CEO: Last News

Oscars in 2026, joking that he took the gig so that he can “hear Adrien Brody finish his speech”.The comedian and talk show host made his hosting debut at the Academy Awards earlier this month, and now the Academy has confirmed he will take on the role again on March 15, 2026 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang made the announcement on Monday (March 17), also confirming that production team Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will also return.Responding to the news, O’Brien quipped: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech”.Brody won Best Actor this year for his role in The Brutalist, with his acceptance speech coming in for widespread criticism for clocking in as the longest in the history of the Oscars while offering little in terms of entertainment value.“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!” Kramer and Yang said. “This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way.

Jeremy Zimmer is passing the leadership torch to United Talent Agency president David Kramer. Kramer, who began his career in the UTA mailroom, will succeed Zimmer as CEO on June 1.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International sales agency Lightdox has acquired Amalie Atkins’ debut feature documentary “Agatha’s Almanac,” ahead of its world premiere at Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, also known as CPH:DOX.

Naman Ramachandran In a significant expansion of LGBTQ+ content in Asia, OUTtv is set to debut its first-ever channel in the region through a partnership with Taiwan‘s largest telecom provider, Chunghwa Telecom. The expansion marks a strategic milestone for OUTtv, which bills itself as the world’s leading LGBTQ+ television and streaming service.

Naman Ramachandran Aniplex Inc. and Crunchyroll, LLC have revealed the establishment of Hayate Inc., a new company focused on planning, developing, and producing anime content for the Crunchyroll streaming service available worldwide.

Christopher Vourlias The 7th edition of the Joburg Film Festival came to a close Saturday night, bringing an end to a busy week that saw the festival and its parallel industry event, JBX, make strides in establishing themselves as what festival founder Timothy Mangwedi is determined to transform into “the number one pop-culture, must-attend event in sub-Saharan Africa.” Across the three-day JBX, or Joburg Xchange, representatives of the South African and global screen industries explored ways to bolster cross-border collaboration, wrestled with thorny issues involving copyright law, AI and workers’ rights, and sought to ensure that African narratives remain in the hands of African storytellers. Meanwhile, a full-day program presented in collaboration with Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) showcased the advances made by women in the South African screen industries while highlighting how much remains to be done on the road to gender parity.

Carolyn Giardina Eric Shamlin, Television Academy governor and chair of its AI Task Force, urged members to take on an advocacy role in developing AI policies and frameworks, during a keynote at Saturday’s TV Academy AI Summit. “We must now lead,” he asserted.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery is once again experimenting with sampling some of its premium pay TV and streaming content on its owned cable networks, this time sampling HBO‘s “True Detective: Night Country” and Max’s “Hacks.” Beginning on March 28, “True Detective: Night Country,” which consists of six episodes, will air on TNT.

Christopher Vourlias South African filmmakers are sounding an S.O.S. over the country’s beleaguered cash rebate system, with leading industry bodies demanding answers over unpaid claims and calling for greater transparency from the officials overseeing the cashback scheme.

George Clooney and his wife Amal are hosting a select amount of guests in Lake Como, Italy!

Charter Communications CEO Christopher Winfrey saw his total compensation package fall dramatically in 2024 from the year before, when he was granted option and stock awards valued at about $83 million.

Abigail Lee Long-running magazine Popular Science is the basis for a new FAST streaming channel set to be launched by Toronto-based Underknown. The network will be available on FUBO, Plex, Sling Freestream, Vizio, Local Now and other FAST platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Gold Tree, the parent company of Gold Tree Studios, has secured $1 billion in financing from Malka Group for its film, television and animation slates.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Want to hang out with George and Amal Clooney on Italy’s Lake Como and be pampered to the hilt, all for a good cause? In August, the couple will be hosting an exclusive five-day fundraiser for the Clooney Foundation for Justice, hosting 16 guests who are passionate about philanthropy but also eager to indulge “in the most incredible aspects of Lake Como,” according to Emma Ponsonby, CEO of Satopia Group, which is organizing the event. Participation starts at €160,000 ($173,000) per room (based on double occupancy) at the Passalacqua hotel, an opulent 18th century villa with frescoed suites, grand staircases and fountains overlooking the lake on land once owned by Pope Innocent XI.

Luigi Mangione has someone backing him in a big way.

Gucci has officially announced that Demna will take over as the House’s new Artistic Director, beginning in July 2025.

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Over the weekend of March 15-16, the European Film Academy is hosting watch party screenings of two of its Lux Audience Award nominated films in partnership with its European Film Club, a platform and network of film clubs across Europe where teenagers aged 12-19 can watch and talk about European cinema. Through the inaugural two screenings, young people will be able to watch Sofia Exarchou’s “Animal” and Oksana Karpovych’s “Intercepted.” Speaking with Variety ahead of the weekend of screenings, CEO and Director of the European Film Academy Matthijs Wouter Knol recalled first hearing about the idea for the European Film Club upon taking the post in the organization in 2021.

Naman Ramachandran JioHotstar has cemented its position as India’s streaming powerhouse, revealing staggering viewership numbers for the recently concluded ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 cricket tournament. The tournament culminated in a nail-biting final where India triumphed over New Zealand, delivering eye-popping metrics that underscore the platform’s dominance in the world’s largest cricket market.

Landman is returning for a second season at Paramount+!

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Elon Musk, the owner of X, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and head of President Trump’s DOGE cost-cutting initiative, is less popular than Trump at the moment. According to a new CNN/SSRS poll released Wednesday, about 53% of Americans said they have an “unfavorable opinion” of the billionaire, compared with 35% who have a positive view and 9% offering no opinion (and 2% saying they have “never heard” of Musk). By comparison, Trump’s overall favorability rating was 45% and his unfavorability rating was 52%, according to the poll, which was in line with Trump’s highest ratings for his first term in office.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Mobile gaming giant Scopely is set to acquire the games division of Niantic, the software developer behind “Pokémon Go,” “Pikmin Bloom” and “Monster Hunter Now,” in a deal valued at $3.5 billion. Under the terms of the sale, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Niantic’s game teams will continue to be overseen by studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu as they join a workforce of more than 2,300 Scopely employees.