FilmNation Entertainment, Range Media Partners Set Co-Production Pact

A drone is to be flown above Salford Quays to pinpoint the best place to install a nesting tray for peregrine falcons. It is hoped the move will help a pair who have tried to breed since 2017 have a family.

Carson Burton “Outer Range,” the new Josh Brolin-led Western series from Prime Video, aims to twist the well-worn genre at its very roots. To showcase the land of the West in a never-before-seen fashion, the eight-episode series mixes in an element of the supernatural, with mind-bending results.“It took a very simple, straight-forward genre and then it took extraordinary twists, whether it be metaphysical or whatever you want to call it,” Brolin told Variety at the show’s premiere at Hollywood’s Harmony Gold theater on Thursday night.

Thania Garcia Since the 1980s, the city of Miami has been synonymous with fashion, art deco and, of course, Latin music.On Thursday, Variety and the City National Bank of Miami hosted the inaugural Miami Entertainment Town breakfast — an event celebrating The Magic City’s irrefutable influence over the entertainment and music industry. The Legends and Groundbreakers award was given to Miami’s most notable musical pioneers — Gloria and Emilio Estefan — who helped put Miami on the map with the revolutionary stylings of their Miami Sound Machine.In her acceptance speech, Gloria Estefan mused tales of the city, “Even as a little kid, I knew that one day someone would realize the gem that is Miami Beach,” she said.

Manori Ravindran International Editor5Ringside Media, the investment arm of Newen-backed indie Ringside Studios, has taken a minority stake in Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Joi Productions.Joi Productions was founded by Gharoro-Akpojotor (pictured, right), and in 2020 received a BFI Vision award. Gharoro-Akpojotor, a BAFTA Breakthrough nominee, has had breakout hits producing Rapman’s “Blue Story” and “Boxing Day.” She is currently producing the BBC’s “Champion,” written by “Queenie” author and screenwriter Candice Carty-Williams.

Plans to create a £26m food and drink venue at Media City have been scaled back, it has been revealed. Peel L&P’s revised proposals would now see the firm invest £5m to build a waterside venue at the Quayside shopping centre's southern walkway.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThis is peak synergy: “Call Me Kat” is crossing over with fellow Fox comedy “Welcome to Flatch” in an upcoming episode of the series that will also feature “The Masked Singer” panelist Robin Thicke, Variety has learned exclusively.Airing April 28 at 9 p.m., the Mayim Bialik-led sitcom will feature characters from its lead-out mockumentary show “Welcome to Flatch,” which debuted March 17 on Fox at 9:30 p.m. and that same day launched half of its first season of Hulu and other digital platforms.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorStudio 100, a leading studio for kids and family entertainment, and ZDF Studios, the commercial arm of the German public broadcaster, have joined forces to offer kids and family programs on Amazon Prime Channels under the channel brand Pash.The collaboration on Amazon Prime Channels will kick off in the U.K., Italy and Spain, with further territories in the planning. The programming lineup from both ZDFS’ and Studio 100’s catalogs will include well-known series and kids’ brands such as “Maya the Bee,” “Mia and Me,” “Heidi,” “Peter Pan,” “H20” and “Find Me in Paris.”The Pash brand was created by ZDF Studios, which has already launched Amazon Prime Channels in various countries.

Representation and production outfit Range Media Partners is teaming with production and sales company FilmNation Entertainment to co-produce and co-finance a slate of feature films.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterABC wasn’t the only network to see a ratings boost for this year’s Oscars. E! more than doubled linear viewership for its post-show and more than quadrupled cross-platform audience engagement with its Oscars coverage, largely driven by interest in Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the ceremony, Variety has learned exclusively.Led by new “Live From E!” host Laverne Cox, who replaced longtime E! vet Giuliana Rancic after she hosted last season solo following many years paired with Ryan Seacrest, E!’s Oscars red carpet coverage was up 25% from last year.

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Emmy nominee and SAG Award winner Matt Walsh has boarded the Apple Original limited series Manhunt about the Lincoln assassination and aftermath.

EXCLUSIVE: PAW Patrol and Bob the Builder creator Keith Chapman has partnered with London indie Snipple Originals to co-create and develop ground-breaking animated kids TV shows.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterViewership for Sunday’s Oscars on ABC grew by 511,000 viewers during the 15-minute time span that featured Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, according to Live + Same Day Nielsen data. While the Oscars’ audience dipped from there, it spiked again during Smith’s best actor win and acceptance speech shortly after 11 p.m. ET, this time by 614,000 viewers.The most-watched portion of the entire show was the 15 minutes between 9:15 p.m.

EXCLUSIVE: 1091 Pictures is partnering with NBA champ Matt Barnes and filmmaker Joslyn Rose Lyons to take a deeper dive into the lives of athletes after their pro careers.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNetflix’s “A Madea Homecoming” and Disney’s “Free Guy” both made their debuts on Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings with more than 1 billion minutes watched in the titles’ first few days of availability.Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Homecoming” was No. 4 on the list of overall streaming programs for the week of Feb. 21-27, with 1.04 billion minutes viewed in the two days following its Feb.

EXCLUSIVE: While most Covid restrictions have been lifted around the country, we get daily reminders that the pandemic has not gone away, with Kenneth Branagh, Hillary Clinton and Jen Psaki among the big names who have announced infections in the past few days.

EXCLUSIVE: Longtime ICM Partners agent Matt Sorger has left to join A3 Artists Agency as senior agent in the Alternative Programming, Digital Media, Licensing and Branding division. He is the latest ICM agent to depart for another agency or management company ahead of company’s pending acquisition by CAA.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterWarner Bros. is turning 100 next April and the legendary studio is kicking off the celebration of its centennial early with the reveal of a commemorative logo.On Wednesday, Warner Bros.