Mace Neufeld, Producer of ‘Jack Ryan’ and ‘The Equalizer’ Film Franchises, Dies at 93

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae has been named the recipient of the Producers Guild Awards’ 2022 Visionary Award.The Visionary Award honors producers across television, film or new media who share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture. Past recipients include: Octavia Spencer, Kenya Barris, Ava DuVernay, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B Entertainment, Illumination Entertainment’s Chis Meledandri, Laura Ziskin and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll.Rae first garnered attention for her web series and subsequent best-selling book, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” She created and stars in HBO’s “Insecure,” which just concluded its fifth and final season in December.

Issa Rae, the award-winning actress, producer, writer and director, will be this year’s recipient of the Producers Guild’s Visionary Award, which honors those “who share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture.” It will be presented to her in person at the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards on March 19 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Funk singer Betty Davis has died, aged 77. The singer’s friend, Danielle Maggio, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone on Wednesday (9 February). Davis, who was the ex-wife of jazz singer Miles Davis, died of natural causes.

Selome Hailu CBS has given a pilot order to “East New York,” a drama series written by William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn.The series follows Regina Haywood, the newly promoted police captain of East New York, an impoverished, working class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting during the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.Finkelstein is best known for his writing and producing work on a number of police and legal dramas.

Iconic funk singer Betty Davis has died at the age of 77.

Tommy Fury's chances of seeing a bout against Jake Paul rescheduled appear to be even more unlikely following the latest jibe from the American.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said his racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL is “bigger than coaching” and that he recognizes the case may cost him a future in the league.

Annika Pham Stockholm-based production house Hobab whose buzzy Cannes Directors’ Fortnight “Clara Sola” was snapped by New-York-based Oscilloscope Laboratories, is ramping up its ambitions, with female-led projects.“Our vision is to combine arthouse sensitivity with mainstream appeal, and to help talents – both Nordic and international – grow with care,” said Nima Yousefi, producer and joint owner with Peter Krupenin.Pedigree European shingles Finland’s Tuffi Films, Denmark’s Toolbox and Italy’s Intramovies have boarded as co-producers Hobab’s next Swedish feature drama “Sisters,” from first-time fiction helmer Mika Gustafson.Ruben Öslund’s former alumna at Göteborg’s Valand Academy, Gustafson had her international break with the short film “Mephobia,” followed by the doc-biopic “Silvana,” about rapper and feminist icon Silvana Imam. Due to start lensing in June, “Sisters” is penned by Gustafson with actor-screenwriter Alexander Öhrstrand, seen in “The Bridge” and “The Hunt for a Killer.”The coming of age story follows siblings Laura (16), Mira (12) and Steffi (7), fending for themselves in a Swedish working-class suburban housing estate, as their mother vanishes for lengthy periods.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog, The Expanse) is the latest addition to the cast of Renfield, the monster movie that Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) is directing for Universal Pictures.

Preview in new tabSome news leaves us without words.Wordle — the addictive, five-letter puzzle phenom of this year — is being taken over by the New York Times for “an undisclosed price in the low seven figures,” the newspaper and Brooklyn-based creator Josh Wardle announced Monday afternoon.The “Wheel of Fortune”-esque online game — in which players have six guesses to determine one new word each day — will be transitioning to the paper’s website and will reportedly remain free to play.“The game has gotten bigger than I imagined,” Wardle said, adding that he was “thrilled” with the move. A timetable for the changeover was not released.

Jessica Biel sure knows how to celebrate – and rock a good theme! The actress revealed on Instagram a glimpse of how her husband Justin Timberlake was celebrating his 40th birthday, and it is certainly funky.MORE: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel sell $29million New York penthouseThe star shared a picture of the celebrations, which features the couple in an embrace, smiling ear to ear on the beach, but that wasn't quite what caught people's eyes the most."Happy birthday, 80s baby," the The Sinner star captioned her post, and true to Justin's birth year, the couple was dressed in the most 80s looking ensemble.WATCH: Justin reveals his second son's unique nameWhile Justin sported a flamingo motif button-down and swimsuit shorts with a very nostalgic print, it was Jessica's lacy look that really stole the show. She layered a plunging peach swimsuit with a skin-tight sheer lace romper featuring front to back cut-outs.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIsland Records has named Mike Alexander general manager, it was announced by new label co-CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak. Alexander will continue to be based in New York and report jointly to Majid and Eshak.A nearly two-decade veteran of Island’s parent company Universal Music Group, Alexander has for the past year been an executive VP at Island, overseeing the operations for the label including releases by Shawn Mendes, the Killers, Demi Lovato and others. He previously served as executive vice president of international for UMG, a position that jointly encompassed Island Records, Def Jam Recordings and Republic Records.

EXCLUSIVE: Apax Capital Group, a film and TV funded backed in part by the Italian government, has struck a ten-year deal with Mike Amoia to provide music for its European projects.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Isabel Castro’s feature documentary debut, “Mija,” turns the standard music documentary on its head by instead focusing on the people behind the scenes, in this case 23-year-old music manager Doris Muñoz. When her otherwise successful career hits a road bump, she meets promising Chicana singer Jacks Haupts, with whom she bonds.

those prognosticators who know that, outliers like “Parasite” notwithstanding, the Oscars tend to focus on upbeat, middlebrow studio product that’s in the English language.awards bloggers: why does DRIVE MY CAR keep winning things???us: it's a beautiful filmawards bloggers: what about it is connecting with voters?us: everyone was cryingawards bloggers: this is a case for the hardy boys!!!Critics, say the awards journos, are being contrarian, ivory-tower snobs — or even (gasp!) globalists:Some people on here are really having a normal one about Drive My Car's awards sweep, Jesus Christ. pic.twitter.com/1HmXMGV5CYThe critic-handicapper divide widened further when The New York Times ran a piece by Manohla Dargis and A.O Scott called “And the 2022 Oscar Nominees Should Be…” There’s nothing revolutionary about critics applying their personal choices to “Hollywood’s biggest night”; for years, Siskel & Ebert hosted an annual episode called “If We Picked the Oscars.”Somehow, the fact that Dargis and Scott mentioned performances like Fabrizio Rongione in “Azor” and Toko Miura in, yes, “Drive My Car,” was treated by the internet’s awards-industrial complex as shots fired across the bow.

video above.“Law & Order” returns for its 21st season Thursday, Feb. 24 on NBC.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel actress Charisma Carpenter responded to Joss Whedon’s first lengthy comments regarding allegations of misconduct leveled at him over the past year. Whedon made the remarks in an in-depth interview with New York magazine this week.