Strictly Business

Strictly Business

Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.

Episodes

January 12, 2026 16 mins

On today’s episode, Variety's Rebecca Rubin breaks down the weekend box office and encouraging starts for Paramount’s “Primate” and Neon’s “No Other Choice.” And host Cynthia Littleton offers reporter's notebook observations after a week that started with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and ended with the Golden Globe Awards swirl in Hollywood.

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Today's episode includes highlights from Variety’s two-day summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Actors Simon Helberg and Billy Magnussen preview AMC Network’s Silicon Valley-set dramedy “The Audacity,” and a rare one-on-one conversation with Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood.

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On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, Variety’s Daniel D’Addario discusses his revelatory profile of Jodie Foster. And Marc Malkin has a Red Carpet Rundown from the Golden Globes' Golden Eve celebration of Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Mirren.

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On today’s episode, as Los Angeles marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff details the cathartic process of writing his new book, “Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster.”

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Jazz Tangcay explains why the 98th annual Academy Awards may well mark a breakthrough moment for female cinematographers. 

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On today’s episode, we’ll break down the holiday box office with Variety’s Rebecca Rubin. It was a bountiful end of the year for exhibitors. And Todd Spangler does some crystal ball gazing with Variety’s predictions for 2026.

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"Strictly Business" co-host Andrew Wallenstein traveled to Israel last month to take part in Jerusalem Sessions, a first-time festival where local TV and film pros discussed how to contend with the dark cloud that has been cast over their industry since Oct. 7, 2023.

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On today’s episode, showbiz historians David Monod and Peter Rader describe the entertainment marketplace as it existed in 1905, the year Variety began publishing in New York. The pair have great insights into how the past has informed the present in the world that Variety has covered for 12 decades and counting.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Clayton Davis and Michael Schneider unpack Hollywood’s latest big surprise – the Oscar telecast’s move to YouTube starting in 2029. And Marc Malkin gets the details from "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie about how his big break happened and what he advised his mother about watching the HBO Max hockey drama.

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On today’s episode, we dive into the creation of Variety’s 120th anniversary issue with deputy editor Trish Deitch and design director Ted Keller. The two discuss how we tackled 12 decades of showbiz history – and why the discovery of a long-forgotten photo of Liberace and Michael Jackson sparked joy in the newsroom.

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On today’s episode, we go back in time to December 16, 1905, to celebrate Variety’s 120th birthday. Showbiz historians David Monod and Peter Rader explain what the entertainment marketplace was like at the time Variety was born.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Marc Malkin helps put Rob Reiner’s legacy and impact in Hollywood into perspective. And Rebecca Rubin breaks down the weekend box office as “Zootopia 2” reclaims the No. 1 spot and “Ella McKay” stumbles.

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On today’s episode, Cinema United CEO Michael O’Leary addresses the alarm among exhibitors at the prospect of Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. and HBO. He also discusses the state of moviegoing and points to some positive signs that have emerged amid a rocky year at the box office.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Peter Debruge and Matt Donnelly break down the Sundance lineup and what to expect at the festival’s nostalgic final outing in Park City, Utah. And Jennifer Maas previews The Game Awards to explain how the event has grown into the Oscars for video games by blending kudos and ballyhoo.

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On today’s episode, Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of Cinema United, discusses the state of moviegoing and the reaction among exhibitors to the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery news. He unpacks why movie theater owners are so worried about Netflix taking the keys to Hollywood’s biggest producer of theatrical films.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Gene Maddaus discusses the opposition in the entertainment industry that has assembled to fight Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. and HBO. And Alex Ritman reports on the scene at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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On today’s episode, Paramount Skydance goes hostile for Warner Bros. Discovery. Will David Ellison bust up WBD’s engagement to Netflix? And Variety's Brent Lang breaks down the weekend box office as “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” adds another win for video game adaptations on the big screen.

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'Apt.' co-writer Theron Thomas discusses the ins and outs of being one of the music industry's most consistently successful songwriters. He reminisces on his early days making music in his native St. Thomas, and he traces his career trajectory to the present day.

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On today’s episode, we hear from Brooke Zaugg, executive director of Faith & Media Initiative, on the coalition’s work to influence portrayals of spirituality and people of faith in media and pop culture. And Variety’s Marc Malkin talks with Richard Gere about his new documentary on the Dalai Lama, “Wisdom of Happiness.”

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Jem Aswad details our annual Hitmakers issue, featuring cover star Sabrina Carpenter. He details the year-long effort that goes into assembling the survey of the year’s top 25 tunes. And Todd Spangler gives us an update on the state of bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery.

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