Hollywood
Apple Original Films announces ‘The Gorge’ with Anya Taylor-Joy & Miles Teller
Mumbai: Apple Original Films has announced Skydance’s new feature film, The Gorge, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller.
This is a high-action, genre-bending love story directed by Scott Derrickson and based on a spec script by Zach Dean. In addition to starring, Teller will serve as an executive producer on the film. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing alongside Crooked Highway’s Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Sherryl Clark, as well as Zach Dean, Adam Kohlbrenner, and Greg Goodman.
The Gorge hails from a first-look partnership with Apple and Skydance Media and will join feature films including The Greatest Beer Run Ever, from director Peter Farrelly, that stars Zac Efron, now streaming on Apple TV+; Ghosted, a high-concept romantic action adventure film starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, and directed by Dexter Fletcher; and The Family Plan. This is an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg.
The film marks the latest collaboration for Skydance and Miles Teller, following his leading role in Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance and screenwriter Zach Dean also recently collaborated on The Tomorrow War.
Hollywood
Disney unifies streaming, film, TV and games under Dana Walden
Debra O’Connell to chair Disney Entertainment Television in new setup
LOS ANGELES: The Walt Disney Company is pressing play on a more tightly woven future. As audiences hop between cinema screens, streaming apps and game worlds, the media giant is stitching its storytelling arms into one coordinated machine under Dana Walden.
Set to take charge as president and chief creative officer on March 18, Walden will oversee a newly unified Disney Entertainment structure that brings together streaming, film, television and the company’s fast-expanding games and digital business. She will report directly to incoming chief executive officer Josh D’Amaro.
The thinking is simple. Whether viewers are watching on Disney+, heading to the cinema or diving into a game, Disney wants the experience to feel like chapters of the same story. Walden summed it up as strengthening the emotional thread between Disney’s characters and its audiences, wherever they choose to engage.
The leadership reshuffle reads like a carefully cast ensemble. Alan Bergman continues as chairman of Disney Entertainment, studios, steering film production, marketing and distribution while sharing oversight of direct to consumer.
Streaming gets a dual command. Joe Earley and Adam Smith step in as co-presidents of direct to consumer, jointly handling strategy and financial performance across Disney+ and Hulu. Earley will also guide content strategy, while Smith retains his role as chief product and technology officer across Disney Entertainment and ESPN.
A new chair enters the frame with Debra O’Connell taking on the role of chairman, Disney Entertainment Television. She will oversee an expansive slate that includes ABC Entertainment, National Geographic and Hulu Originals, while continuing to supervise ABC News and owned stations.
Gaming, once a side quest, is now a central storyline. Sean Shoptaw, executive vice president, games and digital entertainment, moves into the Disney Entertainment fold. His remit includes partnerships such as the collaboration with Epic Games, aimed at building a Disney universe linked to Fortnite.
Elsewhere, John Landgraf remains chairman of FX, reporting to Walden, while Asad Ayaz continues as chief marketing and brand officer, reporting to both D’Amaro and Walden.
The message behind the reshuffle is clear. Disney is no longer thinking in silos of screens but in stories that travel. And with Walden at the creative helm, the company is betting that a single, seamless narrative can keep audiences hooked, whether they are watching, scrolling or playing.
