Cynthia Littleton - starsalert.com

Kerry Washington Camila Morrone Jean Smart Christina Applegate Joel Machale Daisy Jones Casey Bloys Cynthia Littleton Jessica Williams Angelique Jackson Paul Walter Hauser Emily Longeretta Allen Hughes Ondi Timoner Janelle James Zachary Heinzerling William Earl Alex Pritz Sarah Lawrence Max Content Los Angeles Washington city Washington county Nash Entertainment awards actor president mtv Caseys

variety.com

25.05.2023 / 21:19

Shari Redstone’s National Amusements Receives $125 Million Investment From BDT Capital Partners

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor National Amusements, the parent company of Paramount Global, has received a $125 million investment from BDT Capital Partners, an investment firm that specializes in supporting family-controlled businesses and estates. The influx of cash is designed to take pressure off of Paramount Global stock price, which has been under water in recent months in part because of concern about National Amusements’ financial health. The deal will allow National Amusements to pay off some existing loans that have been secured by the company’s Paramount Global shares. “Our expanded partnership with BDT & MSD reflects our strong belief in Paramount’s ability to deliver value to all shareholders. Paramount has the best assets in the media industry, with an incredible content library and IP spanning all genres and demographics, as well as the No. 1 broadcast network, the leading free ad-supported streaming television service and the fastest-growing pay streaming platform in the U.S.,” said Shari Redstone, Chair, CEO and President of NAI. “NAI has conviction in Paramount’s strategy and execution, and we remain committed to supporting Paramount as it takes the necessary steps to build on its success and capitalize on the strategic opportunities in our industry.”

Shari Redstone Cynthia Littleton president CEO Waters Platform Strategy

variety.com

24.05.2023 / 23:41

Unpacking the Upfronts: How TV’s Big Week Reflects Broader Industry Turmoil

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor That was the week that was, and last week was an upfronts week like no other. Variety’s team of New York-based television and digital reporters offer a debrief on the 2023 programming presentations in New York on the latest episode of Variety weekly podcast “Strictly Business.” The drama roiling the industry was evident in all the Writers Guild of America picket signs that swarmed around the major events held from May 15 to May 17. That added to the general madness of the week that is a television and advertising industry tradition but is starting to feel anachronistic in the streaming era. But the upfronts are still a hard habit to break. Netflix even crashed the party this year, albeit virtually.

Cynthia Littleton Joe Otterson Todd Spangler Brian Steinberg Jennifer Maas New York New York Netflix show reports Digital Party Strategy Fox

variety.com

20.05.2023 / 18:43

A Clear-Cut Win for Artists or a Stifling Effect on Artistic Creation? How Copyright Law Experts View the Supreme Court’s Warhol Decision

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Purpose and character. These are now solidly enshrined as the buzzwords of copyright law on the heels of the Supreme Court’s 7-2 ruling earlier this week in the case involving the estate of Andy Warhol and photographer Lynn Goldsmith. The decision at first blush seemed to be a clear-cut win for copyright owners and artists who create original works. But the court’s majority decision, penned with verve by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, is already proving divisive among experts on intellectual property rights. It demonstrates the difficulty of setting up hard and fast rules around highly subjective questions, such as when an artistic or literary work is “transformative” of an earlier work and whether its ultimate use is for commercial purposes, or not. The case has been closely watched in part because it’s sure to have implications for the tidal wave of AI-generated art and literary works that are to emerge, and the still-larger wave of litigation likely to follow.

Cynthia Littleton Justice Sonia Sotomayor Lynn Goldsmith art testing experts musician Waves Music Progressive

variety.com

18.05.2023 / 00:37

Peter Chernin’s North Road Co. Buys Minority Stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Peter Chernin’s North Road Co. has taken a minority stake in Omaha Prods., the busy production banner headed by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. The deal brings an influx of capital to Omaha and it allows the company to tap into the production and distribution infrastructure that Chernin is building through North Road, which launched last year with backing from private equity giants Providence Equity and Apollo Global Management. North Road is in assembling a roster of content banners with the goal of creating a strong independent source of TV and film titles for buyers, particularly those outside the U.S. Omaha is already co-producing projects with North Road-affiliated Words + Pictures, which is headed by former ESPN programming executive Connor Schell. Omaha made a splash starting with the 2021 football season with the launch of its “ManningCast” alternative telecast of “Monday Night Football” featuring Manning and his brother Eli Manning, a fellow retired NFL quarterback, commenting on the game in real time with guests for ESPN 2.

Peter Chernin Cynthia Littleton Connor Schell city Omaha film 2020 ESPN man CEO Provident Banner road

variety.com

17.05.2023 / 16:45

LA Screenings: Networks Offer Starry Standouts as Writers Strike Impacts New Series Orders

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The major broadcast networks are trying very hard this year to do what they do best – create franchise drama series built around the adventures of larger-than-life characters. Kathy Bates, Kaitlin Olson, Carrie Preston and Shanola Hampton are among the female actors hoping to click as distinctive protagonists with new series in the 2023-24 season. Bates will bring to life a next-generation “Matlock,” while Preston limns a new chapter for Elsbeth Tascioni, the attorney character she has played on and off on CBS’ “The Good Wife” and Paramount+’s “The Good Fight” since 2010. This is good news for the hundreds of international television buyers heading to Los Angeles for next week’s LA Screenings market. Another welcome development is that the largest media congloms are now on a big push to reopen their doors to third-party buyers, after a few years of holding back the biggest shows for in-house streaming services.

Kathy Bates Carrie Preston Cynthia Littleton Warner Bros Kaitlin Olson Los Angeles Hollywood show actor Waves Matthews Adventure Fox

variety.com

15.05.2023 / 21:47

Writers Strike: Variety’s Co-Editor-in-Chief Answers Burning Questions About Why It’s Happening and What’s Next

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor On May 12, Variety partnered with Reddit’s Television subreddit to host an Ask Me Anything discussion about the ongoing writers strike. Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton — who has covered the television industry for 25 years and wrote the book “TV on Strike: Why Hollywood Went to War Over the Internet” about the 2007 strike — fielded many smart questions from Redditors, touching on topics like AI, who gets paid during the strike, and how long it could last. Below are key selections from the discussion, lightly-edited for clarity.

Cynthia Littleton Netflix Hollywood show reports cover actor country burning and

variety.com

15.05.2023 / 13:11

Roku Channel to Launch ‘Team Rubicon’ Series Spotlighting Volunteer Disaster Response Organization

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The Roku Channel will shine a spotlight on the work of the veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon through an unscripted series set to premiere May 25 from the production team behind PBS’ “This Old House.” “Team Rubicon” follows the organization’s volunteers as they are sent off in deployments across the country and overseas to help the neediest victims of natural and man-made disasters, from the recent storms in Selma, Ala. to the recent record snowfalls in mountain communities north of San Bernardino, Calif. The half-hour series, hosted by “This Old House’s” Kevin O’Connor, documents the real-world impact of extreme weather events and how the heaviest burdens fall hardest on the poorest communities and most vulnerable residents. The 13 self-contained episodes also emphasize the importance that volunteering plays for servicemembers in their transition to civilian life.

Cynthia Littleton Michael Burton Kevin Oconnor state Alabama Haiti county San Bernardino city Selma, state Alabama show record country volunteers CEO Extreme Provident

variety.com

13.05.2023 / 00:07

Variety Nominated for Record 96 Southern California Journalism Awards

Ethan Shanfeld Variety garnered a record 96 nominations for the SoCal Journalism awards sponsored by the Los Angeles Press Club, with nods across magazine and entertainment journalism, art and photography, video, audio, online content and social media during the 2022 calendar year. Among the nominations announced Friday were Tim Gray for print journalist of the year and Clayton Davis for online journalist of the year. In addition, Owen Gleiberman, Chris Willman and Daniel D’Addario were nominated as entertainment journalists of the year. “We are extremely proud of our newsroom for a banner year in record-breaking traffic, hard-hitting investigative journalism, profile writing and video. These nominations are a testament to the great work Variety is doing covering the entertainment industry,” said Variety co-editor-in-chiefs Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton.

Olivia Wilde Ramin Setoodeh Cynthia Littleton Tim Gray Chris Willman Brent Lang Daniel Daddario Owen Gleiberman Elizabeth Wagmeister Diane Garrett Los Angeles California county Davis county Clayton Entertainment film record awards cover art Southern

variety.com

12.05.2023 / 21:17

Motherhood From the Heart: Cindy Chupack on Celebrating Family in All Forms with ‘We Waited for You’ Picture Book

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor A birthday ritual at her daughter’s preschool gave Cindy Chupack the inspiration to write her first children’s picture book. When her daughter Olivia was a toddler, Chupack, a veteran TV and film writer and two-time Emmy winner, was invited to read a special picture book to the preschool class to celebrate Olivia’s birthday. As she turned the pages, Chupack quietly struggled with lines like “You were in my tummy” and other references that did not reflect her experience of starting a family through adoption. “I remember wanting to have something that would address all the different ways that families are formed,” Chupack told Variety of the spark that led her to write “We Waited for You: Now We’re a Family,” with illustrator Emily Hamilton. “I wanted something that would be validating to parents who have gone through a lot to get their child.”

Cynthia Littleton Cindy Chupack film cover Love Celebrity

variety.com

11.05.2023 / 16:07

Telemundo Adds Starry Telenovelas ‘El Conde,’ ‘Vuelve a Mi’ and Turkish Co-Productions for 2023-24 Slate

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Telemundo will add two starry telenovelas, “El Conde: Amor y Honor” and “Vuelve a Mi,” and a ninth season of its hit drama series “El Señor de los Cielos” to its 2023-24 primetime slate. Telemundo is bringing star Fernando Colunga back to the screen after a multi-year break from novelas for “El Conde,” an established novela format. Telemundo’s spin is a period drama set in the 1930s and ’50s, revolving around a man who is thought to have died in jail but turns up 17 years later to the surprise of his family and associates. Other cast members include Ana Brenda Contreras, Marjorie de Sousa, Chantal Andere and Sergio Sendel. It was shot stages and on location

Cynthia Littleton Williams Karen Barroeta William Levy El Conde New York USA Turkey show stage stars Latin man Enterprise and

variety.com

11.05.2023 / 01:43

Time to Grow Up, Disney+ and Hulu: Content Cuts Coming as Part of Streaming’s ‘Maturation Process’

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Disney is going on a diet — but Hulu is still on the menu. Disney CEO Bob Iger and chief financial officer Christine McCarthy delivered a clear message on Wednesday to Wall Street and to Hollywood during Disney’s quarterly earnings call. Disney will cut the overall volume of content produced for its streaming platforms — primarily Disney+ and Hulu — as it deals with a much tighter macroeconomic environment, not to mention the uncertain impact of the writers strike that began May 2. After spending just under $30 billion on content in Disney’s 2022 fiscal year (which ends in September), Iger has targeted $3 billion in savings for 2023. Of that $30 billion, about 30% is devoted to sports rights for ESPN and ABC Sports.

Bob Iger Cynthia Littleton Warner Bros Christine Maccarthy Entertainment Hollywood ESPN sports CEO Target Platform and

variety.com

10.05.2023 / 22:49

Writers’ Fear of Joining the ‘Gig Economy’ Fuels WGA Picket Lines

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Let the gig economy debate begin. One of the most contentious issues in the writers strike that erupted May 2 is the assertion by the Writers Guild of America that screenwriting is in danger of becoming part of the “gig economy.” The WGA’s proposed solutions — mandatory staffing minimums and guaranteed weeks of employment — are equally dividing labor and management. Now that contract talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have cratered, complex issues are being chewed over by writers who are fired up, walking in circles (literally) and wound up about the long-term employment picture for Hollywood scribes.

Cynthia Littleton Cindy Chupack Beyond Hollywood show Inside economy Citi Provident

variety.com

09.05.2023 / 20:27

Endeavor Sets First Dividend, Stock Buyback Plan as it Awaits WWE Acquisition and IMG Academy Sale

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Endeavor has big financial plans for the rest of the year as the company announced Tuesday it will declare its first dividend and begin its first stock buyback program as it awaits its acquisition of WWE and sale of IMG Academy. Endeavor delivered solid first quarter results on Tuesday, powered by growth in its owned sports properties unit which is about to grow substantially as Endeavor closes its $21 billion takeover of WWE later this year. Endeavor’s events and experiences unit also was in positive territory for the quarter. But the hangover of the January 2022 sale of the Endeavor Content production unit put a dent in the representation unit’s quarterly numbers.

Cynthia Littleton Ariel Emanuel record Inside sports CEO Platform Patrick and

variety.com

09.05.2023 / 15:25

Variety Promotes Jem Aswad to Executive Editor, Music

William Earl Variety has promoted Jem Aswad to lead all music content across digital, print and live media platforms as executive editor, music. Aswad will oversee all aspects of Variety‘s music-related editorial operations and staff. He will also continue to serve as Variety‘s leading voice on the business of music, penning cover stories, deep-dive features, investigative stories, personality profiles and reviews. With his promotion, Aswad will also help steer Variety‘s music-related event franchises, including Hitmakers and Music Mogul of the Year, and contribute significantly to developing music programming for live media events. Aswad is based in Variety‘s New York office and reports to co-editors in chief Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh. Shirley Halperin, Variety’s executive editor, music since 2017, is stepping down to become editor in chief of Los Angeles magazine.

Cynthia Littleton Shirley Halperin Williams Jem Aswad New York Los Angeles Los Angeles Entertainment reports record cover voice Music

variety.com

09.05.2023 / 01:11

WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman: Guild Is Ready to Meet Again When Studios ‘Recognize the Agenda Writers Absolutely Demand’

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Ellen Stutzman, the Writers Guild of America West’s chief negotiator, was out early Monday morning taking part in the family-themed picket that drew big crowds of striking writers and their children — including a few furry family members — to the sidewalks outside Netflix headquarters at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue in Hollywood. Stutzman’s presence at the location that has been one of the most heavily trafficked picketing sites was praised by WGA members who feel that guild leaders are going the extra mile to provide support and communication on the strike that began May 2. Stutzman, who brought her young son Mateo in a stroller, said the next steps in the process of coming to agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are self-evident.

Cynthia Littleton Ellen Stutzman Hollywood Netflix Fighting Provident

variety.com

05.05.2023 / 15:39

David Zaslav Declares War Against Churn and ‘Big Bleeder’ Streamers: ‘This Is a Business of Artillery’

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor David Zaslav and his team could be forgiven for sounding a little stressed on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q1 earnings call. The company’s numbers were pretty grim for a CEO who prizes his free cash flow. The Warner Bros. Discovery chief was fired up about a number of issues affecting the studio behind the shield, and he fired off verbal volleys, pop culture quotes and metaphors, invoking everything from military terminology to Formula 1 racing to “The Blues Brothers.” But the liveliest moment of the hourlong conference call with Wall Street analysts was Zaslav’s discussion of subscriber churn rates and how they differ between HBO Max and Discovery+, the two streamers that are set to be married and relaunch as a joint product dubbed Max on May 23.

David Zaslav Cynthia Littleton Warner Bros Gunnar Wiedenfels Pop 2020 blues CEO Platform Racing Pam and

variety.com

05.05.2023 / 02:17

WGA Strike: Patric Verrone Sees Parallels and Contrasts From 2007 in Guild’s ‘Righteous Cause’

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor It’s deja vu all over again for Patric Verrone, the former WGA West president who led the guild during the 2007-08 writers strike. Verrone, who spoke to Variety while picketing outside Fox Studios in West Los Angeles, sees a number of parallels to the dynamic that led to the work stoppage in November 2007 but also a number of important differences. He is a member of the negotiating committee that has been wrangling this latest three-year contract with executives at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. “I would say the chief similarity is that in 2007, and in 2023, the management didn’t believe us, when we said we were going to strike and that our demands were genuine, and that we had the full support of our membership,” Verrone said. “There was skepticism on the part of the companies that this would actually happen.”

Cynthia Littleton Los Angeles Hollywood film 2020 consequences president Platform Fox and

variety.com

30.04.2023 / 21:27

What Price Hollywood? For WGA Contract Talks, History Doesn’t Have to Repeat Itself

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Here we are at the precipice of an uncertain yet familiar place. The question of whether the TV and film industry will be shut down by labor action will be answered one way or another by the time Monday ends on the West Coast. In broad strokes, the Writers Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers face one of three basic outcomes as the WGA contract expires at midnight PST. Behind Door No. 1 – the sides reach a tentative agreement. Door No. 2 — they agree on a short-term extension, which is unlikely but could be anything from 12 hours to 12 days, or more. Door No. 3 – the talks are called off by one side or the other — or both — and picketing ensues in Los Angeles and New York on May 2.

Cynthia Littleton New York Los Angeles county Price Hollywood film show 2020 consequences action Platform

variety.com

29.04.2023 / 01:09

Martin Scorsese, David Johansen Talk Making ‘Personality Crisis: One Night Only’ Documentary During Pandemic

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The New York Dolls’ wildly original debut album got Martin Scorsese through the making of “Mean Streets” in 1973. Years later, Dolls frontman David Johansen enlivened the soundtrack of Scorsese’s HBO series productions “Boardwalk Empire” and “Vinyl.” Scorsese is also a regular listener of Johansen’s Sirius XM series “Mansion of Fun.” Finally, after Scorsese caught Johansen’s career-spanning cabaret set at the Café Carlyle, the director-producer – a storied teller of New York stories – decided that the time was ripe for a documentary on the proto-punk scion of Staten Island. “Personality Crisis: One Night Only,” which debuted April 14 on Showtime, chronicles Johansen’s evolution from the Dolls to the lounge-y pop of his Buster Poindexter period through his present day life as a husband, stepfather and eminence grise of New York’s music scene.

Martin Scorsese Cynthia Littleton David Johansen Buster Poindexter David Tedeschi Margaret Bodde New York Hollywood New York Pop film performer gatherings pandemic shootings Music

variety.com

28.04.2023 / 16:15

Weird Al Yankovic, Kerry Washington, Elle Fanning and More Join Variety TV FYC Fest

William Earl Variety will return in-person with its TV FYC Fest on June 7 in L.A., featuring HBO/Max Chief Casey Bloys, Kerry Washington, Elle Fanning, Janelle James, Gina Rodriguez and Weird Al Yankovic. Fanning (“The Great”), James (“Abbott Elementary”), Rodriguez (“Not Dead Yet”) and Washington (“UnPrisoned”) will participate in a roundtable celebrating Disney’s TV female comedy standouts. Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content will offer his vision for TV storytelling with Cynthia Littleton, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, in what will be his first interview following the series finale episode of “Succession.”

Hannah Brown Kerry Washington Kristin Cavallari Gina Rodriguez Trixie Mattel Christina Applegate Casey Bloys Cynthia Littleton Lisa Katz Cedric Yarbrough Carlos Alazraqui Mary Birdsong Thomas Lennon Williams E.Jordan Pat Show Janelle James Weird Al-Yankovic Jordan Washington city Washington awards president mtv Celebrity CEO Caseys and

variety.com

27.04.2023 / 15:39

Turmoil in Kabletown: Jeff Shell’s Hasty Exit Spurs Questions About NBCU’s Long-Term Future Within Comcast

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The first rumblings about Comcast considering a major change involving NBCUniversal started this time last year.Now, in the wake of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell’s abrupt firing, industry speculation about what may be in store for the network-studio conglomerate has gone into what-if overdrive. Maybe NBCU merges with Hulu to become a stand-alone company. Maybe the cable operations of Comcast and the satellite business of the U.K.-based Sky are separated from NBCU.

Jeff Shell Brian Roberts Cynthia Littleton Warner Bros film reports 2020 art president electronic CEO

variety.com

27.04.2023 / 14:21

‘The Garcias’ Shopped by Producers After HBO Max Cancels Family Show

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Producers of “The Garcias” have re-acquired the rights to the family comedy series from HBO Max and are shopping the show to other buyers. HBO Max canceled the series after Season 1 aired last year. New Cadence Prods. has reclaimed the streaming and international rights to the 10 episodes and is seeking a new home for the show that revolves around a large, multicultural and multigenerational Latino family. HBO Max still had nine years left on its license for Season 1 of “The Garcias” after dropping the series. New Cadence, headed by “The Garcias” co-creator/showrunner Jeff Valdez and investor Sol Trujillo, struck a deal with HBO Max that gives them the ability to produce new episodes of the series and sell the existing episodes to a rival outlet. New Cadence’s deal with HBO Max already was structured so as to ensure that the company retained long-term ownership of “The Garcias” outright.

Cynthia Littleton Jeff Valdez show stars audience track Nielsen

variety.com

26.04.2023 / 17:03

Variety Hires Stephen Rodrick as Chief Correspondent

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Variety has hired acclaimed magazine writer Stephen Rodrick to be a chief correspondent for the publication. In his new post, Rodrick will write cover stories and longform pieces about Hollywood, movies, TV shows and important figures in the entertainment industry. His work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, New York and The New Yorker. He has spent the past decade writing for Rolling Stone. “Stephen is one of the best magazine writers in the country,” say Variety co-editors-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton. “His arrival at Variety comes in a year where we are experiencing unprecedented digital growth. We are so excited to start publishing his beautiful, literary writing in the pages of our weekly print magazine and online.”

Johnny Depp Lindsay Lohan Ramin Setoodeh Robert Redford Jeff Bridges Cynthia Littleton Paul Schrader Raphael Bob Waksberg Allison Jones New York New York county Canyon Twitter Entertainment Hollywood show cover sports Digital

variety.com

21.04.2023 / 19:03

Nicholas Stango Promoted to Variety’s Executive Producer of Video

William Earl Nicholas Stango has been promoted to executive producer of video for Variety, a role where he’ll oversee all editorial video production for one of the biggest brands in entertainment news. “Nick is a thoughtful, innovative leader who has created some of our most successful video franchises,” say Variety co-editors-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton. “Under his watch, we can’t wait for Variety to continue to grow as the No. 1 destination in the digital space for videos about the entertainment industry.” Since Stango was promoted in February, Variety‘s video team has been on a winning streak. In the 24 hours following the start of the 2023 Oscars red carpet, Variety notched its highest-ever day of social traffic, racking up 122 million video views across platforms.

Brad Pitt Hugh Jackman Jennifer Coolidge Viola Davis Cate Blanchett Ramin Setoodeh Cynthia Littleton Williams Los Angeles Entertainment social actor innovations Digital Oscar

variety.com

20.04.2023 / 21:42

10 Key Takeaways From Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit

Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit in Los Angeles, marketing pros came together to discuss their challenges, best practices and triumphs. Here are the highlights from the event, held Wednesday at 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Competition for Attention Is Fierce In the summit’s opening session, moderated by Variety co-editor-in chief Cynthia Littleton, panelists spoke about dealing with trying to win viewers amid the flood of content across platforms. “We’re competing with everything… This is no longer a linear-timeslot thing,” said Margaret Walker, SVP, NBC brand strategy and audience growth. Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing officer of Paramount Streaming, said that staying close with fans on social can help inform content-development strategy. For example, he cited “Teen Wolf,” which ended its run on MTV in 2017 but “had a really engaged, rabid social fanbase.” That led the company to develop a “Teen Wolf” movie for Paramount+ that premiered in January.

Cynthia Littleton Margaret Walker Domenic Dimeglio county Summit Los Angeles, county Summit Entertainment Hollywood film social audience Digital Platform

variety.com

20.04.2023 / 14:11

‘Unscripted’ Redstone Book Set for TV Development by Producer Steven Paul (EXCLUSIVE)

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Producer Steven Paul has optioned the rights to “Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy,” with plans to develop the nonfiction bestseller by James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams as a TV series. The book, published by Penguin Random House in February, tells the sordid, behind-the-scenes story of the battle for control of Sumner Redstone’s media empire. The book has been the talk of the town in Hollywood as industry insiders learn the unvarnished details behind the recent history of Sumner and Shari Redstone, Viacom, CBS Corp., Leslie Moonves and a host of other prominent figures. Paul is in the process of recruiting a writer to develop the property as a limited series through his SP Media Group. The deal was brokered for Stewart and Abrams by CAA’s Ron Bernstein and SP Media president Scott Karol.

Jon Voight Shari Redstone Leslie Moonves Cynthia Littleton James B.Stewart Sumner Redstone Rachel Abrams Hollywood film audience Inside gossips president CEO

variety.com

20.04.2023 / 01:59

Marketing Chiefs Talk Digital vs. Linear, Tighter Budgets and Scoring Viral Successes: ‘TikTok is Ground Zero Right Now’

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor When it comes to entertainment marketing, TikTok is the new “ground zero.” That was among the views expressed by a panel of five top film and TV marketing executives held Wednesday as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit at the One Hotel in West Hollywood. The lively conversation, moderated by Claudia Eller, Variety’s chief production officer, touched on the challenge of working with shrinking marketing budgets, the need to create bespoke content for an array of platforms and the thrill of scoring big with earned media and word of mouth. But the discussion became the most animated when the group discussed the outsized role that TikTok now plays in spreading the word on entertainment content.

Cynthia Littleton Claudia Eller Dwight Caines Entertainment film president Digital Parke Platform Tiktok Chiefs and

variety.com

19.04.2023 / 19:31

Carlyle Group’s David Rubenstein on Why Hollywood is a ‘Uniquely American’ Invention

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Hollywood is a “uniquely American” construct that is deeply intertwined with the concept of the United States as a land of rags-to-riches opportunity. That’s the view shared by David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chair of investment giant Carlyle Group, after his visit to the Hollywood hills for an episode of his new PBS series “Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories.” “The whole culture of Hollywood is one that is uniquely American,” Rubenstein says on the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” in discussing the episode of “Iconic America” that is devoted to the Hollywood sign. The series debuts April 26. “What we try to do in these so-called symbols of our country, is to talk about things that are really uniquely American. Obviously there’s Bollywood in India, but generally, if you think about making movies, you think about Hollywood, and a uniquely American kind of enterprise,” Rubenstein says.

Marilyn Monroe Cynthia Littleton David Rubenstein USA Hollywood India actor country information Dreams Discover Extreme

variety.com

19.04.2023 / 14:21

‘Lost’ and ‘Watchmen’ Showrunner Damon Lindelof and Fuzzy Door Productions President Erica Huggins Keynote Variety’s Power of Law Breakfast

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor This year, Variety’s Power of Law breakfast at The Maybourne Beverly Hills on April 19 is treating attendees to not one but two keynote conversations with industry players: showrunner Damon Lindelof, interviewed by Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton, and executive Erica Huggins, interviewed by Variety Chief Production Officer Claudia Eller. At the Power of Law event – where City National Bank is the presenting partner and Signature Resolution is an official partner – the pair will offer their insights into the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape to an audience of invited attorneys who form this year’s Legal Impact Report honorees.

Star Trek Damon Lindelof Carlton Cuse Cynthia Littleton Claudia Eller Erica Huggins Peter Caranicas Deputy Entertainment film stars audience reports president Citi and

variety.com

19.04.2023 / 02:47

Charter Spectrum Sues Lionsgate in Dispute Over ‘Manhunt’ TV Series and Pop TV Carriage Deal

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Charter Spectrum has filed a lawsuit accusing Lionsgate of reneging on an agreement to deliver a third season of the “Manhunt” anthology series that was connected to the cable operators carriage of the Pop TV channel. The suit, filed late Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, underscores the Byzantine nature of dealmaking between media giants these days, and it demonstrates the desperate measures that studios have taken to keep low-profile cable channels on the air. At the time of the events in quesiton, Lionsgate jointly owned Pop TV with CBS. But Lionsgate’s motivation changed after it sold its stake in Pop TV to CBS in 2019, according to the suit.

Cynthia Littleton Los Angeles Pop show reports 2020 cover Target Party and

variety.com

17.04.2023 / 18:13

Alison Herman Joins Variety as TV Critic

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Alison Herman is Variety’s new TV critic, joining chief TV critic Daniel D’Addario. In the role, Herman will be a key voice in television criticism, writing reviews, commentary, appreciations and cover stories across all of Variety’s platforms. She will work with editor-at-large Kate Aurthur, who oversees the publication’s TV criticism and features. Herman was a staff writer at The Ringer from 2016 to 2023, where she covered television and popular culture. During her tenure, she wrote columns on new shows, profiled performers such as John Mulaney and reported the definitive piece on the aesthetics of “Succession.” “TV criticism is one of the bedrocks of Variety, as the No. 1 brand covering the business of entertainment,” co-Editors-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh say. “Alison’s deep knowledge of television and pop culture make her the perfect addition to our team.”

Steven Yeun John Mulaney Ramin Setoodeh Jeremy Renner Kathryn Hahn Cynthia Littleton Kate Aurthur Daniel Daddario Twitter show performer stars cover voice Platform

variety.com

14.04.2023 / 01:53

‘The Americans’ Reunion: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and More Recall Behind-the-Scenes Highlights and Hijinks From the FX Spy Drama

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor As seasoned espionage pros, they didn’t give up much, and they didn’t indulge in too much nostalgia. But for an hour or so on Wednesday evening, five core players of “The Americans” reunited in Midtown Manhattan to share stories and spread a few compliments for work they did together on the highly lauded FX series. To mark the 10th anniversary of the spy drama’s debut, stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich were joined by showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields for a lively reunion conversation hosted by the Paley Center for Media. Fields reminded his colleagues that Superstorm Sandy made a surprise guest appearance in “The Americans” pilot, turning the production schedule upside down just before they were scheduled to begin shooting the pilot for DreamWorks Television and Fox Television Studios.

Keri Russell Matthew Rhys Cynthia Littleton Noah Emmerich New York USA city Manhattan city Sandy Washington, area District Of Columbia area District Of Columbia county Russell city Midtown show stars shootings Matthews Platform Fox and

variety.com

12.04.2023 / 20:31

Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Drops After Max Presentation

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Warner Bros. Discovery shares were down 6% at the close of trading Wednesday, on the heels of the company’s expansive presentation of its plans to overhaul the HBO Max streamer. WB Discovery shares have been battered over the past year as the company dealt with post-merger cost-cutting and management realignment. On Wednesday, the stock fell 5.8% to $14.05 on what was a down day overall for the market and a down day for most of WB Discovery’s media rivals, including Disney (down 2.5%), Paramount Global (3.3%) and Netflix (down 2%). The Dow Jones index fell a modest 38.2 points while the Nasdaq dropped 102 points, or 1%. The hourlong WB Discovery presentation was held during trading hours, at 10 a.m. PT on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. Wall Street’s verdict on WB Discovery’s plans is still not in, but the immediate reaction of investors indicates that the company still has a long road ahead in sorting out its profit centers in the age of streaming.

David Zaslav Cynthia Littleton Warner Bros city Burbank Netflix film show CEO Platform

Cynthia Littleton: Celebs Rumors

Samsung TV Plus Expands its Horizons with Sports, Entertainment and Gaming Pacts

All news where Cynthia Littleton is mentioned