Warner Bros. Pictures Strikes New Co-Financing Deal With Domain Capital (EXCLUSIVE)

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery cable warrior Kathleen Finch is heading into her Super Bowl: the holiday season at Food Network.

David Zaslav has been preaching the gospel of Tinseltown labor peace since the SAG-AFTRA strike ended, and now the Warner Bros Discovery CEO is putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to his own backyard.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor-comedian and writer Jamie Lee (Crashing) and actor-comedian Nikki Glaser (FBoy Island) are set to star in and executive produce Unsettling, a half-hour, single-camera comedy, which is in development for Prime Video, from Warner Bros. TV, Bill Lawrence‘s studio-based Doozer Productions, and Amazon MGM Studios.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery China is launching reality TV show “Glow Up China” in mainland China later this month. Delving into the universe and talents of Chinese make-up artists, the series will launch on leading streaming platform Tencent Video in December at a yet-to-be-specified date. The 6×60 minute show is a Warner Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: We hear on good authority that Max Peacemaker star Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen are joining the cast of Warner Bros. and Legendary‘s Minecraft movie.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Paul Greengrass has been hired to adapt the big-screen version of T.J. Newman’s novel “Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421.” Greengrass will write, direct and produce the film, which is set at Warner Bros. The studio emerged victorious earlier this year in a bidding war, one that drew interest from the likes of Nicole Kidman, Alfonso Cuarón and Steven Spielberg, along with seven-figure offers from Apple and Bruckheimer, Paramount and Damien Chazelle, Legendary and Universal Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Paul Greengrass has been set by Warner Bros to adapt, direct and produce Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 421. The T.J. Newman bestselling novel was the subject of a fevered bidding battle, with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy landing the novel for $1.5 million against $3 million. There were four other seven-figure bids on the table. The project reunites De Luca and Greengrass, who worked together on Captain Phillips.

Eddie Izzard will play 23 characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet this winter in a new Off Broadway production adapted by brother Mark Izzard.

Bella Ramsey is sharing how The Last of Us has impacted her day-to-day life!

Phil Quartararo, a record executive for five decades at A&M, RCA, Island, EMI, Warner Bros. and Virgin Records, died today of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles. He was 67.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Phil Quartararo, the veteran record executive who played a major role in the success of the Spice Girls, Linkin Park and many others, has died, Variety has confirmed. Billboard reported that the cause of death was pancreatic cancer; he was 67. A familiar and friendly presence at countless concerts across the decades, “Phil Q.” — pictured above with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks in 2001 — was renowned for his warm personality and firm handshake.

There’s been an exciting new development for the already filmed movie Coyote vs Acme!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Specialty distributor Ariztical Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to New Zealand-set wholesome gay love story ‘Mysterious Ways.’ Ariztical plans a multi-platform digital release in 2024. Written and directed by New Zealand’s Paul Oremland, the film follows a media storm that threatens the marriage between a Vicar, portrayed by Richard Short (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”) and his Samoan boyfriend, portrayed by Nick Afoa (“The Lion King”), after they announce their intentions to have a traditional wedding in the church.

Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and investment firm Domain Capital announced that they have inked a multi-year, co-financing agreement spanning multiple years that “reflects Warner Bros. expanded focus of theatrical films as the company continues to grow its diverse slate of movies across every genre for audiences across the globe.”

Texas congressman Joaquin Castro has taken to X to slam Warner Bros Discovery for axing the $70M Coyote vs. Acme for a reported $30M tax writeoff. That said, as we first reported, the studio is changing course this week and screening the film for potential buyers, i.e. Amazon Prime (a leading contender), Apple and Netflix. This pivot by studio brass was made after a weekend in which the studio’s phone rang off the hook by the creative community over the cancelling of the finished film, as well as an outcry by the pic’s composer Steven Price among others online.

Taylor Swift has added two more London dates to her ‘Eras’ tour with Paramore as special guests.The pop star is due to embark on the UK and European leg of the ‘Eras’ tour on May 9, 2024 at the LA Defense Arena in Paris before kicking off the UK stint at Edinburgh’s BT Murrayfield Stadium on June 7.The singer was due to perform six shows at London’s Wembley Arena on June 21, 22 and 23, followed August 15, 16 and 17.Now, Swift will be performing two more shows alongside Paramore on August 19 and 20.A limited numbers of fans who previously registered for shows in London will be selected for access to the sale and will receive notifications via email starting today (November 14).According to Ticketmaster listings for the new shows, general on sale will go live for the August 19 show today at 2pm GMT, while the August 20 sale starts tomorrow (November 15) at 2pm GMT from here.The news was announced today via Paramore’s Twitter/X account.The Eras Tour with @taylorswift13, 2024.Two new shows added at Wembley Stadium, August 19 & 20.A limited number of fans who previously registered for shows in London will be selected for access to the sale and will receive notifications via email starting today.Visit… pic.twitter.com/Z3eHKkohWz— paramore (@paramore) November 14, 2023Back in July, Swift announced an additional 14 new ‘Eras’ tour dates in the UK and EU – with Paramore serving as support – with the shows seemingly ruling her out as a potential Glastonbury headliner.Find the full ‘Eras’ touring schedule below with the new dates in bold.MAY Thu 9 2024 – PARIS LA Defense Arena (France) Fri 10 2024 – PARIS LA Defense Arena (France) Sat 11 2024 – PARIS LA Defense Arena (France) Sun 12 2024 – PARIS LA Defense Arena (France) Fri 17

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As the music industry explores an updated, more artist-friendly model for streaming royalties, Warner Music has joined Universal in adopting a new “artist centric” model with Deezer in the streaming company’s home country of France. The arrangement has been in effect since Oct. 1, sources confirm to Variety.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Warner Bros. will be juggling a lot in the Oscar race for best original song. As confirmed by an FYC advertisement sent to Critics Choice Association members, along with the multiple tracks from “Barbie” by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, the studio will also handle several numbers from their two upcoming holiday movie musicals: “The Color Purple” and “Wonka.” The upcoming adaptation of the musical “The Color Purple” will screen in front of its first official audience of industry voters and journalists next week.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Sacha Jenkins and Raquel Cepeda’s Resurgent Pictures has partnered with Imagine Documentaries to develop and co-produce film, television and documentaries.The partnership with the nonfiction division of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and Resurgent Pictures is a multi-year agreement. Headed by Sara Bernstein, Imagine Documentaries recently co-produced Jenkins’ “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.” The Apple TV+ docu, which debuted at the Toronto Intl.

Warner Bros Discovery is reteaming with Taiwanese production company DaMou Entertainment to produce HBO Asia original Fired Up! (working title), an adaptation of hit Kakao webtoon Itaewon Class.