Jesse Frasure was named songwriter of the year by the BMI Country Awards, which was held online for a second consecutive year in lieu of the usual CMA Awards eve gathering in Nashville. “One of Them Girls,” a Lee Brice hit, was announced as song of the year for picking up the most plays. Heated
The British are coming … back! Focus Features released the teaser trailer for “Downton Abbey: A New Era” on Monday and from the looks of it, the Crawleys will be taking the South of France by storm. The “Downton Abbey” sequel comes two years after the original movie and five years after the hit TV
Endeavor delivered solid third quarter results powered by the recovery of attendance and demand in the company’s key markets including UFC, its talent representation units and content production. “We continue to capitalize on the elevated demand for premium content and live events coming out of the pandemic,” remarked Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor. “Given our
After starring in the first “Lethal Weapon” movie more than 30 years ago, Mel Gibson is in talks to direct the upcoming “Lethal Weapon 5,” Variety has confirmed. The fifth entry of the classic action franchise has been in development for several years, with Richard Wenk (“The Equalizer”) writing the most recent draft of the script.
Two years after Quentin Tarantino spared Sharon Tate a gruesome Manson family murder, fellow SoCal auteur Paul Thomas Anderson re-creates the Encino of his childhood with every bit as much affection and attention to detail. Named for the regional record chain where Valley kids got their vinyl — but ostensibly Anderson’s own “Once Upon a
Imagine Entertainment marked a trio of significant releases this weekend, helping to spell out Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s refreshed vision for their content shop after amassing development projects and biding their time through the pandemic. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut “Tick, Tick … Boom!” saw a limited theatrical release via distributor Netflix, after dazzling
Industrial Media has entered into an overall deal with House of NonFiction, Alex Stapleton’s new unscripted production company. Stapleton is an Emmy-winning filmmaker who is currently directing two projects for HBO. She recently completed the docu-series “Pride” for FX, which chronicles the American LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Other recent credits include “Hello Privilege. It’s Me,
COMMISSION U.K. broadcaster ITV has commissioned Fremantle U.K. to produce a documentary film on British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently awaiting trial in a U.S. jail over her alleged involvement in the crimes of which Jeffrey Epstein was accused. Maxwell faces trial this year on charges of sex trafficking and the abuse of underage
British superstar Adele’s powerhouse voice reached 9.92 million listeners (and viewers) during CBS’ “Adele: One Night Only” special on Sunday night, making it the most-watched entertainment special since the Oscars seven months ago, although below the numbers snagged by “60 Minutes” and NBC’s football broadcast in the evening. The time-zone adjusted Live+Same Day fast national
Variety Music has gotten some inspired press releases in our day, but the one we got on Monday afternoon about Pee-Wee Herman getting a radio show on KCRW is definitely a hall of famer. The short version is that legendary star of the screen Pee-Wee Herman will launch a radio show on KCRW, the popular
The membership of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has voted to ratify a new three-year agreement, ending the threat of the first national strike in the union’s history. The vote was unusually close, with 256 delegates voting yes on the Basic Agreement, and 188 voting no. On the Area Standards Agreement — which
Hulu announced that “The D’Amelio Show” has been renewed for a second season. The unscripted series follows social media stars Dixie and Charli D’Amelio and their parents Marc and Heidi as the family navigates the transition from a normal life into overnight celebrity status. Season 1, which debuted Sept. 3, saw the family settle into
“SAS: Rogue Heroes,” the new, six-part limited series from “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, will bow on MGM’s premium network Epix in the U.S. Epix acquired the series from global distributor Banijay Rights. The deal was negotiated by Matt Creasey, EVP sales, co-productions and acquisitions at Banijay Rights. This is the first international deal for
Paramount Plus has released the first trailer for the live-action “Halo” series. The show is expected to debut on the streamer in 2022. Pablo Schreiber stars as the iconic Master Chief from the long-running and beloved Xbox video game series. In the teaser, he suits up in his instantly recognizable armor and puts on his
As expected, veteran agent Scott Clayton, who left his role as co-head of music at WME late last month, has joined UTA as co-head of its global music division and as a partner, the company announced Monday. Clayton and current UTA Global Music Co-Heads Sam Kirby Yoh and David Zedeck will together “create a powerhouse leadership
The Palm Springs International Film Awards announced that Penélope Cruz is the recipient of the International Star Award, Actress for her performance in Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers.” The Film Awards will take place in-person on Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs through Jan. 17. Past recipients of the International Star
A restructure of the Paramount Pictures marketing and distribution team will see co-president Mary Daily exit the studio, leaving Marc Weinstock to run the global team solo. Incoming Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brian Robbins announced the changes on Monday, a memo obtained by Variety said. Additionally, the president of global consumer products for ViacomCBS,
British director director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) is shooting Saudi Arabia-set actioner “Desert Warrior” featuring a top notch international cast led by “Captain America” star Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart (“Mogul Mowgli,” “Colette”). MBC Studios, the production arm of prominent Middle East broadcaster MBC Group, has teamed up with U.S.
Just a few days after Daniel Lee announced his departure from the brand, Bottega Veneta has appointed its new creative director, Matthieu Blazy. Blazy’s current role is as the ready-to-wear design director for the Milanese label. Blazy comes with an impressive CV. A graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, the 37-year-old began his career designing
It took almost the entirety of Oprah Winfrey’s interview for her to inspire a tear in Adele’s eye, but Adele still refused to let it drop. “Oh, no!” the singer cried, wagging a finger at the legendary host with the kind of fond chiding you throw a friend’s way after they lure you into deeper
DJ Cassidy, the host with the most classic R&B and hip-hop stars in his contacts book, will return to BET Thanksgiving weekend with another in his series of “Pass the Mic” specials, this time devoted to the dance-based music of the late 1970s and ’80s. “DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic: BET Soul Train Edition 2021”
Who are the GOATs in the Disney and Pixar universes? You’ll soon be able to pit fan-favorite Disney and Pixar characters against each other in “Disney Melee Mania,” coming exclusively to gaming subscription service Apple Arcade. In the upcoming game, each player chooses an iconic Disney or Pixar hero to do battle in three-on-three matches
A three-part documentary about Barney the Dinosaur has started production at Peacock, the streamer announced Monday. The project will examine the meteoric rise of Barney, the beloved children’s character who captured the hearts of millions of children and then became the target of hate and rage across pop culture, the early internet and playgrounds around
ATX Television Festival has set June 2-5 as its 2022 dates, planning to return to in-person events but still provide a virtual attendee option. Additionally, the festival announced that submissions for its annual pitch competition are now open and will be through Jan. 30, 2022. This will be the festival’s 11th year overall, but its
Two of the highest-profile independents on the Spanish-language movie scene, Colombia’s 64-A Films and Spain’s Latido Films, are teaming to develop, produce and distribute premium TV and platform series. Playing to their complementary expertise, Latido and 64-A will co-develop and co-produce titles, with 64-A overseeing physical production and Latido spearheading distribution. Much of 64-A and
Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions — the company the actor/writer/producer founded with Rishi Rajani — now has an exclusive, multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. At WBTVG, Waithe and Rajani will develop television projects for, according to the announcement, “all platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable and the five broadcast networks.”
“A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks,” borrows the title of the pioneering photographer and filmmaker’s autobiography to explore his legacy as a visual artist. Director and producer John Maggio weaves together stories of contemporary Black photographers and filmmakers with Parks’ life story, tracing his journey from childhood poverty in Kansas to staff photographer
ESPN, which has seen some of its top executives charged with overseeing documentary and investigative work depart in recent months, said it had named news veteran Marsha Cooke as vice president and executive producer of its ESPN Films unit as well as its venerable “30 for 30” documentary unit. Cooke, who spent 24 years at
The fifth and final season of Neapolitan mob series “Gomorrah” was unveiled Monday during an emotionally charged Rome event saluting the end of the gritty, groundbreaking show. As Nils Hartmann, senior director of Sky Italia original productions, put it during the press conference, in Italian TV “there is a before and after ‘Gomorrah.’” The hyper-realistic
Warner Music Group posted a solid fiscal fourth quarter and strong fiscal year results in earnings reported Monday, with revenue up 22.2% (20.8% in constant currency) driven by digital revenue growth of 19% (17.5% in constant currency) across recorded music and music publishing for the quarter; and revenue up 19% (15%) and net income of