CAA Hires TV Agent Natasha Ahmed From UTA (EXCLUSIVE)

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng will be released in January.The album, titled ‘The Head Up Project’, was recorded at “a night of poetry, belly dancing, music, insults, alcohol and other forms of flattery”, at the Paris Cafe in Sacramento, California in January 2001.Only 200 copies of the album will be made available, which are available for pre-order here.Cheng, a founding member of the band along with singer Chino Moreno, died in 2013 aged 42.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentPeter Langenberg, the newly appointed COO of Banijay following the Endemol Shine takeover, will be ramping up the company’s content strategy in key territories, notably in Benelux, Germany and India.In Benelux, where Banijay just bowed the new label Simple Zodiak, a merger of Simple Media and Zodiac Nederland, the company is developing a packed slate of shows under the new leadership of Peter Lubbers, who was tapped as CEO of Banijay Benelux, the new

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe NBC comedy pilot based on the Kevin Hart film “Night School” is not moving forward at NBC, Variety has learned exclusively.The half-hour multi-cam had originally gotten a pilot order in January, but the pandemic shutdown virtually all pilot production in March.

The rumors were true! A “Fantastic Four” reboot is now officially in active development at Marvel Studios. Kevin Feige has announced that “Spider-Man: Homecoming” director Jon Watts will be the one to helm Marvel’s first family in a brand new reboot set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Swiss Family Robinson” series is in development at Disney Plus.The series hails from Ronald D. Moore and Jon M.

EXCLUSIVE: CAA is the latest to blast WarnerMedia on its decision to place its entire 17-film slate on HBO Max at the same time the films are released in U.S. theaters in 2021.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCraig Macneill has signed on to direct and executive produce the pilot for the upcoming “I Know What You Did Last Summer” series at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Macneill made his feature directorial debut in 2015 with “The Boy,” which was loosely based on the novel “Miss Corpus” by Clay McLeod Chapman and premiered at the SXSW Film Festival that same year. Macneill also served as co-writer on the film in addition to directing.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has given a series order to “Extrapolations,” an anthology series about climate change from Scott Z. Burns, Variety has learned exclusively.Burns will write, direct, and executive produce the series, which hails from Media Res.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEitan Bernath has signed on to be the principal culinary contributor on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Variety has learned exclusively.The role will see Bernath make recurring appearances on the daytime talk show, during which he will showcase original recipes and his expertise and perspective on food-related topics.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLuckyChap Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Under the deal, LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIn a competitive situation, the George Lopez drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan” has been set up at Amazon for development, Variety has learned exclusively.Lopez will star in and executive produce the one-hour series under his Travieso Productions banner.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock is developing a drama series about the FBI’s notorious COINTELPRO program, Variety has learned exclusively.Set in 1965, the series centers on Amos Harvey, a conservative black cop and veteran of the Korean War, who is forcibly recruited into the FBI’s secret task-force, COINTELPRO. His job is to infiltrate the Civil Rights movement to destroy the organizations from the inside.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Blindspotting” series at Starz has cast several key roles as production kicks off in Los Angeles and Oakland, Variety has learned exclusively.Along with previously announced series lead Jasmine Cephas Jones, the eight-episode, half-hour dramedy will also star Benjamin Earl Turner, Atticus Woodward, Jaylen Barron, and Candace Nicholas-Lippman.

Queen Elizabeth II is looking for a new personal assistant.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterErin Kellyman, Cailee Spaeny, and Ellie Bamber are negotiating to star in the “Willow” series at Disney Plus, Variety has confirmed with sources.The project was officially ordered to series at Disney Plus last month, with the film’s original star, Warwick Davis, set to return as well. Jon M.

EXCLUSIVE: While President-elect Joe Biden has yet to announce his pick for CIA director, an array of names has been highlighted, and among them is Darrell M. Blocker -- one of the highest-serving persons of color to have served in the clandestine service, Fox News has learned.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSkydance Media, the production company behind “Mission: Impossible,” “Terminator” and “Top Gun,” has hired Rebecca Mall as the new head of marketing.Along with news of Mall’s hire, Skydance announced that Jack Horner is departing his post as executive VP of corporate communications and publicity, while Anne Globe is exiting as chief marketing officer.In the newly designed role, Mall will oversee all aspects of the company, including streaming, theatrical,

Dave McNary Film ReporterCreative Artists Agency has hired veteran executive Tyrone Bland to lead its U.S. government relations efforts.Bland joins from Herbalife’s global corporate affairs team, where he served as vice president of state and local government relations.