Array’s Jeff Tobler Joins Expedia Group As Head of Global Media Relations

The Teen Mom 2 cameras may have stopped filming, but the drama between Kailyn Lowry and ex-husband Javi Marroquin is never-ending.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sundance standout film “Animalia,” by French-Moroccan filmmaker Sofia Alaoui, has been acquired for distribution across the Middle East and North Africa by Egypt’s Film Clinic, the shingle headed by producer Mohammed Hefzy. Film Clinic, a top film and TV production company that branched out into theatrical distribution in 2016, picked up “Animalia” from Paris-based sales company Totem Films. Alaoui’s genre-bending pic is the tale of a pregnant young woman in Morocco whose life is upended by an alien invasion. In her review, Variety review critic Jessica Kiang praised “Animalia” as “a compellingly different cultural and social perspective on a classic sci-fi premise.” “Alaoui, working from her own taut, confidently ambiguous script, also gets to comment on the position of women in Muslim societies and the limits of wealth and organized faith, as well as elegantly outlining the eerie experience that is suddenly finding yourself startlingly alone during a time of shared global panic,” Kiang noted.

EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, shared today five short films directed by Fellows selected to participate in its Global Media Makers (GMM) Fall 2022 LA Residency. GMM is a mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad. 

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video’s Hitchcockian thriller Holland, Michigan continues to round out its cast with the addition of Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lennon Parham (Minx), Isaac Krasner (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) and Jeff Pope (Interview with the Vampire).

Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights from Participant to “A Compassionate Spy,” the new documentary from Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “Life Itself”). The film, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride, is a real-life spy story about Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Magnolia will release the film in theaters later this year. “A Compassionate Spy” is presented by Participant and is a Mitten Media and Kartemquin Films production produced by Mark Mitten p.g.a., Dave Lindorff, and Steve James. Executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Tim Horsburgh and Gordon Quinn.

DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of Eleven Group and social media creative agency Team Whistle.

Lauren Sánchez dedicates a sweet Valentine’s Day post to Jeff Bezos on social media. The journalist, helicopter pilot, and philanthropist shared on Instagram snaps of herself and her better half doing the activities they love the most.In one image, the Amazon founder and Lauren pose near an ocean shore, while another features them kissing in a restaurant.

EXCLUSIVE: Prolific TV director Jessica Lowrey has inked with Range Media Partners for management. The signing comes at a pivotal moment in her career, as she looks to expand into features, while mounting TV pilots.

Jeff Tweedy has announced a new book, World Within A Song: Music That Changed My Life And Life That Changed My Music.Described as “an exciting and heartening mix of memories, music, and inspiration”, the memoir is due to arrive on November 7 via Dutton. You can pre-order it here.World Within A Song… serves as the Wilco frontman’s third book following on from 2018’s Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) and 2020’s How To Write One Song.The forthcoming title sees Tweedy explore “50-plus songs that changed his life, the real-life experiences behind each one, as well as what he’s learned about how music and life intertwine and enhance each other”, per an official listing.Included are tracks by the likes of Billie Eilish, The Velvet Underground, The Replacements, Mavis Staples, Joni Mitchell, Otis Redding and Dolly Parton, with Tweedy also opening up about his own material.Jeff's third book WORLD WITHIN A SONG: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music will be available Nov.

While Naomi Ackie has been acting for a number of years, her first major role to put her on the map in the eyes of many was in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Since then, she’s lined up a number of major roles, including a starring role in the recently released “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” And the projects keep piling up for Ackie as she just landed yet another big role, this time in the upcoming sci-fi film, “Morning.” READ MORE: ‘Morning’: Benedict Cumberbatch, Laura Dern & Noah Jupe To Star In Justin Kurzel’s New Sci-Fi Film According to THR, Naomi Ackie is the latest actor to join the cast for Justin Kurzel’s new sci-fi film, “Morning.” She’s joining a cast that includes Laura Dern, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Noah Jupe.

EXCLUSIVE: Alexandra Shipp is set to join the cast of Sony’s untitled R-rated comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Will Gluck is directing.

EXCLUSIVE: Chicago Fire star Jeff Hephner has boarded Abi Morgan’s Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Netflix UK series Eric.

Environmental Activism Pic ‘Finite: The Climate of Change’ Lands UK Release & Global Sales EXCLUSIVE: Feature documentary Finite: The Climate of Change has secured a UK theatrical release from indie distributor Espresso Media from February 15. Espresso is also handling global distribution, with sales to Japan (NHK) and Estonia (ERR) confirmed. The pic is currently in release in Germany. Directed by climate activist turned filmmaker Rich Felgate, the film follows concerned citizens in Germany who step forward to save an ancient forest from one of Europe’s biggest coal mines. However, the local citizens also form an unlikely alliance with a frustrated community in rural northeast England who are forced into action to protect their homes from a new opencast coal mine.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate is in final negotiations to acquire worldwide rights to Imaginary — a new Blumhouse thriller to be directed by Jeff Wadlow (The Curse of Bridge Hollow). 

The first time Cecil B. DeMille parted the waters of the Red Sea, to film the 1923 version of The Ten Commandments, he did it at Seal Beach, CA, just 30 miles down the Pacific coast from Santa Monica. Three decades later, when Paramount Pictures decided to remake the Old Testament tale in Technicolor and VistaVision, the same director returned to do it again, only this time on location on the Sinai Peninsula with thousands of extras provided by the Egyptian army — no matter that the country’s military was rather busy with urgent geopolitical matters at the time. Both versions were massive hits, with the remake serving as the capper to DeMille’s illustrious career.

Following the death of Jeff Beck earlier this month, Paul McCartney has shared a collaboration he had apparently forgotten about which they worked on together in the mid-1990s.Titled ‘Why Are They Cutting Down The Rainforest?’, the song features a monologue from Beck asking that question in more detail and laying out concerns about the impacts of deforestation. All over an upbeat musical back from him and McCartney.“With the sad passing of Jeff Beck – a good friend of mine, and a great, great guitar player – it reminded me of the time we worked together many years ago on a campaign for vegetarianism”, says McCartney.

EXCLUSIVE: Rock and roll fantasy camp could be heading to the small screen.

A new crop of faces has been revealed for the upcoming season of Survivor.

NBCUniversal’s advertising and partnerships group has formalized a new executive structure reflecting its recent moves to streamline efforts in broadcast, cable, sports and streaming.

EXCLUSIVE: Peacock is headed to Ancient Egypt with Cleo, a one-hour dramedy in development from writer Jessica Runck (Man With A Plan), Jane the Virgin developer/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, TrillTV and CBS Studios, where Urman is under an overall deal.