News

Sony & BeIN Extend Content Pact

Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) and beIN Media have extended their content deal. First struck in 2021, the deal will see beIN take multi-year rights to upcoming Sony projects across the Middle East, North Africa (Mena) and Türkiye following their theatrical window. Sony’s upcoming slate includes I Know What You Did Last Summer, 28 Years Later and Karate Kid: Legends, and the agreement could see recent projects like Venom: The Last Dance and Kraven the Hunter come to beIN. Mark Young, EVP, Distribution & Networks, Emea, Sony Pictures Television, said: “Our passion at Sony Pictures is to bring great stories to great audiences, and our friends and partners at beIN remain the perfect home to bring this plethora of amazing content to audiences across Mena and Türkiye.”

‘Law & Order Toronto’ Scores At Canadian Screen Awards

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent won Best Drama Series at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards yesterday.

Doha-based beIN Media Group has inked a multi-year extension with Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe), locking down exclusive content rights across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

The renewed agreement gives beIN first and second window rights to Spe’s film slate and television series following theatrical releases. Content will roll out across beIN’s entertainment channels, beIN On Demand and streaming platforms Tod and beIN Connect in Arabic and English for Mena territories, with English and Turkish versions available through Digiturk’s entertainment channels in Turkey.

Sony’s theatrical slate includes horror sequel “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” zombie thriller “28 Years Later,” video game adaptation “Until Dawn” and martial arts franchise entry “Karate Kid: Legends.” Recent Sony releases that could land on beIN’s platforms include “Venom: The Last Dance,” “Kraven the Hunter,” Saturday Night Live origin story “Saturday Night,” Oscar winner “I’m Still Here” and family film “Paddington in Peru.

Hollywood is getting more muscle as UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping joins George Finn for Atlas King, an upcoming heist thriller from director Nika Agiashvili.

The “gritty thriller” heads to Cannes courtesy of Storyman Pictures. Agiashvili produces alongside John Edward Lee and Finn via Storyman. Bisping is a producer, and Giga Chikadze is an associate producer. Production should kick off this summer in Los Angeles.

According to Deadline’s exclusive report, Atlas King “follows a hardened ex-fighter (Bisping in the titular role), who comes back to town after years in exile to bury his best friend and settle old debts. Reunited with his godson (Finn), a street-level enforcer tied to a criminal syndicate, the two forge an uneasy alliance and plot a high-stakes heist to escape the grip of a ruthless mob boss.”

UFC fans know Michael Bisping as a British force of nature. From 2004 to 2017, his career saw him...

Fighting tooth and nail to stop depositions in the ongoing arbitration between the uberagency and its former employees over vested equity, Range and its Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher lawyers were dealt a blow this week by a LA Superior Court judge, again.

“The request to stay all discovery is Denied,” wrote Santa Monica-based Judge Mark Young after a hearing on Tuesday.

“Here, the Court will not stay all discovery pending a demurrer,” Judge Young wrote in his second ruling in the matter in as many weeks. The suit was filed by CAA against “unlawful” Range in September 2024. “The Court has not ruled on the merits of the demurrer, and, in fact, Plaintiff has not even filed their opposition. Even if the Court was to grant the demurrer, there are scenarios where Plaintiff would be granted leave to amend and discovery would be appropriate.”

In terms of Range’s desire to “quash subpoenas,...

Fringe made a name for itself as one of the strangest sci-fi TV shows of its time, airing five seasons of far-fetched concepts and experiments with “fringe science.” In 2013, when Fringe had fully explained the Observers and their impact on the timeline, many were disappointed to see the show end and continuously called for a reboot. The dedication of Fringe fans stems from the show’s ability to blend the fringe division’s dynamics and relationships with the exploration of strange scientific phenomena, making for an interesting and emotional watch.

One of the best sci-fi shows of all time, Fringe does not shy away from strange storylines. In fact, the majority of Fringe’s episodes feature strange and eccentric elements as Peter, Olivia, Walter, and Astrid investigate unusual cases within the FBI. From creepy body horror to the outright bizarre adventures of a drugged-up Walter, Fringe has a whole host...

Chuck Woolery, a prominent entertainment figure as a game show host, musician and later a controversial podcaster, has died at the age of 83. His death was confirmed by his podcast cohost and friend Mark Young in a social media post.

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” Young shared on X. “Life will not be the same without him. Rip, brother.”

Woolery became a household name as the host of the dating show Love Connection, which ran from 1983 to 1994, and was also the original host of Wheel of Fortune before Pat Sajak took over the role. His career in entertainment spanned decades, evolving from music to television to political podcasting.

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Born Charles Herbert Woolery in Ashland, Kentucky, on March 16, 1941, he served...

Chuck Woolery, who served as host for Love Connection, Wheel of Fortune, and other popular television game shows and later went on to co-host a right-wing podcast, died on Saturday at his home in Texas. He was 83.

Mark Young, the co-host of their podcast Blunt Force Truth, confirmed the news to The Associated Press via email. “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him,” Young wrote via The AP.

Woolery served as the first host of Wheel of Fortune...

Chuck Woolery, whose game-show hosting career included tenures at Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection, has died at age 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s friend and podcast cohost, shared the news on X on Saturday. “It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” Young wrote. “Life will not be the same without him. Rip, brother.” Young told TMZ he was at Woolery’s home in Texas when the former TV host reported not feeling well and went to lie down. When Young checked in later, Woolery was having trouble breathing, and despite a 911 call, Woolery died shortly thereafter. Woolery was born on March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, to a business owner and a homemaker, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After stints at the University of Kentucky, in the U.S. Navy, and at Morehead State University, Woolery moved to Nashville to start a music career.

Chuck Woolery has died at the age of 83.

The original Wheel of Fortune host passed away in his Texas home, according to a longtime friend.

As AP News reports, Chuck’s podcast co-host and friend, Dr. Mark Young, shared the news on Sunday morning.

In an email to AP News, Dr. Young stated that Chuck passed away with his wife, Kristen, present.

Dr. Young wrote, “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith. Life will not be the same without him.”

Over on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Young shared the news in a public tweet, along with a collage of photos of himself and Chuck.

It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him,Rip brother pic.twitter.com/OVPgG195RX

— Dr. Mark Young (@MarkYoungTruth) November 24, 2024

“It...

Former Wheel of Fortune Chuck Woolery died. The long-time gameshow host was 83. Other than Wheel of Fortune, he was known for hosting Love Connection and had high-profile gigs throughout his life. It helped to increase his wealth and made him a very successful man.

Here is a look at Chuck Woolery’s net worth at the time of his death.

What Was Chuck Woolery’s Net Worth?

Chuck Woolery was a veteran game show host throughout his life. He first appeared on a 1974 episode of Your Hit Parade and then joined Merv Griffin’s empire as a gameshow host for many years.

Chuck Woolery Youtube

Woolery worked on Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981. Pat Sajak replaced him as the host after he left that job. He then moved on to Love Connection, a hosting job he held from 1983 to 1994. During the same time, he hosted Scrabble from 1984 to 1990 and again...

Wheel Of Fortune star Chuck Woolery is one of the most beloved game show hosts in the entertainment industry. He had hosted multiple TV shows and was the original host of Wheel Of Fortune and The Love Connection. The world is now mourning the loss of the game show legend who passed away at home in Texas.

Wheel Of Fortune: Who Is Chuck Woolery?

Chuck started his career as a singer and was the other half of the pop duo, The Avant-Garde. In 1975, he was hired for the TV game show Wheel Of Fortune. After six years in the program, Chuck was replaced by Pat Sajak. But his career didn’t stop there, Chuck later hosted Love Connection in 1983 and stayed on the show for 11 years. He has also appeared as a host and co-host for other variety game shows, such as Scrabble from 1984 to 1990 and Home & Family...

Veteran game show host Chuck Woolery, who is best known for his years on the syndicated dating show Love Connection, has died at the age of 83, TVLine has confirmed.

Woolery died Saturday at his home in Texas, TMZ reports. “It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother [Chuck Woolery] has just passed away,” Woolery’s friend and podcast partner Mark Young shared on social media. “Life will not be the same without him.”

More from TVLineTony Todd, Candyman Star and Star Trek TV Veteran, Dead at 69Quincy Jones, Grammy-Winning Titan of the Music Industry, Dead at 91Alan Rachins,...

Chuck Woolery, a television pioneer who helped design modern game shows and became a household name as the host of iconic series like “Wheel of Fortune” and “Love Connection,” died on November 23 at 83, according to his friend and podcast co-host Mark Young.

Young announced the news on social networking platform X, writing, “With a crushed heart, I inform you that my dear brother Chuck Woolery has just gone away. “Life will not be the same without him.”

Woolery’s television career lasted over four decades, beginning with his historic role as the inaugural host of “Wheel of Fortune” in 1975. He ran the show for six years before Pat Sajak took over, which he held until his recent retirement announcement.

His career reached another high point 1983 with “Love Connection,” a dating show that became a global sensation. Woolery’s engaging charisma helped make the show a fan favorite and cemented his...

Chuck Woolery, the veteran game show host who gained fame as the original emcee behind “Wheel of Fortune” and later as the face of the popular syndicated dating show “Love Connection,” has died. He was 83.

The news was first reported on the social media site X by Woolery’s friend Mark Young, who noted that “it is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him, Rip brother.”

The website TMZ confirmed the news, reporting that Woolery died in his Texas home after having trouble breathing.

Woolery, who spent more than ten years as host of “Love Connection” (where he famously told viewers before commercial breaks that the show would be back in “two and two”), became known in more recent years as a conservative talk show host and pundit. He hosted a nationally syndicated radio commentary show,...

Game show veteran Chuck Woolery, who hosted the original versions of Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection, died November 23. He was 83.

Woolery’s passing was announced on X by his longtime friend and Blunt Force Truth podcast co-host Mark Young.

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” he wrote. “Life will not be the same without him.”

Young told TMZ that Woolery died at his Texas home after experiencing trouble breathing.

Woolery, who started his career as a country singer and was half of pop duo The Avant-Garde, was hired as Wheel of Fortune host when the show first launched in 1975. After hosting the program for seven years, he departed over a salary dispute and was replaced by Pat Sajak.

“Chuck Woolery was without doubt the Real Deal. He was an original. There was no one like Chuck,...

Chuck Woolery, the iconic TV host who worked on shows like Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection, has sadly passed away at the age of 83.

The celebrity’s friend and Blunt Force Truth co-host Mark Young confirmed the sad news and informed fans about what happened.

Keep reading to find out more…

Mark broke the news with a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him,Rip brother,” he wrote.

He spoke with TMZ and provided additional details.

Mark said that he was with Chuck at his home in Texas when the famed TV host started feeling under the weather. His symptoms worsened, and he was “having trouble breathing.”

Out thoughts go out to everyone who knew and loved Chuck at this horrible time. We hope that they find peace.

Sony Pictures Television and Movistar Plus+ have agreed to work together on a lot of material, which means that in 2025, Spanish viewers will be able to watch five new TV shows and six independent films.

The deal intentionally expands Movistar Plus+’s programming schedule, now including various popular shows from different styles. At the heart of the deal are five TV shows that promise to keep fans interested with great stories and big stars.

The first show is “Doc,” a medical drama with Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Elias, a doctor rebuilding her life after losing her memories for eight years. Based on an Italian show, the show will be shown for the first time in other countries in January.

Another great movie is “Dope Girls,” a crime story set in the past made by Bad Wolf Studios. The show, which stars Julianne Nicholson, is about a single mother in...

Exclusive: Spain’s Movistar Plus+ has gone shopping at Sony Pictures Television.

The streamer has acquired medical drama Doc, British crime drama Dope Girls, police thriller Long Bright River, the Jacob Elordi-starring Narrow Road to the Deep North and Outlander prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

Each show will premiere in Spain in 2025, with launch date due to be announced in due course. They were all introduced to buyers at May’s LA Screenings, where they began to create buzz.

Given this deal also includes library film titles, it something of a throwback to the former days of output deals — albeit in a 2024 manner. As such, Movistar Plus+ will premiere six features from the Sony Pictures library, namely Sundance title I Saw the TV Glow; Diana O. Pusić’s Julia Louis-Dreyfuss debut Tuesday; Saoirse Ronan film The Outrun; Daddio, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn; Nathan Silver’s Between the Temples; and Summer Camp,...

Sony Pictures Television’s (Spt) long-serving French sales exec Noemie Weisse is retiring after three decades at the U.S. outfit, with Spt expanding Zelda Stewart’s role.

Weisse worked across distribution in various Emea regions including Greece, Turkey, Middle East and Africa to eventually managing the French distribution office as SVP and Country Manager for France. She has served in that role since 2018, leading television and home entertainment distribution of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (Spe) new and library content portfolio across all French-speaking territories.

Stewart becomes the head of distribution in both France and Italy. Her expanded role at Spt extends her responsibilities from Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland to also cover France, Belgium, and all French-speaking territories. She will continue to be based in Milan and travel to Spt’s offices in Paris and Rome.

“It’s almost impossible to quantify the impact Noemie has had on Spt’s presence in France,...

Peacock and Sky have released the official trailer for the limited drama series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, starring Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey, and Jonah Hauer-King. The six-episode series will be available on Peacock in the US and Sky Atlantic and Now in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on May 2, 2024.

Based on the bestselling novel by Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an event series inspired by the real-life story of Jewish Holocaust survivors Lali and Gita Sokolov. Lali (Jonah Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and shortly after arrival, he was made one of the tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms.

One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. They experience love at first sight, and so begins a courageous, unforgettable, and human story.

Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer, Baretzki (Jonas Nay...

Harvey Keitel plays an elderly Slovakian Jew recalling a real-life story of romance, survival and hope in a Nazi concentration camp, where he tattooed the arms of thousands of fellow prisoners, in the trailer for Peacock and Sky’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz miniseries, which dropped Wednesday.

Keitel plays a modern-day Lali Sokolov recounting how, as a a young man in Auschwitz-Birkenau, he became a tattooist under the protection of a volatile Nazi SS officer Stefan Baretzki, played by Jonas Nay, to increase his chances of staying alive.

“Every time I open my eyes, I’m still there,” an older Lali in the trailer tells novice writer Heather Morris (played by Melanie Lynskey), the author whose book The Tattooist of Auschwitz has been adapted into the six-part series.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov in Auschwitz (center)

In July 1942, a younger Lali, played by Jonah Hauer-King,...

Melanie Lynskey is continuing her TV reign, and this time, is part of a decades-sweeping true story.

The “Yellowjackets” and “The Last of Us” star is part of the ensemble cast of “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” based on the novel of the same name. Lynskey portrays real-life author Heather Morris, who interviewed Holocaust survivor Lali Sokolov (Harvey Keitel) about meeting his future wife Gina (Anna Próchniak) in a concentration camp. The novel is inspired by the real-life love story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who met while prisoners in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust.

The official synopsis reads: “‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ is an event series inspired by the real-life story of Jewish Holocaust survivors Lali and Gita Sokolov. Lali (Jonah Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and shortly after arrival, he was made one of the tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day,...

Harvey Keitel plays an Auschwitz survivor who recalls the demons of his past and falling in love in a hellish Nazi death camp in the trailer for The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the Peacock and Sky limited series that unveiled a trailer on Thursday.

The six-parter sees Keitel playing an elderly Lali Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who arrived at a nightmarish Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazis’ largest concentration and extermination camp during the Holocaust, in 1942 and worked as tätowierer (tattooist), who inked identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms.

“But I found something there, someone,” a stoic Lali, around 60 years later, tells Heather Morris, the young novice writer (played by Melanie Lynskey in the series) whose popular novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, inspired the limited series.

As Lali tells Morris about his Auschwitz years, where as a young man he is played by Jonah Hauer-King, he introduces Gita Sokolov (Anna Próchniak), whose arm he...

Paramount+ has released the trailer for the final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” debuting April 4 with the first two episodes.

The series’ description reads, “The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well…dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.”

The cast includes Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala, Blu del Barrio and Callum Keith Rennie. Elias Toufexis and Eve Harlow are featured as recurring guest stars.

CBS Studios produces in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers include Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin,...

Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for “The New Look,” a new historical drama series starring Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior and Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel. Inspired by true events, the series from Todd A. Kessler chronicles the fashion designers and their contemporaries as they launched modern fashion, set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris.

The first three episodes will premiere on Feb. 14, followed by one episode dropping every Wednesday through April 3. Per the release, “The New Look” follows “the pivotal moment in the 20th century when the French city led the world back to life through its fashion icon Christian Dior. As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy. The interwoven saga follows the surprising stories of Dior’s contemporaries and rivals from Chanel to Pierre Balmain,...

Lawsuits from two men who accused Michael Jackson of abusing them as children in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland have been brought back from dismissal.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal on Friday reversed a ruling from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissing the suits from Wade Robson and James Safechuck. They will be able to proceed with claims that a pair of corporations owned by the singer had a legal duty to protect them from sexual abuse Jackson is alleged to have inflicted on them when they were children.

The justices found that it would be “perverse” to find that the corporations should be excused from a responsibility to oversee the safety of the plaintiffs because they’re solely owned by Jackson.

The ruling marks the second time the suits, filed in 2013, were restored after being dismissed. In 2020, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Young found that Robson...

Heading into its tenth edition next month, Nem Dubrovnik 2023 looks set to be its biggest event yet. Taking place from June 5-8 at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, the annual TV market will feature 11 keynote speakers as part of the program this year. They include: All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen; SkyShowtime CEO Monty Sarhan; Sony Pictures Television’s EVP of Distribution and Networks Emea Mark Young; and United Group CEO Victoriya Boklag.

Further keynote speakers are: Warner Bros. Discovery’s Jamie Cooke; Cosmote TV exec director Dimitris Michalakis; Viaplay Group’s Vanda Rapti; Big Light Productions CEO Frank Spotnitz; Cme CEO Dušan Švalek; Movistar Plus+’s Maria Valenzuela; and Beta Film MD Moritz von Kruedener. Execs from Lionsgate, Mediawan Rights and BBC Studios are also set to be in attendance.

The opening session will be a tribute to 10 years of the Nem brand, where Sanja Božić-Ljubičić, founder and CEO, will moderate...

Comcast-owned Sky has extended its multi-year content agreement with Sony Pictures Television on the eve of the LA Screenings.

The agreement gives Sky UK and Ireland rights to new Sony Pictures Entertainment titles such Spider-Man; Across the Spider-Verse, Gran Truism and Equalizer 3. The next instalment of the Ghostbusters franchise and several films from the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, such as Kraven the Hunter, El Muerto and Madame Web.

TV series include The Good Doctor and S.W.A.T., which was this month cancelled and then saved by CBS following fan backlash. Sky also gets recent films such as Whitney Houston biopic Whitney: I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Tom Hanks feature A Man Called Otto.

In total, the deal comprises 600 hours of film and TV content from the Sony library. Sky has rights to sell Sony titles through its Sky Store shopfront and live and streaming rights for streamer Now.

Comcast’s European pay TV giant Sky and Sony Pictures Television (Spt) have agreed to a multi-year continuation of their content partnership in the U.K. and Ireland, which will see Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) films and Sony TV series come to Sky Cinema and Sky Entertainment customers.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

The deal covers such upcoming Sony film slate titles as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Gran Turismo, Equalizer 3, the next installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, as well as the next moviesnin the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (including Kraven the Hunter, El Muerto and Madame Web). “The deal also includes recent hits, such as hugely popular Whitney Houston biopic Whitney: I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto,” the companies said. “Sky Cinema customers will continue to have access to an extensive selection of the most popular films in the Spe catalog,...

Rotten Tomatoes has teamed with Movieclips, an established YouTube destination for trailers and other movie material, to create a newly expanded entertainment video hub.

Both Rotten Tomatoes and Movieclips are under the digital network umbrella of NBCUniversal-owned Fandango.

The new Rotten Tomatoes YouTube Network will build on Movieclips’ 11-year history to offer more than 100,000 short and long-form videos related to movies, TV and streaming.

At launch, the new network will have more than 90 million subscribers and 10 active channels. Among the channels are Rotten Tomatoes Movieclips, Rotten Tomatoes Trailers, Rotten Tomatoes Coming Soon, Rotten Tomatoes Indie, Rotten Tomatoes Family, Rotten Tomatoes TV, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers.

“At Rotten Tomatoes, our goal is to help fans worldwide discover and share beloved entertainment,” said Mark Young, SVP and Gm of Rotten Tomatoes in a press release. “Combining the global brand recognition and trust of Rotten Tomatoes with Movieclips’ legendary library of clips and trailers,...

Grace Covington (Scout Taylor-Compton) wants nothing more than to find her birth parents. We’re told her former foster child has been looking for quite some time, perhaps helped in part by her Princeton-graduate, Hamptons-vacationing jock of a boyfriend’s (Nolan Gerard Funk’s Jack) money. Well, she finally has a lead thanks to the owner (King Orba’s Frank) of an old plantation down in Charleston—apparently near where she was born. He’s invited her to come stay and hear what he knows to point her in the right direction. Jack agrees to accompany her despite seeming like the kind of guy who’s never gone below the Mason-Dixon line in his life, declaring his undying love before throwing her to the wolves that are his parents on the way down.

It’s the usual introduction for this type of film: urban comfort making way towards backwoods anxiety.

Sony Pictures Television and WarnerMedia have extended a content deal that will see the likes of Spider Man: No Way Home and Ghostbusters: Afterlife made available on HBO Max and HBO channels across Central Eastern Europe.

The deal spans territories including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia. Streamer HBO Max will replace HBO Go in the region next month. It is currently available in 46 territories and is rolling out further to Europe this year.

The partnership incorporates other Sony blockbusters including Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Unchartered and Morbius, along with features such as Happiest Season, The Broken Hearts Gallery and Monster Hunter.

The move is an expansion of a pre-existing deal that has seen multiple titles appear in the region via WarnerMedia’s channels.

“As our industry navigates its way out of the pandemic, it is fantastic to consolidate...

Sony Pictures Television and WarnerMedia have extended their content deal across Central and Eastern Europe, which will see titles from the Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) slate of current and upcoming films shown exclusively on HBO channels and streamer HBO Max across the region.

The slate includes “Spider-man: No Way Home,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” “Unchartered,” “Morbius,” “Happiest Season,” “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” “Monster Hunter” and “The Father.”

The deal also includes titles from popular Spe franchises such as Hotel Transylvania, Spider-Man, Peter Rabbit and Jumanji and the Sony Pictures Television library of TV series titles.

Countries covered under the deal are Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia. HBO Max replaces HBO Go in the region on March 8.

Mark Young, executive VP, networks and distribution, Sony Pictures Television, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “As our industry...

Stars: Scout Taylor-Compton, Nolan Gerard Funk, Jeff Fahey, Kevin Ragsdale, Deborah Kara Unger | Written by Mark Young, Robert Sheppe | Directed by Rich Ragsdale

As The Long Night opens Grace and her boyfriend Jack are hanging out in their NYC apartment. She’s not a native New Yorker though, she’s from the South. Exactly where is a bit of a mystery, as she never knew her family. So when she gets a call from Frank saying he has a promising lead on her ancestry they drive down to see him. Thankfully he told her where he hides his spare key because when they arrive he’s nowhere to be found.

It doesn’t take long before they’re seeing strange altar-like things in the woods and strange figures in the distance. And snakes that seem to appear and disappear. Jack has the good sense to realize something is very wrong and decides they’re leaving,...

Sony Pictures Television has announced a first-run feature film slate deal with Turkish pay TV operator Sinema TV that expands the two companies’ existing library content deal.

Under this new agreement, Sinema TV will now get first pay-tv window rights to fresh Sony Pictures theatrical titles such as “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Uncharted,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.”

In April Spt and Sinema TV signed a three-year volume deal comprising the bulk of Sony’s most popular recent and library titles. That agreement includes an exclusive one-month window in July to rights in Turkey for the entire “Spider-Man” franchise on Sinema TV.

“We are delighted to expand our long-term cooperation with Sony Pictures Television with a multi-year first pay deal,” said Ferik Faruk Boyacioglu, who is Sinema TV Partner and CEO. “With this new deal, we will be able to present our viewers a variety of fantastic movies...

Doha-based beIN Media Group and Sony Pictures Television have partnered on a multi-year content deal covering the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey that will give beIN’s TV outlets a boost.

BeIN Media Group has more than 180 pay-tv channels worldwide, aired mostly across the Middle East and North Africa. BeIN also controls top Turkish paybox Digiturk.

The major deal with Sony covers first and second window rights to some of the top upcoming Sony titles such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Uncharted,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania,” as well as older Sony standouts like “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Greed” and “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.”

“It is fantastic to announce this deal and extend our strategic partnership with beIN, making them a fantastic home for Sony Pictures Entertainment across Mena and Turkey, and bringing some of our most popular and critically acclaimed...

Cinelytic has agreed with Fandango to incorporate Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and audience scores into its business intelligence platform, Variety has learned exclusively.

“During these critical times when the filmed entertainment business model is experiencing accelerated changes, Rotten Tomatoes’ critic and audience scores will provide users of our platform additional capabilities and insights that will be helpful for deciding how best to bring content to market – whether via Ott or theatrical,” said Cinelytic co-founder and CEO Tobias Queisser.

Based in Los Angeles, Cinelytic features machine learning and artificial intelligence driven tools pioneered at NASA that provide major studios and independent companies insights on talent value, content potential/risk and audience demand in real time.

Rotten Tomatoes is a 22-year-old review aggregator site that’s been owned by Comcast’s Fandango ticketing site since 2016. A movie’s Tomatometer score is aimed at providing an overall look at reviews with a film considered...

Stars: Lucian Charles Collier, Scottie Thompson, Lew Temple, Peter Jacobson, Richard Riehle, Lauryn Canny, Veronica Cartwright, James Purefoy, Rebekah Kennedy, Mandela Van Peebles, Chad Lindberg | Written and Directed by Mark Young

Killed in an attempt to rob a pawn shop, a robbery that ended in the death of shop owner (Veronica Cartwright), Jimmy wakes up to find himself in a dimly lit office face to face with prosecutor Balthazar (Lucian Charles Collier), who is tasked with trying Jimmy for his crimes. About to sign a confession of his crimes, Jimmy (Lew Temple) is interrupted by his defence attorney Cassiel (Scottie Thompson) – who announces she wants Jimmy to receive a full pardon…

So far so crime drama, Only it turns out that this office is any but an office. Instead it is limbo, the place between heaven and hell and Cassiel and Balthazar are actually battling for Jimmy’s soul. Cassiel’s task?...

Limbo, from writer/director Mark Young, premieres August 4 on DVD and Digital from Uncork’d Entertainment. Check out the trailer and read more about the movie below. Synopsis:a murderer finds himself on trial in Hell, caught between a bitter prosecutor and an inexperienced defense attorney. Limbo stars James Purefoy (Pennyworth), Veronica Cartwright (Alien, Bosch), Lew Temple (The Walking Dead, Once […] More...

"There is no way that this low life's getting into Heaven whilst I'm stuck here." Uncork'd Ent. has released an official trailer for an indie horror comedy called Limbo, the latest from indie filmmaker Mark Young. The high concept, low budget film is about a murderer who dies and finds himself on trial in Hell, caught between a bitter prosecutor and an inexperienced defense attorney. The entire setup is based around being in "limbo" with a colorful cast of characters. James Purefoy stars a Lucifer, with Lucian Charles Collier as Balthazar, plus Veronica Cartwright, Rebekah Kennedy, Scottie Thompson, Peter Jacobson, Lauryn Canny, Richard Riehle, and Lew Temple. This look that bad, but doesn't look that good either. Here's the first official trailer (+ new poster) for Mark Young's Limbo, direct from YouTube: A murderer named Jimmy (Lew Temple) finds himself on trial in Hell, caught between a bitter prosecutor and an inexperienced defense attorney.

Sky and Sony Pictures Television have signed a new “long-term” partnership that will give the Comcast-owned pay-tv operator access to Sony’s movies across the UK and Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.

The deal builds on an agreement signed in 2016 and means new Sony Pictures Entertainment releases, including Jumanji: The Next Level, Little Women and Bad Boys For Life, will be carried by Sky Cinema. The features will also be made available on Sky Store and the broadcaster’s streaming services, including Now TV.

Sony’s library of movies will also be available to Sky customers, including features like Hotel Transylvania and Ghostbusters, while in the UK, Sky will be able to show Sony series. This includes For Life, Blacklist, The Good Doctor and S.W.A.T.

Mark Young, regional executive vice president, Western Europe, at Sony Pictures Television said: “The industry is going through a dynamic and challenging time...

Sony Pictures Television is to co-develop and co-produce a slew of European originals with Viaplay after the Hollywood studio extended its content deal with the Scandinavian streamer.

The two companies have extended their exclusive, multi-year deal that means Viaplay will continue to have the first-window for Sony films and series in the Nordic region.

The deal includes series including The Blacklist, Outlander, Lincoln, The Good Doctor, S.W.A.T, Seinfeld, StartUp, The Goldbergs and L.A.’s Finest as well as movies including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Charlie’s Angels and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Other feature films include Jumanji: The Next Level, Little Women and Bad Boys For Life as well as Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Baby Driver and Blade Runner 2049.

Sony and Viaplay will also co-develop and co-produce up to six original scripted series that would premiere on Nent Group’s platforms in the Nordics with Sony taking international distribution rights.

When you're making live TV, there are no second chances. "There are always things that come up that are unexpected. You have to handle that and move on," says audio mixer Mark Young. "Every live musical that I have done brings its own challenges."

That was certainly the case in January when he worked on Fox's Rent: Live, based on the 1996 Tony-winning musical about a group of young artists in the East Village. After Brennin Hunt, who played Roger, broke his foot during a dress rehearsal the day before the broadcast, Fox chose to air ...

Hollywood royalty will be mingling with European royalty at this month’s Monte Carlo Television Festival.

The Hollywood contingent travelling to Monte Carlo — known for its glamorous location, red carpets and press junkets — includes Michael Douglas, who will receive the event’s top award, the Crystal Nymph, from Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Kennedy family scion and Academy Award-nominated documentary maker Rory Kennedy heads the festival’s news jury, and also presents the world premiere of the National Geographic film “Apollo: Missions to the Moon.”

Stars Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union will be in Monte Carlo for the festival’s opening screening of Sony Pictures Television series “L.A.’s Finest.” “SpongeBob SquarePants” will screen at the fest’s Kids & Family Day to mark its 20th anniversary.

Set up in 1961 by Monaco’s Prince Rainier, whose marriage to actress Grace Kelly lent an aura of showbiz glamour to the tiny but wealthy principality,...

HBO Europe has greenlit Swedish original drama Beartown, an adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s novel of the same name, to be directed by Peter Grönlund (Goliath). Series will be produced by Filmlance International, which is part of Endemol Shine Group. The five-part one-hour series, written by Anders Weidemann, Antonia Pyk and Linn Gottfridsson, will star Ulf Stenberg and Aliette Opheim. The story follows the goings on in the small town of Beartown, which is slowly losing ground to the ever-encroaching trees surrounding it, but with the junior ice-hockey team having a shot at winning the national semi-finals, all the dreams of the town rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys. It’s heavy burden that becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.

Mark Young has been appointed chairman of Synchronicity Films. Effective immediately, Young, who...

Sony Pictures Television (Spt) has hired Sky exec Holly Comiskey as Country Manager for the UK and Ireland.

The Hollywood studio has appointed Comiskey to run its television and home entertainment distribution in the UK as well as overseeing management of Spt’s networks.

She joins after seven years with the pay-tv giant, where she was Head of Acquisitions for the Sky Cinema service. During her time at Sky, Holly led the negotiation of multiple film output deals, including Sky’s first major studio multi-territory deal with Spt in 2016.

Comiskey joins in January and reports to Mark Young, Regional Evp, Western Europe, who was appointed to oversee the region as part of Sony’s reorganization of its worldwide distribution division this summer. Prior to joining Sky in 2011, Comiskey held positions in programme acquisitions at BT TV, television distribution at The Walt Disney Company and home entertainment at NBC Universal.

Young said,...

Sony Pictures Television has hired Holly Comiskey as its country manager for the U.K. and Ireland. The new Spt recruit will join the studio in January from Sky, where she was the head buyer for the pay-tv operator’s Sky Cinema service.

Comiskey will report to Mark Young, Spt’s executive vice president for Western Europe. “Holly has fantastic experience of working in a platform and channels environment, negotiating complicated rights agreements for premium content,” he said.

As head buyer for Sky Cinema, Comiskey negotiated the company’s studio output deals, such as its deal with Sony, which was sealed in 2016. Before Sky she was a buyer at BT TV, and has also worked at Disney and NBCUniversal.

At Sony, Comiskey will head up distribution, networks and home entertainment following a restructuring that saw the channels, sales and home entertainment divisions combined.

“I am delighted to join at this...

Sony Pictures Television has revealed the senior international execs that will lead the business as it moves towards a territory management model.

The Hollywood studio has named the “first wave of leaders” to run many of its major territories, while it is still searching for an exec to run the UK. Monica Veiga and Nathascha Rengifo will lead the Latin American business, excluding Mexico and Brazil, Phil King is in charge of Canada, Dai Huang will lead China, Noemie Weisse will boss France and Zelda Stewart is in charge in Italy.

This comes after Sony Pictures TV chairman Mike Hopkins reorganized a number of areas of the company, mostly on the distribution side. After folding home video into worldwide distribution under Keith Le Goy in February, Hopkins now added global networks operations, which had been reporting directly to him, to Le Goy’s portfolio. The combined global networks/worldwide distribution...

Sony Pictures TV will undergo an unspecified number of layoffs as part of a divisional reorg, which will include the creation of a direct-to-consumer unit.

In a memo on the changes sent to staff on Wednesday morning, Sony Pictures TV Chairman Mike Hopkins (pictured above) outlined three areas to be reorganized. Hopkins said that the company will combine global networks operations and worldwide distribution/home etertainment into a single business unit that will then operate in a territory management model that “brings together, under a single local leader, businesses that have been historically separate.”

“With this approach, we gain a more efficient structure giving regional leaders, along with their direct reports in each country, the ability to make smart, strategic business decisions, while keeping local consumers at the core of what we do,” Hopkins said.

Also Read: 'House' Producer Liz Friedman Signs New Multi-Year Overall Deal With Sony TV

The...

Sony Pictures TV chairman Mike Hopkins is reorganizing a number of areas of the company, mostly on the distribution side.

After folding home video into worldwide distribution under Keith Le Goy in February, Hopkins now also is adding global networks operations, which had been reporting directly to him, to Le Goy’s portfolio. The combined global networks/worldwide distribution/home entertainment unit will operate in a territory management model; under which regional heads will have oversight of TV and home entertainment distribution, as well as Spt-owned networks in their respective territories.

Additionally, Hopkins, who was CEO of streaming platform Hulu before joining Sony TV last fall, is joining the other traditional studios like Disney, Warner Bros. CBS with a direct-to-consumer push. The company is creating a unit that combines all direct-to-consumer Sony properties, including Crackle, to be run by Eric Berger, Chief Digital Officer of Sony Pictures TV Networks.

Spt...