Turner Classic Movies is devoting the entire month of April to celebrating the 100th anniversary of its landlord, Warner Bros ., with hundreds of films from every decade of the studio, plus a variety of interstitials, documentaries, shorts and Looney Tunes cartoons, as well as interviews with stars and directors focusing on the cinematic achievements of the storied movie factory. Viewers got a taste of the anniversary doings with a tribute reel of highlights of the first 100 years of WB on this year’s Oscar show . But that reel was nearly as much about the studio’s own homegrown output as it was about some classics it acquired ownership to through various transactions with the likes of MGM, New Line Cinema and others. Thus Oscar viewers saw such MGM movies as The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, Ben-Hur and 2001: A Space Odyssey, along with NL behemoths like the Lord of the Rings and Austin Powers franchises stirred in the same pot as actual Warners “product” as … [Read more...] about Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Kicks Into High Gear With All April TCM Movie Programming Devoted To The Studio
Hbo warner bros
George Clooney & Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures Coming Home To Warner Bros In Film Deal With Co-Heads Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy
EXCLUSIVE : Smokehouse Pictures partner George Clooney and Grant Heslov have signed an overall film deal with the Warner Bros. Pictures Group and its Co-Chairs and CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy . It amounts to a homecoming for the filmmakers, who named their company for the Smoke House steak joint right off the Warner Bros lot, where they used to eat all the time. Clooney’s history with the studio goes back to his breakthrough starring role in the Warner Bros Television drama ER. They made their first deal at Warner Bros when they formed Smokehouse in 2006. The duo told those who attended with them during a Q&A session at last Friday night’s screening of All The President’s Men that is part of a monthly screening series of WB classics set up by De Luca & Abdy. Clooney and Heslov will return to offices on the lot — one of the few pictures Clooney had on the wall that I observed was him in the Batman mask, as he didn’t like the fit and wanted to remind himself to … [Read more...] about George Clooney & Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures Coming Home To Warner Bros In Film Deal With Co-Heads Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy
HBO Content Chief Casey Bloys’ Heartfelt ‘Succession’ Sendoff, A Series That Weathered A Few Real-Life Corporate Mergers
The first premiere of Succession was in 2018 at the NYC complex formerly known as the Time Warner Center. “A lot has happened in those five years. We’ve had a couple of corporate mergers, a global pandemic, a few Emmys,” said Casey Bloys , chairman-CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content at the premiere of the series fourth and final season. HBO parent Warner Media was sold to AT&T in a deal that closed that year. The telecom giant then sold it to Discovery in 2022. At the Season 3 premiere in October of 2021 the deal to create Warner Bros. Discovery had been announced but not yet closed. “It’s been a wild ride. But we are so proud to be the home of Succession ,” Bloys said taking the stage at the event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Succession happens to be a show where tortured M&A attempts and boardroom infighting by a charismatic ensemble led by Brian Cox as media mogul-patriarch Logan Roy are integral to the action. “It’s been a joy from day one,“ Bloys said … [Read more...] about HBO Content Chief Casey Bloys’ Heartfelt ‘Succession’ Sendoff, A Series That Weathered A Few Real-Life Corporate Mergers
“I’d Make Kate Winslet A National Treasure”: HBO’s Casey Bloys Talks ‘The Palace’, Upcoming Slate & International Plans – Series Mania
Casey Bloys wants Kate Winslet to be venerated in the States. During a closing keynote session here in Lille, France at Series Mania, HBO and HBO Max Chairman and CEO Bloys told delegates he had recently visited London, where Winslet is filming the Stephen Frears, Will Tracy and Frank Rich series The Palace (WT). “If the U.S. could make her a national treasure I would like to do that,” he said, to laughs and applause in the room. “I think she’s great and the dailies I’ve seen of the show are fantastic.” In February, HBO released a first look of Mare of Easttown star Winslet in The Palace , which tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel. Cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton and Hugh Grant. RELATED: Deadline’s Full Coverage Of Series Mania 2023 Bloys delved deep into his slate, pointing to new seasons of House of the … [Read more...] about “I’d Make Kate Winslet A National Treasure”: HBO’s Casey Bloys Talks ‘The Palace’, Upcoming Slate & International Plans – Series Mania
Robin Thede Developing HBO Comedy Series ‘Disengagement’
HBO is developing the new comedy series Disengagement from writer and executive producer Robin Thede ( A Black Lady Sketch Show ). The half-hour project comes after Thede who signed a three-year overall deal in May 2022 to develop projects for HBO , HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Television. Disengagement centers on the prestigious Cole family after a very public and embarrassing business implosion shattered their perfect Midwest image. And it was just an image, because, behind closed doors, even their dysfunction has dysfunction, proving family is the ultimate pyramid scheme. Thede will serve as writer and executive producer of the series; Meghan Cheek will produce through Thede’s production company, For Better or Words, Inc. Thede is a comedian, writer, actor, and producer. Five-time Emmy-nominee, Thede is the creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer, and star of HBO’s sketch comedy series, A Black Lady Sketch Show . A Black Lady Sketch Show is the … [Read more...] about Robin Thede Developing HBO Comedy Series ‘Disengagement’
‘House Of The Dragon’ To Get Shorter Season 2 As HBO Series Eyes Season 3 Greenlight
EXCLUSIVE : The upcoming second season of HBO ’s House of the Dragon will consist of eight episodes, two fewer than Season 1 of the Critics Choice Award-winning Game of Thrones prequel. It is part of a long-term plan for the show, which includes HBO mulling a green light for a third season, I have learned. The news comes as production is about to begin on Season 2 in the UK for a likely summer 2024 premiere. In what is a relatively common practice, HBO did not reveal the episode order in the Season 2 renewal announcement last summer. I hear the initial plan was for another 10-episode arc, which eventually changed, leading to some script rewrites. Given the leadership change at HBO’s parent company, some pointed at Warner Bros. Discovery leadership’s focus on cost-cutting. An HBO spokesperson, who confirmed to Deadline that Season 2 will contain 8 episodes, stressed that the episode count trim was story-driven. It has been reported that House of the Dragon’s creative … [Read more...] about ‘House Of The Dragon’ To Get Shorter Season 2 As HBO Series Eyes Season 3 Greenlight
‘Westworld’ Co-Creator Lisa Joy On How The HBO Smash “Went From Sci-Fi To Documentary” Through The Seasons – Series Mania
The issues Westworld was exploring went from “sci-fi to documentary film” through the years, according to co-creator Lisa Joy , who hinted at what a fifth season of the HBO smash could have looked like. Delivering a Series Mania keynote, Joy said that advances in AI and the invention of ChatGPT mean that Westworld’s subject matter has become more relevant and contemporaneous of late. “These topics will continue to be explored if not in Westworld then in other series, taking [the topic] to new levels,” she said, in conversation with Deadline. “I think it’s an area rife with possibility.” Westworld was canceled by HBO Max after four seasons late last year and both Joy and co-creator Jonathan Nolan have said they would have liked it to continue for a fifth and final instalment. Roku and Tubi have since picked up the show’s back catalog. Throughout the series, which lasted for six years from 2016, Joy explained the issues Westworld was exploring “went … [Read more...] about ‘Westworld’ Co-Creator Lisa Joy On How The HBO Smash “Went From Sci-Fi To Documentary” Through The Seasons – Series Mania
‘Bass Reeves’: Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis Among 5 Cast In Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ Series
EXCLUSIVE: Joaquina Kalukango ( Lovecraft Country ), Lonnie Chavis ( This is Us ), Rob Morgan ( Mudbou nd) , Ryan O’Nan ( Queen of the South ) and Justin Hurtt-Dunkley ( Mare of Easttown ) have been tapped for key recurring roles opposite David Oyelowo and Dennis Quaid in Bass Reeves , from Yellowstone co-creator/showrunner Taylor Sheridan . Bass Reeves , which is in production in Texas, brings the legendary lawman of the Wild West to life. Reeves (Oyelowo), known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing more than 3,000 of dangerous criminals without ever being wounded. RELATED: 2023 Paramount+ Pilots & Series Orders Kalukango will play Esme, a former enslaved woman who is as good as family with the Reeves’ and also has some different ideas about the future. Chavis will play Arthur Mayberry, a sweet young boy with eyes … [Read more...] about ‘Bass Reeves’: Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis Among 5 Cast In Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ Series
BAFTA TV Awards Nominations: ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ & ‘The Responder’ Lead Chase For Prizes
BAFTA has pulled the curtain back on its Television Awards nominations, and This Is Going To Hurt and The Responder are leading the chase for a famous bronze mask. The BBC dramas each have six nominations across the BAFTA Television Awards and BAFTA Television Craft Awards, including Leading Actor for Ben Whishaw and Martin Freeman. Whishaw plays junior doctor Adam Kay in This Is Going To Hurt , which was co-produced by AMC. Freeman features as an urgent response police officer in The Responder . This Is Going To Hurt is nominated for Mini Series, while The Responder will compete in the Drama Series race. Adam Kay and Tony Schumacher will both do battle in the Writer: Drama category at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards. The BBC has a total of 81 nominations, putting it comfortably ahead of its nearest rival Channel 4, which has 33 nominations. Netflix scooped 24 nominations, while Apple TV+ was behind with 15. Bad Sisters and Slow Horses both … [Read more...] about BAFTA TV Awards Nominations: ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ & ‘The Responder’ Lead Chase For Prizes
Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho, ZQ Entertainment Team On ‘God’s Country’ Starring Melissa Barrera; Egor Abramenko Directing – EFM
EXCLUSIVE : Matt Reeves ’ 6th & Idaho is teaming with ZQ Entertainment to produce God’s Country — a new genre film starring Scream VI’ s Melissa Barrera , which will mark the American directorial debut of Egor Abramenko ( Sputnik ). The film going into production this summer will have Barrera playing a young Salvadoran woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé. What she uncovers is something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions. Will Soodik ( Westworld ) wrote the script. Reeves ( The Batman ) and Rafi Crohn ( Tales from the Loop ) will produce for 6th & Idaho, alongside ZQ Entertainment’s Ara Keshishian and Petr Jákl (who financed the development), Adam Kassan ( End of Watch ), and Barrera. WME reps foreign and co-represents domestic rights with CAA Media Finance, and will introduce the project at EFM. “Egor is an exciting emerging talent,” Reeves told Deadline, “and … [Read more...] about Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho, ZQ Entertainment Team On ‘God’s Country’ Starring Melissa Barrera; Egor Abramenko Directing – EFM