"Hollywood and Washington always had a dance," says Shootout co-host Peter Guber. This week he and co-host Peter Bart discuss what that dance will be like with Barack Obama. Are the cozy Clinton years back? Or does "change" mean distance from Hollywood lobbyists... otherwise known as celebrities.

"Obama is really by nature going to pull back from Hollywood," says Bart. "His instincts are such that we may find him burying himself more in academia." Guber, who was a guest at the Clinton White House, sees things differently. The new president will court this constituency because, Guber argues, he'll need their help. "I think both Hollywood and Washington are rebooting and I think that the old programs are still inside, and each will decide how they can use that currency."

Continue reading "Will Hollywood Influence White House Policy?" »

Ron Howard's commitment to make a movie of Frost/Nixon (with the play's stars Frank Langella and Michael Sheen) wasn't as intuitive for producer Brian Grazer. He had to be convinced that a 30-year-old story could be appealing to contemporary audiences who weren't there when it happened.

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