Walt Disney Sets Global Marketing Chief Jill Estorino To Run International Parks; Previous Chief Heads To Outer Space

SACS school in Cape Town (Pic: Facebook)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A transgender woman who spent nearly eight months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody won asylum in the U.S. last August because of the persecution she suffered in her native Cuba.

STX Entertainment and Indian movie major Eros International have closed their stock-for-stock merger, forming film and TV company Eros STX Global Corp., which looks to play in Hollywood, Bollywood and China. The combined company "creates a financially robust global studio leader across three continents with strategic content and distribution partnerships for an unprecedented global footprint," Eros said in a statement on Thursday, as it announced completion of the deal.

Antonia Blyth Deputy Editor, AwardsLineWhen Apple TV+ hit The Morning Show had its Season 2 production stopped by COVID-19, no one rested on their laurels.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorAdvertising spending is due to decline 9.1% in 2020 due to COVID-19, according to a new forecast by media agency Zenith.That would be a slightly less severe downturn than the 9.5% drop experienced during the 2009 global recession, the company noted.

Manori Ravindran International EditorITV Studios executive Bea Hegedus is joining Vice Media Group as senior VP and global head of distribution.The newly created role comes as Vice looks to maximize its IP internationally, and build new U.S. and international partnerships.

Kirk Franklin and pop singer Tori Kelly, For King & Country's recent track "Together" was all about unity in the face of adversity.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorMike Francesa, a pioneering figure in sports talk radio and host for 30-plus years on WFAN, said Friday will be his last regularly scheduled broadcast on the New York station.Francesa, who made his acting debut as Adam Sandler’s bookie in Uncut Gems, plans to continue making occasional appearances on the station but will discontinue “Mike’s On.”Although he has been a solo host for more that a decade, Francesa is best remembered by listeners for his longtime teaming with

Peter White Television EditorArmando Bó, the Oscar-winning co-writer of Birdman, has unveiled his first television slate since launching his own production company, About Entertainment, earlier this year.The writer and filmmaker is developing two series based on well-known Argentinian stories.About Entertainment has acquired the rights to Las Malas, the 2019 autobiographic novel by Camila Sosa Villada, and is developing Cromanon, based on true events of the tragedy that took place at the venue

Tom Morello, Michael McDonald and Ozomatli are among 60 acts that will join together for a free two-night concert to honor Cuba’s doctors.The Concert for Cuba is a two-night, six-hour streaming festival set for this weekend (July 18-19). It will rally to garner a Nobel Prize for the international efforts of Cuban medical professionals during the pandemic and advocate for the end of the U.S.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Wasting no time as cinemas prepare to reopen beginning next week in most of China, a first batch of titles due for release has been identified. Universal’s Dolittle has been granted a July 24 date while we understand that Sony’s Bloodshot, handled locally by Bona Film, will also go out that same day.

When Cuba Gooding Jr. returns to court next month for a hearing in his New York City sexual misconduct case, he’ll find the room outfitted with Plexiglas and other measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that has indefinitely delayed his trial, a judge said Thursday.

“Mouth Feelings” co-host Julia Meltzer, the series centers on a woman who agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend Paul and his husband, whom she hates. Burrell will serve as an executive producer on the project, alongside the three other “Mouth Feelings” hosts, Mel Cowan, Jonny Meeks and Joel Spence.Also Read: Ty Burrell Joins Amy Poehler's Animated Comedy 'Duncanville'The new deal comes after Burrell wrapped an 11-season run on ABC and 20th’s “Modern Family” earlier this year.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered an action-thriller series from Mark Boal straight to series, Variety has learned.The 10-episode series is titled “Echo 3,” based on the Israeli series “When Heroes Fly” created by Omri Givon and based on the novel of the same name by Amir Gutfreund.In the series, Amber Chesborough, a brilliant young scientist, is the emotional center of a small American family.

Netflix has acquired the international distribution rights for the latest “SpongeBob” film, insiders familiar with the deal told Variety.The streaming giant picked up the foreign rights for the twice-delayed Paramount Animation title from Viacom. The film is one of many theatrical releases thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic this year.The deal excludes China, where Netflix has no presence, one source said.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: As the international box office slowly limps back to life, the tendency for audiences to lean into fresh and local titles continues. France, for example, saw a 23% increase in ticket sales across the Top 10 over the most recent weekend, led by Gaumont’s new local comedy Tout Simplement Noir and followed by Warner Bros’ Scoob!, also a new entry, which did $900K in the Hexagon – and $1.8M total in five markets.

Amanda N'Duka pmc-editorial-manager1091 has secured worldwide rights Inez & Doug & Kira, the directorial debut feature from Julia Kots. Starring Michael Chernus (Spiderman: Homecoming, Orange is the New Black), Tawny Cypress (Blacklist Redemption, Billions), and Talia Thiesfield (Succession, Kevin Can Wait), the film will be released across all digital platforms this fall.

The “Fast & Furious” franchise has been to Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, but the next film could be out of this world, literally.

Julia Sawalha has said she is “devastated and furious” as she claimed she has been axed from the upcoming Chicken Run sequel because her voice sounds “too old”.