Exclusive: Spoke Studios, the Wheelhouse production company behind series including Netflix’s Buying Beverly Hills, is looking for a new boss after the departure of Pam Healey.
Healey has been President of the company for the last two and Deadline understands that she is moving on.
Spoke Studios is behind series including food show Secret Chef, social experiment Got To Get Out and reality series Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez at Hulu and King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which has been renewed for a second season at Netflix.
“We appreciate Pam’s contributions over the last two years. Wheelhouse’s deep bench of creative executives continue to drive our current wave of success with new sales and renewals. We are deeply engaged in the search for the long-term leader of our flagship prodco to join our exceptional team,” Wheelhouse CEO Brent Montgomery said.
It comes as Wheelhouse recently secured its first outside investment.
Healey has been President of the company for the last two and Deadline understands that she is moving on.
Spoke Studios is behind series including food show Secret Chef, social experiment Got To Get Out and reality series Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez at Hulu and King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which has been renewed for a second season at Netflix.
“We appreciate Pam’s contributions over the last two years. Wheelhouse’s deep bench of creative executives continue to drive our current wave of success with new sales and renewals. We are deeply engaged in the search for the long-term leader of our flagship prodco to join our exceptional team,” Wheelhouse CEO Brent Montgomery said.
It comes as Wheelhouse recently secured its first outside investment.
- 5/3/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
O.J. Simpson, one of the most controversial figures in America’s history, died on April 10, 2024 of cancer. A former superstar, “The Juice,” as he was known, was an NFL star, as well as a perspective actor who ultimately became one of America’s most notorious public figures after the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. And while Simpson was acquitted in a criminal trial, he was later found liable for the murders in a civil suit. Simpson never recovered and later ended up in jail for armed robbery and kidnapping. He spent his last years in freedom but was ridden with diseases and disgraced as a public figure.
And while no one really doubts that Simpson did it, despite the acquittal, there seems to be a plan to shoot a movie that claims that Simpson didn’t actually do it. Titled The Juice, originally titled Nicole and O.
And while no one really doubts that Simpson did it, despite the acquittal, there seems to be a plan to shoot a movie that claims that Simpson didn’t actually do it. Titled The Juice, originally titled Nicole and O.
- 4/25/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
A New O.J. Movie Stars the Controversial Charlotte Kirk (But Definitely Not Owen Wilson)
Hey, Hollywood, anybody interested in a partially finished film about how O.J. Simpson might have been innocent? One that stars Charlotte Kirk — the English actress best known for her previous role in taking down moguls Kevin Tsujihara and Ron Meyer in a 2019 sex scandal — as Nicole Brown Simpson? If yes, this is your lucky day. According to British director Joshua Newton, about 30 minutes of The Juice (originally titled Nicole and O.J.) is in the can, mostly flashback scenes featuring Kirk and German-born actor Boris Kodjoe, currently on ABC’s Station 19, who plays the late NFL star turned acquitted murderer. Newton, who has been working on this “satirical thriller” since 2015, says the picture’s main plotline involves a real-life attorney named Douglas McCann who got sucked into various conspiracy theories during Simpson’s 1995 criminal trial.
Hey, Hollywood, anybody interested in a partially finished film about how O.J. Simpson might have been innocent? One that stars Charlotte Kirk — the English actress best known for her previous role in taking down moguls Kevin Tsujihara and Ron Meyer in a 2019 sex scandal — as Nicole Brown Simpson? If yes, this is your lucky day. According to British director Joshua Newton, about 30 minutes of The Juice (originally titled Nicole and O.J.) is in the can, mostly flashback scenes featuring Kirk and German-born actor Boris Kodjoe, currently on ABC’s Station 19, who plays the late NFL star turned acquitted murderer. Newton, who has been working on this “satirical thriller” since 2015, says the picture’s main plotline involves a real-life attorney named Douglas McCann who got sucked into various conspiracy theories during Simpson’s 1995 criminal trial.
- 4/24/2024
- by Edited by Benjamin Svetkey and Edited by Julian Sancton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wheelhouse, the production, content and talent management firm founded by Brent Montgomery, has secured an investment from Alignment Growth, the firm founded the former Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes and former Warner Bros. Entertainment chief Kevin Tsujihara.
Terms of the funding round weren’t disclosed, but Bewkes will join the board of the company, which owns Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut and Additive Creative Partners, and has production deals with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo.
The company plans to use the fresh cash to attract new talent and pursue strategic acquisitions.
“We are building Wheelhouse as a collective of global creatives who not only shine on their own, but truly want to partner with one another across labels and divisions so we’re thrilled that Alignment’s investment will allow us to supersize our efforts engaging talent in front of and behind the camera,” Montgomery said in a statement.
Terms of the funding round weren’t disclosed, but Bewkes will join the board of the company, which owns Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut and Additive Creative Partners, and has production deals with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo.
The company plans to use the fresh cash to attract new talent and pursue strategic acquisitions.
“We are building Wheelhouse as a collective of global creatives who not only shine on their own, but truly want to partner with one another across labels and divisions so we’re thrilled that Alignment’s investment will allow us to supersize our efforts engaging talent in front of and behind the camera,” Montgomery said in a statement.
- 4/24/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brent Montgomery’s media company Wheelhouse has secured its first outside round of funding, landing a minority investment from former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes’ investment firm Alignment Growth.
As part of the transaction, Bewkes — who founded Alignment with Alex Iosilevich and Kevin Tsujihara — will be joining Wheelhouse’s board of directors.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wheelhouse says the size of the investment from Alignment “will enable Wheelhouse to build an infrastructure that attracts industry-leading talent and accelerates growth via strategic acquisitions.”
Founded in 2018 by Montgomery, who was then coming off his sale of Leftfield Entertainment to ITV in 2014, and Jimmy Kimmel, Wheelhouse assets currently include Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut, Wheelhouse UK and DNA. Additionally, Wheelhouse has production partnerships with Kimmel’s Kimmelot and celebrity chef David Chang’s Majordomo Media.
Wheelhouse-produced series include Netflix’s “King of Collectibles” from executive producer Peyton Manning, “Buying Beverly Hills” and “Players,...
As part of the transaction, Bewkes — who founded Alignment with Alex Iosilevich and Kevin Tsujihara — will be joining Wheelhouse’s board of directors.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wheelhouse says the size of the investment from Alignment “will enable Wheelhouse to build an infrastructure that attracts industry-leading talent and accelerates growth via strategic acquisitions.”
Founded in 2018 by Montgomery, who was then coming off his sale of Leftfield Entertainment to ITV in 2014, and Jimmy Kimmel, Wheelhouse assets currently include Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut, Wheelhouse UK and DNA. Additionally, Wheelhouse has production partnerships with Kimmel’s Kimmelot and celebrity chef David Chang’s Majordomo Media.
Wheelhouse-produced series include Netflix’s “King of Collectibles” from executive producer Peyton Manning, “Buying Beverly Hills” and “Players,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse has some new investors.
The company, which includes production companies including Campfire and Spoke Studios as well as partnerships with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo Media, has secured investment from Alignment Growth, the investment vehicle from Jeff Bewkes and Kevin Tsujihara.
Alignment Growth, which raised $360M to put into media and entertainment companies last year, has taken a minority stake in Wheelhouse.
The investment will allow Wheelhouse to make acquisitions and attract talent. It marks Wheelhouse’s first outside capital raise since Mongtomery, who sold 80% of Pawn Stars producer Leftfield Entertainment to ITV for $360M in 2014, founded in 2018.
Bewkes, who was formerly CEO and Chairman of the Board at Time Warner, will join Wheelhouse’s Board of Directors.
The company is behind series such as Netflix’s King of Collectibles and Buying Beverly Hills, Hulu’s Secret Chef with David Chang and...
The company, which includes production companies including Campfire and Spoke Studios as well as partnerships with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo Media, has secured investment from Alignment Growth, the investment vehicle from Jeff Bewkes and Kevin Tsujihara.
Alignment Growth, which raised $360M to put into media and entertainment companies last year, has taken a minority stake in Wheelhouse.
The investment will allow Wheelhouse to make acquisitions and attract talent. It marks Wheelhouse’s first outside capital raise since Mongtomery, who sold 80% of Pawn Stars producer Leftfield Entertainment to ITV for $360M in 2014, founded in 2018.
Bewkes, who was formerly CEO and Chairman of the Board at Time Warner, will join Wheelhouse’s Board of Directors.
The company is behind series such as Netflix’s King of Collectibles and Buying Beverly Hills, Hulu’s Secret Chef with David Chang and...
- 4/24/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
When Johnny Depp Raked In A Huge Numbers Despite Not Having A Single Scene In It ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Johnny Depp is a renowned Hollywood personality who is also among the highest-paid actors. He faced a great ordeal owing to his court case against Amber Heard. Depp lost his deal with Disney and was dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean. He also exited another popular fantasy film series, but the actor was, in a way, a gainer as the studio had to pay him his full salary for the role, and it was not a small amount.
Depp was at the peak of his career when the domestic abuse controversy happened that cost him his career. Not him, Amber also lost her reputation and work in Hollywood. The fans of both stars did not leave a moment to troll each other and them.
Johnny Depp’s paychecks often leave us gaping with open mouths,...
Johnny Depp is a renowned Hollywood personality who is also among the highest-paid actors. He faced a great ordeal owing to his court case against Amber Heard. Depp lost his deal with Disney and was dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean. He also exited another popular fantasy film series, but the actor was, in a way, a gainer as the studio had to pay him his full salary for the role, and it was not a small amount.
Depp was at the peak of his career when the domestic abuse controversy happened that cost him his career. Not him, Amber also lost her reputation and work in Hollywood. The fans of both stars did not leave a moment to troll each other and them.
Johnny Depp’s paychecks often leave us gaping with open mouths,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
In December 2018, Aquaman arrived with the amount of fanfare appropriate for the moment. It was the height of comic book culture, and one of its reigning kings, Jason Momoa, arrived at the movie’s blue carpet premiere with a golden trident. Full to the brim with bluster, he performed a ceremonial dance with members of the Maori community while wife Lisa Bonet and the couple’s kids stood in the wings. Stars Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard brought the glam and the shouts from photographers. After a raucous screening, the festivities then moved from the Chinese Theatre to the poolside afterparty at the Roosevelt Hotel.
The film would ultimately top $1 billion and stood as part of a zenith for comic book movies, in a year that included Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Five years later, things are much different. The sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,...
The film would ultimately top $1 billion and stood as part of a zenith for comic book movies, in a year that included Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Five years later, things are much different. The sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rush Hour director Brett Ratner has reportedly immigrated to Israel.
On Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post’s Walla news site reported that Ratner posted to his Instagram Story a clip of an Israeli immigration certificate and national insurance documents. He captioned the clip in Hebrew, “Brett Shai Ratner.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Ratner’s company RatPac Entertainment for comment.
The X-Men: The Last Stand filmmaker is friendly with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and last month met with him in New York during Netanyahu’s visit to the United Nations for the 78th General Assembly. Israeli media reports that Ratner and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz were Netanyahu’s guests during his speech to the General Assembly. On his Instagram, the filmmaker posted a picture of himself with Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu and Dershowitz.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Brett Ratner אהרון...
On Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post’s Walla news site reported that Ratner posted to his Instagram Story a clip of an Israeli immigration certificate and national insurance documents. He captioned the clip in Hebrew, “Brett Shai Ratner.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Ratner’s company RatPac Entertainment for comment.
The X-Men: The Last Stand filmmaker is friendly with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and last month met with him in New York during Netanyahu’s visit to the United Nations for the 78th General Assembly. Israeli media reports that Ratner and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz were Netanyahu’s guests during his speech to the General Assembly. On his Instagram, the filmmaker posted a picture of himself with Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu and Dershowitz.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Brett Ratner אהרון...
- 10/4/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Palisades Park Pictures (Ppp) will be representing global sales for action-thriller Duchess from director Neil Marshall (Hellboy).
Post production recently wrapped with Ppp screening for buyers at the Cannes market next week.
Duchess stars Charlotte Kirk (Vice) in the titular role as she navigates the world of diamond smuggling. Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon), and Stephanie Beacham (Dracula A.D. 1972) also star.
Duchess follows Kirk’s no-nonsense Scarlett Monaghan and her rise from a working-class petty criminal to becoming a ruthless organized crime leader in the seedy underbelly of the diamond smuggling circuit of Tenerife.
Marshall and Kirk co-penned the screenplay, with Emily Corcoran of Cork Films and Kristyna Sellnerova as producers.
Joe Simpson, Simon Williams, Jonathan Bross and Matthew E. Chausse of Ashland Hill Media Finance and Norman Merry and Peter Hampden of Lip Sync executive-produced along with Jon Dean,...
Post production recently wrapped with Ppp screening for buyers at the Cannes market next week.
Duchess stars Charlotte Kirk (Vice) in the titular role as she navigates the world of diamond smuggling. Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon), and Stephanie Beacham (Dracula A.D. 1972) also star.
Duchess follows Kirk’s no-nonsense Scarlett Monaghan and her rise from a working-class petty criminal to becoming a ruthless organized crime leader in the seedy underbelly of the diamond smuggling circuit of Tenerife.
Marshall and Kirk co-penned the screenplay, with Emily Corcoran of Cork Films and Kristyna Sellnerova as producers.
Joe Simpson, Simon Williams, Jonathan Bross and Matthew E. Chausse of Ashland Hill Media Finance and Norman Merry and Peter Hampden of Lip Sync executive-produced along with Jon Dean,...
- 5/12/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Wearing a nondescript gray T-shirt with a backstage pass dangling from his neck, Jeff Shell looked more like a snowy-haired roadie than a VIP as he milled about in the wings of the Sahara Tent ahead of Blink-182’s set at Coachella on April 14. The NBCUniversal CEO had spent the day at the festival with his wife, Laura, in anticipation of the band’s first show in nearly a decade. Later, he took a seat alongside a leather-clad Kourtney Kardashian, whose long-running “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” holds a significant presence in the NBCUniversal spread, with all 20 seasons of the reality show having recently moved from Hulu to Peacock. But Shell wasn’t there on business. He enjoys close ties with the band’s bassist and co-lead vocalist, Mark Hoppus, a friendship forged thanks to their kids attending the same school in L.A.
While all appeared normal on the...
While all appeared normal on the...
- 4/26/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: Comcast dropped a bombshell Sunday, announcing that NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is leaving the company, effective immediately. The “mutual” decision comes after an investigation led by outside counsel into a complaint on inappropriate conduct by Shell.
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal,” Shell said in a statement. “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” said Shell, who is married. “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege.”
Comcast made the announcement in a short press release; no successor has been named. In a memo to staff, Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and President Mike Cavanagh said that in the interim, Shell’s senior team will report directly to Cavanagh.
That includes Donna Langley,...
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal,” Shell said in a statement. “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” said Shell, who is married. “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege.”
Comcast made the announcement in a short press release; no successor has been named. In a memo to staff, Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and President Mike Cavanagh said that in the interim, Shell’s senior team will report directly to Cavanagh.
That includes Donna Langley,...
- 4/23/2023
- by Lynette Rice and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeff Shell is stepping down as CEO of NBCUniversal following an internal investigation for what has been described as an “inappropriate relationship” with an employee. The “mutual” decision was announced by NBCUniversal’s parent company Comcast on Sunday afternoon.
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell said in a statement. “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege.”
Shell had served as CEO since January 1, 2020. His tenure notably resulted in a deal that brought all of the company’s new film releases, including titles from Illumination and Focus Features, to Peacock following their theatrical releases. Comcast president Michael Cavanagh will take over as interim CEO of the entertainment company.
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell said in a statement. “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege.”
Shell had served as CEO since January 1, 2020. His tenure notably resulted in a deal that brought all of the company’s new film releases, including titles from Illumination and Focus Features, to Peacock following their theatrical releases. Comcast president Michael Cavanagh will take over as interim CEO of the entertainment company.
- 4/23/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Warner Bros Discovery CEO and President, David Zaslav, will be teeing off Warner Bros studio presentation at CinemaCon on Tuesday Am, April 25.
While it’s standard for the heads of motion picture studio divisions, read Sony’s Tom Rothman, Universal’s Donna Langley, and former Warner Bros chief Toby Emmerich to share the spotlight on stage with their respective distribution and marketing executives as they show off their cinematic wares before exhibitors, it’s quite rare for the head of a publicly trade media conglomerate to speak at CinemaCon. It’s not anything that News Corp Boss Rupert Murdoch has done, nor Disney CEO Bob Iger. In recent memory, the highest ranking Warner Bros executive to speak at the Las Vegas Caesars Palace confab was Warner Bros Entertainment chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
In the wake of WarnerMedia’s experimentation with a 2021 theatrical day-and-date pandemic...
While it’s standard for the heads of motion picture studio divisions, read Sony’s Tom Rothman, Universal’s Donna Langley, and former Warner Bros chief Toby Emmerich to share the spotlight on stage with their respective distribution and marketing executives as they show off their cinematic wares before exhibitors, it’s quite rare for the head of a publicly trade media conglomerate to speak at CinemaCon. It’s not anything that News Corp Boss Rupert Murdoch has done, nor Disney CEO Bob Iger. In recent memory, the highest ranking Warner Bros executive to speak at the Las Vegas Caesars Palace confab was Warner Bros Entertainment chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
In the wake of WarnerMedia’s experimentation with a 2021 theatrical day-and-date pandemic...
- 4/21/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Arguably the biggest news to come out of the latest Warner Bros. Discovery press conference was the announcement of a TV series reboot of the "Harry Potter" franchise, which will adapt every single book again, this time with a more "faithful" adaptation that spans the course of an actual decade. It is a baffling, shocking, and quite enraging bit of news, even if it makes sense from a business perspective.
First of all, there's the controversy surrounding disgraced author J.K. Rowling, who will be directly involved in the new show, despite how her internet comments have sullied the franchise for many fans. Add in the fact that this is just the same story again, and the result is a very underwhelming and disappointing announcement, particularly when we're coming off a spin-off film series that was apparently abandoned halfway through, as well as an incredibly successful video game that told a completely new story.
First of all, there's the controversy surrounding disgraced author J.K. Rowling, who will be directly involved in the new show, despite how her internet comments have sullied the franchise for many fans. Add in the fact that this is just the same story again, and the result is a very underwhelming and disappointing announcement, particularly when we're coming off a spin-off film series that was apparently abandoned halfway through, as well as an incredibly successful video game that told a completely new story.
- 4/13/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver, who are both University of Southern California alumni, have joined the School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors.
The writer, director and producer, known for Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Creed, is a two-time Oscar nominee. He credited the school for all the skills he has used during his more than a decade-long career.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Dean Daley, Kevin Feige, and Donna Langley for this esteemed opportunity, and I am excited to be joining alongside my friend Tracy Oliver, who has blazed her own incredible trail in film and television,” Coogler said. “I look forward to working with them and the other distinguished members of the board to support Sca’s continued pursuit of building the best environment for their students.”
Oliver is a writer, director and producer known for Girls Trip, Little, First Wives Club and Harlem. She was...
The writer, director and producer, known for Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Creed, is a two-time Oscar nominee. He credited the school for all the skills he has used during his more than a decade-long career.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Dean Daley, Kevin Feige, and Donna Langley for this esteemed opportunity, and I am excited to be joining alongside my friend Tracy Oliver, who has blazed her own incredible trail in film and television,” Coogler said. “I look forward to working with them and the other distinguished members of the board to support Sca’s continued pursuit of building the best environment for their students.”
Oliver is a writer, director and producer known for Girls Trip, Little, First Wives Club and Harlem. She was...
- 2/3/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
USC School of Cinematic Arts alums Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver have joined the school’s Board of Councilors.
The appointment was announced by Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and the Sca’s Board of Councilors. The board guides the school’s overall strategic planning, development and fundraising efforts.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver as the newest members of the Sca Board of Councilors,” said Langley. “Ryan and Tracy have dominated the industry with their innovative craft and mastered the art of storytelling for a global audience. They wholly embody the attributions of the next generation of this board and our business.”
Coogler (class of 2011) and Oliver (2010) are the youngest alumni appointed to the board and join a group that includes Langley,...
The appointment was announced by Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and the Sca’s Board of Councilors. The board guides the school’s overall strategic planning, development and fundraising efforts.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver as the newest members of the Sca Board of Councilors,” said Langley. “Ryan and Tracy have dominated the industry with their innovative craft and mastered the art of storytelling for a global audience. They wholly embody the attributions of the next generation of this board and our business.”
Coogler (class of 2011) and Oliver (2010) are the youngest alumni appointed to the board and join a group that includes Langley,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmakers Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver are the newest and youngest members of the USC School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” director Coogler graduated from the program in 2011. “Girls Trip” writer Oliver is an alum of the Class of 2010.
The Board of Councilors oversees strategic planning, development, and fundraising efforts for the film school. Fellow industry board members include Chairman Donna Langley, Chair Emeritus Frank Price, Sarah Bond, Kevin Feige, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Bill M. Mechanic, Shonda Rhimes, John Riccitiello, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Tsujihara, John Wells, and Robert Zemeckis.
Also Read:
Rick Singer, Mastermind of College Admissions Scam for Children of Hollywood Elite, Sentenced to Prison
“Ryan and Tracy have dominated the industry with their innovative craft and mastered the art of storytelling for a global audience,” said Langley in a press release, who made the announcement with Elizabeth M. Daley,...
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” director Coogler graduated from the program in 2011. “Girls Trip” writer Oliver is an alum of the Class of 2010.
The Board of Councilors oversees strategic planning, development, and fundraising efforts for the film school. Fellow industry board members include Chairman Donna Langley, Chair Emeritus Frank Price, Sarah Bond, Kevin Feige, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Bill M. Mechanic, Shonda Rhimes, John Riccitiello, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Tsujihara, John Wells, and Robert Zemeckis.
Also Read:
Rick Singer, Mastermind of College Admissions Scam for Children of Hollywood Elite, Sentenced to Prison
“Ryan and Tracy have dominated the industry with their innovative craft and mastered the art of storytelling for a global audience,” said Langley in a press release, who made the announcement with Elizabeth M. Daley,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Variety has hired award-winning journalist Tatiana Siegel as executive editor, film & media. In her new post, Siegel will help guide Variety’s coverage of the film and media business, as well as write covers, features, analysis pieces and investigative stories.
Siegel, who most recently worked as a senior writer for Rolling Stone and previously served as executive film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, is best known for her hard-hitting examinations of the entertainment business. In recent years, she produced several industry-shaking exposés, one that resulted in the ouster of Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara, and another that revealed decades of bullying by film and theater producer Scott Rudin.
Siegel had a five-year stint at Variety between 2007-2012. She re-joins the magazine on Jan. 1.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Tatiana Siegel back to Variety where she belongs,” said Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, Variety’s co-editors-in-chief. “As one...
Siegel, who most recently worked as a senior writer for Rolling Stone and previously served as executive film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, is best known for her hard-hitting examinations of the entertainment business. In recent years, she produced several industry-shaking exposés, one that resulted in the ouster of Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara, and another that revealed decades of bullying by film and theater producer Scott Rudin.
Siegel had a five-year stint at Variety between 2007-2012. She re-joins the magazine on Jan. 1.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Tatiana Siegel back to Variety where she belongs,” said Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, Variety’s co-editors-in-chief. “As one...
- 12/21/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
For nearly two decades, Harvey Weinstein’s predatory tendencies were legend in Hollywood. And until a news organization could gather the sourcing and the courage to take on the mogul, that’s what they would remain. In 2017, 29-year-old NBC reporter Ronan Farrow was convinced he had the goods, with several of Weinstein’s victims willing to go on the record. Then his higher-ups held up the story. Undaunted, Farrow turned to The New Yorker. His feature for the magazine, along with an investigation by The New York Times, turned the whispers into fact and kicked off the #MeToo reckoning in October 2017. Farrow followed with exposés on Brett Kavanaugh, Leslie Moonves and Andrew Cuomo. Today, Weinstein is behind bars and many of Hollywood’s most powerful men have been held to account, several by THR’s Kim Masters, who has reported on allegations of...
For nearly two decades, Harvey Weinstein’s predatory tendencies were legend in Hollywood. And until a news organization could gather the sourcing and the courage to take on the mogul, that’s what they would remain. In 2017, 29-year-old NBC reporter Ronan Farrow was convinced he had the goods, with several of Weinstein’s victims willing to go on the record. Then his higher-ups held up the story. Undaunted, Farrow turned to The New Yorker. His feature for the magazine, along with an investigation by The New York Times, turned the whispers into fact and kicked off the #MeToo reckoning in October 2017. Farrow followed with exposés on Brett Kavanaugh, Leslie Moonves and Andrew Cuomo. Today, Weinstein is behind bars and many of Hollywood’s most powerful men have been held to account, several by THR’s Kim Masters, who has reported on allegations of...
- 9/29/2022
- by Rebecca Keegan, Moderator
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Judging from the trailer, or the poster, Zach Cregger’s Barbarian seems to follow a classic horror movie premise, updated for the tech age: A young woman checks in to an Airbnb in Detroit, only to find a man — and assorted terrors — waiting inside. But that’s just a fraction of the story.
Halfway through the film, which opened at No. 1 for the Sept. 9-11 weekend, writer-director Cregger abruptly cuts away from a gasp-inducing moment, jumping from dank Detroit to sunny L.A., where a hotshot actor played by Justin Long is cruising in a convertible without a care in the world. That is, until he gets a call from his agent telling him he’s been accused of sexual misconduct in The Hollywood Reporter.
“When I was writing, my dream was to use The Hollywood Reporter but it was one of those...
Judging from the trailer, or the poster, Zach Cregger’s Barbarian seems to follow a classic horror movie premise, updated for the tech age: A young woman checks in to an Airbnb in Detroit, only to find a man — and assorted terrors — waiting inside. But that’s just a fraction of the story.
Halfway through the film, which opened at No. 1 for the Sept. 9-11 weekend, writer-director Cregger abruptly cuts away from a gasp-inducing moment, jumping from dank Detroit to sunny L.A., where a hotshot actor played by Justin Long is cruising in a convertible without a care in the world. That is, until he gets a call from his agent telling him he’s been accused of sexual misconduct in The Hollywood Reporter.
“When I was writing, my dream was to use The Hollywood Reporter but it was one of those...
- 9/18/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Variety has been given exclusive access to the first-look images from Neil Marshall’s action crime thriller “Duchess,” starring British actor Charlotte Kirk, who was linked to the downfall of two Hollywood moguls. Principal photography is in its third week on the movie, which is shooting in Tenerife.
The film is co-written by Marshall and Kirk, the creative duo behind “The Lair,” which opens London’s horror and fantasy film festival Frightfest next month.
Marshall’s credits include “Game of Thrones,” for which he received an Emmy nomination, “The Descent,” for which he won best director at the British Independent Film Awards, and, most recently, 2019’s “Hellboy” and 2020’s “The Reckoning,” which also starred and was co-written by Kirk.
Kirk became front-page news in Hollywood after her extramarital affairs with Kevin Tsujihara, at that time CEO of Warner Bros., and Ron Meyer, the then vice chairman of NBCUniversal, led to their dismissals.
The film is co-written by Marshall and Kirk, the creative duo behind “The Lair,” which opens London’s horror and fantasy film festival Frightfest next month.
Marshall’s credits include “Game of Thrones,” for which he received an Emmy nomination, “The Descent,” for which he won best director at the British Independent Film Awards, and, most recently, 2019’s “Hellboy” and 2020’s “The Reckoning,” which also starred and was co-written by Kirk.
Kirk became front-page news in Hollywood after her extramarital affairs with Kevin Tsujihara, at that time CEO of Warner Bros., and Ron Meyer, the then vice chairman of NBCUniversal, led to their dismissals.
- 7/26/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
CAA co-founder and former NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer dove into his controversial exit from the Comcast entertainment company in a recent freewheeling and honest interview with podcast hosts Amy Motta, Gloria Butler, Sloan Kivo and former ICM agent Risa Shapiro.
Meyer conceded on their OnTheRags podcast that he used poor judgment when he opted not to inform NBCU that he had settled a lawsuit over a past consensual affair, leading to his ouster from the company in 2020.
“Universal decided to fire me because I did not tell them that I had settled a potential lawsuit that named them,” Meyer said. “I hope I’m saying this right, but that’s exactly what happened, and it wasn’t a ‘Me Too’ situation. It wasn’t anything other than that.”
Also Read:
Comcast’s Brian Roberts, NBCU’s Jeff Shell Got Pay Bumps in 2021
The former studio head said he was...
Meyer conceded on their OnTheRags podcast that he used poor judgment when he opted not to inform NBCU that he had settled a lawsuit over a past consensual affair, leading to his ouster from the company in 2020.
“Universal decided to fire me because I did not tell them that I had settled a potential lawsuit that named them,” Meyer said. “I hope I’m saying this right, but that’s exactly what happened, and it wasn’t a ‘Me Too’ situation. It wasn’t anything other than that.”
Also Read:
Comcast’s Brian Roberts, NBCU’s Jeff Shell Got Pay Bumps in 2021
The former studio head said he was...
- 7/8/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
Will Ferrell came very close to having his entire performance in “The Lego Movie” — along with all live-action scenes — end up on the cutting room floor, the film’s producer, Dan Lin, said Saturday at PGA’s Produced By Conference.
Lin recalled the uphill battle that went into the building blocks of the hybrid animated and live-action movie, revealing that Warner Bros. initially wanted to cut the latter chunk of the film that included scenes featuring Ferrell.
During a conversation with Chris Miller, who penned the screenplay for the 2014 hit along with writing-producing partner Phil Lord, Lin said the budget demands from the studio forced him to treat the family comedy as an “indie movie.” The Rideback Ranch founder even had to pre-sell the basement set, which featured the human characters, to Legoland as an exhibit to partially fund the movie.
The set is where it’s revealed that Ferrell...
Lin recalled the uphill battle that went into the building blocks of the hybrid animated and live-action movie, revealing that Warner Bros. initially wanted to cut the latter chunk of the film that included scenes featuring Ferrell.
During a conversation with Chris Miller, who penned the screenplay for the 2014 hit along with writing-producing partner Phil Lord, Lin said the budget demands from the studio forced him to treat the family comedy as an “indie movie.” The Rideback Ranch founder even had to pre-sell the basement set, which featured the human characters, to Legoland as an exhibit to partially fund the movie.
The set is where it’s revealed that Ferrell...
- 6/12/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Johnny Depp again denied on Wednesday that he had been violent toward his ex-wife, Amber Heard, calling her testimony in the ongoing defamation case “insane” and “horrible.”
Depp’s lawyers called him to the stand to respond to a variety of matters that had come up over the six-week trial, as they continued to present their rebuttal witnesses. Depp first testified over the course of four days in April. Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday.
Depp is suing Heard for alluding to her domestic violence allegations against him in an op-ed in 2018, while Heard is countersuing him over statements his lawyer made accusing her of perpetrating an “abuse hoax.” Each has accused the other of damaging their careers.
“It’s insane to hear heinous accusations of violence — sexual violence — that she’s attributed to me,” Depp testified. “Horrible, ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage, unimaginably brutal, cruel, and all false. All false…...
Depp’s lawyers called him to the stand to respond to a variety of matters that had come up over the six-week trial, as they continued to present their rebuttal witnesses. Depp first testified over the course of four days in April. Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday.
Depp is suing Heard for alluding to her domestic violence allegations against him in an op-ed in 2018, while Heard is countersuing him over statements his lawyer made accusing her of perpetrating an “abuse hoax.” Each has accused the other of damaging their careers.
“It’s insane to hear heinous accusations of violence — sexual violence — that she’s attributed to me,” Depp testified. “Horrible, ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage, unimaginably brutal, cruel, and all false. All false…...
- 5/25/2022
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Jay Levine is leaving his post as the Chief Strategy Officer and EVP Business Operations of Warner Bros. The well-liked executive worked 13 years for the studio before his position was diminished following the studio’s merger with Discovery.
The highly-respected studio veteran rose quickly through the ranks to join the corporate suite under Barry Meyer and Kevin Tsujihara to become the top executive under Ann Sarnoff. Levine led strategy and operations for WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which included WB Pictures Group, HBO, and HBO Max Programming, WB Television Group, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, WB Animation, TBS, TNT, DC, Consumer Products, Global Brands & Experiences, and other traditional and digital content businesses.
Levine worked closely with all of the main creative divisions, having partnered with Toby Emmerich at WB Pictures, Casey Bloys at HBO & HBO Max and Channing Dungey at Wbtv in development, production, finance, business affairs, marketing, and distribution.
The highly-respected studio veteran rose quickly through the ranks to join the corporate suite under Barry Meyer and Kevin Tsujihara to become the top executive under Ann Sarnoff. Levine led strategy and operations for WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which included WB Pictures Group, HBO, and HBO Max Programming, WB Television Group, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, WB Animation, TBS, TNT, DC, Consumer Products, Global Brands & Experiences, and other traditional and digital content businesses.
Levine worked closely with all of the main creative divisions, having partnered with Toby Emmerich at WB Pictures, Casey Bloys at HBO & HBO Max and Channing Dungey at Wbtv in development, production, finance, business affairs, marketing, and distribution.
- 5/23/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
A day prior to the glitzy world premiere of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” Ezra Miller, who has a key role in the upcoming “Harry Potter” spinoff sequel, was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment.
In another timeline, Miller, known for striking red carpet outfits and zany interviews, would have been front and center to promote “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which opens in North American theaters on April 15. Instead, that incident and other eyebrow-raising events forced Warner Bros. to downplay Miller’s involvement in the film franchise. Complicating matters is the fact that Miller also headlines next year’s DC Comics adaptation “The Flash” for Warners.
It’s the latest in a long list of controversies plaguing “Fantastic Beasts.” The fantastical series was intended to wring newfound riches from author J.K Rowling’s sprawling Wizarding World after 2011’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” capped off a...
In another timeline, Miller, known for striking red carpet outfits and zany interviews, would have been front and center to promote “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which opens in North American theaters on April 15. Instead, that incident and other eyebrow-raising events forced Warner Bros. to downplay Miller’s involvement in the film franchise. Complicating matters is the fact that Miller also headlines next year’s DC Comics adaptation “The Flash” for Warners.
It’s the latest in a long list of controversies plaguing “Fantastic Beasts.” The fantastical series was intended to wring newfound riches from author J.K Rowling’s sprawling Wizarding World after 2011’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” capped off a...
- 4/12/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Total of nine senior executives to leave.
More senior WarnerMedia executives are to depart the company as the 43bn Discovery merger closes, which according to reports could be as early as this Friday (April 8).
On Wednesday a WarnerMedia spokesperson confirmed that EVP and chief human resources officer Jim Cummings is on the way out as are: CFO Jennifer Biry; the outgoing Jason Kilar’s corporate communications executive and chief inclusion officer Christy Haubegger; EVP chief revenue officer Tony Goncalves; EVP general counsel Jim Meza; and chief technology officer Richard Tom.
This follows Tuesday’s revelations that WarnerMedia CEO Kilar tendered...
More senior WarnerMedia executives are to depart the company as the 43bn Discovery merger closes, which according to reports could be as early as this Friday (April 8).
On Wednesday a WarnerMedia spokesperson confirmed that EVP and chief human resources officer Jim Cummings is on the way out as are: CFO Jennifer Biry; the outgoing Jason Kilar’s corporate communications executive and chief inclusion officer Christy Haubegger; EVP chief revenue officer Tony Goncalves; EVP general counsel Jim Meza; and chief technology officer Richard Tom.
This follows Tuesday’s revelations that WarnerMedia CEO Kilar tendered...
- 4/6/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav hails ”passionate and committed steward of the world’s most formidable creative engine”.
Ann Sarnoff, the WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group chairman and CEO, will exit the company when the 43bn Discovery merger is completed, which is expected to be this month.
Sarnoff led Warner Bros as its first female CEO since June 2019 in light of Kevin Tsujihara’s departure and had the unenviable task of shepherding the studio through the pandemic.
Sarnoff’s remit included oversight of Warner Bros Pictures Group, HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros Television, DC, WB Animation, TBS, TNT,...
Ann Sarnoff, the WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group chairman and CEO, will exit the company when the 43bn Discovery merger is completed, which is expected to be this month.
Sarnoff led Warner Bros as its first female CEO since June 2019 in light of Kevin Tsujihara’s departure and had the unenviable task of shepherding the studio through the pandemic.
Sarnoff’s remit included oversight of Warner Bros Pictures Group, HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros Television, DC, WB Animation, TBS, TNT,...
- 4/6/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
WarnerMedia has been owned by telco giant AT&T for less than four years and it will soon have a new parent company — likely by the end of next month.
Discovery’s shareholder vote on the acquisition of WarnerMedia is set for today during a special meeting of stockholders at 10 a.m. Et. The deal is expected to get an easy thumbs-up given the approval already bestowed by Discovery’s oldest and most influential holders, investor John Malone and Advance/Newhouse Co. Both agreed to convert long-held preferred shares into common shares in order to smooth the path for the spinoff combination.
As Discovery conducts a mostly ceremonial poll of shareholders, AT&T is signaling the start of a new chapter. The telco giant will conduct a virtual investor conference at the exact same time as the vote to unveil its post-spinoff strategy. The push into entertainment was initiated by the...
Discovery’s shareholder vote on the acquisition of WarnerMedia is set for today during a special meeting of stockholders at 10 a.m. Et. The deal is expected to get an easy thumbs-up given the approval already bestowed by Discovery’s oldest and most influential holders, investor John Malone and Advance/Newhouse Co. Both agreed to convert long-held preferred shares into common shares in order to smooth the path for the spinoff combination.
As Discovery conducts a mostly ceremonial poll of shareholders, AT&T is signaling the start of a new chapter. The telco giant will conduct a virtual investor conference at the exact same time as the vote to unveil its post-spinoff strategy. The push into entertainment was initiated by the...
- 3/11/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
David Zaslav, who is famously gregarious and high-energy, has been oddly quiet lately with an absence of media interviews or social events on his schedule. Even his regular booth at the Polo Lounge has been somnolent.
That’s about to change: Zaslav arrived back in Hollywood yesterday and the industry has been forcefully reminded that “the deal” is real.
As federal regulators and other random bureaucrats remove their barriers, the long-awaited entity called Warner Bros. Discovery becomes a functioning reality in four short weeks.
There are high expectations of imminent moves that will impact the power structures spanning television, movies and news.
For over a year the managements of Warner Bros, CNN, HBO and beyond have labored in a bureaucratic cloud, with executives implementing policies they knew were likely evanescent.
So now starts the guessing game. Who will be anointed to fill the $43 billion power vacuum? Barred from occupying offices...
That’s about to change: Zaslav arrived back in Hollywood yesterday and the industry has been forcefully reminded that “the deal” is real.
As federal regulators and other random bureaucrats remove their barriers, the long-awaited entity called Warner Bros. Discovery becomes a functioning reality in four short weeks.
There are high expectations of imminent moves that will impact the power structures spanning television, movies and news.
For over a year the managements of Warner Bros, CNN, HBO and beyond have labored in a bureaucratic cloud, with executives implementing policies they knew were likely evanescent.
So now starts the guessing game. Who will be anointed to fill the $43 billion power vacuum? Barred from occupying offices...
- 2/17/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Janice Min’s first hire in her new role as editor in chief of the Ankler newsletter will not be joining the Hollywood news startup and is headed to Rolling Stone, Variety has learned.
Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Min — the editor who led the Hollywood Reporter into revived visibility but big financial losses as a glossy magazine — is moving to The Ankler, a Substack newsletter launched in 2017 by entertainment journalist Richard Rushfield. She will be a co-owner and also serve as CEO of the newly formed Ankler Media.
Min told the New York Times and said in a tweet that Tatiana Siegel, executive film editor of the Hollywood Reporter, would be joining Ankler. But Variety has confirmed that Siegel instead has plans to join Rolling Stone as a Senior Reporter. (Both Rolling Stone and THR are also owned by Variety parent company Pmc.)
Variety also...
Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Min — the editor who led the Hollywood Reporter into revived visibility but big financial losses as a glossy magazine — is moving to The Ankler, a Substack newsletter launched in 2017 by entertainment journalist Richard Rushfield. She will be a co-owner and also serve as CEO of the newly formed Ankler Media.
Min told the New York Times and said in a tweet that Tatiana Siegel, executive film editor of the Hollywood Reporter, would be joining Ankler. But Variety has confirmed that Siegel instead has plans to join Rolling Stone as a Senior Reporter. (Both Rolling Stone and THR are also owned by Variety parent company Pmc.)
Variety also...
- 12/17/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Ron Meyer, a legendary dealmaker and operator whose decades-long tenure leading NBCUniversal ended in scandal, has found a new gig. The CAA co-founder and former NBCUniversal vice-chairman has been named CEO of Wild Bunch Ag, a European production, sales and distribution company that has been involved with award-winning films such as “The King’s Speech,” “Shoplifters” and “Titane.” Tennor Group has a controlling stake in the company and helped orchestrate Wild Bunch’s 2018 restructuring.
Meyer was forced to resign at NBCUniversal in 2020 after he admitted to an affair with an unnamed woman and said he was being extorted. It was later revealed that Meyer had an affair with Charlotte Kirk, an actress whose affair with former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara led to his ousting in 2019, amid claims that the studio executive had used his influence to try to get her roles — allegations he denied.
Meyer has remained busy even after losing his perch at NBCUniversal,...
Meyer was forced to resign at NBCUniversal in 2020 after he admitted to an affair with an unnamed woman and said he was being extorted. It was later revealed that Meyer had an affair with Charlotte Kirk, an actress whose affair with former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara led to his ousting in 2019, amid claims that the studio executive had used his influence to try to get her roles — allegations he denied.
Meyer has remained busy even after losing his perch at NBCUniversal,...
- 11/15/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Big Screen Is Back on May 19 was, in effect, CinemaCon concentrate: the annual four-day Las Vegas event in which studios and other distributors woo thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of press, boiled down to less than four hours in Century City to an audience of about three dozen journalists. Scale aside, it was remarkably similar to the classic CinemaCon: Thirteen distributors, touting endless trailers. Major producers and filmmakers declaring their dedication to the theatrical experience. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Celebrating movies, and our ability to see them in public after a pandemic, is normal. What made it strange was the real world was not on display. Everyone knows that the theatrical release is an option, not a necessity.
Consider everything that’s happened in the two years since the last CinemaCon in 2019:
We’ve seen the launch of Disney+, Apple+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Discovery+, and more. The 90-day theatrical window,...
Celebrating movies, and our ability to see them in public after a pandemic, is normal. What made it strange was the real world was not on display. Everyone knows that the theatrical release is an option, not a necessity.
Consider everything that’s happened in the two years since the last CinemaCon in 2019:
We’ve seen the launch of Disney+, Apple+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Discovery+, and more. The 90-day theatrical window,...
- 5/21/2021
- by Anne Thompson and Dana Harris-Bridson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Big Screen Is Back on May 19 was, in effect, CinemaCon concentrate: the annual four-day Las Vegas event in which studios and other distributors woo thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of press, boiled down to less than four hours in Century City to an audience of about three dozen journalists. Scale aside, it was remarkably similar to the classic CinemaCon: Thirteen distributors, touting endless trailers. Major producers and filmmakers declaring their dedication to the theatrical experience. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Celebrating movies, and our ability to see them in public after a pandemic, is normal. What made it strange was the real world was not on display. Everyone knows that the theatrical release is an option, not a necessity.
Consider everything that’s happened in the two years since the last CinemaCon in 2019:
We’ve seen the launch of Disney+, Apple+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Discovery+, and more. The 90-day theatrical window,...
Celebrating movies, and our ability to see them in public after a pandemic, is normal. What made it strange was the real world was not on display. Everyone knows that the theatrical release is an option, not a necessity.
Consider everything that’s happened in the two years since the last CinemaCon in 2019:
We’ve seen the launch of Disney+, Apple+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Discovery+, and more. The 90-day theatrical window,...
- 5/21/2021
- by Anne Thompson and Dana Harris-Bridson
- Indiewire
The merger between AT&T’s WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. instantly set off speculation in Hollywood over who will run WarnerMedia after the expected exit of CEO Jason Kilar, with candidates ranging from tech veteran Andy Forssell to HBO chief Casey Bloys to former HBO leader Richard Plepler. Given the magnitude of the deal, its complexities and the swiftness by which the deal was announced, it’s unclear who has the leadership skills to lead should the exit of Kilar become official, which is likely. Two insiders say the clear choice would be a team of Kilar’s top lieutenants, which could include HBO Max General Manager and longtime ally of Kilar’s Forssell; WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group CEO and Chair Ann Sarnoff; and chief content officer of HBO and HBO Max Casey Bloys, who reports to Sarnoff. They could share the work, similar to WarnerMedia’s decision in 2019 to...
- 5/18/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Gal Gadot has been clear about the fact that her experience reshooting the DC epic “Justice League” under Joss Whedon wasn’t a great one. A Hollywood Reporter story published last month reported that Whedon went as far as promising to do damage to Gadot’s career as DC superstar between his film and “Wonder Woman.” Gadot has now confirmed that those rumors are true during a recent discussion with Israeli news outlet N12. (Via Page Six.)
“He kind of threatened my career and said if I did something, he would make my career miserable and I just took care of it instead,” Gadot said of her fractious experience working with the director. He has fallen way out of Hollywood’s good graces this year now that Ray Fisher, Charisma Carpenter, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Amber Benson have all spoken up about a toxic work environment.
Whedon has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
“He kind of threatened my career and said if I did something, he would make my career miserable and I just took care of it instead,” Gadot said of her fractious experience working with the director. He has fallen way out of Hollywood’s good graces this year now that Ray Fisher, Charisma Carpenter, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Amber Benson have all spoken up about a toxic work environment.
Whedon has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
- 5/9/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Joss Whedon threatened Gal Gadot’s career after she pushed back on the director’s revised dialogue for “Justice League,” according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.
The new detail that Whedon feuded with Gadot and even disparaged “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins came as part of a lengthy interview with Ray Fisher that goes into more detail about his ongoing criticisms of Warner Bros. executives and Whedon.
Fisher declined to comment to THR specifically on anything that transpired between Gadot and the “Justice League” director. But THR quoted a witness who later spoke with investigators as part of the studio’s look into the production who said, “Joss was bragging that he’s had it out with Gal. He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie.”
Additional...
The new detail that Whedon feuded with Gadot and even disparaged “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins came as part of a lengthy interview with Ray Fisher that goes into more detail about his ongoing criticisms of Warner Bros. executives and Whedon.
Fisher declined to comment to THR specifically on anything that transpired between Gadot and the “Justice League” director. But THR quoted a witness who later spoke with investigators as part of the studio’s look into the production who said, “Joss was bragging that he’s had it out with Gal. He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie.”
Additional...
- 4/6/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Over the last year, “Justice League” star Ray Fisher has used social media to speak out against both the film’s reshoot director Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. executives, but he’s now given his first full sit-down interview on the matter with The Hollywood Reporter. Included in the lengthy Fisher profile are details expanding on the allegedly fraught relationship between Whedon and Fisher’s “Justice League” co-star Gal Gadot.
The “Wonder Woman” actress said in December 2020 that her experience with Whedon was “not the best one,” and now THR reports that, per “a knowledgable source,” Gadot “had multiple concerns with the revised version” of “Justice League.”
The THR report claims that sources shared that “the biggest clash … came when Whedon pushed Gadot to record lines she didn’t like, threatened to harm Gadot’s career and disparaged ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins. While Fisher declines to discuss any of what transpired with Gadot,...
The “Wonder Woman” actress said in December 2020 that her experience with Whedon was “not the best one,” and now THR reports that, per “a knowledgable source,” Gadot “had multiple concerns with the revised version” of “Justice League.”
The THR report claims that sources shared that “the biggest clash … came when Whedon pushed Gadot to record lines she didn’t like, threatened to harm Gadot’s career and disparaged ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins. While Fisher declines to discuss any of what transpired with Gadot,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
While Neil Marshall’s 1665 London-set, Great Plague drama The Reckoning has obvious allusions to our own present-day pandemic, Covid-19 wasn’t a factor in its creation being that filming occurred in 2019. The fear and paranoia that surround both eras are palpable, though, and the ways in which our current disease has been politicized beyond the point of human empathy does bear superficial similarity to the ways in which women were persecuted as witches against the backdrop that past sickness. Despite Marshall and co-writers Charlotte Kirk and Edward Evers-Swindell heavily researching the period to create a historically accurate piece depicting this tragedy’s two sides, their script actually resembles a different set of headlines altogether due to the circumstances surrounding the accusations leveled at Grace Haverstock’s (Kirk) lead.
The headlines I’m talking about are those dealing with Kirk’s presence as a figure within the #MeToo movement and last...
The headlines I’m talking about are those dealing with Kirk’s presence as a figure within the #MeToo movement and last...
- 2/2/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: It what was greatly expected, Warner Bros. is set to name Josh Goldstine President of Worldwide Marketing, the former Universal exec taking over the post once occupied by Blair Rich. Warners is in the process of working on a deal with Goldstine, having just offered him the job. He’ll officially join the Burbank, CA studio later this month.
Goldstine will report to Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and work with the division’s senior management team. Goldstine will be charged with overseeing the studio’s global theatrical release slate including all Warner Bros, New Line, DC, Warner Animation group and HBO Max original features. His oversight will include Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide creative advertising, publicity, media, global digital, global promotions, worldwide research and multi-cultural groups.
Said Emmerich, “Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great...
Goldstine will report to Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and work with the division’s senior management team. Goldstine will be charged with overseeing the studio’s global theatrical release slate including all Warner Bros, New Line, DC, Warner Animation group and HBO Max original features. His oversight will include Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide creative advertising, publicity, media, global digital, global promotions, worldwide research and multi-cultural groups.
Said Emmerich, “Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great...
- 1/7/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Shortly after Warner Bros. confirmed in early November that Johnny Depp would be exiting his role as Grindelwald in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, news broke the actor would still be getting paid his full eight-figure salary. THR reported that Depp had “a pay-or-play contract, which requires that he be fully compensated whether or not the film is made and even if it is recast.” Now an in-depth THR exposé on Depp reveals the actor’s salary for “Fantastic Beasts 3” comes in at a reported $16 million.
Depp only shot one scene as Grindelwald before exiting “Fantastic Beasts 3,” where he will be replaced by Mads Mikkelsen. Warner Bros. requested Depp leave the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise after the actor lost his highly publicized U.K. libel trial. The judge in the case ruled in favor of U.K. publication The Sun, which referred to Depp as a “wife beater” in a story about...
Depp only shot one scene as Grindelwald before exiting “Fantastic Beasts 3,” where he will be replaced by Mads Mikkelsen. Warner Bros. requested Depp leave the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise after the actor lost his highly publicized U.K. libel trial. The judge in the case ruled in favor of U.K. publication The Sun, which referred to Depp as a “wife beater” in a story about...
- 12/9/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
“Hellboy” director Neil Marshall has found his next film, a horror-action thriller called “The Lair” that he wrote and will direct and produce.
Highland Film Group will introduce “The Lair” to buyers at the American Film Market. Casting is underway, and the plan is for the film to start principal photography in Spring 2021.
“The Lair” sees Marshall returning to his horror roots and is the story of a Royal Air Force pilot on her final flight mission when her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons — half-human, half-alien and hungry for human flesh — are awakened. The woman barely escapes but unknowingly, tracks the creatures known as Ravagers back to a US army base.
Marshall will produce “The Lair,” as will Scarlett Productions Ltd.
“If ‘The Reckoning’ was a gothic drama...
Highland Film Group will introduce “The Lair” to buyers at the American Film Market. Casting is underway, and the plan is for the film to start principal photography in Spring 2021.
“The Lair” sees Marshall returning to his horror roots and is the story of a Royal Air Force pilot on her final flight mission when her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons — half-human, half-alien and hungry for human flesh — are awakened. The woman barely escapes but unknowingly, tracks the creatures known as Ravagers back to a US army base.
Marshall will produce “The Lair,” as will Scarlett Productions Ltd.
“If ‘The Reckoning’ was a gothic drama...
- 11/2/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Neil Marshall will direct and produce a new horror action thriller titled “The Lair,” with Highland Film Group handling the worldwide sales.
“The Lair” centers on Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair, who is on her final flight mission when her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made creatures — half-human, half-alien and hungry for human flesh — are awakened. Sinclair barely escapes and unknowingly leads the creatures known as Ravagers back to a U.S. army base.
Sales for the film will launch at the virtual American film Market, which begins Nov. 9, and production is planned to start next spring. Marshall’s directing credits include “Dog Soldiers,” “The Descent,” “The Reckoning” and “Hellboy.” “The Lair” is produced by Marshall’s Scarlett Productions Ltd.
Marshall is producing the film under the banner of Scarlett Productions,...
“The Lair” centers on Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair, who is on her final flight mission when her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made creatures — half-human, half-alien and hungry for human flesh — are awakened. Sinclair barely escapes and unknowingly leads the creatures known as Ravagers back to a U.S. army base.
Sales for the film will launch at the virtual American film Market, which begins Nov. 9, and production is planned to start next spring. Marshall’s directing credits include “Dog Soldiers,” “The Descent,” “The Reckoning” and “Hellboy.” “The Lair” is produced by Marshall’s Scarlett Productions Ltd.
Marshall is producing the film under the banner of Scarlett Productions,...
- 11/2/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Charlotte Kirk, the actress accused of extorting money from some of Hollywood’s most powerful players, said in court documents filed last week that she has become a “pariah in the film industry” and that she was groomed at a young age to participate in “commercial sex.”
Kirk is currently suing her former lawyers and battling with Marty Singer over an injunction which keeps her from pursuing legal action against any of the parties involved. She had relationships with former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and former NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, each of whom resigned over their involvement with Kirk.
In a declaration she gave in July (which was made public last week), Kirk said that when she moved to the U.S., she “fell in with the wrong group of people who sought to exploit and manipulate me, taking full advantage of my difficulty with social situations, due to my autism.
Kirk is currently suing her former lawyers and battling with Marty Singer over an injunction which keeps her from pursuing legal action against any of the parties involved. She had relationships with former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and former NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, each of whom resigned over their involvement with Kirk.
In a declaration she gave in July (which was made public last week), Kirk said that when she moved to the U.S., she “fell in with the wrong group of people who sought to exploit and manipulate me, taking full advantage of my difficulty with social situations, due to my autism.
- 10/29/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Charlotte Kirk would like to set the record straight.
The actress at the center of two Hollywood sex scandals has already spoken out once, claiming in the spring of 2019 that she had a consensual affair with Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
But now Kirk wants to speak out again, this time to tell what she says is the true story — the one she was paid millions to cover up. The catch is that she has been forbidden from doing so, first by an arbitrator and then by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
Kirk’s firsthand account has nevertheless become part of the public record. In two sworn declarations filed in court last week, Kirk laid out a story of sexual misconduct at the upper echelons of Hollywood. She also said that she had suffered emotional anguish and the total destruction of her career.
“I am a pariah in the film industry,...
The actress at the center of two Hollywood sex scandals has already spoken out once, claiming in the spring of 2019 that she had a consensual affair with Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
But now Kirk wants to speak out again, this time to tell what she says is the true story — the one she was paid millions to cover up. The catch is that she has been forbidden from doing so, first by an arbitrator and then by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
Kirk’s firsthand account has nevertheless become part of the public record. In two sworn declarations filed in court last week, Kirk laid out a story of sexual misconduct at the upper echelons of Hollywood. She also said that she had suffered emotional anguish and the total destruction of her career.
“I am a pariah in the film industry,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Jason Kilar sat in a darkened conference room in 2007, telling anyone who came to visit about the wonders of a new video-on-demand service called Hulu. Kilar was the outlet’s first CEO, and the room in which he was perched stood in the headquarters of NBCUniversal, one of Hulu’s two original co-owners. Another worker in that building was Jeff Zucker, then the CEO of NBCU, and someone who helped spur Kilar’s early journey.
Now it is Kilar who may have influence on Zucker’s future steps.
After losing the NBCU job once Comcast took control of that company, Zucker has blazed a new path for himself as president of WarnerMedia’s CNN. Since taking the reins of the venerable cable-news outlet in 2013, Zucker has given the once-vanilla dispenser of breaking news an entirely new image and mission. Larry King, who held forth at 9 p.m. on CNN for...
Now it is Kilar who may have influence on Zucker’s future steps.
After losing the NBCU job once Comcast took control of that company, Zucker has blazed a new path for himself as president of WarnerMedia’s CNN. Since taking the reins of the venerable cable-news outlet in 2013, Zucker has given the once-vanilla dispenser of breaking news an entirely new image and mission. Larry King, who held forth at 9 p.m. on CNN for...
- 10/25/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Call it a strange coda of the Trial of the Century.
An uncompleted mystery film that purports to exonerate O.J. Simpson in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman has played a central role in the legal saga involving Charlotte Kirk and a group of Hollywood power players dating back to 2017.
Joshua Newton’s Nicole & O.J. has been referenced in scores of legal documents beginning with a settlement agreement that Kirk and Newton reached with Kevin Tsujihara, James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner in August 2017. Newton received $3.5 million toward the budget ...
An uncompleted mystery film that purports to exonerate O.J. Simpson in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman has played a central role in the legal saga involving Charlotte Kirk and a group of Hollywood power players dating back to 2017.
Joshua Newton’s Nicole & O.J. has been referenced in scores of legal documents beginning with a settlement agreement that Kirk and Newton reached with Kevin Tsujihara, James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner in August 2017. Newton received $3.5 million toward the budget ...
- 10/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Call it a strange coda of the Trial of the Century.
An uncompleted mystery film that purports to exonerate O.J. Simpson in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman has played a central role in the legal saga involving Charlotte Kirk and a group of Hollywood power players dating back to 2017.
Joshua Newton’s Nicole & O.J. has been referenced in scores of legal documents beginning with a settlement agreement that Kirk and Newton reached with Kevin Tsujihara, James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner in August 2017. Newton received $3.5 million toward the budget ...
An uncompleted mystery film that purports to exonerate O.J. Simpson in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman has played a central role in the legal saga involving Charlotte Kirk and a group of Hollywood power players dating back to 2017.
Joshua Newton’s Nicole & O.J. has been referenced in scores of legal documents beginning with a settlement agreement that Kirk and Newton reached with Kevin Tsujihara, James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner in August 2017. Newton received $3.5 million toward the budget ...
- 10/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
On Oct. 15, about 25 protesters gathered in front of Los Angeles County Superior Court, brandishing signs that read “Hold Hollywood Accountable” and “Let Charlotte Speak.” Inside, Judge Christopher Lui was hearing arguments from lawyers for Charlotte Kirk as well as an attorney for embattled industry power brokers Kevin Tsujihara, James Packer, Brett Ratner and Avi Lerner. At stake was the enforceability of confidentiality agreements in the #MeToo era.
The protesters, who are members of Stand With Survivors — a group that includes figures like former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson and accusers of Harvey Weinstein — were looking ...
The protesters, who are members of Stand With Survivors — a group that includes figures like former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson and accusers of Harvey Weinstein — were looking ...
- 10/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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