Amazon Unscripted Exec Chris Castallo Moves To Scripted Team

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Amazon Prime Video has ordered the spy thriller “Butterfly” to series with Daniel Dae Kim set to star and executive produce. Variety exclusively reported that the series was in the works back in February. Amazon has given the show a six-episode order, but production will not commence until all guild negotiations have been resolved. The show is based on the graphic novel of the same name created by Arash Amel, written by Amel and Marguerite Bennett, and illustrated by Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone. It was originally released by BOOM! Studios in 2015. Per the official logline, the series centers on “David Jung (Kim), an enigmatic, highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative living in South Korea, whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself pursued by Rebecca, a deadly, sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him.”

Naman Ramachandran Cory Shields, VP global media and entertainment at Amazon, has stepped down, according to reports. Shields joined in 2020 and was in charge of publicity for Amazon’s original films and series, working closely with Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Variety understands that Amazon has not yet revealed a replacement for Shields. Prior to the Amazon role, Shields spent some 20 years at NBCUniversal, where he held various prominent positions across two stints. Shields’s first stint at NBC began in 1997 and concluded in 2004 with the title senior VP corporate communications. He held the same position at Sony BMG Music Entertainment after that.

Selome Hailu Josh McIvor has been promoted to global general manager of MGM+, the Amazon-owned streamer that relaunched in January after previously being known as Epix. As global general manager, he will report to Chris Brearton, who serves as vice president of Prime Video Studios corporate strategy, and work alongside Michael Wright, head of MGM+, as well as Laura Sher, head of MGM+ business operations, and Peter Lops, head of MGM+ finance. Based in Seattle, he will oversee the U.S. and international MGM+ business and its continued expansion, guiding long-term strategic planning, P&L management, distribution strategy, operations and commercial deals.

Kim Lemon, who rose to EVP of Data Strategy, Research, Scheduling and Programming at Showtime during a 34-year run, is departing the company.

Kim Lemon, Paramount’s executive vice president of data strategy, research, scheduling and programming, will exit Showtime after 34 years to “embark on his next chapter.”“Throughout his tenure, Kim has played an integral role in Showtime’s evolution from a linear network to a bonafide streaming service, establishing a first-in-class data science group,” Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks president and CEO Chris McCarthy said in a memo to employees. “He is a pioneer in brand strategy, always prioritizing our content and being mindful of how it would inform our growth while showing great reverence for the creative process and our audience’s feedback.”McCarthy noted that Lemon will “be around for some time to help with the transition and consult.”Laurel Weir, MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks’ executive vice president and head of programming and strategic insights and research, will step in and expand her purview to now include Showtime.

Blink49 Studios has signed Fifth Season exec Mal Stares as Senior VP, Global Scripted.

Eddie Murphy is in talks to be the main character in a new Pink Panther remake, but not not everyone is looking forward to the new film.The Beverly Hills Cop star is set to take on the lead role of Inspector Clouseau in a new remake of the Pink Panther movies. Developed by MGM, the comedy will be based on the classic property, and follow the adventures of the bumbling inspector who investigates a case surrounding the ‘Pink Panther’ jewel.The project is set to be directed by filmmaker Jeff Fowler, who recently took on the role for the Sonic The Hedgehog film starring Jim Carey, Idris Elba and James Marsden.

The U.S. giants are relentlessly focused on consumer convenience and access to content, according to the UK bosses of Roku and Amazon this morning.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The upfront presentation that looks most like traditional TV came from a company that likes to tell investors, advertisers and consumers how it’s leapfrogging that entire business. Netflix on Wednesday showed dozens of scripted series and movies that could support advertising — if only Madison Avenue would take a chance and bet on its nascent efforts to sell commercials. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Chris Hemsworth and Julia Roberts were only some of the actors whose efforts could be tied to advertising. Counterparts like NBCUniversal and Fox Corp. were hard-pressed to do the same earlier this week. “We are just getting started,” said Peter Naylor, vice president of global advertising sales at Netflix.

Amazon Games has announced they are working on a new massively multiplayer online (MMO) game based on The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

announced they’re teaming up to bring the world a new open-world MMORPG (massively multiplayer online roleplaying game) set in Middle-Earth. According to Amazon’s press release, the game will feature “the beloved stories of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ literary trilogy,” though how that will be facilitated remains unknown.

Donald Trump’s town hall was the hot topic across Sunday political talk shows, including on ABC’s “This Week,” where former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said the audience of Trump supporters looked awfully similar to the ones he saw when he was running for president in 2016.“I don’t care how they introduced them. I know a lot of those people in that audience.

EXCLUSIVE: Password, the game show from Jimmy Fallon and hosted by Keke Palmer, is returning to NBC for a second season.

Charades has boarded international sales on upcoming Mubi-backed production “Bring Them Down.”  Starring Barry Keoghan, Academy Award nominated for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Christopher Abbott (“Sanctuary”), a Golden Globe nominee for “Catch 22,” “Bring Them Down” marks the first feature from writer-director Chris Andrews, behind award-winning short films “Fire” (2015) and “Stalker” (2019). On “Aftersun,” Charades took on international sales duties, with Mubi boarding to take distribution rights to multiple territories – such as U.K.-Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – just as the films bowed in 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week. 

Amazon Studios is launching the Amazon MGM Studios Distribution division, which will oversee licensing of Amazon Original titles and MGM new release and library movies and series such as film franchises “James Bond,” “Rocky “and “Creed,” and series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Vikings,” “Fargo” and the upcoming “Hotel Cocaine” from MGM+.  Titles at launch will include television series like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Goliath” and “Hunters” and films like “Coming 2 America, “”Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “7500,” “All the Old Knives,” “Bliss,” “I Want You Back,” “The Tender Bar,” “The Tomorrow War,” “The Voyeurs,” and “Without Remorse.” MGM’s storied library houses more than 4,000 film titles, 17,000 TV episodes, including 180 Academy Awards winners and 100 Emmy Awards winners.The division will be helmed by Chris Ottinger, who has led the distribution team at MGM for more than a decade.

Amazon Studios is launching Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Original Amazon series like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” will be sold off-platform to third parties for the first time, the company announced Monday as it launched the new Amazon MGM Studios Distribution. A revamp of MGM’s pre-existing distribution team, the division will now handle Amazon Studios/Prime Video originals in addition to current and library titles. Chris Ottinger, who led the MGM distribution team for more than a decade, will oversee the new division. Ottinger will report to Brad Beale, the VP of worldwide licensing and distribution at Amazon and MGM Studios; Beale, in turn, reports to Amazon/MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke.

Charna Flam After a decade-long friendship, comedy producers David Bernad and Todd Schulman finally put together their hidden-camera comedy expertise to make Amazon Freevee’s viral success “Jury Duty.” The executive producers of the overnight hit mockumentary combined their talents for the improvised-scripted sitcom. Bernad and Schulman began with the idea to hone in on sitcom genre tropes and create a story about an isolated individual amongst a cast of actors as they served on a sequestered jury. The two have had successful stints with unconventional comedy subgenres, most recently within the improvised-scripted sphere.

Christian Nodal will be removing his face tattoos. The artist has shared his reasons for doing this and claims that it has nothing to do with fan reception and reaction.Did Christian Nodal and Cazzu share a look of their home in Argentina?Are Christian Nodal and Cazzu about to get married?In an interview with a Colombian radio station, Nodal said he wanted to remove his face tattoos because of his daughter.

Mock the Week, which ran for over 20 seasons on the BBC in the UK, is coming to the U.S.