Television does not depict a great deal of violence

EXCLUSIVE : Renowned documentarian Lisa Cortés has entered into a first-look development agreement with the Museum of the City of New York , the goal being to hone documentary IP based on the museum’s exhibitions. News of the deal — initiated by producer Jon Sechrist — follows the Sundance world premiere of Cortés’ latest critically acclaimed feature doc, Little Richard: I Am Everything , which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in U.S. Documentary Competition and sold to Magnolia Pictures. Cortés will now look to build a creative pipeline from MCNY’s 100 years of exhibitions to the screen, with plans for projects on food, social justice, music, and more. The first being made under the deal is a docuseries based on Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off , an exhibition inviting bakers from every borough to design New York City-inspired gingerbread creations. Cortés will develop and produce all projects through her New York-based production company Cortés … [Read more...] about ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’s Lisa Cortés Strikes First-Look Development Deal With Museum Of The City Of New York

Microsoft ’s proposed $69B acquisition of Activision could bring harm to the UK’s 45M-strong gaming community, the nation’s competition body has ruled. In a provisional finding delivered in the past hour, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Microsoft “buying one of the world’s most important game publishers would reinforce [its] strong position and substantially reduce the competition that Microsoft would otherwise face in the cloud gaming market in the UK.” Both companies can respond to the ruling, which will conclude in April. Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60% to 70% of global cloud gaming services, said the ruling, and corners the market in other ways via its ownership of Xbox, Windows and Azure. A small number of Activision’s flagship games such as Call of Duty play an important role in driving competition between consoles, added the CMA, which said Xbox and Playstation’s competition would “weaken competition” and “in turn … [Read more...] about Microsoft Activision Deal Could Bring Harm To UK Gaming Community, Rules Regulator

EXCLUSIVE : Kino Lorber has acquired all North American distribution rights to Four Quartets , the film version of the Ralph Fiennes -starring stage adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s seminal poem. Directed by Sophie Fiennes, the film will get its U.S. premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival later this week followed by a theatrical release this spring. One of the giants of modern literature, the poet, playwright, critic, and editor T.S. Eliot is best known as one of the central figures of the Modernist movement in poetry. Consisting of four poems published over a six-year period – Burnt Norton, East Coker, The Dry Salvages , and Little Gidding , each titled after the landscape that inspired their writing – Four Quartets is widely considered Eliot’s masterpiece and the culminating achievement of his career as a poet, offering four interwoven meditations on the nature of time and the quest for spiritual enlightenment. Following the completion of Four Quartets … [Read more...] about Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Four Quartets’ Gets North American Distribution Deal Ahead Of Stateside Bow At Santa Barbara

NBC has given a pilot order to St. Denis Medical , a half-hour mockumentary-style workplace comedy from the Superstore and American Auto duo of Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin . The pilot is produced by Universal Television , a division of Universal Studio Group, where both Spitzer and Ledgin have overall deals. Written by Spitzer and Ledgin, St. Denis Medical is a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. Ledgin will also executive produce, as will Spitzer under his Universal TV-based production banner Spitzer Holding Company. Simon Heuer, Head of TV Development at Spitzer Holding Company, will also executive produce. RELATED: 2023 NBC Pilots & Series Orders St. Denis Medical previously received a pilot production commitment from NBC last year. It marks the latest NBC project for Spitzer, whose very first writing credit … [Read more...] about ‘St. Denis Medical’ Comedy From Justin Spitzer & Eric Ledgin Gets Pilot Order At NBC

The WGA West on Saturday will hold its first membership meeting to discuss its upcoming negotiations with the AMPTP for a new film and TV contract. Two other membership meetings are scheduled in Los Angeles later this month, and one will be held in New York. John August , a member of the WGA Negotiating Committee, spoke recently on his Scriptnotes podcast about the upcoming meetings and what members should expect as the process unfolds. He also downplayed rumors of a threatened strike “because honestly, none of us know what’s gonna happen.” “If you’re a WGA member, you should definitely go to one of the member meetings,” he told Scriptnotes producer Megana Rao. “It’s at these member meetings where you first hear from the Negotiating Committee about what the plans and priorities are. It’s also where there’s people with microphones, asking questions, giving their real-time feedback – applause and cheers and all of this happens live and in a room. It’s not as fun as this … [Read more...] about WGA West Sets First Membership Meetings To Discuss Upcoming Contract Talks

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Hemingway has a sweet tooth about a very serious subject. The Emmy-winning director and his Anthony Hemingway Productions shingle has joined the documentary Sugar Daddy as a producer. Directed by long time cinematographer Michael Cooke and executive producer Anthony J Davis, Sugar Daddy focuses on the devastating health consequences of sugar overconsumption targeted at Black Americans. Currently raising preliminary funds through an online campaign and working with healthcare veterans, the  film is scheduled to start production this summer. To put the stakes in perspective, sugar overconsumption is the #1 cause of diabetes, which Black Americans are diagnosed with 60% more than adult White Americans. “I founded Anthony Hemingway Productions to tell stories that have the power to galvanize a community, educate people, and change lives,” Hemingway told Deadline today. “That’s what we plan to do as we investigate and highlight the … [Read more...] about Anthony Hemingway Boards ‘Sugar Daddy’ Docu With Director Michael Cooke & EP Anthony J. Davis

EXCLUSIVE: United Talent Agency is trimming its personnel with cuts in several departments. According to sources, mostly admin/support staff are impacted, with the total number of layoffs in the low single-digits as a percentage of the company’s overall workforce. “We’ve grown a great deal over the last several years, and as a result decided to make some adjustments,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement to Deadline. “We’re unfortunately parting ways with a small number of colleagues and are grateful for everything they’ve contributed.” UTA has been on an acquisition spree over the past two years, buying such companies as UK agency Curtis Brown , publishing agency Fletcher & Company and MediaLink , a media and marketing advisory firm. Facing a possible economic downturn, many entertainment and tech companies have undergone layoffs in the past several months, with more cuts expected this year. Talent agencies previously reduced staffs during the … [Read more...] about UTA Undergoes Layoffs In Multiple Departments

Recent Grammy winner Bad Bunny , Christina Aguilera and Jeremy Pope will be honored at the 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards next month for advancing and supporting the LGBTQ community. Bad Bunny — Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world last year — will receive the Vanguard Award for having made “a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.” Five-time Grammy winner Aguilera will receive the Advocate for Change Award for having “changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world.” And Pose alum and two-time Tony nominee Pope will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for having made “a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.” Read bios for all three below. The awards show will be handed during the March 30 ceremony at the Beverly Hilton. RELATED: 2023 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, Guilds & More Bad Bunny’s advocacy and outspoken allyship for the … [Read more...] about GLAAD Media Awards: Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera & Jeremy Pope Set For Honors

EXCLUSIVE : Patricia Cornwell ’s Kay Scarpetta books have completed their long journey to the screen with a blockbuster TV series starring Oscar winner Nicole Kidman in the title role and Oscar nominee Jamie Lee Curtis as the famous forensic pathologist’s sister Dorothy, I have learned. Kidman is executive producing through Blossom Films and Curtis through Comet Pictures the drama, from writer-showrunner Liz Sarnoff ( Barry ) and Blumhouse Television, which I hear is nearing a two-season straight-to-series order at Prime Video. A rep for the streamer declined comment as deals for the project, to be produced by Amazon Studios and Blumhouse, are still being finalized. It is expected to receive an order for two eight-episode seasons, sources said. Kidman’s Kay Scarpetta is a brilliant forensic pathologist, inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro, who uses forensic technology to solve crimes. Curtis will play Kay’s flighty sister, … [Read more...] about Nicole Kidman & Jamie Lee Curtis To Star In & EP Patricia Cornwell’s ‘Kay Scarpetta’ TV Series At Amazon From Liz Sarnoff & Blumhouse

Warner Bros Discovery has ditched plans for a 100% merger of streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+ and will continue offering the latter as a stand-alone product. Insiders confirmed the strategic shift with Deadline after it was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal . The WSJ cited unidentified people familiar with the decision, saying they felt Discovery+ subscribers could balk at paying a higher price for a combined service. HBO Max costs $16 a month, or $10 with ads, compared with $7 and $5 for the respective equivalents of Discovery+. Over the past several months, WBD execs have talked of combining the two into a single offering. HBO Max has already been featuring Discovery titles more prominently of late, even though the ultimate fit between prestige HBO fare and Discovery mainstays like 90-Day Fiancé has been questioned both inside and outside of the company. The plan now is to continue to have Discovery+ in the market even as a newly … [Read more...] about Warner Bros Discovery Abandons Plan To Shut Down Discovery+ As Stand-Alone Service As It Moves Ahead With HBO Max Merger