Radhika Jones on a New Era for the Hollywood Issue

Surprise! It’s the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, a few months earlier than you expected! For 30 years, our tentpole issue has been timed more or less to the Oscars. But as summer film festivals and major fall releases play an ever more important role in the journey toward an Academy Award, we wanted our readers (and listeners, and viewers) to join us for the full scope of the season—to anticipate along with us both the accolades awaiting the films in theaters right now and the movies we can’t wait to see in 2025. Think of this Hollywood Issue, with its new arrival date, as the beginning of a long and glorious red carpet, winding from the critics’ honors and Golden Globes, through the guild and independent film awards, all the way to the industry’s biggest night (and, of course, the Vanity Fair Oscar Party).

We’re delighted to present our traditional group cover in print—some things don’t change!—as well as a series of still portraits, all photographed by Gordon von Steiner and styled by George Cortina. But you must experience the Hollywood Issue online, and in motion, to truly appreciate the dynamism of this power ensemble. At our shoot in mid-September, I loved seeing the connections and chemistry among them—the hugs between Josh O’Connor and Jonathan Bailey on arrival; Dev Patel and Bill Skarsgård chatting in the hallway between takes. In our video cover, directed by Gordon, the stars trade jokes and awards-show memories; in a suite of longer videos, they share their secret obsessions, from Dev’s fascination with tiny cars (meet his adorable Fiat, named Peanut!) to Josh’s passion for ceramics to Sydney Sweeney’s very relatable love of cheese. In their Q&As, we hear about Jonathan’s dance moves in Wicked and Zoe Saldaña’s in Emilia Pérez, and Nicole Kidman name-checks a few directors she’d like to work with. (Kathryn Bigelow and Martin Scorsese, take note!) As Rebecca Ford writes so eloquently in her accompanying essay, our cover stars share a propensity to take risks and propel themselves into new spaces, whether they’re just starting out or already established, and we have nothing but admiration. Feast your eyes on the pictures here and explore the site for full interviews, clips, and behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot.