Jessica Simpson Signs Multi-Media Rights Deal at Amazon

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSouth Korean cinema audiences turned out to see “The Batman” but little else over the weekend. That activity put “The Batman” firmly on top of the weekend box office chart, but it left overall business at deeply depressed levels.“The Batman” earned $2.01 million between Friday and Sunday according to data from the Kobis data service operated by the Koran Film Council (Kofic).

Leon Bridges has announced he’ll be embarking on a four-stop tour of Australia later this year.Bridges revealed the news earlier today (March 7) via his social media, sharing a photo of the tour poster.He’ll be playing the first two shows in Perth and Melbourne in September, then heading to Brisbane and Sydney for two October dates, with the latter taking place at the iconic Sydney Opera House. He’ll be supported by Australian musician Milan Ring for all shows except Sydney.General tickets for the dates go on sale Friday, March 11, with pre-sale tickets available from Wednesday, March 9.

The Courtship, viewers are introduced to Nicole and her trusted Court, made up of her father, Claude, her mother, Claire, her sister, Danie, and best friend, Tessa, as they moved into a castle in the English countryside to begin her 19th-century foray into the dating world.After settling in, Mr. Edwards, the show's narrator and Nicole's guide along her journey for love, presented her and her Court with 16 letters of introduction from her potential suitors, which were read with excitement and a few laughs ahead of the night's welcome ball, where her Court helped choose some of her dates for the evening.Arriving in carriages and on horseback, the 16 men vying for Nicole's heart made their way to the palace, where they were greeted with all the pomp and circumstance one can expect from an episode of , traditional twists on modern music included.There, Nicole met a few of the men and even left with six of them, chosen by her Court for a group date, but there was one lucky gentleman who caught Nicole's attention for her first one-on-one date.

Kim Kardashian had all hands on deck as she dressed for the BalenciagaWinter '22 show during Paris Fashion Week.On Sunday, the 41-year-old SKIMS mogul shared videos in which four assistants were seen wrapping up her body from neck to toe in yellow Balenciaga-branded caution tape.'Getting ready for the @balenciaga show,' Kim wrote on the first clip that she shared to her Instagram Story. Teamwork:Kim Kardashian had all hands on deck as she dressed for the Balenciaga Winter '22 show during Paris Fashion Week All wrapped-up! On Sunday, the 41-year-old SKIMS mogul shared videos in which four assistants were seen wrapping up her body from neck to toe in yellow Balenciaga-branded caution tapeKim covered her famous curves in a skintight black bodysuit and sported pointed-toe black heeled boots.

Gigi Hadid is showing her support for those suffering in Ukraine and Palestine.

Chris Coelen is opening up about the criticisms Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee has about how he was presented to audiences in Love is Blind.

BBC News at Ten presenter Clive Myrie has shared a heartfelt message after he made a dramatic escape from Kyiv. The 57-year-old veteran journalist had been reporting from the capital of war-torn Ukraine since the beginning of the current conflict which followed the invasion of Russian troops on February 24. But he has now been forced to leave as the situation becomes increasingly dangerous, with Kyiv and other major cities further descend into hellish war zones between Ukrainian and Russian forces.Taking to Twitter, he shared a photo of his vehicle stuck in the huge traffic jam of refugees heading out of the nation, while giving his own feelings on the devastation and humanitarian disaster seen from the ground.He wrote in the caption: "It was a long, day of driving and queuing to get out of Kyiv.

“The Boys” actor Antony Starr was arrested over the weekend in Alicante, Spain, and handed a suspended 12-month sentence, according to multiple reports.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterUTA has signed Estevan Oriol for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively.He will continue to be managed by Marco Valadez at The ID Agency and represented by attorney Eric Sherman at Ziffren Brittenham LLP.Most recently, Oriol executive produced the Universal Pictures feature “Lowriders” and produced and directed the Netflix documentary “L.A. Originals.” He is also attached as an executive producer on the George Lopez-led drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan,” which Variety exclusively reported has been set up for development at Amazon.Oriol began his career as a tour manager for Cypress Hill and House of Pain.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIn a competitive situation, Amazon has acquired the rights to the Bill Konigsberg’s novel “The Bridge” with David Mandell set to adapt the book for television, Variety has learned exclusively.The limited series will be produced by Amazon Studios in association with PKM Productions. Mandell will write and executive produce, with Konigsberg also executive producing along with Patrick Moran of PKM.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCAA has signed a deal with the Writers Guild of America, Variety has learned.“CAA and the WGA have concluded and signed a franchise agreement confirming CAA can resume representing writers and continue the important work of helping them realize their ambitions,” the agency said in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRachel Polan has joined Jessica Rhoades’ Pacesetter Productions as senior vice president.In her new role, Polan will help identify and foster development for the company and add support to the current productions. In addition, Dana Echt has been named manager at Pacesetter.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has given a series order to “I’m a Virgo” from Boots Riley with Jharrel Jerome attached to star.The half-hour series is described as an absurdist, coming of age story about a 13-foot-tall Black man (Jerome) who lives in Oakland, CA.Riley wrote the series and will also direct. He serves as executive producer along with Michael Ellenberg of Media Res, Tze Chun, and Jerome.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKatori Hall has signed an overall deal with Lionsgate Television.Hall currently serves as creator, executive producer, and showrunner on the Lionsgate-produced series “P-Valley,” which recently aired its first season on Starz. The show is based on Hall’s stage play “Pussy Valley.” Under the deal, Hall will continue to executive produce the “P-Valley” and develop and produce new premium scripted series for Lionsgate across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIlene Chaiken has signed an overall deal with Universal Television, Variety has confirmed. As part of the deal, Chaiken has joined the upcoming NBC show “Law & Order: Organized Crime” as executive producer and showrunner.Chaiken takes over showruner duties on the series from Matt Olmstead, who stepped down in October.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCraig Macneill has signed on to direct and executive produce the pilot for the upcoming “I Know What You Did Last Summer” series at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Macneill made his feature directorial debut in 2015 with “The Boy,” which was loosely based on the novel “Miss Corpus” by Clay McLeod Chapman and premiered at the SXSW Film Festival that same year. Macneill also served as co-writer on the film in addition to directing.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe HBO Max comedy pilot “Minx” is rounding out its cast.Idara Victor, Oscar Montoya, Jessica Lowe, Lennon Parham, and Michael Angarano have all been cast in series regular roles, with Jake Johnson attached to guest star. The group joins previously announced series lead Ophelia Lovebond.“Minx” is set in 1970s Los Angeles and centers around earnest young feminist Joyce (Lovebond) who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women.Victor, whose past credits include “Shameless” and “Turn,” will play Tina, the publisher’s sardonic secretary.Montoya will play Richie, the magazine’s recently out of the closet photographer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLuckyChap Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Under the deal, LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Brett Hedblom, LuckyChap’s vice president of television, will also be involved in the development of the projects.“We are so thrilled to be partnering with Amazon Studios to bring original content to the ever-burgeoning television landscape,” Robbie, Ackerley, and McNamara said in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIn a competitive situation, the George Lopez drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan” has been set up at Amazon for development, Variety has learned exclusively.Lopez will star in and executive produce the one-hour series under his Travieso Productions banner. Javier Rodriguez created the series and will executive produce along with famed photographer and director Estevan Oriol, iconic LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly, who put the package together under his Mad Hatter Entertainment banner.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Amazon series “Outer Range” has rounded out its main cast.Lewis Pullman, Noah Reid, Shaun Sipos, and Isabel Arraiza have all been cast in the series, Variety has learned. They join previously announced cast members Josh Brolin, Lili Taylor, Tamara Podemski, Tom Pelphrey, and Imogen Poots.“Outer Range” centers on Royal Abbott (Brolin), a rancher fighting for his land and family, who discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness.Pullman is set to take on the role of Rhett Abbott, the family’s younger, more rebellious son.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRachel Kaplan has signed a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group, Variety has learned.Kaplan, the former head of Keshet Studios, is also launching her own production company — Absecon Entertainment. Under the deal, she will develop and produce original scripted programming to be produced by Absecon in association with Warner Bros.