Hollywood Breakdown

<p>Kim Masters, host of KCRW’s The Business, breaks down Hollywood's top stories.</p>

Disney cuts loose two top Marvel executives, begins 7,000 layoffs

While Disney started laying off 7,000 employees, it also announced the firing of two top Marvel executives this week.

03-31
05:59

Can ‘John Wick’ 4 perform and attract buyers for Lionsgate?

Lionsgate Films needs “John Wick: Chapter 4” to perform well at the box office in order to attract potential buyers. Can the franchise deliver? 

03-24
05:58

Netflix says ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to pricey Nancy Meyers’ film

Netflix passed on Nancy Meyers’ latest title due to budgetary disagreements. Why did the streamer pull back on a deal with a top filmmaker?

03-17
05:04

Stars should keep high salaries, says agency exec at Morgan Stanley Conference

Can stars keep top salaries under current studio’s austerity measures? An agency exec proposes it at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference.

03-10
05:07

Warner Bros. golden ticket: Will they make new ‘Lord of the Rings’ films?

Following Amazon’s release of their expensive “Lord of the Rings” series, Warner Bros. Discovery announced they too want to make new films from the  “Lord of the Rings” world.

03-03
05:23

‘Ant Man’ gets poor reviews. Will the Marvel invincibility last?

With its latest movie “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” getting poor reviews, Marvel Studios may have a creative problem.

02-24
05:29

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg reconcile at Oscars luncheon

Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise seem to have reconciled at the Academy Award luncheon. Who benefits from the friendship?

02-17
05:00

Disney’s Bob Iger open to selling Hulu, plans exit in two years

A day after Disney’s Q1 report and Bob Iger’s restructuring and cost cutting plans, he announced he’s open to selling Hulu, and possible exit in two years.

02-10
05:01

James Gunn, Peter Safran present a new DCU plan. Will they deliver?

Co-chairs of DC Studios at Warner Bros. Discovery James Gunn and Peter Safran have unveiled a new plan. Will they deliver? 

02-03
05:05

Big stars, popular films are nominated. Will audiences watch the Oscars?

Will the Academy attract viewers with two nominees having the highest total gross in history? Plus, a look at Oscars surprises and snubs. 

01-27
05:26

Activist investor bids for a Disney board seat, threatens Bob Iger’s kingdom

Two 80-year old corporate raiders are wreaking havoc on Disney, with one of them bidding for a board seat at the company and threatening Bob Iger’s post. 

01-20
05:31

The Golden Globes need a new home: 'Someone will pick up this show'

After last year's hiatus, the Golden Globes are back, so what’s next for the awards show? Will a streaming service pick it up in 2023?

01-13
05:50

‘Avatar,’ ‘Top Gun’ sequels deliver at the box office in 2022

Though the “Top Gun” and “Avatar” sequels provided Hollywood some relief, the industry is not back to normal, and studios have adopted different strategies for survival.

01-06
05:32

Will writers strike, and will there be a mega studio deal in 2023?

On this special edition of the Hollywood Breakdown, we take a look ahead on whether writers will strike and whether there will be a mega-studio deal in 2023.

12-30
05:44

Top 2022 stories: Netflix morphs, WB’s head cuts, Disney undergoes a shakeup

Hollywood’s top 2022 stories: Netflix changing strategies, the troubled tenure of David Zaslav heading Warner Bros. Discovery, plus Disney’s management shakeup.

12-23
05:17

‘Avatar’ sequel needs over $2 billion at the global box office to break even

“Avatar: The Way of Water” opens in the United States and China. With a budget north of $350 million, can it surpass $2 billion at the global box office to succeed? 

12-16
05:07

Could Netflix’s new ‘Knives Out’ have done better in theaters?

Netflix’s decision to release “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” to 600 theaters for only a week, brings about the question, “Could it have done better?”

12-09
05:10

Mark Burnett departs MGM-Amazon. What does it mean for the merger?

Mark Burnett, the well-known reality TV producer, is departing from his chairman role at MGM months after Amazon acquired the company for $8.5 billion. What’s next?

12-02
05:19

Bob Iger is back. Can he cope with Disney’s many challenges?

The Walt Disney Company board of directors reinstated Bob Iger as CEO and ousted Bob Chapek on Sunday. Can Iger cope with Disney’s many challenges? 

11-25
05:49

Eric Weinberg’s network looked the other way on his bad behavior, vouched for him

For two decades, producer Eric Weinberg moved from one job to the next. A Hollywood network vouched for him even after he was fired for repeated bad behavior.

11-18
04:58

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