Luke Macfarlane Inks Exclusive Multi-Picture Deal With Crown Media Family Networks

The first trailer for “Bros”, a rom-com about two gay men stumbling towards love, has been released by Universal Pictures.

The first trailer for Billy Eichner‘s Bros just debuted online! Warning: it’s not safe for office viewing!

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorUniversal Studios has released the first trailer for “Bros,” a meta gay rom-com written by and starring Billy Eichner.Premiering Sept. 30, the film is a major milestone as it is the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio featuring an entirely LGBTQ principal cast.

Billy Eichner is taking his brand of comedy from the streets to the theaters by co-writing and starring in the first-ever, R-rated gay rom-com from a major studio.

Manori Ravindran International EditorFilm financier Amcomri Entertainment and Ireland’s Studio Atlantic have struck a multi-picture production deal.The pact comes ahead of the release of Studio Atlantic’s latest production, “The Gates,” a Victorian period horror starring John Rhys Davies, Richard Brake, Elena Delia and Michael Yare, which is currently being sold in Cannes by Amcomri Entertainment’s sales arm 101 Films Intl.The deal will see Amcomri Prods. co-finance a slate of movies and become an official financing partner of Studio Atlantic, with 101 Films Intl.

Manori Ravindran International EditorIFC Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights from HanWay Films on Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s “Hot Milk,” starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley, Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps.Streaming service MUBI has also agreed a multi-territory deal for the film in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Latin America and Turkey.

Rapper and actor Ice Cube’s Cube Vision has signed a multi-picture production deal with Back on the Strip firm Luminosity Entertainment, in association with 5120 Entertainment and SmokeyScreen.

EXCLUSIVE: Increased competition in the Christmas movie business has prompted Crown Media Family Networks to adopt a more aggressive strategy under the fresh leadership of Executive VP Lisa Hamilton Daly — locking in beloved actors with exclusive, multi-picture deals. The latest to join the Hallmark repertory is Ryan Paevey, a General Hospital alum who’s already starred in flicks like “Unleashing Mr. Darcy” and “Harvest Love.” He’s set to headline the upcoming “Two Tickets to Paradise” for Hallmark in June.

EXCLUSIVE: Luke Macfarlane (Brothers & Sisters), Tre Hale (Love and Monsters), Carla Gallo (Neighbors) and Andrew Lopez (Blockers) round out the ensemble cast of Apple’s Platonic, joining Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in the comedy series from Nick Stoller, Francesca Delbanco and Sony TV.

Hallmark Channel is keeping their favorite stars around for more projects, inking several exclusive deals over the past few weeks.

EXCLUSIVE: Jai Rodriguez (Bosch: Legacy) has wrapped a role in Nicholas Stoller’s groundbreaking LGBTQ+ rom-com Bros for Universal Pictures. He’s set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Symone, Guillermo Diaz, Guy Branum, Monica Raymund, Jim Rash, Harvey Fierstein, Bowen Yang, Amanda Bearse, Dot-Marie Jones and more.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorTitus Welliver’s ex-cop Harry Bosch will return to crack more cases on Amazon Freevee.Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) announced the pickup of Season 2 of “Bosch: Legacy,” a spin-off of series “Bosch” that ran for seven seasons on Prime Video — ahead of the May 6 premiere of “Bosch: Legacy” on the ecommerce giant’s free, ad-supported streaming service.In addition, Amazon Freevee is expanding its licensed content lineup through a short-term film licensing agreement with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution for a “limited selection” of 20th Century Studios titles, including “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2,” “Logan,” “Hidden Figures,” Kenneth Branagh’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and “The Post.” The announcements came at Amazon’s 2022 NewFronts presentation Monday for marketers.Amazon Freevee also announced the renewal for third and fourth seasons of “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers,” the docuseries about a Southern California high-school basketball team, from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted, as well as greenlights for four new originals: cooking competition series “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation”; coming-of-age drama “Beyond Black Beauty”; family competition series “Play-Doh Squished”; and music documentary “Post Malone: Runaway.”Currently in development at Freevee is “Inside No. 9,” based on the BBC’s award-winning anthology series, combining humor, horror, crime and suspense — with the episodes linked in some way by the inclusion of the number nine.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorPeacock will be the first streaming service to offer access to Bravo shows the day after they air, in a new bit of corporate-sibling synergy at NBCUniversal.For the first time on any streaming-only platform, new episodes of all Bravo shows will be available day-after-air to Peacock’s premium subscribers. The streamer also announced a multiyear movie output deal with Lionsgate, with titles to hit Peacock starting in 2024.

Billy Eichner tells ET’s Kevin Frazier at CinemaCon 2022’s Big Screen Achievement Awards, where he was named Comedy Star of the Year. The recognition comes as Eichner — who has gone from the breakout star of to one of Ryan Murphy’s ensemble players -- takes the lead in, the first gay romantic comedy released by a major studio. Not only that, but the upcoming R-rated comedy co-written by Eichner and Nicholas Stoller, who also directs, features a cast entirely made up of out LGBTQ actors, from Luke Macfarlane to Harvey Fierstein to Bowen Yang.

Hallmark Channel has some exciting movies coming this summer and we have the “Summer Nights” lineup for you to see here!

Hallmark Channel!Kicking off June 4, the network's annual programming event features four original films premiering every weekend throughout the month, ET can exclusively reveal. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, meanwhile, will debut one film, the previously announced on Sunday, June 12.Among the highlights for Hallmark Channel's «Summer Nights» lineup are movies set in sunny destinations like the Caribbean, France and Hawaii.Heather Hemmens, Rachelle Lefevre, Ashley Williams, Hunter King, Ryan Paevey and Luke Macfarlane are just some of the top-billed stars leading the upcoming romances coming in June.See Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' June lineup below.

It wasn’t Billy on the Street but Billy Eichner on the Strip at this year’s edition of CinemaCon, as he wowed the exhibitor crowd with clips from his upcoming rom-com “Bros.” The film has been heralded as the first studio romantic comedy to feature an entirely LGBTQ+ cast, and the studio was not afraid to sing (or in Eichner’s case shout) those praises. Eichner was in Vegas to introduce “the most exciting thing to happen in Caesar’s Palace since Adele refunds.” And he was astonished that we got two movies about a “talking hedgehog” before a film with a wholly gay cast. But he said that though it provides opportunities for underrepresented voices, it still is an entertaining film that can sell tickets.

Hallmark Channel is keeping their favorite stars around for more projects, inking several exclusive deals over the past few weeks.