Storied Media Group Hires Four Key Execs Across Multiple Divisions Amid Company Expansion

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentHappy Anniversary — well, sort of “happy” — to Sarah Paulson, since it’s exactly 25 years since Variety ran a review of her feature film debut, “Levitation.” In the indie, she plays a pregnant teenager. Critic Leonard Klady on April 14, 1997, said it was a grim saga with “a strong cast” who were “not ably supported by the script.”It’s not the most promising debut and the film was quickly forgotten, but Paulson continued to work.Like many New York actors, she worked on stage and made her TV debut in a 1994 “Law & Order” episode, about a year after her high school graduation.She continued to do theater, including Broadway’s 2005 “The Glass Menagerie” with Jessica Lange, and films, such as the Oscar winner “12 Years a Slave,” where she proved herself a team player by working hard to promote the movie, even though she had a relatively small role.

“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert had just one question for his network after hearing CBS News had hired Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for analysis: “What the f—?”During Thursday night’s monologue, Colbert dove into the topic of CBS News hiring Mulvaney to “provide political analysis across the network’s broadcasts and platforms.”“For more, we go to the ‘Late Show’s’ own media analyst, Stephen Colbert. Stephen, your thoughts?” Colbert said, as he turned to the side and the camera angle switched.

Peter Kay has joined Instagram a month ahead of his first gig in years. The reclusive comedian is making his way back into the spotlight as he prepares for his upcoming charity gigs in support of Cancer Research UK.

EXCLUSIVE: Objective Media Group America, the company behind series including HBO Max’s 12 Dates of Christmas and TBS’ The Cube, has made a number of promotions in its leadership team.

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) and Reacher breakout Alan Ritchson have signed on to star in the film Ordinary Angels from Kingdom Story Company, which Lionsgate will distribute.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNetflix’s “A Madea Homecoming” and Disney’s “Free Guy” both made their debuts on Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings with more than 1 billion minutes watched in the titles’ first few days of availability.Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Homecoming” was No. 4 on the list of overall streaming programs for the week of Feb. 21-27, with 1.04 billion minutes viewed in the two days following its Feb.

Ed Meza @edmezavarSpanish director Ángeles Reiné celebrates family, neighborhood friendships and soccer in her a feel-good comedy “Héroes de Barrio” (“Football Heroes of the Block”).The film, Reiné’s sophomore feature following 2019’s “Salir del ropero” (“So My Grandma’s a Lesbian!”), which screens at the Malaga Festival, follows financially-strapped Seville bar owner Luis, who seeks to impress his young daughter Paula by pretending to be pals with Joaquin, the beloved and charismatic real-life captain of the Real Betis football club. At the same time, he’s angling to get back together with Paula’s mom, the love of his life, who now lives with her new and much wealthier boyfriend.

We have confirmed that "West Side Story" star Rachel Zegler has been invited to the Oscars after all.There’s word out there that the Academy has invited her to be a presenter, however, they won’t confirm. What is clear is that the actress’ production schedule in London on the Disney movie "Snow White" has loosened up so that she can head to Los Angeles and watch the show live instead of in sweatpants and her boyfriend’s flannel from her couch, as she indicated on Instagram over the weekend to her followers who were enraged to hear that the actress be a no-show.  Rachel Zegler initially told fans on social media that she wasn't invited to this year's Academy Awards despite her film being nominated.

Eman Redwan, most recently a Digital Talent Agent at UTA focusing on the beauty and lifestyle space, has joined Range Media Partners and will become a partner. In the new role, she will manage digital clients and working across Range’s full roster of clients on brand partnerships.

When it comes to Hollywood, multi-talented icon Vanessa Williams, 59, has tried her hand (and succeeded) at every corner. First rising to stardom in 1984 as the first Black woman to win the Miss America crown, Vanessa went on to build a storied career on the stage and screen. Starring in Broadway productions like Kiss of the Spider Woman and Into the Woods, the latter of which won her a Tony Award, Vanessa established her one-of-a-kind talent, and will even return to the stage this May in POTUS. Vanessa has also gained acclaim on the small screen, winning an Emmy Award in 2007 for her role on Ugly Betty. 

Joe Leydon Film CriticLet’s not mince words: “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story” is a high-stepping, hand-waving, spirit-lifting gas. Co-directors Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, with the invaluable assistance of editor Martin Singer, have fashioned an infectiously exuberant overview of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Big Easy’s unique and enormous celebration of its music, cuisine and multiculturalism, by combining their own footage of performances and interviews at the 50th iteration of the star-studded annual event — the last before COVID-19 forced cancelation of the 2000 and 2001 editions — and archival footage dating back to the festival’s earliest days.Those days might have begun earlier, fest co-founder George Wein reveals during an interview conducted before his 2021 passing, if he had accepted a 1962 invitation by locals to establish the New Orleans equivalent of his Newport Jazz Festival.

No American city is as steeped in native musical lore and legacy as is New Orleans and you get a good feeling for how that came about in Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story. It’s a documentary overflowing with performers and music that still barely begins to scratch the surface of what’s gone on musically for ages in the fabled, oft-distressed city. Music fans of assorted persuasions will be delighted with the samples served up here, although the subject is so vast and varied that something like a six or ten-hour miniseries would be required to begin to do it justice. With Sony Pictures Classics handling the U.S. release starting May 13 after it SXSW bow, the film is certain to get a nice lift-off and extensive exposure on home tubes is assured.

Byron Allen’s media companies — Weather Group, Entertainment Studios Networks (ESN) and CF Entertainment — have sued Nielsen, seeking billions of dollars in damages for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation and fraud by concealment.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorRooster Teeth recruited Adam Bersin to lead marketing for WarnerMedia’s fandom-focused entertainment division.Bersin most recently served as Amazon Studios’ global creative marketing lead for sci-fi, fantasy, superhero and adult animated content. While at Amazon, he headed up marketing for “The Boys,” one of Prime Video’s biggest franchises.Before joining Amazon Studios in September 2017, Bersin was marketing director for FX, where he launched campaigns for “American Horror Story,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Fargo” and other shows.

Sony Pictures Classics announced today that its feature documentary Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story, co-directed by five-time Oscar nominee Frank Marshall (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) and Ryan Suffern (Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records), will hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles on May 13, before expanding to additional markets in the following weeks. It will open against IFC Films’ horror-thriller The Innocents, Roadside Attractions’ comedy Family Camp and Universal’s horror-thriller Firestarter starring Zac Efron and more.

EXCLUSIVE: Chaz Bono (American Horror Story) and Bonnie Aarons (The Nun) have signed on to star alongside Randy Couture, Reid Miller, Mike Manning, Kathleen Kenny and Cathy Marks in the action-horror pic The Bell Keeper, from director Colton Tran (Snow Falls).