Former Disney Exec Ben Sherwood, Joanna Coles To Run The Daily Beast In Strategic Partnership With Barry Diller’s IAC

Jessica Casano-Antonellis, a former exec at Disney+, Hulu and Vimeo, is returning to the streaming sector as the head of communications for the new sports-centric service coming from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Comedian, actress and mum Katherine Ryan talks to OK! about all things fashion, as she prepares to host eBay’s very first eBay Live in the UK tomorrow. She opens up on the stories behind some of her most iconic outfits going on sale for charity, having to up the glam as a busy mother-of-three. But first, OK! had to ask the Canadian star about Baby Reindeer - the hit Netflix show from fellow comedian Richard Gadd that’s on everyone’s lips right now… Katherine, firstly, as a fellow comic we’ve got to ask.

George Cheeks, Brian Robbins and Chris McCarthy, the Paramount Global executives chosen to occupy the Office of the CEO as a replacement for the departing Bob Bakish, sought to reassure Wall Street on Monday that they have a plan.

Whitney Cinkala Variety will return to the Croissette for its annual Welcome to Cannes Party, hosted in partnership with The Gotham Film & Media Institute. The event will take place on May 16 at Lucia Beach. Variety and The Gotham will host executives, talent and filmmakers to kick off the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Rotterdam competition title Small Hours of the Night from Daniel Hui (Demons, Snakeskin) and SXSW premiere Adrianne & The Castle by Shannon Walsh (The Gig is Up, Illusions of Control) have landed international reputation via non-fiction agency Indox. 

David Faustino took over the role of Bud. Christina Applegate initially rejected the chance to audition for Kelly because she found the script “disgusting.” After watching the pilot, she had a change of heart.With the cast assembled, the show prepared for launch with the promise of autonomy over its material.But, Fox broke its vow before the show even aired.

Lexi Carson Jane Nefeldt, former senior executive of the Writers Guild of America West, has died. She was 71. The WGAW said she died on April 16 in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “She-Hulk” star Tatiana Maslany went viral during the SAG-AFTRA strike last year when she called out Disney CEO Bob Iger for being “completely out of touch” due to his controversial comments about the Hollywood work stoppage. That “She-Hulk” was a Disney-backed Marvel series streaming on Disney+ only drew more heightened attention to her Iger call out.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s highly anticipated next feature “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has learned. While the exact plot of the movie remains under wraps, Östlund has teased it several times as a social satire set on a long-haul flight on which the entertainment system isn’t working, sparking chaos and rages among passengers.

Moresnet is a storied town and the setting for a European mystery thriller of the same name about a group of friends who dig up a time capsule buried two decades earlier, only to find their names listed inside with dates marked for their death.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Max Cutler sold Parcast Studios, his scripted-audio entertainment start-up, to Spotify in 2019 under a deal in which Spotify ultimately paid nearly $90 million. Cutler went on to become Spotify’s VP, head of talk creator content and partnerships — inking exclusive licensing deals with podcasters including Alex Cooper, Emma Chamberlain and Markiplier, and managing the company’s partnership with “The Joe Rogan Experience” — before exiting last year. Now Cutler is back in the game with the launch of Pave Studios.

Max Cutler, the former Spotify executive who oversaw the audio streamer’s deals with the likes of Alex Cooper and Joe Rogan, is launching his own company.

Ever since he arrived on Britain’s Got Talent back in 2023, judge Bruno Tonioli has captivated the nation with his cheeky charm and addictive eccentricity. From fiercely grabbing the golden buzzer after being pranked into thinking he had an infinite number to use, through to his flamboyant critiques at the end of every act - the Italian powerhouse is a natural on screen. Yet long before Bruno stepped into the shoes of his predecessor, former judge David Walliams, the 68 year old star was a regular staple on the small screen having served on the judging panels of both Strictly Come Dancing and its US spin-off series Dancing With The Stars.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ben Sherwood and Joanna Coles inked a deal to lead IAC’s The Daily Beast, under which the media veterans have been granted a minority stake in the news and opinion site. Effective immediately, Sherwood — one-time president of the Disney ABC Television Group — will serve as The Daily Beast’s publisher and CEO. Coles, previously Hearst Magazines’ chief content officer, is the site’s chief creative and content officer.

Days after he left Amazon, Chris Brearton has found a new gig.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the company majority-owned by Donald Trump that operates the Truth Social social media network, have fallen about 50% off their high since they started trading a little over two weeks ago. TMTG stock closed at $32.59 per share Friday, rallying late in the day to close up 0.6% — but it’s down 50.7% from its peak closing price of $66.22 per share on March 27, the day after it first started trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

Former Netflix Head of Comedy Jane Wiseman is joining Jane Featherstone and Liz Murdoch‘s Sister entertainment group in a newly created position as Head of U.S. Television. Based in Los Angeles, Wiseman will report to Cindy Holland, Sister’s Global CEO, and will lead the company’s U.S. television business, specifically focused on development and production of premium scripted series.

EXCLUSIVE: The extraordinary exploits of convicted fraudster Russell King will be recounted in King of All Cons (WT), a feature doc that has just gone into production. Emmy-nominated Dash Pictures is making the film with Sky in the UK and Matthew Lorenzo Productions, the indie set up by the titular Lorenzo, a former Sky Sports presenter.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney‘s games group has bulked up executive ranks with new hires and promotions after the announcement of its $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games and partnership to create a virtual world featuring the Mouse House’s brands and characters. Ray Gresko, formerly chief development officer at Blizzard Entertainment (who left prior to its the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard), joins the Disney Games team as senior VP, product and development.

As Katherine Ryan juggles three children and a booming career, she is the first to admit that life can be, well, a little hectic. at times But chatting with OK!, the hilarious and outspoken Canadian-born comic explains why she is taking the time to appreciate the little moments with her brood. “I’ve realised that life is so fleeting, which has made me appreciate those little moments with my kids so much more.