Kumail Nanjiani is bulking up. The funnyman has been getting into the shape with the help of a trainer — so much so that a story appears in the latest issue of Men’s Health magazine about Nanjiani and his gym routine. “When I was a kid, I assumed at some point in my life I
Newen, the Paris-based media company owned by TF1 Group, has acquired a majority stake in Reel One, a leading production and licensing company specializing in TV films for the North American and global markets. Based in Montreal with offices in London, Los Angeles and Vancouver, Reel One develops, finances, produces and sells TV films and
From the ecstatic Zulu chant that opens the film — “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!” — to the thundering drumbeat that ends it, director Jon Favreau’s exhilarating live-action take on “The Lion King” hews closer to the Walt Disney animated masterpiece than any of the studio’s recent remakes. Technically, “live action” is the wrong way to
Saban Films has acquired U.S. rights to Lorcan Finnegan’s Cannes Critics’ Week feature “Vivarium,” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots. XYZ Films is handling sales and has also closed deals in a raft of international territories, including the U.K. and France. The U.S. deal was brokered by Saban Films’ Ness Saban, along with CAA Media
July 11, 2019 8:30AM PT Entertainment One is buying U.K. unscripted production company Daisybeck Studios, which makes factual shows for British broadcasters such as “Springtime on the Farm” and “Big Week at the Zoo.” Daisybeck is based in Yorkshire, northern England, and close to where Channel 4 is about to set up a large office.
July 11, 2019 8:27AM PT After last year’s ESPY Awards saw a 36% rating drop-off from 2017, the 2019 edition held firm for ABC. Last night’s sports awards ceremony, which was hosted by Tracy Morgan, scored a 0.9 rating in the key 18-49 demographic and 3.87 million total viewers, almost identical figures to 2018’s 0.9
July 11, 2019 8:20AM PT Universal’s “Fast & Furious” spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” looks to rev up the box office when it arrives the big-screen next month. According to early tracking, the tentpole should earn between $55 million and $65 million over the Aug. 2 weekend. “Hobbs & Shaw” could have heavy competition from Disney’s
With a lineup consisting of Taylor Swift, SZA, Dua Lipa and Becky G, it’s safe to say that Amazon was looking to make an impression with their concert celebrating their Prime Day sale (which takes place next week). While the company went big last year with a special Ariana Grande set at a Brooklyn warehouse,
The upcoming sixth season of “How to Get Away With Murder” will be its last. The news comes only a day after it was revealed that the first Shondaland series under Shonda Rhimes’ colossal Netflix deal will debut in 2020. Rhimes left ABC for the streamer last year after more than a decade with the studio. However,
Arista Records has signed 15-year-old kenzie, who is currently on tour with PrettyMuch and set to release a brand new song, “HOT,” on July 17. The singer first found fame on the show “Dance Moms,” which also launched the career of her older sister Maddie Ziegler, dancing star of Sia’s videos. Both have a robust
Jack Reynor, who recently starred in A24’s “Midsommar,” made his directorial debut with the short film “Bainne.” The film’s trailer, which debuted Thursday, shares a brief glimpse into Reynor’s vision, featuring black and white footage of actor Will Poulter in ominous conditions, set in the Irish countryside during the great famine. “I’m really proud of
The National Basketball Assn. has poached Kate Jhaveri — most recently chief marketing officer at Amazon’s Twitch who also has worked at Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft– as its new CMO. Jhaveri starts at the NBA on Aug. 15, reporting to NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum. She replaces Pam El, who retired at the
New South Wales, the Australian state that includes Sydney, is to introduce a post-production, digital and visual effects (PFV) incentive. The new subsidy, worth 10% of spending on post-production, digital and visual effects, can be used by film and TV productions in addition to the existing 30% federal rebate scheme. To qualify, a production must
Play video content Exclusive TMZSports.com Heavyweight boxing champ Andy Ruiz says he’s already training for the rematch with Anthony Joshua … and tells TMZ Sports he’s calling the shots this time around!! Of course, Ruiz was a late replacement who stepped in for Jarrell Miller when “Big Baby” failed a drug test — with Andy
Twitch’s senior leadership team is getting reshuffled. After two years, Kate Jhaveri is leaving as chief marketing officer of the Amazon-owned video game live-streaming service. Jhaveri, who previously held marketing positions at Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft prior to joining Twitch in 2017, is leaving in August to become the CMO of the NBA. At the
Exclusive TMZ/Getty Composite Pablo Escobar‘s brother says Elon Musk ripped off the “not-a-flamethrower” idea and beat him to the punch — but now he’s got his own (hot) take on the gizmo … and a possible legal fireball for Elon. The late Colombian kingpin’s bro, Roberto, just launched his own flamethrower — which is
Homework for Dominic Brigstocke, the director of “Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans,” included watching Monty Python and speaking to “Blackadder” co-creator Richard Curtis as he and the team went about taking a hit kids’ show from the small to big screen. “There’s a great tradition of the British making fun of their history,”
Blackbird Presents today announced a partnership with Sony Music Latin and Jenni Rivera Enterprises to produce “Jenni Rivera 50,” an all-star television special and record release celebrating the late singer. This one-night-only event honoring the late singer’s 50th birthday will take place in Los Angeles; no lineup or date for the special has yet been
July 11, 2019 4:38AM PT Pinewood Group has pulled out of Iskandar Malaysia Studios, ending a 10-year partnership with the facility’s local backers. Pinewood, which provided its brand, consultancy, and marketing, and the Malaysian studio confirmed the move Thursday. The name of the 124,000-square-foot has now been changed from Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios to Iskandar
July 11, 2019 4:37AM PT Media giant RTL is bringing its digital businesses together and said it expects the combined entity to more than double revenues to €100 million ($112.7 million) by 2022. The pan-European broadcast and media group is bringing together its digital video business in the Nordics, United Screens; its German-based counterpart, Divimove;
Several of the real-life heroes whose actions in rescuing a soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand made world headlines a year ago this month will play themselves in upcoming movie “The Cave.” They include rescue diver Jim Warny from Belgium, dive instructors Erik Brown from Canada and Mikko Paasi from Finland, and Chinese
July 11, 2019 1:57AM PT Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Fifteen fire trucks plus support vehicles have been called out to tackle the blaze, which was first reported late Wednesday, but there are no injuries reported, and the fire is on a sound stage that was not
The internet in China has exploded with excitement over Disney’s viral new “Mulan” trailer, but some have bemoaned the glaring historical and geographical inaccuracies in the short clip, calling the mashup of unrelated Chinese-looking elements disrespectful. Most on social media were thrilled to catch their first glimpse of mainland-born Crystal Liu Yifei in the titular
July 10, 2019 11:21PM PT Denise Nickerson, best known for her role as Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 version of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” died Wednesday night after being taken off life support. She was 62. Her family made the announcement on Facebook. “She’s gone,” the message read. Nickerson suffered a severe stroke
“America’s Got Talent” contestant Robert Finley, a 65-year-old, legally blind soul singer, wowed all four judges on the NBC show’s July 9 auditions episode. Performing his original song, “Get it While You Can,” the singer earned an easy four “yes” votes from Simon Cowell, Julianne Hough, Gabrielle Union and Howie Mandel, to take him to
Billie Eilish is probably going to break Taylor Swift’s record for being the youngest person to win an album of the year Grammy — if there’s any justice, and if there isn’t any reverse ageism striking fear into Recording Academy members’ hearts about the repercussions of letting someone who’ll be 18 by then win for
Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon, has launched a kids and animated division to be led by Nickelodeon vet Claire Curley. The unit will create content for younger audiences aged 3-5 and 6-9, “shining a light on where girls are right now and helping them chart their path forward,” according to the
In today’s film news roundup, Sarah May Sommers is starring in “American Cherry,” Jason Alexander has signed on to a film, Outfest has a new leader and BAFTA has awarded student prizes. CASTINGS Jason Alexander has joined the cast of “Faith Based,” a comedy from director Vincent Masciale and writer Luke Barnett. The satire of
Dave Bautista’s action comedy “My Spy” has been moved off of its August 23 release date, numerous individuals familiar with the film’s studio, STX Films, told Variety. The family-centric tale about a hardened CIA operative and his unlikely 9-year-old sidekick is seeking a new date in the first quarter of 2020. It could open as
The FCC on Wednesday voted to revise some of the obligations that broadcast TV stations have to carry informational and educational programming for children. The changes, adopted on a 3-2 vote, reflect the push by broadcasters to loosen the obligations established under the landmark Children’s Television Act in 1990, which established a detailed set of