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Matthew Belloni, Kim Masters & Eriq Gardner
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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
Eriq Gardner
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August 5, 2025
Will Bill Maher Get Loomered?
News and notes on Warner Bros. Discovery’s ‘Ugliest House in America,’ a sealed deposition in Loomer v. Maher, and the Florida man accused of hacking Tucker Carlson’s interview with Kanye West.
Eriq Gardner
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July 29, 2025
The Legendary–Lionsgate ‘Dune’ Drama
After a months-long secret dispute over foreign adaptation rights, the two studios recently reached a settlement in which Legendary forked over a pittance—just $13 million to resolve the claim. Perhaps not surprisingly, Legendary and Lionsgate are now in early talks about a potential merger…
Eriq Gardner
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July 22, 2025
Murdoch’s Trump-Epstein Game Theory
The president’s attorneys could seize on the mogul’s advanced age for expedited examination of his dealing with ‘Wall Street Journal’ executives. For their part, the defendants might welcome discovery—especially if it involves Epstein-related D.O.J. files.
Eriq Gardner
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July 15, 2025
The Silver Lake–Endeavor Deal Cage Match
Today a court in Delaware began considering who would steer the appraisal challenge over the price that the private equity firm paid to take Ari Emanuel’s media and representation business private. It’s as messy—and as lucrative—as it sounds, and has two prominent law firms vying for fees as high as half a billion dollars.
Eriq Gardner
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July 8, 2025
The Tony Robbins A.I. Power Within
A new court case over an A.I.’s celebrity doppelgänger, somewhat hilariously approximating Tony Robbins, may establish precedent for the bursting docket of entertainers looking to protect their flesh-and-blood box office potential.
Eriq Gardner
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June 24, 2025
A Warners ‘Matrix 5’ Battle & The NFL’s Sunday Ticket Showdown
News and notes from around the entertainment law universe: The looming battle over the F.C.C.’s ability to deregulate media ownership; the latest twists in the NFL’s ongoing antitrust drama over Sunday Ticket; and the lingering derivative rights questions following Alcon Entertainment’s deal to acquire Village Roadshow’s film library for $417.5 million.
Eriq Gardner
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June 17, 2025
The Real Reason Bob Iger Declared War on A.I.
Disney is racing to keep its fight with Midjourney inside the judicial system and out of the political swamp. Insiders insist the endgame isn’t a licensing deal, but to actually compel A.I. companies to stop ripping off Hollywood’s prized I.P. Whether Midjourney negotiates is an open question… but Disney is done asking nicely.
Eriq Gardner
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June 11, 2025
Kate Beckinsale’s Boundary-Breaking Lawsuit
The lawsuit over alleged abuse suffered during the production of ‘Canary Black’ was specifically designed to fly under the radar: Beckinsale filed as a “Jane Doe,” and vaguely referred to an on-set injury. But now, her legal team has submitted a more detailed complaint... and it’s quite something.
Eriq Gardner
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June 10, 2025
Elon’s Battle of the Broadbands
Buried deep within the 1,116-page reconciliation bill is a provision to auction off spectrum needed for 6G wireless, setting off a wave of anxiety among broadcasters as they prepare to compete in an auction with Elon Musk. Plus, the latest F.C.C. complication in the endless Paramount saga.
Eriq Gardner
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June 3, 2025
Paramount’s Trump Settlement Calculus
A close look at why the Paramount board has yet to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS and ‘60 Minutes’ when their $8 billion merger ostensibly hangs in the balance.
