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Matthew Belloni, Eriq Gardner, Julia Alexander, Kim Masters & Scott Mendelson
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Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
An essential, insider-friendly Hollywood tip sheet from Matthew Belloni, who spent 14 years in the trenches at The Hollywood Reporter and five before that practicing entertainment law. What I’m Hearing also features veteran Hollywood journalist Kim Masters, as well as a special companion email from Eriq Gardner, focused on entertainment law, and weekly box office analysis from Scott Mendelson.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Matthew Belloni
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June 2, 2026
The 27-Year-Old Assistant Who Found ‘Backrooms’
Shawn Levy’s production company assigned a young staffer to monitor YouTube for potential talent. Four years later, Kane Parsons’ fantasy thriller opened to $118 million worldwide and has everyone in town talking about a possible sea change.
Matthew Belloni
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May 29, 2026
The Hollywood A.I. Appeasement Vibe Shift
As the industry—even the creative class—shifts to cautiously accept A.I., a Cate Blanchett–founded nonprofit is pushing to adopt a framework of consent for performers. Meanwhile, the business is groping around for new ratings standards in an effort to separate out the slop. Both battles are just beginning.
Matthew Belloni
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May 26, 2026
Hollywood’s Gen Z Gap Is Real… and It’s Growing
In a complementary study to my annual survey of L.A. teens, it turns out that young people across America have pretty specific—and not all that shocking or unfair—gripes with the movie business.
Matthew Belloni
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May 22, 2026
What I’ve Heard: Five Years of Hollywood Disruption
A half decade of M&A opportunists, Peak TV casualties, industry contraction, devastating strikes, and approximately 1,500 David Zaslav mentions later, show business still can’t figure out if it’s reinventing itself or fading away. So I asked 100 industry sources what they think is going on.
Matthew Belloni
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May 15, 2026
The Hollywood C.E.O. Gluttony Index
Executive compensation in media has exploded in the past 30 years, even in a period of steady decline for the industry and a generally stagnant stock market. An eye-opening new study ranks the boom’s victors and their jaw-dropping spoils.
Matthew Belloni
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May 8, 2026
Disney’s Josh D’Amaro Manifesto Translator
In his first earnings call as C.E.O., D’Amaro dropped a 3,000-word mission statement preaching A.I., a “One Disney” strategy, and a super-app to end all super-apps. But perhaps what’s most telling is what he glossed over: coming layoffs, the rising costs of sports, and the price for each attempted spin of the Disney flywheel.
Matthew Belloni
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May 5, 2026
Why Netflix Caved for Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’
Securing a wide release and 45-day window for 'The Magician's Nephew,' the 'Barbie' director broke the streamer's will on its previously nonnegotiable day-and-date strategy. So why now?
Matthew Belloni
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May 1, 2026
‘Michael’ Star’s Pay Dispute & Who Will Direct Part Two?
News and notes on the chatter that ‘Michael’ producer Graham King is stepping in to direct the sequel, and Nia Long’s quiet fight with Lionsgate over her compensation for the movie.
Matthew Belloni
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May 1, 2026
Hollywood’s Report Card, According to High School Kids, Pt. 3
My annual sit-down with a candid group of teen moviegoers, who share their brutally unfiltered thoughts on the stars and stories that do (and don’t) get them into theaters—from ‘Spider-Man’ (“always gonna hit”) to Spielberg (“He’s no Nolan”) to Sydney Sweeney (“like… no”).
Matthew Belloni
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April 28, 2026
CAA Defectors Could Be Sanctioned in Legal War
Range Media and C.E.O. Peter Micelli were found to have withheld documents in the ongoing battle over the 2020 exit of prominent talent agents to found a rival management company.
