Business of Hollywood Intro for August 9, 2023 Dear Gossips, Billy Porter is making headlines today. We all know Billy Porter, right? As he describes himself in the Evening Standard, Billy says, “I won an Emmy. I’m a fashion icon. Now they need me. Winners write their history, because I’m not supposed to be here looking By Lainey • Aug 09, 2023 09:26 am
Movie Reviews and Previews Bradley Cooper sets the bar The Venice Film Festival starts at the end of the month, kicking off what is sure to be a strange fall festival season, even after enduring the weird pandemic years. Assuming the WGA and especially SAG-AFTRA strikes will still be going on—which they almost certainly will be —stars will By Sarah • Aug 08, 2023 01:08 pm
Business of Hollywood The strike isn’t ending anytime soon On Friday, August 4, the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) met for the first time since their original negotiations broke down on May 1. This is the first overture toward the WGA to restart negotiations between writers and studios, and it did not go By Sarah • Aug 08, 2023 12:20 pm
Business of Hollywood Reality stars are pushing back Looks like the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are having an impact beyond writers and actors. Reality stars are paying attention to what the writers’ union and the actors’ union have been doing and what they’re asking for from the producers and the studios and it would appear that it’ By Lainey • Aug 04, 2023 12:46 pm
Business of Hollywood The Movie Star Donations Dwayne The Rock Johnson made headlines last week for his “historic” seven-figure donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation which, understandably, is especially in need right now during the work stoppage. Courtney B Vance, the Foundation’s president, told Variety this week that: “…the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is currently processing more than 30 By Lainey • Aug 04, 2023 10:37 am
Douchebags Intro for August 1, 2023 Dear Gossips, One of the most popular memes that’s emerged over the last few years is from the Arrowverse. It’s a photo of Grant Gustin posing at the gravesite of Oliver Queen. Forever posting this pic because Stephen Amell hates it. Support union supporter Grant Gustin!! pic.twitter. By Lainey • Aug 01, 2023 09:47 am
Douchebags Brad Pitt in (delayed) solidarity For a couple of weeks now, since SAG-AFTRA officially decided to go on strike alongside the WGA, eyebrows have been raised over Brad Pitt’s F1 film, Apex, because they initially claimed that they’d be shutting down production in support of the writers and actors only to show up By Lainey • Jul 31, 2023 11:51 am
Movie Reviews and Previews Intro for July 31, 2023 Dear Gossips, Barbie continued to do big business at the box office this weekend with another $93 million domestically and $122 million from 70 markets outside North America which means it is fast approaching the billion dollar mark and will likely get there in a couple of weeks, if that. By Lainey • Jul 31, 2023 09:34 am
Business of Hollywood This Barbie is on strike Speaking of the strategic deployment of celebrities to the picket lines during the double strike, here is Alexandra Shipp, hot off the success of Barbie, picketing in Los Angeles yesterday. It’s a smart move, sending Shipp—recognizable but not a major star—to the picket line during Barbie’s By Sarah • Jul 28, 2023 11:25 am
Business of Hollywood The Sweet Spot of Striking Actors As Sarah noted the other day in her post about Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s historic donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, major movie stars have largely stayed away from the picket lines – intentionally. The big name celebrities, she wrote, are a distraction. There’s already so much misinformation about this By Lainey • Jul 26, 2023 03:24 pm
As Seen on Social Media As Seen On Social Media: Strike Mode edition Ok before we get to the strike style, I do have a one requests. Amber Tamblyn’s glasses are kind of funny and irreverent and the type of sunglasses you’ll look back on in photos and be like “wow, that was such a great vacation.” They are a mood By Maria • Jul 26, 2023 12:22 pm
Douchebags Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and The Rock: Battle of the Striking Stars Today in Strike Watch! it’s a battle of the A-listers as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a seven-figure donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund, while everyone wonders if Brad Pitt is a scab. Courtney B. Vance, president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and its executive director, Cyd Wilson, sent By Sarah • Jul 25, 2023 10:31 am
Quiveration Jeremy Allen White with his shirt off That is a shamelessly thirsty headline. And I am shamelessly thirsty for your attention, we’re doing what we can here for your clicks, knowing that there’s a part of the internet that gets hard and wet for Jeremy Allen White. It started of course last summer with the By Lainey • Jul 21, 2023 12:11 pm
Business of Hollywood Intro for July 21, 2023 Dear Gossips, Happy Barbenheimer weekend to all who celebrate! But before we talk about those two films—reviews for both coming today—let’s check in on Hot Strike Summer. We’re one week into the double SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, and while picket lines remain active and support rallies By Sarah • Jul 21, 2023 09:19 am
Celebrity Social Media Celebrity Social Media, July 20, 2023 Mindy Kaling took to the picket lines and it’s important because she is in a unique position: she is a writer first, but also an actress and producer. She creates shows and would presumably have a big say in how the writers’ rooms are staffed. It may seem like By Maria • Jul 20, 2023 03:24 pm
TV Updates Dork Storm Strikes (Back) San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow and it’s gonna be a weird one. With actors and writers on strike—and most of the studios already skipping this year even before the double strike started—there is not a whole lot going on, at least in Hall H, where most of By Sarah • Jul 19, 2023 12:15 pm
