EW vs The Hollywood Reporter

The Knowing launches glossy newsletter for Black youth

The Knowing (TK) is a new media startup launching with a premium Saturday newsletter aimed at Black millennials and Gen Z. Founded and edited by Geneva S. Thomas — an ex-People and Entertainment Weekly executive who has held senior digital strategy roles at Condé Nast and Paramount — the publisher says its mission is to “restore credibility and balance in Black-owned digital media.” TK plans to expand beyond email into live events and other offerings targeted at young prestige readers.

• The Knowing (TK) is a media startup launching with a premium Saturday newsletter targeted at young Black audiences (Millennials and Gen Z).
• Geneva S. Thomas is the founder and editor of The Knowing; she previously worked at People and Entertainment Weekly and held senior digital strategy roles at Condé Nast and Paramount.
• The company said its mission is to “restore credibility and balance in Black-owned digital media,” guided by the motto: “News, culture and sovereignty.”

Done Deal: Paramount Completes Warner Bros. Takeover, Creating Hollywood Giant

Paramount has completed its acquisition of Warner Bros., creating a new Hollywood giant. The deal was announced as a breaking news item on The Hollywood Reporter's news page.

Universal Presells Nolan's Odyssey Year-Early

Josh Stein argues that Universal’s decision to sell IMAX 70mm tickets for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey at midnight on July 17, 2025 — for screenings starting July 17, 2026 — represented a first for a major studio: collecting paying demand 12 months before a film existed. Roughly 25 IMAX 70mm locations were offered, 95% of seats sold within an hour, and about $1.5 million was collected from that small pool. Stein ties the event to a broader shift: counted, presold demand (from creators and auteur brands) can become a financeable asset, changing greenlight underwriting and capital-stack pricing. He cites parallel creator-market examples (A24’s Backrooms, Focus’s Obsession, Markiplier’s Iron Lung) and notes industry reactions including box-office results and major corporate deals and disclosure choices that reflect the value of measured demand.

• On July 17, 2025 (midnight Eastern), Universal put IMAX 70mm tickets on sale for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, for show dates beginning July 17, 2026.
• 95% of the available IMAX 70mm seats sold within an hour, producing roughly $1.5 million in gross from the deliberately small pool of about 25 locations.
• The Odyssey had a reported $250 million net production budget; its opening weekend later ran to $264.1 million worldwide, per Variety and Reuters.