Peter Bart Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeAlmost six months have passed since COVID-19 crunched our careers and intruded upon our lives, but ask people to analyze its personal impact and you encounter ambiguity: For every individual who feels damaged, there are others who testify that quality of life has in many ways improved.“I hate the fact that my Zoom dependency has kept me happy,” comments one writer-producer.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeRon Meyer’s departure from Universal amid rumors of scandal has stirred a strong emotional response in Hollywood, perhaps more than any other executive exit within memory. Few had a wider circle of friendships than the 75-year-old ex-agent, some entailing deep trust and loyalty among the top stars and power players.“Ronnie loves people.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeThere are no smiling faces in Hollywood. The industry’s power pyramid last week underwent further upheavals, turning former CEOs and network presidents into job hunters.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeThey are secretive. They are loyal.  They are tribal.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeVeteran journalists know that the public mood is quirky, so it’s always risky to report “a consensus.” A few days ago, for example, there seemed a “consensus” that Americans had lost confidence in their neighborhood cops.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeGroundbreaking ideas seem in short supply at the moment. This summer’s streamer hits drew big audiences but did not resonate in terms of novelty.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeWith dealmaking on an uptick, record sums are being paid for hot material, while the “asks” for star talent are often met with pushback. Those, at least, are the reports from the battlefront.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeCould Walt Disney be next? Really?Let me explain: Most industry people I know were drawn to Hollywood by the prospect of creating things, not cancelling things. Now the dialogue has shifted, whether about airports (John Wayne), statues (Teddy Roosevelt) or movies (Gone With the Wind).Could logos be next? Walt Disney was a man who did great things but whose points of view were nonetheless tainted by some unacceptable ideas (“tainted,” by today’s standards).

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeIt’s real but surreal: Hamilton, the hottest show of its generation, opens Friday as a streamer! There’s no giant launch party, no massive media campaign. This will not be My Fair Lady time revisited.But the “non-event” is an appropriate metaphor for the challenges facing Hollywood in launching “new” product to a comatose pop culture.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeRonald Reagan once famously asked, “How could anyone be president of the United States without having first been an actor?” His question was not entirely rhetorical. Reagan understood the importance of celebrity cool and celebrity power, and if he were around at this moment, he’d predict a massive detonation in the coming presidential election – one that likely will be history’s most contentious, as befits the era of Donald Trump.Louis B.

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

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