Robinson Crusoe Inspired Animated Film ‘The Island’ Spins Off AR Exhibition, Board Game (EXCLUSIVE)

“Bridgerton” meets “The Bachelor” in NBC’s newest reality show dating competition, “The Courtship.”The regency-era-inspired series is dropping on NBC and its streaming service Peacock on March 6.The show takes a page out of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” as a modern spin on the classic game of love. It features Nicole Remy, a Seattle woman who is looking for her own Mr.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentDubai-based independent film distributor and producer Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired global rights – excluding theatrical, which is limited to the MENA region – for Lebanese drama “Death of a Virgin and the Sin of Not Living” that launched last year from Berlin’s Panorama section.Produced by Beirut-based Bee On Set Productions, “Death of a Virgin” marks director George Peter Barbari’s feature debut. It stars newcomers Etienne Assal, Adnan Khabbaz, Jean-Paul Franjieh and Elie Dankoura Saad.

Emily Longeretta Trevor Donovan and producer Brian Bird have teamed up to create a series of “edutainment”-style films via Birds’ production company True Brand Entertainment, Variety has learned exclusively.These films will be in the tradition of the popular “after school specials,” which became staples of American pop culture. The projects will explore many struggles teenagers and young adults are facing today, including substance abuse, equality, bullying and inclusion issues.“These scripted narratives will be fun and humorous presentations of contemporary issues which inspire and uplift, just as they did in the original series,” says Donovan, who rose to fame on “90210,” playing the show’s only LGBTQI+ series regular character.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterKaren Toliver has joined Netflix as vice president of animated film, Variety has learned exclusively.The former Sony Pictures Animation senior vice president will join the streamer in March reporting to Melissa Cobb, VP of the kids and family division. She’ll be responsible for two to three animated features annually and will work alongside fellow animation VP Gregg Taylor.“It has been an absolute dream working with Kristine Belson and her game-changing team at Sony Pictures Animation.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLucques restaurant has already been gone for a few years, but its many Hollywood devotees can now experience the rustic flavors and well-selected wines of Suzanne Goin and Carolyne Styne in two distinct ways at downtown L.A.’s stylish new Proper Hotel, whose interiors were designed by Kelly Wearstler.On the rooftop is Cara Cara: The casual lounge’s menu of salads, tacos and burgers is perfect for sipping a passion fruit caipirinha while looking out at the city lights.Off the lobby, the Portuguese-influenced Caldo Verde — named for the saffron-scented stew of rock crabs, kale and tomato — is the hotel’s centerpiece restaurant.But Los Angeles isn’t exactly known for its Portuguese food, so why now? Goin says, “The inspiration was two-fold actually. I have always loved Portuguese food — since a trip there in my teens to the five years working in Providence, Rhode Island where there is a very strong and vibrant Portuguese community.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOne of Scandinavia’s leading film distributors, Scanbox Entertainment is changing ownership with a new board including CEO Thor Sigurjonsson. The company was bought back from Scanbox Chairman Joni Sighvatsson. New owners include COO Kim William Beich, commercial director Torben Thorup Jorgensen, and producer Chris Briggs.

King of Staten Island” is no more.Pete Davidson is leaving his beloved borough and moving to Brooklyn. The “Saturday Night Live” star revealed the news in a video interview with fellow comedian and NBCLX host Tabitha Lipkin on Tuesday. “I just want to make sure I don’t have underwear everywhere,” Davidson, 28, said at the start of the interview as he got up to move some items around in his bedroom, including a candle with Kim Kardashian’s face on it.

The Anglican Church of Ghana has taken a small step back from its previously unfettered support for the country’s appalling anti-LGBTQI+ bill.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorWide has come on board to represent international sales on Slovenian-Australian writer/director Sara Kern’s debut feature “Moja Vesna,” which premieres in the Generation Kplus section at the Berlin Film Festival.“Moja Vesna” stars newcomer Loti Kovačič as Moja, a 10-year-old girl who lives with her grief-stricken Slovenian dad and pregnant 20-year-old sister Vesna in an outer suburb of Melbourne. Unable to accept the reality of her mother’s sudden death, Moja focuses on preparing for the baby while Vesna is lost in troubles of her own.Adamant and full of light, Moja carries on, hoping in vain that Vesna will eventually fill the mother-shaped hole in her life.

Jennifer Lopez, 52, wowed on Feb. 4 when she made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in an eye-catching set of outfits. The singer performed her new song “Marry Me”, from the new film Marry Me, with Maluma, and wore a flattering white bikini top under a matching cropped blazer and a long skirt. Before she sang, she also wore a long bright red dress with spaghetti straps as she happily chatted with the show’s host, Jimmy Fallon.

Megan Thee Stallion has shared a new song featuring an interpolation of Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Push It’ – check out ‘Flamin’ Hottie’ below.The track was made to promote Frito-Lay products Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Flamin’ Hot Doritos and sees Stallion making several references to the crisps with lyrics like “Just like Cheetos on your fingers, wanna suck me,” and “Know I’m all that and a bag of flamin’ hot chips.” Elsewhere in the track, she raps “Ayy, ayy, moral of the story, I’ma get to the bag“.According to Billboard, Megan Thee Stallion is also set to star in a Super Bowl commercial for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos alongside Charlie Puth.  “I am the Hot Girl Coach. I am Miss Flamin’ Hottie.

We Don’t Talk About Bruno continues its domination of the UK’s Official Singles Chart, settling in for a third consecutive week at Number 1.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAnders Klarlund’s Nordic noir feature “The Last Client” with “Borgen” star Signe Egholm Olsen has been acquired by international sales and aggregation outfit LevelK. The thriller, produced by Morten Rasmussen (“Held for Ransom,” “White Sands”) at well-established Danish banner Deluca Film AS, revolves around the intense relationship between a psychotherapist and her dangerous new client. The strong cast is headlined by Egholm Olsen and Anton Hjejle (“Liberty”).“The Last Client” was written by Anders Klarlund and Jacob Weinreich, the creative duo known as A.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorPrimary Wave Music has expanded its partnership with long-running British group and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Def Leppard.The deal will see the company acquire an additional stake in the band’s music publishing catalog as well as master royalty income stream.Terms of the deal were not disclosed; many of the band’s biggest hits are included in deal, such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph.”The band’s repertoire includes 11 studio albums, which have sold more than 110 million copies globally.The relationship between Primary Wave and Def Leppard began in 2009 with a deal to market and administer the band’s catalog of songs. Over the years the songs have been synced on a number of television shows, including “Cobra Kai,” “Hit the Floor,” “The Simpsons Guy,” “American Horror Story 1984” and more.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorPicture Tree Intl. has acquired Iranian genre crossover feature “Without Her,” and will introduce the film to buyers during the upcoming European Film Market at its Marriot Hotel located office in Berlin.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorThandiwe Newton wants to know why the BFI London Film Festival did not accept “President,” the award-winning documentary she produced about the 2018 Zimbabwe presidential election.The Camilla Nielsson-directed film chronicles young presidential hopeful Nelson Chamisa’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Pres. Emmerson Mnangagwa, the country’s former vice president who staged a military coup that ousted decades-long dictator Robert Mugabe.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s True Colours has taken international sales on “Perfect Strangers” director Paolo Genovese’s new movie, a comedy drama titled “The First Day of My Life.”The Rome-based sales company will be launching pre-sales at the upcoming online EFM market on Genovese’s latest concept pic, which has echoes of Frank Capra’s classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”Based on Genovese’s novel of the same title, which was a bestseller in Italy, “The First Day of My Life” revolves around four characters on the brink of taking their lives who make a pact with a stranger with supernatural powers, played by “The Great Beauty” star Toni Servillo. The mystery man gives them a chance to travel forward in time to see for a week how their friends and relatives would react to their deaths and what the world would be like without them.

The film stars Rebecca Hall as Margaret, a high-powered exec moving up in the world, with a 17-year-old prepared to head off to college. But when an abusive, older former boyfriend (Tim Roth) suddenly shows up again threatening to use a secret to destroy her life, the scars of her past threaten to consume her whole as she begins having nightmarish hallucinations and clings to her daughter right as she’s getting ready to strike out on her own.

J. Kim Murphy “Luck,” an upcoming animated adventure film from Skydance Animation and Apple Original Films, will premiere on Apple TV Plus on Aug.