Inspiring the Entertainment Industry to Include Accurate Representations of Bipolar I Disorder

A team of painters were at work this week restoring the mega-photographed Hollywood sign, a mission that carries a perverse irony.

By There’s an old adage that says, “You don’t choose HBCUs; HBCUs choose you.” For Kennedy Orr, that couldn’t have been more true. “I knew that in my heart I wanted to go to an HBCU,” the 19-year-old says.

The Great British Bake Off fans waved goodbye to Dawn on Tuesday after her spine-tingling bakes failed to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith during the show’s first ever Halloween week. As part of the spooky themed challenge week, the contestants had first been tasked with creating an exquisitely decorated apple cake which saw Maxi and Syabira reign supreme with their delicious bakes – with both bakers earning a coveted handshake from Paul.

What’s better than a true-crime series about a corrupt business? Well, how about when that business involves male strippers and stars none other than Kumail Nanjiani? Yeah, Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales” is a no-brainer.  As seen in the trailer for “Welcome to Chippendales,” Kumail Nanjiani stars as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who comes to the US for the American dream. What starts as a modest dream to run a business turns into a desire to build an empire based on the fact that people like to see sexy dudes dancing around in bowties and cuffs.

María Salud Ramírez Caballero was announced dead in her hometown, Santa Fe de la Laguna, located in the state of Michoacán.Pixar had previously shared how they became inspired by the life of María, after traveling to multiple locations in Mexico. Investigating the many traditions, especially during Day of the Dead, and even taking the time to live with local families in the Latin American country, including the home of the real Mamá Coco.The local community in Santa Fe de la Laguna quickly noticed the similarities between María and the beloved character in the animated film, which became a total success.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan-based development and production operation Organic Media is teaming up with Los Angeles-based sales agency and content aggregator Shoreline Entertainment in a strategic pact that sees Shoreline take responsibility for much of Organic’s sales function. The pairing will make its debut at this week’s MIPCOM TV rights market in Cannes. It will follow that with an appearance at the American Film Market in Santa Monica in early November. Organic was co-founded in 2019 by veteran sales and production executive Steve Chicorel and Kelly Mi Li (“Bling Empire”) and now has operations in Taipei, Los Angeles, London, Riga and Brisbane. The operation, now headed by Chicorel and Shari Hamrick, is currently in post-production on two movies and the second season of “Cypher,” a series for Roku.

K.J. Yossman Entertainment One (eOne) have sold their first Soanish language series “Operación Marea Negra” to over 60 territories including the U.S. and Mexico (Roku), Austarlia (SBS), Latin American (AMC Networks Intl), Canada (TELEUS) and Spain (Disney-owned FOX channel). The four-part series is based on the true story of Europe’s first intercepted narco-submarine in November 2019, when three smugglers crossed the Atlantic in a home-made sub-aquatic vessel carrying more than 3,000 kilos of cocaine. After boarding in the middle of the Amazon, they sailed to Europe while enduring terrible conditions including hunger, engine problems and storms before finally being captured on the Galician coast by the Civil Guard.

Tetra Pak heir Magnus Rausing has made a “significant” investment in Michael Nakan’s Envision Entertainment.

EXCLUSIVE: Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians) and Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale) have signed on to star alongside Zhang Jingchu, Michelle Krusiec and more in Impossible Dream Entertainment’s comedy Tiger Mom, which has entered production in Vancouver.

Golden Age of Hollywood stars” and a “Broadway and West End icon” following her death. The Irish-British and American actress, best known for her role as Jessica Fletcher in American drama series Murder, She Wrote, died “peacefully” in her sleep aged 96, her family said on Tuesday. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elaine Paige, Josh Gad and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson were among those sharing memories of encounters with the renowned actress.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Alfred Roth and Janet Roth’s Raw Truth Entertainment has optioned Kalani Pickhart’s acclaimed debut novel I Will Die in a Foreign Land, with plans to develop it as a film. The Ukrainian American production company will fully finance the pic as its first feature, with an eye on shooting on location in the Ukraine.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution rights to “Sweetwater,” a recently completed feature about Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African American to land an NBA contract. The drama is written and directed by Martín Guigui and stars newcomer Everett Osborne as Clifton. The ensemble includes veteran actors such as Kevin Pollak, Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Ri’chard. There are also special appearances by Gary Clark Jr., Jim Caviezel and NBA champion Bobby Portis Jr.  The film follows Clifton (Osborn), who is the star attraction of the Harlem Globetrotters, led by owner/coach Abe Saperstein (Pollak). When New York Knicks executive Ned Irish (Elwes) and Knicks coach Joe Lapchick (Piven) decide it is time for the Knicks to integrate, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff (Dreyfuss), they come together with the other team owners of the league to make history. Briarcliff will give the film a wide theatrical release on April 14, 2023. 

EXCLUSIVE: Former Legendary Entertainment executive Vasco Xu is joining forces with Hong Kong business exec Brian Cheng and Chinese venture capitalist Sun Ge to launch a Los Angeles and Beijing-based international production venture, Conqueror Entertainment. Cheng and Sun will both serve as Co-Founders, with Xu as Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, overseeing corporate affairs, creative development, production, marketing, distribution and franchise management. Cheng is a member of one of Hong Kong’s biggest business families, while Sun is the founder Chinese VC company Grains Valley. Xu said the company will develop and produce feature films and series, both in English and Chinese, for the international and domestic Chinese market.

BreAnna Bell Hollywood veterans Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Peter Murrieta are optimistic that “so much is possible” in the future as Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large expands by making room for more diverse stories and perspectives across the board. Murrieta and Boone Isaacs spoke Thursday at an event to herald the recent launch of Arizona State University’s Sidney Poitier New American Film School, a program that launched earlier this year in downtown Los Angeles in the famed former Los Angeles Herald Examiner building at Broadway and 11th streets. Boone Isaacs is founding director of the Poitier school while Murrieta serves as deputy director and professor of practice, The two joined several other faculty members to discuss how Hollywood can grow its business and audience base by making strides on inclusion and representation during a panel on the future of film education.

President Joe Biden has taken a number of steps to curb domestic fossil fuel production since taking office but has still turned to foreign dictators for oil as prices have ticked up. The Biden administration has aggressively pushed its climate agenda, which includes a transition from fossil fuels to green energy, over its first 20 months in office. For example, it has taken aim at oil and natural gas pipelines, restrained leasing on federal lands and waters, moved forward with stringent climate disclosure rules for the private sector and introduced burdensome environmental regulations.

Three House Democrats are introducing a bill to remove U.S. defense systems from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in response to the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day – a move that is expected to drive up gas prices in the U.S.

Thania Garcia Influence Media Partners has acquired Blake Shelton’s catalog of master recordings, which comprises all of his commercial releases from 2001 to 2019. In the announcement, the company described the joint venture as a “groundbreaking deal” put in place “to amplify his works and entitling Blake to participate in a share of the profit generated.” Warner Music Group will continue to oversee distribution for the country singer’s catalog; further terms were not disclosed. Shelton said, “I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since my first album and single. Sometimes I still feel like the kid from Oklahoma I was back then! While a lot has changed during that time, my passion for music hasn’t. I’m excited to be working with Lylette, Rene and the team at Influence Media on so much of my catalog and to introduce my songs to the next generation of country fans.”

It’s October! A month which is increasingly being associated in the mainstream with Black History Month, but what exactly is it and what should this month be about? What is Black History Month? Black History Month is an annual observance originating in America, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, and the UK.