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.
The Walt Disney Co. is betting that James Gorman can pull off a succession twofer. The former Morgan Stanley CEO executed what is considered among the smoothest succession processes in recent corporate history: He announced his plan in May to exit the investment bank; revealed that three internal candidates were in the running to replace him; chose one (Ted Pick); and did it while keeping the others in the firm after it was over. Gorman will become chairman of the board of Disney in January, with finding a successor to CEO Bob Iger as his top priority, targeting an “early 2026” decision. It’s no easy task, with two years having passed since Iger returned to the company with a promise to figure out succession once more alongside a contract extension…
Jon Stewart What started off as a Comedy Central election-year experiment has morphed into a new deal for The Daily Show icon to extend his host duties through December 2025. Jeff Bezos Sure, 200,000 Washington Post sub cancellations won’t hurt him. But he also bought the paper to wield influence in D.C. — those elites care about the non-endorsement flap. Joe Rogan The Spotify podcast star shows his clout, playing at election kingmaker with a Trump interview and dictating terms for a Harris appearance that has yet to happen. Kanye West Two years after splitting with the artist over antisemitic remarks, Adidas has reached settlement terms involving no money, says its CEO, to sever the relationship. Showbiz Stocks $10.47 (+2.1%) PARAMOUNT (PARA) The studio received clarity on its future ownership,…
2-1 Disney finally releases another Star Wars film that works, thanks to The Mandalorian and Grogu. 5-1 Disney enters a partnership with an artificial intelligence company for postproduction support as Wall Street favors companies that do AI deals. 40-1 Disney unveils a new, animated version of the MCU, seeing the success of Sony’s Spider-Verse. 100-1 Disney stops releasing subscriber figures for Disney+, now that Netflix has paved the way. 4,000-1 Disney brings back its Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel and experience, this time 20 percent less expensive.…
Of the hundreds of original scripted series Netflix has greenlit the past decade (excluding kids shows), only a handful have lasted as long as seven seasons. Virgin River, starring Alexandra Breckenridge, is the latest to make the club with its early renewal Oct. 23. When Netflix started creating originals, including such shows as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black, it followed the template set by premium cable outlets — 12- or 13-episode seasons. Those were relatively long runs, however, as Netflix’s model has changed somewhat, and it now favors shorter-episode orders (eight to 10 episodes is the norm) and fewer seasons, with the great majority shows not going beyond four. Here are the longest-running titles in the Netflix library: 8 Seasons • Big Mouth (final season set…
On Oct. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled plans to more than double California’s current cap — from $330 million to $750 million a year — for a program that provides tax relief to the entertainment industry. It’s an aggressive bid to revitalize production across the state and curb the flight of films and TV series from the region after it was decimated by the strikes. If passed, the subsidy would be the most generous offered by any state except Georgia, which doesn’t have a ceiling on the amount it gives to productions per year. Industry folks and allies applauded the long-awaited measure amid a tit-for-tat incentives race to host Hollywood projects. “This industry is our rock,” says Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, “and we’ve lost more and more of it…
There was opining — think the hissing of a coiled rattlesnake — when Venom: The Last Dance opened to a franchise-worst $51 million domestically during the Oct. 25-27 weekend but prospered overseas to boast a global opening of $175 million against a budget of $120 million-plus. It’s easy to forget that Venom does brisk business overseas, with The Last Dance pulling off the biggest China opening ($46 million) in recent memory. Sony’s Marvel movies — outside of Spider-Man and Spider-Verse titles — get savaged by critics, with few cracking the 30 percent mark on Rotten Tomatoes. (2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the high point with 57 percent.) And none of its non-Spidey movies have cultural staying power à la Christopher Nolan’s Batman films or Marvel Studio’s Avengers movies.…
