2019-10-16 The Hollywood Reporter

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 77 OCTOBER 16, 2019

METHODOLOGY During a months-long process, editors compiled the THR 100 based on the size and reach of a person’s purview, the success of his or her work since 2018’s list, the power to get

a project made (company ownership helps) and the ineffables: heat, clout and indicators of influence gleaned from dozens of conversations with top insiders (not to mention THR’s daily reporting).

contenders Dee Rees’ Mudbound
and Denzel Washington’s Fences. His
next projects are Michael B. Jordan’s
Just Mercy and Focus’ Harriet
Tubman biopic, with Master of None
co-creator Alan Yang’s feature direc-
torial debut, Tigertail, and Netflix
drama series Gentefied on deck.
THE LAST APP SOMEONE UNDER 13
HAD TO EXPLAIN TO YOU “My two
sons, Noah and Julian, hipped me
to TikTok many months ago.”

89 LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA
Actor-writer-producer-director

FX’s Fosse/Verdon, which Miranda
exec produced, nabbed an Emmy
series nom and a win for Michelle
Williams. And studios and networks
clamor to work with the Hamilton
creator, 39: He’s starring in BBC and
HBO’s His Dark Materials (Nov. 4);
working with Alan Menken on songs
for Disney’s Little Mermaid; and
producing the adaptation of his first
Broadway hit, In the Heights, out via
Warner Bros. in June. His focus for
2020, however, is directorial debut
Tick, Tick ... Boom! for Netflix.
GO-TO PODCAST FOR A LONG DRIVE
“The McElroy brothers’ My Brother,
My Brother and Me.”

90 ISSA RAE
Actor-producer

Insecure star-creator Rae, 34, shep-
herded HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch
Show (renewed for a second sea-
son). She starred in YA feature The
Hate U Give and Will Packer com-
edy Little, and has 2020 releases
The Photograph and The Lovebirds
— which she executive produced.
Under her banner ColorCreative,
Rae inked a pact with Sony label
Columbia that will see her produce
work with diverse screenwriters.
A TOP TALENT (NOT ON YOUR
PLATFORM) WHOM YOU ADMIRE
“Mark Phillips. His videos crack me
up and I love how his friends appear
in different roles in all of them. He’s
like Hood Adam Sandler.”

91 BOB SIMONDS
Chairman/CEO

STX ENTERTAINMENT

Insiders at STX breathed a sigh
of relief with bona fide hits The

Upside and Hustlers — though

there were also flops (UglyDolls

and Poms) and top-level exec

departures (chief content officer

Oren Aviv). Much depends on

whether Simonds (and movie group

chairman Adam Fogelson) can add

to the $100 million the company

raised in March. On deck for 2020:

Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen and

comedy My Spy.

92 JENNIFER LOPEZ

Actor-producer

She had a sold-out tour in honor

of her 50th birthday and released

Billboard chart topper “Medicine.”

On TV, her NBC competition World

of Dance is renewed for season

four. But it’s her turn in Hustlers,

which wowed at the box office with

$121.7 million, that catapulted Lopez

into the awards race and onto

THR’s list for the first time.

93 DAVID YOUNG

Executive director

WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA WEST

He’s made powerful enemies with

his battle against the major tal-

ent agencies. But even his critics

acknowledge that Young, 61, has

proved an effective organizer,

persuading more than 7,000 writers

to fire their agents and suing the

agencies with headline-grabbing

racketeering allegations. But which

side will blink ahead of next spring’s

studio negotiations?

THE LAST APP SOMEONE UNDER 13

HAD TO EXPLAIN TO YOU “Smart

TV remote, but I don’t learn.”

94 MEGAN ELLISON

Chair/CEO

ANNAPURNA PICTURES

It’s been a rough year for

Annapurna, forced to fend off

bankruptcy scares after misfires

including The Sisters Brothers and

Destroyer. But Ellison, 33, often

praised for taking risks, inked a new

distribution deal with MGM and is

focusing on growth in the coming

year with more homegrown fare.

YOU FIND BOB IGER’S PHONE.

WHICH CONTACT DO YOU CALL?

“I’d really have to see who is on

there ... Donald Trump?”

95 ZENDAYA

Actor

The 23-year-old completed her

metamorphosis this year from

Disney Channel star to acclaimed

actress, earning raves and early

Emmy buzz for HBO’s Euphoria,

bringing her 62.6 million Instagram

followers along for the ride. She’ll

next be seen on the big screen in

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation,

and she’ll reprise her Spider-Man

role in a third Sony-Marvel film.

96 JOSH GRODE

CEO

MARY PARENT

Vice chairman, worldwide

production

LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT

With Legendary’s owner, Chinese

conglomerate Dalian Wanda, look-

ing to exit Hollywood, Grode, 54,

restructured the company’s bal-

ance sheet. Under a new deal with

Warner Bros., Legendary released

two films spearheaded by Parent,

51: Ryan Reynolds starrer Detective

Pikachu ($432 million) and Godzilla:

King of the Monsters ($386 million).

Up next is an adaptation of Frank

Herbert’s iconic Dune (November

2020), with Legendary also devel-

oping a spinoff series for HBO Max.

97 TIFFANY HADDISH

Actor-comedian

After signing on to a dizzying

spate of projects post-Girls Trip,

she saw stumbles at the box office

(Nobody’s Fool and The Kitchen).

But the 39-year-old has a hit series

(The Last O.G.’s debut in April 2018

was TBS’ strongest ever for an

original), a first-look deal with HBO

and — as of Oct. 6 — she’s produc-

ing and starring in ABC’s reboot of

Kids Say the Darndest Things.

A TOP TALENT (NOT ON YOUR

PLATFORM) WHOM YOU ADMIRE

Aida Rodriguez.

98 DAN LIN

CEO

RIDEBACK

The 46-year-old producer had

his hand in a slew of big 2019

projects — Aladdin, It: Chapter

Tw o, Godzilla: King of the

Monsters, The Lego Movie 2

and Netflix awards contender

The Two Popes. But his most

lasting accomplishment this

year might just be Rideback’s

incubator for TV writers from

underrepresented backgrounds

— launched in February with MRC

(which shares a parent company

with THR).

YOU FIND BOB IGER’S PHONE.

WHICH CONTACT DO YOU CALL?

“Santa Claus. If anyone has his

number, it’s Bob.”

99 MARGOT ROBBIE

Actor-producer

She’s a Fox News staffer in Jay

Roach’s Roger Ailes drama

Bombshell and crazed vigilante

Harley Quinn in DC Comics’ Birds

of Prey (February). The 29-year-

old star, who channels Sharon

Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,

has also become a prolific pro-

ducer — on her DC film and Hulu

comedy Dollface.

GO-TO PODCAST FOR A LONG DRIVE

The High Low.

100 TAIKA WAITITI

Director-actor

After exceeding critical and

commercial expectations with

Thor: Ragnarok, the New Zealand

filmmaker, 44, returned to his

indie roots for Fox Searchlight’s

Jojo Rabbit. Before heading

back for Thor No. 4, Hollywood’s

most versatile new helmer will

squeeze in another Searchlight

feature (Next Goal Wins), debut

his episode of Star Wars series

The Mandalorian and act in

Shawn Levy’s Free Guy and

DC’s Suicide Squad sequel. His

2020 plan: “Keep breathing.

And don’t screw up Thor: Love

and Thunder.”

Profiles written by Seth Abramovitch,

Paul Bond, Rebecca Ford, Mia Galuppo,

Stephen Galloway, Lesley Goldberg,

Marisa Guthrie, Jonathan Handel,

Natalie Jarvey, Rebecca Keegan, Borys Kit,

Pamela McClintock, Michael O’Connell,

Bryn Elise Sandberg, Tatiana Siegel,

Piya Sinha-Roy, Rebecca Sun and

Benjamin Svetkey.

UP

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