Lee Rosenthal Named President Worldwide Physical Production, Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon Studios

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorAPA has promoted partner Julian Savodivker, to executive vice president and head of global physical production, it was announced today by CEO Jim Gosnell.“Julian is one of the most well-respected agents in the business whose unwavering passion, commitment and exceptional relationships have been instrumental to the overall success of our below-the-line business during one of the most challenging and disruptive periods in the history of our industry,” commented Gosnell in making the announcement. “I’m very pleased to have him take leadership of our Physical Production division as we continue to expand our business through its next stage of strategic growth.”Savodivker joined APA’s Physical Production division as agent in 2013, the same year he was featured as one of Variety’s New Leaders.

Channel 4 Pre-Buys ‘Hitler: A Life In Pictures’

Paramount+ unveiled robust plans Tuesday for three of its most highly profitable franchises, setting the table for a series of films derived from “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Transformers.”“As we’ve known with Nickelodeon’s long-standing success, the kids and family audience is incredibly loyal, and we see that on Paramount+ as well, with kids and family ranking as one of the strongest genres on the service in terms of both engagement and subscriber acquisition,” Brian Robbins, Paramount+ chief content officer for movies and kids & family, said in a statement as part of the streamer’s investors day presentation. “So as they stay for our shows and look for even more of them, we’re doubling down on giving them what they want by expanding the universes of the characters they love the best.”Among the projects are three new movies set in the “SpongeBob SquarePants” universe, based on the original characters, that are set to come to Paramount+.

EXCLUSIVE: After several fits and starts, the next Star Trek film is gearing up to begin production by year’s end. Paramount has begun talks with Chris Pine to reprise as James T. Kirk, and the intention is to engage to bring back aboard Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura, Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Deadline revealed last summer that Paramount and producer JJ Abrams hired Matt Shakman to direct, fresh from the triumph of the Marvel/Disney+ series WandaVision, just after the series was nominated for 23 Emmys. Shakman has been supervising a draft by Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires, based off a draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterParamount Plus is mining even more Nickelodeon content to fill out its content slate.The streamer announced a slew of new projects that will be produced by Nickelodeon and Nickelodeon Animation as part of the ViacomCBS investor day presentation on Feb. 15.

Paramount+, the ViacomCBS streaming service, has unveiled a new slate of original kids and family programming, including a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CG-animated movie series, and a Transformers: Earthspark animated series, among others. The announcements were made Tuesday by Brian Robbins, Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family for Paramount+, during the ViacomCBS’ Investors Event.

ViacomCBS is further expanding its Dora The Explorer universe. Paramount+ has given a series order to a new Dora the Explorer CG-animated preschool series, produced by Nickelodeon Animation. Additionally, the first-ever live-action Dora the Explorer series, inspired by the tone of Paramount Pictures’ 2019 film Dora and the Lost City of Gold, is shifting its demo target to tweens. The details were revealed Tuesday by Brian Robbins, Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family for Paramount+, during ViacomCBS’ Investors Day Event.

EXCLUSIVE: Even though the second film doesn’t bow till the spring, Paramount Pictures and Sega Corporation are moving fast to build on its ever growing universe with projects in both the film and TV realms. Paramount Pictures and Sega Corporation have commenced development on a third feature film installment to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Additionally, Sega and Paramount+ are developing the first-ever original live-action Sonic series, to launch in 2023, which will feature the character Knuckles, with Idris Elba returning to voice the role. The character is set to make its debut in the upcoming sequel that bows on April 8.

Propagate has promoted Rodney Ferrell to President, Worldwide Scripted Content.

EXCLUSIVE: We can tell you first that Maze Runner franchise filmmaker Wes Ball is attached to direct Paramount Pictures’ adaptation of Valiant Comic’s Harbinger, which remains in development at the studio.

Alvin Deutsch, the attorney who represented singer Peggy Lee in her landmark victory over Walt Disney Productions and more recently tangled with Broadway producer Scott Rudin and the estate of author Harper Lee over rights to a stage production of To Kill A Mockingbird, died Oct. 6 at his home in New York City. He was 89.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNickelodeon is taking a new swing at mixing professional sports with its young audiences.After broadcasting two NFL Wild Card games aimed at kids in the past two football seasons, the ViacomCBS outlet will next tackle golf. Nickelodeon plans to air a new one-hour special, “Nickelodeon Slime Cup,” that sets four teams of three against each other on a “Nick-ified” golf course with one-of-kind tee boxes, physical challenges, and far-out fairways.

Bolton Wanderers will appeal Ricardo Almeida Santos' red card in the draw against Morecambe if the Whites feel a 'clear and obvious' error has been made.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney Branded Television has assembled well known Disney talent for Prom Pact (working title), a teen rom-com movie for Disney+. Prom Pact, which I hear is among several original movies DBT will be announcing during their TCA session tomorrow, is toplined by Disney Channel favorites, former Andi Mack star Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who is now the lead of Disney+’s Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., and Zombies‘ Milo Manheim, who also was a runner-up on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. The film comes from Julie Bowen, star of ABC’s signature comedy Modern Family, and Melvin Mar, producer behind such Disney series as ABC’s Fresh off the Boat and Disney+’s Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., headlined by Lee.

A+E Networks has bolstered its unscripted production division: Sharon Scott has been promoted to President of the unit, which comprises Category 6 Media and Six West Media, while Steve Ascher has been upped to oversee development for the entire unscripted division.

K.J. Yossman BBC Studios has consolidated and rebranded its production and content teams under the banner BBC Studios Productions.The move is intended to “create a single content powerhouse for all the commercial arm’s productions, talent relationships, and content investment.”BBC Studios Productions will oversee four genres – scripted, factual, global formats group and children’s – which will apply across all of BBC Studios’ wholly and partly owned labels as well as BBC Studios Productions and indies with which BBC Studios partners for content sales.CEO of BBC Studios Productions, Ralph Lee, will oversee the company’s productions and content investment, supported by COO Martha Brass, whose purview is business development, production operations and strategy.

infamous 1995 sex tape, premieres Wednesday on Hulu — and it doesn’t take long before s–t gets weird.Lily James and Sebastian Stan star as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, the bikini-clad “Baywatch” star and bad-boy Mötley Crüe drummer — recently divorced from Heather Locklear — who meet-cute in an LA club and, four days later, get married on the beach in Mexico.They settle into Lee’s ginormous Malibu estate, which is undergoing major renovations. When Lee — a childish, arrogant jerk who struts around in thong underwear — fires carpenter Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) and refuses to pay him the thousands he owes him or return his tool box, Gauthier (an ex-porn actor) steals Lee’s safe from his garage.

Scroll To See More Images