WarnerMedia ‘Pausing All New Business’ in Russia, Jason Kilar Reveals in Memo

Jason Momoa is making a statement at the 2022 Oscars. The 42-year-old actor posed for pictures solo on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, looking stylish and giving a subtle nod to his support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.The  star wore his long hair in a French braid with a black scrunchie on his wrist. He sported a black tuxedo with a blue-and-yellow pocket square. The square represented the colors of the Ukrainian flagMomoa is a presenter during this year's ceremony, as is his stepdaughter, Zoë Kravitz.ET spoke with Momoa earlier this month at premiere in New York City, which he attended with his two kids, 14-year-old daughter Lola and 13-year-old son Nakoa-Wolf.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSharon Horgan’s new Apple series has set its main cast.The series, now titled “Bad Sisters,” will star Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson as the Garvey sisters. Claes Bang, Brian Gleeson, Daryl McCormack, Assaad Bouab, and Saise Quinn also star.The series follows the lives of the Garvey sisters bound together by the premature death of their parents and a promise to always protect one another. The show was originally ordered at Apple back in September with a 10-episode order.

EXCLUSIVE: WarnerMedia Access has announced a new Showrunner Program, naming Angela Harvey, Shannon Houston, Naomi Iizuka, Sabrina Jalees, Taofik Kolade, Kevin Lau, Jessica Meyer, Anna Oyuang Moench, Lisa Payton, Janine Salinas Schoenberg, Jameal Turner, Tessa Williams and Jaboukie Young-White as the writer-producers chosen for its inaugural cohort of 13.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine continues and more music companies have ceased doing business with the country, many in the songwriting, music-publishing and especially the performing-rights communities have looked to CISAC, the global confederation of authors societies such as ASCAP and PRS, to make a unilateral decision.However, on Monday, the organization announced that although it “deplores and condemns the war waged by the Russian government against the Ukrainian population,” it will leave such decisions to individual societies, although it continues to develop a relief fund for Ukraine, first announced on Wednesday.“While abhorring the actions of the Russian armed forces, CISAC is not empowered to impose sanctions on member societies based only on the actions of their government,” the statement says in part. “Russian authors, just as their counterparts elsewhere, cannot be blamed for the grotesque actions of their government.” “CISAC’s global network of authors societies deplores and condemns the war waged by the Russian government against the Ukrainian population,” the statement reads.

An unfiltered love story! Jason Tartick was given an ultimatum by his previous employer after Kaitlyn Bristowe shared a candid story about their first hookup — and he’s spilling all the details in his new book, The Restart Roadmap.

Ellise Shafer Two weeks after pausing the theatrical release of “Morbius” in Russia, Sony Pictures has announced that it is also halting all other business in the country following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.This includes home entertainment releases, such as that of box office hit “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and any television distribution deals. Crunchyroll has also suspended its anime streaming service in Russia.Below, read the full memo from chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra:“As we continue to see the devastating news and images coming out of Ukraine, I wanted to reach out with an update on how SPE is reacting to these events.

Sony Pictures is the latest company to pause its business operations in Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. SPE’s Tony Vinciquerra informed staff of the decision in a memo Friday that was obtained by TheWrap, and the pause of business operations includes halting planned home entertainment releases of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and other future TV distribution deals.

A day after Disney announced it was suspending their business in Russia amid the Ukraine invasion, Sony Pictures Entertainment has made it effective that they too, are doing the same. This goes beyond the standard theatrical releases which both studios earlier halted.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter two years of pandemic-induced shutdown and Omicron-postponed reopenings in December and January, Iridium, the downstairs music club in New York’s Times Square known as the “home of Les Paul,” is finishing the second week of its grand reopening, which launched on March 1 with a performance by the Harlem Blues Project, followed by four shows with a fiery jazz-rock band led by guitarist Mike Stern (featuring the great Randy Brecker on cornet), blues guitarist King Solomon Hicks, veteran folksinger Tom Rush and tonight and Saturday, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, and jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, including sets focused on his extensively 1970s work with Steely Dan.The unusually intimate (for New York, anyway) 170-capacity downstairs club, which has updated its cleaning procedures and air-filtration system, returned with a full menu (including entrees like “The Les Paul” burger and the plant-based “Jerry Garcia”) a robust wine list and many (potent) specialty cocktails. The club is also launching Iridium Underground, a new series focused on emerging artists, next week with Brooklyn-based guitarist-producer Mario and the Mood.

A week after Disney paused the Russian theatrical releases in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, Disney said Thursday that is “taking steps to pause all other businesses in Russia” as the fighting intensifies.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterThe Walt Disney Company is taking steps to halt all business in Russia following the country’s “unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” a spokesperson said Thursday.Disney announced last week it would not release new movies in Russia, but now the company is reviewing the rest of its operations there.“Given the unrelenting assault on Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis, we are taking steps to pause all other businesses in Russia. This includes content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear channels,” the Disney spokesperson said.

Disney is now pausing all of its business in Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, calling Vladimir Putin’s actions an “unrelenting assault on Ukraine.” Disney’s pause of business includes any content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear channels. The statement specifies that some business activities can be paused immediately while others will take time “given contractual complexities.” The news follows Disney’s previous plan to pause the theatrical release of its films in Russia, including this week’s “Turning Red” from Pixar.

Discovery and WarnerMedia are ceasing operations in Russia amid the ongoing war with Ukraine, the latest in a string of media and entertainment companies along with retail, tech and other businesses that are pulling out.

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.

Smash Mouth have revealed their new singer via a cover of Rick Astley‘s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ – watch that below.Late last year, the band’s vocalist Steve Harwell announced that he was retiring due to ongoing health issues that he’s been battling for several years.With the new Astley cover, Smash Mouth have revealed that Zach Goode will be their new singer.As Stereogum point out, his previous gigs include roles in bands called Ghoulspoon, Divided by Zero and Secret Seven, and a job fronting a “mock-senior citizen Weezer/Beastie Boys performance art band” called Geezer.Hear his first performance as vocalist of Smash Mouth below.When leaving the band, Harwell told fans: “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honour performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.“To our loyal and amazing fans, thank you, all of this was possible because of you.