AWARDS HEADLINES
Lady Gaga to Perform “Multi-Sensory” Tribute to David Bowie at the Grammy’s
Lady Gaga will perform a tribute to the late David Bowie at The 58th Annual Grammy Awards on Monday, February 15. The Recording Academy describes the tribute as an experiential “multi-sensory testament to Bowie’s artistry and a reflection of his limitless creativity”. (DL)
Clive Owen, Meryl Streep and Others to Pick Bear Award Winners at Berlin Film Festival
The Berlin Film Festival has named the full seven-person jury that will judge the lineup this year. Three-time Oscar winner Streep will preside over the jury. Bear award winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on February 20. (THR)
OTHER HEADLINES
Secretive Startup Magic Leap Now has $1.4 Billion in Funding
Magic Leap, a secretive startup developing an augmented-reality system, announced $793.5 million in funding led by Alibaba Group with participation from Warner Bros. and others. The new funding brings its total to nearly $1.4 billion raised with the latest round giving the company a value of $4.5 billion. (VAR)
‘Orphan Black’ Producer Temple Street Productions Launches Animation Division
Temple Street Productions, the company behind BBC America’s popular Orphan Black series, is forming a new parent company, Boat Rocker Media, to oversee five business lines, including a 2D and 3D animated content studio in Toronto. (THR)
Universal May Have Found Their Enigmatic Mary Magdalene
Rooney Mara is in talks to star as Mary Magdalene in Garth Davis’ biopic at Universal. The project is set to be an authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history. (DL)
Sundance 2016: The Complete List of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu’s Acquisitions
The 2016 Sundance Film Festival, which wrapped on Sunday, marked the moment that streaming services came of age as buyers on the festival circuit. Here’s the complete list of what Hulu, Amazon and Netflix snagged. (VI)
There’s a New Boss in Town: Julie Menin Chosen as New York City Film Czar
Julie Menin has been chosen by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as New York City’s new film czar. Menin will succeed Cynthia Lopez, who stepped down from the post in October. (THR)
Did you Get the Invite? Fox Innovation Lab Explores VR with Two-Day Summit
Around 80 virtual and augmented reality experts are congregating in Los Angeles Tuesday and Wednesday this week as part of an invite-only summit held by the Fox Innovation Lab. The event will have panels exploring explore the possibilities of mixed reality, VR production, immersive audio, VR hardware and more. (VAR)
Online Film School: 25 Sundance Filmmakers Reveal How They Were Discovered
Indiewire asked directors at this year’s Sundance Film Festival what the biggest break has been in their career up to this point, and the wide array of answers highlights just how many different ways independent filmmakers get their movies made and their talents discovered. (IW)
Trailer Buzz: Netflix’s New Sketch Comedy Show, ‘The Characters’
With The Characters sketch series, Netflix is looking to give the next generation of comedians a boost. Each 30-minute episode of the series is written by and stars a different comedian, who can do whatever they wish with the time allotted. (SF)