Disney Leans Into U.K. Licensing Strategy: ‘A Small Light,’ ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Heading to BBC Studios-Owned UKTV (EXCLUSIVE)

Anna Marie de la Fuente Award-winning Colombian director-producer Simon Brand and Miami-based media executive producer Daniel Eilemberg have joined forces with the founders of Emmy-winning Imaginer Films, Julio César and Laura Franco, to launch Clover Studios, a new production services company in Colombia. The new enterprise is in response to Colombia’s phenomenal growth as a major production center, driven by its competitive production incentives and flourishing creative community.

“The Talk” is coming to “The End.”CBS has canned the long-running talk show, which debuted in 2010. The network revealed on Friday that the series will come back in September for a shorter 15th season and will officially depart in December.

Cheryl's fans were given an adorable surprise when her son Bear made his Radio 1 debut on Friday, 12 April, with some fans even noticing the seven-year-old had developed a Geordie accent just like his Girls Aloud star mum. Fellow Geordie Perrie Edwards appeared on the Greg James' Breakfast Show to promote her new single Forget About Us, when she was tasked with calling up her famous friends.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney released the official vote counts from its 2024 meeting of shareholders held April 3 — in which investors decisively defeated a campaign by activist investor Nelson Peltz to win a seat on its board. According to the votes disclosed in an SEC filing Tuesday, nine of the Disney-backed director candidates received more than 90% of the shares voted in their favor.

What made The Beach Boys musical icons? The band that helped a generation connect with their California dreams is getting the documentary treatment. “The Beach Boys” gives viewers an unprecedented look at a group who defined ‘60s surf culture.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Mortal Media, the film and TV production company co-founded by Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil, has signed with WME for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. WME will rep Mortal Media’s scripted and unscripted slate, while also helping the company expand into brand partnerships and creative marketing services. In addition, Griffin has signed with WME for off-court representation.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Pure Fiction Television, the independent production company helmed by Tom Winchester (“Shogun,” “Clickbait,” “The Capture”), has secured the rights to bestselling author Dolores Redondo’s Baztan Trilogy and the prequel, “La Cara Norte Del Corazón” (The North Face of the Heart), and is developing them into a returning, premium international TV series. The trilogy and prequel novel, which feature homicide detective Amaia Salazar, are gripping psychological thrillers infused with mystery, mythology and superstition, set in the beautiful Basque region of Northern Spain, as well as in New Orleans.

Jason Aldean appeared at the 2024 CMT Music Awards after controversy with the cable music channel over the “Try That In a Small Town” video.

After Disney declared victory in its proxy battle with activist investor Nelson Peltz, CEO Bob Iger went on a theme-park offensive during the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

Angelique Jackson As Impact Network rebrands from a faith and gospel-focused multiplatform channel to include family-friendly lifestyle entertainment designed for Black audiences, Variety can exclusively reveal its first “Impact Original” movie, “The Life of Me.” Brian White (ABC’s “Scandal”), Brandon T. Jackson (BET’s “Family Business: New Orleans,” “Percy Jackson”) and Danielle Nicolet (CW’s “The Flash”) star in the film about a wealthy businessman, who “disillusioned by his family’s illicit business dealings, escapes to a small town and finds friendship, love, and a new focus on life until he must confront his past, reveal his identity, and redefine his future.” White plays Marcus Banks, a real estate mogul and heir to his family’s multi-billion dollar development business, who is described in the film’s official description as a “man with a conscience.” The film’s synopsis explains: Marcus becomes disgruntled with the family’s greedy tactics after learning his family would put the lives of innocent people in harm’s way to make a profit. He flees his big-time lifestyle to a small town where he assumes a new under-the-radar identity as a handyman named “Dom.” Nicolet plays Kennedy, a single mother, dance instructor and owner of the local cafe (and love interest to Marcus/Dom). Kennedy and her brother try to keep their small business, which was passed down by their late parents, alive despite the economic devastation experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcus faces a moral dilemma when his family’s company comes to his small-town hideout and tries to snatch land from his newfound friends. Jackson is Simon, the Banks family’s ruthless fixer, who informs Marcus of the plot.

BBC Studios Launches First Kids Streamer In Korea

Emily Longeretta When mother-daughter showrunners Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke began working on “The Way Home” with creator Marly Reed, they didn’t intentionally set their sites on the world of “Alice in Wonderland.” Instead, it came completely natural. “As we started looking at this show and the concept, it became so much clearer to us how oddly echoing it all was to the book, and we sort of thought well, if it’s there, let’s use it.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Giancarlo Esposito‘s new AMC crime drama “Parish” is getting the cable network’s red-carpet rollout treatment, airing ad-break free immediately after Sunday’s “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” finale and then without commercials all the way into a first look at “The Book of Carol,” the second season of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.” Simultaneously debuting on AMC+, “Parish” will premiere at 10:15 p.m. ET and open with a brief “presented by” message from Crown Royal, the episode’s lone sponsor. Then, it will run without interruption.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Fox Entertainment is restructuring its operations into three divisions: network, studios and sales. As part of this re-org, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade has promoted Michael Thorn to president of Fox Television Network and upped Fernando Szew to head of Fox Entertainment Studios.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director If Kristen Stewart herself was the protagonist of the “Twilight” movies, then she probably wouldn’t have stayed with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) for too long. Appearing on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) while on her “Love Lies Bleeding” press tour, Stewart said she would’ve called it off with Edward almost immediately once he started not letting her make her own choices. “Let’s talk about Bella for a second,” podcast host Amanda Hirsch said to Stewart during the episode.

Lourdes Leon is thanking her band for helping her shine bright. The model and musician who performs under the stage name Lolahol recently shared a post of her most recent performance in New Orleans. She shared various clips of her music and wrote a lengthy statement to her band mates, thanking them for their hard work.

NBCUniversal plans to start using generative AI in its ad sales efforts, the company announced Wednesday at its One24 event for advertisers.

The NCIS franchise will be airing its 1,000th episode on April 15, and CBS Studios President David Stapf has been involved in every single one of them. Because he was head of CBS current programming at the time, he even participated in the development of the mothership series from Day 1 because it originated as two back-door pilot episodes of an existing show, JAG, that aired in April 2003. He was in on all casting sessions and still remembers Pauley Perrette’s audition that won her the role of Abby in the room.

Scripted formats were placed front and center of BBC Studios’ panel at Series Mania, as the Doctor Who seller confirmed it is making up to three more versions of Ghosts and has bought Spain’s Brutal Media.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the broadcaster, has acquired Spanish producer Brutal Media. Founded in 2009, Brutal Media’s credits include the recently announced original miniseries for Netflix, “Asalto Al Banco Central,” “The Academy” (Sony Pictures Television), “Vintage” (3cat), film “Killer Book Club” (Netflix), series “Welcome to Eden” (Netflix) and “The Hockey Girls” (Netflix, 3Cat), documentaries “The End of the Storm” (Sky TV, Liverpool FC) and “Murder by the Coast” (Netflix) and romantic comedy “I Love You Stupid” (Netflix).