Gossipfest

Still, United Artists’ future will depend on reversing a growing perception — fed by an Internet culture that publicizes notions once confined to lunchtime gossipfests — that the studio took a wrong turn shortly after Ms. Wagner joined Mr. Cruise, her longtime producing partner, in agreeing a year and a half ago to reboot it as their own venture with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which had previously owned the company outright.