CEO Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Solo Leveling has become one of the breakout anime shows of the year.Based on the Korean web novel by Chugong, the series takes place in a realm of gifted hunters who battle deadly monsters to protect mankind. Sung Jinwoo, a notoriously weak hunter, is given extraordinary strength through a mysterious program, which kickstarts a journey across various dungeons to discover the true source of his power.The anime adaptation debuted in January this year, with the final episode of season one cour one (also known as part one) set to land on March 30.A release date is yet to be announced for the show’s return, although there’s evidence to suggest more episodes will arrive later this year.Crunchyroll has not confirmed if the show’s first season is split into two parts, but reliable leaker SugoiBingus claimed earlier this year it would contain 25 episodes in total, split into two cours.

The Mediapro Studio’s parent company, produced. Like Cruz, Fernández Espeso is driven. At a dinner during Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival in 2020, most of the executive attendees started out with small talk.

In all of the exorbitant fallout from Michael Kassan’s exit from UTA earlier this month even the lawyers are getting shrapnel now.

Activist Disney investor Blackwells Capital is suing the media giant over what it sees as an inappropriately cozy relationship with another shareholder, ValueAct Capital.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Vince McMahon, the founder and former CEO of wrestling entertainment company WWE, received about $100 million through a sale of about 3.5 million shares of TKO Group. TKO Group was formed last year through the Endeavor-led merger of UFC and WWE. Endeavor maintains a majority interest in TKO.

Alex Ritman French TV giant Banijay is losing its second C-suite exec in just over a month. The company has confirmed to Variety that COO Peter Langenberg is departing, with his last day set to be March 31. Langenberg will remain with Banijay on a consultancy basis in the ESG (environment, social and governance) space.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade is realigning the company’s content and business operations into three groups, the Fox Television Network, Fox Entertainment Studios and sales arm Fox Entertainment Global.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Fox Entertainment is restructuring its operations into three divisions: network, studios and sales. As part of this re-org, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade has promoted Michael Thorn to president of Fox Television Network and upped Fernando Szew to head of Fox Entertainment Studios.

Jaden Thompson The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has appointed Bridgette Wilder to the newly established position of chief people and culture officer. Wilder will report to Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy Museum director and president Jacqueline Stewart.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large When NBC recently resurrected its long-dormant “Deal or No Deal,” it came with a new format: “Deal or No Deal Island.” The game show was originally a “shiny floor” in-studio contest where players had to guess how much money was inside a large briefcase. The updated iteration takes things outdoors, raising the stakes by adding interpersonal dynamics, physical challenges and survival to the mix. At producer Endemol Shine North America, they call adding a fresh spin to existing IP the “ESNA twist.” And it’s become a hallmark for CEO Sharon Levy, who took over the shingle — part of Banijay Americas — a little more than a year ago.

William Earl Disney Entertainment Television marketing president Shannon Ryan has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Variety Entertainment Marketing Icon Award, to be presented April 24 as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, in Los Angeles. Ryan is being recognized for her long track record of innovative marketing and promotional campaigns during her long tenure at Fox and Disney.

Proxy advisor Egan-Jones on Wednesday became the second independent firm to support activist Nelson Peltz‘s effort to secure seats on the Disney board.

Disney’s streaming bundle combining Hulu and Disney+ in one service officially launched Wednesday morning, ending a three-month beta period described by the company as a success.

Well, that was quick.

K-pop music purveyors HYBE today announced an expanded long-term agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing them exclusive distribution rights across HYBE music for the next 10 years.

The boss of British Gas owner Centrica, Chris O'Shea, who earlier this year said there is "no point" trying to explain his salary, saw his pay nearly double to close to £4 million last year. His total pay in 2023 was £8.2 million, up from £4.5 million the previous year, according to the company's annual report released on Tuesday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe, the Korean firm behind K-pop’s BTS, has struck an expanded 10-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing Hybe’s roster of artists and labels access to UMG’s leading global network. UMG will further collaborate with Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse, bringing more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom. Hybe and UMG will additionally collaborate on artist promotions and marketing activities in North America under the oversight of Scooter Braun – who, in his time as CEO of Hybe America, acquired QC Media Holdings and incorporated SB Projects as well as Big Machine Label Group into the existing roster. Hybe and UMG first teamed up in 2017 on BTS, through a distribution agreement in Japan. In 2021, the companies expanded their relationship with a global strategic agreement which saw collaborations across multiple projects and use of Weverse for fan communication.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The U.S. recorded music industry grew its revenue by 8% in 2023, reaching an all-time high of $17.1 billion and marking eight consecutive years of growth. However, there’s no question that the streaming boom of the past decade, which produced years of double-digit growth, is leveling off and the industry is reacting with layoffs and talk of a “transformational moment” in the months and years to come.

Thania Garcia Teddy Swims, the singer-songwriter behind “Lose Control,” has signed a new global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. The RIAA platinum-certified single “Lose Control” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latest tracking week after spending 32 weeks on the chart.

Khadlaj Perfumes, a heritage brand with 40 years of legacy in the United Arab Emirates, has announced the expansion of its operations into the influencer market following the viral success of its fragrance, Hareem Al Sultan. The move aims to cement Khadlaj Perfumes as a major player in the global perfume industry, particularly in the USA.

Karen Gillan isn’t done with the superhero world just yet!

Lily James is reportedly taking on a new role!

EXCLUSIVE: Wild Card Creative Group (WCCG), which has recently worked on such campaigns as Dune, The Bikeriders, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon and American Fiction, is joining forces with BlueMoon AI to develop a pioneering AI innovation tailored for advertising materials creation, harnessing cutting-edge technology.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Kassan‘s team promised late last week they would up the legal ante with UTA unless the agency completely dropped its lawsuit against the resigned/fired (depending on who you ask) MediaLink CEO, and today they did just that.

One of Fremantle‘s leading execs in Europe has become victim of a sophisticated $1M scam.

Selome Hailu The Golden Globes will air on CBS and livestream on Paramount+ for another five years, per a new deal with Dick Clark Productions that also puts the American Music Awards on the Eye Network. The agreement kicks off with the January 2025 telecast of the Golden Globes.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Christine Blasey Ford received a Hollywood welcome on Sunday night when Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Banks, Busy Phillips, Marisa Tomei and more gathered to toast the release of her new memoir, “One Way Back.” “We stand with you because you have stood with us so courageously, and we honor you and we celebrate you. We lift our glasses to you tonight,” Washington said. “To your courage, to your beauty, to your generosity as you continue to do more than you have to.

Nelson Peltz said today that his bitter proxy fight with Disney is “not about Mr. Iger, nor is it a referendum about his leadership” even as CNBC reported that his firm, Trian Partners, has withheld votes from the CEO, who is also a board nominee.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor UPDATED: Nelson Peltz claims Disney‘s board, not CEO Bob Iger, is the problem. But his investment firm, Trian Group, withheld its votes for Iger’s reelection to the Disney board. With just over a week before Disney’s annual shareholder meeting on April 3, Peltz’s Trian — which has been aggressively campaigning to get two seats on the Mouse House’s board — issued a new statement Monday saying the battle is not about any dispute with Iger but rather about forcing change on the board’s composition to boost the company’s financial returns.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Sesame Street” parent company Sesame Workshop has named Dannette “Danni” Hill its first-ever chief people officer. In this newly created role, Hill will oversee human resources, leading a division that supports “innovative best practices and organizational excellence” for Sesame Workshop, per the global impact nonprofit.

K.J. Yossman Fremantle has completed its acquisition of global production studio Asacha Media Group, the company confirmed today. Fremantle acquired the group from founding partners, managers and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management Fremantle’s group COO and CEO for continental Europe Andrea Scrosati spearheaded the acquisition.

Fremantle Completes Asacha Deal

EXCLUSIVE: If you thought the multi-million-dollar war of words and legal filings between UTA and former Medialink CEO Michael Kassan had been bare knuckles before, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer United Talent Agency has amended its lawsuit against former MediaLink chief Michael Kassan — striking its initial claims against its former partner to move those grievances to arbitration. The amended complaint offers new details of allegations of financial mismanagement against the advertising industry’s famous matchmaker and fixer, who blasts the litigation in a statement to Variety as a “smear” effort.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music At the Black Music Action Coalition‘s “Rooted in Country” discussion panel Thursday night — addressing the many challenges Black country artists continue to face breaking into the genre — it was just a matter of time before the conversation turned to Beyonce’s “Act II: Cowboy Carter” country-themed album that drops next Friday. The all-female panel (in honor of Women’s History Month) featured Rissi Palmer, a pioneering country singer-songwriter and host of the “Color Me Country” podcast; Holly G, founder of the Black Opry collective; and Live Nation Country’s Julie Matway; it was moderated by label veteran and author Naima Cochrane, who wrote a powerful study on the subject called “Three Chords & the Actual Truth: The Manufactured Myth of Country Music & White America” that was published in June of 2022.

Series Mania was Warner Bros. Discovery’s European roll-out timeline for Max, announced Thursday at the climax of the Series Mania’s Lille Dialogues. The most keenly anticipated session was nearly Series Mania’ Forum first: a Netflix showcase hosted by a confident Larry Tanz who significantly proved the only goal streamer exec to drill down on volume commitment.