Friday, December 19, 2025
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Taylor Swift’s and Ariana Grande’s Record Label Chiefs Will Be Honored at Clive Davis’s Annual Pre-Grammy Dinner: Will They Come?

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The Grammy weekend at the end of January just got a lot more interesting.

Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy dinner — produced along with the Recording Academy — is going to honor the record label chiefs of Republic Records as Grammy Icons.

Brothers Monte and Avery Lipman run Republic, the most successful label in the business. Republic is home to Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and dozens of other stars.

Clive Davis’s gala is the gem of the Grammy weekend, celebrating 50 years. Davis puts on a show to this hot ticket event that’s unrivaled, with the biggest acts in music.

So will Swift or Grande come and be guests? Will they perform?

Recently, Monte and Avery have been appointed to lead Universal Music Group’s East Coast Collective of labels including Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records, as well as Republic Records.

So the sky’s the limit, and tickets to Davis’s dinner on January 31st at the Beverly Hilton are now going to hotter than anything in Hollywood this winter.

“Monte and Avery are proof of how far drive and dedication, combined with passion and talent, can go in this industry,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Their collective vision and unwavering will to go above and beyond for the incredible community of artists they support have made Republic Records one of the most influential labels in the world. We look forward to celebrating their impact as true industry icons at the 2026 Pre-GRAMMY Gala.”

“Monte and Avery are two of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders, and I am thrilled that they will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honorees,” said Clive Davis. “Their longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as their staunch dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have Monte and Avery’s insights and passion at the helm.”

Netflix Buys Warner Bros and HBO, CNN Remains with David Zaslav’s Discovery as Possible Sale to Paramount, Ellisons Thwarted

Who’s not getting control of CNN? The Ellisons and Donald Trump’s efforts to take another news organization after CBS have been thwarted.

In a boffo sale announced overnight, Netflix is buying Warner Bros and HBO from David Zaslav, who will keep CNN as well TNT and TBS etc in a spun off Discovery Global.

There are people in Hollywood concerned that Netflix will destroy Warner’s theatrical arm. But this could have been a lot worse if the Ellisons — whose bid included all of Warner Bros Discovery — had gotten control of CNN.

Will Netflix indeed take Warner’s out of theaters? Let’s hope not. If they can keep Warner’s as a separate company, everyone wins. Why would they destroy a 100 Year old brand? Then we’ll all be watching movies on phones and tablets.

Also, for film, Netflix already has issues with places like the Cannes Film Festival, which won’t show their films because of streaming. If Warner’s was reduced to not putting films in theaters, the eco system of the movie business would be obliterated.

But let’s be happy that the Ellisons didn’t get what they wanted. That itself is a victory.

The cash and stock transaction is valued at $27.75 per WBD share with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion).

From the press release:

“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”

Does Quentin Tarantino Have Dementia or Just Verbal Diarrhea? “Pulp Fiction” Director Breaks a Golden Rule About Dissing Actors

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Quentin Tarantino.

Does he have dementia? Suffer from verbal diarrhea?

Is he on the spectrum?

The director of “Pulp Fiction” broke the golden rule on Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast this week. He dissed popular and talented actors in a vicious way.

Tarantino said of beloved actor Paul Dano starring with Daniel Day Lewis in the acclaimed movie “There Will Be Blood”:

“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Tarantino said. “[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need a strong foil. The movie needs it. He doesn’t need anything. It’s supposed to be a two-hander and it’s not! … you put him with the the weakest fucking actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?”

WTF? Dano does a remarkable job in that movie, as he does in everything in which he’s featured. He’s one of our top talents of this generation.

Tarantino continued: “I am not saying he is giving a terrible performance, I am saying he’s giving a non-entity performance… I don’t care for him.”

This from the man who made the absolutely dreadful film, “The Hateful Eight,” two and a half hours of torture other than Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Tarantino also insulted Owen Wilson, star of Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Although he said Woody’s film was his 10th favorite of this century, he had to add: “Oddly enough, I really can’t stand Owen Wilson. I mean, I can’t stand him. And I spent the first time watching the movie loving it and hating him. The second time I watched the movie, I was like ‘Okay, don’t be such a prick. He’s not so bad. He’s not so bad.’ And then the third time I watched it I found myself watching him.”

Is Tarantino suffering from dementia? He also insulted Matthew Lillard, who did such great work in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.”

What Tarantino has done here is break the unwritten rule of not dissing working actors. It’s petty and mean spirited and designed only to be hurtful. He’s crossed a line and should make amends immediately. Maybe he can send these three guys Tom Cruise’s coconut cake for working Thetans.

As for Dano, he deserved an Oscar nom for “There Will Be Blood.” He’s been amazing in everything including “Love and Mercy,” “Dumb Money,” “The Fabelmans,” “Escape at Dannemora,” and so many others.

Tarantino is getting a major time out. Sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done.

“Wicked For Good” Bubble Bursting: Oz Sequel Slowing Down, Struggling to Hit $300 Mil, Losing 130 Theaters This Weekend

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In “Wicked for Good,” Glinda has no super powers. She just rides around in a motorized bubble.

Now that bubble looks like it might be bursting. “WFG” is slowing down at the box office.

I thought by today they’d hit $300 million, but the Universal music has had three bad weekdays. It’s stuck at $287 million in the US. Declines for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday average 80% from the same days last week.

Have all the “Wicked” fans satisfied their curiosity? Are fans going back for seconds? This weekend will be edifying as “WFG” has been pulled from 130 theaters. It’s still in a huge release — 3,985 — but “Zootopia” seems to have stolen its thunder.

Stay tuned…

Netflix Places Three Films on AFI Top 10 Movies Including “Train Dreams,” “Frankenstein,” “Jay Kelly,” No Comedies in Top 10 TV

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The American Film Institute list of top 10 movies of 2025 is out.

In a sign of the times, Netflix has placed three movies on the list. They are all excellent, too. “Frankenstein,” “Jay Kelly,” and “Train Dreams” made the cut.

Warner Bros. secured “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”

Universal and Focus Features got “Wicked For Good” and “Hamnet” and “Bugonia.”

The others were “Marty Supreme,” from A24, and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” from Disney.

The AFI snubbed Sony Pictures Classics, which had a strong hand this year.

Also honored as a special prize: Jafar Panahi and his “It Was Just An Accident.” This is because Panahi, who is Iranian, made his film in secret but still managed to be convicted in absentia by the punitive government. If he returns to Tehran — which he told me he would — Panahi would have to serve a year in jail and be banned from travel.

The AFI Top 10 TV shows are: “Adolescence,” “Andor,” “Death by Lightning,” “The Diplomat, “The Lowdown,” “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Severance,” “The Studio,” and “Task.”

Missing are comedies. No “Hacks” or “Only Murders in the Building” or “The Bear,” which isn’t a comedy anyway. Very surprising.

The AFI awards are given at a luncheon on January 9th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The lunch is one of the highlights of awards season. AFI chief Bob Gazzale always comes up with a special surprise movie star to open the event.

Meantime, Gazzale was able to get Eddie Murphy for the AFI gala next spring, a perfect choice. Eddie doesn’t like awards events, but he deserves this one and it’s encouraging that he’s on board!

Maurice DuBois Exits CBS Evening News and Network Along with John Dickerson as Bari Weiss Reshapes Network As Fox News Redux

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Maurice DuBois is out.

The CBS Evening News co-anchor says he’s leaving the show and the network on December 18th.

He’s following John Dickerson out the door.

Maurice was a beloved local New York anchor. We’d love to have him back on any channel. WCBS TV News is not the same without him.

But Bari Weiss, the new conservative head of CBS News with no television experience, is determined to reshape the network. She’s having a town meeting special with Charlie Kirk’s widow, something only Fox News would do normally.

Who will anchor the CBS Evening News next? One White Man. Bret Baier? He says no. But Weiss will definitely find someone onerous.

Pop Legend Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam Tour Cancelled Completely as US Won’t Let Him In: The Peace Train Stops Here

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If you were hoping to hop on the Peace Train, think again.

Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam has cancelled his US tour. Previously, he’d give up the promotional tour for his book.

WHy? The US won’t let him in. They don’t care if Morning Has Broken. They’re saying it’s a Wild World.

It’s hard to rationalize Cat/Yusuf. We loved him in the 70s but his turn to Islam has been fraught with political problems. His response is to plead innocence and a certain naivete. Listen, he knows the score. The first cut was the deepest.

Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams Booked for FIFA Show Tomorrow, Could Be Kennedy Center Performers

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On Friday, FIFA — the World Cup Soccer Organization — takes over the Kennedy Center in Washington for the day.

They’re having their big draft event and giving Donald Trump a phony peace prize.

The whole thing is streaming on YouTube.

The Kennedy Center’s chief Trump lackey has been accused by The Athletic of giving FIFA the facility gratis. Tricky Dick Grenell wrote a screed on Twitter claiming this wasn’t true. No one believes him.

FIFA has also lined up performers for this event. They are Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, and the UK’s Robbie Williams. Trump had advertised in October that Bocelli was coming to sing at the White House on Friday, December 5th. In reality — which escapes Trump — Bocelli is singing for FIFA.

But will the faux opera singer also be part of the Kennedy Center Honors? Could be. He’d be perfect in the tribute to Michael Crawford, singing from “Phantom of the Opera.” So, too, would be Nicole Scherzinger, who starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” last year.

Robbie Williams? Maybe he’ll stick around and sing Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Someone has to do it.

Also on the FIFA show, the Village People, whose “YMCA” is Trump’s favorite song about cruising gyms for hook ups. If the VP’s sing the song on the KCH, Trump may dance as hard as he can!

Kennedy Center Honors This Weekend: Garth Brooks Playing for KISS, All Events the Same as Ever Because New Staff Panicked

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The Kennedy Center Honors will take place on Sunday in Washington.

I’m told that Garth Brooks is going to be the musical tribute guest for the rock group KISS. A country star, Brooks seems like an odd choice but he loves KISS and has played with them before.

It’s unclear if Brooks will also play for country superstar George Strait. So far, that hasn’t come up.

The Kennedy Center is under new management with Donald Trump and tricky Dick Grenell, his lackey. Sources say the staff is so confused that regular KCH guests were not invited to the show. However, the usual weekend get togethers are going forward — like the brunch, State Dept. dinner, and W

hite House visit — all at the regular locales — “because they panicked and no one had new ideas.”

The Kennedy Center Honors look like a mess coming up. Donald Trump said he was hosting the show, but that may not be the case. He may just give opening remarks or a wave. The Center is vastly understaffed, no one knows anything, which is leading to more confusion.

The Honors are going to KISS and George Strait, plus one hit disco singer Gloria Gaynor — a Trump donor — as well as “Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford, and “Rocky” star Sylvester Stallone.

If you see something, say something. Email me at showbiz411@gmail.com.

“One Battle After Another” Captures National Board of Review, Third Prize This Week, Plus Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Rose Byrne

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Surprise! The National Board of Review went back to their old Warner Bros days and gave lots of prizes to “One Battle After Another.” Best Picture, Actor, Director, Supporting Actor.

As usual, their Breakthrough Prize went to a Black actor: Chase Infiniti, from “One Battle.”

Best Actress went to Rose Byrne from A24’s “If I had Legs I’d Kick You” because A24 has to get something big since a member of their exec suite sits on the NBR board. Did you think Jessie Buckley was going to get it?

Breakthrough director also to A24, Eva Victor for “Sorry Baby.”

Listen, it could have been a lot worse. Not much for “Marty Supreme,” which I thought would be the NBR’s big score (also A24). So I reward them for their restraint!

Best Picture: “One Battle After Another”

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams

Best Animated Feature: Arco

Best International Film: It Was Just an Accident

Best Documentary: Cover-Up

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners

Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

TOP FILMS (in alphabetical order)

Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Rental Family
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good

TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL FILMS (in alphabetical order)

Left-Handed Girl
The Love That Remains
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

TOP 5 DOCUMENTARIES (in alphabetical order)

2000 Meters to Andriivka
Come See Me in the Good Light
My Mom Jayne
Natchez
Orwell: 2+2=5

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS (in alphabetical order)

The Baltimorons
Bring Her Back
Father Mother Sister Brother
Friendship
Good Boy
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
The Mastermind
Rebuilding
Sorry, Baby
Urchin