BBC Studios Signs First-Look Deal With Shaun Murphy’s Big Owl Pictures

Writer-director and producer Craig Gillespie has signed a first look deal with Tomorrow Studios, a division of ITV Studios.The deal solidifies and expands the Australian filmmaker’s relationship with the company, with which he already collaborates on Season 3 of “Physical.” Gillespie serves as a director and executive producer on the Apple TV+ series, along with Tomorrow Studios’ CEO Marty Adelstein and president Becky Clements.Gillespie recently executive produced and directed episodes of “Mike” and “Pam & Tommy.” His film work includes the Oscar-winning “I, Tonya,” “Cruella,” and “Lars and the Real Girl.” He’s slated to direct a “Chippendales” movie starring Elle Fanning and Seth Rogen, as well as the sequel to “Cruella” and “Dumb Money,” a star-studded dramedy about the Wall Street GameStop debacle.“I’m thrilled to be working with Marty, Becky and the team at Tomorrow Studios,” said Gillespie in a press statement. “Their taste, independence and fearlessness with material are exactly what I was looking for to expand what I’m doing in television!”“As we continue studio growth, having likeminded partners becomes of even greater importance, and we share with Craig a great passion for producing compelling scripted television projects.

Selome Hailu Craig Gillespie has entered a first look deal with Tomorrow Studios, a subsidiary of ITV Studios. The deal represents an expansion of Gillespie’s partnership with Tomorrow, as the studio is already behind the Apple TV+ comedy series “Physical. Gillespie serves as a director on “Physical” and executive produces alongside Tomorrow Studios CEO Marty Adelstein and partner and president Becky Clements. Along with “Physical,” which is currently in production on its third season, Gillespie’s television credits include serving as a director and executive producer of Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” and “Mike.” In film, he is best known for directing “I, Tonya,” “Cruella” and “Lars and the Real Girl.”

Naman Ramachandran Chris Sussman, previously director of U.K. scripted for Netflix, has signed a first look deal with Banijay U.K. to develop original scripted projects. The deal was struck with Banijay U.K. CEO Patrick Holland. It is part of the recently revealed £50 million ($59.3 million) Banijay U.K. Growth Fund which enables the group to partner with high profile talent, as well as investing in new businesses, to enhance growth. During his time at Netflix (2019 – 2022), Sussman executive produced scripted series, including comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson, “Man Vs Bee,” satirical series “Black Mirror” and drama series based on Harlan Coben novel, “Stay Close,” starring Cush Jumbo, Jimmy Nesbitt and Richard Armitage.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. No one will be leaving this year’s Oscars ceremony empty-handed.

BreAnna Bell On the heels of his successful series “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” on Peacock, Malcolm D. Lee has extended his first-look deal with Universal Television. As part of the deal, he will continue to write, develop and produce new projects via his Blackmaled Productions banner for a variety of platforms. “Malcolm is an incredibly gifted writer, director and producer with an impressive ability to tell entertaining, nuanced stories that shatter records along the way,” said Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television. “We’re overjoyed at the success of ‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters,’ and we look forward to partnering with Malcolm on many more exciting and memorable projects.”

Following tonight’s episode of The Good Doctor, ABC released a trailer for the next episode, airing March 13, which is an embedded pilot episode for potential spinoff The Good Lawyer.

Disney‘s Haunted Mansion has dropped (check it out below) and showcases a revamped spin-off of the popular Disneyland ride.Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, the film focuses on Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son, Travis (Chase Dillon), who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.The trailer showcases plenty of spectacularly spooky goings on as Gabbie and Travis attempt to make an old mansion their forever home. The spiritual experts come in the form of Owen Wilson, Danny De Vito and LaKeith Stanfield. Justin Simien, Dear White People and Bad Hair, helms the film which features a cast dripping with Hollywood names.

The Great” will drop all 10 episodes on May 12, and revealed a first-look image. In the third season, Catherine (Elle Fanning) and Peter (Nicholas Hoult) try to salvage their marriage after Catherine imprisoned his friends and almost had him murdered. Peter must also deal with visions of his dead father (Jason Isaacs) as Catherine spreads her word across borders and must compromise to create progress as a political leader. Tony McNamara created, wrote and executive produced “The Great,” along with executive producers Fanning, Hoult, Marian Macgowan, Mark Winemaker, Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Thruline’s Ron West and Josh Kesselman. Civic Center Media produced the series in association with MRC Television.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer One of Austin’s hometown filmmakers is bringing his next movie to SXSW. Director Robert Rodriguez will screen a work-in-progress cut of his crime thriller “Hypnotic,” starring Ben Affleck, for fans at the SXSW Film Festival in the Texas capital on March 12. In the film, written by Rodriguez and Max Borenstein (“Godzilla vs. Kong,” HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”), Affleck plays a detective who is investigating a series of inexplicable crimes while searching for his missing daughter, whose disappearance is somehow involved with a secret government program.

Fulwell 73, the company behind The Late Late Show with James Corden, is staying in business with CBS Studios.

BreAnna Bell Following the success of their years-long partnership that spawned seven original films including Natalie Morales’ “Plan B” and “Crush,” Hulu Originals has renewed its first look deal with comedy production company American High. Jason Zaro (“Brigsby Bear”) will serve as co-producer across the new slate of films for Hulu. The renewed partnership comes on the heels of the successful release of “It’s a Wonderful Binge” in November 2022, which starred Kaitlin Olson, Danny Trejo, Nick Swardson, Tim Meadows. The movie serves as a sequel to the first Hulu original comedy under the American High banner, “The Binge,” which featured Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Eduardo Franco, Dexter Darden.

In this new teaser for Paramount+’s Fatal Attraction series, Lizzy Caplan’s Alex Forrest shares an elevator with Joshua Jackson’s Dan Gallagher and asks “Do you ever push that red button?” We can be pretty sure she’s not merely talking about an emergency stop.

K.J. Yossman “Cunk on Earth” star Diane Morgan and “Intelligence” creator Nick Mohammed have each inked independent deals with BBC Studios. Both comedians, who act and write, have signed deals for development, co-production and distribution of new scripted material, which BBC Studios will rep and distribute internationally. Mohammed is a double Emmy nominee who created and co-starred in “Intelligence” alongside “Friends” star David Schwimmer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Nate in “Ted Lasso” and will be seen in the upcoming feature “Maggie Moore(s)” opposite Jon Hamm and Tina Fey. Mohammed is also an associate of the Inner Magic Circle. Morgan recently had a hit with “Cunk on Earth” in which she starred as professional dim-wit Philomena Cunk. She is also known for comedy show “Mandy,” which she created, wrote and directed, and has starred in shows including “After Life” and “Motherland.”

Ted Lasso‘s Nick Mohammed and After Life‘s Diane Morgan have struck scripted development deals with BBC Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: The New York Post is looking to get into the TV game with a first-look unscripted deal with producer Asylum Entertainment Group.

Get ready to return to the dating pods! Love Is Blind season four officially has a premiere date — and it’s sooner than you think.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group has signed a multiyear first-look directing and producing agreement with two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker M.

Angelique Jackson M. Night Shyamalan has inked a new multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, with the Oscar-nominated filmmaker switching his allegiance from Universal. The announcement was made Thursday by Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. News of the pact comes as the director celebrates his latest release “Knock at the Cabin,” which marks his seventh No. 1 opening at the box office — he has a No. 1 film in each of the last four decades — and further contributes to his more than $3 billion haul at the global box office, beginning with his breakout hit, “The Sixth Sense.” “Where I write and direct is my home,” Shyamalan said in a statement announcing the new deal. “Disney and Universal, where I’ve made most of my films, will always be home and family to me. Warner Bros. has a storied history of cinema. Through its recent experiences, the company has rediscovered its love and appreciation for filmmakers, and the impact of the theatrical experience. We all win when movies succeed in theaters. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theaters all around the world for years to come.”

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros Pictures Group has inked a multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement with two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, whose movies have grossed $3.3 billion at the box office.

Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road production banner have signed a multi-year first look deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to an insider with knowledge.Weed Road had previously had their film and television at MGM, and rejoin Warner Bros.