Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-Backed Media Company To Buy ‘Fauda’ Creator Faraway Road Productions

UPDATED with official announcement: Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-backed Candle Media has formally clinched its latest deal — for Faraway Road Productions, the company behind Fauda and Hit & Run. 

The Morning Show returns to open another day.

Feuding? While Tom Brady emotionally asked Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans to have empathy for former teammate Antonio Brown after his now-viral NFL exit, the receiver has claimed his former teammate does not have his support.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-producer Matthew Tinker has been promoted to President, All Media, of David E. Kelley Productions. This is the first time in more than a decade that DEK Prods. has had a President and caps a major ramp-up of the indie company’s slate over the past year, in which Tinker played a key role.

EXCLUSIVE: Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine is doubling down on podcasting.

An investment firm backed by Blackstone and run by onetime Disney colleagues Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs has taken a minority stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.

An outpouring of grief. After Betty White‘s death at age 99, tons of celebrities shared their memories of the beloved actress.

As you’ve likely heard by now, French Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée died unexpectedly at the age of 58 over the weekend. Longtime producing partner Nathan Ross confirmed his death in a statement shared with various trades.

J. Kim Murphy administratorThe Quebecois director Jean-Marc Vallée is being remembered by the entertainment industry, with heartfelt tributes emerging from the late filmmaker’s peers and collaborators.Vallée, who directed films such as “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Wild” and helmed TV projects including “Big Little Lies” and “Sharp Objects,” died suddenly at his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada on Saturday.

One of Hollywood’s most prolific directors has sadly died at the age of 58. Jean-Marc Vallée passed away at his cabin outside Quebec City, Deadline reported on December 26. The cause of Jean-Marc’s death has not been revealed. HollywoodLife has reached out to Jean-Marc’s team for further comment.

The news that writer-director Jean-Marc Vallée died suddenly at age 58 has spurred reactions from Canada to Hollywood and beyond.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorThe roll-up media venture led by ex-Disney execs Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer has set its next acquisition: Faraway Road Productions, the Israeli entertainment company behind Netflix series “Fauda” and “Hit & Run,” Variety has confirmed.The deal for Tel Aviv, Israel-based Faraway — founded by and headed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz (pictured above) — is the third for the still-unnamed company formed by Stagg and Mayer with the backing of private-equity company

Tom Holland and Zendaya met a real-life hero — the Wyoming boy who saved his sister from a dog attack — and they made the boy's day one he'll never forget.The stars played host to Bridger Walker and the rest of his family on the set.

Tom Hanks was joined by some familiar faces in a surprise appearance opening a Covid-hit Saturday Night Live.

Reese Witherspoon is all smiles during her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Friday (December 17).