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Ed Helms Stars In ‘The Streak’ For Lion Forge Entertainment

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EXCLUSIVE: Ed Helms has wrapped a lead role in The Streak, a sports comedy marking Academy Award-winning outfit Lion Forge Entertainment‘s entrée into the live-action space.

Following Coach Oliver Eslinger and the 2011 Caltech men’s basketball team as they seek to break the longest losing streak in NCAA history, the film hails from writer-director Steve Byrne (The Opening Act).

Helms plays Enslinger, a first-time head coach who takes over the Caltech men’s basketball program after the team has gone more than three decades without winning a conference game. Armed with relentless optimism and an unconventional coaching philosophy, he attempts to convince a group of brilliant but athletically challenged students that an impossible turnaround can begin with winning just one game.

Nina Dobrev (The Get Out), Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus), Tone Bell (The Flash), Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story) and comedian Joe DeRosa also star.

Prior to The Streak, which shot in St. Louis and the surrounding areas, many production companies had chased the rights to Coach Eslinger’s story over the last decade. But it was only after a long meeting with Byrne that he finally felt comfortable moving forward. Mike Falbo, Helms’ partner in production company Pacific Electric, slipped the script to longtime friend and collaborator Jon Kanak, who brought the project to Lion Forge.

Helms and Mike Falbo are producing through their Pacific Electric (Rutherford Falls, The Clapper) banner alongside Tim Zajaros and Chris Lemole of Armory Films (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Mudbound), plus Lion Forge Entertainment founder & CEO Dave Steward II and President & Chief Creative Officer Stephanie Sperber. Lion Forge also financed the film alongside Same Page Entertainment, with co-founder & CEO Jalen Rose exec producing.

Other exec producers include Enslinger, Kanak, Steven Fisher, Matt Heath, Bud Hawk, Greg Suess, Trevor Engelson, Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier.

UTA is repping domestic sales alongside Brodlie and Kier’s Upgrade, which will also handle international.

In a statement on the project, Byrne told us, “Sports stories have always been about much more than sports. At its core, The Streak is about hope, leadership, and finding greatness in people everyone else has overlooked. Ed was always my dream for Oliver because he brings an authenticity, warmth and humor that perfectly embodies the spirit of this story. We’re excited to bring this incredible true story to audiences.”

Added Lionsgate’s Steward II, “As we scale our live-action business, The Streak is exactly the type of commercial, four-quadrant film we’re focused on producing. With a proven cast, a true story foundation, and global appeal, it reflects how we’re expanding our slate with projects designed to perform in today’s marketplace.”

Currently, Helms can be seen starring alongside Jay Baruchel in The Stunt Driver, a Michael Dowse film telling the true story of daredevil Canadian stuntman Ken Carter, which premiered to critical acclaim at TIFF and released in September. Next up, he’ll be seen in another pair of films coming off TIFF premieres: Cody Lightning’s hockey dramedy Smudge the Blades, which he also exec produced, and Babies opposite Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick. He is repped by UTA and Schreck Rose Dapello.

Byrne is a comedian and filmmaker who made his feature directorial debut with The Opening Act, a 2020 stand-up world comedy starring Jimmy O. Yang. Previously, he also co-created and starred in the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. He’s repped by IAG, Underground, and Cohen & Gardner.

Founded in 2019 — after spinning out from Lion Forge Comics — Lion Forge Entertainment is best known for its work in animation, having won an Oscar for its animated short Hair Love in 2020. One of the few Black-owned entertainment studios of scale in North America, they more recently took to HBO Max and Cartoon Network with Iyanu, an animated fantasy series that aired its second season earlier this year. Kicking off a strategic expansion into commercial, all-audience live-action storytelling following a recent capital raise, their pipeline has surged in the last year as the company joined forces with Game of Thrones‘ George R.R. Martin to adapt the novella A Dozen Tough Jobs into an adult animated feature; set a partnership with TalesVision to expand their short-form YouTube series Lostlings into a long-form series debuting later this year; executive produced two movies, the comedy Jacob Beats Up Nate and A Dog’s Perfect Christmas for Netflix; set a strategic partnership with Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts); and partnered with Rebel Girls to develop content around Rebel Girls Sports in the unscripted space. Additional strategic partnerships include an alliance with Penguin Young Readers to develop films & TV series based on select children’s books. LFE is part of the media and sports-focused firm Polarity.

Dobrev is repped by CAA, Noble Caplan Abrams, Lighthouse Management + Media, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Rothwell by CAA, Untitled, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Bell by CAA, Mosaic and Hansen, Jacobson; Billingsley by UTA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; DeRosa by Range Media Partners and Schreck Rose Dapello; Lion Forge Entertainment by UTA, Activist Artists Management and Jon Kanak’s Lumify Entertainment; and Same Page Entertainment by Paradigm.

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SCAD Film Festival TV Sidebar Spotlights ‘Furious,’ ‘VisionQuest’, More

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The SCAD Savannah Film Festival’s third annual TV Sidebar is set, with four TV program screenings followed by award presentations and conversations with the stars of the series.

The fest, which runs October 24-31 in Savannah, GA will spotlight episodes of The Good Daughter, VisionQuest, Furious and The Lowdown.

Based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling novel, The Good Daughter stars Meghann Fahy and Rose Byrne. Fahy will receive the Spotlight in Television Award on October 24 at a screening of one of the show’s episodes. In The Good Daughter, Fahy stars as Charlotte “Charlie” Quinn alongside Byrne as Samantha “Sam” Quinn. Written and executive produced by Slaughter and directed by Steph Green, the limited series premieres November 12 on Peacock.

Paul Bettany will receive the Virtuoso Award on October 26 at a screening of Marvel Television’s VisionQuest. The Disney+ series continues the story of Vision following the events of WandaVision, with Bettany returning to the role he has portrayed across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor’s latest superhero installment will close out the trilogy that began with WandaVision, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and Agatha All Along.

Emmy Rossum will receive the Outstanding Achievement in Television Award on October 28 at a screening of the Hulu Original drama series Furious. Created, written and executive produced by Elizabeth Meriwether, the thriller stars Rossum as FBI agent Alice Black, who is on the hunt for a mysterious and calculating female serial killer (Lola Petticrew). The series, on which Rossum serves as an EP, also stars Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Scoot McNairy.

RELATED: ‘The Lowdown’ Gets Season 2 Release Date At FX; First Photos Of Tommy Lee Jones & Betty Gilpin

Ethan Hawke and Sterlin Harjo will receive the Outstanding Collaboration in Television Award on October 30 at a screening of their FX and Hulu series The Lowdown. Created, executive produced, written and directed by Harjo, the Tulsa-set noir series stars Hawke as Lee Raybon, a self-proclaimed “truthstorian” and citizen journalist whose relentless pursuit of the truth continually lands him in trouble.

In addition, Deadline during the fest will present “Below the Line: Scoring for the Screen with the Alliance for Women Film Composers,” a behind-the-scenes look at how today’s most innovative voices are redefining the sound of cinema. The conversation will feature members of the Alliance for Women Film Composers discuss their creative process, the challenges and triumphs of the industry, and the role composers play in bringing depth and resonance to film and television.

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Erik Bright Joins PMK Entertainment As EVP Content & Strategic Communications

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Veteran comms executive Erik Bright has joined PMK Entertainment as Executive Vice President, Content and Strategic Communications.

Based in Los Angeles, Bright will oversee PMK’s bi-coastal content publicity team, which handles film and TV campaigns. The company said he will also play a key leadership role in the firm’s global strategic communications practice.

For the last 16 years, Bright has served as President and CEO of the boutique agency he founded, Prodigy Public Relations. Bright will segue his Prodigy PR content and corporate business portfolio into PMK Entertainment and report to PMK’s President of Strategic Communications, Dennis Dembia.

Over his career, Bright has worked on multiple Oscar-winning and nominated titles, including Crash, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Margin Call, and Hamnet. He is also a regular on the domestic and international festival circuit. Before founding Prodigy, Bright was a Partner and Vice President at Insignia PR and Media Strategies, where he serviced the firm’s corporate and film clients. He began his career at Eddie Michaels & Associates, supporting campaigns for talent including Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Noah Wyle.

PMK Entertainment CEO Cindi Berger said: “Erik brings an exceptional combination of creative vision, deep industry relationships, and strategic communications expertise to PMK. His track record of building a successful agency and delivering impactful campaigns makes him a tremendous addition to our leadership team.”

Dembia added: “I’ve known Erik for many years and respect his resolute commitment to delivering for clients and the deep industry relationships he’s forged. Wearing multiple hats, Erik has orchestrated incredible campaigns launching many films and TV series in innovative fashions, while also operating as one of the savviest corporate media strategists in the space. As we continue layering influence within PMK, having experienced, forward-thinking leaders like Erik creates leverageable strategic efficiencies. His leadership will be vital as we focus on unlocking new opportunities for our clients across the entertainment, media, and sports ecosystem.”

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Chase Infiniti To Star In ‘Portrait Of God’ Horror Movie For Lionsgate

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Lionsgate has acquired Portrait of God, a horror flick from emerging genre filmmaker Dylan Clark based on his viral short of the same name. With One Battle After Another breakout Chase Infiniti now aboard to star, the project is greenlighted for production.

Portrait comes to Lionsgate after being put in turnaround by Universal, which acquired a spec from Clark in a competitive situation in December 2025, as we first reported. The Lionsgate acquisition is natural, given that they’ve set Clark to make his big studio filmmaking debut with a reimagining of 1999 horror classic The Blair Witch Project, dated for September 24, 202

Portrait of God will mark the first-ever collaboration of producers Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele, two of the biggest names in horror, with Clark directing from a script co-written with Joe Russo (The Inheritance). Involved with the project since it was at Universal, Raimi is presently set to direct an adaptation of the 1978 horror film Magic for Lionsgate as his next project.

While the studio is keeping the plot of the feature take under wraps, Clark’s short revolves around a religious young woman who discovers the disquieting answer to the question, “What does God look like?” Opening with a quote from the Old Testament — “No man shall see Me and live” — it finds Mia sitting in the dark, practicing a slide presentation about a work of art dubbed “Portrait of God.” Some who view the painting perceive it as completely black, she says, while others report seeing a person in the darkness — one who’s been described time and again, in consistent detail.

Minimalistic yet menacing, the short offers a counterpoint to the idea of God as a benevolent entity. It’s accrued over 10 million views on YouTube since its August 2022 debut.

Raimi and Rob Tapert will produce through their Ghost House shingle, as will Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld through their Monkeypaw Productions, and Joe Russo (The Inheritance). Romel Adam and Jose Cañas will oversee for Ghost House. On behalf of Monkeypaw, Chris Rosati is exec producing through his first-look deal at shingle NAT20 Films. Scott O’Brien will oversee the project for Lionsgate, which had Dan Freedman negotiated deals on its behalf.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson commented, “We’re delighted to deepen our creative partnership with Dylan Clark, whose remarkable talent and distinctive perspective make him one of the most exciting emerging voices in horror. With Sam and Jordan, two of the genre’s most influential producers, the extraordinary Chase Infiniti starring, and Dylan at the helm, this is an exceptional creative team. We believe they have all the ingredients for a film that is haunting, thought-provoking, and scary as hell.”

Like Obsession‘s Curry Barker and Backrooms‘ Kane Parsons, Clark is a young genre filmmaker who came to the industry’s attention after gaining a large following in the YouTube horror space. He stated, “With Blair Witch, I’m experiencing firsthand the trust Lionsgate places in its filmmakers, and I couldn’t be happier that Portrait of God has found a home there as well. I’m also thrilled to welcome Chase Infiniti to our team. She blew me away in One Battle After Another and is one of the most exciting young actors working today.”

Infiniti earned noms at the Actor Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards for her breakout role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. She came to the film after appearing in a major role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga in Apple’s hit thriller series Presumed Innocent. Most recently, she’s been seen leading The Testaments, Hulu’s follow-up to hit Margaret Atwood adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale, earning her first Emmy nomination for her work on Season 1. With work on the second season underway, Infiniti will also be seen coming up in The Julia Set, an indie coming-of-age drama from Niki Byrne coming off its premiere at TIFF. She is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Clark is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis; Russo by Fictional Entity, Untitled, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.

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