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A well-respected awards columnist at The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> is causing a stir in Hollywood media over an email he sent to studios and strategists last week, requesting priority access to the hottest movies coming this year. If the studios didn\u2019t comply, there may be consequences, he suggested in the email. \u201cAs you plan the rollout of your film(s), I would like to respectfully ask that you not show films to any<\/em> of my fellow awards pundits before you show them to me, even if that person represents himself or herself to you as (a) a potential reviewer of it, (b) needing to see the film in order to be part of decisions about covers, or (c) really anything else,\u201d Scott Feinberg,<\/strong> THR<\/em>\u2019s executive editor of awards, wrote in the email reviewed by Vanity Fair.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe feel that doing so is plainly unfair to THR<\/em>, as it puts us at a competitive disadvantage, especially at film fests, where every second counts,\u201d Feinberg wrote. \u201cIt is not unreasonable to ask you to insist that someone is either an awards pundit or a critic\/cover editor, but not both, at least during awards season,\u201d he added, expressing apparent frustration that critics and editors who also do awards punditry jump him\u2014primarily an awards pundit\u2014in line to get access to screenings. Feinberg, a longtime Hollywood columnist, is known for the \u201cFeinberg Forecast,\u201d in which he predicts various showbiz awards races, and for his interview-driven Awards Chatter<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n In the email, he went on to imply that there would be repercussions for studios that continued to widely distribute invitations to screenings, and that \u201cmoving forward, [THR<\/em>] may take that into consideration during the booking of roundtables, podcasts, and other coverage,\u201d he wrote, referring to the sought-after spots on the outlet\u2019s celebrity-fueled discussion series. Sources who saw the email\u2014which I\u2019m told went out widely and has since circulated even further\u2014found it either a faintly absurd attempt to get ahead of his competitors or an implied threat that they had to take seriously. \u201cAs somebody who\u2019s organizing and spearheading an Oscar campaign this year for a certain title, it just puts a really bad taste in my mouth,\u201d says one senior publicist at a top studio, who notes that the decision to screen early \u201clives with me, and it lives with people who are working with filmmakers.\u201d They added: \u201cThis culture of prescreening has just clearly gotten a little bit out of control if you have these kinds of emails going around, where people are demanding they see it before their competitors, who are actually their colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n Penske Media Corporation took over operations of THR<\/em> in 2020,<\/a> as it continued to expand its entertainment news footprint. The company also oversees Deadline, Variety, Rolling Stone,<\/em> Billboard, and Indiewire. A spokesperson for PMC clarified in a statement that Feinberg \u201cdid not in any way mean to imply that he should see films before others, but just that all awards analysts should see them at the same time and not be given preferential treatment,\u201d adding that the email was \u201cinartfully worded\u201d and that Feinberg plans to follow up with the studios and strategists to make that clear. \u201cIt was Scott\u2019s understanding that there have been instances where other awards analysts have gotten early access to a film by also claiming to be a reviewer and were able to see films before others. Any suggestion of consequences for not providing early viewing access to Scott was not the intent,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n In many ways, Feinberg\u2019s ask speaks to this moment in Hollywood\u2014as the dual writers and actors strikes turn the entertainment media apparatus on its head. Feinberg specifically noted his desire for exclusives \u201cgiven the relative quiet in the business,\u201d and cordially expressed his hope to work with film promoters through what will likely be a very bizarre awards season. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, has barred actors<\/a> from promoting their work in the press, putting an indefinite moratorium on everything from cover shoots to interviews to red carpets. Meanwhile, the screenwriters work stoppage has ground the entertainment<\/a> industry to a halt. \u201cThe celebrity factory has shut down,\u201d The Ankler CEO Janice Min<\/strong> told<\/a> Vanity Fair<\/em> last month. \u201cIf this goes on for a long time, you will feel it across the whole internet.\u201d Trade publications like THR<\/em> and Variety<\/em> will likely feel it even more, given the loss of advertising\u2014particularly around for-your-consideration campaigns\u2014that comes with the press blackout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n