AMC Theatres Strikes Distribution Deal With Mansa, A Free Streaming Outlet Focused On Black Culture Whose Co-Founders Include David Oyelowo

K.J. Yossman “Reginald the Vampire” producer December Films has inked a first-look deal with Cineflix Studios (“Tehran”). The first project to come out of the deal is a new ten-part series, “Carpe Demon” from showrunner Emily Andras (“Wynonna Earp”). Based on the Julie Kenner novels of the same name, the series about a demon hunting suburban mom is in development for Paramount+ Canada. Canada and LA-based December Films launched in 2020, founded by Julie DiCresce and Todd Berger. The company has numerous series in productions and is in post on feature “Out Come the Wolves” for IFC Films, Altitude Films and Level Film and rom-com “Bootcamp.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “Run the Burbs” producer Pier 21 Films has partnered with Canadian stand-up comic Julie Kim on a half-hour comedy series. The development deal marks Kim’s debut at the helm of a sitcom, which Kim will co-write with “Strays” alum, Clara Altimas. The project comes on the heels of her gala performance at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, her debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and a 40-theater North American tour with Ronny Chieng (“Crazy Rich Asians”). “Julie Kim is one of today’s freshest stand-up performers with an impeccable track record for creating comedy gold,” said Karen Tsang, senior VP of creative affairs at Pier 21 Films. “We are incredibly excited to collaborate with her as she plunges into her own scripted series.”

Peppa Pig, the British cartoon character with a show for preschoolers, is coming to Audible by way of the upcoming Peppa Pig podcast. Further details on the podcast and where eager listeners can check it out will be revealed later in 2023.“We’re delighted to work with Hasbro to expand our family listening content with one of the most popular and impactful brands, Peppa Pig,” said Aurelie de Troyer, Head of Content UK and Canada at Audible.

Billy Ray and Todd Garner are back for Week 6 of the Writers Guild standoff on Deadline’s Strike Talk podcast. Click below to listen.

Warning: This story contains spoilers about the plot of Based on a True Story season 1.

A dad with a '15-year' weed habit - who claims he smokes it to deal with a 'debilitating' back injury - could 'rely on state benefits', but choses to work six days a week, his lawyer said as he appeared in court for drug driving.

EXCLUSIVE: Arthouse distro Circle Collective has acquired worldwide rights to Luca Balser’s (Uncut Gems) NYC anthology film What Doesn’t Float, starring and produced by Pauline Chalamet (Sex Lives of College Girls), and shot by DPs Sean Price Williams (Good Time) and Hunter Zimny (Good Time).

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer With a tentative Directors Guild of America deal in hand and the Writers Guild of America on strike, SAG-AFTRA has been thrust into a bigger role than the performer’s union has played in years in the industry’s triennial labor contract negotiations. SAG-AFTRA gets its turn at the bargaining table this week, with an agenda that seeks to address the many ways that technology is changing the profession of acting. Two of the union’s top concerns — streaming residuals and artificial intelligence — are also key issues for the WGA and DGA. The performers’ guild is also uniquely focused on putting limits on “self-taped” auditions, which have become ubiquitous since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Directors Guild of America has voted on a tentative deal that would avoid taking strike action.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Directors Guild of America announced a tentative deal with the studios on Saturday night, providing pay hikes and an improved residual for international streaming. But a summary provided by the DGA makes no mention of pegging the streaming residual to viewership. That indicates that residuals will be continue to be the same on streaming platforms — whether a show is a hit or a flop. The DGA residual term is an especially significant provision, because it tends to be applied to the other guilds in “pattern” bargaining. According to the DGA summary, the deal will provide a 76% increase in foreign residuals for the largest platforms.

AMC Theatres, which launched an on-demand streaming service just ahead of the Covid pandemic in October 2019, is winding down the service and referring users to Fandango’s platform Vudu.

Fandango’s Vudu will now serve as the official streaming platform for AMC Theatres on Demand. Current users of the AMC streaming platform can transfer their account to Vudu and immediately have access to their respective 200,000-plus film and television catalog.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor AMC Theatres is mothballing its on-demand movie service — and moving users and their content libraries over to Vudu, the video rental and sell-through streaming platform owned by NBCUniversal’s Fandango. Starting Thursday, June 1, AMC Theatres On Demand users can transfer their accounts to Vudu, which now serves as the theater chain’s streaming platform. With the transition, the companies said, many of the movies previously purchased through AMC Theatres On Demand will be “upgraded to the highest-quality format available” on Vudu, including 4K Ultra HD. Consumers with applicable titles in their libraries will automatically receive those upgrades for free. Additionally, AMC Theatres On Demand users who are new Vudu consumers are eligible for a 15% discount on each purchase made on the service in their first month.

signed a contract with Netflix to produce projects and now his brother, 40, has his own transaction in the works. The Prince of Wales’ environmental charity, the Earthshot Prize, has partnered with YouTube for campaigns, events and creator collabs that will bring more awareness to the global climate crisis.The two-year partnership will unite the Earthshot Prize and the video platform to create content to inspire users to take action against climate change.The alliance will also help grow the Earthshot Prize YouTube channel.Types of content that will be featured on the website include mini-documentaries, Q&As and YouTube Shorts, as well as collaborations with influencers.“At the Earthshot Prize we want to incentivize innovation and change to help repair our planet and partnering with YouTube, one of the world’s biggest platforms, allows us to do that on a truly global scale,” the organization’s CEO Hannah Jones said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: Taost Entertainment, a London-based media production startup, has picked up Chinese distribution rights to the star-studded animated feature 10 Lives.

DirecTV Stream, the internet pay-TV arm of the satellite provider, has struck a distribution deal with smart-TV startup Telly.

EXCLUSIVE: Luther Ford, who is playing Prince Harry in the upcoming final season of The Crown, has signed with talent agency Hamilton Hodell.

Blake Lively’s beverage brand Betty Buzz is stepping into the limelight as the official training kit sponsor for Ryan Reynold’s Wrexham AFC in the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Recently-established Philippines-based production and financing company, Fire and Ice, has deals to provide completion funding to two films being produced by prolific Singapore-based independent producer Potocol. Under a related agreement, Fire and Ice has also struck a multi-faceted first-look deal with Potocol. The completion funding, which gives Fire and Ice a share of the film’s equity, will permit the completion of post-production of upcoming Potocol titles: “Pierce,” a sports drama by Nelicia Low, and “Last Shadow at First Light,” by Nicole Midori Woodford. Both films were recently showcased at Focus Asia’s Far East In Progress, part of the Far East Film Festival in Udine, and are expected to be completed before the end of the year.