What I’m Hearing: Will Smith’s Rehab & Zaz-DC Tea Leaves

PREVIEW VERSION

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Welcome back to a terrifying Halloween edition of What I’m Hearing, and apologies for skipping Thursday’s issue: I was down with a (non-Covid!) cold. As always, if this email was forwarded to you, become a proud member of the WIH community by clicking here.

Discussed in this issue: James Gunn, Will Smith, Cate Blanchett, Chris Licht, Bob Beitcher, James Cameron, David Zaslav, Steven Spielberg, Kathy Kennedy and some Star Wars conspiracy theories…

But first…

Who Won the (Spooky) Week: Sean Bailey

The Disney film chief’s Hocus Pocus 2 scored the largest movie debut of all time on streaming, with 2.7 billion minutes viewed in its first week, per Nielsen. Should HP2 have gone to theaters first? Probably, but still...

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The Will Smith Image Rehab Tour, Sponsored By Apple

If anyone wonders whether there are consequences in Hollywood for bad behavior, just juxtapose Smith’s seamless redemption tour for Emancipation with what people were saying about him after the Slap at the Oscars.

MATTHEW BELLONI

Mark your calendar! I’m told that Apple has set Nov. 30 for the big Westwood premiere of Will Smith’s Emancipation. That’s the night when the star, who hit an Oscars presenter in March and subsequently received a 10 year ban from the awards show, is expected to instead hit the red carpet—his carefully choreographed image rehab officially complete. Eight months from industry pariah to pretty much normal. Not bad!...

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FOUR STORIES WE’RE TALKING ABOUT