From The Wakeup to Series Business to The Optionist, and of course, Richard Rushfield, The Ankler and its offshoots are about the business of the business. So it was in that spirit this week that we debuted our Dealmakers newsletter, dedicated to the world of lawyers, agents, managers and M&A — the movers and shakers who turn handshakes into reality, one DocuSign at a time. Led by Ashley Cullins, Dealmakers stepped into the AI fray for its first outing, talking to powerhouse talent attorneys Darren Trattner, Tara Kole and Lev Ginsburg about the work they’re doing behind-the-scenes, and to CAA’s Alexandra Shannon about the agency’s futuristic-sounding AI Vault being used to protect its top talent:
Ashley also joined Austin Cross, host of All Things Considered, to talk AI:
And now, the best of our week, ICYMI:
Hot or Not? TV Market Edition
Period limited series: out. Hard funny comedy: in. Elaine Low spoke with five scripted-TV agents to get the rundown on what shows are selling (or flailing) and the mandates at Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max, HBO and Amazon Prime:
Skoll Skedaddles
Participant founder Jeff Skoll wanted to make films that created meaningful change. But despite the awards and positive intentions, the eBay mogul might not have been that different from Hollywood’s other billionaire comers after all:
Where Richard Worries About A24
First this week, Richard shared an entertaining list of eternal truths that govern this business:
Included in that list: “The scrappy indie studio that has success with good taste and smart marketing gets cocky, ups its budgetary spending, and then crashes and burns.” Enter his take on A24:
Ted and Ari’s Las Vegas Adventure
After keenly eyeing Netflix content capo Ted Sarandos ringside with TKO CEO Ari Emanuel at the UFC 300, Matthew Frank evaluates why UFC on Netflix could be the next industry body slam:
☀️THE WAKEUP
Sean McNulty expertly sorted his way through this week’s headlines, including two deep-dive looks at Netflix — how its Dan Lin-led films strategy is shaping up, and what the end of Netflix’s subs reporting could foretell:
🎧 PODCASTS
THE ANKLER
AI and Hollywood’s ‘Sophie’s Choice’ Inside the scramble as showbiz lawyers, agents and legislators agonize over client rights: ‘Is it too late?’:
MARTINI SHOT
Burger King Kids Club Rob Long on the very worst way to come up with a TV show:
👓 THE OPTIONIST
FINAL HOUSEKEEPING!
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