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Hello from the holiday interregnum, as we enter those few awkward days of are-we-working-or-not? that fall between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
First up today: I want to acknowledge the passing of the great Richard Parsons, whose resume includes stints at Time Warner, CBS and Citigroup — and far lesser known, a role as an early Ankler investor. He and his Imagination Capital cofounder Rachel Lam listened to Janice and Richard describe their plan in April 2022 to turn Richard’s one-man show into something bigger. Dick, as he was known, nodded, listened quietly, and then said at the end with a twinkle, “Well, I know people in entertainment want to read about each other more than anything else. I like this.” Yes they do. The Ankler team is grateful for his legendary career, support and belief in what we could build.
Of course, Dick Parsons was right: Storytelling is the foundation of what Hollywood makes — and how we talk about each other. Over here, we ended the year extraordinarily strong on this front (making, not coincidentally, for the best growth quarter in Ankler history):
Richard Rushfield’s Hollywood Stories: Tales from the '90s podcast series featured charming, revealing and often laugh-out-loud sit-downs with Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life), Adam Leff and Zak Penn (Last Action Hero) and just this past week, the legendary CAA cofounder and Universal studio chief Ron Meyer.
Our matchless awards editor Katey Rich delighted us all this week with her interview with star of the year, Glen Powell. Listen how she draws him out on how he’s built his career and the process of getting Hit Man made with his co-screenwriter and director Richard Linklater. As I told Katey, sooo good.
Are you caught up with Rob LeDonne’s captivating interviews with music luminaries Maren Morris, Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile and Lainey Wilson for his Notable newsletter? You should be.
This is why I’m excited to share three early January events — two in L.A., one in New York — that further represent our commitment to bringing you high-value, entertaining and illuminating conversations:
Prestige Junkie LIVE: Inside Out 2 Come see the seminal coming-of-age film that broke all records this year at the box office and then hear Katey in conversation with director Kelsey Mann before anyone else.
Jan. 3, The London West Hollywood, doors open 6:15 p.m. PT
Request your invitation here.
The Ankler & Pure Nonfiction Documentary Spotlight: Shortlist Edition in NYC Speaking of conversationalists non-pareil, if you, like I, are in the New York area, come watch Thom Powers engage with the filmmakers behind Black Box Diaries, Daughters, Eno, Frida, Porcelain War and Will & Harper.
Jan. 5, Crosby Street Hotel, NYC, doors open at noon ET
Request your invitation here.
The Ankler x Letterboxd “Audience-First” FYC Screening Series For the kickoff event in this new series, watch the remarkably inventive and powerful Nickel Boys and then hear director and co-writer RaMell Ross, star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and cinematographer Jomo Fray in conversation with Katey.
Jan. 6, MGM Screening Room, L.A., doors open at 6:30 p.m. PT
Request your invitation here.
Now, with no further ado, our best stories as 2024 winds down, ICYMI:
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While everyone awaits deal frenzy in the year ahead, Ashley Cullins asks top media CEOs and dealmakers such as Legendary Entertainment’s Joshua Grode, Brillstein’s Jon Liebman and AGBO’s Chris Brearton to name the 2024 deals that will most change the industry in 2025 — and what Comcast’s SpinCo augurs for the next 25 years:
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In the third episode of his special pod series Hollywood Stories, Richard Rushfield interviews CAA founder and Universal Studios chief Ron Meyer about why he fell in love with a Hollywood career; CAA’s “ferocious rivalry” with William Morris in his upstart agency’s early days; how he made the rare move from agent to studio head and survived six owners in 25 years; the movies he’s proudest of; and why he’s still an optimist about showbiz:
 | Tales From the ’90s: Ron Meyer’s 'Miracle' Hollywood Career The Ankler Podcast 37:50 |
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If you spent the holidays dreading family asking “How’s work?” or “When will you get promoted?”, Elaine Low devotes her year-end Series Business to several more first-person accounts from her Salary Confessions portal to reveal no, you’re not alone in trying to make the best of a very trying year:
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Katey Rich ends on a bang, interviewing 2024’s brightest star, Glen Powell, about his big year and how he’s learned to navigate the “sine wave” of a Hollywood career. Plus: Moana 2 co-director Dana Ledoux Miller shares how her Samoan heritage, Dwayne Johnson and even a Quibi series led to her making Disney’s long-awaited sequel:
 | Christmas Movie Chaos with Richard Lawson, Plus Glen Powell on a Very, Very Good Year Prestige Junkie 56:10 |
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Sean McNulty’s holiday gift to you: Breaking down Netflix’s debut streaming NFL games — and stepping back to provide long-lens perspective you won’t get anywhere else. Don’t miss his look back at errant predictions with his “Everyone’s An Expert Awards” or his deconstruction of Disney’s challenges in marketing ESPN’s forthcoming “Flagship” D2C app:
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 | The Trends Giving Us Hope in 2025. Seriously The Ankler Podcast 38:54 |
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