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.
It’s hard to think of anything that encapsulates the current moment of uncertainty in disrupted Hollywood more perfectly than the general industry confusion surrounding the role of newly appointed Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff. It’s not that Sarnoff isn’t highly regarded by those who know her. “She is extremely well suited for something that is changing,” says Josh Sapan, CEO of AMC Networks. “She knows the studio and production world well. She has a real sense for bridging creatives. And she’s a leader.” But few in Hollywood had heard of the 57-year-old television and consumer products veteran before the hire was announced June 24, and now that she’s been named, many industry veterans, including several with ties to Warner Bros., say they aren’t sure what her job —…
Matt and Ross Duffer The Stranger Things creators’ launch of season three racks up 40.7 million views in its first four days, a record, according to Netflix’s unverified data release. Riza Aziz The Wolf of Wall Street producer and Red Granite co-founder is arrested by Malaysian authorities and charged with five counts of money laundering in connection with the 1MDB corruption scandal. Danny Boyle Yesterday, the director’s “What if?” Beatles movie, has staying power, grossing $36 million stateside as it drops only 40 percent in its second weekend. Kip Pardue The actor accused of on-set sexual misconduct receives a $6,000 fine from SAG-AFTRA after a hearing in front of the union’s disciplinary committee. Showbiz Stocks $103.25 (+13%) ROKU (ROKU) The platform-agnostic streamer and cheap cable and satellite alternative is in the…
On March 20, 2016, guests at Warner Bros.’ Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice premiere in New York began whispering about one man mingling among the A-list crowd. No, it wasn’t the film’s Ben Affleck or Henry Cavill, or Affleck’s hulking bodyguard, who almost knocked over the studio’s former marketing head Sue Kroll as the VIP area became too crowded. The surprised looks were aimed at Jeffrey Epstein, who was being introduced to guests by New York society doyenne Peggy Siegal. When a Warners executive was asked at the time how a highly recognizable level-three registered sex offender landed the hottest ticket in town, the executive offered no comment. As Epstein’s July 6 arrest for sex trafficking of minors in New York and Florida dominates headlines, news outlets have focused…
After years of restrictions on virtually every front of its massive film sector, China has cracked the door open to foreign-owned movie theater chains. On June 30, China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued an update to its so-called “Negative List,” the government document that outlines which industries are out of bounds for international investment. The 2019 list made one significant change for the entertainment business: A restriction stipulating that “the construction and operation of cinemas must be controlled by a Chinese party” was dropped. The timing of the change — just days after President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G20 and pledged to back down from threatened tariff increases — struck many in the industry as an encouraging sign that Beijing’s trade war retaliations wouldn’t…
On paper, Univision would seem like it should have suitors lining up to kick its tires since it put itself up for sale July 3. But a dive into its financials indicates it will be difficult for the Spanish-language TV giant’s private investors to make much of a profit on their $12.3 billion buy in 2007. Multiple efforts to take Univision public have failed, while falling revenue (off 8 percent to $612 million in the first quarter) and operating income (down 20 percent to $204 million) haven’t helped. Still, Univision CEO Vincent Sadusky will likely be pitching the company to multiple conglomerates, including Disney. “Easily the most logical and sensical of the purchasers of Univision would be Disney,” says analyst Jimmy Schaeffler of the Carmel Group. The company might have…
Guest Column Taylor Swift has a formidable reputation for subduing those who dare cross her: ex-boyfriends, pop competition and even industry giants like Apple. So when the 29-year-old star posted a lengthy Tumblr message June 30 after manager Scooter Braun finalized a $300 million-plus deal to acquire record label Big Machine — and the master recordings to her first six albums — the industry reflexively recoiled into a defensive posture in anticipation of the fallout. Swift’s missive took aim at two music power brokers, Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta and Braun. Braun’s winning bid for Swift’s back catalog struck some as a supervillain move, including Swift herself, who characterized Braun’s purchase as her “worst case scenario.” From Swift’s perspective: The guy she trusted to take her career this…
