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STAMFORD: WWE Studios and ABC Family are developing Christmas Bounty, a holiday telefilm scheduled to debut next year. Christmas Bounty, starring WWE superstar The Miz, is an action-packed comedy about a former bounty hunter who goes home for the holidays to pursue one last bounty. The film is set to begin production …

SANTA MONICA: At this year’s American Film Market, VMI Worldwide is looking forward to presenting a lineup that shows the maturation of its film division, according to André Relis, the company’s president. “We’re also enthusiastic about our ever-increasing representation of the domestic rights to our films, turning VMI into a …

LOS ANGELES: Mark Cuban, who is the owner and chairman of AXS TV and the owner of the NBA team the Dallas Mavericks, is lined up to deliver the opening keynote at NATPE 2013, the organization’s 50th anniversary market.  Cuban will sit down with CNN’s Poppy Harlow. He will headline …

LOS ANGELES: At the AFM Breakthrough Entertainment is slated to premiere the first footage from Cas & Dylan, a dramatic comedy. Produced by Montefiore Films, Cas & Dylan stars Richard Dreyfuss and Tatiana Maslany. The movie tells the story of a doctor who is dying. Cas & Dylan, which was filmed on …

LOS ANGELES: The syndicated game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have been renewed by the ABC Owned Television Stations Group through the 2015-16 season.  This agreement takes Wheel of Fortunate through its 33rd season and Jeopardy! through its 32nd. Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the co-hosts of Wheel of …

NEW YORK: Barnes & Noble’s soon-to-launch NOOK Video will feature content from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and NBCUniversal, among other licensing partners.  NOOK Video will offer digital movies and TV shows on the new NOOK HD and NOOK HD+ as well as other devices through free NOOK Video apps. …

BURBANK: The Walt Disney Company is to acquire Lucasfilm from George Lucas for $4.05 billion in a deal that includes the Star Wars franchise. Disney will pay about half in cash and issue approximately 40 million shares at closing. The deal encompasses Lucasfilm, the Star Wars franchise, and the company’s …

LOS ANGELES: Rich Ross, the former chairman of The Walt Disney Studios and president of Disney Channels Worldwide, has been tapped for the CEO post at Shine America, where he will succeed Carl Fennessy as of January 2013.  Fennessy previously signed to a two-year term for the Los Angeles post. …

UNIVERSAL CITY: The comedy 1600 Penn, the drama Deception and the reality series Ready for Love have been slated to premiere midseason on NBC, which is also bringing back Community in February.  The fate of Community had been somewhat uncertain, after many speculated that it would not be renewed, and …

NEW YORK: The billionaire investor Carl Icahn has purchased a 10-percent stake in Netflix, which led share prices in the media company to skyrocket.   Icahn expressed his beliefs that Netflix is undervalued. He indicated in a regulatory filing that he thinks the company should explore a sale or other …