In a surprise for fans of Huey Lewis and the News, the spirit of rock and roll is alive on Broadway. The cherished band’s songs have received the Broadway treatment in the new show, The Heart of Rock and Roll.
Jonathan A. Abrams deserves a round of applause for his work (based on a story by Tyler Mitchell and Lewis himself), which serves as a vehicle for the Huey Lewis and News songs. With a talented ensemble of singers and dancers, new life is breathed into the iconic tunes.
The production falls under the well-established category of jukebox musicals, where the songbooks of beloved rockers and folk singers are fair game for the stage.
The story follows Bobby (played by Cory Cott), an ambitious young man who serves as the lead singer of a band. At the same time, he works at a box-manufacturing company and dreams of becoming a salesman.
Jonathan A. Abrams deserves a round of applause for his work (based on a story by Tyler Mitchell and Lewis himself), which serves as a vehicle for the Huey Lewis and News songs. With a talented ensemble of singers and dancers, new life is breathed into the iconic tunes.
The production falls under the well-established category of jukebox musicals, where the songbooks of beloved rockers and folk singers are fair game for the stage.
The story follows Bobby (played by Cory Cott), an ambitious young man who serves as the lead singer of a band. At the same time, he works at a box-manufacturing company and dreams of becoming a salesman.
- 5/5/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Inside Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre on a recent afternoon, Huey Lewis has some actual good news. Checking his texts, he learns that Martin Short will be attending the opening of The Heart of Rock and Roll, the rom-com musical based around songs from his catalog. Also on the list for the first-night celebration are Michael J. Fox and the members of Lewis’ band, the News.
But anyone expecting Lewis to jump onstage and join the cast in song will be disappointed. “Can’t do it,” he says resolutely.
But anyone expecting Lewis to jump onstage and join the cast in song will be disappointed. “Can’t do it,” he says resolutely.
- 4/5/2024
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Complete casting for the upcoming The Heart of Rock and Roll featuring the songs of Huey Lewis has been announced: Newsies‘ Corey Cott and Wicked‘s McKenzie Kurtz will play the leads, a will-they/won’t-they couple at the center of the story.
Those and other castings were announced today by Lewis and producers Hunter Arnold, Tyler Mitchell and Kayla Greenspan. The Heart of Rock and Roll, inspired by and featuring the songs of ’80s hitmakers Huey Lewis and The News, will open on Broadway at The James Earl Jones Theatre with previews beginning on Friday, March 29 before an opening night of Monday, April 22.
Said Lewis, “The casting process has so far been the most thrilling part of creating this show. It’s all just words and notes on a page until an actor gives it life. I am so grateful that this incredible company, made up of some of...
Those and other castings were announced today by Lewis and producers Hunter Arnold, Tyler Mitchell and Kayla Greenspan. The Heart of Rock and Roll, inspired by and featuring the songs of ’80s hitmakers Huey Lewis and The News, will open on Broadway at The James Earl Jones Theatre with previews beginning on Friday, March 29 before an opening night of Monday, April 22.
Said Lewis, “The casting process has so far been the most thrilling part of creating this show. It’s all just words and notes on a page until an actor gives it life. I am so grateful that this incredible company, made up of some of...
- 1/16/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jake Gyllenhaal stepped out to promote a new launch as the ambassador of luxury brand Ginori 1735, and his girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu joined in on the fun!
The 42-year-old The Covenant actor celebrated the launch of the Oriente Italiano Gold Collection at Via Carota in New York City on Thursday (November 9).
If you were unaware, Ginori 1735 specializes in porcelain table service, and the new collection is a floral masterpiece!
He looked chic at the event in a black double-breasted jacket, which he paired with a cheer black top and black jewelry.
Many other stars were also in attendance.
Keep reading to find out more…
Jake’s brother-in-law Peter Saarsgaard, Bee Carrozzini (Anna Wintour‘s daughter), Derek Blasberg, Jeremy O’Harris, Tyler Mitchell, Waris Ahluwalia, Andy Baraghani, Diana Barlett, Gray Sorrenti, Julien Lombrail, Lynn Yaeger, Waris Ahluwalia and Yan Yan Chan were also on the guestlist. We’ve got photos of all of them in the gallery.
The 42-year-old The Covenant actor celebrated the launch of the Oriente Italiano Gold Collection at Via Carota in New York City on Thursday (November 9).
If you were unaware, Ginori 1735 specializes in porcelain table service, and the new collection is a floral masterpiece!
He looked chic at the event in a black double-breasted jacket, which he paired with a cheer black top and black jewelry.
Many other stars were also in attendance.
Keep reading to find out more…
Jake’s brother-in-law Peter Saarsgaard, Bee Carrozzini (Anna Wintour‘s daughter), Derek Blasberg, Jeremy O’Harris, Tyler Mitchell, Waris Ahluwalia, Andy Baraghani, Diana Barlett, Gray Sorrenti, Julien Lombrail, Lynn Yaeger, Waris Ahluwalia and Yan Yan Chan were also on the guestlist. We’ve got photos of all of them in the gallery.
- 11/11/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The Heart of Rock and Roll will finally beat on Broadway, with the Huey Lewis and the News musical set to open in New York City next spring.
The musical will begin previews on March 29 at the James Earl Jones Theater, with the official opening scheduled for April 22. A cast for the Broadway production has yet to be announced.
Lewis celebrated the news — as well as the glories of musical theater — in a video announcement on social media. “I first fell in love with all that is Broadway when I...
The musical will begin previews on March 29 at the James Earl Jones Theater, with the official opening scheduled for April 22. A cast for the Broadway production has yet to be announced.
Lewis celebrated the news — as well as the glories of musical theater — in a video announcement on social media. “I first fell in love with all that is Broadway when I...
- 11/1/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
A musical based on the songs of Huey Lewis and the News is heading to Broadway. Titled The Heart of Rock and Roll, the jukebox production will begin performances next March at The James Earl Jones Theatre, and will officially premiere the following month on April 22nd.
Described as “a raucous rom-com wrapped in pure musical joy,” The Heart of Rock and Roll will use the music of Huey Lewis and the News to score a story about two 30-somethings whose lives are changed after they meet each other. Among the tunes included in the soundtrack are “Workin’ for a Livin’,” “Stuck with You,” “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love,” and more.
“Working on our show has been so gratifying,” Huey Lewis himself said in a statement. “I’ve always been a storyteller, and it’s a thrill to see my songs woven together in service of a fantastic,...
Described as “a raucous rom-com wrapped in pure musical joy,” The Heart of Rock and Roll will use the music of Huey Lewis and the News to score a story about two 30-somethings whose lives are changed after they meet each other. Among the tunes included in the soundtrack are “Workin’ for a Livin’,” “Stuck with You,” “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love,” and more.
“Working on our show has been so gratifying,” Huey Lewis himself said in a statement. “I’ve always been a storyteller, and it’s a thrill to see my songs woven together in service of a fantastic,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
The Heart of Rock and Roll, a new musical featuring the hit songs of ’80s superstars Huey Lewis and The News, is coming to Broadway this spring, with previews beginning at The James Earl Jones Theatre on Friday, March 29, 2024, ahead an opening night on Monday, April 22.
Producers Hunter Arnold, Tyler Mitchell and Kayla Greenspan announced the opening date today.
Described as a “raucous rom-com,” The Heart of Rock and Roll includes such Lewis songs as the title track, “The Power of Love,” “Workin’ For A Livin’,” “Stuck With You,” and “If This Is It.”
The official synopsis: The Heart of Rock and Roll “centers on a couple of thirty-somethings who know exactly what they want from life – until they find each other. It’s going to take ‘The Power of Love’ — and a little help from their friends — to show them the way.”
The production, directed by Gordon Greenberg, will...
Producers Hunter Arnold, Tyler Mitchell and Kayla Greenspan announced the opening date today.
Described as a “raucous rom-com,” The Heart of Rock and Roll includes such Lewis songs as the title track, “The Power of Love,” “Workin’ For A Livin’,” “Stuck With You,” and “If This Is It.”
The official synopsis: The Heart of Rock and Roll “centers on a couple of thirty-somethings who know exactly what they want from life – until they find each other. It’s going to take ‘The Power of Love’ — and a little help from their friends — to show them the way.”
The production, directed by Gordon Greenberg, will...
- 11/1/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Donyale Luna: Supermodel director Nailah Jefferson with Anne-Katrin Titze on Beyoncé’s 2018 Vogue cover, shot by Tyler Mitchell: “It was the first Vogue cover that had ever been shot by a Black photographer.”
“My name is Luna, I come from the moon” is how Donyale Luna used to introduce herself. It looks as though the memory of the supermodel’s brief, brimful life had gone back up to the heavens with her for decades. Nailah Jefferson’s insightful and revealing documentary ameliorates this and celebrates an extraordinary woman’s journey. William Klein’s 1966 fashion film Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo?, Federico Fellini’s Satyricon, a Vogue cover and one for Harper’s Bazaar, collaborations with Richard Avedon and David Bailey (interviewed here), images that show her with Salvador Dali and Groucho Marx, relationships with The Rolling Stone’s Brian Jones and Klaus Kinski, Andy Warhol bondings, and and and...
“My name is Luna, I come from the moon” is how Donyale Luna used to introduce herself. It looks as though the memory of the supermodel’s brief, brimful life had gone back up to the heavens with her for decades. Nailah Jefferson’s insightful and revealing documentary ameliorates this and celebrates an extraordinary woman’s journey. William Klein’s 1966 fashion film Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo?, Federico Fellini’s Satyricon, a Vogue cover and one for Harper’s Bazaar, collaborations with Richard Avedon and David Bailey (interviewed here), images that show her with Salvador Dali and Groucho Marx, relationships with The Rolling Stone’s Brian Jones and Klaus Kinski, Andy Warhol bondings, and and and...
- 9/14/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Impact, the professional network for the entertainment industry founded by Oscar winning duo Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will team with Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay’s personnel database dedicated to underrepresented candidates, Array Crew, to create the number one global hiring resource for the entertainment industry.
Together as one service, Impact and Array Crew will continue their joint mission to make hiring, collaboration and communication in the film and TV industries more efficient and inclusive with the goal of empowering the people who bring stories to life.
Array Crew is a platform designed to connect below-the-line professionals with special focus on the amplification of women, people of color and those from underrepresented backgrounds with producers, studio executives and department heads. Array Crew counts more than 11,000 verified industry professionals with over 900 films, television shows, commercials and video projects using the service since its founding by DuVernay in 2021.
Impact is...
Together as one service, Impact and Array Crew will continue their joint mission to make hiring, collaboration and communication in the film and TV industries more efficient and inclusive with the goal of empowering the people who bring stories to life.
Array Crew is a platform designed to connect below-the-line professionals with special focus on the amplification of women, people of color and those from underrepresented backgrounds with producers, studio executives and department heads. Array Crew counts more than 11,000 verified industry professionals with over 900 films, television shows, commercials and video projects using the service since its founding by DuVernay in 2021.
Impact is...
- 8/3/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Goodbye Weeknd, hello Abel.
This week, W Magazine debuted its annual ‘The Pop Issue”, with “The Idol” stars The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp on the cover.
Read More: The Weeknd Is The Latest Celeb Joining The Bidding War For The Ottawa Senators
In the issue, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, talks about his plans to ditch his stage name in the near future.
“I’m going through a cathartic path right now. It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he says.
The Weeknd – Photo: Tyler Mitchell for W Magazine
“I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd,” Tesfaye continues. “And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.
Talking about when the death of “The Weeknd” might finally happen,...
This week, W Magazine debuted its annual ‘The Pop Issue”, with “The Idol” stars The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp on the cover.
Read More: The Weeknd Is The Latest Celeb Joining The Bidding War For The Ottawa Senators
In the issue, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, talks about his plans to ditch his stage name in the near future.
“I’m going through a cathartic path right now. It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he says.
The Weeknd – Photo: Tyler Mitchell for W Magazine
“I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd,” Tesfaye continues. “And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.
Talking about when the death of “The Weeknd” might finally happen,...
- 5/8/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Impact, the LinkedIn-like professional network for the entertainment biz founded by filmmakers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, raised 15 million in Series B funding.
The L.A.-based company, founded in 2020, has now landed more than 21 million in total funding. The Series B round was led by venture-capital firm Shasta Ventures with participation from Silicon Valley Vc firm Benchmark alongside strategic investors including Skydance, Riviera Partners, Michael Lynton (chairman of Snap and former chairman/CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment), Eric Fellner (producer and co-chairman of Working Title Films), Brian Koppelman and David Levien (creators of “Billions”) and Roku founder/CEO Anthony Wood.
Impact provides professional-networking tools designed to let productions and crews connect and collaborate more easily. The company said it will use the new funding to make hires on its product and engineering teams and to develop and launch new features. Impact was co-founded by Grazer and Howard (who...
The L.A.-based company, founded in 2020, has now landed more than 21 million in total funding. The Series B round was led by venture-capital firm Shasta Ventures with participation from Silicon Valley Vc firm Benchmark alongside strategic investors including Skydance, Riviera Partners, Michael Lynton (chairman of Snap and former chairman/CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment), Eric Fellner (producer and co-chairman of Working Title Films), Brian Koppelman and David Levien (creators of “Billions”) and Roku founder/CEO Anthony Wood.
Impact provides professional-networking tools designed to let productions and crews connect and collaborate more easily. The company said it will use the new funding to make hires on its product and engineering teams and to develop and launch new features. Impact was co-founded by Grazer and Howard (who...
- 11/14/2022
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Dua Lipa is rocking a tiny red bikini and celebrating hydration. Pic credit: @dualipa/Instagram
Dua Lipa is sharing her beauty secret in a red bikini.
The fashionable singer shared a set of photos on her Instagram, where she has 86.2 million followers.
The photos featured Dua as she lounged in the grass with red-framed sunglasses and a tiny red bikini.
Dua’s stringy ensemble featured a few pieces of Pvc material, connected with expertly crafted strings to keep the swimsuit in place.
She rocked french-manicured tips and held a bottle of Evian water in her hand. The customized water bottle said her name, Dua, on the front.
Dua offered a closer look at the custom bottle in the second photo, which featured the view from her neck to her waist. She wore an oversized chrome pink flower that resembled a hibiscus around her neck with a birthday ribbon attached. She...
Dua Lipa is sharing her beauty secret in a red bikini.
The fashionable singer shared a set of photos on her Instagram, where she has 86.2 million followers.
The photos featured Dua as she lounged in the grass with red-framed sunglasses and a tiny red bikini.
Dua’s stringy ensemble featured a few pieces of Pvc material, connected with expertly crafted strings to keep the swimsuit in place.
She rocked french-manicured tips and held a bottle of Evian water in her hand. The customized water bottle said her name, Dua, on the front.
Dua offered a closer look at the custom bottle in the second photo, which featured the view from her neck to her waist. She wore an oversized chrome pink flower that resembled a hibiscus around her neck with a birthday ribbon attached. She...
- 9/5/2022
- by Shannon Sullivan
- Monsters and Critics
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment is adding firepower to two industry and talent development programs in the Asia Pacific region.
One is the third edition of the Impact Australia screenwriter accelerator event which will operate an eight-week program from September. The other is the first edition of Emerge, a 20-week development program intended to raise the game of premium Taiwanese TV series.
Impact Australia was founded by Grazer and Howard and led by CEO Tyler Mitchell. The event is delivered by Gentle Giant Media, the Melbourne-based production company headed by former Village Roadshow Entertainment Group executive Greg Basser. It is supported by the University of Melbourne and state and territory screen agencies across Australia and will be held at the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts’ Southbank campus.
Its aim is to discover, cultivate and empower diverse Australian screenwriters, with the goal of accelerating...
One is the third edition of the Impact Australia screenwriter accelerator event which will operate an eight-week program from September. The other is the first edition of Emerge, a 20-week development program intended to raise the game of premium Taiwanese TV series.
Impact Australia was founded by Grazer and Howard and led by CEO Tyler Mitchell. The event is delivered by Gentle Giant Media, the Melbourne-based production company headed by former Village Roadshow Entertainment Group executive Greg Basser. It is supported by the University of Melbourne and state and territory screen agencies across Australia and will be held at the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts’ Southbank campus.
Its aim is to discover, cultivate and empower diverse Australian screenwriters, with the goal of accelerating...
- 6/29/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The participants for Impact Australia 2 have been revealed, with nine emerging creators to be paired with nine mentors.
Following a call-out for submissions in June, the emerging creators that have been selected to work on their projects as part of the program are:
Jessie Hughes (Qld): Head Above Water (TV Series – half hour)
John Kachoyan (Vic): Gaia (Feature)
Drew Macdonald (Qld): Only One Survives (TV Series – hour)
Julia Moriarty (Nsw): Stony Rise (TV Series – hour)
Elena Pavli (Nsw): The Clinic 2200 (TV Series – half hour)
Felicity Price (Nsw): Bird Island (TV Series – hour)
Bradley Slabe (Vic): Owner’s Manual: Operation and Maintenance of the Human Body (Feature)
Ramon Watkins (Vic): Daddies (TV Series – half hour)
Harvey Zielinski (Vic): Sweet Milk Lake (Feature)
Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant, and Sarah Lambert will join international writers Mark Bianculli, Dana Calvo, Hunter Covington, Eric Pearson, Stacy Traub,...
Following a call-out for submissions in June, the emerging creators that have been selected to work on their projects as part of the program are:
Jessie Hughes (Qld): Head Above Water (TV Series – half hour)
John Kachoyan (Vic): Gaia (Feature)
Drew Macdonald (Qld): Only One Survives (TV Series – hour)
Julia Moriarty (Nsw): Stony Rise (TV Series – hour)
Elena Pavli (Nsw): The Clinic 2200 (TV Series – half hour)
Felicity Price (Nsw): Bird Island (TV Series – hour)
Bradley Slabe (Vic): Owner’s Manual: Operation and Maintenance of the Human Body (Feature)
Ramon Watkins (Vic): Daddies (TV Series – half hour)
Harvey Zielinski (Vic): Sweet Milk Lake (Feature)
Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant, and Sarah Lambert will join international writers Mark Bianculli, Dana Calvo, Hunter Covington, Eric Pearson, Stacy Traub,...
- 9/14/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
MasterClass is already one of the most popular online learning platforms, but now, the site is letting you talk to some of its celebrity instructors directly on the phone.
Buy:
MasterClass Monthly Subscription
at
$15
For the first time ever, you can now talk to select MasterClass instructors on the phone through the MasterClass Direct Line. The limited-time promotion runs from September 15 to 21 and lets you have one-on-one conversations with people like Tom Morello, Deadmau5, film director Werner Herzog, author Neil Gaiman and other leaders and executives in the fields of music and entertainment,...
Buy:
MasterClass Monthly Subscription
at
$15
For the first time ever, you can now talk to select MasterClass instructors on the phone through the MasterClass Direct Line. The limited-time promotion runs from September 15 to 21 and lets you have one-on-one conversations with people like Tom Morello, Deadmau5, film director Werner Herzog, author Neil Gaiman and other leaders and executives in the fields of music and entertainment,...
- 9/13/2021
- by Tim Chan
- Rollingstone.com
Tyler Mitchell’s philosophy has always been “run to love”.
So when Film Victoria called him in early 2019 expressing admiration for the inaugural Impact accelerator program he ran with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer in the US, it was enough to plant the seed for an Australian version of the initiative.
“If someone loves what you are doing, you should embrace that,” he told If.
“We started talking and between Film Victoria, Screen Australia, and the states, there was tremendous support and a real partnership, not just financially, but with the mission we have.”
It’s a collaboration that will continue this year when Impact Australia returns in person following an inaugural virtual program in 2020.
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
So when Film Victoria called him in early 2019 expressing admiration for the inaugural Impact accelerator program he ran with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer in the US, it was enough to plant the seed for an Australian version of the initiative.
“If someone loves what you are doing, you should embrace that,” he told If.
“We started talking and between Film Victoria, Screen Australia, and the states, there was tremendous support and a real partnership, not just financially, but with the mission we have.”
It’s a collaboration that will continue this year when Impact Australia returns in person following an inaugural virtual program in 2020.
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
- 6/24/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment is partnering with Impact to launch a global call to discover an emerging writer to pen a new basketball comedy. An idea hatched by Imagine, the feature is described as a “School of Rock meets Moneyball.”
Similar to Impact’s content accelerators, applicants vying to claim the role as screenwriter of the project will go through an extensive review process. The top candidates will interview with Impact before making it to the finals where they will present to Imagine — who will make the hiring decision. Writers of all levels are invited to apply with a well-thought out take on the open writing assignment (Owa) and a writing sample. Submissions will be accepted starting today through March 7.
The logline for the project is: “When an NBA legend enrolls his superstar son at a local Stem academy, the washed-up basketball coach must team...
Similar to Impact’s content accelerators, applicants vying to claim the role as screenwriter of the project will go through an extensive review process. The top candidates will interview with Impact before making it to the finals where they will present to Imagine — who will make the hiring decision. Writers of all levels are invited to apply with a well-thought out take on the open writing assignment (Owa) and a writing sample. Submissions will be accepted starting today through March 7.
The logline for the project is: “When an NBA legend enrolls his superstar son at a local Stem academy, the washed-up basketball coach must team...
- 2/11/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Skydance Television, the diversified media company behind “Grace and Frankie,” “Altered Carbon” and “Jack Ryan,” has inked a first-look deal with global talent network and development accelerator program Impact. The contract will enable Skydance to source television content from writers around the world through Impact’s proprietary open application and evaluation system. Impact’s algorithm claims to democratize access for the entertainment industry, removing bias from the submission process so that applicants can be considered regardless of their location, demographic or representation status.
“We are thrilled to partner with Impact in discovering the next great storytellers to further enhance and diversify our television slate,” said Skydance President and COO Jesse Sisgold in a statement. “This innovative approach to utilize the benefits of both technology and taste-making in order to amplify the voices of creators — whatever their geography, background, or connectivity to the traditional studio system — builds on Skydance’s goal...
“We are thrilled to partner with Impact in discovering the next great storytellers to further enhance and diversify our television slate,” said Skydance President and COO Jesse Sisgold in a statement. “This innovative approach to utilize the benefits of both technology and taste-making in order to amplify the voices of creators — whatever their geography, background, or connectivity to the traditional studio system — builds on Skydance’s goal...
- 2/4/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Photo: Kamala Harris/Vogue On January 10th, 2021, Vogue posted a photo of their February cover to Instagram. The cover featured Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, against a green and pink background wearing a black suit and, controversially, Chuck Taylor converse. The cover received immediate backlash on platforms like Twitter, from angry followers who were convinced that Kamala Harris’ cover was a blatant sign of misrepresentation. Many accused Vogue of diminishing black women on their covers, comparing it to the Simon Biles’ cover from a few years ago. Criticisms of the cover range from the lighting being unflattering to the casual shoes Harris is pictured as being labeled disrespectful. Related article: On the Life of Kamala Harris (Vice President-Elect), the Strongest Medicine We’re Ready For Related article: President Joe Biden & VP Kamala Harris – Hollywood Insider Congratulates Our Official Endorsements! Kamala Harris Vogue Cover - The Context for the Controversial Cover The...
- 1/17/2021
- by Caroline Adamec
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Imagine Impact, the content accelerator and online marketplace founded by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and run by Tyler Mitchell, has closed a Series A financing round led by Benchmark.
The Silicon Valley venture capital firm has invested in startups like Uber, eBay, Stitch Fix, Snap and many more. Longtime Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the Impact deal and will join its board.
“We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world,” Grazer said. “From the moment we met Bill, it was clear that he understood and believed in our vision. Benchmark is not just an investor, but a true partner, whose expertise you can’t put a price on.”
Howard said the backing will enable Imagine Impact to broaden its impact. “Their investment enables us to go wider and deeper in...
The Silicon Valley venture capital firm has invested in startups like Uber, eBay, Stitch Fix, Snap and many more. Longtime Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the Impact deal and will join its board.
“We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world,” Grazer said. “From the moment we met Bill, it was clear that he understood and believed in our vision. Benchmark is not just an investor, but a true partner, whose expertise you can’t put a price on.”
Howard said the backing will enable Imagine Impact to broaden its impact. “Their investment enables us to go wider and deeper in...
- 9/17/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Imagine Impact, an offshoot of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company Imagine Entertainment, has closed its Series A financing round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark.
Imagine Impact joins eBay, Hipcamp, Instawork, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, Yelp, and Zillow, in Benchmark’s investment portfolio. Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the deal and will join the board.
“The old way of sourcing talent in the entertainment industry is based on who you know, which presents high barriers-to-entry for the fresh voices we need to hear from,” said Gurley. “Impact is knocking down these barriers through a marketplace model that reduces information asymmetry and levels the playing field.”
Grazer said, “We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world.”
The company was launched in 2018 by Grazer and Howard with Tyler Mitchell as CEO,...
Imagine Impact joins eBay, Hipcamp, Instawork, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, Yelp, and Zillow, in Benchmark’s investment portfolio. Benchmark partner Bill Gurley spearheaded the deal and will join the board.
“The old way of sourcing talent in the entertainment industry is based on who you know, which presents high barriers-to-entry for the fresh voices we need to hear from,” said Gurley. “Impact is knocking down these barriers through a marketplace model that reduces information asymmetry and levels the playing field.”
Grazer said, “We could not be more thrilled to be working with Benchmark. They have an unrivaled track record in building marketplaces and companies that have changed the world.”
The company was launched in 2018 by Grazer and Howard with Tyler Mitchell as CEO,...
- 9/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Stuart Beattie.
Screenwriter/producer Stuart Beattie’s illustrious career is in overdrive, with multiple projects bubbling in the US, Australia and Germany.
Some 28 years after the Aussie moved to LA, he is cashing in on his hard-earned reputation and extensive network of creative contacts.
One Australian-based project is a biopic about speed skater Steven Bradbury, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal.
The other is Interceptor, an action thriller to be directed by LA-based Australian novelist Matthew Reilly.
His US-based slate includes Rain, a 10-part drama based on a series of books by Barry Eisler about the exploits of a Japanese-American contract killer named John Rain.
Beattie is writing the bible and pilot and executive producing for Bedrock Entertainment, a new production banner founded by director Daniel Sackheim and producer Tony To in partnership with ITV Studios America.
Sackheim will direct the pilot,...
Screenwriter/producer Stuart Beattie’s illustrious career is in overdrive, with multiple projects bubbling in the US, Australia and Germany.
Some 28 years after the Aussie moved to LA, he is cashing in on his hard-earned reputation and extensive network of creative contacts.
One Australian-based project is a biopic about speed skater Steven Bradbury, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal.
The other is Interceptor, an action thriller to be directed by LA-based Australian novelist Matthew Reilly.
His US-based slate includes Rain, a 10-part drama based on a series of books by Barry Eisler about the exploits of a Japanese-American contract killer named John Rain.
Beattie is writing the bible and pilot and executive producing for Bedrock Entertainment, a new production banner founded by director Daniel Sackheim and producer Tony To in partnership with ITV Studios America.
Sackheim will direct the pilot,...
- 8/3/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
UTA has teamed with Metrograph to organize a series of drive-in movie screenings in the Hamptons starting next month. Produced by Amp Events, the Metrograph Drive-In will take over a park in Water Mill, New York and show classic films, advanced screenings of upcoming fall releases, and critically acclaimed movies from the talent agency’s clients alongside a catered picnic.
The series kicks off August 13 at Nova’s Ark, a 95-acre sculptural park and arts center. They’ll show three movies per week; slated for the first weekend are David Lynch’s 1986 Oscar-nominated mystery “Blue Velvet” and the Jean-Michel Basquiat-starring “Downtown 81.”
“Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” which closed AFI Docs earlier this year, will also be screened the first weekend. The film explores the role music played in getting Jimmy Carter elected, and features interviews with Willie Nelson, Bono, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Roseanne Cash, and Paul Simon, along...
The series kicks off August 13 at Nova’s Ark, a 95-acre sculptural park and arts center. They’ll show three movies per week; slated for the first weekend are David Lynch’s 1986 Oscar-nominated mystery “Blue Velvet” and the Jean-Michel Basquiat-starring “Downtown 81.”
“Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” which closed AFI Docs earlier this year, will also be screened the first weekend. The film explores the role music played in getting Jimmy Carter elected, and features interviews with Willie Nelson, Bono, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Roseanne Cash, and Paul Simon, along...
- 7/28/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
With drive-in theaters making a resurgence, UTA has teamed with New York City indie theater Metrograph for Metrograph Drive-In, an outdoor theater series. Events will take place at Nova’s Ark Project and Sculpture Park in Water Mill, New York and kick-off August 13.
The events will feature advance screenings of some of fall’s most anticipated releases, critically acclaimed films from UTA clients, curated culinary experiences, appearances by surprise talent, and more. The Metrograph Drive-In was organized by UTA Marketing and UTA Fine Arts in partnership with producer Amp Events.
Starting on August 13, there will be three screenings a week starting with Downtown 81, Blue Velvet and the upcoming documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.
“The last several months have challenged us to pivot and innovate our approach towards supporting our clients,” said Alex Hooven, UTA Marketing Executive. “With the Metrograph Drive-In, we have created an experience that brings people...
The events will feature advance screenings of some of fall’s most anticipated releases, critically acclaimed films from UTA clients, curated culinary experiences, appearances by surprise talent, and more. The Metrograph Drive-In was organized by UTA Marketing and UTA Fine Arts in partnership with producer Amp Events.
Starting on August 13, there will be three screenings a week starting with Downtown 81, Blue Velvet and the upcoming documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.
“The last several months have challenged us to pivot and innovate our approach towards supporting our clients,” said Alex Hooven, UTA Marketing Executive. “With the Metrograph Drive-In, we have created an experience that brings people...
- 7/27/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
In what looks a key moment in the streaming revolution, Disney has announced that from Oct. 1 it will shutter its kids channels in the U.K. following the launch of Disney Plus and an inability to reach new carriage deals with Sky and Virgin Media.
All three linear Disney brand channels – Disney Channel, Disney Xd and Disney Jr – will be taken off air, though other Disney-owned networks such as National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Fox will remain. Last year, Disney did the same in New Zealand shortly after Disney Plus was launched there.
“The direct-to-consumer service, which garnered more than 54.5 million subscribers worldwide in its first seven months, will now premiere all the latest films, series and specials from the three Disney Channels, along with offering a rich and expansive back catalogue of Disney Channel titles in the U.K.,” said Disney’s official statement.
Although Comcast-owned Sky...
All three linear Disney brand channels – Disney Channel, Disney Xd and Disney Jr – will be taken off air, though other Disney-owned networks such as National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Fox will remain. Last year, Disney did the same in New Zealand shortly after Disney Plus was launched there.
“The direct-to-consumer service, which garnered more than 54.5 million subscribers worldwide in its first seven months, will now premiere all the latest films, series and specials from the three Disney Channels, along with offering a rich and expansive back catalogue of Disney Channel titles in the U.K.,” said Disney’s official statement.
Although Comcast-owned Sky...
- 6/26/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Milla Bell-Hart and Phil Tarl Denson in Impact 2.
Shaun Grant, Jason Smilovic, Kai Wu, Stuart Beattie and Sarah Heyward are mentoring 14 emerging creators in Impact Australia, the offshoot of Us Imagine Impact founded by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell.
Supported by Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, the inaugural eight-week accelerator program for creative storytellers from across Australia was originally slated to be held in Melbourne.
Due to Covid-19 it is now being held as a virtual program, with a twice-weekly speaker series. It will culminate in Pitch Day, hoped to take place in Melbourne in late 2020, with the ultimate goal of the creators selling their projects.
The 14 creators from across Australia are working on 10 projects:
Carrie Anderson (Nsw) – Bound (TV hour)
Luke Goodall (Vic) and Marc Gallagher (Vic) – Robots Inc. (TV half hour)
Sukhjit Khalsa (Wa) and Perun Bonser (Wa) – One of the Good Ones (TV...
Shaun Grant, Jason Smilovic, Kai Wu, Stuart Beattie and Sarah Heyward are mentoring 14 emerging creators in Impact Australia, the offshoot of Us Imagine Impact founded by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell.
Supported by Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, the inaugural eight-week accelerator program for creative storytellers from across Australia was originally slated to be held in Melbourne.
Due to Covid-19 it is now being held as a virtual program, with a twice-weekly speaker series. It will culminate in Pitch Day, hoped to take place in Melbourne in late 2020, with the ultimate goal of the creators selling their projects.
The 14 creators from across Australia are working on 10 projects:
Carrie Anderson (Nsw) – Bound (TV hour)
Luke Goodall (Vic) and Marc Gallagher (Vic) – Robots Inc. (TV half hour)
Sukhjit Khalsa (Wa) and Perun Bonser (Wa) – One of the Good Ones (TV...
- 6/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Impact Australia, the entertainment accelerator launched down under by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell’s Imagine Impact back in February, has named 10 projects that will take part in its debut talent program.
The eight-week initiative, run in collaboration with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, was originally slated to take place in Melbourne but will now pivot to a virtual form due to ongoing coronavirus disruption.
A total of 14 creators will receive online mentorship ahead of a pitch day, which is aiming to take place physically in the fall, with the ultimate goal of taking the projects, which are primarily TV but include two features, to market.
Mentors will include: True History Of The Kelly Gang writer Shaun Grant, Carnival Row executive producer Kai Wu, Lucky Number Slevin writer Jason Smilovic, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl director Stuart Beattie, and Girls writer Sarah Heyward.
The eight-week initiative, run in collaboration with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, was originally slated to take place in Melbourne but will now pivot to a virtual form due to ongoing coronavirus disruption.
A total of 14 creators will receive online mentorship ahead of a pitch day, which is aiming to take place physically in the fall, with the ultimate goal of taking the projects, which are primarily TV but include two features, to market.
Mentors will include: True History Of The Kelly Gang writer Shaun Grant, Carnival Row executive producer Kai Wu, Lucky Number Slevin writer Jason Smilovic, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl director Stuart Beattie, and Girls writer Sarah Heyward.
- 6/25/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Imagine Impact has begun its call for submissions under a new deal with Netflix to develop original films from new screenwriters around the world.
Launched in 2018, Impact is inspired by tech startup accelerators like Y Combinator and aims to open new access to the Hollywood system and find emerging talent. Imagine partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer recently made Hillbilly Elegy and tick, tick … Boom! for Netflix and have longstanding ties to the streaming service’s film chief, Scott Stuber. They founded Impact along with Tyler Mitchell.
Through the open submission process, Impact will identify and develop feature film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix. The first genre announced Wednesday is described as “large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences.”
Applicants are asked to submit a “well-thought out idea” and a writing sample, now through July 6.
To date, the Impact...
Launched in 2018, Impact is inspired by tech startup accelerators like Y Combinator and aims to open new access to the Hollywood system and find emerging talent. Imagine partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer recently made Hillbilly Elegy and tick, tick … Boom! for Netflix and have longstanding ties to the streaming service’s film chief, Scott Stuber. They founded Impact along with Tyler Mitchell.
Through the open submission process, Impact will identify and develop feature film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix. The first genre announced Wednesday is described as “large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences.”
Applicants are asked to submit a “well-thought out idea” and a writing sample, now through July 6.
To date, the Impact...
- 6/17/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix and Imagine Impact — an offshoot of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company Imagine Entertainment — are teaming up develop original content from up-and-coming screenwriters.
Through the open submission process, Imagine Impact will identify and develop feature film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix. The companies announced Wednesday that they are seeking submissions for large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences with a “well-thought out idea and writing sample” through July 6.
“Netflix is the most innovative content creation and distribution company of the last decade, leading the way in streaming since 2007 and changing the original content game with ‘House of Cards’ in 2013. As Impact continues to evolve the way that global talent is discovered, projects are developed and how the creative industry connects, this partnership demonstrates both companies’ commitment to improving the development system in order to generate more original,...
Through the open submission process, Imagine Impact will identify and develop feature film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix. The companies announced Wednesday that they are seeking submissions for large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences with a “well-thought out idea and writing sample” through July 6.
“Netflix is the most innovative content creation and distribution company of the last decade, leading the way in streaming since 2007 and changing the original content game with ‘House of Cards’ in 2013. As Impact continues to evolve the way that global talent is discovered, projects are developed and how the creative industry connects, this partnership demonstrates both companies’ commitment to improving the development system in order to generate more original,...
- 6/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Writers, here’s your chance to fast-track your brilliant idea into a Netflix film. Imagine Impact, a branch of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company, is calling for submissions as part of a deal with Netflix that will see Impact identify and help develop feature film ideas, in four specific genres, over the next year. The first of four genre-specific application windows opens Wednesday. The first round of projects being considered are “large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences.” Applications will be accepted through July 6.
Imagine Impact, founded by Grazer, Howard, and Tyler Mitchell in 2018, is a content accelerator program that has held three sessions so far. Creatives apply in an open application process and those admitted take part in an intense, eight-week program that seeks unknown or underrepresented writers with unique stories and gets their projects ready for sale, in part by pairing creators with experienced mentors.
Imagine Impact, founded by Grazer, Howard, and Tyler Mitchell in 2018, is a content accelerator program that has held three sessions so far. Creatives apply in an open application process and those admitted take part in an intense, eight-week program that seeks unknown or underrepresented writers with unique stories and gets their projects ready for sale, in part by pairing creators with experienced mentors.
- 6/17/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Writers, here’s your chance to fast-track your brilliant idea into a Netflix film. Imagine Impact, a branch of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company, is calling for submissions as part of a deal with Netflix that will see Impact identify and help develop feature film ideas, in four specific genres, over the next year. The first of four genre-specific application windows opens Wednesday. The first round of projects being considered are “large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences.” Applications will be accepted through July 6.
Imagine Impact, founded by Grazer, Howard, and Tyler Mitchell in 2018, is a content accelerator program that has held three sessions so far. Creatives apply in an open application process and those admitted take part in an intense, eight-week program that seeks unknown or underrepresented writers with unique stories and gets their projects ready for sale, in part by pairing creators with experienced mentors.
Imagine Impact, founded by Grazer, Howard, and Tyler Mitchell in 2018, is a content accelerator program that has held three sessions so far. Creatives apply in an open application process and those admitted take part in an intense, eight-week program that seeks unknown or underrepresented writers with unique stories and gets their projects ready for sale, in part by pairing creators with experienced mentors.
- 6/17/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Thompson on Hollywood
In today’s film news roundup, UTA promotes agents Chelsea McKinnies and Emerson Davis, “A Deadly Legend’ finds a home and the Black Life Film Fest is unveiled.
Promotions
United Talent Agency has promoted veteran agents Chelsea McKinnies and Emerson Davis to partner status.
“As champions of powerful and unique voices, Chelsea and Emerson have been integral to the growth and evolution of UTA,” said UTA co-president David Kramer. “It is essential our partnership is comprised of dynamic and deserving leaders, particularly as we strive for our company to better reflect the world in which we live. Chelsea and Emerson make us better as a whole and will provide leadership and inspiration to colleagues who have been underrepresented in our partnership. UTA is fortunate to have such esteemed colleagues to help lead us in these times.”
Davis is a 14-year UTA veteran and part of UTA’s Motion Picture Literary Group.
Promotions
United Talent Agency has promoted veteran agents Chelsea McKinnies and Emerson Davis to partner status.
“As champions of powerful and unique voices, Chelsea and Emerson have been integral to the growth and evolution of UTA,” said UTA co-president David Kramer. “It is essential our partnership is comprised of dynamic and deserving leaders, particularly as we strive for our company to better reflect the world in which we live. Chelsea and Emerson make us better as a whole and will provide leadership and inspiration to colleagues who have been underrepresented in our partnership. UTA is fortunate to have such esteemed colleagues to help lead us in these times.”
Davis is a 14-year UTA veteran and part of UTA’s Motion Picture Literary Group.
- 6/16/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
UTA has promoted Chelsea McKinnies and Emerson Davis to partner status. The two rose through the agency ranks and collectively share 25 years of experience.
McKinnies jointed UTA in 2015 and is an agent in UTA’s talent department. She began at CAA in 2008 on the reception desk in New York and was promoted to agent in 2012. Her clients include Constance Wu, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amandla Stenberg, Cynthia Erivo, Anna Faris, Aidy Bryant, Martin Lawrence, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Che, Jemaine Clement, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phillipa Soo, Adriana Ugarte, Greta Lee and Yvonne Orji. McKinnies is originally from Bloomington, Minnesota, and graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Davis is part of UTA’s Motion Picture Literary Group and a 14-year vet of the agency. He rose through the UTA mailroom, and was promoted to agent in 2010. His client roster includes Hiro Murai, Kogonada, Terence Nance, Shaka King, Gillian Robespierre...
McKinnies jointed UTA in 2015 and is an agent in UTA’s talent department. She began at CAA in 2008 on the reception desk in New York and was promoted to agent in 2012. Her clients include Constance Wu, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amandla Stenberg, Cynthia Erivo, Anna Faris, Aidy Bryant, Martin Lawrence, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Che, Jemaine Clement, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phillipa Soo, Adriana Ugarte, Greta Lee and Yvonne Orji. McKinnies is originally from Bloomington, Minnesota, and graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Davis is part of UTA’s Motion Picture Literary Group and a 14-year vet of the agency. He rose through the UTA mailroom, and was promoted to agent in 2010. His client roster includes Hiro Murai, Kogonada, Terence Nance, Shaka King, Gillian Robespierre...
- 6/15/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Ivan and Beth Hodge.
In 1961 New Zealand couple Beth and Ivan Hodge set off in their newly acquired Vw Beetle on an extended honeymoon, driving from London to Calcutta.
In 1996 the couple, who moved to Australia in the 1960s, embarked on that same journey in that same car, this time ending in Mumbai.
That’s the inspiration for The Road Less Travelled, the first Australian script to emerge from Imagine Entertainment’s inaugural global content accelerator in Hollywood in late 2018.
Faraway Films Entertainment’s Steve Turnbull and Lynda Heys, who met the Hodges – Beth is a retired teacher and Ivan is a former insurance executive – at a film screening in 2015, wrote the screenplay and Heys will direct, her feature directing debut.
The duo optioned Beth and Ivan’s life rights and then spent two years interviewing the Hodges and their family and sifting through their archival material including photos, diaries and audio tape.
In 1961 New Zealand couple Beth and Ivan Hodge set off in their newly acquired Vw Beetle on an extended honeymoon, driving from London to Calcutta.
In 1996 the couple, who moved to Australia in the 1960s, embarked on that same journey in that same car, this time ending in Mumbai.
That’s the inspiration for The Road Less Travelled, the first Australian script to emerge from Imagine Entertainment’s inaugural global content accelerator in Hollywood in late 2018.
Faraway Films Entertainment’s Steve Turnbull and Lynda Heys, who met the Hodges – Beth is a retired teacher and Ivan is a former insurance executive – at a film screening in 2015, wrote the screenplay and Heys will direct, her feature directing debut.
The duo optioned Beth and Ivan’s life rights and then spent two years interviewing the Hodges and their family and sifting through their archival material including photos, diaries and audio tape.
- 3/15/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Tyler Mitchell.
Even as the industry becomes increasingly global, Australia can still feel a long way from Hollywood.
Impact Australia, the upcoming local iteration of Imagine Impact – the content accelerator program developed by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell – aims to lessen the tyranny of distance and uncover local talent.
To be held in Melbourne in June, it’s the first international iteration of the eight-week Impact program, which pairs writers with highly experienced showrunners and screenwriters in order to hothouse their projects from concept stage through to sellable screenplays. The initiative, based a on start-up accelerator model, then culminates in a pitch day in front of global buyers.
“Australia has a history of having wonderful, incredible artists and voices, whether they be screenwriters, directors or actors. For a country that has a relatively small population, it has amazing talent that comes from it.
Even as the industry becomes increasingly global, Australia can still feel a long way from Hollywood.
Impact Australia, the upcoming local iteration of Imagine Impact – the content accelerator program developed by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell – aims to lessen the tyranny of distance and uncover local talent.
To be held in Melbourne in June, it’s the first international iteration of the eight-week Impact program, which pairs writers with highly experienced showrunners and screenwriters in order to hothouse their projects from concept stage through to sellable screenplays. The initiative, based a on start-up accelerator model, then culminates in a pitch day in front of global buyers.
“Australia has a history of having wonderful, incredible artists and voices, whether they be screenwriters, directors or actors. For a country that has a relatively small population, it has amazing talent that comes from it.
- 3/3/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
“Audiences are becoming more fractured and niche.”
“Not enough water coolers” was the verdict of Tyler Mitchell, head of impact at creative marketplace program Imagine Impact, in an Efm industry talk on the future of storytelling on Friday 21.
Mitchell identified that “audiences are becoming more fractured and niche”, and that it is “harder to breakout” and become a cultural touchpoint.
Fellow panellist Mette Damgaard-Sørensen, artistic director at New Danish Screen, noted that the increased power of streaming companies in funding productions means “you have to be extremely precise” and create a show with potential viewership.
Juan Diaz Bohorquez, European director...
“Not enough water coolers” was the verdict of Tyler Mitchell, head of impact at creative marketplace program Imagine Impact, in an Efm industry talk on the future of storytelling on Friday 21.
Mitchell identified that “audiences are becoming more fractured and niche”, and that it is “harder to breakout” and become a cultural touchpoint.
Fellow panellist Mette Damgaard-Sørensen, artistic director at New Danish Screen, noted that the increased power of streaming companies in funding productions means “you have to be extremely precise” and create a show with potential viewership.
Juan Diaz Bohorquez, European director...
- 2/23/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell’s entertainment accelerator Imagine Impact is extending its reach to to Australia, in partnership with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia.
Having already launched three programs in the U.S., Impact will use their talent identification system to democratize access for creators, leveraging their technology to the global entertainment marketplace. Impact will also be available for local industries that want to build from the ground up and compete in the premium content landscape. Already, Imagine Impact has yielded 44 developed projects and 22 sold with major attachments to Netflix, Amblin and Village Roadshow, among others.
Imagine Impact’s mission is to cultivate and empower creative storytellers from around the globe with an innovative and collaborative approach to content creation. Impact combines Imagine Entertainment’s decades of Hollywood experience with the principles of Y Combinator for a new kind of entertainment industry accelerator program and...
Having already launched three programs in the U.S., Impact will use their talent identification system to democratize access for creators, leveraging their technology to the global entertainment marketplace. Impact will also be available for local industries that want to build from the ground up and compete in the premium content landscape. Already, Imagine Impact has yielded 44 developed projects and 22 sold with major attachments to Netflix, Amblin and Village Roadshow, among others.
Imagine Impact’s mission is to cultivate and empower creative storytellers from around the globe with an innovative and collaborative approach to content creation. Impact combines Imagine Entertainment’s decades of Hollywood experience with the principles of Y Combinator for a new kind of entertainment industry accelerator program and...
- 2/21/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sam Worthington will lead the cast of CounterPlay, which Blue Fox Entertainment is launching at Efm. Project comes from the newly established Mam Media in association with BlackOps Studios Asia. Shoot will take place in the Philippines. Worthington will play a retired hostage negotiator who comes out of retirement to take on one last job. Also starring will be Alex Diaz. Pedring Lopez is directing, his credits include action pic Maria which was bought by Netflix.
Emerging European powerhouse Leonine has bought rights for Germany and Austria on Asterix & Obelix: The Silk Road, the upcoming fifth live action film from the beloved children’s franchise. Philippe Mechelen and Julien Hervé wrote the screenplay, and Guillaume Canet is directing and also playing the role of Asterix. Gilles Lellouche is attached to star as his companion Obelix. Project is produced by Trésor Films, Pathé Films and Les Enfants Terribles. Leonine struck the...
Emerging European powerhouse Leonine has bought rights for Germany and Austria on Asterix & Obelix: The Silk Road, the upcoming fifth live action film from the beloved children’s franchise. Philippe Mechelen and Julien Hervé wrote the screenplay, and Guillaume Canet is directing and also playing the role of Asterix. Gilles Lellouche is attached to star as his companion Obelix. Project is produced by Trésor Films, Pathé Films and Les Enfants Terribles. Leonine struck the...
- 2/21/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Imagine Impact is a Silicon Valley-inspired film and TV writers’ accelerator programme.
Imagine Impact – the Silicon Valley-inspired film and TV writers’ accelerator programme – yesterday announced a new programme in Australia, in partnership with Gentle Giant Media Group, Screen Australia and Film Victoria.
This deal could signal more international expansion to come.
“There are a few different exciting ways that Impact is going to be working going forward,” Tyler Mitchell, head of impact at the offshoot of Imagine Entertainment, told Screen. “We plan on having an international presence and we’re in active conversations with multiple international companies and countries about doing that.
Imagine Impact – the Silicon Valley-inspired film and TV writers’ accelerator programme – yesterday announced a new programme in Australia, in partnership with Gentle Giant Media Group, Screen Australia and Film Victoria.
This deal could signal more international expansion to come.
“There are a few different exciting ways that Impact is going to be working going forward,” Tyler Mitchell, head of impact at the offshoot of Imagine Entertainment, told Screen. “We plan on having an international presence and we’re in active conversations with multiple international companies and countries about doing that.
- 2/21/2020
- by 1100142¦Wendy Mitchell¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Ron Howard interviews Ryan Murphy during Imagine Impact 1.
Imagine Impact, the content accelerator program created by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell, is heading to Australia.
Similar to its American counterpart, Impact Australia will pair creatives with highly experienced showrunners and screenwriters so that they can take a project from the ‘idea stage’ through to a sellable screenplay. The program culminates in a pitch day, held with the goal of selling their project.
The eight-week development and mentorship initiative will run in Melbourne later this year in association with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia – the first time it’s been held outside of the Us. Film Victoria has also supported the program together with all the other state agencies.
Up to 10 writers/writing teams will be selected, and Impact will provide a space for them to meet twice weekly in person with their mentors.
Imagine Impact, the content accelerator program created by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell, is heading to Australia.
Similar to its American counterpart, Impact Australia will pair creatives with highly experienced showrunners and screenwriters so that they can take a project from the ‘idea stage’ through to a sellable screenplay. The program culminates in a pitch day, held with the goal of selling their project.
The eight-week development and mentorship initiative will run in Melbourne later this year in association with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia – the first time it’s been held outside of the Us. Film Victoria has also supported the program together with all the other state agencies.
Up to 10 writers/writing teams will be selected, and Impact will provide a space for them to meet twice weekly in person with their mentors.
- 2/20/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
“I never should have written ‘Hip to be Square’ in the third-person,” says Huey Lewis of the News fame. The man who has sold more than 30 million records, spawning such ‘80s classics as “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “I Want a New Drug,” the Oscar-nominated “The Power of Love” and the song he’s fretting about now, a narrative lynchpin in both the book and film of Brett Easton Ellis/Mary Harron’s “American Psycho.” “People though I was singing about myself.”
The 69-year-old, longtime pal Jimmy Kimmel’s favorite rock star, is making a push for his underappreciated legacy with a pleasingly backward-looking blues/R&b, horns-heavy seven-song album, “Weather,” out on Feb. 14 via BMG Rights Management.
The album arrives at a bittersweet time, as Lewis has been suffering from a rare inner-ear disorder called Meniere’s Disease that causes his hearing to suddenly diminish, making it impossible for him to perform.
The 69-year-old, longtime pal Jimmy Kimmel’s favorite rock star, is making a push for his underappreciated legacy with a pleasingly backward-looking blues/R&b, horns-heavy seven-song album, “Weather,” out on Feb. 14 via BMG Rights Management.
The album arrives at a bittersweet time, as Lewis has been suffering from a rare inner-ear disorder called Meniere’s Disease that causes his hearing to suddenly diminish, making it impossible for him to perform.
- 2/4/2020
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp), Filmmaker‘s parent organization, announced today its public program during the 41st Ifp Week, including a series of over 40 panel conversations, informative workshops and screenings. Ifp Week, one of Ifp’s signature annual events, will take place in Brooklyn, New York from Sunday, September 15 to Thursday, September 19. The week kicks off on Sunday, September 15th with a series of panel conversations with filmmakers at Bric, including: Keynote Presentation by Tyler Mitchell, Head of Impact at Imagine Impact “An Exciting Time” – a conversation with the creative visionaries behind Time Studios, the recently formed premium content […]...
- 8/19/2019
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp), Filmmaker‘s parent organization, announced today its public program during the 41st Ifp Week, including a series of over 40 panel conversations, informative workshops and screenings. Ifp Week, one of Ifp’s signature annual events, will take place in Brooklyn, New York from Sunday, September 15 to Thursday, September 19. The week kicks off on Sunday, September 15th with a series of panel conversations with filmmakers at Bric, including: Keynote Presentation by Tyler Mitchell, Head of Impact at Imagine Impact “An Exciting Time” – a conversation with the creative visionaries behind Time Studios, the recently formed premium content […]...
- 8/19/2019
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has acquired a new photo of Beyoncé, ArtNews reports. Shot by photographer Tyler Mitchell for Vogue‘s 2018 September issue, Mitchell’s Beyoncé Vogue photos were the first made by a black photographer to appear on the cover and as part of the cover spread for the famed fashion magazine in its history.
The portrait features the singer in front of a gold drape backdrop. Beyoncé looks stunning, wearing a floral-styled, ornate and pointy headdress and a sparkly Valentino dress. Beyoncé poses with her elbows leaning on a flower-adorned Greek column.
The portrait features the singer in front of a gold drape backdrop. Beyoncé looks stunning, wearing a floral-styled, ornate and pointy headdress and a sparkly Valentino dress. Beyoncé poses with her elbows leaning on a flower-adorned Greek column.
- 8/8/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Image Source: Getty / Christopher Polk
Beyoncé is about to become a literal work of art at the Smithsonian Institution. A year after photographer Tyler Mitchell shot the historic Vogue September cover with Bey, the 24-year-old creative has announced that one of the snapshots - which features the singer wearing a golden Valentino gown with a spiked Philip Treacy London hat à la her 2017 Grammys ensemble - will be admitted into the Washington DC museum.
"A year ago today we broke the flood gates open. Since then it was important to spend the whole year running through them making sure every piece of the gate was knocked down," Tyler wrote on Instagram. "And now I'm glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection." Shortly after Tyler revealed the exciting news, the museum's official Twitter account responded, writing, "We're just so crazy in love...
Beyoncé is about to become a literal work of art at the Smithsonian Institution. A year after photographer Tyler Mitchell shot the historic Vogue September cover with Bey, the 24-year-old creative has announced that one of the snapshots - which features the singer wearing a golden Valentino gown with a spiked Philip Treacy London hat à la her 2017 Grammys ensemble - will be admitted into the Washington DC museum.
"A year ago today we broke the flood gates open. Since then it was important to spend the whole year running through them making sure every piece of the gate was knocked down," Tyler wrote on Instagram. "And now I'm glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection." Shortly after Tyler revealed the exciting news, the museum's official Twitter account responded, writing, "We're just so crazy in love...
- 8/8/2019
- by Brea Cubit
- Popsugar.com
Beyoncé continues to make history. The singer’s stunning Vogue portrait, taken by 24-year-old Tyler Mitchell, will be on display at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The famed photographer shared the exciting news on his Instagram on Tuesday, expressing his gratitude and excitement for the honor. “A year ago today we broke the flood gates open. Since then...
- 8/7/2019
- by Tanja Saric
- ET Canada
Imagine Entertainment Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and Imagine Impact Head Tyler Mitchell have tapped Sarah Russell to head marketing and communications at their content accelerator, Imagine Impact. Russell will lead all brand, marketing, and communications strategy.
As a marketing executive, Russell has experience in consumer brands across the tech, automotive, and healthcare industries for over fifteen years, including Apple, Facebook, Adidas, Microsoft, and Cvs Pharmacy.
“Sarah has been involved in building and steering the communications of some of the most respected companies in the media, technology and consumer products industries,” said Mitchell. “Her wealth of knowledge and experience will be an invaluable asset to Impact as we continue our mission to democratize access to the entertainment industry, empower writers, and create a modern, online destination that connects fresh and original voices from around the world to the producers, buyers and talent who can turn their stories into premium content.
As a marketing executive, Russell has experience in consumer brands across the tech, automotive, and healthcare industries for over fifteen years, including Apple, Facebook, Adidas, Microsoft, and Cvs Pharmacy.
“Sarah has been involved in building and steering the communications of some of the most respected companies in the media, technology and consumer products industries,” said Mitchell. “Her wealth of knowledge and experience will be an invaluable asset to Impact as we continue our mission to democratize access to the entertainment industry, empower writers, and create a modern, online destination that connects fresh and original voices from around the world to the producers, buyers and talent who can turn their stories into premium content.
- 5/29/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Imagine Entertainment has set its roster of participants of Impact 2, the inventive program where the company empowers outside voices, “creators,” paying the newcomers accepted to the program to develop TV series and movies under the watchful eye of “shapers,” a group of established industry writers and showrunners. The program, hatched by Imagine co-heads Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, this year got over 4000 submissions from 57 countries covering every continent but Antarctica. Tyler Mitchell runs the program.
The “shapers” in this year’s program are: Stacy Traub, Akiva Goldsman, Doug Ellin, Seth Grahame-Smith, Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney and Sascha Penn.
Here are the newcomers whose work was accepted and who will be paid a stipend to create one new project during the boot camp, before all of the work gets pitched to the town. Traub will oversee:
Writer/actor and Chicago native Aris Mendoza is creating the half hour TV project Blasian...
The “shapers” in this year’s program are: Stacy Traub, Akiva Goldsman, Doug Ellin, Seth Grahame-Smith, Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney and Sascha Penn.
Here are the newcomers whose work was accepted and who will be paid a stipend to create one new project during the boot camp, before all of the work gets pitched to the town. Traub will oversee:
Writer/actor and Chicago native Aris Mendoza is creating the half hour TV project Blasian...
- 4/23/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood Week — or “Hell Week,” according to that little devil Ryan Seacrest — continued on Monday’s American Idol, which ended with one contestant threatening (nay, promising!) to pee on the floor. And after sitting through this episode, I could relate.
These poor children were put through the wringer, forced to sing and dance and smile on mere minutes of sleep. They were treated like… like… well, like children in Hollywood, to be honest.
But unlike the episode, which forced the contestants to wait until the last possible moment to learn their fates, we’re going straight to the results:
Big...
These poor children were put through the wringer, forced to sing and dance and smile on mere minutes of sleep. They were treated like… like… well, like children in Hollywood, to be honest.
But unlike the episode, which forced the contestants to wait until the last possible moment to learn their fates, we’re going straight to the results:
Big...
- 3/26/2019
- TVLine.com
After five episodes of “American Idol” focused on auditions, the show shifted to Hollywood week on March 24. Expect plenty of fireworks as the three judges — pop princess Katy Perry, country superstar Luke Bryan and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie — decide which of the hopefuls to take forward in the competition and which will get a farewell hug from host Ryan Seacrest.
Over the course of the two episodes devoted to Hollywood Week the contestants sing in three rounds: lines of 10, groups, and solos. The judges will winnow the list down to just 40 who will sing in a showcase set to air on Sunday, March 31. (Spoilers: The men and women who made the Top 40.)
Those contenders will be culled down to just half that number and that Top 20 will be judged on both solo performances and celebrity duets over the course of three episodes starting Monday, April 1. Once the live playoffs...
Over the course of the two episodes devoted to Hollywood Week the contestants sing in three rounds: lines of 10, groups, and solos. The judges will winnow the list down to just 40 who will sing in a showcase set to air on Sunday, March 31. (Spoilers: The men and women who made the Top 40.)
Those contenders will be culled down to just half that number and that Top 20 will be judged on both solo performances and celebrity duets over the course of three episodes starting Monday, April 1. Once the live playoffs...
- 3/24/2019
- by Denton Davidson and Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
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