Sony Pictures Animation Names Justinian Huang VP Creative

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has unveiled a new Creative Diversity Fund to be operated across its international production group, starting with its U.K.-based entities, which include recently acquired Sex Education producer Eleven Films and The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures. Sony says the aim of the program —part of Sony's Sony Pictures Action initiative — is to help build a community of diverse creative talent within the international television industry.

Vivienne Chow The extension of an popular immersive exhibition that retraces the memories of one of Hong Kong’s most iconic cinema buildings, and the past glory of the local film and entertainment industries, has set high expectations for one of the city’s largest privately-run heritage conservation projects.A new life will be given to dilapidated cinema, the State Theatre building, a Grade I historic site at North Point on Hong Kong Island.

Vivienne Chow Hong Kong auteur Fruit Chan’s upcoming satirical horror anthology film “Coffin Homes” is set to be released in local theaters in August, distributor Edko Films announced on Wednesday.“Coffin Homes” revolves around Hong Kong’s housing problems caused by the lack of space and sky high property prices. “Hong Kong’s property prices are so expensive that they are out of reach to most people.

Vivienne Chow Inside a makeshift cafe set at Hong Kong’s luxurious Rosewood Hotel, local actor-producer Josie Ho sits across from British actor Julian Sands. Both are giving director Mike Figgis their full attention as he explains the scene that they are going to film.What was said could not be heard from afar, despite the set being unusually quiet.

EXCLUSIVE:  Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired global rights to Maven Screen Media’s A Mouthful of Air based on Amy Koppelman’s novel of the same name.

Keith Le Goy has been promoted to chairman of distribution and networks at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterLongtime Sony Pictures Entertainment executive Keith Le Goy has been named the studio’s chairman of worldwide distribution and networks.Le Goy joins SPE motion picture group’s Tom Rothman and global TV studios and corporate development’s Ravi Ahuja as one of three chairman-level leaders running the studio’s business under Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.Here’s the full memo from Vinciquerra:I am pleased to announce that Keith Le Goy has

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Sony sold 3.3 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the final quarter of fiscal 2020, bringing its full-year tally up to 7.8 million. That helped offset what the Japanese company referred to as a “significant decrease in sales” at Sony Pictures.Sticking with the good news at gaming, Sony now touts a PlayStation Plus subscriber count of 47.6 million, which is up nearly 15% from last year.Sony’s operating income for the final quarter was 342.2 billion yen.

Refresh for latest…: Sony Pictures Entertainment saw its full-year 2020 profits rise 21%, to $762M, despite a 25% decrease in sales to $7.2B. Both are results of the impact of the coronavirus. With movie theaters shut around the world for a large portion of the year, and amid a production slowdown, revenues were affected. Conversely, lower spend on theatrical marketing and higher home entertainment sales had a positive effect on profits.

th collaboration between El Deseo and Sony Pictures Classics. It also reunites the filmmaker with longtime collaborators Cruz, Serrano and de Palma.“Madres Paralelas” is a drama that centers on three mothers, portrayed by Cruz, Gijón and Smit.

Sony Pictures Classics has taken all rights in North America, Australia and New Zealand to Pedro Almodóvar’s Madres Paralelas, repping the 13th collaboration between the distributor and the filmmaker’s production company El Deseo. Production began last month on the film in Madrid. The movie also reunites the director with longtime collaborators Penélope Cruz, Julieta Serrano and Rossy de Palma.

Manori Ravindran International EditorSony Pictures Classics has swooped for Pedro Almodóvar’s Penelope Cruz-fronted “Madres Paralelas” in North America, Australia and New Zealand.Production on the film began last month in MadridProduced by Agustín Almodóvar and Esther García through Almodóvar’s production company El Deseo, “Madres Paralelas” marks the 13th collaboration between El Deseo and Sony Pictures Classics.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorDisney has set a massive movie licensing pact with Sony Pictures for the U.S. that promises to bring Spider-Man and other Marvel properties on Disney Plus starting with Sony’s 2022 release slate.The wide-ranging deal also calls for Sony titles to run across Disney’s array of streaming and linear platforms, making it unprecedented in scope.

BLACKPINK‘s Rosé has been announced as the newest global ambassador for American luxury jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co.Rosé is set to make her debut as the brand’s latest ambassador in the upcoming 2021 Tiffany HardWear digital campaign, which will go live this Friday (April 23).

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorLondon-based film sales and financing house Embankment Films has closed a major international deal for “Joyride,” starring Olivia Colman, who is Oscar nominated for Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” another of Embankment’s titles.

Sony Pictures Classics will open Ty Roberts’ 12 Mighty Orphans on June 11 in New York and Texas with a wider expansion on June 18.

EXCLUSIVE: The Tiffany Haddish and Billy Crystal dramedy Here Today has been picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films and will open in theaters on May 7.

Naman Ramachandran Sony Pictures Films India has tapped emerging local talent to spearhead its burgeoning Bollywood slate, while simultaneously making moves to aggressively grow its Hollywood footprint.The studio has handed Aakash Bhatia (Amazon series “Inside Edge”) a feature directorial debut with “Looop Lapeta,” the Indian adaptation of “Run Lola Run,” starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin.