Range Media Partners Hires Two in Motion Picture Lit, Promotes in Business Affairs (EXCLUSIVE)

 Matthew McConaughey  turned 51 this week with the most adorable family festivities. The Interstellar star added some cheer to a stressful election week, by sharing a video montage of his and  Camila Alves ’ kids.

Matt Gaetz, a Republican congressman from Florida, is denying reports that he recently contracted coronavirus, but he admits that he does have antibodies.

Dave McNary Film ReporterLionsgate is laying off 15% of its motion picture group, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Joe Drake, chairman of the motion picture group, informed employees of the cuts on Thursday. A source said the layoffs will impact about 15% of the department.“While our business remains fundamentally strong, we are not immune to the ongoing COVID crisis that is impacting us like so many other studios,” Drake said in a note to employees.

Also Read: Facebook Exec Kamala Avila-Salmon Named Lionsgate's First Head of InclusionDrake returned to the studio two years ago, and in 2019 Lionsgate saw three films hit #1 and doubled its performance from the year prior.Read the letter from Drake to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group staff below.Dear Colleagues:This past May we began the process of reimagining the Motion Picture Group, not only to address this moment of extraordinary change, but to position the group to operate and grow in

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorOn the day of its earnings call, Lionsgate has made the tough decision to cut 15% of its Global Motion Picture Group workforce.

Sony/ATV has announced the signing of country duo After Midtown – aka Adam Ernst and Michael Rotundo – coinciding with the release of their debut single, ‘Boys Like Us’.“Adam and Michael have a way of weaving their broad influences into a country/alternative rock gumbo that results in infectious, sing-a-long choruses with all the heart of what makes country music so special”, says Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston.

MRC and Penske Media Corporation on Thursday unveiled a new joint venture to bring together their respective data businesses. The newly formed company combines MRC Data (formerly Nielsen Music), Alpha Data and Variety Business Intelligence, with MRC and PMC sharing equal ownership and control.

Grandview has promoted Merideth Bajana, Zac Frognowski and Josh Glick to partner at the management company. The trio join co-founders Matt Rosen and Jeff Silver as well as Jeremy Platt and Benjamin Rowe, working with writers, filmmakers, showrunners and actors across a range of backgrounds.

Justin Kroll Senior Film ReporterRange Media Partners has made two new hires in motion picture literature and a promotion in business affairs and TV lit.Payne Cowley joins Range as a manager in the literary department under co-founder Rich Cook, and Caroline Marques has been named executive and producer in motion picture lit at the firm.

Olivia Bentley first joined E4's Made In Chelsea in March 2016 and ever since has been tangled up in the love lives of her co-stars.The fine art photographer quickly made an impression with Tiffany Watson after it was revealed she'd previously had a fling with her boyfriend Sam Thompson. She then moved on to several of her other male co-stars, before finding love with Digby Edgley in 2017, but even that wasn't meant to be and before long Liv had signed up to Celebs Go Dating.

Matt Willis and his wife Emma gave fans a rare insight into their family lives over the weekend - keeping their minds preoccupied as the second set of lockdown restrictions were put in place.MORE: Emma Willis amazes fans with rare photo of son AceCherishing their time together, the Busted musician uploaded a photo of his TV star wife and their three children - Isabelle 11, Ace, eight, and four-year-old Trixie - during a low-key shopping spree in Watford."Out for a stroll and a bit of a shop," he

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterRange Media Partners has signed multi-hyphenate star Gabrielle Union, Variety has learned.The actress, producer, bestselling author and activist is the latest to join upstart management company, which launched in September under Peter Micelli and a group of high-profile agents from CAA, UTA and WME.The move is unsurprising as Union, recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential of the year, has followed her longtime CAA agent Dave Bugliari to the new

Manori Ravindran International EditorDeepa Mehta’s latest film, an adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai’s Sri Lanka-set coming-of-age novel “Funny Boy,” has been picked up by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing, and will land worldwide on Netflix this December, Variety can reveal.The Oscar-nominated “Earth” and “Midnight’s Children” director wrote the screenplay for the film alongside Selvadurai, whose debut 1994 novel is set in Sri Lanka during the 1970s and 1980s and was ground-breaking in its

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentOver the years, Francesco Rutelli, who is president of Italy’s Motion Picture Association (ANICA), has been fighting for the country’s film industry in various ways and guises. As mayor of Rome, during the 1990s, he pushed to upgrade the Italian capital’s movie theaters.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterSony Pictures Animation has plucked the first feature film from Academy Award winner Matthew Cherry, Variety has learned exclusively.After winning the Oscar for his acclaimed short “Hair Love,” Cherry is at work on the tentatively-titled “Tut,”  an afro-futuristic, coming-of-age story of the boy king Tutankhamun.Based on an original idea from Cherry and Monica A.

Stevie Wonder held a virtual press conference on Tuesday during which he said, "I'm going to do something today I've never done before." He then made three major announcements. First, the 70-year-old legend revealed he has left Motown after spending his entire career on the label.

Stevie Wonder has shared two new songs and signed a new record deal with Republic Records.The veteran singer dropped the tracks ‘Where Is Our Love Song’ and ‘Can’t Put It in The Hands Of Fate’, which you can view below, during a virtual press conference this evening (October 13). He also announced he was leaving Motown after nearly 60 years.He has launched his own imprint – So What The Fuss Music.

Upstart management and brand development firm Range Media Partners is expanding into digital talent representation under the leadership of Facebook's Kai Gayoso. Formerly a strategic partner manager for emerging talent at Facebook, Gayoso has joined Range as a partner, where he will lead representation of digital management and also work with clients across the firm to develop individualized digital strategies.

A Meath man has revealed how he blagged his way within five feet of Matt Damon on the movie set of The Last Duel last week - by pretending to check on the cows.