Project oxford university press

Jordan Moblo has moved from Netflix to Universal Studio Group to oversee its IP charge. Moblo becomes EVP, Creative Acquisitions and IP Management at the NBCUniversal studio. He was previously Director of IP Scouting at the streamer. “Jordan has impeccable taste in identifying and securing intellectual property that can be brought to series,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, USG. “We’re beyond pleased to have his expertise in sourcing and acquiring projects across the entire USG portfolio while building a team to acquire compelling content that aligns with and broadens our notable roster.” Moblo will be responsible for sourcing and acquiring content for Universal Television, UCP, Universal International Studios and Universal Television Alternative Studio. He will report directly to Universal Television President Erin Underhill, UCP and Universal International Studios President Beatrice Springborn and Universal Television Alternative Studio President Toby Gorman. … [Read more...] about Universal Studio Group Hires Netflix’s Jordan Moblo To Lead IP Division

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Television Group has announced the seven directors selected for the 2022 WBTV Directors’ Workshop. The 2022 edition will be the first in-person class of the workship since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The WBTV Directors’ Workshop launched in 2013 with the aim to discover new and innovative talent, to prepare directors from other creative fields (motion pictures, commercials, music videos, shortform content, etc.) for the transition to television, and to provide increased opportunities for women helmers and those from underrepresented groups. Since its founding, the Directors’ Workshop has helped to launch or further the TV directing careers of more than 60 women and/or people of color, according to WBTV. This year’s class was instructed by directors Bethany Rooney and Stacey K. Black. Prior Directors’ Workshop graduates include Bola Ogun ( Shadow & Bone, The Witcher, Walker, Lucifer ), Stacey Muhammad ( Queen Sugar, Harlem, … [Read more...] about WBTV Sets 2022 Television Directors Workshop Participants

Billy Eichner had one lesson he wanted to impart to Nick Stoller as they attempted to write what would become the first gay romantic comedy release by a major studio: Love is, in fact, not love. “I knew it was such a huge opportunity,” says Eichner, the star and co-writer of Bros , due out Sept. 30. “But what I told him right off the bat is, ‘If we’re going to do this, you have to understand that this is not as simple as doing When Harry Met Sally and swapping in two men.'” Stoller, who directed Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors , had to shake off some universalist impulses to co-write and direct Bros , which is getting a big push from Universal Studios. “I did come into this being like, ‘Well, all relationships, whether straight or gay or whatever, are, on some fundamental level, the same,’” says Stoller. “And Billy came into this saying, ‘No! It’s super different.’ I kind of went to a class taught by him where he explains, in great … [Read more...] about ‘Gay Men Make Up Our Own Rules’: Inside the Making of ‘Bros’

“There’s a saying in the Ivory Coast,” says Pierre Kwenders as he slides from English to French. “ Tant qu’il y a de la vie, il y a de l’espoir. ‘Where there is life there is hope.’ Hope keeps us alive. We need to dream, dream for a better world. We need to be mature enough to learn from our mistakes and keep trying to be better.” With that forward-looking gaze, the 36-year-old singer, songwriter, DJ, actor, and style-setter  simultaneously shrinks the world and expands it. With his new album, José Luis and the Paradox of Love, Kwenders connects collaborators from musical hotspots as far-flung as Kinshasa, Paris, Lisbon, Santiago de Chile, Brooklyn, New Orleans, and Seattle. His songs fuse African musical styles from across decades and countries with of-the-moment R&B sensualism, smooth-jazz ambiance, and dancefloor-directed groove. His lyrics, sung in five different languages, expose his fears and flaws while celebrating his multifaceted humanity. It’s a fluid, … [Read more...] about Pierre Kwenders’ Multitudinous Self: ‘Where There Is Life, There Is Hope’

5th Update Sunday AM FINAL writethru w/chart after Saturday 10:41PM : In the back and forth for No. 1 between Disney/ 20th Century Studios ’ The Call of the Wild and Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog , the blue critter is back on top. Paramount is reporting this morning a $26.3M 3-day (-55%) after a Saturday of $12.1M , +89% over Friday. That will bring Sonic to a 10-day gross of $106.6M . worldwide at $203.1M , Sonic is the clear global winner for the second weekend in a row with a deafening roar of $64.6M, powering over The Call of the Wild . In weekend 2 exits, Sonic remains a great 4 stars with general audiences, parents, and kids under 12. Sonic ‘s Saturday was higher than the feature adaptation of the Jack London novel, which is estimated to have made $10M yesterday, +24% over Friday, for a 3-day of $24.8M . Disney sees those exact numbers this morning as well, with an overall $40M global in 40 material markets, including … [Read more...] about ‘Hedgehog’ Bites Back At ‘Wild’ Dog As ‘Sonic’ Speeds To No. 1 With $26M+; $203M+ WW – Sunday AM Update

In any other cultural moment, the satire embedded in Amazon Prime’s endlessly entertaining, blood-spattered superhero show The Boys might seem heavy-handed. But in 2022, its near-nihilist depiction of a deluded public rooting for an all-powerful class of elites who couldn’t care less about them almost feels like a documentary, albeit with superpowers, eviscerations, and really weird sex stuff thrown in. In the show (based on, and vastly improving, an indie comic series co-created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson) , the sinister Vought International dominates both pop culture and the wider world with actual, real-life superheroes (almost none of whom are actually heroic), created with a power-generating serum known as V. The titular Boys are a group of powerless supe-haters, led by William Butcher (Karl Urban), fighting against grim odds to take the “heroes” down. In Season Three, with new episodes currently streaming on Fridays, the most terrifying of the supes … [Read more...] about Yes, Homelander on ‘The Boys’ Is Supposed to Be Donald Trump

The Craig Robinson starrer Killing It will be back for a second season. Peacock renewed the comedy from co-showrunners/executive producers Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2021-22 Season “We knew we had a rare gem with Killing It and are thrilled Peacock audiences sank their teeth into this series, led by comedic legend Craig Robinson,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, in a statement. “We can’t wait to tell more twists and turns of one person’s hilarious, persistent pursuit of the American dream, from the incomparable creative minds of Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici and our partners at UTV, as Peacock continues to be a home for unique, thought-provoking and humor-filled comedies.” “We are immensely grateful to everyone at Universal Television and Peacock. … [Read more...] about ‘Killing It’ Renewed For Second Season By Peacock

6th &7th Update and writethru, 5 PM and 2:46 PM Monday with 5TH UPDATE, WRITETHRU, 5:27 PM PT Sunday : All studios have reported finals as of 5 PM. This weekend’s international actuals show a frame dominated by holdovers and expansions. And, for the first time since it released in mid-December, the No. 1 movie is not Star Wars : The Force Awakens . Rey, Finn, Poe and BB-8 are instead settling for No. 2 after a record-breaking run around the international galaxy these last 40 days. Taking their place, Oscar nominations leader The Revenant has clawed away the crown with a big $33.7M weekend, up 4.6% from last session for a global take of $223.6M. It crossed $100M in offshore play with $104.2M to date after three frames. The biggest market cume is the UK with nearly $17.6M, and Mexico was a bear-sized debut this session. See the breakdowns below for more. Meanwhile, the 6th run for Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens put $24.2 in the Millennium … [Read more...] about ‘The Revenant’ Tops Offshore Weekend With $33.8M And Over $223M Global; ‘The Force Awakens’ At #2 – Intl Box Office Final

A dramatized reading of Hunter S. Thompson ’s The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent & Depraved will be pressed on vinyl for the first time, out July 15 via Shimmy-Disc/Paris Records. The reading of the essay — originally published in Scanlon’s Monthly in June 1970 — features Tim Robbins as Thompson and Dr. John as Jimbo. Illustrator Ralph Steadman voices himself; naturally, his iconic artwork is featured on the release, which will be pressed on “horse-shit brown” vinyl. You can hear “On Our Way Back to the Motel” above. Originally released as a CD in 2012 and produced by the late Hal Willner, the vinyl release was remastered by Kramer with music composed by Bill Frisell. The upcoming release is dedicated to Willner, who died in 2020 . “I remember the day I met Hal Willner in 1979,” Kramer tells Rolling Stone . “It was love at first sight. We remained friends, like brothers, until the day he died, when a big part of me died with him. I wasn’t far away when he was … [Read more...] about Hear Tim Robbins as Hunter S. Thompson in Dramatized Reading of ‘On Our Way Back to the Motel’

Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels will be back for more stand-up stories after HBO Max renewed Hacks for a third season. The move comes less than two weeks after the critically acclaimed comedy series ended its second season on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer. Jean Smart’s Vance, a Las Vegas comedian who takes a new routing on the road in season two, [ SPOILER ] leaves Hannah Einbinder’s Daniels at the end of the sophomore run by firing her as her co-writer, following a successful stand-up special that she backed herself and initially sold via QVC, so that her young protégé could strike out on her own. Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2021-22 Season The series, which was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners, also stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams as well as Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela … [Read more...] about ‘Hacks’ Renewed For Season 3 At HBO Max