Universal Studio Group Makes Beatrice Springborn And David O’Donoghue Roles Permanent

Showbiz funnyman David Koechner has been charged with driving under the influence and hit-and-run in Los Angeles after he was arrested back in December 2021. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office relayed to TMZ on Friday that the charges stem from the "Office" alum's arrest on New Year’s Eve with the outlet further reporting that Koechner faces up to six months in jail for each misdemeanor count.  Records from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office revealed at the time that the 59-year-old was arrested on Dec. 31 at 3:03 p.m.

Bob Chapek, the Disney CEO who is under siege, hopefully does not watch much TV. If he does, he’ll see a succession of fellow CEOs who seem prone to self-destruction — Adam Neumann of WeWork, Travis Kalanick of Uber, Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, etc. — portrayed on buzzy TV series. Viewing these shows back to back, the stolid Chapek might wonder whether the CEO is extinct as a folk hero.

Oscar-y looking!Crystals, swirls and circles make up the fiercely futuristic set design of the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and is set to air Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. on ABC. And, despite the artful construction of the gleaming platform, crafted by scenic designer and creative director David Korins, 45, social media sharpshooters hastily fired off critical jokes and gibes about the Oscar stage’s otherworldly look.“The Oscars this year is set in that one door in Poseidon’s Fury,” teased a Twitter kidder, referencing a wild walkthrough attraction at the Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida. Other digital detractors complained that screenshots of the set were making them “dizzy.”“Oscars 2022 set design.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNetflix has snapped up another independent game studio: The streamer announced that is has acquired Boss Fight Entertainment, a Texas-based mobile game developer.Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Boss Fight was formed by former Zynga Dallas and Ensemble Studios employees in 2013.

David Beckham at his luxury London and Oxfordshire homes and allegedly targeting his ten-year-old daughter. Sharon Bell, 58, is accused of harassing the former Manchester United and England midfielder with a series of letters and alleged attempts to make contact with the star. It is said Bell turned up at the school of Beckham’s daughter, Harper, in an attempt to meet her, and she is also accused of going to the family home in west London.

Manori Ravindran International EditorUniversal International Studios has struck a first-look deal with “Call My Agent!” and “Parallèles” writer Quoc Dang Tran as it continues a charm offensive directed at international creators.UIS has inked a first-look deal with the French-Vietnamese writer and showrunner who will develop and produce English and French-language television projects with the studio for the global market. French-language series will be co-produced with the “Marianne” writer’s recently formed label, Daïmôn Films.“He really leads from themes that speak to his heart versus responding to the industry, so we’re excited to do business with a creator who listens to their gut instead of just what the network is mandating,” Beatrice Springborn, president of Universal International Studios, tells Variety ahead of a keynote at French TV festival Series Mania.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were spotted looking cheerful as they attended the Bahrain Grand Prix with their husbands. Royal sisters Beatrice, 33, and Eugenie, 31, attended the event with husbands Jack Brooksbank, 35 and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, with the family looking smart at the Formula 1 racing event.

David Byrne says he believes that Spotify is “making artists uncomfortable” around the scandal relating to COVID misinformation shared on Joe Rogan’s podcast.Earlier this year, Rogan and Spotify were heavily criticised for sharing misinformation about the coronavirus vaccine on the exclusive podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, which led to artists including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removing their music from the service.Byrne, who in 2013 publicly criticised the “pittance” artists are paid in terms of royalties from streaming services like Spotify, and claimed he had pulled as much of his catalogue as possible from the service, was asked his thoughts on the ongoing scandal in a new interview with the Guardian.“There’s been all these things about platforms having … let’s say questionable or controversial content [and] putting out misinformation or outright lies or … not exactly hate speech, but things that are making a lot of artists uncomfortable,” he said.“And it’s pretty tough to do anything to help ameliorate that unless you’re a Drake or Taylor Swift, or those kinds of artists. It’s pretty hard for the rest of us to have influence.”Byrne added: “A handful of mega, mega artists are doing really well, and many of the others – especially emerging artists – are having a tough time with it.

Manori Ravindran International EditorBeatrice Springborn, president of UCP, is adding president of Universal International Studios to her portfolio, while David O’Donoghue has been named head of Universal International Studios.The U.K.-based Donoghue will report into Springborn, and continue to have operational responsibility for the international business. Meanwhile, Springborn reports into Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group, and now has oversight of all aspects of Universal International Studios’ slate, with a keen focus on growing the studio’s global footprint.Springborn’s creative strategy will continue to bolster the business’s in-house scripted programming division, which is responsible for developing and producing shows including “Hanna” (Amazon) and “Dodger” (BBC).

Louisa Jacobson is making a name for herself on the new HBO series The Gilded Age and she’s also currently starring in a play in L.A.

The King’s Man claims a second consecutive week at Number 1 on the UK’s Official Film Chart.

Universal Music Group has become one of the latest media companies to suspend operations in Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The music publishing giant on Tuesday said it was closing its offices in Russia, effective immediately. Meanwhile, major Western food and beverage companies Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Starbucks are also pulling out.

Variety reports.“We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries… to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region.”According to Variety, a source has revealed that while the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an indeterminate amount of time, artists will likely see their recording activity frozen.Universal are the latest business to announce their withdrawal from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, with the attack drawing widespread condemnation around the globe.Earlier this month, Live Nation announced they would not be promoting shows in Russia or doing business with the country, saying in a statement they were joining “the world in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.Spotify, meanwhile, shuttered its Moscow office in response to the invasion, and said it would restrict the discoverability of content owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. They stopped short of shutting off service to Russian users, saying they believe it’s “critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information”.One company who has suspended their service in Russia is Netflix, who shut down streaming in the country last week.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUniversal Music Group has suspended all of its operations in Russia, the company has confirmed to Variety. “Effective immediately, we are suspending all operations in Russia and closing our offices there. We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible. We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries (including the U.S., U.K., Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary) to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region.”A source tells Variety that the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an undetermined time, although artists will presumably see most if not all of their recording activity paused.  All three major labels — Universal, Sony and Warner — have local labels and operations in Russia; while reps for Sony and Warner did not immediately respond to requests for comment, sources both companies are likely to announce decisions about their status in the country within 24-48 hours.

A royal surprise! Prince Harry left his Montecito mansion to attend a rodeo in Texas.

Prince Harry surprised many locals over the weekend when he was spotted at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas. In a photo posted to social media, the 37-year-old Duke of Sussex is seen talking to several people at the annual event while wearing an olive green cowboy-like hat, and a gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Cindy Reid, the secretary of the Stockard Championship Rodeo, posted the pic on Monday, writing, «Where was Prince Harry Saturday night? Oooooh, just hanging out behind the bucking chutes at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo!!! Loooove it!!! Thank you for the visit!!»Harry appeared to be on his own for the outing, with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two kids, Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 9 months, not pictured.A post shared by Cindy Reid (@cindyreid_stockyardsrodeo)This isn't Harry's only recent outing as he enjoys his new life in the United States. Last month, he attended Super Bowl LVI with his cousin, Princess Eugenie, at the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. «There's a lovely relationship there and I would imagine that it's an important relationship for Harry,» royal expert Katie Nicholl recently told ET of Harry and Eugenie.