Former Warner Media Exec Chris Spadaccini Joins CW As Chief Marketing Officer

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is suing Paramount Global, saying its competitor aired new episodes of the popular animated comedy series “South Park” after Warner paid for exclusive rights.

“Screw you guys, we’re going to sue,” a Cartman paraphrasing Warner Bros Discovery essentially said to Paramount Global and the series creators today in a scathing lawsuit over South Park streaming rights.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer HBO Max’s parent company has filed a lawsuit that accuses Paramount Global of reneging on parts of the $500 million licensing deal set in 2019 for the streaming rights to episodes of “South Park.” The suit, filed Friday in New York state Supreme Court, asserts that Paramount breached the contract by steering “South Park” specials and other content to its own Paramount+ platform. The suit alleges that Paramount “blatantly intended to prop up Paramount+ at the expense of Warner/HBO,” and that Paramount engaged in “multiple and flagrant duplicitous contortions of fact and breaches of contract.”

The Wrap.“But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film. The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are excited to partner with Middle-Earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”The cost of the deal made between Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Embracer Group — the current rights holders to Tolkien’s novels — has yet to be released.

The inaugural annual Salon Kewpie: The Legacy Ball in Cape Town, in collaboration with the District Six Museum and GALA Queer Archive, will honour the life of queer icon, Kewpie, who passed away in 2012.

No goodbyes necessary! Kate Hudson has had her fair share of relationship ups and downs over the years — but she’s managed to stay on good terms with almost all of her exes.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Warner Bros. Pictures is revamping the “Lord of the Rings” film franchise. On a Thursday earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced that newly-installed studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on the beloved J. R. R. Tolkien series. The films will be developed through WB label New Line Cinema. The first series of films, helmed by Peter Jackson, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide. Embracer Group AB made the deal with he studio for adaptations of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.”

CNN Worldwide has tapped Otto Bell to oversee its creative marketing department.

Marta Balaga Beauty queen, rebellious daughter of the head of Portugal’s secret service, housewife fascinated by Che Guevara, fighter – “Annie” Silva Pais was many, many things. Now, she is also the subject of Portuguese period drama “Cuba Libre.”   “I have been thinking about this story for 20 years,” admits creator Henrique Oliveira ahead of its bow at Berlinale’s Series Market Selects.  “That’s when I first read an article about her in [a local newspaper] Expresso. I fell in love right away. This woman was ahead of her time.” While Oliveira, who also directs, had to wait decades to realize his dream, it actually worked out for the best, he claims. 

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Former ABC News president James Goldston is joining Candle Media, founded and led by ex-Disney execs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, to head a new division focused on TV shows and movies based on true stories. Goldston will serve as president of the new division, which will produce scripted and nonscripted features and series “inspired by true stories,” according to Candle. Goldston spent 18 years at ABC News, including seven years as president, before exiting in 2021. overseeing all aspects of America’s number one news division, including #1 rated “Good Morning America” and “World News with David Muir.” He also led ABC News into the streaming era with a series of successful podcast and documentary projects for Hulu and Disney+, including “The Dropout,” produced by Rebecca Jarvis and her team, which became a successful podcast, documentary and Emmy-award winning scripted series for Hulu, and John’s Ridley’s “Let it Fall,” a duPont-Columbia Award-winning documentary on the LA riots. His teams have won five Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence, and numerous other prestigious honors in journalism, including a Peabody, duPont-Columbia, and Emmy awards.

The symbolic show of support for Cape Town Pride has been dubbed “disgraceful” by a religious group (Photo: Cape Town Pride/Facebook)

EXCLUSIVE: Principal photography has wrapped in New York state on COUP!, a period satire starring Peter Sarsgaard and directed by Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman.

EXCLUSIVE: Alcon Entertainment has appointed former MGM executive Steven Johnson as EVP, Head of Physical Production.

Longtime YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced today she’s stepping down as CEO of YouTube, “to start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about.”

William Earl ABC Signature alum Menaka Evans has been named chief financial officer for ITV America and ITV Studios America. Evans will oversee financial planning, accounting and business operations for the wide range of production banners that fall under the umbrella of ITV Studios in the U.S. She comes to the company from ABC Signature, where she was head of finance and business planning. “Menaka brings deep experience in entertainment industry finance, as well as acute understanding of the complexities involved in producing unscripted and scripted programs in today’s content landscape,” said Philippe Maigret, ITV Studios America president and managing director and ITV America CEO David George in a joint statement. “She’s also incredibly well-versed in the cross-collaboration between U.S and UK entities, making her a unique and valuable new member of our senior teams.”

Katie Reul editor Tamara Gould has been named chief content officer for Public Media Group of Southern California, the parent company of public broadcasting outlets PBS SoCal, KCET and Link TV. In her new position, Gould will report to PMGSC president and CEO Andrew Russell. She oversees a slate of responsibilities ranging from development to delivery. Working under Gould’s purview is a team of content producers focused on magnifying stories from native SoCal communities. Gould replaces previous chief creative officer Juan Devis, who exited the stations last year. “Tamara Gould is an extraordinary talent and she brings a wealth of production experience and deep ties to public media,” Russell said, adding that Gould’s hire aligned with the company’s goal of increasing content production. “She has great skill in building strategic collaborations with both local and national partners to support independent filmmakers and is an industry-recognized leader in the world of documentary storytelling.”

Katie Reul editor Tamara Gould has been named chief content officer for Public Media Group of Southern California, the parent company of public broadcasting outlets PBS SoCal, KCET and Link TV. In her new position, Gould will report to PMGSC president and CEO Andrew Russell. She oversees a slate of responsibilities ranging from development to delivery. Working under Gould’s purview is a team of content producers focused on magnifying stories from native SoCal communities. “Tamara Gould is an extraordinary talent and she brings a wealth of production experience and deep ties to public media,” Russell said, reflecting on how Gould’s hire aligns with the company’s goal of increasing content production. “She has great skill in building strategic collaborations with both local and national partners to support independent filmmakers and is an industry-recognized leader in the world of documentary storytelling.”

EXCLUSIVE: ITVS veteran Tamara Gouldhas been named Chief Content Officer for PBS SoCal, KCET and Link TV. She will lead a team of content producers across multiple platforms to amplify the voices and stories of the communities within and beyond Southern California.

J. Kim Murphy Dave Hollis, a former Disney executive who served as the company’s president of worldwide distribution until resigning in 2018, died Saturday night at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 47 years old. Hollis had been recently hospitalized for heart-related health issues, though no exact cause of death has been determined. Hollis’ became Disney’s theatrical distribution chief in 2011, taking the reins from a retiring Chuck Viane. Hollis’ tenure coincided with several of the largest box office successes in the studio’s history, shepherding titles from Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and Pixar, as well as live-action remakes of animated classics and new animated features. The resounding achievements that came with Hollis’ leadership made his 2018 resignation from the company all the more surprising. Well-liked within the industry and an affable ambassador for Disney, Hollis left Disney (and California) to become CEO of Chic Media, a production company founded by Hollis’ wife at the time, Rachel Hollis. The two divorced in more recent years.

EXCLUSIVE: Digital content indie Cowshed Social has rebranded to Cowshed Collective, signed a former YMU Chief Business Officer and split into four divisions.