Entertainment industry reporter @wsj. Formerly AI Editor. My podcast: "With Great Power." My book: "The Big Picture." My email: ben.fritz@wsj.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlvsveqxj22kJealous of this journalist.15 May 2026 17:05 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvsveqxj22khttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mltfjafbgc24Disney CFO Hugh Johnston on declines in international visits to domestic theme parks: "Outside of Canada we’re seeing things improving." https://static.klipy.com/ii/d7aec6f6f171607374b2065c836f92f4/09/5a/lJjHpUgO.gif?hh=216&ww=288&mp4=DWLF8KjZWAVAXRnI2&webm=26MCin4MOkiXnElz14 May 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltfjafbgc24https://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlteu2iodk24Disney CFO Hugh Johnston on the future of Disney+: "Over time the parks will be integrated into all that... My expectation is it is a portal into all things entertainment over time. I think it’ll be bigger than just Disney in terms of bundling and the way things come together."14 May 2026 17:48 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlteu2iodk24https://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mltebc35dc24Disney CFO Hugh Johnston at an investor conference asked about how to get Disney's stagnant stock price up: "As much as you guys want it, I assure you I want it more than you do for both professional and personal reasons."14 May 2026 17:37 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltebc35dc24https://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlqudci4gc2chttps://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-was-behind-now-its-the-ai-booms-front-runner-5020f621?st=zxUXc6&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink13 May 2026 17:47 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqudci4gc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlo7urkeqk2qInteresting insight on Hollywood's content recession from a Bernstein analysis of Disney. This includes spending on sports, but sports rights certainly haven't gotten cheaper in the past few years.12 May 2026 16:36 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlo7urkeqk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlo7267xvs2qVin Diesel exaggerating about upcoming Fast & Furious projects?! What's next? The sky will be be blue???12 May 2026 16:21 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlo7267xvs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlmiboclxs23Trump passed a stack of news articles he and other senior officials thought threatened national security to Blanche with a sticky note on it that said “treason.” https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trumps-complaints-about-iran-war-leaks-prompt-aggressive-doj-investigations-b5d31c13?st=DikLWR&reflink=article_copyURL_share12 May 2026 00:01 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmiboclxs23https://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mllrt32xx22bThe Los Angeles subway has finally opened by my office and I got to read and think on the way to the office for the first time since I worked at the LA Times downtown long ago.11 May 2026 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllrt32xx22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlefwrwics2lSeeing "Backrooms" with a Gen Z-er was a very enlightening experience08 May 2026 18:57 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlefwrwics2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mldyisgkq22jMost big streaming services are plateauing. Sony's Crunchyroll grew nearly 25%(!!!) in the past year. Latest sign of how once-niche anime has become a white-hot business, appealing to young people bored by what Hollywood has to offer. https://www.wsj.com/business/media/hollywoods-hottest-business-is-once-niche-anime-4d26ca5e?st=z11wkv&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink08 May 2026 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldyisgkq22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mlbtpmhdgc2dChief Financial Officer Roxanne Warner said U.S. consumer confidence nosedived to historically low levels, driven by worries over the rising cost of living, after the war began Feb. 28. https://www.wsj.com/business/earnings/the-iran-war-is-crushing-whirlpools-profitsand-higher-prices-are-coming-98dd10bc?st=12KuUV&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink07 May 2026 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbtpmhdgc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3ml7bubjcnk2eAn interesting (though not shocking if you've ever spoken to him) detail in Josh D'Amaro's letter to shareholders and first earnings call was how many times he mentioned video games -- a business that Disney is barely in right now.06 May 2026 18:01 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7bubjcnk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3ml75xpxri22eDisney's new CEO Josh D'Amaro for the first time lays out his vision in a nearly 3,000 word letter that looks a lot like the ones Netflix puts on top of its earnings reports. https://www.wsj.com/business/earnings/disney-dis-q2-earnings-report-2026-b6102f6c?st=icUMtW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink06 May 2026 16:51 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml75xpxri22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkxy3prj3c2yFranchises like Marvel and Fast & Furious are waning, but there's a new gravitational force drawing people to the box office... https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nostalgia-powers-big-debut-for-the-devil-wears-prada-2-d65c000f?st=yxv6Xi&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink03 May 2026 20:18 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkxy3prj3c2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkti7gkqfc2gThe day they said would never come. Anything could happen now. Maybe Chris Nolan will make a movie for Netflix! https://www.wsj.com/business/media/netflix-in-a-first-plans-full-theatrical-release-for-narnia-e1ee625b?st=jya2S5&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink02 May 2026 01:23 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkti7gkqfc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mknkqvx2j22oShot. Chaser.29 Apr 2026 16:52 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mknkqvx2j22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkilzpsils2nWe all know a night out at the movies has gotten expensive, but when I saw Regal charged $50 (not a typo!) for opening night tickets to see "Dune: Part III" in Imax 70mm film, I knew I had to do a story. https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-50-movie-ticket-has-arrived-42251672?st=VuttoZ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink27 Apr 2026 17:32 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkilzpsils2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkbhgdx42c2i@wgawest.bsky.social WGA members ratified their deal with the studios by a vote of 90% to 10%24 Apr 2026 21:21 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkbhgdx42c2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkbfj2dmkc2iBig news on the "Miami Vice" movie, the next "Mummy" movie, "Untitled Universal Event Film" and "Untitled Blumhouse Event Film."24 Apr 2026 20:47 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkbfj2dmkc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mkb55x2wcc2uWhen I interviewed producer Graham King about "Michael," he said, "Critics notoriously don't like biopics. You can never win. Let's let the audience talk and see how see how they enjoy it." I guess he saw this coming!24 Apr 2026 18:17 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkb55x2wcc2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mk7nlqqhcc2iThis seems bad if you think employee morale matters. https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/behind-metas-huge-layoffs-is-a-relentless-shift-toward-ai-97d99b54?st=wUXgoy&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink24 Apr 2026 04:06 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk7nlqqhcc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mk4vja7vm225This must be how Bhatman funds his war on crime.23 Apr 2026 01:50 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk4vja7vm225https://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mk3zzfnt6s2kYou thought "Michael' was getting terrible reviews, but the Lionsgate marketing team found some great ones on social media.22 Apr 2026 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3zzfnt6s2khttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mk2gvkffjs2qImagine shooting a $150 million movie then finding out, oops, the entire third act is unusable because of a legal settlement from the 1990s. The full story on the making, and remaking, of "Michael" (and why it'll probably be a hit despite awful reviews) https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-michael-jackson-biopic-that-nearly-blew-up-is-poised-to-be-a-hit-12315f64?st=jqgQDz&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink22 Apr 2026 02:23 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk2gvkffjs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mjzaosdolc2vLAUSD considering the idea that maybe kindergarteners shouldn't be using iPads at school. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-21/lausd-screen-time-limits-school-classrooms-los-angeles21 Apr 2026 14:59 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzaosdolc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mjpfhqe2zc2cIf you like ads on movie screens, you'll love them in movie theater lobbies! https://www.ncm.com/post/premium-in-lobby-media-network-coming-to-285-movie-theatres-nationwide-in-a-new-initiative-from-ncm17 Apr 2026 16:58 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjpfhqe2zc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mjnsu5ayq22xOf course the fans in Las Vegas lost their minds over the new "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer. But the biggest surprise that had people talking after Disney's presentation was a riveting sequence from 20th Century's "Whalefall"17 Apr 2026 01:52 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjnsu5ayq22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mjnrx7ahjc2xA sampling of the decades-old franchises coming back to theaters in the next year whose stars made age jokes at CinemaCon: Fockers, Practical Magic, Jackass, Spaceballs, Toy Story, Ice Age17 Apr 2026 01:36 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjnrx7ahjc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/benfritz.bsky.social/post/3mjnkvfwdv22cSince "Avengers: Doomsday" won't be playing in Imax, which is giving all its screens on Dec. 18 to "Dune: Part III," Disney is trying to market all the PLF screens as "Infinity Vision." Interesting to see if theaters decide to use this branding for their many different PLFs16 Apr 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:vtq6cmbqc4az2fkf73re5ssl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjnkvfwdv22c