‘The Flash’ to Screen for the First Time at CinemaCon 2023 (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: Dark Star Pictures has snapped up North American rights to the Stephen King documentary King on Screen, examining cinematic adaptations of the iconic author’s works, out of EFM. The film from actress-turned-director Daphné Baiwir, which bears King’s stamp of approval, will hit theaters in late summer, with a digital release to follow in the fall.

BreAnna Bell CultureCon returns for its sixth annual tour, Variety has learned. Going coast to coast, the convention will first stop in Los Angeles (June 17) before closing its run in New York City (October 7, 8). Presented by HBO Max, CultureCon was built by The Creative Collective NYC, a community dedicated to creating brave spaces for creatives and young professionals of color. “The growth and impact CultureCon has had among creatives of color continues to inspire us at HBO Max,” said Jackie Gagne, Warner Bros. Discovery’s SVP of multicultural marketing. “Heading into our fifth year as sponsors of the conference, and second as the presenting sponsors, we are excited to create spaces and provide invaluable resources for emerging creatives and young professionals of color.”

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Emmy nominee Razan Ghalayini has joined Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions as vice president of non-fiction development. The executive will be responsible for managing Jigsaw’s non-fiction slate of projects and will drive sales efforts alongside scripted and audio divisions. “I am thrilled to welcome Razan to Jigsaw. I have long been an admirer of her work. And I am in awe of her infectious enthusiasm and her ability to find, develop and produce stories that are powerful, vitally relevant to our present moment and hugely entertaining,” said Gibney, president of Jigsaw.

EXCLUSIVE: Succession‘s Alan Ruck is attached to star opposite prolific character actor Sean Whalen in the horror-comedy Crust, which Whalen is directing in his feature debut. The project reteams the duo who previously starred together alongside Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and more in the classic Warner Bros disaster pic, Twister.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Celebrated actor Nigel Havers and French journalist Sophie Davant will join Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) and ZDF Studios to celebrate 10 years and a now 10 territory roll-out of antique auction show “Cash or Trash.”  The property is produced by WBITVP and distributed internationally by ZDF Studios. Celebrations will take place as part of WBITVP’s Formats Showcase, held March 2 at BAFTA during this year’s London TV Screenings.  Havers (“Chariots of Fire,” “Finding Alice”) and Davant host the adaptations of “Cash or Trash,” on BBC One (“The Bidding Room”) and French public TV channel France 2 (“Affair Conclue”).

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is suing Paramount Global, saying its competitor aired new episodes of the popular animated comedy series “South Park” after Warner paid for exclusive rights.

“Screw you guys, we’re going to sue,” a Cartman paraphrasing Warner Bros Discovery essentially said to Paramount Global and the series creators today in a scathing lawsuit over South Park streaming rights.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Hogwarts Legacy” has wingardium leviosa-ed Warner Bros. Games’ sales, earning $850 million in global sales and moving more than 12 million units in just its first two weeks post-launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. That marks the biggest global launch ever for the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned video game company, with the “Harry Potter” action role-playing game also setting the Twitch record for single-player games with 1.28 million peak concurrent viewers at launch. As Variety previously reported, “Hogwarts Legacy” opened with stunning player engagement, topping 267 million hours played from launch on Feb. 10 through Feb. 21. On Thursday, Warner Bros. Games revealed the game had broken company records with 280 million hours played to date.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO Max is officially moving forward with the “It” prequel series currently titled “Welcome to Derry,” Variety has learned. The show was first reported as being in development in March 2022, while Variety exclusively reported that the project had attached its co-showrunners in November. As previously reported, the series was developed for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. “As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s ‘It’ until the thick paperback fell to pieces,” said the Muschiettis. “‘It’ is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our ‘It’ movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humor, humanity and horror.”

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are set for a big honor at this year’s CinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theater owners.  Nolan and Thomas will receive the NATO Spirit of the Industry award, presented by the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 27 at Las Vegas’ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “I am deeply honored to present the Spirit of the Industry Award to our good friends Chris and Emma as my last official act as President of NATO,” noted NATO President and CEO John Fithian. “No one has done more to advance the theatrical experience than these two champions of cinema.”

For those headed to CinemaCon in Las Vegas this April, take notice: Variety reports that Warner Bros. will screen its upcoming DCEU blockbuster “The Flash” at the event.

BBC Studios is gearing up for next week’s Showcase event by signing a global first-look deal with former Warner Bros. Australia TV boss Shaun Murphy.

DC’s long-anticipated superhero pic The Flash will be getting its first-ever public screening at the 2023 edition of CinemaCon, Deadline hears. The debut screening is set to take place on April 25, ahead of Warner Bros’ official slate presentation at the Las Vegas confab, showcasing the most promising, upcoming big-screen titles for theater owners.

EXCLUSIVE: UK film and television studios are preparing for inspections as they attempt to ward off property tax bills that could threaten the survival of some filming facilities.

The 34th annual Producers Guild Awards got underway Tuesday with HBO Max’s Sesame Street winning the children’s program award and HBO’s documentary Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off winning for sports program in categories announced during the PGA’s East Coast nominee celebration in New York.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Just days after Warner Bros. announced the cancellation of “Judge Mathis” after 24 seasons, Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has scooped up the services of Judge Greg Mathis to host a new first-run one-hour strip for fall 2023. “Mathis Court with Judge Mathis” has been given a “firm go” by Allen Media Group, which is now pitching the show for broadcast, cable and distribution platforms.In addition to broadcast syndication, the show will join Allen Media Group’s eight court series are carried on its television network Justice Central, available in more than 50 million U.S. homes. Allen Media Group’s “America’s Court with Judge Ross” (which premiered in fall 2010), as well as “Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez,” “Justice with Judge Mablean,” “Supreme Justice with Judge Karen,” “The Verdict with Judge Hatchett,” “We the People with Judge Lauren Lake” and “Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams.” (“Equal Justice” also premieres in fall 2023.) “Judge Greg Mathis is an outstanding, charismatic, and iconic television host, and we are extremely confident that our eighth and newest court series with Judge Mathis will be very successful for years to come as he joins our outstanding roster of talent, including Judge Kevin Ross, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Christina Perez, Judge Karen Mills-Francis, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Judge Lauren Lake, and Judge Eboni K. Williams,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, which produces and distributes globally.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer The 81st Golden Globe Awards are heading back to Sunday night. The film and TV celebration, which officially kicks off awards season, has staked January 7, 2024 for its next telecast, Variety can report exclusively. The show pivoted to a Tuesday this year to avoid an NFL game leading up to the NCAA National Championship showdown. In addition to reclaiming the traditional Sunday slot, producers behind the Globes are entertaining multiple offers from potential distribution partners, sources familiar with the talks said. Both TV networks and streamers are in the mix to air the next installment, one of the sources added. This includes NBC, the network which has broadcast the show since 1996. That year, “Sense and Sensibility” took home best drama, and Emma Thompson, the winner for best motion picture screenplay, delivered a memorable speech in character as Jane Austen. It’s not surprising that streamers are interested in the Globes, as the major platforms look to diversify their viewing experiences with live programming. In January, Netflix announced a multiyear deal to host the Screen Actors Guild Awards (which goes on service starting in 2024, and this year will be live-streamed on Netflix’s official YouTube channel).

EXCLUSIVE: Argentinian crime thriller A Singular Crime (Un Crimen Argentino), directed by Lucas Combina, has landed a series of international distribution deals on the third day of the EFM.

John Oliver has fired the first shot at his new Emmy rival Saturday Night Live – six months before his show Last Week Tonight will go head-to-head in a new awards category.

EXCLUSIVE: Molly Yeh has inked a two-year exclusive deal with Food Network, which will include more episodes of her Midwest-inspired cooking show Girl Meets Farm.

Angelique Jackson M. Night Shyamalan has inked a new multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, with the Oscar-nominated filmmaker switching his allegiance from Universal. The announcement was made Thursday by Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. News of the pact comes as the director celebrates his latest release “Knock at the Cabin,” which marks his seventh No. 1 opening at the box office — he has a No. 1 film in each of the last four decades — and further contributes to his more than $3 billion haul at the global box office, beginning with his breakout hit, “The Sixth Sense.” “Where I write and direct is my home,” Shyamalan said in a statement announcing the new deal. “Disney and Universal, where I’ve made most of my films, will always be home and family to me. Warner Bros. has a storied history of cinema. Through its recent experiences, the company has rediscovered its love and appreciation for filmmakers, and the impact of the theatrical experience. We all win when movies succeed in theaters. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theaters all around the world for years to come.”