it would be surprising if Disney didn’t get it there somehow.” Source: Box Office Mojo; not adjusted for…
On May 16, as Ryan Kavanaugh unveiled a new big-dollar fund that would get him back into the film production business, as well as a stake in a Chinese studio, dealmakers in Cannes were abuzz. Had the pitchman behind Relativity Media (which filed for bankruptcy in 2015) managed to pull off the impossible — getting money out of China at the height of a trade war — or was he simply spinning hype again? Kavanaugh’s new company, Proxima Media, announced that it was teaming with National Arts Entertainment and Culture Group Ltd., a tourism and entertainment company based in Hong Kong that operates a film studio and resort destination in southern China. Proxima said the deal would provide $250 million in equity film financing, which could be leveraged to $1…
With a massive field of 23 Democrats running for president, would-be contenders have mostly jumped at the opportunity to appear in town hall-style cable news events — giving Fox News, CNN and MSNBC a large role in shaping the race. Yet the networks have taken disparate approaches — CNN has hosted 21 town halls, ranging from Sen. Kamala Harris’ Jan. 28 event, which nabbed 1.95 million total viewers, to spiritual guru Marianne Williamson’s April 14 hour, which drew just 314,000. “We know that some won’t rate particularly well, and yet we are committed to doing town halls with all of them,” says Washington bureau chief Sam Feist, who also notes, “No candidates have said no to us.” Meanwhile, MSNBC, which caters to left-leaning viewers with its primetime opinion programming, has…
Jake Bloom was a movie star lawyer for the movie star era. Yes, he negotiated deals, some of the biggest Hollywood has ever seen. Bloom made Johnny Depp very rich thanks to the profit definition he crafted for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He helped Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone become global action stars. For George Lucas, Bloom, with his partners, carved out the Star Wars merchandise rights that turned an indie film-maker into a billionaire. But when word spread May 15 that Bloom, 77, is retiring along with longtime partner Alan Hergott after a five-decade career, some entertainment law insiders noted the moment as a key industry transition. Bloom was a swashbuckling negotiator with a larger-than-life persona and jet-set relationships whose appearance (part disheveled rabbi, part classic movie…
