Much like in baseball, Hollywood is a hit-driven business in which home runs generate multiples more value than singles and doubles (and subsidize all those strikeouts). As such, consistent hitmakers are absolutely vital to the good health and longevity of a studio. Given the volatile state of the entertainment industry today, now is a perfect time to update my article from 2021 by identifying each studio’s most valuable creator.

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Generally speaking, these creators are either on first-look or overall deals with a given studio and are providing consistent returns on investment via successful multi-season TV series and/or theatrical box office revenue. Shall we dive in?

Shonda Rhimes is the only answer for Netflix (NFLX) after reportedly following up her four-year, $150 million deal in 2017 with 2021’s five-year deal that could reach up to $400 million (total compensation including bonus). Miraculously, both are completely justifiable on the balance sheet—all Rhimes does is deliver winners.

Miniseries Inventing Anna, all three seasons of Bridgerton and spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story have all spent time among the streamer’s self-reported Top 10 most-watched English-language series of all time. Over the first half of 2024, all three Bridgerton seasons and Queen Charlotte were among Netflix’s top 30 most-watched seasons of TV globally (regardless of language), per Netflix’s Engagement Report. According to Nielsen, Grey’s Anatomy was the fourth most-watched show on streaming in the U.S. in 2023, with 38.6 billion hours, or roughly 105.75 million hours per day. (Rhimes created Greys for ABC,........

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