James Frey's Blog, page 10

The Last Tycoons

from The Hollywood Reporter

The Incredible Shrinking Studio Chief

High-flying execs are dropping like flies right now — at Amazon MGM, and possibly at Warner Bros. — turning what was once the most coveted job in Hollywood into one of the riskiest. 

BY PETER KIEFER, BORYS KIT

While it seems unlikely that any corner of the entertainment industry will be spared from being skewered during the 10-episode run of Apple TV+’s new satirical comedy series The Studio, the primary vehicle by which its creators interrogate the current malaise afflicting Hollywood is through the eyes of a modern-day studio executive. Like any great satirist, Seth Rogen, who plays an angst-ridden studio chief, is dancing — at times hilariously — around an IRL question: Has there ever been a more challenging and unpleasant time to be a studio executive than today?

It’s undoubtedly a question that former Amazon MGM Studio chief Jen Salke was asking herself March 27 when she was pushed out after seven years on the job. It’s also likely one that Warner Bros. Pictures co-heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are mulling as they try to swat away rumors that they might be next. And it was on the minds of the dozen current and former executives who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to vent about their profession.

[ click to continue reading at THR ]

Fuck Rock

from Authors Equity

You can’t hand-deliver books to Rock Center.

And other lessons from our first year.

by AUTHORS EQUITY

Author dinner with James Frey.

Hi, all.

A year ago today, I was part of a tiny sleep-deprived band setting out on the streets of midtown Manhattan to test a theory. The theory was simply this: after chasing scale for most of our corporate careers, we thought we could get further faster by running the other way.

Instead of getting big, we’d go deep. Deep into a small list of books with a small list of authors. Instead of leaning on organizational heft, we’d see how far organizational agility would get us.

We met with a host of literary agencies all around town and basically said: trust us, we can do this, really. It’s a miracle anyone said yes — but enough of them did that it let us take our first steps, make our first books, sell our first books, achieve our first bestsellers.

We’ve added a few colleagues, but we can still all fit on a zoom screen and around the table in our one-room office. Still small by any normal definition of company size. But when you add the authors who’ve embraced us and the partners of all kinds who’ve helped us, we feel big indeed.

[ click to continue reading at Authors Equity ]

Greatest Goal Ever

Hackman Gone

from The Atlantic

There Was Never a Movie Star Like Gene Hackman

Story by David Sims

In 1956, an aspiring young actor named Gene Hackman joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, struggling to find a way into a field he’d been fascinated with since childhood. Hackman, who was born in 1930, had already served five years in the Marine Corps, then bounced around New York, Florida, Illinois, and other places without much luck. His good friend at Pasadena was another ambitious performer, Dustin Hoffman; together, they were voted “least likely to succeed” by their peers before washing out and moving back to New York to try scratching out a living. Even at the age of 26, Hackman’s hardscrabble features meant he looked like the furthest thing from a marquee idol—he seemed destined to be a bit player at best.

But over the next 50-odd years, Hackman would become the greatest, coolest, earthiest star of what’s now known as New Hollywood: an everyman who defined a generation of moviemaking better than anyone else.

[ click to continue reading at The Atlantic n

Saunders’ Release

from the Observer

A Treasure Trove of Old Master Works Could Fetch $120 Million or More This May

The auction of fifty-six works once owned by Thomas A. Saunders III and his wife Jordan is expected to break the record set by the $76 million Fisch Davidson collection sale in 2023.

By Elisa Carollo 

Francesco Guardi’s Venice, a View of the Punta della Dogana and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, one of a pair of works estimated to sell together for $10-15 million. Sotheby’s

In May, Sotheby’s will present a dedicated auction featuring one of the most significant Old Masters collections to come to market in recent years. Assembled by Thomas Saunders III and his wife, Jordan Saunders, the collection is expected to achieve between $80 million and $120 million. Comprising fifty-six works, Elegance & Wonder: Masterpieces from the Collection of Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III is expected to break the record for any Old Masters sale at auction, surpassing the $76 million benchmark set by the Fisch Davidson collection in 2023.

“The Saunders were extremely dedicated, determined collectors. They collected Old Masters in earnest and were solely focused on buying what they loved, with a real eye for beauty and a focus on quality,” Wachter told Observer. “They assembled a one-of-a-kind collection spanning still life, landscapes, portraits and more. Helping to assemble their collection is a true bright spot in my career, and it was an honor for me to help guide them through their collecting journey.”

[ click to continue reading at Observer ]

The Blue Ghost

from SPACE

Sunrise on the moon! Private Blue Ghost lander captures amazing shot after historic lunar touchdown (photo)

By Andrew Jones

Sunrise on the moon, as seen by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. Firefly posted this photo on X on March 3, 2025. (Image credit: Firefly Aerospace)

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has captured a gorgeous shot of sunrise on the moon as it begins its workday on the lunar surface.

Blue Ghost aced its lunar landing attempt on Sunday (March 2), setting down close to Mons Latreille, a solitary lunar peak in the vast basin Mare Crisium (“Sea of Crises”) in the northeastern region of the moon’s near side.

And the spacecraft is already getting to work, starting up its science payloads and capturing amazing images of its surroundings and the distant Earth from the lunar surface.

[ click to continue reading at SPACE ]

The Great Nike Robbery

from the Los Angeles Times

Inside the Mojave Desert train heists targeting Nike sneakers

by Alex Wigglesworth

A BNSF train in Arizona. (Walter Homann / Construction Photography / Avalon / Getty Images)

The thieves stealthily board eastbound freight trains, hiding out until they reach lonely stretches of the Mojave Desert or high plains far from towns. They slash an air brake hose, causing the mile-long line of railcars to screech to an emergency stop.

Then, they go shopping.

That’s the modus operandi described by investigators in a string of at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in California and Arizona since last March. All but one resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers, their combined value approaching $2 million, according to investigators.

[ click to continue reading at LA Times ]

They really shouldn’t cinch that rope so tight around the bull’s balls and whatnot.

Tom & Iggy Smoke Cigarettes

AI Crocs

from Fast Company

Crocs just found the perfect use case for AI

AI Jibbitz are here. Dream big.

BY HUNTER SCHWARZ

[Photo: courtesy of Ablo]

There are plenty of questionable examples of companies shoehorning useless artificial intelligence features into their products (Meta’s AI-powered profiles say hello!), but finally, Crocs has found one that actually makes sense. The casual footwear brand has partnered with ABLO, an AI fashion design platform, to let people use AI to design their own Jibbitz charms. 

Crocs are already all about customization, a strategy that’s helped Crocs, Inc. grow its revenue 4% over last year. Jibbitz charms, which can be plugged into the holes on the shoes’ upper and heel strap, add an extra layer of personalization, and AI takes that to the next level.

“We have Jibbitz for everyone—from teachers to gamers to healthcare workers—and we are now giving our fans the option to design one-of-a-kind charms using ABLO’s AI technology, taking customization to the next level,” Crocs brand president Anne Mehlman tells Fast Company.

[ click to continue reading at FC ]