EXCLUSIVE: Queer advocacy group Out in Hollywood released its second annual list of the best unproduced queer-focused television pilot scripts of the past year.
15.06.2022 - 18:47 / variety.com
Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorA documentary about kids’ holiday letters to Santa that was originally created as a promotional effort for the United States Post Office is set to become a new miniseries aimed at inspiring consumers around holiday time.“Dear Santa” was released in 2020 and put a spotlight on “Operation Santa,” a USPS initiative that has people “adopt” letters sent by kids to Santa Claus and help to fulfill their wishes. The film, directed by Dana Nachman, examined various “Operation Santa” centers around the U.S.
some in big cities and others in small towns. A new six-episode series will continue the work, showing different letters from kids and people who step up in unexpected ways to create a happy ending.
The miniseries is directed by Nachman and produced by her company, Sweet World Films, along with Chelsea Matter, Brendan Gaul and Brett Henenberg, and Christopher Karpenko. The original documentary had a brief release in theaters due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the distribution strategy behind the miniseries aims to spur new response, says Gaul, global chief content officer of Mediabrands. The miniseries will appear around holiday time on eight local ABC stations as well as on Hulu.
“This highlights stories in local markets,” says Gaul. “People are then inspired to go on a web site and adopt letters.” Stations can use the series to fill gaps in programming when there’s no local football on the air, says Gaul, and might support the show with news reports.The original film got a good response on Hulu, prompting Disney to be interested in new concepts.
“While holiday magic is universal, the series features stories from seven of the eight cities where it will premiere. That direct connection with
.EXCLUSIVE: Queer advocacy group Out in Hollywood released its second annual list of the best unproduced queer-focused television pilot scripts of the past year.
William Earl Barry Garron, former Chief TV Critic for The Hollywood Reporter, died June 23 at a medical facility in Gilbert, Ariz. He was 72.Garron, who was well-liked in the industry as a “genial Midwesterner,” spent a little more than a decade as a prominent critic for The Hollywood Reporter.
Sasha Urban editor“Holiday Twist,” an upcoming feature from ETM Pictures, announced on Thursday that a group of cast members added to the film, with production up and running in Los Angeles.Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”), Neal McDonough (“Yellowstone”), Haley Reinhart (“F is for Family”), Emily Tosta (“Mayans M.C.”) and Brian Thomas Smith (“Big Bang Theory”) will join the film, which is led by Kelly Stables (“Superstore”), and features James Maslow and Hugh Sheridan.Per ETM: “The story centers on Stables’ character, a Grinchy workaholic CEO whose whole world comes crashing down, before, with help from a Supermarket Santa and a little holiday magic, she realizes the key to letting go of her painful past is to become the twinkling light that both her town and her family needs.” Astin was most recently seen in the historical drama “Changing the Hearts of Men,” alongside Kelsey Grammar. McDonough played a recurring role on the second season of “Yellowstone,” the hit western series on Paramount Network, and also appeared on “Justified.” Reinhart is best known for placing third on Season 10 of “American Idol,” while Tosta has appeared on all four seasons of “Mayans M.C.” and Smith has been recently seen in a recurring role on “United States of Al.”The film is written by Stephanie Garvin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) of ETM Pictures, who also directs the film.
EXCLUSIVE: Keir Gilchrist (Atypical) and Lucy Hale (The Hating Game) will topline Daniel André’s debut feature, Mort in Sherman Oaks—an offbeat romance that will also star Francesca Eastwood (Old), Jim Gaffigan (Linoleum), Jay Pharoah (SNL), Rhys Coiro (Paradise City) and more.
Oscars for its handling of the death of actor Sidney Poitier, saying that he should have had “a whole section”.At the ceremony in March the late actor was commemorated with a 40 second tribute at the beginning of the In Memoriam section. His work was also celebrated alongside Ivan Reitman and Betty White during an additional song-led section.Speaking to the Los Angeles Times about the memoriam tribute, Jackson said: “I’m still a little ticked that the greatest actor we had in Hollywood died and they gave him, what, 10 fucking seconds. No.
Amy Schumer, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo have joined more than 200 US actors, directors, producers and writers in signing an open letter calling for a change to gun portrayal in Hollywood films and TV shows.This year has already seen over 250 mass shootings in the US, with recent events in Buffalo and Uvalde provoking further debate in a country where more than 40,000 people are shot and killed with guns every year.The newly published letter from the Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence – also signed by Shonda Rhimes, J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Judd Apatow, and Jimmy Kimmel, among others – attributes the problem to “lax gun laws” and politicians “more afraid of losing power than saving lives”, but notes that representations in film and TV can play a part.It's up to us to make sure senators #DontLookAway from our country's gun violence crisis.
Tyler Perry is making it clear that he didn’t comfort Will Smith after the actor slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.As part of the Directors Series With Gayle King during the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, the 52-year-old film mogul spoke candidly about witnessing Smith slapping Rock, and him chatting with the actor just after the shocking incident.“I was there close up, I left early to go and check on Chris because it was wrong in no uncertain terms,” Perry said about the aftermath. “I made sure I said that to Will, and when we walked over to him, he was devastated.
Seinfeld the TV series has paid tribute to Philip Baker Hall following his death at the age of 90.The actor, who played library detective Lt. Joe Bookman on the hit American sitcom, passed away on Sunday night (June 12) with complications from emphysema, as confirmed by his daughter Anna Ruth Hall (via The Washington Post).“The great Philip Baker Hall will forever be remembered by Seinfeld fans as the hard-nosed library detective, Mr Bookman,” the show’s official Twitter account posted.“Hall had a long and impressive career as one of Hollywood’s top character actors. His talent will be cherished.”The great Philip Baker Hall will forever be remembered by Seinfeld fans as the hard-nosed library detective, Mr.
pic. twitter. com/1x5mLyvro3— Seinfeld (@SeinfeldTV) June 14, 2022“The great Philip Baker Hall will forever be remembered by Seinfeld fans as the hard-nosed library detective, Mr Bookman,” the show’s official account tweeted.
Philip Baker Hall, who starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's first movies and who memorably hunted down a long-overdue library book in "Seinfeld," died on Sunday in Los Angeles, California. He was 90. Holly Wolfle Hall, the actor's wife of nearly 40 years, on Monday said Hall was surrounded by loved ones when he passed in the Glendale suburb of Southern California.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, author James Patterson lamented the struggle he says white men now face find writing jobs in film, theater, TV and publishing industries. He called it “just another form of racism.”
who died Sunday night at age 90, was honored by his “Magnolia” co-star Patton Oswalt, as well as stars such as Michael McKean, Bradley Whitford and director Greg Mottola, among others in Hollywood.“I hope he’s in heaven having a sandwich, drinking a glass of milk, doing some f—in’ thing,” Patton Oswalt tweeted, making a reference to a classic scene featuring Baker Hall from “Midnight Run.” “A fantastic actor, a lovely man, and nobody made Larry David break on camera as much as Phil,” Mottola said in reference to Baker Hall’s two “Curb Your Enthusiasm” appearances. Fans and cinephiles online shared clips from some of his standout moments in “Boogie Nights” and talks about enjoying the “simple pleasures like butter in my ass” or in “Magnolia” where he faints during a game show talking about the beauty of a piece from Chopin. Though many of his roles were brief, character-actor turns, they were frequently memorable thanks to either his ability to flash a forceful presence or a hangdog expression.But many more recalled his memorable turn as Lt.
The British Soap Awards returned with a bang on Saturday night after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Emmerdale actress Paige Sandhu stole the red carpet ahead of tonight's British Soap Awards at Hackney Empire in London.The actress played evil serial killer Mean Jutla on the ITV soap, but the star couldn't be less villainous if she tried as she arrived in the most incredible mint green gown. Strolling the red carpet with a ginormous grin ahead of the highly-anticipated ceremony, the first in the three years, Paige looked like a true goddess.The star's gown featured a plunge neckline, thousands of tiny glittering sequins, and synched in at the waist.
READ MORE: Kate Middleton rewears clothes to show she'll 'make a good Queen'Hollyoaks' Bethannie Hare's dress featured a bodice bralet, and full ruffled skirt and a slit, in a deep red. Reality star Billie Faiers also appeared in a pastel pink dress with a three-tier skirt. Paige Sandhu also made a dramatic moment when she flung the chiffon sleeves of her dress into the air.