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With the five high-ranking agents leaving CAA for United Talent Agency, the former planning to pursue legal action against UTA and the defecting agents. Employee agreements were said to be in place for Jason Heyman, Martin Lesak, Greg McKnight, Greg Cavic and Nick Nuciforo, the agents set to join UTA as partners. CAA execs are said to be furious, as a number of actors are now in play, and people like Chris Pratt and Will Ferrell have already shifted to UTA.
(VAR)
Directors of the leading Chinese film and television company formally approved an 18-film co-financing and distribution agreement with Bob Simonds' new production entity. The deal marks one of the first major investments by a Chinese company in a Hollywood studio film slate and became effective after it received Huayi Brothers' shareholder approval at a meeting in Beijing earlier today.
(THR)
Lionsgate Premiere will handle up to 15 releases a year, targeting young audiences at theaters and digital outlets, the studio said this morning. The new label, part of the company’s diversification effort, will incorporate Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment titles and then specialize in “innovative multiplatform and other release strategies” to reach “affinity audiences with branded content and targeted marketing.”
(DH)
Greg McLean has been hired to direct
The Belco Experiment, which Gunn will also produce, along with Peter Safran. The story revolves around the American Belco company in South America which is mysteriously sealed off at the beginning of a work day, and its employees are ordered to kill each other or be killed themselves. This starts an escalation of violence, where we discover the true nature of each and every Belco employee.
(SF)
The show, which released its entire 13-episode first season on March 20, stars Kyle Chandler (
Friday Night Lights) as a Florida detective whose seedy family secrets come to light when his black sheep brother returns home. No specifics on when Season Two will air, but the thought is that will happen in 2016.
(TVL)
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has joined the cast as Killer Croc, a major Batman villain from the comic books. Additionally, newcomer Karen Fukuhara has come on board the film in an unknown capacity. David Ayer is directing the film, which also stars Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Caraa Delvigne, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman and others, and is about to go into production for an August 5th, 2016 release.
(CBR)
Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell star in the series, which was just give a new, 10-episode order to air in 2016. Shield has been nominated for three Emmys and as won a Golden Globe for his performance on the show, which also stars Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Donis Leonard Jr. and Emmy winner Glynn Turman.
(CS)
Before the legendary Letterman ends his incredible run on May 20, longtime
Late Show writer Tom Ruprecht shares a few funny stories from behind the scenes of the groundbreaking show, including some fascinating (but unsurprising) information about Willie Nelson’s tour bus.
(VUL)
The first look at the Sundance dark comedy starring Jack Black and James Marsden. Screenwriters Andrew Mogel and Jarred Paul make their directorial debut with the movie, which hits theaters a week from Friday, April 10th.
(CB)
The 119-page shooting draft, by Jean Shepherd, Bob Clark and Leigh Brown, based on original material by Jean Shepherd. The script is dated December 7th, 1982.
(DS)
