Sony Pictures Television Taps Tania Missad As Head Of Research, Strategy & Analysis

Valerie Wu Intern Disney Branded Television has acquired first-generation Taiwanese American filmmaker Sean Wang’s award-winning documentary short, “Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó.” “Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó” features dialogue in both Mandarin and English and is a “multigenerational story” that celebrates Sean Wang’s two grandmothers, one on his father’s side and the other on his mother’s side. The film premiered at the SXSW film festival, where it took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.

Refresh for latest…: Sony Pictures Entertainment saw a 1% gain in profits for the quarter ended September 30 versus the similar period last year. Coming in at $204 million, operating income was also 77% above the first quarter of 2023.

Sharon Stone is making a serious allegation.

EXCLUSIVE: The Unforgettable Gala, the annual ceremony that honors the biggest and most impactful Asian Pacific Islanders in entertainment, arts and culture, is getting a broadcast and streaming home for its 2023 edition, which has been set for December 16 at the Beverly Hilton.

Caroline Brew editor Sony Pictures Entertainment’s first LED virtual production stage built by Sony Innovation Studios will be operated and managed by Pixomondo. Pixomondo, Sony’s award-winning visual effects and virtual production studio, will oversee operation of the LED virtual production stage later this month.

The executive producers of critically acclaimed BBC prison drama Time have launched their own scripted production operation.

Sony Pictures Television Studios’ head of drama Lauren Stein has been elevated to Head of Creative. In the newly created role, drama and comedy development, TriStar Television, international co-productions, and current programming on series in their first year of production will be under Stein’s purview. Stein will continue to report to Sony Pictures Television Studios President Katherine Pope.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Sony Pictures Television Studios has promoted Lauren Stein to the newly created role of head of creative. Stein has been head of drama development at Sony TV since 2017. In the new role, Stein will oversee drama and comedy development, TriStar Television, international co-productions, and current programming on series in their first year of production.

EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Kurdali is expanding her purview at NBC News. Kurdali, who most recently served as Vice President of Talent Strategy, has been elevated to SVP, Talent Strategy, at NBCU News Group. supporting both NBC News and MSNBC.

K.J. Yossman Orchard Studios, the new production company founded by former Amazon Studios U.K. exec Dan Grabiner, has hired a trio of heavyweight execs to round out its new senior creative team.

Gary Martin, a retired longtime executive at Sony Pictures who served as President of Studio Operations and Product during a 32-year stint at the studio, has died. He was 79.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired rights in North America and China to mystery-comedy Wicked Little Letters from Studiocanal, for a 2024 theatrical release.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to “Wicked Little Letters,” a stranger-than-fiction mystery comedy starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. The movie, directed by “Me Before You” filmmaker Thea Sharrock, had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “Wicked Little Letters” will debut in theaters sometime in 2024.

Byron Allen Presents theGrio Awards special, honoring African American excellence, is returning to CBS for its second year. Co-hosted by The Talk‘s Sheryl Underwood and comedian Roy Wood, with honorees including Mariah Carey, Don Cheadle and Misty Copeland, the event will air on Saturday, November 25 from 8-10 PM on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Sony Pictures Television‘s longtime head of production Ed Lammi is retiring at the end of this year, following a 36-year run at the studio and 28 years in his current position. No details were immediately available regarding who will replace Lammi as executive vice president of production, a role he has held since 1995.

Game of Thrones star Lena Heady has opened up about her thoughts on how the show should have ended.In a new interview, the actress, who played Cersei Lannister in the long-running hit HBO show, admitted that she hadn’t watched the new Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, admitting it was “too weird”.She did, however, open up about how she thought the show should have ended for her character. Heady said she and co-star Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark in the show, had an idea for how their characters could have met at the end.When asked what her “ideal storyline” would have been for her character and “what that would have been” by The Hollywood Reporter, Heady replied: “[I] think all of us did, to be honest, because you start trying to write the story yourself.“And [Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams] and I would fantasize about a Cersei and Arya showdown; that she would come back as Jaime. That was our dream.

As the year comes to a close, one of the biggest stories of 2023 so far is what we call Marvel TV Reckoning. Essentially, the story was Marvel Studios finally recognizing their TV process was broken; they had to stop and rethink it all.

Marvel Studios‘ Daredevil: Born Again has rounded out its revamped creative team with a new showrunner and directors. Dario Scardapane (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Punisher) has been tapped as showrunner and directing team Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Loki) are set to direct the Charlie Cox series, sources confirm to Deadline.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Sony Pictures Television has brought in Tania Missad as executive vice president of research, strategy, and analysis. She will begin her new role today at the studio’s Culver City lot and will report to Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Pope. “A deeply respected leader, Tania brings curiosity, rigor, and passion to her work,” Pope said.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony Pictures has acquired the English-language remake rights to Chinese comedy drama, “Hi, Mom,” which until recently overtaken by “Barbie” had been the world’s highest grossing film directed by a solo female. The original picture, directed by Jia Ling and released in early 2021, sees a young woman whose mother has been fatally injured in a car accident, travel back to the early 1980s where she becomes best friend to the younger version of her mother. That enables her to work on giving her mother a better life than first time around.