FORMAT Fremantle and Kansai TV have launched new entertainment format “Quiz Pong” following a co-development deal initially revealed at MIPCOM 2022. The format was launched in Japan last month by Kansai TV and Fremantle will handle the production and global distribution. “Quiz Pong” is a fast-paced gameshow where teams compete against each other in a fun tournament…
Pamela L. Kunath to Join ‘Resident Evil’ Producer Constantin, Co-Helming L.A. Arm, Producing English-Language Projects
Pamela L. Kunath will become the co-president at Constantin Film Development Inc. in Los Angeles, starting March 1, where she will serve alongside co-president Robert Kulzer. Constantin Film Development develops and produces the English-language productions of German production and distribution powerhouse Constantin Film, best known for the “Resident Evil” franchise. Kunath arrives at Constantin from…
Disney CEO Bob Iger on Potential Hulu Sale: ‘Everything Is on the Table Right Now’
With Bob Iger back in the CEO seat at Disney, will he look to grab full ownership of Hulu from Comcast — or will the company sell its stake as it looks to refocus its streaming portfolio? Iger, not yet 90 days in his reprise as Disney’s CEO, was noncommittal on the question of Hulu’s…
‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?‘ Star Colin Mochrie Says Cast Never Got ‘Fair Compensation’ or Paid Residuals: We ‘Probably Won’t‘ Return
Colin Mochrie has been a staple of American television comedy for 25 years now as an original cast member on the improvisational series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Mochrie, Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady have headlined the show since its 1998 launch on ABC, and they all returned for The CW’s reboot in 2013 after…
Sam Neill Joins Annette Bening in Peacock’s Liane Moriarty Series ‘Apples Never Fall’
Sam Neill has joined the Peacock limited series based on the Liane Moriarty novel “Apples Never Fall,” Variety has learned. Neill will now star in the series alongside previously announced cast member Annette Bening. The show was originally ordered to series at Peacock in February 2022. Per the official logline, the series “centers on the…
‘Somebody I Used To Know’ Review: Alison Brie and Jay Ellis Play Undecided Exes in Resonant Rom-Com
Although “Somebody I Used To Know” takes some of its cues from “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Young Adult,” director Dave Franco’s feature blessedly doesn’t overly rely on its cinematic predecessors. He and co-writer Alison Brie deliver the goods in their own hilarious, heartrending story about an emotionally stunted woman who returns home and attempts…
Spider-Man Noir Live-Action Series in the Works at Amazon (EXCLUSIVE)
A Spider-Man Noir live-action series is in the works at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively. The untitled series will follow an older, grizzled superhero in 1930s New York City. An individual with knowledge of the project says that the show will be set in its own universe and the main character will not be Peter…
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Star Alyssa Edwards Returns as World of Wonder Unveils New WOW Presents Slate (EXCLUSIVE)
Drag queen Alyssa Edwards is back in “Alyssa’s Secret — The Reboot.” The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 5 contestant’s return is part of World of Wonder’s 2023 slate of original content for their SVOD service, WOW Presents Plus. “Alyssa’s Secret,” which first began airing 10 years ago on the WOW Presents YouTube channel, is returning…
Thanks to a Niche Catalog and Killer Clown Co-Sign, Screambox Is Horror’s Buzziest New Streaming Platform
In order to elevate Screambox, a streaming service for horror fans, Tom Owen, co-managing director of Bloody Disgusting for Cinedigm, focused on a decidedly retro inspiration. “We like to make Screambox feel like the staff picks section of old video stores,” he said. “We have a really incredible team of people who are real, authentic…
‘Deadpool’ Actor Ed Skrein, Luis Guzmán to Star in ‘The Patience of Vultures,’ Pulsar, XYZ Films to Launch Sales at EFM (EXCLUSIVE)
Ed Skrein (“Deadpool,” “Game of Thrones”) and Luis Guzmán (“Narcos,” “Traffic”) are leading the ensemble cast of “The Patience of Vultures,” a neo-noir crime thriller which will be launched at the EFM by Pulsar Content, XYZ Films and WME Independent. Gregg Simon, whose credits include “Hemlock Grove” and the upcoming horror-thriller “Captive,” is set to direct the twist-filled…