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Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have both starred in quite a few blockbuster movies in their long careers. But Garner admitted that there was a part of her that wanted to one up her husband at the box office.

Jennifer Garner once joked that it’d be nice to beat Ben Affleck at the box office Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner | Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic

Garner and Affleck both knew what it was like to be a part of a few blockbusters. Although Affleck once had the bigger commercial success when it came to films. Even earlier in his career, movies like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor solidified him as a reliable box-office star. Although overtime Affleck wanted to stop doing movies strictly for the paycheck.

“The only thing I regret are the times I took movies just to work,” Affleck once told Entertainment Weekly.

The pivot Affleck took with his...

The rumors are true: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are over … again.

One of Hollywood’s most famous A-list couples have split for a second time as Lopez filed for divorce on Tuesday in L.A. County Superior Court, according to The Associated Press. Per People, Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024, though she filed today, on Aug. 20, the second anniversary of their ceremony in Georgia, an extravagant wedding that followed a quickie Las Vegas elopement in July 2022. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to reps for Affleck and Lopez and will update accordingly, though no statements are expected as they both have kept mum in recent months about the status of their relationship. TMZ was the first to report the news.

The filing comes after a dizzying few months of tabloid headlines and TMZ news blasts covering the sale of their $65 million mansion, separate outings (with and...

Billionaire Jeff Bezos‘ fianceé, Lauren Sánchez, recently shared a video on Instagram that showcased her piloting skills as she flew her son Nikko Gonzalez, 23, and actor Orlando Bloom, 47, in a helicopter for a skydiving excursion.

Sánchez, 54, who shares her eldest child Nikko with ex-boyfriend NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, has also been open about her other children – son Evan, 17, and daughter Ella, 16, whom she had with her ex-husband Patrick Whitesell. In the video, Sánchez pilots the aircraft with a warm smile as her son and Bloom prepare for their skydive with a fist bump.

Sánchez captioned the post, “I guess you could call me a helicopter mom.”

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Gonzalez’s stepmother, October (Tobie) Gonzalez, commented on the post, “Omg, lol,” while Kris Jenner added, “.”

Sánchez’s passion for aviation extends beyond her latest high-flying adventure.

After two years of wedded bliss, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are allegedly headed for divorce in 2024. The couple initially fell in love in the early 2000s, and they rekindled their old flame in 2021. Casey Affleck likely remembers when his brother fell in love with Lopez for the first time. Here’s what Casey joked to Lopez about preparing for “dysfunction” after Ben and Lopez said, “I do.”

Casey Affleck joked that Jennifer Lopez should ‘get ready for some real dysfunction’ when she married Ben Affleck

Ben and Casey Affleck have always been close. The brothers starred in a few of the same movies through the years and continue to work well together in 2024. While Casey didn’t attend Ben’s wedding to Jennifer Lopez in 2022, he took the opportunity to hurl a few jokes at Lopez online.

“Good things are worth waiting for,” he captioned an Instagram post in August 2022, according to People.

Former television reporter Lauren Sánchez celebrated her son Nikko‘s college graduation with their friends and family, including her NFL star ex Tony Gonzalez and his wife.

Sánchez, joined by her fiancée, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, took to Instagram to share footage from the celebration at home.

“I’m super excited to see what this next chapter in your life is going to be,” she told her 23-year-old son. “I know it’s going to be amazing. I am so proud of you. You have no idea how proud I am.”

Other images included family portraits, as well as photos of Sánchez with her son and his father.

“Nikko, I am so proud of you! Congratulations, class of 2024. I couldn’t help but get emotional. We love you,” she captioned the post.

Nikko was born in 2001, and Sánchez and Gonzalez split shortly after. In addition to Nikko, Sánchez is the mother of Ella,...

Exclusive: Former Fifth Season film head Alexis Garcia has launched CAT5, an action film label that will be backed by his former employers, who are among other investors and partners to be announced at later date. As one of its first projects, CAT5 has signed on to co-finance Black Bear’s Levon’s Trade. The film is in production, with David Ayer-directing the Jason Statham vehicle that was adapted from the Chuck Dixon novel by Sylvester Stallone, with revisions by Ayer. Garcia joins as an executive producer. The film is in production in London and slated for wide theatrical release in the U.S. by Amazon MGM Studios on January 17, 2025.

Garcia spent seven years with Fifth Season and Graham Taylor and Chris Rice, helping build it from its 2017 launch as Endeavor Content. Before that he spent a decade at Endeavor/WME under Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, where he...

Endeavor chief Ari Emanuel received a roughly $84 million pay package last year — between his base salary, bonus, stock awards and other compensation — the company disclosed in its proxy filing on Thursday.

President Mark Shapiro received $38.8 million, by those same measures, in 2023, while executive chairman Patrick Whitesell saw $13.2 million in pay, the filing disclosed.

The Endeavor pay for Emanuel and Shapiro include their paydays at Tko Group Holdings, the owners of WWE and UFC, where Emanuel’s compensation package was valued at nearly $65 million last year.

After a three-year run as a public company, Endeavor is set to go private in a reversal for Silver Lake and the executives running the company. But Emanuel, Whitesell and Shapiro will all be the beneficiaries of some generous deal-related bonuses.

For starters, they are incentivized to be sellers. While a source says that no major asset sales are imminent and there is no rush to sell anything off,...

Jeff Bezos and his future wife Lauren Sanchez hold hands as they arrive at the State Dinner on Wednesday (April 10) at the White House in Washington, DC.

The dinner was hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to honor Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

If you don’t know, the Amazon founder and his fiancee got engaged back in May of 2023. It’s unclear when they will be getting married at this time, but they did throw a star-studded engagement party.

The couple first went public with their relationship back in 2019, following Jeff‘s split with his wife of over 24 years, Mackenzie Scott. Lauren was formerly married to CAA’s Patrick Whitesell. The news of their divorce in 2019 came one day after Jeff Bezos‘ divorce was finalized.

Fyi: Lauren is wearing Rasario.

Silver Lake, the private equity firm that is planning to take WME owner Endeavor private, is also aiming to get further into business with Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell.

According to Whitesell’s new employment agreement, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in conjunction with the take-private, Silver Lake is committing $250 million in seed money for a new media company to be led by the Endeavor executive chairman.

“Activities of the Media Company will include (a) investing in and providing services to companies in the entertainment, media and sports industries; (b) developing, producing, financing and exploiting film, television and digital audio visual content; (c) talent management; and (d) consulting with other entertainment companies,” per the filing.

The agreement also says that Whitesell will continue to serve on the (soon-to-be private) Endeavor board and will continue to play a central role in the company, and continuing to work...

Silver Lake’s plan to take Endeavor private includes an investment of $250 million of seed equity “into a new business to be founded, managed and controlled” by executive chairman Patrick Whitesell.

The business will include “investing in and providing services to companies in the entertainment, media and sports industries; developing, producing, financing and exploiting film, television and digital audio visual content; talent management; and consulting with other entertainment companies,” according to an SEC filing today that include new contract details for Endeavor’s top executives.

So Whitesell, while continuing to be a big Endeavor shareholder and board member and remaining in a central role in WME, will be branching out. That’s all there was about the new company in the filing, which also laid out new employment letters for CEO Ari Emanuel and president and COO Mark Shapiro, who will be running Endeavor.

The document also refers a number...

Endeavor Group Holdings, parent of talent agency WME and controlling shareholder in combat sports powerhouse Tko Group, is going private.

Private equity firm Silver Lake Capital is leading the privatization, which the company describes Tuesday as the largest in media and entertainment history and the biggest in any sector over the past decade. The equity value of the acquisition is pegged at $13 billion, with the enterprise value nearly double that when the Tko interest is taken into account.

Shareholders will receive $27.50 in cash for each share. The price is a 9% premium over Monday’s close and 55% better than the closing price last October 25, which was when Endeavor announced it was considering strategic alternatives.

The move ends a mixed three-year run for Endeavor as a public company. Announced with great anticipation prior to Covid, the effort to take the company public was pulled at the eleventh hour in 2019 before finally coming...

After three years as a publicly traded company, the Ari Emanuel-led Endeavor is going private.

The Beverly Hills-based sports and entertainment giant — the owner of talent agencies WME and Img as well as assets like the Pbr bull riding organization, betting data firm OpenBet, marketing agency 160over90 and hospitality firm On Location — will be acquired by majority shareholder Silver Lake at a valuation of $13 billion, the firm said Tuesday.

Private equity firm Silver Lake will acquire all outstanding shares and Endeavor stockholders will receive $27.50 per share. The company traded on the New York Stock Exchange as “Edr” and closed at $25.27 per share on April 1. (Silver Lake notes that the company was trading at $17.72 on Oct. 25, a day before Endeavor formally declared a review of “strategic alternatives,” including the option to go private.)

The move marks the end of a run that began pre-pandemic in May 2019, when the company filed its intent to go public,...

On Oscar night, details matter. Who are you wearing? What are you nominated for? Who won? Just don’t expect everyone to know the answers.

“What movie won?” Rick Hilton asked as he and wife Kathy Hilton assumed position at the end of a glamorous queue to get into Vanity Fair’s 30th anniversary Oscar party in Beverly Hills on Sunday after 10 p.m. They asked their son, Kathy says, but no clue. Fortunately, a gentleman standing directly in front of the couple had the answer. “It was Oppenheimer,” he said, not mentioning the awkwardness of Al Pacino’s best picture reveal. Some details can be saved for Monday morning. Plus, there are more rapid-fire questions to field.

What movie is that? Is it based on a true story? Who was the emcee?

“Oh, Jimmy Kimmel. I like him,” Rick said, smiling, in a totally relatable moment because who doesn’t love Jimmy Kimmel?...

Engaged couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez hold hands while arriving to a party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday (January 13) in Milan, Italy.

The 60-year-old billionaire Amazon founder and his 54-year-old partner were also seen earlier in the day while out and about in the Italian city.

The pair have been in town celebrating Bezos‘ birthday, which was on January 12.

If you don’t know, the couple got engaged back in May of 2023. It’s unclear when they will be getting married at this time.

The couple first went public with their relationship back in 2019, following Jeff‘s split with his wife of over 24 years, Mackenzie Scott. Lauren was formerly married to CAA’s Patrick Whitesell. The news of their divorce in 2019 came one day after Jeff Bezos‘ divorce was finalized.

Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos proposed to his current girlfriend Lauren Sanchez not too long ago. But although the two haven’t even walked down the aisle yet, a renowned celebrity psychic has already foreseen trouble in their marriage life.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are going to clash according to this psychic Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos | Clive Mason / Getty Images

Bezos and Sanchez both came together under pretty tumultuous circumstances. Before his relationship with Sanchez, Bezos was already married to his first wife Mackenzie Scott for 26 years. It’s rumored that Bezos had an affair with Sanchez, which resulted in his and Scott’s divorce. Although it’s worth noting this hasn’t been confirmed.

Sanchez, who was an award-winning journalist, was also married before her relationship with Bezos. Her husband at the time, Patrick Whitesell, was reportedly taken aback by his ex-wife’s alleged affair with the billionaire.

Update, 5:43 Pm: Ari Emanuel has received an early Christmas present courtesy of a LA Superior Court judge.

Peeved at Wall Street, the Endeavor CEO may be evaluating “strategic alternatives” for the currently publicly traded entity but at least he won’t have to go to mattresses over “theft of …intellectual property” allegations out of the company’s eventual IPO in 2021.

A December 15 unsealed ruling by Judge Gregory Keosian rejected any notion by plaintiff David Carde that there was “a valid implied-in-fact contract between himself and Endeavor over analysis and marketing strategies the consultant sent to the company unsolicited almost four years ago. “Mr. Carde is entitled to be recompensed for Endeavor’s unjust enrichment in an amount to be proven at trial,” declared his Early Sullivan Wright Gier & McRae Llp lawyers in their initial complaint of March 2022.

“Defendant Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc’s Motion for Summary Judgment is Granted,...

William Morris Endeavor want nothing to do with Billy Cosby or a sexual assault case against the much-accused comedian.

In paperwork filed in LA Superior Court yesterday, WME asserted that they should not be a co-defendant in Linda Ridgway-Whitedeer’s claims that the man once known as “America’s Dad” forced her to perform oral sex on him back in 1971.

Having first went public with the alleged assault in 2015 as dozens of women came forward against Cosby, the plaintiff’s civil suit of September this year says that “at the time of the sexual assault, the William Morris Agency knew, or should have had knowledge of Defendant’s repeated acts of sexual assault.”

Now, the agency that Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell created out of the 2009 melding of William Morris and Endeavor proclaims they had “no control” over what did or did not happen 52 years ago.

“Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure …WME denies,...

Endeavor, the owner of WME, Img and a majority stake in Tko Group, is going to test the market — and is considering going private.

The company said Wednesday that it is initiating “a formal review to evaluate strategic alternatives for the Company.” Endeavor adds that it is not considering a sale of its stake in Tko, which owns and operates the UFC and WWE.

“Given the continued dislocation between Endeavor’s public market value and the intrinsic value of Endeavor’s underlying assets, we believe an evaluation of strategic alternatives is a prudent approach to ensure we are maximizing value for our shareholders,” said Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel in a statement.

Private equity firm Silver Lake, a major shareholder in the company with 71 percent of Endeavor’s voting power, added: “Silver Lake is committed to strategies that deliver value for all shareholders of Endeavor. To that end, Silver Lake is...

Oops, he did it again.

At 62, Ari Emanuel is now lord and master (or more precisely, CEO) of not one but two publicly held companies. Still, he could not resist bashing his longtime rivals at CAA when presented with a mic at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. And those weren’t the only comments that made some of his associates cringe.

Emanuel is credited with leading his company into expansion, often with pricey acquisitions. The logic of some of these deals escaped observers — Professional Bull Riders? Ok, but overcoming the odds, he transformed Endeavor into a public company in 2021. And in September, Tko Holdings, the combined UFC and WWE, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Other agents — Mike Ovitz comes to mind — yearned to transcend their client-servicing roles. Emanuel has achieved that dream, yet all these deals later, he is still apparently in the grip of his inner agent.

Every year, thousands of people celebrate their engagements with lavish parties, where they welcome family and friends to eat, drink, and be merry. Many parties are understated affairs, while others pull out all the stops in honor of their big life event. However, it’s likely that few engagement parties are quite as lavish as the massive event that Jeff Bezos and his wife-to-be, Lauren Sánchez, just hosted.

The Amazon CEO and his fiancée have been together since early 2019, announcing their romance immediately after the revelation that Bezos was splitting from his wife of several decades. These days, Bezos and Sánchez are prepping for their upcoming nuptials, with a party that made headlines around the world.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez just threw a huge engagement party Jeff Bezos | Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Bezos and Sánchez got engaged in May, announcing their intention...

Jennifer Garner once shared that her children with Ben Affleck affected her career in many ways. After starting a family, she became a little reluctant in portraying full-time parents on the big screen.

Jennifer Garner didn’t want to play mothers after having children Jennifer Garner | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Garner has played a variety of characters in her career. But seeing the action star portray a mother on-screen was once admittedly a rare sighting. She broke this pattern with films like The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which was a small drama she co-starred with Joel Edgerton. In an interview with Reuters, Garner revealed that her decision to avoid playing mothers in movies wasn’t by accident.

“That was kind of on purpose. I was nervous about merging the two – the real part of me and the work part of me,” she said.

She was concerned that she’d end...

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are engaged.

The happy news, which sources have confirmed to People and Daily Mail, comes after the couple set sail with sheer extravagance over the weekend, making a grand entrance at Cannes for the famed film festival in Bezos’ opulent $500 million superyacht, per Page Six.

As they vacation in the South of France, the Amazon founder, 59, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 53, were spotted smooching and getting touchy on board the yacht, named Koru. On Sunday, Sánchez was also seen wearing a gigantic diamond on her ring finger — in photos obtained by People and Daily Mail — after Bezos reportedly popped the question while sailing the coastal Mediterranean Sea.

Read More: Dolly Parton Awarded $100 Million To Charities Of Choice By Jeff Bezos

While away from his stunning ship, the Amazon billionaire and the former “Good Day LA” co-host attended a magazine launch at the coveted film festival at...

Jeff Bezos is reportedly headed to the altar once again. On May 22, a source told People that 59-year-old former Amazon CEO and multibillionaire Bezos is engaged to 53-year-old broadcast journalist Lauren Sánchez. Reps for Bezos did not immediately respond to Popsugar's request for comment, and reps for Sanchez could not immediately be reached.

The news comes shortly after Bezos and Sánchez were spotted in the South of France, where they attended the Cannes Film Festival and spent time on Bezos's new $500 million yacht. Called Koru, which is a Māori word for loop and which symbolizes new beginnings, the yacht also includes a sculpture of what looks like Sánchez on its prow, per People.

The pair first went public in January 2019, shortly after Bezos divorced his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Scott. Sánchez and Bezos have since attended numerous events together, and they've also shared affectionate social media posts in celebration of their love.

Endeavor Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel, whose bonus-laden $308 million pay package turned heads in 2021, made $19.1 million in 2022, according to the company’s latest proxy filing.

The exec took home $4 million in salary, $8.2 million in the form of a bonus and $6 million in non-equity incentive compensation, the filing said.

Emanuel’s tally narrowly eclipsed that of CFO Jason Lublin, President and COO Mark Shapiro, with Lublin collecting $18.5 million and Shapiro $18.7 million.

Executive Chairman Patrick Whitesell, whose 2021 package reached $123.1 million, took home $12.2 million last year.

After calling off a planned IPO at the 11th hour in 2019, Endeavor finally went public in April 2021, at the same time it gained full ownership of the UFC. The long-anticipated offering brought significant paydays in the form of stock grants for the entire senior management team, skewing comparisons with 2022. The parent company of agencies WME and Img has branched out well beyond its roots in representation and...

In Endeavor’s first full year as a public company, CEO Ari Emanuel was paid a package topping $19 million, a sharp decline from 2021. Emanuel’s 2021 pay package topped $300 million, thanks mostly to a one-time stock grant tied to the company’s IPO.

His 2022 compensation is more in line with what he would expect during a typical year.

2022 was a critical one for Endeavor, having gone public the year before. The company reported a 2022 revenue of $5.3 billion and net income of $322 million, both significant improvements from 2021.

Other Endeavor executives saw similar changes to their compensation. Executive chairman Patrick Whitesell earned $12.2 million in 2022, down from $123 million the year before, while president Mark Shapiro’s compensation fell to $18.7 million from $42 million. Both received one-time stock grants last year tied to the IPO.

The company has continued to pursue acquisitions while trying to grow its core representation and owned sports businesses. Last month, the...

Frieze Los Angeles took off on the V.I.P opening day on Thursday, Feb. 16, at its new space at the historic Santa Monica Airport. The expansive show, featuring more than 120 galleries from 22 counties, is the biggest L.A. edition of the famed art fair to date, and celebrities dressed accordingly.

Gwyneth Paltrow wore a pair of trusty trainers to traverse the mammoth fair — which sprawls over both the Barker Hangar and a specially designed tent — as did Princess Eugenie, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who is a director at global gallery Hauser & Wirth.

Other notable attendees included Shailene Woodley, Heidi Klum, Bobby Flay, Catherine Keener, Jared Leto, producer Ronnie Sassoon, Christopher Waltz, Owen Wilson, mogul Lynda Resnick, Justine Bateman, John McEnroe, Lionel Ritchie, Margot Robbie, writer/producer/collector Maria Arena Bell, Endeavor’s Patrick Whitesell, WME’s Dan Aloni, CAA’s Joel Lubin, producer David Hoberman, and Tyler the Creator,...

Click here to read the full article.

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Hocus Pocus 2, A Friend of the Family, Entergalactic and the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Albie Awards.

Hocus Pocus 2 premiere

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy premiered their highly anticipated Disney+ sequel in New York on Tuesday, along with newcomers Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo.

Anne Fletcher, Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Adam Shankman, Lynn Harris and Sam Richardson Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo Bette Midler

Entergalactic premiere

On Wednesday, Netflix hosted a brunch and evening premiere for new series Entergalactic, the latter at the The Paris Theater in New York City. Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Jessica Williams, Ty Dolla ign, Laura Harrier and Teyana Taylor were in attendance along with executive producers Kenya Barris,...

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck doubled down on their marriage vows with a decidedly more elaborate affair in Riceboro, Ga (a small town just outside of Savannah), on Saturday, Aug. 20. The couple - who were officially married at a Las Vegas wedding chapel on July 17 - celebrated their love with their friends and families in Georgia.

The couple's second ceremony was a star-studded event. Affleck's longtime friend Matt Damon was in attendance alongside his wife, Luciana Barroso. Other guests included director Kevin Smith and his wife, Jennifer; "Clerks" star Jason Mewes and his wife, Jordan Monsanto; and model Pia Miller and her husband, Patrick Whitesell. Meanwhile, photos indicate the wedding party included Lopez's children with Marc Anthony, 14-year-old twins Max and Emme, as well as Affleck's children with ex Jennifer Garner: Violet (16), Seraphina (13), and Samuel (10).

Lopez walked down the aisle in a white Ralph Lauren wedding gown with a long train,...

Actor-director Ben Affleck and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez have furthered their relationship. The couple celebrated their wedding with a ceremony in Georgia in front of friends and family, just over a month after saying “I do” in Las Vegas, reports People magazine.

Some stars in attendance included Affleck’s long time friends Matt Damon and his wife Luciana, director Kevin Smith and his wife, Jennifer, Clerks actor Jason Mewes and his wife, Jordan Monsanto, and top Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell and his wife, model/actress Pia Miller.

According to People, Lopez wore a white Ralph Lauren gown with a long, flowing train and veil at Saturday’s ceremony, with Affleck in a tuxedo with a white jacket and black pants.

Photographs showed them walking down a white aisle followed by their children. Popular UK-Indian podcaster and life coach Jay Shetty officiated the ceremony.

Guests were photographed wearing all white on...

Hollywood’s biggest agency is now even bigger after CAA’s acquisition of ICM Partners was (finally) made official earlier this week. While headlines have focused on how the behemoth is set to reshape the business, and how the four-agency town has been chopped down to three, competitors WME and UTA aren’t exactly taking their balls and going home.

This merger, UTA’s own spree of acquisitions, and WME’s crucial place in Ari Emanuel’s publicly traded Endeavor (Edr on the New York Stock Exchange) empire all speak to how the agency business of today (and of tomorrow) are about so much more than competing to represent A-listers. There are podcasts and advertising and books and influencers and marketing and data analytics all at play here — not to mention the changing media landscape led by tech-backed (read: incredibly rich and powerful) streamers.

Sometimes you have to fight consolidation with consolidation.

As Hollywood events return to full force in New York and Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings, including red carpets for Stranger Things, Conversations With Friends, Pistol and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Stranger Things season four world premiere

After a three-year hiatus since the last season, Stranger Things returned in a big way on Saturday, with a star-studded premiere event in Brooklyn featuring Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton.

Downton Abbey: A New Era NY premiere

The Metropolitan Opera House hosted the New York premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era on Sunday, welcoming back its stars Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Raquel Cassidy, Hugh Dancy, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern and creator Julian Fellowes.

As Endeavor marks the first anniversary today of its debut on the New York Stock Exchange, the company deserves credit for doing a lot of things right.

The stock has stayed above its IPO price of 24 for most of the past 12 months. The company has generated enough topline revenue gains amid tough economic conditions to demonstrate that its divisions have room to grow.

But in other ways, the company led by Ari Emanuel looks to become harder to sell in the future if Endeavor wants to stay a public entity. Its high debt, stratospheric CEO compensation package and corporate structure with a handful of controlling shareholders is out of step with the expectations of many institutional shareholders and governance watchdogs.

Indeed, Wall Street’s appetite for unicorns that rack up losses and debt in the hunt for revenue and market share seems to be waning, just as the number of business-debacle TV series rises.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel’s 2021 compensation reached $308.2 million, at least on paper, thanks to the company’s initial public offering last April.

In part of a set of SEC filings released Wednesday evening as the company reported fourth-quarter financial results, Endeavor said the “recognized compensation” was actually $67.5 million.

The scale of Emanuel’s potential pay landed a few days after a disclosure of a similarly eye-popping figure for Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The exec, who has been steering the company toward the close of a $43 billion merger with WarnerMedia, was paid $246.6 million, including a massive stock award. Emanuel’s haul, if achieved, would place him at the high end of media and even across all of corporate America, along with Zaslav. Not all companies have finished reporting executive compensation for last year.

Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell’s total compensation was $123.1 million, though the same caveats apply as with Emanuel.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel saw a huge paper windfall in 2021 as he was awarded stock grants valued at more than $293 million in the year that saw Endeavor complete its initial public offering on its second try.

Emanuel’s payday for last year was closer to $67.5 million in terms of “recognized compensation” that is not tied up in stock options that won’t vest for years to come. Endeavor’s annual report for 2021, filed Wednesday, included charts to demonstrate that while Emanuel’s total comp for 2021 hit an astounding $308.1 million on paper, his actaul take-home pay was far less. Emaneul’s haul included a base salary of $4 million and a bonus of $10 million.

Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell took in $123.1 million on paper but only $11 million of recognized compensation. Whitesell’s package included a base salary of $4 million and a bonus of $5 million. Both Emanuel and Whitesell are under contract to...

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk plans to exit the board of directors of Endeavor Group Holdings in June.

The company disclosed the departure Wednesday in an SEC filing, which conveniently landed due to SEC rules just as the company was starting its quarterly conference call with Wall Street analysts. The owner of WME, Img and the UFC reported a net loss for the fourth quarter, but better-than-expected revenue.

Last Saturday, the company disclosed in the filing, the tech billionaire notified the company of his resignation from the board as of June 30. “The board of directors approved reducing its size from eight to seven members subject to and effective upon the effectiveness of Mr. Musk’s resignation,” the filing added. The decision to exit “was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices.”

A person familiar with Musk’s...

Bolstered by a resurgent representation business, Endeavor handily beat Wall Street forecasts in its Q3 2021 earnings, delivering revenue of $1.39 billion and net income of $63.6 million, swinging the company back to profitability. Wall Street consensus was for revenue of $1.3 billion.

The company, led by CEO Ari Emanuel, executive chairman Patrick Whitesell, and president Mark Shapiro, also raised its guidance for the year from $4.8-$4.85 billion in revenue to $4.89-$4.95 billion in revenue, reflecting further confidence in its core business.

The beat comes after Endeavor missed its Q2 earnings estimates, with revenue of $1.1 billion ...

Bolstered by a resurgent representation business, Endeavor handily beat Wall Street forecasts in its Q3 2021 earnings, delivering revenue of $1.39 billion and net income of $63.6 million, swinging the company back to profitability. Wall Street consensus was for revenue of $1.3 billion.

The company, led by CEO Ari Emanuel, executive chairman Patrick Whitesell, and president Mark Shapiro, also raised its guidance for the year from $4.8-$4.85 billion in revenue to $4.89-$4.95 billion in revenue, reflecting further confidence in its core business.

The beat comes after Endeavor missed its Q2 earnings estimates, with revenue of $1.1 billion ...

Before she hooked up with Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, erstwhile news anchor, occasional entertainment reporter and former So You Think You Can Dance host Lauren Sánchez was married for more than a dozen years to another rich and powerful man, showbiz heavy hitter Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of talent and media colossus Endeavor.

After a successful six-year stint managing top talent at Creative Artists Agency, Whitesell moved in the early aughts over to Endeavor Talent Agency where he went on to help Ari Emanuel orchestrate the 2009 merger between Endeavor and the William Morris Agency. Initially named William Morris Endeavor, the many-tentacled entertainment agency was renamed to Endeavor in 2017, and, earlier this year, when Endeavor went public, Bloomberg reported that Emanuel and Whitesell together controlled shares worth almost $840 million.

In 2006, Sánchez and Whitesell shelled out $11 million for a gated and then brand-new hilltop estate nipped...

Before she hooked up with Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, erstwhile news anchor, occasional entertainment reporter and former So You Think You Can Dance host Lauren Sánchez was married for more than a dozen years to another rich and powerful man, showbiz heavy hitter Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of talent and media colossus Endeavor.

After a successful six-year stint managing top talent at Creative Artists Agency, Whitesell moved in the early aughts over to Endeavor Talent Agency where he went on to help Ari Emanuel orchestrate the 2009 merger between Endeavor and the William Morris Agency. Initially named William ...

Before she hooked up with Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, erstwhile news anchor, occasional entertainment reporter and former So You Think You Can Dance host Lauren Sánchez was married for more than a dozen years to another rich and powerful man, showbiz heavy hitter Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of talent and media colossus Endeavor.

After a successful six-year stint managing top talent at Creative Artists Agency, Whitesell moved in the early aughts over to Endeavor Talent Agency where he went on to help Ari Emanuel orchestrate the 2009 merger between Endeavor and the William Morris Agency. Initially named William ...

Maybe Jeremy Zimmer and Ari Emanuel need to take it to the octagon.

“I thought about it, and I think it makes sense to me that he would not want to, cause we don’t fit the profile of the kind of companies he buys,” the UTA CEO said Thursday at the Adweek conference about Ari Emanuel’s lack of interest in buying the agency in a consolidating Hollywood. “We have an amazing culture and we’re incredibly profitable,” Zimmer added, with a 90210 salvo of his own.

“So we wouldn’t fit in,” Zimmer tossed out there in conclusion, to big laughs from the New York City crowd in attendance.

The curt remarks by the UTA CEO came onstage at the “The Future of Entertainment in the New Creator Economy” panel with ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish and moderated by CBS News’ Michelle Miller. Of course, the larger context is Zimmer...

(Updated with more from Code Conference) “No,” a blunt Ari Emanuel told the Code Conference on Tuesday when asked whether he would buy UTA now that CAA has acquired ICM Partners.

“We don’t need it,” the Endeavor CEO told conference attendees at the Beverly Hilton, stressing that WME is still “the largest agency in the business.”

It should be noted there is no indication that UTA is for sale, regardless of any potential interest by anyone.

Joking that he appreciated CAA for “validating my strategy in 2008” of wanting to grow “organically,” Emanuel noted with a verbal shiv that “ICM has not been what it used to be 15 years ago.” Leaning in, he also countered the perception that WME is a minor player in Endeavor’s overall business “Our representation business has grown double digits every year,” he said, putting the pandemic year of 2020 aside. “It is the core feeder...

As Paramount Studios says goodbye to the old boss — avuncular chairman Jim Gianopulos, 70, who joined the studio in 2017 after running motion pictures at 20th Century Fox for 16 years — the new boss does not come from the movies. Paramount did not anoint Gianopulos’ expected successor, former Fox star Emma Watts.

Instead the key post went to rising star Brian Robbins, 57, a former child actor who at one time also directed films like “Norbit” and “Varsity Blues.” Currently, he’s chief of ViacomCBS’s valued children’s brand Nickelodeon and he was credited with pushing forward the animated “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” Paramount’s recent surprise hit ($82.5 million worldwide).

A shift was coming for Paramount. Like most studios, it is leaning toward streaming, the platform most beloved by Wall Street. Gianopulos righted a skinny studio starved by its late chairman Brad Grey, who lost both Marvel and Indiana Jones to rising behemoth Disney.

As Paramount Studios says goodbye to the old boss — avuncular chairman Jim Gianopulos, 70, who joined the studio in 2017 after running motion pictures at 20th Century Fox for 16 years — the new boss does not come from the movies. Paramount did not anoint Gianopulos’ expected successor, former Fox star Emma Watts.

Instead the key post went to rising star Brian Robbins, 57, a former child actor who at one time also directed films like “Norbit” and “Varsity Blues.” Currently, he’s chief of ViacomCBS’s valued children’s brand Nickelodeon and he was credited with pushing forward the animated “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” Paramount’s recent surprise hit ($82.5 million worldwide).

A shift was coming for Paramount. Like most studios, it is leaning toward streaming, the platform most beloved by Wall Street. Gianopulos righted a skinny studio starved by its late chairman Brad Grey, who lost both Marvel and Indiana Jones to rising behemoth Disney.

Endeavor Group Holdings has appointed tech and finance veteran Jacqueline Reses to its board of directors.

Reses is CEO of Post House Capital, a private investment firm focused on consumer and financial technology. She previously was capital lead at Square and executive chair of Square Financial Services. Her background also includes a stint as chief development officer at Yahoo. During her tenure at Yahoo, Reses served on the board of Chinese online and mobile commerce behemoth Alibaba Group.

For 11 years, Reses led the U.S. media group at private equity firm Apax Partners, and she also had a seven-year run at Goldman Sachs.

Along with Endeavor’s board, Reses serves on the boards of Affirm Holdings, Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, and TaskUs. She is also executive chair of the board at ContextLogic.

“We’re honored to welcome Jackie to our Board of Directors,” Endeavor CEO Ariel Emanuel said in the announcement of the appointment.

Endeavor is continuing to expand its board of directors since going public earlier this year.

The owner of UFC and WME on Wednesday named Jacqueline Reses to its board. Reses is currently CEO of investment firm Post House Capital LLC, and before that worked in the technology sector, as executive chair of Square Financial Services LLC and capital lead at Square, Inc., and as chief development officer for Yahoo.

Reses joins a board that includes Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, executive chairman Patrick Whitesell, Silver Lake’s Egon Durban and Stephen Evans, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Uncle Nearest CEO Fawn Weaver, and former Xerox ...

Endeavor is continuing to expand its board of directors since going public earlier this year.

The owner of UFC and WME on Wednesday named Jacqueline Reses to its board. Reses is currently CEO of investment firm Post House Capital LLC, and before that worked in the technology sector, as executive chair of Square Financial Services LLC and capital lead at Square, Inc., and as chief development officer for Yahoo.

Reses joins a board that includes Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, executive chairman Patrick Whitesell, Silver Lake’s Egon Durban and Stephen Evans, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Uncle Nearest CEO Fawn Weaver, and former Xerox ...

Full of campy theatrics and dramatic sartorial looks, Cruella gives the titular villainess an origin story with Emma Stone in the lead. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians franchise has long been a beloved family classic, but is this enough to warrant a sequel to this latest prequel project? 100 percent.

Almost two weeks after hitting theaters in May 2021, Disney confirmed the movie will have a follow-up. "We are very pleased with Cruella's box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance to date," a Disney spokesperson told People. "The film has been incredibly well received by audiences around the world, with a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to A's in every demographic from CinemaScore on opening weekend, ranking it among the most popular of our live-action reimaginings. We look forward to a long run as audiences continue to enjoy this fantastic film."

In August 2021, Deadline...

Emma Stone has closed a deal to star in Disney’s “Cruella” sequel, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap on Friday.

The deal comes just weeks after another top star, Scarlett Johasson, sued the studio over its hybrid release strategy for “Black Widow” — a big-budget film that, like “Cruella,” was developed for exclusive theatrical release and promised significant backend compensation based on box office grosses.

“Cruella” was released on May 28 in theaters and on Disney+, and earned more than $220 million globally. Since any sequel won’t be released for several years, it’s not clear if the film will open exclusively in theaters, on the Disney+ streaming service or in hybrid release like the first one. The studio announced the sequel in June, shortly after the film’s release.

Patrick Whitesell, executive chairman of Stone’s talent agency, Endeavor, suggested in a statement that the star’s...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Emma Stone has closed a deal to star in the sequel to Cruella, in what is a very good sign for Disney as it secures talent in the wake of some criticism of its theatrical-Disney+ Premier model.

Cruella, due to the pandemic, was released in theaters and on Disney+ PVOD tier on May 26, earning more than $222 million in worldwide ticket sales. The release of Cruella 2 is a ways off, and it’s not certain at this time whether the movie will be a pure theatrical release or like its predecessor released simultaneously in homes.

Emma Stone’s deal for Cruella 2, I hear, mutually benefits both sides especially at a time when Disney is still assessing the dynamic window model on its event titles.

Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell had this to say about the agency’s client Stone and her Cruella 2 deal.

“While the...