Exclusive: Imagine Entertainment on Monday announced an expansion of its Brand division with the promotion of Marc Gilbar to President and the appointment of Amanda Farrand as EVP, Business & Brand Development.
Farrand will report to Gilbar and work with executives across all Imagine disciplines to scale the business through new partnerships and increased creative capabilities, also further building out Imagine’s direct-to-consumer brand and footprint on social media.
Gilbar most recently served as EVP, Branded Entertainment and in the five years since the formation of Imagine’s Brand division, has led the team to create award-winning features and short films in collaboration with some of the world’s biggest brands including Coca-Cola (Christmas Always Finds Its Way anthology series on Prime Video), Ford (John Bronco on Hulu), Nike (The Day Sports Stood Still on HBO), Apple (Behind the Mac: Skywalker Sound), P&g (the Oscar-shortlisted short film Coded: The Hidden Love of J.
Farrand will report to Gilbar and work with executives across all Imagine disciplines to scale the business through new partnerships and increased creative capabilities, also further building out Imagine’s direct-to-consumer brand and footprint on social media.
Gilbar most recently served as EVP, Branded Entertainment and in the five years since the formation of Imagine’s Brand division, has led the team to create award-winning features and short films in collaboration with some of the world’s biggest brands including Coca-Cola (Christmas Always Finds Its Way anthology series on Prime Video), Ford (John Bronco on Hulu), Nike (The Day Sports Stood Still on HBO), Apple (Behind the Mac: Skywalker Sound), P&g (the Oscar-shortlisted short film Coded: The Hidden Love of J.
- 5/1/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with Major League Baseball to create scripted and non-scripted film and television properties.
Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Imagine and MLB will collaborate to develop and produce projects rooted in stories and personalities throughout the league’s robust 150-year history. The partnership will produce programming that taps the expansive MLB film and video archive to cover historical and cultural subjects while leveraging access granted by the league to also profile the captivating storylines around the game today.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Howard said in a statement. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so...
Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Imagine and MLB will collaborate to develop and produce projects rooted in stories and personalities throughout the league’s robust 150-year history. The partnership will produce programming that taps the expansive MLB film and video archive to cover historical and cultural subjects while leveraging access granted by the league to also profile the captivating storylines around the game today.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Howard said in a statement. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so...
- 4/5/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
One of the commercials running on the streaming-video site Pluto is big enough to look just like one of its many content selections.
Rather than break up a streaming show with a selection of traditional commercials, Ancestry decided to create a short film that its executives hoped would be as enticing as anything else consumers tried to binge. As part of a pact with Paramount Global, the vignette streamed on Pluto as well as CBS News’ streaming-video properties.
Before Juneteenth, the online genealogy service released “A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson,” which follows one family’s effort to find relatives of an ancestor, Hawkins Wilson, who was born into slavery. Freed after a quarter-century as a slave, Wilson sent letters to the Freedmen’s Bureau seeking assistance locating his siblings, but unfortunately, the letters were never delivered.
“We believe this film will inspire an entire generation to...
Rather than break up a streaming show with a selection of traditional commercials, Ancestry decided to create a short film that its executives hoped would be as enticing as anything else consumers tried to binge. As part of a pact with Paramount Global, the vignette streamed on Pluto as well as CBS News’ streaming-video properties.
Before Juneteenth, the online genealogy service released “A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson,” which follows one family’s effort to find relatives of an ancestor, Hawkins Wilson, who was born into slavery. Freed after a quarter-century as a slave, Wilson sent letters to the Freedmen’s Bureau seeking assistance locating his siblings, but unfortunately, the letters were never delivered.
“We believe this film will inspire an entire generation to...
- 8/16/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Antonie Fuqua is in the midst of a career renaissance right now. After “The Guilty,” “Infinite,” and “The Day Sports Stood Still” last year, his Amazon Prime Video show “The Terminal List” dropped in July. Fuqua’s documentary series, “Legacy: The True Story Of The LA Lakers,” also hits Hulu on August 15.
Continue reading Antoine Fuqua Calls ‘American Gangster’ “Heartbreaking” & The Film That Got Away at The Playlist.
Continue reading Antoine Fuqua Calls ‘American Gangster’ “Heartbreaking” & The Film That Got Away at The Playlist.
- 8/11/2022
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Click here to read the full article.
“This shit’s chess, it ain’t checkers.”
In one of the many memorable lines from Training Day, Denzel Washington’s Los Angeles narcotics officer Alonzo offers up this wisdom to rookie Jake, played by a doe-eyed Ethan Hawke, as a way of explaining that the job is a lot more complicated than it looks and that there are a lot of parties they are accountable to. The same could be said of navigating a quarter-century career in entertainment.
Having made his start directing music videos during their heyday — more than 40 videos between 1990 and ’96 — Antoine Fuqua has directed his way to over 1.3 billion in box office across 12 theatrical releases and continues to release movies at a breakneck pace, putting out three titles — Paramount+’s Infinite, Netflix’s The Guilty and HBO Max’s The Day Sports Stood Still — in 2021 alone. The Pittsburgh native...
“This shit’s chess, it ain’t checkers.”
In one of the many memorable lines from Training Day, Denzel Washington’s Los Angeles narcotics officer Alonzo offers up this wisdom to rookie Jake, played by a doe-eyed Ethan Hawke, as a way of explaining that the job is a lot more complicated than it looks and that there are a lot of parties they are accountable to. The same could be said of navigating a quarter-century career in entertainment.
Having made his start directing music videos during their heyday — more than 40 videos between 1990 and ’96 — Antoine Fuqua has directed his way to over 1.3 billion in box office across 12 theatrical releases and continues to release movies at a breakneck pace, putting out three titles — Paramount+’s Infinite, Netflix’s The Guilty and HBO Max’s The Day Sports Stood Still — in 2021 alone. The Pittsburgh native...
- 8/11/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Imagine Entertainment, the production banner run by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, has been the subject of renewed acquisition talks in recent weeks, multiple sources told Variety.
Investors and potential buyers include an undisclosed sovereign wealth fund from the Middle East, which has been quietly exploring American media investments of late. Also kicking the tires on Imagine are international banks and a domestic private equity firm, according to two individuals familiar with the discussions. The current valuation being floated is between $800 million and $825 million, sources added.
An Imagine Entertainment spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
The interest in Imagine comes at a time when the media sector is rife with M&a and consolidation activity. In addition to top-level transactions like the pending combination of WarnerMedia and Discovery and Amazon’s nearly $9 billion purchase of MGM, companies like Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and LeBron James’ Spring Hill Entertainment...
Investors and potential buyers include an undisclosed sovereign wealth fund from the Middle East, which has been quietly exploring American media investments of late. Also kicking the tires on Imagine are international banks and a domestic private equity firm, according to two individuals familiar with the discussions. The current valuation being floated is between $800 million and $825 million, sources added.
An Imagine Entertainment spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
The interest in Imagine comes at a time when the media sector is rife with M&a and consolidation activity. In addition to top-level transactions like the pending combination of WarnerMedia and Discovery and Amazon’s nearly $9 billion purchase of MGM, companies like Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and LeBron James’ Spring Hill Entertainment...
- 7/20/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Credit director Antoine Fuqua for being very aware that the documentary he started off making in The Day Sports Stood Still is not, in fact, the documentary that will premiere on HBO on Wednesday (March 24) night.
Twice in the 85-minute film, Fuqua plays the same Chris Paul quote about how when they originally talked about doing the doc, its focus was primarily the impact of Covid-19 on the sports world. From there, Fuqua and Paul couldn’t have predicted the volatile summer of 2020 as, even with the pandemic still spreading, a movement for social action shook the country — one ...
Twice in the 85-minute film, Fuqua plays the same Chris Paul quote about how when they originally talked about doing the doc, its focus was primarily the impact of Covid-19 on the sports world. From there, Fuqua and Paul couldn’t have predicted the volatile summer of 2020 as, even with the pandemic still spreading, a movement for social action shook the country — one ...
- 3/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Credit director Antoine Fuqua for being very aware that the documentary he started off making in The Day Sports Stood Still is not, in fact, the documentary that will premiere on HBO on Wednesday (March 24) night.
Twice in the 85-minute film, Fuqua plays the same Chris Paul quote about how when they originally talked about doing the doc, its focus was primarily the impact of Covid-19 on the sports world. From there, Fuqua and Paul couldn’t have predicted the volatile summer of 2020 as, even with the pandemic still spreading, a movement for social action shook the country — one ...
Twice in the 85-minute film, Fuqua plays the same Chris Paul quote about how when they originally talked about doing the doc, its focus was primarily the impact of Covid-19 on the sports world. From there, Fuqua and Paul couldn’t have predicted the volatile summer of 2020 as, even with the pandemic still spreading, a movement for social action shook the country — one ...
- 3/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and monthly guide to What’s on Streaming.
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on 30+ SeriesThe Mighty Ducks' Lauren Graham Reveals Her Big Problem With Sports,...
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on 30+ SeriesThe Mighty Ducks' Lauren Graham Reveals Her Big Problem With Sports,...
- 3/20/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
On the one-year anniversary of the NBA’s Covid-related shutdown, HBO released the trailer for its upcoming doc about the sports world navigating through the pandemic and social-justice protests.
“The Day Sports Stood Still” is directed by Antoine Fuqua and is executive produced by Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul.
The film premieres on March 24. Watch the trailer in the video above.
In the doc, Paul, then a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the president of the NBA Players Association, recounts his personal experience of being involved in the first American sports game that was shut down by the pandemic on March 11 and the subsequent shutdowns that followed.
The doc goes on to cover the sports world’s attempt to restart play with Covid-19 safety regulations — particularly the NBA bubble that was set up in Orlando — as well as Paul’s memories of negotiating with players and owners...
“The Day Sports Stood Still” is directed by Antoine Fuqua and is executive produced by Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul.
The film premieres on March 24. Watch the trailer in the video above.
In the doc, Paul, then a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the president of the NBA Players Association, recounts his personal experience of being involved in the first American sports game that was shut down by the pandemic on March 11 and the subsequent shutdowns that followed.
The doc goes on to cover the sports world’s attempt to restart play with Covid-19 safety regulations — particularly the NBA bubble that was set up in Orlando — as well as Paul’s memories of negotiating with players and owners...
- 3/11/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
“The Day Sports Stood Still,” a documentary about the unprecedented sports shutdown of March 2020, will debut on March 24 on HBO Sports.
The film centers on NBA All-Star and NBA Players Association president Chris Paul, who is also an executive producer. At the time, Paul played point guard for Oklahoma City Thunder and was up against the Utah Jazz on March 11, 2020, when the game suddenly stopped. He’ll relive his journey over the last year, reflecting on living in quarantine, his crucial role in helping the NBA reopen and what it was like playing in “the bubble.”
It is directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua and executive produced by Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein and Marc Gilbar. Brian Grazer and Justin Wilkes also serve as producers.
The NBA bubble infamously had no Covid-19 cases over a three-month period, culminating in a championship season for the Lakers. Not all organizations were quite so successful.
The film centers on NBA All-Star and NBA Players Association president Chris Paul, who is also an executive producer. At the time, Paul played point guard for Oklahoma City Thunder and was up against the Utah Jazz on March 11, 2020, when the game suddenly stopped. He’ll relive his journey over the last year, reflecting on living in quarantine, his crucial role in helping the NBA reopen and what it was like playing in “the bubble.”
It is directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua and executive produced by Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein and Marc Gilbar. Brian Grazer and Justin Wilkes also serve as producers.
The NBA bubble infamously had no Covid-19 cases over a three-month period, culminating in a championship season for the Lakers. Not all organizations were quite so successful.
- 3/2/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has promoted Justin Wilkes to chief creative officer.
Currently the head of the prolific Imagine Documentaries division, Wilkes’ expanded role was announced internally on Monday by Howard and Grazer. He will now work closely with film, TV, docs, branded entertainment, kids and family, and international programming. Wilkes will also advise on Imagine’s stake in Tony Hernandez’s Jax Media and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
“We are thrilled to have Justin expand his role at Imagine. Over the years, he has shown he is creatively ambitious, has a keen eye for talent and story, and has the ability to masterfully execute his productions. He is a powerful producer and collaborator, and incredibly talent-friendly, engaging with storytellers in a way that allows them to actualize their vision and maximize their abilities,” Grazer and Howard said.
Wilkes joined Imagine in 2018 as co-founder of...
Currently the head of the prolific Imagine Documentaries division, Wilkes’ expanded role was announced internally on Monday by Howard and Grazer. He will now work closely with film, TV, docs, branded entertainment, kids and family, and international programming. Wilkes will also advise on Imagine’s stake in Tony Hernandez’s Jax Media and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
“We are thrilled to have Justin expand his role at Imagine. Over the years, he has shown he is creatively ambitious, has a keen eye for talent and story, and has the ability to masterfully execute his productions. He is a powerful producer and collaborator, and incredibly talent-friendly, engaging with storytellers in a way that allows them to actualize their vision and maximize their abilities,” Grazer and Howard said.
Wilkes joined Imagine in 2018 as co-founder of...
- 1/25/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
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