‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ (Publisher: Riverhead Books)
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride tops Amazon Book Editors’ list of the Best Books of 2023. Responding to the honor, McBride said, “Every moment in history is full of sadness and tests. But love is the killer of mankind’s worst diseases. It lives without boundaries. It goes everywhere. You can find it everywhere. Even in a grocery store. I’m so glad you found it in this one.”
Amazon’s book editors selected The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead as the top children’s book and Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals as the best young adult book of the year. For readers into romance, Amazon suggests Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score, and for those looking for help in the kitchen, the top cookbook, food, and wine pick is Erin French’s Big Heart Little Stove.
“Between dragon-filled...
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride tops Amazon Book Editors’ list of the Best Books of 2023. Responding to the honor, McBride said, “Every moment in history is full of sadness and tests. But love is the killer of mankind’s worst diseases. It lives without boundaries. It goes everywhere. You can find it everywhere. Even in a grocery store. I’m so glad you found it in this one.”
Amazon’s book editors selected The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead as the top children’s book and Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals as the best young adult book of the year. For readers into romance, Amazon suggests Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score, and for those looking for help in the kitchen, the top cookbook, food, and wine pick is Erin French’s Big Heart Little Stove.
“Between dragon-filled...
- 11/15/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Cruel Summer is definitely one of the most thrilling teen series ever made. The Freeform series instantly became a hit upon its release and became the most-watched series on the network ever. Set in the ’90s the series revolves around two teen girls during three different time frames. So, if you like Cruel Summer and are hoping for a renewal of Season 3, here are some shows that could pass your time until it comes out.
Also Read: Shows Like ‘Sharp Objects’ To Watch If You Miss the Series
Sharp Objects (Max) Credit – HBO
Synopsis: For Camille Preaker, it’s a dark path down memory lane. Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) and directed by Emmy(R) winner Jean-Marc Vallee (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), this thrilling limited series stars five-time Oscar(R) nominee Amy Adams as a city journalist with a history of psychiatric issues who...
Also Read: Shows Like ‘Sharp Objects’ To Watch If You Miss the Series
Sharp Objects (Max) Credit – HBO
Synopsis: For Camille Preaker, it’s a dark path down memory lane. Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) and directed by Emmy(R) winner Jean-Marc Vallee (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), this thrilling limited series stars five-time Oscar(R) nominee Amy Adams as a city journalist with a history of psychiatric issues who...
- 8/9/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
James Patterson, Margaret Atwood Among Thousands Of Writers Urging AI Companies To Honour Copyrights
James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies.
“Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter reads in part. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited.”
Read More: Margaret Atwood Stands Against ‘Enforced Childbirth’ In Abortion Rights Op-Ed
The letter is addressed to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and other AI producers. The Guild announced Tuesday that other signers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon and Louise Erdrich, as well as authors Jonathan Franzen, Celeste Ng, Nora Roberts and Ron Chernow.
“If creators aren’t compensated fairly,...
“Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter reads in part. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited.”
Read More: Margaret Atwood Stands Against ‘Enforced Childbirth’ In Abortion Rights Op-Ed
The letter is addressed to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and other AI producers. The Guild announced Tuesday that other signers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon and Louise Erdrich, as well as authors Jonathan Franzen, Celeste Ng, Nora Roberts and Ron Chernow.
“If creators aren’t compensated fairly,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
The level of solidarity among striking WGA writers has been a powerful force during these first few weeks of the writers strike. Seeing it in action on picket lines is a good reminder for the industry at large that there’s a special camaraderie among those who know what it’s like to stare at a blank screen, search for inspiration and then type away at draft after draft to get the words just right.
That’s true for novelists as much as it is for screenwriters. Often those are one and the same — and because we live in an age where pre-sold IP usually makes it easier to sell a TV project, there have never been more series based on books than there are right now.
I don’t have the numbers to back me up on that, but we’re still living in peak TV times. Which means...
That’s true for novelists as much as it is for screenwriters. Often those are one and the same — and because we live in an age where pre-sold IP usually makes it easier to sell a TV project, there have never been more series based on books than there are right now.
I don’t have the numbers to back me up on that, but we’re still living in peak TV times. Which means...
- 5/22/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
When writer Liz Tigelaar isn’t on set, in her Fox lot bungalow office or at the Venice home she shares with her wife, their 7-year-old son and two French bulldogs, she occasionally relaxes at (and, yes, works from) one of the tonier trailer parks on the planet: Malibu’s Paradise Cove. That’s where she’s shared a petite beach house with longtime friend and fellow TV producer Erica Messer (Criminal Minds) and her family for the past decade. “We joke that we remodeled it with the efficiency of two showrunners,” says Tigelaar. “It was just ‘Yep! Yep! Yep!’ … The quickest choices possible.”
Since creating her first series, The CW’s Life Unexpected, back in 2009, Connecticut native Tigelaar has become one of the most sought-after scribes in the adaptation business — shepherding spins on Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things (out April 7 on Hulu...
Since creating her first series, The CW’s Life Unexpected, back in 2009, Connecticut native Tigelaar has become one of the most sought-after scribes in the adaptation business — shepherding spins on Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things (out April 7 on Hulu...
- 4/3/2023
- by Mikey O'Connell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Celebrities are speaking out about the latest mass shooting in the U.S.
Late Saturday night, a gunman shot and killed 10 people, injuring numerous others, at a Lunar New Year festival in Monterey Park, a largely Asian suburb of Los Angeles.
Read More: Simu Liu ‘Shook’ After Altercation With Professional Autograph Seekers Following Event
In a thread on Twitter, “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu condemned the attack and its impact on the Asian American community in the area.
“I am shocked, saddened, angered, and heartbroken for the families who have been affected tonight,” he wrote.
I am shocked, saddened, angered, and heartbroken for the families who have been affected tonight. Please use the replies here to post more info as it comes out, as well as any verified fundraisers for the victims. I'd like to give what I can.
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 22, 2023
TV journalist Lisa Ling also shared her reaction to the horrible event,...
Late Saturday night, a gunman shot and killed 10 people, injuring numerous others, at a Lunar New Year festival in Monterey Park, a largely Asian suburb of Los Angeles.
Read More: Simu Liu ‘Shook’ After Altercation With Professional Autograph Seekers Following Event
In a thread on Twitter, “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu condemned the attack and its impact on the Asian American community in the area.
“I am shocked, saddened, angered, and heartbroken for the families who have been affected tonight,” he wrote.
I am shocked, saddened, angered, and heartbroken for the families who have been affected tonight. Please use the replies here to post more info as it comes out, as well as any verified fundraisers for the victims. I'd like to give what I can.
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 22, 2023
TV journalist Lisa Ling also shared her reaction to the horrible event,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Reese Witherspoon will star in and produce “Election” sequel “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” at Paramount+.
The “Big Little Lies” actress will reprise her role as Tracy Flick in the adaptation based on Perrotta’s latest novel of the same name.
“Tracy Flick Can’t Win” will follow up on the beloved 1999 film that documented a high-stakes student government election as overachieving Tracy goes head-to-head with social studies teacher Jim McAllister, played by Matthew Broderick, who sabotages Tracy’s campaign.
Also Read:
‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ Gets Premiere Date on Prime Video
Published in June 2022, Perrotta’s satirical dark comedy “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” charts Tracy’s life into adulthood as she climbs her way to political power. Perrotta will also serve as executive producer for the adaptation.
“Election” director and co-writer Alexander Payne will return to direct and will write the film adaptation with Jim Taylor.
In collaboration with Hello Sunshine,...
The “Big Little Lies” actress will reprise her role as Tracy Flick in the adaptation based on Perrotta’s latest novel of the same name.
“Tracy Flick Can’t Win” will follow up on the beloved 1999 film that documented a high-stakes student government election as overachieving Tracy goes head-to-head with social studies teacher Jim McAllister, played by Matthew Broderick, who sabotages Tracy’s campaign.
Also Read:
‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ Gets Premiere Date on Prime Video
Published in June 2022, Perrotta’s satirical dark comedy “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” charts Tracy’s life into adulthood as she climbs her way to political power. Perrotta will also serve as executive producer for the adaptation.
“Election” director and co-writer Alexander Payne will return to direct and will write the film adaptation with Jim Taylor.
In collaboration with Hello Sunshine,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
“Daisy Jones & the Six” first-look photos are here via Vanity Fair along with the show’s premiere date: March 3, 2023.
The adaptation from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s wildly popular historical fiction novel of the same name will go to Amazon Prime Video, following the rise and fall of a fictional ’70s band in the guise of Fleetwood Mac. The oral history is told in interviews.
Riley Keough will star as the titular lead singer of the band. Other stars appearing include Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, Camila Morrone as Billy’s Wife, Suki Waterhouse as Karen, Sebastian Chacon as Warren, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie and Will Harrison as Graham. Timothy Olyphant will portray Rod Reyes, Tom Wright will play Teddy Price and Nabiyah Be will portray Simone Jackson.
Also Read:
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Director Olivia Newman Explains That Twist Ending
The timeline will include the band’s start, heyday...
The adaptation from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s wildly popular historical fiction novel of the same name will go to Amazon Prime Video, following the rise and fall of a fictional ’70s band in the guise of Fleetwood Mac. The oral history is told in interviews.
Riley Keough will star as the titular lead singer of the band. Other stars appearing include Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, Camila Morrone as Billy’s Wife, Suki Waterhouse as Karen, Sebastian Chacon as Warren, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie and Will Harrison as Graham. Timothy Olyphant will portray Rod Reyes, Tom Wright will play Teddy Price and Nabiyah Be will portray Simone Jackson.
Also Read:
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Director Olivia Newman Explains That Twist Ending
The timeline will include the band’s start, heyday...
- 12/6/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Each week, The Hollywood Reporter will offer up the best new (and newly relevant) books that everyone will be talking about — whether it’s a tome that’s ripe for adaptation, a new Hollywood-centric tell-all or the source material for a hot new TV show.
Rights Available
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (The Wylie Agency)
The prolific author’s latest novel borrows a bit of mood and background from Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (two girls growing up in a European town eventually grow estranged) but adds a juicy secret about literary fraud to the center of the story.
Creep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor (Grandview)
This YA thriller follows a private high school’s golden couple, Laney and Nico — they’re gorgeous, popular and seemingly in love — from the perspective of an interloping fellow student whose admiration quickly spirals into dangerous obsession.
Each week, The Hollywood Reporter will offer up the best new (and newly relevant) books that everyone will be talking about — whether it’s a tome that’s ripe for adaptation, a new Hollywood-centric tell-all or the source material for a hot new TV show.
Rights Available
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (The Wylie Agency)
The prolific author’s latest novel borrows a bit of mood and background from Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (two girls growing up in a European town eventually grow estranged) but adds a juicy secret about literary fraud to the center of the story.
Creep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor (Grandview)
This YA thriller follows a private high school’s golden couple, Laney and Nico — they’re gorgeous, popular and seemingly in love — from the perspective of an interloping fellow student whose admiration quickly spirals into dangerous obsession.
- 10/5/2022
- by Seija Rankin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brooke Shields is moving into the podcast space with Now What?, her first podcast that examines pivotal moments in people’s lives. Produced by iHeartMedia, Now What? with Brooke Shields is set to launch Tuesday, October 11 on the iHeartRadio app and major podcast platforms.
Now What? with Brooke Shields is about pivotal moments and the decisions that people make as a result — from career changes and personal missteps to moving through grief (or just plain moving on). In each weekly episode, Shields will chat with experts, authors and celebrity guests “about the things that knocked them off their feet, and what they did to get back up,” according to iHeart. “Every success and every setback is accompanied by a choice, and that choice is the answer to one question – “Now, What?”
Upcoming guest include Selma Blair who will discuss moving through life’s darkest moments; actor Kal Penn to talk...
Now What? with Brooke Shields is about pivotal moments and the decisions that people make as a result — from career changes and personal missteps to moving through grief (or just plain moving on). In each weekly episode, Shields will chat with experts, authors and celebrity guests “about the things that knocked them off their feet, and what they did to get back up,” according to iHeart. “Every success and every setback is accompanied by a choice, and that choice is the answer to one question – “Now, What?”
Upcoming guest include Selma Blair who will discuss moving through life’s darkest moments; actor Kal Penn to talk...
- 9/16/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Lucy Liu is set to lend her voice for her first solo audiobook performance.
The actress will narrate the audiobook of Our Missing Hearts from bes-tselling author Celeste Ng, Penguin Random House Audio announced Wednesday.
Our Missing Hearts, set to release on Oct. 4, tells the story of 12-year-old Bird, whose mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left the family when he was 9 years old. Bird and his father’s lives “have been governed by laws written to preserve ‘American culture’ in the wake of years of economic instability and violence.” In order to preserve that culture, authorities are allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have also been forced to remove “unpatriotic” books, including the work of Bird’s mother.
Liu said in a statement: “Celeste is such a beautiful writer. When I was asked if I would narrate her new novel,...
Lucy Liu is set to lend her voice for her first solo audiobook performance.
The actress will narrate the audiobook of Our Missing Hearts from bes-tselling author Celeste Ng, Penguin Random House Audio announced Wednesday.
Our Missing Hearts, set to release on Oct. 4, tells the story of 12-year-old Bird, whose mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left the family when he was 9 years old. Bird and his father’s lives “have been governed by laws written to preserve ‘American culture’ in the wake of years of economic instability and violence.” In order to preserve that culture, authorities are allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have also been forced to remove “unpatriotic” books, including the work of Bird’s mother.
Liu said in a statement: “Celeste is such a beautiful writer. When I was asked if I would narrate her new novel,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Hrishikesh Hirway, the musician and creator of the hit podcast Song Exploder, has signed with CAA.
Song Exploder, which first launched in 2014, features interviews with musicians who discuss the backstories and creative process behind some of their songs. Past guests have included Fleetwood Mac, Tame Impala, Sheryl Crow, Lorde and Dua Lipa, among many others.
In 2020, the podcast was adapted into a Netflix series produced and directed by Morgan Neville, with the first season bringing on Alicia Keys, R.E.M., Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ty Dolla ign for in-depth explorations of one of their respective songs.
Next month, Hirway will launch an eight-episode spinoff of Song Exploder, co-hosted with The Library Book author Susan Orlean, that will bring on authors to discuss a specific passage from one of their works as a means to explore their writing processes. Book Exploder, which debuts on...
Hrishikesh Hirway, the musician and creator of the hit podcast Song Exploder, has signed with CAA.
Song Exploder, which first launched in 2014, features interviews with musicians who discuss the backstories and creative process behind some of their songs. Past guests have included Fleetwood Mac, Tame Impala, Sheryl Crow, Lorde and Dua Lipa, among many others.
In 2020, the podcast was adapted into a Netflix series produced and directed by Morgan Neville, with the first season bringing on Alicia Keys, R.E.M., Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ty Dolla ign for in-depth explorations of one of their respective songs.
Next month, Hirway will launch an eight-episode spinoff of Song Exploder, co-hosted with The Library Book author Susan Orlean, that will bring on authors to discuss a specific passage from one of their works as a means to explore their writing processes. Book Exploder, which debuts on...
- 7/13/2022
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the help of Reese Witherspoon and her book club, Delia Owens’ novel “Where the Crawdads Sing” has been adapted into a film. Reese’s Book Club designated the novel as a selection back when it was first published in 2018, rocketing it up the NY Times Bestseller list.
The movie will bring to life the story of a young girl, abandoned by her family, who learns to live on her own in her family’s old shack in the marsh in 1960s North Carolina. The girl grows into a clever young woman who knows how to fend for herself and love off the land. Her life becomes a bit more complicated when romance enters the picture, and the story takes a sharp turn.
Here’s everything we know about the “Where the Crawdads Sing” movie so far:
It’s the story of a girl who raises herself
Published in August...
The movie will bring to life the story of a young girl, abandoned by her family, who learns to live on her own in her family’s old shack in the marsh in 1960s North Carolina. The girl grows into a clever young woman who knows how to fend for herself and love off the land. Her life becomes a bit more complicated when romance enters the picture, and the story takes a sharp turn.
Here’s everything we know about the “Where the Crawdads Sing” movie so far:
It’s the story of a girl who raises herself
Published in August...
- 6/28/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
You think you’ve got mother-daughter problems – but no! Aimless 30-year-old Andy Oliver (Bella Heathcoate), who shelved her New York dreams to return to small-town Georgia to nurse her mother, Laura Oliver (Toni Collette), through breast cancer, appears at first to have the usual issues. Post-op Laura pushes her daughter to leave the nest again and become an autonomous adult, and mopey stuck-in-a-rut aspiring artist Andy resists. Par for the course.
What upends it all? To celebrate Andy’s 30th birthday, Laura takes her out to lunch and a new round of nagging when all hell breaks loose. In a bravura set piece that recalls the crazy museum bombing that launches Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch,” a spurned boyfriend enters the mall restaurant, shoots his ex-girlfriend who’s leaving him for med school and keeps firing. Blood simple, he targets Andy, who’s wearing her police uniform from her night job answering 911 calls.
What upends it all? To celebrate Andy’s 30th birthday, Laura takes her out to lunch and a new round of nagging when all hell breaks loose. In a bravura set piece that recalls the crazy museum bombing that launches Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch,” a spurned boyfriend enters the mall restaurant, shoots his ex-girlfriend who’s leaving him for med school and keeps firing. Blood simple, he targets Andy, who’s wearing her police uniform from her night job answering 911 calls.
- 3/2/2022
- by Thelma Adams
- The Wrap
NBCUniversal wants to add an interesting new story to Jenna Bush Hager’s “Today” book club.
For nearly four years, the co-host of the 10 a.m. hour of “Today” has chosen a book each month for members of her “Read with Jenna” club to peruse and discuss. The selections typically focus on new authors and writers from diverse backgrounds who may not get the spotlight awarded to better-known contemporaries. Now, as part of a “first-look” production deal with Universal Studio Group, Bush Hager will have an opportunity to expand the stories she finds to other media. The pact was brokered by United Talent Agency, which represents Bush Hager.
“We just realized there is such an opportunity to make sure we are doing the best we can to highlight these authors and make sure their books live in other areas,” Bush Hager told Variety. Thirty of her selections have made the New York Times’ best-seller list,...
For nearly four years, the co-host of the 10 a.m. hour of “Today” has chosen a book each month for members of her “Read with Jenna” club to peruse and discuss. The selections typically focus on new authors and writers from diverse backgrounds who may not get the spotlight awarded to better-known contemporaries. Now, as part of a “first-look” production deal with Universal Studio Group, Bush Hager will have an opportunity to expand the stories she finds to other media. The pact was brokered by United Talent Agency, which represents Bush Hager.
“We just realized there is such an opportunity to make sure we are doing the best we can to highlight these authors and make sure their books live in other areas,” Bush Hager told Variety. Thirty of her selections have made the New York Times’ best-seller list,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: In competition, Garrett Basch’s new company Dive has won the television rights to Afterparties, the collection of stories by Anthony Veasna So that became an instant bestseller when it was published last year by HarperCollins. The intention is to turn it into a half hour series, “a naturalistic comedy with heart,” based on the characters and anecdotes written by So about the lives of Cambodian-Americans. Lauren Yee will produce. The author, the son of former Cambodian-American refugees, died before the book was published.
Dive’s Rachel Foley brought in the project and will oversee on behalf of the company. Dive will be executive producer along with Yee. The book is described by its publisher as seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth, an expansive portrait of a new generation of Cambodian-Americans as they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer...
Dive’s Rachel Foley brought in the project and will oversee on behalf of the company. Dive will be executive producer along with Yee. The book is described by its publisher as seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth, an expansive portrait of a new generation of Cambodian-Americans as they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer...
- 1/19/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
When Jason Richman joined United Talent Agency nearly 12 years ago, his division was commonly referred to as “the book department” or the book-to-film arm.
From those humble beginnings — scouring the publishing landscape for the next hit movie or TV series — the agency has built a team that was rebranded as the “media rights” group at UTA several years ago. It encapsulates the massive field that Richman and media rights department co-head Keya Khayatian play in sourcing content pipelines all over Hollywood.
They represent authors like Celeste Ng, journalists behind delicious long-form reads, audio creators and individual life rights holders all feeding a content machine only made more prolific by the advent of the streamers.
“We really help guide the lives of authors and journalists and life rights holders, podcasts, any intellectual property we think can be exploited for film and TV adaptation,” Richman said on this week’s Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
From those humble beginnings — scouring the publishing landscape for the next hit movie or TV series — the agency has built a team that was rebranded as the “media rights” group at UTA several years ago. It encapsulates the massive field that Richman and media rights department co-head Keya Khayatian play in sourcing content pipelines all over Hollywood.
They represent authors like Celeste Ng, journalists behind delicious long-form reads, audio creators and individual life rights holders all feeding a content machine only made more prolific by the advent of the streamers.
“We really help guide the lives of authors and journalists and life rights holders, podcasts, any intellectual property we think can be exploited for film and TV adaptation,” Richman said on this week’s Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
- 10/6/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Today sees the launch of The Literary Tarot campaign on Kickstarter, pairing some of the world's best authors and artists for a great cause: the Brink Literacy Project!
This project tasked authors with pairing a tarot card with a seminal book that embodies the meaning of the arcana and we are exclusively revealing horror authors that are taking part in this project, along with the novel and card they have chosen:
Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Victor Lavalle (The Changeling) pairs The Tower with H.P. Lovecraft's "The Outsider"
Bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians) pairs Three of Quills (Swords) with W. W. Jacobs’s seminal, supernatural short story Monkey's Paw
Isaac Marion (the author of the bestselling Warm Bodies series) pairs The Hermit with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Bestselling Mexican Gothic novelist Silvia Moreno-Garcia pairs The Lovers with Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
Brink Literacy...
This project tasked authors with pairing a tarot card with a seminal book that embodies the meaning of the arcana and we are exclusively revealing horror authors that are taking part in this project, along with the novel and card they have chosen:
Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Victor Lavalle (The Changeling) pairs The Tower with H.P. Lovecraft's "The Outsider"
Bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians) pairs Three of Quills (Swords) with W. W. Jacobs’s seminal, supernatural short story Monkey's Paw
Isaac Marion (the author of the bestselling Warm Bodies series) pairs The Hermit with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Bestselling Mexican Gothic novelist Silvia Moreno-Garcia pairs The Lovers with Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
Brink Literacy...
- 6/1/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The Writers Guild of America announced their WGA Awards TV nominations for on Wednesday, February 3. After getting just one bid from the Golden Globes earlier in the day, AMC’s “Better Call Saul” rebounded to top all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series along with Amazon Studios’ “The Boys,” Disney +’s “The Mandalorian” and Netflix’s “The Crown” and “Ozark.”
Hulu lands two shows in contention for Comedy Series with “The Great” and “PEN15,” making the streaming service the only company to score multiple nominees in the category. They are joined by HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Another notable feat belongs to “The Simpsons,” which dominates the animation category with four of the six nominations. Despite premiering over 30 years ago, the Fox series shows no signs of writer’s fatigue. “Bob’s Burgers” and “BoJack Horseman...
Hulu lands two shows in contention for Comedy Series with “The Great” and “PEN15,” making the streaming service the only company to score multiple nominees in the category. They are joined by HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Another notable feat belongs to “The Simpsons,” which dominates the animation category with four of the six nominations. Despite premiering over 30 years ago, the Fox series shows no signs of writer’s fatigue. “Bob’s Burgers” and “BoJack Horseman...
- 2/4/2021
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
The WGA on Wednesday unveiled nominations for its 2021 WGA Awards in the categories of TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing during 2020. Winners will be honored March 21 in a virtual ceremony.
AMC’s Better Call Saul topped all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series, joining a list that includes Amazon Studios’ The Boys, Netflix’s The Crown (which led the way on the TV side at the Golden Globe nominations earlier today) and Ozark and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Also making noise today is Hulu, the only other company to have multiple noms in the top categories; it scored in Comedy with Tony McNamara’s The Great and Pen15 and FX on Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows, which are joined in the race by HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso.
Lasso is also nominated in the New Series,...
AMC’s Better Call Saul topped all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series, joining a list that includes Amazon Studios’ The Boys, Netflix’s The Crown (which led the way on the TV side at the Golden Globe nominations earlier today) and Ozark and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Also making noise today is Hulu, the only other company to have multiple noms in the top categories; it scored in Comedy with Tony McNamara’s The Great and Pen15 and FX on Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows, which are joined in the race by HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso.
Lasso is also nominated in the New Series,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The nominations for the 2021 Writers Guild Award TV categories were announced on Wednesday, with streaming series dominating the lineup.
Both the drama series and the comedy series categories were majority streaming, with hits like “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Crown” and “Ozark” sitting alongside fan-favorites like “PEN15,” “The Great” and “Ted Lasso.” Other nominees included HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and Showtime’s “Good Lord Bird.
“Better Call Saul” also landed three additional nominations for individual episodes, with “Ozark” picking up another. “The Great” and “Ted Lasso” both picked up nomination for individual episodes as well as for Best New Series.
Comedy and variety nominees included Peacock’s fledgling late-night show, “The Amber Ruffin Show,” Amazon’s “Yearly Departed,” the one-off “30 Rock” reunion special and Stephen Colbert’s 2020 election coverage on Showtime.
Nominations in the film categories will be announced later this month,...
Both the drama series and the comedy series categories were majority streaming, with hits like “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Crown” and “Ozark” sitting alongside fan-favorites like “PEN15,” “The Great” and “Ted Lasso.” Other nominees included HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and Showtime’s “Good Lord Bird.
“Better Call Saul” also landed three additional nominations for individual episodes, with “Ozark” picking up another. “The Great” and “Ted Lasso” both picked up nomination for individual episodes as well as for Best New Series.
Comedy and variety nominees included Peacock’s fledgling late-night show, “The Amber Ruffin Show,” Amazon’s “Yearly Departed,” the one-off “30 Rock” reunion special and Stephen Colbert’s 2020 election coverage on Showtime.
Nominations in the film categories will be announced later this month,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
“Better Call Saul” are among the top nominees for this year’s Writers Guild Awards, landing a nod for best drama series, as well as three nominations in the episodic drama category. “The Simpsons” landed four nominations in best animation, while newcomers “Ted Lasso” and “The Great” both scored nominations in best comedy, new series and episodic comedy. Winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Here’s the complete list of nominations, announced on Wednesday morning:
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
UTA announced today that Jason Richman will co-lead its Media Rights Group, which represents an expansive roster of authors, books, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates and life rights. Richman will co-run the division alongside long-time motion picture literary partner Keya Khayatian, who has helped lead the group since 2017.
“I am thrilled to co-lead the Media Rights division with Keya Khayatian,” Richman said in a statement. “We share a dedication to ensuring the artists we represent at UTA have the broadest opportunities to develop and adapt their work for the screen, particularly in this moment when the world needs the comfort of great content more than ever. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of UTA, which does this work on behalf of artists better than anyone in the creative community, and look forward to helping lead this team forward in this new position.”
Richman has worked at UTA since 2010, with...
“I am thrilled to co-lead the Media Rights division with Keya Khayatian,” Richman said in a statement. “We share a dedication to ensuring the artists we represent at UTA have the broadest opportunities to develop and adapt their work for the screen, particularly in this moment when the world needs the comfort of great content more than ever. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of UTA, which does this work on behalf of artists better than anyone in the creative community, and look forward to helping lead this team forward in this new position.”
Richman has worked at UTA since 2010, with...
- 1/12/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
United Talent Agency (UTA) has named Jason Richman the co-lead of its Media Rights Group. He will work alongside longtime MP Literary Partner Keya Khayatian.
UTA’s Media Rights department represents a roster of authors, book, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life right and thought leaders, and has closed over 250 deals in the past 12 months.
For example, the group secured Netflix’s film adaptations of Tanya Smith’s memoir “Ghost in the Machine,” which has Issa Rae and David Heyman producing, as well as Jesse Q. Sutanto’s novel “Dial A for Aunties,” Hulu’s series adaptation of Charles Yu’s novel “Interior Chinatown” and Zakiya Dalila Harris’ upcoming novel “The Other Black Girl.” The group also secured the deal for Amazon’s series adaptation of National Book Award winner “Felix Ever After” by Kacen Callender, Charlotte McConaghy’s novel “Migrations” starring Claire Foy for SunnyMarch and the HBO Max limited...
UTA’s Media Rights department represents a roster of authors, book, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life right and thought leaders, and has closed over 250 deals in the past 12 months.
For example, the group secured Netflix’s film adaptations of Tanya Smith’s memoir “Ghost in the Machine,” which has Issa Rae and David Heyman producing, as well as Jesse Q. Sutanto’s novel “Dial A for Aunties,” Hulu’s series adaptation of Charles Yu’s novel “Interior Chinatown” and Zakiya Dalila Harris’ upcoming novel “The Other Black Girl.” The group also secured the deal for Amazon’s series adaptation of National Book Award winner “Felix Ever After” by Kacen Callender, Charlotte McConaghy’s novel “Migrations” starring Claire Foy for SunnyMarch and the HBO Max limited...
- 1/12/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Jason Richman has been named Co-Head of UTA’s Media Rights Group, and he will run the division with longtime motion picture lit partner Keya Khayatian, who has helped lead the group since 2017.
The Media Rights department represents a roster of authors, books, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life rights and thought leaders, and it has closed over 250 deals in the past 12 months, and nearly 200 since the beginning of the global pandemic, the agency said. That includes a Netflix deal for film adaptations of Tanya Smith’s memoir Ghost In The Machine, with Issa Rae and David Heyman producing, and Jesse Q. Sutanto’s novel Dial A for Aunties; Hulu’s series adaptations of Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning novel Interior Chinatown and Zakiya Dalila Harris’ upcoming novel The Other Black Girl; Amazon’s series adaptation of National Book Award winner Kacen Callender’s novel Felix Ever After; SunnyMarch’s...
The Media Rights department represents a roster of authors, books, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life rights and thought leaders, and it has closed over 250 deals in the past 12 months, and nearly 200 since the beginning of the global pandemic, the agency said. That includes a Netflix deal for film adaptations of Tanya Smith’s memoir Ghost In The Machine, with Issa Rae and David Heyman producing, and Jesse Q. Sutanto’s novel Dial A for Aunties; Hulu’s series adaptations of Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning novel Interior Chinatown and Zakiya Dalila Harris’ upcoming novel The Other Black Girl; Amazon’s series adaptation of National Book Award winner Kacen Callender’s novel Felix Ever After; SunnyMarch’s...
- 1/12/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Agent worked on Cherry rights deal.
UTA has appointed Jason Richman co-head of its media rights group alongside longtime literary partner Keya Khayatian who has helped lead the group since 2017.
The group represents authors, books, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life rights and thought leaders, and notable deals include sale of the rights to Jessica Bruder’s Nomadland: Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century, which has become Searchlight Pictures’ awards heavyweight this season.
Richman joined UTA in 2010 and most recently negotiated the sale of rights to Celeste Ng’s debut novel Everything I Never Told You to Annapurna TV, and arranged...
UTA has appointed Jason Richman co-head of its media rights group alongside longtime literary partner Keya Khayatian who has helped lead the group since 2017.
The group represents authors, books, articles, podcasts, journalists, estates, life rights and thought leaders, and notable deals include sale of the rights to Jessica Bruder’s Nomadland: Surviving America In The Twenty-First Century, which has become Searchlight Pictures’ awards heavyweight this season.
Richman joined UTA in 2010 and most recently negotiated the sale of rights to Celeste Ng’s debut novel Everything I Never Told You to Annapurna TV, and arranged...
- 1/12/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
With another week in the rearview mirror, let’s shift the Winter TV Awards race focus to another streaming service: Hulu.
Though Netflix and Hulu ostensibly play in the same paddling pool, the former releases so much content in any given year that it quickly becomes obvious what has the potential to become an awards contender and what just isn’t up to snuff. As for the latter, without breakout hits like “The Handmaid’s Tale” in contention — the ongoing Atwood adaptation hasn’t aired an episode since August 2019, making it ineligible for this season’s awards — Hulu is left holding a grab bag of shows, some of which could hit, many of which might miss — and all of which deserve some kind of consideration in the coming awards season.
First and foremost amongst Hulu contenders is second season comedy “Ramy.” Created by and starring Ramy Youssef, the series follows a...
Though Netflix and Hulu ostensibly play in the same paddling pool, the former releases so much content in any given year that it quickly becomes obvious what has the potential to become an awards contender and what just isn’t up to snuff. As for the latter, without breakout hits like “The Handmaid’s Tale” in contention — the ongoing Atwood adaptation hasn’t aired an episode since August 2019, making it ineligible for this season’s awards — Hulu is left holding a grab bag of shows, some of which could hit, many of which might miss — and all of which deserve some kind of consideration in the coming awards season.
First and foremost amongst Hulu contenders is second season comedy “Ramy.” Created by and starring Ramy Youssef, the series follows a...
- 1/8/2021
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s category guidelines ignited an outcry Tuesday when it was announced that “Minari” would be classified as a foreign language film for Golden Globes voters.
Directors, writers and actors including Lulu Wang, Phil Lord, Celeste Ng and Daniel Dae Kim condemned the organization’s longstanding policy, saying it was time to change the rule.
The HFPA stipulates that unlike the Oscars, the contenders in the Golden Globes’ best drama or comedy/musical categories must feature at least 50% English dialogue.
Just one year ago, Wang’s “The Farewell” and Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain And Glory” picked up multiple nominations at the Golden Globes but were excluded from consideration for top Globes honors. And despite its history-making Academy win, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” was sidelined by the HFPA’s guidelines.
While “Parasite” and “Minari” both feature Korean-speaking characters, “Minari” centers on a Korean immigrant family who...
Directors, writers and actors including Lulu Wang, Phil Lord, Celeste Ng and Daniel Dae Kim condemned the organization’s longstanding policy, saying it was time to change the rule.
The HFPA stipulates that unlike the Oscars, the contenders in the Golden Globes’ best drama or comedy/musical categories must feature at least 50% English dialogue.
Just one year ago, Wang’s “The Farewell” and Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain And Glory” picked up multiple nominations at the Golden Globes but were excluded from consideration for top Globes honors. And despite its history-making Academy win, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” was sidelined by the HFPA’s guidelines.
While “Parasite” and “Minari” both feature Korean-speaking characters, “Minari” centers on a Korean immigrant family who...
- 12/23/2020
- by Janet W. Lee
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Comedian Heather McMahan, who is set to feature in upcoming Netflix film Love Hard, is prepping a half-hour comedy for Peacock based on her own life.
McMahan, who has been a regular co-host and guest on the Today Show with Hoda & Jenna, lost her father to cancer in December 2015 and gave up her acting career and relocated from LA to Atlanta to move in with her mother.
This is in the inspiration for Good Grief, which follows three vibrant women who are forced to confront a world they thought they knew after the patriarch of the affluent McDaniel family kicks the bucket. The trio take an honest and humorous look at their inner selves, no matter how absurd life can seem to be. There is only one thing they know for certain now, and that’s how exhausting – and good – grief is.
McMahan, who has been performing live stand...
McMahan, who has been a regular co-host and guest on the Today Show with Hoda & Jenna, lost her father to cancer in December 2015 and gave up her acting career and relocated from LA to Atlanta to move in with her mother.
This is in the inspiration for Good Grief, which follows three vibrant women who are forced to confront a world they thought they knew after the patriarch of the affluent McDaniel family kicks the bucket. The trio take an honest and humorous look at their inner selves, no matter how absurd life can seem to be. There is only one thing they know for certain now, and that’s how exhausting – and good – grief is.
McMahan, who has been performing live stand...
- 12/17/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
What will win Best Limited Series at the 2020 Emmys? As of this writing, 28 Emmy Experts from major media outlets have chimed in with their Emmy predictions and “Watchmen” unsurprisingly leads their combined odds by a strong margin. “Mrs. America” comes in second place, and then there’s a three-way tie for third place between “Unbelievable,” “Unorthodox” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” Find out what program wins when Jimmy Kimmel hosts ABC’s broadcast on Sunday night.
Do you agree or disagree with our Experts’ Emmy picks? Be sure to show everyone how much of a savvy awards prognosticator You are by making your own predictions right now. Read on for the full racetrack odds as of Sep. 18.
See 2020 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 72nd Emmy Awards
“Watchmen” (HBO) — 31/10 odds to win
HBO’s comic book adaptation dominated Emmy nominations morning with 26 total bids (including lead actress Regina King...
Do you agree or disagree with our Experts’ Emmy picks? Be sure to show everyone how much of a savvy awards prognosticator You are by making your own predictions right now. Read on for the full racetrack odds as of Sep. 18.
See 2020 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 72nd Emmy Awards
“Watchmen” (HBO) — 31/10 odds to win
HBO’s comic book adaptation dominated Emmy nominations morning with 26 total bids (including lead actress Regina King...
- 9/18/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Little Fires Everywhere...and big changes everywhere, too. There's a reason that Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington wanted to tackle the tale of Elena, a wealthy mother of four, and Mia, a single mother always on the move, both as executive producers and stars: the novel by Celeste Ng spent 48 weeks on the New York Times' hardcover-fiction best-seller list, thanks to its complex characters and nuanced take on race, socioeconomics, motherhood and more delicate topics. But that doesn't mean the Hulu adaptation—which is up for three awards at the 2020 Emmys on Sunday, including Best Limited Series—followed every beat of the book, with Little Fires Everywhere undergoing some pretty major...
- 9/17/2020
- E! Online
Exclusive: Iliana Regan’s Burn The Place, which was described by the New York Times as “perhaps the definitive Midwest drunken-lesbian food memoir” is being adapted for television after Annapurna optioned the rights.
The company, which recently produced David Simon and Ed Burn’s HBO limited drama The Plot Against America from, is developing the book, which was published by Agate Midway in July 2019, as a series.
Burn The Place was the first food book to be long-listed for the National Book Award since Julia Child and More Company in 1980. It tells Regan’s story of becoming a self-taught Midwestern Michelin-starred chef, amid a fight for sobriety, restaurant ownership, and her queer identity in the world of Chicago’s male dominated kitchen hierarchies.
Once on top, Regan yearns for a more authentic life, with aspirations to leave it all behind. She retires to the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula...
The company, which recently produced David Simon and Ed Burn’s HBO limited drama The Plot Against America from, is developing the book, which was published by Agate Midway in July 2019, as a series.
Burn The Place was the first food book to be long-listed for the National Book Award since Julia Child and More Company in 1980. It tells Regan’s story of becoming a self-taught Midwestern Michelin-starred chef, amid a fight for sobriety, restaurant ownership, and her queer identity in the world of Chicago’s male dominated kitchen hierarchies.
Once on top, Regan yearns for a more authentic life, with aspirations to leave it all behind. She retires to the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula...
- 9/15/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Luke Bracey in ‘Little Fires Everywhere.’ (Photo credit: Hulu)
After starring in Netflix’s Holidate and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, Luke Bracey has landed a key supporting role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic.
Bracey will play Jerry Schilling, who started out with Presley (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’s Austin Butler) when they were young football buddies in Memphis and became a crucial part of his entourage throughout his career
Schilling also had successful career outside of the so-called ‘Memphis Mafia,’ managing the the Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie.
The Warner Bros. production is due to start shooting at the Village Roadshow Studios on September 23, six months after it was forced to shut down after Tom Hanks, who plays the King of rock and roll’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, contracted Covid-19.
Written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, Elvis delves...
After starring in Netflix’s Holidate and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, Luke Bracey has landed a key supporting role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic.
Bracey will play Jerry Schilling, who started out with Presley (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’s Austin Butler) when they were young football buddies in Memphis and became a crucial part of his entourage throughout his career
Schilling also had successful career outside of the so-called ‘Memphis Mafia,’ managing the the Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie.
The Warner Bros. production is due to start shooting at the Village Roadshow Studios on September 23, six months after it was forced to shut down after Tom Hanks, who plays the King of rock and roll’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, contracted Covid-19.
Written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, Elvis delves...
- 9/14/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
HBO has been familiar in the Outstanding Limited Series winners circle, last year triumphing overwhelmingly with Chernobyl, even though Netflix gave them a run for their money with When They See Us. This year the two will go head to head again, but HBO seems to have the magic touch here, and, if not them, it has been FX in past seasons, with Ryan Murphy fare, such as The People v. O.J. Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace. This year FX is back with another formidable contender just to mix things up. Let’s look at the landscape and see which one gets the Pete’s Winner Pick stamp.
Little Fires Everywhere
Hulu
Yet another streamer invades this space with the female-driven limited series based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller. With Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington battling it out on screen as well as producing, it certainly doesn’t lack for star power,...
Little Fires Everywhere
Hulu
Yet another streamer invades this space with the female-driven limited series based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller. With Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington battling it out on screen as well as producing, it certainly doesn’t lack for star power,...
- 9/11/2020
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
When my father was a toddler, he was adopted from an orphanage in Korea by an American couple. While we haven't been able to track down the identity of his biological Korean mother (his father was an American soldier), we do know that for reasons we may never fully understand, she gave him up for adoption to have a chance at a better life, a life she didn't think she'd ever be able to give him. It's a sacrifice I can't even begin to understand making.
"What did this country ask us all to sacrifice? Was it possible to feel anything while we were all trying to get ahead of everyone else, including our self?"
My story is not identical to that of 20-something Margot Lee in Nancy Jooyoun Kim's debut novel, The Last Story of Mina Lee, and that's kind of the point. We're the same, but different. Those...
"What did this country ask us all to sacrifice? Was it possible to feel anything while we were all trying to get ahead of everyone else, including our self?"
My story is not identical to that of 20-something Margot Lee in Nancy Jooyoun Kim's debut novel, The Last Story of Mina Lee, and that's kind of the point. We're the same, but different. Those...
- 9/3/2020
- by Tara Block
- Popsugar.com
Exclusive: MRC-backed LA production outfit A-Major Media has named Pier Nirandara as Vice President, Film & Television, reporting to company head Mary Lee.
A-Major Media, which launched in 2019 with a majority investment from MRC in association with UTA, is dedicated to championing Asian American voices in film and TV.
Nirandara joins the company from Columbia Pictures where she worked as Director of Development for International Content where her focus was on adapting international stories for a global audience. Previous to Sony, she was at ICM Partners in the Motion Picture Literary and Media Rights division where she repped literary clients and developed and packaged projects for screen.
Nirandara is the youngest English-writing Thai author of three #1 national bestselling Young Adult novels, multiple graphic novels and short stories with more than 200,000 copies sold.
A-Major’s projects include the recently announced Everything I Never Told You, based on the book by Celeste Ng,...
A-Major Media, which launched in 2019 with a majority investment from MRC in association with UTA, is dedicated to championing Asian American voices in film and TV.
Nirandara joins the company from Columbia Pictures where she worked as Director of Development for International Content where her focus was on adapting international stories for a global audience. Previous to Sony, she was at ICM Partners in the Motion Picture Literary and Media Rights division where she repped literary clients and developed and packaged projects for screen.
Nirandara is the youngest English-writing Thai author of three #1 national bestselling Young Adult novels, multiple graphic novels and short stories with more than 200,000 copies sold.
A-Major’s projects include the recently announced Everything I Never Told You, based on the book by Celeste Ng,...
- 8/21/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Anyone who believes the old adage that boys will only watch TV shows with male leads, while girls will watch shows with male and female leads clearly hasn’t been paying attention to the teen drama landscape lately.
Current series including Netflix hits “Never Have I Ever” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” as well as stalwarts such as the CW’s “Riverdale” have received praise from critics across gender lines and both above and below the voting age requirement. These series are also about, or frequently marketed to, teen girls — or they at least give them the cool stuff to do. Even on prestige dramas in recent years including Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” FX’s “The Americans” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” it is the teen girls who are stealing the best bits of screen time and becoming the fan favorites. Meanwhile, depictions of some teen boys, such as on...
Current series including Netflix hits “Never Have I Ever” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” as well as stalwarts such as the CW’s “Riverdale” have received praise from critics across gender lines and both above and below the voting age requirement. These series are also about, or frequently marketed to, teen girls — or they at least give them the cool stuff to do. Even on prestige dramas in recent years including Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” FX’s “The Americans” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” it is the teen girls who are stealing the best bits of screen time and becoming the fan favorites. Meanwhile, depictions of some teen boys, such as on...
- 8/20/2020
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
In her first major foray into TV series, Rachel Weisz is set to headline and executive produce Dead Ringers, a reimagining with a gender swap of David Cronenberg’s cult classic 1980s film. Amazon has given a straight-to-series order to the project, from Weisz, Alice Birch, lead writer of Hulu’s acclaimed Normal People series, Annapurna Television and Morgan Creek Entertainment, the company behind the original movie.
In Dead Ringers, written by Birch, The Mantle twins, played by Weisz, are the most successful, brilliant and extraordinary people you’ve never met. Identical from head to toe, these two Ob-gyn’s are on a mission to change the way women birth, starting with Manhattan. Drugs, pioneering but very much illegal medical research, sex and falling in love, this drama based on the David Cronenberg 80s cult classic, takes us to darker and stranger territory than we could have possibly imagined.
The...
In Dead Ringers, written by Birch, The Mantle twins, played by Weisz, are the most successful, brilliant and extraordinary people you’ve never met. Identical from head to toe, these two Ob-gyn’s are on a mission to change the way women birth, starting with Manhattan. Drugs, pioneering but very much illegal medical research, sex and falling in love, this drama based on the David Cronenberg 80s cult classic, takes us to darker and stranger territory than we could have possibly imagined.
The...
- 8/18/2020
- by Justin Kroll and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the best examples of how Hollywood is moving toward being a place for more inclusive storytelling might be this year’s limited series Emmy race. All five of the nominees in that category tell stories about female characters; most specifically concentrating on depictions of women who have traditionally been marginalized both on and off screen.
“Unbelievable” showrunner Susannah Grant sums it up by saying that “it’s great to see stories of people who have historically been voiceless getting such a big platform.”
Grant’s Netflix series — which is inspired by reporters Ken Armstrong and T. Christian Miller’s Pulitzer-winning news story — stars Merritt Wever and supporting limited series/TV movie actress nominee Toni Collette as police detectives tasked with solving a serial rape case several years after a survivor’s (Kaitlyn Dever) accusations were not taken seriously.
“So many people in our culture have been used to...
“Unbelievable” showrunner Susannah Grant sums it up by saying that “it’s great to see stories of people who have historically been voiceless getting such a big platform.”
Grant’s Netflix series — which is inspired by reporters Ken Armstrong and T. Christian Miller’s Pulitzer-winning news story — stars Merritt Wever and supporting limited series/TV movie actress nominee Toni Collette as police detectives tasked with solving a serial rape case several years after a survivor’s (Kaitlyn Dever) accusations were not taken seriously.
“So many people in our culture have been used to...
- 8/18/2020
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Management and production company 42 (The Courier) is teaming with new LA-based label A-Major Media to develop and produce Megan Chan Meinero’s play Good Fortune for film. New York playwright Chan Meinero is writing the adaptation.
Mary Lee, previously head of film at Justin Lin’s Perfect Storm Entertainment, is producing for A-Major, which she set up last year year to champion Asian-American voices in film and TV. Ben Pugh and Claudia Shin will produce for LA and London-based 42.
Developed in New York with the New Group and Ensemble Studio Theatre, the darkly comic social satire Good Fortune tells the story of Mei-Ling, who was adopted at birth from China by Julie, an American woman who wanted a daughter that would love her and be with her forever. Eighteen years later, Mei-Ling is ready to go to college, but Julie has a different plan.
42’s recent productions include...
Mary Lee, previously head of film at Justin Lin’s Perfect Storm Entertainment, is producing for A-Major, which she set up last year year to champion Asian-American voices in film and TV. Ben Pugh and Claudia Shin will produce for LA and London-based 42.
Developed in New York with the New Group and Ensemble Studio Theatre, the darkly comic social satire Good Fortune tells the story of Mei-Ling, who was adopted at birth from China by Julie, an American woman who wanted a daughter that would love her and be with her forever. Eighteen years later, Mei-Ling is ready to go to college, but Julie has a different plan.
42’s recent productions include...
- 8/12/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
For the past two months, protests have provoked difficult conversations around social justice, race and inequality, discussions that have often been aided or informed by storytelling in its many forms.
One story in particular that has risen to the challenge, both as a novel and a limited series: Little Fires Everywhere. A New York Times best-seller, the sophomore novel by Celeste Ng debuted to national acclaim in 2017, with the Times' review calling it "an utterly engrossing, often heartbreaking, deeply empathetic experience." The story follows the collision between two families and the mothers who lead them: Elena Richardson, the matriarch of ...
One story in particular that has risen to the challenge, both as a novel and a limited series: Little Fires Everywhere. A New York Times best-seller, the sophomore novel by Celeste Ng debuted to national acclaim in 2017, with the Times' review calling it "an utterly engrossing, often heartbreaking, deeply empathetic experience." The story follows the collision between two families and the mothers who lead them: Elena Richardson, the matriarch of ...
Emmy nominations morning is always one of the television industry’s busiest events of the year. For a slew of talented actors, directors, and other talents, the early a.m. Emmy nominations were cause for particular celebration.
A wide variety of Emmy nominees have shared their excitement, joy, and mock horror about their nominations with IndieWire. Here are some of Hollywood’s standout reactions to today’s Emmy nominations:
Betty Gilpin, “Glow” (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)
“To the Television Academy- how dare you. I really can’t stress enough how much of a threat this nomination is to my current quarantine brand of pasta and sad. In the Time Before, being born with a healthy protective emotional wall missing meant I got to channel that into pretend time in exchange for health insurance and claps. Until today, apparently here in the apocalypse, these skills were about as...
A wide variety of Emmy nominees have shared their excitement, joy, and mock horror about their nominations with IndieWire. Here are some of Hollywood’s standout reactions to today’s Emmy nominations:
Betty Gilpin, “Glow” (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)
“To the Television Academy- how dare you. I really can’t stress enough how much of a threat this nomination is to my current quarantine brand of pasta and sad. In the Time Before, being born with a healthy protective emotional wall missing meant I got to channel that into pretend time in exchange for health insurance and claps. Until today, apparently here in the apocalypse, these skills were about as...
- 7/29/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Kerry Washington earned an Emmy nomination for her turn as conflicted mother Mia in the Hulu drama Little Fires Everywhere which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Celeste Ng. However, it was one of three projects she received Emmy love for on Tuesday morning. In addition to acting in and serving as executive producer of Little Fires Everywhere, she also starred in an served as an executive producer on Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ which earned a nod for Outstanding Variety Special as well as Netflix’s American Son, which garnered a nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.
Even so, she couldn’t help but praise those who worked with her on these projects — specifically the late Lynn Shelton, who received a posthumous nomination for directing Little Fires Everywhere.
“My heart just really swells when...
Even so, she couldn’t help but praise those who worked with her on these projects — specifically the late Lynn Shelton, who received a posthumous nomination for directing Little Fires Everywhere.
“My heart just really swells when...
- 7/28/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Lynn Shelton and Fred Willard both landed Emmy nominations posthumously when they were announced on Tuesday morning.
It marks the first Emmy nomination for Shelton, who scored a nod in the best directing for a limited series, movie or special category for Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.” Specifically, Shelton, who directed four episodes of the limited drama, is up for the episode “Find a Way,” the final installment of the series. “Little Fires Everywhere” got five nominations overall, including limited series and lead actress in a limited series or movie for Kerry Washington. “Little Fires Everywhere” is based on Celeste Ng’s hit novel of the same name, and also starred Reese Witherspoon.
Shelton died of a blood disorder on May 16 at the age of 54. The indie filmmaker was also known for movies like “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister,” but worked extensively in television as well, directing episodes of “The Mindy Project,...
It marks the first Emmy nomination for Shelton, who scored a nod in the best directing for a limited series, movie or special category for Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.” Specifically, Shelton, who directed four episodes of the limited drama, is up for the episode “Find a Way,” the final installment of the series. “Little Fires Everywhere” got five nominations overall, including limited series and lead actress in a limited series or movie for Kerry Washington. “Little Fires Everywhere” is based on Celeste Ng’s hit novel of the same name, and also starred Reese Witherspoon.
Shelton died of a blood disorder on May 16 at the age of 54. The indie filmmaker was also known for movies like “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister,” but worked extensively in television as well, directing episodes of “The Mindy Project,...
- 7/28/2020
- by Alex Stedman
- Variety Film + TV
This morning, actor Fred Willard and director Lynn Shelton earned posthumous Emmy nominations, for their respective contributions to ABC sitcom Modern Family and Hulu drama Little Fires Everywhere.
A beloved comedic talent with a 54-year screen career, Willard was previously nominated three times for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, for his turn as Hank in Everybody Loves Raymond. Part of the Modern Family cast since 2009, Willard died in May, after succumbing to cardiac arrest. The actor was 86 years old.
Equally esteemed within the communities of film and television, Shelton directed four episodes out of Little Fires Everywhere‘s eight, landing her first-ever nod for season finale, “Find A Way.” Renowned for indie films like Your Sister’s Sister, as well as her wide-ranging efforts in television—on series including Dickinson, Glow, Fresh Off the Boat, The Good Place and Mad Men—Shelton also passed away in May, at age 54, due to a blood disorder.
A beloved comedic talent with a 54-year screen career, Willard was previously nominated three times for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, for his turn as Hank in Everybody Loves Raymond. Part of the Modern Family cast since 2009, Willard died in May, after succumbing to cardiac arrest. The actor was 86 years old.
Equally esteemed within the communities of film and television, Shelton directed four episodes out of Little Fires Everywhere‘s eight, landing her first-ever nod for season finale, “Find A Way.” Renowned for indie films like Your Sister’s Sister, as well as her wide-ranging efforts in television—on series including Dickinson, Glow, Fresh Off the Boat, The Good Place and Mad Men—Shelton also passed away in May, at age 54, due to a blood disorder.
- 7/28/2020
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
When Aldous Huxley was writing “Brave New World” in 1931, he was envisioning a futuristic world in which humans were genetically engineered into a caste system. Those who were deemed the most intelligent were on top — the aptly named Alphas — but no one looked around or within to question why things were like this or if it was the best way. No one except a man from the “old” way of life who entered their so-called utopia.
The idea “that you’d rather be worry-free than engage with the world around you” present in Huxley’s book was at the heart of what showrunner David Wiener wanted to depict when he set out to craft the first season of his Peacock adaptation of “Brave New World.” But Wiener’s version comes almost a century after Huxley’s, and the novelist’s version of the future didn’t 100% come to pass.
“He...
The idea “that you’d rather be worry-free than engage with the world around you” present in Huxley’s book was at the heart of what showrunner David Wiener wanted to depict when he set out to craft the first season of his Peacock adaptation of “Brave New World.” But Wiener’s version comes almost a century after Huxley’s, and the novelist’s version of the future didn’t 100% come to pass.
“He...
- 7/8/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Had “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” been pitched in the era it depicts (the 1950s), creator Amy Sherman-Palladino suspects network executives would have loved the idea of a character that, when their marriage falls apart, finds a voice within standup comedy — save for one small detail: “They would say, ‘No one would believe that — make the woman a man,’” she says.
“Ambitious” may never have fit the description of the perfect mid-century housewife, but the aversion toward outspoken women on TV has lingered long past the ’50s. A collective uproar against not just sexual harassment, but also the lack of diversity, women’s roles and gender parity in the entertainment industry and beyond has boosted the demand for unapologetic female voices both before and behind the camera.
“The ironic thing about ‘Maisel’ is, the series dropped right as the #MeToo movement was happening, and I looked like Nostradamus,” says Sherman-Palladino. “I...
“Ambitious” may never have fit the description of the perfect mid-century housewife, but the aversion toward outspoken women on TV has lingered long past the ’50s. A collective uproar against not just sexual harassment, but also the lack of diversity, women’s roles and gender parity in the entertainment industry and beyond has boosted the demand for unapologetic female voices both before and behind the camera.
“The ironic thing about ‘Maisel’ is, the series dropped right as the #MeToo movement was happening, and I looked like Nostradamus,” says Sherman-Palladino. “I...
- 7/6/2020
- by Carita Rizzo
- Variety Film + TV
When the Hulu miniseries “Little Fires Everywhere” premiered in March, it became the streaming service’s most-watched drama ever in its first 60 days online. Based on Celeste Ng‘s 2017 novel, the story set in a Cleveland suburb in the late 1990s pits Reese Witherspoon‘s entitled perfectionist Elena, a white mother of four and a journalist, against Kerry Washington‘s Mia, a single black mother and avant-garde artist with a teen daughter who struggles to make ends meet. Their paths cross and Mia ends up renting an apartment owned by Elena and also serving as her housekeeper while alas a waitress.
What happens throughout the eight episodes is a microcosm of socioeconomic inequality, hurtful assumptions, white liberal guilt, awkward political correctness and well-earned black distrust in the system as both family’s lives become intertwined, for good but also for bad. As we learn more about each mother and the background that formed their fates,...
What happens throughout the eight episodes is a microcosm of socioeconomic inequality, hurtful assumptions, white liberal guilt, awkward political correctness and well-earned black distrust in the system as both family’s lives become intertwined, for good but also for bad. As we learn more about each mother and the background that formed their fates,...
- 7/3/2020
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
The secret to Reese Witherspoon’s success as a movie star: she’s willing to play women who are flawed, even unlikeable. You tend to remember them: ambitious high schooler Tracy Flick in “Election”; ditzy Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”; withholding singer June Carter in “Walk the Line” (which won Witherspoon the Best Actress Oscar), and wandering loner Cheryl Strayed in “Wild,” which earned her a second nomination. Witherspoon lets you inside her conflicted characters, gets you to like them, and makes you root for them even when they misbehave.
Over the years, she has built up a sizable fanbase, and knows how to make them happy. That’s because Witherspoon started her own production company in 2012 in order to develop roles worth playing. And as the film industry in Hollywood has largely abandoned dramas, she’s made her mark in television. She produced with Nicole Kidman the HBO ensemble series “Big Little Lies,...
Over the years, she has built up a sizable fanbase, and knows how to make them happy. That’s because Witherspoon started her own production company in 2012 in order to develop roles worth playing. And as the film industry in Hollywood has largely abandoned dramas, she’s made her mark in television. She produced with Nicole Kidman the HBO ensemble series “Big Little Lies,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The secret to Reese Witherspoon’s success as a movie star: she’s willing to play women who are flawed, even unlikeable. You tend to remember them: ambitious high schooler Tracy Flick in “Election”; ditzy Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”; withholding singer June Carter in “Walk the Line” (which won Witherspoon the Best Actress Oscar), and wandering loner Cheryl Strayed in “Wild,” which earned her a second nomination. Witherspoon lets you inside her conflicted characters, gets you to like them, and makes you root for them even when they misbehave.
Over the years, she has built up a sizable fanbase, and knows how to make them happy. That’s because Witherspoon started her own production company in 2012 in order to develop roles worth playing. And as the film industry in Hollywood has largely abandoned dramas, she’s made her mark in television. She produced with Nicole Kidman the HBO ensemble series “Big Little Lies,...
Over the years, she has built up a sizable fanbase, and knows how to make them happy. That’s because Witherspoon started her own production company in 2012 in order to develop roles worth playing. And as the film industry in Hollywood has largely abandoned dramas, she’s made her mark in television. She produced with Nicole Kidman the HBO ensemble series “Big Little Lies,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
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