Month: February 2024

Could Paramount+ and NBCUniversal’s Peacock join forces to take on the streaming sector’s bigger guns? Maybe — but while Paramount Global and Comcast, NBCU’s parent, recently discussed the possibility of uniting the services in some kind of a partnership or joint venture, there’s no imminent deal expected. Talks between Comcast and Paramount Global were first
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Scripted podcast “The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen,” unscripted series “Dear Alana,” and retrospective looks at the origins of hip hop lead the list of nominees for the fourth annual Ambies podcast kudos administered by The Podcast Academy. “Very Worst Thing,” a psychological and supernatural drama produced by Wolf at the Door creative
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Paramore, not surprisingly, is balking at the idea of singularly getting an honor from the Tennessee legislature celebrating the band’s Grammy accomplishments, after the GOP-led House snubbed fellow winner Allison Russell for a similar resolution. “The blatant racism of our state leadership is embarrassing and cruel,” singer Hayley Williams as part of a lengthy statement.
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Fox will air a TV special promoting its upcoming spring programming lineup on Fox affiliate stations beginning Friday. Hosted by Fox stars and “Community” alums Ken Jeong (“The Masked Singer“) and Joel McHale (“Animal Control”), the 30-minute spot will be running on stations through March 5. It will air on 100% of Fox affiliates across
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“Paul Giamatti is our real-life Brad Pitt,” declares actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Giamatti’s Oscar-nominated co-star from “The Holdovers.” And she’s not joking. After all, as Randolph points out, “We can’t all be Brad Pitt, and I mean that in the most positive way.” The actor argues that Giamatti, in roles ranging from Revolutionary War heroes
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The family of Brian Wilson, co-founder and primary songwriter of the Beach Boys, has filed for a conservatorship after the death of the musician’s wife last month. The filing states that Wilson, 81, is suffering from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia).” “Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and
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Going into Berlin’s European Film Market, Spain’s biggest sales agents are under no illusion just how tough international markets have become.  “Paradoxically, in one of the best moments for Spanish productions, we are finding that some of our top dramas are getting hard to sell unless selected in Cannes, Venice or Berlin,” says Latido Films
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It may not match last year’s sheer quantity in competition strands, but Spain still boasts a high quality presence at the Berlinale. Following, highlights the festival and EFM: “Every You Every Me,” (Michael Fetter Nathansky) A factory worker strives to reconnect with her distant husband, exploring the rediscovery of love within the complexities of relationships. From
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Brazil’s film industry hits Berlin with a new stride in its step, bringing 46 producers and 80-plus films and projects, according to promotional org Cinema do Brasil, led by chairman André Sturm and manager, Maria Marta.  It is also in the process of receiving part of Brazil’s Paulo Gustavo Law funding, which is pouring RS2.8
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Top Brazilian titles at the Berlin Festival and EFM:  “Betânia,” (Marcelo Botta) Botta’s feature debut, produced by Salvatore Filmes, associate produced by Ventre Studio, selected for Berlin’s Panorama. Set in stunning but barren Brazilian sand dunes, Betânia, 65, rebuilds amid global collapse. After losing her husband to a salty diet common in electricity-deprived areas, she seeks solace
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Sebastian Stan corrected a journalist at the Berlin Film Festival press conference for his new film, the psychological thriller “A Different Man,” when they used insensitive language to describe a character with facial disfigurement. The film follows Edward (Stan), who, after undergoing facial surgery, becomes fixated on another man playing him in a stage production
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All3Media has finally been sold. Redbird IMI has snapped up the production-distribution giant behind “The Traitors” and Jamie Dornan-starrer “The Tourist” from owners Liberty Global and Warner Bros. Discovery for $1.45 billion. An investment group run by Jeff Zucker and former Goldman Sachs banker Gerry Cardinale, Redbird IMI recently revealed plans to acquire the U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper
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Variety veteran Todd Spangler has been promoted to Business Editor, overseeing coverage of corporate and financial news, mergers and acquisitions and other deal activity for media and entertainment’s largest conglomerates. Spangler will also continue to drive Variety‘s coverage of digital media and Silicon Valley tech giants. Based in New York, Spangler is a pillar of
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As the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage in Gaza, repercussions are being felt at the Berlinale, which looks to be one of the most politically charged editions in recent history. Several filmmakers have already canceled their participation to the festival in protest of Germany’s attitude towards Palestinian voices, while more than 50 Berlinale workers have
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A new film industry superclass is emerging in Spain: movies powered or co-backed by its streaming giants.  Perhaps the biggest example, Netflix Spain’s Andes flight disaster “Society of the Snow,” scored two Academy Award nominations last month.   Now, in the run-up to Berlin, London-based Film Constellation has acquired most world sales rights to “The Captive,”
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“The Outrun,” the adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s deeply raw and lyrical 2016 memoir about addiction, recovery and nature, premiered in Sundance this year to stellar reviews, with many awards prophets already suggesting that the film could take Saoirse Ronan — who stars in and produces the film — back to the Oscars in 2025.  For producer Sarah
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It turns out the track list for Taylor Swift‘s upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” wasn’t fully revealed yet, at least not for every edition. A different deluxe edition than the previous deluxe edition was announced Friday morning, featuring not just alternate cover art but a different exclusive track: a previously unannounced song called “The
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BERLIN — In a bellwether deal on one of the cutting edges of European TV, ZDF Studios has taken distribution worldwide on drama series “The Zweiflers,” produced by Turbokultur for ARD Degeto Film and Hessischer Rundfunk (HR).  Created and showrun by David Hadda, the six-part series will premiere in Germany on ARD’s Mediathek streaming service
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Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader and subject of the Oscar-winning 2022 documentary “Navalny,” died in jail on Friday, according to Russia’s state prison service. He was 47. The Associated Press reported that Russia’s Federal Prison Service said in a statement that Navalny “felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness.” Emergency services
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FilmSharks has taken world sales rights outside Spain to “The Bus of Life,” next up from Arcadia Motion Pictures, producer of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Cesar and Goya winner “The Beasts” and Neon U.S. pick-up “Robot Dreams,”  nominated last month for a best animated feature Academy Award. The production and sales company has also revealed first look
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Culturally pluralistic and gender-diverse Taiwan is the backdrop for “The Chronicles of Libidoists,” a new film by Gilles Yang, a director whose three previous films have also explored the erotic. The story is inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” the traditional fairy tale in which a mermaid princess falls in love with a human prince. But
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U.K. sales and distribution outfit Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide rights to thriller “Cold Wallet.” In the film, after losing everything in a cryptocurrency scam, a ragtag team of vigilante Redditors attempt to kidnap the kingpin who cheated them But when the home invasion takes a turn for the worst, they become victims in
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