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“When your house catches on fire, the first thing you do is call a lawyer,” Camille Meyer famously said on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

The opulent home of Kelsey Grammer’s ex-wife was destroyed in 2018, the last time Los Angeles was ravaged by wildfires, and the aftermath aired on Bravo. Meyer was dryly referring to legal battles with her insurance companies, but there’s another step many in her position take before calling in the attorneys: dispatching private firefighters.

Firefighters “for hire” are par for the course when it comes to multimillion-dollar spreads erected in and around L.A., and in at least six surrounding states, according to expert Don Holter. These services surely have been engaged during the unprecedented and devastating wildfires currently burning in Southern California.

Communities like Malibu and the Pacific Palisades — virtually wiped off the map this week, in the case of the latter...

After 16 years of fits and starts, a $50M reboot of 1994 goth thriller The Crow finally flew into theaters and dropped out of the sky with a disastrous $4.6M opening.

Forget about critics plucking the feathers from The Crow at 19%, those moviegoers who attended Thursday night, predominantly fans, slammed the movie on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak with one star, a 47% grade and a 36% definite recommend.

Lionsgate limited its skin in the game with a $10M North American acquisition and $15M P&a on this Rupert Sanders-directed take, starring burgeoning It and John Wick: Chapter 4 genre star Bill Skarsgård. At the end of the day, the studio stands to lose more — in the neighborhood of $30M — on its $110M-plus feature take of gonzo sci-fi video game Borderlands.

So why make a big deal here on The Crow? Even if, let’s say, Lionsgate possibly breaks even in pic’s...

Ryan Kavanaugh’s media company Gentv.Com will kick off a slate of influencer-driven movies with a streaming component this fall when “Skillhouse” hits theaters, and the introduction of this new model is already making waves online.

A 10-minute clip from “Skillhouse,” a horror movie written and directed by Josh Stolberg (“Saw X”) and starring influencers Bryce Hall and Hannah Stocking and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, generated over 1 million views in just one hour of being online and climbed to 3 million views in less than 24 hours. The average watchtime, according to Gentv, was 10 minutes and 54 seconds, meaning the majority of those who checked out the clip watched the entire thing.

While “Skillhouse” already has wide theatrical distribution itself, the virality of the clip has led to several studios wanting to partner on it for distribution, and it is likely they will end up partnering with one of the traditional distributors, according...

Ryan Kavanaugh and Manifest Media, a creative studio dedicated to revolutionizing podcasting, launched an all-new podcast, Failure on Jan 31. This 24-episode series promises to be a compelling exploration of the human experience, offering insights into the deepest lows and failures that life can bring and how these adversities can serve as catalysts for redemption and triumph.

"Failure" draws on Kavanaugh's experiences and features guests sharing stories of significant challenges and personal growth across diverse fields, including entertainment, business, sports, politics, and philanthropy.

Kavanaugh, a Forbes under 40 youngest billionaire and Variety's Showman of the Year, has navigated both success and challenges in entertainment, finance, and technology. His career includes producing over 250 films and 27 television shows, building a major sports agency, spearheading unicorn startups, and overcoming setbacks such as restarting a hedge fund and handling a hostile studio takeover. Kavanaugh contends that life involves embracing failure, learning from it, and using it...

Ryan Kavanaugh has a new podcast about failure. By his own admission, he’s got “plenty of failure stories to tell.” The once high-flying thirtysomething mogul quickly turned into a Hollywood pariah when his Relativity Media sputtered into bankruptcy in 2015. Though he co-financed more than 200 films including “The Social Network,” “Mama Mia!” and “The Fighter,” he is best remembered for his foibles. Now 49, he’s quietly staging a comeback, producing influencer-led films like the upcoming Bryce Hall-50 Cent satire “Skill House.” And he boasts a majority stake in the video platform Triller, a TikTok rival that was poised to go public in 2021, never did, but may still.

With the podcast “Failure,” which bows today from Manifest Media, Kavanaugh sits down with a range of guests — from Hollywood rabbis to influencers with mega-followings to, yup, Nigel Lythgoe — to explore the dynamic of why public failures can lead to redemptive triumphs over 24 episodes.

Manifest Media, the award-winning creative studio behind acclaimed podcasts such as “Table Read” and Ryan Kavanaugh’s “Failure,” is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Realm, an industry-leading podcast studio and one of the world's fastest-growing independent podcast networks.

Led by former book publishing executive Molly Barton and team members from CAA, Disney, Warner Brothers, Spotify, and NBC Universal, Realm brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the partnership.

Manifest Media is gearing up for the second season of its flagship podcast "Table Read," with partnerships featuring notable figures like Tom Holland, Scooter Braun, Sonny Postiglione, and other rising stars. Among the other upcoming podcasts is "Hot Love," a collaboration with Brenda Jackson, the New York Times and USA Today's best-selling author, bringing her distinctive narration and audio drama style to real-world love stories. In the horror genre, the team is partnering with Tom Holland, the mastermind...

Ryan Kavanaugh is no stranger to failing — and, as a Hollywood producer, doing so very publicly. Now he’s using his worst moments as fuel for a new podcast.

He’s hosting Failure, which hails from creative studio Manifest Media. The 24-episode series aims to be “a compelling exploration of the human experience” by showing how “adversities can serve as catalysts for redemption and ultimate triumph.”

Kavanaugh — who made Forbes’ list of world’s youngest billionaires in 2014 before falling off its charts the following year — has certainly seen highs and lows, from backing more than 200 films including The Social Network, Step Brothers, Mama Mia! and The Fighter to the collapse and bankruptcy of his Relativity Media in 2015. These days he’s producing through Proxima Media and owns social video platform Triller (which has had its own share of headaches, including now-settled legal fights with Sony Music and Timbaland).

Not only...

Exclusive: Ryan Kavanaugh, the former boss of Relativity and producer on movies including Limitless and The Fighter, is to host a podcast series about failure.

Heralding from Manifest Media, the 24-episode series called Failure is set to launch in December, 2023.

The producers describe the series as an “exploration of the human experience, offering insights into the deepest lows and failures that life can bring and how these adversities can serve as catalysts for redemption and ultimate triumph.”

The series will explore “the depths of failure using Kavanaugh’s life experiences while bringing guests from all walks of life who will share, similarly, their stories of failure…and how thestared into the abyss and emerged stronger, wiser, and resolute.”

Guests will come from the fields of entertainment, business, sports, politics and philanthropy.

Kavanaugh is often cited in Hollywood as a cautionary tale. A Forbes under 40 youngest billionaire, the exec produced dozens...

Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Antoine Fuqua, Michael Douglas, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer among signatories.

Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Hamill, and American Fiction producer Ram Bergman are among 700 Hollywood figures who have signed an open letter condemning Hamas and pledging support for Israel.

The letter, released by the non-profit Creative Community For Peace, calls on the entertainment community to speak out against Hamas after the Islamist militant group’s deadly attacks on Israel over the weekend, support Israel, agree not to share misinformation about the war, and urge the return of Israeli hostages currently being held in the Gaza Strip.

In a strong sign of support of Israel from Hollywood, more than 700 figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter to condemn Hamas and demand the safe return of hostages being held in Gaza.

The letter is the first major move from the entertainment industry, as Israel has been under attack.

Released by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, the letter has been signed by celebrities and Hollywood leaders including Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Mark Hamill, Howie Mandel, Bella Thorne, Antoine Fuqua and more.

The open letter calls on the entertainment community at large to speak out forcefully against Hamas, to support Israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war and to do whatever is in their power to urge Hamas terrorists...

With the recent reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are “casually house hunting” for another residence in Southern California, some have wondered where in the Sunshine State the former Suits star lived with her ex-husband Trevor Engelson.

Before Meghan and Harry tied the knot, the future duchess was working as an actor when she met the film producer in 2004. The pair dated for seven years before getting hitched in Jamaica on Sept. 10, 2011. They rented a house together prior to their divorce in 2013. Here’s a look at that residence. Plus how the home has a connection to Meghan’s in-laws, Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton).

Trevor Engelson and Meghan Markle at the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Industry Awards dinner honoring Ryan Kavanaugh at The Beverly Hilton| Michael Kovac/WireImage Engelson and Meghan’s LA home was close to Hollywood

Meghan and Engelson’s...

Triller has settled a lawsuit from Sony Music accusing it of showing “brazen contempt for the intellectual property rights” of its artists by ceasing to pay license fees for the use of the company’s songs on the social video app.

The deal was reached on July 21 after a federal judge overseeing the case sided with Sony on its breach of contract claim and ordered Triller to pay $4.6 million, according to a securities filing issued on Wednesday. The settlement includes an “agreed plan” for payment of the judgment on top of an additional undisclosed amount in exchange for dropping the remaining copyright infringement claim. Further terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

In August, Sony sued Triller in a suit alleging the company entered into a content distribution agreement in 2016 and signed an amended deal in 2021 but stopped paying license fees. The suit came just as the company announced it...

Ryan Kavanaugh has acquired a large stake in the movie streaming service Row8 through his production outfit Proxima Media, TheWrap has learned; as part of the deal, the companies have collaborated on a new joint venture, Proxima 8.

The terms of the deal are not known but the deal aims to give Proxima big savings on marketing and distribution of its films.

Proxima 8 plans to create interactive movies experiences that among other things will offer behind-the-scenes looks at productions, chances to participate in productions or premieres, and virtual interactions with stars and directors.

Subscription-free Row8 offers rentals of new and back catalog films via distribution deals with the major studios. The service allows customers to cancel rentals within the first 30 minutes of watching and exchange for another title, and offers “scene alert,” which alerts parents to potentially inappropriate scenes before they display.

Kavanaugh has produced or financed more than 200 feature films...

The Quad, alongside Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor and his production shingle Bach Enterprises, has set July 10 as their official start date for their next project “Miles Ryder Part One,” the companies announced on Thursday.

The feature film “Miles Ryder Part One” is described as a “John Wick” meets “Nobody”-style action thriller and centers on Miles Ryder, an everyday man who is forced to confront his mysterious and violent past, which he has long kept secret. After a brutal attack threatens to expose him and his secrets, Ryder’s hidden combat talent and almost supernatural fighting abilities are put to the test as he attempts to save his family – and potentially the world – from a dark force with a nefarious motive.

“Mortal Kombat’s” Greg Russo wrote the screenplay and is continuing to work on the project with the team.

Also Read:

TikTok Star Hannah Stocking Joins 50 Cent in Horror...

Exclusive: For his next act, Ryan Kavanaugh, in tandem with Proxima Media and Lifeboat Productions’ Amy Kim and Jaime Burke, is launching production label The Quad, which will focus on 3-5 genre films per year in the 3 million-12 million range.

Matt Weaver and Triller’s Jason Barhydt will also serve as producers with the company, whose focus will be on horror, thriller, American comedies and love stories.

Among the slate are projects with top social media influencers Charli D’Amelio and Bryce Hall, and a previously unannounced movie starring Andrew Byron Bachelor (The Babysitter), aka “King Bach.” That project, described to us as a thriller with action and fantasy elements, is called Miles Ryder and is slated to begin production later this year.

Actor and influencer King Bach has parlayed his early Vine success into major followings on platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with nearly 23M followers on the latter alone.

Triller has buried the hatchet with two hip-hop icons. It has settled a legal dispute with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who had previously alleged that the TikTok competitor owed them 28 million due to missed payments.

The two producers, whose real names are Timothy Mosley and Kasseem Dean, are the creators of the beat-making battle series Verzuz. The early-pandemic hit became a key piece of Triller’s content lineup after the platform acquired the show in March 2021. Problems arose about a year later, however, after Mosley and Dean alleged that Triller had not fully paid out the sums it owed to the two Verzuz frontmen. In total, the outstanding payments added up to 28 million, according to the lawsuit Mosley and Dean filed in August.

As part of the settlement, Triller will “increase the ownership stake given to the artists that Timbaland and Swizz Beatz brought to Triller as part of the original deal.

Click here to read the full article.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have settled their lawsuit against Triller over the sale of Verzuz.

The settlement will increase the ownership stake in parent company Triller Network given to the producers as part of the original deal, according to the two sides in an announcement of the agreement. Further terms weren’t disclosed.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz sued Triller in August for breach of contract, claiming that the aspiring TikTok rival failed to make a 28 million payment for the acquisition of Verzuz. The rap-battle show was purchased for an eight-figure sum in March 2021 in a deal that made the duo shareholders in the company.

The deal has been plagued with litigation. After Triller failed to make a payment to the music producers in January, the company agreed in a settlement that it would pay them 9 million each by March 2020 and 500,000 per month for the following 10 months,...

Updated: Less than a week after busting it up at the Emmys and MPTF’s Evening Before party, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is busting loose from his long-term deal with Starz, opting not to renew his rich pact at the Lionsgate-owned premium cabler.

In a series of posts on social media over the last few hours, the hip-hop icon and Power franchise executive producer bid sayonara to Starz.

Reps for Jackson confirmed to Deadline that he did not renew his agreement with Starz. He is believed to be entertaining multiple offers from streamers and studios for his G-Unit Film & Television, whose current slate includes 25 series in production and projects in development. An announcement of Jackson’s new TV home is said to be imminent. A rep for Starz declined comment.

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Throwing some celebrating Pittsburgh Pirates into the mix,...

Genre regular Josh Stolberg has co-written Jigsaw, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, and the upcoming Saw X, among other credits, and there is definitely some Saw influence on display in the trailer for his TikTok-inspired horror film Skill House, which you can see in the embed above.

Written and directed by Stolberg, Skill House is

a dark satire of social media and influencer culture, exploring how far people will go for online fame.

The movie was filmed at Sway House, a Bel Air mansion made famous by TikTok creators.

Skill House stars Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power Book II: Ghost), Leah Pipes (Sorority Row), McCarrie McCausland (Army Wives), Ivan Leung (The Tender Bar), Neal McDonough (Yellowstone), John DeLuca (Spree), Caitlin Carmichael (Midnight in the Switchgrass), Dani Oliveros (Roar), Emily Mei (The Download), Jacob Skidmore (Trinkets), TikTok star Hannah Stocking, Mma star Paige VanZant, and TikTok celebrity Bryce Hall.

In...

Click here to read the full article.

A new Verzuz battle is brewing. Timbaland and Swizz Beatz on Tuesday evening sued Triller for breach of contract, alleging they’re owed more than 28 million from the aspiring TikTok rival.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz launched the series on Instagram just after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020. It began as a remote competition and, as restrictions lifted, pivoted to in-person live events streamed in real time on the social platform as well as Apple Music. Over the course of the series, dozens of artists have been featured including Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Alicia Keys, RZA and Ludacris. A battle between ’90s icons Brandy and Monica filmed at Tyler Perry Studios brought in more than 1.2 million concurrent viewers.

Triller in March 2021 announced it was acquiring Verzuz for an undisclosed sum in a deal that made Timbaland and Swizz Beatz shareholders...

TikTok star Hannah Stocking is set to star alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in horror movie “Skill House” for Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media, TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Stocking joins a cast that includes TikTok star Bryce Hall, Mma star Paige VanZant and Neal McDonough. Josh Stolberg (“Spiral”) wrote the script and is set to direct.

“Skill House” is being described as a “Saw”-like take that breaks into the phenomenon of social media fame and culture, offers an unflinching depiction of “clout” and explores the new phenomenon of “influencers”, their fame and what they are willing to do to attain it.

Also Read:

Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media Invests 28 Million in TikTok Rival Triller (Exclusive)

The Los Angeles-based film, which is being primarily shot in the original “Sway House” TikTok collective, looks at the world of social media and pushes the limits when “clicks” and “clout” become life or death,...

Exclusive: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power Book II: Ghost) has signed on to star in the horror film Skill House from Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media—and will also produce the pic under his G-Unit Film & Television banner. He joins an ensemble led by TikTok star Bryce Hall, which also includes UFC veteran Paige VanZant, as previously announced. Other new additions to the ensemble include Leah Pipes (Sorority Row), McCarrie McCausland (Army Wives), Ivan Leung (The Tender Bar), Neal McDonough (Yellowstone), John DeLuca (Spree), Caitlin Carmichael (Midnight in the Switchgrass), Dani Oliveros (Roar), Emily Mei (The Download) and Jacob Skidmore (Trinkets).

The film from writer-director Josh Stolberg (Spiral) is billed as a dark satire of social media and influencer culture, and what those new to the sphere are willing to do to attain fame. Conceived as the first in a franchise, it’s currently in production in Los Angeles at...

Charli D'Amelio is flexing her acting chops.

A few days shy of her 18th birthday, the TikTok star has been announced as the lead for Home School, a film that will be produced by Ryan Kavanaugh's Proxima Media and financed through the film exec's Entertainment Stock Exchange.

Home School is a thriller that stars the younger D'Amelio sister as a teenager who encounters supernatural happenings after moving to a new town. Kavanaugh told Deadline that the film is trying to be "The Sixth Sense meets Get Out." Should Home School succeed in that goal, it could be developed into a franchise with up to eight distinct thrillers starring D'Amelio.

D'Amelio's foray into acting has a lot in common with Skill House, which features Sway LA co-founder Bryce Hall. Both movies are led by TikTok stars, both are produced by Kavanaugh, and both feature directors who have experience with popular horror franchises.

Exclusive: Social media phenom Charli D’Amelio (The D’Amelio Show) has signed on to star in the supernatural thriller Home School, which F. Javier Gutiérrez (Rings) is directing for Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media.

In Home School, D’Amelio will play Mira, a 17-year-old who moves to a different town to live with her aunt after her mother passes away. After arriving in what seems like the all-too-perfect town, Mira soon discovers that her mother’s death and her own future are intertwined supernaturally. The project marking D’Amelio’s live-acton feature film debut is being eyed as the first in an eight-film franchise of thrillers starring the two-time Kids Choice Award winner.

“As soon as I read Home School, I knew it was for me. I connected with the character, Mira, the story, the script, and the team. I knew if I was going to do a movie, it needed to be something fun,...

Exclusive: Based on an original idea by producer Ryan Kavanaugh, Skill House is slated to start principal production in June with an expected early 2023 release date. The pic is slated to be the first film to be “listed” on the entertainment stock exchange Esx, a first-of-its-kind platform allowing users to invest in the film and trade in or out of the film and its upside.

The pic is financed and controlled by Proxima Studios and written and directed by Josh Stolberg, co-writer of horror films such as Spiral: From the Book of Saw (starring Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson), Jigsaw, Piranha 3D, Sorority Row, as well as the next Saw film (tentatively titled Saw X). The film stars social media influencer Bryce Hall, one of the world’s most-followed people on social media with more than 50 million followers across his channels.

Skill House takes a stab at social media...

Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Studios announced on Wednesday that it is beginning production on the TikTok-inspired horror film “Skill House” from “Spiral” co-writer Josh Stolberg and starring Bryce Hall, which will also be the first film listed on Kavanaugh’s new Entertainment Stock Exchange site (Esx.io).

Esx, a project developed by the Proxima founder, is designed to allow users to invest in film projects and trade in and out of a film’s potential upside. “Skill House,” which Stolberg will write and direct, stars TikTok celeb Bryce Hall in a dark satire of social media and influencer culture, exploring how far people will go for online fame. The film will be shot at Sway House, a Bel Air mansion made famous on TikTok creators.

“I’ve worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars…but my kids are more excited about this project than any other I’ve worked on,...

YouTubers Ethan Klein and Hila Klein of h3h3 Productions and the clothing brand Teddy Fresh have prevailed in two of four lawsuits filed against them by video company Triller and its founder, Ryan Kavanaugh – which has spawned a nasty battle on social media between the two parties. The first lawsuit in question regards comments […]

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Critical Content, the largely unscripted producer behind series including MTV’s Catfish and Kevin Hart-fronted Celebrity Game Face, has been acquired by Crazy Rich Asians producer Sk Global.

It comes as Deadline understands that the Tom Forman-run company was an acquisition target last year with multiple bidders thought to have expressed interest.

Sk Global has acquired the company from Anchorage Capital Group, which backed the formation of Critical Content from the ashes of Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity.

It moves Sk Global, which was formed in 2016 with the merger of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Ivanhoe Pictures and is best known as a film financier and producer, into the non-scripted television arena. The company is currently in production on its Thai cave rescue docuseries for Netflix.

Tom Forman will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Critical Content and Jenny Daly will continue to serve as President of Critical Content following the deal,...

I have always been a sucker for comeback stories, especially at a time like this when careers veer dramatically between triumph and cancellation – though some comebacks may raise questions (see below).

In the world of corporate suits, I admired Alan Horn’s remarkable comeback at Disney after Warners abruptly declared him excess baggage. Or Ron Meyer emerging as the boss of Wild Bunch after Universal cut him loose. Or even Paramount levitating Brian Robbins to studio chief after his Eddie Murphy movie bombed (Eddie cast as a literary agent in A Thousand Words!).

At another level, I was impressed by Bill Tennant’s fortitude in reinventing himself as a highflying talent manager after plunging into drug addiction and homelessness – becoming a role model for the similarly afflicted.

On the talent side, the Tom Cruise legend was famously crunched when he was “fired” by Paramount and Valkyrie bombed, only to be...

Triller, the social media platform majority-owned by former Relativity Media chief Ryan Kavanaugh, is going public in a reverse merger with ad tech firm SeaChange.

The deal will result in a new entity called TrillerVerz, which will be valued at $5 billion and trade on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol Illr. SeaChange has already been a public company. Its shares jumped 38% on the news, to about $2.46.

Reverse mergers enable private companies a smoother route to the public markets than a traditional IPO, which requires a complex series of steps and can sometimes drag on for months. Most reverse mergers can close within weeks.

By joining forces, the companies said, they aim to become “a leading AI-powered social media platform for content, creators & commerce.” The goal, they added, is to “create a leading voice on the Web3.0 movement and embrace the power of decentralized systems to enable greater participation in...

In 1935, Erwin Schrödinger famously came up with a thought experiment: Put a cat in a closed steel chamber along with a tiny bit of radioactive substance that will release poison upon possible decay. The Austrian physicist noted that before anyone opens the chamber and makes an observation, that cat exists in an indeterminate state between life and death.

Lawsuits can be like Schrödinger’s cat. As evidence, let’s turn to a defamation “lawsuit” “filed” on Monday by Ryan Kavanaugh against the podcaster Ethan Klein. This is no ordinary case, and lawyers, reporters, and others would be wise to pay attention ...

In 1935, Erwin Schrödinger famously came up with a thought experiment: Put a cat in a closed steel chamber along with a tiny bit of radioactive substance that will release poison upon possible decay. The Austrian physicist noted that before anyone opens the chamber and makes an observation, that cat exists in an indeterminate state between life and death.

Lawsuits can be like Schrödinger’s cat. As evidence, let’s turn to a defamation “lawsuit” “filed” on Monday by Ryan Kavanaugh against the podcaster Ethan Klein. This is no ordinary case, and lawyers, reporters, and others would be wise to pay attention ...

Donald Trump has long fancied himself a boxing expert.

In the ’90s, he put on the Mike Tyson-Michael Spinks bout at his Atlantic City casino. As the 45th President of the United States, he pardoned heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in an Oval Office ceremony attended by Lennox Lewis, Deontay Wilder and Sylvester Stallone. He also claimed to have won $20 million betting on Evander Holyfield when he upset Mike Tyson in 1996, though no sports book could ever confirm Trump placed such a bet.

That last story may surface again on Saturday, when the former president will “provide guest commentary” for the heavyweight boxing match between former champion Holyfield, 58, and former UFC champ Vitor Belfort, 44. The bout is set for Saturday, September 11 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. It’s promoted by Triller, the social media platform co-owned by former Relativity Media boss Ryan Kavanaugh.

Trump’s commentary will be available on a “gamecast,...

Triller Fight Club is once again meshing music and combat sports with its “Greatest Showman” event on June 19th, which features the debut of the Triller Live Concert Series.

Meek Mill will headline a lineup of notable acts at the LoanDepot Park in Miami who will perform prior to a boxing lineup topped by a Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr. championship grudge match.

“This line-up is as good as the best of the best festivals,” said Triller Fight Club partner Snoop Dogg. “For the first time ever we’re offering fans two for one,...

Showtime confirmed to Deadline this evening that it had made a deal with YouTube star and nascent professional boxer Jake Paul. Details of the agreement were not available, but Paul advisor Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN Wednesday that talks about the potential opponent, date and location are at an advanced stage.

Paul is 3-0 record as professional fighter. His first match against YouTuber AnEsonGib, ended with a first found Tko. In his second match, Paul knocked out former NBA star Nate Robinson in the second round. Last month, Paul knocked out Mma fighter Ben Askren, who had never boxed professionally before, in the first round.

The Askren fight was promoted by the Ryan Kavanaugh-backed Triller, which is not involved in the new Showtime deal.

“Jake is proud of the events he participated in with Triller and appreciates the opportunities they afforded him,” Bidarian told ESPN. “Jake is excited to continue...

Triller Fight Club has partnered with “So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nigel Lythgoe on a new series called “So You Think You Can Fight,” the company announced Thursday.

The deal also includes a new role for Lythgoe at Triller as “creative partner, visionary and executive producer.” The role will make the TV producer responsible for “blending the intense competition of world-class boxing with edge-of-your-seat entertainment by global music stars and celebrities.”

“So You Think You Can Fight” is described as a weekly hourlong series in which a celebrity action star will be partnered with a pro fighter. Each will select an amateur boxer who will go through “rigorous mental and physical training, squaring off against each other with one winner for each category, lightweight, heavyweight and Mma.” Winners will go on to a pro bout on a Triller Fight Club main event.

“Nigel Lythgoe is a giant among giants,...

TV super-producer Nigel Lythgoe is partnering with Triller Fight Club on a new unscripted competition series called “So You Think You Can Fight,” Variety has learned exclusively.

“So You Think You Can Fight” will follow in a similar format to “So You Think You Can Dance.” The weekly, hour-long series will pair a celebrity action star with a pro fighter, each who will select an amateur boxer through a global talent search and competition, along with audience voting and participation. The selected contestants will each go through rigorous mental and physical training, squaring off against each other with one winner for each category — lightweight, heavyweight and Mma. Each winner will go on to a pro bout on a Triller Fight Club main event that will launch their pro boxing career.

The show is expected to launch later this year on Triller’s new live streaming platform Triller Verzuz TV, which...

TikTok, with over 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., insists no platform has that reach without “something for everyone” as it looked shake up perception that it’s a Gen Z phenomenon.

In a pitch to marketers at the Digital NewFronts, TikTok showcased soft stats like how happy it makes users, how much less content they consume elsewhere and how many more brands are engaging with its 31,000 vetted content creators. The platform said advertisers running campaigns in the U.S. have increased 500% in the past year.

“It’s not just dancing and lip-synching Gen Z-ers. There’s comedy and science, parenting and cooking,” said head of U.S. advertising Sandie Hawkins. “We reach all demographics.”

Users “check Facebook,” she said, but “they watch TikTok.”

Research done with Kantar had 93% of TikTokers in the U.S. feeling happy after spending time on the service and 88% saying they intend to...

Atlanta – Triller Fight Club is looking to change the game when it comes to sports entertainment. Saturday’s sophomore event was the continuation of a vision that appears willing to pull out all the stops for success.

“When you say Coachella, it’s not just music — it’s the experience of a weekend,” Triller co-founder and principal Ryan Kavanaugh tells Rolling Stone. “We want people to say the same when they think Triller Fight Club. Boxing hasn’t changed in 50 years. If I go watch a boxing match from 1995 then...

Atlanta – Triller Fight Club’s shakeup of the boxing world will continue with the fighting debut of Diplo. Yes, that Diplo.

The noted DJ, songwriter and record producer is targeted to lace up the gloves for a Triller Fight Club boxing match on June 5th in Miami, Florida. Diplo — a.k.a. Thomas Wesley Pentz — is accustomed to performing under bright lights. This time it’ll be very different, though, as after putting in hours of training behind the scenes, he’ll step inside the ring against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

In its two latest latest acquisitions, TrillerNet has bought Fite, a streaming platform best known for boxing and ring-sports events, and customer engagement platform Amplify.ai.

The deals, both announced today, are part of an 18-month string of acquisitions in which the parent of social media app Triller has invested $250 million. Triller, a short-form video rival to TikTok, has more than 300 million global users.

Along with the M&a transactions, TrillerNet said Amplify.ai co-founder and CEO Mahi de Silva will be the new CEO of TrillerNet. De Silva had already been non-executive board chairman of TrillerNet. He replaces Mike Lu, who will become president of TrillerNet and shift his focus to investor relations.

Bobby Sarnevesht will remain executive chairman of TrillerNet. He and Ryan Kavanaugh, a known figure in Hollywood as the former head of the twice-bankrupted Relativity Studios, are co-controlling shareholders of TrillerNet.

In a press release, Kavanaugh...

TrillerNet, the parent company Triller co-owned by Ryan Kavanaugh, is acquiring Fite TV, a combat sports-focused streaming service.

The deal gives Triller a major foothold in the live-event PPV and streaming space, greatly expanding the reach of Triller’s AI-powered content and distribution ecosystem and allowing the company to continue to invest in new lifestyle and entertainment programming.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition follows Triller’s purchase of music-focused streaming platform Verzuz. It comes a few days before a Triller Fight Club where Jake Paul is scheduled to fight Ben Askren. (The event launched last year with the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. fight.)

Fite TV launched in 2012 and has more than 10 million users and carries combat sports including Aew, Impact Wrestling, Nwa Powerrr, Game Changer Wrestling and other various boxing and Mma matches.

“Futehas been a fantastic partner, and the synergy between the two businesses...

Hot on the heels of Mike Tyson lacing them up vs. Roy Jones last September, 11-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya on Friday announced his return to the ring.

De La Hoya strode onto the stage as Snoop Dogg was talking up his Triller Fight Club 2021 event on April 17. Talking about De La Hoya’s successful career as a promoter himself, Snoop said, “I keep seeing you in the ring, but I’m not seeing you in the ring.”

“July 3rd, I’m making my comeback,” responded De La Hoya, before dropping the mic and walking offstage.

Mic Drop!

Triller Network, parent company to TikTok competitor Triller, has purchased the Timbaland and Swizz Beatz-founded livestreaming song battle franchise Verzuz, the company announced Tuesday. Neither party disclosed financial details of the sale, but as part of the acquisition, Timbaland and Swizz will become brand visionaries and join the Triller Verzuz management team.

The two prolific producers are now shareholders in Triller following the acquisition, the company said, and they’re giving part of their equity to all 43 performers who’ve played on Verzuz since its inception.

“This is a momentous...

Ryan Kavanaugh is returning to linear programming for the small screen via Triller.TV. More than 50 new shows are planned to launch on Triller Live starting Feb. 18. Talent signed on to helm or curate programs include Jennifer Lopez, the D’Amelio family, Jake Paul, DJ Khaled, the famed Hype House, Fat Joe, 2 Chainz, Noah Beck and Perez Hilton, among others.

Kavanaugh created Relativity Real (now renamed Critical Content), home to “Catfish” and “Limitless,” and is currently co-owner of Triller. “The TrillerTV lineup is unlike anything we have seen,” he said. “It’s like the dream network, to be able to see the real lives of today’s favorite influencers, connect with icons like JLo and her lifestyle tips, have a true up-close and personal connection to DJ Khaled, and see the drama unfold of Jake Paul, we really believe we have created the network for today’s audience.”.

On...

Jake Paul has booked his next bout in the ring.

The unceasingly controversial creator is set to fight a to-be-determined opponent on April 17 amid a deal with Fight Club, a new boxing league launched by micro-video app Triller and the iconic rapper Snoop Dogg. This marks Fight Club’s second event, following an exhibition match between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. in September -- on which Paul fought on the undercard and scored a headline-making knockout against former NBA star Nate Robinson.

Paul’s fight will serve as headliner, and the event will also comprise three major undercards while spotlighting several musical acts and commentators. Leading up to the fight, Paul will share his training process in an exclusive Triller docuseries.

Proxima Media, the production company established by Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh, which owns Triller, will also serve as the production and marketing partner for Fight Club.

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Ahead of a planned initial public offering, TikTok competitor Triller has named music exec Paul Kahn as its chief financial officer.

Khan previously served as CFO and EVP of Warner Chappell Music -- a publishing company owned by Warner Music Group. Prior to Warner, Khan was an SVP at Viacom, Billboard reports.

"We're thrilled to welcome Paul, one of the most accomplished executives in the music and content space,” Triller co-owner and executive chairman Bobby Sarnevesht told Billboard in a statement. “His unparalleled expertise is important during this exciting period of explosive growth and influence at Triller. Paul's wealth of experience, coupled with Triller's extraordinary momentum, is sure to accelerate us forward into this next chapter of expansion."

Six-year-old Triller has risen to prominence this year after onboarding several top TikTok stars into executive roles. Both companies are also suing one another). Triller company is majority owned by Proxima Media...

NBC has “The Voice.” Pepsi hopes to build a similar phenomenon with “Your Wildest Dreams.”

The beverage giant will launch a virtual hip-hop talent competition on Triller, the social-networking app that helps users edit and synchronize videos to backing tracks that is owned by producer Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media. Over six weeks, Triller will conduct a “Pepsi Wild Cherry Your Wildest Dreams” contest that features a panel of top industry insiders including Fat Joe, Mike WiLL Made-It, Mulatto, Quay Global and Kenny Burns. Three finalists will have a chance to perform live at a “Triller House” in Atlanta in early January to compete for a mentoring session with the judges and to be featured in an ad for Pepsi Wild Cherry in 2021.

“What’s beautiful about this is we don’t necessarily know right now what we are going to get,” says Bonin Bough, the chief growth officer of Triller,...

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. will meet in the ring on Nov. 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but some blows are already being traded outside of it.

In an interview with Variety, fight producer Ryan Kavanaugh of Triller said that recent statements made by California State Athletic Commission (Csac) executive director Andy Foster to outlets like BoxingScene.com about the nature of the fight are flat-out wrong. Specifically, Kavanaugh took issue with Foster characterizing the exhibition bout as more of a hard sparring session than a normal boxing match.

“That commissioner, Andy, who stated that — I have not had a direct discussion with him, but we’ve been told by the people who do that that was him trying to make a name for himself in a magazine,” Kavanaugh told Variety. “It’s unfortunate because we wanted to bring more fights to California, but now because of him,...

Sunday Am Update: Universal/Blumhouse’s Freaky is coming in lower than expected at $3.7M after a $1.4M Saturday that dipped 6% from Friday’s $1.5M. With overseas totaling $1.9M from 20 territories, including Australia, Freaky‘s global start stands at $5.6M. It’s the 14th time that a Blumhouse movie has led the box office in the studio’s history. Blumhouse’s last No. 1 pic was The Invisible Man, with $28.2M before the pandemic threw the box office into the dumpster.

While Wall Street and exhibition stocks got excited about the potential of a Covid-19 vaccine in the near future, with the Pfizer trials at over a 90% effective rate, those good vibes weren’t seeping into the box office this past weekend. Moviegoers continued to be jarred by TV news chatter of increased lockdowns and record spikes across the country.

It’s clear, given the numbers, that the major studios aren’t investing in these movies,...