UCP Hires Marc Velez as Head of Development, Naketha Mattocks Joins UTV as Senior VP of Drama

Mark Wahlberg and his funky bunch have left California!

Roving gangs have gained power throughout Haiti over the past 15 months in the wake of former President Jovenel Moïse's assassination, blockading essential ports and terrorizing citizens who are increasingly in need of basic supplies like food and medicine.  The Biden administration announced this week that it will deploy security assistance to Haiti's National Police and issue visa restrictions on Haitian officials involved with gangs.  The move falls short of "a specialized armed force" that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested from the international community, an action that U.S. Sen.

Mark Wahlberg has left Hollywood behind and moved out of the state to put his family first. Wahlberg, 51, revealed on Tuesday’s "The Talk" that he and his wife moved their four children to Nevada to give them a "better life." During the episode, Wahlberg discussed how he balances his career while also being a present father and husband.

Elliot Page has his next project lined up.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Netflix has given a series order to the Western action drama “The Abandons,” which hails from Kurt Sutter. The show was first reported to be in development at the streaming giant back in November 2021. Netflix has given the show a 10 episode order. The show’s official logline states: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, ‘justice’ is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.”

Three illegal immigrants caught and released at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as a fourth person, a U.S. citizen previously released on cashless bail, have been charged in New York’s Long Island for carrying out a hate-fueled robbery ring allegedly targeting members of the Indian community.  Brayan Alexis Ortiz-Ramos, 20, Daniel Esteban Jimenez-Carrillo, 30, Gersson Jhoan Hernandez-Gomez, 33, all born and raised in Columbia, as well as Justin Mora-Soto, 20, who was born in the U.S.

A starry group of global talent has been set to join Paolo Sorrentino on the main jury for the 19th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival which runs from November 11-19 in the Moroccan city. 

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The Marrakech International Film Festival will make a big comeback this year with a star-studded jury, including Oscar Isaac (“Scenes from a Marriage”), Vanessa Kirby (“The Son”), French actor Tahar Rahim (“The Serpent”), Australian director Justin Kurzel (“Nitram”) and Danish director Susanne Bier (“The Undoing”). Lebanese director and actor Nadine Labaki (“Caparnum”), German actor Diane Kruger (“Inglorious Basterds”) and Moroccan director Laïla Marrakchi (“Marock”) complete the high-profile jury. As previously announced, Paolo Sorrentino, the Oscar-winning director of “The Great Beauty” and “The Hand of God,” will preside over the jury, which spans 10 countries from four continents.

Haiti is preparing to seek military assistance from the international community to confront gangs that have blocked the country's principal fuel port, the Miami Herald reported on Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the decision. The government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry plans to make the written request on Friday to allied nations, without specifying where the troops should come from, the Herald reported.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Matthias Schoenaerts will star opposite Kate Winslet in the upcoming HBO limited series “The Palace,” Variety has learned. The series was picked up at HBO in July. Per the official logline, it “tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.” Exact character details are being kept under wraps. Schoenaerts can currently be seen in the David O. Russell film “Amsterdam” in the role of Detective Lem Getweiler. Up next, he will be seen in the Canal+/Sky series “Django” and the feature “The Way of the Wind” from Terrence Malick. He also recently wrapped filming on the Netflix film “The Old Guard 2.” His past credits include films like “Rust and Bone,” “The Danish Girl,” and “Far from the Madding Crowd.”

Opening statements have begun today in Kevin Spacey’s trial over sex abuse claims by Star Trek Discovery’s Anthony Rapp. The proceedings in a New York federal courtroom come as Harvey Weinstein, Danny Masterson and Paul Haggis all face sex crimes trials of their own starting next week.

UCP and Universal Television, divisions of Universal Studio Group, have each brought in an SVP-level development executive. Lee Daniels Entertainment President Marc Velez has been named SVP, Head of Development for UCP, reporting to Jennifer Gwartz, EVP, UCP. Former Netflix executive Naketha Mattocks joins Universal Television as SVP, Drama Development reporting to Vivian Cannon, EVP, Drama Development, UTV.

Jimmy Smits and Amanda Warren are taking to the streets of New York for justice.The duo stars in CBS' new police drama, launching this Sunday, and only ET was on the set of the series this week. The one-hour drama follows newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct in East New York, Regina Haywood (Warren), who is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her community.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter NBC is developing a drama series inspired by the Narratively article ““The First Family of Counterfeit Hunting” by Amy Ridout. Per the official logline, “Two brothers reunite after a long estrangement and are pulled into a special investigation surrounding closed FBI cases. Known as “Knockoffs,” these cases have been manipulated or outright fabricated to pin the crime on someone innocent and protect the real criminal who’s still out there.” Cameron Litvack is writing and executive producing. Justin Lin, Andrew Schneider, and Salvador Gatdula of Perfect Storm Entertainment will also executive produce along with Noah Rosenberg for Narratively. Universal Television will produce, with Perfect Storm currently under an overall deal at the studio.

Morrissey has performed his new song ‘Kerouac’s Crack’ for the first time in Blackpool. Watch a clip of the performance below.He debuted the track, which comes from his upcoming album, ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, last night (September 28).