Podcast appearances and mentions of janice min

Janice Min joins to talk about building The Ankler into a focused, profitable media brand—and why she believes the future belongs to lean operators, not her past life helming glossy franchises. We talk about her transition from the high-gloss days of The Hollywood Reporter to the scrappy Substack era, the limits of venture capital in media, and how The Ankler is growing through high-impact events and B2B subscriptions. Janice shares lessons from Y Combinator, explains why editorial quality still matters, and reflects on the changing power dynamics in Hollywood.

Storytelling remains fundamental to entertainment. But who tells those stories and how is shifting. A new era of influence revealed itself at The Ankler's just-wrapped Business of Entertainment program, in partnership with NAB Show in Vegas. Execs, creators and stars behind WWE (Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque), Tribeca Festival and Sphere (Jane Rosenthal), Universal Music Publishing Group (Jody Gerson), Webtoon (David J. Lee and David Madden) and AI startup Incention (David S. Goyer), among others, took the stage to reveal an optimistic view of opportunity outside the traditional studio system. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Janice Min break it all down. Plus: How Trump's tariffs plague Hollywood. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the debut of Netflix's With Love, Meghan, longtime royal observer Tina Brown and Ankler Media CEO Janice Min joined forces for a rollicking Substack Live conversation over at Brown's Fresh Hell. Brown and Min appraise the Duchess of Sussex's new career act (“always brilliantly behind the curve,” says Brown), debrief on the Academy Awards and Demi Moore, and analyze Conan O'Brien's onstage nod to film craft that gave Hollywood “a real shot in the arm,” Min says. Plus: Why NYC's 10 percenters are still all in on Trump and Elon Musk. “They love what he's doing,” says Brown. “When billionaires get together, all they talk about is how many people they want to fire.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscars aren't just about filmmaking—they're a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to unpack the night's biggest turning points — including how Sean Baker's Anora proved that low-budget filmmaking can outrun major studios, why Hollywood is more afraid of political controversy than ever, and how livestreaming is factoring in the streamers wars, one Hulu glitch at a time.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Oscars aren't just about filmmaking — they're a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to unpack the night's biggest turning points — including how Sean Baker's Anora proved that low-budget filmmaking can outrun major studios, why Hollywood is more afraid of political controversy than ever, and how livestreaming is factoring in the streamers wars, one Hulu glitch at a time.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The New York Times gave author Michael Wolff's new book a glowing review, but President Donald Trump disagrees, calling it a “total FAKE JOB, just like the other JUNK he wrote.” As with Wolff's three earlier books about the president, All or None is filled with juicy tidbits with fly-on-the-wall accounts from the chaos inside Trump's orbit. In unsparing words, he talks to Janice Min about woeful Democrats, Elon Musk, Melania, media's current panic and the threatening phone call he received from Trumpworld. Read the interview in an abridged Q&A format here. Subscribe to The Ankler for more entertainment and media news here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran fashion editor, stylist, and author Sasha Charnin Morrison and Tamara sit down to get granular on fashion then and now. From magazine jobs to signature style, fashion experts and fashion week, the pair pick apart what it took (and takes) to rise to the top in fashion and in publishing – and more.When you think about your time at Vanity Fair, what story comes to mind?  Learning on the job. The exclusive editorial positions at fashion magazines. You have worked with the most talented people in the business, who stands out in your mind?  Talking Mirabella, Liz Tilberis, Paul Cavaco, Janice Min. Fashion shows and the 90's fashion scene in Paris. What is lacking in fashion content? What do you think makes for a great fashion editor or style expert now?Discover more + Shop The Podcast:Secrets Of Stylists by Sasha Charnin MorrisonSimone Rocha Ruffle Detail ParkaNorma Kamali Kenny JumpsuitThe Frye Company Campus Boot in silverChanel Sycomore Eau de ParfumLaura Geller Kajal Longwear Eyeliner in Deep BlackAbout-Face Smoke Stick in Smoking Gun

In this conversation, the CEO and founder of The Ankler, Janice Min, discusses the rapid growth of their “hit Hollywood newsletter,” the importance of quality content to today's readers and the evolving dynamics of the entertainment industry. Min emphasizes the significance of building a strong editorial team, the rise of the creator economy and the need for media to adapt to changing audience preferences. She reflects on her career learnings in the entertainment biz and the passion and dedication required to succeed as journalists in today's volatile media landscape. Convo Highlights Paid subscriptions for media are increasingly valued by audiences. The Ankler has grown rapidly since its inception, focusing on quality content that lives behind a paywall. Quality over quantity is essential in content creation.The entertainment industry is constantly undergoing significant disruption and change, from national crises to key players in the streaming space.The creator economy is a vital and independent sector of the media landscape, increasingly gaining momentum in Hollywood. The Ankler recently launched Like & Subscribe, a newsletter solely dedicated to the influence of creators in the entertainment industry. campaignlive.com What we know about advertising, you should know about advertising. Start your 1-month FREE trial to Campaign US.

One sure precursor to any Golden Age in Hollywood? A long fallow period preceding it, not unlike the one we've been in. Now, with a spec market for originals coming back to life, and fresh opportunities for producers and writers to make money through YouTube, branded content, podcasts and yes, AI, Sean McNulty, Elaine Low, Richard Rushfield and Janice Min take stock of where the industry is heading in 2025 with cautious optimism. Plus: The gang dissects the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni smear campaign revelations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In case you missed it, excerpts from recent interviews: Brandcenter chief Vann Graves on the lessons of earned media and Election 2024; true crime bestseller T.J. English on his latest, The Last Kilo; Hollywood insider Janice Min on cable TV's last stand.

Veteran media exec Janice Min -- now CEO of The Ankler -- on Hollywood's post-streaming-binge austerity: tanked share prices; creative risk aversion; slashed budgets, cable wires and expense accounts...and the resulting opportunity for focused upstarts.

Ratings are down 40 percent, Morning Joe's hosts are being ridiculed and the network's anchors and shows are soon to be ruthlessly reshuffled. Turns out it's time for MSNBC to take its $125 million “ratings Viagra.” Ankler contributor Lachlan Cartwright joins Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Janice Min to discuss his scoopy, blockbuster about MSNBC, Rachel Maddow's pay cut and who's likely to be on air and off (even before Comcast spins-out the channel). Plus: Richard Rushfield's exclusive on the Attorney General's investigation into the not-yet-closed deal to buy the Golden Globes and what it could mean for CBS' broadcast. Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a new members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 election cycle is finally over – so, what's coming to your screens next? Today, Ben and Nayeema dissect what the media learned from 2024 and where we go from here. They first chat to Max Tani about the news media, and then sit down with Ankler Media's Janice Min – who has been reporting on (and embedded in) Hollywood culture for decades. The conversation tackles whether politics and art stay linked or divorce, if Donald Trump will wake up “wokeism” again or if Americans will turn to escapism … and why TV is chasing the “gourmet cheeseburger.” Importantly: This is our last episode of season 1 and we want your feedback! Please email us with what you've liked, not liked and want more of for season 2. We're at bsmith@semafor.com and nayeema@semafor.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza Sign up for Semafor Media's Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

Janice Min interviews Tina Brown, a sharp observer of the seismic social changes that have led to our chaotic new politics, in a wide-ranging and often hilarious conversation about the journalists impressing her, the frustrating state of cable news punditry, what celebrity she'd put on the cover of a magazine in 2024, her maternal rage after Trump supporters ridiculed Gus Walz, and Harry and Meghan (buckle up for one big anvil drop of ouch). That's on top of a lot of talk about Trump, Harris, Elon Musk and the forces and figures driving our anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At its peak, Vice had a valuation of $5.7 billion, two shows on HBO, 2,600 employees in more than 30 countries, and was the 10th most valuable private company in America. Its cofounder and CEO, Shane Smith rode the wave of digital media, until it crashed and burned. He talks to Janice Min about what went wrong, if he has regrets and his thoughts on the future of media — which now includes his new podcast, produced with Bill Maher. Read the interview in a Q&A format here. Subscribe to The Ankler for more entertainment and media news here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Shōgun, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer bask in their success at The Emmys, the awards reveal deeper lessons about TV's future. Janice Min, co-founder and CEO of The Ankler, guides us through the key storylines, from Disney to HBO to Netflix. We also dig deep on Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris and what it says about the politics of celebrity in 2024 — for stars and for CEOs. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While Shōgun, Hacks and Baby Reindeer bask in their success at The Emmys, the awards reveal deeper lessons about TV's future. Janice Min, co-founder and CEO of The Ankler, guides us through the key storylines, from Disney to HBO to Netflix. We also dig deep on Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris and what it says about the politics of celebrity in 2024–for stars and for CEOs. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hollywood's forays into politics are often elitist, counter-productive, and sometimes just plain cringey. But at the DNC, it wasn't just Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who seemed to nail it, but the entertainment industry as well. Ankler contributor Alison Brower joins Sean McNulty and Janice Min from Chicago, where she explains the vibe shift in Hollywood's approach, the Hollywood producers who put on the show, and the celebrity moments that worked and why. Also: Elaine Low, David Lidsky and Sean dissect the Bronfman vs. Ellison title fight for control of Paramount and how Iger will finally pass the baton at Disney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer's not so hot at the movie theaters, and the same goes for streaming. Nothing's come close to last year's Barbie-Oppenheimer success, and Janice Min of entertainment news startup Ankler Media can't say she's surprised. Janice vets Hollywood's offerings for the summer entertainment cycle, weighs in on deals from Paramount/Skydance to the astronomical price of NBA rights, and lays out the financial reality for media companies in an age of scrambling for everyone's digital attention.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer's not so hot at the movie theaters, and the same goes for streaming. Nothing's come close to last year's Barbie-Oppenheimer success, and Janice Min of entertainment news startup Ankler Media can't say she's surprised. Janice vets Hollywood's offerings for the summer entertainment cycle, weighs in on deals from Paramount/Skydance to the astronomical price of NBA rights, and lays out the financial reality for media companies in an age of scrambling for everyone's digital attention. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER— A good editor can, theoretically, edit any magazine, regardless of genre. But in some cases, you need an outsider to make things right. To see the forest for the trees. To that end, Janice Min has planted acres of forests—one tree at a time—on both coasts, where the Colorado-born editor considers herself an outsider.“I cared about almost none of this. I don't care about celebrities or reality stars. It was my job to just think about how to interpret what they were saying and turn that passion into stories. I don't think that the editors always have to be their audience, but I also think, as an editor I was able to be removed from it and glean like, ‘That pops. That's the most important story.'”From Us Weekly, where her instincts led to a massive increase in readership that saved the floundering publication—and likely all of Wenner Media—to The Hollywood Reporter, which was in a death spiral but is now, once again, a widely-respected and well-read industry bible, Min has played a major role in creating what we now call the celebrity-industrial complex, as well as the rise of what became social media and the influencer economy. That's all.Now, as cofounder of Ankler Media, Min is once again rethinking publishing—and celebrity. The company is centered around its newsletter, The Ankler, which bills itself as “the newsletter Hollywood loves to hate—and hates to love” and is currently one of the top three business publications on Substack.—This episode is made possible by our friends at Mountain Gazette, Commercial Type, and Lane Press. Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!) is a production of Magazeum & MO.D ©2021–2024

Earlier this year, Janice Min, CEO of The Ankler, said that she's expecting to hit $10 million in annual revenue in 2025. During a podcast recording with Digiday, Min revised that statement to say, “We have a shot of getting to that number this year.” To do that, Min's team is taking a three-pronged, straightforward approach: Make good content to attract audiences, quality audiences that are attractive to advertisers, and combine those things in-person through events. “I wish we had some AI-generated something that was going to be the thing that rains down millions of dollars on us, but it's really boring,” said Min. “Boring” — or not, it's notable that a media company that launched in January 2022 and covers Hollywood is charting revenue growth at all amid two major film industry strikes as well as a tumultuous period for advertising revenue. On the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast, Min shares how “tune-in” advertising and “for your consideration” advertising have persisted despite the strikes and how The Ankler, born on Substack, has expanded across platforms to become a full-fledged digital media outlet. Get more from Digiday with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit digiday.com/newsletters to sign up. 

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Janice Min, the veteran news editor and executive who now runs The Ankler. They discuss a turbulent year for Hollywood, her career turning around the Hollywood Reporter, the uncertain future of the big trades, and what she's doing with The Ankler.

‘Oh Judy, baby.' That's Judy Blume impersonating the many male producers who had approached her decades ago to bring her legendary book about a girl traversing puberty, family and friends to the big screen. She wasn't having it and followed advice from her son: Wait for the girls who grew up with the book to be in power. Enter director Kelly Fremon Craig. In a poignant, fun and revealing conversation, the two women tell the story of how they met, what happened after, and the power of “small” stories, as part of The Ankler's In Conversation series, hosted by Janice Min. For more about the entertainment industry, subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com/subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers and the major studios reached a tentative deal after nearly five months of striking. In the coming days, members of the Writers Guild of America will vote to approve the new contract, which includes pay increases to keep up with streaming and protections around the use of artificial intelligence. Geoff Bennett discussed the deal and the ongoing actors' strike with Janice Min of The Ankler. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra talks to Janice Min about The Woman King's Oscars snub; PlayStation and The Last of Us; the decision to work with Will Smith again, and Spider-Man and Kevin Feige. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

On this week's episode we hear from Janice Min, co-owner and CEO of The Ankler, a newsletter-first media brand covering Hollywood and the world of entertainment. She tells us how The Ankler's revenue streams have evolved over the last twelve months, the potential she sees in lean, newsletter-first businesses, and what lessons she's applying from her time at big-name legacy publications like the Hollywood Reporter. In the news roundup we avoid AI entirely and do a Media Voices 101 episode, going through a wishlist for what we want to see from media companies in the next year. Please look out for our new 'Humanity is pathetic: How do we monetise them?" tshirts in the near future.

It's certainly not the soap opera that went down at Disney, but Netflix's new succession plan might turn out to be just as earth-shaking. Prior to the streamer's Q4 earnings call, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings announced Greg Peters, current COO and CPO, as his replacement. Insider's Elaine Low joins hosts Sean McNulty and Janice Min to discuss her reporting on the little-known Peters, breaking down who he is (physics and astrophysics major at Yale, foodie), how he complements co-CEO Ted Sarandos (Peters is unaffected by Hollywood glamour), and what it portends for the world's biggest streamer.   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

When Buffalo Bill Daram Hamlin awoke in the hospital following his dramatic medical crisis during Monday Night Football, his first words in the hospital were “Did we win?” On today's pod, Sean McNulty, Richard Rushfield and Janice Min, joined by The Bulwark's Sonny Bunch, contrast the NFL's high-stakes dramas to the deterioration of the public's interest in Hollywood's own competitions: awards shows (of the top 100 most-watched TV broadcasts in 2022, 82 were NFL games; the Oscars were 77th on the list). With the Golden Globes just days away (and likely programmed on Tuesday to no go opposite football), the four discuss the void of anticipation, who and what is owning the public mindshare right now if not for movies and TV, Avatar: The Way of the Water, and if the audience should feel optimistic about movies in this year ahead. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

In recent years, Hollywood embraced the “authorship” principle — the belief that writers and filmmakers best share the “lived experience” of their subjects to be authentic. As relayed by Peter Kiefer, the Ankler contributor whose bombshell Elisabeth Finch interview has rocked the town, the producers of medical soap opera Grey's Anatomy, Shondaland, wholly embraced this belief system. Kiefer explains to hosts Sean McNulty, Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel not only how he ended up with Finch's confessions, but how the current climate may have aided and abetted her staggering series of lies. In five hours of taped interviews, Finch confesses: “It was absolutely dead wrong to do that… Culturally it became cooler if [the pitch] was based on something in reality.” Even if the reality was fiction. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Watching the fiasco consuming Twitter, Hollywood might think it's above the madness. But the mood of workers in entertainment feels more like the spiraling social media platform than anyone wants to believe. Amazon is laying off 10,000 people, Roku is cutting 200, John Malone said streaming economics have lead to “blood running down the gutters” and Vice Media seeks to cut 15 percent of its budget — which won't come from “saving paper clips,” says Janice Min, joined by host Sean McNulty. Also: the role of tech-driven economics on Hollywood chaos (10:28), Twitter's Elon Musk-fueled descent (13:46), the future of crypto stories in film and TV (23:41), and Marvel's snowballing franchise fatigue (37:30).  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Roku, Lionsgate. Third-quarter earnings reports are all variations on a theme: things are bad. Layoffs are hitting every corner, and streaming “clearly [is] not making money yet and will not for another two years if it even gets to that point for some of these companies,” says host Sean McNulty (30:31), joined by Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel, as the team lays out likely scenarios coming (including the “twin apocalypse” of a recession and a writers guild strike). Ankler contributor Peter Kiefer also joins to dissect Tuesday's election, including a town divided over Rick Caruso v. Karen Bass for mayor and a wild Los Angeles County supervisor race rife with antisemitism allegations (5:10). Also on tap: Jeff Zucker's $1 billion comeback (32:36). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Recession. Ad declines. Subscriber plateaus. The tides continue to shift since the Great Streaming Bubble's implosion of 2022. In the wake of a pessimistic Q3 earnings season, hosts Sean McNulty, Janice Min and Richard Rushfield are joined by CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman to break down the town's latest thoughts around David Zaslav (1:35); if Comcast should give up on Peacock (16:30); why Apple didn't discuss Apple TV+ on its earnings call (spoiler: there was likely no good news, 14:59); and if it make sense for Microsoft to acquire Netflix (16:30). Lastly, Sherman hits on Wall Street's confusion around it all: “Wall Street doesn't love mixed messages.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

When Bloomberg's Matt Levine sent an enticing email about “a big thing coming out about crypto in Businessweek,” Recode's Peter Kafka couldn't resist. Turns out, the “big thing” is a 40,000(!) word piece that took over the entire magazine, titled “The Crypto Story." Levine explains why he wrote a 40,000(!) word piece about cryptocurrency, which he thinks is fascinating even if the boom has turned to a bust. Plus some bonus thoughts on the end (?) of the Elon Musk Buys Twitter Saga, and What It All Means. And then, Ankler Media CEO Janice Min talks about Hollywood's favorite thing to read about: Hollywood. In 2021, Min joined Richard Rushfield to expand his Substack newsletter into a full-on media business. Min talks about how running Ankler differs from running The Hollywood Reporter, and what happens when two media journalists hit up Y Combinator for seed capital. Plus, Min reflects on the heyday of the iconic celebrity news magazine Us Weekly, where her role as editor-in-chief meant she was a celebrity who didn't plan on becoming a celebrity. Featuring: Matt Levine (@matt_levine), Reporter for Bloomberg Janice Min (@janicemin), CEO of Ankler Media Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Janice Min is a former leader of The Hollywood Reporter and Us Weekly. Now she is attempting to build up Ankler Media, a newsletter start-up that covers the Hollywood entertainment industry. Here she speaks to Press Gazette's William Turvill about her career, Ankler and the future of newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix has released more than 45 films(!) so far in 2022, the majority of which are neither loved by critics nor audience, according to Rotten Tomatoes (and as analyzed film-by-film by host Sean McNulty). Not a single one of the other streamers and studios has reached the same average level of disapproval (for the record, everyone else combined have released a total of 86 films in the same time frame). McNulty, Janice Min and Richard Rushfield discuss the quantity vs. quality debate, and if it matters for Netflix, whose Q3 earnings showed subscriber growth. The trio discuss the opposite strategy in play by David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery (see: WBD: What's the Plan column) and why (try to contain your excitement!) not all debt is created equal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Netflix took a victory lap on Tuesday with its Q3 earnings report that revealed — surprise! —the company beat its revenue forecast (or, as host Sean McNulty likes to say, Netflix underpromised and overdelivered). In a special episode recorded at Advertising Week in New York, McNulty, Janice Min and Richard Rushfield break down the ad tier (9:00); the streamer's 2.4 million subscriber growth stagnating in the U.S., but exploding in Asia (1:09); the company's not-so-subtle roasting of its money-losing competition (5:35); the comeback of Ryan Murphy with Dahmer (6:52) and its dunk on House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power; the streamer's theatrical plans for Glass Onion (12:26), and Netflix's commitment to gaming but not sports (21:57). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Today's podcast is the third of four in our “What the World Watches” audio series recorded at Singapore's APOS conference, for paid subscribers only. You can listen to earlier conversations with Formula 1's Director of Media Rights and Content Creation Ian Holmes here, and Warner Bros. Discovery International President Gerhard Zeiler here. Amazon Prime leads in Japan; Netflix in South Korea; Disney+ in India. Nowhere is the growth opportunity (some might say only opportunity) for American streamers as significant as it is in Asia. But it's not as simple as ordering up more Squid Game. Consigliere to many an entertainment C-suite exec, Vivek Couto, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Media Partners Asia, recently hosted regional players including Amazon's VP, Prime Video International Kelly Day, Netflix's Vice President, Content APAC (ex-India) Minyoung Kim and Uday Shankar, investor with James Murdoch in Viacom18, at the APOS conference in Singapore. From there, he joined hosts Janice Min and The Wakeup's Sean McNulty to discuss what will determine who wins (and how) the most important front of the streaming wars. Among the topics: * The immense scale of opportunity vs. the U.S. and Europe (9:22)* Current misassumptions about the quantity of local content necessary to win (multiple mentions)* Who has first-mover advantage where* Regional players — and potential acquisition targets for American players (multiple mentions)* Sports rights as loss leaders in the region — including cricket (33:14)* The region's wide disparity in ARPU (average revenue per user) (10:58)* Potential for imminent streaming consolidation in the Asian market (43:43) * How Warner Bros. has “one of the best libraries to monetize in…the world” (17:57)A transcript of the conversation is available here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

In lieu of our regular weekly podcast, today's edition is the first of four in our “What the World Watches” audio series from Singapore's APOS conference. Our regular format resumes next week. In five years, Formula 1 has evolved from a rich man's pastime to one of the world's fastest growing sports, thanks in large to Ian Holmes. F1's Director of Media Rights and Content Creation, Holmes struck deals with ESPN (27:44), and Netflix, whose F1 docu-series, Drive to Survive, is renewed for a fifth and sixth season (16:10). In Singapore ahead of F1's flashy Grand Prix, Holmes tells hosts Janice Min and Sean McNulty about what changed at F1 when Liberty Media took ownership (11:48), F1's new deal with China Telecom (13:26), how Drive to Survive — Holmes is an EP — happened, and why gentleman have yet to start their engines on the Brad Pitt-Joseph Kosinski Apple TV+ F1 film nicknamed “Top Gun on Four Wheels” (30:56): “We're working hard on an agreement.” Follow us (and like us!) wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories about the entertainment industry. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

What does America really want to watch? In recent years, Hollywood has become obsessed with prestige content — the kind, as host Richard Rushfield puts it, that entertainment executives can talk about green-lighting to impress people at dinner parties. Richard, Janice Min, Tatiana Siegel, and The Wakeup's Sean McNulty break down surprising stats that reveal how and why Hollywood became out of touch with so much potential audience (the subject of Entertainment Strategy Guy's “The American Viewer” series), a topic with new urgency as streaming growth in the U.S. plateaus (28:19). Also, Richard and Tatiana check in from the Toronto International Film Festival (05:26), the hosts discuss the MIA marketing heads of streaming (13:04), and Sean lays out the details of Cineworld's unsurprising bankruptcy filing (23:36). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Following Disney's Q2 earnings call, many headlines declared the company's victory over Netflix as Disney+ subscribers reached 221 million — squeaking ahead of Netflix (at 220.67 million). But in this episode, The Wakeup's Sean McNulty tells Janice Min and Richard Rushfield that, in this case, the numbers don't reveal the whole story (think India, domestic stagnation and revenue per subscriber). The trio also discuss the town's curious changing narrative around Disney chief Bob Chapek, the company's declared break-even point for streaming, and the date the company has circled in its calendar to stop losing money on streaming. All this, plus other juicy tidbits (for those who love data and analysis, that is). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

As his new film Easter Sunday, starring Jo Koy, hits theaters, tentpole producer Dan Lin chats with hosts Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel about his legendary career, coming projects and current passion: Rideback Rise, a non-profit to increase Hollywood inclusion by “taking diverse talent [and] making content for the masses” that is currently fundraising as DEI initiatives fall to Hollywood's new slash-and-burn culture (23:48). During the wide-ranging conversation, Lin also discusses his start at Warner Bros., a wild tale about Jeff Robinov's pivotal impact on his career (38:14), how he laid his career on the line for The Departed (43:05), mentor Alan Horn joining Warner Bros. again (36:32), and, in an alternate universe, that he wishes he ran DC (46:51). Also, how a chance sushi restaurant encounter and Steven Spielberg helped Easter Sunday become the quickest start-to-completion for a film he's ever had (16:03). Plus: Richard Donner's dying wish for Lethal Weapon 5, Mel Gibson and its future (44:52) that he intends to fulfill. Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com/subscribe for more podcasts and stories about the entertainment industry. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

On this episode, hosts Janice Min, Tatiana Siegel and The Wakeup's Sean McNulty take quick measure of entertainment's giants after another day of wild Q2 earnings calls all about streaming that included Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Lionsgate. Some quantified(ish) what success looks like down the road; others stayed vague. WBD CEO David Zaslav said that HBO Max and Discovery+, which boast a total of 92 million combined subscribers worldwide, will break even as a united service when it adds another 40 million, likely in 2024 or 2025, as $3 billion in “efficiencies” (ouch), start to unroll. Paramount CEO Bob Bakish called their losses “a growth phase” (a $445 million loss last quarter against revenues of $672 million). All begged the hard question: when does streaming investment actually begin to pay off? Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com/subscribe for more podcasts and stories about the entertainment industry.Related links: Top Producer Sees Ruthless Future for Hollywood DEIWhat?! Netflix Just Lost its Biggest TV Show in AmericaWill Peacock Exist in a Year?Which Streamer Has the Most Bombs in 2022?Who Killed the Marvel Juggernaut? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

This week, Kevin Smith was invited to join The Ankler Hot Seat podcast to talk Comic-Con, where he teased his upcoming Clerks III. Instead, in a detour that only briefly returns to the topic, he delves into the amazing origin story of his marriage to Jennifer Schwalbach (it involves Chris Rock and an awkward encounter with Harvey Weinstein), how he had been asked to defend Matt Damon and Ben Affleck around Good Will Hunting, and what happened when “the real Harley Quinn” met Margot Robbie. For hosts Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel, Smith's story was far more entertaining than anything out of Hall H last week. Tune in for more. Explicit content warning: This episode includes profanity and may not be suitable for children. RELATED CONTENT: Who Killed the Marvel JuggernautWe hope you enjoyed listening! Paid subscribers to The Ankler never miss a single podcast or story. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

This week, Great Minds is thrilled to welcome Janice Min, CEO, Co-Owner, and Editor in Chief of Ankler Media, a true legend in the world of media. Janice walks us through her earliest days at publications like People and Life, to her present at the helm of The Ankler. Chapters 00:37 - 05:16 - Introduction 05:16 - 11:31 - How did you get into Columbia University? 11:31 - 14:14 - Working at People and InStyle 14:15 - 20:59 - The decline of the magazine industry 21:02 - 31:57 - The death of US Weekly 31:57 - 35:34 - The current state of celebrity culture 35:35 - 49:12 - The rise of influencer culture 49:12 - 55:40 - Ankler's origin story 55:40 - 57:17 - The future of entertainment Recorded content structured by Snackable.AI

Earnings season is underway, and everyone should be taking notice of Snapchat's dismal performance (and Twitter's that followed). The tech company's stock took a 27 percent nosedive immediately after reporting shocking ad sales declines. That portends a bleak near future for every ad-dependent entity — including Netflix and the streaming services increasingly pivoting to advertising to save the day. Is the chill temporary or is a new ice age afoot? Janice Min, Tatiana Siegel and The Wakeup's Sean McNulty break it down. Also: Yellowstone is TV's biggest hit, but Hollywood isn't rushing to replicate its success. And TCA scraps its in-person event and goes virtual. Is it really about Covid — or just a convenient excuse? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories about the entertainment industry.On today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast, hosts Janice Min, Tatiana Siegel and Richard Rushfield welcome Charles Rivkin, chairman of the Motion Picture Association, the film industry's historic trade group whose members include Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Sony, and now Netflix. Rivkin came to this post through a storied career that led him through the Jim Henson company — whose sale to Disney he engineered in 1988 — to becoming President Obama's ambassador to France and an assistant secretary of state before taking the reins of the MPA in 2018.On today's podcast, the group talks about the many topics shaking the studios right now, and how his “eight years in diplomacy” helped Rivkin work for the larger good among fierce competitors on issues ranging from the windowing future to the path ahead for Netflix (“these guys are incredibly smart. They're gonna figure out a way to win.”)Also on the docket in the wide-ranging conversation:Improving the theatrical experience in the face of decaying theaters.What the MPA is doing to crack down on piracy, leading raids and police actions around the globes.The moral complications of trying to do business with China.Guns onscreen and the film industry's responsibilities.And much more.After that conversation, Richard and Tatiana talk through the very busy news week for Hollywood, in particular what happens to both stars after the stunning Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial verdict, and the meaning of the big shake-up atop Warner Bros. studio.If you are enjoying our entertainment industry news, please remember to subscribe at TheAnkler.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these about the entertainment industry.Where has Richard Lovett gone? It's the billion-dollar question posed by Richard Rushfield earlier this week about CAA's once-fiery president, and also part of a broader discussion about entertainment leadership on today's Ankler Hot Seat, hosted by Rushfield and Janice Min, and joined by Ankler contributing editors Nicole La Porte and Peter Kiefer. From his stale (but starry) talent list to his noted absence during client Will Smith's Oscars meltdown, the disappearing Lovett has the town wondering what has happened, says Rushfield. Meanwhile, newcomer Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney media and entertainment distribution, and subject of a recent profile by LaPorte, has people talking for other reasons: he represents the streaming age's sharp-elbowed MBA-ing of entertainment (Stanford, Goldman Sachs), and as CEO Bob Chapek's top Disney+ decision maker, has found himself at odds with creative senior leaders. Is there something to be said for putting bean-counters in charge? (David Zaslav, for one, wins rare praise from our own ESG). Heck, even Los Angeles itself is facing a similar question, Kiefer outlines, as the entertainment industry picks between a traditionalist (Karen Bass) and a billionaire businessman (Rick Caruso) in the final laps of the mayoral race. Never miss a story from what the New York Times calls our “hit Hollywood newsletter”. If you haven't, join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on Twitter. Also please subscribe at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these about the entertainment industry.Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast welcomes guest Tiffany Hsu, a New York Times reporter who covers media for the business desk, focusing on advertising and marketing. On today's episode, Hsu joins hosts Janice Min, Tatiana Siegel and Ankler contributing editor Peter Kiefer to discuss her story about a slew of A-list stars from Matt Damon to Reese Witherspoon to LeBron James who were hyping crypto and now have gone very very silent. In the weeks since crypto has taken a nosedive and laypeople have lost their life savings, Hsu began reaching out to all those influential celebrities who appeared in Super Bowl commercials and took to social media to hawk the risky investment to see if they had any regrets. Hsu was met with a lot of squirmy publicists or deafening silence. Crickets. “I either got no response or I got responses that were along the lines of, ‘Oh, sorry, my client's busy and can't talk about this.' Or I would get a response like, ‘Oh, my client was just in it to make a commercial. My client isn't an expert in this field.”She breaks down why celebrities posing as investment gurus created a dangerous paradigm. “If you're someone sitting at home and you've seen Matt Damon's movies, you're like, ‘Oh my God, it's Jason Bourne! Like this guy is so cool,'” Hsu says. “Ergo, if he's cool, then everything he does must be cool. So if he's, if he's doing the crypto thing, crypto must also be cool. So there's this fallacy that happens with all celebrity marketing, but really, especially with crypto marketing, where people think celebrities have a lot of money, they must know what to do with that money. So if they're giving me financial advice, it must be good financial advice.”Kiefer, who also recently tackled the adjacent subject of NFTs and the race to remake Hollywood, noted that on some of the crypto Reddit chat boards he has perused in the wake of the crash, “there was all sorts of sort of people threatening to commit suicide or harm themselves.”There are real people out there hurting, indeed.Meanwhile, Siegel, who joined the podcast from Cannes, discusses the definitely-not-cheap happenings at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere (think fighter jets whizzing over the Mediterranean to welcome Tom Cruise) as well as the latest video appearance from embattled Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky at an A-list event. “We will win this war,” he told the cinephile crowd.She also reveals why Zelensky didn't give those fighting words at the Oscars, as had been rumored to happen. Siegel learned that Zelensky wanted to appear, but the Academy nixed the idea. “They said, no. They wanted to remain apolitical,” Siegel notes.Listen and subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcasting app, and remember to subscribe to The Ankler.New on The Ankler.Great reads:ESG takes a hard look at what's driving Formula 1 ratings (hint: it's more than just a Netflix series).Nicole LaPorte on Disney's Mysterious Kareem Daniel.Richard Rushfield's ‘What If' moments that could have changed the trajectory of entertainment.The Transom breaks news of a very Ari wedding.Great listens:Martini Shot - ‘You're Fired, No, Wait': host Rob Long on the perils of showrunning.The Moviegoers Never Coming Back: Audience expert Kevin Goetz on summer blockbuster season.Brand New on The OptionistThis week, Crypto Crash, World's Best Athlete + 5 PicksLast week, The Original ‘It' Girl', Texas Mob D.A. + 6 Picks This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and follow us on Twitter. Also please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these about the entertainment industry.Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast welcomes guest Kevin Goetz, a man who has been at the center of Hollywood's so-called “movie research industry” for more than three decades via his firm, Screen Engine/ASI. On today's episode, Goetz, who is also the author of the bestseller Audience-Ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Movies We Love (Simon & Schuster), joins hosts Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel as cautious optimism reigns over this summer's coming blockbuster season. Goetz discusses a looming theatrical reckoning as the most rabid moviegoing demographic is replaced by an apathetic new generation.“Let me give you the sobering truth of what's happening with Gen Zs and millennials,” he says. “Ten years ago, 2 to 11-year-olds saw 4.1 movies [per year in theaters]. Now they're seeing about three movies, and our prediction in 10 years is 2.2 movies.” “12 to 17-year-olds 10 years ago saw 7.9 movies. Now: 5.1. In 10 years, 3.3.” “18 to 24-year-olds were at 8.4 movies. Now: 5.1. In 10 years, 3.3.” And so on… “So [with] the declines of Z and millennials… as the older folks die off, sorry to say, every 10 years, you're going to see a decline in moviegoing,” he says, while adding the slightly bright note that the populations of the younger audiences are far larger than they used to be, which make up for some of the change in habit.Still, it's not all doom and gloom. Goetz notes that studios will succeed if they can better curate their theatrical offerings and push the less-necessary fare to streaming services, like Sony has done during the pandemic. He also gave high marks to Netflix for being “the first to recognize and listen to the consumer” and making decisions based on that input. Adds Goetz. “My whole career has been [about being] the advocate of the moviegoer, the TV viewer, the entertainment consumer. And I have to say that, [Hollywood has often] avoided them. Many people have avoided them too long at their own peril.”Goetz predicts that by Labor Day, Disney and Universal will be most pleased with their summer slates, and several films will help erase the two-year Covid nightmare, namely Tom Cruise's Tom Gun: Maverick, Chris Pratt's Jurassic World Dominion and the Marvel tentpoles Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.And despite Warner Bros. and Disney's much-maligned stab at day-and-date releases during the pandemic, Goetz says the strategy is likely here to stay.“I don't think we've done enough in the space to rule it dead,” he says. “I think that what you're going to see is custom patterns now. Every movie will be not from a cookie-cutter mold but will have its own criteria. So, some movies will stay in the theaters for 31 days. Some will stay in for 10 days. Some will stay in for two months. Because that's the reality of what has to happen.”Listen and subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcasting app, and remember to subscribe to The Ankler.New on The AnklerGreat reads:Worst-Case Scenario: Amazon. Entertainment Strategy Guy's latest in his series.NFTs and the Race to Save Hollywood: Is Bored Apes the new Disney?! Insiders and the exiled (Roy Price, Ryan Kavanaugh!) on an industry's FOMO catching fire, even as crypto crashes and burns.Richard Rushfield sizes up the cast in the newest season of Survivor: Hollywood Streamers.Transom: J.J. Abrams news, and Mel Brooks' casts Jesus, Abe Lincoln and an all-star cast for Hulu.Great listen:Rob Long's Martini Shot: The perils of perfectionism, whether coffee-stained pants or poor quarterly earnings.Subscribe to The OptionistThis week, A Disco Queen, a TikTok Cult + 5 Other PicksLast week, Heidi Fleiss, the Lindbergh Baby + 7 More Ready for the Screen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and follow us on Twitter. Also please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these about the entertainment industry.Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast welcomes back guest Howard Bragman, a crisis publicist and contributor to GMA who has handled the likes of Sharon Osbourne and Brett Ratner. On today's episode, Bragman joins hosts Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel to discuss the looming tension Hollywood is facing over the likely dismantling of Roe v. Wade and the prospect of abortion being made illegal, or rights being drastically diminished in almost half of the country's states. In the days since a Supreme Court draft opinion leaked revealing a likely Roe rollback, everyone from Mark Ruffalo to Cher to Phoebe Bridgers has voiced their disgust. But in an age where Disney just went through the ringer over first inaction, then action, over Florida's Don't Say Gay bill, resulting in the swift exit of their top comms exec, a sense of fear among executives about how to approach this new political minefield is looming. Will the opprobrium of a town's talent, producers and executives amount to anything? Even though production and business is vast throughout entertainment in states likely to roll back rights — Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arizona and more — Bragman predicts that the industry will likely stay quiet rather than boycott. “Hollywood has done a lot of saber-rattling in these states about gay rights issues and abortion issues and women's issues. Hollywood has done a lot of threatening, but very little action, to be honest. There's been very little actual punishment,” he notes. “So the question becomes: What happens when it's thrown back to the states and virtually half the states or half the population in the country decides that they don't want abortion… in all these states where they have huge investments and the people are gonna say, ‘Screw you. We voted. And it's our choice.' And I think the studios are gonna be forced to acquiesce to the power of the voters in those states.”The veteran Hollywood PR fixer also weighs in on the best advice he would give corporate clients on how to address the hot-button issue with staff, many of whom might be vocal and protest inaction by their C-suite. “I would empower them. I would have as much engagement with the women's groups, the LGBTQ groups as possible. Let 'em know what's going on,” he says. “Let 'em know the challenges you have as a corporation, let 'em know the responsibility you have that's financial, but also to your employees. And let 'em know the balancing act you have because I think there's a lot of wisdom in those groups, and there may be ways they can work together and come up with new ideas and new ways that can help both [employee and corporation], frankly.” Still, it's a difficult needle to thread. After all, even California isn't united. While the state is majority pro-choice, the state's populace has become increasingly in favor of greater abortion restrictions, according to a recent survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. The study found that 52% of Latinos would like to see greater restrictions, for example. And Bragman foresees deeper divisions on the topic, which will make Hollywood's push for transgender bathroom rights in North Carolina and the Don't Say Gay brouhaha in Florida seem like “quaint times compared to the devastation that's coming down the road.”And if the abortion issue wasn't polarizing enough, the hosts also discuss the latest on the scorched-earth defamation trial that pits Johnny Depp against ex-wife Amber Heard. The testimony has been explosive (his and hers physical abuse allegations as well as the actress publicly accusing her ex of sexual assault for the first time). But will either party emerge from the slugfest with their careers intact? Notes Bragman, who calls their fight “mutual destruction”, “Somebody's gonna figure out a way to be in the Johnny Depp business. And as f** up as it sounds, I've seen so many times where crises like this will help a person like this.”Listen and subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcasting app, and remember to subscribe to The Ankler.If you aren't already a paying subscriber, we invite you to join our community of entertainment insiders and never miss another story or podcast.New on The AnklerGreat reads:Entertainment Strategy Guy explains why Hulu has a not-so-funny problem with comedy.The Dumpster Fire of the Vanities: The Met Gala was mere metaphor for all out-of-touch entertainment/media.A Star is Born heads to Broadway and Jurassic to China. Plus much more in this week's issue of The Transom.Nasty, Brutish, Short: The End of a Disney PR Man's TenureGreat listens:Pod: Martini Shot with Rob Long dives into how to handle the badly behaved person in your Hollywood life.Pod: The Case for Broadcast TV. Long joined The Ankler Hot Seat to discuss Hollywood's struggle to find the right business model.Subscribe to The OptionistThis week, Heidi Fleiss, the Lindbergh Baby + 7 More Ready for the ScreenLast week, Korean Cannbials, Lady Assassins + 6 More Great Tales This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and follow us on Twitter. Also please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these about the entertainment industry. Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast is hosted by Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel, and welcomes guest Peter Kafka, senior correspondent at Recode. Kafka, who conducted one of the final interviews with outgoing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, weighs in on what to expect as the new Warner Bros. Discovery regime takes shape (and also speculates as to why Kilar has done so much press around his departure): “[Zaslav] has promised to cut $3 billion out of the budget somehow. So everyone who complained about the last three years of cuts under AT&T and Kilar should be ready for more, and I think they know that's coming,” says Kafka, host of the podcast Recode Media. “He has not been forthright about what he intends to do with programming. You know, if you ask him how are you going to compete with Netflix spending $20 billion, he'll say, ‘We're already spending that,'” adds Kafka. “But that's not a real number because that includes what he's spending on his linear programming.”The veteran chronicler of the high-stakes worlds of media and technology also explains that the vest-wearing mogul has “played it fairly close to the vest up until now,” but now that the deal is closed and Zaslav can explain his plans, Hollywood is hanging with bated breath. “But we don't know [what Zaslav plans to do] is the short answer.”Rushfield juxtaposed the legacy culture of Warner Bros. past and the frugal unscripted-driven Discovery and how the two may mesh (or not): “Private jets for all, unlimited expense accounts, everybody gets six assistants” versus the “company largely populated by [low-cost] reality.”As for what went wrong with AT&T ownership of WarnerMedia, Kafka shares an interesting theory. “There is an anecdote that James Andrew Miller has reported [and] I've heard as well about an AT&T executive being surprised to learn that all of HBO or TNT…that their content didn't come from Warner Bros. (but is instead bought from outside suppliers). And they had to learn that once they bought the company. And that person I've heard that's John Stankey. Again, anyone who listens to this podcast understands that it's really mind-boggling to think that the people being paid tens of millions of dollars to spend $110 billion on this stuff didn't really understand at all what they were getting into.”In other subjects, the hosts discuss looming headaches for Warner Bros. via its profitable but scandal-plagued DC universe. Siegel has been covering the fallout following a series of troubling incidents involving The Flash star Ezra Miller. Also on the docket: ESG appraises Shonda Rhimes vs. Ryan Murphy and their respective nine-figure deals at Netflix and declares a winner. (Hint: If you watch Bridgerton, you probably know the answer.) Please just us next week for more episodes of Ankler Hot Seat, and remember to follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And please remember to subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com. If you aren't already a paid subscriber to The Ankler, we invite you to join our growing community of entertainment's most powerful and never miss another story or podcast.New on The Ankler:Ryan vs. Shonda: Entertainment Strategy Guy crunches the numbers and declares a winer. A View to a Kilar: surveying the final gasp of the AT&T era at Warners.Is anyone in charge here? Thoughts on the leadership vacuum revealed by the Will Smith fiasco.The Transom's got Jason Momoa going to Apple project, Kerry Washington to Hulu, and the Ted Lasso team's next move.The Glossy says RIP to the male's gaze's reign on the red carpet10 Truths About Will Smith's Resignation: Richard Rushfield spares no words, nor any entity.Pod: Bruce Willis and ‘Years of Concern': One of the reporters of the LAT's recent article on Bruce Willis's struggles with aphasia talks about the actor's troubling path.Subscribe to The OptionistQ&A: Cons are In, Bleak is Out: With projects all over town, Truly Adventurous is changing the journalism x Hollywood playbookThis week's picks: A Jan. 6 Family Tragedy + 7 More Finds This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts, and follow us on Twitter. Become a paying subscriber to The Ankler for more great podcasts and stories like these.Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast is hosted by Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel, and welcomes guest Meg James, a Los Angeles Times reporter. James co-wrote an explosive and heartbreaking story – Bruce Willis' aphasia was suspected by coworkers for years – with colleague Amy Kaufman about how Willis' cognitive function became problematic and noticeable on movie sets over the last 3.5 years, during which time he made a staggering 22 films. James discusses how the actor, worked for only two days on each movie yet made a staggering $2 million on each. However, he carried on this pace while requiring an earpiece for his lines, and was part of a frightening incident involving a gun and a blank. “It just was chilling to hear that there were episodes that with less experienced and less professional people could have really been problematic and potentially dangerous,” says James. “There was a film that was shot two years ago in Cincinnati called Hard Kill. And Bruce was this father figure. And there was a reality television star, Lala Kent, who was cast as his daughter. And she told us in an on-the-record interview that…he had a line that he was supposed to deliver. And when he delivered the line, she was supposed to duck and then he would fire the gun. But his coordination didn't come off right and he didn't deliver the line. Instead, he fired the weapon.” James said the very same mistake happened on the subsequent take. The veteran Hollywood chronicler also explained the conversations inside the Los Angeles Times about tackling the difficult subject of an actor's health and how the story came together.In other subjects, the hosts discuss new details about Slapgate: Rushfield reports that audience members were openly booing Will Smith during his acceptance speech, but that it wasn't audible during the broadcast. He asks, “Did the Academy sweeten the soundtrack to drown it out?” Paging Zapruder: the hosts discuss the missing seven seconds of footage that would show what happened when the cameras were on Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith; Siegel discusses the footage taken by an audience member showing Pinkett Smith's reaction from behind. Rushfield criticizes Vanity Fair, where he had previously served as a contributing editor, for warmly hosting Will Smith at its Oscar afterparty: “You can sort of explain the Academy panic at the moment. They weren't prepared for this. Vanity Fair had [more than] two hours before he got there and they knew he was coming…so there was no last-minute panic there. They had all the time to think this through and they said, ‘Wouldn't that be great if all the eyes are on Will Smith? Wouldn't that be great if he came and danced at our party?'“Rushfield refers to internet chatter that the strange on-screen banner coming on-screen during Smith's acceptance speech was to block a Serena Williams' wardrobe malfunction. And finally, the podcast wraps with a discussion of the curious $108 million options bet on Activision stock made by Barry Diller and David Geffen that has now spawned an investigation by the Justice Department and SEC looking into the possibility of insider trading. Please just us next week for more episodes of Ankler Hot Seat, and remember to follow us (and like us!) at Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.New on The Ankler:ESG on The First Hard Lessons of 2022 so far and the final numbers on Disney+'s Hamilton. The latest on ABC's efforts to get to the bottom of the Grey's Anatomy writer scandal.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Will Smith Did a Bad Bad ThingAs Time Passes, The Slap Still Stings: Richard Rushfield's thoughts as concerns deepen and Hollywood sends all the wrong messages as outlined in.The Show, The Slap and the Big Shrug.It is going to HBO, and someone offered Matt and Ben a nine-figure fund!Pod: Will Smith and the End of Movie StarsDoes Putin have a man in Hollywood? And is Bob the First plotting his restoration?If you aren't already a paying subscriber, we invite you to join the most powerful and influential people in the entertainment community who are part of The Ankler.FOR GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS: email Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.comFOR ADVERTISING on The Ankler, The Ankler Hot Seat, The Glossy, or The Optionist: please contact Kymber as well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast welcomes guest Howard Bragman, a crisis publicist who has handled the likes of Sharon Osbourne and Brett Ratner, joining hosts Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel. On today's episode, Bragman discusses Slapgate and the absurdity of Smith's rush to the stage. “One of the great skill sets of being a star in Hollywood is having a thick skin. And $20 million a movie should buy you a lot of armor to have a very thick skin,” said Bragman. The veteran publicist also weighed in on why Rock's joke should have been addressed by Jada Pinkett Smith, the intended target and not her husband. “Jada has her own talk show,” Bragman continued. “She's a very powerful, intelligent, respected woman. Couldn't she have stood up for herself or given him the finger, something? She gave him a bit of a sneer. Could she have not given him the finger and made her point.”The hosts also discuss what the victory of Apple TV+'s CODA over Power of the Dog and Don't Look Up (with Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) says about stardom in Hollywood today. “Last night also seemed like the death of the movie star,” said Min. “You had Netflix pay…for Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence for Don't Look Up and Power of the Dog certainly had like a top flight cast with Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Jane Campion as the director. And here comes this cast with CODA…not what people equate with A-list Hollywood, right?” Siegel concurred: “Last night seemed to be the death of the movie star, the movie business and maybe comedy as we know it in the future.”Siegel also discussed the Twitter threads speculating about Will Smith and Scientology, citing a thread about “a Scientology course that involves slapping physically humiliating fellow Scientologists in a group setting as a means of exerting superiority.” Speaking of which, Bragman was asked if The Slap is Smith's career equivalent of Tom Cruise's couch-jumping, a moment that will define a career before and after. Said Bragman: “It kind of is. But Tom got his s**t back together because Tom got his s**t back together. We'll see where it will takes this. Now, this could be a wake up call.”The hosts also tackle the controversy around Jay-Z's Oscar afterparty, held at Los Angeles's iconic Chateau Marmont, which carried on as planned despite guests having to cross a picket line of aggrieved former employees, some who say they were subjected to sexual harassment, including from owner Andre Balazs (which he has denied) and racial discrimination.Kurt Pedersen, who is co-president of the Chateau Marmont union, joined the Hot Seat to give his take from the picket line: “There was a lot of embarrassment,” Pedersen said of the celebrities who crossed the line including Kim Kardashian, Zoe Kravitz, Jon Hamm and best supporting actor winner Troy Kotsur. “First we should applaud those who didn't go. I mean, most of the folks who received Oscars were not at that party last night.”New on The Ankler:The Glossy on the end of fun on the red carpet.The death spiral of Bob I and Bob II in What about Bobs?Why did Mark Burnett try to court Putin for a reality show and what does Amazon think?Pre-Oscar Pods: Jay-Z's Afterparty Debacle, and that uncensored Bruce Vilanch conversation everyone is talking about.The question no one wants to ask except ESG: Are Oscar Films Good Business Strategy?The Decline and Fall of Oscar: A timeline of mishaps, mishegas and the bad choices that have become an annual Academy ritual.Never miss another podcast or story like this. We invite you to join the most influential and powerful people in entertainment and become a paid subscriber to The Ankler. FOR GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please email Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com for more information,FOR ADVERTISING on The Ankler, The Ankler Hot Seat, The Glossy, or The Optionist, please contact Kymber as well.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind at The Ankler.The Ankler is an independent voice covering Hollywood. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us at Apple Podcasts, on Twitter, and subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these.Today's Ankler Hot Seat podcast welcomes guest co-host Sonny Bunch, culture editor of The Bulwark and Washington Post contributing columnist, joining Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel. On today's episode, Bunch discusses his latest for The Washington Post, “The Oscars are niche entertainment now. Just let Netflix stream them” and the dismal awareness numbers for some of the Best Picture nominated films. The show also tackles China's decision to not broadcast the Oscars for a second-straight year and why, the puzzle of who is invited to be a presenter on the show, and predictions for Best Picture. The hosts also tackle the controversy around Jay-Z's Oscar afterparty, scheduled to be held at Los Angeles's iconic Chateau Marmont, a hotel whose controversies have drawn a boycott supported by Issa Rae, Jane Fonda, Spike Lee, Amanda Seyfried, David Diggs and Alfonso Cuarón. The Chateau has faced damning accusations in the last few years, ever since they fired nearly their entire staff at the onset of the pandemic without benefits. Female employees have said they were subjected to sexual harassment, including from owner Andre Balazs (which he has denied); darker-skinned employees have said they were subjected to racist remarks and passed over for promotions, with The Hollywood Reporter reporting that the Chateau's managing director, Amanda Grandinetti, referred to one staff member as a “blackie”, and told another to respond to her with “Yessa, massa.” April Blackwell, a Black Chateau worker, said Grandinetti fired her after she complained about a pattern of racist abuse from guests. She is one of two Black employees currently suing the Chateau. The boycott is also supported by the Writer's Guild of America, and a picket line is expected on Sunday night. Keisha Banks, a former Chateau events server, tells The Ankler: “We constantly see Black elites putting their fame and money before their fans. By now, Jay-Z and Beyonce must be aware that Chateau's workers have spoken out about being mistreated. They should be leveraging and moving their dollars elsewhere in solidarity with the people they claim to support and who are calling out for justice. At this point, the news on Chateau is out there, some celebs are willfully choosing to ignore it. The working class is sick of seeing the rich virtue signal.” Chateau Marmont workers and Black clergy leaders are set to hold a press conference and delegation outside ROC Nation in an attempt to make their voices heard and deliver a complaint alleging impending violations of a recently enacted state law protecting workers' jobs.Ed note: After this podcast was taped, a press release was sent out announcing that 22-year veteran employee Walter Almendarez, who was laid off by Chateau Marmont in March 2020, would present legal complaints today to the California Labor Commissioner, alleging that both the Chateau Marmont and Jay-Z's entertainment company ROC Nation are in violation of SB-93, the state return-to-work law, by failing to rehire him and his coworkers in general and specifically for Jay-Z's party. The complaint alleges that the entities failed to offer guest relations, valet, security, and other work to Almendarez and his colleagues, as last year's state law requires. Of the 50 workers with the longest tenures at Chateau Marmont prior to the layoffs, approximately 46 were Latinx.See you next Friday for our next Ankler Hot Seat podcast. Follow us at Apple Podcasts and on Twitter.If you aren't yet a subscriber, we invite you to join the most influential and powerful people in the entertainment industry.New on The Ankler:The Oscars "Minefield" About to Happen: A Conversation with Bruce Vilanch. The legendary, long-time Oscar head writer of the stops by our podcast to share his memories and thoughts about what lies ahead.Are Oscar Films Good Business Strategy? ESG asks the tough question and answers it. The Decline and Fall of Oscar: A timeline of mishaps, mishegas and the bad choices that have become an annual Academy ritual.In this week's Transom: Avatar 2 gets a date with Marvel; COVID stalks the awards circuit.Executives on the red carpet! 15 photos of Hollywood on the town.What will be the new accessory on the Oscars red carpet? Supporting Ukraine.The story that's got the whole town talking! Read our exclusive scoop on Elisabeth Finch, the Grey's Anatomy writers' room and an investigation. Then listen to the new Hot Seat podcast as writer Peter Keifer reveals the details on how he broke the story shaking Shondaland and what happens next.ESG on Netflix's Drip Drip Decline.On The Optionist:It's March Madness in the IP world! This week: hot properties about basketball.Q&A: What A.I. Tells Us About Debut AuthorsThe new recommendations are up! What just fell out of option and is ready again? Who doesn't love an Ivy League scandal?Subscribe during the free beta period here (it's almost over!).FOR GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS, please email Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com for more information,FOR ADVERTISING on The Ankler, The Ankler Hot Seat, The Glossy, or The Optionist, please contact Kymber as well.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind at The Ankler.The Ankler is an independent voice covering Hollywood. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us at Apple Podcasts, on Twitter, and subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these.Bruce Vilanch is a legendary Emmy-winning comedy writer, songwriter and actor in Hollywood. He was also a writer for 24 years on the Academy Awards broadcast, spending 14 of those years (2000-2014) as the show's head writer. Vilanch collaborated with hosts including Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Steve Martin and, of course, James Franco and Anne Hathaway. In this episode of the Ankler Hot Seat podcast, a special bonus edition for Oscar week, Vilanch, who will be watching the Oscars with friends in New York City, joins hosts Janice Min and Richard Rushfield and reveals some of the secrets behind past broadcasts and his thoughts on the challenges of this year's 94th Academy Awards. Some highlights: On the overall vibe this year: “The basic landscape is a minefield…comedy generally is where you come out and you don't know who you're going to piss off with anything that you say…the second nervousness will be about proving to the membership, the Academy proving to the membership that this idea (of removing eight below the line awards from the broadcast) works.”On what went wrong last year: “It had no famous people in the first half-hour. They had Regina King, who came on and immediately went political. So right away people began tuning out because their worst fear had been realized. It was a bunch of political Hollywood types telling you things you know. Her first joke was a BLM joke, and that was it. In the first half-hour, they have, I think, Laura Dern and maybe one other famous person, rather than opening with one of the supporting actor categories, which is what we've always done, because it puts a personality on camera…Soderbergh's idea was to have Aaron Sorkin talk about what it was like to sell popcorn in the theater in Evanston, Illinois. No one gives a s**t about I mean, this is a rookie mistake.”On making Putin jokes: “A lot of people are dead. So I don't know that you can really joke about Putin. I mean, there might be some oblique jokes.”On COVID jokes: “There's a tension in the air because of all these super-spreader events…like BAFTA…I wrote the PGA Award show, and we started out with Ciarán Haines, Jamie Dornan and Kenneth Branagh and the kid and everybody wound up sick. Jamie Dornan ended up doing the presentation.”On the disastrous James Franco-Anne Hathaway year: “Franco was kind of off the wall and he was out of his comfort zone. He was scared. He didn't trust the writers. He asked Judd Apatow to come in and do it, and Judd sent four of his young intern writers and the week before the show, everything was tossed out because nothing was very good….we assumed that two songs from Burlesque would be nominated and that Cher would do one song and Christina Aguilera would do the other. But and as a result, Franco really wanted to do Cher. He does a Cher impression, and he just wanted to get into the whole Cher drag and do it. But then they weren't nominated, the songs were not performed, but he was caught up in the idea of drag. So we finally had him come out as Marilyn Monroe after what was one of the biggest laughs of that particular show.”The “dirty secret” of why the show is so long: “The dirty little secret is [ABC] doesn't really mind that because it gives them more commercial time to sell. And that's where the money is. And by the way, that's where the licensing fee goes up for the Academy. So the Academy doesn't really mind that the show is as long as it is this year. [But] because of last year they were read a riot act about it's got to come in short, and also I think because they were getting some sponsor…pushback.”Being Oscar producer: “You cannot win.” On “woke: culture: “The latest wrinkle is the woke madness…they're so crazed and they're eating their own, you know, they're just eating their young and nuts. It's just nuts.”Why no one wants to host the Oscars: “If you're big enough to be considered to host, you don't need it” Ratings prediction: “I mean, it certainly will be the the second-lowest broadcast ever.” Related: Jay-Z's Oscar Afterparty DebacleSee you tomorrow with our regular Ankler Hot Seat podcast. Follow us at Apple Podcasts and on Twitter. Please subscribe to The Ankler for more podcasts and stories like these every single day. New on The Ankler:In this week's Transom: the first look at Avatar 2 gets a date with Marvel; COVID stalks the awards circuit.Executives on the red carpet! 15 photos of Hollywood on the town.What will be the new accessory on the Oscars red carpet? Supporting Ukraine.The story that's got the whole town talking! Read our exclusive scoop on Elisabeth Finch,the Grey's Anatomy writers' room and an investigation. Then listen to the new Hot Seat podcast as writer Peter Keifer reveals the details on how he broke the story shaking Shondaland and what happens next.ESG on Netflix's Drip Drip Decline.Richard Rushfield asks the 14 Big Questions for Now.We just wrapped Anxiety Week! Check out an unemployed TV writer sharing her Hollywood Unemployment Agony, and ESG's hard look at The Content Bubble's Sum of All Fears, and why“It Feels Like the Last Days of Rome” from new contributing editor Nicole LaPorte. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us at Apple Podcasts, on Twitter, and please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more podcasts and stories like these.The Ankler's Peter Kiefer broke the remarkably strange story that has Hollywood buzzing about Elisabeth Finch. The star Grey's Anatomy writer, following accusations she may have made up parts of her extraordinary medical history, is currently on administrative leave and the subject of a current investigation by Disney. On this episode of Ankler Hot Seat, Kiefer joins hosts Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel to reveal how and when he first heard whispers about something gone awry in the Grey's Anatomy writers room, and then how he tracked down the details of a story no one wanted to talk about. As part of his reporting, he had a phone conversation with Finch's wife (they are in the process of divorcing) and called Finch herself. Kiefer confirmed that questions around the veracity of at least parts of Finch's life story, one that includes cataclysmic medical traumas — and detailed in personal essays in Elle, the Shondaland website, and multiple times in The Hollywood Reporter — were raised to Disney and Shondaland through Finch's wife. Later, our hosts discuss why Bob Chapek seems to bear the brunt of “Don't Say Gay” controversy when no other leader does, the coming cultural storm about to hit with Georgia's own bill, what on-air talent Chris Cuomo names in his $125 million lawsuit, and if there is a path to redemption for Jussie Smollet. Please join us every Friday for another episode of Ankler Hot Seat. New on The Ankler:ESG on Netflix's Drip Drip Decline.Richard Rushfield asks the 14 Big Questions for Now.We just wrapped Anxiety Week! Check out an unemployed TV writer sharing her Hollywood Unemployment Agony, and ESG's hard look at The Content Bubble's Sum of All Fears.Then go deeper. For an understanding of why so many of us feel this way, start with The Pit in Your Stomach is Real, and continue on to “It Feels Like the Last Days of Rome” from new contributing editor Nicole LaPorte.On the departure of Netflix's flamboyant marketing chief, Bozoma Saint John, and her clap back.The Glossy is up! Men, ditch your jackets for the shacket! And Power of the Dog's Kodi Smit-McPhee has a surprising new player in his corner.If you're not already a subscriber, we invite you to join our audience of the most influential and powerful members of the entertainment community.On The Optionist:It's March Madness in the IP world! This week: hot properties about basketball.Q&A: What A.I. Tells Us About Debut AuthorsThe new recommendations are up! What just fell out of option and is ready again? How about this story about a family cruise gone awry.Subscribe during the free beta period here (it's almost over!).WE NOW HAVE GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS! Please email Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com for more information,IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING on The Ankler, The Ankler Hot Seat, The Glossy, or The Optionist, please contact Kymber as well.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind at The Ankler.The Ankler is an independent voice covering Hollywood. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us at Apple Podcasts if you like what you are hearing. And please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more interviews and stories like these.This episode of the Hot Seat dives into The Ankler's Anxiety Week. What is eating this business? As the Streaming Wars rage, money is flowing like never before, but a sense of unease among its workers has been the subject of several of our stories that clearly are touching a nerve. Hosts Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel touch on why (Janice Min sat this one out), but also: • Disney and the fallout over Florida. Bob II has gotten himself in another fine mess over Florida's “Don't Say Gay” bill. We look at what drove him into such hot water, how Disney gets out of it, and wonder why no one else is getting the same scrutiny. (NOTE: This episode was recorded before Bob Chapek's Friday apology for his earlier stand on the issue.)• The Batman takes the box office. Another Batman scored another hit last weekend for Warners, showing another sign of life in the theatrical business. But with many caveats? Is it all going to be just like it was before? • The return of Scott Rudin. A year after being sidelined for decades of fabulously awful conduct Tatiana exposed, the combative producer is inching his way back into the mainstream with a new project.• The Oscars are coming! The field is wide open. At least five films have a plausible shot at the prize. Who will win? We give our picks. And will anyone be watching?All that and more on this week's Hot Seat!If you are already a subscriber, thank you. If not, come aboard today and join the community of some of the most powerful insiders in entertainment. Also on The Ankler:It's Anxiety Week! An unemployed TV writer shares her years of agony. Slouching Towards Pavilions.The Entertainment Strategy Guy takes a hard look at the numbers behind our collective feeling of instability and stares straight into The Content Bubble's Sum of All Fears.Then go deeper into our exclusive Anxiety Week coverage. For an understanding of why so many of us feel this way, start with The Pit in Your Stomach is Real, and continue on to “It Feels Like the Last Days of Rome” from new contributing editor Nicole LaPorte.On the departure of Netflix's flamboyant marketing chief, Bozoma Saint John, and her clap back.CAMERA ROLL IS UP! Great photos of who was where this week in Hollywood.Check out our new awards season pop-up, The Glossy. It's Vincent Boucher's take in the ramp-up to the Oscars on the nexus of fashion and entertainment, who's making money now and how, and the most inventive costume work in film and TV.Zelensky Memo Reveals 'Your Business Smells Russian' Campaign: Sean Penn's co-director/producer shares the leader's call to action, revealed on The Ankler Hot Seat podcast.On The Optionist:Q&A: What A.I. Tells Us About Debut AuthorsA highly curated list of 10 current and backlist books, new journalism, and podcasts ready for option. This week: divorcees, a detective and Ukrainian ghosts.Subscribe during the free beta period here (it's almost over!).The Ankler's Got People Talking!WE NOW HAVE GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS! Please email Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com for more information,IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING on The Ankler, The Ankler Hot Seat, or The Optionist, please contact Kymber as well.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind at The Ankler.The Ankler is an independent voice covering Hollywood. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers.And if you've been passed along this issue, please join us! And find out why the New York Times called us the “hit Hollywood newsletter.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Follow us at Apple Podcasts if you like what you are hearing. And please subscribe to The Ankler at TheAnkler.com for more interviews and stories like these.Though the world's eyes are on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, few have spent time with the charismatic leader in recent weeks. Among the exceptions: Sean Penn and co-director/producer Aaron Kaufman, who were on the ground in Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The pair had been filming a documentary for Vice centered on the comedian-voice actor-turned-politician. In the early days of the war, Zelensky shared with Kaufman one of Zelensky's plans for resisting the Russian onslaught, which Kaufman then passed on to Ankler Editor at Large and Ankler Hot Seat podcast host Tatiana Siegel in the hopes it would be shared. The campaign, conceived by Zelensky and his leadership, is called “Your Business Smells Russian” and its objective is to limit the activities of international businesses in Russia and thus financially choke and pressure Russian leader Vladimir Putin.On the podcast, Siegel talks about her text exchanges last week with Kaufman, who told her that “Zelensky was hoping to get [a series of talking points] out to the world.”Here's the memo Kaufman says Zelensky asked him to share. Kaufman delivered the memo through a series of texts:The “Your Business Smells Russian” campaignInsight: At a time when states are banding together and making significant efforts to create sanctions for Putin's Russia, most Western companies continue to do business in Russia, following business as usual policies. They continue to bring in significant revenues to the budget, perform an important public function of "universal approval" in society, while declaring the importance of values for modern life.There is a policy of double standards, instead of support by actions, they close activities in Ukraine, (Coca Cola, Uber, McDonalds) motivated by military actions, they close in Ukraine, but not in Russia.Task:1) To show that this policy, just business, does not work in the modern business, in which values should be above all.2) To show global consumers that money earned in Russia is “bloody and toxic money”.Objective:To limit the activities of businesses in Russia, the outflow of finance/capital.Campaign:Your Business Smells RussianActions:1) Use well-known celebrities (e.g. Richard Branson) who could denounce double standards. Generate a large number (assault) of inquiries to companies in different countries about the ethics of doing business in Russia;2) Consumer reactions/boycotts to goods/services in their countries.3) Requesting ethic[al behavior] through national company forums.Examples of the depth of the problem:McDo - made $2.5 billion in Ru(ssia) last year;Coke - made $2.6 billion in profits for the quarterWhile it is unclear if Hollywood power brokers also received the memo, it appears that they got the message. A number of studios announced that they are “pausing” films scheduled for release in Russia including The Batman, Lost City and the Michael Bay action pic Ambulance. Similarly, Netflix put the kibosh on four series scheduled to shoot in Russia. “We're not talking China numbers, but you can have sizable box office performances in Russia,” Siegel noted during the podcast. “For example, Joker made $37.2 million in Russia, and something like The Batman, which has been paused, would likely be comparable.”In this episode, Siegel talks with co-hosts Janice Min and Richard Rushfield about Hollywood's big reaction to the ongoing crisis and contrasts that with its continued silence on Russia's ally, China, in addition to other entertainment headlines of the day. Thanks for reading and listening. The Ankler is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, we invite you to join our community.Also on The Ankler:On the departure of Netflix's flamboyant marketing chief, Bozoma Saint John, what it says about Netflix and Hollywood today.Entertainment Strategy Guy explains the MGM/Amazon/FTC death spiral and what it all means for the rest of entertainment.Richard Rushfield's annual State of Showbiz address.CAMERA ROLL: 20 pictures of who's where in Hollywood this week.The fight is on for the role of the decade. The Transom has the details on the battle to play Madonna in the Material Girl's self-directed biopic.Adult animation was supposed to be the streamers' secret weapon during the pandemic. But things didn't go quite as planned. Entertainment Strategy Guy breaks down the bitter numbers.On The Optionist:Q&A: What A.I. Tells Us About Debut AuthorsA highly curated list of current and backlist books, new journalism, and podcasts ready for option. This week: a real-life biopic about the greatest Wall Street manipulator, a time travel murder mystery, A Civil Action-esque courtroom drama, a fun romcom podcast, and a superhero adventure on the backlist that, incredibly, has not been spoken for yet.Subscribe during the free beta period here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Welcome to another episode of The Ankler Hot Seat, this one the last in a special series about the 2022 Sundance Film Festival hosted by Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel. Please follow us at Apple Podcasts and on Twitter. Our guest today is a true behind-the-scenes superstar of Hollywood, Josh Braun of Submarine, a Los Angeles hybrid sales, production and distribution company run by Braun and his identical twin Dan. Submarine sold American Factory from the Obamas' Higher Ground productions and Participant Media, a documentary that premiered at Sundance in 2019 (and went on to win the Best Documentary Oscar). He also brought Boys' State to 2019 Sundance, where it became the highest-priced documentary sale in the festival's history, bought by Apple for $12 million. That same year, he sold Billie Eilish's documentary, also to Apple, for $26 million, a record for a music documentary. Currently Braun is “at” virtual Sundance with the festival's most buzzed-about title, Nothing Compares, a documentary about Sinead O'Connor, an elusive personality he says he had pursued for years. Since premiering on Jan. 21, the movie, directed by Kathryn Ferguson, has won rave reviews, and a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes for its poignant and powerful storytelling about O'Connor, an artist Braun says delivered a protest message that many Americans now lean into, but at the time only earned her scorn, ridicule, and eventually exile. She spoke about “reproductive rights and gay rights, and the ability for a woman to choose and many other issues,” says Braun, “and was essentially raked over the coals and penalized. I think every position she took at that earlier point…she would now be hailed almost as a hero.” Braun also reveals in his interview how, while preparing for Sundance, he and the team behind Nothing Compares responded when they learned that O'Connor's 17-year-old son had committed suicide. “If they wanted to be pulled, we would have pulled it,” he says on the podcast, “and we respected what those nearest and dearest to her believed was the right path.”Also on the podcast, Braun discusses what it was like working with the Obamas, attending the screening of the surprise documentary about Alexi Navalny, the Putin opposition leader, and how it feels to help independent filmmakers who typically work on shoestring budgets to suddenly, many for the first time in their lives, make the kind of money they once could only dream of: “I have to say it is the greatest feeling.”Also on The Ankler:In Wall St. Just Handed Netflix a Golden Opportunity to Grow Up, Entertainment Strategy Guy discussing eight ways the streaming service can emerge from a disastrous week. A few weeks before the Netflix subscriber miss, ESG also delivered four charts predicting how Netflix's woes were right around the corner in Streaming's Winner-Take-All Theory Collapses. Because the news isn't all-Netfix all the time, he also recently weighed in on The Worst Case Scenario for Disney, now facing some of the same downward pressures afflicting its rival. However, Is Bob Chapek Secretly the One Hollywood's Been Waiting For? Richard Rushfield looks at the mobs forming against Disney's still-getting-comfortable kingpin and asks, what if we're getting it all wrong? A look at the business under Chapek, the Iger ghost that haunts the company, and how the low key, non-nonsense boss might in fact be what Disney needs (if not what they want).Ankler Hot Seat Podcast: Sundance Cinderella Stories and The Time Harvey Weinstein Joined the Women's MarchPLUS! A New Optionist Newsletter is Out! Check out Andy Lewis' The Optionist, a weekly newsletter about the best intellectual property with filmed rights available. Sign up here! The new issue contains new rights details about the suddenly buzzy world around Donna Tartt and Bret Easton Ellis. To advertise with The Ankler, please contact Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com.We now offer group subscriptions! Please email info@anklermedia.com to sign-up.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student, or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind at The Ankler.The Ankler is Hollywood's favorite secret newsletter, an independent voice holding the industry's feet to the fire. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers to keep publishing.If you've been passed along this issue, take the hint and get on the train. Find out why the New York Times called us the “hit Hollywood newsletter.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

This week on the show, Sonny is joined by Janice Min, who has teamed up with BGTH favorite Richard Rushfield to beef up Richard's fabulous newsletter, The Ankler. Sonny and Janice discussed her career from US Weekly to the Hollywood Reporter to the wild world of Substack newsletters, how the Hollywood trades are defying the death of advertising, their strategy for spinoff newsletters, and why the folks at Y Combinator reached out to her and Richard about the potential of The Ankler to become a billion-dollar property. It's a fascinating, in-depth look into the business, and the future, of entertainment reporting.

Welcome to our newest episode in the special Ankler Hot Seat series about the Sundance Film Festival past and present. In 2017, Ankler Hot Seat hosts Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel both attended the Sundance Film Festival, which, that year, took on a distinctly different mood. Newly-elected Donald Trump was inaugurated as president during the festival, and the mood was tense, as politics and women's rights overshadowed the regular programming. During his campaign, Trump had derided accusers who had come forth with sexual assault claims, viciously attacked his rival Hillary Clinton, and insulted many prominent women including Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Kelly. One month before the election, Trump's infamous Access Hollywood tapes leaked out, and many women boiled over. At Sundance, Kristen Stewart, Anna Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron and Chelsea Handler (plus John Legend and Nick Offerman) marched down Main Street in protest. Harvey Weinstein also marched — or rather was driven down —to show his support on Main Street. His action was thick with irony. Later that year, Rose McGowan would reveal that he had raped her in a hot tub at the Sundance Film Festival years earlier, and with her voice, she joined a chorus of other accusers as a wall of silence broke around Weinstein, and the #MeToo movement was born. By May 2018, Weinstein had turned himself in to be arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault. Within months, not only would a series of prominent men in Hollywood and media be exposed for rape and sexual assault, but women — for the first time — saw something shift in the entertainment job market that actually began to resemble progress. In this episode, Min and Siegel discuss the decades-long frustrations that led to the march, with Trump serving as a catalyst, why things actually began to change after that, and how the 2017 festival will go down as one of the major inflection points in the story of women in Hollywood. Also on The Ankler:Ankler Hot Seat Podcast: Sundance Cinderella Stories As a slew of independent filmmakers make headlines at the 2022 installment of the festival, directors Jesse Moss of Boys State and Liz W. Garcia of The Lifeguard revisit their dramatic backstories from that took them from unknown to acclaim in one stressed-out week. A few weeks before the Netflix subscriber miss, and a precipitous stock tumble, our own Entertainment Strategy Guy delivered four charts illustrating how Netflix's woes were right around the corner in Streaming's Winner-Take-All Theory Collapses. More recently, ESG weighed in on The Worst Case Scenario for Disney, now facing many of the same downward pressures afflicting its rival. In his column, ESG predicts how the next decade for Disney (and possibly all the streamers) could look very very different from the 2010s. Check out the debut of Andy Lewis' The Optionist.Yes, Woody Allen gets a film release in China, while no other American filmmakers seem to these days. In Hollywood's China Grovel is Failing, writer Sonny Bunch dives into the absolute mess stemming from the studios' decades of capitulation to the Chinese government. If you are interested in advertising on The Ankler, please contact Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student, or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have the money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind here at The Ankler.The Ankler is Hollywood's favorite secret newsletter, an independent voice holding the industry's feet to the fire. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers to keep publishing.If you've been passed along this issue, take the hint and get on the train. Find out why the New York Times called us the “hit Hollywood newsletter.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Welcome to The Ankler Hot Seat, a new podcast that takes you behind the scenes of Hollywood's big personalities, power struggles and ever-changing playbook. It is a production of The Ankler, a subscription-only newsletter. Please follow us on Apple Podcasts (and rate us if you like what you are hearing), and on Twitter.Before we get started with today's episode…We are proud to introduce you to The Optionist, a new Ankler newsletter out today about available intellectual property for the entertainment community, written by Andy Lewis. The Optionist aims to do some of your reading for you by highlighting the best material with rights still available from the worlds of book publishing, backlisted titles, journalism and podcasts (names of reps will be attached to each property when applicable). As anyone who works in this industry knows, the publishing-to-Hollywood superhighway has only expanded in the streaming age, yet the hours in the day have not. We hope this newsletter helps makes your work life just a little bit more productive through our legwork. Try The Optionist in beta free for a limited time Now, as for today's episode 2 of our limited podcast series The Ankler Hot Seat: Sundance 2022, we look at a very special part of the Sundance experience.  At the center of the entire circus are the stories of lone filmmakers inspired to defy the odds and make a film — generally outside any formal system, with a hodgepodge of support and financing held together with Band Aids and Scotch tape.The filmmakers who actually end up accepted to the festival defy stratospheric odds, not only in getting their films made, yes, but then in their acceptance to the world's premiere launching pad for independent film. But once filmmakers get there, the road out of Sundance gets even narrower. Some land splashy deals, great riches and enormous futures. Others scratch their heads wondering — what exactly was that all about?Today, we talk to two filmmakers about what the experience suddenly going from a quiet under-budgeted editing room to the bright lights at Sundance was like.First up, host Richard Rushfield chats with Jesse Moss, whose documentary Boys State debuted at Sundance in 2020, the last time the festival met in person. The film tells the story of a meeting of high school boys in Texas to form a representative government through an American Legion-sponsored program, and was wildly well-received upon its debut, ultimately selling to Apple and A24 for $12 million — one of the highest price-tags ever for a documentary feature.For Moss however, the experience was a whirlwind of fear, joy, logistics and illness as he went into the Sundance barrel. There was even a bout of vomiting from anxiety. We also chat with filmmaker Liz W. Garcia, who hit Sundance in 2013 with her late-coming of age drama, The Lifeguard which has gone on to become a cult favorite and touch stone for many women belatedly searching for their path.Like Moss, Garcia found herself overwhelmed by the whirlwind of suddenly coming to Sundance and seeing the intimate drama she had carved with her bare hands premiere at the Eccles Theater, Sundance's grandest venue. Despite the thrill of the moment and the later glories to come, Garcia's Sundance journey was made bittersweet by the chorus of all-male critics who didn't connect with the female story, and pestered her with undermining and patronizing questions in their interviews throughout the week. For many female filmmakers, it will be a familiar story. Join us for the next episode in our Sundance series, hosted by Janice Min and Tatiana Siegel, on Monday. Thanks for listening! And please subscribe to The Ankler if you like what you are hearing and reading. Also on The Ankler this week:Again check out the debut of Andy Lewis' The Optionist, hot off the presses.ESG weighs on The Worst Case Scenario for Disney, between streaming winds and China problems, a perfect storm of risk is brewing for the entertainment giant.Ankler Hot Seat Podcast: What to Expect at Sundance The first episode in our Sundance podcast series in honor of Hollywood's big festival discusses the big titles, Dakota Johnson, swag bags, and the pinnacle, er nadir, of the festival: the Pizza Hut VIP lounge. Hollywood's China Grovel is Failing Writer Sonny Bunch dives into the absolute mess stemming from the studios' decades of capitulation to the Chinese government. The Chinese government was badly embarrassed following American outrage over the revelations that Disney's live-action Mulan filmed on location in Xinjiang province — where as many as a million Muslim Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps designed to destroy their ethnic identity. Disney has paid a price ever since. None of Disney's new Marvel Cinematic Universe films received a theatrical release in China. Not Black Widow, not Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which used Chinese iconography and Chinese actors in the hopes of appealing to Chinese audiences and winning approval of Chinese officials, and not Eternals, which was directed by the best director-winning, China-born Chloe Zhao, who has her own baggage with Chinese audiences after old interviews resurfaced in which she said China was a “place where there are lies everywhere.”Broadway's Crisis: It's ‘Las Vegas on the Hudson' As Broadway suffers its lowest attendance in a decade, omicron wreaking havoc, and audiences rejecting one new production after another, longtime entertainment critic and journalist Frank Scheck writes about Broadway's risk of becoming Vegas-on-the-Hudson, a place defined only by longstanding mega-hits: "If the producing doesn't get smarter, the gap between the blandly commercial and artistically pretentious flops will continue to widen." If you are interested in advertising on The Ankler, please contact Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com.Can't afford The Ankler right now? If you're an assistant, student, or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don't have the money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we'll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind here at The Ankler.The Ankler is Hollywood's favorite secret newsletter, an independent voice holding the industry's feet to the fire. If you're a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers to keep publishing.If you've been passed along this issue, take the hint and get on the train. Find out why the New York Times called us the “hit Hollywood newsletter.” Subscribe now! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Welcome to The Ankler Hot Seat, a new podcast that takes you behind the scenes of Hollywood's big personalities, power struggles and ever-changing playbook. It is a production of The Ankler, a subscription-only newsletter. Please follow us on Apple Podcasts (and rate us if you like what you are hearing), and on Twitter. Before we tell you about today's episode…We want to make sure you saw the news about The Optionist, a new Ankler newsletter about available intellectual property for the entertainment community that will debut Friday, January 21. Written by Andy Lewis, The Optionist aims to do some of your reading for you by highlighting the best material with rights still available from the worlds of book publishing, journalism and podcasts (names of reps will be attached to each property when applicable). As anyone who works in this industry knows, the publishing-to-Hollywood superhighway has only expanded in the streaming age, yet the hours in the day have not. We hope this newsletter helps makes your work life just a little bit more productive through our legwork. For a limited time, you can sample The Optionist for free here.Learn more about Andy's background here. Okay, back to the podcast at hand. Over this week and next, The Ankler Hot Seat team will deliver five podcasts in total about the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, the premiere festival for independent film for Hollywood that has become something so much more: a place for stars, brands and yes, still cinema, to convene. But this year, it's not in person. Again. This episode, the first in the series, kicks off the festival. Our hosts, Janice Min, Richard Rushfield and Tatiana Siegel preview what is on hand now that the proceedings have gone from IRL in Park City, Utah, to virtual. The team discusses the Sundance titles that everyone is talking about, festival It Girl Dakota Johnson, the hunt for the mythical next Little Miss Sunshine, and the white hot Sinead O'Conner documentary from Josh Braun, the same agent who sold the Billie Eilish documentary for $26 million to Apple. Oh, and don't miss the dissection of the swag — omg, the swag. Plus, our hosts pay homage to Sundance's pinnacle, er, nadir atop Park City's Main Street — the Pizza Hut VIP lounge. And lots more. It is a lively discussion where you'll almost feel the Park City snow on your face. Please join us on Friday of this week for another Sundance podcast, and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week. If you have thoughts about what is said on the pod, or a guest or topic suggestion, let us know at HotSeat@anklermedia.com. Follow @TheAnkler @AnklerHotSeat and our hosts: @janicemin @anklerrushfield @tatianasiegel27.If you'd like to sponsor The Ankler Hot Seat, contact Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com.And subscribe now to The Ankler, and learn why The New York Times called us a “hit Hollywood newsletter.” Also on The Ankler:Hollywood's China Grovel is Failing Writer Sonny Bunch dives into the absolute mess stemming from the studios' decades of capitulation to the Chinese government. The Chinese government was badly embarrassed following American outrage over the revelations that Disney's live-action Mulan filmed on location in Xinjiang province — where as many as a million Muslim Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps designed to destroy their ethnic identity. Disney has paid a price ever since. None of Disney's new Marvel Cinematic Universe films received a theatrical release in China. Not Black Widow, not Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which used Chinese iconography and Chinese actors in the hopes of appealing to Chinese audiences and winning approval of Chinese officials, and not Eternals, which was directed by the best director-winning, China-born Chloe Zhao, who has her own baggage with Chinese audiences after old interviews resurfaced in which she said China was a “place where there are lies everywhere.”Broadway's Crisis: It's ‘Las Vegas on the Hudson' As Broadway suffers its lowest attendance in a decade, omicron wreaking havoc, and audiences rejecting one new production after another, longtime entertainment critic and journalist Frank Scheck writes about Broadway's risk of becoming Vegas-on-the-Hudson, a place defined only by longstanding mega-hits: "If the producing doesn't get smarter, the gap between the blandly commercial and artistically pretentious flops will continue to widen."ESG Report: Uh-oh, Streaming Musicals Keep Bombing Netflix's Tick, Tick...Boom! from Lin-Manuel Miranda was NOT another Hamilton — and the problems kept mounting from there for the category.Richard Rushfield on Paramount's 'Yellowstone' debacle, pique Pixar under Bob II, and...a 100 percent unverified rumor too good not to share. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theankler.com/subscribe

Hosts Tom Dotan and Eric Newcomer speak with longtime Hollywood reporter Richard Rushfield, who launched his newsletter The Ankler in 2017. Rushfield told readers he would be “giving Hollywood the business,” describing his unsparing newsletter as “the newsletter Hollywood loves to hate and hates to love.” Now, Rushfield has broader ambitions. A splashy New York Times piece announced that he'd teamed up with Janice Min, the media executive responsible for reinventing both The Hollywood Reporter and Us Weekly. Substack is helping to fund their growth as The Ankler joins Y Combinator. Almost immediately drama ensued. Variety, the Hollywood trade publication and Ankler rival, ran a headline on Dec. 16: Janice Min Loses First Hire at Ankler Newsletter to Rolling Stone (EXCLUSIVE). It just so happened that Jay Penske, who was desperately trying to keep star reporter Tatiana Siegel in his media ecosystem, is the owner of Variety, Rolling Stone and Siegel's employer The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, Min insisted on Twitter that Siegel intended to join The Ankler.The blowup only seemed to firm up The Ankler's insurgent posture and the threat it posed to Penske's Hollywood media empire. We spoke to Rushfield about the contentious launch. We also talked about some of the biggest stories in Hollywood right now, including Netflix employees protesting Dave Chappelle and the backlash to the Golden Globes. Get full access to Newcomer at www.newcomer.co/subscribe

Hosts Tom Dotan and Eric Newcomer speak with longtime Hollywood reporter Richard Rushfield, who launched his newsletter The Ankler in 2017. Rushfield told readers he would be “giving Hollywood the business,” describing his unsparing newsletter as “the newsletter Hollywood loves to hate and hates to love.” Now, Rushfield has broader ambitions. A splashy New York Times piece announced that he’d teamed up with Janice Min, the media executive responsible for reinventing both The Hollywood Reporter and Us Weekly. Substack is helping to fund their growth as The Ankler joins Y Combinator. Almost immediately drama ensued. Variety, the Hollywood trade publication and Ankler rival, ran a headline on Dec. 16: Janice Min Loses First Hire at Ankler Newsletter to Rolling Stone (EXCLUSIVE). It just so happened that Jay Penske, who was desperately trying to keep star reporter Tatiana Siegel in his media ecosystem, is the owner of Variety, Rolling Stone and Siegel’s employer The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, Min insisted on Twitter that Siegel intended to join The Ankler.The blowup only seemed to firm up The Ankler’s insurgent posture and the threat it posed to Penske’s Hollywood media empire. We spoke to Rushfield about the contentious launch. We also talked about some of the biggest stories in Hollywood right now, including Netflix employees protesting Dave Chappelle and the backlash to the Golden Globes. Get full access to Newcomer at www.newcomer.co/subscribe

Shane Gillis, Jon Keyz, Lorenzo Dwayne Jackson, Michael Lehrer, David Lucas, Matthew Muehling, Michael A. Gonzales, Zac Bogus, Janice Min, Tony Hinchcliffe, Brian Redban – 02/08/2021THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:ROMAN ED – Anyone who’s dealt with erectile dysfunction knows how awkward it can be to talk about inperson. Luckily, there’s a simple, convenient solution to get the treatment you need, withoutleaving the couch.Visit GETROMAN.COM/TONY and if approved, you’ll get fifteen dollars off your first order of ED treatment.

Shane Gillis, Jon Keyz, Lorenzo Dwayne Jackson, Michael Lehrer, Zac Bogus, David Lucas, Matthew Muehling, Michael A. Gonzales, Janice Min, Tony Hinchcliffe, Brian Redban – 02/08/2021 DISCUSS THIS EPISODE VIDEO VERSION THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: ROMAN ED – Anyone who’s dealt with erectile dysfunction knows how awkward it can be to talk about in person. Luckily, there’s a simple, convenient solution to get the treatment you need, without leaving the couch. Visit GETROMAN.COM/TONY and if approved, you’ll get fifteen dollars off your first order of ED treatment. —

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Jon Keyz, Michael Hale, Michael A. Gonzales, Jimmy Blazer, Janice Min, Tony Hinchcliffe, Brian Redban – 01/18/2021 DISCUSS THIS EPISODE VIDEO VERSION THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: EXPRESSVPN.COM – GET 3 FREE MONTHS BY GOING TO: EXPRESSVPN.COM/KILLTONY — ROMAN ED – Anyone who’s dealt with erectile dysfunction knows how awkward it can be to talk about in person. Luckily, there’s a simple, convenient solution to get the treatment you need, without leaving the couch. Visit GETROMAN.COM/TONY and if approved, you’ll get fifteen dollars off your first order of ED treatment. — ZIPRECRUITER.COM – TRY IT FOR FREE AT ZIPRECRUITER.COM/KILLTONY

  Janice Min, William Montgomery, Brian Redban – 11/28/2020

Janice Min, William Montgomery, Brian Redban – 11/28/2020 DISCUSS THIS EPISODE VIDEO VERSION

This week on Inside Fashion, Elizabeth Saltzman, Karla Welch and Jason Bolden discuss the future of the red carpet in a post-#MeToo era with The Hollywood Reporter’s Carol McColgin and media consultant Janice Min. To sign up to the Daily Digest newsletter click the link here: http://bit.ly/BoFnews  For a limited time only we are offering our podcast listeners an exclusive 25% discount on an annual BoF Professional Member. To get 25% off your first year of an annual membership click the link here: http://bit.ly/2KoRRBH, select the annual package and then enter the invitation code PODCASTPRO at checkout.  To contact The Business of Fashion with comments, questions, or speaker ideas please e-mail podcast@businessoffashion.com. For all sponsorship enquiries, please e-mail advertising@businessoffashion.com. 

Daughter of a science professor and an IRS agent, a double-graduate of Columbia herself, Janice Min turned her talents in the early 2000s to the glossy magazine Us Weekly. Celebrity journalism has never been the same. In its pages, she revolutionized pop culture as well as publishing, slaking a thirst Americans didn't know they had for J-Lo, the Kardashians, and The Bachelor. Min paid legions of paparazzi and helped create the fun, intimate, gossipy tone that characterizes web content today. Then she moved to the moribund Hollywood Reporter and worked the same magic but in a different key, making it the go-to magazine for serious coverage of show business. Once Alec and she cover all that history, they turn to #metoo, Woody Allen, and how to create lasting change in Hollywood. Min's take is fascinating and genuinely surprising: think Frances McDormand with a dash of Deneuve.

Janice Min, part owner of The Hollywood Reporter & Eldridge Industries strategist, talks with Recode's Peter Kafka at the 2018 Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Janice Min, part owner of the Hollywood Reporter, talks with Recode’s Peter Kafka at the Code Media Conference in Huntington Beach, Calif. She talks about how the Reporter is keeping an eye on the nexus of Hollywood, media and power and that one time when she got dinner with Steve Bannon, Michael Wolff and Roger Ailes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A portion of our Young Turks Main Show from January 4th, 2018. For more go to http://www.tytnetwork.com/join. Hour 1: Cenk. More details in Michael Wolff's book: how stupid Trump is, how big of a child he is. Lawyers on behalf of President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday night to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon demanding he refrain from making disparaging comments against the president and his family. One of the craziest excerpts, and that’s saying a lot, in Michael Wolff’s upcoming White House tell-all is a dinner between Steve Bannon and deceased Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, in which Ailes tells Bannon that President Donald Trump “would jump through hoops” for both Rupert Murdoch and Vladimir Putin. This dinner also allegedly presented the two discussing Trump’s foreign policy acumen, or lack thereof, of the looming threat of China, as well as the creation of a brand new news network, which is alleged to have already counted Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly as two of its on-air personalities. The problem here, to many, is who to trust. Ailes is dead and Bannon is disgraced. The Hollywood Reporter’s co-president Janice Min stated on Twitter that Wolff’s transcript of the evening is totally on-point. Hour 2: A new excerpt from Michael Wolff’s upcoming book "Fire and Fury" claims that President Trump made provocative comments about White House communications director Hope Hicks that sent her running out of the room. Hicks and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski reportedly had an on-again, off-again relationship which appeared to be a source of controversy. Donald Trump on how far he would go to sleep with his friends’ wives. Virginia murderer was a neo-Nazi and tweeted about hating Jews and loving Hitler. Talks about pushing LGBT to commit suicide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by publishing power player Janice Min to discuss Us Weekly's heyday (6:00), the increased intimacy of celebrity coverage (14:00), the "Brangelina" coverage (19:00), the relatable act upheld by the Kardashians (25:00), working with Jann Wenner (33:00), the end of the celebrity era as we know it (50:00), revamping The Hollywood Reporter (57:00), and how the Harvey Weinstein saga has flipped Hollywood on its head (1:10:00).

Bill's guests are Janice Min, Daryl Davis, James Carville, Erick Erickson, and Margaret Hoover. (Originally aired 10/20/17)

Bill and his guests – Janice Min, Daryl Davis, James Carville, Erick Erickson, and Margaret Hoover – answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 10/20/17)

Bill and his guests – Janice Min, Daryl Davis, James Carville, Erick Erickson, and Margaret Hoover – answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 10/20/17)

Bill’s guests are Janice Min, Daryl Davis, James Carville, Erick Erickson, and Margaret Hoover. (Originally aired 10/20/17)

Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication Jim Flink interviews Hollywood Reporter Co-President and Chief Creative Officer Janice Min.

The dream team of IFC's Documentary Now series - Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Bill Hader - discuss their new season with The Hollywood Reporter's Janice Min. The conversation was recorded on Sep 13, 2016 in front of a live audience at New York's 92nd Street Y.

Janice Min leads two of the most powerful and prestigious news brand in entertainment media - The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. She was on the William & Mary campus this past week to speak to professional women and students about careers, business, and being a leader. She sits down with us to share her advice for young women in leadership roles. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The President and Chief Creative Officer of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group sits down for an in-depth conversation with the leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.