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Kim Masters

Editor-at-Large

Kim Masters is Editor-at-Large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW's The Business. A former correspondent for NPR, she has also served as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, TIME and Esquire, and was a staff reporter for The Washington Post. She is the author of "The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner" and the "Fall of Everybody Else," and co-author (with Nancy Griffin) of "Hit & Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood." Masters was named Print Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club in 2012. In 2018, the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists gave Masters its Distinguished Journalist Award.

More from Kim Masters

Deep Background: Behind the Scenes of the Succession Battles Roiling Hollywood

Call it executive Hunger Games: As Sony Pictures seamlessly hands over its CEO reins, Rupert Murdoch is locked into a high-stakes court battle for control of his media empire and all eyes are on the bake-off to take over for Bob Iger at Disney.

Who’s Really Going to Run Paramount?

David Ellison will soon take over as the entertainment giant’s CEO — but his mogul father, Larry, put in the $6 billion to buy it. So which Ellison will be boss? 

WME Agent Apologized to Co-workers for “Kill Them All” Text Message

The agent, Brandt Joel, told the group he wanted to address what had happened, expressed remorse for what he had done, said he deeply regretted it and holds himself responsible.

Top WME Agent at Center of Firestorm After “Screw the Left Kill All” Text Reacting to Killing of Israeli Hostages

Brandt Joel texted a now-deleted message in an unofficial WME group chat on WhatsApp.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Last-Minute Exit Sparks “Huge Amount of Outrage” Among Hollywood Producers

The Oscar winner departed Todd Haynes’ gay romance drama just five days before production began, a move insiders say makes legal action against him a likely outcome.

Jeff Shell’s Past Lingers Over Paramount’s Future

Skydance mogul David Ellison will install Jeff Shell as the incoming chief of Paramount if the sale closes. But will the former NBCUniversal chief’s firing over claims of sexual harassment complicate the move?

What’s Ailing ‘Euphoria’? Tragedy and Trauma Inside TV’s Buzziest Show

How a sudden death, a fractured partnership and mounting friction between star Zendaya and creator Sam Levinson almost derailed the HBO hit.

How Francis Ford Coppola’s Embattled ‘Megalopolis’ Finally Landed a Distributor

The $120 million epic spent months searching in vain for a backer. Lionsgate, a studio with longstanding ties to the legendary filmmaker, is stepping into the breach. But Coppola is still paying part of the tab.

David Zaslav Hires Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs as Warner Bros. Discovery Comms Chief (Exclusive)

The former Obama administration official will take over a role that has been vacant since the departure of Nathaniel Brown in January.

Why Is Shari Redstone so Upset?

Maybe Skydance's deal for Paramount isn't what she expected. Or maybe no matter what happens, she knows she can't match her father's empire-building legacy.

As Paramount Steers Into Unknown, David Ellison Woos A-Listers to Boost Flagging Bid

While Shari Redstone mulls bids for her empire, the Skydance mogul has labored — mostly in vain — to enlist backers to remind Hollywood that no one in town wants to lose another major studio.

If Shari Redstone Goes It Alone With Paramount, a Streaming Deal With Peacock Could Be Next

Should the mogul decide against a merger with David Ellison's Skydance or a cash offer from Sony-Apollo, insiders say a streaming deal with NBCUniversal may be the surest way to quiet anxious investors.