Alexandra McVicker Signs with Fusion Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: Padma Lakshmi has signed with CAA for representation.

BreAnna Bell Director and screenwriter Sofia Alaoui has signed with WME for representation in all areas. She continues to be represented by Jerome Duboz of Ithaka Media. Born in Casablanca and raised in China, Alaoui is a French-Moroccan artist with an aim to create cinema that spans across borders and bends genres in new ways.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer The Minions are about the get the white glove treatment, as Variety has learned that CAA has signed Illumination CEO and prolific animation producer Chris Meledandri as a client. Meledandri, who founded the company and is responsible for two of the four highest-grossing animated franchises of all time (“Despicable Me,” “Ice Age”), will be represented by a team including the agency’s co-chairman Bryan Lourd. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, most recently delivering this year’s $1.3 billion baby “Super Mario Bros.” starring Chris Pratt and Anya-Taylor Joy.

Jana Monroe, former FBI agent and author of the upcoming memoir Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, The Behavioral Science Unit and My Life as a Woman in the FBI has signed with Rain.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Patti Stanger has signed with Independent Artist Group (IAG) for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. She continues to be managed by Rob Lee of Mainstay Entertainment and is also repped by Darin Frank of Sloane Offer.

Jack Antonoff has announced an extensive new partnership with Dirty Hit, as well as a new venture with its founder and The 1975 manager, Jamie Oborne.The news of the new collaboration and partnership was shared by Variety earlier today (August 21), which also announced Antonoff’s new agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group.According to the outlet, the multifaceted deal will see the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer and his band Bleachers, now managed by Oborne, signed to the latter’s independent label Dirty Hit. The label is also home to The 1975, Rina Sawayama, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and moreFollowing the new partnership, Bleachers have announced that they will be sharing a new live album later this week – which will be their first release on Dirty Hit.Titled “Live At Radio City Music Hall,” the LP will be available this Friday (August 25) and can be pre-ordered here.

Radio Host Chris Evans has announced his skin cancer diagnosis live on air.The Virgin radio presenter took to his latest broadcast today (August 21) to share his heartbreaking diagnosis with listeners. Speaking candidly with his audience, the star, 57, explained: "We need to discuss what's going on with this issue. It is a melanoma.There's this phrase called a malignant melanoma - you know once you get something and you find out all about it - that is a redundant phrase because if it is a melanoma it is malignant.

EXCLUSIVE: Meko Winbush, the Season 1 winner of Project Greenlight: A New Generation, has signed with Magnolia Entertainment for management.

EXCLUSIVE: M88 on Tuesday announced its signing of Andrew Lopez, a fast-rising multi-hyphenate who, with appearances on Apple TV+’s Platonic and FX’s The Bear, has made his mark on two of the most buzzy series in recent memory.

Nicky Whelan has signed with Stewart Talent for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Rodriguez has inked with WME.

Thania Garcia Ivan Cornejo, one of the young singer-songwriters fueling regional Mexican music’s resurgence, has signed with Interscope Records. The 19-year-old southern California native was at the center of a major label bidding war after selling out his recently-announced Terapia Tour which is set to hit cities like New York, Las Vegas and Houston, with additional dates in Mexico.

Ellise Shafer Fredrik Backman, the internationally bestselling author of “A Man Called Ove,” “Anxious People” and more, has signed with UTA in all areas. UTA will represent Backman in his expanding publishing business, as well as across media rights, theater and podcasts.

EXCLUSIVE: The Tom Petty Estate has taken on new management at Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment, with plans to bring new attention to Petty’s music and legacy through scripted and non-scripted storytelling. Further details as to the form projects might take haven’t been disclosed, though sources tell Deadline that a traditional biopic on the rock and roll legend has not been a point of conversation.

EXCLUSIVE: Following the powerhouse Netflix launch of his latest feature, the action thriller Kill Boksoon, Byun Sung-Hyun has signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.

BreAnna Bell Television and radio personality Tanya Rad has signed with CAA for representation. She continues to be represented by Schreck Rose Dapello & Adams.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Capitol Music Group and Motown Records have entered into a partnership with Glass Window Entertainment, the label founded by multiplatinum rapper Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones, with rapper Rylo Rodriguez as the first artist signed to the partnership. Terms were not disclosed, although sources tell Variety it is a multi-million-dollar deal.

Super Junior vocalist Kyuhyun has officially signed with comedian Yoo Jae-suk’s agency, Antenna.On August 7, Antenna released a statement via Korean news outlet Sports World announcing that Super Junior member Kyuhyun has signed an exclusive contract with the company, founded and headed by Yoo Hee-yeol.“We plan on actively supporting Kyuhyun’s wide breadth of activities in various ways, so please show lots of support for Kyuhyun who is standing at a new starting line,” the rest of the statement read, as translated by Soompi. Kyuhyun joins a varied roster of rounded entertainers such as comedian Yoo Jae-suk, former Lovelyz member Mijoo, veteran singer Lee Hyori, Lee Sang-soon and more.Upon the announcement to media, Antenna also released a minute-long video of Kyuhyun posing in his first photoshoot under the company.Kyuhyun’s partnership with Antenna comes a little under a month since he and two other Super Junior members – Donghae and Eunhyuk – parted ways with longtime agency SM Entertainment.

EXCLUSIVE: Carolina Miranda, the Mexican actress currently starring in the hit Netflix series Fake Profile, has signed with Artist International Group for management.

EXCLUSIVE: Meghann Fahy has signed with WME. She is coming off her starring turn as Daphne in the second installment of HBO’s The White Lotus, which earned her a 2023 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.