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.
When Discovery CEO David Zaslav and a handful of colleagues visited AT&T’s Dallas headquarters in May 2021 to finalize the megamerger that would create Warner Bros. Discovery, some in the building noticed the contrasting vibe that Zaslav’s team brought to the table. While AT&T executives mostly operated quietly out of their modern glass offices, the Discovery crew huddled in one office, food out on a table, phones ringing regularly. “It was a bit of a roll-up-your-sleeves, family-style culture” meeting a more formal corporate environment, recalls one insider. This may help explain why the newly minted Warner Bros. Discovery org chart unveiled before the April 8 close of the deal elevated top entertainment executives in a way that meant they would have the ultimate boss’ ear. Now Warner Bros. Discovery CEO,…
Norah O’Donnell The CBS Evening News anchor gets a vote of confidence from top CBS news leaders with a deal extension through the 2024 presidential election. Michael Bay Despite a big promo push by Imax, the director’s latest Universal actioner, Ambulance, flails in its domestic debut with $8.7 million from 3,412 theaters. Kristen Hines As Activision Blizzard reckons with workplace culture lawsuits ahead of its sale to Microsoft, the gaming giant hires the ex-Accenture exec to lead DEI efforts. Parag Agrawal With Elon Musk backing out of a Twitter board seat in order to freely voice opinions on the firm, the CEO must deal with the most high-profile activist investor in the world. Showbiz Stocks $36.72 (+2.6%) WARNER MUSIC (WMG) The music label cut a deal with Jjust Music to…
IN OUT TO HIRE…
Stop the sweeps! Stop the sweeps! Stop the sweeps!” On March 17, a group of protesters chanted at downtown L.A.’s James K. Hahn City Hall East complex, holding handwritten signs reading “Stop War on the Poor” and “Encampment Eviction Kills.” Then a director called “cut” on this scene from Freeform’s drama Good Trouble, which centers on 20-somethings who live in the neighborhood. As the performers relaxed, a real-life homelessness activist bounded forward, speaking through a megaphone. “All right, hey, hey y’all, I’ve got to let you all know the irony of this,” he said, revealing his own “Services Not Sweeps” shirt through an unbuttoned jacket and contending that the production’s shoot had triggered a clearance of the unhoused hours earlier. “Do you guys realize the complicity of you all?” Activists…
1.48B minutes watched 59 episodes total Other streamers produce a much lower volume of original series than Netflix, so it’s rare to see multiple shows from any other outlet in the top 10 of Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings. Amazon’s Prime Video had three shows on the chart for the week of March 7-13 — the first time that’s happened in the 19-month history of the rankings. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (702 million minutes of viewing time) led the way, ranking fourth on the list, while season two of Upload (441 million) debuted at No. 8 and Reacher (337 million) held on in 10th.…
On April 11, Apple Podcasts rolled out new data on followers and engagement — including follower counts, audience listen time and a city/regional breakdown of listeners — for all podcast creators. Lydia Polgreen is leaving Spotify’s Gimlet to return to The New York Times as a columnist. The outgoing executive is expected to stay until June, and Spotify is in first-round interviews for a successor. Spotify rebranded its live audio offering, Greenroom, to Spotify Live. The refresh comes with new live programming hosted by Hasan Minhaj and Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper.…
