In this unprecedented all-encompassing and thoroughly entertaining account of the movie business acclaimed writer Edward Jay Epstein reveals the real magic behind moviemaking: how the studios make their money. Epstein shows that in Hollywood the only art that matters is the art of the deal: Major films turn huge profits not from the movies themselves but through myriad other enterprises from video-game spin-offs and soundtracks to fast-food tie-ins and even theme-park rides. The studios may compete for stars and Oscars but their corporate parents view wth one another in less glamorous markets such as cable home video and pay-TV. Money though is only a small part of the Hollywood story; the social and political milieus-power prestige and status-tell the rest. Alongside its remarkable financial revelations and incisive profiles of the pioneers who helped build Hollywood The Big Picture is filled with eye-opening insider stories. If you are interested in Hollywood today and the complex and fascinating way it has evolved in order to survive you haven t seen the big picture until you ve read The Big Picture.