RWS Entertainment Group Taps Keith Senglaub as CFO (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTahj Mowry will star in the upcoming Disney Plus series “The Muppets Mayhem,” Variety has learned exclusively.Mowry joins previously announced cast member Lilly Singh in the series, which was first announced in March. The live-action show follows The Electric Mayhem Band — consisting of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone, and Lips on trumpet — as they record their first album ever.Mowry will star as Gary “Moog” Moogowski.

JYP Entertainment‘s previously announced plans to establish a K-pop NFT platform with tech company Dunamu is no longer moving forward.Yesterday (April 4), South Korean news outlet Money Today reported that JYP Entertainment and Dunamu had mutually agreed to terminate their joint venture to launch a new NFT platform and distribute NFTs based on K-pop content.“Dunamu and JYP Entertainment planned to establish a joint venture for the NFT business, but at this moment, we have decided to terminate our business contract with each other after mutual agreement,” said a representative of Dunamu, as translated by Koreaboo.“We have agreed to continuously seek opportunities for collaboration with each other in various other ways,” the representative added. Neither company has revealed the reason for the termination of their partnership.The news comes nine months after JYP first unveiled its partnership with the cryptocurrency operator.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSony Music Entertainment’s Global Podcast Division hired media and podcast veteran Serita Wesley, who will serve in the newly created role of head of U.S. entertainment podcasts.Wesley will be based in New York and reports to Tom Koenig, VP, U.S.

Mark Tuan has revealed that he considered stepping away from music following the boyband’s departure from JYP Entertainment.In his recent appearance on Cosmopolitan’s ‘Nobody Asked’ YouTube series, the Taiwanese-American star opened up about rethinking his music career after leaving South Korea. The singer had returned to his hometown of Los Angeles, California in early 2021 following GOT7’s departure from longtime agency JYP Entertainment.“After moving back last year, I really thought about just giving up and not working on music anymore,” Tuan admitted.

Golden Globes be getting an overhaul? That's the plan proposed by Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who formerly served as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who hold the annual Oscars. Isaacs now serves as a partner and senior advisor at Pacific Coast Entertainment, who shared their proposal to the members of the Globes' governing body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, exclusively with ET on Thursday.  The proposal reads in part, «Over the last year, many watched the headlines that have dramatically impacted the reputation and stature of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA or Association), its members, and the Golden Globe Awards.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Promising Young Woman” and “Arrival” production company FilmNation Entertainment and Range Media Partners have set a partnership to co-produce, co-finance, develop and sell a broad-ranging slate of feature films across a variety of genres and budget-sizes, the companies said Thursday.Under the co-production pact, FilmNation Entertainment and Range Media Partners expect to produce four to six films per year, “with the capacity for more as needed.”The deal will offer Range Media’s talent “the platform and tools needed to get their films made via both independent and worldwide buyers, while driving greater ownership in their own projects – both creatively and financially.” In turn, FilmNation “will further expand its production, sales and financing slates as the leading independent studio continues to serve as a global destination for the world’s best storytellers.” FilmNation and Range expect to give the green light to multiple projects “imminently.” Per the two companies, “The combination of FilmNation’s top tier production capabilities and world class distribution platform with Range Media’s access to high-end material and world-renowned talent, underpinned by both companies’ deep financial resources, will bring to market some of the most compelling, highly anticipated film projects available to an array of buyers.”“We at FilmNation are always looking for inventive ways to give the world’s most talented creators an avenue to use our powerful production, sales and finance platform, particularly as a tool to make their creative visions come to life,” FilmNation Entertainment CEO Glen Basner said.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorWhy go to the mall when you can shop via NBC’s “Today” program?NBCUniveral News Group, the parent of NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC,  has for several years worked to weave e-commerce into the digital counterpart to its venerable “Today” show as well as other areas, and now it hopes to facilitate more purchases by providing users with product reviews from Consumer Reports.The venerable consumer advocacy organization will contribute product reviews that are normally placed behind a paywall to a new digital destination on two NBCU e-commerce sites, Shop Today and Select. The “Best Product Reviews” area will provide Consumer Reports findings around different product categories, including cooking, bed and bath, and tools and appliances.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaMontea Robinson has been named chief executive officer of Ghetto Film School. The GFS alumna will guide the non-profit organization’s plans to expand its reach and impact, with an emphasis on building out its program and enhancing career opportunities for its students. Founded in 2000, Ghetto Film School serves 8,000 individuals, between the ages of 14 to 34, with locations in New York City, Los Angeles and London.

William Earl Variety announced today that Emilio and Gloria Estefan will be honored with the Variety Legends and Groundbreakers award at the inaugural Miami Entertainment Town breakfast held on Thursday, April 7. The event will celebrate those featured in the Miami Entertainment Impact Report, which profiles media, music and entertainment individuals based out of Miami who have made a great impact in their respective fields this year.

EXCLUSIVE: Mathew Knowles, father of Beyoncé and former manager of Destiny’s Child, is gearing up for his own King Richard-style origin story as part of a wide-ranging deal with investment fund APX Capital Group.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and theme-park corp Merlin Entertainments are teaming to extend the Jumanji brand through a range of exclusive rides, lands, retail outlets, and themed hotel rooms across the latter’s global network of theme parks and waterparks in Europe, UK, and North America.

Wilson Chapman editorOn the heels of its Oscar nomination for best documentary, “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” will return to New York City’s Marcus Garvey Park this June.Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, a series of free performances and screenings in parks around the city, announced Wednesday that a free screening of “Summer of Soul” will open their 2022 season. The event will take place on June 17, two days before the national holiday Juneteenth.

JYP Entertainment has revealed it is launching a “full-scale” expansion into the US market.On March 14, Billboard reported that the South Korean label, home to artists like TWICE, ITZY, Stray Kids and more, has launched its new North American subsidiary. Named JYP USA, the new arm is part of the agency’s plans for “full-scale North American market development and global expansion”.JYP USA also shared its intentions to “discover and foster local US artists” in addition to furthering the development of its current roster.

Archer Gray, a New York production and finance company known for backing projects like the Oscar-nominated Can You Ever Forgive Me?, is branching out into alternative formats and non-scripted programming.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIndependent finance and production company SSS Entertainment is launching a sales arm dubbed The Syndicate, offering titles including two films starring and directed by Katie Holmes and Neil Labute’s “House of Darkness” starring Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.Shaun Sanghani, owner and CEO of SSS Entertainment, says the company will focus on “using its depth of experience to deliver independent features that are daring and empathetic while being accessible and recognizable to a wide audience.”Among the half dozen titles that SSS Entertainment has recently produced and financed are “Alone Together” and period piece “Rare Objects,” both starring and directed by Holmes.At SXSW this week, SSS Entertainment is premiering Eli Horowitz’s “The Cow” with Winona Ryder and Dermot Mulroney. Sanghani produced and financed “The Fallout,” which won last year’s SXSW Grand Jury and Audience awards.

EXCLUSIVE: Paladin Artists has named Theatrical Literary Agent Katie Gamelli to lead the company’s Theatrical Literary division effective immediately.

Tiger King. Like any set of bitter enemies, their feud is fueled as much by the things they have in common, as it is inflamed by their implacable differences.Memorably documented in Tiger King, and now gleefully depicted in Peacock’s appropriately strange new comedy series Joe vs.

EXCLUSIVE: Cliffhanger director Renny Harlin and Extraordinary Entertainment partner Daljit DJ Parmar will take a dive into the gaming world with their newly established gaming company Distributed Ledger Entertainment.

There’s some major casting news!