Animation Studio 88 Pictures Hires Dreamworks Alum Yancy Lindquist

EXCLUSIVE: There is a hot bidding war heating up for Mattel’s animated take of Bob the Builder with heavy interest from Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, and DreamWorks Animation and others. We hear that offers have been made, and that no one is merely circling for this animated feature which speaks greatly to the Latino and Hispanic community.

Warner Bros. Pictures Animation is expanding its executive team under President Bill Damaschke, adding Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro, as EVP of Production Talent and VP of Production Talent, respectively, and elevating Susan Akinbola to VP of Development.

Caroline Brew editor Growing its executive team under president Bill Damaschke, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has hired Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro as executive vice president of production and vice president of production talent, respectively.

Naman Ramachandran Fresh off the Sundance-winning “Girls Will Be Girls,” Indian actor-producers Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have unveiled a further slate from their Pushing Buttons Studios. Directed by Shuchi Talati, “Girls Will Be Girls” is the debut production from Pushing Buttons Studios, in collaboration with Crawling Angels, Blink Digital and Dolce Vita Films.

EXCLUSIVE: America Ferrera‘s hot streak continues, as the Barbie Oscar nom has been set to executive produce and star in Naked by the Window, a series adaptation of the book by Robert Katz, which has landed at Amazon MGM Studios for development following a bidding war.

Naman Ramachandran Tokyo-based global advertising giant Hakuhodo Inc. is further expanding its India footprint.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios is opening their $15M Sundance pick-up, My Old Ass, on Aug. 2 in a limited rollout.

Kevin Macdonald Helming Klitschko Doc For Sky

K.J. Yossman Banijay U.K. have invested in Immovable Studios, the production outfit co-founded by hip-hop artist, author and entrepreneur Akala and his business partner and manager Chanelle Newman.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla has announced it is adding a state-of-the-art music recording studio alongside its moviemaking studios. The film commission for the swathe of northwest Saudi Arabia roughly the size of Belgium that also comprises a lush oasis and vast sandstone canyons currently has filmmaking facilities that include two large soundstages, a backlot, and production support buildings.

Naman Ramachandran Film production and distribution company KRG Studios is teaming with acclaimed filmmaker Anjali Menon on a Tamil-language feature film. Menon’s London Film School graduation short “Black Nor White” (2002), starring Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife”) and Rez Kempton (“The Mummy”), won the BFI award at the Palm Springs film festival. Her directing credits include “Manjadikuru” (2008), “Bangalore Days” (2014), “Koode” (2018) and most recently “Wonder Women” (2022).

Naman Ramachandran Its raining biopics of revered 17th century Indian ruler Shivaji Bhonsle in Mumbai. Days after Sandeep Singh’s “The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” was announced, billionaire Mukesh Ambani‘s Jio Studios and actors Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s Mumbai Film Company have unveiled their collaboration on “Raja Shivaji.” Both films were revealed on the occasion of the 394th birth anniversary of Shivaji, Feb. 19.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer 101 Studios, the film and TV production entity run by David Glasser, has named Gray Krakower as executive vice president of brand partnerships. Karkower joins the company behind “Yellowstone” and many spinoffs in the lucrative Taylor Sheridan universe from Endeavor/IMG. There he served clients as a VP of global licensing and branding, working on accounts like Lionsgate Films (“John Wick,” “Saw,” “The Hunger Games”), gaming giant Fortnite and on country legend Dolly Parton’s consumer products.

Sony is rewarding its game show chief.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Sony Pictures Television vet Suzanne Prete, who has driven the studio’s game show division since its launch in 2022, has been upped to president. The exec will continue to report to Sony Pictures TV chairman Ravi Ahuja, who announced the news Thursday in a memo to staffers.

Longtime Lifetime PR executive Kannie Yu LaPack is expanding her oversight with a promotion to EVP, Publicity, Public Affairs and Social Media, for Lifetime, LMN and A+E Studios.

Poor Things took a pair of prizes including Best Picture at the Set Decorators Society of America‘s 2023 SDSA Awards, which were handed out today. Yorgos Lanthimos’ film starring Emma Stone also won for Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Period Feature Film.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Metrograph Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Good One,” one of the breakouts of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The indie film had its world premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition section.

EXCLUSIVE: Anime streamer Crunchyroll is dropping a doc-series on renowned Japanese animation maker Studio Bones.

EXCLUSIVE: A+E Networks EMEA is to explore shocking real-life stories of disappearances — from the perspective of the missing people.