WME Signs ‘I Care A Lot’ Writer/Director J Blakeson

EXCLUSIVE: Julian Higgins, the writer, director and producer behind the Sundance breakout God’s Country, has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation.

The trio of stars who brought us Forrest Gump are teaming up again for the first time since winning Oscars for their classic film.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-director Andrew Semans (Resurrection, Nancy, Please) has signed with WME for representation.

Zack Sharf “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett” creator Jon Favreau delivered the ultimate “Star Wars” gift to fans in Jan. 2020 by posting a photo of Baby Yoda (or Grogu as he’s officially named) with franchise creator George Lucas on set.

EXCLUSIVE: Saban Films is continuing to expand its international footprint, having recently inked a deal with distribution partners in Switzerland and Benelux. The L.A.-based company has signed with WW Entertainment in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) and Ascot Elite in Switzerland, which it will add to deals it already has in place in the UK and Ireland (Altitude), Germany and Austria (Splendid), France (ACE Entertainment), Spain (Key2Media), Scandinavia (Mis.Label) and Australia and New Zealand (Defiant Screen Entertainment).

EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Jessica Kingdon, who recently earned her first Oscar nomination for Ascension, has signed with Anonymous Content for management.

Jamie Lang Belgium’s Panenka, producers of recent VRT breakout hit “Two Summers” – which premiered last week to a jaw-dropping 51% market share in its prime-time slot and which will soon be released worldwide by Netflix – will virtually pitch one of their upcoming projects, “This is Not a Murder Mystery,” at Berlin Co-Pro Series.One of 10 such projects set for this event, Co-Pro Series marks the first public pitch for “TINAMM,” with the creative team looking to the right co-production and distribution partner to help realize their murder mystery series. Panenka producer Kristoffel Mertens hosts the virtual Co-Pro pitch with co-creators Paul Baeten and Christophe Dirickx.Baeten is a novelist, essayist and TV screenwriter, whose credits include two seasons of the acclaimed drama series “Over Water” and the aforementioned “Two Summers.” Dirickx has written and produced several feature films, including Cannes players “The Misfortunates” from director Felix van Groeningen and Frank Van Passel’s “Manneken Pis.” International Emmy-nominee Hans Herbots (“The Spiral”) and Matthias Lebeer, a winner of two Golden Lions at Cannes for his work on GT Academy Europe, will direct.

Sarky Mouradian, an Armenian writer-director who also hosted a U.S. TV series in which he interviewed celebrity countrymen, has died. He was 90.

ABC has ordered a drama pilot about a group of therapists in Philadelphia from This Is Us writer/director Kay Oyegun.

Osaze Urhoghide had a tough debut at his new Belgian club as the young Celtic defender was substituted at the break for KV Oostende.

EXCLUSIVE: Tom Welling (Smallville, Lucifer) has signed on to star in Deep Six, an action-thriller from writer-director Scott Windhauser (Death in Texas).

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Academy Award-nominated and Primetime Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy (Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, Last Days in Vietnam) for worldwide representation in all areas.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatalie Abrams has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. She continues to be repped by attorney Patti Felker at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.Abrams most recently landed a pilot order at The CW for the DC series “Gotham Knights.” She serves as a writer on the pilot alongside Chad Fiveash and James Stoteraux, with Greg Berlanti executive producing.Abrams is no stranger to the DC universe on The CW, having worked as a writer on “Batwoman” as well as “Supergirl.” She has also written for fellow CW show “All American.” She also write a Batwoman tie-in comic book for DC Comics, which is due to be released this spring.Prior to getting into writing for television, Abrams worked as an entertainment journalist.

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Schwartzman, the award-winning actor, writer, director, producer and musician who will next be seen as the lead in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City opposite Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Tom Hanks, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie and many more, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.

EXCLUSIVE: BAFTA winning writer-director Sarah Smith (Ron’s Gone Wrong, Arthur Christmas) has signed with Verve for representation in all areas.

Katie Price has been seen with full head bandage after undergoing an eye and brow lift.The 42 year old was seen with the bandage and bruising under her eyes as she left her rented home in Surrey holding two of her dogs on Wednesday afternoon. Mum of five Katie has always been open about the surgeries she’s undergone, including multiple boob jobs, liposuction and a Brazilian bum lift. She also shocked fans last year when flying to Turkey for multiple procedures, afterwards explaining that she was scared she’d “die” on the operating table.

Alissa Simon Film CriticHelsinki-based helmer-writer Aino Suni makes her feature debut with “Heartbeast,” a queer love story with a dark twist about a Finnish teen whose mother moves her to France. It world premieres in Nordic competition at this year’s Göteborg Festival.What inspired the story?Suni: The documentary “Never Again” I made about Finnish rapper Mercedes Bentso definitely gave me a lot of inspiration. Mercedes Bentso, one of my closest friends today, uses rap as a way to express even the darkest emotions, fears, wants and the most forbidden fantasies, as does Elina, the protagonist of “Heartbeast.”It’s personally important for me to tell stories about queer people.

Hibs have announced the signing of rising Standard Liege star Allan Delferrière until 2024 with an option to extend for a further season.

Belgium’s Oscar-shortlisted International Feature is an intimate child’s-eye view of bullying from debut writer-director Laura Wandel. Playground is known as Un Monde in its native French language, and this is set in a world of its own: the school that two siblings must navigate to get through the day.