Production house HฤLล has secured indie firm Shortlist Mgmt, headed by Charlie McBrearty and Vanessa McLean, to handle representation on the West Coast. Shortlist’s roster includes B-REEL, Moxie Pictures, Caviar, Tool, Knucklehead, Ignition and Moment Factory. Bicoastal HeLo also has a London presence through U.K. partner, Mistress. HeLo’s directorial lineup includes Eddie Alcazar, Nathan Crowley, Alex Grossman, Zachary Guerra, Daniel Junge, Jeff Mann, Jeff Tremaine, Michael Mohan, One Day On Earth, Alan Poul, Richie Smyth, Paul Weiland and Purple Milk….Third Street Mining Company (3MC) has entered into an alliance with Chicago-based independent firm Robin Stevens Reps. Throughout the Midwest, Robin Stevens Reps will focus on partnering ad agencies with 3MC for production of commercials and branded content. Led by owner/EP John LaChapelle, L.A.-based 3MC maintains a directorial roster which includes Neil Tardio, Ben/Dave, David Hicks, Kevin Fitzgerald, Sinuhe Xavier, Process Creative and Christopher Watson Wood….Quantel has appointed Post Logic as its reseller partner in France for its postproduction product range, fronted by the Pablo Rio color and finishing system. Post Logic is one of France’s leading post equipment suppliers and integrators, representing many major brands in the French market. Post Logic is installing a Pablo Rio system at its central Paris headquarters and will be opening up for customer demos over the coming weeks to introduce Pablo Rio to its client base….Jeff McNall has joined Joseph Electronics, a provider of fiber termination and custom fiber solutions through Joseph Fiber Solutions, as sales engineer. McNall most recently served as VP of sales for the Americas at TSL and as director of product line management at Wohler Technologies. He earlier worked with Dolby, where he launched Dolby 3D into 500+ movie theaters worldwide….
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" โ or even "Babyratu" โ happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy โ it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More