MrBallen, Ballen Studios and Ten Speed Graphic announced today the upcoming publication of the graphic novel MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious. This is the first book by MrBallen and Ballen Studios, and it will contain graphic adaptations of the mysterious stories based on true events from their incredibly popular podcast and YouTube channel, as well as additional new, exclusive stories. MrBallen Presents will be published simultaneously in hardcover, paperback, and e-book on October 1st, 2024.
John Allen, known globally as “MrBallen,” has been enthralling audiences for years with his unique brand of storytelling, covering strange and mysterious phenomena ranging from the unexplained screaming heard in parts of Nahanni Valley, the Kandahar Giant found in Afghanistan, and Allen’s own brush with the paranormal. Deeply researched and seriously compelling, the hit MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories rapidly gained a devoted fanbase for the raconteur himself and for the rarely-before-covered unsettling occurrences...
John Allen, known globally as “MrBallen,” has been enthralling audiences for years with his unique brand of storytelling, covering strange and mysterious phenomena ranging from the unexplained screaming heard in parts of Nahanni Valley, the Kandahar Giant found in Afghanistan, and Allen’s own brush with the paranormal. Deeply researched and seriously compelling, the hit MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories rapidly gained a devoted fanbase for the raconteur himself and for the rarely-before-covered unsettling occurrences...
- 3/25/2024
- Podnews.net
Tariq MaQbool is an incarcerated writer serving two consecutive life sentences at the New Jersey State Prison. He is a member of the mentorship program Empowerment Avenue, which pairs writers with editors in the outside world to hone their craft and pitch stories to the media. Their mission is to “normalize the inclusion of incarcerated writers and artists in mainstream venues by bridging the gap between them and harnessing this creative proximity as a path to de-carceration and public safety.” MaQbool — who runs his own site, Captive Voices — has been...
- 11/23/2023
- by Tariq MaQbool
- Rollingstone.com
Rodney Barnes Sets Scary Podcast Series ‘Run, Fool!’ With Ballen Studios, Eyes TV & Film Adaptations
Exclusive: Fresh from two seasons of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Rodney Barnes is moving to a slightly different court.
Barnes, who has also worked on Heels and Wu-Tang: An American Saga, has teamed up with Ballen Studios for Run, Fool!, a scary podcast series that already has one eye on being adapted for film and TV.
The series, which is produced in partnership with At Will Media, which produced Apple’s Wild Things podcast, and Chameleon producer Campside Media, will launch on November 14.
It is a weekly compendium of grisly and harrowing tales, where Barnes will tell a new story each week, each of a different place and period, all equally frightening with immersive sound design.
Barnes and MrBallen, otherwise known as breakthrough podcaster John Allen, will exec produce with At Will Media CEO Will Malnati and VP of Originals Rosie Guerin, as well as Campside Media’s co-founder,...
Barnes, who has also worked on Heels and Wu-Tang: An American Saga, has teamed up with Ballen Studios for Run, Fool!, a scary podcast series that already has one eye on being adapted for film and TV.
The series, which is produced in partnership with At Will Media, which produced Apple’s Wild Things podcast, and Chameleon producer Campside Media, will launch on November 14.
It is a weekly compendium of grisly and harrowing tales, where Barnes will tell a new story each week, each of a different place and period, all equally frightening with immersive sound design.
Barnes and MrBallen, otherwise known as breakthrough podcaster John Allen, will exec produce with At Will Media CEO Will Malnati and VP of Originals Rosie Guerin, as well as Campside Media’s co-founder,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Season 7 of “Rick and Morty” is the first volume of the Adult Swim animated sitcom, a “Back to the Future” riff tracking the adventures of a mad scientist and his bumbling grandson, not to star co-creator Justin Roiland as the voice of both title characters. The network fired Roiland in January after the actor was charged with domestic violence; though the charges have since been dropped, an NBC News report last month alleged a pattern of inappropriate sexual conduct. In between, the roles of Rick and Morty were recast with soundalikes Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, a monthslong saga that culminated with the debut of a Roiland-free show on Sunday.
All this behind-the-scenes upheaval might suggest “Rick and Morty” would return a markedly different show. But “How Poopy Got His Poop Back” is almost pointedly normal, collecting various fixtures of the “Rick and Morty” universe — not just Rick and Morty themselves,...
All this behind-the-scenes upheaval might suggest “Rick and Morty” would return a markedly different show. But “How Poopy Got His Poop Back” is almost pointedly normal, collecting various fixtures of the “Rick and Morty” universe — not just Rick and Morty themselves,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Alison Herman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Ballen Studios, founded by former Navy Seal turned breakout podcaster MrBallen, is staffing up.
The company, which was launched last year by MrBallen, otherwise known as John Allen and Nick Witters, who previously worked at WME, has hired Zak Levitt as its new Head of Production.
Levitt joins from podcast company Cadence13, where he was EVP, Production. He started the company’s original production studio C13 Originals and produced series such as The Set and The Sunshine Place, which came from Robert Downey Jr. He also worked on series such as Gangster Capitalism and Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia.
Before joining Cadence13, Levitt was a filmmaker and made films for ESPN’s 30 for 30 including Bad Boys and The Doctor.
In his new role, he will now oversee all of Ballen Studios’ existing slate of audio programming across various stages of production and development.
The company, which was launched last year by MrBallen, otherwise known as John Allen and Nick Witters, who previously worked at WME, has hired Zak Levitt as its new Head of Production.
Levitt joins from podcast company Cadence13, where he was EVP, Production. He started the company’s original production studio C13 Originals and produced series such as The Set and The Sunshine Place, which came from Robert Downey Jr. He also worked on series such as Gangster Capitalism and Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia.
Before joining Cadence13, Levitt was a filmmaker and made films for ESPN’s 30 for 30 including Bad Boys and The Doctor.
In his new role, he will now oversee all of Ballen Studios’ existing slate of audio programming across various stages of production and development.
- 9/20/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
John Allen, the former U.S. Navy Seal turned hit podcaster known as MrBallen, is set to host an original audio series focused on medical horror stories and miracles that will debut later this fall.
The show, MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries, is the first co-production between Wondery and Ballen Studios, Allen’s content company that struck a major first-look and distribution deal with Amazon Music last year. Taking on a similar fascination for mysterious circumstances as the original MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious, which moved over to Amazon Music last November and has topped the company’s podcast charts, the new Medical Mysteries show will dive into stories of unexplainable deaths, unknown diseases and miraculous recoveries, according to Amazon.
New episodes of MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries will release early on Amazon Music and Wondery+ before going wide on all major platforms.
“Wondery knows firsthand from our success with our...
The show, MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries, is the first co-production between Wondery and Ballen Studios, Allen’s content company that struck a major first-look and distribution deal with Amazon Music last year. Taking on a similar fascination for mysterious circumstances as the original MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious, which moved over to Amazon Music last November and has topped the company’s podcast charts, the new Medical Mysteries show will dive into stories of unexplainable deaths, unknown diseases and miraculous recoveries, according to Amazon.
New episodes of MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries will release early on Amazon Music and Wondery+ before going wide on all major platforms.
“Wondery knows firsthand from our success with our...
- 5/24/2023
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ballen Studios, the content company from the breakout podcast creator John Allen (best known as “MrBallen”) and former Night Media talent manager Nick Witters, is launching a dedicated management arm for creators specializing in digital storytelling.
At launch, Ballen Management’s roster of clients include the YouTube creators Ryan “Nexpo” Cantu (2.86 million subscribers) and Nick Crowley (1.69 million subscribers) — both of whom are known for exploring stories in the realms of mystery, horror and other dark lore. Both Cantu and Crowley will also be represented by UTA in all areas on the agency side.
Witters said he and Allen saw the need to create a full-service organization to support creators who shared in the similar “strange, dark and mysterious” content genre that Allen has become known for.
“We saw a real need for organizations that have the ability to service storytellers and help them scale their businesses, so we decided to build that organization ourselves,...
At launch, Ballen Management’s roster of clients include the YouTube creators Ryan “Nexpo” Cantu (2.86 million subscribers) and Nick Crowley (1.69 million subscribers) — both of whom are known for exploring stories in the realms of mystery, horror and other dark lore. Both Cantu and Crowley will also be represented by UTA in all areas on the agency side.
Witters said he and Allen saw the need to create a full-service organization to support creators who shared in the similar “strange, dark and mysterious” content genre that Allen has become known for.
“We saw a real need for organizations that have the ability to service storytellers and help them scale their businesses, so we decided to build that organization ourselves,...
- 5/22/2023
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MrBallen is building a stable of storytellers.
YouTube‘s preeminent teller of “strange, dark, and mysterious” tales has launched his own management arm, Ballen Management, under the umbrella of his content production company Ballen Studios.
Ballen Management has already co-signed its first two creators with UTA: Nick Crowley, who has 1.7 million subscribers watching his “mysteriously spooky” videos; and Nexpo (2.8 million subscribers), who explores “the internet’s dark side.”
For those not familiar with MrBallen (aka John Allen), he’s a former Navy Seal who’s racked up 7.5 million subscribers and more than a billion views since launching his YouTube channel in 2020. He also runs a weekly true crime podcast, has an exclusive first-look content deal with Amazon covering film, TV, books, video games, merch, and more, and in 2022 founded his own nonprofit to financially support victims.
“John and I worked hand in hand to scale his unique style of storytelling...
YouTube‘s preeminent teller of “strange, dark, and mysterious” tales has launched his own management arm, Ballen Management, under the umbrella of his content production company Ballen Studios.
Ballen Management has already co-signed its first two creators with UTA: Nick Crowley, who has 1.7 million subscribers watching his “mysteriously spooky” videos; and Nexpo (2.8 million subscribers), who explores “the internet’s dark side.”
For those not familiar with MrBallen (aka John Allen), he’s a former Navy Seal who’s racked up 7.5 million subscribers and more than a billion views since launching his YouTube channel in 2020. He also runs a weekly true crime podcast, has an exclusive first-look content deal with Amazon covering film, TV, books, video games, merch, and more, and in 2022 founded his own nonprofit to financially support victims.
“John and I worked hand in hand to scale his unique style of storytelling...
- 5/22/2023
- by James Hale
- Tubefilter.com
Exclusive: MrBallen, otherwise known as John Allen, the former Navy Seal turned breakout podcaster behind Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories, has launched his own management company.
It comes after Allen launched Ballen Studios with Nick Witters, who previously worked at WME and most recently Night Media, where he managed YouTube creators, last year.
Ballen Studios has now established Ballen Management to sign the next wave of YouTube creators.
Its first batch of signings including Nick Crowley and Nexpo, otherwise known as Ryan Cantu. The management arm will rep top narrative digital storytellers under the company’s Strange, Dark & Mysterious umbrella. Crowley and Nexpo have separately both signed with UTA.
Ballen Management will look to expand their digital content and storytelling across a range of verticals including television, film, publishing, live touring, merchandising and audio
The new unit will operate independently from the rest of the company, which has a first-look deal with Amazon Music.
It comes after Allen launched Ballen Studios with Nick Witters, who previously worked at WME and most recently Night Media, where he managed YouTube creators, last year.
Ballen Studios has now established Ballen Management to sign the next wave of YouTube creators.
Its first batch of signings including Nick Crowley and Nexpo, otherwise known as Ryan Cantu. The management arm will rep top narrative digital storytellers under the company’s Strange, Dark & Mysterious umbrella. Crowley and Nexpo have separately both signed with UTA.
Ballen Management will look to expand their digital content and storytelling across a range of verticals including television, film, publishing, live touring, merchandising and audio
The new unit will operate independently from the rest of the company, which has a first-look deal with Amazon Music.
- 5/22/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
John Allen is furthering his commitment to families in need. Ballen Studios — the studio founded by a true crime storyteller with 7.3 million subscribers and 1.4 billion views on his MrBallen YouTube channel — has made a million-dollar pledge through the MrBallen Foundation.
The MrBallen Foundation will spread its seven-digit sum across two groups: families affected by violent crime and organizations that support victims and their families. Since its inception last year, the foundation has already donated over $400,000 through its Hope and Honor Grant Programs.
Families who receive the grants will use the funds to cover the immediate and emergency needs they encounter after being affected by a violent crime. Last December, the MrBallen Foundation awarded a grant to the family of Athena Strand, a seven-year-old girl from Texas who was kidnapped and murdered in November.
Allen’s desire to help families heal relates to his own life story. He served as a...
The MrBallen Foundation will spread its seven-digit sum across two groups: families affected by violent crime and organizations that support victims and their families. Since its inception last year, the foundation has already donated over $400,000 through its Hope and Honor Grant Programs.
Families who receive the grants will use the funds to cover the immediate and emergency needs they encounter after being affected by a violent crime. Last December, the MrBallen Foundation awarded a grant to the family of Athena Strand, a seven-year-old girl from Texas who was kidnapped and murdered in November.
Allen’s desire to help families heal relates to his own life story. He served as a...
- 3/30/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Exclusive: Jon Kanak has been promoted to Head of Film & Television Literary at the full-service music and talent management firm, Activist Artists Management.
Kanak came to Activist as a Literary Manager in October of 2018 and has since then helped to expand the company’s literary and production department. In his new role, he will continue representing writers and directors, while packaging film and television projects that Activist produces. He continues to be based out of Activist’s Los Angeles office, reporting to the company’s Founding Partners.
“Jon has played a significant role in the growth of our film and literary business, whether securing opportunities for our diverse portfolio of clients in lucrative film and television deals or by working alongside our family office clients to expand their entertainment holdings,” said Founding Partner Greg Suess. “We are committed to the expansion of this department under Jon’s leadership.”
“The past...
Kanak came to Activist as a Literary Manager in October of 2018 and has since then helped to expand the company’s literary and production department. In his new role, he will continue representing writers and directors, while packaging film and television projects that Activist produces. He continues to be based out of Activist’s Los Angeles office, reporting to the company’s Founding Partners.
“Jon has played a significant role in the growth of our film and literary business, whether securing opportunities for our diverse portfolio of clients in lucrative film and television deals or by working alongside our family office clients to expand their entertainment holdings,” said Founding Partner Greg Suess. “We are committed to the expansion of this department under Jon’s leadership.”
“The past...
- 11/30/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Today it was announced that Amazon Music, home to millions of global music and podcast listeners, closed an exclusive distribution and first-look deal with Ballen Studios, the global content company behind one of the internet’s biggest storytellers, John Allen–also known to his millions of fans globally as MrBallen. Starting on November 1, all new and existing episodes of the true crime hit MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories will live exclusively on Amazon Music. As part of the deal, Amazon Music will also produce additional podcasts with Ballen Studios, and have first-look rights for all new content to further expand Allen’s unique storytelling style and the world of MrBallen into film, television, games, consumer packaged goods, audio content, and more. Audiences around the world can listen to MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories by downloading the Amazon Music app.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_XNvyMntqI
“The Strange,...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_XNvyMntqI
“The Strange,...
- 9/28/2022
- Podnews.net
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Florida Project,” which has just started its platform release across the country, what is the greatest child performance in a film?
Jordan Hoffman (@JHoffman), The Guardian, Vanity Fair
I can agonize over this question or I can go at this Malcolm Gladwell “Blink”-style. My answer is Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon.” She’s just so funny and tough, which of course makes the performance all the more heartbreaking. She won the freaking Oscar at age 10 for this and I’d really love to give a more deep cut response, but why screw around? Paper Moon is a perfect film and she is the lynchpin.
This week’s question: In honor of “The Florida Project,” which has just started its platform release across the country, what is the greatest child performance in a film?
Jordan Hoffman (@JHoffman), The Guardian, Vanity Fair
I can agonize over this question or I can go at this Malcolm Gladwell “Blink”-style. My answer is Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon.” She’s just so funny and tough, which of course makes the performance all the more heartbreaking. She won the freaking Oscar at age 10 for this and I’d really love to give a more deep cut response, but why screw around? Paper Moon is a perfect film and she is the lynchpin.
- 10/9/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
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