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Honestly, it feels as if “Echo” isn’t getting as much marketing love as Marvel Studios projects typically do. Perhaps that’s because the series marks the first TV-MA project for the studio and is part of the Marvel Spotlight banner, which makes it not as dependent on MCU continuity.

The Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday announced the first six titles set to make their world premieres at the 49th edition, in the Gala and Special Presentation program, also naming this year’s TIFF Tribute Award recipients.

Kristen Lopez When the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a report surveying film roles for Native Americans last October, of the 100 highest-grossing theatrical movies released between 2007 and 2022, only one had an Indigenous performer in a lead role. Yet when speaking to Native creatives and performers, there is an overwhelming sense of optimism for what’s to come for their representation in entertainment.

EXCLUSIVE: Chernin Entertainment has preemptively acquired an untitled erotic thriller pitch from Emily Siegel, Deadline can exclusively reveal.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Before she was cast in Marvel’s 2021 Disney+ series “Hawkeye,” Alaqua Cox had never considered becoming an actor. But then several friends sent her the same flyer looking for Indigenous deaf women in their 20s to try out for a new TV show.

Echo marks a lot of firsts for Marvel Studios.

The stars of Marvel Studios’ Echo are gathering to celebrate the series’ premiere!

The first striking element you might notice about Marvel’s new Disney+ crime series, “Echo,” is that it’s darker, grittier, more mature, and has a TV-MA rating (Mature Audience Only. Intended for adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17).

EXCLUSIVE: Randy Kiyan, the talent and literary manager most recently serving as the head of literary at Luber Roklin Entertainment, today announced the launch of his own management company, Ronin Entertainment.

David Nevins is back in business.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has unveiled the cast for its coming-of-age sports drama Rez Ball, set in the world of Native American basketball, which Sydney Freeland (Marvel Studios’ Echo) boarded as director in 2021. Among those set to star are Jessica Matten (Dark Winds), Julia Jones (The Mandalorian), Amber Midthunder (Prey), Kiowa Gordon (Dark Winds), Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Echo), Ernest Tsosie (Better Call Saul) and Kauchani Bratt.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Sundance Institute, which hosts the annual film festival in Park City, Utah, has announced the six people who were selected for its Trans Possibilities Intensive. The fellows for 2023 are Seyi Adebanjo, Rajvi Desai, Malik Ever, Nick Janaye, Jamie John and Tee Park Jaehyung. The second edition of the Trans Possibilities Intensive, which is a three-day event to aid project and professional development for transgender storytellers of color, is taking place from March 27-29. Moi Santos, who founded the program, is leading the initiative with guidance from creative advisers and Sundance Institute’s Equity, Impact and Belonging Program. This year’s creative advisers include Sydney Freeland (“Drunktown’s Finest”), Aitch Alberto (“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”), Félix Endara (“Unseen”) and Chase Joynt (“Framing Agnes”). 

The Sundance Institute has named the six transgender storytellers of color set for the second edition of their project and professional development program, the Trans Possibilities Intensive. 2023’s cohort will include Seyi Adebanjo (Afromystic), Rajvi Desai (Mother Wit), Malik Ever (GutBucket), Nick Janaye (Dead Ringer), Jamie John (2Spirit Water Carrier) and Tee Park Jaehyung (Destiny in Sedona).

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer“Queer as Folk” and “Big Sky” star Jesse James Keitel is boarding “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” for a guest star role as a nonbinary character.Keitel, who is a trans woman, will appear on the June 16 episode of the show’s first season, currently streaming on Paramount+. Keitel will play Dr.

Echo,” a new MCU series starring Alaqua Cox, has begun production, Disney has announced.The series is a spinoff of last year’s Disney+ Marvel show “Hawkeye,” which featured the debut of Cox as Maya Lopez. Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada in 1999 as a supporting character for the superhero Daredevil, Maya Lopez, aka Echo, is a deaf Cheyenne woman with Olympic level athletic skills and the ability to perfectly copy people’s movement. In “Hawkeye,” the character was depicted as the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, a gang of criminals working under Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).

Marvel Cinematic Universe series, is officially in production with Alaqua Cox reprising her role as Maya Lopez, the Native American deaf amputee gang leader and fierce fighter first introduced in. In addition to sharing the first image of Cox back on set, Marvel Studios shared official new details about the spinoff. According to Marvel Studios, the Disney+ series will depict Echo’s origin story as Lopez’s ruthless behavior in New York catches up to her and she’s forced to “face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.”  will break new ground for the MCU with its largely Native American and Indigenous cast and crew, bringing new visibility in front of and behind the camera.

Marvel stars Brie Larson and Jeremy Renner are moving in to the unscripted space.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeDisney Plus has ordered two unscripted series from actors in the Marvel universe: Brie Larson is behind “Growing Up,” a docuseries that looks at ten different coming-of-age tales. “Rennervations,” from Jeremy Renner, is a four-part series that follows Renner as he travels to world to help communities by “reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles.”The news was announced on Monday by Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, along with new development for Disney Plus, Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

LeBron James’ SpringHill Company will produce a film for Netflix about a Native American style of basketball commonly known as “Rez Ball.” The streamer has set Sydney Freeland to co-write and direct the feature. Freeland is a Navajo filmmaker known for “Drunktown’s Finest” and the upcoming FX show “Reservation Dogs.” She will direct “Rez Ball” in addition to co-writing with “Reservation Dogs” collaborator Sterlin Harjo.

Angelique Jackson Emmy-nominated film and TV writer-director Sydney Freeland has signed on to direct “Rez Ball,” a coming-of-age drama about Native American basketball for Netflix.Described as “Friday Night Lights” meets “Hoosiers,” “Rez Ball” follows the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico, that must band together after losing their star player in order to keep their quest for a state championship alive.