Tech

Jeff Daniels is now the proud namesake of a tarantula-killing, hermaphroditic species of worm. Scientists at the University of California, Riverside discovered a rare new species of a worm that attacks and kills tarantulas. The research team dubbed the worm “Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi” after the actor, musician and producer, because Daniels’ character in the 1990 horror-comedy

Len Amato, a 13-year veteran of HBO, joined MasterClass as chief content officer at the company that sells subscriptions to celebrity-led online courses. In the new role, Amato will head up MasterClass’ content organization and help lead content innovation, strategy and development of class launches. He reports to David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass.

Noah Beck, the social media phenom who has amassed more than 32 million followers on TikTok alone, has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Originally from Arizona, the 20-year-old Beck played soccer for the University of Portland and went viral within a month of creating his TikTok account during the pandemic. He moved

It was a big week for HBO/HBO Max, which led overall fan engagement on Twitter for Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of Jan. 10 – 16. Bolstering those online conversations were two key series, “Euphoria” and “Peacemaker,” as well as casting news for the upcoming adaptation of the video game “The Last of

YouTube is getting out of the business of originals: The Google-owned video giant said it is winding down its original productions team after more than six years. Earlier, news broke that Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s global head of original content, will leave the company in March. Going forward, YouTube will only be funding programs that are

Spotify is boosting its audio lineup for kids and families, including a new story-time show under an exclusive multiyear agreement with CoComelon, the YouTube children’s content powerhouse. The new “CoComelon Story Time” podcast — CoComelon’s first spoken-word original programming — will premiere Jan. 24 exclusively on Spotify. The show will comprise 42 beloved storybook classics,

Microsoft announced a deal to buy video-game player Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash. If it goes through, it would be Microsoft’s biggest-ever acquisition — and by far the biggest deal ever in the video game biz — as well as the largest tech deal to date. Activision Blizzard’s games lineup includes “Call of

In honor of the late Betty White’s 100th birthday, Google is showering its search page with rose petals — a nod to Rose, her beloved character from “The Golden Girls.” On White’s birthday, Jan. 17, a Google search for her name will unlock a special animated Easter egg with rose petals fluttering down over the

Rising production-distribution player Miam! Animation seems primed for a breakout year in 2022 as the French multi-hyphenate presents its first series produced in-house – using industry trendsetting technology – to buyers, while beginning work on its first international co-production on a project for WarnerMedia. Launched in 2016 as a socially engaged development and distribution outfit,

If the six projects presented at a recent TV documentary pitch session held at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris share relatively few thematic or stylistic points in common, when taken as a whole, the diverse titles relay two incontrovertible truths: While advances in filmmaking technology now offer industry creatives unprecedented freedoms, when it comes to

Two words changed Nems’ life. The battle rapper, a mainstay of New York’s underground hip-hop scene since the ‘90s, casually said “bing bong” in an Instagram story — and then kept repeating it once people reacted. Since then, the catchphrase has traveled from the streets of Coney Island all the way to the White House.

Netflix raised the monthly price of most of its subscription plans in the U.S. and Canada, as the streamer looks to generate more revenue from a slower-growing base customers. The price increases, announced Friday, will see Netflix’s Standard plan — its most popular tier, which provides two simultaneous HD streams — go up by $1.50,

MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, had a very, very good 2021 — the YouTube maestro pulled down $54 million in gross revenue last year, more than any YouTube creator in history, according to new estimates by Forbes magazine. Coming in behind MrBeast was Jake Paul, the controversial YouTuber/boxer, who earned an estimated $45 million last year;

Orange Studio has taken the opportunity of this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris to lift the curtain on season two of “L’Opéra,” a premium series that offers a backstage look at the inner workings and private passions of the dancers who illuminate Paris’ prestigious Opera Garnier. Ahead of Wednesday’s market presentation, execs from Orange Studio

Candle Media, the entertainment and media rollup venture headed by ex-Disney execs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, has made two senior hires: Brent Weinstein, a longtime UTA partner, and Salil Mehta, former president of FoxNext Games. Weinstein is slated to join Candle as chief development officer on Feb. 1, while Mehta’s appointment as CFO was

Hey, girl! Zooey Deschanel, Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris are reuniting to host a “New Girl” rewatch podcast, premiering on Jan. 24. Each week on “Welcome to Our Show,” Deschanel, Simone and Morris will dive back into episodes of “New Girl” and reveal secrets and behind-the-scenes stories from the Emmy-winning show. In each episode, the

Joe Rogan, who hosts the most-listened to podcast on Spotify, has become a public health menace by repeatedly promoting falsehoods about COVID on his show, according to a group of doctors and health professionals. More than 260 doctors, nurses, scientists, health professionals and academics, in a Jan. 10 open letter to Spotify, called on the

Love it or hate it, “Baby Shark Dance” is a cultural force to be reckoned with: The modern kids’ classic has marched past 10 billion views on YouTube, cementing its status as the platform’s most-viewed video of all time. That means that “Baby Shark Dance,” first released in 2016, has been viewed on average nearly

Podcast creators Dan Powell and Marc Sollinger, the duo behind popular horror series “Archive 81” — which has been adapted for television by Netflix — have set up their third podcast, “Wavelength,” involving a mysterious and sprawling supernatural conspiracy. The 10-episode first season of “Wavelength” is set to premiere Feb. 16, 2022, on all major

ViacomCBS Inc. and Comcast Cable have struck a new multi-year distribution agreement that will keep ViacomCBS’ broadcast, cable and streaming services available to Xfinity customers, the companies said Thursday. The pact includes renewed carriage of ViacomCBS’ linear networks, like CBS Television Network, BET, CBS Sports Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian

Audible is going into business with Kerry Washington, the Amazon-owned premium audio storytelling service’s latest partnership in a string of deals with A-list Hollywood talent. Under the pact, Simpson Street Productions, led by actor, director, producer and activist Washington (“Scandal,” “Little Fires Everywhere”) and EVP and Oscar-nominated producer Pilar Savone (“Django Unchained,” “Death Proof”), will develop

Hilary Williams has been promoted to partner at the digital influencer management company, Digital Brand Architects. Williams joined DBA in 2015, and previously served as vice president of talent. She is now one of three partners at the company, joining CEO Raina Penchansky and president Vanessa Flaherty. Her clients include Summer Fridays co-founder Marianna Hewitt,

Marvel Entertainment is launching the “Eternals: The 500-Year War” digital comics series with brand-new stories featuring Earth’s oldest defenders, timed to sync up with Thursday’s streaming release of Marvel Studios film “Eternals” on Disney Plus. The seven-issue comics series debuts Jan. 12 on Marvel Unlimited, the recently overhauled digital subscription service priced starting at $9.99/month.

The official trailer for “The Legend of Vox Machina” is here — giving Critical Role fans a savory taste of the long-awaited animated show’s rollicking fight scenes, salty dialogue, cartoon gore… and of course a gigantic, glowing middle finger. The Dungeons & Dragons-inspired adult animated fantasy-adventure series from Critical Role and animation studio Titmouse is

Back in October 2021, music industry veteran and longtime tech investor Guy Oseary announced the signing of Bored Ape Yacht Club and its creator Yuga Labs for representation, alongside management clients Madonna, U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Three months later, Oseary is expanding his NFT collective portfolio with the buzzing World Of Women, which

In today’s podcast roundup, Apple TV Plus delves into the lives and careers of pop-culture icons Siegfried & Roy; “SNL” alums Dana Carvey and David Spade host a comedy talk show from Cadence13; Spotify’s The Ringer cooks up a new feed for foodies; and more. DATES Apple TV Plus debuted “Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy,”

HBO Max is expanding in Turkey as an extension of its broader rollout across 21 new European territories. It has appointed Baris Zavaroglu as director general for the territory, which is a global TV powerhouse. Zavaroglu, who joins the WarnerMedia streaming service from Turkcell’s OTT and pay-TV business TV Plus where he was general manager,

Cyber Group Studios, one of France’s leading animation studios, is reinforcing the quantity and range of its animation programming, with new partnerships with international broadcasters and platforms and a new real-time animation studio near Lille, in Northern France. Employing around 150 people, CGS has its headquarters in Paris and a subsidiary in Los Angeles. The

The developer who created an iOS clone of Wordle — the word-puzzle game that’s gone viral in the last two weeks — issued a mea culpa (sort of) after getting dragged online for ripping off the idea and gleefully bragging about profiting from it. His apology also followed Apple’s removal of his copycat app from

The zany misadventures of “Peacemaker,” the HBO Max original series starring John Cena, will get an official aftershow-style official video podcast launching alongside the DC show. HBO Max and DC enlisted Rooster Teeth, which is also part of the WarnerMedia family, to produce “Podly,” a series recapping “Peacemaker” episodes. Audiences can watch “Podly” on HBO