Variety Promotes Jennifer Dorn to Visual Content Director

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has closed a deal with Italian outfit Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment to acquire U.S. distribution rights to star-studded female-powered feature Tell It Like a Woman, whose filmmakers and actors include Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Hudson, Pauletta Washington, Cara Delevingne, Catherine Hardwicke, Margherita Buy, Marcia Gay Harden, Eva Longoria, Leonor Varela, Jacqueline Fernandez, Anne Watanabe and Mipo O.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterContent Partners has hired Vine Alternative Investments executive Rob Amir as senior vice president at the media company, Variety has learned exclusively.In his new role, Amir will oversee “augmenting” the content business’ “sourcing of new film, television, music and other entertainment intellectual property assets,” per the company, which is the owner of films including “13 Going on 30,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Black Swan,” “Hugo” and “xXx,” as well as Revolution Studios, and the co-owner of the “CSI” franchise.Amir will be based in Content Partners’ Los Angeles headquarters and start his position immediately.“We are extremely excited to welcome Rob to the Content Partners family,” said Steve Kram, co-founder and CEO of Content Partners. “Between his many years of demonstrated entertainment dealmaking expertise and proven track record structuring sound investments, he brings an incredible background that I’m confident will have an immediate impact on the company.

R. Kelly has been taken off of suicide watch at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine on June 29.  "Defendants United States of America, Warden Heriberto H.Tellez, and MDC Brooklyn respectfully inform the Court that following a clinical assessment, Plaintiff Robert Sylvester Kelly, also known as ‘R. Kelly,’ was removed from suicide watch as of this morning, July 5, 2022.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNational Geographic Content has promoted Karen Greenfield to the newly created position of senior vice president of content, diversity and inclusion.Most recently Nat Geo’s SVP of business operations while also serving as diversity and inclusion council chair, in her new role, Greenfield will “develop and execute programs and initiatives to produce diverse and inclusive content and contribute to a culture of belonging across all Nat Geo Content teams,” per the Disney-owned brand.Greenfield will lead the Nat Geo Content creative teams in producing inclusive programs “for a multicultural and multigenerational audience,” and collaborate closely with marketing and communications leaders to tap into “a broader array of fans.” She will also work with fellow Disney execs to ensure Nat Geo talent and programming are integrated into companywide DEI initiatives. She will report directly to Nat Geo Content president Courteney Monroe and will continue to be based at Nat Geo headquarters in Washington, D.C.Along with the news of Greenfield’s promotion to the new role, Nat Geo announced a second year for its Nat Geo Media Scholarship program for students who attend historically Black colleges or universities (HBCU), an initiative led by Greenfield.

Jason Momoa’s Baba Voss has fought his last battle after Apple TV+ revealed that season three of See would be its last.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterAnonymous Content’s Tehmina Jaffer has returned to the Disney fold, joining Disney Branded Television as head of business affairs.Jaffer, a former business affairs Disney+ exec, succeeds Adina Savin, who has served as executive vice president of Disney Branded TV’s BA department for 23 years. Savin announced her departure in a memo to staff in early May, citing a desire to focus on personal pursuits.

William Earl Steven Banks has joined Variety as creative director.The publishing veteran will steer the brand’s design and aesthetic across all editorial platforms, reporting to Variety incoming co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton. Banks is leading a department that is seeing record levels of activity for Variety’s weekly print magazine, as well as dozens of digital and print Extra Editions each year around events such as the Oscars, the Emmys, the Cannes Film Festival and more.“We are thrilled to have Steven join our team to enhance the look of our award-winning magazine and continue to strengthen our digital storytelling for our millions of readers and followers,” said Setoodeh.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterFormer HBO chief marketing officer Pamela Levine has been tapped as the new head of marketing for Disney Branded Television and National Geographic Content.Levine, who is replacing the recently exited Jayanta Jenkins, will lead an integrated internal agency across brand and creative marketing, strategy, publicity, media planning, digital/social, events, talent relations and awards, supporting content created for Disney+, as well as the Disney and National Geographic-branded linear networks, per Disney General Entertainment.In her new role, which she will begin June 27, Levine will jointly report to Disney Branded Television President Ayo Davis and National Geographic Content President Courteney Monroe. Levine’s direct reports include Chris Albert, executive vice president, Marketing and Publicity; Chris Spencer, executive vice president, Creative Marketing; Kristin Corrigan, senior vice president, Marketing Strategy; Jessica Bodaken, vice president, Marketing Production; Abby Ho, vice president, Social Media & Engagement Strategy; and Katie Morrow, vice president, Media Planning.

And the couple have no worries about turning the big 4-0, with Jamie's wife Amelia telling the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'People who feel funny about turning 40, I tell them, 'Don't. It's the best'. ' 'We had a big party together and it was the best experience.

The “love bubble” lives on! Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and her fiancé, Luis Ruelas, celebrated their new home together with an elaborate party — and a little bit of drama.

What a difference a year can make. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have both moved on since their broken engagement — but are they on good terms?

Duran Duran have announced the full line-up for their BST Hyde Park show next month, with AURORA and Laura Mvula among some of the additions.The pop legends headline the show at London’s Hyde Park on July 10, with Nile Rodgers & Chic previously confirmed to support. Now, Warmduscher, Charlotte Adigéry, Rozzi, Stacey Ryan, Faux Real and Love Sick have been confirmed as additional supports alongside AURORA and Mvula.Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon said: “It’s an extraordinary line-up – it so happens that I’ve featured five of the acts on my radio show, WHOOOSH! – looks like I’ll be spending the entire day dipped in music.”Bassist John Taylor added: “We are incredibly excited for Hyde Park with so many sensational guests like Aurora and Warmduscher, and our old friends Nile Rodgers & CHIC.

During the 2020 awards season, everyone and their mother thought Jennifer Lopez was an Oscars lock for her performance in Hustlers — and J.Lo was apparently no exception!

A look inside J. Lo’s world. Jennifer Lopez brought cameras along as she prepared to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, but viewers learned more than just how she and Shakira planned their sets.

Emily Longeretta Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” started with a man at the center.Season 1 began with Steve Carell’s Mitch Kessler getting fired from a popular morning talk show following complaints of sexual harassment. However, instead of focusing on Mitch, creator Kerry Ehrin leaned in on those whom his actions impacted: The women steering the ship.Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Karen Pittman led that journey in Season 1, which earned eight Emmy nominations, while Greta Lee and Julianna Margulies joined the second season.Season 2 of the drama continued tracking the fallout of Mitch’s firing, while tackling the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Selome Hailu Jordana Hochman has been promoted to executive vice president and head of programming at ITV America.Hochman was named executive vice president and head of East Coast programming in 2019, and will now expand her oversight to include productions on both coasts. In her time at ITV America, she has amassed credited including Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” A&E’s “The First 48” and upcoming documentary “Exposing Parchman,” Oxygen’s “New York Homicide,” OWN’s “Marry Me Now” and Disney+’s “Becoming.” She is also working on upcoming projects for Netflix, Hulu and Starz.Hochman joined ITV America in 2013, first serving as vice president of programming at Leftfield Pictures.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticFor reviewers, it’s become a cliché when writing about a soft-pedaled, fan-service pop-star documentary to refer to it as an infomercial. The cliché isn’t always wrong.