The Hollywood Economist

**A fully revised edition of the popular guide to Hollywood finances, updated to reflect even newer films and trends**

In a *Freakonomics*-meets-Hollywood saga, veteran investigative reporter Edward Jay Epstein goes undercover to explore Hollywood’s “invisible money machine,” probing the dazzlingly complicated finances behind the hits and flops, while he answers a surprisingly difficult question: How do the studiosmake their money?

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**We also learn:

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+ How and why the studios harvest silver from old film prints ...

* Why stars do—or don’t do—their own stunts ...**

**+ The future of Netflix: **Why the “next big thing” now seems in such deep trouble...**

* What it costs to insure Nicole Kidman’s right knee…

* How Hollywood manipulates Wall Street: **including the story of the acquisition of MGM… wherein a consortium of banks and hedge funds lost some $5 billion… while Hollywood made millions.**

* Why Arnold Schwarzenegger is considered a contract genius…

* The fate of serious fare: **How HBO, AMC, and Showtime have found ways to make money offer adult drama, while the Hollywood studios prefer to cater to teen audiences.

**+ Why *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider* is considered a “masterpiece” of financing ...

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