Ben Fritz
@benfritz.bsky.social
Entertainment industry reporter @wsj. Formerly AI Editor. My podcast: "With Great Power." My book: "The Big Picture." My email: ben.fritz@wsj.com
After every toy company passed on KPop Demon Hunters prior to release, two of the biggest sign a deal to start coming out with products next spring.
October 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
After every toy company passed on KPop Demon Hunters prior to release, two of the biggest sign a deal to start coming out with products next spring.
If you're wondering what political movement is ascendant in California Democratic politics, this is the subject line of the latest release from Gavin Newsom's office.
October 15, 2025 at 8:26 PM
If you're wondering what political movement is ascendant in California Democratic politics, this is the subject line of the latest release from Gavin Newsom's office.
First time I've seen my work in a political ad (@austinforla.bsky.social's mayoral announcement) www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
October 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM
First time I've seen my work in a political ad (@austinforla.bsky.social's mayoral announcement) www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
Kudos to the reader who sent me an email with this subject line
October 8, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Kudos to the reader who sent me an email with this subject line
Apply to get help applying
October 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Apply to get help applying
And here are a few fun details for fans of Fast & Furious on what's coming down the road for Dom's crew:
October 4, 2025 at 12:09 AM
And here are a few fun details for fans of Fast & Furious on what's coming down the road for Dom's crew:
California newspapers not exactly playing hard to get with Gavin Newsom in this ad in today's LA Times
September 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
California newspapers not exactly playing hard to get with Gavin Newsom in this ad in today's LA Times
Close Disney watchers may also appreciate this is the first time a company executive (general counsel Horacio Gutierrez) has gone on the record about the Kimmel situation. And he shared some new and interesting info about *when* Disney decided to suspend the late-night host.
September 28, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Close Disney watchers may also appreciate this is the first time a company executive (general counsel Horacio Gutierrez) has gone on the record about the Kimmel situation. And he shared some new and interesting info about *when* Disney decided to suspend the late-night host.
It's not often graffiti taggers go after a CEO. But it's been that kind of month for Bob Iger. Here's our close-up look at why Disney's leader suspended and then reinstated Jimmy Kimmel and what the fiasco's done to his legacy and reputation for defending free expression.
www.wsj.com/business/med...
www.wsj.com/business/med...
September 28, 2025 at 1:21 AM
It's not often graffiti taggers go after a CEO. But it's been that kind of month for Bob Iger. Here's our close-up look at why Disney's leader suspended and then reinstated Jimmy Kimmel and what the fiasco's done to his legacy and reputation for defending free expression.
www.wsj.com/business/med...
www.wsj.com/business/med...
It's rare a critic finds a new way to be mean clever enough to make me LOL
September 27, 2025 at 1:12 AM
It's rare a critic finds a new way to be mean clever enough to make me LOL
Whoever added me to this press list knows exactly why I get up in the morning.
September 25, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Whoever added me to this press list knows exactly why I get up in the morning.
Ugh this is so much grimmer than I realized. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/t...
September 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Ugh this is so much grimmer than I realized. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/t...
This chart says it all. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
September 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
This chart says it all. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
Graffiti sighting in Hollywood
September 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Graffiti sighting in Hollywood
Hollywood excess isn't totally dead yet.
September 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Hollywood excess isn't totally dead yet.
It's real. And it's spectacular. www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...
September 8, 2025 at 7:10 PM
It's real. And it's spectacular. www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...
The most impressive thing about "KPop Demon Hunters" isn't its total views, but its consistent popularity. As the president of Sony Pictures Animation told me, "I literally don’t know when it’s going to stop. It feels like it won’t, but obviously it has to."
August 26, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The most impressive thing about "KPop Demon Hunters" isn't its total views, but its consistent popularity. As the president of Sony Pictures Animation told me, "I literally don’t know when it’s going to stop. It feels like it won’t, but obviously it has to."
Amazing name for a podcast.
August 26, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Amazing name for a podcast.
Brian Robbins' farewell message to Paramount employees:
August 6, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Brian Robbins' farewell message to Paramount employees:
AI is shrinking the job market for college grads right now. Their unemployment rate rose more than for any other group of 22-27 year olds and is almost a point higher than for people with associates degrees. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
July 29, 2025 at 5:51 PM
AI is shrinking the job market for college grads right now. Their unemployment rate rose more than for any other group of 22-27 year olds and is almost a point higher than for people with associates degrees. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
Why people in Gaza are starving, in one chart. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
July 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Why people in Gaza are starving, in one chart. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
There's a lot more interesting stuff in the story. Please read it! And look, I don’t want to say I was literally born to write this article, but this is the backdrop of the home office in which I wrote it.
July 11, 2025 at 12:19 AM
There's a lot more interesting stuff in the story. Please read it! And look, I don’t want to say I was literally born to write this article, but this is the backdrop of the home office in which I wrote it.
And the plan for a third Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot was to set her story in modern day. It would have dealt with some of the same “old fashioned hero in a broken world” themes present in “Superman,” which is part of the reason DC Studios isn’t making it.
July 11, 2025 at 12:19 AM
And the plan for a third Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot was to set her story in modern day. It would have dealt with some of the same “old fashioned hero in a broken world” themes present in “Superman,” which is part of the reason DC Studios isn’t making it.
What about all the DC projects in development before Gunn & Safran took over? Well, WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav made clear to people he thought the Black Superman being written by Ta-Nehisi Coates set in the Civil Rights era was too woke.
July 11, 2025 at 12:19 AM
What about all the DC projects in development before Gunn & Safran took over? Well, WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav made clear to people he thought the Black Superman being written by Ta-Nehisi Coates set in the Civil Rights era was too woke.
Just like James Gunn followed “The Suicide Squad” with a TV series about John Cena’s standout supporting character Peacemaker, he’s considering following “Superman” with spinoff TV shows about supporting characters like Mister Terrific and Jimmy Olsen.
July 11, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Just like James Gunn followed “The Suicide Squad” with a TV series about John Cena’s standout supporting character Peacemaker, he’s considering following “Superman” with spinoff TV shows about supporting characters like Mister Terrific and Jimmy Olsen.