🎧 Quibi: Short Form, Long Regrets
Subscribe on Apple PodcastsThe easy thing to say about anything new in show business is, “Never gonna work.” In the case of Quibi — Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman’s short-form mobile streamer — plenty of people laughed, and they were right to. But did Quibi fail because it was a bad idea, or because it spent and promised too much? Even Rob Long’s TikTok algo now serves soapy microdramas. Quibi may not have ended up a punchline because it was wrong, but because — after three glasses of wine — it ordered the deluxe version of the future and forgot the return policy. Transcript here. Got a tip or story pitch? Email tips@theankler.com ICYMI from The AnklerThe Wakeup Brutal math: Why WBD rejected PSKY again Alex Kurtzman on Star Trek’s Future — and Paramount’s New Regime With his overall deal set to expire, the Starfleet Academy showrunner tells Lesley Goldberg what’s next MoviePass Is Back (Really). This Time, The Bet Isn’t On Tickets Co-founder and CEO Stacy Spikes details for Matthew Frank the company’s collapse and comeback attempt through its own predictions market Hollywood’s Last Stand: 6 Fronts That Make or Break 2026 On the anniversary of the fires, we are a phoenix ready to rise if we mobilize, writes Richard Rushfield Wall Street’s Brutal Verdict on Hollywood ’26: Versant Fumbles, AI Buyers, Family Office Cash Claire Atkinson talks to pros who map what’s coming for Disney, WBD and media as generational change arrives The Blumhouse TV Playbook in 2026, Straight From the President Elaine Low talks to Abhijay Prakash about finding optimism with tight budgets: ‘What Disney is to family, we want to be for fear’ How Much AI Will Audiences Accept in Movies and Music? Here Are the Poll Answers A clear line is drawn as 2026 becomes make-or-break for the technology, Stat Significant’s Daniel Parris writes 8 AI Companies Doing This the Right Way (and Won’t Get You Sued) Erik Barmack’s picks for Hollywood to get behind in 2026 as Big Tech’s shortcuts catch up Inside 2025’s IP Market: What Sold, Stalled and What Comes Next Andy Lewis’ lessons from the year’s bestselling books, and how the death of magazine journalism is rattling dealmakers Nia DaCosta’s Double Header: The Week Hedda Meets Horror Plus: Katey Rich on how a whirlwind Critics Choice night just reshaped the Oscar races 🎬 The Housemaid Proves Hollywood’s ‘Dead’ Genres Still Have Life Richard and Sean McNulty explore how counter-programming is striking back amid Avatar and Zootopia 2 🎧 Ankler Agenda Mailbag: Your Burning Questions, Answered 🎧 Michael B. Jordan Tuned Out His Inner Director to Play Twins in Sinners 🎧 Vision, Trust & Risk: How Amanda Seyfried & Mona Fastvold Truly Connected More from Ankler MediaNew from Natalie Jarvey’s creator economy newsletter: Snapchat’s Second Act: How the Underdog Is Minting New Creators — and Real Money The Power Brokers’ Predictions for 2026’s Creator Economy: ‘Scale Is Losing Leverage’ Andy Lewis’ latest IP picks: 2025 Faves That Are Still Available An Epic About the War on Drugs & a Divorce That Shocked America |



