NBCUniversal Names Hello Sunshine Exec Liz Jenkins as Chief Business Officer for Studio Group

Brent Lang Executive Editor Shares of major media companies fluctuated on news that studios and streamers have reached a tentative agreement with the writers’ union on a new contract, potentially ending a strike that started in May. There are also hopes that a possible deal with the Writers Guild of America could set the stage for a similar pact with actors, who have been on the picket lines since July. The dual strikes have brought production to a standstill and could mean that several high-profile movies and shows are delayed.

according to Variety and other outlets. They called the new contract “exceptional” and said it would have “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”“What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” part of the email from the WGA Negotiating Committee states, Variety reported.“It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.”The likely deal comes as both sides took part in intensive bargaining over the weekend.There were signs last week that the strike, which brought Hollywood to a halt for 146 days, appeared to be nearing the end when the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers issued a joint statement that they were back in talks.The Alliance represents studios, streaming services and producers in the negotiations.Union leaders met Wednesday with top studio bosses including Disney CEO Robert Iger, Warner Bros.

Negotiations between the WGA and studios CEOs on a deal to end the nearly five-month long writers’ strike look within sight.

The Writers Guild brass and studios CEOs were working tonight to close a deal to end the scribes’ strike , but it seems they aren’t quite there yet.

The WGA is heading back to the bargaining table with the CEOs of Netflix, Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros Discovery on Friday.

EXCLUSIVE: A second day of direct negotiations between the Writers Guild and studio CEOs has concluded this evening.

With Alexander Payne‘s latest “The Holdovers” making the festival rounds before it hits theaters in October, fans of the director wonder what he’ll start work on next. Will it be the long-gestating sequel to his 1999 film “Election,” titled “Tracy Flick Can’t Win“? Payne’s short answer about that project: don’t hold your breath.

EXCLUSIVE: The Writers Guild and studios and streamers are set to meet again tomorrow for further talks on a new contract for scribes.

Over 140 days into the WGA’s strike, the latest resumption of talks today between the scribes and studios and steamers are leaving nothing to chance.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Casey Wasserman’s eponymous sports and music management company has closed a deal to acquire the longstanding talent representation and production shop Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Wasserman formally announced the transaction on Monday alongside Brillstein Co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman.

EXCLUSIVE: Lion Forge Entertainment is expanding the studio’s management team under President and Chief Content Officer Stephanie Sperber, with the addition of three key executives. Former Hello Sunshine exec and multi-award-winning executive producer Kirsten Newlands joins as Executive Vice President of Production and Content Partnerships; Emmy-nominated children’s media creative Koyalee Chanda serves as Senior Vice President of Animation; and seasoned kids distribution and sales executive Jonathan Abraham joins as Director of Distribution.

Emily Longeretta Desean Terry, who portrayed former anchor Daniel Henderson on the first two seasons of Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” will not be part of Season 3. His contract was not picked up for the latest season of the show, Variety confirms. On Thursday, the actor took to Instagram to share a video after receiving comments and questions about his whereabouts.

EXCLUSIVE: Paul Yen (Little Fires Everywhere) is set to recur in the third season of Starz’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan in the role of Quân. The show returns with all new episodes on December 1.

Given Hollywood’s love of sequels, and that fact that “Mamma Mia!” and its followup, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, raked in a combined $1 billion at the box office, why hasn’t Universal greenlit a third film?

Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried are open to starring in Mamma Mia 3 and they recently opened up about what it would take for the film to become a reality.

EXCLUSIVE: Fran Drescher is less concerned with meeting of several showrunners with WGA leadership this week and more concerned with studios and streamers getting back to the bargaining table to make a fair deal.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director A new oral history on “Mamma Mia!” from Vogue magazine ends with the cast and crew all in support of making a third installment in the Universal Pictures franchise, which kicked off in 2008 with a film adaptation of the musical and continued in 2018 with “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” Combined, the two musical films grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. “Universal would love to make a third movie, and I’ll leave it at that,” Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said point blank when the discussion turned to a potential “Mamma Mia 3.” Amanda Seyfried, who leads the franchise as Sophie, added, “I dare you to show me one person who doesn’t want a third Mamma Mia!” But she also cast a bit of a doubt on a third movie since, according to her, its existence would most likely depend on Universal paying the cast what they are worth, which is far more now than when the franchise started.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Longtime Google executive Tim Carter has joined the artificial intelligence company Flawless as head of its Artistic Rights Treasury group. The recently-announced division (A.R.T.) is a rights management platform for creative industries looking to advance with the use of AI, while still respecting creators and asset holders. Carter will be named vice president of ecosystems, having most recently spent nine years at Google developing and expanding the Android platform.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Actor Noah Centineo touched down at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend to rally support for Saeed Roustaee, an Iranian filmmaker sentenced to prison by his government over the latter’s film “Leila’s Brothers.” Over Friday cocktails at festival headquarters, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the “Black Adam” star appealed to top representatives from film festivals around the world on behalf of Roustaee, who was sentenced to six months in prison after screening his feature at the Cannes Film Festival without authorization from Iran’s culture ministry. Furthermore, he would not amend the film after the ministry requested corrections.

In her first major hire since being named Chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group and Chief Content Officer, Donna Langley has named Liz Jenkins as her Chief Business Officer. Langely has also formed a new studio leadership group and added Peter Levinsohn and Jimmy Horowitz to cabinet positions.