ITV Studios’ Distribution Boss Ruth Berry Sets Out New Division Strategy

EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Lionsgate Film Distribution Head David Spitz is exiting, Deadline has learned, with former STX distribution vet Kevin Grayson getting named President of Domestic Distribution of the studio’s motion picture group.

Crafty Emmerdale fans reckon they’ve worked out a new paternity twist after spotting a clue in Mackenzie Boyd’s emotional goodbye to his secret son.

K.J. Yossman Is the U.K. feeling royal fatigue? With three major royal events landing in the past 24 months — Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, followed by the Platinum Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022 — the coronation of King Charles III on May 6 is dividing the nation. The coronation arrives in a period of reflection about the monarchy and its place in modern British society, not to mention the optics of staging a ceremony replete with pomp and splendor while ordinary people are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. That makes it tricky for U.K. broadcasters to strike a balance between covering a historic event and serving diverse programming. When Prince Philip died, the BBC’s blanket coverage generated so many complaints that the broadcaster had to set up a dedicated hotline to field them.

Snapchat parent Snap Inc., which has been struggling to get its advertising business back on track, presented a host of new options for brands Tuesday at the NewFronts.

“Big Mouth” has been renewed by Netflix for an eighth and final season, giving it the most installments in Netflix history outside of kids and family programming.Season 7 of the adult animated series arrives in 2023, and the newly greenlit eighth season will arrive in 2024.“If you would have told adolescent Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg that middle school would take 8 years to finish,” said series star and executive producer Nick Kroll. “They would have been like ‘yeah, that sounds about right.

Three years after brutal Covid shutdowns, spring is in the air for cinemas with the box office blossoming and the economics of streaming looking muddy. Traditional studios are re-committing to theatrical, with Apple and Amazon on board. That’s the view from the perch of John Fithian, longtime president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, taking a final bow next week in Las Vegas at CinemaCon, the industry’s biggest annual event. He will formally pass the baton to Michael O’Leary on May 1.

Steven Naismith hailed his rampant Bravehearts for going on the offensive to bring a six game losing streak to a halt with a first half battering of Ross County.

Cheryl Burke is opening up about the complexities of her life. The 38-year-old former pro got candid in a reflective post on Instagram, acknowledging that «life can be so simple but so complicated at the same time.» In the clip, Burke stands outside in what looks like a park, wearing a black baseball cap with earbuds in. She has written over the video, «I'm 38.

Coronation Street fans have speculated that a new love could be on the way for acid attack victim Ryan Connor after being brutally rejected by two people in earlier episodes. At the end of March, Ryan, played by Ryan Prescott since 2018, was the victim of an attack after he threw himself between Daisy Midgeley and her stalker Justin Rutherford.

Keri Russell steps out in a low cut, daring dress for the premiere of her new Netflix series, The Diplomat, in New York City on Tuesday (April 18).

Rita Ora is opening up about her new single.

Welcome to another edition of Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key execs and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re talking with British indie film veteran Phil Hunt, who is the founder of a raft of companies including production outfit and film financier Head Gear, international sales business Bankside and, more recently, New Zealand and Australian distribution genre label (Yet) Another Monster Company. 

Emmerdale boss, Jane Hudson, has revealed that Kim Tate is set to find out about Caleb Milligan "very soon". Speaking to press, including OK! , Jane also teased that Caleb's son, Nicky, who has been pretending to work as a nanny at Home Farm and faking a romance with fiancée Gabby Thomas, still has another secret.

ITV Studios has forged a Global Partnerships division combining formats and finished tape, helmed by the newly-promoted Ruth Berry, who detailed her new role, the Plimsoll acquisition and FAST opportunities.

AMC Networks said it plans to add a cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier of flagship streaming service AMC+ later this year.

The world of reality television has delivered some truly ambitious, and wacky, formats in recent years from celebs mastering Winter Olympic events to Channel 4's naked race across the country. And now, it's rumoured that ITV are making one small step for man and one giant leap for TV as they play to send famous faces to a Space station.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Hollywood studios and entertainment unions are close to a compromise on a new California law to tighten set safety rules, which comes in response to the fatal “Rust” shooting. The compromise would adopt the film industry’s firearm safety rules, which are currently voluntary, into state law. It would also mandate specialized training for armorers and others who work with firearms on sets, according to sources familiar with the talks. The two sides have been working for more than a year on the legislation following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in New Mexico in October 2021.

HGTV is moving head with its competition series Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, a project that was originally set to star Stephen “tWitch” Boss and his wife Allison Holker before the dancer/deejay died in December.

A "Gladiator" sequel is in the works without Russell Crowe, and the actor admitted he’s "slightly jealous." In an interview with Collider promoting his new movie, "The Pope’s Exorcist," Crowe said, "Look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life." He continued, "It's something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I've been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible." "Gladiator" earned 12 Oscar nominations, and took home a total of five, including best picture, and best actor for Crowe.  "You don't always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart," the 59-year-old said.

EXCLUSIVE: Distribution executive Jasper Basch is returning to Variance Films, this time as their new Head of Distribution. He will be departing IFC Films as their Director of Sales and Distribution toward the end of this week, marking the third senior staff departure for the company in two weeks.