CAA has hired former NFL, Sony Music and Time Inc. executive Dasha Smith as Chief Operating Officer.

In her most recent post as EVP and Chief Administrative Officer at the NFL, Smith was a member of Commissioner Roger Goodell’s Executive Operating Committee. She helped shape the league’s enterprise strategy and oversaw a broad portfolio of business functions, including technology, AI and innovation, data and analytics, strategy and business intelligence, human resources, inclusion, social responsibility and philanthropy, and league office administration.

At Sony Music, Smith was EVP, Global Chief Human Resources Officer for Sony Music Entertainment, and Managing Director, Office of the Chairman, at GCM Grosvenor, a global alternative investment firm, where she led a number of corporate functions.

During her nearly 10-year stint at Time Inc., Smith led global employee relations and employment law functions. She also served as a senior attorney in the Time Warner publishing division’s business and legal affairs department, focusing on M&A.

Smith began her legal career at Latham & Watkins, Covington & Burling, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

“Dasha is a remarkably talented, accomplished and energetic leader with a deep understanding of how global organizations operate at their very best,” CAA Co-Chairman and CEO Bryan Lourd said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming her to our senior management team and benefiting from her significant experience helping to guide leading media and sports organizations.”

A board member at financial advisory firm CAPTRUST and investment management firm Cohen & Steers, Smith also serves as a trustee for nonprofit organizations focused on education and the arts.

“I have tremendous respect for the industry leadership position that CAA and its management team continue to build on every year,” she said in a statement. “Even greater is my appreciation for its widely admired, consistent mission to deliver the best possible service and resources to its clients. Joining a culture with that kind of clarity and purpose is an extraordinary opportunity.”

Sebastian Stan is carefully talking about his mysterious role in The Batman: Part II.

“It’s one of the most challenging situations I’ve been involved in,” the Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in an episode published Monday. “I feel like it’s hard to talk about it without it becoming some speculative thing from some corner. I think it’s a very ambitious thing, and I hope it lands right. I have a lot of faith in it, because I just do feel like [director Matt Reeves] is truly a genius of our time, and one of the very few people that I think is so unique and so specific. And he has been at this for three years. I mean, it’s not an accident. He knows what he’s doing. And so I’m just happy to be part of that vision.”

“I just think it’s going to be great,” he added. “This is definitely, for me, feeling like something very different than I’ve gotten to do. And that’s what I love, and I’m excited about.”

Stan has been rumored to play the iconic Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent (also known as Two-Face) in the film, but that’s not confirmed.

The actor also discussed how he landed the role in the first place, saying he “poked the bear” by nudging DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, and didn’t expect to get the part given his longtime association with the MCU.

“The DC thing was honestly always sort of a kind of like a joke in my mind,” he said. “I was like, ‘there’s no way that I’m ever going to end up [on a DC Studios film]’ … [But] Matt had seen The Apprentice and really liked the film and my work in that. And then that inspired a conversation. Subsequently, around the same time, I was kind of poking the bear a bit over there with James Gunn, going, ‘I think we should figure something out.’”

The comments come as production on The Batman: Part II in London pauses temporarily while director Matt Reeves takes some time to deal with a personal family matter. “Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon,” a studio spokesperson said.

The Batman: Part II stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. In addition to Stan, the production has also added fellow MCU veteran Scarlett Johansson in an undisclosed role. The film currently has a release date of Feb. 18, 2028.

Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood will serve as ambassadors of the 30th annual Urbanworld Film Festival taking place Oct. 14-18 in New York City.

The post marks a notable return to Urbanworld for the married filmmakers who have a long history with the festival. Prince-Bythewood screened her adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees at Urbanworld in 2008, and the 2014 festival opened with her romance drama Beyond the Lights. Bythewood also brought ESPN’s 30 for 30 episode “One Night in Vegas” to Urbanworld in 2010 and the BET TV movie Gun Hill in 2013. The pair attended the festival in support of NatGeo’s Genius: MLK/X in 2023 as well.

“Urbanworld has been a consistent touchstone for filmmakers to bring our stories, connect with our community and support the next generation, and it has always felt like home for us,” the pair said in a joint statement. “We’re honored to return as festival ambassadors to celebrate 30 years of Urbanworld while sharing what’s next. Art over fear.”

As ambassadors, the Bythewoods will give audiences a unique look into their personal and creative journeys through special programming at The New School, Urbanworld’s Innovation Summit partner. There will also be a spotlight moment highlighting Prince-Bythewood’s upcoming adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, ahead of its Jan. 15, 2027 release, at Regal Union Square, the festival’s host theater.

“Gina and Reggie represent the caliber of artists and storytellers we want to celebrate at Urbanworld,” said festival director Verona Cesair Jones in a news release. “Their work, leadership and commitment to storytelling have made an undeniable impact on our industry. As I begin my first year leading the festival and Urbanworld celebrates 30 years, we’re proud to honor them as our festival ambassadors and give them their flowers.”

Urbanworld was founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes as a space to champion established and emerging multicultural storytellers; three decades later, Spikes remains committed to that mission.

“Gina and Reggie have been part of the Urbanworld story for many years, and having them return together as festival ambassadors is a powerful way to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” said Spikes. “Urbanworld has always been about creating a platform for artists to tell their stories, build community, and open doors for those coming behind them. Gina and Reggie embody that spirit, and we’re proud to celebrate them as we look toward Urbanworld’s next 30 years.”