Hollywood had a very strange week of abundance, scarcity and whiplash. Indie film buyers say they’re desperate for movies — but can’t find enough of them. Documentary filmmakers are confronting the opposite problem: plenty of films, but a distribution market brutally Darwinian. And at the top of the business, Hollywood winter is arriving way too early, freezing the C-suite and rearranging some of the industry’s biggest jobs almost overnight. Cindy Holland is out, Casey Bloys ascends — and who had Ynon Kreiz on their bingo card?
Lesley Goldberg lays out the hard truths of what’s coming next:
And don’t miss our other Paramount-WBD coverage:
Finally, thanks to Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts for hosting onetime commencement speaker Janice Min again, this time for a Master Class with Molly Shannon. The three-time Emmy nominee and SNL alum gave hundreds of film and TV students inspiration to join this crazy industry. Her constant refrain: Have perseverance. Kudos to Dodge Dean Stephen Galloway for bringing these two legends together.
Now, ICYMI, drama in the doc world, Richard’s Hollywood syllabus and the rest of our best this week…
Series Business
↑ Zone-Out TV Is Becoming Big Business Fireplaces, nature scenes: Samsung, Disney and YouTube find audience and money, David Eckstein reports, in shows barely meant to be watched.
Harlan Coben’s Netflix Rules: Ignore Data, Forget Prestige The thriller king behind 13 Netflix shows, including its fifth-most-watched series, explains to Manori Ravindran why he never lets numbers change a plot point.
Docs Crisis
↑ 2 Million Viewers or Bust: Inside Documentary’s ‘Darwinian’ Collapse Sheila Nevins, Dawn Porter, Josh Braun and more tell Addie Morfoot it started with the algorithm and finished with the White House.
Dealmakers
↑ Indie Film’s Plot Twist: Huge Demand, Not Enough Movies Top agents from Roeg Sutherland to Deb McIntosh tell Ashley Cullins why a hot market is suddenly short on supply.
Richard Rushfield
↑ Forget Ari and Chapek: 20 Books That Really Explain Hollywood Moguls, climbers, revolutions, disasters and spectacular flameouts. Richard commands that we read them now — yes, there will be a quiz.
Prestige Junkie
↑ Pitt, Cruise, Pattinson, Damon: The Most A-List Best Actor Race Ever What do Oscar voters really want from a movie star? Katey Rich explains why we’re about to find out.
Plus, The Invite director and star Olivia Wilde tells Katey why audiences were “much more emotional than expected” during her post-screening conversations around the country:
Taylor Swift’s Oscar Campaign: Hiding in Plain Sight Plus: Katey dives into Zoe Kazan’s East of Eden and the power of a miniseries that’s just a miniseries.
The Wakeup
The news hits kept coming, and Sean was ready for every beat, breaking down the layoffs, who came out on top — and what Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz can bring to Skydance:
Friday → ☀️ Contagion: Studio Job Axings Spread
Wednesday → ☀️ Shakeup Day Across Hollywood Exec Ranks
Sunday → ☀️ Pitt Tops Pattinson at Robust Box Office Weekend
Shows
Rushfield Lunch
Permanent Midnight author Jerry Stahl tells Richard about almost working with Philip Seymour Hoffman, the movies that got away — and how he plans to avoid dying like a hamster:
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New from Natalie Jarvey’s creator economy newsletter:
↑ Netflix Hiring Podcast Boss; Creator Goes Nuclear on Night Media
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