Anna Kendrick brought her A-game to Saturday Night Live this weekend, making us wonder why this was just her first time hosting the show. The highlight of the night: her "Dongs All Over the World" music video costarring SNL's Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon, and Sasheer Zamata. After discussing a guy with "hoes in different area codes," the ladies burst out in song on an airplane, singing and rapping about their mission to find — you guessed it! — international dongs. Consider it the ladies' answer to Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's instant classic, "D*ck in a Box." The melody is seriously infectious, so consider this a warning — you'll hear this song (and the unfortunate word "dongs") for the foreseeable future.

This Sunday, Conan O’Brien will host the 2014 MTV Movie Awards — but unlike his regular hosting gig on TBS, he’ll be on stage without his longtime sidekick Andy Richter. “Andy’s not reliable,” O’Brien tells EW. “I’d love to bring Andy — in fact, I’ve tried to bring Andy to many things. But he’s like the country singer George Jones late in his career: Maybe he’ll show, maybe he won’t.” “Andy pretty much lives in an RV,” O’Brien adds. “It’s very hard; he doesn’t have any representation. You can tell. Whenever I talk to Andy’s ‘manager’ on the phone, I can tell it’s Andy from a payphone, doing a slightly different voice. And then I can always hear someone banging on the door.” So who will ol’ Coco bring to the awards ceremony? None other than Ice Cube! The two have teamed up before (along with Kevin Hart) for a ride-along on Conan, and now they’ve reunited to shoot a promo for the big MTV event. Check back here later in the day for our exclusive video and behind-the-scenes report of O’Brien and Cube’s shoot together.

The show, won by the will.i.am-coached contestant Jermain Jackman, peaked at 8.3 million, slightly down from last year's finale tally of 8.7 million. LONDON -- The first male black winner of the BBC's The Voice U.K. saw the reality talent show garner a peak of 8.3 million viewers as it climaxed at the weekend. Jermain Jackman, coached by will.i.am, helped top the ratings Saturday evening. The show beat rival TV channel offerings that included Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Channel 4. This year's edition still trailed last year's finale, which peaked at 8.7 million, according to the BBC. The show has brought in stronger ratings during its third season run, with the British media crediting the arrival of Kylie Minogue to the panel of judges alongside newbie Ricky Wilson, the lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs. Fans are calling for Minogue to continue as a voice coach, although it is likely she will be unable to take part in next year's show due to scheduling conflicts with her own world tour. The U.K. public broadcaster already renewed the singing competition from producer Wall to Wall based on the Talpa Media format for two more seasons. This year's judging panel also boasts Tom Jones. Jackman, a 19-year-old Labour Party youth coordinator for Hackney, belted out Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus and Pure Imagination from the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film, which he performed with will.i.am on the show. The Londoner said he wanted to be "the first singing black prime minister" during the final and Labor leader Ed Miliband was quick to congratulate the singer and wannabe politico in a message on Twitter within minutes of the announced results. Miliband said: "Huge congratulations to Jermain Jackman. Knew you were an incredibly special singer from the first time I heard you." The winner concluded the show with a performance of Jennifer Hudson's And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going.

Game of Thrones' fourth-season premiere Sunday night was welcomed with a challenge from House of Cards. Kevin Spacey: 'House of Cards' Star on Why He Won't Play Carson; the Right Way to Say 'F--- Off' The Netflix series' Twitter account capitalized on the interest around its fellow beloved series and HBO rival by tweeting a photo of Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood sitting on an iron throne accompanied by the caption, "Long live the king." The tweet also read, "May the best House win." VIDEO: Frank Underwood Poisons Joffrey in 'House of Cards'-'Game of Thrones' Mashup The tweet was signed "#FU," presumably standing for Frank Underwood.

Whoopi Goldberg on Monday shot down rumors that she is in the running to replace David Letterman when the Late Show host retires next year. Letterman announced his intention to retire as host of the CBS late-night show on Thursday, leading to a flurry of speculation about who will take over the hosting gig. Many have mentioned Goldberg, who co-hosts ABC's The View, as one of several possible replacements. But when asked about the speculation on Monday's edition of the daytime talk show, Goldberg replied: "What do you mean? I've got a job here. I work for ABC." Over the weekend, Letterman's longtime rival Jay Leno weighed in on the surprising announcement. Asked by Extra whom he thinks should replace Letterman, Leno said: "I don't know a lot of good people out there." Letterman said during Thursday's Late Show taping that he plans to retire sometime in 2015. “The man who owns this network, Leslie Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. And I phoned him just before the program, and I said ‘Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring,’” Letterman told his audience. On Friday's Tonight Show, Fallon read a list of the "top 10 reasons David Letterman is retiring," which included No. 2: "Jay Leno needs a partner for next season's Amazing Race."

With a somewhat fatigued Academy of Country Music Awards, CBS took Sunday night by all measures. The three-hour telecast averaged a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49, down a full ratings point from the 12-year high in 2013. The Las Vegas show also pulled in 14.1 million viewers. (The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which, like The Hollywood Reporter, is owned by affiliates of Guggenheim Partners.) our editor recommends , though ABC's Once Upon a Time was one exception. After a steady Funniest Home Videos, the drama averaged a 2.2 rating with adults 18-49 -- up a tenth of a point from last week. Resurrection (2.1 adults) dropped three tenths of a point, falling below its lead-in for the first time, and Revenge (1.3 adults) dropped a tenth of a point to match a low. ABC took a 1.7 rating and 6.3 million viewers for the night. Bob's Burgers (0.9 adults) and American Dad (1.2 adults) fell a respective one- and two-tenths of a point on Fox, ahead of steady The Simpsons (1.9 adults). Family Guy (2.3 adults) improved two-tenths of a point, and Cosmos (1.5 adults) held even. Fox took a 1.5 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.7 million viewers. NBC News special Ann Curry Reports earned only a 0.6 rating in the key demo -- as did American Dream Builders, down two-tenths of a point. Both Believe (1.0 adults) and Crisis (1.1 adults) were also down, each by a tenth of a point. NBC averaged a 0.8 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.9 million viewers for the night.

Nicole Richie's "#CandidlyNicole" and three others will return for second seasons on AOL On. AOL has renewed four of its original web series for second seasons on the AOL On network. our editor recommends Returning to the digital video platform are #CandidlyNicole, starring Nicole Richie, based on her Twitter feed; city.ballet, a look at the world of the New York City Ballet from executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker; Hardwired 2.0, an examination of tech trends with host iJustine; and The Future Stars Here, a docuseries from Webby awards founder Tiffany Shlain. Several advertisers also have returned to AOL On. Citi will once again sponsor city.ballet, and Verizon will sponsor Hardwired 2.0 and The Future Stars Here. Richie's #CandidlyNicole has also been picked up at VH1. Premiering July 17, the eight-episode half-hour project will expand on the web series. The second season of the show on AOL On will feature separate content from the VH1 series. These four series received a total of more than 75 million views during their first seasons, according to AOL. "We're thrilled to continue our relationships with each of these series for a second season," said AOL Studios head Gabriel Lewis. "Each of these series exceeded our expectations and resonated strongly with our audience. We're proud to partner with such a talented and diverse group of creators for a second season." The four series will be available on the AOL On network under the originals banner. They will also be distributed across AOL's 1,700 partner sites. The renewals are part of AOL's growing slate of original programming, which will also include the first season of Park Bench with Steve Buscemi, set to premiere in May. AOL is expected to announce its full original programming lineup at the Digital Content NewFronts in Brooklyn on April 29.

Covert Affairs is adding a strong female presence for season five. our editor recommends Amy Jo Johnson, who starred in Flashpoint and Felicity, has joined USA Network's globe-trotting spy drama in a recurring capacity, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Johnson will play Hayley, a National Counter Terrorism Center investigator who knows how to stand her ground. A persistent woman who's an expert at taking control, Hayley goes head-to-head with Auggie (Christopher Gorham) when the intelligence community faces a united threat. Covert Affairs picks up after Annie faked her death, changed her identity and went deep undercover in Hong Kong to defeat her biggest nemesis, Henry Wilcox (Gregory Itzin). The 16-episode fifth season, which kicks off this summer, examines the price Annie will have to pay for this risky maneuver and the implications it will have on her other relationships as she attempts to re-emerge into the world she once knew. She joins an ensemble led by Piper Perabo, Gorham, Hill Harper, Kari Matchett, Peter Gallagher and newly-added regular Nicholas Bishop, with additional guest stars Michael A. Goorjian and Perrey Reeves. In addition to Flashpoint and Felicity, Johnson's television credits include Wildfire, The Division, What About Brian and 137 episodes of kids series The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers in the mid-'90s. Johnson is repped by Characters Talent Agency in Canada and the Burstein Company.

The world record-holder will attempt to dive deeper than the height of the Statue of Liberty. The cable network has ordered its follow-up to Live From Space, setting a live special with world record holder William Trubridge. Free Dive Live With William Trubridge will follow the 15-time free-diving record holder and current world champion as he attempts to swim deeper than any person has ever gone before -- on a single breath. The dive will follow Trubridge, 33, as he dives into the infamous Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas with nothing but his hands and feet to propel him swimming 350 feet -- a depth deeper than the height of the Statue of Liberty. The round-trip dive, if successful, would set a new world record. Nat Geo will document the attempt live in a special exec produced by Endemol's Darlow Smithson Productions in association with Trium Entertainment and Apex Sports Agency. The special will follow his descent, to his arrival 350 feet below, where a flood of nitrogen to the brain will cause disorientation and blurred vision, to the final 66 feet of his ascent when he'll begin swimming in reverse in a bid to keep his lungs from expanding too rapidly and bursting. It's at that final stage that an average of nearly 100 free divers die every year. "We took viewers to the International Space Station, 250 miles above the Earth's surface, and to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world's oceans, with James Cameron. And now, we will watch William Trubridge attempt to do what no man has ever done before in pursuit of the world free dive record," Nat Geo president Howard T. Owens said. "For more than 125 years, National Geographic has been about celebrating explorers who push the boundaries of human limitations. This will be a thrilling feat, and no doubt we'll all be holding our breath right along with William as he attempts this almost unimaginable challenge." The show will also document Trubridge as he prepares for the dive and explore the science of how his body is able to tackle something most people could never do. The special comes as live events -- including awards shows -- continue to be hot property among broadcast and cable networks in an era of increased competition and the DVR. Discovery recently announced it would televise a live moon landing and ordered reality series Survival Live. That network has seen its live events -- including Felix Baumgartner's leap from the stratosphere, and Nik Wallenda's tightrope walk -- deliver massive ratings.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images Mike Fleiss The franchise's creator married former Miss America Laura Kaeppeler at his home on Sunday. A Bachelor wedding took place over the weekend -- but this one didn't involve the reality stars. Creator/executive producer Mike Fleiss, 49, married former Miss America Laura Kaeppeler, 26, on Sunday. VIDEO: 'Bachelor' Juan Pablo Galavis Selling Appliances in Upstate New York The ceremony, which took place at Fless' home in Malibu, was officiated by none other than Bachelor/Bachelorette host Chris Harrison. Fleiss and Harrison tweeted about the big day, and Harrison also posted a photo on Instagram.

The daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates was found at an address near Wrotham, Kent and her death is being treated as "unexplained and sudden." LONDON -- TV presenter Peaches Geldof, second daughter of musician Bob Geldof and Paula Yates, has been found dead at her home in Kent. Police told the BBC that they were called to an address following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman Monday afternoon. Bob Geldof's agent later confirmed the news to The Associated Press. The 25-year-old celebrity and mother of two is well known in the U.K. as a writer and model. She was married to musician Thomas Cohen, with whom she had two sons, Astala, 1, and Phaedra, who will turn 1 on April 24.

Amid all the talk of a “Frozen” sequel, Disney is reportedly working on one to another animated success of theirs: “Wreck-It Ralph.” Composer Henry Jackman, who created the music for the 2012 original, told Collider in an interview about “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” that Disney is in the early stages of development on a “Wreck-It Ralph” sequel. He remained tight lipped beyond that, however, as he believed the film is a sure thing. “I can’t tell you more, not because I’m being coy, but I believe that it is officially on the cards,” he said. “I don’t know any more other than a story is indeed being written. I’d be very surprised not to. I’m not blowing my own trumpet. Forget about the music. Just the movie itself I thought was a fantastically imaginative and creative piece of work.” “Wreck-It Ralph” grossed $189 million Stateside and $281 overseas. John C. Reilly starred as the titular videogame bad guy who sought a better reputation and embarked on a heroic adventure for one. Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch also provided voice work. Disney Animation Studios, however, has a full slate for the next few years. With “Frozen” being released last year and becoming the first film for the studio to cross $1 billion, they have “Big Hero 6″ set for this November and “Zootopia” for 2016.

Though much of Mickey Rooney’s most notable work appeared more than 70 years ago, the Hollywood community remembers him fondly as a hardworking actor who started his career as a child in vaudeville and silent films and was still working until very recently in films like “Night at the Museum” and “The Muppets.” His son Michael, a choreographer, was among the many posting about the legendary actor’s death on Twitter. “Mickey was such a friend and pro, that he even gave me advice, when I replaced him in “Sugar Babies”… As if it could ever be possible to replace Mickey. It was the treat of my life, to receive tips from the great Mickey Rooney.” – Rip Taylor “Showbiz has just lost one of the great talents that our industry has ever had. We were very good friends. I shall miss him and the world will miss him” – Rose Marie

In an aggressive bidding war, Sony has acquired the rights to the New Republic article “The Year of the Pigskin” with Escape Artists attached to produce. The recently published story and had several studios — including Universal — after it before finally falling to Sony. The article was written by Christopher Beam and follows one American’s struggle to form an American football league in China. It’s described as a Chinese football version of “The Bad News Bears.” Todd Black will produce for Escape Artists. Sony has been one of the more active buyers in 2014, having already acquired the spec “Winter’s Knight” for “Kon-Tiki” helmers Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg to direct, as well as the rights to Max Brook’s new graphic novel “The Harlem Hellfights,” with Overbrook Entertainment attached to produce.

As an attention-grabbing opening installment for what’s obviously intended as an ongoing horror franchise, “Jinn” fizzles. This ponderously paced, needlessly convoluted and altogether unexceptional thriller will be fortunate to reach beyond a thin sliver of undiscriminating genre fans with its bogus mythos about ancient evil spirits bent on world domination. The promise of a sequel during the closing credits seems, at best, unduly optimistic. After a less-than-promising prologue in 1901 India, writer-director Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad moves his melodrama to contemporary Ann Arbor, Mich., where Shawn (Dominic Rains), a hunky auto designer, and Jasmine (Serinda Swan of TV’s “Graceland” and “Breakout Kings”), his beautiful wife, are unsettled by manifestations of, if not the supernatural, then extremely clumsy home invaders. The secret behind the scattering of their furniture is revealed when the designer receives a decades-old message — so old, it’s on a VHS tape, not a DVD or flash drive — from his late father. The bad news: Shawn is the latest heir to a family curse pronounced by a malevolent strain of Jinn, ancient spirits that loom large in Arabic and Islamic mythology. The worse news: These ferocious Jinn, known also as Sheyanteen, will move in for the kill as soon as they discover Shawn is about to sire offspring. You don’t need to be told that Jasmine is pregnant, do you? As he steels himself to do battle with Sheyanteen forces, Shawn acquires a few helpful allies, including Gabriel (Ray Park), a benevolent Jinn who’s also a lethally effective martial artist; Father Westhoff (William Atherton), a sympathetic priest armed, when necessary, with a terrible swift sword to defend the righteous; and Ali (Faran Tahir), Shawn’s long-lost uncle, who spends much of the movie shackled to the floor of his room in a mental hospital. Ultimately, however, Shawn must rely on the speed of his latest creation, a bitchin’ set of wheels aptly dubbed Firebreather, and his own prowess as a Jinn-kicking badass to protect his wife, save humanity and spawn a sequel. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. “Jinn” is the sort of contrived and slapdash potboiler in which a key supporting character apparently is killed in one scene, only to inexplicably reappear when needed a few reels later, and in which budgetary limitations are exposed by unimpressive special effects and a conspicuous lack of extras in street scenes. Park and Atherton take acting honors with performances that slyly suggest they, too, appreciate the silliness of what they’re doing and saying. They are especially amusing during one of the few scenes in “Jinn” that are intentionally funny, when their characters compare and contrast religions in a conversation during the closing credits. Film Review: 'Jinn' Reviewed at AMC Studio 30, Houston, April 4, 2014. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 97 MIN. Production A Freestyle Releasing release of an Exxodus Pictures production. Produced by Benjamin Dresser, Alan Noel Vega. Executive producers, Najam Syed, Shahid Syed. Crew Directed, written by Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad. Camera (color), Robert Mehnert; editors, Ahmad, Justin Clugston Hynous; music, Noah Sorota; production designer, Chris Anthony Miller; set decorator, Emily Milton; costume designer, Amy Julia Cheyfitz; sound, Tim Hoogenakker; visual effects supervisor, Brandon Bartlett; stunt coordinator, Ele Bardha. With Dominic Rains, Ray Park, William Atherton, Faran Tahir, Serinda Swan.

Disney and Marvel have officially dated “Captain America 3″ for May 6, 2016 — the same date as Warner Bros.’ untitled Superman-Batman movie. Marvel made the announcement on its web site following a record-setting U.S. debut for “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” The sequel took in $203.3 million worldwide over the weekend, with an estimated $96.2 million domestically for the largest U.S. debut ever in April. To date, “Winter Soldier” has grossed $300 million-plus worldwide. It’s widely anticipated that one of the two tentpoles will move off the May 6, 2016, date since they would no doubt cannibalize each other if both opened at the same time. Monday’s announcement underlines the confidence that Marvel and Disney execs have in the “Captain America” franchise — and their expectation that Warner will vacate the date, particularly in light of the non-blockbuster performance last by “Man of Steel,” which grossed $668 million worldwide. The move comes three months after Warner Bros. had announced it would release its Superman-Batman movie on May 6, 2016 — moving it back from July 17, 2015 — meaning that Superman-Batman would square off against a Marvel film which Marvel had not yet announced. At the time, Warners said the decision was made to “help fully realize the vision.” Speculation had emerged since then that the third “Captain America” would be the Disney-Marvel title on the date. Production is currently under way in Michigan on the Superman-Batman film starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck and Zach Snyder directing. The tentpole also stars Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, in addition to Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.

A sci-fi thriller as generic as its title, “Alien Abduction” generates only low-voltage shocks, taking a found-footage approach to its familiar scenario about hapless earthlings hunted by inquisitive extraterrestrials. Released simultaneously as theatrical and VOD fare, it’s bound to vanish as quickly as a fleetingly glimpsed UFO after a few close encounters with paying viewers. Working from a run-of-the-mill script by Robert Lewis, helmer Matty Beckerman follows the misadventures of a family gradually decimated during an ill-timed camping trip. Parents Peter (Peter Holden) and Katie (Katie Sigismund) pay little heed to dark rumors about the true meaning of mysterious lights sighted in the Brown Mountain region of North Carolina — a real-life phenomenon, by the way — and drive deep into the woods to pitch tents and savor nature. Also along for the ride: Their two adolescent children (Jillian Clare, Corey Eid) and a third offspring, Riley (Riley Polanski), an 11-year-old autistic who constantly operates a camcorder as his way of coping with a sometimes scary world. Yes, you guessed it: “Alien Abduction” consists almost entirely of footage supposedly shot by Riley, whose world actually gets very, very scary as he and his family witness such unsettling portents as downpours of dead crows and dozens of abandoned cars scattered along roadsides and inside tunnels. One thing leads to another, and the visuals get progressively shakier and more staticky, as extraterrestrials make their presence — and, more important, their intention — evident. Beckerman and Lewis deserve some credit for bothering to logically explain why the person shooting their particular “found footage” might keep shooting and shooting even while ducking and dodging. And the filmmakers earn a few more points for a truly intriguing supporting character: Sean (well played by Jeff Bowser), a grumpy, gun-toting redneck who’s probably involved in criminal activities, and who is less than hospitable when Riley and what’s left of his family show up at the door of Sean’s isolated cabin. “I came out here,” Sean rails at his unwelcome guests, “to get away from folks like you with your dumbass questions.” Later, however, Sean settles down, and even seems a mite protective while warning that the extraterrestrials hovering somewhere outside in the darkness are a lot like humans who go night fishing. As they consider what they’ve caught, Sean says, they’re discriminating: “Some they keep. Some they toss back.” Except for Sean and a mildly clever final twist, however, there’s little to distinguish “Alien Abduction” from the dozens of similar small-budget suspensers already available in various homescreen platforms. Production values are average for the found-footage subgenre, with special effects only as special as they need be for a movie that relies more on the power of suggestion than on CGI spectacle. Film Review: 'Alien Abduction' Reviewed online, Houston, April 4, 2014. Running time: 86 MIN. Production An IFC Midnight release of an Exclusive Media Group presentation of a Big Picture production in association with Next Entertainment. Produced by Mike Fleiss, Cathy Beckerman, Matty Beckerman, Lawrence Bender. Executive producers, Guy East, Alex Brunner, Huw Lewis, Alyssa Beckerman, Jared Beckerman. Crew Directed by Matty Beckerman. Screenplay, Robert Lewis. Camera (color), Luke Geissbuhler; editor, Steve Mirkovich; music, Benjamin Weinman; production designer, Steve Legler; costume designer, Alexis Scott; sound, Dan Bricker; stunt coordinator, Cal Johnson; assistant director, Joel Jeffrey Nishimine; casting, Dominika Posseren, Kelly Wagner. With Katie Sigismund, Corey Eid, Riley Polanski, Jillian Clare, Jeff Bowser, Peter Holden.

PANAMA CITY – Marking first business on a world premiere at the burgeoning Panama Festival, which kicked off its third edition Thursday, Alfredo Calvino’s Brazil-based Habanero Film Sales has swooped on international rights to Annie Canavaggio’s “Breaking the Wave.” Making its world bow Saturday, “Wave” is also written by Canavaggio, a London Film School alum. Distinguished Brazilian director Vicente Ferraz (“I Am Cuba, the Siberian Mammoth,” “Road 47”) co-wrote and served as DP with Bolivar Andres handling water camera. Canavaggio’s first feature after “Liza…como ella” and “Offside” – a short made at the London Film School and set humorously against the background of a crunch Brazil-England soccer match – “Wave” is a Panama-Brazil co-production, set up at Canavaggio’s Marina Productions and Rio de Janeiro’s Tres Mundo Producoes, founded by Ferraz and Costa Rica’s Isabel Martinez. Set at Santa Catalina, a point break on Panama’s Pacific coast, and magnificently shot, for surfing aficionados “Wave” offers multiple money shots: Hazy 1970s docu-footage of Ricardo “Ponky” Icaza, a Panamanian surfer known on the Californian scene, at Santa Catalina, then a secret surfing paradise, power-riding widescreen right to left a seeming never-ending wave; El Cholito, one of the “Wave’s” three featured Panamanian surfers, repeating this angle, as a tribute, decades later. “Wave” recounts three human stories, all turning on Santa Catalina locals: Alejandro “El Cholito” Alfonso, 34, who wins a world championship, is a local legend, has nine children, lives from one job to the next, was too wild – he smoke, drank before competitions for six-or-seven years, he said – to land a brand deal; Deivis Godoy, a top competitor but poor and black, who also fails to attract sponsors; Juan Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez, just 18, Santa Catalina’s big hope, surfing since a child. Oli has the right stuff, and discipline, lands a Quicksilver sponsorship, becomes the first Panamanian to take a silver medal in the world champion category at May 2013’s ISA World Surfing Games, which were held – appropriately – in Santa Catalina. But “Breaking the Wave” “isn’t really a film about surfing, but about people who love surf but have to live their lives,” Habanero’s Calvino said. It is “a psycho-social documentary,” Canavaggio said, where it protagonists “happen to surf.” As befits a former MBA grad at the Central American Institute of Business Administration, it nails the economic models in the sport and what they say about the surfers’ future. Surfing is one of the few sports in which Panamanians, currently mostly from Santa Catalina, can compete at a world-class level. “Not just Americans, Latinos can excel at this sport,” “Oli” told Variety. But costs can outrun competition prize coin; even a sponsor deal can be just subsistence money. “Oli” says in the film that he’d like to earn enough money to buy his parents a house; he’s concerned that his brothers and sisters get a good education. “El Cholito” and “Oli,” his nephew, would like to create a surfing school, with clinics for Panama’s new generation of surfers, but they’d need state support to cover start-up costs, “El Cholito” added. “For me, making this film was about the social part, changing the social context a little. I’d like more justice, people to access education, health services,” Canavaggio said at the Panama Festival. “But the first thing we need is education. If that comes, everything else will follow,” she added. “Breaking the Wave” will be released in six cinema theaters in Panama in September, said Martinez.

CANNES– Australian reality format “Zombie Bootcamp” has snatched up the top prize at MipFormat’s international pitch competition hosted at MipFormat, the MipTV sidebar taking place April 5-6. Warner Bros. International Television Production, which backs the competition, has committed to invest up to €25,000 ($34,260) to develop ”Zombie Bootcamp,” which was presented by Australian shingle The Feds. The project, pitched by The Feds’ head of content, Lisa Gray, and associate producer, Claire Marshall, beat five finalists from Italy, Spain and Ireland. The jury comprised Nick Emmerson, CEO of Ricochet (UK), Taco Ketelaar, senior VP of Prime Time Entertainment ProsiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland (Germany), Sandra Kleinfeld, director of development for studio and unscripted content for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Canada), Cathrine Wiernik, head of development and format acquisitions for TV4 (Sweden). “Zombie Boot camp is definitely a unique idea! We look forward to working with production company, The Feds, on developing their format further for the international market,” said Andrew Zein, SVP of creative, format development and sales for Warner Bros. Intl. TV production. The Feds describes the format as as “disruptive play on an endurance challenge with a morbid twist, pitting sixteen contestants against each other and the end of the world in the Zombie Apocalypse.” The Australian outfit recently secured funding from Screen Australia, under the Enterprise Program, in order to help the company promote their shows abroad. “This is a great recognition of the power of Australian story telling and an illustration of the international opportunities that are available to Australian content producers,” said Peter Rhodes, managing director of Reed Midem UK. Added Rhodes, “This win is particularly significant as it sets the tone for MipTV which features a strong Australian contingent and will be honouring Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner with the Médaille d’Honneur Award.”

“Game of Thrones” returns April 6, bringing with it what is arguably TV’s finest current opening-title sequence. What makes a great main title? A topnotch show helps, obviously – or at least, does on this list. Here, aside from Ramin Djawadi’s hummable, stirring and muscular score, there’s that handy visual guide to help put audiences in the mood for another trip to George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world. TV PILOTS/DEVELOPMENT SCORECARD: Follow all of the development action during upfront season As for other contenders for the throne, here are five: The Big Bang Theory: Yes, it’s over in a flash, but the Barenaked Ladies’ theme song helpfully covers several billion years of history in playfully introducing CBS’ mega-hit comedy. (This video is an illustrated version.) Downton Abbey: John Lunn’s score coupled with the great estate are integral characters in PBS’ lustrous period melodrama. Louie: What could be more appropriate than using the song “Brother Louie” to set the tone for Louis C.K.’s melancholy gem? Just don’t try to make sense of the lyrics. Da Vinci’s Demons: This Starz series not only features a strong Bear McCreary score but cleverly incorporates Da Vinci’s drawings into the animated opening credits. The Walking Dead: Bear McCreary again, here with a score that perfectly captures the sense of dread and urgency the show seeks to conjure. Indeed, for fans, those few repeated notes are almost like, well, ringing the dinner bell.

CANNES — Sales-production house Beta Film has closed deals with RAI in Italy and M6 in France for its 50s-set Spanish-language series “Velvet,” which has just got the green light for the second season. TV PILOTS/DEVELOPMENT SCORECARD: Follow all of the development action during upfront season RAI has taken the rights to the original series and the remake rights. The series, which is a Cinderella tale in which an orphan seamstress and the son of a high-fashion house fall in love with each other, debuted in Spain on Antena 3 with an audience of 5 million, a 25% market share. The show is produced by Bambu Producciones, which previously produced “Grand Hotel.” That series, which was dubbed the “Spanish ‘Downton Abbey’,” was sold by Beta to more than 60 territories, including U.S., U.K., France and Germany. RAI in Italy is remaking the series. “Velvet,” which stars Miguel Angel Silvestre and Paula Echevarria, is created by Ramon Campos and Gema R. Neira. The series was directed by Carlos Sedes and David Pinillos.

CANNES — “History is doing really well for us,” said Andrea Harrick, director of acquisitions at Blue Ant Media, which runs a bouquet of channels in Canada. TV PILOTS/DEVELOPMENT SCORECARD: Follow all of the development action during upfront season Harrick, who was speaking Saturday at MipTV sister event Mipdoc, added that other genres popular with audiences included shows about the paranormal, crypto-zoology, such as shows about Bigfoot, and natural disasters. Jane Roscoe, head of international content for SBS in Australia, said there was a lot of interest in historical dramas, many of which were being made by documentary producers and greenlit by docu commissioners. “You can blame ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Vikings’ for that kind of resurgence in our desire to see those stories told dramatically, and not just in documentaries,” Roscoe said. Roscoe added that presenter-led science and history shows were popular, especially those that were “immersive.” “We like that idea of someone going out and trying things, and taking us on that journey,” she said. Docus about race and immigration were also hot, and shows linked to a campaign. “We like a campaigning documentary, something with a social message and a call for action,” she said. Ben Noot, manager, global acquisitions, National Geographic Channels International, said that its “Entertain Your Brain” strand was popular, with shows like “Brain Games,” which presents advanced science in a fast-paced, fun way, and gets the audience to play along. Shows about space, like “Cosmos,” are also popping. “Space is really big for us. Bringing ‘Cosmos’ back has been great for the channel,” Noot said. Noot also underscored the success of the femme-skewed lifestyle channel People, which is a rebranding of Nat Geo Adventure. The content was “real people’s stories with real emotional depth,” he said. He said that YouTube was a source for characters and content for shows like “The Science of Stupid.”

HBO Go can only take so much — and apparently, the highly anticipated season four premiere of “Games of Thrones” on Sunday was enough to bring it down. HBO Go addressed the problem on its Twitter account after a significant amount of viewers took to the social-media platform to complain about being unable to access the website. HBO blamed the problems on “excessive volume.” The premium cable service also promised to provide the episode on HBO On Demand soon for those with certain cable providers. UPDATE: At 11:39 p.m. ET Sunday, HBO Go tweeted that the service had been restored to “several platforms” with full recovery expected soon. This is not the first time something similar has happened to HBO. Last month, the season finale of “True Detective” also proved overwhelming for the website, and HBO Go addressed the issue on Twitter then as well after the complaints began to roll in. In the wake of the “True Detective” crash, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes pledged at an investor conference to invest more into HBO Go in order to keep these kind of malfunctions from happening again.

CANNES– Scandinavia’s entertainment company Modern Time Group, which spans four continents and owns TV channels group Viasat Broadcasting, has signed an exclusive multi-year content deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). TV PILOTS/DEVELOPMENT SCORECARD: Follow all of the development action during upfront season Under the pact, Modern Time Group’s Nordic free-TV movie channels and platforms will now feature the most recent Sony movies and TV series, including “The Smurfs,” “Django Unchained ” (pictured above), “Men In Black 3″ and “The Amazing Spider-Man.” SPT’s library will be made available on MTG’s ten Scandinavian free-TV channels, as well as Viasat’s paybox channels and the VOD platform Viaplay (either via streaming or downloading), across the Nordics. MTG’s free and pay-TV channels are available both on the Viasat satellite platforms and nearly all other pay-TV platforms in the Nordic region. “We are witnessing the birth of a new paradigm. Consumers want TV anywhere and everywhere, and that is what we are delivering together with SPT,” said Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, prexy and CEO of MTG. ”We have always been at the forefront of the industry, and pushing the boundaries for how things are done, in order to make our entertainment experiences as engaging, satisfying, simple and relevant as possible to the consumer.” Jakob Mejlhede, Modern Time Group’s senior VP of acquisitions and programming and CEO of MTGx concurred: “The future of television is happening right now, and SPT shares our commitment to forward thinking partnerships that reflect the huge demand for recent and classic movies and TV shows on viewer’s own terms and at their convenience.” Andreas Brosjo, senior vice president of distribution at SPT said the company has enjoyed a long standing partnership with Modern Time Group. “Together we are able to bring the best of Sony Pictures’ latest features and television series to MTG’s viewers across a large spectrum of platforms, both the subscription as well as the free-TV business, linear as well as on demand,” explained Brosjo.

Anke Schäferkordt and Guillaume de Posch, co-CEOs of RTL Group, will receive Variety’s inaugural Achievement in International Television Award during the 51stMIPTV. Associate publisher Donna Pennestri will present the pair with the honor at an exclusive cocktail reception as Variety celebrates the success of RTL Group. “The Achievement in International Television Award is given to individuals who exhibit leadership, creativity and innovation in the global television marketplace,” Pennestri said in a statement. “As Co-CEOs, Anke Schäferkordt and Guillaume de Posch have been the driving force behind RTL Group’s incredible performance over the past couple of years and its recent expansion in online video. Their passion for content combined with a long-term strategic approach has boldly led RTL Group to tremendous success. Anke and Guillaume are clearly very well-deserving of this honor.” Variety executive editor Steven Gaydos added, “Variety is thrilled to expand our International Achievement editorial franchise from film to television. Having profiled major film firms such as Constantin Film and StudioCanal, we were committed to honoring excellence with our first-ever Achievement in International Television Award. There is literally no one more impactful than RTL Group in the international television market. They remain Europe’s largest broadcast network with interests in 56 TV channels and own FremantleMedia, the producers and distributors of ‘Idol,’ ‘Got Talent’ and ‘X Factor’ franchises.” The exclusive, invite-only, reception will host execs, producers, and distributors who have worked with the group over the years.