EXCLUSIVE: Distribution rights to ALF, the puppet-fronted sitcom that ran on NBC from 1986 to 1990 and spawned an animated series and a cult following, have been acquired by Shout! Factory. The company, in partnership with Alien Productions, plan to bring Alf titles to digital entertainment platforms in the U.S. Lionsgate, which previously had rights, […]
EXCLUSIVE: Julian Higgins, the writer, director and producer behind the Sundance breakout God’s Country, has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation. Higgins’ feature directorial debut, based on the short story “Winter’s Light” by James Lee Burke, is set in the snowy wilderness of the American West. In the character-driven thriller, BAFTA and Emmy winner Thandiwe […]
Google, which implemented a Covid vaccine mandate for employees last summer, has reversed course and decided to lift the requirement. The move was first reported Wednesday by CNBC and then confirmed by multiple other media outlets. The change of course on the mandate comes as the company prepares to welcome employees back to offices three […]
The Toronto Film Festival said Thursday that it is planning a return to an in-person festival for this year’s edition, which it confirmed will run September 8-18. The festival had been all but virtual the past two years because of the global pandemic. Plans call for a return of TIFF’s networking and events as well […]
Stephan James is attached to star and produce a scripted limited series about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. James and Shamier Anderson are developing the series via their Bay Mills Studios banner with Boat Rocker Studios, which they have a first-look deal with. Set in 1980’s New York City, it will showcase the rise of Basquiat, from an obscure […]
EXCLUSIVE: Spire Animation Studios has hired a pair of Pixar alums for key roles, with Ricky Nierva joining as Production Designer and Michal Makarewicz now serving as Head of Character Animation. In their time at Spire, Nierva and Makarewicz will work closely with Creative Directors, Animation and Story Shawn Krause and Michael Surrey, Creative Directors […]
International esports and gaming company GameSquare Esports will bolster its original programming efforts by launching Fourth Frame Studios, a content production and creative execution studio, helmed by former FaZe Clan VP of Content Oluwafemi “Femi” Okusanya. Led by Okusanya, who will serve as Head of Studio, Fourth Frame seeks to leverage its understanding of Gen […]
UPDATE, with video: “Every holiday, Christmas, New Year’s, our anniversary, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, I mean, every holiday is difficult without her,” Matt Hutchins, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week against Rust producers and Alec Baldwin over the death of his wife Halyna Hutchins, said this morning on Today. Speaking to Hoda Kotb, Hutchins described […]
The Association Of Motion Picture Sound, the UK body representing more than 550 professionals in the fields of film, TV and game sound, has responded to AMPAS’s decision to remove the Best Sound Oscar from its live broadcast. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that eight of the 23 Oscar categories would be presented before the […]
Sherri Shepherd praised Wendy Williams for her “fearlessness” as a daytime talk host. “She’s up there with the greats,” Shepherd told Bravo’s Andy Cohen last night. “She made her own path, but what Wendy does nobody can re-create,” Shepherd said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (see the clip above). “I love her […]
Discovery execs, attuning commentary around recent investor sentiment on streaming, reassured investors this morning that they will not overspend on content as the company merges with WarnerMedia early in the second quarter. “Our goal is to compete with the leading streaming services, not to win the spending war,” CEO David Zaslav said on a conference […]
Late night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel took on the controversial Oscar move to pre-record certain categories – documentary short, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short and sound – rather than broadcast them live during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27. “Even more insulting,” said NBC’s Tonight host Fallon, […]
Nearly three-quarters of disabled people working in UK animation believe that the sector is discriminating against them, according to a first-of-its-kind report from industry training body ScreenSkills. The Accessibility in Animation report, which paints a “bleak picture,” also found the majority of disabled people (56%) disagree with the notion that the animation sector is “good” […]
UPDATE, 10:43 PM: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the world to “build an anti-Putin coalition,” introduced martial law in Ukraine and spoken to President Joe Biden amid a full-scale Russian attack on the country. In a tweet shortly after an address Thursday morning, Ukraine time, Zelenskiy said he had spoken with Biden, UK Prime […]
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski isn’t giving up hope on a Babylon 5 reboot at The CW, even though the project has been pushed back to the next development season. . The new version has been described as a “from-the-ground-up reboot” of the critically acclaimed 1990s series by Warner Bros. Television. The new version […]
Almost two months after A Million Little Things has its winter finale, ABC’s ensemble drama returned tonight with a midseason premiere. A significant part of it was dedicated to two developments set up in the finale, Rome’s new bout of depression and Maggie’s trip to Albany to face the mother of her former patient Justin […]
As negotiations on a new labor agreement continue to drag, Major League Baseball is pulling out the big gun threats. On Wedneday, a management spokesperson said MLB will begin canceling regular-season games if the league and the Players Association can’t come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement by Monday. No games would not be […]
The A&E reality series Adults Adopting Adults has been abruptly pulled from the network and its streaming outlets. The show was last seen on Feb. 14 and had another show set for Feb. 21, but the latter didn’t air. Speculation as to why the show was suddenly pulled is churning up all sorts of rumors, most […]
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Sacha Baron Cohen is in talks to join Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline in Disclaimer, the Apple TV+ series adaptation of the Renee Knight novel that is being written, directed and executive produced by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón. Baron Cohen is coming off multiple Oscar nominations last year, for Best Supporting Actor […]
The executive producers of the upcoming Showtime anthology series The First Lady are already thinking about what historical women to focus on in Season 2. Its debut season, centering Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), premieres on April 17. Cathy Schulman and Susanne Bier teased during the show’s […]
CBS has set an April premiere date for Come Dance With Me, the new family dance competition series from NCIS: Los Angeles stars Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J. The series will debut Friday, April 15 at 8 PM, succeeding Undercover Boss in the timeslot. It also will be available to stream live and on […]
Imax CEO Rich Gelfold says the chain hopes to have 200 screens wired for live events by year end, up from 79 currently as it experiments with content beyond music, and with ticket pricing. He spoke to Deadline after the company reported strong quarterly earnings and the day after a live stream of Kanye West’s […]
EXCLUSIVE: Tanisha Harper (Dollface) is joining ABC’s long-running daytime drama General Hospital as a new series regular in a recasting. Harper will play Jordan Ashford, the Port Charles police commissioner, replacing Briana Nicole Henry, who most recently played the role and exited the series last year. The Jordan Ashford role was initially portrayed by Vinessa […]
Russell T Davies’ It’s a Sin has been nominated six times for the UK’s prestigious Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) Awards next month, with Jeremy Clarkson, Olivia Colman and Stephen Graham also picking up nods. Leads Olly Alexander, Callum Scott Howells and Lydia West are nominated in Best Actor and Best Actress respectively for the Channel 4/HBO Max […]
Vivek J. Tiwary has closed an equity investment to launch TEG+, expanding on his award-winning work at Tiwary Entertainment Group and tapped former Netflix and Donners’ Company exec, Jack Leslie, as Co-President and Head of Film + Television. TEG+ is primed to make an immediate impact in film and television. New company TEG+ will focus […]
