Akiva Goldsman And His Weed Road Pictures In First-Look Deal With MGM

EXCLUSIVE: Spotting new IP whose series adaptation would produce the next big TV hit has become vital for the business as the competition for eyeballs in the expanding TV universe continues to intensify. With that in mind, Sony Pictures Television has signed a first-look deal with Matt DeVoe, co-founder and CCO of CovrPrice, a comic book collectibles platform, for him to identify new trends in IP for series development.

Photos have emerged from the set of Tom Holland‘s upcoming Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room!

MGM and producer Akiva Goldsman are working with “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown to adapt his children’s picture book “Wild Symphony” as an animated feature. “Wild Symphony” will be envisioned as a “Fantasia”-esque musical experience and will have a script adapted by Brown, as well as music that he also wrote. No director has been set.

Wild Symphony, the children’s book by No. 1 New York Times best-selling author Dan Brown, is getting a big screen animated feature adaptation from Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman and MGM.

Angelique Jackson Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Academy Award-winning writer Akiva Goldsman are developing an animated movie based on Dan Brown’s bestselling children’s picture book, “Wild Symphony.Written by Brown and with illustrations by Susan Batori, “Wild Symphony” follows the adventures of Maestro Mouse as he traverses the globe, recruiting an orchestra like no other. The animated feature is described as a “‘Fantasia’-esque musical experience,” featuring music penned by Brown.Best-known as the writer of such blockbuster books as “The Da Vinci Code,” the new project marks Brown’s first time adapting one of his books for the big screen.

EXCLUSIVE: Women Write Now fellow Wilandrea Blair has been awarded a first-look deal with NBCUniversal Television & Streaming to develop projects for Peacock, which will be produced by LOL Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Carlton Cuse is returning to Amazon Studios. The prolific, Emmy-winning writer-producer, who co-created and was showrunner for the first two seasons of the Prime Video Original Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Under the multi-year pact, he will develop and produce projects to premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Julia Garner is going into business with Tomorrow Studios. The Ozark star — who formed Alma Margo with producing partner Rowan Riley — has signed a first-look deal with the company founded by CEO Marty Adelstein.

EXCLUSIVE: Call My Agent! and Marianne writer Quoc Dang Tran has struck a first-look deal with Universal International Studios, becoming the first French writer to sign such a deal with a major studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Berman has entered a first-look book-to-screen deal with independent publisher Sourcebooks. Under the three-year pact, Berman’s Sony Pictures Television-based Osprey Productions will have a first look at all new titles that Sourcebooks acquires film and television rights to, as well as an overall look at the company’s extensive backlist of bestselling fiction.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has cast Paul Wesley in the iconic role of James T. Kirk for the Paramount Plus show’s upcoming second season.“Strange New Worlds” is due to premiere on Paramount Plus on May 5. It was renewed for a second season back in January, with that season already in production.The show follows the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike prior to Kirk becoming captain of the Enterprise.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeWarner Bros. Television Group and HBO have sealed a new first-look deal with producer Stephanie Allain (“Dear White People”) and her Homegrown Pictures banner.

Emmy-nominated producer Stephanie Allain has signed a new first-look deal with Warner Bros. Television Group and HBO. The new agreement continues Allain’s relationship with the Studio, where she and her Homegrown Pictures production company has been under a first-look pact since February 2020. Allain and her Homegrown Pictures team, including Director of Development Gabrielle Ebron, will develop original scripted programming to be produced by Warner Bros. Television for HBO and HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and broadcast.

Manori Ravindran International EditorTransatlantic production powerhouse Sister has hired Amazon Studios scripted executive Lydia Hampson as executive producer. The company has also struck a first-look deal with Hampson  and Amazon Studios U.K.Hampson most recently served as the head of U.K.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has ordered two seasons of an animated comedy from Ramy Youssef, Variety has learned exclusively. The series is part of new first-look deal Youssef and his Cairo Cowboy production banner have signed with the streamer.Youssef leads Cairo Cowboy with Andy Campagna, the former senior vice president of television for Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp.“Ramy has only scratched the surface of his incredible creative gifts,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television for Amazon.

EXCLUSIVE: Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin, Coco) has signed a first look deal with VIS, a division of Paramount, to develop an array of TV and film projects for Paramount+.

Emmy Rossum is unrecognizable in the first look at Angelyne!

Kate Aurthur editorMarielle Heller has set a new first-look deal with Paramount Television Studios for her company, Defiant by Nature. Along with producing partners Havilah Brewster and Leah Holzer, Heller will develop premium television shows for the studio across its platforms.Heller came to prominence as a writer-director for 2015’s “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for best first feature.

Michael B. Jordan to thank for the movie's upcoming sequel. Last week,ET confirmed that Will Smith, who played scientist Robert Neville in the original film, will star opposite the actor in a follow-up flick.“The idea came up,” Smith told ET’s Denny Directo at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Monday about his discussion with Jordan.

Will Smith's set to star opposite Michael B. Jordan in the sequel, ET can confirm.Smith, who starred in the original 2007 film, and Jon Mone, co-president of Westbrook Studios, will produce and James Lassiter will serve as the executive producer.