Film
Castings to development deals
In a highly competitive situation, DreamWorks Animation nabbed an animated feature fromDave Burd.
Dave Burd, theDave star known by the stage name Lil Dicky, is in talks to sell an original animated feature pitch to DreamWorks Animation.→
Scarlett Johansson will star in Mike Flanagan’s “fresh, bold” take onThe Exorcist from Blumhouse and Universal.→
Neal H. Moritz is in negotiations to take on the job of re-starting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a live-action film franchise for Paramount.Toby Ascher, who works with Moritz at their Original Films banner, will also act as a producer.→
Glen Powell is heading back to theaters early next year as the lead ofJohn Patton Ford‘s freshly titled A24 feature,How to Make a Killing, alongsideMargaret Qualley and Ed Harris.→
Danielle Deadwyler, Billy Barratt,Alfred Molina,Tim Meadows and Dolly De Leon have joined the cast of A24 dramaThe Chaperones from directorIndia Donaldson.→
Ron Howard‘s Amazon MGM Studios featureAlone at Dawn is adding to its ranks, withJonathan Ajayi,Austin Amelio,Jon BassandRohan Campbell among those joining the cast.→
Leighton Meester andJared Padalecki will star in Netflix holiday rom-comThe Bodyguard, adapted fromKatherine Center’s bestseller novel.→
Sony Pictures has picked up the screen rights to the Chinese doll brandLabubu with the aim of making a movie and, in success, launching a franchise. No producer or filmmaker is attached at this stage.→
Bebe Neuwirth,Danny DeVito,Lamorne Morris,Marin Hinkle,Nick Jonas andRhys Darby are also on the call sheet for Sony’s next Jumanji movie, which began production in Los Angeles with directorJake Kasdan.→
Colin Farrell is teaming with theRusso Bros.’ banner AGBO on action thriller Ordained, which is based on an upcoming comic book from publisher Bad Idea.→
Idris Elba is returning for a newLuther feature from Netflix withRuth Wilson andDermot Crowley joining the cast for a project directed byJamie Payne.→
Amazon MGM landed the movie rights to The Last Letter, a romantic drama novel by author Rebecca Yarros. JournalistAnna Klassen is in final talks to write the adaptation.→
Sabrina Carpenter is set to star in and produce an untitled movie musical based onLewis Carroll’sAlice in Wonderland for Universal Pictures.Lorene Scafaria will pen and helm the feature withMarc Platt producing.→
Ryan Reynolds and Amazon MGM have teamed up to develop a remake ofThunderbolt & Lightfoot, a 1974 action comedy that starredClint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges.→
Phil Johnston is penning a screenplay for a feature based on Mattel’s View-Master 3D image toy for Mattel Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Escape Artists.→
Universal has landedBaby Monster, a spec from writerAlexis Jolly. Studio 8’sJeff Robinov is set to produce the project.→
Meryl StreepandSigourney Weaver are set to star inUseful Idiots, directorJoseph Cedar’s thriller for Fifth Season, Closer Media and Black Bear.→
Brendan Fraser andRachel Weisz are in talks to reprise their roles and star in a new Mummy sequel from Universal. Radio Silence, akaMatt Bettinelli-Olpin andTyler Gillett, is set to direct.→
TV
Pilot orders to video podcasts
Despite (or maybe in part because of?) scathing reviews,All’s Fair had a strong launch on Hulu, recording 3.2 million views in three days.
Hulu has picked upRyan Murphy‘sAll’s Fair for a second season, with the renewal coming three weeks after its premiere.→
FX has ordered a Far Cryseries based on the video game franchise from executive producers and FX stalwartsNoah HawleyandRob Mac.→
Prime Video’sMr. and Mrs. Smith, Fox’sBaywatch and Netflix’s The Night Agent will relocate production to California after being tapped to receive subsidies to shoot in the state.→
Prime Video has ordered aStargate series from Amazon MGM Studios and creator and showrunnerMartin Gero.→
HBO ordered a fourth season forGeorge R.R. Martin‘sHouse of the Dragon and second season ofA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It also renewedMark RuffalostarrerTask,The Chair Company, co-created byTim Robinson andZach Kanin, andI Love LA, fromRachel Sennott.→
Former HBO Films executiveMaria Zuckermanhas signed a multiyear, first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios that covers both TV and film projects.→
Leslie Bibb has set her first project since checking into The White Lotus: a starring role in six-part Cold War crime series Top of the Rock.→
Crave’sJacob Tierney-created adaptation ofRachel Reid’s gay hockey romance novel,Heated Rivalry, has sold to HBO Max in the U.S.→
Netflix has formally greenlit The Boys From Brazil, a limited series based onIra Levin’s 1976 novel, starring Jeremy Strong. Filming is set to begin in December in the U.K., Bulgaria and Spain.→
Netflix confirmedKaren Rodriguez,Hunter Emery andBranton Box will return toThe Hunting Wives season two as production on the season gets underway.→
Neve Campbell, Ambika Mod,Babou Ceesay, Sam Riley,Sylvia Hoeks,Goran Kostic andSamuel Barnett have joined Netflix’sBlack Doves season two.→
HBO’sDune: Prophecy has started production on a second season in Hungary, Jordan and Spain, bumped its episode count from 6 to 8 and addedIndira Varma,Ashley Walters andTom Hollander to the cast. →
Netflix picked up a sequel series to A Different World, starringMaleah Joi Moon andDwayne Wayne.Felicia Pride is the showrunner.→
Tomorrow Studios, an ITV Studios partner, picked upDon’t Let the Devil Ride by authorAce Atkins, with showrunnerCheo Hodari Cokeradapting for television.
Hulu has renewed Reasonable Doubt, its legal drama from Onyx Collective, 20th TV and creatorRaamla Mohamed, for a fourth season. The pickup comes a week before the season three finale on Nov. 13.
Erin Foster’s rom-com seriesNobody Wants This, starringAdam Brody andKristen Bell, was picked up by Netflix for season three.→
Cobra Kai starXolo Maridueña has signed on to the third season of Netflix’sOne Piece, which is set to go back into production later this year in Cape Town, South Africa.→
FX has ordered an untitledSnowfallspinoff for Hulu fromMalcolm Spellman andDave Andron,Thomas Schlamme,Julie DeJoie,Michael London andTrevor Engelson.→
Jon Stewart has re-upped his Paramount deal to executive produce The Daily Show and host it on a part-time basis.→
The Spy creatorGideon Raff will showrun and exec produce Apple TV’s eight-episode thriller seriesSafe Houses, an adaptation of the espionage novel byDan Fesperman.
Top true crime podcasterAshley Flowers and her Audiochuck podcast network are exiting SiriusXM and planting roots at Fox’s Tubi.→
FX has ordered a second season ofAdults, from creatorsBen Kronengold andRebecca Shaw. The renewal arrives five months after the show’s first season released all at once on Hulu.→
Taraji P. Hensonand her banner TPH Entertainment inked a multiyear first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios. Henson will look to develop both scripted and unscripted programming.
Netflix has won a bidding war forRabbit, Rabbit, a drama series starringAdam Driver that will follow a tense hostage standoff. The series, which comes from creatorPeter Craig and indie studio MRC, hasPhilip Barantini ofAdolescence set to direct.→
Betsy Brandt is joining the coven ofAnne Rice’sMayfair Witches as the third season of the series starringAlexandra Daddario begins production in Vancouver, Canada.→
The Report
Erin Doherty, Winston Duke
Rep Sheet
Who’s signing where?
Adolescence actressErin Dohertysigned with CAA, which also inked WWE starBianca Belair and Steve actorJay Lycurgo.Jurassic World: Rebirth actorDavid Iaconosigned at UTA. Music producerGryffinhas left Wasserman for WME, which also inkedBlack PantherstarWinston Duke, directorCharlie Schwan,Deadly Class writerRick Remender,The PittactressKatherine LaNasa,Bloodaxe actorXavier Molyneux,Dance Parents writerMeghan Malloy and directorCharlie Schwan.Hello Kittymovie directorLeo Matsuda andWicked: For GoodactorEthan Slater signed with Verve.HacksactressAlly Makisigned with Paradigm.Don Johnson signed with Gersh. Earlier this month, singer-actressRita Ora has signed with UTA, as has comedianDonnell Rawlings andKPop Demon Hunters breakoutKevin Woo. Queen of the FallsdirectorsRania Attieh andDaniel Garcia inked with Gersh, as did actressCamila Perez. ActressAriana Greenblatt,beauty vloggerNabela Noor,Determined Society podcast hostShawn French, Olympic starJordan Chiles andDept Q co-creatorChandni Lakhani landed at CAA. FellowDemon Hunters voice star EJAE inked with WME as has Dickinson creatorAlena Smith … InfluencerLivvy Dunne signed with Wasserman.
The Big Cheese
What agency insiders are talking about this week
Reported Signing Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium
AGENCYUTA ORIGINITALY
Hollywood is about to get a bit more cheesy. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has revealed that United Talent Agency has signed the governing body for “the king of cheeses” to get the supermarket staple placement in films, TV shows and streaming projects. UTA, however, declined to comment on the record. Brand deals have become big consistent business for the agencies. As arguably the most famous cheese on planet Earth, ubiquitous in grocery stories, restaurants and home kitchens around the globe, Parmigiano Reggiano may find placement it’s looking for. But it’s still an unusual signing for the majors outside of what the Big Three typically tout publicly. —Alex Weprin
Release Dates
power dining
Unidos
11830 Ventura Blvd.
Unidos is a tapas restaurant pulling in culinary strands found from Madrid to Marbella, Barcelona to the Basque region — all through a Californian lens. In practice, this means a pan con tomate on L.A.-style artisanal sourdough bread, a Cobb salad featuring crispy jamon serrano, and a squid-ink paella with lobster. The low-lit, snug space is tiny, intentionally so, in keeping with the small-scale bars across Spain, where pintxos are meant to be eaten in boisterous, crowded rooms among neighbors. “My wife and I live here in Studio City,” ownerChe Peña explains. “I wanted something for locals.”—Gary Baum
Revolving Door
C-suite hirings, firings and key moves
“We are delighted thatBarry [Poznick] will maintain his relationship with Amazon through a producer deal,” said Amazon MGM’sPeter Friedlander.
Barry Poznick, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of unscripted programming, is exiting his role. He’ll transition to general manager of unscripted TV under a new three-year deal.→
Former Fox and HBO Max executiveKevin Reilly will be taking the wheel as CEO of Kartel, a Beverly Hills-based AI firm.→
New York Post veteran Ian Mohr is headed to Los Angeles to launch Page Six Hollywood for the California Post, which will be based on the Fox lot.→
Filmmaker magazine, the publication produced by The Gotham Film & Media Institute, is set to be rebooted and reimagined under the editorial direction ofVanity FairvetMike Hogan.→
CAA has promoted six trainees to agent or executive roles, includingJosie Abrahams(Talent Business Ventures dept.),Stefano Priante (Baseball),Will Purslow (Property Sales),Sydney Shiffman (Books),Serena Silver (Agent), andMorgan Southwick (Strategic Development).
Buchwald has hired former Verve agentMax Nagler as vp of branding and digital, overseeing strategic partnerships across platforms.
Kevin Reilly, a former Fox and HBO Max executive. will be taking the wheel as CEO of Kartel, a Beverly Hills-based AI firm.→
Nielsen has tapped former Netflix execPeter Naylor as its first chief client officer, charged with working with advertisers and publishers.→
Sudhir Reddy has been named the new president of VFX giant Digital Domain.→
Cirque du Soleil has named live entertainment veteranMark Cornell as its new president and CEO.→
Jennifer Dodge has been named the president of Paramount Animation, following the exit of former president Ramsey Naito.→
Veteran digital media exec David Freemanis set to leave CAA at the end of the year to launch his own banner, Kynetic Media Ventures, in mid-2026.→
Courtney L. CunniffandBronte Payne have been named the co-heads of film at LuckyChap.→
The Writers Guild of America has revealed who will be leading the group into battle with studios and streamers during its first negotiations since its 2023 strike:Ellen Stutzman,John August andDanielle Sanchez-Witzel.→
Billionaire mogulJohn Malone revealed that he is stepping down as chairman of his holding companies Liberty Media and Liberty Global on Jan. 1.→
Julie Van Ullen has joined TV ad measurement firm iSpot as president and chief revenue officer.
Amanda Krusehas joined Blumhouse Games as vp of business development, arriving from Big Fan Games, where she served as head of business development.
Campbell Brown,the former head of global media partnerships for Meta, has raised $3 million in seed funding for a new company called Forum AI.→
Suzanne De Passe,Madison Jones andCorey Martin are launching the full-service studio banner Immortal Studio.→
Lilah Kojoori, vp communications at Nickelodeon and Paramount+ Kids & Family, is exiting her role after 20 years at the company.→
CASE:Fear the Walking Dead creatorDave Erickson vs. AMC
WHY IT MATTERS: AMC has been sued over its handling of profit payouts forFear the Walking Deadby creator Erickson, who accuses the network of breach of contract for shortchanging him backend payments. The lawsuit, filed on Nov. 19 in California state court, challenges the structure through which Erickson’s profits for the series is calculated, alleging he’s not on equal footing as other participants. His latest statement shows a $185 million deficit, essentially making it impossible for him to break even, according to the complaint. The case opens a new chapter in labyrinthine litigation involvingThe Walking Deadthat’s put a spotlight on AMC’s accounting practices, dealings with talent and conflicts of interest that arise with vertical integration when the producer of a TV show also distributes it via an affiliated entity that pays a license fee. Erickson seeks a court order modifying his backend payment formula, plus unspecified damages. —Winston Cho
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What Matters In Hollywood
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