Brendan Macdonald Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorIn today’s podcast news roundup, Marc Maron goes into business with Acast; iHeartMedia orders slate of podcasts from Bloomberg Media; Financial Times and Pushkin Industries probe the porn biz; Sony Music goes into “Binge” mode; American Girl Doll launches podcast network; and more.Top podcaster Marc Maron inked a three-year deal with indie podcast platform Acast for his podcast “WTF With Marc Maron.” The podcast will now be hosted, monetized and distributed via Acast, and Maron’s show will also be making use of the platform’s paid memberships offering, Acast+. Maron’s podcast has approximately 55 million listens per year, primarily in North America. Maron launched “WTF” in 2009, and since then has become a mainstay in the podcasting world.

EXCLUSIVE: Shia LaBeouf has joined action thriller Mace, directed by Jon Amiel from a script by David Chisholm. Trevor Jackson (Grown-ish, Superfly) will co-star. Myriad Pictures is shopping the project to buyers here in Cannes this week. 

James Franco is set to star in action thriller Mace from The Singing Detective helmer Jon Amiel.

Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy and President Barack Obama.Now, Maron’s long-running podcast “ WTF with Marc Maron ” will receive the inaugural Governors Award at the Podcast Academy’s first-ever Ambies awards, which will be streamed Sunday on YouTube and Twitch from Los Angeles.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorMarc Maron’s long-running “WTF” interview podcast is the recipient of the top accolade for the Podcast Academy’s first-ever Ambies awards.The Podcast Academy selected “WTF With Marc Maron” as the winner of the inaugural Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the “compelling impact they’ve had on the industry.” Maron and “WTF” co-creator Brendan McDonald will accept the award at the 2021 Ambies ceremony, scheduled for May 16 in L.A.The Ambies