MTV Entertainment Group Inks First-Look Deal With Ryan Michelle Bathé

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group has tapped “PBS NewsHour” producer and executive James F. Blue III to become its senior vice president and head of Smithsonian Channel.Blue has been tasked with leading, expanding and diversifying the Smithsonian Channel’s content to further the Smithsonian’s mission to engage, inspire and educate, according to the company.

You thought Gary Oldman’s only shot at an Oscar this year was for his leading role in the David Fincher film, “Mank,” didn’t you? Well, surprise, surprise, we now have a second contending drama in the works that just announced a February release date, titled “Crisis.” READ MORE: David Fincher Admits His Directing Style Was “Exhausting” For Gary Oldman During ‘Mank’ According to distributor Quiver, “Crisis” is now scheduled for a February release date, from writer-director Nicholas Jarecki.

Fans from around the globe have been waiting with bated breath since it was confirmed that Netflix was adapting Shadow and Bones into a TV series.

Spotlight producer Topic Studios has signed a first-look deal with The Population, the independent production company formed by Nomadland producer Mollye Asher, Mynette Louie and Derek Nguyen. The Populations's first two films are I Carry You With Me from director Heidi Ewing and Sony Pictures Classics, and Swallow from director Carlo Mirabella-Davis and IFC Films.

Dave McNary Film ReporterTopic Studios has signed a first-look deal with The Population, formed by “Nomadland” producer Mollye Asher, “I Carry You With Me” producer Mynette Louie and Derek Nguyen.The deal, announced Thursday, expands the relationship between Topic and Louie, currently collaborating on a scripted limited drama series for television.Topic Studios produced the ACLU documentary “The Fight,” Kevin Macdonald’s upcoming legal thriller “The Mauritanian,”  “The Climb” and recently

Topic Studios has entered a first-look deal with Mynette Louie, Mollye Asher, and Derek Nguyen’s The Population, the production company behind I Carry You with Me and Swallow. The multi-faceted deal covers all media and includes film, television, non-fiction and podcasts.

The latest young adult obsession is coming.

The line-up for the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK has been unveiled.  In a tweet shared on Monday, BBC confirmed the popular show, which sees judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr crown one contestant a UK Drag Race Superstar, will start from January 14 at 7PM, available to watch on iPlayer.

The CW has dropped the first trailer for Walker, a reimagining of CBS’ long-running 1990s action/crime series Walker, Texas Ranger, from Rideback and CBS Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova’s management company Producer Entertainment Group has signed the popular drag duo to ICM Partners for representation in all areas.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterSkydance Television has struck an exclusive first-look deal with Exile Content Studio to develop and produce scripted English-language series, Variety has learned.“We are very proud to partner with Exile Content Studio to bring its diverse array of Latinx-based content to our current development slate,” said Jesse Sisgold, Skydance Media president and chief creative officer.

EXCLUSIVE: STX Entertainment has entered into a first-look deal with How to Train Your Dragon producer Michael Connolly’s Mad Hatter Entertainment label.

Elaine Low Senior TV Writer“Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” writer-producer Bryan Cogman has struck a multiyear overall deal with Entertainment One, which follows his most recent overall at Amazon Studios.Under the terms of the agreement, he is set to develop scripted television and new media projects for eOne.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLuckyChap Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Under the deal, LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Ryan Michelle Bathé (All Rise) has signed a first-look development deal with ViacomCBS MTV Entertainment Group (formerly Entertainment & Youth Group). Under the pact, Bathé will develop and executive produce new television programming for MTV Entertainment Studios with an emphasis on emerging talent and underrepresented voices.

LOS ANGELES -- MTV Entertainment Group says it's making a $250 million commitment to spur reality production over the next three years by companies owned and operated by women and people of color.ViacomCBS' MTV Entertainment, which includes MTV and VH1, will provide funding, staff and other support to foster new ideas that will “fuel the unscripted content needs" of now and in the future, according to an announcement Thursday.Advocates of increasing diversity in the entertainment industry say

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group is committing $250 million over the next three years to nurturing content from women- and BIPOC-owned and operated production companies, by providing them with funding, production infrastructure, services and staff.Unscripted executive producers Lashan Browning and Adam Gonzalez, who last year inked overall deals with MTV Studios, will create their own third-party production ventures with an equity investment from MTV Entertainment.

Will Thorne Staff WriterCharlize Theron pushing further into the TV space.The actor and her Denver & Delilah production banner have inked a two-year first-look deal with HBO and HBO Max, Variety has confirmed.Under the deal, Theron and her company will develop TV projects for both platforms, looking to add to its TV slate which previously included David Fincher’s “Mindhunter,” and “Girlboss,” the series created by Kay Cannon.

ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group unit, formerly known as its Entertainment & Youth division, has engaged U.K.-based Lost Art TV to help it source "fresh and exciting new formats" from international markets with a focus on comedy and unscripted content. The company said on Thursday that the formats would target its portfolio of brands,which includes MTV, Comedy Central, and others.

The first look at Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special is out, as the trailer and key art for the Dec. 4 event for Apple TV+ has been unveiled today.The show will feature Carey with Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Misty Copeland and Mykal-Michelle Harris, as well as Carey’s nine-year-old twins, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe.