Digital Entertainment Group Sets Google, Amazon, NBCUniversal And ViacomCBS Execs As Direct-To-Consumer Alliance Officers

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAction thriller “Steel Rain 2: Summit” dominated the South Korean box office in its opening weekend. In doing so, it knocked “Peninsula” from the perch where it had been for the past two weeks.Released on Wednesday by Lotte Entertainment, “Steel Rain 2” earned $4.92 million from 663,000 admissions over the weekend.

Social media star, entrepreneur and TalentX Entertainment co-founder Josh Richards has been named chief strategy officer at AI-driven music video and entertainment platform Triller, which he also invested in. In his new role, Richards will lead strategy at Triller while also overseeing the company’s implementation of live streaming and monetization tools.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentFederation Entertainment, producer of banner Canal Plus’ series “The Bureau,” Netflix Italian hit “Baby” and Omri Givon’s Keshet success “The Grave,” has teamed with three high-profile Spanish executives to launch Federation Spain.As when Federation Entertainment, a production-distribution company, bought a majority share in Italy’s Fabula Pictures in 2018, Federation Entertainment will own 51% of Federation Spain, to be run by executives Juan

Nellie Andreeva, Peter White AMC Networks Entertainment Group President Sarah Barnett will be stepping down from her position after Labor Day.

Also Read: AMC Networks Hires Lionsgate TV Executive Dan McDermott as Original Programming Chief“This is a year that has confronted us with radical change on multiple fronts,” said Barnett. “After a lot of consideration – and with a slightly breaking heart – I have decided that it is the right time for me to follow my curiosity and leave things in the very capable hands of the outstanding team at AMC Networks.

When the Hamilton movie was released a few weeks ago, everyone couldn’t stop talking about Jonathan Groff and his spit.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorESPN is moving deeper into the increasingly popular game of talking about big topics in smaller chunks of content.The Walt Disney-owned sports-media giant will today start rolling out “ESPN Stories,” a new series of quick-hit content compilations that its executives believe represent a new way of talking about sports to a generation of fans that love seeing not only great plays and highlights, commentator hot takes, stats and player interviews but humorous

Corus Entertainment, a major buyer of American series from studio suppliers, has been hit with a round of pandemic-era layoffs at its Global News division. “The news industry has been challenged by a multitude of factors in recent years, including regulatory restraints, a lack of government support, advertising losses, and most recently, COVID-19.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorMike Francesa, a pioneering figure in sports talk radio and host for 30-plus years on WFAN, said Friday will be his last regularly scheduled broadcast on the New York station.Francesa, who made his acting debut as Adam Sandler’s bookie in Uncut Gems, plans to continue making occasional appearances on the station but will discontinue “Mike’s On.”Although he has been a solo host for more that a decade, Francesa is best remembered by listeners for his longtime teaming with

Peter White Television EditorComedian Denis Leary has signed a development deal with Fox Entertainment.

Peter White Television EditorArmando Bó, the Oscar-winning co-writer of Birdman, has unveiled his first television slate since launching his own production company, About Entertainment, earlier this year.The writer and filmmaker is developing two series based on well-known Argentinian stories.About Entertainment has acquired the rights to Las Malas, the 2019 autobiographic novel by Camila Sosa Villada, and is developing Cromanon, based on true events of the tragedy that took place at the venue

Peter White Television EditorEXCLUSIVE: Narcos producer Gaumont is teaming with producer Grupo Ganga on its first Spanish co-production – a dark surf drama starring Élite’s Miguel Bernardeau.The company is developing the project, which will be shot on location in the Canary Islands, as an eight-part one-hour drama.The scripted series, which is being spearheaded by Spanish filmmaker Susana Casares, co-exec producer of Netflix’s Luis Miguel, is a YA drama set in a fishing village on the Spanish

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterEXCLUSIVE:  AMC is giving us another helping of Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s hosted by Fear the Walking Dead actor Colman Domingo. The network has ordered an additional six episodes of the digital series which features Domingo and his guests having a virtual conversation with the staples of a good brunch: food and booze.

Elbow singer Guy Garvey has called on the government to protect the future of music venues in law, after two of Manchester’s most influential venues announced their permanent closure.Gorilla on Whitworth Street and the Deaf Institute on Grosvenor Street announced yesterday that they have been unable to weather the storm of the coronavirus crisis, despite the government’s recent £1.57billion bailout for venues and arts spaces.Garvey, who has been a leading face of Manchester’s music scene for

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered an action-thriller series from Mark Boal straight to series, Variety has learned.The 10-episode series is titled “Echo 3,” based on the Israeli series “When Heroes Fly” created by Omri Givon and based on the novel of the same name by Amir Gutfreund.In the series, Amber Chesborough, a brilliant young scientist, is the emotional center of a small American family.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorEXCLUSIVE: Former CAA agent and Imagine Artist Management partner-manager Raj Raghavan is joining Echo Lake Entertainment as a talent manager, where he’ll continue to rep a roster of accomplished actors, playwrights, comedians and novelists.Raghavan’s clients include Golden Globe Nominee Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), four-time Filmfare Award winner and Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt (Gully Boy), British Independent Film Award winner Ashley

Mike Fleming Jr Co-Editor-in-Chief, FilmEXCLUSIVE: On the heels of her debut feature film, Pink Skies Ahead, writer/director Kelly Oxford’s spec feature script, Son Of A Bitch has been put into development at HBO Max with Oxford being brought on to direct.In the vein of Bridesmaids, the script is a raucous comedy about a young stoner who tries to maintain her popular party girl image after she discovers she’s fallen pregnant.

A collective of major music industry bodies have produced a set of Government-endorsed guidelines to aid artists, producers and songwriters in safely returning to the recording studio.

Denise Petski Senior Managing EditorAngelica Rosas McDaniel, the former head of daytime programs at CBS, has joined Litton Entertainment, a leading producer of daytime educational and informational programming, as its new EVP, Strategy. In her new role, McDaniel will be involved in all aspects of the company’s operations, from original productions to syndication and digital strategy.