It was one of those nights that perfectly capture a beginning. On Wednesday evening, The Hollywood Reporter Germany officially soft-launched with an intimate dinner hosted by publisher and editor-in-chief Grace Maier at Maison Papillon in Berlin.
Around 40 hand-picked guests from the worlds of film, music, and culture gathered to celebrate the debut of the German edition of the iconic U.S. entertainment magazine. The evening marked the digital launch of the platform and the reveal of its first cover, featuring Leonard Kunz, Florence Kasumba, Edin Hasanović, Gizem Emre, and Peri Baumeister.
The setting was cinematic yet warm – an elegant, candle-lit room filled with familiar faces, laughter, and anticipation. Guests arrived through a sleek logo wall before moving to the bar, where they were welcomed with signature cocktails. A curated sharing menu followed, including beef tartare with caviar, truffled potatoes, and black cod.
Before Maier’s official speech, the evening opened with a special moment that bridged Hollywood and Berlin: an exclusive video message from actor Danny Trejo, presented as part of The Hollywood Reporter Germany’s collaboration with McDonald’s Germany. The message introduced the brand’s current McSpicy campaign, in which Trejo – known for his tough-guy roles – sheds the first real tear of his life while tasting McDonald’s hottest burger. That tear has been preserved and will be auctioned on unitedcharity.de to benefit the McDonald’s Children’s Aid Foundation. It was a witty yet heartfelt moment that blended humor, purpose, and cinematic storytelling.
In her subsequent speech, Grace Maier reflected on the journey that led to The Hollywood Reporter Germany. She spoke about redefining entertainment journalism through a mix of print, digital, social, events and podcast formats, and about her belief in doing things
differently. “I’ve never done anything the way everyone else does – and that’s probably been our success,” she said. “This cover was photographed this morning, right here in this room, with my amazing team. This kind of magic only happens when people truly love what they do and work together.”
The evening’s guest list included a selection of leading German film talents such as Matthias Schweighöfer, Clemens Schick, Melika Foroutan, Annabelle Mandeng, and Jannis Niewöhner.
Music set the tone for the night. NELL opened with a soulful Set, followed by star DJ Mousse T., who transformed the restaurant into an after-hours celebration. In a highlight that captured the spirit of the evening, Sex Bomb started playing – and Edin Hasanović grabbed the mic to perform the song live while Mousse T. manned the decks. Later, Sebastian Fruner from Traumfabrik Babelsberg added an outstanding, spontaneous rap performance, closing the night with energy and laughter.
Guests stayed long into the early hours, celebrating creativity, connection, and the birth of something new.
The launch of The Hollywood Reporter Germany signals a fresh voice in European entertainment media – one that combines global perspective with local creativity, and the glamour of Hollywood with the authenticity of Germany.
