Exclusive: SmartLess, the podcast set up by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes and sold to Amazon Music and Wondery in a multi-million-dollar deal, is expanding.
The trio have launched SmartLess Media and hired Richard Korson, who was previously a producer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as President.
The company will expand its audio slate and has teamed up to produce a raft of new shows as part of its partnership with the Jeff Bezos-owned companies.
SmartLess Media will produce a range of weekly series as well as narrative and limited podcasts and will produce in-house as well as working with external partners.
It comes after the actors sold their show to Amazon Music and Wondery in a deal thought to be valued at between $60M-80M. As part of that partnership, Amazon Music and Wondery have first-look exclusive rights to other shows produced by SmartLess Media.
The trio have launched SmartLess Media and hired Richard Korson, who was previously a producer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as President.
The company will expand its audio slate and has teamed up to produce a raft of new shows as part of its partnership with the Jeff Bezos-owned companies.
SmartLess Media will produce a range of weekly series as well as narrative and limited podcasts and will produce in-house as well as working with external partners.
It comes after the actors sold their show to Amazon Music and Wondery in a deal thought to be valued at between $60M-80M. As part of that partnership, Amazon Music and Wondery have first-look exclusive rights to other shows produced by SmartLess Media.
- 2/1/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has set the core cast and creative team for Avatar: The Last Airbender. Gordon Cormier (Gabby Duran and the Unsittables), Kiawentiio (Beans), Ian Ousley (Physical), and Dallas Liu (PEN15) have been cast as series regulars in the live-action adaptation of the Nickelodeon series.
Albert Kim will serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer of the series with Rideback’s Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) executive producing, along with Michael Goi. Roseanne Liang is co-executive producer and Goi, Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani will serve as directors.
Written by Kim, Netflix bills the series as an authentic adaptation of the award-winning and beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender reimagined as a live-action adventure.
Cormier will portray Aang, a fearless and fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and...
Albert Kim will serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer of the series with Rideback’s Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) executive producing, along with Michael Goi. Roseanne Liang is co-executive producer and Goi, Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani will serve as directors.
Written by Kim, Netflix bills the series as an authentic adaptation of the award-winning and beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender reimagined as a live-action adventure.
Cormier will portray Aang, a fearless and fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and...
- 8/12/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Actor Dallas Liu is going from the comedy of Hulu’s Pen15 to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is set to appear in the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings alongside Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh and Ronnie Chieng. Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige is producing the film. Marvel’s Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Jonathan Schwartz are EPs. Details about Liu’s role in the movie are being kept under wraps. Marvel Studios declined to comment.
Liu appears in Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle’s critically acclaimed Hulu comedy Pen15 as Erskine’s older brother Shuji Ishii-Peters. He also recently starred opposite Stella Hudgens, as Taylor King, in the Snapchat young-adult drama series, Players which follows students at an elite Los Angeles high school.
On the film front, Liu appears alongside Superstore‘s Nichole Bloom in the drama short, Ella which follows introverted high school freshman,...
Liu appears in Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle’s critically acclaimed Hulu comedy Pen15 as Erskine’s older brother Shuji Ishii-Peters. He also recently starred opposite Stella Hudgens, as Taylor King, in the Snapchat young-adult drama series, Players which follows students at an elite Los Angeles high school.
On the film front, Liu appears alongside Superstore‘s Nichole Bloom in the drama short, Ella which follows introverted high school freshman,...
- 3/31/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox Entertainment’s Bento Box Entertainment and Princess Pictures have signed a first-look animation development deal, with all projects to be fully produced in Australia with local talent and crews.
The aim is to give animation’s next wave of creators the chance to showcase their work across Us and international platforms.
Bento Box co-founder and CEO Scott Greenberg and Princess Pictures’ founder Laura Waters announced the partnership.
“Australia punches above its weight in animation talent with scores of Oscar nominations and wins, and very successful children’s animation series,” said Waters. “There’s a slew of Australian talent making hilarious animation online, all with dedicated audiences.
“In collaboration with Bento Box, we’re excited to support this new wave of comedy talent with professional budgets and access to opportunities on major platforms.”
All projects will be executive produced by Greenberg, Waters, Bento Box co-founder and president of production Joel Kuwahara...
The aim is to give animation’s next wave of creators the chance to showcase their work across Us and international platforms.
Bento Box co-founder and CEO Scott Greenberg and Princess Pictures’ founder Laura Waters announced the partnership.
“Australia punches above its weight in animation talent with scores of Oscar nominations and wins, and very successful children’s animation series,” said Waters. “There’s a slew of Australian talent making hilarious animation online, all with dedicated audiences.
“In collaboration with Bento Box, we’re excited to support this new wave of comedy talent with professional budgets and access to opportunities on major platforms.”
All projects will be executive produced by Greenberg, Waters, Bento Box co-founder and president of production Joel Kuwahara...
- 4/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Fox is developing Saloon, an animated comedy from writers Elliot Kalan (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), Jenny Jaffe, and Fox Entertainment-owned SideCar Content Accelerator, run by Gail Berman. If the project goes to production, it likely will be done in partnership with animated house Bento Box, which Fox Entertainment recently acquired.
Written by Kalan and Jaffe, Saloon, which has a script commitment, is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector. At the other side of Timmy’s Town is do-gooder Sheriff Stacey Leslie (a man) whose only mission is to close Kevin’s “sinful” bar and run her out of town for good.
Kalan and Jaffe executive produce with Berman for Sidecar, which co-produces with Fox Entertainment.
While the comedy won’t be topical,...
Written by Kalan and Jaffe, Saloon, which has a script commitment, is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector. At the other side of Timmy’s Town is do-gooder Sheriff Stacey Leslie (a man) whose only mission is to close Kevin’s “sinful” bar and run her out of town for good.
Kalan and Jaffe executive produce with Berman for Sidecar, which co-produces with Fox Entertainment.
While the comedy won’t be topical,...
- 9/3/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox is continuing its run in animated comedy.
Variety has learned that the broadcaster is developing an animated series titled “Saloon” that hails from Elliott Kalan and Jenny Jaffe. it is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector. At the other side of Timmy’s Town is do-gooder Sheriff Stacey Leslie (a man) whose only mission is to close Kevin’s “sinful” bar and run her out of town for good.
Kalan and Jaffe will both write and executive produce, with Gail Berman also executive producing via SideCar. Fox Entertainment and SideCar will produce.
Should the project go to series, it would be one of several animated shows currently on Fox. The network currently has cornerstones “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” and “Bob’s Burgers.” Freshman animated show “Bless the Harts...
Variety has learned that the broadcaster is developing an animated series titled “Saloon” that hails from Elliott Kalan and Jenny Jaffe. it is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector. At the other side of Timmy’s Town is do-gooder Sheriff Stacey Leslie (a man) whose only mission is to close Kevin’s “sinful” bar and run her out of town for good.
Kalan and Jaffe will both write and executive produce, with Gail Berman also executive producing via SideCar. Fox Entertainment and SideCar will produce.
Should the project go to series, it would be one of several animated shows currently on Fox. The network currently has cornerstones “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” and “Bob’s Burgers.” Freshman animated show “Bless the Harts...
- 9/3/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the winners of the 46th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The gala was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Southern California.
“Tonight’s awards ceremony is an example of the extraordinary depth and breadth of Daytime television,” said Terry O’Reilly, Chairman, NATAS. “It is with great pleasure that we honor these talented nominees and a special honor to be recognizing Jacques Pepin’s culinary career with our Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Check out the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards winners list below.
Digital Drama
Best Digital Actress
Vanessa Baden Kelly, “Giants”
Best Digital Actor
Kevin Spirtas, “After Forever”
Best Digital Supporting Actress
Erin Cherry, “After Forever”
Best Digital Supporting Actor
Terrence Terrell, “Giants”
Best Digital Guest Performer
Sean Patrick Flannery, “The Bay”
Best Digital Writing
“After Forever”
Best Digital Directing
“After Forever”
Talk Show
Best Talk/Entertainment...
“Tonight’s awards ceremony is an example of the extraordinary depth and breadth of Daytime television,” said Terry O’Reilly, Chairman, NATAS. “It is with great pleasure that we honor these talented nominees and a special honor to be recognizing Jacques Pepin’s culinary career with our Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Check out the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards winners list below.
Digital Drama
Best Digital Actress
Vanessa Baden Kelly, “Giants”
Best Digital Actor
Kevin Spirtas, “After Forever”
Best Digital Supporting Actress
Erin Cherry, “After Forever”
Best Digital Supporting Actor
Terrence Terrell, “Giants”
Best Digital Guest Performer
Sean Patrick Flannery, “The Bay”
Best Digital Writing
“After Forever”
Best Digital Directing
“After Forever”
Talk Show
Best Talk/Entertainment...
- 5/6/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Hulu's PEN15 is making headlines already for its quirky, bluntly honest take on the indignities of middle school. Although the two lead characters, Maya and Anna, are portrayed by adult women (creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle), the rest of the teen and tween-aged cast is played by actual young actors. Among the potential breakout stars is Dallas Liu, who's getting plenty of attention but probably doesn't quite look familiar to most viewers.
Liu portrays Shuji Ishii-Peters, Maya's older brother. The young actor made his film debut in the 2010 Japanese-American film Tekken. Based on a video game, the martial arts action movie follows a young fighter, Jin Kazama, as he enters a fighting tournament in hopes of avenging his late mother and getting revenge on his father and grandfather. Liu played Jin as an 11-year-old boy in some scenes.
In the early 2010s, Liu moved on to a series...
Liu portrays Shuji Ishii-Peters, Maya's older brother. The young actor made his film debut in the 2010 Japanese-American film Tekken. Based on a video game, the martial arts action movie follows a young fighter, Jin Kazama, as he enters a fighting tournament in hopes of avenging his late mother and getting revenge on his father and grandfather. Liu played Jin as an 11-year-old boy in some scenes.
In the early 2010s, Liu moved on to a series...
- 2/17/2019
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
Boat Rocker Media has acquired unscripted production company Matador Content, which is behind Paramount Network’s Lip Sync Battle. Following the cash and stock transaction, Matador founders Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin remain at the helm as the company joins the Boat Rocker group. This deal marks Boat Rocker’s largest expansion into the Us market.
Founded in early 2013, Matador has produced such series as Emmy nominated Lip Sync Battle, Boy Band (ABC), What Would Diplo Do? (Vice), The Rape of Recy Taylor (The Orchard), The Who Was? Show and Fight World (Netflix), Master of Arms (Discovery Channel), Banksy Does New York (HBO), and Lip Sync Battle Shorties (Nickelodeon). As part of Boat Rocker Media, Matador is expected to ramp up its development slate across all genres and get access to new sources of financing for pilots and series going forward.
This deal marks Boat Rocker’s third acquisition in...
Founded in early 2013, Matador has produced such series as Emmy nominated Lip Sync Battle, Boy Band (ABC), What Would Diplo Do? (Vice), The Rape of Recy Taylor (The Orchard), The Who Was? Show and Fight World (Netflix), Master of Arms (Discovery Channel), Banksy Does New York (HBO), and Lip Sync Battle Shorties (Nickelodeon). As part of Boat Rocker Media, Matador is expected to ramp up its development slate across all genres and get access to new sources of financing for pilots and series going forward.
This deal marks Boat Rocker’s third acquisition in...
- 11/8/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Are you a history buff? Netflix's new TV show, The Who Was? Show, debuted today, Variety reports.The family series is based on the Who Was? children's books and "features an array of sketches built around an unlikely pair of historical figures." The cast includes Andy Daly, Haley Tju, Lilla Crawford, Bentley Green, Adam Hochstetter, Zach Timson, Kirrilee Berger, Ellie Kemper, John Oliver, and Jane Krakowski.Read More…...
- 5/12/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Ever wonder what it would be like if Gandhi met up with Benjamin Franklin? Or if Galileo sat down for a chat with Queen Elizabeth? What about a dance-off between Joan of Arc and Albert Einstein?
All those things and more can be found on Netflix’s new kids and family series “The Who Was? Show,” which launched on the streaming service on Friday.
The sketch comedy series is based on the popular “Who Was?” children’s books published by Penguin Random House and features a who’s who of comedy producers and writers who can boast 900 Emmys between them, according to executive producer-showrunner Richard Korson and writer-executive producer Brian McCann (“Conan”), who recently chatted with Variety about the silly, yet slyly educational show.
The series is a show-within-a-show format about a group of kids that produce a show overseen by a clueless network executive, played by Andy Daly. Each episode,...
All those things and more can be found on Netflix’s new kids and family series “The Who Was? Show,” which launched on the streaming service on Friday.
The sketch comedy series is based on the popular “Who Was?” children’s books published by Penguin Random House and features a who’s who of comedy producers and writers who can boast 900 Emmys between them, according to executive producer-showrunner Richard Korson and writer-executive producer Brian McCann (“Conan”), who recently chatted with Variety about the silly, yet slyly educational show.
The series is a show-within-a-show format about a group of kids that produce a show overseen by a clueless network executive, played by Andy Daly. Each episode,...
- 5/11/2018
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: Comedy Central is continuing its push into animation, signing a non-exclusive digital development deal with Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers).
Under the pact, Bento Box will develop and produce short-form series for digital/social platforms including Facebook Watch and YouTube, working with up-and-coming and established talent that have caught the attention of Comedy Central. If Comedy Central produces a linear series, Bento Box will have first opportunity rights to animate and executive produce the series, something the company is doing for such series as Fox’s Emmy-winning Bob’s Burgers.
Bento Box creative director Ben Jones will be the company’s lead executive on the projects.
Jones previously served as creative director and producer at Fox’s Adhd animation studio, where he created and served as showrunner on Fxx’s Stone Quackers. He also previously created and executive produced Neon Knome for Adult Swim and Problem Solverz for Cartoon Network.
Under the pact, Bento Box will develop and produce short-form series for digital/social platforms including Facebook Watch and YouTube, working with up-and-coming and established talent that have caught the attention of Comedy Central. If Comedy Central produces a linear series, Bento Box will have first opportunity rights to animate and executive produce the series, something the company is doing for such series as Fox’s Emmy-winning Bob’s Burgers.
Bento Box creative director Ben Jones will be the company’s lead executive on the projects.
Jones previously served as creative director and producer at Fox’s Adhd animation studio, where he created and served as showrunner on Fxx’s Stone Quackers. He also previously created and executive produced Neon Knome for Adult Swim and Problem Solverz for Cartoon Network.
- 5/8/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
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