Paul Noble Dies: Longtime Sony Pictures Marketing Co-Head Was 51

Quentin Tarantino has been pictured posing with Israeli troops during what appears to have been a recent visit to an army base in southern Israel, according to the country’s official social media accounts.  

Joanna Merlin, whose acting career stretched from Broadway (she was the original Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof), film (she played the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame) and TV (Law & Order: SVU‘s Judge Lena Petrovsky on dozens of episodes) died Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 92.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Paula Reid, has been named CNN‘s chief legal affairs correspondent, a vote of confidence in the reporter who joined the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet in 2021. Reid has been highly visible on CNN in recent months, covering federal and state investigations into former President Trump as well as a Special Counsel probe into President Biden’s handling of classified documents during his time as vice president.

Quentin Tarantino has been pictured at an Israeli army base.The legendary film director made a surprise visit in a bid to boost morale during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.The official page of Israel War Room, shared the photo on X and wrote: “Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino visits an Israeli base in southern Israel to boost IDF morale.”Tarantino has been living in Tel Aviv with his Israeli wife Daniella Pick, and their two children for the last two years.#BREAKING: Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino visits an Israeli base in southern Israel to boost IDF morale pic.twitter.com/Vso6IgQlWa— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 13, 2023The couple previously tied the knot at a small private ceremony in Los Angeles in 2018.Tarantino first met the model in 2009 while he was on promotional duties for Inglorious Basterds, which starred Brad Pitt and Christopher Waltz.His visit comes after Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Mark Hamill and Jamie Lee Curtis were recently among 700 Hollywood figures who signed an open letter voicing their support for Israel amid the ongoing war.Hamas launched an early morning attack on southern Israel last weekend that has since gone on to trigger an Israel-Hamas war.Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp also recently spoke out against Instagram users for celebrating violence against Israel.Elsewhere U2 frontman Bono paid tribute to more than 260 music fans killed during an Israel festival attack.The attack at the Paralello Universo festival in Re’im, Israel last weekend was carried out by Hamas operatives.The electronic festival reportedly saw rockets hit the site (via CNN) before gunfire opened up on those in attendance soon after at the event.

Walt Garrison, who won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys and competed as a rodeo cowboy, has died at 79. The NFL team posted the notice on its website Thursday that Garrison died overnight. It did not give a cause of death.

Dick Curtis, a veteran comedian and character actor, died September 16 in Los Angeles of heart failure at the VA hospital in Westwood. He was 95 and his death was confirmed by longtime friend and TV writer Paul Jackson.

Anthony Hickox, the British director known for horrors such as Waxwork and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, has died aged 64.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Sony Pictures Animation is shoring up its executive ranks with the addition of Damien de Froberville, who has been named executive vice president of production and operating strategy. De Froberville comes from the Spain-based shop Sergio Pablos Animation and will largely assume a portfolio held by long-serving SPA executive Pam Marsden.

Alan Eisenberg, the longest-serving executive director of Actors’ Equity Association, died October 7 in Rhinebeck, New York. He was 88.

UPDATED, 11:34 a.m.: Sony Pictures Classics has firmed up release plans for its drama Freud’s Last Session, starring Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, which charts the relationship between psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and author C.S. Lewis. Based on the stage play by Mark St. Germain, who wrote the script, the film opens in theaters in New York and L.A. December 22nd, with an expansion to follow in January.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Movies are back on PlayStation — although they’re all titles from corporate cousin Sony Pictures Entertainment. More than two years ago, PlayStation shut down its service offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals.

Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden has spoken of the harrowing moment she nearly died following chemotherapy to treat her cancer. The 33 year old pro dancer, who joined the BBC One show in 2017, announced earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with grade three aggressive breast cancer.The Welsh ballroom and Latin star underwent a single mastectomy in June and has gone on to have five rounds of chemotherapy to treat the disease. Now Amy has opened up on how her first and second cycles of chemo ended up with emergency hospital stays and life-threatening complications.

‘Poor Things’ to Screen at Chicago International Film Festival With Costume Designer Holly Waddington Accepting Tour de Force Award Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” had been added to the lineup of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 11-22. Costume designer Holly Waddington will appear to receive the festival’s Tour de Force Award.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant and Symbolic Exchange’s We Grown Now, which had its world premiere in the Centerpiece and Next Wave Selects section at this year’s TIFF. The movie’s writer, director, producer Minhal Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award which explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television has promoted Lamar Chase to SVP, Current Programming. Reporting to EVP Current Programming Marie Jacobson, who heads the indie studio’s current scripted series department, Chase will continue to work alongside Morgana Cabrera-Rosenberg who was promoted to SVP, Current Programming in March.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Michelle Grady has been upped to President of Sony Pictures Imageworks. She was previously, EVP Sony Pictures Imageworks.

The new NBC series, premiering Oct. 3 at 10 p.m., stars Shanola Hampton as Gabi Mosely, whose high-profile, high-powered crisis-management firm, Mosley & Associates, finds missing people relegated to the margins of society (minorities, sex workers, etc.) and ignored by the public and by the press.

Caroline Brew editor In collaboration with Sony Pictures, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) announced the return of the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator. The initiative aims to identify and equip the next generation of AAPI animation professionals with the skills to become directors in feature film and episodic animation.

Sony Pictures has snapped up rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand to The Peasants, the latest animated feature from Loving Vincent helmers DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, which world premiered in Special Presentations at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. Further details on release plans have not yet been disclosed.

Operators are being sought to run both Radcliffe market and the soon to be built flexi-hall in Bury town centre. Bury council has published a glossy ‘invitation to express interest’ brochure hailing an ‘outstanding opportunity’ to run the two venues with the authority ‘sharing the profitability of the sites’.