Pledis Entertainment issues notice on fan “violations” of SEVENTEEN’s safety

An increasing number of Kanye West’s business partners in the music, fashion and wider entertainment industries are cutting their ties with the rapper following his recent spate of controversial statements.West has been widely criticised for recent comments he has made in interviews and on social media, including remarks about the death of George Floyd and various anti-semitic statements. Campaigners and politicians have also expressed concern that those latter statements in particular have been embraced by and are therefore empowering extreme right wing groups.Within the entertainment industry, talent agency CAA has seemingly cut its ties with West, while rival agencies UTA and WME have both also criticised the rapper.And on the recordings side, Universal Music has reportedly sought to distance itself from West and his Good Music label, which it previously distributed via its Def Jam division.

Whoa! A group of police officers went to deliver a standard eviction notice earlier this month — only to be faced with the wrath of a swarm of bees after a woman unleashed them to protest it!

“CSI” showrunner and executive producer Carol Mendelsohn and producing partner Julie Weitz have struck a multi-year first-look broadcast direct deal with Fox Entertainment, president of entertainment Michael Thorn announced at MIPCOM Cannes. The duo’s previous deal with Universal Television is now over.Under the terms, Mendelsohn and Weitz will develop scripted dramas for the Fox.

New Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade has talked up the potential for TMZ to become a “huge entertainment studio,” setting out his stall at Mipcom Cannes for the first time since he replaced Charlie Collier.

Morgan Hertzan and Cory Haik have been promoted at Vice Media as Jesse Angelo has re-upped his contract.

RBW Entertainment has shared that it is currently investigating several claims of infidelity and sexual misconduct made against ONEUS member Ravn by an alleged ex-girlfriend.On October 14, an anonymous Twitter user claiming to be an ex-girlfriend of Ravn’s uploaded a lengthy post accusing the idol of repeatedly cheating on her. He also made her “pay for everything” during the span of their relationship, among several other allegations.She alleged in her post that when they first met, the idol had gotten her drunk to the point that she was “not fully conscious” and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her that same night.The user also alleged that Ravn had used violent language while talking about another ex-girlfriend, and later posted an audio clip which she alleges is a recording of the idol expressing his desire to “stab [his ex] with a knife”.The following day (October 14), RBW Entertainment shared a brief statement announcing that it was in the process of investigating the matter.

EXCLUSIVE: Alexandra Diddario is set to star in ACE Entertainment’s I Wish You All The Best with Tommy Dorfman making her directorial debut. The project is based on Mason Deaver’s bestselling novel of the same name which Dorfman optioned in 2019. Dorfman is writing the screenplay and will also produce the feature.

SM Entertainment is set to terminate its production contract with founder and chief producer Lee Soo-man at the end of the year.According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, SM Entertainment’s board of directors have decided to terminate their production contract with Like Planning, a music production company run by Lee, by December 31 – a year earlier than initially planned. SM Entertainment has been outsourcing music production to Like Planning for over 20 years.The early termination of Lee’s contract with the agency comes off the heels of investors from Align Partners Capital Management – which owns 1.1 per cent of SM Entertainment – claiming that the ties between both companies have been “damaging shareholder value” and demanding they sever ties with Like Planning in an open shareholder letter to the company in August.A separate report by Infostock Daily notes that Align Partners Capital Management cited the royalties that the agency paid to Like Planning have been undermining the value of shareholders.

EXCLUSIVE: After 15 years at Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment, where he served as Executive Vice President, producer Andy Horwitz has moved on to launch Big Swell Entertainment, a producing collective that aims to be a home for the next generation of young, hands-on producers and storytellers.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter ABC Entertainment has hired Felicia Joseph to serve as senior vice president of casting, Variety has learned. Joseph joins ABC from MRC, where she most recently served as the independent studio’s senior vice president of casting. In her new role, she will report to Sharon Klein, the executive vice president of casting for Walt Disney Television. She will oversee casting for all ABC pilots and series as well as unscripted casting for Hulu and other WDTV brands. The role marks a homecoming for Joseph, who began her career in the casting department at ABC. “I’ve had the good fortune of collaborating with Felicia in the past and know how well she cultivates relationships with talent who are at the top of their craft,” Klein said. “Her passion, instinct and deep understanding of our business make her ideal for this role and, quite frankly, the only person I wanted for the job. We’re overjoyed to be welcoming her back to ABC, where she started her career.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution rights to “Sweetwater,” a recently completed feature about Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African American to land an NBA contract. The drama is written and directed by Martín Guigui and stars newcomer Everett Osborne as Clifton. The ensemble includes veteran actors such as Kevin Pollak, Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Ri’chard. There are also special appearances by Gary Clark Jr., Jim Caviezel and NBA champion Bobby Portis Jr.  The film follows Clifton (Osborn), who is the star attraction of the Harlem Globetrotters, led by owner/coach Abe Saperstein (Pollak). When New York Knicks executive Ned Irish (Elwes) and Knicks coach Joe Lapchick (Piven) decide it is time for the Knicks to integrate, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff (Dreyfuss), they come together with the other team owners of the league to make history. Briarcliff will give the film a wide theatrical release on April 14, 2023. 

EXCLUSIVE: Backstreet’s back — in Cannes.

EXCLUSIVE: Tommy Dorfman is making her directorial debut with the upcoming feature I Wish You All The Best. The project is based on Mason Deaver’s bestselling novel of the same name which Dorfman optioned in 2019. Dorfman is writing the screenplay and will also produce the feature.

replaces Charlie Collier, who announced his surprise exit to join Roku last month.Wade most recently served as president of alternative entertainment and specials at the company, where he oversaw the network’s unscripted content and development slate.“Since the formation of FOX Entertainment, Rob has been an integral part of the leadership team responsible for delivering on its long-term strategy of creating an independent media company built on broadcast, developing an owned content portfolio and maintaining a disciplined in-house infrastructure,” Murdoch said in a statement. “Given Rob’s sharp creative instincts and proven operational acumen, he is well-suited to lead FOX Entertainment in what promises to be an exciting next chapter in its rich history.”Fox Entertainment includes an expanding portfolio of content studios, including animation house Bento Box Entertainment, TMZ, MarVista Entertainment and Studio Ramsay Global.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) today announced the establishment of its first LED virtual production stage, located at Sony Innovation Studios in Culver City. With LED virtual production transforming the way film and television are made, the new stage is the world’s largest using Sony’s high brightness and wide color gamut Crystal LED display panels. The panels were created in collaboration with top engineers at SPE for use in virtual production. The establishment of this LED stage allows Sony Innovation Studios (SIS) to expand its virtual production workflow across various entertainment platforms and seamlessly merge the real and virtual worlds with its Atom View technology and proprietary stage-integration software.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Rob Wade has been promoted to CEO of Fox Entertainment following the exit of former chief Charlie Collier. “Since the formation of Fox Entertainment, Rob has been an integral part of the leadership team responsible for delivering on its long-term strategy of creating an independent media company built on broadcast, developing an owned content portfolio and maintaining a disciplined in-house infrastructure,” Fox Corp. executive chief and CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement Thursday. “Given Rob’s sharp creative instincts and proven operational acumen, he is well-suited to lead Fox Entertainment in what promises to be an exciting next chapter in its rich history.”

WOODZ will be parting ways with longtime label Yuehua Entertainment following the expiration of his contract.The Beijing-based entertainment company published a statement today (October 5) through WOODZ’s official fancafe page announcing the singer’s – who is also known as Cho Seung-youn – departure from its ranks once his exclusive contract concludes on October 19.“We have closely watched WOODZ’s passion for music from the day he debuted in a group to the present where he is partaking in activities as a solo artist,” wrote Yuehua Entertainment in its brief statement, as translated by Soompi. “It was a meaningful time to be together with WOODZ as he grew into an all-rounder through constant challenges and effort.”Yuehua then concluded its statement by expressing gratitude towards the musician for “embarking on this long journey with us”.

YG Entertainment has announced that it will be taking legal action against people “illegally” distributing BLACKPINK member Jennie’s “private” photos.In a statement issued to the press earlier today (October 3), the girl group’s management agency announced that it has enlisted the help of police to investigate those responsible for circulating “private” photos of Jennie that have been the subject of recent tabloid coverage.“We have refrained from mentioning the matter or making an official statement in order to minimize any further damage,” the agency’s statement read, per Korea JoongAng Daily. “However, there have been indiscriminate rumours, criticism, personal attacks, sexual harassment and violations of personal life sparked by those private photographs.”The statement claims that the agency has already taken legal action against online users who have made “malicious posts, or those which repeatedly upload unconfirmed claims,” and is currently looking into lodging additional penalties for other damages caused by the leak.“The photos [of Jennie] distributed online were made public illegally, without Jennie’s consent.

If you're waiting for Britney Spears to release new music, you might be disappointed. Spears, 40, explained to fans in a lengthy Instagram post shared Sunday that she doesn't want to rejoin the "entertainment industry" after being released from her 13-year conservatorship.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Julia Franz, senior vice president and head of comedy development for Fox Entertainment, is exiting the broadcaster. Cheryl Dolins is joining Fox to take her place.