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.
Succession might as well have been a documentary. The HBO series, about ruthless media mogul Logan Roy and the children who may or may not be equipped to inherit his empire, captivated audiences for four seasons. It may be over now, but the entertainment industry is still going through its own succession dramas, in some cases with a reality that is stranger than fiction. Sony’s recent CEO transition from Tony Vinciquerra to Ravi Ahuja seems to have gone off without a hitch. But that is the exception, as THR editor-at-large Kim Masters and media and business writer Alex Weprin break down what could happen next. Alex Weprin Hi, Kim — Vinciquerra’s surprisingly seamless Sony succession to Ahuja has us thinking about the poor track record that the industry has when…
Chris Sanders The writer-director’s The Wild Robot cracks $100 million and counting at the global box office, marking a victory for Universal and DreamWorks Animation. Charlie Covell Despite appearing on Netflix’s top English-language charts in each of its first four weeks, the creator’s Jeff Goldblum series, Kaos, gets canceled after a single season. Colleen Hoover The best-selling It Ends With Us author sells rights to her novel Reminders of Him to Universal, which is planning an adaptation co-written by Hoover and Lauren Levine. Tony Dokoupil After a heated interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Israel-Hamas war, CBS News reprimands the anchor and tells staff the exchange did not meet its editorial standards. Showbiz Stocks $592.89 (+3.1%) META (META) The social giant keeps up its stock momentum after it reveals an…
Disney’s decision to shut down its ABC Signature TV studio marks the second such move by a media conglomerate in the past two months. It’s another sign of the contraction-minded times — but also an echo of a move Disney made four years ago in the wake of its purchase of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion. ABC Signature (formerly ABC Studios) was shuttered Oct. 1. The reorganization, which also includes a merging of scripted development teams at ABC and Hulu, resulted in about 30 layoffs and renders 20th Television as Disney Television Studios’ primary provider for both its own outlets and outside buyers. “These are exceedingly difficult decisions made with the utmost thought,” Disney TV studios and business operations president Eric Schrier wrote in a memo. It…
John Murdy, creative director at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, recalls the moment when he realized how prevalent the annual after-hours event had become. “When my first daughter was born, I was going to get diapers and had somebody come up to me and go, ‘Can I take a picture?’ I’m like, ‘Can I put the diapers down?’” says Murdy, who has built a fan following on social media and appears on TV and at the Hollywood event’s red carpets. “Now it’s everywhere, in a movie star kind of way, which is really bizarre because I do something in a theme park.” Murdy’s experience speaks to theme parks’ growing share of the $12 billion Halloween industry. Headliner attractions this year include Universal’s A Quiet Place house, which features…
DISNEY WHAT’S NEW More villain sightings, new characters Bruno Madrigal, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Hades, Descendants-themed DescenDANCE Party in the Magic Kingdom, and Mickey and Minnie in neon spiderweb attire. ITS EDGE Smaller park crowds, family-friendly activities and event times (for little ones’ bedtimes) add to the themed trick-or-treat trails and candy stations gifting a decent number of treats. UNIVERSAL WHAT’S NEW Late Night With Chucky live talk show, Blumhouse scare zones and terror tram experience, and an all-new slate of houses including Insidious and A Quiet Place, which feature life-size creature animatronics. ITS EDGE Leads in-house production quality and design, boasts celebrity partnerships and appearances (John Carpenter walked the carpet this year) and a diversity of ticket options to customize the experience for a more adult crowd. SIX FLAGS WHAT’S…
New York Yankees superstar and Fox Sports analyst Derek Jeter is trading in his cleats for a clapboard. The Hall of Fame shortstop has quietly launched a production company, Cap 2 Productions (a reference to his uniform number and role as Yankees captain), which he hopes will take full advantage of the burgeoning interest in sports-related content from TV channels and streaming services. “It’s not just some random company that was started because we said, ‘Hey, we want to get into production now.’ This is an extension of what has been built over the past 10 years,” Jeter tells THR in his first interview to discuss Cap 2. Jeter frames Cap 2 as an expansion of what he did with The Players’ Tribune, the athlete-focused digital publication he co-founded with…
