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.
Wendy McMahon/Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews After the exit of CBS News chief Neeraj Khemlani, McMahon is elevated to the top role and Ciprian-Matthews takes the title of president. André Ovredal The director’s $45 million The Last Voyage of the Demeter, from Amblin and Universal, is the second Dracula pic this year (after Renfield) to flop, with a $6.5 million bow. Abby Phillip/Laura Coates As CNN overhauls its lineup post-Chris Licht, the anchor and legal analyst, respectively, gain the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. primetime weeknight shows. Jonah Peretti Even as the BuzzFeed CEO says he’s “rapidly” expanding its creator program with 180-plus partnerships, ad revenue has declined 33 percent year-over-year. Showbiz Stocks $20.91 (+2.3%) NEWS CORP. (NWSA) The owner of The Wall Street Journal saw its stock pop after it announced a…
In the first round of corporate earnings since the double strike began, the financial hits are starting to come into view. While hoping and planning for a resolution in September, Hollywood studios, streamers and affiliated businesses have begun forecasting lower revenue, content spend and, in some cases, a lower outlook for the year. Because while some may be able to stem the tide of a production shutdown in the short term, the financial danger increases as the strike goes on further into the fall and the release schedule suffers. The biggest impact so far may have been seen with Endeavor, which owns talent agency WME, with CFO Jason Lublin warning Aug. 8 that the company expects to see a hit of about $25 million a month in revenue for the…
Broadcast and cable networks made up less than half of all TV use in July — a first in Nielsen’s two-plus years of tracking viewing time by platform. While overall TV use in July edged up from the previous month, the growth came in streaming — which hit an all-time high of 38.7 percent of all TV usage. As for linear TV, broadcast networks fell to just 20 percent of viewing in July. Source: Nielsen Gauge (Aug. 15, 2023). Percentages don’t add up to 100. “Other” category includes video games played on a TV screen and physical media playback, among other things.…
• May 14, 2018 The U.S. Supreme Court paves the way for legalized sports betting in deciding Murphy v. NCAA, which struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 law that barred state-authorized sports betting, with some exceptions. • Feb. 5, 2019 Disney CEO Bob Iger tells analysts on the company’s earnings call, “I don’t see The Walt Disney Co., certainly in the near term, getting involved in the business of gambling, in effect, by facilitating gambling in any way.” • May 8, 2019 Fox and The Stars Group announce a Fox-branded sports betting platform, Fox Bet. • May 14, 2019 ESPN and Caesars strike a sports betting partnership that sees ESPN build a studio at Las Vegas’ LINQ Hotel & Casino and gives Caesars placement on…
Marl Davidson has been selling vintage Barbie dolls for more than 30 years, and business has always been strong — with one notable exception. Allan, released in 1964 as Ken’s best friend, was so unpopular that he was discontinued two years later before resurfacing in the 1990s. For years, Davidson had zero luck interesting buyers in Allan — that is, until Warner Bros.’ smash summer hit Barbie, featuring Michael Cera as the awkward, colorfully attired sidekick. “Allan is [usually] hard to sell,” she tells THR. “You can’t get rid of Allan, seriously. But now you can’t have enough Allans. Allan came out the winner.” This forgotten doll turned success story hasn’t been the only standout surprise during this summer of toys. As Hollywood’s emphasis on established IP has led to…
Two years ago, Xolo Maridueña made a surprise appearance on the red carpet of Warner Bros.’ DC feature The Suicide Squad. It was a coming-out party of sorts, as the night before, at a surprise dinner thrown by DC executives, the Cobra Kai actor learned he had nabbed his biggest role yet: starring as the title character in the action-adventure feature Blue Beetle. “It feels like a fairy tale,” an ecstatic Maridueña told THR at the time. Now, as Blue Beetle arrives in theaters Aug. 18, the actor won’t be walking a red carpet premiere for the film, the first studio movie to center on a Latino superhero. Blue Beetle is the first major live-action release to bow since the actors strike began July 14 that did not have a…
