‘Letterkenny’ Producer New Metric Media Strikes First-Look Deal With Sasha Leigh Henry – Banff

EXCLUSIVE: Narrative Pictures has wrapped production on Christmas at Plumhill Manor, a rom-com set in the heart of the UK countryside.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Indie sports media brand Jomboy Media has partnered with regional sports network Bally Sports to air its “Warehouse Games” franchise, which includes ball in play, floorball, blitzball and slapball. Deal reps the first time the games have hit a mainstream linear platform.

EXCLUSIVE: Ibiza filmmaker Alex Richanbach is set to direct and produce Single at the Wedding through his Something Something Pictures at New Line.

K.J. Yossman Fremantle has inked a first-look deal with Nevermind Pictures, the production company set up by Kristen Stewart, Dylan Meyer and Maggie McLean, which will see the super indie become the primary home for all of Nevermind’s projects in film and TV. The new deal, which spans a multi-year period, will see Nevermind working closely with Fremantle’s global drama division and international distribution team, FMI, for TV titles.

Frank Murray and Frida Torresblanco have boarded The Night Manager Season 2 as producers via their nascent Hangtime International Pictures, with plans ramping up for the next instalment of the John le Carré adaptation.

Justin Timberlake hasn’t had an easy time of it in any way lately.

Paul Heaton has announced his new Ian Broudie-produced album ‘The Mighty Several’ and has shared a new single ‘Fish ‘N’ Chip Supper’.‘The Mighty Several’ is set for release on October 11 – which is available for pre-order here – and follows his 2022 LP ‘N.K-pop‘ with Jacqui Abbott. The Housemartins and Beautiful South legend’s upcoming album was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Salford and was produced by Broudie of the Lightning Seeds.The album is comprised of 12 tracks, with some featuring special guests such as Rianne Downey (Heaton’s regular live vocalist), Yvonne Shelton and Danny Muldoon. The featured artists are all pictured alongside Heaton on the album’s artwork.

EXCLUSIVE: Alan Cumming, the host and producer of Peacock’s reality phenom The Traitors, has signed a first-look producing deal with NBCUniversal. The pact spans scripted and unscripted content for NBCU’s portfolio of brands.  

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent TOLEDO, Spain — Launched in November, Banijay Branded Entertainment (BBE), has closed strategic partnerships aligned with software, insights and data company, Launchmetrics, and Banijay Iberia’s creative agency IMA, in order to enhance the expertise and appeal to clients of BBE’s 360° production, marketing and measurement services. Made at Spain’s Conecta Fiction, the announcement comes hours before Carlotta Rossi Spencer, head of branded entertainment business development, Banijay Entertainment, will talk on a panel at the forum, as producers and companies look for ever more engaging ways to promote their content and brands – and measure the results of their campaigns.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Verzuz, the online platform launched during the pandemic by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, has struck a distribution partnership with Elon Musk’s X. The pair made the announcement during Cannes Lions conference in France on Wednesday. Earlier in the year, Swizz and Timbaland reacquired Verzuz from their previous partner Triller and now own 100% of the platform, while retaining their equity (along with the artists who participated in Verzuz) in Triller, according to the announcement.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Wanda Film, China’s largest cinema operator, has expanded its business relationship with Imax Corp. in a huge deal that straddles technology and content. With 381 Imax installations, Wanda alone operates more Imax venues than most countries.

Thania Garcia Latin Grammy winner Lasso has signed an exclusive management deal with WK Entertainment. This includes a comprehensive 360 contract under the leadership of Andres Gomez, who will support Lasso in touring, brand partnership strategies, A&R, marketing and more on a global scale. Lasso has also announced his first 15-date U.S tour, “Quedarse Solo Para Siempre,” promoted by Live Nation.

EXCLUSIVE: Hulu has signed a first-look deal with Jennings Brown, a documentary producer, podcaster, journalist, and founder of the production company Nocturne. 

Facebook post Sunday, revealing that the actor had been battling prostate cancer.The actor died in his wife’s arms “only hours after their 38th wedding anniversary,” the post reads.In addition to cancer, Kasten had been battling Crohn’s disease for the past seven years. He died at his Batavia, New York home.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of the season two finale of Apple’s critically acclaimed comedy series Loot, starring Maya Rudolph (who also exec produces), Apple TV+ has signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Banana Split Projects, the newly formed production company run by Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens.  Under the deal, Apple TV+ will have a first-look on series and digital features developed and produced by Banana Split.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Insecure” and “The First Purge” star Y’lan Noel will be the voice star of Xbox‘s eagerly anticipated “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.” Details about Noel’s unnamed character and the storyline of the game are being kept under wraps until formally unveiled by Activision at the Xbox Games Showcase event in Los Angeles Sunday, but Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl teased to Variety Noel is playing “a new character” that is featured in the key art above. “He’s never worked in gaming before, but we really were impressed by his voice tapes.

EXCLUSIVE: Horror filmmakers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have signed a first look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce feature films for Screen Gems under their Crooked Highway banner.

Starz dropped the first look photos for it’s upcoming limited event series Three Women!

EXCLUSIVE: Famed fantasy writer George R.R. Martin has unveiled the first still from the set of The Summer Machine, a short film that we’re told will be part of a new anthology series produced by Martin. Check the image out below.

EXCLUSIVE: Jewish streamer ChaiFlicks has struck its first deal for Yiddish programing including an oral history project with Leonard Nimoy.