Amazon Leads $20 Million Round in Superplastic, Amazon Studios Developing Show Around Janky & Guggimon Characters

Amazon Studios has ordered “Twin Love,” a new reality dating competition show from ITV Entertainment, to series. Premiering this summer on Prime Video and the free, ad-supported Freevee, the show will be hosted by WWE Hall of Famers and TV personalities Brie and Nikki Bella.Billed as a “social dating experiment,” “Twin Love” explores the love lives of identical twins.

K.J. Yossman The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) has announced a host of new appointments, including seven trustees. The new trustees include Miranda Wayland, head of U.K. and Europe creative EDI for Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Labour politician and member of the House of Lords Judith Blake, Oxford University Shakespeare professor Judith Buchanan, Coutts media finance exec Judith Chan, PZ Cussons finance exec Helen Selwood, former CFO Shona Spence and business consultant Caroline Spicer. They join current RADA Council members Lolita Chakrabarti, Chipo Chung, Tim Clark, Paul Clay, Martin Donnelly, Buster Dover, Tanya Moodie, Maxine Peake, John Romeo, Tanya Rose, Tamar Thomas and chair Marcus Ryder.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media is launching a podcast featuring one-on-one conversations between the production company’s execs and key creative partners — with Coogler sitting down with longtime partner Michael B. Jordan for the first episode. The “In Proximity” podcast promises listeners a deep dive into the creative process of making movies, TV, music and podcasts, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Proximity’s projects and future titles. The show premieres with Coogler and Jordan’s episode on Sunday, March 12, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms as well as proximitymedia.com, with new episodes to be released weekly.

Jared Leto is stepping out during Paris Fashion Week.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Neal Mohan posted his first open letter to creators as YouTube’s new boss, coming after CEO Susan Wojcicki stepped down last month. Mohan, previously the video platform’s chief product officer, detailed new features and tools coming in 2023 and beyond. “Creators and artists are the heart of YouTube, and I’ll continue to put them first,” Mohan, whose new title is SVP, head of YouTube, wrote in the letter, continuing the tradition of Wojcicki’s regular updates to creators. “In today’s challenging macroeconomic climate, we’re offering opportunities to grow a business on our platform.” Wojcicki exited as CEO after nine years at the helm but will continue in a role as an adviser to Google and Alphabet. According to Mohan’s letter, he first visited YouTube’s offices 15 years ago when it was located above a pizza parlor: “In its earliest start-up days, I saw YouTube’s potential. Now, I’m incredibly excited to lead it into the future.”

The stars are stepping out for the Saint Laurent Fashion Show!

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer After months of speculation, Amazon Studios has made it official with seasoned movie executive Courtenay Valenti. While many expected her to take the top film job at MGM, acquired by Amazon for $8.5 billion last year, Valenti has hammered out a hulked-up role that will give her considerable influence in feature programming. Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke told staff on Tuesday that Valenti has been named head of film, streaming and theatrical at both Amazon Studios and MGM. She will report directly to Salke, and be responsible for delivering “a well-rounded selection of tentpoles, prestige films and genre fare,” according to a memo.

Amazon Studios Boss Jen Salke has finally named former Warner Bros President of Production Courtenay Valenti as Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical for Amazon Studios and MGM. She will report directly to Salke.

If you dig down into it, it’s pretty complicated to discuss the rights situation surrounding “The Lord of the Rings” IP. Warner Bros.

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke feels about Warner Bros. making competing projects based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Salke, who has held the top content job at Amazon since 2018, walked a Monday red carpet for the premiere of Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” where she spoke with Variety about last week’s news that Warner Bros. had secured film rights to some of Tolkien’s books. One of Salke’s defining moves at Amazon was to secure television rights to the same literary works, which she achieved at great expense. The first season of Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” premiered in 2022 with a big global marketing push and critical acclaim — as well as a reported budget north of $450 million for the first batch of episodes. Previously, Warner Bros. pushed out two massively successful film franchises with auteur Peter Jackson beginning in 2001. Those films grossed over $5 billion at the worldwide box office and brought home a best picture Oscar for one of the entries.

Gigi Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio were spotted at the same restaurant in Milan earlier this week. Does that mean they are together?

Gigi Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio may have spent some time together in Italy, but by no means does that mean they’re involved romantically, a source tells ET.

Next-level pregnancy fashion. Much like her first time expecting, Rihanna is making maternity wear fierce and fabulous.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Scott Adams’ long-running “Dilbert” comic strip has been pulled by multiple newspapers after the cartoonist called Black Americans a “hate group” and urged white people to “get the fuck away” from Black people in a YouTube video. On Friday, in response to Adams’ comments, Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer announced that “Dilbert” will no longer be published in the newspaper because of Adams’ “racist rant.” In the letter, Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com VP of content Chris Quinn wrote that other papers in owned by parent company Advance Local, also independently made the same decision to stop running the strip. That includes Advance Local newspapers in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Alabama, Massachusetts and Oregon.

Emiliano Granada “The Head of Joaquín Murrieta” bowed Feb. 17, guns blazing worldwide on Prime Video, weighing in as one of the biggest bets ever from Amazon Studios in Latin America and Amazon Prime and Colombian production powerhouse Dynamo. Its success can open the door for other big swings in Latin America.  Created by Colombia’s Mauricio Leiva Cock (“Capital Roar,” “Green Frontier”) at Fidelio, one of the fastest rising writing-directing talents in Colombia, and Diego Ramírez Schrempp (“Narcos,” “Falco”) at Dynamo, which handled physical production of “Narcos” in Colombia, the ambitious Latin Western, fully locally developed, describes how Joaquin Murrieta, played by a mischievous Juan Manuel Bernal, became a legend.  

Katie Maloney is not pleased with her co-stars.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision saw a 22% jump in pro-forma revenue for the fourth quarter in 2022, boosted by its 2022 FIFA World Cup coverage and midterm political ad spending. The company also for the first time reported audience figures for its ViX streaming service, touting more than 25 million monthly active users on the free, ad-supported tier. (It didn’t release numbers for the ViX+ subscription tier.) According to TelevisaUnivision, that makes ViX the world’s largest Spanish-language streamer. TelevisaUnivision, which was formed through the January 2022 merger of Televisa and Univision Communications, reported a net loss of $1.6 billion for Q4. That included a $1.7 billion non-cash impairment charge, primarily on its goodwill, which it said was “driven by the impact of general market conditions, including comparable market valuations and the rising interest rate environment.” The company’s impairment loss in 2022 related to the write-down of goodwill, TV broadcast licenses, tradenames and program rights.

Angelique Jackson Amazon Studios has picked up the rights to “Daring to Live,” produced by DeVon Franklin’s (“Breakthrough”) Franklin Entertainment. Previously set up at Paramount Players, the project is now in development at Amazon Studios. The film is inspired by Sheri Hunter’s 2020 memoir “Daring to Live: How the Power of Sisterhood and Taking Risks Can Jump-Start Your Joy.” It follows Hunter’s journey of “embracing life anew” after the sudden loss of her husband, thanks to the support of her group of friends — Angenette Frink, Mia Lewis and Brenda Jegede, collectively known as the “Dare Divas” — who encourage her to step outside her comfort zone.

Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules is shaping up to be messy — on and off screen. Katie Maloney is firing back at Scheana Shay’s claims that she was in support of her ex-husband, Tom Schwartz, hooking up with their costar Raquel Leviss.

Angelique Jackson Following their collaboration on “I Want You Back,” Amazon Studios is re-teaming with filmmakers Jason Orley and Isaac Aptaker on a yet-to-be-titled comedy. Orley will direct the new project from a script by Aptaker, based on a story they wrote. While plot details are being kept under wraps for the film, Amazon Studios landed the project in a preemptive deal based on the success of “I Want You Back,” from Orley, Aptaker and producer Elizabeth Berger. Aptaker and Berger will produce the new film via their The Walk-Up Company production banner, with the company’s head of development Adam Londy executive producing alongside Orley.