Voltage Pictures Taps CAA Executive Darcy Donelan as VP, Development and Production

Every year around this time – Saturday Night Live’s finale is May 21 – the rumor mill starts as to how the venerable comedy variety series will look next year.

One of the SNL Weekend Update anchors, Michael Che, went viral a few months ago when he told a comedy show audience he planned to leave the variety show this year.

Zack Sharf Michael Che frequently jokes about leaving “Saturday Night Live,” where he has served as co-anchor of “Weekend Update” for the last eight years and counting (the second-longest stint in the show’s history, after co-anchor Colin Jost). Che went viral in March when he mentioned “SNL” at a surprise comedy set in Minneapolis and said, “This is my last year.” The press took Che’s statement as a matter of fact, so he took to Instagram to clarify that he was joking, “To comedy fans; please stop telling reporters everything you hear at a comedy show.

John Cho is joining the cast of “The Afterparty” Season 2 at Apple TV+.The actor will star as a character named Ulysses for the second season of the murder mystery comedy series from Chris Miller and Phil Lord, which will take place at a wedding. Further details about his character were not revealed.As with Season 1, the upcoming second installment of “The Afterparty” will explore the circumstances of a suspicious murder.

EXCLUSIVE: John Cho rounds out the Season 2 ensemble cast of Apple TV+’s hit murder mystery comedy series The Afterparty, from Oscar winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

EXCLUSIVE: Wolfe Releasing has acquired North American rights to the Italian LGBTQIA+ dramedy Blessed Boys (La Santa Piccola) from Minerva Pictures, ahead of its North American premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Festival on June 11th, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital this fall.

The Kardashians invade the Met Gala! Is this a sign that it may be over???? Will Cardi B‘s latest meltdown send her into retirement? There seems to be a clear winner in the Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard case. Did Jason Sudeikis purposely intend to embarrass his ex, Olivia Wilde? Margaret Cho joins Perez for a chat. And MORE! Watch!

While many of us are still trying to figure out what John Krasinski‘s next directorial effort will be after he tackles “IF“, he’s producing a rather interesting feature film with “King of Oil.” The pic will explore the story of the international commodities trader and founder of Glencore, Marc Rich. Rich was indicted in the U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller, who created the CBS series The Equalizer based on the 1980s show, are stepping down as showrunners of the hit drama starring and executive produced by Queen Latifah after two seasons. Joseph C. Wilson, who has been on the show since the first season, and Adam Glass (The Chi) have been named new showrunners for Season 3.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Hollander will no longer be an executive producer on the CBS comedy series “How We Roll,” Variety has confirmed with sources.The news comes shortly after it was reported that Hollander had been let go from his role as showrunner on the upcoming Showtime series “American Gigolo” following a misconduct investigation.Production has already wrapped on Season 1 of “How We Roll” and the show is awaiting word on a second season pick up. Should it return, Hollander will no longer be credited as an executive producer.Reps for CBS and CBS Studios declined to comment.Hollander had a longstanding relationship with Showtime, as he previously worked as showrunner and executive producer on the hit Showtime series “Ray Donovan.” That show ran for seven seasons and recently concluded with a feature length finale.

Darcy Donelan, who started her career at Voltage Pictures, today returns to the company as Vice President, Development & Production.

Manori Ravindran International EditorFremantle has struck a strategic development deal with AWA Studios, the film and television division of AWA (Artists, Writers & Artisans).The deal will allow Fremantle and AWA Studios to collaborate and co-develop a slate of TV projects based on AWA’s expanding IP library. The graphic fiction publisher and entertainment studio was founded in 2018 by Marvel alumni Bill Jemas and Axel Alonso, and Jon Miller.Under the pact, the two companies will collaborate closely on “all aspects” of the partnership, with Fremantle leading on raising production finance and funding the development of projects.

EXCLUSIVE: Former Endemol Shine Australia co-founder Carl Fennessy and ex-Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks have set up a major new Sydney-based production company and have scored backing from Endeavor Content.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorColin Decker, who just officially became CEO of Sony’s Crunchyroll — after merging Funimation’s anime streaming catalogs into a single offering — is leaving the company.Decker is exiting the post after more than three years at Sony, originally joining the conglomerate with its 2019 purchase of Funimation. Sony bought Crunchyroll for $1.18 billion in cash from AT&T, and Decker was appointed head of the consolidated anime/manga entertainment group.

Addie Morfoot ContributorThis Machine, the production company founded by veteran documentary director and producer R.J. Cutler, has bolstered its development and production team with four new hires.Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.Cutler has named Sally Rosen Phillips as vice president, creative; Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as director, creative; Jim Czarnecki, senior vice president, production, and Ian Egos, vice president.

“I see nothing happening on a major scale to try to get the older audiences back to theaters,” griped Sony Pictures Classics’ co-president Tom Bernard.

K.J. Yossman Alexandra Cocean has been appointed EVP international sales and distribution at Voltage Pictures.As part of the move, Cocean will join the company’s international sales exec team, reporting to Voltage Pictures’ president and COO Jonathan Deckter.Cocean moves back in-house after acting as international sales consultant for Blue Fox Entertainment, Myriad Pictures and Solstice Studios.

Artists like Central Cee, Wolf Alice, KSI and Wet Leg are at the forefront of an indie music surge, with independent labels' share of the UK music market having grown to just under 27% in 2021.