Sony Pictures Classics Buys Yogi Berra Documentary ‘It Ain’t Over’

Naman Ramachandran Banijay‘s planned acquisition of Sony Productions Film und Fernseh Produktions GmbH Germany (Sony Pictures Television Germany) from Sony Pictures is now complete. Following customary closing conditions, Banijay Germany has secured 100% stake in the company. The label, founded in 1995, will now operate as Noisy Pictures GmbH, with Astrid Quentell and Mirek Nitsch remaining in leadership positions. Sony Pictures Television Germany’s successful shows include “Die Höhle der Löwen,” which has been on Vox since 2014; drama-comedy “Der Lehrer,” which has played nine seasons on RTL and won numerous awards; and ZDF crime series “Heldt.”

Heating up! Emma Slater and Trevor Donovan took the dance floor to perform a tango on this week’s Dancing With the Stars — and they impressed judge Carrie Ann Inaba with their connection.

There’s a brand new Tarzan movie on its way!

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Kompromat,” an action thriller film directed by Jerome Salle (“The Largo Winch” ), starring Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”). SND, the commercial arm of M6, is representing the film in international markets. Loosely based on a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who is arrested overnight by the Russian authorities. Accused of sexually abusing his own daughter and imprisoned, he realizes he is a victim of a Kompromat. Someone is working with the FSB (Federal Security Service) to frame him. His only way out is to escape.

EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Frost, who recently left his post as President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, has set up a production company, Bristol Circle Entertainment, and has signed a first-look TV production deal with the indie studio. Under the pact, Frost is executive producing the high-profile new series from Breaking Bad creator and Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan, starring Rhea Seehorn, which just landed at Apple TV+ with a big, two-season straight-to-series order.

Manori Ravindran International Editor Utopia has acquired worldwide rights to a feature documentary about Hollywood’s voracious autograph hunters. “Hollywood Signs, which will receive a Sept. 27 digital release in the U.S., explores the unique and often hilarious relationship between Hollywood celebrities and their fans through the lens of the autograph collecting subculture. Some of the celebrities featured in “Hollywood Signs” include Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead franchise), Dan Fogler (“Fantastic Beasts”), Rachel True (“The Craft”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight”), Eliza Roberts (“Animal House”), Tom Wopat (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) and Karan Ashley (“Power Rangers”), among others.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Sony Pictures Classicspresidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard offered sound advice to U.S. theater chains, while explaining the reasons behind their continued success, during a discussion at the Zurich Film Festival on Saturday about their colorful and storied partnership that has spanned more than four decades. Zurich is honoring the duo for their services to film culture with its Game Changer Award on Sunday.   Speaking to Roeg Sutherland, co-CEO of CAA Media Finance, at the festival’s Zurich Summit industry event, Barker and Bernard took an engaging and humorous trip down memory lane, from first working together at United Artists Classics and then at Orion Classics, before establishing Sony Pictures Classics in 1992, to working with Akira Kurosawa, and managing to reacquire “Howards End” from Ismail Merchant, despite Harvey Weinstein’s efforts to significantly outbid them.

Sony Pictures Classics co-chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, who are being feted by the Zurich Film Festival with the event’s GameChanger Award, took part today in a Zurich Summit panel about their careers and the state of the specialty business.

Tom “Tommy” McCarthy, executive vice president of post-production facilities, is retiring from his post at Sony Pictures Entertainment after more than three decades. Jon Hookstratten, EVP of Administration & Operations, confirmed the news in a memo adding that Kimberly Jimenez had been promoted to senior vice president of post-production services.

Tom McCarthy, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s executive vice president of postproduction services, is retiring from his role after a career spanning three decades with the studio. Kimberly Jimenez will now be promoted to fill his shoes in a new role as senior vice president of postproduction services at the studio. The news was shared in a note with staff on Thursday from Jon Hookstratten, EVP of Administration & Operations.

Jennifer Kuo Baxter, an entertainment attorney and executive who worked as SVP Business and Legal Affairs at Sony Pictures and in senior positions at DreamWorks Animation and other studios during her 30-year career, has died. She was 62.

EJ Panaligan editor Jennifer Kuo Baxter, an entertainment lawyer whose career led to holding several senior executive positions at multiple movie studios, died on July 23 of cancer. She was 62. Kuo Baxter’s career in entertainment spanned more than 30 years, working in the business and legal affairs departments at Sony Pictures Entertainment, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Interscope and DreamWorks Animation Studios. She joined the legal affairs group at Columbia Pictures — which subsequently became Sony Pictures Entertainment — in the fall of 1986, where her responsibilities included supporting the production and distribution of feature films and motion pictures.

Sony added three news movies to their 2023-2024 theatrical release sked while shifting some others due to the post-production jam which continues to plague a number of big pics. The good news is that nothing is moving out of 2022.

David Harbour is set to star in Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions film adaptation of Gran Turismo. Neill Blomkamp is directing from a screenplay written by Jason Hall and Zach Baylan.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to It Ain’t Over, the feature documentary about legendary New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra directed by Amira & Sam helmer Sean Mullin. The pic had its world premiere earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival.

late Vin Scully, among others.“It Ain’t Over” was produced by Natalie Metzger, Matt Miller, Peter Sobiloff and Mike Sobiloff with Vanishing Angle and Off Media.“I’m incredibly grateful to the Berra family for entrusting me and my team with Yogi’s legacy. This film has been a true passion project for everyone involved – and we could not have imagined a better home than Sony Pictures Classics,” Mullin said.“Inspiring and warmly humorous, Sean Mullin’s ‘It Ain’t Over’ is a sports movie unlike any other, the full rich story of Yogi Berra, one of pro baseball’s great figures, a true original.

K.J. Yossman Ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup, set to take place in Qatar in November, soccer-themed streaming platform FIFA+ has commissioned a 10-part docuseries about the history of the tournament titled “Moment Of Truth” from Whisper, Final Replay and Sony Pictures Television. The series will “examine the world’s favourite sport through the lens of human endeavour,” according to the official logline. “Why do we care so much about the game? What makes exceptional footballers tick? What lifts teams to greatness? What does it tell us about ourselves?” The answer to those questions – and the themes around which the docuseries is built – are located in the words “absolution, cunning, genius, courage, inspiration, joy, art, passion, hope and wisdom.”

With the next world cup in Qatar fast approaching, Sony Pictures Television is distributing a landmark examination of the tournament that has been running for nearly 100 years, titled The Moment of Truth.