Exclusive: Alloy Entertainment has promoted Elysa Koplovitz Dutton to the role of Executive Vice President of Theatrical Film Production, the company’s President and Chief Creative Officer Leslie Morgenstein announced on Monday.
A leader in creating and producing youth-oriented content in books, television and film, Alloy has fallen under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Television Studios since its acquisition by WarnerMedia in 2012. Dutton most recently served as the company’s Head of Film, having now worked there for over a decade. On the producing front, her most recent credit is the comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, starring Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel, which sat atop Netflix’s charts for multiple weeks upon its debut last summer. Prior to that, she produced Netflix’s smash hit romance Purple Hearts, starring Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galatzine — the streamer’s third-biggest movie of 2022 — as well as its dance comedy Work It,...
A leader in creating and producing youth-oriented content in books, television and film, Alloy has fallen under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Television Studios since its acquisition by WarnerMedia in 2012. Dutton most recently served as the company’s Head of Film, having now worked there for over a decade. On the producing front, her most recent credit is the comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, starring Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel, which sat atop Netflix’s charts for multiple weeks upon its debut last summer. Prior to that, she produced Netflix’s smash hit romance Purple Hearts, starring Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galatzine — the streamer’s third-biggest movie of 2022 — as well as its dance comedy Work It,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Jake Choi (Single Parents) has been tapped to star in The Late Night Creep, a dark comedy from writer-director Jamal Dedeaux (Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks).
The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the indie alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms.
Best known for starring alongside Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and more on the comedy series Single Parents, which ran for two seasons on ABC, Choi most recently starred opposite Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace and Emily Hampshire in the indie drama The Mattachine Family, exec produced by Zach Braff.
Previously, he’s also been seen in films including Justin Chon’s Sundance drama Ms. Purple, Warner Bros and MGM’s YA romance The Sun Is Also a Star,...
The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the indie alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms.
Best known for starring alongside Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and more on the comedy series Single Parents, which ran for two seasons on ABC, Choi most recently starred opposite Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace and Emily Hampshire in the indie drama The Mattachine Family, exec produced by Zach Braff.
Previously, he’s also been seen in films including Justin Chon’s Sundance drama Ms. Purple, Warner Bros and MGM’s YA romance The Sun Is Also a Star,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Last Animal,” the award-winning bestselling novel from Ramona Ausubel, has been snatched up for film adaptation by production companies Walden Media and Big Beach.
Ry Russo-Young has been set to direct the feature based on the emotionally resonant story. Published in April 2023 by Riverhead Books at Penguin Random House, Ausubel’s work was named best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews and Oprah Daily, among others. A distributor has not yet been set.
“Last Animal” follows teenaged sisters Eve and Vera, unexpectedly spending summer vacation on their mother’s scientific expedition. Fooling around in the permafrost, the sisters accidentally uncover a perfectly preserved, four-thousand-year-old baby mammoth. The discovery sends mother and daughters from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world — or at least their family.
“I...
Ry Russo-Young has been set to direct the feature based on the emotionally resonant story. Published in April 2023 by Riverhead Books at Penguin Random House, Ausubel’s work was named best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews and Oprah Daily, among others. A distributor has not yet been set.
“Last Animal” follows teenaged sisters Eve and Vera, unexpectedly spending summer vacation on their mother’s scientific expedition. Fooling around in the permafrost, the sisters accidentally uncover a perfectly preserved, four-thousand-year-old baby mammoth. The discovery sends mother and daughters from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world — or at least their family.
“I...
- 3/1/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Yara Shahidi stepped out for Prada’s Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 runway presentation in an ensemble by the titular fashion label. Although the look, styled by Jason Bolden, echoed her elegant yet experimental style, the Grown-ish star‘s long, toned legs stole the show.
Yara Shahidi during Milan Fashion Week | 1st photo: Robino Salvatore/Gc Images; 2nd and 3rd: Arnold Jerocki/Gc Images
Shahidi’s edgy-chic look included a beaded black top layered over a button-grommet-punched white button-up. A simple leather belt secured her black high-waisted shorts, and tall black socks accented her black heels with buckle-strap details. A decidedly simple look, yet the accents and textures made it nuanced and striking on the actor/producer/activist.
Yara Shahidi attends the Prada Fall/Winter 2024 Womenswear fashion show | Victor Boyko/Getty Images
Yara Shahidi leveled up 2024’s popular slicked-back bun with double sideparts forming a V toward her crown. Her hair designer,...
Yara Shahidi during Milan Fashion Week | 1st photo: Robino Salvatore/Gc Images; 2nd and 3rd: Arnold Jerocki/Gc Images
Shahidi’s edgy-chic look included a beaded black top layered over a button-grommet-punched white button-up. A simple leather belt secured her black high-waisted shorts, and tall black socks accented her black heels with buckle-strap details. A decidedly simple look, yet the accents and textures made it nuanced and striking on the actor/producer/activist.
Yara Shahidi attends the Prada Fall/Winter 2024 Womenswear fashion show | Victor Boyko/Getty Images
Yara Shahidi leveled up 2024’s popular slicked-back bun with double sideparts forming a V toward her crown. Her hair designer,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Ali Hicks
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Charles Melton is in talks to join the cast of a new A24 war movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The film hails from co-directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, who will helm the ensemble film from a script they co-wrote. Mendoza served as the military supervisor on Garland’s Civil War, which A24 is set to release in theaters April 12.
Producers on the new project include Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA, along with Peter Rice. A24 is handling the film’s global release.
Melton, who is known for his role on The CW’s Riverdale, received widespread acclaim for his performance in Todd Haynes’ 2023 film May December. Melton notched recent supporting actor wins with the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and Gotham Awards for the feature in which he stars opposite Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.
The actor’s other credits include the films The Sun Is Also a Star,...
The film hails from co-directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, who will helm the ensemble film from a script they co-wrote. Mendoza served as the military supervisor on Garland’s Civil War, which A24 is set to release in theaters April 12.
Producers on the new project include Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA, along with Peter Rice. A24 is handling the film’s global release.
Melton, who is known for his role on The CW’s Riverdale, received widespread acclaim for his performance in Todd Haynes’ 2023 film May December. Melton notched recent supporting actor wins with the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and Gotham Awards for the feature in which he stars opposite Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.
The actor’s other credits include the films The Sun Is Also a Star,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Riverdale was a learning experience for Charles Melton.
Melton — who has already received a best supporting actor award at the Gotham Awards for his performance in May December and a Golden Globe nomination — opened up about how the CW series based on Archie Comics played a critical part in his growth as an actor.
“It really helped me refine this work ethic,” he told i-d of his time on the show, during which he portrayed jock Reggie Mantle. “Riverdale truly was my Juilliard — I was learning and growing and playing and taking risks. I was allowed to do that.”
The show ended its nine-season run in August, which the actor admitted was a “bittersweet” feeling, adding, “But I’m so happy it brought joy to so many people.”
Charles Melton and Camila Mendes in the Riverdale episode “Chapter Forty-Four: No Exit.”
In Todd Haynes’ May December, Melton plays Joe Atherton Yoo,...
Melton — who has already received a best supporting actor award at the Gotham Awards for his performance in May December and a Golden Globe nomination — opened up about how the CW series based on Archie Comics played a critical part in his growth as an actor.
“It really helped me refine this work ethic,” he told i-d of his time on the show, during which he portrayed jock Reggie Mantle. “Riverdale truly was my Juilliard — I was learning and growing and playing and taking risks. I was allowed to do that.”
The show ended its nine-season run in August, which the actor admitted was a “bittersweet” feeling, adding, “But I’m so happy it brought joy to so many people.”
Charles Melton and Camila Mendes in the Riverdale episode “Chapter Forty-Four: No Exit.”
In Todd Haynes’ May December, Melton plays Joe Atherton Yoo,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As of publication, Michelle Williams is understood by many as one of the most gifted actors working today. She has two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, has been nominated for a Tony Award, and boasts a whopping five Academy Award nominations. Her breakthrough performance in "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005 earned her first Oscar nomination, and she's been one of the most highly sought-after performers ever since. But "Brokeback Mountain" was not Williams' first role, nor was she some actor plucked from obscurity and tossed into prestige cinema. For six seasons, Williams starred as Jen Lindley on "Dawson's Creek," one of the most formative teen dramas in television history.
And yet when she nabbed the role of Alma Beers del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," the general conversation wasn't fixated on her years as a television teen star, nor were people dismissing her casting due to previous appearances in teen films...
And yet when she nabbed the role of Alma Beers del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," the general conversation wasn't fixated on her years as a television teen star, nor were people dismissing her casting due to previous appearances in teen films...
- 12/7/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
See You On a Venus is a romantic drama film directed by Joaquín Llamas. Starring Virginia Gardner and Alex Aiono, See You On Venus follows Mia and Kyle, two American teenagers who fall in love while they are traveling through Spain in order to find Mia’s birth mother. So, if you loved See You On Venus here are some shows you could watch next.
The Space Between Us (Prime Video) Credit – STXfilms
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) has lived his whole life with a team of scientists on Mars. He’s always longed to see Earth to find the father he’s never known and to meet a beautiful street-smart girl named Tulsa he’s become friends with online. But when his chance finally comes, doctors discover his heart can’t withstand the Earth’s atmosphere. Eager to find his father, Gardner and Tulsa escape on a cross-country...
The Space Between Us (Prime Video) Credit – STXfilms
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) has lived his whole life with a team of scientists on Mars. He’s always longed to see Earth to find the father he’s never known and to meet a beautiful street-smart girl named Tulsa he’s become friends with online. But when his chance finally comes, doctors discover his heart can’t withstand the Earth’s atmosphere. Eager to find his father, Gardner and Tulsa escape on a cross-country...
- 8/8/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is expanding its membership.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
- 6/28/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
In the summer of 2022, Charles Melton, who is best known for playing Reggie Mantle on the long-running and popular CW teen soap Riverdale, found himself in an unexpected position. “I was standing outside the door and I heard Julie and Todd talking. I just couldn’t believe where I was,” he remembers. The “Julie” and “Todd” in question were none other than Julianne Moore and her longtime collaborator, director Todd Haynes — their work together includes Safe, Far From Heaven and Wonderstruck — with Melton on hand for a chemistry read for their latest reteaming, May December.
The pipeline from CW supernatural series to Cannes-bound prestige indie drama isn’t well trodden. Throw in the fact that Melton, 32, would be starring opposite not one but two Oscar winners — Moore and co-star Natalie Portman — and landing the role leans toward a coup. Melton has been a part of the requisite YA love stories...
The pipeline from CW supernatural series to Cannes-bound prestige indie drama isn’t well trodden. Throw in the fact that Melton, 32, would be starring opposite not one but two Oscar winners — Moore and co-star Natalie Portman — and landing the role leans toward a coup. Melton has been a part of the requisite YA love stories...
- 5/16/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Authors and married couple Nicola and David Yoon are self-described “romantic goobers.” So much so that after meeting in college, they quickly became friends, engaging in conversations about art, poetry, literature and, yes, even their love for romantic comedies and novels. There was one caveat to these rom-coms: They were all “exclusively white.”
“These movies are so important to us and they mean so much to us, and yet not a single one starred someone who looked like us,” David Yoon, a Korean American author, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re like, isn’t that strange? It’s almost like they don’t believe that we fall in love, but obviously, we do fall in love. I mean, we fell in love with each other.”
After the couple, now married for nearly 20 years, became published authors — with Jamaican American writer Nicola releasing bestsellers-turned-feature...
Authors and married couple Nicola and David Yoon are self-described “romantic goobers.” So much so that after meeting in college, they quickly became friends, engaging in conversations about art, poetry, literature and, yes, even their love for romantic comedies and novels. There was one caveat to these rom-coms: They were all “exclusively white.”
“These movies are so important to us and they mean so much to us, and yet not a single one starred someone who looked like us,” David Yoon, a Korean American author, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re like, isn’t that strange? It’s almost like they don’t believe that we fall in love, but obviously, we do fall in love. I mean, we fell in love with each other.”
After the couple, now married for nearly 20 years, became published authors — with Jamaican American writer Nicola releasing bestsellers-turned-feature...
- 7/28/2022
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: John Clarence Stewart (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Shamika Cotton (The Equalizer) and newcomer Miracle Watts are set for recurring roles on the second season of Starz’s P-Valley.
Based on Katori Hall’s play Pussy Valley, P-Valley Season 2 returns to the Mississippi Delta where lies an oasis of grit and glitter in a rough patch of human existence where beauty can be hard to find. This Southern-fried, hour-long drama tells the kaleidoscopic story of a “little strip club that could” and the big characters who come through its doors — the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful and the damned. Trap music meets film noir in this lyrical and atmospheric series that dares to ask what happens when small-town folk dream beyond the boundaries of the Piggly Wiggly and the pawnshop.
Stewart will play Big Teak, a recently paroled member of Lil’ Murda’s gang—the Hurt...
Based on Katori Hall’s play Pussy Valley, P-Valley Season 2 returns to the Mississippi Delta where lies an oasis of grit and glitter in a rough patch of human existence where beauty can be hard to find. This Southern-fried, hour-long drama tells the kaleidoscopic story of a “little strip club that could” and the big characters who come through its doors — the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful and the damned. Trap music meets film noir in this lyrical and atmospheric series that dares to ask what happens when small-town folk dream beyond the boundaries of the Piggly Wiggly and the pawnshop.
Stewart will play Big Teak, a recently paroled member of Lil’ Murda’s gang—the Hurt...
- 3/15/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not watched “Harlem,” streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Tracy Oliver’s “Harlem,” a 10-episode half-hour series for Amazon Prime Video, is the latest in her signature line of comedies that center on a group of Black female friends. But this is the one that started it all, according to the “Girls Trip” screenwriter, and the one that is most personal to her.
“I wrote it before ‘Girls Trip’ came out. This is why this is such a passion project and so close to me. I wrote this for free; I wrote this because I had to — at that moment there was just something in me that needed to write something so personal,” Oliver tells Variety.
Although “Harlem” follows a quartet of characters, it is Good’s Camille who is most modeled after Oliver’s own life, both personally and professionally. In the series,...
Tracy Oliver’s “Harlem,” a 10-episode half-hour series for Amazon Prime Video, is the latest in her signature line of comedies that center on a group of Black female friends. But this is the one that started it all, according to the “Girls Trip” screenwriter, and the one that is most personal to her.
“I wrote it before ‘Girls Trip’ came out. This is why this is such a passion project and so close to me. I wrote this for free; I wrote this because I had to — at that moment there was just something in me that needed to write something so personal,” Oliver tells Variety.
Although “Harlem” follows a quartet of characters, it is Good’s Camille who is most modeled after Oliver’s own life, both personally and professionally. In the series,...
- 12/3/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
“Have your tissues ready,” warns Nuclear Family director Ry Russo-Young of tonight’s third and final episode of the docuseries about her moms, her sister and herself and the landmark battle for the parental rights of same-sex couples that defined their lives in the 1990s.
Having premiered on the premium cabler September 26, the docuseries from The Sun Is Also a Star helmer examines the legal and media battle Sandy Russo and Robin Young fought in the closing decade of the 20th century to hold on to custody of their daughter from a former friend, who donated sperm and now wanted access to Ry as his own offspring. In an America at the time where the notion of a lesbian family found almost no protection in the courts or the court of public opinion, it was a struggle not just to keep the family together, but also the very notion of their family.
Having premiered on the premium cabler September 26, the docuseries from The Sun Is Also a Star helmer examines the legal and media battle Sandy Russo and Robin Young fought in the closing decade of the 20th century to hold on to custody of their daughter from a former friend, who donated sperm and now wanted access to Ry as his own offspring. In an America at the time where the notion of a lesbian family found almost no protection in the courts or the court of public opinion, it was a struggle not just to keep the family together, but also the very notion of their family.
- 10/10/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has hired former Warner Bros. EVP of Production Niija Kuykendall as their new Vice President of Film, reporting to Scott Stuber, the streamer’s Head of Global Film.
Kuykendall in her position will oversee a new group focusing on mid-sized features. At Warner Bros., she shepherded such blockbusters as the It franchise, and Oscar winners A Star Is Born and Judas and the Black Messiah. Other feature credits at the Burbank, CA lot include Just Mercy, The Sun Is Also a Star, Kong: Skull Island; Everything, Everything; and the Magic Mike franchise.
Said Stuber, “Niija’s experience and reputation is stellar, and she brings strength to Netflix through her relationships and creative talents. For some time there has been a significant gap in the market for mid-range films and Niija has a fantastic track record of championing those projects. We’re thrilled that she’ll be leading a new...
Kuykendall in her position will oversee a new group focusing on mid-sized features. At Warner Bros., she shepherded such blockbusters as the It franchise, and Oscar winners A Star Is Born and Judas and the Black Messiah. Other feature credits at the Burbank, CA lot include Just Mercy, The Sun Is Also a Star, Kong: Skull Island; Everything, Everything; and the Magic Mike franchise.
Said Stuber, “Niija’s experience and reputation is stellar, and she brings strength to Netflix through her relationships and creative talents. For some time there has been a significant gap in the market for mid-range films and Niija has a fantastic track record of championing those projects. We’re thrilled that she’ll be leading a new...
- 10/8/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Ry Russo-Young’s three-part HBO documentary Nuclear Family was something she “resisted the idea of making” for a while because she “didn’t want to make a me-and-my-problems documentary.” But once the director of such features as The Sun Is Also a Star and Before I Fall decided to tackle it, it was a time of “total truth,” she says.
The documentary, out Sept. 26, follows Russo-Young’s mothers, Robin Young and Sandy Russo, who fought a long, emotionally fraught custody battle beginning in 1991 with sperm donor Tom Steel, a then-prominent gay lawyer. It ultimately would engulf ...
The documentary, out Sept. 26, follows Russo-Young’s mothers, Robin Young and Sandy Russo, who fought a long, emotionally fraught custody battle beginning in 1991 with sperm donor Tom Steel, a then-prominent gay lawyer. It ultimately would engulf ...
- 9/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Ry Russo-Young’s three-part HBO documentary Nuclear Family was something she “resisted the idea of making” for a while because she “didn’t want to make a me-and-my-problems documentary.” But once the director of such features as The Sun Is Also a Star and Before I Fall decided to tackle it, it was a time of “total truth,” she says.
The documentary, out Sept. 26, follows Russo-Young’s mothers, Robin Young and Sandy Russo, who fought a long, emotionally fraught custody battle beginning in 1991 with sperm donor Tom Steel, a then-prominent gay lawyer. It ultimately would engulf ...
The documentary, out Sept. 26, follows Russo-Young’s mothers, Robin Young and Sandy Russo, who fought a long, emotionally fraught custody battle beginning in 1991 with sperm donor Tom Steel, a then-prominent gay lawyer. It ultimately would engulf ...
- 9/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Where did he come off interfering with our family?" Debuting this week on HBO Max is the documentary mini-series titled Nuclear Family, made by filmmaker Ry Russo-Young telling her own story of her upbringing being raised by two lesbian mothers. "There are two sides to every story." Ry reexamines the landmark legal decision that changed the way gay families were perceived forever. HBO adds: "At its heart, this story of epochal conflict is also a tale about empathy, as Ry investigates the ambitions and desires of her moms, her sperm donor, and all their allies and enemies as she struggles to hear and accept their divergent perspectives. In a world of deeply polarized thinking, the docuseries proposes a way of understanding conflict that resonates with anyone who struggles with issues unresolved within their own families, their own lives, and in our broader world." I'm already a big fan of ...
- 9/24/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Filmmaker Ry Russo-Young has built a successful career in Hollywood, directing The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) and Before I Fall (2017), among other titles. Those two films were fictional tales adapted from novels, but for real-life drama she need look no further than her own childhood.
At age 9 Russo-Young became the object of a landmark custody dispute that hinged on the parental rights of same-sex couples, and the interests of a biological father who, from one point of view, was no more than a sperm donor.
Russo-Young revisits the case in Nuclear Family, a three-part HBO documentary series that begins airing on Sunday.
“At first I didn’t want to necessarily make a documentary out of this story. I was thinking, in the beginning, it should be a narrative film,” Russo-Young commented during HBO’s TCA presentation on Wednesday. “Eventually, when I realized I needed to tell it as a documentary,...
At age 9 Russo-Young became the object of a landmark custody dispute that hinged on the parental rights of same-sex couples, and the interests of a biological father who, from one point of view, was no more than a sperm donor.
Russo-Young revisits the case in Nuclear Family, a three-part HBO documentary series that begins airing on Sunday.
“At first I didn’t want to necessarily make a documentary out of this story. I was thinking, in the beginning, it should be a narrative film,” Russo-Young commented during HBO’s TCA presentation on Wednesday. “Eventually, when I realized I needed to tell it as a documentary,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In the wake of the success of the Kevin Hart feature Fatherhood on Netflix, the producers of that movie, Higher Ground and Temple Hill, are collaborating with the streaming giant once again for a new project entitled Blackout, a film & television event which will be adapted from six different Black love stories written by six different writers.
Those scribes are Dhonielle Clayton (Tiny Pretty Things), Tiffany D. Jackson (Allegedly), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Ashley Woodfolk (The Beauty that Remains) and Nicola Yoon. Blackout is being developed as part of Higher Ground’s overall deal with Netflix.
From the perspective of 12 teens with six shots of love, Blackout takes place as a heatwave blankets New York City in darkness and causes an electric chaos. When the lights go out and people reveal hidden truths, love blossoms, friendships transform, and all possibilities take flight.
Those scribes are Dhonielle Clayton (Tiny Pretty Things), Tiffany D. Jackson (Allegedly), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Ashley Woodfolk (The Beauty that Remains) and Nicola Yoon. Blackout is being developed as part of Higher Ground’s overall deal with Netflix.
From the perspective of 12 teens with six shots of love, Blackout takes place as a heatwave blankets New York City in darkness and causes an electric chaos. When the lights go out and people reveal hidden truths, love blossoms, friendships transform, and all possibilities take flight.
- 7/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Anonymous Content has closed a first-look deal with New York Times best-selling authors, husband-and-wife duo David and Nicola Yoon, and their newly launched production banner Yooniverse Media.
Under the pact, Anonymous Content will have exclusive first-look rights to original film and television ideas both created and curated by the Yoons. Yooniverse Media is focused on bringing stories to the screen that explore the full breadth of humanity across all age groups, with special attention to joyful love stories starring people of color.
Two of Nicola Yoon’s novels, Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, have been adapted into futures.
“Nicola and David are such incredible storytellers whose work is full of happiness, love, light and joy. They believe, and we agree, that big love combined with big ideas can be revolutionary,” said Anonymous Content CEO, Dawn Olmstead. “Their commitment and experience telling these stories through a...
Under the pact, Anonymous Content will have exclusive first-look rights to original film and television ideas both created and curated by the Yoons. Yooniverse Media is focused on bringing stories to the screen that explore the full breadth of humanity across all age groups, with special attention to joyful love stories starring people of color.
Two of Nicola Yoon’s novels, Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, have been adapted into futures.
“Nicola and David are such incredible storytellers whose work is full of happiness, love, light and joy. They believe, and we agree, that big love combined with big ideas can be revolutionary,” said Anonymous Content CEO, Dawn Olmstead. “Their commitment and experience telling these stories through a...
- 6/7/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Curtiss Cook Jr. (The Day Shall Come) and Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Deuce) are joining the second season of Hulu drama Wu-Tang: An American Saga in recurring roles, portraying two key members of the Wu-Tang Clan universe.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga, from Wu-Tang Clan frontman The RZA, writer Alex Tse, Imagine Television and 20th Television, tells the story of the band starting in early 1990s. It looks at the group’s members, who grew up during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, and tracks the Clan’s formation — a vision of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young black men who are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories.
Season 2 picks up six months after the close of Season 1, with the Wu-Tang Clan having to overcome even more obstacles, odds and past beefs as they...
Wu-Tang: An American Saga, from Wu-Tang Clan frontman The RZA, writer Alex Tse, Imagine Television and 20th Television, tells the story of the band starting in early 1990s. It looks at the group’s members, who grew up during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, and tracks the Clan’s formation — a vision of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young black men who are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories.
Season 2 picks up six months after the close of Season 1, with the Wu-Tang Clan having to overcome even more obstacles, odds and past beefs as they...
- 6/7/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
In a competitive situation, Tracy Oliver has signed an overall film and television deal at Apple.
Under the multi-year deal, Oliver and her her Tracy Yvonne Productions shingle will work to develop projects across film and TV with an emphasis on diverse and meaningful stories.
Oliver is best known for co-writing the film “Girls Trip,” which came out in 2017. Starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish, the comedy feature went on to gross over $100 million at the worldwide box office. Oliver’s other feature credits include “Little,” “The Sun Is Also a Star,” and “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”
She most recently developed the series “The First Wives Club” for television, based on the film of the same name. The show was originally set up at TV Land before moving multiple times until it found its current home at BET Plus. It debuted in September 2019 and was...
Under the multi-year deal, Oliver and her her Tracy Yvonne Productions shingle will work to develop projects across film and TV with an emphasis on diverse and meaningful stories.
Oliver is best known for co-writing the film “Girls Trip,” which came out in 2017. Starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish, the comedy feature went on to gross over $100 million at the worldwide box office. Oliver’s other feature credits include “Little,” “The Sun Is Also a Star,” and “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”
She most recently developed the series “The First Wives Club” for television, based on the film of the same name. The show was originally set up at TV Land before moving multiple times until it found its current home at BET Plus. It debuted in September 2019 and was...
- 3/25/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Tracy Oliver, the writer behind “Girls Trip,” “Little” and “The Sun Is Also a Star,” has signed an overall deal with Apple.
Apple landed the multiyear deal with Oliver in a competitive bidding situation. The deal will span original TV series and films, all through Oliver’s Tracy Yvonne Productions banner. The projects will have an emphasis on telling diverse and meaningful stories.
Oliver co-wrote the blockbuster comedy “Girls Trip” from 2017, making her the first Black woman to write a film that grossed over $100 million at the box office. The film starred Regina Hall, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith, and was the breakout role for Tiffany Haddish, grossing $140 million worldwide.
Oliver is currently at work on an untitled Amy Poehler single-camera TV comedy and the second season of “First Wives Club.” Her other film credits include the comedy “Little,” which she co-wrote with Tina Gordon, “Barbershop: The Next Cut...
Apple landed the multiyear deal with Oliver in a competitive bidding situation. The deal will span original TV series and films, all through Oliver’s Tracy Yvonne Productions banner. The projects will have an emphasis on telling diverse and meaningful stories.
Oliver co-wrote the blockbuster comedy “Girls Trip” from 2017, making her the first Black woman to write a film that grossed over $100 million at the box office. The film starred Regina Hall, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith, and was the breakout role for Tiffany Haddish, grossing $140 million worldwide.
Oliver is currently at work on an untitled Amy Poehler single-camera TV comedy and the second season of “First Wives Club.” Her other film credits include the comedy “Little,” which she co-wrote with Tina Gordon, “Barbershop: The Next Cut...
- 3/25/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Tracy Oliver, the co-writer of Girls Trip and creator of The First Wives Club, has signed an overall deal with Apple.
The streamer has landed the multi-year deal in a competitive situation that Deadline hears is in the significant eight-figure range.
The deal includes television series and feature films and Oliver will develop and produce diverse and meaningful projects via her Tracy Yvonne Productions shingle.
Oliver, who previously had a first-look film and TV deal at Topic Studios, has had a busy couple of years. She created and is writing and exec producing Harlem, a single-camera comedy for Amazon that is produced with Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal TV.
She is also developing the series Savannah at Amazon with Topic Studios, Patrick Moran’s Pkm Productions and Joey Falco, based on Sarah Pinborough’s book Dead to Her.
Last month, Sony Pictures closed a deal to acquire...
The streamer has landed the multi-year deal in a competitive situation that Deadline hears is in the significant eight-figure range.
The deal includes television series and feature films and Oliver will develop and produce diverse and meaningful projects via her Tracy Yvonne Productions shingle.
Oliver, who previously had a first-look film and TV deal at Topic Studios, has had a busy couple of years. She created and is writing and exec producing Harlem, a single-camera comedy for Amazon that is produced with Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal TV.
She is also developing the series Savannah at Amazon with Topic Studios, Patrick Moran’s Pkm Productions and Joey Falco, based on Sarah Pinborough’s book Dead to Her.
Last month, Sony Pictures closed a deal to acquire...
- 3/25/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
I’ve often been told that I’m not Asian enough. Not white enough. And I question whether I am enough at all. I am conflicted by my racial identities and the trauma that comes with that. In light of the recent horrors, I am compelled to share my story.
My parents met in Korea when my father was stationed there as an Army soldier. My parents fell in love despite the negative connotations attached to their union. Soon after, they welcomed me and my two sisters, Patricia and Tammie. We were born in Juneau, Alaska and spent our childhoods at military bases: Camp Humphreys in South Korea, Fort Hood in Texas, and Stork Barracks in Germany.
For two years, my father was deployed and fought for our country, leading soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. He dedicated most of his life to our freedom. I recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
My parents met in Korea when my father was stationed there as an Army soldier. My parents fell in love despite the negative connotations attached to their union. Soon after, they welcomed me and my two sisters, Patricia and Tammie. We were born in Juneau, Alaska and spent our childhoods at military bases: Camp Humphreys in South Korea, Fort Hood in Texas, and Stork Barracks in Germany.
For two years, my father was deployed and fought for our country, leading soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. He dedicated most of his life to our freedom. I recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
- 3/19/2021
- by Charles Melton
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Leslie Morgenstein, founder of Alloy Entertainment and producer of series including Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, is staying at Warner Bros.
Morgenstein has struck a contract extension with Warner Bros. Television Group that will see him continue as President of the books-to-tv and film company.
Alloy Entertainment, which is also responsible for series including You, was sold to Warner Bros. Television in 2012 and Morgenstein has renewed for a multi-year extension. It is somewhat rare for a founder to continue at such a company after being acquired and hitting their earn-out.
Morgenstein oversees the strategic and creative direction of Alloy and serves as a producer or exec producer on all of Alloy’s movies and television series.
Alloy has three series currently in production: season three of You for Netflix, season three of Legacies for The CW, and season one of the new Gossip Girl for HBO Max. Alloy...
Morgenstein has struck a contract extension with Warner Bros. Television Group that will see him continue as President of the books-to-tv and film company.
Alloy Entertainment, which is also responsible for series including You, was sold to Warner Bros. Television in 2012 and Morgenstein has renewed for a multi-year extension. It is somewhat rare for a founder to continue at such a company after being acquired and hitting their earn-out.
Morgenstein oversees the strategic and creative direction of Alloy and serves as a producer or exec producer on all of Alloy’s movies and television series.
Alloy has three series currently in production: season three of You for Netflix, season three of Legacies for The CW, and season one of the new Gossip Girl for HBO Max. Alloy...
- 3/10/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Amazon Studios is teaming with Topic Studios and Pkm Productions to develop the series Savannah from Tracy Oliver and Joey Falco (The CW’s Charmed).
Adapted from New York Times best-selling author Sarah Pinborough’s book Dead to Her, Savannah is a thriller that follows two outsider women, one Black and one white, who marry into a moneyed and closed Southern society and the twisted choices they make to protect their secrets and survive a judgmental world that wants to tear them down. Oliver and Falco are co-writing the new drama series that Patrick Moran and his Pkm Productions and Topic Studios, the entertainment studio from First Look Media, are producing. Topic Studios landed the rights to Pinborough’s book to be developed as part of Oliver’s previously announced first-look deal with Topic Studios.
EVP Maria Zuckerman and SVP of Original...
Adapted from New York Times best-selling author Sarah Pinborough’s book Dead to Her, Savannah is a thriller that follows two outsider women, one Black and one white, who marry into a moneyed and closed Southern society and the twisted choices they make to protect their secrets and survive a judgmental world that wants to tear them down. Oliver and Falco are co-writing the new drama series that Patrick Moran and his Pkm Productions and Topic Studios, the entertainment studio from First Look Media, are producing. Topic Studios landed the rights to Pinborough’s book to be developed as part of Oliver’s previously announced first-look deal with Topic Studios.
EVP Maria Zuckerman and SVP of Original...
- 12/15/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Cassidy Lange will be joining Netflix in January as Director, Original Studio Films, the streamer said Monday. She will report to Tendo Nagenda, VP Original Studio Films.
Prior to joining Netflix, Lange was at MGM, where she served as co-president of production. There, she was responsible for growing the studio’s film slate and leveraging its library to expand MGM’s franchises and existing IP, as well as developing high-profile original productions.
Lange joined MGM in 2011 as SVP Development and Production and during her tenure shepherded films including the yet-to-be-released 25th installment of the James Bond franchise No Time to Die, starring Daniel Craig and directed by Cary Fukunaga; the Addams Family animated comedy, as well as its sequel set for October 2021; Me Before You, based on Jojo Moyes’ international bestseller, which went on to gross $200 million worldwide; the action thriller Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander, which grossed $273M in worldwide box office; and Overboard,...
Prior to joining Netflix, Lange was at MGM, where she served as co-president of production. There, she was responsible for growing the studio’s film slate and leveraging its library to expand MGM’s franchises and existing IP, as well as developing high-profile original productions.
Lange joined MGM in 2011 as SVP Development and Production and during her tenure shepherded films including the yet-to-be-released 25th installment of the James Bond franchise No Time to Die, starring Daniel Craig and directed by Cary Fukunaga; the Addams Family animated comedy, as well as its sequel set for October 2021; Me Before You, based on Jojo Moyes’ international bestseller, which went on to gross $200 million worldwide; the action thriller Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander, which grossed $273M in worldwide box office; and Overboard,...
- 12/14/2020
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Cassidy Lange, the former MGM co-president of production, has landed at Netflix as director of original studio films.
In her new role, which will begin in January, she will report to Tendo Nagenda, vp original studio films.
Lange was at MGM for nine years, where she worked on such films as the Addams Family animated comedy, the Overboard remake and YA adaptation The Sun Is Also a Star, as well as the Tomb Raider reboot and Me Before You, which earned a collective $473 million at the global box office.
Lange, along with fellow co-president of production Adam Rosenberg, exited MGM this year after Michael De Luca took ...
In her new role, which will begin in January, she will report to Tendo Nagenda, vp original studio films.
Lange was at MGM for nine years, where she worked on such films as the Addams Family animated comedy, the Overboard remake and YA adaptation The Sun Is Also a Star, as well as the Tomb Raider reboot and Me Before You, which earned a collective $473 million at the global box office.
Lange, along with fellow co-president of production Adam Rosenberg, exited MGM this year after Michael De Luca took ...
- 12/14/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cassidy Lange, the former MGM co-president of production, has landed at Netflix as director of original studio films.
In her new role, which will begin in January, she will report to Tendo Nagenda, vp original studio films.
Lange was at MGM for nine years, where she worked on such films as the Addams Family animated comedy, the Overboard remake and YA adaptation The Sun Is Also a Star, as well as the Tomb Raider reboot and Me Before You, which earned a collective $473 million at the global box office.
Lange, along with fellow co-president of production Adam Rosenberg, exited MGM this year after Michael De Luca took ...
In her new role, which will begin in January, she will report to Tendo Nagenda, vp original studio films.
Lange was at MGM for nine years, where she worked on such films as the Addams Family animated comedy, the Overboard remake and YA adaptation The Sun Is Also a Star, as well as the Tomb Raider reboot and Me Before You, which earned a collective $473 million at the global box office.
Lange, along with fellow co-president of production Adam Rosenberg, exited MGM this year after Michael De Luca took ...
- 12/14/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Jake Choi has joined the cast of ABC comedy “American Housewife,” and HBO Max unveiled the official trailer for “My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood.”
Casting
Jake Choi has joined the cast of ABC sitcom “American Housewife,” Variety has learned exclusively. He will play J.D., a recent divorcee and aspiring father who becomes fast friends with Katie (Katy Mixon) and Tami (Holly Robinson Peete). Choi began filming this week and will first appear in the series next year. The actor recently appeared in the romantic drama “The Sun is Also a Star,” comedy series “Single Parents” and Netflix series “Eastsiders.” His previous TV credits also include “Broad City,” “Gotham” and “Difficult People.” Beyond the screen, Choi is outspoken about Lgbtqia+ issues, having received a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award last year. The winter finale of “American Housewife” airs Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.
Casting
Jake Choi has joined the cast of ABC sitcom “American Housewife,” Variety has learned exclusively. He will play J.D., a recent divorcee and aspiring father who becomes fast friends with Katie (Katy Mixon) and Tami (Holly Robinson Peete). Choi began filming this week and will first appear in the series next year. The actor recently appeared in the romantic drama “The Sun is Also a Star,” comedy series “Single Parents” and Netflix series “Eastsiders.” His previous TV credits also include “Broad City,” “Gotham” and “Difficult People.” Beyond the screen, Choi is outspoken about Lgbtqia+ issues, having received a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award last year. The winter finale of “American Housewife” airs Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.
- 11/30/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
Sofia Carson and Charles Melton have boarded director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum’s YA romance “Purple Hearts,” about two star-crossed lovers. Embankment has launched worldwide sales.
Adapted from Tess Wakefield’s novel by Tony Award nominee Kyle Jarrow (“Valor” TV series) and Liz Garcia, Rosenbaum directs the transformative journey of two passionate young souls, aspiring singer-songwriter Cassie and military man Luke, who in spite of their apparent differences, fall hopelessly in love.
Rosenbaum said: “’Purple Hearts’ provides hope that two people with such differing world views, stuck in the same place, forced to fight the same fight, might be able to learn a little about each other’s beliefs, get over their own bullshit, start to understand each other and just maybe fall in love. It’s a very timely, emotional story – truly a romance for the ages.”
Carson will also write and perform the film’s original soundtrack. The actress,...
Adapted from Tess Wakefield’s novel by Tony Award nominee Kyle Jarrow (“Valor” TV series) and Liz Garcia, Rosenbaum directs the transformative journey of two passionate young souls, aspiring singer-songwriter Cassie and military man Luke, who in spite of their apparent differences, fall hopelessly in love.
Rosenbaum said: “’Purple Hearts’ provides hope that two people with such differing world views, stuck in the same place, forced to fight the same fight, might be able to learn a little about each other’s beliefs, get over their own bullshit, start to understand each other and just maybe fall in love. It’s a very timely, emotional story – truly a romance for the ages.”
Carson will also write and perform the film’s original soundtrack. The actress,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Yara Shahidi is getting her wings.
The actor is set to play Tinkerbell in Disney’s “Peter Pan and Wendy,” the studio’s latest live-action adaptation. Shahidi joins a cast that features Jude Law as Captain Hook, with Alexander Molony as Peter Pan and newcomer Ever Anderson as Wendy.
“Pete’s Dragon” director David Lowery is on board to direct and co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker is producing.
Shahidi is best known for her starring role on ABC’s “Black-ish,” as well as being a star and producer of Freeform’s “Grown-ish.” The actor and activist recently signed an overall deal with ABC Studios. On the film side, Shahidi recently led the YA drama “The Sun Is Also a Star.”
Though there have been many adaptations of the Peter Pan story, Shahidi will be the first Black woman to take on the role on screen. The decision follows...
The actor is set to play Tinkerbell in Disney’s “Peter Pan and Wendy,” the studio’s latest live-action adaptation. Shahidi joins a cast that features Jude Law as Captain Hook, with Alexander Molony as Peter Pan and newcomer Ever Anderson as Wendy.
“Pete’s Dragon” director David Lowery is on board to direct and co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker is producing.
Shahidi is best known for her starring role on ABC’s “Black-ish,” as well as being a star and producer of Freeform’s “Grown-ish.” The actor and activist recently signed an overall deal with ABC Studios. On the film side, Shahidi recently led the YA drama “The Sun Is Also a Star.”
Though there have been many adaptations of the Peter Pan story, Shahidi will be the first Black woman to take on the role on screen. The decision follows...
- 9/25/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
“Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi will be spreading pixie dust soon, as she’s set to play Tinker Bell in Disney’s “Peter Pan & Wendy,” an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
Ever Anderson is set to play Wendy while Alexander Molony will play the famous boy who wouldn’t grow up. “Pete’s Dragon” director David Lowery is directing from a script he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker is producing. It was also previously reported that Jude Law was in talks to play Captain Hook.
Disney adapted J.M. Barrie’s famous novel and play in 1953, and since then, there have been many on-screen adaptations, such as Steven Spielberg’s “Hook” starring Robin Williams and Joe Wright’s “Pan.” Benh Zeitlin recently directed “Wendy,” which looks at the character of Wendy in the classic tale.
Shahidi is known for her roles on “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish” but has also...
Ever Anderson is set to play Wendy while Alexander Molony will play the famous boy who wouldn’t grow up. “Pete’s Dragon” director David Lowery is directing from a script he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker is producing. It was also previously reported that Jude Law was in talks to play Captain Hook.
Disney adapted J.M. Barrie’s famous novel and play in 1953, and since then, there have been many on-screen adaptations, such as Steven Spielberg’s “Hook” starring Robin Williams and Joe Wright’s “Pan.” Benh Zeitlin recently directed “Wendy,” which looks at the character of Wendy in the classic tale.
Shahidi is known for her roles on “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish” but has also...
- 9/25/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven and Brian Welk
- The Wrap
CBS Television Studios, Rideback and Thinking Hat are reteaming on a second year of the Rideback/Thinking Hat Campfire writers room, which in its inaugural year developed and sold two projects to CBS. The program, designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast TV development for the first time, has set Jeff Buhler (Pet Sematary), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire) and writer Katrina O’Gilvie (Swagger) for this year’s roster.
The trio work with showrunner/executive producers Anna Fricke (Walker), Rina Mimoun (Under the Bridge) and Corinne Brinkerhoff (American Gothic), who all have overall deals at CBS TV Studios. They will provide support from development through series.
The program, run by Thinking Hat founder and writer-producer Craig Turk, sold two projects to CBS Television Network in its first year in 2019-2020: Drift from Chris Salmanpour and The Eshmun Protocol from Jason Keller.
The trio work with showrunner/executive producers Anna Fricke (Walker), Rina Mimoun (Under the Bridge) and Corinne Brinkerhoff (American Gothic), who all have overall deals at CBS TV Studios. They will provide support from development through series.
The program, run by Thinking Hat founder and writer-producer Craig Turk, sold two projects to CBS Television Network in its first year in 2019-2020: Drift from Chris Salmanpour and The Eshmun Protocol from Jason Keller.
- 8/27/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS Television Studios and production companies Rideback and Thinking Hat are again partnering on the Rideback/Thinking Hat Campfire writer’s room.
Three new creators have been selected for the second year of the room. They are writer Jeff Buhler, multi-hyphenate Gbenga Akinnagbe, and writer Katrina O’Gilvie. Working alongside them will be three experienced showrunner/executive producers: Anna Fricke, Rina Mimoun, and Corinne Brinkerhoff. Fricke, Mimoun and Brinkerhoff are under overall deals at the Studio.
“Our vision for Campfire is to support exciting creative voices using the power of collaboration, in particular by introducing the writers room dynamic from day one,” said Rideback CEO Dan Lin. “We’re excited to have Jeff, Gbenga and Katrina as our creators this year and support their remarkable new ideas.”
The program is designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast television development for the first time. In its inaugural 2019-2020 year,...
Three new creators have been selected for the second year of the room. They are writer Jeff Buhler, multi-hyphenate Gbenga Akinnagbe, and writer Katrina O’Gilvie. Working alongside them will be three experienced showrunner/executive producers: Anna Fricke, Rina Mimoun, and Corinne Brinkerhoff. Fricke, Mimoun and Brinkerhoff are under overall deals at the Studio.
“Our vision for Campfire is to support exciting creative voices using the power of collaboration, in particular by introducing the writers room dynamic from day one,” said Rideback CEO Dan Lin. “We’re excited to have Jeff, Gbenga and Katrina as our creators this year and support their remarkable new ideas.”
The program is designed to attract experienced feature film writers and other creative voices to broadcast television development for the first time. In its inaugural 2019-2020 year,...
- 8/27/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max is out with its list of everything coming and going from the new streaming service, and the list includes the 2019 film “Harriet” starring Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman.
The HBO Originals coming next month include season four of “Room 104,” HBO Europe’s “Foodie Love,” and documentaries like “Stockton on My Mind” and “Showbiz Kids.” Other films joining include “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Midway,” and “Last Christmas.”
Leaving at the end of the month are “Aquamarine,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Long Shot,” “Crimson Peak,” “The Sun Is Also a Star” and “X-Men.”
Also Read: iHeartMedia, WarnerMedia to Co-Produce Companion Podcasts for HBO Max Shows
Here is the full list of everything new and leaving in July:
July 1
Absolute Power, 1997
The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996
The Amazing Panda Adventure, 1995
American Graffiti, 1973 (HBO)
American History X, 1998
Angels in the Outfield, 1951
Angus, 1995
August Rush, 2007
The Bachelor, 1999
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, 1998
Batman and Harley Quinn , 2017
Batman vs.
The HBO Originals coming next month include season four of “Room 104,” HBO Europe’s “Foodie Love,” and documentaries like “Stockton on My Mind” and “Showbiz Kids.” Other films joining include “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Midway,” and “Last Christmas.”
Leaving at the end of the month are “Aquamarine,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Long Shot,” “Crimson Peak,” “The Sun Is Also a Star” and “X-Men.”
Also Read: iHeartMedia, WarnerMedia to Co-Produce Companion Podcasts for HBO Max Shows
Here is the full list of everything new and leaving in July:
July 1
Absolute Power, 1997
The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996
The Amazing Panda Adventure, 1995
American Graffiti, 1973 (HBO)
American History X, 1998
Angels in the Outfield, 1951
Angus, 1995
August Rush, 2007
The Bachelor, 1999
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, 1998
Batman and Harley Quinn , 2017
Batman vs.
- 6/23/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Spike Jonze has joined forces with Free The Work to create a video playlist listing the women cinematographers he wants to work with in the future. Jonze has worked with several female DPs in the past, including Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Zoë White, Mego Lin, and Ellen Kuras. While all four of the director’s feature films have been shot by men (Lance Acord handled Jonze’s first three features and Hoyte van Hoytema stepped in for “Her”), Jonze has collaborated with White, Lin, and Kuras on various advertisements. Kuras worked with Jonze on his famous 2006 Adidas commercial.
As for the women cinematographers Jonze is eyeing for the future, the director’s wish list includes Natasha Braier, Daisy Zhou (check out her Nike Vogue commercial), Rina Yang (the cinematographer behind Sephora’s “We Belong to Something Beautiful” advertisement), Maryse Alberti, and Polly Morgan.
Jonze has yet to announce any narrative feature follow-ups to “Her,...
As for the women cinematographers Jonze is eyeing for the future, the director’s wish list includes Natasha Braier, Daisy Zhou (check out her Nike Vogue commercial), Rina Yang (the cinematographer behind Sephora’s “We Belong to Something Beautiful” advertisement), Maryse Alberti, and Polly Morgan.
Jonze has yet to announce any narrative feature follow-ups to “Her,...
- 2/28/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
MGM film president Jonathan Glickman is stepping down from the post he has held for eight years, Variety has confirmed.
Michael De Luca, the Oscar-nominated producer of “The Social Network” and a former executive at Sony and New Line, will succeed Glickman in the newly created role of chairman of MGM’s Motion Picture Group. As head of global film operations, De Luca’s responsibilities include oversight of development, production, marketing and distribution of MGM’s film slate, including Orion Pictures, in addition to overseeing MGM’s on-stage production division.
The three-time Oscar-nominated producer begins his new gig sometime this year and will report to MGM’s board of directors.
“It is rare to find an executive who is as experienced and respected inside the studio system as well as in the filmmaking community. Mike’s incredible passion for the industry guides all that he does,” MGM’s chairman of the board Kevin Ulrich said.
Michael De Luca, the Oscar-nominated producer of “The Social Network” and a former executive at Sony and New Line, will succeed Glickman in the newly created role of chairman of MGM’s Motion Picture Group. As head of global film operations, De Luca’s responsibilities include oversight of development, production, marketing and distribution of MGM’s film slate, including Orion Pictures, in addition to overseeing MGM’s on-stage production division.
The three-time Oscar-nominated producer begins his new gig sometime this year and will report to MGM’s board of directors.
“It is rare to find an executive who is as experienced and respected inside the studio system as well as in the filmmaking community. Mike’s incredible passion for the industry guides all that he does,” MGM’s chairman of the board Kevin Ulrich said.
- 1/3/2020
- by Brent Lang and Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Character Media (formerly known as Kore Asian Media) hosted the 18th annual Unforgettable Gala on Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to honor and recognize Asian American icons and changmakers in the entertainment industry, who are representing the Api community through their creativity and excellence. Among the top winners of the evening was Lulu Wang’s awards season contender The Farewell starring Awkwafina.
Hosted by star of Kim’s Convenience actor and of Marvel Studios’ forthcoming Shang Chi and the Ten Rings Simu Liu, the evening was essentially the Golden Globes for the talented members of Asian American Hollywood and beyond. Liu kept the show going with quips and jokes throughout the evening including a bit where he, Blues Clues host Joshua Dela Cruz and Grey’s Anatomy actor Alex Landi shared shirtless “inspirational” social media pics of themselves while online personality Eugene Lee Yang came in to...
Hosted by star of Kim’s Convenience actor and of Marvel Studios’ forthcoming Shang Chi and the Ten Rings Simu Liu, the evening was essentially the Golden Globes for the talented members of Asian American Hollywood and beyond. Liu kept the show going with quips and jokes throughout the evening including a bit where he, Blues Clues host Joshua Dela Cruz and Grey’s Anatomy actor Alex Landi shared shirtless “inspirational” social media pics of themselves while online personality Eugene Lee Yang came in to...
- 12/15/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
In a banner year for Asian American representation in Hollywood, Randall Park, Constance Wu and the cast of “Fresh Off the Boat” were among the honorees at the 18th Annual Unforgettable Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday evening.
Host Simu Liu, who flew in from Sydney where he is prepping to star in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” kicked off the evening celebrating Asian Americans in entertainment with a zinger-filled eight-minute monologue, which included a jab at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The voting body of the Golden Globe Awards nominated Awkwafina for best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy for her performance in “The Farewell” and the film itself for best foreign language film.
“Awkwafina is also having a really good year. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in ‘The Farewell,...
Host Simu Liu, who flew in from Sydney where he is prepping to star in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” kicked off the evening celebrating Asian Americans in entertainment with a zinger-filled eight-minute monologue, which included a jab at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The voting body of the Golden Globe Awards nominated Awkwafina for best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy for her performance in “The Farewell” and the film itself for best foreign language film.
“Awkwafina is also having a really good year. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in ‘The Farewell,...
- 12/15/2019
- by Audrey Cleo Yap
- Variety Film + TV
Camila Mendes and Charles Melton are no longer a couple, E! News reports. The Riverdale costars are reportedly "taking a break" after a year of dating. "Cami and Charles have been separated for a few months now," a source told the publication. "They are taking a break from their relationship. Their relationship escalated very quickly and they are taking time now to focus on their work and themselves." The sourced added that they both have been incredibly busy with their respective careers, and that "nothing in particular happened, they just both felt busy and overwhelmed and it was a lot of pressure on them."
Camila, 25, and Charles, 28, first sparked romance rumors in Summer 2018 and eventually made their red carpet debut as a couple at the GQ Men of the Year Party that December. Though they generally kept their relationship fairly private, they showed off their love from time to time,...
Camila, 25, and Charles, 28, first sparked romance rumors in Summer 2018 and eventually made their red carpet debut as a couple at the GQ Men of the Year Party that December. Though they generally kept their relationship fairly private, they showed off their love from time to time,...
- 12/4/2019
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
Quibi has given a green light to Floored, a comedic dance competition series with a moving dance floor, hosted and executive produced by Liza On Demand star Liza Koshy.
In each episode of Floored, produced by Mission Control Media, two teams of skilled dancers take on an insane dance floor with a life of its own. Dancers try their best to perform a pre-rehearsed routine on a floor that actually lifts, tilts, drops, shakes and spins in time to the music. Additionally, the dancers will have to dodge obstacles that are unexpectedly thrown their way.
“As someone who hosts dance parties of one in their living room, I am more than ready to host this one. I’m so excited to celebrate and scream for the fearless, the focused and the flexible as they step up to the plate… or floor,” said Koshy.
In addition to Koshy, Floored is executive...
In each episode of Floored, produced by Mission Control Media, two teams of skilled dancers take on an insane dance floor with a life of its own. Dancers try their best to perform a pre-rehearsed routine on a floor that actually lifts, tilts, drops, shakes and spins in time to the music. Additionally, the dancers will have to dodge obstacles that are unexpectedly thrown their way.
“As someone who hosts dance parties of one in their living room, I am more than ready to host this one. I’m so excited to celebrate and scream for the fearless, the focused and the flexible as they step up to the plate… or floor,” said Koshy.
In addition to Koshy, Floored is executive...
- 11/22/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“Riverdale” star Charles Melton has closed a deal to star in “Swing” opposite Michael Shannon and Alexander Ludwig, an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.
Michael Mailer is directing the rowing drama, written by Vojin Gjaja. “Swing” follows a group of friends and rowing teammates during their last year at an Ivy League college in 1999. When an army vet takes over as their coach, their entire lives are changed.
Gjaja wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences as an oarsman at Columbia University. Shannon is also serving as a producer on the film, alongside Robert Ogden Barnum, Lucas Jarach and Byron Wetzel.
Also Read: 'Riverdale' Season 2: New Cast Member Was Told Not to Watch the Show
Melton is best known for his role in CW’s “Riverdale” as Reggie Mantle. He also most recently starred in “The Sun Is Also a Star” opposite Yara Shahidi,...
Michael Mailer is directing the rowing drama, written by Vojin Gjaja. “Swing” follows a group of friends and rowing teammates during their last year at an Ivy League college in 1999. When an army vet takes over as their coach, their entire lives are changed.
Gjaja wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences as an oarsman at Columbia University. Shannon is also serving as a producer on the film, alongside Robert Ogden Barnum, Lucas Jarach and Byron Wetzel.
Also Read: 'Riverdale' Season 2: New Cast Member Was Told Not to Watch the Show
Melton is best known for his role in CW’s “Riverdale” as Reggie Mantle. He also most recently starred in “The Sun Is Also a Star” opposite Yara Shahidi,...
- 10/23/2019
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix unveiled the premiere dates for its upcoming holiday programming and the CW renewed “The Outpost.”
Dates
Netflix has announced the release dates for all of its upcoming holiday series and films. Beginning Nov. 1, the streaming service will kick off the holiday season with “Holiday in the Wild” starring Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe. Other Netflix original titles include “Let it Snow” starring Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Kiernan Shipka, Odeya Rush, Jacob Batalon, Miles Robbins, Mitchell Hope, Liv Hewson, Anna Akana and Joan Cusack, premiering Nov. 8; “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2″ premiering Nov. 8; “Klaus “ starring J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Norm Macdonald and Will Sasso, premiering Nov. 15; “The Knight Before Christmas” starring Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Harry Jarvis, Mimi Gianopulos and Ella Kenion, premiering Nov. 21; “Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2” premiering Nov. 22; “Super Monsters Save Christmas” premiering Nov.
Dates
Netflix has announced the release dates for all of its upcoming holiday series and films. Beginning Nov. 1, the streaming service will kick off the holiday season with “Holiday in the Wild” starring Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe. Other Netflix original titles include “Let it Snow” starring Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Kiernan Shipka, Odeya Rush, Jacob Batalon, Miles Robbins, Mitchell Hope, Liv Hewson, Anna Akana and Joan Cusack, premiering Nov. 8; “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2″ premiering Nov. 8; “Klaus “ starring J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Norm Macdonald and Will Sasso, premiering Nov. 15; “The Knight Before Christmas” starring Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Harry Jarvis, Mimi Gianopulos and Ella Kenion, premiering Nov. 21; “Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2” premiering Nov. 22; “Super Monsters Save Christmas” premiering Nov.
- 10/15/2019
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Rachel York (Broadway’s Head Over Heels) is set for a recurring role opposite Kim Cattrall, Gerald McRaney and Melia Kreiling in Fox’s high-profile new drama series Filthy Rich starring Kim Cattrall, from The Help writer-director Tate Taylor, Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV. Created by Tate Taylor, Filthy Rich is a southern Gothic family drama in which wealth, power and religion collide – with outrageously soapy results. When the patriarch of a mega-rich Southern family, famed for creating a wildly successful Christian television network, dies in a plane crash, his wife and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will, threatening their family name and fortune. York plays Tina, Ginger’s (Kreiling) mom, a former Vegas cocktail waitress, and one time mistress of Eugene Monreaux (McRaney) who may just hold the secrets to bring down Margaret Monreaux...
- 9/27/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
It was a mixed bag of a weekend for Warner Bros. which saw It: Chapter Two deliver a strong hold and retain the weekend's #1 spot at the box office, but their new release, The Goldfinch, bombed, delivering one of the worst openings ever for a wide release. Alternatively, STXfilms's Hustlers exploded out of the gates with the studio's largest opening in its five year history as well as star Jennifer Lopez's largest live-action opening of all-time. With an estimated $40.7 million, WB and New Line's It: Chapter Two topped the weekend for the second week in a row, dipping just -55% compared to its opening weekend and pushing the film's domestic cume over $153 million after ten days in release. In addition to that, the horror sequel added another $47 million internationally this weekend for a global tally that now stands at $323.3 million. That total includes a $4.7 million #1 opening in France while...
- 9/15/2019
- by Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Anne Shen’s book, Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World, is set to make a leap to TV in the form of an anthology series from Universal. Liz Hannah is adapting the nonfiction stories into the series, with different women working on each part. Ry Russo-Young (The Sun Is Also a Star) is set to direct. Each episode will focus on a different woman throughout history, and tell an important story.
THR reported the following statements on the project from Hanna and Russo-Young:
"Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show. To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between. As a longtime admirer of Ry’s work, I’m ecstatic that Bad Girls will be the beneficiary of her unique vision and talent. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Ann,...
THR reported the following statements on the project from Hanna and Russo-Young:
"Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show. To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between. As a longtime admirer of Ry’s work, I’m ecstatic that Bad Girls will be the beneficiary of her unique vision and talent. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Ann,...
- 8/23/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
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