Piers morgan

There was a moment last November when Channel 4 ’s senior executives breathed a sigh of relief. Sat at the top table of Channel 4’s 40th birthday party, Chief Executive Alex Mahon was flanked by her friend Elisabeth Murdoch and doyens of UK broadcasting, including BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Carolyn McCall, ITV’s Chief Executive. They were raising a glass to a British success story in a rare public display of unity. On the same table was Thérèse Coffey, a senior government minister who had survived three prime ministers in the space of little more than three months. Her presence at the V&A Museum event bemused others, who believed the government only had hostile intentions for Channel 4 after sanctioning a sale of the broadcaster against its wishes. Things soon got weirder. Coffey turned to Mahon and asked if she could raise a glass to Channel 4. She then proceeded to surprise the room full of TV luminaries by serenading her hosts with a rendition of happy … [Read more...] about Channel 4: Inside The Doomed Sale Of A Crown Jewel Of British Television

Benedict Cumberbatch is to lead and EP Netflix ’s Eric , playing a puppeteer whose son goes missing in 1980s Manhattan. Netflix has set cast on the Abi Morgan -penned show from Chernobyl producer Sister and the likes of Gaby Hoffman, McKinley Belcher II, Dan Fogler and Phoebe Nicholls will star opposite Cumberbatch. Cast is rounded out by Clarke Peters, Ivan Morris Howe, David Denman, Bamar Kane, Adepero Odyue, Alexis Molnar and Roberta Colindrez. The six-parter follows Vincent Anderson (Cumberbatch), a grief-stricken puppeteer on a leading TV show whose young boy goes missing and who finds solace through his friendship with Eric, the monster that lives under his son’s bed. The Split scribe Morgan’s Little Chick is producing with Sister and Morgan EPing alongside Cumberbatch, Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke and Lucy Forbes. “Eric is a dark and crazy journey into the heart of 1980’s New York, and the good bad and ugly world of Vincent,” said Morgan. “The chance … [Read more...] about Benedict Cumberbatch To Lead & EP Netflix’s ‘Eric’ From Abi Morgan & Sister

EXCLUSIVE: Paul McCartney ’s incredible creative output in the decade after he left The Beatles will come into focus in Man on the Run (working title), a documentary to be directed by Oscar and Grammy winner Morgan Neville . MPL and Polygram Entertainment – the film and television unit of Universal Music Group – announced the project today, a day before the 65 th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The feature film will explore “Paul McCartney’s extraordinary life following the breakup of The Beatles and how the love he shared with Linda McCartney influenced a journey that would lead to the formation of Wings and more of the greatest music ever created.” Neville, whose directing credits include 20 Feet From Stardom , Won’t You Be My Neighbor , and Roadrunner: An Anthony Bourdain Movie , has been granted access to never-before-seen home videos and photos from the archives of McCartney and his late wife, Linda. The archival material will be … [Read more...] about Paul McCartney’s Decade-Long Creative Surge Post-Beatles To Be Explored In ‘Man On The Run’ From Oscar Winner Morgan Neville

The Only Way is Essex indie Lime Pictures has unveiled UK entertainment vet Mirella Breda as its Chief Creative Officer, Unscripted. Breda, Escape to the Chateau indie Two Rivers Media’s Head of Entertainment, joins in the newly-created role, which was revealed last month following the departure of Lime’s Sarah Tyekiff and decision by the All3Media -backed indie to forge popular factual division with All3Media stablemates Lion Television and Wise Owl Films. Lime produces reality hits such as The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore and scripted shows including Hollyoaks and Free Rein. Breda, whose past credits include Big Brother , Stars in Their Eyes and Tenable and is a former MD of Big Brother producer Initial, will oversee the division that will forge popular factual shows for the domestic and global market. Tyekiff is departing soon to launch her own production company while Rebecca Kenny-Smith was recently promoted to Director of … [Read more...] about ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ Indie Lime Pictures Unveils Chief Creative Officer For Unscripted

A Dexter prequel series about the Trinity Killer is being considered at Showtime , following the announcement two spinoff projects have received straight-to-series orders. Not much was revealed about the Trinity killer project, only that it focuses on the makings of the notorious serial killer played by John Lithgow in the original series. Lithgow has previously mentioned Trinity is the character he is most often asked about with most fans confessing how truly horrifying he was to watch. The other two projects include Dexter : Origins and the next chapter of Dexter: New Blood . Origins will focus on young Dexter Morgan (originally played by Michael C. Hall) at the outset of his transition into the avenging serial killer he would become.  Set in Miami, the series will begin as Dexter graduates college to join Miami Metro, where he meets younger versions of many of the characters we came to know in the OG series. Dexter’s family will also be portrayed, … [Read more...] about Showtime Eyeing ‘Dexter’ Prequel Series About Trinity Killer

Super Sunday is upon us — and with it, Madison Avenue’s annual spending spree, which has seen the Big Game’s Hollywood quotient rise noticeably in recent years. Celebrity product pitches date back to the days of leather helmets, of course, but in the increasingly rare air of the Super Bowl they have started to overtake the left-field breakouts of the past by the likes of Puppy Monkey Baby or beer-loving frogs. With Fox’s telecast commanding a peak level of more than $7 million for 30-second spots, producers and brands again are banking on stars in a big way. Super Bowl LVII , a contest in Arizona between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs , will feature commercials starring Will Ferrell , Melissa McCarthy, Miles and Keleigh Teller and Sylvester Stallone, among others. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reteam as their Breaking Bad characters to plug Popcorners . Brian Cox joins a roster of A-list athletes for a riff on Caddyshack , and Alicia Silverstone leads a … [Read more...] about Super Bowl Commercials 2023: Watch Ads With Melissa McCarthy, Bryan Cranston, Serena Williams, Danny McBride And More

Penske Media Corporation, Deadline’s parent company, has made a strategic investment in Vox Media and is now its largest shareholder. Vox is the owner of media brands such as Vox, New York magazine, The Verge, The Cut, Eater, Vulture, The Strategist, Polygon, SB Nation, Curbed and several more. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The companies will continue to operate independently after the transaction. “I have long admired Vox Media’s world-class editorial teams and brands,” said Jay Penske, CEO and Founder of Penske Media. “We deeply respect the track record of both Jim Bankoff and the senior leadership team at Vox, and the company’s remarkable growth over the last decade. The Penske Media and Vox Media alliance will further cement both companies as leaders in modern media and take advantage of new opportunities at scale. Our two companies share a similar history of organic and acquisitive growth over time, and it made sense to invest for the future.” Penske … [Read more...] about Penske Media Takes Stake In Vox Media, Becoming Its Largest Shareholder

Ben Stiller is setting an acting return with Three Identical Strangers , a high-profile limited series package that just hit the premium/streaming marketplace. Stiller is in final negotiations to headline and executive produce the series, a multi-decade family drama inspired by the incredible true story of identical triplet brothers separated at birth. The project hails from Party of Five co-creator Amy Lippman , Sony Pictures Television and its TriStar Television division as well as SK Global Entertainment. Set in New York over several decades, Three Identical Strangers tells the story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman and Eddy Galland, three complete strangers who inadvertently discover that they are identical triplets separated at birth. When the 19-year-olds’ joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, it also sets a chain of extraordinary and disturbing events in motion. Stiller is slated to play all three brothers as adults. He executive produces through … [Read more...] about Ben Stiller Poised To Play Title Roles In ‘Three Identical Strangers’ Limited Series From Amy Lippman & Sony TV

NEON , which already made waves at the Sundance Film Festival when 30WEST announced it was acquiring a majority stake in the upstart distributor , has just acquired domestic rights to Monsters And Men . The drama written and directed by first-timer Reinaldo Marcus Green bowed Friday in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section. The deal was negotiated by the company and Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Terms were not disclosed. The plot interweaves the story of what happens in the aftermath of a police shooting in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood told through the eyes of the bystander who filmed the act, a black police officer and a high school baseball phenom inspired to take a stand, showing the impact of racism and violence on a community. The cast includes John David Washington, Anthony Ramos, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chanté Adams, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Nicole Beharie, Rob Morgan and Cara Buono. Elizabeth Lodge Stepp and Josh Penn of The Department … [Read more...] about NEON Snags Rights To ‘Monsters And Men’ At Sundance