EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Grandave International’s romantic comedy Divorce Bait, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital platforms this fall.
20.04.2022 - 18:55 / variety.com
Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorHBO Max, now under the newly created Warner Bros. Discovery, will be part of Verizon’s upcoming +Play streaming-aggregation platform.Scheduled to launch commercially later in 2022, Verizon +Play is designed to let the telco’s customers discover, purchase and manage subscriptions across entertainment, audio, gaming, fitness, music and lifestyle.HBO Max will join the roster of previously announced +Play partners, which include Netflix, Peloton, A+E Networks (Lifetime Movie Club, History Vault, and A&E Crime Central), Duolingo, TelevisaUnivision’s Vix Plus, and Live Nation’s Veeps livestreaming concert service.
In addition, Verizon +Play will let customers purchase and manage accounts for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Discovery+ and AMC+ — services that Verizon already offers to eligible customers for no extra cost (for varying periods of time). Under the deal, Verizon customers will be able to purchase HBO Max and other services directly through +Play.
Verizon has structured the distribution deals to take a per-subscriber revenue share.“As one of the largest direct-to-consumer distributors in the United States, we have a track record of providing millions of our customers with great premium content from leading services, and our partnership with HBO Max will build on that trend while speaking directly to customer pain points, like managing multiple subscriptions all in one place,” Erin McPherson, chief content officer for Verizon Consumer Group, said in a prepared statement.At some point, Warner Bros. Discovery expects to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into a unified service offering.
EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Grandave International’s romantic comedy Divorce Bait, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital platforms this fall.
Ashley Hume Sommer Carbuccia’s time-traveling comedy short “Mac & Cheese” was awarded best film at the 2022 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards. “Mac & Cheese” took home a total of three prizes at the annual event, with Amanda Pinto winning best director and Jake Nathanson scoring best editor.The ceremony returned in-person for the first time in two years on Thursday night at Sony Pictures Studios’ Cary Grant Theater in Los Angeles.
Pop sensation Adele ’s boyfriend, sports agent Rich Paul reportedly spent the 34 year old’s birthday partying with his clients at a swanky £3,000-per head dinner in Miami, instead of celebrating with his partner. Adele herself celebrated the occasion by sharing a series of smiling images on Thursday, along with a caption about how "happy" she is, yet no sign of her was spotted at the flash dinner which saw her partner rub shoulders with sporting legends such as basketball star LeBron James.
Wilson Chapman editorLorna Courtney, Paulo Szot, Betsy Wolfe and Stark Sands will headline the North American premiere cast of the Max Martin jukebox musical “& Juliet,” the production announced on Friday.Currently running on the London’s West End, “& Juliet” is a retelling of the classic William Shakespeare tragedy “Romeo & Juliet.” Featuring a framing device where Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway comment on the original play, the musical explores a scenario in which Juliet doesn’t die at the end of the story, and instead takes a road trip to Paris in search of self-discovery. The musical features a book from David West Read, who is best known for his work writing on Canadian comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” and music from Grammy-winning songwriter Max Martin, including hits like “I Want It That Way,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Teenage Dream.” An original song “One More Try,” co-written with Jessie J, is also featured.
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Mehmet Oz’s rivals in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for U.S.
What Happens Later.The actor will both direct and star in the new film, which has been described as an “evolved and nostalgic” romantic comedy, according to Variety.What Happens Later adapts American playwright Steven Dietz’s stage show Shooting Star, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright and novelist Kirk Lynn.Ryan will be starring in the film alongside David Duchovny as ex-lovers Willa and Bill, who are reunited for the first time since separating decades prior in an airport overnight.A logline for the movie reads: “What if late one snowy night you came face to face with someone from your long ago? Someone who once held your secrets, because once, long ago, that person held your heart.”The film will mark the second film directed by Meg Ryan after directing and starring in 2015’s Ithaca alongside Sam Shephard and Alex Neustaedter. It is co-produced by Bleecker Street, and Ten Acre Films.Ryan made her name in romantic comedies including You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.
Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticThe trick of stage acting comes in playing the same thing every night as if it were happening for the first time, right there in front of the audience’s eyes. But once-controversial American classic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” calls for something different.
Manori Ravindran International EditorMeg Ryan will direct and star alongside David Duchovny in “What Happens Later,” an “evolved and nostalgic” take on the romantic comedy.The film is based on the play “Shooting Star” by American playwright Steven Dietz, who also co-wrote the screenplay with playwright and novelist Kirk Lynn, and Ryan. Bleecker Street has snapped up the U.S.
Paul McCartney began his 2022 ‘Got Back’ North American tour last night (April 28) – check out fan-shot footage and the setlist below.The Beatles icon took to the stage at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington for his first concert in over two years. McCartney’s current run of shows also includes stop-offs in Seattle (May 2,3), Los Angeles (13) and Orlando (28).Kicking off with the Fab Four’s ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, Macca’s mammoth 36-song set also included the first solo outings of the legendary group’s tracks ‘Getting Better’ (1967) and ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ (1969) since 2003 (via Setlist.FM).Elsewhere, the legendary musician gave ‘McCartney III’ track ‘Women And Wives’ its live debut; he released his 18th solo studio album in late 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic.McCartney also treated the audience to The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ cut ‘She Came in Through The Bathroom Window’, marking its first airing since 2008.
DEALSMusic rights administrator Muserk has extended its deal with SDRM – the mechanical rights branch of French collecting society SACEM. It already worked with the society on administrating its mechanical royalties from YouTube in the US, and will now do the same for other digital services in the market. “In this ever-growing digital landscape, it is harder than ever to track and match all works and usage”, says Muserk CEO Paul Goldman.
Jordan Moreau Harold Livingston, an American novelist who wrote the screenplay for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979, died early Thursday morning, Bobby Livingston confirmed to Variety. He was 97.“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was Livingston’s most famous writing credit, and he also wrote for several TV shows, including “Mission: Impossible,” “The Six Million Dollar Man” and more.“Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and sci-fi author Alan Dean Foster, who penned several “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” novels, also contributed to the story and script development alongside Livingston. The 1979 film was the first movie in the “Star Trek” franchise, and it starred the original TV series cast members, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Majel Barrett, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Persis Khambatta and Stephen Collins.
judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson are reuniting for the singing competition's landmark 20th season. They are returning to the judges' table for the special reunion episode airing Monday, May 2, and only ET has the exclusive first look at the duo back in action.Abdul and Jackson served as Idol judges together for the franchise's first eight seasons, from 2002 to 2009.
BBC Two in 2021, covering the escapades of one of the most captivating individuals in recent pop culture, otherwise known as the ‘Tiger King’. Louis was also the man who bought us Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge and Louis Theroux: Selling Sex in 2020. The 51-year-old British-American dual citizen, who was born in Singapore, is happily married to his wife Nancy Strang, with whom he has had three sons.
Ilkay Gundogan admits he is thinking of where he could play after leaving Manchester City, with his contract expiring next summer.
EXCLUSIVE: Sirens, a rock doc about Beirut all-female thrash metal band Slave to Sirens, will get a theatrical run after Oscilloscope Laboratories bought the North American rights.