Jumpstart: Your Week Ahead in Hollywood -Jan 5, 2026
This week, the industry pivots from the holiday box office to the kickoff of awards season, with two major ceremonies set to define the early Oscar contenders. Meanwhile, HBO and other streamers are rolling out their first big plays of the new year.
Netflix folds. Paramount wins WBD. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms sticks the landing. Project Hail Mary first reactions are extraordinary. And Glen Powell's new movie is dead.
IP Surveillance #20: The Paramount-WBD Leviathan
Netflix walks away. Paramount wins. The merger that changes everything — plus Tayari Jones, a Trotsky thriller, and a video game franchise finally going live-action.
Friday Briefing #19: The Last Studio Standing
The bidding war for Warner Bros. enters its final stretch. Plus: Presidents Day box office, SAG-AFTRA talks, Spirit Awards, and why micro-dramas are a billion-dollar problem.
IP Surveillance #19: The debut boom
Five debut thrillers with adaptation DNA, a grown-up Nancy Drew, podcasts built for the screen, and a Guardian long read about a novelist who may have stolen a woman's life.
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Hollywood Signal is the anti-gossip newsletter for decision-makers — distilling market data, buyer mandates, and trend analytics into a weekly briefing that helps execs, producers, and creators green-light, pitch, or pivot.