| Share How was your week? We had a fun one, blowing well past 100,000 subscribers — welcome to all newbies! For those just joining, The Ankler-verse extends well beyond best-in-the-business newsletters and podcasts: Our live events are bursting with Hollywood’s top talent. This week, two big Oscar contenders take the spotlight at our Ankler x Letterboxd “Audience-First” FYC Screening Series: First up: Conclave, the papal thriller nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture. Following a screening, awards editor Katey Rich will interview nominees Edward Berger (director), Michael A. Jackman (producer), Peter Straughan (screenwriter), Nick Emerson (editor), Lisy Christl (costume designer) and Volker Bertelmann (composer). Feb. 5, Harmony Gold, L.A., doors open at 6:30 p.m. PT Request your invitation here.
Share Next: It’s Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, nominated for best animated feature. You’re going to want to get there early to get a picture with the actual Wallace and Gromit puppets before you watch the adventure comedy, followed by Katey’s conversation with two of its directors: Nick Park, a four-time Academy Award winner, and the Emmy-nominated Merlin Crossingham. Feb. 8, Netflix ICON building, L.A., doors open at 10:00 a.m. PT Request your invitation here.
Now, with no further ado, ICYMI: Share
Richard Rushfield went to Sundance . . . and got a terrifying look at the struggles of indie film. He outlines what went wrong, its impact on filmgoing, and ideas to fix it. Plus, don’t miss Richard’s searing response to the “reporter” who called him an “insufferable, attention-craving blowhard” for daring to call out Sundance’s woes:
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While independent film struggles, TV creators have begun self-financing their work — and finding that it “models perfectly.” Elaine Low reveals (for paid subscribers) the kinds of shows that have the best chance to sell as indies; different ways to finance indie TV; how the industry is adapting to this new model; and why it makes some studio executives nervous:
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David S. Goyer, showrunner of Apple TV+’s Foundation and story creator for Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, launched Incention this week, an AI-powered startup that allows anyone to add to his new sci-fi world and profit from it. Erik Barmack speaks to Goyer and Incention CEO Chase Rosenblatt (for paid subscribers), about why Hollywood needs a new model for creating and refreshing IP; how AI can be a “council of elders” to guide content creators within a story universe; and why execs should be careful what they wish for with AI:
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Have a hunch about best picture, Netflix’s top show this week or even Bob Iger’s departure date from Disney? People are trading on these events just like stocks at Kalshi. Matthew Frank speaks to CEO Tarek Mansour in his first-ever interview about these entertainment markets, exploring why Mansour believes prediction markets can make Hollywood smarter about its business; how Oscar betting markets will transform awards season; and why he’s not concerned about alienating the industry:
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Malibu used to be a chill community where Steven Spielberg would hand out Halloween candy and Michael Landon shopped at Colony Market. Now, it’s a haven for such Silicon Valley billionaires as Larry Ellison, Laurene Powell Jobs and Marc Andreessen, who build massive compounds and trophy real-estate portfolios. Peter Kiefer speaks with longtime residents to assess what the famed seaside community has lost, its shift to the political right and its transformation into a “city of visitors,” not residents:
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 | How the Oscars Learned to Love Horror with Joanna Robinson, Plus Brady Corbet on His Future of "Radical" Films Prestige Junkie 1:07:11 |
 | The Best of Sundance So Far: Stars, Docs, and At Least One Buzzy Masterpiece Prestige Junkie 36:59 |
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Earnings season continues with a dispatch from Comcast, and Sean McNulty tells the story better than execs or analysts, breaking down Peacock’s stagnant growth and the studio division’s strong quarter — while wondering why no one touted NBCU’s success licensing shows and movies, especially its animated hits: Share Get 10% off a group subscription
 | A Dire Sundance, Indie Peril & the Creator Incursion The Ankler Podcast 40:28 |
 | 'Creators Should Be in Charge': Sean Evans, Rhett & Link The Ankler Podcast 33:48 |
 | The New Showbiz: Hollywood, Creators, & Brands The Ankler Podcast 45:02 |
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 | ‘You Guys Are All the Same’ Martini Shot 12:48 |
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