EXCLUSIVE: Ken Kao’s prolific financier-producer Waypoint Entertainment has struck a first-look partnership with Watch This Ready, the indie production company co-founded by filmmakers Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino, alongside producer Emily Korteweg.

The two companies previously collaborated on Dakota Johnson starrer Splitsville, which premiered at the Cannes Film festival last year and was picked up by Neon.

Under the partnership, the companies will work together to develop, finance, and produce original features, formalizing an ongoing creative relationship as Watch This Ready expands its slate across independent and studio-backed projects.

The first new film under the deal will be the feature comedy The Pull, written by Zoë Worth, and based on an original story by Kyle Marvin, who will also direct. Marvin previously directed Paramount comedy 80 For Brady.

Waypoint Entertainment and Watch This Ready are developing The Pull in partnership with Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and OBB Media. The collaboration is due to draw on Fanatics’ sports access and its leadership in the trading-card and collectibles space.

The Pull is described as “a propulsive comedic thriller following a small-time hustler mother as she navigates the world of high-value sports cards.” Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum will produce for Waypoint Entertainment alongside Korteweg and Covino for Watch This Ready, as well as Adam Paulsen.

Recent projects backed by Waypoint include Phil Lord & Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary, Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, and Damian McCarthy’s Hokum, the latter produced under its genre banner Cweature Features. I Love Boosters and Hokum both premiered at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Through its ongoing partnership with Neon, Waypoint has also co-financed and produced films including Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, and Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt.

Upcoming for Watch This Ready, also known for Cannes title The Climb, include The Last Fix, a Netflix comedy directed by Covino; an untitled Christmas movie with Neon; the feature directorial debut of Jeannie Sui Wonders; and an untitled action-thriller from filmmaker Pippa Bianco.

“WTR is a company of unicorns. It’s not often an opportunity arises with creators who can write, direct, act and produce all while having great taste,” said Waypoint’s Kao and Josh Rosenbaum. “Mike and Kyle never run out of good ideas and Emily is the linchpin who holds it all together. We are excited to officially join forces and give them the runway and tools to execute.”

“We just want to make great stuff with great people. Ken and Josh share that instinct. They have impeccable taste, work that speaks for itself, and have scaled strategically in ways that complement what we’re building”, added Watch This Ready’s Mike Covino. “It’s a rare alchemy, and a partnership that fuels the expansion we’ve been working toward as filmmakers and producers”, commented Emily Korteweg.

Kyle Marvin is repped by WME and Canopy Media Partners, and Kim Jaime. Zoë Worth is repped by CAA and Canopy Media Partners, and Linda Lichter and David Jalenko.

EXCLUSIVE: Verve has signed Anna Mastro for representation.

A filmmaker active across both film and television, Mastro is helming the feature adaptation of action-adventure game Gravity Rush for PlayStation Productions and Scott Free. Also attached to direct the romantic comedy Katfished for Rebelle Media, her earlier feature directing credits include Disney+’s Secret Society of Second Born Royals and the indie dramedy Walter.

In television, Mastro recently directed the Season 3 finale block of Netflix’s global No. 1 hit XO, Kitty. She’s also exec producing Just One Day, a YA romance series to star Kathryn Newton, which as we just announced, has moved from Amazon to Hulu for development.

Mastro has also directed on series including The Irrational (NBC), The Company You Keep (ABC), True Lies (CBS), and Netflix’s chart-topping limited series Echoes. Additional credits include Marvel’s Runaways, The Rookie, L.A.’s Finest, In the Dark, Shameless, UnREAL, The Bold Type, Gossip Girl, Jane the Virgin, and the teen drama Guidance for AwesomenessTV/go90, for which she directed the entire first season.

Born and raised in Seattle, Mastro began her career directing music videos and commercials for artists including The Pussycat Dolls, Train, and Victoria Justice. She has also helmed campaigns for Royal Caribbean, Diageo, WhatsApp, Facebook, Zac Posen, Degree, NASCAR featuring Rachel Bilson, Becky G, Liza Koshy, and Katy Perry.

Mastro continues to be represented by attorney Lauren Partipilo of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.