Fremantle has taken a 100% stake in Naked Television, and has named Naked founder Simon Andreae CEO of Fremantle U.K. A founding partner of Optomen Television and a former Fox executive, Andreae will take over from outgoing CEO Liam Humphreys. As head of U.K.’s operations, Andreae will report to group CEO Jennifer Mullin, and take
Cate Blanchett has spoken out about Harvey Weinstein’s conviction, urging the industry to move forward and ensure a new culture is established, particularly around gender parity in off-screen roles. “I think it’s about moving forward, and moving forward without repetition and with genuine progress,” Blanchett told Variety at the Berlinale Series Market on Wednesday, where she
Chrysalis Records — the iconic record company that was home to artists ranging from Jethro Tull and Blondie to Billy Idol and Huey Lewis and the News — is re-launching as a front-line label and releasing new music for the first time in more than two decades. British singer-songwriter Laura Marling is the revived label’s
Netflix is looking to create more transparency and dispel some of the myths around working with the streaming giant as it ramps up its European operations, though the company’s fast-paced shooting schedules are “not for everyone,” director of international originals Rachel Eggebeen said Tuesday morning at the Berlinale Series Market. “It’s a fast pace that
A language barrier with six out of seven BTS members was no barrier to comedy ensuing when the entire K-pop group maxed out James Corden’s SUV on a new installment of “Carpool Karaoke” that aired on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” Tuesday night. In the 17-minute clip, the group sings along with its
BERLIN — Teaming two of the most energetic players on the new Spanish-language content scene, El Estudio and Infinity Hill are teaming to produce “Amor es Amor,” Rob Schneider’s Spanish-language movie debut as both an actor and director. A comedy, “Amor es Amor” turns on Enrique Juarez, an up-and-coming Mexican telenovela actor on the verge
With relations between Russia and the U.S. growing frostier amid renewed allegations of election interference by Moscow ahead of the 2020 presidential polls, the new head of Russian movie support agency Roskino is banking on a thaw, as the country unveils a host of measures to lure foreign productions and boost the growing Russian film
Nineteen-year-old Claudia lives with her mother, brother and four-year-old son in a public housing complex in Vienna, with no job, no prospects on the horizon, and the present slipping by in a series of uneventful days. But in “Running on Empty,” which premiered Feb. 25 in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, director Lisa
Swedish broadcaster SVT has ordered a six-part TV adaptation of Kerstin Ekman’s crime novel “Blackwater” from Piv Bernth’s Apple Tree Productions. The series will be coproduced with ARD Degeto in Germany, and Filmpool Nord, and distributed internationally by ITV Studios. It has pre-sold to DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland, and RUV
Stunned to discover that her son has vanished while studying abroad in Athens, an Iranian woman sets off on a desperate search across the Greek capital to find him. Navigating a foreign and forbidding landscape, she’s forced to also travel deep within herself, uncovering buried truths and offering a chance for her own reinvention. “Pari”
Remarks about BTS made on “The Howard Stern Show” are being called “racist” by both listeners and the show’s host. During the February 24 episode of the SiriusXM staple, Howard Stern — a notorious germaphobe — brought up growing concern over the deadly coronavirus with his cast of comedic cohorts. The topic turned to BTS
“Freud,” Netflix’s upcoming mystery thriller from director by Marvin Kren, places a young Sigmund, before his establishment as a worldwide medical icon, in the middle of a brutal 19th century murder case in Vienna. A Vienna native himself, Kren won numerous awards for his work in TV (“Four Blocks”) and film (“Rammbock,” “Blood Glacier”). In addition
BERLIN — Underscoring its ambitions for Central and Eastern Europe, “Babylon Berlin” and “Gomorrah’s” Beta Film has just taken a majority stake in Zagreb-based Drugi Plan, producers of Netflix pick-up “The Paper” and “Success,” HBO Europe’s first HBO Adria original. The investment builds on Beta Film owner Jan Mojto’s determination to plow ever more into
A new wave of Australian drama series has shined a light on Indigenous cultures, with Aboriginal-led productions reshaping the domestic market while finding a global platform for Indigenous stories. What that might mean for Indigenous Australians was the focus of “Mainstream, Genre and Indigenous Perspectives: New Wave Australian Series,” a panel that took place Tuesday
BERLIN — In the run-up to the Berlinale Series Market, the Endemol Shine Group announced the launch of a new and powerful scripted label in Berlin, MadeFor Film, headed by joint CEOs, Nanni Erben and Gunnar Juncken. Here, “The Bridge” executive producer Lars Blomgren, who was appointed Endemol Shine head of scripted, EMEA in June
Netflix’s “Stateless,” which premieres Wednesday at the Berlin Film Festival, looks at the plight of refugees in a detention center in Australia. Co-creators Cate Blanchett, who also appears in the show, Elise McCredie and Tony Ayres talk to Variety about it, ahead of an on-stage discussion in Berlin moderated by Variety. The story, which is
Reciprocating an exchange which saw Series Mania 2019 Co-Pro Pitching winner “Capturing Big Mouth” participate at this year’s Berlin CoPro Series, German project “Transitniki” will make the return trip to Lille next month, having been selected by Series Mania representatives in Berlin. From Germany’s Rohfilm Factory, “Transitniki” is set in 1985, behind the Iron Curtain,
Japanese pay-TV leader Wowow is to expand into theatrical releasing. The company made its theatrical buying debut this week at the Berlin Film Festival’s accompanying European Film Market. With linear channels and a movie-driven on-demand service, Wowow is already one of the leading consumers of movie content in Japan, and boasts 2.8 million subscribers. These
After rocking a quiet Tuesday afternoon with news of leadership changes at the very top of the Walt Disney Corporation, attention has turned to respective divisions at the Hollywood superpower — and to what the side-stepping of Bob Iger and ascension of new CEO Bob Chapek might mean for the future. This includes Disney’s Goliath
Some of the blame for CBS News’s chaotic, messy Democratic Party primary debate Tuesday night can be laid at the feet of the party itself — to a degree, CBS was depicting the chaos and mess of a party badly divided in the midst of a bruising campaign. But a share of ignominy also goes
Play video content Exclusive @LionsShareNews Jussie Smollett says the truth will set him free — literally — as he ramps up for a second round of fighting criminal charges in Chicago. The ex-‘Empire’ star was leaving LAX Tuesday when a photog ran into him and asked to see how he’s holding up. His lawyer says
Disney’s parks head Bob Chapek officially — and quite suddenly — took the seat of power Tuesday afternoon, with the announcement that the charismatic, longtime Disney CEO Bob Iger would be handing over the reins and shifting to an executive chairman position, where he will now steer Disney’s creative direction. Despite Chapek’s 27 years at
In today’s film news roundup, Eric Bana and Melissa Leo launch movie projects, Paradigm names four agents, Michael B. Jordan is being honored and Hilary Swank’s “Fatale” gets a release date. PROJECT LAUNCHES Eric Bana’s Pick Up Truck Pictures and Robert Connolly’s Arenamedia have secured rights to the “Mike the Bike” motorcycle story. Bana will
Film editor and composer John Ottman, who won an Oscar for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019, hosted members of the film, television and music communities at the “Aiding Australia” charity dinner and concert held at his West Hollywood home on Sunday evening (Feb. 23). The benefit raised funds to help in the recovery of fire-ravaged Australia,
Mike Bloomberg threw his first punch early in Tuesday’s Democratic Debate in Charleston, S.C., taking aim at Bernie Sanders over recent reports that Russian hackers are trying to assist his campaign for the presidency. Bloomberg, the billionaire owner of Bloomberg News and former New York City mayor, responded to Sanders’ opening remarks about economic equality
A study just released by the RIAA shows bad and worse news for sectors of the recorded music business like physical media sales and digital downloads … but better and better news for streaming. And that’s the only news that matters when it comes to revenue for the music industry in the United States. Streaming
In a surprise announcement, Bob Iger said he was stepping down as Disney’s chief exec citing “the successful launch of Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses” as one reason for the timing as he hands off to new CEO Bob Chapek. True, Disney earlier this month reported tremendous growth for Disney Plus, racking up 28.6 million users just
February 25, 2020 4:15PM PT Amanda Warren has been cast alongside Patrick Dempsey in the CBS drama pilot “Ways and Means.” In the pilot, a powerful Congressional leader (Dempsey) who has lost faith in politics finds himself working secretly with an idealistic young Congresswoman (not yet cast) from the opposing party to subvert the hopelessly
Mindy Kaling felt like the perfect person to make a show about a teenage Indian nerd growing up in America because, well, she can relate. Speaking at a Netflix TV brunch discussion of young adult programming, Kaling discussed her upcoming series “Never Have I Ever” and specifically the need to show that nerds are not
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix released the trailer for “Self Made: Inspired By the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” and HBO announced a premiere date for “Betty.” FIRST LOOKS Netflix released the official trailer “Self Made: Inspired By the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.” Executive produced by and starring Octavia Spencer, the four-part limited