| | | | | | What's news: There are still a few hours of 2024 left, so sneaking in before the deadline is a rundown of THR's Best Of content from this year, including films, TV, comics, arts and culture and more! Happy New Year in advance and see you in 2025! — Abid Rahman
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THR's Review of '24: Part 1 ►Over the last 12 months, THR has published stories that have led the conversation in Hollywood — below are some of the highlights. If you want to see more great stories that moved the needle in 2024, click here.
—Billionaires won't save media. The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Condé Nast, Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, New York Daily News, National Geographic, The Baltimore Sun and many more media orgs have all seen layoffs, cost-cutting, labor walkouts or bleak prognosticating. In January, THR's Alex Weprin wrote that the grim times across the media industry are reminiscent of 2008 — but unlike then, insiders are less optimistic this time about any sort of recovery. The story.
—"Jobs are going to be lost." Tyler Perry had been planning a $800m expansion of his studio in Atlanta. However, in February, we learned that those ambitions were put on hold — thanks to the rapid developments Perry was seeing with AI, including OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora, which debuted Feb. 15 and stunned Hollywood. THR's Katie Kilkenny spoke to Perry on about the new tools, noting that his productions might not have to travel to locations or build sets with the assistance of the technology: "Actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing." The interview.
—Marvel shocker! In March, THR's Borys Kit and Aaron Couch had the big scoop that Marvel Studios has fired X-Men 97 creator Beau DeMayo ahead of the show’s March 20 debut on Disney+. Borys and Aaron had earlier had the scoop that Marvel and DeMayo suddenly parted ways. His company email was deactivated and cast and crew were informed he was no longer on the project. The story.
—"Just no way to position this movie." Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis was one of the year's biggest box office flops, grossing just $14m on a reported $120m budget the legendary filmmaker funded himself. In April, before Megalopolis' Cannes premiere, the warning signs were flashing bright. Kim Masters, Seth Abramovitch and Pamela McClintock talked to industry insiders about the prospects of the film, with many presciently judging that the epic was too "experimental" and "not good" enough for the $100m marketing spend Coppola had envisioned. The story.
—"It’s hurtful. But I have no regrets." In a May cover story, THR's co-editor-in-chief Maer Roshan spoke with Andy Cohen, who was in the midst of legal issues related to the phenomenally successful Real Housewives franchise. With ex-Bravo stars hurling charges (and lawsuits) over alleged sexism, racism and substance abuse on set, Cohen, the network's golden boy, told Maer that he was having the time of his life celebrating 15 years as the host of Watch What Happens Live. The story.
—"Go watch something else." In June, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke spoke to THR's Mikey O'Connell about turning Amazon's darkly comic satire into a franchise — and spoofing a certain trial and presidential election in the new season. Kripke didn't hold back, revealing he’s fine losing the viewers who missed the obvious references to the dangers of Trumpism and just figured out his social agenda with the show. The interview. |
THR's Review of '24: Part 2 ►Ouch. In July, THR's Pamela McClintock had the big scoop on Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 being pulled from the release calendar, after the $100m budgeted Chapter 1 bombed at the box office. Chapter 2 was all set for an Aug. 16 theatrical release, but after numerous discussions, Costner’s Territory Pictures and distribution partner New Line Cinema made the decision to switch up their ambitious release plan. The story.
—"Fuck these Trump-loving techies." Big Tech oligarchs like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen backed Donald Trump to the hilt in the recent presidential election. Back in August, right in the heat of election season, THR's Benjamin Svetkey wrote about L.A.'s liberal moguls, energized by the ascendance of Kamala Harris, getting back in the fight against the Silicon Valley billionaire boys club in an ultimately futile political clash of the titans. The story.
—"They're destroying their leases and walking away." Tesla was in the news, a lot, in 2024, and not just for the hijinx of the company's errant CEO. In September, Tesla was planning a reveal of its self-driving robotaxi on the Warner Bros. lot amid widespread anger in the industry over Elon Musk and his politics. For THR, Brett Berk looked at how liberals were souring on the brand, with Tesla going from "It car" to a pariah in Hollywood. The story.
—Why everyone in Hollywood feels stuck. There’s a mounting resentment among young (or young-er) Hollywood. There are myriad reasons for the malaise gripping the town — the lingering aftereffects of the pandemic, the industry-wide economic shrinkage, the labor unrest, the waves and waves of layoffs. But a lot of young executives also are casting weary glances at the aging eminences who’ve been occupying Hollywood’s C-suites seemingly forever. That promotion isn’t happening. Forget that raise. And your Boomer boss isn’t vacating that corner office anytime soon. In October, THR's Mia Galuppo went inside Hollywood’s Great Malaise. The story.
—Who makes how much. In November, Natalie Jarvey's survey on Hollywood salaries had the whole town talking. Yes, the usual caveats apply: Paychecks vary widely even among industry pros with similar titles. But, generally, from the C-suite to the studio lot trendlines emerge. From stylist to star and all the professions in between that make the industry work, here's a (still relevant) snapshot of Hollywood paychecks. The story.
—"This is a place that I haven’t been." In a December cover story, THR's Rebecca Keegan spoke to Nicole Kidman, Hollywood's inexhaustible star who opened up about fronting six major projects in 2024 including The Perfect Couple, Lioness, Expats, Spellbound, A Family Affair and the startlingly hypersexual role in Halina Reijn's Babygirl. The feature tied in with Kidman being honored with THR’s Sherry Lansing Leadership Award for her professional and philanthropic contributions. The story. |
Best of the Big Screen ►Best films. THR's film reviewers — David Rooney, Jon Frosch and Lovia Gyarkye — got together to pick the standout features of 2024. A heady rush of romantic addiction, a transcendent reflection on community, a searing refugee drama and an empathetic portrait of fury rank among the favorites of the year. The films.
—Best film performances. David and Lovia celebrate the most dazzling screen turns of the year — from a furious Marianne Jean-Baptiste to a kinky Nicole Kidman, a towering Adrien Brody to a magnetic Denzel Washington. The performances.
—Best breakout film performances. This year saw no shortage of major-name actors giving performances that rank among the best of their careers. However, plenty of under-the-radar actors shone in 2024’s movies, from “complete unknowns” through stalwart supporting-rank troopers to name talent perhaps previously underestimated. David Rooney picks 15 favorite breakouts, with one extra thanks to a double entry. The performances. |
Best of the Small Screen ►Best TV shows. THR's TV critics Daniel Fienberg and Angie Han pick their TV faves from 2024, including a surreal trip through New York, a sweet slice-of-life comedy, a heartfelt sports doc and a slew of sumptuous literary adaptations. The shows.
—Best TV performances. Daniel and Angie celebrate their favorite small-screen turns of the year, from character actors getting their day in the sun and relative newcomers in star-making turns to familiar faces plumbing fresh depths. The performances.
—Best TV episodes. Daniel and Angie run down their favorite small-screen installments of the year, including an impassioned and insightful documentary, a breathless Christmas detour, a brilliant fake finale and a couple of real ones. The episodes. |
Best of the Rest ►Best albums. From a stunningly ambitious history lesson to a career high from an R&B icon to standout debuts from two rising stars, THR’s music editor Mesfin Fekadu picks his favorite releases. The albums.
—Best songs. From a scathing diss track-turned-international banger to a duet featuring two pop queens to an R&B groove bursting with '90s nostalgia, Mesfin picks his favorite bops of the year. The songs.
—Best of arts and culture. An uproarious revisionist take on history, a charming stop-motion feature and a particularly juicy season of reality television are among the picks by THR’s arts and culture critic Lovia Gyarkye. The selection.
—Best photos. A selection of the best images published by THR in 2024, featuring the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Steven Spielberg, Kristen Wiig, Glen Powell, Demi Lovato, Ego Nwodim, 50 Cent, and many more. The gallery.
—Best comics. After a pandemic boom and a post-pandemic bust, the comic book and graphic novel industry came roaring back in 2024. Comics that remix popular superheroes, a graphic novel memoir about taking care of a parent, and a manga featuring an organ-hunting cybergirl make THR Heat Vision's hot list. And so do those giant robots in disguise. The comics.
—Best-dressed. From Cynthia Erivo's green revolution to Zendaya's foul balls, THR's resident style czar Alison Edmond picks the year's red carpet fashion hits. The looks.
—Best and worst. This year’s Winners and Losers list might sting a bit — particularly for Hollywood progressives. You might not love some of these winners. You might not like us saying that certain names lost this year. It’s perhaps appropriate, with Donald Trump being reelected, that our annual rundown reads a bit like Revenge of the Canceled. But the people have spoken and here we are. The list.
In other news...
—Best New Year’s Eve specials to watch online
—How to watch CNN's New Year's Eve Live 2025 with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen online
—How to stream Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2025 for free
Abid's top non-THR stories of 2024 (that he can remember) ...
—Former Boston Globe writer Patrick Fealey offers a haunting personal account of being homeless in America [Esquire]
—Jeffrey Goldberg had a jaw-dropping story outlining Trump's shocking views on the military, as well as more on John Kelly revealing the former president's admiration for Hitler — although ultimately, and rather shockingly, none of this mattered [Atlantic]
—Clare Malone monocle-popping profile of Robert Kennedy Jr. in August included all the dead bear cub stuff [New Yorker]
—Patrick Radden Keefe's reported on the death of teenager Zac Brettler in London and his grieving parents discovering that their son had been posing as an oligarch's son [New Yorker]
—Emily Glazer and Kirsten Grind reported that Elon Musk's use of illegal drugs — including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine — was worrying the management at Tesla and SpaceX [WSJ]
Today...
...in 2014, A24 released J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year in theaters. The crime drama, starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, and Albert Brooks, was a big critical hit, though it failed to garner any Oscar recognition. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Anthony Hopkins (🏴87), Ben Kingsley (81), Val Kilmer (65), Hunter Schafer (26), Bebe Neuwirth (66), Gong Li (59), Taylor Hackford (80), Nicholas Sparks (59), Tim Matheson (77), James Remar (71), Claire Lautier (55), Priscilla C. Shirer (50), Ricky Whittle (45), Marta Hazas (47), Vernon Wells (79), Sarah Miles (83), Valentina Vargas (60), Barbara Carrera (79), Susan Wokoma (37), Elaine Cassidy (45), Rebecca Rigg (57), Jane Badler (71), Steve Byers (45), Chandra West (54), Denée Benton (33), Lara Silva (35), Brian Howe (67), Erich Bergen (39) |
| | John R. Countryman, who billed as the child actor Johnny Russell appeared in films with Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power, Shirley Temple and Jimmy Stewart before serving as a U.S. diplomat and ambassador in the Middle East and Africa, has died. He was 91. The obituary. |
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