Broad Green Pictures and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have inked a multi-year agreement with Universal handling Blu-ray and DVD distribution for all Broad Green titles. Broad Green will continue to run sales and marketing. On the slate for Broad Green are 16 speciality and wide-release films per year to be distributed across multiple platforms. Films include: 99 Homes, A Walk In The Woods, Infiltrator, Brain On Fire, Samba, I Smile Back and Learning To Drive, Terrence Malick’s Knight Of Cups, Voyage Of Time and a yet untitled project starring Ryan Gosling.
Alchemy, the largest independent distributor of film and television content in North America, has secured distribution deals with leading content producers Archstone, Hollywood Media Bridge, and The Little Film Company to further build out its feature film pipeline. Under the agreements, Alchemy will provide tailored release strategies for each title utilizing its network of diverse distribution platforms to maximize each film’s potential, with the goal of growing each partner’s line.
Bill Simmons has signed a mega exclusive multi-year, multi-platform deal with HBO. Simmons had previously left ESPN where he was Editor in Chief of Grantland after his contract was not renewed in May. As part of the new deal Simmons will star in a weekly talk show series for HBO set to premiere in 2016. He will have a production deal to produce content including video podcasts and features and will consult for HBO Sports to include the development of new show and documentaries.
Actress Eliza Coupe has inked a development deal with ABC Studios and ABC Signature Studios. She is best known for her role as Jane Kerkovich-Williams for three seasons on the ABC sitcom Happy Endings. She also starred in USA’s Benched developed by ABC Signature, the boutique division of ABC Studios. She recently was seen in Hulu’s comedy series Casual.
Basketball superstar LeBron James has inked a content creation deal with Warner Bros Entertainment through his SpringHill Entertainment shingle to produce content for TV, film and digital. LeBron James was recently seen in the film Trainwreck now in theaters. SpringHill’s series include Disney XD’s inspirational series Becoming, the Starz’ scripted comedy Survivor’s Remorse, Turner’s multimedia platform Uninterrupted within Bleacher Report and an as yet untitled game show for NBC.
Popular YA novelist, John Green, author of Paper Towns, the adaptation of which is now in theaters, has signed a first look deal with Fox 2000. His other novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was also adapted and grossed over $300 million worldwide. The next film based on a novel of his, Looking for Alaska, is in development at Paramount. Green is repped by UTA and Writers House.