Hollywood Breakdown

“A Quiet Place Part II” had a strong $57 million opening at theaters over Memorial Day weekend. The performance is especially impressive considering theaters are not yet seating guests at full capacity. Disney’s “Cruella” pulled in $26 million in theaters, but the film was also available to stream for $30 on Disney+, which may have cut into box office potential.

In Hollywood, merger mania continues, this time with a tech twist. Amazon is buying the storied MGM Studios, and the library of 4,000 movies and TV shows that comes with it. The deal says something about how power has shifted in Hollywood — away from the traditional studios and towards the tech companies. 

The grand experiment that was AT&T’s ownership of WarnerMedia is coming to an end. The phone company will spin off its WarnerMedia assets to the media giant Discovery. That move will put Discovery CEO David Zaslav over WarnerMedia, most likely leaving current WarnerMedia head Jason Kilar without a job. 

NBC announced it will not air the Golden Globes in 2022. This follows an LA Times investigation into ethical lapses at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the voting body of the Golden Globes. The HFPA came under fire for questionable financial deals as well as for having no Black members in its 87 person group.

The LA Times took a deep dive into accusations of workplace misconduct at the talent agency ICM. The array of allegations include at least one instance of sexual assault, plus more standard bullying  that has permeated all the major talent agencies in Hollywood. The industry is having a moment of reckoning regarding abusive workplace behavior, but it’s still not clear there will be any real long-term change. 

CEO Ari Emanuel tried to take his company Endeavor public in the fall of 2019. That attempt fell through, but now the company, which includes talent agency WME, has succeeded with an IPO. All eyes are now the temperamental Emanuel to see how he’ll do as the head of a publicly traded company. 

Scott Rudin is long known to be a bully in the industry, but after “The Hollywood Reporter” published on-the-record allegations, the prolific producer stepped back from his upcoming Broadway and film projects. But it’s still not clear what “stepping back” actually means, and while some people have taken a stand against Rudin and his toxic behavior, most of Hollywood has stayed quiet. 

Two recent stories from “The Hollywood Reporter” examine the toxic work environment in Hollywood. Actor Ray Fisher spoke out about being mistreated while working on “Justice League” with Joss Whedon. In another piece, ex-staffers of famous producer Scott Rudin went on the record about his bullying behavior. 

“Godzilla vs. Kong” made $9.6 million at the box office on opening day — a record for the pandemic. The action film that has two famous monsters battling is expected to make $30 million over the weekend, which would be a much-needed boost to the movie theater industry that was wiped out over the past year.

The Marvel movie “Black Widow” was set to be the first big movie to premiere exclusively in theaters once they reopened. But Disney announced it’s pushing “Black Widow” from May to July and will put it on Disney+ at the same time, where subscribers will be able to watch for a $30 fee. “Cruella” will hold its May 28 release date, but will also be available via premium video on demand.