Universal Launches Virgin Music Group, Including Virgin, Ingrooves and Newly Acquired Mtheory Artist Partnerships

Thania Garcia Jenni Rivera’s children have confirmed new music from the late Mexican music star is on the way, with a posthumous single called “Misión Cumplida” slated to arrive Nov. 2. The song is from a full 11-track album, slated for release on Dec. 9. Rivera’s children — Chiquis, Johnny, Jenicka, Mike, and Jacqie — spoke at length for the first time on their plans to release Jenni’s forthcoming album, which includes unreleased music, during Billboard’s “Children of Jenni Rivera” panel on Sept. 27. Johnny, the youngest sibling, appeared sporting a photo of his mother on his shirt, which he later revealed to be the cover art for “Misión Cumplida.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Orlando Wharton has been named executive vice president of Capitol Music Group and president of Priority Records. The announcement was made by CMG chair & CEO Michelle Jubelirer, to whom Wharton will report.  According to the announcement, in his new position, Wharton will sign and guide artists across CMG’s portfolio of labels, and will relaunch the legendary Priority Records label as a dedicated home for new, developing and established hip hop artists.  Wharton will assume his positions at CMG early next year, and will be based at the company’s offices in New York. The announcement closely follows the company’s hiring of Doja Cat co-manager Gordan Dillard as EVP of A&R and artist development.

Kathleen Turner‘s deal breakers for what she won’t do for a role haven’t changed in the more than four decades she’s worked on screen and on stage. In fact, she jokes that she’s “boringly consistent.”

New Mexico agreed to provide funds, allowing the possibility of prosecutions involving the on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by Alec Baldwin while filming "Rust," as reported by the Santa Fe Mexican on Thursday. The state Board of Finance granted around $317,000, which would go toward the cost of investigating the fatal shooting in New Mexico that occurred in October 2021.

Billboard Latin America Music Awards are next week on September 29th. What is sure to be an epic night of music has to have amazing hosts, and this year Jaime Camil and Kate del Castillo will share the stage to lead the night full of celebration.

Liza Foreman Spanish production and distribution company Bteam Pictures has picked up all rights for Spain to San Sebastián competition title “Los Reyes del Mundo” (“Kings of the World”). Film Factory Entertainment brokered the deal with Bteam partners Ania Jones, Alex Lafuente and Lara Pérez Camiña. Film Factory’s Vicente Canales confirmed to Variety that the company is handling worldwide sales for the film, excluding France, Benelux, Colombia and Mexico.  “Bteam is well known for distributing quality films in Spain and has already released several of our Spanish pictures,” said Canales. “We believe they are the best match for ‘Kings of the World,’ which is one of the most important Colombian films of the year.”

EJ Panaligan editor Disney Music Group has teamed up with Deaf West Theatre, a Tony award-winning company, to release an American Sign Language version of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Walt Disney Animation’s “Encanto” in celebration of Friday’s International Day of Sign Languages. The video features an all-deaf Colombian and Hispanic cast, utilizing both American Sign Language and Colombian Sign Language to add additional layers of authenticity to the song. The sung English lyrics were translated into ASL and CSL by a team of sign language choreographers who worked through the text to find an accurate signed translation of the song for the video.

Set to the tune of Beatles classic “I Am The Walrus,” a new trailer for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Bardo – full title: Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – dropped today, giving viewers a taste of what Venice festgoers experienced earlier this month.

Robert Kyncl, a 12-year veteran of YouTube’s senior executive team, will become CEO of Warner Music Group on January 1.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor After a fast courtship, outgoing YouTube head of business Robert Kyncl has been named CEO of Warner Music Group and will replace Steve Cooper when he steps down next year.  According to the announcement, Kyncl and Cooper will serve as co-CEOs for the month of January 2023. As of February 1, 2023, Kyncl will become sole CEO of WMG and assume Cooper’s board seat on WMG’s Board of Directors. Kyncl brings strong music-industry experience to the job: YouTube is both the world’s largest video-streaming platform and the largest music-streaming platform, and he played a huge role in its negotiations with labels and publishers and generally received high marks (remarkably, considering the often-contentious relations between the two sides). He’s also pioneering force in the streaming business: Before he was chief business officer of YouTube, he led Netflix from DVDs to digital.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, Music Gordan Dillard is trading SALXCO, management home to Doja Cat, for Capitol Music Group where he joins as executive vice president of A&R and artist development. The Los Angeles-based Dillard, who plans to maintain a “strong presence” in New York, reports to CMG chair and CEO Michelle Jubelirer and is tasked with signing and developing artists across the pool of Universal Music Group labels. His start date was Sept. 19. Dillard will continue to manage Doja Cat alongside Lydia Asrat, Josh Kaplan and SALXCO founder/CEO Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, who noted: “SALXCO is about building a culture of young entrepreneurs to watch them grow into some of the industry’s most powerful players. I am so proud of Gordan and all his success.”

Melissa Barrera is sharing some details about the upcoming ‘Scream’ film, as she is back to reprise her role as Sam Carpenter, who is the illegitimate daughter of Billy Loomis in the franchise.The Mexican actress acts alongside ‘Wednesday’ star Jenna Ortega, playing her sister Tara Carpenter. And Melissa has declared that this time the new storyline is expected to be even more scary for fans of ‘Scream.’“It’s like 20 times more mortifying,” she said during a recent interview with Collider, explaining that New York City has a lot to do with it.

Andrea Meza rose to prominence after being crowned Miss Universe 2020, becoming the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe. Although the beauty pageant titleholder holds the record of the shortest completed reign in Miss Universe history to date, it doesn’t mean it was the end of a successful career in the entertainment and fashion industry.After passing down the crown, Meza began her journey as a tv host in the Spanish-language tv show “En Casa con Telemundo,” and after her ongoing work, Meza was able to debut at the New York Fashion Week and model for the legendary brand and fashion designer, Custo Barcelona.During an interview with HOLA! USA, Meza spoke about her magical experience returning to the runway, what’s next in her career and if she would ever become a fashion designer like many other celebrities. Find below everything she shared.It was a lovely experience.

Carson Burton The 2022 edition of InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival from NewFilmmakers LA (NFMLA) will be held from Sept. 23-24 in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For the first time since 2019, the festival will be held in-person at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. The lineup consists of three short film programs showcasing a variety of genres. The festival, which is co-presented by The MBS Group, includes screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, industry development programs and educational panels. The festival features independent films from emerging talent hailing from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States. Two world premieres will be held at the festival, and one film will see its North American premiere.

Selome Hailu Universal Television is developing Andy Cohen’s memoir “Most Talkative” into a coming-of-age comedy series for NBC. Blumhouse Television is also attached. “Most Talkative” centers a fictionalized 13-year-old Cohen coming of age in 1980s St Louis. He’s gay, loves the Cardinals, his bar mitzvah tutor is a stoner and his soap opera-fueled imagination makes him both the life of the party and the source of endless drama. The series will follow young Cohen’s journey not fitting into any one box and figuring out how to build his own. Cohen published his memoir in 2012 via Macmillan Publishers’ St. Martin’s Press. He is best known for hosting Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and executive producing the “Real Housewives” franchise for the network.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Paramount+ launched in Italy Wednesday evening with a star-studded gala at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The streaming service unveiled a rich slate of Italian originals featuring top local talents Roberto Benigni and Carlo Verdone alongside Hollywood titles such as Sylvester Stallone crime drama “Tulsa King.” “Italy is a country that has proved very receptive to streaming services,” said Paramount+ EVP and international general manager Marco Nobili, speaking to Variety ahead of the gala. “On-demand consumption has almost doubled in the country over the past three years.”  Nobili also underlined the historically strong presence of what is now Paramount Global in Italy with “MTV and our pay-TV channels and a strong partnership with Sky.”

When many of us first think of Royal couples, we’ll usually think of Prince William and Kate Middleton, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, or the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. But one of the most enduring marriages within the Royal family that often escapes public attention is that of Princess Anne and her naval officer husband Commander Timothy Laurence.

In the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Universal has chosen to delay the UK release of the Julia Roberts/George Clooney romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise “out of respect to the Royal Family.”