Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad to Produce Joshua Bennett’s ‘The Book of Mycah’ for Warner Bros. TV

Manori Ravindran International Editor Former Warner Bros. Discovery and OSN executives are teaming up to form a new content studio serving the Middle East and North Africa, Variety can reveal. Rise Studios is being set up by industry veterans Emad Morcos, former OSN chief content and commercial officer; Amanda Turnbull, former general manager at Warner Bros. Discovery Middle East, Africa and Turkey; and Amel Farag, former head of content commercial strategy at OSN. Rise will invest in local content and talent in order to launch homegrown film and TV productions on both regional and global broadcasters and streaming platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Parul Agrawal, a longtime drama executive at Warner Brothers Television, has been promoted to SVP and head of drama development. Reporting to Clancy Collins White, EVP and Head Of Development, she succeeds Leigh London Redman, who left in July to become President of Berlanti Productions.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Warner Bros. Television has promoted Parul Agrawal to the role of senior vice president and head of drama development, Variety has confirmed. Agrawal previously served as vice president of drama development. She tales over the role from Leigh London Redman, who exited the studio in July to join Berlanti Productions. Agrawal will report to Clancy Collins White, executive vice president and head of development. Agrawal originally joined WBTV in 2010, rising to vice president of drama development in 2019. During her tenure with the studio, she has helped develop shows like “Lovecraft Country” at HBO, “All American” and “All American: Homecoming” at The CW as well as “Batwoman,” “Black Lightning,” “Kung Fu” “Supergirl,” and the upcoming “Gotham Knights” at the broadcaster. Others include “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Maid” at Netflix as well as “Castle Rock” at Hulu and many more.

in a Twitter thread on Tuesday.“And for what? The business model isn’t working. @WBD stock has lost more than 50% post-merger. So stockholders suffer too.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Warner Bros. Television Group handed out pink slips to 82 staffers on Tuesday, representing 19% of the studio’s workforce, across its scripted, unscripted and animation divisions. Additionally, it has opted not to fill 43 additional vacant positions — making for a total elimination of 125 jobs (or 26% of an approximately 481 headcount). Warner Bros. TV Group declined comment, but it’s understood that chairman Channing Dungey detailed to staff a series of changes that included various levels of consolidation in unscripted and animation. Also, as reported Tuesday afternoon, the company has closed Stage 13, a shingle focused on diverse shortform programming (leading to the exit of Stage 13 head Diana Mogollón), and will end the Warner Bros. Television Workshop, which had existed for decades as a training ground for new creative talent in both writing and directing.

Warner Bros Television is cutting more than a quarter of its workforce as part of its parent company’s drive to cut costs.

shuttering of the company’s short-form division, Stage 13, and its Television Workshop for up-and-coming writers and directors. While neither program was founded with the initiative of specifically supporting talent from underrepresented backgrounds, both eventually became a pipeline through which rising and diverse talent could break into the industry.Following the exit of longtime producer Brooke Karzen, who was most recently the EVP and head of Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, the unscripted division plans to combine some creative development and programming roles across Warner Horizon and Telepictures.As for television animation, there will continue to be three studios — Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe — run by Sam Register.

Dune: Part Two‘s release date has been changed again.

About TheGrillFor over a decade, WrapPRO’s Grill event series has led the conversation on the convergence between entertainment, media and technology, bringing together newsmakers to debate the challenges and opportunities facing content in the digital age. Tailored to a C-suite and innovative, forward thinking  attendees, the event delivers a unique series of curated discussions, industry panels and virtual networking activations that explore the ever-changing media landscape.

laying off hundreds of workers on the business side. Up to 30% of the combined sales teams of the merged company were expected to be cut.

Layoffs are underway at Warner Bros. Television Group. The cuts include the closing of digital shortform programming division Stage 13 and of the famous Warner Bros. Television Workshop, which has been around for more than 40 years.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As Warner Bros. Discovery continues its belt tightening (with more layoffs expected imminently at Warner Bros. TV Group), the company has shuttered Stage 13, a shingle focused on diverse short-form programming, and will also pull the plug on the Warner Bros. Television Workshop, which had aimed to train new creative talent in both writing and directing. Stage 13 was founded in 2017 under the former Warner Bros. Digital Networks division as a studio for original digital short-form programming. Past shows include Netflix’s “Special” and “It’s Bruno,” and The CW’s “Two Sentence Horror Stories.” Warner Bros. Television has already been supervising Stage 13 development and programming since 2020; existing Stage 13 projects in development will be absorbed within the studio. The shut down comes as the popularity of producing short-form programming itself appears to be on the wane; this year, the TV Academy merged several short-form categories as the pool of programming shrunk.

Zack Sharf Dwayne Johnson recently told CinemaBlend that “the whole point” of bringing Black Adam to the big screen in his own standalone movie is so that one day he can make a Black Adam vs. Superman movie. Johnson has often been asked by fans which character would win in a fight (“It depends on who’s playing Superman,” he said at Comic-Con over the summer). When asked directly if he “intends to make a movie where Black Adam fights [Superman],” Johnson replied: “Absolutely. That is the whole point of this, man.” “I have been saying for some time, there’s a new era in the DC Universe that’s about to begin,” Johnson said. “And what I meant by that was introducing a brand new character. It’s not a sequel, not an existing IP. It was…you know, Black Adam. Two years ago the world had no idea who he was. We did, but not the rest of the masses out there. What I really meant by, ‘This is a new era in the DC Universe,’ is listening to the fans. And doing our best to give the fans what they want.”

Fox’s new Entertainment Global sales unit will “go against the grain of other U.S.-based media entities” by being wholly agnostic and selling to everyone, according to CEO Fernando Szew.

BreAnna Bell Production is moving forward for Jensen and Danneel Ackles. With their latest endeavor, “The Winchesters” slated to premiere on The CW on Oct. 11, the couple recently renewed their first-look deal with Warner Bros. Television for two more years and teases there’s a few more stories they’re looking to share in the future through their production company, Chaos Machine. “We are excited to continue our relationship with Warner Bros. as it’s been our home for a long time. It feels only natural that The Winchesters would stay within the Warner Bros. family and continue on the Supernatural legacy,” said the couple in a joint statement.

Another wave of Warner Bros Discovery post-merger layoffs is coming.

Brooke Karzen, who has been with Warner Bros.’ unscripted production division for over 20 years, is leaving the company.

HBO Max has confirmed that Doom Patrol Season 4 will premiere on December 8 with two brand-new episodes. Each week after that a new episode will drop through January 5. Watch a preview of the new season in the video posted above.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer With peak nerd TV upon us, there’s never been a better time to be a fan of genre programming – or David S. Goyer, a devotee and prolific writer-producer of genre fare. Goyer and his Phantom Four Films partner Keith Levine produced Hulu’s new David Bruckner-directed “Hellraiser” movie, which launched Friday, and are in the middle of filming their latest take on classic IP, “The Omen” prequel movie “The First Omen,” in Rome. Beyond that, the pair are in post-production on the second season of Apple’s “Foundation” adaptation, breaking the writers’ room for more episodes of the “Batman Unburied” podcast for DC and Spotify. They’re also working on two spinoff podcasts, including “Riddler,” featuring Hasan Minhaj, and a Batgirl/Barbara Gordon project. And they’re in the early stages of developing a dramatic series revolving around Michael Moorcock’s “The Eternal Champion” books for Skydance and Apple TV+ with “Foundation” writer Dana Jackson. If that’s not enough, they’re also holding their breath for a renewal of the Warner Bros.-produced “The Sandman” at Netflix.   

Universal Pictures Wins Big At 2022 BASE AwardsThe British Association for Screen Entertainment hosted the 42nd annual BASE Awards at Camden’s Roundhouse Thursday night and Universal Pictures led the winner’s list, taking home five awards, including Outstanding Innovation for Streaming ‘Live’ to Your Living Room: Stand-Up Comedy with Eddie Izzard and Dylan Moran, and Best in Class Packaging for Inglourious Basterds: Total Basterds Edition. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery followed close behind with four awards each. Sony Pictures Entertainment took home Campaign of the Year for New Release Film – Over 15m Box Office for Spider-Man: No Way Home, while Warner Bros. Discovery won Home Entertainment Campaign of the Year – TV for Game of Thrones: The Iron Anniversary.

"The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, the first movie that incorporated synchronized speaking parts for its actors, was released on this day in history, Oct. 6, 1927.  Primitive by today’s standards, the movie revolutionized cinema in the United States and beyond and is recognized as a landmark achievement in pop culture history.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO Max has given a straight-to-series order to a new comedy series from Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay with Sebastian Maniscalco set for the lead role, Variety has learned. The single-camera show is titled “How to Be a Bookie.” HBO Max has given it an eight-episode order. Per the official logline, “A veteran bookie (Maniscalco) struggles to survive the impending legalization of sports gambling, increasingly unstable clients, family, co-workers, and a lifestyle that bounces him around every corner of Los Angeles, high and low.” Lorre and Bakay serve as co-writers and executive producers on the show. Maniscalco will executive produce in addition to starring, with Judi Marmel also executive producing. Warner Bros. Television is the studio. Chuck Lorre productions is currently under an overall deal at WBTV. The show marks Lorre’s first series at HBO Max.

Variety as Madrid’s 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria, a TV-film forum, wound down on Friday, running Sept. 27-30.  Three large table talk topics were the fall out from the planned merger of HBO Max and Discover+ by Warner Bros. Discovery – with the removal of more than three dozen titles on HBO Max in August alone –  Netflix’s reconfiguration of its business model and galloping inflation in Europe, threatening streamer subs, They also played out, if sometimes indirectly, at the Iberseries & Platino Industria panels. 

Michaela Zee editor Carl Samrock, former VP of publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures who started out as an entertainment photographer for the New York Times, died Saturday night of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. The news of his death was confirmed by his wife, Carol Andelman Samrock. Samrock served as Warner Bros. Pictures’ vice president of national publicity under chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel. He joined the company in 1982 as West Coast publicity director, in which he later oversaw a 16-member staff that handled the publicity on nearly 30 films in production or release annually.

EJ Panaligan editor Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the finalists for its Warner Bros. Discovery Access Music Supervisor program, which gives creative voices from historically underrepresented communities the training and tools to gain experience in television and film music supervision. The six selected participants, Mjeema Pickett, Tiffany Gouché, A.D. Johnson, Matthew Wang, Nikki Marshall and Willy Rodriguez, will participate in a curriculum developed by an advisory board of music supervisors Paul Broucek, President of Music, Warner Bros. Pictures; Bronwyn Savasta, SVP, Music, Warner Bros. Television; and Evyen Klean, Founder, Neophonic. The cohort will learn about production, IP management, publishing, soundtracks, deal negotiation in addition to music masters, record labels, research, clearance and licensing. The program will also allow participants to gain hands-on training in an experience that will assist in their future career goals in entertainment. After completing a string of Masterclasses, the cohort will be able to shadow a WBD music supervisor on a show or feature, through a partnership with HBO, HBO Max, WBTV and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Lisa Levine If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. When it comes to an impressive Halloween costume, proper preparation and creativity is key. Although it’s a month away, spooky season is officially upon us and it’s time to start brainstorming for a weekend’s worth of costumes. There are dozens of Halloween costumes for women to choose from based off the buzziest shows and films of the season — from She-Hulk to the Rockford Peaches, here are the best women’s costumes to shop this Halloween. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Courtesy of Spirit Halloween Her name says it all and you will be a wonder wearing this deluxe authentic costume. This is the modern-day Wonder Woman costume from the “Wonder Woman” movie and comes with everything you need to look like this iconic superheroine. The dress has attached shorts with a metallic red top and blue mini skirt which is an almost dupe for the Gal Gadot movie from 2017. Also included is a belt, a pair of gauntlets, arm bands, and a pair of boot covers and her signature tiara to finish off this look.

K.J. Yossman Danny Boyle is set to direct a dance adaptation of 1999 sci-fi blockbuster “The Matrix.” Titled “Free Your Mind,” the Warner Bros. Theater Ventures-licensed project is set to debut next October at Factory International, a new arts venue in Manchester, U.K. The production, described as a “large-scale immersive performance,” will serve as the venue’s inaugural show. “Combining the hip-hop choreography of hundreds of dancers with the latest immersive design, ‘Free Your Mind’ will take audiences on a thrilling journey through ‘The Matrix’ and into a new realm of possibilities,” reads the logline.

Naman Ramachandran Leading practitioners of the Asian theatrical business participated in a lively discussion on the future of the sector post-pandemic and the signs are encouraging. Speaking at the APOS conference in Singapore on Thursday, moderated by Variety Asia editor Patrick Frater, Stephen Laslocky, VP at leading research firm Media Partners Asia, provided a handy overview of the theatrical market in Southeast Asia. Laslocky said that Indonesia, the largest market in the region, would be back to 2019 levels of theatrical business by the end of 2022. “In Malaysia, the demand generally appears to be back, the issue was the pipeline just wasn’t so great, particularly this year. But next year, they think that’s going to improve for both local, which has done very well this year, and for foreign films next year,” Laslocky said.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Gerhard Zeiler, president of International at Warner Bros. Discovery, has moved to reassure the Asia-Pacific region that it is an integral part of the group’s post-merger strategy. “Don’t believe that we don’t know how important Asia is for our company, he said Thursday. Zeiler was speaking at the APOS Convention in Singapore on Thursday. He cited examples of theatrical success for “Batman” and “Fantastic Beasts” in the region and investment in local production in the region. The reassurance may have been necessary following post-merger announcements that proposed changes in North America, Latin America and Europe ahead of Asia – despite recent external data showing Asia-Pacific as one of the world’s fastest growth regions.

William Earl Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav assured staffers across Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday that the company is not on the auction block. The chairman-CEO of the newly merged entity made his remarks at a company-wide town hall meeting that was beamed out via Zoom to WB Discovery’s 40,000 employees worldwide. Zaslav’s comments came in response to a question from an employee. WB Discovery was formed in April by the merger of AT&T’s WarnerMedia and the Zaslav-led Discovery. There’s been speculation about more M&A to come for the conglomerate since before the merger agreement was completed. “We are not for sale,” Zaslav told employees during the 75-minute session. “We have everything we need to be successful.”

Manori Ravindran International Editor As it continues to cement its European leadership structure, Warner Bros. Disccovery has set out the team working across France, Benelux and Africa under Pierre Branco, general manager for the region. Branco, who reports into EMEA boss Priya Dogra, was previously country manager for WarnerMedia in France, Benelux, Middle East and Africa and head of affiliates and ad sales for EMEA. The changes on his team take effect immediately. In the new layout, Romain Carbonne will manage the insights and research teams across the region, while Guillaume Coffin will lead affiliate sales, ad sales and content licensing for the region.

Warner Bros. Discovery has set out Pierre Branco’s leadership team for France, Benelux and Africa.

Selome Hailu Warner Bros. Discovery is expansing its “Turn Up! Fight Hunger” campaign, a partnership with No Kid Hungry. The news comes timed to company’s participation in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health on Wednesday. After an initial pledge in 2018 to donate 1 billion meals to children in need in five years’ time and meeting that goal early in 2021, WBD has upped their promise to 2 billion meals. Including the number already donated, the 2 billion total is set to be reached by September 2023. The program began after Gloria Steinem advised CEO David Zaslav to promote some kind of social good upon hearing that Discovery brands (before the merger with Warner Bros.) reached 25% of American women each night. The company has since utilized that reach with easy-to-access action items, like encouraging viewers across platforms like the Food Network and HGTV to donate by texting the word “hungry” to 707070. The money raised allows for schools, food banks and other community groups to buy not only food, but essential resources such as delivery trucks and protective gear for workers.

grow the number of subscribers to its streaming service without regard to cost or profitability.”The plaintiff, a pension fund to benefit current and former police officers in Collinsville, Illinois, suggests that anyone who purchased WBD on the open market post-merger is qualified to join the lawsuit.It’s seeking a jury trial for monetary damages, alleging three separate Securities and Exchange Commission violations.

Soto said in an interview with NPR focusing on Latino superheroes. Studio execs assured Soto who added, “They told me not to worry, the film has their full support.”“Cobra Kai” breakout Xolo Maridueña is set to star in the lead role of Jaime Reyes in “Blue Beetle.”In the same interview with NPR, Maridueña added that he is a combination of both a DC and Marvel superhero.“He’s kind of like a fusion of Green Lantern and Iron Man,” Maridueña said.

Ellise Shafer UTA has signed content creator and multi-hyphenate Tefi Pessoa, aka Tefi, for worldwide agency representation in all areas. Known on TikTok as @hellotefi, she first gained prominence for her pop culture deep-dives on the platform, in which she breaks down hot topics like celebrity couples and scandals for her 1.5 million followers. UTA will find Tefi new opportunities in live events, film, scripted and unscripted television, podcasting and publishing. A proud Latina from Miami, Tefi currently hosts MTV’s YouTube competition series “Merch Masters,” where designers create merchandise for music stars like Lil Nas X and Machine Gun Kelly to win a cash prize. She also serves as InStyle’s exclusive social media host and regularly appears on the magazine’s TikTok channel. She has worked as a TikTok red carpet correspondent for Warner Bros. and collaborated with Paramount, Netflix, Focus Features, Hulu, Peacock, ABC and DirecTV, as well as music festivals like Governor’s Ball and Coachella. In 2021, she was nominated as a TikTok Latinx Trailblazer as part of their creator spotlight series for Hispanic Heritage Month.