Business

EXCLUSIVE : Laura Fitzpatrick has joined Sony Pictures Imageworks as VP New Business. In her new role, she will be responsible for third party VFX business development and strategic planning for long-term growth. She will also oversee worldwide sales, marketing and client engagement, reporting to EVP Michelle Grady. Upcoming projects Fitzpatrick will have a hand in include the animated features The Sea Beas t and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse . Fitzpatrick most recently served as Global Managing Director at visual effects company Mr. X, where she was responsible for strategic growth planning, financial oversight, and management of teams across multiple facilities. “Laura is a strategic, forward-thinking executive who is admired by peers throughout the industry,” said Grady. “We are extremely excited to welcome Laura into the Imageworks fold.” “I am thrilled to join the award-winning team at Sony Pictures Imageworks,” added Fitzpatrick. “Their creativity … [Read more...] about Sony Pictures Imageworks Appoints Laura Fitzpatrick As VP New Business

The $20M Ukraine Content Club has officially launched and founder Kateryna Vyshnevska is heading to L.A. to drum up support from the major U.S. studios and streamers. Deadline spoke to FILM.UA co-pro exec Vyshnevska last month , at which point she unveiled plans for a fund to help sustain Ukraine ’s embattled TV industry. That fund is now officially called the Ukraine Content Club and is open for investment, backed by the likes of influential UK producer trade body Pact. Vyshnevska, who used to split her time between the UK and Ukraine, told Deadline: “We believe that as an industry we must stand together with our Ukrainian colleagues. An alive and thriving Ukrainian content industry will allow Ukrainian people to rebuild, will foster deeper cultural integration across the world, will take the load off global economies and, therefore, will enable us all to continue doing what we do best – produce content.” She is heading to L.A. to drum up support tomorrow and … [Read more...] about The $20M Ukraine Content Club Is Open For Business; Founder Kateryna Vyshnevska Heading To L.A.

UTA said Monday that it has promoted 54 staffers across its more than 20 divisions, bringing the total number of promotions at the agency to more than 100 over the past year. The moves come in divisions including Audio, Brand Studio, Comedy Touring, Corporate Services, Digital Talent, Endorsements & Voiceover, Finance & Accounting, Fine Arts, Heartland, Human Resources, Independent Film, Information Technology, IQ, Klutch Sports, Motion Picture Literary, Music, Publishing, Talent, Television Literary, Unscripted Television, MediaLink, UTA Speakers and the Web 3.0 department. Overall, the agency said more than 60% of the staffers who were elevated identify as women, while a third are people of color. The agency revealed the names on its Instagram account today. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UTA (@unitedtalent) “As UTA continues to expand and thrive, we are consistently impressed … [Read more...] about UTA Promotes More Than 50 Across Its Divisions

Abhijay Prakash is joining Blumhouse as President—succeeding eight-year Blumhouse veteran Charles Layton , who has long been a close advisor to founder Jason Blum. Layton will segue to Vice-Chairman, staying on in a strategic and advisory role for the next two years, with Prakash now overseeing all business aspects of the company. Prakash was formerly the President of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, where he was responsible for driving the studio’s strategic and long-range planning, also overseeing the business operations of UFEG including finance, business development and administrative functions. Prior to UFEG, he served as Chief Operating Officer for DreamWorks Animation, overseeing the animation studio’s strategic planning and primary business operations including finance, business development, technology and administrative functions, while working closely with other Universal leaders on release planning, franchise management and brand development. Prior to … [Read more...] about Abhijay Prakash Joins Blumhouse As President As Charles Layton Segues To Vice-Chairman

In today’s traditional doubleheader opening of the upfronts in New York, Fox and NBCUniversal execs took digs at the “ paywall ” strategy of Netflix and Disney, in the first of many salvos expected this week. Kicking off Fox’s mostly virtual event, ad sales chief Marianne Gambelli took note of the industry’s shift to subscription streaming in recent years. “Everybody is chasing subscribers” except for Fox, she marveled. Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks took it a step further, telling the ad-buying audience, “”We know that without you, we would just be Netflix.” Entertainment chief Charlie Collier built on those comments in his concluding segment. “Now, Netflix and Disney are coming” to ad-supported streaming, he said. “And what that means is that they can’t afford to build their paywall without your money.” Fox, as Collier and other execs repeated throughout the presentation, emphasizes free and ad-supported programming (though the afternoon did feature a brief plug … [Read more...] about Fox And NBCUniversal Upfronts Presenters Take Digs At Netflix And Disney “Paywall”

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reported Monday in a securities filing that it has acquired a stake in Paramount Global after acquiring $2.6 billion in Class B shares. The SEC Form 13F filing showed that Buffett’s company acquired almost 69 million shares of Paramount Global during the first quarter, along with revealing that it also took other stakes in companies like Citibank. Overall, the investing giant acquired $51 billion in stocks during the first three months of 2022. Buffett, who also owns stakes in entertainment companies like Apple and Amazon, buys into Paramount Global, formerly ViacomCBS, after the company’s Q1 2022 results included subscriber gains in its flagship streaming service Paramount+ and Tubi, topping expectations. But Wall Street skepticism on the limits of streaming gains sector-wide has kept the stock in the red for the year. Paramount Global stock remains fully majority controlled by Shari Redstone and the Redstone family’s National … [Read more...] about Warren Buffett Reveals $2.6B Investment In Paramount Global

EXCLUSIVE : The Hideaway Entertainment has promoted Kristy Grisham to SVP of Development and Production, upping Ryan Cassells to Director of Development and Production, and tapping Jennifer Cox as Creative Executive. The company’s expansion reflects a recent initiative to ramp up their slate by buying and optioning books, screenplays, life rights and other IP in all stages of development. In her role, Grisham will be responsible for overseeing development and production on The Hideaway’s current slate of film and television projects, including its adaptation of Dan Schilling’s book Combat Control with Thruline Entertainment Partner Ron West ( The Great ) and screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn ( Billions ). Grisham was integral in bringing the book proposal to the company and packaging the movie, which is being directed by Sam Hargrave ( Extraction ), with The Hideaway and MGM co-financing. Grisham is also overseeing Otherwise Illegal Activity from The … [Read more...] about The Hideaway Entertainment Bolsters Executive Team; Kristy Grisham Promoted To SVP, Development And Production

As YouTube took its first step onto turf long controlled by television — upfronts week in New York — the Google-owned video operation released new research affirming its connection with viewers. The new study conducted with the firm Talk Shoppe was summed up with the acronym RISE, short for relevance, intellectual, sensorial and emotional. It found that 86% of survey respondents said YouTube delivered relevant and intellectual programming, compared with results in the 73% to 79% range for other platforms. In terms of emotion, the number was 84%, edging social media at 80%. The lone category where YouTube did not come out No. 1 was in sensorial — aka the way programming looks and sounds — where it rated 72% and trailed streaming’s 76%. The stats were delivered as part of a breakfast hosted at the St. Regis Hotel. Tara Wolpert-Levy, VP of the Americas for YouTube, delivered remarks along with Andrew Robertson, CEO of ad agency BBDO, and prominent creator Mark Rober. … [Read more...] about YouTube Kicks Off Upfront Week With Research Asserting Its Bond With Viewers Is Tighter Than TV, Streaming Or Social Media

Palme d’Or winning actress Léa Seydoux will star in Happening filmmaker Audrey Diwan ’s English-language directorial debut, Emmanuelle , inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski. The Arsan book follows a young woman’s sexual journey from the arms of her husband to intimate encounters with the wives of his business associates, to further explorations wherein the philosophical and aesthetic facets of eroticism are expounded—and enacted—to the fullest degree. Diwan’s second feature, Happening, adapted from Annie Ernaux’s book recounting her illegal abortion in the 1960s, received the Golden Lion at the 2021 Venice Film Festival; four César Award nominations, including a win for Most Promising Newcomer for Anamaria Vartolomei; and a BAFTA Award nomination; among other honors. The pic features a cast of stellar emerging French acting talent including Anamaria Vartolomei, Kacey Mottet-Klein and Luana Bajrami. … [Read more...] about Léa Seydoux Set For Audrey Diwan’s English-Language Directorial Debut ‘Emmanuelle’ – Cannes

Paramount Global has handed Marco Nobili and Olivier Jollet key new roles as its seeks to turbo-charge expansion of its international streaming services. Nobili has been promoted to Executive Vice President and International General Manager of Paramount+, where he will oversee the studio streamer’s expansion in markets worldwide, while Jollet becomes Executive Vice President, International General Manager of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) service Pluto TV. Both execs will dually report into Raffaele Annecchino, Paramount’s President and CEO of International Networks, Studios and Streaming, and Pluto TV co-founder Tom Ryan, who is Paramount’s President and CEO of Streaming. Former Amazon and Netflix exec Nobili, previously Senior Vice President  of International Marketing, Data and Analytics for Paramount Global’s streaming division, will now oversee Paramount+’s operations outside the U.S. including content, marketing, distribution, data and operations. … [Read more...] about Paramount Ups Marco Nobili And Olivier Jollet To Key Global Streaming Roles As Paramount+ And Pluto TV Expansion Continues