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.
↑ Earnings Disney’s New Drive Bob Chapek homes in on streaming profits p. 14 Agencies CAA’s Deal Intrigue What’s the holdup on the ICM buy? p. 10 Heat Index Michelle Yeoh Word of mouth for Everything Everywhere All at Once, led by the star, is keeping the A24 film near the top of the domestic daily box office chart as it hits $43 million. Mark Pedowitz For the first time in a decade, The CW, led by the CEO, canceled more shows (10) than it renewed (eight) amid sale talks for the broadcast network. Dick Wolf The producer, and his Universal TV-based banner, went nine-for-nine in series renewals from NBC and CBS, led by his Law & Order revival and FBI franchise. W. Erik Carlson Dish Network’s pay TV subscriber…
The pairing of an exclusive in-theater teaser trailer for James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar sequel with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness proved a significant moment beyond the Marvel movie’s heroic $449 million global opening (including $187 million domestically) during the May 6-8 weekend. Nearly 10 percent of moviegoers in North America opted to pay 20 percent to 30 percent more for a 3D ticket, an unheard-of jump for a format that many had written off even before the COVID-19 crisis. No film exemplified the promise of 3D more than 2009’s Avatar, which, with $8.45 billion in global ticket sales, remains the top-grossing film of all time. But in the years that followed, the lure of higher box office returns derailed the 3D train just as it was leaving the…
Never leave a deal open” is a phrase agents know too well. The longer it stays open, the more it invites scrutiny, and the more chances there are for it to go sideways or south. CAA’s acquisition of rival agency ICM Partners has now been open since September, when the mega agency first unveiled its plans, at the same time signaling its expectation that the buy would close by the end of the year, if not by the beginning of this one. Cut to … spring. The deal still hasn’t closed, and fatigue is setting in. “Every week that goes by, it becomes a concern,” notes one agency partner who was not authorized to speak publicly. Morale is low at ICM, sources inside and outside the agency say. In early…
It’s a Wednesday evening in April and Girl From the North Country director Conor McPherson is firmly fixed in the house of Belasco Theatre amid a mass of glowing monitors, long-legged cameras and a towering crane, as his cast and stage crew ready for the final shots of the day. The effort — a digital capture headed up by Totally Theatre Productions’ executive producer Gavin Kalin and director Tim van Someren — was months in the making and comes just days before the limited engagement is set to reopen on Broadway after an unprecedented hiatus amid the winter omicron wave. “I think producers are thinking it’s great to have a capture because it actually helps the live performance,” McPherson says about the growing interest in filmed versions of Broadway shows.…
As Broadway emerges from one of its most embattled seasons, industry experts are cautiously optimistic. Based on current trends, live theater is expected to see a broader return to financial normalcy starting this summer. The key to getting there is smart pricing among long-running musicals, increased domestic tourism and the gradual return of international tourists, an important segment for both the industry and New York City’s recovery. After the industry reopened this fall following an 18-month shutdown, productions had to contend with reduced tourism numbers (international tourists could not easily enter the country until November 2021), new COVID-19 safety regulations for audience and company members, and then the delta and omicron waves, which led to canceled performances, the closure of several productions and shaken consumer confidence. Returning shows were helped…
Creator fundraising platform Patreon, led by Jack Conte, says podcasting has doubled in the past three years as the company updates its audio tab for better usability and discoverability. Everyone’s a critic, or at least becoming more critical of their audio. Per data firm Rephonic, average ratings of Apple Podcasts peaked in 2016 and have since been steadily declining, with more popular shows most impacted. Spotify is restructuring its podcast division and promoting Bill Simmons and Max Cutler to take on expanded roles in sports and creator partnerships, respectively.…
