Republic Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Thania Garcia Republic Records has launched a kids and family division, spearheaded by the appointment of Bree Bowles as VP of marketing and strategy. The new expansion is focused on signing, developing, and releasing family-friendly projects, with additional “major partnerships to be unveiled very soon,” according to the announcement.Prior to her stint with Republic Records, Bowles worked at Brooklyn Bowl founder Pete Shapiro’s Dayglo Presents where she oversaw marketing and operations.

Earlier this year it was announced that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (also known as KOTOR) was getting a complete remake. Fans were overjoyed with the news as most played the original growing up and now they can relive it as an adult and with better graphics. Recently it was announced that KOTOR was in serious trouble, so serious that the game had to be delayed indefinitely.

JYP Entertainment, home to top acts like TWICE, ITZY and Stray Kids, is teaming up with Republic Records to debut a new North American girl group, holding auditions in the US this September.On July 25, the two agencies unveiled a video featuring JYP Entertainment founder and chairman Park Jin-young and Republic Records’ founder and CEO Monte Lipman announcing their upcoming venture ‘A2K’.“The name of this project is ‘A2K’, which is an abbreviation of ‘America2Korea’. So the final artist that comes out of this procedure will be the first American artist made out of a K-pop system,” said Park.“It’s like talented artists who goes through a training system like an Olympic gymnast will go through,” he added.

The Czech Film Commission, the body that promotes the Czech Republic to the international world, had its website hacked last week by Russian hackers. Speaking at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Odesa Film Festival at Karlovy Vary’s Industry Days section, Czech Film Commission head Pavlina Zipkova told delegates that its website was recently targeted by Russian hackers after it posted an article on its website highlighting the Czech Republic as being a safe place to shoot.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorXavier Henry-Rashid’s sales agency Film Republic has acquired Anna Kazejak’s “Fucking Bornholm,” ahead of its international premiere Saturday in the Crystal Globe competition of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.The Polish comedy drama potrays the generation of today’s 40-year-olds from the perspective of a woman who is in need of profound changes in her life.Two couples with kids go away for a short holiday on the Danish island of Bornholm. Each person has different goals and expectations, and each one of them and their relationships will be tested.

Thania Garcia Ciara has signed to Republic Records and Uptown Records through her own label imprint, Beauty Marks Entertainment. Under the partnership, Ciara will be releasing “Jump,” her first single since 2020, slated for release later this summer.Regarding the signing, Ciara said, “I am thrilled to partner with Uptown/Republic Records through my own label imprint Beauty Marks Entertainment.

Sky has put a darkly comic drama about a foul-mouthed supermarket worker in Belfast into production. Roisin Gallagher (The Fall, The Dry) and Johnny Flynn (Beast, Emma) take the leading roles in The Lovers, which is from Doctor Foster and Pure producer Drama Republic.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCity of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, announced that its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group’s 2022 Spirit of Life Gala will feature a performance by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson.The gala will take place Oct. 27, 2022, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles — the first after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Reading & Leeds, Latitude and more – has teamed up with Music Declares Emergency in an effort to bring renewable power to UK festival sites.The project aims to drive grid connections to festivals nationwide and begin the transition of the UK outdoor live sector to grid power, per a press release. It will ultimately reduce carbon emissions for the sector in relation to temporary power generation.Funded by Festival Republic, the collaboration falls under the ongoing No Music On A Dead Planet climate campaign which has previously won support from the likes of Billie Eilish, Foals and Brian Eno.Festival Republic will support the project closely with the aim of presenting fully renewably powered, grid-connected stages at three of its events for the 2023 festival season.

Pete Wicks has reportedly pulled out of filming TOWIE in the Dominican Republic special after the death of his nan Doreen, whom the star was really close to.The 33 year old Essex-born reality TV star had been included in the ITVBe show's instalments in the Caribbean country, but according to his ex-girlfriend Ella Wise, opted to take some time off work instead. Pete has reportedly been devastated by the loss of his beloved grandmother.The star shared the news with a black and white snap of him holding her hand in her hospital bed on Instagram, which also showed he had Doreen's name tattooed on his hand. Ella, who is filming with the rest of the cast, revealed she had checked in with Pet to see how he was doing with the heartbreaking news.

The Only Way is Essex cast have headed on a lavish getaway to the Dominican Republic as they get set to film the next series of the popular ITVBe show. Stars of the show such as Courtney Green, Amber Turner and Chloe Meadows have jetted off together, alongside the likes of Dan Edgar, Diags, Yazmin Oukhellou and Dani Imbert.

Scots must be given the choice between the monarchy or a republic if the country votes for independence in the future, a Green MSP has insisted.

WATCH: The Royals appear on the balcony at The Queen's Birthday ParadeEven here in Australia, the excitement is obvious across social media, TV and radio, with plenty of coverage as Kate Middleton, Prince William and other key royals step out.But all the fuss has some Aussies wondering why we care so much about a bunch of posh royals who live thousands of kilometres away.READ NEXT: The Crown star Olivia Colman says it’s “bizarre” Australians love the QueenDespite being so far removed from day-to-day Australian life, the royal family still have plenty of fans Down Under.A poll conducted on the WHO Instagram (which you should totally be following) showed that a whopping 47 per cent of our followers were excited for the jubilee.Almost half of WHO readers were keen for the Jubilee - the rest felt like Prince Louis here.Almost half of the responders planned to tune into the events over the weekend, while 34 per cent weren’t interested and 19 per cent didn’t care either way.With so many Aussies still interested in the royal family, as the Queen marks 70 years on the throne, it begs the question: what will happen when she’s gone?There have been talks of Australia becoming a republic for decades now and local commentators have been raising the question again as the Platinum Jubilee unfolds.While it’s clear plenty of us still enjoy the royals to some degree, the problem lies with the Queen’s replacement, Prince Charles, who hasn’t always been the most popular figure in the monarchy.Prince Charles isn't quite as popular as his mum, the Queen.A vocal 60 per cent of WHO’s Instagram followers don’t want Prince Charles to become the next king, with 24 per cent saying they don’t care and just 15 per cent actually supporting him.There

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has announced the promotion of Chris Blackwell to EVP of A&R and Content Strategy, as announced today by label president Wendy Goldstein.According to the announcement, in this new role, Blackwell will continue to shepherd the creation and development of content for the entire Republic Records roster. Additionally, he will work with new artists to identify and maximize content opportunities at the onset of their careers. Blackwell played a major role in Coi Leray’s rise by producing her viral “Cooking With Coi Leray,” and also collaborated with Ka$hdami, Lil Wayne, Benee and Kash Doll on upcoming programming.

Popular Manchester brewery, Beatnikz Republic, has announced that it has ceased trading. Owner Paul Greetham confirmed the news via a pained statement on the brewery’s website, citing a difficult recovery from successive lockdowns and increasing business costs.

Thania Garcia Republic Records has named Danielle Price executive vice president, based in the label’s New York headquarters. In this new role, Price will contribute to overall strategy, business development, and label expansion as well as serving as a member of the leadership team.Most recently, Price was senior VP of business and legal affairs at 10K Projects, where she spearheaded business affairs for Trippie Redd, Iann Dior, Internet Money, Surfaces, and others.

Marc Anthony owns several properties, but none as spectacular and idyllic as the one he owns in the exclusive Casa de Campo complex in La Romana, in the Dominican Republic. Precisely, “El Oasis”—as the residence is known— is where the interpreter of “Vivir mi Vida” is spending his vacations next to his new love, the model Nadia Ferreira, her mother, and her best friend.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records is relaunching the Mercury imprint as an “extension” of the label, the company announced Monday. The move is similar to Atlantic’s relaunch of Elektra and Interscope’s of Geffen, an effort to split the parent label’s large roster so that artists receive more attention.

EXCLUSIVE:  Francis Lawrence is set to direct the feature take of Kevin J. Anderson and Steven L. Sears’ Stalag-X following New Republic Pictures winning the graphic novel’s rights.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editortoday (March 9). He is based in the Republic Records Los Angeles office.Most recently, Beard  spent a decade at APG, where he rose from intern to senior VP of A&R and brought in Charlie Puth, Alex Benjamin and Pink Sweat$; he also has worked closely with David Guetta, Jason Derulo, Pitbull and Flo Rida, in addition to songwriters such as Amy Allen, Sean Douglas, Madison Love, Salem Ilese, and others. He also worked extensively as a DJ in nightclubs across the U.S., on-air for KIIS-FM and at private events.Goldstein said, “Miles has really set the pace for pop music with an unbelievable winning streak of incredible signings throughout the past decade.

Freida Pinto and Jamie Chung pose together at Goop’s launch of Banana Republic Baby in Brentwood, Calif. on Sunday (March 6).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has appointed David Wolter executive vice president of A&R,label  co-president Wendy Goldstein announced today (March 7). He is based in Republic Records’ New York headquarters.Throughout his career,  Wolter has signed or worked closely with artists ranging from Gorillaz to Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers. At Republic, he will oversee upcoming releases for Benee, Greta Van Fleet, Jimmy Fallon and others, in addition to signing new talent.Prior to joining Republic Records, Wolter had been an executive VP of Virgin Records at Capitol Music Group since 2017.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCity of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., will honor Republic Records founders Monte and Avery Lipman (pictured above, R-L) at its 2022 Spirit of Life Gala in the fall. The prestigious award will be presented to them at a gala dinner — the first Spirit of Life Gala since 2019.According to the announcement, the Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s most prestigious honor and is presented to an esteemed community of industry leaders around the world who have made a significant commitment to improving the lives of others through the advancement of research and clinical innovation and the delivery of personalized, compassionate care.

APPOINTMENTSGed Doherty is stepping down as Chair of UK record industry trade body BPI after seven years in the role, in order to focus on his film company Raindog Films. “I have loved every minute of working with the BPI and its members and its amazing team led by Geoff Taylor”, he says.

UPDATE: Pressure is mounting on FIFA to boot Russia from the qualifying rounds of the World Cup. Today, the Czech Republic has joined in the boycott of Ukraine’s invaders, saying they won’t face Russia on the pitch.

JYP Entertainment has expanded its existing partnership with US-based label Republic Records.According to a report by Billboard, the South Korean company has opted to expand its existing strategic partnership with Republic Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group. The two companies first started the partnership in 2020, where they foucsed on the international expansion of girl group TWICE.JYP Entertainment and Republic Records’ partnership will now extend to include two more of the K-pop giant’s acts – namely Stray Kids and ITZY – in their plan for promotions outside of South Korea.Both groups will also be receiving support from Republic Records’ subsidiary independent label Imperial, which had previously helped to launch and market TWICE’s recent records since the JYP-Republic partnership had launched.“We are beyond delighted to move forward with Republic Records, the most outstanding label in the United States, in developing the major artist roster of the two companies’ hereafter, starting with the successful kickoff TWICE has brought,” JYP Entertainment CEO Jimmy Jeong told Billboard of the expansion.“We have absolute confidence that, together, we will lead the rapidly changing music industry from both in and out, alongside our prominent artists’ creations,” Jeong added.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter seeing her song “Fingers Crossed” become a TikTok smash, Vancouver Island singer/songwriter Lauren Spencer-Smith has partnered with Universal Music Group’s Island Records and Republic Records. According to the announcement, “The innovative partnership, structured with manager and business partner David Ehrlich (pictured above, right, with UMG chief Lucian Grainge, left, and Spencer-Smith), allows Lauren Spencer-Smith to keep her independent spirit via her own imprint while tapping into premium services from both labels.”After breaking through on TikTok, “Fingers Crossed” garnered over 100 million streams hitting the Top 50 on Spotify in 23 countries and peaked at No.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMoon Projects, former TikTok music chief Mary Rahmani’s joint venture with Republic Records, has unveiled its first signing: Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Em Beihold, whose song “Groundhog Day” became a viral smash last year.Today she’s released the single and video “Numb Little Bug,” which she first teased on TikTok a few months back.“I try to write happy sing along pop about sad topics,” Beihold, 23, says. “I go for the lyrics or chords you wouldn’t necessarily expect.”She adds about the song, “Last year, all of my dreams were coming true. Everything I wanted was happening, but somehow I didn’t feel anything.

New Republic Pictures has won the rights to John Glenn’s spec Cut and Run in a bidding war, with Jake Gyllenhaal (The Guilty) coming aboard to produce and star, Deadline has confirmed.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterJake Gyllenhaal is set to star in “Cut and Run,” a heist thriller about a group of thieves who use high-powered speed boats to rob super-yachts. Their caper takes a turn when they steal the wrong thing from the wrong group of people.New Republic Pictures won rights to the spec script, written by John Glenn, after a bidding war with several potential buyers.In addition to starring, Gyllenhaal will produce the film through his company Nine Stories Productions.

After a bidding war with multiple potential buyers, New Republic Pictures has won the rights to John Glenn’s spec script “Cut & Run,” which has Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star and produce through his Nine Stories Productions banner, the company announced on Tuesday.New Republic Founder Brian Oliver and president Bradley Fischer will also serve as producers alongside Glenn.“Cut & Run” centers on a group of thieves using high powered speedboats to rob superyachts, complications ensue when the thieves end up stealing the wrong thing from the wrong group of people. New Republic and Nine Stories also recently announced their adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel “Oblivion Song,” which also has Gyllenhaal attached to star.Gyllenhaal will next be seen in Michael Bay’s “Ambulance,” which Universal Pictures will release April 8. A veteran showrunner, film and television writer, Glenn has sold dozens of projects, to every major film studio and television network.

William Earl A legal malpractice suit filed by former Republic Records president Charlie Walk against attorney Marc Kasowitz has been dismissed by a New York judge, court papers reveal. In 2018, Walk resigned from his executive position at the record label that’s home to The Weeknd, Post Malone and Ariana Grande after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women with whom he worked at Sony Music some 15 years earlier — two spoke on the record to Rolling Stone after accuser Tristan Coopersmith went public with a blog post on Jan.

Gatehouse of Fleet got a name-check or the radio on New Year’s Day – in the Czech Republic.

Music producer Flow La Movie and his family were killed in a tragic private jet crash in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.

Listín Diario, the HI1050 aircraft, Gulfstream GIVSP type, had departed for Miami with 2 crew members and 7 passengers, and there are no survivors. Of the passengers, 6 were identified as American citizens, including 38-year-old Puerto Rican music producer José Ángel Hernández, who is better known as Flow La Movie.

APPOINTMENTSUniversal Music’s Republic Records in the US has named Sam Taylor as the new head of its hip hop and R&B A&R team. He joined the label as EVP A&R last year.