Derek Hough Signs Overall Deal With Walt Disney Television Alternative

Johnny Depp is back with Dior.

For All Mankind showrunners Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi are staying in business with Sony Pictures Television. The Emmy-nominated writing-producing duo have signed a multi-year overall deal with the studio behind the series, where they have been based for the last two years.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMatt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi –the co-creators, showrunners and executive producers of “For All Mankind” — have extended their overall deal with Sony Pictures Television.The writing duo has been based at Sony for the past two years. Under the deal, they will continue to serve as showrunners on “For All Mankind” while also developing scripted dramas for all networks and platforms.“We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with the amazing team at Sony,” said Wolpert and Nedivi. “’For All Mankind’ has been a dream come true for us both and we can’t wait to keep pushing forward on Season Four of the show and other exciting new projects.”“For All Mankind” airs on Apple’s streaming service and was recently renewed for a fourth season.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorIf he wins for “Annie Live!,” choreographer Sergio Trujillo will add an Emmy to his Tony Award. Trujillo wanted to make the classic musical accessible to a younger generation.

ABC Signature extended its deal with Yara Shahidi and her 7th Sun Production Company to include a partnership with Onyxn Collective.

Imagine Entertainment announced that it has signed a multi-project deal for scripted television with Emmy-winning writer/producer Jason Katims and his True Jack Productions banner. Together, they have three projects in the works.

EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Shah, writer, executive producer and showrunner of Everybody Still Hates Chris, has signed an overall deal with CBS Studios, which is behind the recently announced animated series.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefIndia-based filmmaking duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK have formed a multi-year creative partnership with Netflix. Under their D2R Films banner, Nidimoru and DK will develop and produce their upcoming projects for Netflix.“With an impressive slate of cult films, blockbusters and premium shows, Raj & DK are undoubtedly one of India’s finest and most successful creators,” the streamer said in a statement.

expected to name CNN political commentator and former Trump White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin as a new co-host for the upcoming season, filling a seat that has been vacant since Meghan McCain exited a year ago.Prior to her time on “The View” and CNN, Farah Griffin served as press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence and Special Assistant to Trump from October 2017 to September 2019. In 2019, she became the Press Secretary for the United States Department of Defense, which she worked as until 2020.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterEntertainment One is expanding its partnership with unscripted production company Creature Films by signing the “Siesta Key” producer to a multiyear overall deal, Variety has learned exclusively.The pact, which is the latest extension of a first-look deal originally signed between eOne and Mark Ford’s Creature Films in 2015, evolves the relationship into exclusive development territory and is good through 2024.Throughout their six-year partnership, Creature Films, which Variety has confirmed recently appointed Pat Lambert as head of development, and eOne have produced MTV’s “Siesta Key,” which was recently renewed for a fifth season, “Behind the Music” for Paramount+, the upcoming Paramount+ doc “The Lady and the Legend” about Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: What a Mess,” BET’s “Chronicles,” A&E’s “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biography: Bobby Brown.” Lambert joins Creature Films as head of development from 44 Blue Productions, where he had worked since 2015.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Grassi is staying in business with Warner Bros. Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Comedy writer-producer Eric Ledgin is expanding his relationship with Universal Television. Ledgin, who has worked on several UTV-produced series including Superstore, American Auto and Rutherford Falls, has signed an exclusive overall deal with the studio, part of Universal Studio Group, to develop and produce projects across various platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Darko Perić, the Serbian actor best known for his breakout role as Helsinki in Netflix’s award-winning Spanish series Money Heist, has signed with Artist International Group for management.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRodney Barnes has renewed his overall deal with HBO for a further three years, Variety has learned.Barnes most recently worked as a writer and executive producer on the premium cabler’s hit series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” Barnes was credited with co-writing nine episodes of the show’s 10-episode first season. The show was renewed for a second season in April, with Barnes continuing on with the show as writer and executive producer.Under the terms of the deal, Barnes will continue to develop, write, and produce shows in a variety of formats under his Rodney Barnes Productions banner.Barnes’ past TV credits include shows like “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” “The Boondocks,” and “My Wife and Kids.” His current development slate include: the feature adaptation “Ride Around Shining” at Netflix; a miniseries on Tiger Woods; a feature for New Regency with Jordan Vogt-Roberts attached to direct.

Winning Time writer, producer and comic book creator Rodney Barnes is staying in business with HBO, with a renewal of his overall deal for three more years.

FX’s Mayans M.C. will return for Season 5, it was revealed during the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday. The gritty motorcycle drama wrapped its fourth season on June 14.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-producer Erika Green Swafford (New Amsterdam) has signed an exclusive overall deal with Disney’s Onyx Collective. Under the pact, Green Swafford will develop television projects exclusively for Onyx, with a focus on drama series, which she will produce through her production company, Chocolate Girl Wonder. In addition to expanding the scope of stories and characters seen on TV through her own development, Green Swafford is committed to acting as a ladder for other underrepresented creatives.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSalli Richardson-Whitfield has extended her overall deal with HBO and HBO Max for an additional two years.Under the terms of the deal, Whitfield will become an executive producer on the HBO basketball drama “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and will direct the second half of the show’s upcoming second season. She previously directed two episodes in Season 1, including both the penultimate episode and the season finale.

Veteran director, producer and actor Salli Richardson-Whitfield is staying in business with HBO/HBO Max, with a renewal of her overall deal for two more years.