(NewsNation) — 2023 was a big year for entertainment with the summer of strikes that bled into the Fall, royal rifts and box office record-breaking movies and music.
Here are the top entertainment highlights of the year:
Writers strike
Hollywood writers and actors went on strike this summer, demanding better pay and job security. The Writers Guild of America, representing over 11,000 screenwriters, was on strike for 148 days.
In July, leaders of Hollywood’s actors’ union voted to join the screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.
Hollywood’s writers’ strike was declared over after nearly five months when board members from their union approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing the industry at least partly back from a historic halt in production.
Royal family drama
Prince Harry released the number one memoir of the year, sparking controversy and damaging his relationship with members of the royal family.
In “Spare” Harry recounted his grief at the death of his mother, Princess Diana, his disputes with his brother Prince William and frustration at the role of royal “spare” in the shadow of Prince William, next in line for the British throne.
Harry’s exposure of bitter divides inside the House of Windsor — alongside details of his mental health struggles, experiences with sex and drugs and decade-long military career — generated a media storm.
The memoir inspired many other celebrities to write tell-alls, including Britney Spears, who shared details about her conservatorship battle and relationship secrets with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake.
Women in music
2023 was a big year for Taylor Swift, who took the world by storm with her Eras tour. Her tour led to a cinematic release and a Congressional hearing after ticket site LiveNation melted down during early sales. Swifties also brought an economic boost to cities hosting concerts.
The Eras tour also officially made Swift a billionaire and Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.
It was also a big year for Beyonce, whose “Rennaissance” tour became the highest-grossing tour led by a woman, raking in about $580 million.
After selling out stadiums around the country and the world, both Swift and Beyonce turned their concerts into films. Swift’s film brought in $92 million on the opening weekend alone.
R&B singer and songwriter Rihanna performed at the Superbowl halftime show, shocking fans by announcing her pregnancy during the show.
Reunions
The Beatles were able to release one last song after 45 years with the help of artificial intelligence, dividing the internet
The boy band NSYNC also reunited after 25 years for the single “Better Place,” featured in the “Trolls” movie.
The Barbenheimer phenomenon
“Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie, America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling, shattered box officer numbers, bringing in more than $1.38 billion worldwide.
The movie broke several records, including being the highest-grossing domestic release in history and the largest opening weekend for a female director.
Barbie was also the most searched term on Google this year, alongside another movie success, “Oppenheimer.”
The dueling release of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” led to a pop culture phenomenon known as Barbenheimer. The main focus of debate? Which order to see films and which one would come out on top. Barbie took the crown and launched the Barbiecore style trend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
