Entertainment & Media
The entertainment attorneys at Weintraub Tobin represent individuals and companies in all aspects of the entertainment and media industries. Areas of emphasis include:
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Webinar: Comic Book Law 101 – The Ins-and-Outs of The Comic Book Industry
On September 8, Weintraub Shareholder Matt Sugarman will present as part of the American Bar Association webinar Comic Book Law 101. This panel will explore the comic book industry, its place in greater pop culture,
WT Deals: Story Mill Media Launches Podcast with ‘Supernatural’ Stars Richard Speight Jr. and Rob Benedict
Weintraub client Story Mill Media is launching a podcast with Supernatural stars Richard Speight Jr. and Rob Benedict. The podcast – Supernatural Then and Now – will provide listeners with an inside perspective of the hit drama TV show.
WT Deals: Steven Hein Launches Podcast Company Story Mill Media
Weintraub client Steven Hein has launched a new podcast company called Story Mill Media. The company completed a pre-seed round of financing to fund several original podcasts with help from Weintraub’s Justin Borrowdale.
Melissa C. Buckman Joins Weintraub Tobin
Weintraub is pleased to welcome Melissa C. Buckman as an associate in the Firm’s Entertainment & Media practice group.
WT Deals: Treefort Media to Produce New Weekly Podcast “Kasich & Klepper”
Weintraub client Treefort Media is producing a new weekly talk show with Acast titled Kasich & Klepper, starring The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper and former Ohio Governor John Kasich. The show will launch in early 2022 and will cover a variety of hot topics with “humor and understanding.” Treefort Media is represented by Shaun Gordon.
WT Deals: Steve Conrad Set to Write “Game of Thrones” Prequel Series, “Tales of Dunk and Egg”
HBO has selected Weintraub client Steve Conrad to serve as writer and executive producer of a new series, “Tales of Dunk and Egg.” The show will be a prequel to the hit TV and book series,
WT Deals: Paramount+ Orders Crime Drama Series “Happy Face”
Paramount+ is ordering the TV adaptation of the hit true-crime podcast series Happy Face. The podcast series was created by Weintraub client Melissa Jesperson-Moore and produced in partnership with iHeart Media.
WT Clients: Sotheby’s Presents The Amazing Collection of Ricky Jay
On October 27 & 28 2021, Sotheby’s presented The Ricky Jay Collection, a miraculous and exacting tour through the history of the unusual and how it has captivated and inspired for centuries.
WT Clients: Cheech Marin Reprises His Role as Joe Dominguez in “Nash Bridges” Revival
USA Network premieres its two-hour film “Nash Bridges” on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The film brings back original cast members Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as elite investigators for the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit.
Daniella Crivello Joins Weintraub Tobin
Weintraub is pleased to welcome Daniella Crivello as an associate in the Firm’s Entertainment practice group. Daniella’s industry experience in business affairs and production support includes structuring and negotiating a wide variety of development and production deals for original programming.
Eduardo Lopez-Mendez Joins Weintraub Tobin
Weintraub is pleased to welcome Eduardo Lopez-Mendez to the Firm’s Entertainment practice group. Eduardo’s experience includes negotiating and managing deals for scripted and unscripted projects as well as a wide range of transactions and intellectual property matters.
WT Deals: Zosia Mamet Signs Two-Book Deal With Viking Penguin
Actress, writer, and producer Zosia Mamet has signed a two-book deal with Viking Penguin. My First Popsicle, an anthology exploring food experiences and featuring celebrity contributors, is scheduled for publication in Fall,
WT Deals: Sony Pictures Television Acquires “Faust” Superhero Comic
Sony Pictures Television has acquired the superhero horror comic “Faust” for development into an animated series. Creators David Quinn (writer) and Tim Vigil (artist) of Rebel Studios will serve as consulting producers on the adaptation.
WT Deals: Nathan Pyle & Dan Harmon Adapting ‘Strange Planet’ Comic at Apple TV+
Strange Planet creator Nathan Pyle is teaming with Dan Harmon to adapt his webcomic and graphic novels for Apple TV+. Pyle and Harmon will executive produce along with Steve Levy and Taylor Alexy Pyle.
Jessica R. Corpuz and Tara Sattler Selected for Inclusion in 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers® Rising Star List
Weintraub is pleased to announce that Jessica Rankin Corpuz and Tara Sattler have been recognized as 2021 Southern California Rising Stars. To be eligible for inclusion in this list, candidates must be 40 or younger or have been in practice for less than 10 years.
WT Deals: Thomas Schlamme to Produce ‘Levittown’ With Amma Asante, Wiip, and Gotham Group
Thomas Schlamme is set to produce the limited series “Levittown” based on David Kushner’s bestselling book Levittown: Two Families, One Tycoon, and the Fight for Civil Rights in America’s Legendary Suburb.
WT Deals: Filmmaker Siân Heder to Adapt Upcoming Novel “Impossible” by Sarah Lotz
Filmmaker Siân Heder is set to direct and write a feature of the upcoming novel Impossible by Sarah Lotz. Patrick Wachsberger and Ashley Stern with Picture Perfect Federation, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill,
WT Deals: Audible Partners With Treefort Media for Original Scripted Audio Series
Podcast company Treefort Media and Audible have partnered to produce original scripted audio series as part of a multi-project, first-look development and production deal. Among the projects is Killing Hollywood: The Cotton Club Murder (which will feature Juliette Lewis,
WT Deals: Apple to Launch Original Audio Series Podcast about Siegfried & Roy
Apple has made a deal for a podcast series about entertainers Siegfried & Roy with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Leckart and Will Malnati from podcast company At Will Media as executive producers.
WT Clients: Eight 2021 Hugo Award Finalists in Five Categories
Weintraub Tobin joins Matt Sugarman in congratulating his clients recently announced as Hugo Award Finalists: Best Young Adult Book: Naomi Novik Best Novel: Tamsyn Muir Best Novel: Mary Robinette Kowal Best Novella: P.
Four Weintraub Attorneys Named to Variety’s 2021 Legal Impact Report
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Jessica Marlow, Wayne Kazan, Shaun Gordon, and Jamie Lincenberg have been named to Variety’s 2021 Legal Impact Report. Variety spotlights the world’s top lawyers in entertainment and media in the annual Report,
WT Deals: Tinkercast Developing Slate of Kid and Family Podcasts With Sony Music
Tinkercast, a company co-founded by Guy Raz, host of NPR’s How I Built This, has struck a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment to develop a slate of shows. Raz founded Tinkercast with Mindy Thomas,
WT Deals: Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Contemporary Romance Series to be Developed for Television
Rebekah Weatherspoon has struck a deal to have her romance book trilogy to be developed for television. The first book, A Cowboy to Remember, is now in development as a pilot and will be written and executive produced by Valerie C.
WT Deals: Tommy Schlamme to Develop “This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends” Drama Series at FX Network
FX Network is adapting the newly released nonfiction book written by cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth. The series is being developed by Tommy Schlamme from The West Wing. The book is about the history of cyberwarfare and how the United States became vulnerable to attack.
WT Deals: Cheech Marin Signed on to Lionsgate Action-Comedy, “Shotgun Wedding”
Cheech Marin will be part of an upcoming Lionsgate action-comedy, Shotgun Wedding, also starring Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lopez, and Josh Duhamel. Jason Moore is directing the film and it is slated to start production this month.
WT Deals: ‘Sesame Street’ Documentary to Debut on HBO in 2021
HBO Documentary films debuts Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street in 2021. The documentary has been in the works for 5 years and is about the iconic show Sesame Street,
WT Deals: Skydance Television to Develop TV Series from P. Djéli Clark’s Novella ‘Ring Shout’
Skydance Television has acquired the rights to P. Djéli Clark’s Ring Shout, a novella about otherworldly evil in the 1920s South that manifests in the form of monsters who thrive on—and in—people filled with hate.
WT Deals: New Comedy Pilot Ordered by Freeform ‘Single Drunk Female’
Freeform has ordered a pilot for the comedy Single Drunk Female. The series is to star Sofia Black-D’Elia as an alcoholic who is forced to move back with her mother, played by Ally Sheedy,
WT Deals: Treefort Media Strikes TV & Podcast Deal With Village Roadshow Entertainment Group
Treefort Media, the podcast company behind the audio series Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood, has struck a deal with Village Roadshow Entertainment Group to cross-develop and produce podcasts and television series.
WT Deals: “Black” Feature Adaptation Acquired by Warner Bros. from Co-Creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3 of Black Mask Comic Series
Feature adaptation Black of comic series Black Mask by co-creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3 has been acquired by Warner Bros. The script was written by DC’s Titans producer Jeff Robinov,
WT Deals: “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” Book To Be Adapted Into a Feature
Made Up Stories and Snoot Entertainment have partnered up and optioned the rights to the adult sci-fi novel written by Christopher Paolini To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Paolini will adapt the book along with his sister and collaborator Angela Paolini.
WT Deals: Noelle Stevenson is Writing and Will Executive Produce “Lumberjanes” HBO Max Animated Series
Matt Sugarman’s client Noelle Stevenson will write and executive produce Lumberjanes, an animated series. The special is currently in development for HBO Max. Lumberjanes is a comic book originally created by Stevenson,
WT Deals: Melissa Moore is Executive Producer on Serial Killer TV Show ‘Happy Face’ Adapted from Podcast
CBS All Access is adapting the serial killer podcast Happy Face, about Dr. Oz contributor Melissa Moore, for television with writer Jennifer Cacicio, and creators Robert and Michelle King. The Podcast was created by Moore and co-produced with iHeart Media.
Scott Hervey in CNN: Making TV Shows During Coronavirus is Taking More Time — and Money
Scott Hervey is quoted in Brian Lowry’s CNN article, Making TV Shows During Coronavirus is Taking More Time — and Money. Scott moderated a August 5 panel for the Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS),
WT Deals: Jennifer Fox to Write and Direct Film Adaptation for “The Other Dr. Gilmore”
Tara Sattler negotiated the rights for Emmy nominated director Jennifer Fox to write and direct the film adaptation for The Other Dr. Gilmore. The story includes important social issues that are relevant to today such as universal healthcare,
Tara Sattler and Jessica R. Corpuz Selected for Inclusion in 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers® Rising Star List
Los Angeles, CA (June 9, 2020) – Weintraub Tobin, a leading California full-service law firm, is pleased to announce that Tara Sattler and Jessica Rankin Corpuz have been recognized as 2020 Southern California Rising Stars.
WT Clients: Annie LeBlanc Wins Favorite Female Social Star at Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2020
Weintraub Tobin congratulates firm client Annie LeBlanc for winning Favorite Female Social Star at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards held on Saturday, May 2, 2020. The firm extends its warm congratulations on this tremendous honor.
WT Deals: Steve Conrad Slated to Write Film for Paramount Pictures About Nigerian Refugee Chess Prodigy
Todd Stern’s client Steven Conrad has been engaged by Paramount Pictures to write and executive produce a film about a Nigerian family who fled their home country seeking asylum in New York and their 8 year-old son who won the New York State Chess Championship in 2019.
The Briefing: Dr. Seuss Sets Photon Torpedoes on Star Trek Mashup in 9th Circuit Appeal (Part Two, Trademark)
In this week’s episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss the Ninth Circuit Ruling on the trademark aspects of Dr. Seuss “mashups.” They also provide a recap of last week’s episode,
The Briefing: Dr Seuss Sets Photon Torpedoes on Star Trek Mashup in 9th Circuit Appeal (Part One, Copyright)
In this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss the Ninth Circuit Ruling on the copyright aspects of Dr. Seuss “mashups.” In the second episode of this two-part series,
The Briefing – Can Copyrighted Music Keep Vids of Police Encounters Off The Internet?
In this week’s episode of the Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss recent news stories reporting that police officers played copyrighted music during filmed encounters,
Taylor Swift Keeps Fighting the ‘Players’ and the ‘Haters’
In December 2019, Scott Hervey wrote about the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Taylor Swift by the writers of the song “Playas Gon’ Play.” The song was released by the girl group 3LW in 2001 and included the lyrics “Playa,
The Briefing – Space Erotica Flick Not Infringed by Black Mirror
This week on The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss the copyright lawsuit over a Black Mirror episode starring Miley Cyrus, the plot of which filmmaker Geoffrey Blair Hajim said was lifted from his film “Strange Frame: Love and Sax.”
The Briefing – What’s in a Name: Clearing Titles for Film and Television
In this week’s episode, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss the complex process of clearing titles for Film and Television. They cover recent high-stakes litigation around entertainment titles, including Stouffer v.
I See Dead People…Filing Lawsuits in New York
New York’s post mortem right-of-publicity statute recently came into effect. Its previous right-of-publicity laws were an extension of its statutory right of privacy which provided that “any person whose name [or likeness] is used within [New York] for advertising [or trade] purposes without .
The Rogers Test Gets a Remake in Colorado
In the 9th Circuit (as well as the 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 11th Circuits), the test for determining whether the use of a third-party trademark in an expressive work (i.e., use of a brand within a movie,
The “Wolf of Wall Street” Defamation Suit – The Risk of an “Inspired By” Character in Movies and TV
The motion picture Wolf of Wall Street was based on a book of the same title written by Jordan Belmont. In the book, Andrew Greene, who was director, general counsel, and head of the corporate finance department at Stratton Oakmont between 1993 and 1996,