The Hollywood Reporter 100: The Most Powerful People in Entertainment 2018

Ronan Farrow

Farrow earned his place on this list by rewriting its highest ranks: His persistence in bringing to light accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct by Hollywood titans has set off an industry earthquake, earning him hero status and media stardom (including a multi-doc deal at HBO), not to mention awards (no less than a Pulitzer, along with Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor of The New York Times, for reporting that uncovered decades of predation by Harvey Weinstein, spurring the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements). His first report about Leslie Moonves in July, detailing accusations of misconduct and retaliation by the CBS chief, was a body blow. His second, containing far more serious allegations, served to dispatch one of the most powerful execs in media. And Farrow, 30, is not done; his book Catch and Kill will detail just how far the powerful will go to silence and terrorize victims.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "I can barely think past my next deadline, please stop stressing me out with this 2019 talk."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “Hopefully, increasingly: impunity.” 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Lose terribly at Mario Kart."

Elisabeth Moss

Thanks to a portfolio that includes Mad Men, Top of the Lake and The Handmaid's Tale, for which she is two-time 2017 Emmy winner and a hands-on producer, Moss, 36, has become the undisputed "Queen of Peak TV." Now, she's leveraging that status into film roles (see her forthcoming mob drama The Kitchen, opposite Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy) and TV passion projects (Hulu’s already released dance doc, Ballet Now).

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "Any Salinger character."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “More sleep.”

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Max Richter or Rihanna."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Ann Dowd

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Watch The Office or anything by Armando Iannucci."

David Ellison

After stumbles including 2017's Geostorm, Ellison's banner landed another hit with Mission: Impossible — Fallout, which saw a franchise-high $61.5 million domestic debut in July and has earned $761 million worldwide. Ellison, 35, is staying in the Tom Cruise business with the Top Gun sequel and has teamed with Netflix on 6 Underground.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go flying."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “Time with friends and family.”

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY Bill Clinton

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Country music."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … David Geffen

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "The memory of Tom Sherak."

Jon M. Chu

Riding high on his record-breaking Warner Bros.' romcom Crazy Rich Asians ($188 million), he'll next direct the adaptation of In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical. Chu, 38, is also set to direct and exec produce a series inspired by 11-year-old investigative reporter Hilde Lysiak for Apple.

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Lin-Manuel Miranda. I should get over it since we are working together, but I still talk like an idiot around him because I'm so distracted by his aura."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Twitter has more power than people might expect because it's not just fanboys complaining about what they want in the next comic book movie; it's our whole culture demanding what we want from the movie industry itself. The movements that have begun through social media have changed the whole landscape of movies and our business in the past several years, and it's only gaining momentum."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "True love and true friends."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, or some bad best of the '90s mix."

Tom Cruise

In 2017, the 56-year-old had double flops with American Made and The Mummy, but Mission: Impossible — Fallout and its franchise-best $761 million haul put him back in the action hero cockpit — a handy place to be for 2020's Top Gun: Maverick.

Joe and Anthony Russo

Even as they jump into the next Avengers movie (Infinity War will likely be 2018's highest grosser), Joe, 47, and Anthony, 48, are pouring attention on AGBO — their Huayi Brothers Media-backed studio shoots Chris Hemsworth thriller Dhaka this fall. They're prepping the release of Assassination Nation (which AGBO and Neon bought at Sundance) and developing an international TV event series for Amazon.

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Empathy."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "Hildaur Neilson [inventor of the rolodex]."

WE'RE STILL INTIMIDATED BY "The guy in the booth at Gate 4 at Warner Bros."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "The other guy in the booth at Gate 4 at Warner Bros. (Note: Hope this doesn't cause any complications for the guys in the booth at Gate 4 at Warner Bros.)" 

Michael B. Jordan

He took on his first villain role in Marvel's Black Panther ($1.3 billion worldwide) and reprises his Adonis Johnson for Warner Bros.' Creed II (Nov. 21), but the 31-year-old also is taking the lead as a change agent, working with WarnerMedia on the creation of its companywide inclusion policy. His film Just Mercy (he'll star and produce) will be the first project made under the new policy.

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Satisfaction. That comes from taking the power you have and using it to empower others."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … Barack Obama

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Travel. But more on a realistic day-to-day level, I'll play a video game to unwind and clear my head." 

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … Will Smith

Meryl Streep

Her turn in The Post earned her a 21st Oscar nomination, but who's counting? She next pops up in Mary Poppins Returns and on season two of HBO's Big Little Lies, then plays Aunt March in Greta Gerwig's Little Women and joins the cast of Steven Soderbergh's Panama Papers movie, The Laundromat. The 69-year-old also helps underwrite The Writers Lab, a program that supports female screenwriters over 40.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

The pair behind HBO's crown jewel and 2018 Emmy winner will trade out one world-building epic (Game of Thrones) for another (Star Wars): Benioff and Weiss, both 47, signed on to write and produce a series of films that will be separate from the main Skywalker saga. Emmy magnet Thrones has remained such a monstrous hit that HBO has five potential prequels in the works.

Guillermo del Toro

The 53-year-old filmmaker, who won two Oscars (best picture and best director) for The Shape of Water, is returning to the genre product he loves as a writer-producer on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and two TV series. Still undecided: his next venture as director.

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay

Their Gary Sanchez Productions had summer's surprise TV hit with HBO's Succession — McKay, 50, who helmed the pilot, is now polishing Dick Cheney biopic Backseat. Ferrell, 51, stars in Holmes and Watson (Nov. 9).

MY FOCUS FOR 2019

Ferrell: "Farts."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

McKay: "Nazism and white supremacy becoming 'just another POV or opinion' for certain segments of America. It's insanity. Raw, dark, madness."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR 

Ferrell: "Farts."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

McKay: "I met Nick Cave the other day. I'm 50, so for me he, Tom Waits and Kim Gordon are the coolest people on Earth. Also, did I mention that Nazism and white supremacy are becoming more and more mainstream in America? And that some Americans are OK with that? Oh sorry, I already did in the first question."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Ferrell: "Farts."

Frank Marshall

His Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is 2018's No. 3 grosser ($1.3 billion), and he completed a 40-year quest, overseeing the completion of Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind for Netflix. Marshall, 72, will receive the Academy's Thalberg Award with wife and frequent producing partner Kathleen Kennedy in November. For 2019, while developing Jurassic World 3 and Indiana Jones 5 (both 2021), he'll have sci-fi Intelligent Life shooting for Amblin and the futuristic series Snow Crash for Amazon.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "To improve my DJ skills."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "The Margaritaville channel on SiriusXM, which should be a surprise to no one."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Take our three dogs for a walk."

Ava DuVernay

The 46-year-old helmer is shooting Netflix limited series Central Park Five and is signed on to direct her first superhero project, Warner Bros.' DC movie The New Gods, despite her Wrinkle in Time disappointing with $133 million worldwide. The talent whisperer, whose Queen Sugar was renewed in August for a fourth season on OWN, also helmed Jay-Z's music video "Family Feud."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "That people were surprised by the success of Crazy Rich Asians."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "Omar Dorsey. He literally has every cool actor, athlete, comedian and musician in his phone. Every one. I'm actually planning to fully steal it one day."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Meshell Ndegeocello's new album."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Any member of U2."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "I wouldn't waste good talent and creativity on him. No recommendation here."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Light a candle."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "I say I'm sorry almost every day. I believe 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you' are the biggest gifts you can give to other people and to yourself. They are free and they solve so much."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "A tie between Peter Roth and Alan Horn."

Lin-Manuel Miranda

After writing music for Moana, the Hamilton creator stars in Disney's Mary Poppins Returns (Dec. 19) and is working on songs for its Little Mermaid. Warner Bros.' adaptation of his first Tony-winning musical, In the Heights, with Jon M. Chu directing, is set for 2020. Miranda, 38, also signed on for his own feature directing debut, Tick, Tick … Boom!, with Imagine. He'll leap to TV to produce Fosse/Verdon, FX's limited series starring Michelle Williams.  

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "The ability to hear your dog's thoughts."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "My Brother, My Brother & Me podcast."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Delete Twitter off my phone and take my kids to the park." 

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "Linus from Peanuts."

Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson

In 2013, Jacobson and Simpson’s Color Force optioned the rights to Kevin Kwan’s novel Crazy Rich Asians, determined to make the first contemporary Hollywood film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast. August’s resulting box-office smash, directed by Chu, has earned more than $188 million worldwide and is the highest-earning comedy in North American theaters in two years. The duo also followed up their Emmy-winning first installment of American Crime Story with The Assassination of Gianni Versace, landing them another Emmy for best limited series, along with finally getting their adaptation of The Goldfinch made via Warner Bros. and Amazon. Looking toward 2019, the producers behind Ryan Murphy’s latest, Pose, remain steadfast in their goal of finding more diverse stories (including a CRA sequel) and storytellers.

I’M STARSTRUCK BY

Jacobson: Julie Andrews

Simpson: “Great writers.”

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK

Simpson: “Probably yesterday. I am a producer. It is always my fault.”

I’M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Simpson: “My wife — and Bryan Lourd.”

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Jacobson: “Time.”

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Simpson: "Audiences still want to go to the theater and see movies. They just want to see different stories, different experiences, different faces."

Jacobson: "That people are surprised that diversity and inclusion are good business."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Simpson: "Rachel Maddow. And when I can't take the news anymore, '70s punk and '80s hip-hop."

Jacobson: "Prince and Ear Hustle podcast."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX …

Simpson: Mark Ronson

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH

Simpson: I want to say the heroic Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls. But if I am being honest: Garp from The World According to Garp.

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS …

Jacobson: Nicole Kidman

Will Packer

On the heels of breakout Girls Trip, Packer will soon release Tiffany Haddish comedy Night School and Taraji P. Henson-fronted What Men Want. The 44-year-old's first-look deal at Oprah's OWN has led to two series orders (drama Ambitions and dating show Ready to Love), while BET snagged the Packer-backed comedy Peachtree Place.

Daniel Katz and David Fenkel

The New York-based studio followed up its 2017 Moonlight best picture Oscar win with seven nominations in 2018, for films from Lady Bird to The Florida Project. While they didn't take home any trophies, the company (now run by Katz, 39, and Fenkel, 40, after John Hodges left in March) has become the hottest destination for indie filmmakers, including Paul Schrader (First Reformed), Ari Aster (Hereditary) and Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade).

Ryan Coogler

Topping the domestic box office with $700 million, his Black Panther set standards (highest-grossing superhero stand-alone; sixth-best opening weekend ever) and became a phenomenon. Now Coogler, 32, is executive producing Creed II and LeBron James' Space Jam sequel as Marvel stays mum about a Panther sequel he's sure to direct.

Bob Simonds

Having filed papers for a Hong Kong IPO, his company continues to serve as a bridge between Hollywood and China. Simonds, 55, has struck deals with Alibaba to produce sci-fi actioner Steel Soldiers and with Tencent for a film adaptation of comic Zombie Brother. STXfilms' focus on mid-size movies has yielded a few mid-size successes (sequel A Bad Mom's Christmas did $130 million) but also such painful duds as Happytime Murders. Its first animated feature, Uglydolls, with the voices of Kelly Clarkson and Nick Jonas, is coming in 2019. And STXtv has shot its first scripted show, a six-part docudrama about the ‘90s tech bubble, Valley of the Boom, from showrunner Matthew Carnahan and starring Bradley Whitford and Steve Zahn, for National Geographic.

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Watch Martin Lau, president of Tencent, a company that has the unique synergy of social media data and storytelling ability. They will be a market-making force to be reckoned with."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "David Bonderman's [founding partner of TPG]. He literally has on speed dial every major player on the planet."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "When I'm not rolling calls, I'm being educated by my kids with their playlists."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Define Hollywood?"

Kenya Barris

With his creations Black-ish and Grown-ish staying put at Disney, Barris, 44, negotiated his way out of his long-term ABC Studios deal and into a giant, high-eight-figure pact at Netflix. In film, he's parlayed his success co-writing Girls Trip and Barbershop into a half-dozen other projects, including forthcoming Shaft, White Men Can't Jump and Coming 2 America reboots.

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Jay-Z. As cool and normal as he always seems to be, I still can't get over the fact that he's basically the best ever at his job and has done it at the highest levels longer than (here comes me saying hyperbolic shit and being a shit-starter) Michael Jackson. He has never really missed. I know how hard that is and it mystifies me."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go to a movie by myself. It's been my respite since I've been a kid. Now that I'm married I'll find the theaters that have the earliest movies starting in the morning and sneak out of the house under the guise of running an errand and go see a film. Good or bad, almost doesn't matter."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Probably today. I'm good for an apology and really love when other people are, too. 'Sorry' is one of the most powerful words in the human language but for some reason people choose to wield much less powerful, much more harmful words instead."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "Shonda Rhimes! She's so sweet and warm but her talent and presence are so massive that I sometimes turn around so I don't go talk to her and say something stupid."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Will Smith. Hands down. He's also the happiest rich person I've ever met."

Josh Grode and Mary Parent

After taking the reins in December, Grode, 53, began to wind down Legendary's deal at Universal and started negotiations with the company's former partner, Warner Bros. In the process, he closed a $1 billion credit facility. Parent, 50, ramped up in film, overseeing 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. She's finishing up Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and has promising material on deck with sci-fi classic Dune and Adam McKay's Bad Blood (with Jennifer Lawrence to star). In TV, Legendary had Lost in Space on Netflix and The Looming Tower on Hulu. 

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU

Grode: "Good seats at graduation."

Parent: "Immortality."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Grode: "Classic rock or disco with a strong basebeat." 

Parent: "I'm always mixing it up. I've been listening to the soundtrack for the film Eighth Grade as well as some compositions from an incredible trumpet player that a filmmaker turned me on to."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX …

Parent: "Julie Greenwald at Atlantic Records even if just for Cardi B."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Grode: "Certain professional athletes."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW

Grode: Star Trek: The Next Generation

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Grode: "Ski or surf as I can’t be on the phone or checking email." 

Parent: "Walk my dogs or read a book purely for pleasure." 

Tiffany Haddish

Haddish, 38, spun a breakout performance in 2017 smash Girls Trip, which grossed $140 million, into a one-woman comedy empire: stand-up specials at Showtime and Netflix, a Saturday Night Live hosting gig that scored her an Emmy and a deal at HBO to produce and, even more impressive, a steady stream of films being greenlighted on her name alone.

Jeff Skoll and David Linde

Skoll, 53, and Linde, 58, have successfully mixed commerce with their social impact mandate via hit documentary RBG ($14 million domestic), feature Wonder ($306 million worldwide) and The Post ($178 million and two Oscar nominations). Their upcoming slate includes Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, an early Oscar favorite for Netflix; Peter Farrelly's Universal drama Green Book (a contender after its Toronto Audience Award win); and Mimi Leder's On the Basis of Sex (Focus' narrative version of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg story). Participant also moved into the TV space with Starz doc series America to Me.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Maybe not the biggest surprise, but how great is RBG?"

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Universal compassion."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "BlackRock's Larry Fink."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Undiscovered leaders, who are everywhere."

Paul Buccieri

The search to replace Nancy Dubuc, who left A+E for Vice in March, did not take long: Her former lieutenant assumed the top post in July after just three years with the company. New York-based Buccieri, 51, now oversees one of cable's biggest portfolios, responsible for an estimated $3.8 billion in annual revenue. Despite an increasingly challenged marketplace, the A+E group remains one of the biggest spenders and producers in unscripted.

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Metro North running on time."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … Rupert Murdoch

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Sugarland or The New York Times podcast or whatever my daughters decide." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go for a bike ride, a swim or a run. For me, getting outdoors is the best way to unplug, and being on the move helps me to unwind and helps give me new perspectives on problem-solving."

Rick Yorn

Who needs an agent if you have Rick Yorn? That's the mentality, at least, for agent-less A-list clients Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence (who signed in April). This list's only manager/producer, he also reps Reese Witherspoon and Martin Scorsese. With the latter, Yorn (a brother of songwriter Pete) executive produced Grateful Dead doc Long Strange Trip. He's also EPing Netflix's Motley Crue biopic The Dirt and, with client Justin Timberlake, a Fox game show.

LeBron James

It's a Wednesday in early September, and LeBron James — newly minted Los Angeles Laker, $1 billion Nike endorsement juggernaut, noted Trump repudiator — is folded into a golf cart whirring across the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. Shouts of "LaaaaaBraaaan" and "Welcome to L.A.!" pierce the air.

Here, where star sightings are routine and treated with studied indifference, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound James is a different story. Strangers ask for selfies, tell him how thrilled they are that he's in town and divulge their hopes that he'll revive what was once the NBA's most glamorous franchise.

James, 33, is always polite, doesn't mind the attention, doesn't wish he could disappear into a scrum of extras, even for a spell. "Anonymous? No. That's weird. I'm not an anonymous guy," he says. "You gotta understand, I'm an only child. I like people."

But James isn't on the lot for an athlete meet-and-greet. He's had an office at Warners since 2016, when SpringHill Entertainment, the shingle he started in 2008 with childhood friend Maverick Carter, set up shop in a blue-clad Cape Cod bungalow with a barn-red door in Warner Village, the Potemkin neighborhood that has served as the exterior for such Hollywood creations as Gilmore Girls. James doesn't use his second-floor office all that much. In fact, he's on-site today mostly because he's booked on Ellen, which tapes on the lot, to promote Warners' animated feature Smallfoot, to which he lends his voice.

Typically at this hour, James would be at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo, near LAX. He gets to practice an hour and a half early each morning, then hits the basement gym of his Brentwood house in the afternoon. (A casual query as to whether he plans to work out the following day elicits a snort: "That's like asking, 'Am I going to breathe tomorrow?'") Carter, 36, who moved to Los Angeles about three years ago, runs the business day-to-day with SpringHill's eight-person staff.

Still, there's no question that James' move from the Cleveland Cavaliers has amplified his status in the Hollywood firmament. Read the full story here.

Chris Silbermann

Silbermann, 50, negotiated Shonda Rhimes' first-of-its-kind nine-figure Netflix pact and Vince Gilligan's and David Shore's re-ups at Sony. This year, ICM Partners, which has committed to 50-50 gender parity in its leadership by 2020, expanded its speakers business, acquiring agency Royce Carlton, and bought the storied comedy festival Just for Laughs. The 600-employee firm also added $20 million standup specials for Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Rock.

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Roger Federer

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Character and decency. That you have to earn above and beyond your source of power." 

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW It's a Wonderful Life.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go to Telluride and enjoy the majesty of the mountains."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Lots of very nice people in this business, but never confuse niceness for weakness." 

Kevin Beggs and Joe Drake

The past year has brought major executive shifts to Lionsgate, with Good Universe's Drake returning (he left in 2012) in October and Patrick Wachsberger exiting in early 2018. Drake, 57, has reorganized his group (upcoming titles include a new Hellboy film and John Wick 3), and since the studio's purchase of Starz in 2016, the TV operation is bigger than ever. Beggs, 52, oversees nearly 60 shows in 12 territories.

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Beggs: "Otis Redding."

Drake: "Hip-hop — my boys are 13 and 15. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … 

Drake: "Michael Burns or Ari Emanuel." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Beggs: "NBA players." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Beggs: "Play basketball."

Drake: "Surf or meditate."

Peter Roth

His studio is the only one to have a series on each of the five broadcast nets, even as he pushes into streaming with shows like Castle Rock at Hulu. Roth, who'll say farewell to Big Bang Theory after its 12th season, has offered competitive creator deals, some successful (Greg Berlanti), some not (Kenya Barris). He also launched DC Universe, a subscription VOD platform with a roster of high-end originals.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Spend time with my family."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Whenever I last made a mistake, which literally could be almost any day." 

Ryan Reynolds

His determination willed Fox's 2016 hit Deadpool into being and his star power lifted this year's sequel to $734 million. He recently completed voicework on Legendary's Pokemon film and soon begins shooting Michael Bay's 6 Underground (with Netflix paying him upward of $30 million). Reynolds, 42, also is becoming more active as a producer through Maximum Effort, which signed a three-year first look deal at Fox, and as an owner of Aviation gin.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Getting in touch with what truly matters in life: franchise films. On my deathbed, I won't be wishing I had one more child."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “Off the LinkedIn mailing list.”

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "I met Steve Martin one night — then Kate McKinnon walked into the room. I decided to take the rest of my life off."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "Old episodes of Airwolf. I think he’d like that."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "I’m Canadian. We apologize for everything, all the time. I apologize for the War of 1812 at least once a week."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Sterling K. Brown is so nice he makes Hugh Jackman look like a dog catcher."

Shawn Levy

After fielding multiple offers, the Stranger Things exec producer and director in December inked what is said to be a seven-figure four-year deal with Netflix. Stranger Things' second season earned 12 Emmy noms, and Levy, 50, is in production on the third. He produced Jennifer Yuh Nelson's live-action debut The Darkest Minds and sci-fi indie Kin, and he'll be back in the director's chair for Sony's Uncharted.

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Olympians, rock stars, Tom Cruise."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Durable love. The respect of your willful 7-year-old daughter. Those you need to earn."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Very little, since I use every minute of my time in the car to roll calls so I don’t have to once I get home for dinner."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "He watches enough TV. I’d rather use my energy to get him to read a damn book."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Tend to go through a 29-hour withdrawal and then it’s bliss."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Anytime it takes me more than 48 hours to return a call."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Hugh Jackman. Everyone will tell you this and everyone will be telling the truth."

Kevin Hart

The 40-year-old comic is all about sequels: There's one planned for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($962 million) and another for 2016's Secret Lives of Pets ($875 million). And he mints money on the road, kicking off his next tour in March. His previous one earned $87 million, or about $1 million a show.

Chris Pratt

While the future of Guardians of the Galaxy is up in the air after the firing of director James Gunn, Pratt's other major franchises are going strong. Jurassic World sequel Fallen Kingdom earned $1.3 billion, with Universal dating a third outing for 2021, and audiences will likely have a chance to see Pratt, 39, again as Marvel's Star-Lord in the Avengers: Infinity War follow-up.

Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee

Docter, 49, and Lee, 46, took over after John Lasseter, who oversaw both studios, departed amid sexual harassment allegations, with Oscar-winning Coco (Pixar) and Moana (Disney) as his final acts. Docter, who won Oscars for Inside Out and Up, has June's Toy Story 4, and Lee, who has a trophy for Frozen, is co-directing its 2019 sequel.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Docter: "Take a hike."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Docter: “The ability to find the end of a roll of packing tape.”

Lee: "A world free of eye rolls from your teenage daughter."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Docter: Ed Asner

Lee: "My dentist."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Docter: "Meteors."

Lee: "Emma Thompson. It's always Emma Thompson."

WHAT’S PLAYING IN MY CAR

Docter: "You Must Remember This or Hardcore History."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Docter: "That I'm on this list."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK

Docter: "Tuesday. Sorry, I mean … just now."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Docter: "Arnold Neustadter, [whose company created] the rolodex."

Lee: “Bono’s, so I could call The Edge.”

Mark Burnett

Three years into his tenure at MGM, the reality TV kingpin was handed a promotion complete with a new title and a contract extension through 2022. Burnett, 57, joined the company with a TV résumé chock-full of hits, including Survivor, The Voice and Shark Tank. He's added to that list with Fox's Beat Shazam and CBS' TKO in addition to scripted entries (Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale and FX's Fargo). He plans to double non-reality production in the next year.

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "The ability to only create guaranteed hits." 

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Lectures by Dr. Bill Creasy." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Head to the outdoors." 

Jennifer Lawrence

Her past two films underwhelmed — 2018's Red Sparrow grossed $151 million, 2017's Mother! $44 million — but the 28-year-old Oscar winner (and top earner, with a reported $18 million per film) has X-Men: Dark Phoenix coming in 2019 and will star in Adam McKay's Theranos drama.

Mark Pedowitz

With little fanfare, Pedowitz has transitioned The CW from a traditional broadcast net to a true 21st century hybrid. His network may be largely lifted by superheroes (see recent DC addition Black Lightning, his biggest hit in two years), but the 65-year-old's money-makers also include series with second lives on CW's ad-supported streaming outlet or with highly incentivized Netflix pacts, like rainmaker Riverdale. October will see The CW extend original programming to Sundays.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Read sci-fi novels."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Respect."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "I'm mostly talking on my phone." 

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "A toss-up between Steve Lafferty or Ken Werner." 

Kelly Kahl and Thom Sherman

CBS' future is far from certain sans longtime leader Leslie Moonves, but with that uncertainty comes opportunity for Kahl, 51, a careerlong Moonves disciple. He and Sherman, 53, will finally get a chance to put their touch on the schedule, which they've already worked to make more diverse. If that push for inclusion doesn't jibe with CBS' older-skewing audience, at least the net has the 2019 Super Bowl.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Kahl: "Go to Wisconsin."

Sherman: "Hit the golf course."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR 

Sherman: "Howard Stern."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Kahl: "Phil Keoghan's BUCKiT podcast." 

Sherman: "Howard Stern interviewing anyone."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY 

Kahl: "Chuck Lorre. Very nice man. I'm still intimidated by his brilliance." 

Sherman: "Famous athletes I meet. I'm like the Chris Farley interview character on SNL. 'Remember when you … ? Yeah, that was awesome." 

Channing Dungey

Dungey got ample credit for the Roseanne revival, which became the No. 1 series and, with an assist from The Good Doctor, lifted ABC to No. 3 in the 18-to-49 demo. She got even more credit for canceling the series after Roseanne Barr's racist tweet. Now, Dungey, 49, must recruit more viewers and fill the void left by Kenya Barris and Shonda Rhimes.

THE ONE THING POWER CAN'T GET YOU "My daughter on time to the bus stop in the morning."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "I listen to a lot of podcasts but always download the latest episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour as soon as it's available." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Incredible musicians. Watching talented musicians perform is truly magical."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Leave the phone in the charger and play with my kids."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "[Warner Bros.'] Courtenay Valenti." 

Kevin Reilly

Reilly, 55, has ginned up plenty of buzz at Turner, with a slate that includes Full Frontal With Samantha Bee as well as TBS' Last O.G., the TV home to Tiffany Haddish, and TNT's Claws, cable's lone drama to grow its audience between 2017 and 2018. Now he'll contend with new AT&T ownership, which revealed plans to move cash from his budget to HBO.

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "88.5 KCSN public radio: deep cut, eclectic radio like I grew up with."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Soul."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Artists, originals, brilliant minds."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "Let's start with a few documents and books: the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, a dictionary …" 

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Explaining the meaning of feckless (and the usage of the other word that went with it)." 

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "I'd hate to tag someone what that scarlet letter." 

Chris Albrecht

While a true watercooler hit has eluded Starz, the Lionsgate-owned cable network came closer in 2018 with critical favorite Counterpart. Albrecht, 66, has a commercial success in Power, however, which pulls in nearly 10 million multiplatform viewers. Starz may be down to 23.8 million subscribers, but OTT signups have doubled since the previous fiscal year.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH Horton

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “Hair on your head.”

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Snoop Dogg

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Whatever my wife wants to listen to."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Five minutes ago."

Ben Sherwood

Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets will create redundancies that are expected to shift Sherwood, 54, out of his post, with speculation centering on a new role overseeing global news and nonfiction content. He came to his current gig running Disney's TV arm from a successful stint at ABC News, but his tenure has yielded mixed results, including the swift rise and swifter fall of ABC's Roseanne reboot, a successful (if pricey) new American Idol and the defection of creators Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris to Netflix.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Turn off the phone and hit the batting cage with my sons."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "The ability to get your kids off of Fortnite."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "My big sister Liz Sherwood-Randall. Smart, relentless and deeply principled. Even at this age, I look up to her as a great role model and friend."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Clayton Kershaw

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "It's fair to say we didn't expect to cancel the No. 1 show on television."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS "Tom Werner; despite being one of the most prolific and successful producers in the history of TV (not to mention co-owner of the Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club), Tom is one of the kindest, most generous and down-to-earth human beings on earth, not just Hollywood."

James Cameron

After spending months perfecting underwater performance capture, he's shooting the first two (of four) Avatar sequels back-to-back for release in 2020 and 2021. He found time to oversee a 20th anniversary re-release of Titanic in December and produce Robert Rodriguez's futuristic Fox action pic Alita: Battle Angel (Dec. 21) — shot with 3D cameras that Cameron, 64, helped design himself. He also joined Skydance's David Ellison to resurrect the Terminator, convincing Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton to return for a 2019 film.

Tyler Perry

With Perry's OWN pact set to expire next year, Viacom swooped in and poached the Atlanta-based mogul, 49, inking a five-year deal that encompasses film, TV and shortform video. TV's most prolific producer (he makes 90 episodes a year for OWN) will keep up the pace at Viacom, where his first project is a drama for BET.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Legacy building and sharing what I’ve learned."

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "I identify with Deadpool."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "A compassionate heart."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "I’ll let you know when I meet them."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Diana Ross

WHAT’S PLAYING IN MY CAR "Faith Hill and Tim McGraw."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Any actor working at Trader Joe's; humility in a giant is a powerful thing."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "I’d choose Donald Trump’s so that I could have Putin’s personal number."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD "Toss-up between me and Tom Hanks."

David Zaslav

Zaslav this year completed a whopping $14.6 billion acquisition of Scripps, adding its suite of home and garden channels and growing Discovery's total to 19. The 58-year-old exec also formed a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour to create a global home for golf.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Spend time with my family."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "SiriusXM radio: '70s on 7, the Beatles channel, and Soul Town."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Netflix’s market cap surpasses Disney’s, and Amazon and Apple surpassing a trillion dollars in market cap value."

Jordan Peele

Before setting his post-Get Out directing gig, Peele, 39, established himself as a formidable producer. The Oscar winner produced Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, set up a Twilight Zone reboot at CBS All Access and teamed with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot for HBO horror drama Lovecraft Country. For his return to directing, Peele is back at Universal with thriller Us, starring Lupita Nyong'o and Elisabeth Moss.

Denzel Washington

Equalizer 2 was his first sequel, but with $180 million, it may not be his last. Meanwhile, Washington, 60, who scored a 2018 Oscar nom for Roman J. Israel, Esq., returns to the director's chair with Journal for Jordan, about an American serving in Baghdad who writes a notebook of life lessons for his young son, just before he's killed in action.

Megan Ellison

The Oracle heiress' mini-studio seems to be bouncing back from Detroit ($16.8 million) with awards contenders in Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Karyn Kusama's Destroyer and Adam McKay's Dick Cheney pic Backseat. Ellison, 32, is a magnet for talent, with Brad Pitt's Plan B, Jenkins' Pastel and The Big Sick helmer Michael Showalter all inking first-look deals. Annapurna also teamed with MGM for domestic rights to the next Bond film in 2019.

Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley

The longtime partners, who've led the specialty film company to 30 Oscar wins over the past 18 years, were promoted in March to co-chairmen, adding a new TV division to their purview. After scoring a best picture Oscar this year for The Shape of Water, they moved quickly to sign an overall deal with Guillermo del Toro, launching a label for his genre projects (up first: Scott Cooper's Antlers). As it moves into the Disney fold, Bob Iger has cited its importance, and it has three awards films: Melissa McCarthy starrer Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Old Man & the Gun with Robert Redford and The Favourite.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Gilula: "Go to Machaba Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana — no cell service, no Wi-Fi, occasional electricity."

Utley: "Watch Dateline. I'm fascinated that people with such seemingly normal families and lives commit murder."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Utley: "I love the 30 for 30 podcast. I’m not into sports but they tell remarkable stories in interesting ways."

Christopher Nolan

It's hard to imagine any other director scoring a blockbuster with a World War II film about an event few Americans had heard of. But Nolan, 48, did that with $526 million hit Dunkirk, scoring eight Oscar noms and affirming his status as a Hollywood franchise unto himself.

Peter Chernin

The 67-year-old producer-financier exceeded expectations with The Greatest Showman ($435 million) and sold his company's share of Otter Media to AT&T for a reported $1 billion. He's also said to have played matchmaker between pal Randall Stephenson of AT&T and Time Warner. With his Fox deal shifting to Disney, he's readying a slate that includes Searchlight's Tolkien and an untitled Ford vs. Ferrari film, plus Apple series Are You Sleeping.

Randy Freer

The former Fox executive, 58, jumped last fall to Hulu, which has seen its subscriber base shoot past 20 million as it churns out prestige fare — from 2017 Emmy winner Handmaid's Tale to limited series The Looming Tower. As the streamer preps projects from George Clooney (Catch-22) and Reese Witherspoon (Little Fires Everywhere), Freer is guiding a reorg (witness the exit of chief content officer Joel Stillerman) ahead of Disney's Fox acquisition.

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Today it's Wu-Tang Clan, Tom Petty."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Creators and talented people." 

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Out of traffic." 

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX FOR A WEEK, I'D CHOOSE … "Michelle Obama's. It just has to be really interesting." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Read. I just finished [James Comey's] A Higher Loyalty and I am also just about finished with [John Carreyrou's] Bad Blood." 

Leonardo DiCaprio

Even without a film in three years (not since he scored his Oscar win for 2015's The Revenant), he remains perhaps the world's biggest star. He's stayed busy off-camera, producing films like November's Robin Hood at Lionsgate. And the 43-year-old's 2019 return to the screen will be a big one: in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Chuck Lorre

Lorre, 65, is taking his last lap with CBS' Big Bang Theory, still TV's No. 1 comedy. After 279 episodes, it will finish its run as TV's longest-running multicamera comedy. Lorre, who saw a rare miss with Netflix pot comedy Disjointed, will stay busy with CBS' prequel Young Sheldon (and Mom) as well as Netflix's forthcoming Michael Douglas comedy The Kominsky Method. And he's poised for a windfall when his deal with Warner Bros. TV expires in 2020.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "To stay alive until 2020." 

THE ONE THING POWER CAN'T GET YOU "A smaller prostate."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Old rock stars." 

Dick Wolf

Universal TV's most valued producer, Wolf owns NBC's Wednesday with all three Chicago dramas airing back to back. His Law & Order: SVU enters its 20th season with an eye toward making history as TV's longest-running drama (it's tied with the original L&O and Gunsmoke). And the 71-year-old is adding a sixth L&O, Hate Crimes, at NBC and a new franchise, FBI, for CBS.

THE ONE THING POWER CAN'T GET YOU "A renewal."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Classic rock 'n' roll." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go out on my boat." 

Judd Apatow

Along with HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Love, Apatow brought Emmy-winning doc The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling to TV this year. In film, the 50-year-old producer saw The Big Sick score a screenplay Oscar nom (and $56 million).

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Melania Trump's ability to forgive."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … “Who has a rolodex? Who wrote these questions, the ghost of Gene Shalit?”

THE ONE THING POWER STILL DOESN'T GET YOU "A faster delivery from Postmates." 

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Psychics. They're everywhere." 

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Gilbert Gottfried's podcast." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY … Diane Keaton. 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Play tennis badly." 

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH Ziggy

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "Jimmy Page. Class rock gods in general." 

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Richard Curtis. Wait, he's from England." 

Ellen DeGeneres

Two decades in and renewed through 2020, her talker still ranks in the ratings and snags a Daytime Emmy every year. In addition to her producing portfolio, which includes NBC duo Little Big Shots and Ellen's Game of Games, DeGeneres, 60, is returning to stand-up with Relatable, her first special in 15 years, on Netflix.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Gorillas. This year Portia gave me an incredible birthday gift. She started The Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund to help save the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. She also gave me a sweater. It’s very nice too, but it won’t help the gorillas. Unless they’re cold. Anyway, we’re trying to raise $10 million, which will go toward building my wildlife campus in Rwanda. And we might need a little extra money to buy sweaters for the gorillas in case they’re cold."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Remove the plug from the outlet. It’s that easy. Much easier than plugging something in. Especially in the dark. Have you ever tried to do that? You’re fumbling around, trying to find the outlet. Then you go and turn on another light and realize you weren’t even close to the outlet. You were trying to plug your lamp into your chair."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Guitar music. Portia is trying to learn and she will not put it down."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "Sesame Street. It wouldn't hurt for a lot of us to brush up on sharing and loving our neighbors. Even if that neighbor's a grouch or doesn't look like you."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Tom Hanks. I know him personally and I can tell you, he is the nicest person. He’s so nice. A little too nice if you ask me. You can’t trust someone who’s that nice. Tom Hanks is hiding something. I don’t know what. Maybe he’s colluding with Russia. He may not be. All I’m saying is we need to let this investigation play out."

Josh Sapan and Charlie Collier

Responsible for their company's $2.8 billion in 2017 revenue, the prestige duo still have ad-supported TV's biggest hit in AMC's The Walking Dead along with one of 2018's buzziest entries in BBC America's Killing Eve. The AMC Networks portfolio includes SundanceTV and IFC, with Collier, 47, and boss Sapan, 67, also heavily investing in streaming with Sundance Now, Shudder and Funny or Die — whose content and subscriber base are a priority for Sapan.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Collier: "Get on the floor with the kids and the dogs."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Collier: “Wi-Fi.”

Sapan: "The ability to discover the best new creative storytelling talent."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Sapan: "Playwrights and novelists whose work I like best."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Sapan: "Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin, On Being with Krista Tippett."

Collier: "A Howard Stern interview."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX …

Sapan: "Norman Lear, who is engaged with great writers, great thinkers, and the most important social activists of our time."

Donald Glover

Whether it's his Emmy-nominated FX series Atlanta or his viral video for chart-topper "This Is America," which has racked up 385 million YouTube views since May, Glover, 34, has a knack for the zeitgeist. While the multihyphenate's turn as Lando in Solo couldn't prevent a franchise box office low, he'll re-team with Disney to voice Simba in Jon Favreau's The Lion King.

Chris Meledandri

The Minions-master is doubling down on his franchises: Despicable Me 3 was 2017's top-grossing toon ($1 billion) and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (with Patton Oswalt voicing top dog Max in place of Louis C.K.) arrives in 2019, with Minions 2 and Sing 2 following in 2020. This year, Meledandri, 59, is betting that holiday moviegoers are ready for a new The Grinch (Nov. 9). He's also expanding his portfolio, striking a deal with Nintendo for a Super Mario Bros.-based movie.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Have only truly unplugged once so not the best person to ask."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "Barry Diller (from afar)."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Sidney Poitier

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 Fortnite

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Donald Mustard — the force behind Fortnite."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "I didn’t realize people still had rolodexes. I just want to spin one again."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW Gandhi

Eddy Cue, Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg

Erlicht, 49, and Van Amburg, 47, have been busy hiring TV vets, including Matt Cherniss and Morgan Wandell, and scooping up hot projects — from a Reese Witherspoon-Jennifer Aniston morning show drama to an adaptation of best-seller Pachinko. While their efforts have turned Apple, with its $244 billion in cash, into one of the town's most desired partners, questions are mounting about how long it will take to launch the effort led by Cue, 53 (who also oversees iTunes, Apple Music, Podcasts and more).

Reese Witherspoon

TV's in-demand producer and frequent star Witherspoon not only willed a second season of Big Little Lies into being but also ginned up bidding wars for both her Morning Show drama with Jennifer Aniston (winner Apple will pay both actresses more than $1 million an episode) and a Little Fires Everywhere adaptation with Kerry Washington (for Hulu). The 42-year-old is also lending her hand as EP on projects including Apple's Octavia Spencer drama and a Noah Hawley Fox Searchlight film, via her Hello Sunshine, which launched a VOD channel with AT&T. She's even reviving Legally Blonde with a third film.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Read a book that could not possibly be made into a movie or TV show. I just read to enjoy storytelling."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Power means nothing if you aren’t using it to leave your business a better place than the way you found it."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Anyone who made their way to the top with a lot of kindness toward others and awareness that giving back is a priority."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "My son Deacon makes beats and we all love listening to them in the car. The podcasts I listen to are Stuff You Should Know, Dear Sugar and Oprah’s Master Class."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "When Meryl Streep called Nicole Kidman and me and said she was going to join the cast of Big Little Lies. I think we both almost passed out."

Dwayne Johnson

Skyscraper and Rampage grossed $739 million combined — a plunge from 2017, when Johnson's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle hit $962 million and Fate of the Furious topped $1.2 billion (never mind Baywatch). But with 23 projects in the pipeline — including San Andreas 2 and Shane Black's Doc Savage, plus NBC reality competition Titan Games — and HBO hit Ballers still rolling, the 46-year-old remains one of Hollywood's highest-paid, earning a reported $124 million in 2018.

Stacey Snider and Emma Watts

Amid the tumult of its acquisition by Disney, Fox film dominated last year's awards season — including Searchlight's best picture win for Guillermo del Toro's Shape of Water — while big Fox's The Greatest Showman took in $435 million. Summer's Deadpool 2 minted $734 million, and the studio's fall calendar is packed with anticipated titles from Bohemian Rhapsody (Nov. 2) to Steve McQueen's Widows (Nov. 16). Snider, 57, isn't expected to join the new regime — Disney doesn't need two studio chiefs. But Watts, 48, who's widely respected for her production acumen (including guiding the X-Men and Planet of the Apes franchises), could.

Kathleen Kennedy

Kennedy, 65, who with husband Frank Marshall will receive the Academy's Thalberg Award in November, has navigated some obstacles in the Star Wars galaxy: the untimely death of Carrie Fisher and the departure of Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow (whom she replaced with J.J. Abrams). The stand-alone Solo received a lukewarm reception ($214 million in the U.S.), but The Last Jedi easily took the top spot at the 2017 box office, earning $1.3 billion worldwide (a drop from Force Awakens' $2 billion).

Lorne Michaels

Forty-three seasons in, Michaels' Saturday Night Live remains firmly in the zeitgeist. In fact, the past two seasons have delivered the best ratings in 23 years. Michaels, 73, moved his film business from Paramount to Universal and reupped his TV deal at NBC, where he oversees The Tonight Show and Late Night, produced the 2018 Emmys (a rare miss for the comedy kingpin) and will remain at SNL through season 50.

David Nevins

Netflix and HBO may nab the most headlines for Emmy wins, but led by Nevins, 53, Showtime, currently boasting an all-time high subscriber count of 25.5 million, has made some of cable's most interesting pacts — with Jim Carrey, Sacha Baron Cohen, talkers Desus & Mero and Gal Gadot. It also made waves with David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return; and there's a pricey adaptation of video game franchise Halo on deck, the network's biggest play yet for Game of Thrones-esque buzz.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "Coach Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “Sleep.”

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Great artists in other fields."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "NPR or sports radio."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … Anna Wintour

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "Ron Howard and Henry Winkler, those two guys from Happy Days."

Steven Spielberg

Months after earning his 17th Oscar nomination (best picture for The Post), he proved his commercial instincts are still strong with Ready Player One ($382 million), then he executive produced Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.3 billion) and awards contender First Man. There's no clearer sign of his influence than the Academy's decision to give honorary Oscars to three of his proteges: producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall and publicist Marvin Levy. Whether Spielberg, 71, can still deliver a knockout punch as director will be tested with 2021's Indiana Jones 5.

J.J. Abrams

Abrams, 52, continues to be a major Force in the Star Wars universe, helming Episode IX. He also is a producer on several other big-budget franchise installments, including Mission: Impossible — Fallout ($761 million). His Bad Robot banner launched a gaming division in partnership with Chinese giant TenCent.

Bob Greenblatt

For a rare example of stability in broadcast, look no further than NBC, where Greenblatt, 57, took the reins in 2011 and revived the troubled network to must-see status. Across all of TV, it recently ranked No. 1 among adults 18-49 for the fourth time in five years. In a true humble brag, his 2019 goal is for NBC to remain "the most watched network in America," a squeaker status it claimed from CBS on the back of the Super Bowl, the Olympics and a strong summer (thanks, America's Got Talent).

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Put down my Hollywood Reporter."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Integrity or common sense."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Time's Up and Crazy Rich Asians."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "What's a rolodex?"

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW 1776

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS Steven Spielberg

Shonda Rhimes

She changed TV's economics after exiting her longtime home at ABC for Netflix's first nine-figure overall deal, prompting showrunners across the industry to reevaluate their worth. Rhimes, 48, is readying eight series under the pact and continues to executive produce her ABC series including megahit Grey's Anatomy.

IF I COULD GET TRUMP TO WATCH ONE TV SHOW "Shouldn't we be trying to get him to read?"

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “A good night's sleep.”

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "If I cared about looking at someone else's rolodex, I would be an entirely different person. Also, it would be 1998 because who uses a rolodex anymore?"

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "I am addicted to the Still Processing podcast with Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Leave town."

Greg Berlanti

First, the 46-year-old smashed the record for most series on the air, with 14 — including CW cult hits Riverdale and Arrow. Then, in June, he parlayed that output into one of the biggest TV deals yet, worth as much as $400 million in all-cash guarantees, with Warner Bros. On the film side, Berlanti also managed to win over critics and audiences alike with the gay coming-of-age story, Love, Simon, which he directed.

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "Whoever last read a script I wrote or watched a cut I directed."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU "Time."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "The family of an executive. We've had shows survive and thrive because at the outset an exec's family member loved the show." 

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "MSNBC, Broadway Radio, Sinatra Station … y'know, real young people stuff." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Broadway stars." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Do hot yoga or go for a run."

Jeremy Zimmer, David Kramer and Jay Sures

In August, the agency that represents Benedict Cumberbatch and Angelina Jolie took a private-equity infusion of $200 million from PSP Investments and Investcorp. That move followed a flurry of acquisitions, including firms that specialize in speakers (Greater Talent Network), electronic music (Circle) and esports (Everyday Influencers, PressX). While Zimmer, 60, Kramer, 49, and Sures, 51, aren't neglecting their rep roots, the agency is eyeing content ownership, having whetted its appetite with an equity stake in American Idol producer Industrial Media.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019

Zimmer: "Providing great resources and opportunities for UTA colleagues and clients, and trying not to get too emotional as my daughters get married and go to college."

Kramer: "Continuing to educate myself about our fast-changing media landscape. It is critical to our growth and success."

Sures: "To get instrument-rated as a pilot."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Zimmer: "How long it took to get cuffs on Harvey."

Sures: "The rise of Gary Janetti's Instagram."

Kramer: "Nothing surprises me anymore."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Sures: David Geffen

Zimmer: "I wouldn't want the rolodex of anyone who has a rolodex."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Zimmer: “A six-pack, or even a two-pack.”

Kramer: "The ability to dunk."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT NOT EXPECT

Kramer: "All of the writers in Hollywood. Without their work, none of us have anything to do."

Sures: "Craig Susser, the owner of Craig's in Beverly Hills. He's the one to know to get the best table!"

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Zimmer: "YG or Allan Rayman."

Kramer: "The New York Times' The Daily [podcast]."

Sures: "The Ambrosia playlist."

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW

Zimmer: "Veep. If he wants to turn the White House into a joke, he should make sure it's funny."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Zimmer: "Sit outside and read a book."

Kramer: "Go to our ranch in the hill country of Texas."

Sures: "I can't. Unless I misplace my phone. Then I'm unplugged … until I find it again."

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH

Zimmer: "Logan Roy [from Succession], minus the evil, the media empire and the cardigan."

Kramer: Clark Griswold

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS …

Zimmer: Alan Horn

Sures: "Ron Meyer — generous and kind."

Jason Blum

Blum may be known as Hollywood's king of horror (his four Purge films, the priciest budgeted at $13 million, have taken in $457 million), but his reach is much broader. The 49-year-old has found success with prestige (Oscar winner Get Out, HBO's Sharp Objects) and dramedy (BlacKkKlansman); he'll next unleash a new Halloween and Showtime's Roger Ailes miniseries.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "Tom Sawyer. He got everyone to paint the fence and made it fun."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Loyalty."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY "I had to send an email to Steven Spielberg asking for permission on something, and I rewrote the email five times. He declined."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Adam McKay. I love his movies and his mind so much."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "That Stormy Daniels is my hero."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Joe Wees, who does creative advertising at Universal Pictures. He helps make $20 million marketing decisions. I help make $5 million decisions about which movies to make."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "To Stephen Susco, who wrote and directed Unfriended: Dark Web. His movie was excellent and should have performed better at the box office. It was my fault that it didn’t."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … Jeff Bezos

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS … "David Gordon Green. Maybe that's because he lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and not Hollywood."

Jim Gianopulos

A year and a half into the job, Gianopulos has reason to feel optimistic: Mission: Impossible — Fallout earned a series-best $761 million to date, while A Quiet Place grossed $333 million against a $17 million budget. He's continued to fill out his C-suite, tapping Wyck Godfrey (Twilight) as film president, DreamWorks Animation vet Mireille Soria to lead animation and Nicole Clemens to run TV. Bumblebee (Dec. 21) hopes to revive the Transformers franchise, while the Brian Robbins-led Paramount Players unit debuts Nov. 2 with Tyler Perry's Nobody's Fool, starring Tiffany Haddish.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I… "Take a long bike ride."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "Respect, if you don't earn it." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Norman Lear

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … Robert Mueller

Bonnie Hammer

The cable business may be challenged, but Hammer, 68, grew both profit and revenue for the 14th year. She lords over six networks and two studios with 140 series (from Keeping Up With the Kardashians to Amazon's Julia Roberts vehicle Homecoming), and 90 percent of her portfolio consists of owned content, including Jessica Biel's The Sinner, 2017's top new cable series.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I… "Actually switch plugs, shut out the world and listen to my favorite music."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "What the heck is a rolodex?"

John Landgraf

With a fraction of Netflix's budget, Landgraf's FX has delivered hit after hit, including widely praised Atlanta and Pose as well as new installments of American Crime Story and American Horror Story. One of the most respected voices in TV, Landgraf, 56, is not expected to see his purview expand post-Disney merger — but, sources say, that's because he doesn't want it to.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I… "Don’t look at a screen." 

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "The Daily [podcast]."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "That so many Americans think Putin is awesome."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Within the last week. If you take responsibility for your mistakes, you stop making the same ones over and over."

Richard Plepler and Casey Bloys

On the heels of AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, crown jewel HBO (see its 23 Emmy wins) is poised for rapid growth. Already, Plepler, 59, and Bloys, 46, are seeing their annual budget jump from the previous $2 billion, allowing them to move swiftly on more projects. With Veep and Game of Thrones winding down, the duo has focused on HBO's next batch of hits, including Sharp Objects and Succession, for its global subscriber base of 142 million, up from 111 million five years ago.

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Plepler: “Time.”

WHAT’S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Plepler: Amy Winehouse

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Bloys: Killing Eve

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Plepler: David Geffen

IF I COULD GET TRUMP TO WATCH ONE TV SHOW

Plepler: "Succession. There's a lot in there."

Bloys: Oz

Tony Vinciquerra, Tom Rothman and Mike Hopkins

With box-office wins in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($962 million) and Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880 million), SPE saw profits soar to $376 million in 2017, compared to a $719 million loss in 2016 — as Vinciquerra, 64, spent much of his first year streamlining and instituting layoffs, particularly on Hopkins' TV side (the former Hulu CEO, 49, joined in October). In film, "it's no secret we had a turnaround job to do," says Rothman, 63, who has a strong summer 2019 slate, including a Men in Black reboot, a Spider-Man sequel and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Vinciquerra: "Go to the movies."

Hopkins: "Go on a long run."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU

Rothman: "Respect, which has to be earned."

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Hopkins: "My high school football coach — and my Pilates instructor."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Rothman: "The Boss [Bruce Springsteen]. I went to his show on Broadway three times."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Vinciquerra: A Scooby DVD on the way to a kid’s soccer match [he has three kids: 13, 11 and 8].

Hopkins: Right now, it’s the podcast Masters of Scale.

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX …

Vinciquerra: "My friend Norman Lear's."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS …

Vinciquerra: "Bob Daly."

Jon Feltheimer

With Lionsgate an increasingly attractive takeover target (negotiations for Hasbro to acquire it collapsed in August 2017) Feltheimer, 67, and vice chairman Michael Burns continue to beef up assets. They're concentrating on growing Starz (acquired for $4.4 billion in 2016), which just hit 3 million domestic OTT subscribers. In May, Lionsgate acquired a majority stake in 3 Arts Entertainment. Thanks to series like Power — and surprise film hit Wonder, which grossed $306 million — the company's fiscal year ending in March notched a record $4.1 billion in revenue.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I… "Play guitar." 

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH Columbo

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Oprah

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "The '70s."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "LeBron James coming to the Lakers."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT "Mike Meldman, developer of private resort communities around the world."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX … "Producer Brian Grazer."

IF I COULD GET TRUMP TO WATCH ONE TV SHOW Dear White People

Bob Bakish

Bakish, 54, would be the top contender to take over a combined Viacom and CBS if Shari Redstone gets her reunion wish. In two years on the job, he's been in cost-cutting mode, and Viacom stock has gone up — with analysts saying revenue is expected to increase 4 percent, and earnings 8 percent, in the coming fiscal year. While brands like MTV try to regroup, ratings for BET and Comedy Central are up, and Paramount has film wins with A Quiet Place and Mission: Impossible — Fallout.

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Depends on my mood — could be CNBC, Maggie Rose or John Mayer."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I…  "Hit the slopes with my family."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Tom Cruise. I just can’t believe the stunts he does in his films. Incredible."

Ryan Murphy

As TV's top tastemaker, Murphy, 53, moved from his longtime Fox home to Netflix with what was, at the time, the biggest deal in TV history (Greg Berlanti's June pact at Warner Bros. could go higher). At a price tag that could soar to $300 million, the streamer bought itself the visionary and talent magnet behind such commercial and cultural megahits as American Horror Story, American Crime Story (The Assassination of Gianni Versace won seven Emmys, including best limited series) and the acclaimed Pose.

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW "American Horror Story: Cult (or Apocalypse!)"

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … Bryan Lourd

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU “A good night's sleep.”

Oprah Winfrey

By the time the self-made billionaire wrapped her acceptance speech at the 2018 Golden Globes, #Oprah2020 was already trending. Though she's thrown cold water on her political aspirations, the OWN chief continues to expand her media empire. Of late, Winfrey, 64, whose cable network lost star creator Tyler Perry to Viacom, added a multiyear content deal with Apple and her own exhibit at The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …  "Sit under my 12 oaks [at home in Montecito] that form a canopy."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX … Bob Iger

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Having the best summer of my life!"

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "Two weeks ago to someone who didn’t feel valued enough."

Dana Walden and Gary Newman

One of TV's most successful pairs is poised to split once Disney's post-merger structure takes shape. Walden, 53, whose name has surfaced for some of Hollywood's top jobs (including the one formerly held by Leslie Moonves), is expected to add to her purview at Disney, with oversight of two studios and a couple of networks. In the meantime, she and Newman, 64, who extended their Fox deals through mid-2019, are prepping the broadcast net for its next phase with a lean into sports (recent acquisitions WWE and Thursday Night Football) and comedy (Tim Allen's Last Man Standing).

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Walden: "My assistant's voice, rolling calls."

Newman: "The Boss has been in heavy rotation since I saw Springsteen on Broadway."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Walden: “I’m feeling pretty good about my own.”

Newman: "Brian Grazer’s. He makes a point of meeting as many fascinating people as he can just to keep learning about the world, which I really admire."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Walden: Barack Obama

Newman: LeBron James

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Walden: "Sadly, I can offer no advice on this topic. I am a total failure at unplugging."

Newman: "Hit the golf course."

Kevin Tsujihara and Toby Emmerich

New owner AT&T should be happy with Warners' strong film showing of late, including Crazy Rich Asians ($188 million), The Meg ($507 million) and modestly budgeted The Nun ($288 million). All are big wins for Emmerich, who consolidated his power in January when he was named film chairman, wresting control of marketing and distribution, on top of production, after the abrupt exit of vet Sue Kroll. He overhauled the executive ranks at struggling superhero division DC, which remains a priority for Emmerich, 55, and Tsujihara, 53 (who also oversees TV, digital and other businesses). "It's one of the biggest opportunities across all of Warner Bros.," says Emmerich, who is confident that Aquaman (Dec. 21) will mark a win. The studio is also prepping awards hopeful A Star Is Born (Oct. 5).

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Tsujihara: "How universally audiences embraced Crazy Rich Asians and how much it contributed to the conversation on diversity and representation. It’s further proof — if we needed it — that people are hungry for stories and storytellers that reflect the world around them."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE'S ROLODEX …

Emmerich: Barack Obama

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU

Tsujihara: "My kids to listen to me."

Emmerich: "A good night’s sleep."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR 

Tsujihara: "Bloomberg Business News … and it drives my family crazy."

Emmerich: "NPR, KCRW"

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Tsujihara: "Walk the dog."

Emmerich: "Unplug all electronics and go for a run."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK

Tsujihara: "Today. I believe it's important to admit when you're wrong, try to learn from your mistakes, and move on."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Emmerich: The Boss [Bruce Springsteen]

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Tsujihara: "My mom. I never want to disappoint her."

Emmerich: "Every journalist I’ve ever met."

Jeff Shell, Donna Langley and Ron Meyer

Exactly five years later, the triumvirate formed when Comcast installed one of its own — Shell, 52 — to run Universal has guided the studio to stability, as well as its biggest years ever at the worldwide box office, thanks to microbudgeted horror and traditional tentpoles. Langley, 50, heads up film, while Meyer, 73, draws on his longstanding talent relationships and experience. Universal is second only to Disney in 2018 market share after crossing $3 billion in global ticket sales in July, led by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.3 billion). The studio looks to be an awards player with First Man (Oct. 12) and Toronto audience winner Green Book (Nov. 21) and is banking heavily on animation, including DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (March). Gambles include April's Voyage of Dr. Doolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr.

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Shell: "I never unplug."

Langley: "Garden."

Meyer: "Shoot pool."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU

Meyer: “Your kids thinking you know what you’re talking about.”

Shell: "The ability to eat unlimited carbs without gaining a million pounds."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Shell: "Eagles quarterback Nick Foles."

Langley: "Beyonce and Jay-Z secretly filming a music video in the Louvre."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT

Meyer: "The reservation person at Nobu Malibu."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Shell: "Sports or NPR."

Langley: "My kids’ latest musical obsession."

Meyer: "Doo-wop."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY

Shell: President Obama

I'M STILL INTIMIDATED BY

Shell: "The waitresses at Nate 'N Al's."

James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch

Rupert and sons unlocked $40 billion in shareholder value courtesy of the bidding war for Fox's film and TV studios and other assets, which sold to Disney for $71 billion. What's left, aka New Fox, will comprise Fox News, the broadcast network and more, and will likely be run by Lachlan (while James says his priority for 2019 is "gainful employment"). New Fox will be buoyed by recently acquired sports rights (most notably the NFL's Thursday Night Football and WWE's SmackDown Live), while Disney benefits from a Fox TV and movie studio in better shape than it was a year ago, coming off of Searchlight's best picture winner, The Shape of Water, and box-office hits like Deadpool 2 ($730 million). The unknown is what becomes of Sky, with Disney set to receive Fox's 39 percent stake, Fox still trying to purchase the portion it doesn't own, and Comcast bidding for 100 percent of the European broadcaster.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019

James: "Gainful employment."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

James: "Liz Phair's long overdue reappraisal. Also Toto."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

James: "Anything and everything by St. Vincent. Also Toto."

Alan Horn and Alan Bergman

The vast kingdom run by Horn and his top lieutenant — who oversees marketing and distribution, business affairs and more — continues its domination, delivering $6.4 billion in worldwide box office already this year. Its domestic market share is at an unprecedented 32 percent, led by Marvel's duo Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, and Pixar's Incredibles 2. And there's no lack of potential blockbusters for 2019, including Infinity part two in May and July's live-action Lion King. The biggest challenge facing Horn, 75, and Bergman, 52 — viewed as a potential Horn successor — is the assimilation of the Fox film studio. "Quite honestly," says Horn, "I'm energized by the thought of it."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Horn: "Watch movies on the weekend."

Bergman: "Go on walks from my house in Brentwood to the beach or Venice. Sometimes I Bird back."

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN'T GET YOU

Horn: "Time. I find that I just run out of time."

Bergman: "It doesn't get you to the Westside any faster."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Horn: "The ending of Avengers: Infinity War. People just loved it."

Bergman: "Black Panther. We knew it would be a big hit, but we didn’t predict it would be only one of three films to cross $700 million domestically."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT

Horn: "Bob Daly. He’s a neutral party. People go to him for advice."

Richard Lovett, Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd

In April, Steven Spielberg, repped in film by Lovett, 58, became the first director ever to reach $10 billion at the global box office, and over the past year the agency's helmers, producers and writers have generated more than $15.8 billion worldwide. That's to say nothing of CAA's unparalleled roster of A-list stars — from Margot Robbie to Will Smith. In TV, CAA leads all agencies in scripted packages (199), including Emmy-winning drama Game of Thrones. Now Lovett, Huvane, 59, and Lourd, 57, lead an agency that maintains enough clout to attract, this year alone, the likes of new clients Aaron Sorkin, Seth MacFarlane, Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Foster.

Kevin Mayer

This spring, Iger handed the keys to Disney's future to the longtime dealmaker, who previously oversaw the acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox assets. Mayer, 56, has been tasked with transforming Disney into a direct-to-consumer business through its soon-to-be majority stake in Hulu, the newly launched ESPN+ streaming service and Disney's forthcoming subscription offering. The promotion, which also gave Mayer oversight of international and advertising sales, has led to whispers that the former Clear Channel Interactive CEO could be among those vying to succeed Iger.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "I wouldn't say surprised, but something we continue to carefully watch and stay focused on are the changes that we see in content viewing in territories around the world. While people are spending more time consuming media, how they choose to watch content has evolved dramatically in recent years with the use of smartphones, connected TVs and streaming services. In the midst of all this change, the one thing that has remained constant is the universal desire for great content and great storytelling."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Given the international and bi-coastal nature of my responsibilities with this new role, I find my commute to and from the office spent mainly on the phone talking with members of my team. On weekends, if I am alone in the car, I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music from alternative to rock to jazz standards. I often also find myself listening to NPR."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Hit the tennis court with my two sons when they are willing to play with me. Not only is it a great way for us to spend time together outdoors, for me personally a game of tennis provides the perfect balance between creative, physical and emotional abilities. It is almost akin to a great meditation session."

Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell

The agency turned talent-content behemoth (formerly known as WME-IMG) rebranded in October as Endeavor and boasts a portfolio of more than a dozen firms, including IMG, Miss Universe and UFC. For the latter, Endeavor closed a media rights deal in May with ESPN and streaming service ESPN+ valued at $1.5 billion over five years. Emanuel, 57, and Whitesell, 53, continue to push the definition of what an agency is, launching Endeavor Content to finance, sell, develop and in some cases partially own more than 100 projects a year, including BBC America's Killing Eve and Paramount's Book Club. The key question for the ambitious pair: With Endeavor's heavy debt burden, can they take on still more and continue to grow to reach an IPO?

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS

Emanuel: "Definitely not me."

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Emmanuel: David Geffen

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Emanuel: "[Rupert] Murdoch selling 21st Century [Fox]."

SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAS MORE POWER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT

Whitesell: "Ninja — biggest star in the world according to my kids."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Whitesell: "Play golf."

Cindy Holland, Lisa Nishimura and Scott Stuber

Ted Sarandos’ top lieutenants were coming off a busy month at Hollywood’s busiest content factory when they sat for THR’s Sept. 13 photo shoot. Stuber, 49, brought eight films — including Outlaw King and 22 July — to the Toronto Film Festival and saw Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma win the Golden Lion in Venice. And the veteran exec and producer, who joined Netflix in 2016, has a slate of 60 projects to be released by year’s end. Holland, 49, has overseen Netflix’s TV ascendance, including its expansion into formats like limited series (Godless, which scored two acting Emmys) as she continues to carve out a bigger piece of the streamer’s $8 billion content budget, with licensing taking a back seat to originals. Also scoring Emmy gold were Claire Foy in The Crown, Regina King in Seven Seconds and Wild Wild Country, which came from Nishimura, 47, who has also made the streamer the go-to for stand-up talent, with some 60 specials coming in 2018 from the likes of veteran Chris Rock and newcomer Hannah Gadsby.

I’M STARSTRUCK BY

Holland: “RBG, though I haven’t met her — yet!”

Nishimura: “His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”

Stuber: “Musicians that I love.”

IF I COULD STEAL ANYONE’S ROLODEX …

Stuber: David Geffen

Nishimura: First lady Michelle Obama

THE ONE THING POWER DOESN’T GET YOU   

Holland: "Genuine respect. That is only earned by your ethics and actions." 

Nishimura: “Genuine respect … or a table at n/naka.”

Stuber: "Character, class, integrity."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR

Holland: NPR

Nishimura: "NPR and '90s hip-hop."

Stuber: "Pearl Jam or the Frozen soundtrack with my daughter." 

IF I COULD GET DONALD TRUMP TO WATCH ONE FILM OR TELEVISION SHOW

Stuber: "The Truman Show, Dr. Strangelove and House of Cards."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …

Holland: "Ride my bicycle up a long, steep hill."

Nishimura: "Get in the ocean."

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH

Holland: "The Hormone Monsters in Big Mouth." 

Nishimura: Amelie Poulain

Stuber: "Batman. My son asks me to play him every day."

Peter Rice

Capping a lengthy run as the most powerful 21st Century Fox executive not named Murdoch, the fast-rising exec — whose portfolio, which reaches 2 billion worldwide, took home 22 Emmys, one shy of HBO and Netflix — is expected to be given a giant TV purview at Disney. If all goes well at the newly merged company, look for Rice, 51 — who has significant film experience, too, from his Fox Searchlight run — to see his name bandied about as a contender to succeed Bob Iger.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Figuring out a new role for myself now that my eldest child has left for college."

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "That our pay TV subscribers are up, year over year, even as more people are cutting the cord."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY Jane Goodall

Jennifer Salke

After the dismissal of Roy Price amid allegations of sexual misconduct, the keys to Amazon's content kingdom were handed to Salke in February. Since then, the NBC vet has had billions in buying power, as she looks to reshape the streaming giant's TV and film strategy for members in more than 200 countries and territories. In her short tenure, Salke, 54, has shuffled executive ranks, with key hires still to be made in film (where she ousted Jason Ropell) and reality (to replace Heather Schuster). She has also moved quickly on talent, inking pacts with Jordan Peele and Nicole Kidman, among others. Can she find Jeff Bezos the Game of Thrones-style hit he craves? Spending as much as $20 million an episode on a Lord of the Rings series should help.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Establishing Amazon Prime Video as the best global home for talent and nurturing a vibrant, creative and positive culture."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Lately I'm addicted to the Modern Love podcast. Series coming soon to Amazon."

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Authentic and brilliant people."

THE ONE THING THAT POWER DOESN'T GET YOU "A healthy mind and body!"

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I …" Go on an adventure with my family."

THE LAST TIME I APOLOGIZED AT WORK "I apologize a lot when I have to let smart, wonderful, creative people down. It's never easy."

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Kevin Feige

2018's one-two punch of Black Panther ($1.35 billion) and Avengers: Infinity War ($2 billion) showed that the mighty Marvel remains unstoppable — as does one of the most powerful and respected creative executives not just at Disney, but anywhere in the industry. Shooting is underway on the second part of the Avengers saga, set for May, and interest is sky-high in March's female-led Captain Marvel. Feige, 45, whose Marvel films have scored $17.5 billion at the box office, will be honored with the PGA's Selznick award in January. By then, his universe will have grown more massive as Fox Marvel assets, including the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, are folded in at Disney.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Finishing the 22-movie saga that began with Iron Man in 2008."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Who wants to unplug?"

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Various film soundtracks, Karina Longworth's podcast You Must Remember This and I'm currently finishing an audiobook of Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke and the Making of a Masterpiece." 

I'M STARSTRUCK BY "Anyone that I've only seen on the big screen that then winds up in my office at some point for a meeting."

Shari Redstone

Now that her longtime foe, CBS' Leslie Moonves, has been vanquished, Redstone, 64, is in a position to reshape Viacom and CBS as the vice chair and controlling owner (via her family's National Amusements) of both. If she's able to push forward a reunion of the two (an idea Moonves aggressively opposed), the combined companies would have a market cap of $33 billion (which still pales compared to AT&T's $235 billion). Moonves' ouster amid sexual harassment allegations, and the accompanying departure of six long-serving board members — all friends of her ailing father, Sumner, 95 — mean that Redstone will face less opposition going forward. CBS' stock has shown no signs of duress since Moonves' exit Sept. 9 and is up 65 cents as of press time.

John Stankey

After AT&T's hard-fought $85 billion deal, Stankey, 55, in June became the overseer of Time Warner's collection of media assets — including Warner Bros.' film and TV studios, HBO and the Turner networks including CNN. And he has a lofty goal for the new $31 billion company (and its global workforce of 26,000): Get bigger and broader. That means crown jewel HBO, which spends about $2 billion a year on content and earns $6 billion in subscriber revenue, will be given more cash to compete with the likes of Netflix. Among Stankey's challenges — besides integrating the Texas-based telecom culture with Hollywood creatives — will be to guide a reset on Warners' DC Universe.

MY FOCUS FOR 2019 "Continuing to affirm the brand reputation of our properties as innovators that respect creative talent, their aspirations and their individuality; and using our unique assets to enable creative innovation, helping talent share their stories with audiences across today's and emerging platforms."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "A phone call." 

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Go to Lake Tahoe."

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I IDENTIFY WITH "Tough question. I know it's not anyone from HBO's Succession."

Brian Roberts and Steve Burke

Roberts' $65 billion attempt to spoil Bob Iger's bid for 21st Century Fox assets didn't work, but it did force Disney to pony up an additional $19 billion. And Roberts, 59, is still on the hunt to grow his $169 billion conglomerate by acquiring Sky, driving Rupert Murdoch to up his $32 billion-plus bid for the 61 percent of the U.K. pay-TV giant he does not already own. Meanwhile, amid all the hoopla over Disney and Netflix, Burke's NBCU notched double-digit growth for the fifth straight year in 2017, with the film unit having its most profitable year ever, exceeding $5 billion at the box office for only the second time in its 105-year history (thanks in large part to Jurassic World's $1.3 billion). Not that Burke, 60, doesn't have a few headaches, including lingering questions about NBC News' handling of Ronan Farrow's reporting on Harvey Weinstein.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018

Burke: "The prevalence of sexual harassment issues that came to light."

THE ONE THING THAT POWER DOESN'T GET YOU

Burke: "Good values."

THE NICEST PERSON IN HOLLYWOOD IS …

Burke: "Ron Meyer"

Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos

Try it: Start a conversation in Hollywood and see if Netflix doesn't come up. The streamer scored a symbolic coup when it topped the Emmy nominations with 112, besting HBO — and tying the cable network with 23 wins each. Hastings, 57, and Sarandos, 54, propelled their company to this milestone with their massive investment (up to $8 billion for 2018) in a seemingly endless content pipeline, which in addition to scripted stalwarts like Stranger Things also ramped up in unscripted with hit Queer Eye, and in film with summer romcoms like To All the Boys I've Loved Before. With 130 million global subscribers, grand film ambitions (Roma is a best pic favorite), plus acquisitions like Millarworld, Netflix seems destined to surpass Disney's $163 billion market cap — if Hastings keeps investors convinced that he can add subscribers fast enough to make up for the $3 billion to $4 billion his company will burn this year.

Bob Iger

If Hollywood has become a kill-or-be-killed battleground, Bob Iger is the lead hunter. Starting with Pixar in 2006, the Walt Disney Co. CEO has bulked up his company into a $160 billion content behemoth with the tools — Marvel heroes, Star Wars droids and, thanks to June's $71.3 billion acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox, a trove of new networks and IP — to take on much larger digital giants like Amazon, Apple and Facebook. Iger, 68, tops the THR 100 for the third year in a row, with Disney revenue up 7 percent to $15.2 billion and operating income up 5 percent to $4.2 billion in the most recent quarter. But he's not without challenges. A risky streaming service, set to launch in 2019 and aimed directly at Netflix, will cost billions, and the erosion of cable TV subscribers drags on the once-untouchable networks business. At the same time, the integration of Fox assets (and executives) and the scandals that led to the forced exits of John Lasseter at Disney/Pixar (harassment), John Skipper at ESPN (drugs), Roseanne Barr at ABC and James Gunn at Marvel (both over offensive tweets) raise culture questions. And there's the issue of who will replace Iger when (or if?) he finally retires. In a talk with THR editorial director Matthew Belloni, Iger discussed his plan for Disney "to not only survive but to thrive in a world that doesn't look anything like the world that existed just a few years ago." Read the full Q&A here.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2018 "Well, it wasn't such a surprise to us, but I think the rest of the industry was caught off-guard by the phenomenal reaction to Marvel's Black Panther. The global success of that movie completely crushed some long-held myths about what audiences want to see and hopefully opened the door for more great storytelling from new and exciting perspectives."

WHAT'S USUALLY PLAYING IN MY CAR "Classic rock is always at the top of the list, from the Stones to the Beatles and Bob Dylan. I also have a fondness for jazz, particularly for jazz singers, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald all the way through the Sinatra era."

WHEN I WANT TO TRULY UNPLUG, I … "Spend time sailing with my family. We spent a couple of weeks off the coast of Italy this summer, it was wonderful. Time slows down when you're out there away from the constant demands of everyday life, so you really can recharge and reconnect."

A version of this story first appeared in the Sept. 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.