BBC Launches Natural History Unit in U.S. (EXCLUSIVE)

Following the continuing success of its long-running Contenders events during Oscar and Emmy seasons, Deadline is making new additions to the franchise with Contenders Documentary, focusing on the year’s most noteworthy non-fiction films, and Contenders International, with its eye on a great lineup of foreign-language entries.

Justin Bieber is ready to take the stage! A source tells ET that the 26-year-old singer has been rehearsing «tirelessly» for «three-plus weeks» in Los Angeles ahead of his New Year's Eve performance, his first live concert in years.«Performing on stage is his absolute favorite thing to do, and he is super excited to get back on stage for a real show — his first [concert] in almost four years!» the source says.As for what he'll play for his comeback concert performance, ET's source said the

Gleb Savchenko is speaking out in his first interview since his highly publicized split from wife Elena Samodanova.ET's Lauren Zima exclusively spoke with the 36-year-old dancer over the phone on Tuesday, just a few hours after news broke that Elena filed for divorce in Los Angeles.

Lux Vide, the Italian producer behind Sky series Devils and the upcoming Leonardo, is rebooting the pirate story Sandokan and is launching a podcast unit.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterThe Russo brothers, directors of the all-time top grossing film “Avengers: Endgame,” quietly secured a roughly $50 million cash infusion from Saudi Arabia earlier this year, multiple sources tell Variety.In a deal brokered and closed at the beginning of the pandemic, the Russos received the investment from an undisclosed Saudi bank in exchange for a minority stake in the brothers’ Los Angeles-based production company AGBO.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is stepping up its push into UK-produced originals with another ambitious natural history show — this time from Warner Bros International Television Production outfit Wall To Wall.

EXCLUSIVE: DAZN Unveils ‘Club Ibiza: The Sessions’ Original Sports streamer DAZN has unveiled its latest original: A documentary going behind the scenes of Ibiza soccer club UD Ibiza, which has dreams of making it all the way to La Liga. The five-part series, which premieres from December 25 around the world, features interviews with president Amadeo Salvo and Italian soccer star Marco Borriello, who played for UD Ibiza.

Kylie Brakeman — an actor, writer and improviser with a wide social media following — has signed with WME. Los Angeles-based Brakeman has nearly 230,000 followers across her social media platforms and more than 1.4 million likes on TikTok.

Shaquille O'Neal is gearing up to be part of the upcoming virtual Sports Illustrated Awards. The former Los Angeles Laker will be spinning tunes as DJ Diesel.«When I'm DJ Diesel with these kids, I give them what they want.

Lena Waithe is launching a mentorship program to give marginalized storytellers a boost. Waithe’s production banner, Hillman Grad Productions, has unveiled the Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab, a program designed to provide opportunities for marginalized storytellers to connect, grow, and accelerate their careers in television and film, according to today’s announcement.

“I've been wanting to do a menswear line for over a decade,” says Janie Bryant, the Emmy-award winning costume designer behind Mad Men. In collaboration with Inherent Clothier, the custom menswear brand with a focus on fighting mental health stigmas, Bryant released a line of suits on Dec.

Naman Ramachandran The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will merge its Los Angeles and New York branches to form a single BAFTA North America in 2021, Variety has confirmed.The merger is in aid of a homogenous strategy designed to foster closer interactions with the U.K. body.

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Sherwood has unveiled his next venture, almost two years after he stepped down as President of Disney-ABC TV Group and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks in March 2019, after Disney’s acquisition of key Fox assets was completed.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaCast and crew members were sent home this week due to a coronavirus scare on the Los Angeles set of “Bullet Train,” the upcoming Brad Pitt action-thriller.The move was made after an asymptomatic crew person tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with union protocol and out of an abundance of caution, the handful of cast and crew who had contact with the crew member went home and continued to be tested.

Lionsgate TV-produced “Mythic Quest” in less than two months.Sixteen cases of coronavirus were recorded at CBS Studio Center’s Bungalow 3 in the first week of December, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where the Lionsgate TV-produced series was set to wrap production this week.

Naman Ramachandran Key creatives behind blue-chip natural history producer Silverback Films — the powerhouse outfit behind Netflix’s “Our Planet” — have teamed to form sister company Studio Silverback.The new production outfit will focus solely on films that tackle the world’s pressing environmental challenges, and will be headed up by Jonnie Hughes, Colin Butfield, Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill.

EXCLUSIVE: A Wild Year on Earth, a six-part wildlife documentary series narrated by Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael, is heading to BBC America.