Michael Lombardo: Last News

Joe Manganiello will be going from in front of the camera to behind the scenes after it was announced that he will co-direct an upcoming documentary about the iconic tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons.The new project is likely a dream come true for the 45-year-old True Blood star, who has been a devoted D&D fan for years and regularly rustles up high-profile games with his celebrity friends.Manganiello, who is also an official ambassador for the fantasy game, will be joined in directing the documentary by Kyle Newman, according to Variety.  Dream job: Joe Manganiello, 45, will co-direct a documentary about Dungeons & Dragons, a game he has been a fan of for years, according to Variety; seen in April in NYC'I couldn’t be more proud and excited to get back behind the camera for another documentary, this time with the D&D dream team of Jon, Kyle and my brother and producing partner Nick,' Mangniello said in a statement. 'I lived through the rise and fall and rise again of this legacy brand that has not only meant so much to me but has served as the fountainhead of creativity for an entire generation of writers, artists and creative minds, influencing so much of our culture.'None of this would have been possible without Nathan Stewart at Wizards of the Coast and my eternally supportive boss from the HBO/True Blood days, Michael Lombardo and the fantastic team at eOn.

Following the announcement this morning that Lionsgate has agreed to acquire Entertainment One from Hasbro for $500M, eOne’s top film and TV executives, Steve Bertram, President, Film & TV, and Michael Lombardo, President, Global Television, are preparing to exit.

JuVee Productions, the production company owned by Viola Davis and film producer Julius Tennon, has signed a two-year, exclusive first-look television and new media deal with Entertainment One.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Joe Manganiello, the actor who moonlights as a “Dungeons & Dragons” official ambassador, will direct a documentary about the popular tabletop fantasy game with Kyle Newman. The film, backed by Hasbro and eOne, is billed as “the definitive documentary feature about the world’s greatest roleplaying game” and is timed to the 50th anniversary of “Dungeons & Dragons” in 2024. In addition to co-directing the untitled film, Manganiello will serve as a producer with his brother Nick Manganiello, Anthony Savini and Cecily Tyler. Tara Long and Geno McDermott are executive producing for eOne alongside leading “Dungeons & Dragons” scholar Jon Peterson, Adam F. Goldberg and Newman.

EXCLUSIVE: The Rookie‘s Alexi Hawley has signed a rich new deal with eOne. The two-year pact extends Hawley’s previous exclusive deal for television and new media content at the studio. It also includes a first look deal for feature films. As part of the agreement, Hawley will launch a production company.

EXCLUSIVE: Audio Up, the podcast studio behind series from the likes of Anthony Anderson and James Ellroy, is ramping up its moves into TV and film.

EXCLUSIVE: Entertainment One has entered a first-look television deal with top film and TV director-producer Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like a Man franchises) and his The Story Company production company.

By Denise Petski