Noticias

Whether it’s the Laemmles in Los Angeles, the Angelika in New York, or any of the arthouse theaters in between, Kino Lorber has become a mainstay of international cinema in the U.S. But for president Ed Carroll, there’s a mission to expand that reputation to streaming.

Initially joining the indie distributor as chief strategy officer in 2023 after nearly a quarter century at AMC Networks, Carroll oversaw the acquisition of the streaming service MHz Choice, which offers a collection of top international TV dramas like the German noir series “Babylon Berlin” and the first series from Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio, “Exterior Night.”

Since then, he’s also overseen the expansion of Kino Lorber’s streaming platform, Kino Film Collection, which is available on Amazon.

Kino Lorber has a stake in the Oscars this Sunday, as it distributed “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” a nominee for Best Documentary Feature...

Exclusive: Kino Lorber Media Group has promoted Monica Bloom to Chief Marketing Officer.

The exec held the same title for a division of the company, MHz Choice, since June 2023. Her portfolio will now expand to include all marketing and communications for Kino Lorber, including Kino Film Collection’s streaming service and home entertainment operation.

Bloom joined the company in June 2023, shortly after it formed a joint venture with First Look Media to operate the Topic streaming service. It then integrated Topic into MHz Choice, a specialist in international series it had acquired in 2022. In announcing Bloom’s promotion, Kino Lorber called her “instrumental” in MHz Choice’s subscriber acquisition and retention efforts, and noted her orchestrations of campaigns like the one for German series Babylon Berlin, a signature title.

In her new role, Bloom will oversee brand, digital, and title marketing for Kino Lorber across streaming and home entertainment, along with subscriber acquisition and retention,...

Distribution veteran Wendy Lidell will depart Kino Lorber as SVP of theatrical acquisitions and distribution at the end of June after eight years to pursue a new, undisclosed, chapter.

Kino Lorber chairman and CEO Richard Lorber made the announcement on Friday and hailed Lidell as “the rarest amalgam of smart cinephile and canny business executive”.

Kino Lorber chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz will oversee theatrical distribution and acquisitions in the interim and continue to report to Klmg president Ed Carroll.

Lidell joined the company in 2016. During her tenure she shepherded three documentaries to Oscar nominations – Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire At Sea,...

Exclusive: Kino Lorber SVP of Theatrical Acquisitions & Distribution Wendy Lidell will depart the company at the end of June following a great eight year run at the indie distributor.

The company’s Chief Revenue Officer Lisa Schwartz will oversee theatrical distribution and acquisitions in the interim and will continue to report to President Ed Carroll. Reporting to Schwartz will be SVP Marketing and Communications Nicholas Kemp, VP Press and Publicity Kate Patterson, VP Theatrical Distribution & Repertory Acquisitions George Schmalz, and Director Theatrical Distribution Maxwell Wolkin.

Schwartz and Carroll, former top executives at AMC Networks, joined Kino Lorber in early 2023.

Lidell has been at Kino Lorber since 2016, overseeing all theatrical acquisitions and distribution efforts and shepherding three documentaries to Oscar nominations – Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire at Sea, Talal Derki’s Of Fathers and Sons most recently Kaouther Ben Hania’s decorated Four Daughters.

Other theatrical releases on her watch include Long Day’s Journey Into Night,...

The logos of streaming services Mhz Choice and Topic. (Courtesy image)

First Look Media and Kino Lorber will merge their streaming service Topic into international TV platform MHz Choice this spring.

Starting April 1, subscribers of MHz Choice will get access to Topic’s library of crime dramas, supernatural thrillers, mysteries and documentaries as part of their subscription. MHz Choice charges $8 per month for access to their streaming TV platform, and an annual plan will have its price lowered to $80 per year, the streamer said.

“MHz Choice is now the ultimate destination for those who love international series, and especially European mysteries and Nordic noir,” Ed Carroll, the President of Kino Lorber Media Group, said in a statement.

When the two services merge, MHz Choice will become the exclusive streaming home of the German thriller “Babylon Berlin,” which was previously available on Netflix. The fourth season of the series will become...

Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice and Topic will merge into one streaming service, the company announced.

The combined product will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home of hit German series “Babylon Berlin” starting in April. As of Feb. 29, the series is no longer available in the country on Netflix, which previously held the U.S. streaming rights.

Co-created, written and directed by Tom Twyker, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, “Babylon Berlin” is based on the novels by Volker Kutscher and distributed by Beta Film. The fourth season of the drama, which has not been available for streaming in North America before, will land on the new service June 25.

Along with “Babylon Berlin,” MHz Choice and Topic’s combined lineup will include “The Killing,” “The Bridge,” “Detective Montalbano,” “The Sea Beyond,” “Pagan Peak,” “A French Village,” “Spiral,” “Beck” and “Murder In.”

Current MHz Choice and Topic subscribers will be...

Babylon Berlin has landed a new U.S. home on a newly-merged streaming service created as Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice and Topic combine.

The boutique streamer will be named MHz Choice and feature the likes of The Killing, The Bridge, Detective Montalbano, The Sea Beyond and Pagan Peak, alongside the popular Babylon Berlin, which moves over from Netflix after three seasons on that streamer.

Kino Lorber said the new streamer will “combine the best European dramas and mysteries with Nordic noir crime and thrillers under the MHz Choice brand.”

The Four Daughters distributor owns MHz Choice and Topic, the latter of which in a Jv with First Look Media under which Kino has a majority stake and management oversight. The news comes a few weeks after we revealed layoffs at First Look production subsidiary Topic Studios.

Viaplay has also exited the U.S. following a disastrous 12 months that has...

Kino Lorber’s streaming platform MHz Choice is merging with First Look Media’s Topic platform to create a single North American streamer, operating under the MHz Choice brand, specializing in international series and films for the domestic market.

Kino Lorber and First Look Media launched a joint venture in 2022 that bundled their streaming activities. The new agreement will fold both MHz Choice and Topic into a single platform.

Kino Lorber Chief Operating Officer Martha Benyam will oversee the new combined service, with Lisa Schwartz, Kino Lorber Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing distribution and partnerships, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy Lance Schwulst continuing to oversee programming and Monica Bloom, who joined Kino Lorber from Topic, continuing to serve as Chief Marketing Officer.

The new service has secured exclusive North American rights to award-winning German period series Babylon Berlin from sales group Beta Film and will stream all four seasons of the show.

Kino Lorber Chief Strategy Officer Ed Carroll has been named President, Kino Lorber Media Group, reporting to chairman-ceo Richard Lorber.

Carroll, the 30+-year veteran and former COO of AMC Networks left the company in 2021, and joined Kino Lorber a year ago as chief strategy officer helping oversee its expansion into digital, including the acquisition of MHz Choice SVOD and creating a joint venture that includes the Topic streaming service. Last fall, Kino launched a new SVOD service, Kino Film Collection, on Amazon Prime Video Channels.

Kino Lorber has been layering streaming and digital alongside its core theatrical and home entertainment releases. Two from 2023 were shortlisted for Academy Awards – Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters in both the Best International Feature and Best Documentary Feature; and Nancy Buirski’s Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy in Best Documentary Feature. Recent theatrical acquisitions include Agnieszka Holland’s Venice award-winner Green Border,...

Executive joined as Chief Strategy Officer one year ago.

Kino Lorber Chief Strategy Officer Ed Carroll has been appointed to president of Kino Lorber Media Group.

Richard Lorber, who remains chairman and CEO and to whom Carroll will report, made the announcement on Thursday.

Reporting to Carroll will be COO Martha Benyam, who will oversee the MHz Choice and Topic SVoDs and the home entertainment group; chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz, formerly president of IFC Films, who will oversee content sales and platform distribution as well as Kino Lorber’s film division, which includes the Kino Film Collection SVoD; and Judy Silverman,...

Kino Lorber has launched a new subscription streaming outlet, Kino Film Collection.

The $6-a-month destination for recent theatrical releases and hundreds of other films drawn from the company’s vast library will be available in the U.S. on Prime Video Channels.

Kino Lorber also operates Kino Now, a platform for rentals and purchases of arthouse and specialty films. The company has made several streaming moves of late. In 2022, it acquired MHz Choice and installed AMC Networks veteran Ed Carroll and former IFC Films head Lisa Schwartz in key management roles. Schwartz, Kino Lorber’s Chief Revenue Officer, will oversee Kino Film Collection. Last spring, Kino Lorber also formed a joint venture with First Look Media to operate both MHz Choice and First Look’s streaming service Topic.

Films available on Kino Film Collection at launch include new 4K restorations of The Conformist as well as key works by contemporary...

Kino Lorber and First Look Media have formed a joint venture to operate their respective streaming services, MHz Choice and Topic.

The new entity will be run by Kino Lorber, which will also take a majority stake. Programming, marketing and technology will be handled by MHz Networks founder Frederick Thomas. Topic Gm Ryan Chanatry and Jennifer Liang, who oversaw acquisitions for the streaming service, will consult through the transition period. Kino Lorber’s streaming services are overseen by Chief Strategy Officer Ed Carroll, the former longtime AMC Networks exec who joined the company earlier this year.

Programming for both Topic streaming and MHz Choice will be overseen by Lance Schwulst, SVP of Content Strategy for MHz Networks. Monica Bloom, VP of Marketing for Topic, will join the Jv as Chief Marketing Officer for both services.

Topic, which launched as an effort to showcase high-caliber international series and eventually focused in on the crime genre,...

Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to the documentary about “The Right Stuff” and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” writer Tom Wolfe titled “Radical Wolfe,” the company announced on Wednesday.

The documentary is an official adaptation of the 2015 Vanity Fair article “How Tom Wolfe Became … Tom Wolfe” by Michael Lewis, best-selling author of “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” and a longtime personal friend of Wolfe.

Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release later this year followed by a digital and home video release on all major platforms.

Also Read:

Kino Lorber Hires Former AMC Executives Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz to C-Suite

The film is directed by Richard Dewey (“Burden”) and executive produced by David Light and Nathan Epstein and co-produced by Andy Fortenbacher.

The synopsis is as follows: From a beat reporter at the Washington Post, to an overnight sensation as the leader of the New Journalism movement,...

The as-yet untitled “The Walking Dead” spinoff centering on Andrew Lincoln’s Rick and Danai Gurira’s Michonne will air on AMC in 2024, the network announced at the Winter Television Critics Association today. The series will commence production this year.

AMC’s announcement also included dates for the three additional spinoffs, including “Fear the Walking Dead” which will premiere its eighth and final season beginning May 14. New spin-off series “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, will air in June followed by “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” led by Norman Reedus, later this year.

Also Read:

Kino Lorber Hires Former AMC Executives Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz to C-Suite

“It’s a truly exciting year for The Walking Dead Universe, as we conclude an epic journey on Fear the Walking Dead, which became one of the most successful shows in the history of cable television.

Kino Lorber hired former AMC Networks execs Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz to bolster its executive suite.

Carroll becomes chief strategy officer at the New York-based arthouse film group after three decades at AMC Networks, which included a stint as COO and overseeing series like The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Schwartz, who worked for two decades at the premium cable channel, most recently ran IFC Films and becomes chief revenue officer at Kino Lorber.

The departures of Carroll and Schwartz from AMC Networks coincided with the recent exit of CEO Christina Spade and company-wife layoffs as chairman James Dolan assumed control of the restructuring media player on an interim basis.

In their new roles, Carroll and Schwartz will work with Kino Lorber chairman and CEO Richard Lorber and COO Martha Benyam to shape the film group’s content and distribution strategies and push further into digital spaces.

Independent film distributor Kino Lorber has recruited former AMC Networks executives Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz to respectively serve as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, the company announced Monday.

The news comes just two months after Kino Lorber acquired North American streaming service MHz Choice. The distributor said that both Carroll and Schwartz will help shape the company’s content and distribution strategies, including an “accelerated expansion into digital spaces.”

Before joining Kino Lorber, Carroll had a three-decades-long career at AMC Networks, where he oversaw the development of many successful television series, including “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “Portlandia,” “Killing Eve” and “Inside the Actors Studio.” Previously, he was President at Bravo and COO of AMC Networks, where he was in charge of all programming, marketing, ad sales and international distribution. He also helped launch AMC Networks’ streaming channels, including Acorn, Sundance Now and Shudder, and...

Longtime top AMC Networks execs Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz have found their new C-suite home: The former cable channel leaders have joined Kino Lorber, with Carroll set as chief strategy officer and Lisa Schwartz as chief revenue officer.

The former colleagues will be working close with Kino Lorber chairman and CEO Richard Lorber and COO Martha Benyam to focus the company’s content and distribution strategies on expanding into digital spaces, an area Kino Lorber has been ramping up on with the recent acquisition of streamer MHz Choice’s parent company MHz Networks.

“Ed and Lisa are a powerful combination and I’m thrilled to welcome them both to the Kino Lorber C-suite,” Lorber said. “Following our acquisition of the MHz Choice streaming service, it’s the perfect time for them to join, as we further innovate our distribution strategies to make prestige international film and TV content accessible to audiences throughout North America.

Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz join after Kino Lorber’s acquisition of MHz Choice streamer.

US arthouse distributor Kino Lorber has recruited former AMC Networks executives Ed Carroll and Lisa Schwartz as, respectively, chief strategy officer and chief revenue officer.

The appointments come two months after Kino Lorber acquired North American streaming service MHz Choice. The company said Carroll and Schwartz will work with Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber and COO Martha Benyam to shape content and distribution strategies “including an accelerated expansion into digital spaces.”

Carroll spent three decades at AMC Networks, in roles including COO and president of the Bravo network.

AMC Networks is consolidating its distribution and affiliate operations with ad sales, promoting Kim Kelleher to the new role of chief commercial officer.

Josh Reader, who joined AMC Networks in 2011 and has been president of distribution and development since 2019, is exiting the company. He had previously informed top execs of his plan to run a new venture he has launched in the content creation and blockchain space. Reader plans to stay with AMC Networks through early 2023.

In her expanded role, Kelleher will report to Christina Spade, who recently became the company’s CEO after a stint as its CFO. As part of the realignment, three additional senior execs will now report to Kelleher: Roy Cho, who has been upped to EVP of distribution; Mike Pears, EVP of distribution and content sales; and Amy Leasca, SVP of partner management. Barbara Kalosieh, continuing in the key position of SVP of distribution, will report to Cho.

AMC has been through multiple phases, from its origins as American Movie Classics to its iconic anti-hero years of “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men.” Now, the flagship property of AMC Networks is entering its next era, as it says goodbye to “The Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul” in a few months, and hello to its Anne Rice franchise, increased viewership on AMC+ and it’s biggest year of original programming yet.

The way Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios at AMC Networks, puts it to Variety, the company is experiencing “a real creative renaissance and resurgence.” “In the wake of these classic, great tentpole series ending, we’re successfully launching the next generation of classic, great tentpole series,” McDermott says.

Behind-the-scenes, McDermott — who joined the company right before the pandemic hit — has been leading a great deal of that charge, following a shakeup in leadership that saw...

Matt Blank, interim CEO of AMC Networks, made just shy of 7 million in total compensation in 2021, according to a proxy filing with the SEC.

Blank’s predecessor, longtime company veteran Josh Sapan, took home nearly 15.3 million, up from his 2020 level of 11.8 million but below his 20.2 million package in 2019. Sapan is now executive vice chairman of the company.

The change in the corner office took effect last September 8.

Formerly the CEO of Showtime, Blank received a base salary of 630,136 from AMC. He got another 4.5 million in the form of a stock award and much of the rest as a non-equity incentive plan payment.

Neither payday ranks near the top of the media business, which saw multiple nine-figure compensation awards in 2021.

Ed Carroll, who capped a long run at the company by departing last October as chief operating officer, got 8.2 million last year. Christina Spade, who assumed the COO title last November...

Former AMC Networks chief Josh Sapan’s compensation for 2021, his final year as CEO of the company, rose 30 over the previous year to 15.3 million.

According to a proxy statement filed with the SEC Friday, Sapan’s total pay from the company for 2021 was 15.3 million, compared to the 11.8 million he received in 2020 and the 20.2 million he was paid in 2019.

Click here to sign up for Variety‘s free Strictly Business newsletter covering earnings, financial and investment news, and more.

Sapan’s successor, AMC Networks interim CEO Matthew Blank, was paid 6.97 million for the year. Blank joined AMC Networks in his new role in September, just as Sapan stepped down.

Blank’s base salary for 2021 was 630,136, while Sapan’s was 2 million. Blank received 4.5 million in stock awards and 1.7 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation. Sapan was paid 7.8 million in stock awards and 5.3 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation.

AMC Networks chief operating...

Former AMC Networks CEO and president Josh Sapan earned 15.2 million in 2021 as he transitioned out of the CEO role and into an executive vice chairman spot. Meanwhile, his interim CEO replacement, former Showtime boss Matthew Blank, took home 6.9 million in 2021.

Sapan stepped down as CEO in September of last year. His pay jumped notably from when he made 11.8 million in 2020. And while his base salary of 2 million has remained static over the last three years, Sapan received extra stock awards in 2021 to the tune of 7.8 million and 5.3 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation.

Interim CEO Blank’s salary was 630,000 for 2021, but he also netted 4.5 million in stock awards and 1.6 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation. Blank began in his role in September as Sapan exited.

Former Chief Operating Officer Ed Carroll was the second highest grossing executive for the year, making 8.2 million and jumping from 6.6 million the year prior. He...

Samantha Morton is returning to the world of “The Walking Dead,” with the actress set to appear in the upcoming anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead” at AMC.

Morton will star in an episode of “Tales of the Walking Dead” as Alpha, the villainous character she played in Seasons 9 and 10 of the hit zombie apocalypse series. Alpha was the leader of The Whisperers, a group that survived by donning zombie skin in order to move freely among the undead and then attacking other living humans for resources. The exact plot details of her episode are being kept under wraps.

In addition to her work on “The Walking Dead,” Morton has also starred in shows like “Harlots,” “Max and Ruby,” and “The Last Panthers.” She is known for starring in films like “Minority Report,” “The Messenger,” and “Cosmopolis.” She is repped by Omni Artists Ltd.

“Tales of the Walking Dead...

Daniella Pineda has signed on for a role in the AMC anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead,” Variety has learned exclusively.

Pineda joins previously announced cast members Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Poppy Liu, Anthony Edwards, and Jillian Bell. Details on the characters each will play in the series are being kept under wraps. The six-episode episodic anthology series will feature both new and established characters from “The Walking Dead” universe.

“Tales of the Walking Dead” is slated to debut this summer on AMC and AMC Plus. The show was first announced as being in development in September 2020 and ordered to series in October 2021. In an interview with Variety in 2020, then-amc COO Ed Carroll said that “Tales” would serve as a “test kitchen” of sorts, meaning that if a particular episode is well received, it could lead to another spinoff.

Pineda most recently starred in the Netflix live-action remake of...

The “Tales of the Walking Dead” anthology series at AMC has added its first five cast members.

Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Poppy Liu (“Hacks”), Parker Posey (“Lost in Space”), Anthony Edwards (“Inventing Anna”), and Jillian Bell (“Rough Night”) have all joined the episodic anthology, which will consist of six standalone stories featuring both new and established characters from “The Walking Dead” universe. Details on the characters the five will play are being kept under wraps.

“We’ve worked hard to create unique, interesting and unexpected characters for both old and new Twd fans, and I’m thrilled that these are the actors who will bring them to life. I can’t wait for you to see the depth, drama, terror and, yes, humor they bring to the screen,” said series showrunner Channing Powell.

In addition, Haifaa al-Mansour, Deborah Kampmeier, and Tara Nicole Weyr will each direct an episode of the series.

Christina Spade, who joined AMC Networks last January as chief financial officer, is gaining the additional title of chief operating officer.

In the dual role, she will oversee businesses like AMC Networks International while continuing to lead financial operations, investor relations and global technology.

Spade had a lengthy run at Showtime, working for its former CEO, Matt Blank, who was named interim CEO of AMC Networks in August. He stepped in for Josh Sapan, who had a 26-year tenure leading the company. In addition to being CFO at Showtime, Spade held the title at CBS Corp. and ViacomCBS.

The COO post had previously belonged to Ed Carroll, whose exit from the company after a 34-year run was announced in September.

“Chris is a talented, experienced and versatile executive whose contributions have been critical to AMC Networks’ strong performance this year,” said Blank. “Having worked alongside Chris for many years at Showtime,...

Christina Spade was named chief operating officer of AMC Networks as the company continues to fine-tune its executive suite after longtime chief Josh Sapan stepped back from his role in August.

Spade, formerly the chief financial officer of ViacomCBS, was named CFO for AMC Networks at the start of 2021, and she will retain her current CFO duties. She held CFO roles for both Showtime and CBS Corp. before it was re-merged with Viacom. Spade will report to Matt Blank, the former Showtime executive who has been serving as interim CEO of AMC Networks.

“Chris is a talented, experienced and versatile executive whose contributions have been critical to AMC Networks’ strong performance this year,” said Blank, in a statement. “Having worked alongside Chris for many years at Showtime, I know her leadership skills, her deep understanding of our business, and her strategic and data driven approach make her an ideal choice...

Updated with executive comment. AMC Networks is unlikely to bid on Starz, but is “always looking at opportunities” for M&a, according to interim CEO Matt Blank.

The exec made the comments during the company’s conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss its stellar third-quarter results. Starz is poised to be cut loose by Lionsgate, which said it is exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, of the premium network. Blank, the former longtime Showtime boss who joined AMC over the summer to take the wheel from departing CEO Josh Sapan, was not asked about AMC’s status as a potential acquisition target.

He reaffirmed the company’s focus on cost-advantageous niche programming. “I’m a fan of the strategy,” he said. “We’re just not going to play the cost game.” Overall, Blank said he was “adjusting to the pace” at his new corporate home, “which is quick.

AMC Networks’ Dan McDermott, President of Original Programming and President of AMC Studios, is expanding his duties. In his new role as President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, McDermott will continue to oversee original programming, production and the AMC Studios operation. Additionally, McDermott will now also directly manage the company’s business affairs, acquisitions and scheduling and consumer PR functions, which includes talent relations and awards. These are some of the responsibilities previously held by COO Ed Carroll who left last month after 34 years at AMC. Executives who now will report to McDermott include Rafael Gomez, head of business affairs; David Epstein, EVP of content and inventory strategy; and Marnie Black, EVP of public relations.

“As president of entertainment and AMC Studios, Dan is expanding his role and building from the excellent work he has already done overseeing the development and production of our original programming,” said Matt Blank, interim CEO of AMC Networks.

AMC Networks has upped Dan McDermott to president of entertainment and AMC Studios, expanding his domain to include business affairs, acquisitions and scheduling, as well as consumer PR.

In doing so, McDermott assumes some of the oversight held by longtime AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll, who previously announced his departure from the company at the end of this year.

McDermott most recently served as president of original programming for AMC Networks and head of AMC Studios. He joined AMC in March 2020 and has seen his stature in the company quickly rise in the company following the exit last summer of AMC Networks Entertainment Group president Sarah Barnett, who wasn’t replaced. And he took on full control of AMC Studios after co-president Stefan Reinhardt exited around the start of this year.

As a result, as head of original programming, McDermott already held the largest programming job in the company’s history,...

Dan McDermott continues to rise through the ranks at AMC.

The president original programming and co-president of AMC Studios has been promoted to president of entertainment and AMC Studios. The title, a first for AMC, reflects McDermott’s added responsibilities after the departures of both AMC Networks entertainment group president Sarah Barnett and COO Ed Carroll.

Barnett previously ran all four linear networks (AMC, BBC America, Sundance TV and IFC), while McDermott oversees original programming, production and AMC Studios content for the networks and the company’s streaming platform, AMC+. He also takes on management of AMC’s business affairs, acquisitions, scheduling and consumer ...

Dan McDermott continues to rise through the ranks at AMC.

The president original programming and co-president of AMC Studios has been promoted to president of entertainment and AMC Studios. The title, a first for AMC, reflects McDermott’s added responsibilities after the departures of both AMC Networks entertainment group president Sarah Barnett and COO Ed Carroll.

Barnett previously ran all four linear networks (AMC, BBC America, Sundance TV and IFC), while McDermott oversees original programming, production and AMC Studios content for the networks and the company’s streaming platform, AMC+. He also takes on management of AMC’s business affairs, acquisitions, scheduling and consumer ...

AMC has officially greenlit the episodic anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead.”

The show’s six-episode first season is slated to debut on AMC and AMC Plus in summer 2022. Each one-hour episode is set within the world of “The Walking Dead” and will feature both new and existing characters. Channing Powell, who has worked as a writer and producer on both “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” serves as showrunner. Powell will work alongside Scott M. Gimple, the chief content officer of “The Walking Dead” universe.

“‘The Walking Dead’ is a show that made television history and attracted an army of passionate and highly engaged fans,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios. “We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format of ‘Tales of the Walking Dead...

AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll is stepping down after 34 years with the company.

Carroll will stay through year’s end. He’s the latest executive to leave the company that is seen as a prime acquisition target at a time of consolidation in media.

Carroll oversaw all business operations for the company and recent years focused on building out its portfolio of niche streaming services and the AMC Plus service.

“For decades, Ed has been the heart and soul of AMC Networks,” said Josh Sapan, former AMC Networks President and Chief Executive Officer and recently named AMC Networks Executive Vice Chairman, in a statement. “He has been at the center of the shows and movies that brought success to the company, and at the center of what has made AMC Networks a great place to work. In a business where credit for achievement can be actively sought, Ed looked for none,...

Ed Carroll, the longtime chief operating officer of AMC Networks, has decided to exit at the close of 2021 after 34 years at the company.

The exec, who had a key role in ushering in signature hits like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, was named COO in 2009. He has a five-year contract due to expire on December 31. His departure follows word last month that former CEO Josh Sapan was also stepping down after his own 26-year tenure. The company has installed former Showtime boss Matt Blank as interim CEO.

The Sapan-Blank news fueled speculation that after more than a decade as a publicly traded company, AMC Networks was perhaps taking a closer look at the vibrant M&a marketplace. The home of The Walking Dead has long been bruited about as a potential takeover target, but that decision rests with a small group of shareholders: the Dolan family, which controls the company.

AMC Networks said on Tuesday that COO Ed Carroll would leave his post at the end of the year, ending a 34-year tenure with the company behind such cable channel brands as The Walking Dead home AMC and streaming services such as AMC+, Acorn TV and Shudder.

His departure at the end of his current employment contract term follows the August news that his long-time boss Josh Sapan was exiting as president and CEO after 26 years to become executive vice chairman. Former Showtime Networks CEO Matthew Blank took over as interim CEO while the company searches for a full-time successor.

Some Wall ...

AMC Networks said on Tuesday that COO Ed Carroll would leave his post at the end of the year, ending a 34-year tenure with the company behind such cable channel brands as The Walking Dead home AMC and streaming services such as AMC+, Acorn TV and Shudder.

His departure at the end of his current employment contract term follows the August news that his long-time boss Josh Sapan was exiting as president and CEO after 26 years to become executive vice chairman. Former Showtime Networks CEO Matthew Blank took over as interim CEO while the company searches for a full-time successor.

Some Wall ...

Updated with AMC statement: Reps for Bob Odenkirk confirmed to Deadline that the Better Call Saul star is in stable condition after suffering what was termed as a “heart related incident” on the show’s New Mexico set Tuesday night.

“We can confirm Bob is in stable condition after experiencing a heart related incident,” said the statement. “He and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side. The Odenkirks would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of well wishes and ask for their privacy at this time as Bob works on his recovery.”

Also this afternoon, the actor’s son, Nate Odenkirk, posted on social media that his father is “going to be okay.”

He's going to be okay.

— Nate Odenkirk (@birthdaynate) July 28, 2021

AMC said in...

Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the show’s New Mexico set on Tuesday, Deadline has confirmed. The 58-year-old Odenkirk fell to the ground and was rushed to the hospital, where he remains. His actual condition is unknown.

Production on the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul was underway in New Mexico, after its scheduled start in March. What Odenkirk’s condition means for the show is an open question. Reps for Sony Pictures Television, which produces the series, had no comment.

AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll said early this year that the popular series would likely return in the first quarter of 2022 after Covid-related delays.

Show creator Vince Gilligan just re-upped his overall deal with Sony Pictures Television this month.

Better Call Saul has received 40 Primetime Emmy nominations to date, winning two awards for the Employee Training short-form video. The series is not...

Updated with executive comments. AMC Networks execs expressed continued confidence in their niche streaming strategy and hailed the full return of production for shows like the company’s core franchise The Walking Dead.

The comments Friday during a first-quarter earnings call with Wall Street analysts followed the release of so-so results for the period ending March 31. Revenue posted a bigger-than-expected 6% downturn, but earnings beat analysts’ forecasts.

Production for linear networks and streaming platforms “is back in full swing,” COO Ed Carroll said. For the first time ever, he noted, three Twd series are in production at the same time: along with the mothership franchise, the trio includes Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: The World Beyond.

The streaming portfolio, which includes niche outlets Acorn, Shudder and Allblk, is starting to expand outside the U.S. Carroll said early signs show “the same affinity” as in the U.S.

Josh Sapan, CEO of AMC Networks, saw his total compensation last year dip to $11.8 million from $20.2 million the year before.

The pay included a base salary of $2 million, unchanged, a stock grant of $5.5 million — down from $13.3 million the year before — and $4.2 million in non-equity incentive pay (like a cash bonus).

Chairman emeritus Charles Dolan, whose family controls the company, dipped to $1.8 million from $2.7 million. Chief operating officer Ed Carroll earned $6.9 million, down from $8.4 million.

The pay was laid out in the company’s annual proxy filing with the SEC that lists compensation for its top five highest paid executives.

AMC Networks’ revenue and net income both fell in 2020, in part due to the impact of Covid that hit licensing sales and advertising. The stock had a bad year and only began to rally in December. The company behind The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul noted solid streaming growth, ending...

President and CEO’s stock awards more than halved

Like all of us, 2020 was a year Josh Sapan would sooner forget. The AMC Networks’ president and CEO’s pay fell 41% from 2019, mostly do to a giant decline in stock awards.

He’ll be Ok: Sapan still made $11.8 million.

Sapan’s salary remained unchanged at $2 million flat in 2020. His stock awards sunk from $13.8 million in 2019 to $5.6 million last year.

Sapan shed $132,000 year-to-year in non-equity incentive plan compensation, though he recovered about $42,000 of that in the catch-all category “All Other Compensation,” according to a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Chief Operating Officer Ed Carroll is now the second-highest-paid top executive at AMC Networks. In 2020, Carroll’s compensation fell from $8.4 million to $6.7 million.

Carroll’s declines pretty much played out the same way as Sapan’s, just with smaller numbers attached.

Charles F. Dolan, who resigned as AMC Networks executive...

Three AMC Networks executives are broadening their oversight within the company as the company focuses more of its efforts on streaming.

Courtney Thomasma, most recently the executive director of BBC America, is stepping into the role of general manager of streaming service AMC Plus, reporting to AMC Networks president of SVOD Miguel Penella. In taking on AMC Plus, Thomasma will oversee the platform’s content and audience strategy, brand positioning and business development.

Acorn TV general manager Matt Graham is adding oversight of streaming service Sundance Now to his plate, acting as its general manager, and will now oversee all day-to-day operations and execution of both streamers. He will also continue to report to Penella.

And longtime exec Blake Callaway, executive director of the IFC and SundanceTV television networks, is incorporating oversight of BBC America to his duties as general manager of all three networks. He will work closely with...

AMC Networks is shuffling its pack.

The company has named BBC America exec director Courtney Thomasma as general manager of its streaming service AMC+, with Blake Callaway now taking over responsibilities for the Killing Eve broadcaster and Acorn TV boss Matt Graham being given oversight of Sundance Now.

The move gives the company its first real boss of AMC+ with Thomasma working under Miguel Penella, AMC Networks’ President of SVOD. There are no departures as a result of the moves.

Callaway, who is executive director of the IFC and SundanceTV television networks, becomes general manager of BBC America. He will continue to report to AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll. Graham, general manager of Acorn TV will also become general manager of Sundance Now and will continue to report to Penella.

“Courtney, Matt and Blake are accomplished leaders who have all made meaningful contributions to the success of our company, particularly...

Fans of Better Call Saul still have some time to wait for the sixth and final season, it has been announced.

Per Deadline, production is set to begin next month, but the show will not see the light of day until the first quarter of 2022.

AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll told the outlet on Friday during a conference call to discuss the financial results of the final quarter of 2020.

What's more, Killing Eve does not have a definite return date after production was postponed due to the pandemic last year.

Carroll explained that he would have more clarity on when the Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer-led drama will be back on the air.

While many AMC Network shows are struggling to deliver fresh content, The Walking Dead is forging ahead, with the beloved zombie smash set to continue its 10th season this weekend and production already underway...

AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll said Friday popular series Better Call Saul will likely return in the first quarter of 2022 after Covid-19 delays.

Production on the final season starts in New Mexico in March. On a conference call to discuss AMC’s financial results for the last three month of 2020, Carroll said he expects to have more clarity next quarter around the timing of other defining shows including Killing Eve. “We still have some shifting around” he said.

The Walking Dead universe is very much alive with its tenth season set to resume this weekend. Fear The Walking Dead returns in April for its sixth season. The Walking Dead: World Beyond has started production on its second and final season.

Production resumed in the second half of last year on Creepshow and upcoming Kevin Can F**k Himself.

Three shows, Gangs of London, A Discovery of Witches and...

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unexpected places.

Two years ago, AMC Networks executives were impressed with the performance of the first season of a low-profile genre series co-produced in the U.K. with Comcast’s Sky that premiered on AMC’s arthouse-y streaming service Sundance Now in January 2019. “A Discovery of Witches” has become the little engine that could for the streaming service that has been around in one form or another since 2014.

Last year, when the coronavirus outbreak up-ended the entertainment business landscape, the performance of Season 1 of “Discovery” greatly influenced the thinking of AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan and chief operation officer Ed Carroll on how to respond to sudden change in business conditions.

“It’s amazing what a difference a year makes,” Carroll told Variety. “After the year that we’ve had, we’ve decided to heavy-up on our investment in SVOD.”

AMC’s plan for...

Josh Sapan, who has guided AMC Networks since it was a Cablevision subsidiary known as Rainbow Media a quarter-century ago, has signed a contract renewal to remain its president and CEO for two more years.

The new deal lasts through January 1, 2023, and was disclosed in an SEC filing late Friday afternoon. Sapan will earn a minimum annual base salary of $2 million and an annual target bonus of up to 200% of the base salary. He will also be eligible for grants of cash and/or equity awards worth at least $14 million.

In 2019, according to company filings last spring, Sapan earned $20.2 million, down 2% from 2018.

Chief Operating Officer Ed Carroll, like Sapan a longtime company veteran, is under contract until the end of 2021.

There is a clause enabling a decision by either Sapan or the company to transition his role to that of vice chairman in early 2022.

AMC Networks, parent of linear networks...

Umc, the AMC Networks-owned streaming service focused exclusively on Black television and film that was created by BET founder Robert L. Johnson, will be rebranded Allblk in January 2021 with a new look and feel.

Johnson’s Rlj Entertainment launched Umc (Urban Movie Channel) in November 2014. The service became part of AMC Networks two years ago with the cable programmer’s acquisition of Rlj Entertainment.

Heading into 2021, Allblk is ramping up production on a slate of original series, including previously announced multi-cam comedy “Millennials”; Mc Lyte sitcom “Partners in Rhyme”; legal drama “Lace”; haircare makeover series “My Mane Problem”; and the Datari Turner/eOne reality series “Notorious Queens.” In addition, the Allblk content lineup will feature the continuation of original series “Double Cross,” “A House Divided” and Craig Ross Jr.’s “Monogamy”; We tv co-production “Beyond the Pole”; and recent releases “A Closer Look,” “For the Love of Jason” and “Terror Lake Drive.