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.
EVEN THOMAS TULL’S DETRACTORS IN Hollywood — and the producer-financier has more than a few — admit that selling a controlling stake in his Legendary Entertainment to Dalian Wanda Group for as much as $3.5 billion is a major coup. They may not view the deal — China’s biggest bet by far on the U.S. entertainment industry — as the transformative event that has been heralded in some reports. But certainly it transforms Tull’s company at a time he might have needed a boost. “I don’t know how you justify that valuation,” says one veteran producer. “Am I jealous? Yeah.” Says another longtime executive, “It’s another example of Thomas being a magician.” The reason some question the deal is simple: Hollywood insiders know Tull, 46, has performed brilliantly in seizing…
RUPERT MURDOCH The Fox mogul’s film and TV companies dominate the Golden Globes with six top trophies spread among The Revenant, The Martian, Joy, American Horror Story and Empire as he becomes engaged to model Jerry Hall. TIM HINCKS The Endemol Shine president is exiting the European TV giant, the latest executive defection from the company behind Broadchurch, Humans, The Fall and MasterChef. LAURA RICCIARDI & MOIRA DEMOS (RIGHT) The Making a Murderer filmmakers launch a watercooler hit for Netflix and a legal conundrum in Wisconsin as subject Steven Avery seeks to reopen his conviction amid widespread outcry. HERNAN LOPEZ The Fox International Channels CEO steps down amid a reorganization that elevates three regional heads reporting to Fox Networks Group’s Peter Rice and Randy Freer. SHOWBIZ STOCKS $69.61 (+7.2%) TIME…
IT’S BEEN A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE since Relativity Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July. Is CEO Ryan Kavanaugh finally on a path toward stability? On Jan. 6, Kavanaugh announced he had lured Trigger Street producing partners Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti to run film and TV operations at the embattled studio. But many key hurdles and questions remain. 1 HOW WILL THE BANKRUPTCY GET RESOLVED? On Feb. 1, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Michael Wiles is set to rule on Relativity’s reorganization plan. If approved, Kavanaugh, 41, is free to move forward with the next phase of the studio. To do so, Kavanaugh must demonstrate new financing is in place. Next, creditors must vote to accept the reorganization plan. The unsecured creditors committee said Jan. 4 that it supports…
HOW REALISTIC IS NETFLIX CEO REED Hastings’ plan for world domination? Hastings shocked the CES audience in Las Vegas by revealing his streaming service went live Jan. 8 in 130 new countries, tripling the number of nations in which Netflix operates. There were minor exceptions — Syria, North Korea and Crimea, and a major one, China. He called Netflix the first global TV network, available “from Singapore to St. Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo.” But that image of a universal monolith underestimates challenges ahead. Netflix until now has picked mostly soft targets for international expansion — such countries as Canada, the U.K., France and Japan with educated populations, fast Internet connections and democratic governments. This new push includes a few territories that meet those requirements, such as South…
THE NOISE FROM CES WAS DEAFENING. But how much actually mattered? THR sorted through the smart refrigerators and connected dog collars for the trends that could have the biggest impact on Hollywood. VIRTUAL REALITY Those 360-degree video headsets are on the way. Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe says the company is taking preorders for its $599 Rift goggles, and rival HTC isn’t far behind. Now, the focus is shifting to content. Fox’s The Martian VR Experience demo made a galactic impression. ULTRA HD & HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE Major TV makers including LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and TCL unwrapped displays featuring 4K and HDR capabilities. 4K offers a resolution four times greater than HD, while HDR means a wider range between the blackest blacks and whitest whites. Just one problem: There’s currently…
THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL campaigns have been a boon for the news business. Now Showtime is attempting to put a premium cable spin on the race with The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth. It’s the next chapter for Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, co-authors of Game Change and Double Down about the 2008 and 2012 campaigns, respectively, and hosts of Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect. P.T. Barnum-esque title aside, the half-hour series takes a page from Showtime’s recently completed A Season With Notre Dame in that footage will be gathered weekly and edited quickly for maximum topicality. Explains Heilemann, “I’m sure there will be moments when we’re beating our heads against desks and having to pull all-nighters.” Circus is set to bow at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 and…
