SM Entertainment has announced plans to begin a talent search for the formation of an upcoming UK-based boyband, in partnership with production company Moon&Back.SM Entertainment – home to top K-pop acts such as aespa, Red Velvet, Girls’ Generation and more – announced its partnership with UK-based television production company Moon&Back yesterday (November 15). In the newly announced partnership, both companies revealed an upcoming television project in the works to create and debut a brand-new British boyband to global television audiences.Slated to be filmed over the course of six months, the upcoming television series will follow a fresh-faced boy group as they depart London some time in early 2024 “on the adventure of a lifetime”, according to a press release.
Jill Biden Announces ‘Well-Versed,’ Nickelodeon and ATTN Animated Musical Series On Civics Education
27.10.2023 - 17:05 / variety.com
Valerie Wu Intern During a National Civics Day event in Philadelphia on Oct. 27, First Lady of the United States Jill Biden announced “Well-Versed,” a new animated series that teaches children civics in short-form music videos. The series is jointly produced by Nickelodeon and ATTN.
In the First Lady’s introduction of the series, she described “Well-Versed” as helping to “explain a lot of important ideas about citizenship and participation” in a “fun” format. “Democracy only works when all of us get involved and stay involved,” said Biden. “So get ready to jump in, raise your hand, and let your voice be heard.
I’m proud of you, and President Biden and I are counting on you.” With a curriculum led by non-profit civic education provider iCivics, the twelve-episode series is comprised of original pop songs. It follows a diverse group of friends who sing about a different topic related to civics education. Some of the topics covered include “Our Rights,” which explains the rights of citizens against unreasonable governing bodies; “It’s All Local,” about the importance of local governments; “Our Voices,” about the necessity of voting; and “Branches of Government,” about the three branches of government.
Former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush echoed her support for the program on behalf of the George W. Bush Institute. “The animated videos debuting here today will help young Americans understand how our government works and the importance of our democratic liberties,” Bush said.
MoFo and IAMAD, Asia Music Management Firms, to Merge, Raise Investment
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two independent management companies in the Asian music scene, MoFo Music and IAMAD, have merged to create a new music production and artist management group, MAD MoFo. The new entity will be led by Hong Kong-based Kelvin Avon and Sydney, Australia-based Philippe-Marc Anquetil. Both are both multi-award winning and multi-platinum selling international producers, songwriters and managers. At the same time, MAD MoFo has announced the launch of a Series A fundraising.
Bring Me The Horizon announce ‘Sempiternal’ 10th anniversary vinyl and cassette reissue
Bring Me The Horizon have announced a 10th anniversary reissue of their 2013 LP ‘Sempiternal’.To celebrate 10 years of the band’s fourth studio album, a limited edition vinyl pressing and cassette tape are set for release on December 8. As noted in a press release, the pressing and cassette are described as being “carefully fashioned to emphasise the music and underline the enigmatic artwork still steeped in symbology and mystique”.
The Smile Announces New Album; Paul Thomas Anderson Directs Thom Yorke in New Music Video
Ethan Shanfeld The Smile has announced a new album “Wall of Eyes,” set for release on Jan. 26, 2024, via XL Recordings.
Greener Grass President Phil Tang On Taiwan’s Streaming Landscape; Upcoming Cross Border Series ‘The Outlaw Doctor’ & ‘Three Tears In Borneo’
With a background in Taiwanese public television and now president of leading production company Greener Grass Culture, Phil Tang has been one of the key players in Taiwan’s evolving drama production space.
‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’: First Look At Netflix’s ‘Camp Cretaceous’ Animated Sequel Series
We’re getting the first look at Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, the new Netflix CG animated follow-up sequel series to Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, set for premiere in 2024. The streamer unveiled a teaser trailer and a couple first-look images today during Netflix Geeked Week. You can see the teaser trailer above and images below.
The Newsreader creator teases ‘sex, sequins, and Kylie Minogue’ as series returns
Drugs, politics and Princess Diana drive the headlines in the second season of 80s-set Australian series The Newsreader – but it’s the broadcasters’ private lives that bring the drama.The power struggle continues between News At Six’s Helen Norville and her junior-reporter-turned-boyfriend Dale Jennings. Creator Michael Lucas is an expert at relationship dramas – having also produced the romcom Offspring and comedy-drama Five Bedrooms – so it’s no surprise that Dale (Sam Reid) and Helen (Anna Torv) went from professional to romantic before you could say “And this just in...”! The pair are now established as the golden couple of news, despite Dale’s admission about his sexuality in series one.
‘Elemental’ Composer Thomas Newman On Scoring From A Passive Perspective: “The Scene Presents Itself In A Certain Way, And I Respond Musically”
For Pixar‘s Elemental, composer Thomas Newman was given the challenge of scoring for ‘elemental’ cultures that don’t exist in the real world, while instilling a sense of familiarity for the viewer. He says the real difficulty was to “point towards different cultures and never land on one.”
Tate McRae announces second album ‘Think Later’ and confirms 2024 tour
Tate McRae has announced plans to release a new album and embark on a world tour in 2024.‘Think Later’, the follow-up to her 2022 debut ‘I Used To Think I Could Fly’ will be released on December 8 via RCA Records.
Prime Video Master Crafts Recap: 5 Takeaways With the Crew Behind ‘Jury Duty,’ ‘I’m a Virgo’ and More Emmy-Nominated Series
Jaden Thompson The Emmy-nominated creatives behind Prime Video‘s shows have sat down for another series of Master Crafts conversations with Variety‘s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, drawing back the curtain on the complex process of bringing these wide-ranging series to the small screen. In five separate conversations, Tangcay spoke with the teams behind “The Marvelous Mrs.
Tom Walker announces second album ‘I Am’ and tackles anxieties on single ‘Freaking Out’
Tom Walker has today (November 3) unveiled details of his second album, ‘I Am’, and shared a new single from the upcoming project, ‘Freaking Out’ – listen to this below.Walker’s latest follows on from his debut album, 2019’s ‘What A Time To Be Alive’, and will arrive on May 31. You can pre-order the album here.According to a statement, his latest sees him “writing about his own personal struggles and anxieties, creative challenges, sadness and moments of despair.” It’s also described as “a sometimes visceral account of who Tom Walker is in 2023.”Speaking about the new record, Walker explained: “’I Am’ is a culmination of me trying to figure out who I am for the last four years.
ITV's I'm A Celeb 'set to sign chart-topping boy band star' for new series
Marvin Humes, a member of the popular boy band JLS, is reportedly set to trade his microphone for creepy crawlies in the Australian jungle on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! His wife, Rochelle Humes from The Saturdays and This Morning, is said to be fully behind him. It's also rumoured that Marvin's This Morning colleague, Josie Gibson, will be joining him in the sunny Australian wilderness, leaving behind the wet and windy UK weather.
‘Fright Krewe’: Animated Horror Series Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu, Peacock (EXCLUSIVE)
Joe Otterson TV Reporter The animated horror series “Fright Krewe” has been renewed for Season 2 at Hulu and Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively. The 10-episode first season was released on Oct. 2.
‘SNL’ Announces Timothee Chalamet as Host With Boygenius as Musical Guest
Caroline Brew editor Timothée Chalamet will host the Nov. 11 “Saturday Night Live” episode, with Boygenius as the musical guest. In the most recent “SNL” episode, Nate Bargatze, who is currently touring the U.S.
‘Billions’ Showrunners Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Beth Schacter Unpack Series Finale: ‘We Made This Season for the Fans’ (Watch)
Cynthia Littleton Business Editor “That’s like a billion dollars in Indiana.” That quip from Bobby Axelrod is one of the memorable lines in the series finale of “Billions,” the Showtime drama series that wrapped its seven-season run Oct. 27 with the crowd-pleasing episode “Admirals Fund.” Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis, delivers that line as he takes a victory lap after demolishing his latest foil, rival hedge fund manager Mike Prince (Corey Stoll). It’s a reference to that fact that Prince, after an elaborate sting pulled off by Axelrod and the core “Billions” ensemble, is left wiped out but for $100 million he invested with Black-owned banks a few years ago.
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Trailer: Adult Animated Limited Series Premieres On Netflix On November 3
Adult animation fans, feast your eyes on this: “Blue Eye Samurai” hits Netflix next week, from the husband and wife team of Michael Green and Amber Noizumi. Some may recognize Green’s name from writing credits on “Logan” and “Blade Runner 2049,” making easy to guess what this animated limited series has in store for audiences.
Inevitable Foundation Announces Jenn Lloyd, Marc Muszynski, And Sheridan O’Donnell As 2023 Accelerate Fellows
Launched in 2021, the Inevitable Foundation is a non-profit that invests in disabled writers and filmmakers so they can achieve artistic and financial freedom and use film and television to destigmatize disability and mental health globally. The organization announced the selection of Jenn Lloyd, Marc Muszynski, and Sheridan O’Donnell as its 2023 Accelerate Fellows.
The B-52s’ White House concert cancelled due to “sorrow and pain” of Israel-Hamas war
The B-52s‘ scheduled concert at the White House last night (October 25) was cancelled due to the “sorrow and pain” of the Israel-Hamas war.The US new wave band – best known for their 1989 hit single ‘Love Shack’ – were set to play at an official state dinner for the Australian PM Anthony Albanese, hosted by the US President Joe Biden.In a statement, First Lady Jill Biden said (via The Guardian): “While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, and we have decided to make adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening.”It is reported that The B-52s – who are named after a US bomber aircraft – instead attended the state dinner as guests. Presidential military bands provided “instrumental music” in the group’s place.Albanese arrived at the White House on Tuesday (October 24) ahead of a formal state visit yesterday, when he reportedly discussed topics such as Ukraine, China and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.“Nurturing our partnerships and relationships with our allies is critically important, especially in these tumultuous times,” Jill Biden continued.
Newport Beach Film Festival Announces 2023 Winners, “American Fiction” and “Monster” Receive Honors (EXCLUSIVE)
Valerie Wu Intern The 2023 annual Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), hosted from Oct. 12 to Oct. 19, has announced its slate of awards winners.
Giovanni Pernice's future on Strictly revealed after Amanda Abbington quits BBC series
Giovanni Pernice is said to have no plans to leave Strictly Come Dancing, despite this year's series proving to be a disappointment for the Italian dancer. His dance partner Amanda Abbington had to withdraw from the competition, leaving Giovanni out of the race for the Glitterball trophy this year, just two years after he was crowned champ alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis. Adding to his woes, the Cardiff date of his solo tour was cancelled due to the sudden closure of the venue he was set to perform at.