So what if there were only five real working months in 2023? The women leading the entertainment industry still managed to cram in a year’s worth of accomplishments. Whether unleashing the insurmountable force that was Barbie, setting out on top-grossing tours like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, reconciling long-simmering labor tensions with two cataclysmic (but productive!) strikes or simply flooding screens with the last reverberations of the content boom, these executives, performers and powerhouses set the standard for success in the shifting cultural marketplace.
Methodology Editors consider portfolio sizes, series loads, TV ratings, box office returns, awards, deals, employees overseen, revenue generated, platform subscriber counts and leadership.
Profiles written by Kirsten Chuba, Ashley Cullins, Mia Galuppo, Carolyn Giardina, Rebecca Keegan, Katie Kilkenny, Pamela McClintock, Mikey O’Connell, Christy Piña, Rick Porter, Lacey Rose and Rebecca Sun
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Pamela Abdy
Image Credit: FilmMagic Co-Chair & CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
Abdy and her co-chair, Michael De Luca, got their first major win in 2023. Barbie, distributed by the studio, was done shooting when Abdy arrived from MGM, but she worked closely with Greta Gerwig in postproduction and helped oversee the film’s inescapable marketing and rollout — as she did with The Nun and The Meg sequels. As she and De Luca build their slate, they’ve greenlighted the highly anticipated Beetlejuice sequel.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Suits!”
Ritual that keeps me on track “My Sunday basketball games that I play with other women from the industry called ‘The Divas.’”
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Adele
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Singer
Even on her day off, Adele, the regular person, can’t escape Adele, the superstar singer.
It’s Monday, and she rolls into one of her favorite Beverly Hills restaurants for lunch, makeup-free with her hair pulled back. She’s in an oversized, comfy, long black coat, and the only real giveaway are her long sharp black nails. And, of course, her screeching laugh.
But then her song, the sweeping ballad “One and Only,” from her 21 era, comes on.
She laughs. “Every time Richard travels,” she says of her partner, sports superagent Rich Paul, with whom she lives in Beverly Hills, “the airplanes always play my music, and we can’t work out if it’s because they know that we are together, or if it’s just what they do.”
Read the rest of The Hollywood Reporter’s cover story on Adele.
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Lauren Anderson
Image Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty Images Head of AVOD and Unscripted Programming, Amazon MGM Studios
The Anderson-overseen Amazon Prime offshoot, Freevee, went from ad-supported oddity to industry darling with Jury Duty. The courtroom comedy, in which a regular Joe unwittingly served alongside a cast of actors, was so popular that it got a run on the main streamer. It also received four Emmy nominations, including one for best comedy.
Strike-era project that deserved more attention “‘Forks’ [The Bear] was an incredible episode of TV. Incredible.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “Playing tennis or planning when I’ll next be able to play tennis, for sure. Still welcoming all suggestions on how to keep the days from derailing.”
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Jennifer Aniston
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Actor & Producer
Aniston and Adam Sandler’s Murder Mystery 2, produced by her Echo Films banner, made its mark as Netflix’s second-biggest opening weekend for a comedy in March. As for her Apple TV+ series, The Morning Show snagged an early renewal for a fourth season. Coming up, the LolaVie hair care founder will star in and produce an Amazon MGM Studios body-swap comedy alongside Julia Roberts.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Below Deck, all 335,000 versions and episodes.”
Biggest fumble I recovered from “Leprechaun.”
Strike revelation “How fractured we are — as with our country in general, we need to remember we have more in common than we’re led to believe by people whose own interests are served by our division.”
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Sarah Aubrey, Amy Gravitt, Francesca Orsi & Nina Rosenstein
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO (4) Head of Original Content, Max; Executive VP and Head of Comedy, HBO; Executive VP and Head of Drama, HBO; Executive VP Programming, HBO
The town often may be confused by the distinction between HBO and Max original programming, but it’s hard splitting hairs when the results are usually so good. Among these four programming execs, there’s the brass ring of prestige drama (Orsi’s The Last of Us, Succession and The White Lotus), Emmy bait comedy (Gravitt’s Barry and The Righteous Gemstones), topical weeklies (Rosenstein’s Last Week Tonight and Real Time) and parent company’s pricey IP plays (Aubrey is prepping TV takes on Harry Potter, Dune and It).
For a day, I’d trade places with …
Gravitt “Keith Brymer Jones on The Great Pottery Throw Down.”
Rosenstein “Dave Grohl.”
I can’t believe I got sucked into …
Aubrey “The Golden Bachelor. It’s so good! I cry every episode.”
Orsi “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, in one sitting, twice over. One of the most disturbing, unsettling, outrageous stories I’ve seen in a while.”
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Elizabeth Banks
Image Credit: Photographed by Yuri Hasegawa Actor & Filmmaker
In addition to starring in The Beanie Bubble and advancing her run of stirring voice work, Banks continues to cement herself as one of Hollywood’s busiest renaissance women — directing the surprise hit (and Oscar night gag) Cocaine Bear and producing Bottoms and Cat Person. A new directorial gig is TBD, but her acting and development dance cards are quite full.
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Ben Aldridge, Knock at the Cabin.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Me, unless I’m dead — in which case, Adele.”
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Bela Bajaria
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Chief Content Officer, Netflix
Bajaria’s stock has soared alongside her company’s. In January, she was promoted to chief content officer, a move that made her responsible for the streaming service’s TV and film output. In that role, Bajaria manages a $17 billion annual content budget and oversees teams in 27 countries — which, as we’ve all learned, she visits quite frequently. During the past 12 months, she has brought Netflix’s 238 million members some of its most popular titles, including The Night Agent and Wednesday, the service’s most watched English-language original ever and a big contributor to the streamer’s 103 Emmy nominations.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “[Dallas Cowboys owner and GM] Jerry Jones.”
My Taylor Swift era “Reputation.”
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Gina Balian
Image Credit: Steven Simione/FilmMagic President, FX Entertainment
With responsibility for all aspects of development, current series, casting and business affairs for FX and studio FX Productions alongside counterpart Nick Grad, Balian continues to work closely with chair John Landgraf on a slate that racked up 37 Emmy nominations with such shows as The Bear, The Old Man and Fleishman Is in Trouble. More recently, her fingerprints can be found all over the critically acclaimed Fargo and the recent mystery entry A Murder at the End of the World.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Watching hot sauce challenges on YouTube.”
Strike revelation “How few people understand how the economics of our business works.”
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Angela Bassett
Image Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images Actor & Producer
After attending the 2023 Academy Awards as the first Marvel performer ever up for an Oscar (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Bassett still has her choice day job — starring in and producing Fox’s 911, on which she rakes in $450,000 an episode as one of the highest-paid performers in TV history. In September, she released thriller Heist 88 with co-producer (and husband) Courtney B. Vance.
Biggest fumble I recovered from “Many are surprised when I talk about how I didn’t work for some time after What’s Love Got to Do With It. Once the doors began to open, I worked hard to keep them open — not just for me but for generations of Black actresses to come.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “If they were alive, either Nancy Wilson or Sarah Vaughan.”
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Frances Berwick
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Chair, NBCUniversal Entertainment
Elevated again in June, this business-savvy Brit now oversees all original content, program strategy and business operations for NBC and its six cable siblings — notably her alma mater, Bravo, which boasts five of cable’s top 10 reality shows — as well as original content and acquisitions for Peacock. There, the addition of next-day streaming from Berwick’s NBC and Bravo roster are said to have reinvigorated the platform.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “The brilliant Beckham documentary series.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “The reach of linear: 26 million people watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC, and another 2-plus million streamed it on Peacock.”
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Beyoncé
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Singer & Filmmaker
In February, Beyoncé became the recording artist with the most Grammy wins of all time when she took home the 32nd trophy of her career. In October, the Renaissance Tour wrapped as one of the highest-grossing of all time, with $579 million worldwide. And in early December, her film about the tour — which she directed — bowed at a two-decade best for early December box office with $21 million in North America. All that, and there are still a few weeks left in the year.
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Robbie Brenner
Image Credit: John Phillips/Getty Images President, Mattel Films
When the longtime indie producer behind Dallas Buyers Club landed at the helm of Mattel Films, there was some industry head-scratching. Some five years on, Brenner’s first outing, Barbie, arrived in theaters and dominated the global box office. While that success will be hard to replicate, years of development have netted a slate that now includes a Lena Dunham-directed Polly Pocket and a J.J. Abrams-produced Hot Wheels.
Strike revelation “Small acts of kindness during challenging times can go a very long way.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “I think we could all learn a thing or two from Weird Barbie.”
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Barbara Broccoli
Image Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Co-Owner, Eon Productions
With the keys to one of the world’s most iconic franchises, Broccoli is tasked with envisioning a post-Daniel Craig-era James Bond. The next film reportedly isn’t in the works quite yet — so, in the interim, she courted Succession star Brian Cox for a 007 reality competition series and was said to be instrumental in Courtenay Valenti joining Amazon MGM Studios, an Eon Productions partner, as head of film.
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Nicole Brown
Image Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images President, TriStar Pictures
During her TriStar tenure, Brown has backed original studio films by and starring people of color, like Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King in 2022 and the upcoming The Book of Clarence from Jeymes Samuel. The TriStar slate, one of the few places in the traditional Hollywood studio system with allowances for big creative and commercial swings, is bolstered by genre entries like Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Make the hard calls first.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Rihanna.”
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Quinta Brunson
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Actor, Writer & Producer
After a breakout — scratch that, world-conquering — year in 2022, the Abbott Elementary creator and star steered her ABC comedy through a successful second season that saw it earn eight Emmy nominations, including for best comedy series and best actress in a comedy for herself. As an indication of how much Abbott means to ABC, it will be part of the network’s first night of scripted shows to premiere post-strikes.
Why aren’t more people talking about … “The Blackening.”
Biggest fumble I recovered from “‘I never slip, I never fall, a lot of h**s give me their number but I never call’ – Rich Boy.”
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Karey Burke
Image Credit: MICHAEL TRAN/AFP/Getty Images President, 20th Television
Peak TV may have peaked, but Burke’s studio still delivered 18 returning and 12 new series in 2023. And on top of a mandate to populate Disney platforms, that bounty extended well beyond Disney+, Hulu, FX and ABC to more than 10 platforms and channels. She’s still responsible for a half-dozen Ryan Murphy franchises — Feud returns to FX in January — and has big swing Percy Jackson and the Olympians on deck at Disney+ for December.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Vegan TikTok”
Strike-era project that deserved more attention “Drops of God.”
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Kathryn Busby
Image Credit: Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty Images Head of Programming, Starz
Though Starz trimmed a few series after the WGA strike, Busby’s premium platform continues to grow subscribers (20.3 million across cable and digital) by bolstering successful franchises with spinoffs (Outlander and Power), catering to women and underrepresented voices (Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall’s P-Valley) and hearkening back to its earlier days (see the 2023 revival of the cult comedy Party Down).
Strike revelation “We need each other to function — both in business and in life.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Patina Miller.”
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Kelly Campbell
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images President, Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal
Moving over from Hulu in 2021, Campbell has ushered in a new era for the once-struggling streamer. Originals in 2023 like The Traitors and Poker Face gave Peacock legit hits. The addition of next-day Bravo series and live NBC Sports saw subs (now 30 million) take a leap. And early streaming windows for Five Nights at Freddy’s and M3GAN made it a streaming film destination.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Wordle.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Taylor Swift.”
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Daria Cercek
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/WireImage Co-President, Paramount Motion Picture Group
Tom Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible, the seventh outing, netted nearly $570 million globally and has the best reviews of the film series. Elsewhere, Cercek helped bolster the slate with originals and franchise installments like Dungeons & Dragons ($208 million and good reviews), Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($440 million) and Scream VI, which marked the series’ first $100 million-plus opening weekend in 26 years.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “The Summer England ‘Neighbor Saga’”’ on TikTok.”
Strike-era project that deserved more attention “Rose Matafeo’s performance in Starstruck.”
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Nicole Clemens
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images President, Paramount TV Studios
Paramount’s TV efforts under Clemens’ stewardship are doing a lot to bolster content coming through the studios and sister-streamer Paramount+, where she and her team are developing a vehicle for Robert De Niro. Off-platform, the talent roster is equally impressive — see: Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits and Billy Crystal project Before, both of which will stream on Apple TV+, while Aldis Hodge project Cross is heading to Prime Video. Additionally, The Spiderwick Chronicles, will stream in early 2024 after Clemens successfully placed it at The Roku Channel after it was written down at Disney.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Before and after videos on Instagram.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Pamela Adlon”
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Margie Cohn
Image Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty Images President, DreamWorks Animation
Franchise features remain a priority at the studio, with the Thanksgiving release Trolls Band Together already passing a decent $150 million worldwide and high hopes for Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 8), but originals remain in play, like the upcoming adaptation The Wild Robot. Cohn’s year in series work included expansions into horror with Fright Krewe (Hulu and Peacock) and Curses! (Apple TV+).
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Brings back comedies that work. We need them!”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Elemental … animated family movies take longer.”
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Akela Cooper
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Writer
In a weird year for writers, Cooper managed to have one of the best runs of any film scribe — starting with the $181 million surprise M3GAN. Blumhouse’s killer-doll drama — based on an original idea (gasp!) by James Wan and Cooper — is set for a 2025 sequel, also written by Cooper. Speaking of horror, she has story and screenplay credits on the $268 million-grossing The Nun II. The twofer has made her incredibly in-demand, one reason why she’s attached to the first project sold at auction when the WGA strike ended.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Taskmaster (U.K.). I binged all 16 series and loved it. Highly entertaining and rewatchable.”
Strike revelation “The contempt for writers is stronger than I thought. Reading an exec say they wanted us to lose our houses was eye-opening to the cruelty they were willing to inflict just to save money they never would have missed anyway.”
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Sofia Coppola
Image Credit: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images Filmmaker
Offering a female counterpoint to Baz Luhrmann’s recent Oscar bait Elvis, the writer-director teamed up with the late singer’s former wife, Priscilla Presley, for a biopic about the woman behind the music. Priscilla premiered in Venice, where it competed for the Golden Lion and earned a best actress win for star Cailee Spaeny, a feat Coppola quickly followed up with the release of her book Archive. (Lines for the New York signing stretched several city blocks.)
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Ayo Davis
Image Credit: Unique Nicole/Getty Images President, Disney Branded TV
As head of Disney’s kids and family unit, Davis touches on all of the company’s biggest brands, from Star Wars (Young Jedi Adventures) and Marvel (Spidey and His Amazing Friends) to classic animated characters and original franchises like Zombies and Descendants. The division also has a hand in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Disney+’s biggest attempt yet to launch a tentpole series not affiliated with Marvel or Lucasfilm.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Touchpoints with my mom and sisters. They play a pivotal role in filling my cup, both literally and figuratively.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter.”
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Tonia Davis & Michelle Obama
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty Images Head of Motion Pictures; Co-founder, Higher Ground
The former first family’s production company, led by Davis, has delivered Oscar-winning docs (American Factory), prestige biopics (Rustin), kids programming (Waffles + Mochi) and, now, big-budget spectacles? The adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind (out Dec. 8 on Netflix after a limited theatrical run) is a full-on apocalyptic thriller, albeit a socially conscious one with Oscar potential for a starry cast including Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts.
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Viola Davis
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Actor & Producer
After a banner year with The Woman King and the release of the best-selling memoir Finding Me, Davis didn’t exactly take it easy in the past 12 months. She logged a starring role as Deloris Jordan in Ben Affleck’s Air and a juicy ensemble part in Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Under her Juvee Productions banner, this EGOT-status multihyphenate also released Silver Dollar Road — a doc feature about a land-owning Black family that has been harassed for decades by developers.
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Nina L. Diaz
Image Credit: Courtesy of ViacomCBS Chief Creative Officer, Showtime/MTV Studios, Paramount Networks
Long instrumental in turning her company’s unscripted hits (The Challenge, RuPaul’s Drag Race) into global franchises, Diaz saw her portfolio expand dramatically in February — along with her Hollywood profile. As part of boss Chris McCarthy’s five-person senior leadership team, she now oversees development and production of Showtime along with MTV Entertainment Studios.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Reimagines itself.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Salma Hayek … have you seen her IG? I don’t know anyone who leads a more fabulous life.”
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Lindsay Dougherty
Image Credit: Fred Nye Secretary-Treasurer, Hollywood Local 399
Dougherty’s staunch support of both strikes, signature fiery rhetoric — “Fuck around and find out” is a favored phrase — and her Local 399’s trucks shutting down productions by refusing to cross picket lines made her an unlikely 2023 breakout. But expect even more of her in 2024. The Teamsters’ contracts are up for renegotiation.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Finds out.”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Scabby the Rat.”
Biggest fumble I’ve recovered from “I don’t trip over what is behind me.”
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Tara Duncan
Image Credit: Arnold Turner/Getty Images President, Onyx Collective
Disney’s Onyx Collective invests in creators of color, with a roster that includes Ryan Coogler (Anthem), Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Coming off 2022’s Oscar win for Questlove’s Summer of Soul, Duncan’s well-funded imprint garnered four Emmy noms for its Peabody-winning doc film Aftershock and its docuseries The 1619 Project.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Swizz Beatz or any of his kids!”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Ts Madison.”
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Channing Dungey
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Chair, Warner Bros. Television Group
Her roster includes drama (NBC’s Found, already renewed), reality (the Bachelor franchise), talk (The Jennifer Hudson Show) and a few comedies you might have heard of … Abbott Elementary, Ted Lasso and Night Court, for starters. And while Dungey sells plenty to Max, with 100 series on nearly 20 platforms, she’s selling everywhere.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Completing The New York Times Connections game.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.”
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Ava DuVernay
Image Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images Filmmaker & Founder, Array
DuVernay’s contributions to Hollywood remain twofold: The lauded filmmaker continues her tireless efforts to put more women, people of color and other underrepresented workers on sets: Her 2-year-old staffing database Array Crew, which hosts more than 11,000 industry professionals, got a massive boost in August after partnering with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s own staffing network. And creatively, she’s back in the Oscar conversation with Origin, based on Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, which bowed in Venice before arriving in theaters Dec. 8. (It goes wide Jan. 19.)
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Fran Drescher
Image Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images President, SAG-AFTRA
The Nanny star turned labor leader set the tone when she said Hollywood companies “stand on the wrong side of history” during an improvised speech at the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. That didn’t waver over the course of the 118-day work stoppage, with Drescher managing to unite SAG-AFTRA’s political sects to back her in the union’s 2023 election and guiding its negotiating committee toward a deal.
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Jessica Elbaum
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Producer
After saying farewell to Netflix’s Dead to Me at the end of 2022, Elbaum released three successful films: indie comedy Theater Camp, streaming hit Quiz Lady and Oscar contender May December. Next, she’ll have the recently completed Amazon feature You’re Cordially Invited. The Nicholas Stoller comedy is a two-hander between Reese Witherspoon and Elbaum’s Gloria Sanchez Productions partner, Barbie villain Will Ferrell.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “My answer will always be Dolly Parton.”
My Taylor Swift era “Folklore — my daughter’s name is Betty.”
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Kathleen Finch
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Chair & CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks
A top David Zaslav lieutenant, the New York-based Finch commands the largest suite of cable networks in America — Food Network, HGTV, TBS, TNT, OWN and Adult Swim, to name a few — all of which have been called upon to flood streamers Max and Discovery+ with content. The linear portfolio attracted 117 million viewers a month in the third quarter, driven by such hits as the 90 Day Fiancé franchise (TLC) and Shark Week (Discovery).
Ritual that keeps me on track “Walking to work while listening to sweeping historical fiction on Audible. I feel transported to another time and place, even while navigating the craziest NYC streets.”
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Emerald Fennell
Image Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images Actor & Filmmaker
With her critically acclaimed directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, under her belt, the Academy Award-winning writer is back in contention this season with the buzzy black comedy Saltburn, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and stars Euphoria breakout Jacob Elordi, Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike. She also appeared in the blockbuster hit Barbie as Midge alongside Saltburn producer Margot Robbie.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Scandoval”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich in Fair Play.”
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Elaine Frontain Bryant
Image Credit: Courtesy of A+E Executive VP & Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime & LMN
In August, the longtime creative lead of A&E added two more networks to her portfolio (Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network). Now responsible for the development, creation and execution of all programming, she’s also been tasked with integrating digital initiatives as A+E Networks looks beyond linear.
Strike revelation “While it’s hard to build consensus when your house is on fire, it’s the most important time to do so.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “How what consumers want from their entertainment is changing faster than the shows and movies are.”
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Liz Garbus
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Founder, Story Syndicate
Among the biggest names in documentaries, Garbus remains on a tear — directing the Netflix series Harry & Meghan and producing Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (Hulu), Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer NYC (HBO) and Take Care of Maya (Netflix). Her growing scripted directorial efforts include key episodes of Showtime (erm, Paramount+) flagship Yellowjackets and Hulu’s much-hyped Grey’s Anatomy follow-up for Ellen Pompeo.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “The MH370 doc series on Netflix! Give me an aviation disaster, throw in some data analysis mixed with conspiracy theories, and I’m good.”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Milo Machado Graner, the 13-year-old actor who plays Daniel in Anatomy of a Fall. Astonishing performance.”
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Dede Gardner
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/FilmMagic Partner, Plan B Entertainment
The prestige production company Gardner co-runs with Brad Pitt and Jeremy Kleiner joined the acquisition wave when French media conglomerate Mediawan took a majority stake last December in a deal that values Plan B at more than $300 million. Meanwhile, Gardner is producing sought-after projects from filmmakers like Bong Joon Ho, Tim Burton and Joseph Kosinski as Plan B makes major moves in TV, with Netflix’s Three Body Problem from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
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Greta Gerwig
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Actor & Filmmaker
Rounding out 2022 with a role in partner Noah Baumbach’s White Noise, the acclaimed multihyphenate behind Little Women and Lady Bird entered the Hollywood stratosphere with Barbie. The script, which she co-penned with Baumbach, won over some of the movie’s biggest skeptics and drove enough box office ($1.44 billion) to make her the highest-grossing director of 2023 — and the highest-grossing female director of all time. Sequel speculation is ongoing, but she’ll next turn her attention to Netflix’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.
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Dana Goldberg
Image Credit: Rachel Murray/Getty Images CCO, Skydance Media
Under its longest-serving creative executive, Skydance’s output keeps growing — covering theatrical (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Mission: Impossible 7) and streaming (Apple TV+’s Ghosted and Netflix’s Heart of Stone) as well as such TV series as The Big Door Prize, Foundation, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quickly renewed Netflix comedy, FUBAR.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Nick Saban, Alabama coach.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Arnold Schwarzenegger — and the first sentence is, ‘I was born a young, Jewish girl in Alabama.’”
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Kira Goldberg & Karen Toliver
Image Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage VP Film, Netflix; VP Film Animation, Netflix
The duo’s teams are responsible for some of the biggest hits of the streamer in the past year, including such franchise installments as Extraction 2 and award winners like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Goldberg, who co-leads the studio film operation, was instrumental in landing Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, while Toliver’s slate now includes Skydance’s animated offerings.
Ritual that keeps me on track
Goldberg “An iced latte from Neighborhood.”
Biggest fumble I’ve recovered from
Toliver “Forgetting my anniversary for several years in a row.”
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Selena Gomez
Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Actor, Singer & Producer
With a second best comedy Emmy nom as a producer on Only Murders in the Building, Gomez released a third season and made her highly anticipated return to music with “Single Soon” — teasing that a full album is coming. She will reprise her role on Only Murders for season four and also is set to star in the musical crime comedy Emilia Perez alongside Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón.
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Catherine Halaby
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Head of Entertainment, North America, TikTok
The top stateside creative executive for the social media behemoth, Halaby had a year that included partnering with Paramount for the world tour of Mission: Impossible (including a TikTok account devoted to Tom Cruise’s stunts), joining with Vanity Fair during the Oscars and leading the team that brought Oprah Winfrey to the platform, which now counts some 150 million U.S. users.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Emerald Fennell. She’s had an incredibly exciting career already and seems like fun, too.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “A commute programmed with a regular diet of both serious and irreverent ‘industry’ podcasts: The Town on the way to the office, Who? Weekly on the way home.”
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Salma Hayek Pinault
Image Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty Images Actor & Producer
Along with a breakout self-satirizing part in Black Mirror and a turn in Magic Mike’s Last Dance, Hayek Pinault and her Ventanarosa Productions — which last year inked a first-look deal with TelevisaUnivision to produce Spanish-language feature films — premiered her second film under the pact, holiday movie El Sabor de la Navidad. (Ventanarosa also has a first-look at Max, where it just wrapped production on a Like Water For Chocolate series.) Hayek Pinault and husband François-Henri Pinault also became some of the biggest Hollywood players after Pinault’s investment firm Artémis purchased a majority stake in CAA in September.
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Jinny Howe & Tracey Pakosta
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix VP Drama Series, Netflix; VP Comedy Series, Netflix
In a crowded marketplace, Howe and her team have garnered a strong reputation for Netflix’s drama output — responsible for Emmy nominees Beef and The Diplomat as well as the breakout hit The Night Agent. On the comedy side, Pakosta’s department can claim the service’s first-ever live event with the Emmy-nominated Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, along with cult sketch fare like I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson.
For a day, I’d trade places with …
Howe “Andy Cohen.”
Pakosta “My teenage son, Josh.” -
Pearlena Igbokwe
Image Credit: FilmMagic Chair, Universal Studio Group
Igbokwe’s group — comprising four stand-alone studios that include international and alternative — has increased its revenue and volume, with more than 100 active series now airing or streaming globally. Nearly a decade after becoming the first Black exec to head a major TV studio, she now oversees 3,000-plus hours of programming, including the Dick Wolf juggernauts as well as Hacks, The Equalizer and Never Have I Ever.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Walking a minimum of 10 miles per week. Clears the head.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Hoda Kotb. She’s got such wonderful positive energy and isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve.”
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Mindy Kaling
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Actor, Writer & Producer
Her Kaling International production company having resumed its Warner Bros.-set deal after the strike, Kaling continues to write and produce on Max’s Secret Lives of College Girls while she ramps up development thanks to a deal with Amazon MGM Studios for titles in her Mindy’s Book Studio book club. On the acting front, Kaling voiced Velma in Max’s controversial but renewed animated Scooby-Doo series of the same name (Kaling is also a producer) and continues to show up on The Morning Show.
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Kim Kardashian
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images Actor & Entrepreneur
History may look back on 2023 as the year that Kardashian went full Hollywood. After dabbling in acting, mostly playing or parodying herself, she booked a starring role in FX’s American Horror Story franchise. Before the second part of the season even aired, she sold comedy feature The Fifth Wheel to Netflix and landed a Ryan Murphy legal drama at Hulu. As for the Skims magnate’s reality day job, Hulu recently extended its deal for The Kardashians through at least 2024.
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Kathleen Kennedy
Image Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage President, Lucasfilm
It was a mixed year for the woman atop one of the industry’s most storied brands. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny disappointed at the box office, but the Disney+ show Ahsoka won over critics and expanded beyond the core Star Wars audience. As Kennedy strives to keep Star Wars special amid Disney’s hunger for content — new seasons of Andor and The Mandalorian are on deck — a return to features comes via three newly announced projects.
My Taylor Swift era “1989 or Red.”
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Paula Kerger
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images CEO, PBS
The steward of one of media’s most vital and embattled institutions, Kerger is the longest-serving leader in PBS history — in her time helping to weather the cuts and scrutiny of the Trump administration to ensure educational and kids programming stays on 330 independent stations, many servicing rural homes without broadband internet. As far as Hollywood-friendly fare, the British imports Unforgotten and All Creatures Great & Small continue to draw adult viewers.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Joni Mitchell.”
My Taylor Swift era “In the liner notes for Fearless, Taylor wrote: ‘It’s fearless to have faith that someday things will change.’ I feel like that’s a lot of our work in public media: working hard every single day in the hopes that we are making a difference and making the world a little bit better.”
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Aleen Keshishian
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Founder & CEO, Lighthouse
With Olivia Rodrigo alone — whose sophomore album Guts had all 12 songs chart on the Billboard Top 40, the Lighthouse Media + Management boss could count her year as a win. But longtime client Jennifer Aniston continues to benefit from her lucrative Morning Show deal as star-producer of the Apple TV+ flagship series, and client Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is now expected to exceed $300 million in sales for 2023.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Hopefully has no strikes or pandemics!”
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Wordhunt.”
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Nicole Kidman
Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images Actor & Producer
The AMC Theatres pitchwoman continues a strong TV run, producing and starring in Taylor Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness and producing Max’s Love and Death ahead of Prime Video’s Expats and a second season of Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers. (What’s more, Kidman recently seemed to confirm a third run of Big Little Lies.) First up, however, she’ll be back in the place where, somehow, heartbreak feels good. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters Dec. 22.
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Samantha Kirby Yoh & Shani Rosenzweig
Image Credit: Courtesy of UTA Agents, UTA
It’s been a very strong year for Rosenzweig’s enviable slate, with Paul Rudd filming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Owen Wilson booking the Apple TV+ series Pryce Cahill, Mark Ruffalo starring in Poor Things and the Seth Rogen sleeper Dumb Money. Kirby Yoh co-leads the music division, where she’s repping an all-star lineup (Rosalía, Lil Nas X, David Byrne) while working to increase the number of women in the industry through the nonprofit She Is the Music.
Why aren’t more people talking about …
Kirby Yoh “Sampha.”
Rosenzweig “The power of the female audience and giving it more consideration.”
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Deborah Klein, Tara Kole, Gretchen Rush & Nina Shaw
Image Credit: Courtesy of Subjects Attorneys
Klein inked impressive pacts for Jim Carrey to return to Sonic 3, Paul Rudd in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Death of a Unicorn, and Will Ferrell in Amazon’s wedding comedy You’re Cordially Invited, while Kole clients Angelina Jolie and Zac Efron are tackling real-life subjects as, respectively, a legendary opera singer in Maria and a professional wrestler in The Iron Claw. Rush is celebrating the release of Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio), The Morning Show season three (Reese Witherspoon) and FX’s A Murder at the End of the World, co-created by clients Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Meanwhile, fresh off of her Emmy nomination for The Bear, Shaw’s client Ayo Edebiri starred in the buzzy indie comedies Bottoms and Theatre Camp and landed a Marvel movie (Thunderbolts).
2024 will be the year that Hollywood finally …
Klein “Goes back to lunch!”
Kole “Streamers trend more toward license and co-production relationships with suppliers.”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention
Shaw “Joy Ride — all the leads: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu. A laugh-till-you-cry fest.”
I can’t believe I got sucked into …
Rush “Inside the NBA, every season.”
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Veronika Kwan Vandenberg
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images President of Distribution, Universal Pictures International
Travel paid off for Kwan Vandenberg as she visited a slew of foreign markets to promote films that weren’t an easy sell. Oppenheimer raked in $625.5 million overseas — including in China, where it earned $61 million for one of Hollywood’s best showings of the year. The horror pic Five Nights at Freddy’s has earned nearly $150 million overseas to become the biggest Blumhouse film of all time with more than $286 million globally.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Alone.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “How it’s not just about the opening weekend of a film or even the second weekend. Many movies are playing longer, particularly animated films, and the story is not complete until the run is done.”
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Donna Langley
Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Chair and chief content officer, NBCUniversal Studio Group
Hollywood’s top female movie executive saw her power base grow significantly in July when she was handed dominion over all entertainment divisions, film and television, in a major restructuring. “My focus remains on partnering with best-in-class storytellers and harnessing a collective content strategy,” says Langley, who’s had a great run at the global box office with three of the year’s five biggest films: The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.36 billion), Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer ($950.5 million) and Fast X ($704.9 million). During the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, she was said to have been the talent whisperer when joining Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos and David Zaslav at the negotiating table.
Strike-era project that deserved more attention “Dumb Money.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “Pilates”
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Jennifer Lee
Image Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios
It was a big year for nostalgia with Disney’s 100th, and that extended to Lee’s programming: The animated short Once Upon a Studio reunited 40 voice actors from works like Beauty and the Beast, Moana and Frozen. Theatrical, however, remained tricky. Lee co-wrote and produced Wish, which fumbled over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend with just $31.6 million in ticket sales.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Morning Megaformer.”
For one day, I’d trade places with … “U2’s The Edge.”
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Miky Lee
Image Credit: CJ Group Vice Chair, CJ Group
The Parasite producer’s latest awards contender, Past Lives, marks a foray into English-language, transpacific filmmaking for the South Korean entertainment powerhouse she steers. For her role in propelling Korean film and TV into global forces, she received the Academy Museum’s Pillar Award and International Emmys’ Directorate Award.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Is filled with diverse stories that resonate with a global audience.”
Strike revelation “This is a people business. We should show mutual respect and work to understand everyone at all levels within the industry.”
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Carol Lombardini
Image Credit: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages/AMPTP President, AMPTP
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ chief negotiator, said to have an encyclopedic knowledge of labor contracts, has the crucial if unenviable job of uniting top companies in their approach to union deals. In 2023, that forced her into the spotlight (see Twitter’s “Fake Carol” parody account), one she’ll presumably feel again when IATSE and the Teamsters join the table.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Mick Jagger.”
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Eva Longoria
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Actor & Filmmaker
With her feature directing debut, Flamin’ Hot, Longoria was able to combine her filmmaking ambitions with her desire to increase a Latin presence in front of and behind the camera. Both pursuits remain priorities and will be served by her new role as executive. In October, she and Banijay’s Cris Abrego launched Hyphenate Media Group, for which Longoria is chief creative officer: “Everybody thinks [diversity is] the cool new thing, but nobody really programs it or sees it to the finish line. Hollywood needs to stop talking about diverse voices and start supporting them by actually making more from that community.”
Strike-era project that deserved more attention “Blue Beetle. People need to run out now and watch. It’s on streaming now. It’s one of the best movies of the year. It was perfect.”
Strike revelation “How needed those strikes were. We needed to take a step back and evaluate our value as creators in a marketplace that has changed dramatically.”
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Jennifer Lopez
Image Credit: Presley Ann/Getty Images Actor, Singer & Producer
Beginning her year in streaming by producing and starring in Prime Video’s Shotgun Wedding, Lopez kicked it up a notch with her Netflix entry The Mother. The action comedy, which she starred in and produced, now ranks as one of the streamer’s top 10 original English-language films of all time. Sequels are in the works, but first Lopez will be releasing long-teased album This Is Me … Now, out Feb. 16.
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Natasha Lyonne
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Actor, Writer, Producer & Director
The second act of Lyonne remains something to behold. The Russian Doll co-creator struck gold with her second TV vehicle in recent years, as Poker Face almost immediately ranked as the most watched original series in Peacock history. Lyonne, who stars in, executive produces, writes and directs on the Rian Johnson series, is already at work on a second season.
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Sophie Wilde in Talk to Me. Epic filmmaking by the Philippou brothers and a stunning turn from Sophie. An utter doozy in all the best ways and very inspiring!”
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Kristie Macosko Krieger
Image Credit: Warren Elgort Producer
Steven Spielberg has yet to announce his next film, but Macosko Krieger — his go-to producer at Amblin Partners who won a Golden Globe for Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans — doesn’t need her longtime collaborator’s directorial efforts to remain a perennial awards-race participant. This year alone, she’s produced Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s biopic of composer Leonard Bernstein, and the musical feature adaptation of The Color Purple.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Tom Hanks. Everyone would love me, be happy to see me, want to hang with me and always talk about what a wonderful actor and person I am.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Taylor Swift — I’d have an instant best-seller.”
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Alana Mayo
Image Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images President, Orion Pictures
Mayo has built a slate over three years that is consistently in the awards conversation. In March, the Orion title Women Talking took home best adapted screenplay at the Oscars, while this year’s entry (American Fiction, from Emmy winner Cord Jefferson) is already gaining traction. Outside of awards, the queer teen comedy Bottoms became summer’s critical darling.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “I am far too superstitious and we live in far too uncertain a time to make predictions, but I hope that 2024 will be a year that Hollywood leans into creative originality more so than a continued reliance on existing IP.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “Loud R&B sing-alongs on my commute to work.”
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Courteney Monroe
Image Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images President, National Geographic
Nat Geo’s flagship cable channel was spared a mortal blow when Disney and Charter agreed to a new carriage deal in September that keeps the network available to Charter’s 15 million subscribers (though sister channel Nat Geo Wild wasn’t as lucky). Monroe also has Nat Geo well positioned for the streaming future, as it is a pillar of Disney+ and continues to make compelling and important films (see: the Oscar-nominated Fire of Love).
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Martha Raddatz.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Julia Roberts.”
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Ramsey Naito
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images President of Animation, Paramount and Nickelodeon
Some of her studio’s highest-grossing titles at the box office are coming out of Naito’s division. The second PAW Patrol and new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, respectively, earned $195 million and $180 million globally, and both have been boons for Paramount+. PAW Patrol 3 (for 2026) and a SpongeBob movies are in the works.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Collecting sneakers.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “My alarm clock is my 9-month-old puppy who wakes me at 5 a.m. for cuddles.”
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Lauren Neustadter & Reese Witherspoon
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic President of Film and TV, Hello Sunshine; Actor, Producer & Founder, Hello Sunshine
The creative forces behind the monstrously successful Hello Sunshine started 2023 in film, producing the Witherspoon vehicle Your Place or Mine for Netflix, but had even greater successes in TV — dropping three hit miniseries on three different platforms: Tiny Beautiful Things (Hulu), The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+) and the multiple Emmy-nominated adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six (Amazon Prime). There are also several returning series, notably Witherspoon’s The Morning Show.
Why aren’t more people talking about …
Neustadter “How we can combat antisemitism across the globe?”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by …
Neustadter “Reese, of course. I’m pretty sure her impression of me would be priceless.”
Witherspoon “The cast of Big Little Lies.”
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Greta Lee in Past Lives.”
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Jenna Ortega
Image Credit: Dave Benett/ Getty Images Actor & Producer
Few profiles have ascended as quickly in recent history as Ortega’s. The former child star has career carte blanche after a breakout performance on Wednesday — which eclipsed Stranger Things as Netflix’s most watched English language original. After starring in two successful installments of the Scream franchise, her packed slate now includes Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2 and A24’s Death of a Unicorn opposite Paul Rudd, as well as a second season of her Netflix hit.
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Sandra Hüller, Milo Machado Graner and Swann Arlaud made Anatomy of a Fall one of favorite (if not my favorite) films of the year. There are so many layers to the relationships, and multiple things can be the truth at once. To represent such a complex situation with incredible nuance from all of them was really impactful — especially Machado Graner, being so young. He is just immensely talented and an absolute gift to watch. The film was a big standout for me. Even the dog was great.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “I read Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin, for the first time during the strike and was not expecting it to devastate me as much as it did.”
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Mary Parent
Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/VF23/WireImage Vice Chair, Worldwide Production, Legendary
Parent was put to the test after deciding to delay Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two from October to next March when the cast (including Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya) couldn’t promote it because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. She’s convinced the movie will draw a bigger audience as a result. Legendary’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will hit theaters a month later.
2024 will be the year Hollywood … “Hopefully continues to support more bold creative choices. It was really reassuring and exciting to see this reflected in many of the year’s most successful films.”
My Taylor Swift era “Midnights.”
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Katherine Pope
Image Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images President, Sony Pictures Television Studios
Arriving at Sony in 2022, Pope inherited an auspicious slate and quickly launched HBO’s The Last of Us (24 Emmy nominations), Peacock’s Twisted Metal and Netflix’s The Night Agent (No. 1 in 87 countries). Among many projects in the works, she has Vince Gilligan’s Better Call Saul follow-up at Apple TV+ and a potential Cruel Intentions serial at Amazon.
Why aren’t more people talking about … “The cast of Reservation Dogs.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “Michelle Williams doing Britney.”
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Rhonda Price & Leslie Siebert
Image Credit: Lester Cohen/Getty Images Agents, Gersh
Gersh became the latest to take on outside financing, agreeing to sell a 45 percent stake to private equity firm Crestview Partners in May —elevating Siebert to co-president of the agency in the process. When she isn’t focused on M&A, the top rep works closely with a roster that includes Meg Ryan, Calista Flockhart and, with Price, Marisa Tomei. As for Price, she reps Emmy magnet Melanie Lynskey, along with John Slattery and new Hunger Games star Tom Blyth.
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by …
Siebert “Angela Bassett.”
Biggest fumble I recovered from
Price “Accidentally cc’d 304 people on an email meant for one.”
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Gina Prince-Bythewood
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/WireImage Filmmaker
In the wake of directorial effort The Woman King, which earned Prince-Bythewood a BAFTA nomination and an NAACP Image Award for outstanding director, the veteran filmmaker produced Max’s Project Greenlight: A New Generation alongside Issa Rae. Though her slate is increasingly TV-heavy — she’s set to tackle Genius: MLX/X for Nat Geo — the Beyond the Lights filmmaker also co-wrote Tina Mabry’s upcoming The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Beyoncé, on the Paris leg of her Renaissance Tour.”
Strike revelation “How fractured the relationship between the guilds is. But that exposure has sparked a true intention to mend the fence.”
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Issa Rae
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/WireImage Actor, Writer & Producer
She may have made her biggest 2023 impression by appearing as President Barbie in the hit film, but Rae also wrote and produced on her Max creation Rap Sh!t, led the charge on the long-awaited Project Greenlight reboot and continued to develop a busy slate under her Hoorae Media banner — which also recently launched talent incubator Black & Unlimited Digital Development.
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Shari Redstone
Image Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images Chair, Paramount Global
Nearly two years into a massive rebrand, Redstone’s Paramount Global and her strategy of streamlining seems to be working. Though the streaming service trails the biggies, Paramount+, now bolstered by an integrated Showtime, has passed 63 million subscribers worldwide, with revenue climbing 61 percent. And, after several blocked attempts, she finally unloaded Simon & Schuster in a cool $1.62 billion cash deal. Of course, all this contributes to Wall Street chatter that the media giant is prepping for a sale, but everyone looking to compete in 2024 and beyond needs to be lithe.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, to have a firsthand view of what is happening in the world.”
Why aren’t more people in entertainment talking about … “How we can use our platforms to fight the horrific rise in antisemitism, racism and hate.”
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Amy Reisenbach
Image Credit: Michele Crowe/CBS President, CBS Entertainment
Her first full year as head of America’s most watched network meant ripping up nearly the entire schedule when the strikes continued into the fall. She made some savvy moves, however, to shore up the network in expanding Survivor and The Amazing Race to 90 minutes each, importing Yellowstone reruns from Paramount Network and launching NCIS: Sydney stateside to the biggest audience for any new series of the fall.
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Despite my long tenure at CBS, I had never watched Big Brother. I am now very hooked.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “Aliens are apparently real, and no one seems to care?”
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Shonda Rhimes
Image Credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images CEO, Shondaland
Rhimes’ grip on the cultural conversation has in no way eased. This spring, Netflix’s most reliable hitmaker (see: Bridgerton, Inventing Anna) delivered the first “Bridgerton-verse” prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The latter quickly became a global juggernaut, debuting on Netflix’s top 10 in 91 countries. Rhimes’ company is also responsible for projects ranging from Netflix’s Black Barbie doc to ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, which was still driving significant ratings in its 19th season.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “The answer to this is always Beyoncé.”
I’d want my memoir audiobook to be narrated by … “I already narrated my own!”
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Rihanna
Image Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images Singer & Entrepreneur
There are many definitions of power, but Rihanna exerted a version unique to herself during the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show. While 121 million Americans watched her 15-minute set, many of them awaiting some hint of a new album that’s been rumored to have been coming for years — the Fenty billionaire instead revealed she was pregnant with her second child.
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Stephanie Ritz & Sarah Self
Image Credit: Courtesy of WME (2) Agents, WME
In addition to signing The Bear golden boy Ebon Moss-Bachrach and The White Lotus breakout Meghann Fahy, Ritz put Jason Segel in Shrinking, did the Hugh Jackman deal for Deadpool and got Robert Pattinson in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17. Self’s star client Emma Stone is on film and TV with Poor Things and The Curse (Benny Safdie is also a client), and the agent also closed a multi-year deal for Damien Chazelle’s Wild Chickens Productions at Paramount.
Why aren’t more people talking about …
Self “My 7-year-old’s rendition of ‘Another Day of Sun’ from La La Land.”
I can’t believe I got sucked into …
Ritz “L.A. Law. Whoa. So much to unpack culturally, but the episodic guest stars are mind-blowing.”
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Margot Robbie
Image Credit: Photographed by Miller Mobley Actor & Producer, LuckyChap
When Hollywood hands out trophies for its tumultuous 2023, there will be plenty of institutional winners — the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, big cardboard. But few individuals will have as much to brag about as Robbie, the actress and power producer who sold studios on the possibility of a billion-dollar Barbie movie and delivered. After recruiting Greta Gerwig to direct and co-write (with partner Noah Baumbach) the doll’s big-screen debut, Robbie embodied the iconic blond in a subversive and often surreal blockbuster that made critics feel less icky about IP — and made Mattel Films an industry force with $1.4 billion at the global box office. (It’s all but guaranteed to end the year as the No. 1 film in the U.S. and worldwide.) And that’s not all she did. Under her LuckyChap banner, Robbie produced Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and lined up her next big feature: Jay Roach’s Ocean’s Eleven prequel.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Someone on holiday.”
Ritual that keeps me on track “A cup of tea.”
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Zoe Saldaña
Image Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty Images Actor & Producer
Thanks to the Avatar and Avengers franchises, Saldaña starred in the top three highest-grossing movies of all time and is the only actor to have starred in four $2 billion-grossing films. Saldaña uses that box office clout to produce big- and small-screen projects that feature strong female leads, including Paramount+’s Special Ops: Lioness (which premiered to nearly 6 million viewers across streaming and linear) and indie feature The Absence of Eden.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Michelle Obama.”
Strike revelation “Life deserves more attention, family and friends deserve more attention.”
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Jennifer Salke
Image Credit: Jenny Anderson Head of Amazon MGM Studios
One year into her role atop both Amazon Studios and its subsumed legacy studio MGM, Salke has plenty to be pleased about. Her proprietary streamer delivered new hits in TV (Daisy Jones & The Six, Citadel and The Boys spinoff Gen V); features (Ben Affleck’s Air, the Jennifer Lopez rom-com Shotgun Wedding and an adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue); and watercooler success in its ad-supported arm (the Freevee breakout Jury Duty). Thanks to the MGM slate (i.e., Wednesday), Amazon set a company best for Emmy nominations: 68 of them. The next 12 months don’t look so bad either, as Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers finally premieres and season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power drops.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Checking in with my husband and kids in the midst of it all.”
Strike revelation “I knew this, but it’s what inspired me: We all really care about the same thing: storytelling and doing what we love.”
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Celine Song
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Filmmaker
“I met the love of my life and I’m going to do this until I die,” the first-time filmmaker says of making movies. Good thing she’s turned out to be so good at it. The playwright’s feature debut, Past Lives, wowed audiences at Sundance (she’s set to receive the Vanguard Award at the festival in 2024) and Berlin before winning best feature at the Gotham Awards — assuring its slot as a frontrunner on this season’s awards circuit. Song is already at work on her sophomore feature, another collaboration with A24.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Watching a few TikToks before bed.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “A well-loved cat.”
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Sandra Stern
Image Credit: Courtesy of RAMONA ROSALES/LIONSGATE Vice Chair, Lionsgate TV Group
The consummate dealmaker, Stern helped lead the studio’s TV business to one of its best years yet thanks to last year’s record revenue, a dozen new shows picked up to series and 11 current series, including the CBS breakout Ghosts and the Starz darling P-Valley. She also played a key role in the acquisition of eOne from Hasbro. A year ago, Stern was elevated to vice chairman of the TV group, a move that made her the highest-ranking female executive in Lionsgate history.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Coco Gauff, at Forest Hills.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “Inequality of opportunity.”
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Emma Stone
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Actor & Producer
In theaters and the Oscar race — having reunited with Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) in Poor Things — and on TV with Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie in the Paramount+ series The Curse, Stone is hard to miss at the moment. The star is also diving deeper into producing via the Fruit Tree banner she runs with husband Dave McCary, serving as a producer on both of her current projects as well as Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, and Julio Torres’ comedy film Problemista.
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Meryl Streep
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Actor
Streep has reached grande dame of Hollywood status, having proved time and again that she can really do anything, from an array of award winners to musicals to prestige TV. This year, she tackled streaming series, joining the cast of the Hulu hit Only Murders in the Building, an odd choice on the surface but one that again proved Streep can do whatever she wants.
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Ellen Stutzman
Image Credit: JW Hendricks Executive Director, WGA West
After stepping in as the writers’ chief negotiator, Stutzman played a key role in steering the ship during the second-longest strike in her union’s history. The resulting deal brought AI protections, TV staff size minimums and viewership-based streaming bonuses — and saw Stutzman named to the top staff job at WGA West.
Strike revelation “The workers will save [Hollywood] from itself.”
Why aren’t more people talking about … “How bad consolidation is for the industry.”
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Taylor Swift
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Singer & Director
Omnipresent from January to December thanks to her global Eras Tour ($900 million in sales and counting), Swift also proved a savvy film executive. She skirted the studio system by dealing directly with AMC for her concert film, a move that’ll see her net a massive chunk of its $250 million box office. Meanwhile, rerecording of her previous albums remains a winning strategy. The top-selling title of 2023 is 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
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Emma Tammi
Image Credit: Bonnie Biess/Getty Images Filmmaker
Five Nights at Freddy’s shattered box office and streaming expectations despite a day-and-date release. Tammi’s directorial take on the popular video game series about a haunted Chuck E. Cheese-esque restaurant is now the most watched Peacock film ever and the highest-grossing Blumhouse film at the global box office. A sequel hasn’t been announced, but this is quite clearly a franchise in the making.
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “Naila Schuberth, the young actress in Dear Child. Her performance gave me chills.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Fran Lebowitz. I am from NYC and would love to experience the city through her eyes.”
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Charlize Theron
Image Credit: Rob Kim/Getty Images Actor & Producer
The actress clocked in for another appearance in the Fast & Furious franchise (Fast X grossed $714 million) and two very different producer successes with the scripted feature Murder Mystery 2 and the documentary series Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York. The sequel to the Netflix smash Old Guard, in which Theron stars and produces, is expected in early 2024.
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Taylor Tomlinson
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Comic & TV Host
The 30-year-old is set to become late night’s newest (and youngest) host — and the only woman fronting a network talker — when After Midnight hits CBS at the top of 2024. Tomlinson landed the enviable gig after a fast rise through the comedy ranks that includes two Netflix specials and a big social media presence, including a 2.6 million-strong following on TikTok.
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Hugh Jackman.”
Biggest fumble I recovered from “I tripped getting onstage at the Hollywood Improv once … fell flat on my face, and it still haunts my dreams. But I survived.”
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Christine Vachon
Image Credit: Ian West/PA Images/Getty Images Producer
The stalwart of indie filmmaking had an exceptionally good year. Her 30-year-long partnership with director Todd Haynes produced May December, and she shepherded first-time filmmaker Celine Song’s Past Lives, an early Sundance standout that became a box office slow burner. Both films are in the awards conversation.
Strike-era performance that deserved more attention “John Early’s terrific Max special, Now More Than Ever.”
For a day, I’d trade places with …“The CEO of Delta Airlines so I can do a total overhaul of the wines in the lounge and in flight. No more shitty chardonnay!”
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Courtenay Valenti
Image Credit: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical, Amazon MGM Studios
After a three-decade run at Warner Bros., it didn’t take Valenti long to land a job this year as head of film at Amazon MGM Studios. The exec celebrated from afar as Barbie, a favorite at Warners, became a sensation. She’s since helped land high-profile packages for Amazon MGM, including films with Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Murphy, Ryan Gosling, Tim Story, Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Early morning coffee while cleaning up my email inbox.”
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Dana Walden
Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images Co-Chair, Disney Entertainment
Named co-chair of the newly aligned Disney Entertainment division alongside Alan Bergman in February, Walden is responsible for all of her company’s entertainment media, news and content businesses — including Disney’s global streaming platforms. A key exec in prodigal CEO Bob Iger’s turnaround plan, Walden oversees 22,300 employees and is tasked with producing 4,500 hours of original annual content across various studios and platforms. Breakouts include FX’s The Bear, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and ABC’s Abbott Elementary — each a major contributor to the portfolio’s 163 Emmy nominations. She also brought back Jimmy Kimmel as Oscar host, ensuring stability for the high-stakes telecast.
Ritual that keeps me on track “FaceTiming with my daughters. One of them is in London and the other is in Austin, but that does not keep their mother from seeing them every day. Just a short catch up is enough to keep me going while they’re gone.”
For a day, I’d trade places with … “Kris Jenner. She’s so optimistic, joyful and fun! She proves that you don’t have to be a jerk to be successful in Hollywood; in fact, you can be a gem.”
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Tiffany Ward & Ida Ziniti
Image Credit: Courtesy of CAA (2) Agents, CAA
A member of the CAA Board, Ward helps oversee the agency’s TV department and has been instrumental in getting shows like Only Murders in the Building, Citadel and The Wheel of Time on the air. As co-head of CAA’s Motion Picture Lit department, Ziniti was a driving behind-the-scenes force on Barbie, starting with longtime client Margot Robbie’s original attachment — Ziniti also reps LuckyChap and Ryan Gosling — while also working with Cord Jefferson (American Fiction), Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind) and Sofía Vergara (Griselda), among many others.
Why aren’t more people talking about …
Ward “Andrew Huberman. What a brilliant human.”
My Taylor Swift era
Ziniti “I’m going to need four tickets to the Eras Tour to really make an informed decision.”
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Kerry Washington
Image Credit: Josh Brasted/Getty Images Actor & Producer
Washington — who will be honored with the Equity in Entertainment Award at THR’s Women in Entertainment celebration — had a big year in multiple mediums, starring in and producing the Hulu series UnPrisoned via her Simpson Street shingle and releasing her best-selling memoir Thicker Than Water. On top of her advocacy work to increase voter turnout and her partnership with the Roybal School of Film and Television Production, she’ll soon star in and exec produce Tyler Perry’s World War II drama Six Triple Eight.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Meditation, even if it’s just one minute.”
For a day, I’d trade places with …. “Tyler Perry. I know I would learn sooo much.”
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Erin Westerman
Image Credit: Courtesy of Subject/John Duarte President of Production, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group
Westerman keeps the Lionsgate film slate running with such franchise installments as John Wick 4 ($440 million worldwide) and such critical darlings as Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Her team most recently revived the Hunger Games franchise with the prequel A Ballad on Songbirds and Snakes and will do the same on Wick with the Ana de Armas spinoff Ballerina.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Having a husband who always knows where I left things.”
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Oprah Winfrey
Image Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage CEO, OWN & Harpo Productions
Winfrey spent much of her year promoting happiness — see her latest best-selling book, with Arthur C. Brooks, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier — and she has lots to be happy about. In June, Warner Bros. Discovery made OWN a focal point of refocused streamer Max, increasing exposure for her cable brand. And, come Dec. 25, her career will experience its latest full-circle moment. Winfrey and Harpo produced The Color Purple, an adaptation of the Broadway musical based on Alice Walker’s novel. The book’s 1984 adaptation marked Winfrey’s film debut and first Oscar nom. And this version might get her another.
Biggest fumble I recovered from “It was starting a network at a time when I shouldn’t have, right after the Oprah show. I should have waited a year, been more prepared. That was a big fumble. Now this is what I say to everybody, even for the smallest things: You do the thing when it’s ready. Don’t have some date in your head. When it’s ready, that’s the time.”
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Janet Yang
Image Credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences
Yang’s first term as president of the Academy was a success based on the lack of televised violence at the Oscars alone! Reelected in August, she’ll aim for two when the ceremony returns March 10, now that the resolved SAG-AFTRA strike has put awards season back on track.
Ritual that keeps me on track “Meditation and jumping on my trampoline.”
I can’t believe I got sucked into … “Another impossibly difficult 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.”
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Michelle Yeoh
Image Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images Actor
The reigning best actress Academy Award winner left the Oscar stage in March and promptly starred in a string of projects, notably the limited series American Born Chinese (Disney+) and Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice. Up next: The Brothers Sun hits Netflix in January before she reunites with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu for Wicked and stars in the Paramount+ original Star Trek film Section 31.
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Zendaya
Image Credit: Greg Doherty/FilmMagic Actor
To have Zendaya, the Emmy-winning Gen Z icon with 184 million Instagram followers, on a project is a near guarantee of its success. That’s why her marquee entries of 2023 (awards bait Challengers and box office catnip Dune: Part Two) were among the first punted to 2024 when the SAG-AFTRA strike meant she wouldn’t be able to promote their originally planned releases. Both films arrive in the spring, promising a season of ubiquity for the Euphoria star.
A version of this story first appeared in the Dec. 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
