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    Producer Ciardi Teams With Duterme, Chang, Vasudevan To Launch Aspire Entertainment

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2561 Views
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    Mark Ciardi
    LOS ANGELES --

    Producer Mark Ciardi (Million Dollar Arm, Secretariat, Invincible, Miracle, The Rookie), Tom Duterme (former executive at YouTube, Google) and William Chang and Ash Vasudevan (of Edge Venture Capital and co-creators of The Million Dollar Arm contest and reality show) have joined forces to form Aspire Entertainment.

    The new venture’s mission is to create  aspirational stories about characters who overcome adversity. The company will provide scripted and unscripted premium original content to assorted distribution platforms, while maintaining a strong presence in feature film production.

    Ciardi recently produced Disney Pictures’ Million Dollar Arm and his company, Mayhem Pictures, specializes in inspirational sports stories. Chang, and Vasudevan, were portrayed in the movie as the real-life creators of the Million Dollar Arm, India’s talent-hunt contest for Major League Baseball pitching prospects. On the set of the “Million Dollar Arm movie, Chang and Vasudevan forged a close relationship with Ciardi that eventually led to discussions about launching a new kind of content company.

    Ciardi brings his knowledge of Hollywood to Aspire, Chang and Vasudevan their vision of technology intersecting with media and entertainment and venture capital. Duterme, an ex-YouTube/Google exec responsible for strategy and corporate development for YouTube, among other ventures, has broad knowledge and global perspective of new and expanding distribution platforms.

    Category:News
    Tags:Aspire EntertainmentMark Ciardi



    The End of The “Rust” Criminal Case Against Alec Baldwin May Unlock A Civil Lawsuit

    Tuesday, December 24, 2024

    The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer clears the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath, attorneys for plaintiffs in the civil suit said Tuesday.

    At a news conference in Los Angeles, victims' rights attorney Gloria Allred said that the parents and younger sister of deceased cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were disappointed that prosecutors won't appeal the dismissal of an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. The criminal charge against Baldwin was dismissed halfway through trial in July on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.

    Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal in the movie "Rust" in October 2021 at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    Baldwin, the lead actor and coproducer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.

    Allred said Hutchins' relatives are determined to pursue damages and compensation from Baldwin and "Rust" producers in New Mexico civil court, and want Baldwin to answer questions under oath in the proceedings. Hutchins' widower and son previously reached a separate legal settlement.

    "With the withdrawal that was made public yesterday, we are now able to proceed with our civil case," Allred said. "Clearly, the rights of Alec Baldwin were protected, but the due process rights of the victims — Halyna Hutchins and her parents and her sister — were violated."

    Allred said she's ready to prove that Hutchins had a close relationship... Read More

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