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Twitter Will Let Staffers Work From Home Forever, After Offices Reopen – Variety

Twitter Will Let Employees Work From Home Permanently

By Todd Spangler Twitter said most of its workforce will be able to work from home — if they choose to — even after the company reopens offices when conditions permit amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told employees of the new open-ended work from home policy in an email Tuesday, as first reported by BuzzFeed News. Some staffers, because of the nature of their work, will be required to come in to the office. But “if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen,” Twitter sa...

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Robert Pattinson Talks ‘Tenet,’ ‘The Batman,’ Self-Isolation – Variety

Robert Pattinson Talks ‘Tenet,’ Delaying ‘The Batman’ Production and Self-Isolation

By J. Kim Murphy After starring in a series of critical favorites such as “High Life,” “Good Time” and “The Lighthouse,” Robert Pattinson was set to have one of his most high-profile years since his days acting in the “Twilight” franchise. The actor stars in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film “Tenet,” still set for a July release date, and was in the midst of shooting Matt Reeves' upcoming reboot “The Batman” until the coronavirus pandemic forced Warner Bros. to halt production in March. Now self-isolating in a London apartment, Pattinson offered some details on both upcoming projects in a r...

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AMC Networks Adds Barbara Kalosieh, Jon Sichel to Distribution Team

By Joe Otterson AMC Networks announced Tuesday that Jon Sichel has joined the company as executive vice president of distribution sales and strategy, and Barbara Kalosieh has joined as senior vice president of distribution. Sichel will report to Joshua Reader, president of distribution and development, and Kalosieh will report to Sichel. “I'm thrilled to welcome these two leaders to our company and to our Distribution team,” Reader said. “They both bring a wealth of experience and an ability to think creatively and with an emphasis on the new opportunities that exist and continue to evolve ...

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‘Head of the Class’ Reboot in the Works at HBO Max

By Will Thorne HBO Max has issued a pilot production order (plus five additional scripts) for a potential series based on the classic ABC sitcom from the 1980s. Here's the logline for the updated version: “Head of the Class” is about a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life. The project hails from Doozer Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. “American Vandal” alums Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen serve as writers, co-showrunners and executive produce...

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Film Academy Allocates $2.5 Million in Grants – Variety

Film Academy Allocates $2.5 Million in Grants to 96 Organizations

By Marc Malkin The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the recipients of its 2020 FilmCraft and FilmWatch grants. A total of $2.5 million has been allocated to 96 organization, including recipients of the emergency grant funds announced last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Academy's first priority remains to help those in our film community most impacted by the current global crisis. Our contribution of $2 million in emergency funds to the Academy Foundation, along with the grants we bestow on an annual basis, will surely benefit struggling organizatio...

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Megan Hooper White to Lead ViacomCBS’ Original Movies, Limited Series Unit – Variety

Megan Hooper White to Head ViacomCBS’ New Original Movies, Limited Series Division

By Elaine Low ViacomCBS has tapped A+E Networks veteran Megan Hooper White to lead its newly launched original movies and limited series division as executive vice president, where she is tasked with producing 100 films annually for the conglomerate's various network brands, including MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT and the Smithsonian Channel. The move comes as ViacomCBS continues to integrate its many parts in the wake of the merger between Viacom and CBS, engaging in several rounds of layoffs. Last week, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish announced that streaming service CBS All A...

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‘The Last Dance’: ESPN’s Michael Wilbon on Michael Jordan – Variety

ESPN’s Michael Wilbon Explains How ‘The Last Dance’ Is Redefining Michael Jordan for a New Generation

By Angelique Jackson While audiences watching ESPN's hit documentary series “The Last Dance” — about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — are learning something new about the basketball legend with each passing episode, ESPN's Michael Wilbon already had a front-row seat to it all. But that doesn't mean that the experience of watching the series isn't something special. “It's got additive value, because even if you thought you knew everything, you didn't know his take. And the importance to me, the value of this [documentary] to me, number one, is Michael's take,” Wilbon tells Vari...

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Prince Concert to Stream on YouTube for Coronavirus Relief – Variety

Prince and the Revolution’s ‘Live 1985’ Concert to Stream on YouTube for Coronavirus Relief

By Jem Aswad The Prince Estate, in partnership with YouTube, will host a three-day streaming event of “Prince and the Revolution: Live,” the legendary concert filmed toward the end of the “Purple Rain” tour in Syracuse, NY on March 30, 1985. The show will be available on Prince's official YouTube Channel for three days only, beginning on Friday, May 14 and continuing through 11:59pm on Sunday, May 17. In collaboration with YouTube and Google, the streaming event will run in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (powered by UN Foundation and Swiss...

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Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick Plaza Suite Delays Broadway Run – Variety

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s ‘Plaza Suite’ Broadway Run Pushed to 2021

By Mackenzie Nichols With Broadway now shutdown until Labor Day due to the coronavirus pandemic, Neil Simon's play “Plaza Suite” has been pushed back a year. The revival will now run from March 19, 2021 through July 18 at the Hudson Theatre. The show, starring real-life couple Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, was scheduled to hit the Great White Way for previews on March 13 ahead of an April 13 opening, but production was halted just a day before as Gov. Andrew Cuomo shuttered Broadway theaters. Ticket holders will be able to exchange their tickets for the new performances of “Pl...

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Golf Channel Readies May 24 Debut for ‘Tiger Slam’ Documentary

By Brian Steinberg Could ESPN's “Last Dance” be just the first salvo in a series of ambitious sports documentary efforts? Golf Channel plans to debut “Tiger Slam,” a documentary film from the NBCUniversal-owned outlet's own Golf Films unit, on May 24 at 8 pm The project examines Tiger Woods' 10-month stretch of wins in 2000 and 2001, when the legendary golfer captured the sport's four major championships in succession. The film, narrated by actor Michael Kenneth Williams, includes comments and perspective from caddie Steve Williams and swing instructor Butch Harmon, as well as recollections...

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