Month: September 2020

Robert and Michelle King are attached to executive produce a series adaptation of the iHeart Media true crime podcast “Happy Face” currently in development at CBS All Access, Variety has learned. “Happy Face” is inspired by the true story of Melissa Moore, who discovered at age 15 that her father, whom she loved dearly, was
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The $6 plastic crown worn by the Notorious B.I.G. at a photo shoot days before his death was auctioned off for $595,000 on Tuesday at the first-ever Sotheby’s auction focused on hip-hop memorabilia. The crown — which was sold by photographer Barron Claiborne — more than doubled the pre-auction estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It was was
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Seemingly stepping away from the bluntly combative political screed and satire of his last few films, “Genus Pan” finds preeminent Filipino auteur Lav Diaz in a more broadly philosophical mood. National leaders may remain caught in his languidly focused crosshairs, but only because he’s zoomed out to target humankind as a whole: From its ape-referencing
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Sales agent Luxbox has closed deals for multiple European territories on Sharunas Bartas’s Cannes official selection “In The Dusk,” which will have its world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival Sept. 22. (Check out an exclusive clip from the film above) Vitrine has acquired the film for Spain, while HBO Europe has taken
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While other singing competition series feature contestants hoping to become household names, Netflix’s “Sing On” has created a star in one of its technical elements: the vocal analyzer. The new series from Hello Dolly puts six purposefully “eclectic” singers together on the same stage, notes executive producer and Hello Dolly co-founder Stuart Shawcross. Standing equidistant
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Bonnaroo has unveiled details for “Virtual Roo-Ality,” a free three-night live broadcast airing exclusively via YouTube. The livestreaming event will celebrate the annual festival with a range of programming, spanning new live performances, original content, and archival sets captured at Bonnaroo’s home at Great Stage Park in Manchester, TN. The festival will stream live on
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In a deal struck on the cusp of San Sebastian Film Festival, Germany’s Pandora Filmproduktion has boarded “Riders,” the latest project from Martín Rejtman, hailed as the founding father of the New Argentine Cinema. Written by Rejtman, “Riders” (“El Repartidor Está en Camino”) will be presented to further potential partners at this weekend’s 9th’s San
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CAA and Kraft-Engel Management have signed Helen Park. Along with Chris Curtis and Marjorie Duffield, Park penned the songs for “Over the Moon,” an upcoming animated feature from Netflix. Glen Keane, who previously oversaw “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” directs the film, which debuts on Oct. 23. “Over the Moon” centers on
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Production on long-running ITV soap “Coronation Street” was temporarily disrupted after a cast member tested positive for coronavirus, but shooting has now resumed. The disruption happened at the end of last week, but resumed on Monday, with the cast kept apart with the use of two-meter-long sticks. “We can confirm a member of the ‘Coronation
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WarnerMedia is joining the growing parade of media companies eager to court consumer interest in sports betting. During coverage of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals, TNT will present an alternate live-streamed feed of the games that includes commentary on betting analysis and odds. The feed, known as “TNT Bets” and made available to cable and
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In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky reports its latest Diamond diversity data, Abacus Media sells “Trickster” abroad, Channel 4 commissions a new home remodeling format and Pier 21 announces two executive appointments. DIVERSITY Sky in the U.K. has released its latest Diamond diversity data, reporting progress towards diversity targets for original U.K. productions. The Diamond system
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Kobalt has signed Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson to a global publishing deal. The company will handle the playwright, composer, and lyricist’s publishing administration, creative services and sync for both catalog and future works. Jackson’s critically-acclaimed musical “A Strange Loop” won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, in addition to a multitude of additional honors
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New York City venue (Le) Poisson Rouge is launching LPR.tv, a subscription-based service through which they will livestream concerts held in their downtown venue (without an audience) in high-definition video with full production and soundboard audio. The venue has booked an impressive array of indie-leaning artists for LPR.tv’s inaugural lineup, including Cults, Kimbra, Sunflower Bean, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), San Fermin,  Kevin Devine, Son Little, Laraaji, Too Many Zooz and
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Uruguay-based director Federico Veiroj (pictured, left), a fixture at the Toronto and San Sebastian Film Festivals, has launched a new company, Keen Tales, which aims to create English-language stories and content for cinema and streaming platforms. Keen Tales’ intended customers are U.S.-based production companies, and topics will be “thought strategically considering their distribution capacity in
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Andre Braugher cops to being “pretty freaked out” the first season he played the sophisticated but stern Capt. Raymond Holt on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Braugher was a Juilliard-trained actor who had already won two Emmys (including one for landmark drama “Homicide: Life on the Street”) and an Obie Award for performing Shakespeare in the Park —
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Variety Business Intelligence and industry-focused social network Stage 32 have partnered on plans to increase networking and educational opportunities for VBI subscribers. VBI’s Variety Insight, which offers data and analytics surrounding the entertainment industry, and Stage 32, a social network for members of the industry, created the promotional partnership to offer their services to users
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Exclusive Joe Exotic just can’t get Jeff Lowe off his tail … Joe’s former business partner’s got beef over the ‘Tiger King’ star’s new fashion line. Here’s the deal … Joe has his nickname plastered all over his “REVENGE” fashion collection with Odaingerous streetwear … but Jeff insists he’s owed a cut of the profits.
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BritBox U.S., the streamer operated by BBC Studios and ITV, has acquired “Lennon’s Last Weekend,” an original documentary that looks at legendary musician John Lennon’s final interview before his death. Directed by Brian Grant (“Video Killed the Radio Star”), “Lennon’s Last Weekend” features Lennon’s BBC Radio interview with Andy Peebles, the last he gave in
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Taiwanese singer, actor and entrepreneur Alien Huang (aka Huang Hong-Sheng) has died. He was 36. Local police confirmed that Huang’s body was found on Wednesday morning (local time) at his home in the Beitou district of Taipei. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but his manager is expected to make a statement
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