Republic Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Less than a month after parting ways with Warner Music, Brazilian superstar singer Anitta has signed with Republic Records in partnership with Universal Music Latin Entertainment, the companies officially announced today. Variety broke the news of the deal last week. (Photo IDs below.) About the signing, Anitta shared, “After being in this business for many years, I wanted to find partners that work like a family. After meeting with Monte, Wendy, their team at Republic, and Jesus Lopez I was blown away. Their passion, innovation, creativity and vision is incredible.  I not only felt so connected to them as an artist, but also on a human level. I knew immediately, I was home.”

Lise Pedersen American director Daniel McCabe and his team have opened up to Variety about the making of “Grasshopper Republic” at Swiss international documentary film fest Visions du Réel, where the pic is nominated in the main competition. Based on a book of photographs by Michele Sibiloni, a photographer and long-time friend of McCabe, who co-shot the film with him and his brother Michael, “Grasshopper Republic” takes viewers on an immersive vérité style journey alongside Uganda’s grasshopper trappers as they set out to make the catch they hope will make them rich: prices and demand for grasshoppers are high in Uganda, where they are considered a delicacy.

not-so-amicable parting from Warner Music was announced, Brazilian superstar singer Anitta has inked with Universal’s Republic Records, sources close to the deal tell Variety. Republic declined requests for comment. The singer left Warner after 11 years at the company and a big effort by the company’s Warner Records label to break the singer in the U.S. with her multi-genre latest album “Versions of Me,” released just over a year ago. Despite a blockbuster performance at last year’s Coachella festival, a massive international hit with the song “Envolver” (which has amassed more than 500 million streams on Spotify), and collaborations on the album with hitmakers like Max Martin, Ryan Tedder and Stargate — not to mention features from Saweetie, Missy Elliott, Khalid and Maluma — the album was not a hit in the U.S., although she remains a superstar in Latin America and other territories.

While many fans are still waiting to see Lucasfilm develop live-action projects set during The Old Republic that explores things like the Sith Empire (long before the Rule of Two) and origins of the Jedi Order, there was a bit of a compromise with the publishing side creating The High Republic setting. It takes place between the Skywalker Saga and The Old Republic.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Republic Pictures, an historic movie label founded in 1935 and shuttered in 1967, has been revived by parent company Paramount Global. The banner will function as an acquisitions play, releasing titles acquired by Paramount Global Content Distribution. “We’ve chosen to revitalize the Republic banner given its storied history of delivering popular movies to a global audience, ” said Dan Cohen, Paramount chief content licensing officer and newly-named president of Republic Pictures. “With our best-in-class global distribution teams working to identify the best homes around the world, we aim to continue that legacy by offering audiences great entertainment across all genres.”

Hugh Jackman has stated his belief that it is “inevitable” Australia will become a republic in the future. The actor shared his views while appearing on the BBC One politics programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. “I think Australia will become Republican at some point.

Hugh Jackman predicts his home country Australia will break with the British Royal Family and become a Republic. 

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APPOINTMENTSUniversal Music’s Republic Records in the US has promoted Beau Benton to SVP Media & Operations. “It’s been such a pleasure working with Beau every day for the last ten years”, says EVP Media & Artist Relations, Joseph Carozza. “As a colleague and as a friend, I’ve had a front row seat to his media expertise, his love and commitment to artists and the team, and his infectious energy”.Artist management firm UROK has hired Tayla Dhyll as Head Of Audience and Sophie Lane as Senior Artist Manager.

An Afro-European woman connects with her roots in Bantú Mama, the Dominican Republic’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. Co-written and directed by Ivan Herrera, it’s was picked up by Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing. It’s a compelling drama featuring a strong performance from Clarisse Albrecht, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Mario Oliver, one of the kings of the Los Angeles nightlife scene when he ran the clubs Vertigo and The Gate and elegant restaurants like Tryst, Le Petit Four, and Linq, has died at age 71.

K.J. Yossman MetFilm is expanding into distribution with the acquisition of U.K. distribution company Republic Film Distribution (“Brittany Runs a Marathon”). Republic, which is run by former Icon Films exec Zak Brilliant, will be re-branded as MetFilm Distribution. Brilliant will take on the role of head of MetFilm distribution and MetFilm sales, working with the existing sales team, comprised of Mitch Clare, Jenny Bohnhoff and Ella Pham. The company is already planning to increase its headcount. MetFilm Distribution will aim to release six to eight titles annually. The films they take on will have a strong theatrical focus, starting with November’s “A Bunch of Amateurs” by Kim Hopkins, which won the Sheffield DocFest audience award.

MetFilm has acquired Republic Film Distribution, the UK distribution company run by former Icon Films executive Zak Brilliant.

Shania Twain has put out her new song, "Waking Up Dreaming;" the country sensations first new song in five years, and she has changed things up. She released her new song under a brand-new label, Republic Nashville, where she is the debut artist.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic After being with Mercury Nashville since the beginning of her recording career in the early 1990s, Shania Twain has a new label home, Republic Nashville, and a new song and video to go with the switch — “Waking Up Dreaming,” her first official single in five years. It’s not just a new label for her — it’s a new label to everyone, as Twain’s statement about the signing established that she is the debut artist for Republic Nashville, a division of Republic Records. “I couldn’t think of a better partner than Republic Nashville,” Twain said. “I’m honored and excited to be the label’s first artist and lead the charge of this new and exciting chapter. In this respect, it feels like a new beginning all around, and I’m embracing it wholeheartedly.”

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-winning Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar will not be making his first English-language feature directorial debut with A Manual for Cleaning Women, which has Cate Blanchett set to star and produce under her Dirty Films, Deadline has learned.

The news of her death has obviously thrown the UK into a flurry of activity, along with mourning their monarch the country has to crown it’s new King and organise a state funeral.

The Only Way Is Essex's new series had an explosive launch after the cast's turbulent trip to the Dominican Republic.The reality stars headed to the five-star Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana to film scenes for the ITVBe show's newest series, with the hotel costing up to an eye-watering £2,000 a night. But there were plenty of controversial moments during their time abroad, from cast members pulling out and feuds, to the group being kicked off their flight home.

Thania Garcia Republic Records has launched a kids and family division, spearheaded by the appointment of Bree Bowles as VP of marketing and strategy. The new expansion is focused on signing, developing, and releasing family-friendly projects, with additional “major partnerships to be unveiled very soon,” according to the announcement.Prior to her stint with Republic Records, Bowles worked at Brooklyn Bowl founder Pete Shapiro’s Dayglo Presents where she oversaw marketing and operations.

Earlier this year it was announced that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (also known as KOTOR) was getting a complete remake. Fans were overjoyed with the news as most played the original growing up and now they can relive it as an adult and with better graphics. Recently it was announced that KOTOR was in serious trouble, so serious that the game had to be delayed indefinitely.

JYP Entertainment, home to top acts like TWICE, ITZY and Stray Kids, is teaming up with Republic Records to debut a new North American girl group, holding auditions in the US this September.On July 25, the two agencies unveiled a video featuring JYP Entertainment founder and chairman Park Jin-young and Republic Records’ founder and CEO Monte Lipman announcing their upcoming venture ‘A2K’.“The name of this project is ‘A2K’, which is an abbreviation of ‘America2Korea’. So the final artist that comes out of this procedure will be the first American artist made out of a K-pop system,” said Park.“It’s like talented artists who goes through a training system like an Olympic gymnast will go through,” he added.

The Czech Film Commission, the body that promotes the Czech Republic to the international world, had its website hacked last week by Russian hackers. Speaking at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Odesa Film Festival at Karlovy Vary’s Industry Days section, Czech Film Commission head Pavlina Zipkova told delegates that its website was recently targeted by Russian hackers after it posted an article on its website highlighting the Czech Republic as being a safe place to shoot.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorXavier Henry-Rashid’s sales agency Film Republic has acquired Anna Kazejak’s “Fucking Bornholm,” ahead of its international premiere Saturday in the Crystal Globe competition of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.The Polish comedy drama potrays the generation of today’s 40-year-olds from the perspective of a woman who is in need of profound changes in her life.Two couples with kids go away for a short holiday on the Danish island of Bornholm. Each person has different goals and expectations, and each one of them and their relationships will be tested.

Thania Garcia Ciara has signed to Republic Records and Uptown Records through her own label imprint, Beauty Marks Entertainment. Under the partnership, Ciara will be releasing “Jump,” her first single since 2020, slated for release later this summer.Regarding the signing, Ciara said, “I am thrilled to partner with Uptown/Republic Records through my own label imprint Beauty Marks Entertainment.

Sky has put a darkly comic drama about a foul-mouthed supermarket worker in Belfast into production. Roisin Gallagher (The Fall, The Dry) and Johnny Flynn (Beast, Emma) take the leading roles in The Lovers, which is from Doctor Foster and Pure producer Drama Republic.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCity of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, announced that its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group’s 2022 Spirit of Life Gala will feature a performance by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson.The gala will take place Oct. 27, 2022, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles — the first after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Reading & Leeds, Latitude and more – has teamed up with Music Declares Emergency in an effort to bring renewable power to UK festival sites.The project aims to drive grid connections to festivals nationwide and begin the transition of the UK outdoor live sector to grid power, per a press release. It will ultimately reduce carbon emissions for the sector in relation to temporary power generation.Funded by Festival Republic, the collaboration falls under the ongoing No Music On A Dead Planet climate campaign which has previously won support from the likes of Billie Eilish, Foals and Brian Eno.Festival Republic will support the project closely with the aim of presenting fully renewably powered, grid-connected stages at three of its events for the 2023 festival season.

Pete Wicks has reportedly pulled out of filming TOWIE in the Dominican Republic special after the death of his nan Doreen, whom the star was really close to.The 33 year old Essex-born reality TV star had been included in the ITVBe show's instalments in the Caribbean country, but according to his ex-girlfriend Ella Wise, opted to take some time off work instead. Pete has reportedly been devastated by the loss of his beloved grandmother.The star shared the news with a black and white snap of him holding her hand in her hospital bed on Instagram, which also showed he had Doreen's name tattooed on his hand. Ella, who is filming with the rest of the cast, revealed she had checked in with Pet to see how he was doing with the heartbreaking news.

The Only Way is Essex cast have headed on a lavish getaway to the Dominican Republic as they get set to film the next series of the popular ITVBe show. Stars of the show such as Courtney Green, Amber Turner and Chloe Meadows have jetted off together, alongside the likes of Dan Edgar, Diags, Yazmin Oukhellou and Dani Imbert.