Joker Sequelitis, Kamala’s Alt-Media Blitz, Pennsylvania Pain Points

Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your daily dose of Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Lauren Sherman uncovers the latest M&A murmurs and incessant succession speculation consuming the fashion world as Bernard Arnault begins clearing the executive decks at LVMH for Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric, and Jean—the kids who will ultimately inherit his global luxury conglomerate.

Plus, below the fold: John Ourand anticipates the looming ESPN-MLB media rights knife fight. Peter Hamby talks to Appalachian mayor Zeb Smathers about the MAGA disinformation epidemic disrupting Helene relief efforts. Scott Mendelson breaks down the embarrassing Joker: Folie á Deux box office flop, while Matt Belloni explains why it’s merely a stain on the jacket for filmmaker Todd Phillips. And Shirley Halperin chronicles how Hollywood is still struggling to grapple with October 7.

Meanwhile, in the Puck podcasting universe… Lauren and beloved designer Scott Sternberg diagnose Saoirse Ronan’s stylist change-up and debate Virgil Abloh’s legacy on Fashion People. On Somebody’s Gotta Win, Tara Palmeri chats with CNN’s David Urban and Congressman Brendan Boyle about the latest political drama emanating from Pennsylvania. On The Town, Matt and Lucas Shaw assess the fresh executive shake-up at Sony Pictures. And on The Powers That Be, John Heilemann and Dylan Byers evaluate the impact of a potential October surprise.

LAUREN SHERMAN

Bernard Arnault has begun clearing the executive decks for the next generation—Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric, and Jean—amid growing anticipation of another sale and fresh acquisition targets as the fashion world braces for change.

JOHN OURAND

ESPN, understandably miffed by the league’s much cheaper deals with other platforms, wants it both ways—to decrease the cost of its current rights package and also get its mitts on local broadcasts to power its forthcoming streaming service. Can both sides coexist happily?

PETER HAMBY

Amid the historic destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, high-profile MAGA influencers have flooded social media with wild claims about the federal response, hindering relief efforts. Zeb Smathers, the Democratic mayor of Canton, offers the view from the ground.

SCOTT MENDELSON

At one point, a big-budget follow-up movie that grossed less than the original was an anomaly. But with The Marvels and now Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s becoming a trend.