Film Development For 1/30/14: ‘True Detective’ Creator Nic Pizzolatto’s ‘Galveston’ To Be Directed By Janus Metz
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Exec Shuffle For 1/31/14: 20th Century Fox Television, Good Universe, ATAS, Half Yard Productions
Company Launches
Little Wooden Boat Productions: Mark Cronin has started this company to create and produce comedic reality television.Studios, Networks, and Media Conglomerates
20th Century Fox Television: Howard Kurtzman has been promoted to President, Business Operations. 20th Century Fox Television: Mark Pearson has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Brand Management and Digital Media. ABC National Television Sales: Debra O’Connell has been promoted to President. CBS Studios International: Barry Chamberlain has been promoted to President, Sales. The CW Network: Chris Brooks has joined as Senior Vice President, Network Distribution. The CW Network: Matthew Thunell has been promoted to Director, Scripted Development. MundoFox: Ibra Morales has been named President. NBCUniversal: Kathy Kelly-Brown has been named Senior Vice President, Global Talent Booking. NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution: Bruce Casino has been promoted to Executive Vice President, United States and Canada.Film
Goldcrest Post: Patrick Malone has joined as Managing Director. Good Universe: Jeremy Needelman has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategy, Finance & Accounting. Good Universe: Cristen Carr Strubbe has joined as Senior Vice President, Physical Production. Good Universe: Erin Westerman has joined as Vice President, Production. Spencer Wong has been promoted to Vice President, Production. Millennium Films: Beth Bruckner has been promoted to Director, Development. Skydance Productions: Jesse Sisgold has been named President, Business Affairs and Strategic Planning.Television
9 Story Entertainment: Mike Drach has joined as Development Executive, in Toronto. 51 Minds Entertainment: Christian Sarabia was named President. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS): Six executives were named to the Chair-appointed executive committee, including John Landgraf, Michael Lombardo, Steve Mosko, Ted Sarandos, Jay Sures, and Nina Tassler. CMJ Productions II: Lesley Jacobi has been named Development Creative Director, in Montreal. Collins Avenue: Kamico Drakes has been promoted to Director, Development. Collins Avenue: Michael Hammond has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Production. Melanie Moreau has joined as Senior Vice President, Development. Collins Avenue: Sandi Johnson has joined as Vice President, Current Programming. Lindsay Schwartz has been promoted to Vice President, Development and Business Affairs. Dick Clark Productions: Mark Rafalowski was named President, International. eOne: Joey Sabella has joined as Director, United States Sales. Giant Pirates Entertainment: Drew Ruesch has been promoted to Manager, Development. Half Yard Productions: Matt Ayres has been promoted Director, Development, in Maryland. Half Yard Productions: Matt Cohn has joined as Director, Talent & Casting, in Maryland. Intrigue: Kelly Pancho has been promoted to Vice President, Development. Leopard USA: Rex Vigil has joined as Vice President, Development, in New York. Nancy Glass Productions: Eric Neuhaus was named Senior Vice President, in Pennsylvania. Objective USA: Jimmy Fox has joined as Executive Vice President. Objective USA is the American arm of London-based Objective Productions, which is owned by All3Media. Original Media: Daniel Laikind has joined as Chief Executive Officer, in New York. Original Productions: Lisa Behlendorf has been promoted to Vice President, Production, and Stewart Morris was named Head, Development. T Group Productions: Rob Lobl has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Development and Current. T Group Productions: Elyse Seder has joined as Vice President, Development.Agencies, Management Companies, Public Relations, and Law Firms
APA: Josh Levenbrown has been promoted to Vice President, Alternative & International Television. APA: Alan Moore has been promoted to Vice President, Alternative & International Television. Gotham/Principal: Larry Galper has joined as Manager, Talent. UTA: Greg Goodfried has joined as Agent, Digital Media.Cable
FYI: Liz Fine and James Bolosh have been hired as Vice Presidents, Development and Programming. Nickelodeon: Sarah Noonan has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Live Action Content. Nickelodeon: Jay Schmalholz has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Live Event Television. USA Network: Jeffrey Kaufman has joined as Senior Vice President, Digital, in New York.Digital
Google: Rebecca Mall has been promoted to Head, Industry, Media & Entertainment. Xbox Entertainment Studios: Ari Mark has been named Head, Unscripted Programming.↧
Rep Moves For 1/31/14: UTA, WME, Paradigm, LBI Entertainment. ICM Partners
Agencies
CAA: Actor Nathan Fillion is now repped by Tracy Brennan, Michael Katcher, Peter Levine, Dave Bugliari, JP Evans and Bruce Vinokour. He was previously with ICM. Fillion currently stars on the hit ABC series Castle, now in its sixth season. Before Castle, Fillion was best known for his starring role in Joss Whedon’s cult classic show Firefly. He’s also had roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost and Desperate Housewives. Feature credits include Serenity, Slither, Waitress, Trucker and Much Ado About Nothing. Fillion also appeared as Captain Hammer in Whedon’s internet-distributed miniseries Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. ICM Partners: Iconic writer, director and producer Spike Lee is now repped by Bart Walker and Toni Howard. He was previously with CAA.Lee is currently in post-production on the indie horror comedy Da Blood of Jesus, which was partially funded via Kickstarter. He also helmed the remake of Park Chan-Wook’s cult classic Old Boy. Lee’s prolific resume has included a number of notable films including Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Inside Man, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts and Miracle at St. Anna. Over his career, Lee has won numerous awards, including an Emmy for directing When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Paradigm: Actor Steven Yeun is now repped by Chris Schmidt, Jeff Kolodny and Brad Schenck. Yeun currently stars as Glenn Rhee on AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead. He also has a part in the upcoming science fiction film I Origins, which just premiered at Sundance. Fox Searchlight recently acquired that film for distribution. Outside of The Walking Dead, Yeun has appeared on several series including The Big Bang Theory, Warehouse 13. and Law & Order LA. Yeun’s also signed with Gotham/Principal for management. UTA: Actor Michael Douglas is now repped by Jim Berkus, Brian Swardstrom, Jeremy Barber, Blair Kohan and Darren Boghosian. Douglas recently starred in last year’s hit comedy Last Vegas, opposite Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman. He also won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for his portrayal of Liberace in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra. The eldest of Kirk Douglas’ four sons, Douglas’ extensive career has included such notable films as The China Syndrome, Romancing the Stone, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, The War of the Roses, Basic Instinct, The American President, The Game and Solitary Man. Next up, Douglas has booked a role playing Hank Pym in Marvel’s newest superhero franchise Ant-Man. He will also produce and star in The Reach, which is currently in post-production. UTA: Rising star Nicholas Braun is now repped by Josh Katz, Blair Kohan, Shani Rosenzweig and Jonathan Weinstein. Braun is set to appear in a variety of new releases, including the Valentine’s Day comedy Date and Switch, opposite Nick Offerman and Dakota Johnson. He also recently wrapped the horror comedy Kitchen Sink and will appear inFox’s Poltergeist remake next year, opposite Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt. Braun is probably best known for his role as Ponytail Derekin The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has also appeared in The Watch, Prom and Kevin Smith’s Red State. WME Entertainment: Writer, director and playwright Kenneth Lonergan is now a client. Lonergan is best known for writing and directing the indie hit You Can Count on Me. That film, which was executive produced by Martin Scorsese, went on to win numerous awards and eventually was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Previously, Lonergan had written the screenplays for Analyze This and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. He followed You Can Count on Me with the feature Margaret,released in 2011. Lonergan was also a co-writer on Gangs of New York, for which he garnered his second Academy Award nomination.Management Companies
LBI Entertainment: Actor and comedian Jim Carrey is now repped by Rick Yorn. Carrey will soon appear in Dumb and Dumber To, the sequel to the hit 1994 comedy. First breaking out in the sketch comedy series In Living Color, Carrey’s one of the most successful comedians in the world, having appeared in such hits as the original Dumb & Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Me, Myself and Irene, Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Yes Man and Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Carry’s most recent screen appearances include The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Kick-Ass 2 and a cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. LBI Entertainment: Writer, director and producer Oliver Stone is now repped by Rick Yorn. Stone most recently directed the 2012 crime thriller Savages, starring Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively. Two years earlier, he completed Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to the classic eighties hit. Best known for his political films, Stone’s prolific filmography has included such films as Midnight Express, Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon, Any Given Sunday, World Trade Center and W. Over his career, Stone has received three Academy Awards for his work on Midnight Express, Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July respectively.↧
On The Set For 2/3/14: Gerard Barrett’s ‘Glassland’ Wraps, J.C. Chandor’s ‘A Most Violent Year’ Starts
Starts
Set Fire To The Stars 01/27/2014 Logline: The turbulent relationship between Dylan Thomas and John Malcolm Brinnin is dramatized. Brinnin was the American poet who brought Thomas to visit the U.S. in the early 1950s. Production Company: Skyline Films Director: Andy Goddard Executive Producer: Steve Clark-Hall Producer: A.J Riach Cast: Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Kelly Reilly Screenwriters: Andy Goddard, Celyn Jones SSN Insight: Andy Goddard is known for his directing work on TV shows such as ‘Downton Abbey’ A Most Violent Year 01/29/2014 Logline: An immigrant and his family try to survive one of the most violent years in the history of New York City. Production Companies: Before the Door Pictures, FilmNation, Washington Square Arts & Films Director: J.C. Chandor Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Glen Basner, Jonathan King, Joshua Blum, Kerry Orent Producers: Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb Cast: Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac, David Oyelowo, Alfred Molina Screenwriters: J.C . Chandor SSN Insight: Javier Bardem was previously attached to star.Wraps
Glassland 01/30/2014 Logline: A young, Dublin taxi driver gets involved in the world of human trafficking while he’s trying to save his mother from her addiction. Production Companies: Element Pictures, Nine Entertainment Director: Gerard Barrett Executive Producer: Andrew Lowe Producers: Ed Guiney, Juliette Bonass Cast: Toni Collette, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley Screenwriter: Gerard Barrett SSN Insight: 26-year old writer-director Barrett won the 2013 Irish Film and Television Awards Rising Star Award for debut feature Pilgrim Hill, which he also produced and edited. Unbroken 02/01/2014 Logline: The life story of Lou Zamperini, a high school track star who made an appearance in the 1936 Olympics. In World War II he was in the United States Air Force and his plane crashed in the Pacific. He survived without food and water for 47 days until washing up ashore on a Japanese island behind enemy lines, where he was held as a prisoner of war for two years and tortured by his captors. Studio: Universal Pictures Production Companies: Matthew Baer Films, 3 Arts Entertainment Director: Angelina Jolie Executive Producer: Mike Garris Producers: Angelina Jolie, Matthew Baer, Erwin Stoff, Clayton Townsend, Michael Bostick Cast: Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, Finn Wittrock Screenwriters: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Details: Based on the book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, written by Laura Hillenbrand, published by Random House on November 16, 2010. SSN Insight: Project was previously in development with Plan B Entertainment, Brillstein-Grey and Saturn Films.↧
TV Development For 2/4/14: Untitled David O. Russell/Susannah Grant Project Has 13-Episode Commitment With ABC Ent. Group
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TV Castings For 2/5/14: Lori Petty To Guest Star On ‘Orange Is The New Black’ For Netflix
Pilots
Goran Visnjic, Michael O’Neill and Grace Gummer join CBS’ Extant, about a female astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission and discovers that she has become pregnant. Meanwhile, her inventor husband is on the verge of a major breakthrough with his greatest creation: their 10-year-old android son. These events place this extraordinary family at the epicenter of a change in the course of human history, a change that could ultimately tear them apart. Jennifer Carpenter, Jack Davenport, Isabelle Cornish and Lilli Birdsell have signed on as the leads in ABC’s Sea Of Fire, about three teenage girls who star in a pornographic film that tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance, a murder and a host of other secrets boiling under the surface in a small town. Carpenter will play an FBI Agent. Patrick Murney joins TNT’s Public Morals, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them. Matt McGorry is the first to be cast in ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, that centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot. Mike Colter, will play the Speaker Of The House, and John Shea is set as the President, in TNT’s Agent X, centering on a person called upon in times of extreme crisis, when traditional law and government aren’t in a position to help. Created by the original founding fathers, but hidden from the public, the agent of unknown identity that is trained and ready to serve — deployed only at the careful discretion of the Vice President. Timothy Omundson, will play King Richard, in ABC’s Galavant, that centers on handsome Prince and his quest for revenge over the King who stole his one true love. David Schwimmer lands the lead in ABC’s Irreversible, that centers on a somewhat eccentric, self-absorbed couple, and their trials and tribulations — most of which they bring upon themselves. Scott Bakula, CCH Pounder and Zoe McLellan join CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans, which will handle cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. Ashley Zukerman has been cast as the lead in WGN’s Manhattan, set against the backdrop of the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico and follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives. Whitmer Thomas, joins Comedy Central’s Crazy House, that revolves around two friends who, after accidentally sending their boss into a coma via an office prank, successfully plead insanity and are sentenced to an asylum. Mather Zickel and John Ducey will star opposite Kate Walsh in NBC’s Bad Judge, that centers on a hard-living, sexually unapologetic woman who plays with the law, and whose life on the edge is constantly in balance as she also happens to be a judge in the Criminal Court system. Ken Marino lands the male lead in NBC’s Marry Me, about a young couple who get engaged, something they quickly realize is harder than it looks. Candice Patton and Carlos Valdes join CW’s The Flash, about a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Linda Cardellini and Sissy Spacek have been cast in Netflix’s Untitled Kessler/Zelman Project, that centers on a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother returns home. Franka Potente, Amaury Nolasco, Sebastian Arcelus, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Erik LaRay Harvey, Audrey Esparza and Alex Hernandez round out the cast that will play opposite Shiloh Fernandez in Cinemax’s Blanco, that centers on an uptown gangster who uses his status as a confidential informant to turn the tables on law enforcement and build his criminal empire. Elena Kampouris and Daniella Pineda have joined NBC’s Odyssey, that centers on three families who are torn apart when a stranded female soldier, a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy. David Strathairn is set for the lead in ABC’s Clementine, that centers on a profoundly troubled 28-year-old psychic who sees her life to begin to change in unexpected ways when she decides to stop running from her past. Jake McDorman has been cast opposite Analeigh Tipton on ABC’s My Thoughts Exactly.Current
Lori Petty will guest star on Neflix’s Orange is the new Black. Dianne Wiest is set to appear on NBC’s The Blacklist. Toni Trucks joins TNT’s Franklin & Bash as a new series regular. Jeremy Davies (Lost), Chris Diamantopoulos (The Three Stooges) and Michael Pitt will guest star on NBC’s Hannibal. Gene Simmons will appear as himself on CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Chevy Chase will guest star on TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland. Willie Garson has landed a guest-starring role on TNT’s Franklin & Bash as a plastic surgeon. Dylan Sprayberry has joined the upcoming fourth season of MTV’s Teen Wolf as Liam, a cocky and handsome new freshman at Beacon Hills High. Max Greenfield will play a ladies’ man on FOX’s The Mindy Project. Eddie Cahill and Karla Crome has joined CBS’ Under the Dome as series regulars for season 2. Newcomer, Grace Victoria Cox will recur. Lauren Cohan will lend her voice as a European socialite on FX’s Archer. Alexandra Daddario is set to guest star on Fox’s New Girl.New Series
Dora Madison Burge reunites with her former Friday Night Lights co-star, Aimee Teegarden, on CW’s Star-Crossed. Tony Hale will guest star on ABC’s About A Boy. Penny Marshall and Lorraine Bracco are set to play a lesbian couple on Fox’s Mulaney.Event Series
Colin Salmon joins Fox’s 24: Live Another Day.↧
Film Development For 2/6/14: Robert Carlyle To Direct & Co-Star In ‘Long Midnight of Barney Thompson’
NEW ATTACHMENTS
Supreme Ruler Logline: A local lodge member vies to become the Supreme Ruler, but when an elder rival steps in, the man must gain the support of an established Supreme Ruler at the annual convention in order to win. Production Company: Solipsist Films Producers: Steven A. Jones, Stephen L’Heureux, Duane Edwards Cast: Anthony Anderson, Peyton List, Ron Livingston, Marcia Gay Harden, Brian Geraghty, Vincent D’Onofrio, Natalie Zea Writer: Frederick Mensch Director: Duane Edwards SSN Insight: This project marks the directorial debut for Duane Edwards. The Breach Logline: An ex-cop who's getting back on his feet after a stint in prison finds himself in a power struggle to obtain a mysterious artifact that can bring about the end of the world. Studio/Distributor: Lionsgate Production Companies: DiBonaventura Pictures, Phantom Four Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, David Goyer, Nellie Stevens (Co-Producer) Writer: Justin Rhodes Director: David Goyer Details: Based on the novel The Breach, written by Patrick Lee and published by Harper on December 29, 2009. SSN Insight: This project drew interest from Warner Bros., Fox, Relativity and Millenium, but Lionsgate’s desire to fast-track it made it the winner. Queen of Hearts Logline: A professor tells stories to the daughters of a Dean, all the while falling in love with the Dean's wife, a love affair that results in the writing of "Alice in Wonderland" Production Companies: OddLot Entertainment, Brillstein Entertainment Partners Producer: David McIlvain Writer: Stephanie Shannon Director: Seth Gordon SSN Insight: Project marks first sale for Stephanie Shannon as well as being the 2013 Nicholl’s Fellowship winner and making the 2013 Black List. Shannon wrote the script while she was an assistant on David McIlvain’s desk.NEW PROJECTS
Long Midnight of Barney Thompson Logline: A browbeaten Scottish barber accidentally stumbles into serial murder and his dark fantasies turn into reality. Distributor: Myriad Pictures Production Companies: Myriad Pictures, Trinity Works Entertainment Producers: John G. Lenic, Kaleena Kiff, Kirk D’Amico (Executive Producer) Cast: Emma Thompson, Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone, Ewen Bremmer Writers: Richard Cowan, Colin McLaren Director: Robert Carlyle Details: Based on the novel The Long Midnight of Barney Thompson, written by Douglas Lindsay and published by Blasted Heath on November 21, 2013. SSN Insight: This project marks the directorial debut for actor Robert Carlyle. My Name is Emily Logline: On her 16th birthday, Emily escapes her foster home with the boy who loves her to set out on a road trip to find her biological father who is locked up in a psychiatric facility. Production Companies: Newgrange Pictures,Kennedy Films Producers: Lesley McKimm, Jackie Larkin, David Kennedy Cast: Freddie Highmore, James Nesbitt Director: Simon Fitzmaurice SSN Insight: Feature directorial debut for Simon Fitzmaurice, who shortly after two of his short films played at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease that has resulted in paralysis. Only able to control his eye movements, Fitzmaurice now completes his scripts using an iris-recognition screen. Additionally, producers raised an estimated €100,000 for this feature film through a crowd-funding campaign, with the help of endorsements from Alan Rickman, Colin Farrell and Sam Neill, Jim Sheridan and Lenny Abrahamson, among others.↧
Exec Shuffle For 2/7/14: Warner Bros. Pictures, MarVista Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, MGM
Company Launches
DNA TV Limited: DNA Films, with Fox Networks Group, formed this new, independently owned and operated company to create TV dramas, limited-run series, and comedies for the U.K. and international market. Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich will head DNA TV Limited in London. Eric Schrier will oversee Fox Networks Group participation in Los Angeles.
FremantleMedia Canada: FremantleMedia International has launched this new office, to be headed by Susan Hummel, Senior Vice President, Distribution and Sales, in Toronto, beginning in March 2014.
Holly Shelton Management: Holly Shelton has launched this talent management company.
Studios, Networks, and Media Conglomerates
20th Century Fox Television: Jonathan Davis has been promoted to President, Creative Affairs.
20th Century Fox Television: Michael Thorn has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Drama and Comedy Development.
Aspire: Magic Johnson's network has hired Lisa Fischer as Executive Vice President of Ad Sales.
Columbia Pictures: Lumumba Mosquera has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Business Affairs.
MGM: Ken Schapiro has been named Chief Strategic Officer.
Paramount Animation Group: Jared Mass has joined as Vice President, Production.
Revolt: James G. Brown, Jr. has joined Sean Combs' network as Senior Vice President of Content Distribution & Marketing.
Revolt: Angela Northington has joined as Vice President of Content Licensing & Acquisitions.
Revolt: Angela Turner has joined as Vice President of Affiliate Marketing and Kenny Burns has joined as Vice President of Marketing.
Telemundo: Liliana Aristizabal has been named Vice President, Sales, Telemundo WNJU.
Telemundo: Cristina Schwarz has been named President and General Manager, Telemundo WNJU.
Time Inc.: Mark Ford has been named Executive Vice President, Advertising Sales.
Universal Cable Productions: Ellen Rand has been promoted to Vice President, Development & Current Programming.
Warner Bros. Pictures: Andrew Fischel and Chantal Nong have both been promoted to Vice President, Creative Development.
Film
BAFTA Los Angeles: Phil Ashcroft is now Chair, Games Committee and is currently a Board member.
Black Label Media: Jon Schumacher has been named Vice President, Development.
Formosa Group: Lon Bender has joined as Supervising Sound Editor & Sound Designer.
Konlive Productions: Jojo Ryder has been named President.
National Film Board of Canada: Shirley Vercruysse has been named Executive Producer of the Pacific and Yukon Centre, in Vancouver.
Red Wagon Entertainment: Nicki Cortese has joined as Vice President, Film & Television.
Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension and Health Plans: Michael Estrada has been named Chief Executive Officer.
Television
Al Roker Entertainment: Lauren Burger has joined as Director, Development, in New York.
Amaze Film + Television: Victoria Hirst has joined as Executive In Charge of Production, in Toronto.
Amaze Film + Television: Tara Woodbury has joined as Director of Development, in Toronto.
Breakthrough Entertainment: Nat Abraham and Michael McGuigan have both been promoted to Partner.
Buccaneer Media: Ross McCarthy has joined as Head, Unscripted, beginning in March 2014, in London.
FremantleMedia North America: Sean Hancock has been named Vice President, Alternative Programming, beginning in April, 2014.
Hasbro Studios International Distribution: Rob Kirby has been named Senior Attorney, in London.
MarVista Entertainment: Sharon Bordas has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Development & Production.
MarVista Entertainment: Michael McGahey has joined as Vice President, Series Development & Production.
Shine Group: Dave Clarke has joined as Head, Global Format Acquisitions, in London.
Agencies, Management Companies, Public Relations, and Law Firms
Authentic Talent & Literary Management: Bryan Leder has joined as Manager, Talent, and Producer.
Authentic Talent & Literary Management: Anne Woodward has joined as Manager, Talent.
Don Buchwald & Associates: Leslie Zaslower has joined as Head, Youth Talent, in New York.
Razorfish: Tom Nawara has joined as Vice President and Client Partner.
Rubenstein Public Relations: Jordan Lawrence has joined as Senior Account Executive; she was previously with 42West.
Thruline: Steve Kavovit has been promoted to Partner.
Cable
CNN: Chanel Carmona has joined as Manager, Development & Original Series.
Hallmark Channel: Laurie Ferneau has joined as Director, Programming, Scripted Series.
Hallmark Channel: Darren Melameth has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Program Planning and Acquisitions.
Hallmark Channel: Randy Pope has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Programming and Development.
MTV Networks: Elli Hakami has joined as Executive Vice President, Current Series and Programming, in New York.
MTV Networks: Hannah Uszak has been promoted to Coordinator, Series Development, Reality.
Travel Channel: Shannon O’Neill has been promoted to President, in Maryland.
Turner Network Sales: Coleman Breland has been promoted to President, in Atlanta.
Turner Network Sales: Jennifer Mirgorod has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Brand Distribution, in Atlanta.
Turner Network Sales: Richard Warren has been named Executive Vice President, Negotiations and Strategy, and Associate General Counsel, in Atlanta.
UPtv: Lisa Fischer has joined as Executive Vice President, Advertising Sales, in New York.
Digital
AwesomenessTV: Kelly Day has joined as Chief Digital Officer.
Discovery Digital Networks: Tom Lofthouse has been named Senior Vice President, Programming, in San Francisco.
Electronic Arts: Brandon Guarneri has joined as Editorial Manager of EA Sports; he was content director at STACK Media.
Google: Angie Barrick has been promoted to Head, Industry, Media & Entertainment.
Microsoft: Satya Nadella has been named Chief Executive Officer. He has also joined the Board of Directors.
Microsoft: Bill Gates has taken a new role as Founder and Technology Advisor, Board of Directors.
Microsoft: John Thompson has been named Chairman, Board of Directors.
Pandora: Lizzie Widhelm has been promoted to Vice President, Digital. Andy Lipset has been promoted to Vice President, Broadcast & Local.
Panthera: Melani Griffith has been elected to the Board of Directors; Griffith also is Executive Vice President of Business Affairs for the company.
YouTube: Susan Wojcicki has been named Chief Executive Officer.
Publishing
Forbes: Max Robins has joined Forbes.com as a Columnist.
Mashable: Lance Ulanoff is now Editor-at-Large and Chief Correspondent.
Poynter: Tim Franklin has joined as President.
Rolling Stone: Jason Newman has joined as News Editor; he was previously with Fuse.tv as a senior writer and associate editor.
Vice: Kevin Dolak has joined as Managing Editor, Vice News; he was previously with ABC News.
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Rep Moves For 2/7/14: WME, UTA, Management 360, ICM Partners
Agencies
APA: Actress Garcelle Beauvais is now repped by Dan Baron and Paul Santana. Beauvais recently guest starred on the series Necessary Roughness, Pysch and Arrested Development. She is probably best known, however, for her roles on The Jamie Foxx Show, NYPD Blue and Franklin & Bash. Beauvais’ feature credits include Wild Wild West, Barbershop 2, American Gun, Flight and White House Down. Next up, she will appear in the Joel Surnow-helmed feature Small Time, opposite Christopher Meloni and Dean Norris. ICM Partners: Actress Monica Potter is now repped by Lori Bartlett and Dar Rollins. Potter currently stars as Kristina Braverman in the critically acclaimed NBC drama Parenthood. Prior to that, Potter appeared in recurring roles on TNT’s drama Trust Me and the ABC series Boston Legal. She’s also appeared in the features The Last House on the Left, Saw, Along Came a Spider, Patch Adams and Con Air. Earlier this year, Potter was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance on Parenthood. ICM Partners: Actress and singer Jaime Ray Newman is now repped by Brian Mann, Craig Shapiro and Meredith Wechter. Newman will next appear alongside Christian Slater and Steve Zahn on the upcoming series Mind Games. She was also a series regular on ABC’s Red Widow. Starting her career on the soap opera General Hospital, Newman went on to land roles on Veronica Miles, Eureka, Drop Dead Diva and Eastwick. Her other series credits have included E-Ring, Lincoln Heights and Castle. Newman’s feature credits include Catch Me if you Can, Sex and Breakfast and Made of Honor. Paradigm: Actress Lynn Collins is now repped by Nate Bryson, Iris Grossman, Scott Melrose, Ida Ziniti and Ken Stovitz. Collins most recently appeared in an episode of Elementary, as well as the 2012 feature film John Carter. Collins first gained notice playing Portia in the feature adaptation of Merchant of Venice opposite Al Pacino. She has since appeared in the features The Lake House, The Number 23, Towelhead and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Television-wise, Collins’ credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Haunted and True Blood. A seasoned stage actress, Collins has played Ophelia opposite Liev Schreiber in Hamlet and she appeared as Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Ahmanson. UTA: British director Michael Winterbottom is now repped by Richard Klubeck. Winterbottom’s most recent film The Trip to Italy recently premiered at Sundance. He is also currently in post-production on The Face of an Angel, starring Kate Beckinsale and Daniel Bruhl. The prolific director originally got his start in television and had his first big breakthrough with 2002’s 24 Hour Party People. Winterbottom’s other credits include Welcome to Sarajevo, Wonderland, A Mighty Heart and The Killer Inside Me. Three of Winterbottom’s films – Welcome to Sarajevo, Wonderland and 24 Hour Party People - have been nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. WME Entertainment: Actor Robbie Amell has been signed for representation in all areas. Amell currently stars on the CW drama The Tomorrow People. He also recently appeared in the Hallmark television movie The Hunters. The cousin of Green Arrow star Stephen Amell, Robbie Amell previously appeared in recurring roles on Revenge, 1600 Penn, Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous, Life with Derek, Unnatural History and True Jackson, VP. He also played Fred Jones in the television movies Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins and Scooby Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. WME Entertainment: Actress Rachel McAdams is now a client. McAdams will next be seen in the Anton Corbin-directed A Most Wanted Man, opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright. She’ll also appear Cameron Crowe’s next film, currently untitled, which also stars Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper and Bill Murray. First gaining fame in 2004 with the features Mean Girls and The Notebook, McAdam’s best known credits include Wedding Crashers, Red Eye, The Family Stone, Morning Glory, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Midnight in Paris, The Vow and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films. Next up, McAdams will star in the sci-fi feature Passengers opposite Keanu Reeves.Management Companies
Management 360: Actress and producer Geena Davis is now repped by Eric Kranzler. Davis most recently appeared in Lake Bell’s directorial debut In a World. Making her screen debut in 1982’s Tootsie, Davis is best known for her roles in the feature films The Fly, Beetlejuice, The Accidental Tourist, Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, The Long Kiss Goodnight and Stuart Little. She’s also appeared in the television series Sara, The Geena Davis Show and Commander in Chief. Outside of acting, Davis vied for a semi-finalist position in the women’s Olympics archery team in the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2005, Davis won a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her role in Commander in Chief. Principato Young Entertainment: Actor Roger Bart is now repped by Paul Young and Kimberlin Belloni. Bart has most recently appeared in episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Jessie, Episodes, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. His best known role, however, is probably pharmacist George Williams in Desperate Housewives, for which he shared the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. A veteran stage actor, Bart has built up a prolific television resume with appearances on the series Revenge, The Event, CSI: Miami, CSI and The Lost Room to name a few. For his stage work, Bart received both a Drama Desk Award and a Tony for his role in 1999’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.↧
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ICYMI: SSN’s Top Original Stories For 2/3 – 2/7/14
The Next Lego Movie – SSN Picks The 6 Toys to Develop into Films Now
It takes the right brand, the right studio, the right talent, all mixed together with luck to bring a toy brand to film success. Here are some of SSN’s favorite toys with robust enough concepts to inspire film franchises, from Play-Doh to Furby. (SSN)‘Frozen’ After The Thaw: Chris Buck, Josh Gad & Other Creatives React to the Film’s Success
In our dedicated feature, SSN talks to the principals responsible for the film’s musical, comedic, and creative vision about what it’s like to be a part of a cinematic experience that’s become a genuine, zeitgeist-capturing phenomenon. (SSN)Oscars From Vision To Reality: ‘The Invisible Woman’ Costume Designer Michael O’Connor
Costume designer Michael O’Connor has been to the Oscars twice, winning for The Duchess in 2009, and again as a nominee for Jane Eyre in 2011. He was recently nominated a third time for his work in The Invisible Woman. Inthis launch of SSN’s Vision to Reality series, we feature four key sketches from O’Connor’s vision and asked him to take us through his process. (SSN)Awards Spotlight: Costume & Production Designer Oscar Nom Catherine Martin Brings the 1920s to Life in ‘The Great Gatsby’
Considered one of the industry’s best costume designers as well as one of its best production designers, Catherine Martin is in a class all to herself, nominated for six Oscars, three in each of the above categories. She’s won twice for her work in both categories on Moulin Rouge, directed by husband and longtime collaborator Baz Luhrmann. Now, she’s been twice nominated again for her work in Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. (SSN)Awards Spotlight: Behind the Invention of the Light Box with Gravity’s Oscar Nominated DP Emmanuel Lubezki
Lubezki, a six-time Oscar nominee and recent winner of the Cinematographer’s Guild Award, was delighted to sit down and walk us through the process of how he and his team designed the technology that’s already become an industry game-changer. (SSN)Spotlight: Athena Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Honoree & Trailblazer Sherry Lansing on Her New Dream
A phenomenally successful producer, Lansing still has the drive that made her such a force in Hollywood – her mark on it will be felt for decades to come. SSN chatted with Lansing about what this award means to her, memories of working with some of Hollywood’s most outsized personalities and more. (SSN)Spotlight: Filmmaker Grant Heslov on Why ‘Monuments Men’ was Moved & the Stories George Clooney Gravitates Towards
Heslov, 50, spoke to SSN about writing and producing with Clooney, the success of August: Osage County, and his 30-year friendship with the world’s biggest movie star. (SSN)↧
On The Set For 2/10/14: Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Crimson Peak’ Starts For Universal Pictures, ‘Gone Girl’ Wraps
Starts
Crimson Peak 02/10/2014 Logline: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers. Studio: Universal Pictures Production Companies: Del Toro Productions, Legendary Entertainment, Exile Entertainment Director: Guillermo Del Toro Executive Producer: Jillian Share Producers: Gary Ungar, Callum Greene, Guillermo Del Toro, Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston Screenwriters: Lucinda Coxon (current draft), Guillermo Del Toro (previous draft), Matthew Robbins (previous draft) SSN Insight: Benedict Cumberbatch was previously attached to co-star. Tom Hiddleston replaced him in September 2013. The Last Days in the Desert 02/03/2014 Logline: The Biblical story of Joshua in the desert. Production Companies: Mockingbird Pictures, Zoetrope Films Director: Rodrigo Garcia Producers: Julie Lynn, Bonnie Curtis, Wicks Walker Cast: Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan, Ayelet Zurer Screenwriter: Rodrigo Garcia SSN Insight: Garcia and Lubezki are reteaming , they worked together on Garcia’s Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, which was at 2000 Cannes film festival. Macbeth 02/06/2014 Logline: In 11th century Scotland, a lord takes power of the throne with the help of three witches and his ruthless wife. Studio Production Company: See-Saw Films, Film4 Director: Justin Kurzel Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman Cast: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cottillard, Elizabeth Debicki Screenwriters: Todd Louiso (adaptation), Jacob Kostoff (adaptation) Details: Based on the play written by William Shakespeare. SSN Insight: Todd Louiso was previously attached to direct with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jennifer Connelly starring.Wraps
Gone Girl 02/10/2014 Logline: A woman mysteriously disappears on her wedding anniversary, her husband is the prime suspect but not all is what it seems. Studio: 20th Century Fox Production Companies: Pacific Standard, New Regency Director: David Fincher Producers: Céan Chaffin , Josh Donen, Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Pandrea, Leslie Dixon Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Emily Ratajkowski, Patrick Fugit, Tyler Pery Screenwriter: Gillian Flynn SSN Insight: This is David Fincher’s second thriller to be adapted from a bestselling novel; his first being The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.↧
TV Development For 2/11/14: Ken Kwapis To Exec Produce & Direct ‘Redshirts’ Adaptation For FX
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TV Castings For 2/12/14: Jeffrey Dean Morgan To Appear In ‘Shameless’ For Showtime
Pilots
Ryan Phillippe and Natalie Martinez join ABC’s Secret & Lies, about a family man who finds the body of a young boy quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation and his sanity are all at stake.
Brian Wiles has been cast in TNT’s Public Morals, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them.
Aja Naomi King will play one of the lawyers in ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, that centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot.
Arden Myrin has landed a role on NBC’s Bad Judge, that centers on a hard-living, sexually unapologetic woman who plays with the law, and whose life on the edge is constantly in balance as she also happens to be a judge in the Criminal Court system.
Zachary Knighton is joining Fox’s Weird Loners, about four comically clueless misfits who have never been able to sustain emotional relationships more than a few weeks gather together and form a new support unit -- a sort of extended family of "weird loners" who have one another's backs, come what may.
Peter Facinelli has been cast in NBC’s Odyssey, that centers on three families who are torn apart when a stranded female soldier, a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy.
Jay Baruchel lands the lead in FX’s Man Seeking Woman, that looks at the life and death stakes of dating in New York City.
John Benjamin Hickey, Daniel Stern and Katja Herbers join WGN America’s Manhattan, set against the backdrop of the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico and follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.
Sarah Snook, Edwin Hodge and Kevin Alejandro have been cast in ABC’s Clementine, that centers on a profoundly troubled 28-year-old psychic who sees her life to begin to change in unexpected ways when she decides to stop running from her past.
Constance Wu will play the mom on ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat, that revolves around a Chinese family that moves to suburban Orlando.
Windell Middlebrooks, Todd Grinnell and Bret Ernst join NBC’s Mason Twins, that centers on fraternal twins in their 30s who find themselves living under the same roof and not at all where they thought they'd be.
Jere Burns and Andree Vermeulen are set to co-star opposite Rashida Jones in TBS’ Tribeca, about an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime and reveal too much personal information about themselves in the process.
Eloise Mumford and Courtney B. Vance have been cast in ABC’s Warriors, that follows the best and brightest of active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine on critically wounded warriors returning home from Afghanistan, on military families and veterans, as well as administering to Washington’s government elite.
Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Zabryna Guevara, Sean Pertwee and Erin Richards will star in Fox’s Gotham, that explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon and the villains who made Gotham City famous. Gordon is still a detective with the Gotham City Police Department and has yet to meet Batman.
Rita Moreno is set to co-star opposite Natasha Lyonne in NBC’s Old Soul, about a young woman who is trying to find herself, but in the meantime she’s working as the aide to a group of opinionated elderly people.
Rob Riggle and Colton Dunn join NBC’s The Pro, about a former tennis doubles champion's career flame-out and misguided investments have left him working as the pro at a tennis and golf club, where he tries to hustle and charm his way back into America’s 1%.
Nick Zano has been cast as the male lead in NBC’s One Big Happy, that centers on a lesbian and her straight male best friend who get pregnant just as he meets and marries the love of his life.
Lucas Black joins NCIS: New Orleans, that centers on the office which handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle.
Laurence Fishburne will recur on ABC’s Untitled Anthony Anderson Project, that centers on an upper-middle-class black man who struggles to raise his children with some sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father, and his own assimilated, color-blind kids.
Jade Catta-Preta has booked ABC’s My Thoughts Exactly, a romantic comedy told from the point of view of both the male and the female. Nicolas Wright has also joined the cast as a series regular.
Tom Cavanagh and John Wesley Shipp join CW’s The Flash, about a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past.
Jamie McShane has been cast star in Netflix’s Untitled Kessler/Zelman Project, that centers on a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother returns home.
Annie Wersching will recur on CBS’ Extant, about a female astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission and discovers that she has become pregnant. Meanwhile, her inventor husband is on the verge of a major breakthrough with his greatest creation: their 10-year-old android son. These events place this extraordinary family at the epicenter of a change in the course of human history, a change that could ultimately tear them apart.
Jonathan Tucker will co-star opposite Frank Grillo in DirecTV’s Navy Street, that follows a family set against the backdrop of a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym in Venice, California.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher is the first cast in ABC’s summer series The Astronaut Wives Club, the true story of the women behind NASA’s early astronauts and the struggles they face when their lives and families are catapulted into the spotlight overnight.
Maggie Lawson will play the lead in CBS’ Save The Date, that centers on a newly single woman, who drunkenly books a wedding venue and is now faced with the task of meeting the right man in time.
Ahna O’Reilly is the first to join CW’s Identity, that centers on a young Brooklynite recruited by the CIA to infiltrate her recently discovered biological family, a wealthy and powerful dynasty in Texas suspected of having criminal alliances across the globe.
Griffin Gluck has been cast in Fox’s Red Band Society, that explores, with dark humor, the daily life of a group of teenage patients living in a hospital who become unlikely friends.
Jonathan Ryland is set for NBC’s Lifesaver, an odd couple comedy in which two polar opposites become inextricably linked after one saves the other’s life.
Oscar Nunez will co-star opposite Eliza Coupe in USA’s Benched, about a lawyer who loses her boyfriend and job on the same day, and is forced to work in the Public Defender's office, where she finds things more out of whack than her personal life.
Greta Gerwig has landed the lead in CBS’ How I Met Your Dad, that follows a group of New York friends and chronicles a female member of the group’s quest to meet her future husband.
Steve Talley is set as one of the leads in ABC’s Damaged Goods, about the sexual politics that have changed between men and women in this post-feminist era.
John Gemberling joins NBC’s Marry Me, that centers on a young couple who get engaged, something they quickly realize is harder than it looks.
Current Series
Eric Lange, will play the young version of Prince Leopold, on ABC’s Once Upon a Time.
B.J. Novak will appear on NBC’s Community.
Lance Reddick is set to guest star on NBC’s The Blacklist.
Hank Azaria and Sherilyn Fenn will both recur on Showtime’s Ray Donovan.
Andy Richter has booked a guest star role on CBS’ The Millers.
Tyler Ross, Sterling Beaumon and Levi Meaden have been cast as series regulars in season 4 of Netflix’s The Killing.
Zachary Knighton will also recur on NBC’s Parenthood.
Jason Gerhardt will appear in ABC’s Mistresses.
Dylan Minnette and Madeline Carroll will play President Fitz and Mellie’s children in ABC’s Scandal.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley is set to recur on CBS’ Two And A Half Men, as a new love interest to Jon Cryer’s character.
Jeff Tweedy will guest star on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.
Jonathan Del Arco will appear as a guest star on CBS’ The Crazy Ones.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is set to appear on Showtime’s Shameless.
Vinessa Shaw has joined Showtime’s Ray Donovan, in a season long arc.
Candace Cameron and Scott Weinger will reunite as a TV couple on ABC’s The Neighbors.
Casey Wilson is set to guest star on ABC’s The Middle.
Roseanne Barr will appear on CBS’ The Millers as a guest star.
Patrick Fabian is set to recur on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.
Ron Canada will guest star on CBS’ Elementary.
Nazanin Boniadi will recur on ABC’s Scandal.
New Series
Aja Naomi King will also recur on ABC’s The Black Box.
Will Sasso will guest star on NBC’s About a Boy.
Titus Welliver is set to guest star on TNT’s The Last Ship.
Idara Victor will recur on AMC’s Turn.
Event Series
Michelle Fairley will recur on Fox’s 24: Live Another Day.
Sarah Jane-Potts has replaced Georgina Rylance in Fox’s Gracepoint.
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Film Development For 2/13/14: Bill Paxton To Direct Adaptation Of ‘The Bottoms’
NEW ATTACHMENTS
The ExpendaBelles Logline: A group of highly-skilled and very deadly female operatives must go under-cover as call girls to infiltrate a dictator's compound where he is hiding the world's premier captured nuclear scientists. Studio/Distributor: Nu Image/Millenium Films Production Companies: Eclectic Pictures, Summerland Entertainment Producers: Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King, Avi Lerner (Executive Producer), Mark Gill (Executive Producer), Heidi Jo Markel (Executive Producer), Julie Kroll (Executive Producer), Trevor Short (Executive Producer), Boaz Davidson (Executive Producer), John Thompson (Executive Producer) Writers: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith Director: Robert Luketic Details: This project is the female version of the Millennium Films franchise The Expendables. SSN Insight: This project re-teams the director Robert Luketic with the writing team from Legally Blonde. October Gale Logline: When a man with a gunshot wound washes up at Helen’s island cottage, the widowed doctor saves him, but the island is cut off from the mainland and the killers are coming to finish their job. Studio/Distributor: Myriad Pictures Production Companies: Killer Films, Blue Ice Entertainment, Samson Films, Pacific Northwest Pictures Producers: Daniel Iron, David Collins, Christine Vachon (Executive Producer), Kirk D’Amico (Executive Producer), Emily Alden (Executive Producer) Cast: Patricia Clarkson Writer: Ruba Nadda Director: Ruba Nadda SSN Insight: This project reunites writer/director Ruba Nadda, producer Daniel Iron & actress Patricia Clarkson for the first time since Cairo Time. 45 Years Logline: An elderly couple's lives are in tumult when the dead body of the husband's ex-girlfriend from 45 years prior surfaces. Production Company: The Bureau Producer: Tristan Golighter Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay Writer: Andrew Haigh Director: Andrew Haigh Details: Project is based on the short story "45 Years" by David Constantine. SSN Insight: The project reunites writer/director Andrew Haigh & producer Tristan Golighter for the first time since Weekend, which won the SXSW Emerging Visions Audience Award.NEW PROJECTS
The Outpost: An Untold Story Of American Valor Logline: An account of one of America’s deadliest battles in Afghanistan, Combat Outpost Keating, when 53 U.S. troops were attacked by Taliban insurgents that outnumbered them 8 to 1. Writers: Paul Tamsay, Eric Johnson Details: Based on the novel "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor" written by Jake Tapper and published by Little, Brown and Company on November 13, 2012. SSN Insight: Writers Paul Tamsay and Eric Johnson used their own money to acquire the rights to the novel. The Bottoms Logline: A boy and his sister discover a body in the river in a racially charged 1930s Texas town and attempt to find the killer. Production Company: Paradise City Producers: Emilie Georges, Nicholas Kaiser, Naima Abed, Nicholas Shumaker, Brad Wyman (Executive Producer) Writer: Brent Hanley Director: Bill Paxton Details: Based on the novel "The Bottoms" written by Joe Lansdale and published by Mysterious Press on May 1, 2000. SSN Insight: Project reunites Bill Paxton with writer Brent Hanley for the first time since Frailty. Untitled (Sony/Rabbids Project) Logline: The irreverent Rabbids who became popular through video games and a TV series are followed through new adventures. Studio/Distributor: Columbia Pictures Production Company: Ubisoft Motion Pictures Details: Project is based on the characters of the Rabbids from Ubisoft’s popular Rayman video games. SSN Insight: The characters the Rabbids from the popular Ubisoft video game already have a tv show, merchandise, comic books and a theme park attraction in France.↧
Executive Shuffle For 2/14/14: Aquamen Entertainment, BBC, Shed Media U.S., Veria Living
Company Launches
Aquamen Entertainment: Chinese Internet mogul Robin Li has backed this production company, which is managed by film director Jeongjung Kim and producer Gary Zhang. Gloria Sanchez Productions: Jessica Elbaum will head this sister company of Gary Sanchez Productions that aims to make female-driven film and television projects. Relativity Digital Studios: Relativity Chief Executive Officer Ryan Kavanaugh has formed this unit to develop digital content on behalf of major brands. Roger Mincheff has joined as Head of the new division, reporting to Randall Cox, President, Relativity Digital. Slingshot Global Media: David Ellender is launching this Los Angeles-based independent production company, which plans to develop and produce drama and comedy series for the U.S. market, as well as globally-appealing projects.Studios, Networks, and Media Conglomerates
20th Century Fox Television: Jeffrey Glaser has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Current Programming. 20th Century Fox Television Distribution: Matthew Robinson has joined as Senior Vice President, International Television. BBC: Janice Hadlow was named Controller, Special Projects and Seasons, beginning in March 2014, in London. NBC Entertainment: Enrique Guillen and Brandon Riegg have both been promoted to Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming. NBCUniversal International Television Production: Jack Burgess and Ben Riley have been named Co-Heads, Factual Development, in London. NBCUniversal International Television Production: Daniel Nettleton and Matt Tiffin have been named Co-Heads, Shiny Floor Development, in London. NBCUniversal International Television Production: Newton Velji has been named Senior Development Producer, Factual and Shiny Floor, in London. Warner Bros. Entertainment: Ana de Castro has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel. Warner Bros./New Line: Candice McDonough has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Publicity and Corporate Communication. She will continue to oversee communications for New Line while expanding her responsibilities at Warner Bros.Film
City of Los Angeles: Ken Ziffren has been appointed Senior Film Advisor. Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films: Tim Sullivan has been promoted to Director, Development. Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films: Jessica Welch has been promoted to Production Executive. Groundswell Productions: Tesha Crawford has joined as Creative Executive. Hoyts Group: Damian Keogh has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer. International Film Trust: Kevin Hoiseth has joined as Director, International Sales. Redbox: Mark Horak has joined as President, beginning in March 2014. Silver Pictures: Ethan Erwin has been promoted to Executive Vice President. Silver Pictures: Aaron Auch and Sarah Meyer have both been promoted to Senior Vice President.Television
Eyeworks USA: Reinout Oerlemans was namedChairman. FremantleMedia North America: David Luner has been promoted to President, Brand Partnerships and Franchise Management. Shed Media U.S.: John Hesling has joined as Senior Vice President, Production. Twenty Twenty: Martha Housden has joined as Head, Development, in London.Agencies, Management Companies, Public Relations, and Law Firms
Abrams Artists Agency: Alec Shankman has joined as Head, Alternative Programming and Digital Media. Circle of Confusion: Jairo Alvarado has joined as a Manager. The Coronel Group: Marnie Sparer has joined as Manager, Talent. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP: John M. Gatti has joined as Partner and Co-Chair, Entertainment Litigation Practice Group. Principato Young Entertainment: Brooke Shoemaker has joined as Manager, Talent.Cable
A+E Studios: Barry Jossen has joined as Executive Vice President. A&E Network: Shelly Tatro has joined as Senior Vice President, Development and Programming. BBC America: Ricky Kelehar has joined as Vice President, Unscripted Programming, beginning March 2014, in New York. CMT: Morgan Selzer has joined as Vice President, Development. Discovery Channel: Paul Schur has been promoted to Vice President, Communications. Discovery Networks UK and Ireland: Susanna Dinnage has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Managing Director. El Rey Network: Renée Mizrahi has joined as Vice President, Integrated Marketing & Ad Sales, in New York. El Rey Network: Melissa Viele Kearney and Chris Owen have been hired as Account Executives, in New York. HGTV and DIY Network: Lynne A. Davis has been named Vice President, National Broadcast Media and Talent Relations, in New York. History: Emily Robinson has joined as Director, Publicity, in New York. IFC: Blake Callaway has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital Media, in New York. MTV: Allie James has been promoted to Manager, Scripted Development. Nickelodeon: Rob Coleman has been named Manager, Live Action Development. Scripps Networks International: Kevin Chorlins has been named Senior Vice President, International Content and Brand Strategy, in New York. SundanceTV: Katie Lanegran has been promoted to Vice President, Public Relations, in New York. TVGN: Leslie J. Isaacs has joined as Vice President, West Coast Ad Sales. TVGN: Takashi Nakano has joined as Vice President, Content Distribution. Veria Living: Douglas Jost has joined as Director, Content Distribution and Marketing, in New York.Digital
Hulu: Peter Naylor has joined as Head, Ad Sales. Skybound Entertainment: Jon Goldman has joined as Managing Director. YouTube: Nathan Kitada has joined as Programming Strategist.Music
10th Street Entertainment: Chris Nilsson has been promoted to President. Eleven Seven Music Group: Rose Slanic has been promoted to General Manager.↧
Rep Moves For 2/14/14: UTA, WME, CAA
Agencies
CAA: Actor Josh Hutcherson is now repped by Dave Bugliari, Michael Cooper, Kevin Huvane and John Garvey. He was previously with ICM Partners. Hutcherson currently stars as Peeta Mellark in the highly successful Hunger Games series. Hutcherson originally got his start in the early 2000s, appearing in features such as American Splendor and Kicking and Screaming, before going on to larger roles in Little Manhattan, Zathura, Firehouse Dog, RV, Bridge to Terabithia, The Kids Are All Right and The Journey to the Center of the Earth franchise. Next up, he will appear in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One and Part Two, the two-film adaptation of the final book in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy. CAA: Actress Gaby Hoffmann is now repped by Mackenzie Condon, John Sacks and Elan Ruspoli. Hoffman recently co-starred in the Sundance critical hit Obvious Child. She’ll also appear in the upcoming feature film Wild, opposite Reese Witherspoon. Acting since age four, Hoffmann earliest roles included the features Field of Dreams, Uncle Buck and Sleepless in Seattle. Her notable credits since that point have included Now and Then, 200 Cigarettes, You Can Count on Me and Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus. She’s also appeared this season on Girls as Caroline Sackler, the sister of Adam Driver’s character. Hoffman’s next slated to appear in the Amazon pilot Transparent as well as the Veronica Mars movie. ICM Partners: Avan Jogia is now repped by Chuck James, Justin Deanda, Alex Saks and Lauren Peñuela. Jogia currently stars as Danny Desai on the ABC Family series Twisted. He was also recently a series regular on the Nickelodeon series Victorious. Jogia first got his start appearing in the lifetime television movie A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story. Since then, Jogia has gone on to appear in recurring roles on Caprica and Aliens in America, as well as the Nickelodeon original movies Spectacular! and Rags. Jogia will next appear in the feature Ten Thousand Saints opposite Ethan Hawke and Emile Hirsh. ICM Partners: Directing duo David Siegel and Scott McGehee are now repped by John Burnham, Bart Walker, Kevin Crotty, Valerie Day and Joanne Wiles. They were previously with WME. The two most recently directed the feature What Maisie Knew, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and starred Julianne Moore. Their first feature was the 1994 film Suture. Siegel and McGehee had their first breakout success with the 2001 indie feature The Deep End, which premiered at Sundance and starred Tilda Swinton. Since then, Siegel and McGehee have gone on to direct the features Bee Season starring Richard Gere and Uncertainty starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Paradigm: Actor, comedian, writer and producer Ken Marino is now repped by Paradigm for acting. He was previously repped at Paradigm only for literary. The signing comes after Marino just landed the lead role in the new NBC pilot Marry Me. He also recently appeared in the hit feature We’re The Millers and recurred on HBO’s final season of Eastbound & Down. Beginning his career as a member of the comedy troupe The State, Marin’s best known credits include MTV’s The State, Party Down, Children’s Hospital, Veronica Mars and the web series Burning Love, which he also directed. Marino other writing and producing credits include Diggers, The Ten and Role Models. Marino will next appear in the new Veronica Mars movie. UTA: Actor Jonny Lee Miller is now repped by Shani Rosenzweig, Brian Swardstrom, and Danie Streisand. Miller currently stars as Sherlock Holmes in the hit CBS series Elementary. Other recent roles include playing the villain Jordan Chase in the fifth season of Dexter and a starring role as the title character in ABC’s Eli Stone. Miller got his first big break appearing as Sick Boy in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting and has since gone on to appear in such features as Afterglow, The Flying Scotsman, Mansfield Park, Melinda and Melinda, Endgame and Dark Shadows. He also starred in BBC productions of Emma, Canterbury Tales and Byron. For his work on Dexter, Miller shared a SAG nomination for Best Ensemble along with the rest of the cast. UTA: Actor, producer, director and screenwriter Liev Schreiber is now repped by Jim Berkus, Jeremy Barber, Brian Swardstrom, and Chris Hart. Schreiber currently stars in Showtime’s Ray Donovan, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination earlier this year. Starting out in indies, Schreiber’s best known credits include the Scream trilogy, Phantoms, The Sum of All Fears, The Manchurian Candidate, The Painted Veil, Defiance, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Salt. He also wrote and directed the feature film Everything is Illuminated. A veteran stage actor, Schreiber has received three Tony nominations over his career. He will next appear in the Ed Zwick-helmed Pawn Sacrifice, currently in post. WME Entertainment: Actress Holliday Grainger is now a client. Grainger will soon appear as stepsister Anastasia in Disney’s upcoming Cinderella feature. Her other recent credits include starring as Bonnie Parker in the hit Bonnie & Clyde television miniseries and playing Lucrezia Borgia in a three season run on Showtime’s The Borgais. Acting since age four, Grainger led an extensive career in the U.K. before achieving international success. Some of her better-known credits include The Scouting Book for Boys, Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, Bel Ami as well as Mike Newell’s adaptation of Great Expectations. Next up, Grainger will appear in the Lone Scherfig feature Posh.↧
Comcast-TWC Execs On What Consumers Can Expect, Meredith Vieira Makes Olympics History, Joel McHale Hosting White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Comcast-TWC Execs On What Consumers Can Expect
Execs from the two cable operators detailed the flurry of activity that led to an early Thursday morning agreement and talked about what customers can look forward to. (THR)Meredith Vieira Makes Olympics History
Bob Costas will once again be forced to sit out NBC’s Friday night coverage of the Winter Olympics and will be replaced by Meredith Vieira, the first woman to ever host the primetime coverage solo. (VAR)Joel McHale Hosting White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Community’s Joel McHale will be the headliner at this year’s politicians and Hollywood-heavy event on May 3. (DH)Is House of Cards Really Television?
Its creator doesn't think so. A conversation with Beau Willimon about streaming, the creative process, and the meaninglessness of the word "television." (ATL)'The Waltons' dad Ralph Waite dies at age 85
EW spoke with Waite last year for their annual Reunions Issue. (EW)European Film Ticket Sales Down 4.1 Percent in 2013
Admissions slip in Germany, the U.K. and France while Italy recovers slightly and Spanish ticket sales collapse. (THR)A Valentine's Day List: Kenneth Turan's DVD Picks of the Week
If you love movies, and you love romance, the DVD world has lots of new releases you can sample. (LAT)Bethenny Frankel’s Talk Show Cancelled
The softly rated syndicated daytime talk show executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres walks into the sunset. (DH)Lego Movie Set to Own Valentine’s Day Weekend
Valentine’s Day and President’s Day should pack a sizable punch at the weekend box office. (VAR)Outfest Announces Lineup For 2014 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival
The festival, presented by HBO and now in its 11th year, will be held from March 14-16 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. (IW)George Clooney Is Causing an Art-Related Ruckus in Europe
George Clooney isn’t merely promoting his movie The Monuments Men - he seems to be living it. (VF)↧
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Awards Originals – 12 Years a Slave Below the Line, BAFTA Predictions, SSN Originals – Akiva Goldsman on Winter’s Tale, Chris Carter on The After
AWARDS ORIGINALS
BAFTA
Which BAFTA Award Predicts an Oscar 80% of the Time?
SSN looks at BAFTA's history and how they have influenced the Academy Awards. (SSN)BAFTA 2014: Below the Line and Behind the Scenes of '12 Years a Slave'
Interviews with the people whose ideas and execution added nuance, depth, and beauty to one of the year’s most accomplished films. (SSN)SSN ORIGINALS
Akiva Goldsman on Making 'Winter's Tale'
SSN spoke with Goldsman about how the film became his most personal and passionate project to date. (SSN)Valentine's Day Box Office Insight
SSN takes a look at which films released the day of or the weekend preceding Valentine’s Day have won hearts at the box office over the past decade. (SSN)Spotlight: 'X-Files' Creator Chris Carter Returns From Sabbatical for Amazon's 'The After'
SSN spoke to Carter about what he thinks of the changing face of television, and why he never, ever reads the comments. (SSN)Rep Moves for 2/14/14
SSN's weekly roundup of agency moves around town. (SSN)Exec Shuffle for 2/14/14
Company launches, studio hires, and film, TV, and management news. (SSN)TODAY'S HEADLINES
Sony’s Cameron Crowe Movie Sees Christmas 2014 Release Date
Columbia Pictures and Regency Enterprises have marked out a December 25, 2014 release date for their untitled Cameron Crowe film. (DH)Ron Howard in Talks to Helm Warner Bros.' 'The Jungle Book'
The move comes a month after Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu fell off of the live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's tale. (THR)Marvel Creating Black Widow Pic for Scarlett Johansson
Kevin Feige is once again discussing the prospects for a Black Widow film now that The Winter Soldier is about to be released on April 4. (VAR)Michael Keaton Inching Closer to 'Beetlejuice 2'
During a press junket for the new RoboCop remake, Keaton told MTV News that he's interested in reuniting with director Tim Burton to make Beetlejuice 2. (LAT)↧
ICYMI: SSN’s Top Original Stories For 2/10 – 2/14/14
Awards Spotlight: ‘The Great Beauty’ Oscar Nom Filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino has an “Awakening of Patriotism” & Talks Fellini
SSN spoke with the 43-year-old Sorrentino about his acclaimed film, the comparisons it’s drawn to Fellini’s works and how he is much more optimistic than the film’s premise would suggest. (SSN)SSN Screening Series: ‘Before Midnight’ Oscar Nom Co-Writer Julie Delpy “The Rhythm is Written in the Screenplay.”
On Wednesday night, SSN held a special screening of Before Midnight at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Midnight‘s lead actress and co-writer Julie Delpy was on hand to field questions from SSN’s Dina Gachman about the last chapter of the acclaimed series. (SSN)Spotlight: Brazilian Director José Padilha Tackles Automated Violence & Irony in ‘RoboCop’
Padilha found success in his native country with his popular crime films, Elite Squad and its sequel Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Padilha makes his Hollywood directorial debut with his updated version of RoboCop, which hits theaters this Friday. SSN spoke with Padilha about why the time is right for RoboCop to be back in the public consciousness. (SSN)Awards Spotlight Part One: Alfonso Cuarón Talks Editing & the Cut Scene that “Changed the Whole Energy” of ‘Gravity’
In the first of a three-part interview, the 52-year-old Cuarón—whose previously-nominated films include Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men—discusses what it was like to edit this enormous job. (SSN)Akiva Goldsman on Making ‘Winter’s Tale’
SSN interviews Goldsman about how the film became his most personal and passionate project to date. (SSN)Spotlight: ‘X-Files’ Creator Chris Carter Returns From Sabbatical for Amazon’s ‘The After’
SSN spoke to Carter about what he thinks of the changing face of television, and why he never, ever reads the comments. (SSN)↧
Awards Originals Spotlight Interviews – Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, David O. Russell, Martin Scorsese
AWARDS ORIGINALS
BEST DIRECTOR
Happy Birthday SSN - A Letter from the Editor
It was one year ago today that Studio System News launched into the world as a must read resource for all things entertainment industry. Here is the letter from SSN’s Executive Editor, Alexa Amin, to commemorate our first year. (SSN)Awards Spotlight Part Two: Gravity Director Alfonso Cuarón Opens Up About Robert Downey Jr.’s Difficult Screen Test
Cuarón has taken home the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and Directors Guild awards as well as numerous regional critics honors for Gravity. In part two of our three-part conversation with the multi-hyphenate talent, we focus on the directorial challenges of his enormous undertaking. A link to Part 1 is included. (SSN)Awards Spotlight: The "Waking Dream" of Oscar Nominated Director David O. Russell
American Hustle rounds out a trio of films, including 2010’s The Fighter and last year’s Silver Linings Playbook, that constitute a career transformation for Russell. He spoke to SSN about the common thread between these three films, why his directing style works for him, and more. (SSN)Awards Spotlight: The One Thing Director Martin Scorsese Desired Most of All on 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Back in December, Martin Scorsese joined SSN after a preview screening of The Wolf of Wall Street to talk about his experience making the film, fighting for creative freedom, and convincing himself he could still take on a film that required so much mental and physical energy to pull off. (SSN)SSN Awards Forecast Formula: Oscar Best Director Probability
We’ve been bringing you SSN’s Oscar nomination predictions based on The Forecast Formula – mathematical models derived from our database of historical awards. Take a look at our numbers for Best Director. (SSN)↧
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