Paramount Global Announces Participants For 2022-2023 Writers Mentoring Program

Taylor Sheridan is basically keeping Paramount+ afloat right now. Okay, yes, that’s hyperbolic, but the writer-director-producer-creator of all things “Yellowstone” has been printing money for the studio and streaming service thanks to his mega TV franchise.

Paramount+ Greenlights ‘The Killing Kind’ Adaptation

David Fincher To Receive Honorary Cesar AwardDavid Fincher is to receive an Honorary Award at this year’s Cesar Awards. The primary French awards show will fete the Gone Girl filmmaker at its 2023 ceremony on February 24 at the Olympia in Paris. The awards body described Fincher as an “outstanding technician” and “a true visionary.” Awarded since 1976, previous Honorary Cesar Award winners include Robert Redford, Penelope Cruz, and George Clooney. The nominees for the 48th César Awards will be announced on January 25.

Taking a look ahead to 2023, Gower Street Analytics is projecting global box office to hit $29B, repping a 12% gain on 2022 should this year remain on track for approximately $25.8B. The London-based firm estimates 2022 receipts stood at $23.6B as of December 10. 

EXCLUSIVE: Riot Games, the developer and publisher behind League of Legends and the breakout animated series Arcane, has appointed former Disney exec Cristina Fiumara as its first-ever Global Head of Animation Content Development for Film & TV.

A Scottish fine-dining restaurant has been awarded the title of the country's 'Best Restaurant' for the second year running at the third annual World Culinary Awards.

Alaric McAusland Tapped For MD Role At DNEG’s New Sydney HubTop Australian film exec Alaric McAusland has joined VFX and animation company DNEG’s new Sydney hub as managing director and will take up the role in January 2023. McAusland has held a number of significant entertainment industry leadership roles in both Australia and the U.S. across his 25-year career. Most recently, he served as Executive Director for the Australian Directors’ Guild and was previously Chief Operating Officer at the Emmy award-winning, Los Angeles-based production house, Grace: A Storytelling Company. He also served as Managing Director of Deluxe Entertainment Service Group Australia and is a past Chair of Ausfilm. Recently opened DNEG Sydney’s first project is leading the visual effects work for George Miller’s highly anticipated Mad Max prequel, Furiosa.  “I am delighted to welcome Alaric onboard to lead our new DNEG Sydney team,” said Merzin Tavaria, President Global Production and Operations, DNEG.

European Film Promotion Unveils 2023 European Shooting StarsBelgian actress Joely Mbundu, co-star of  Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Cannes 2022 feature Tori And Lokita, is among the eight rising talents selected for the 2023 edition of European Film Promotion’s European Shooting Stars initiative. The selection also includes Italy’s Benedetta Porcaroli, seen recently in Venice Horizons 2022 title Amanda, and Norway’s Kristine Kujath Thorp, who previously made her mark in Fanny, The Burning Sea and Ninjababy, and also won praise for her performance in Cannes Certain Regard 2022 selection Sick of Myself. The other spotlighted titles comprise Alina Tomnikov (Finland), Leonie Benesch (Germany),  Yannick Jozefzoon (The Netherlands), Judith State(Romania), Gizem Erdogan (Sweden) and Kayije Kagame (Switzerland) Thorvaldur Kristjansson (Iceland). This year’s talents were selected by an eight-person jury featuring Polish director Jan Komasa, Dutch casting director Rebecca van Unen and Norwegian producer Maria Ekerhovd. The eight talents will participate in a four-day program during the upcoming Berlin Film Festival (February 16-26), during which they will meet journalists, casting directors, producers and filmmakers.

EXCLUSIVE: In Kapital Entertainment’s first foray into features, Aaron Kaplan’s indie studio has received a green light for One Mile and a sequel, starring and produced by Ryan Phillippe. Shot back-to-back, both films will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Drag artists may find themselves under attack from radical conservative politicians and domestic terrorists in the United States, but that hasn’t stopped the art form from blossoming into a billion-dollar industry. Thanks to the success of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” drag performers have sold out Radio City Music Hall, toured around the globe, performed at massive music festivals such as Coachella, spurred other successful reality TV franchises, starred in Best Picture nominated films, and become a mainstay of Madison Avenue corporate advertising campaigns.

Netflix has commissioned Korean webtoon adaptation Doona!, to be directed by Crash Landing On You director Lee Jung-hyo, while revealing new figures on the global consumption of Korean content in 2022. 

Barbara ‘Babs’ Thore has died.

EXCLUSIVE: Rick Peréz has announced his intention to resign as executive director of the International Documentary Association, with word coming just days before the organization’s signature annual event, the IDA Awards, Deadline has learned exclusively.

The Red Hot Chili Pepper s are coming to Scotland as part of the European leg of their 2023 world tour.

NBCUniversal Global Distributor has struck an old school multi-year content deal in Europe’s Baltic region.

Bento Box And Boulder Media Strike Services Deal

EXCLUSIVE: The dust has settled on the restructucturing across CBS Studios, Paramount TV Studios and the Paramount+ scripted originals team, which resulted in under 30 staff cuts.

George Cheeks has outlined his vision for CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: The expected alignment of CBS Studios, Paramount TV Studios and the Paramount+ scripted originals team is happening, and it is resulting in staff cuts. The latest round of Paramount Global layoffs is impacting under 30 people, I hear, all on the West Coast. According to sources, the majority of them are at CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios, with handful of employees at CBS also let go.