10 Key Takeaways From Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorCheyenne Jackson is adding producer to his resume. The actor and singer has quietly launched a production company, Shiny Boy Entertainment, with his husband Jason Landau, the couple exclusively tells me.Their first project is “Brutal,” director Sam McConnell’s comedy short about a news anchor (Jackson) who acquires a leaked sex tape of a longtime U.S. senator.

SM Entertainment has announced the launch of a new global audition programme in search of new members for boyband NCT.Today (June 10), the South Korean entertainment company announced the forthcoming launch of the ‘Welcome to the NeoCiTy’ audition programme, which will search for new NCT members. It dropped alongside a teaser featuring snippets from various NCT music videos.According to the official application form, SM Entertainment looks set to hold in-person auditions in a total of 14 cities around the world, including Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Jakarta, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing, Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo.SM Entertainment is currently looking for male applicants born between 2001 and 2008, in all three categories of vocals, rap and dance.

Mark Wright thinks communication is "so important" for a long-distance relationship. The 35-year-old reality star has been dating former 'Coronation Street' actress Michelle Keegan, also 35, since 2013 and the two often spend weeks apart while working on different projects, but he has had to learn that a reunion spark will not last as long as it did in the early days. He said: "If you're in love and you're in a happy relationship when you first see each other, it's the best thing in the world.

Chris Rock has finally broken his silence, days after it was revealed that he and fellow comedian Dave Chappelle would be uniting for a joint show in London later this year.MORE: Chris Rock makes huge career announcement after Will Smith Oscars altercationTaking to his Instagram, the star confirmed the exciting news himself, sharing a promotional poster for the shows.WATCH: Will Smith assaults Chris Rock at 2022 Oscars"Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, 3 & 4 September, The O2 Arena, London," the yellow and black poster reads.READ: Jada Pinkett Smith criticized for 'self-righteous' remarks about Will Smith's Oscars slapRELATED: Chris Rock speaks about bruises following Will Smith slap Captioning it, Chris added: "This is really happening."A post shared by Chris Rock (@chrisrock)Chris Rock shared a post featuring the poster of his and Dave Chapelle's upcoming showChris, who earlier this year was struck on stage at the Oscars by Will Smith, was inundated with messages of support from friends and fans.Fellow comedian Ali Wong simply shared a praising emoji, whilst Busta Rhymes shared several head blown emojis.A follower added: "This is going to be amazing … so want to go," whilst another remarked: "Turn the O2 into the O3."One couldn't help but joke: "Gonna need the avengers to guard this stage." Chris and Dave have been friends for yearsAt the Oscars in March, Chris was slapped across the face by Will after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, seemingly unaware that she suffers from alopecia.In May, Dave was performing as part of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles when he was "tackled" by a man who rushed onto the stage.Chris and Dave's announcement comes after they each joked

Sasha Urban editorIn a tight primary election for Los Angeles mayor, the two frontrunners — Congresswoman Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso — have seen their support split down the middle among major Hollywood players. Tuesday’s election could lead to a November runoff if none of the candidates garner more than 50% of the votes needed to conclusively win the election.Over the last few months, celebrities and executives from all corners of the entertainment and tech industries have voiced their support for Bass and Caruso. Early on, actor and Goop CEO Gwyneth Paltrow threw her support behind Caruso, while pop star Ariana Grande has endorsed Bass on Instagram to her 315 million followers.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticDowntown Los Angeles is a very different place than it was when the Los Angeles Conservancy kicked off its  “Last Remaining Seats” film screenings in movie palaces 35 years ago. When the annual series hits key theaters this month (after taking the last couple of Junes off for the pandemic), there will be far less trepidation in the air about the fate of some of the key theaters and the neighborhoods they’re in than there was back in 1987.

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the political satire Land of Dreams, directed by Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari, which is making its North American premiere in the Spotlight Narrative section of the Tribeca Film Festival in June. The global indie distributor has slated the film for a day-and-date theatrical release in 10 of the top 20 markets—including in Los Angeles and New York—this fall. (Watch a new trailer unveiled today by the company above.)

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran unscripted producer and executive Pam Healey has been named president of Wheelhouse Entertainment’s flagship production company Spoke Studios.

infamous Oscars slap with the seasoned talk show host, fans were in for a big disappointment to find out that the episode was filmed before March 2022 when Smith caused a stir by running up on the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and smacking Chris Rock in the face.“The episode was recorded prior to the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony,” a PSA title card read before the episode rolled.Elsewhere in the show, Smith touched upon his recent memoir, “Will,” speaking about his childhood and the contentious relationship between his father and mother.“The first line of the first chapter is, ‘I’ve always thought of myself as a coward,” Smith explained to Letterman. “When I was nine years old, I saw my father beat up my mother, and I didn’t do anything.

wcinkala pmc-editorial-managerVariety’s 11th annual “A Night in the Writers’ Room” returns on June 9, in-person and virtually, with a unique livestream experience moderated by Variety journalists. The event will feature three panels with this year’s Emmy-contending writers in the drama, comedy and limited series categories.

Planning ahead? The 2022 Oscars are barely in the rearview, but ABC exec Craig Erwich already has his eye on potential hosts for the 2023 show — with Chris Rock among them.

Sidley Austin, a law firm with offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific, is going big on sports law. Our sister site Sportico has learned that Charles “Chuck” Baker and Irwin Raij, most recently co-chairs of O’Melveny & Myers’ sports industry group, are joining Sidley as co-chairs of its Entertainment, Sports and Media industry group. The move will bring expertise in ownership transactions, stadium construction, media rights and international deal making.Baker has negotiated on behalf of buyers and sellers of pro teams.

For the past few months, the entertainment industry has been one of hardest hit — if not THE hardest hit — sectors in Los Angeles, consistently logging the highest number of Covid outbreaks in the county.

ABC’s Kay Oyegun drama pilot has found its five therapists. Sendhil Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever), Johnny Simmons (Girlboss), Rachel Hilson (Winning Time), Demetrius Grosse (Fear the Walking Dead) and Rahnuma Panthaky (NCIS: Los Angeles ) are set as leads opposite previously announced Marsha Stephanie Blake.

Halo‘s Pablo Schreiber and Fire Island‘s Matt Rogers were among the stars who joined fashion brand Paul Smith last week for a celebration of the iconic Signature Stripe pattern.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers finally arrives this Friday, and he kickstarted his rollout on Sunday with a new song and video for “The Heart Part 5," a new entry in the series of songs he began back in 2010.

EXCLUSIVE:  Jonathan Gist has joined Sony Pictures Entertainment as Executive Director of Global Intersectional Marketing, supporting all of the studio’s labels, including Columbia Pictures, 3000 Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Affirm Films and Sony Pictures Animation.