Predicting Hollywood in 2026
Educated guesses, smart takes and back-of-the napkin math on what entertainment industry insiders will be talking about in the next 12 months.
BY ERIK HAYDEN, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK, RICK PORTER, ALEX WEPRIN, SETH ABRAMOVITCH, GARY BAUM, WINSTON CHO, CAITLIN HUSTON, KATIE KILKENNY, MIKEY O’CONNELL, TONY MAGLIO, STEVEN ZEITCHIK
YouTube decimates TV. Netflix buys Warner Bros. Bob Iger ties Disney to a boundary-pushing AI startup. Donald Trump picks which media moguls rule, gets broadcast newsrooms to pay him massive legal settlements and strong-arms studios to drop inclusion and diversity efforts. Given the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction year we just lived through, forecasting 2026 may be a fool’s errand. But, below, The Hollywood Reporter‘s journalists have a few educated guesses and smart takes about what the next year may have in store for the entertainment industry.