‘Fantasy Island’: Kiara Barnes Joins Fox Reboot As She Nears ‘The Bold & The Beautiful’ Exit; John Gabriel Rodriguez Also Cast

EXCLUSIVE: Tasha Smith has been tapped to direct the pilot and second episode of Fox’s drama series Our Kind Of People, from writer/executive producer Karin Gist, executive producer Lee Daniels, 20th Television and Fox Entertainment.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSerialized fiction app Radish is being acquired by Kakao Entertainment, the entertainment arm of Korean internet giant Kakao, in a transaction valued at $440 million.Word of the deal comes as South Korea’s Naver on Monday announced the completion of its $600 million-plus takeover of Wattpad, a user-fiction story app.Radish’s board of directors and a majority of its shareholders have approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in June.

Fox has picked up to series Pivoting, its half-hour single-camera comedy pilot headlined by Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin and Maggie Q. The project, written and executive produced by Liz Astrof, hails from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Warner Bros TV and Fox Entertainment.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefNewly released “The Croods: A New Age” jostled with two previously-released titles to form a triumvirate at the top of the South Korean box office over the weekend of May 7-9, 2021.But after a sprightly Wednesday, which was a national holiday, the weekend numbers were weak. Aggregate takings between Friday and Sunday were a lowly $2.57 million.Box office charts in Korea are typically ranked in order of ticket sales.

Fox has handed a series order to The Cleaning Lady, its adaptation of the Argentinean drama starring Daredevil and The Defenders alum Elodie Yung.

K-pop is so hot right now.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeBellamy Young will be among the first guests to check into “Fantasy Island.” Fox’s reboot of the quirky and often mysterious series has signed Young to guest star as a local TV morning show host with a taste for adventure.And we do mean that literally. In an early episode of the new “Fantasy Island,” Young will play Christine Collins, described as a host with “a simple fantasy.

Tubi, the Fox Corp.-owned free streaming video service, plans to launch a full slate of original programming in the fall, including content developed by Fox Entertainment. The streaming service plans to unveil its plans and make its pitch to advertisers at its newfronts presentation next week.

Fox has given a series order to hourlong pilot The Big Leap, starring Scott Foley, Teri Polo and Piper Perabo, from Liz Heldens, Jason Winer, Sue Naegle, 20th Television and Fox Entertainment.

EXCLUSIVE: Management and production company, Magnolia Entertainment, has added manager Michael Klein to further expand its literary division, and its international client roster and production activities. Klein’s clients include filmmakers, Evil Eye directors Rajeev & Elan Dassani,  Never Back Down director Kellie Madison, Loteria writer Felipe Vargas, Oscar nominated animator/director, Javier Recio Gracia and Korean production company Zanybros.

Roselyn Sanchez is heading back to TV!

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Fantasy Island” reboot at Fox has cast Roselyn Sanchez in the show’s lead role, Variety has learned.Sanchez will star as Elena Roarke, a descendant of Mr. Roarke from the original series.

Roselyn Sanchez (Devious Maids, Grand Hotel) has been tapped as the lead in Fantasy Island, Fox’s contemporary version of the classic drama series that has a straight-to-series order to debut Aug. 10. Sanchez will play Elena Roarke, a descendant of the original series’ enigmatic Mr. Roarke, in the project, from writer-producers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain as well as Sony Pictures TV and its Gemstone Studios label, which co-produce with Fox Entertainment.

Parasite swept off the Oscar at the 92nd Academy awards collecting the honors for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. Auteur Bong Joon Ho accepted acclaim for his film worldwide and Parasite became the second name of the Korean film industry for the time being.