Sightings, hearings and happenings around town, brought to you by Engine Vision Media — behind Los Angeles, Pasadena and Orange Coast magazines and historic Downtown L.A. restaurant Engine Co. No. 28. Email your tips to jrosemberg@lamag.com
Following months of disputes and controversy, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have officially merged to form a combined entertainment company called Skydance.
The $110 billion deal brings together the fortunes of two major film studios, CBS, HBO, two global streaming platforms, CBS News, CNN, extensive cable networks, live sports and major franchises, including Top Gun, Harry Potter and the DC Universe.
The road to the merger, led by David Ellison, was long and hard-fought, with lawsuits from 12 U.S. states, including California. After months of negotiations, Paramount reached a settlement with the states in late September.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the agreement would ensure investment in U.S. film production and establish guardrails to keep the industry competitive.
“Let me be clear: This settlement is not a vote of support for this merger,” Bonta said in a statement on Sept. 21, adding that the agreement addresses antitrust concerns and protects competition, consumer choice and workers.
Ellison serves as chairman and CEO alongside co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, former Mattel chairman and CEO. Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are among those axed in the merger.
The company’s future remains uncertain, with previous reports projecting thousands of job losses.
In a memo to employees titled “Day 1,” Ellison and Kreiz alluded to potential cost-cutting measures while vowing to build a global entertainment company that “puts audiences first, empowers creators, embraces innovation and creates lasting value for generations to come.”
Last held in Los Angeles 19 years ago, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to the West Coast on Sunday, Oct. 18 in all its pink and glittery glory. Fashionistas, models and lingerie fans flocked to Sony Pictures Studios for the 2026 event that also streamed live.
L.A. brought the star power: Sitting runway-side were Nicole Kidman, Timothée Chalamet, Kris Jenner, Lisa Rinna, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Dylan Sprouse and Vanessa Bryant.
Many Victoria’s Secret Angels returned for the occasion — including Alessandra Ambrosio (who celebrated her 20th show), Adriana Lima, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid. Performers Megan Moroney, Tate McRae, KATSEYE and Megan Thee Stallion delivered with their fashion as much as their energetic numbers.
During the show, Adéla’s song “Nicole Kidman” played for a bashful Kidman, who doubled over with laughter. And Kylie Jenner made her VS runway debut, modeling a $50 million Fantasy Bra designed by Jacob & Co. with more than 4,410 diamonds.
The cast of Fox sitcom New Girl — Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone and Damon Wayans Jr. — reunited at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball, which raised $2.7 million to support individuals overcoming barriers to employment.
Jewelry fans Zoey Deutch, Charles Melton and Lauren Harrier ventured to Orange County for a black-tie dinner prepared by chef Daniel Boulud celebrating Tiffany & Co.’s new South Coast Plaza store and Blue Box Café, capped by a performance by San Jose native Ashe.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) held its inaugural Palm Springs Honors at Soho House West Hollywood, where Ron Howard and Brian Grazer received the Harold Matzner Distinguished Achievement Award from film historian Leonard Maltin.
And Taylor Swift serenaded the starry crowd at the sixth annual Academy Museum gala — which honored John Carpenter, Colman Domingo and Charlize Theron, and raised more than $14 million to support the museum’s exhibits, education initiatives and public programming.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Lucas Museum of Narrative ArtWhen he took the stage at the star-studded opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art — alongside museum co-founder Mellody Hobson and event co-chairs including Greta Gerwig, Queen Latifah, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and Pharrell Williams — filmmaker George Lucas (above) discussed the polarizing idea “that illustration is an art form.” “Art is in the eye of the beholder,” he insisted. “If it is emotional to you, then it is art. You get to decide what art is.”
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