Comic Republic, Africa’s Largest Superhero Franchise, Signs with CAA (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAndy Cheng has earned tremendous kudos as the fight choreographer of the bus scene in Marvel’s recent “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” The scene took nearly a year to plan and execute, but serves to demonstrate Simu Liu’s previously-hidden skills to an open-mouthed Awkwafina, and has since been released by Marvel as a standalone YouTube clip.Cheng is now hard at work trying to shape the next Asian superhero as action director, stunt coordinator and

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHannah Waddingham has signed with CAA for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. She continues to be repped by manager Nick Todisco at Atlas Artists, U.K.

Jamie Chung squeezes Daniel Dae Kim in a hug inside the HBO APA Visionaries After-Party held at Majordomo over the weekend in Los Angeles.

revealed the controversial casting decision via Nintendo Direct Thursday.“We are collaborating with Chris and his experienced team to not just create a character licensed film, but a new piece of entertainment which brings Super Mario Bros. to life on the screen,” said Mario creator and representative director Shigeru Miyamoto of the Universal Pictures flick which will be based on the Mario Bros.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAnnie Murphy has signed with CAA for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.Murphy was previously represented by Gersh. She continues to be repped by Molly Mandel and Peter Kousakis at Mosaic, as well as Pam Winter at GGA.Murphy is best known for her critically-acclaimed role on the Pop TV-CBC series “Schitt’s Creek.” She starred in all six seasons of the show in the role of Alexis Rose, the pampered socialite daughter of Johnny and Moira Rose.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has added nine actors in recurring roles to the upcoming series “The Girl From Plainville,” Variety has learned exclusively.Chinasa Ogbuagu (“Mare of Easttown,” “Nurse Jackie”), Kelly AuCoin (“Billions,” “The Americans”), Scott William Winters (“Oz,” “City on a Hill”), Kristin Griffith (“Succession,” “The Devil All the Time”), Ella Rubin (“The Chair,” “Gossip Girl”), Megan Lawless (“The Hate U Give,” “Play by Play”), John Henry Ward (“Yes, God, Yes,” “Murder Chose

EXCLUSIVE: The first installment of Super Pumped, Showtime’s anthology series from Billions co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien, has rounded out its cast.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaSaban Films is getting in the Nicolas Cage business.The studio has acquired “Butcher’s Crossing,” a frontier epic that stars the off-beat, Oscar winner as a buffalo hunter. The deal covers rights in North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia.Gabe Polsky, who directed the documentary “Red Penguins,” slides behind the camera on this one.

Mario Camus, the acclaimed Spanish writer-director behind La colmena, Young Sánchez, The Holy Innocents and more, died in his hometown of Santander on September 18. He was 86.

London Fashion Week on Monday.   The television presenter, 37, looked stunning in the goth-meets-girly smock dress, which boasted black leather puff-sleeves and a pink floral ruffle skirt.

San Sebastian Film Festival is in mourning as Spanish director Mario Camus, celebrated for his sober but caring adaptations of distinguished Spanish novels such as “La Colmena” – written by Nobel prize winner Camilo José Cela – Ignacio Aldecoa’s “Young Sánchez” and “The Holy Innocents” by Miguel Delibes, died on Saturday in Santander, northern Spain, the city where he was born.

EXCLUSIVE: Transparent actress Trace Lysette has signed with Anonymous Content.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDianne Doan has joined the cast of “Reunion.”The film centers on a murder that takes place during a high school reunion party and has already attracted a cast of comedy heavyweights and in-demand actors. Doan will appear alongside Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock and Chace Crawford.

EXCLUSIVE: Eugene Pack, creator of the live stage comedy show Celebrity Autobiography and writer-director of The Pack Podcast, has signed with CAA.

Anna Wintour wears a bright floral dress at the 2021 Met Gala on Monday (September 13) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Rebecca Davis editorWhen Taiwanese actor Janine Chang was writing her masters’ thesis in industrial economics in 2010, she likely never imagined that two Chinese characters in it would become a diplomatic flashpoint and threaten to derail her lucrative acting career more than a decade later.This week, however, it has done just that.

The characters have some parallels to audiences familiar with their US cousins. For one example, Amadioha is the Nigerian god of thunder to the Igbos and Yorubas.

EXCLUSIVE: CAA has cooked up its latest podcast signing.

Vivienne Chow In the acclaimed director Chung Mong-Hong’s latest dramatic offering, “The Falls,” a high school student is forced to confront the wounds of a strained relationship with her mother when the two of them are forced to stay at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vivienne Chow To Taiwan director Chung Mong-hong, the purpose of filmmaking is telling the particular story that he wants to tell, rather than thinking about how to surpass himself with the next project.“If all you can think about is whether you can beat yourself, life would be too harsh,” the director quips.Hence Chung wants the audience to view his latest offering “The Falls,” which is premiered at the Horizons section at the Venice Film Festival followed by an appearance at the Toronto