Netflix, which won approval last week  to ramp up a production unit in Canada, its first outside the U.S., is hitting back at criticism that the deal afforded Netflix special treatment and allowed it to skirt the rules governing other content players in the country. Corie Wright, director of global public policy…

NEW YORK, June 6, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that Leah Holzer has joined the company as vice president of production, reporting to its president of production, Donna Gigliotti, in New York. In her post, Holzer will help manage physical production of such TWC films as the David O. Russell…

EXCLUSIVE: I’ve just learned that Universal Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley have restructured the studio’s production team. Veterans Peter Cramer and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum will be upped to co-Presidents of Production, replacing the current President of Production Debbie Liebling who is “leaving to…

Shooting-permit organization FilmL.A. said today that on-location filming in all production categories increased 4.7% during the first quarter of 2011, the fifth consecutive quarter of gains in the region that includes the City of Los Angeles, parts of unincorporated Los Angeles County and other local jurisdictions…

The Pittsburgh Film Office announced today that the city has been chosen to host the production of Warner Bros’ The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to begin shooting this summer. "We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batman film to Pittsburgh, and eager for the economic impact that our city will experience," Pittsburgh…

EXCLUSIVE: Management/production companies 3 Arts and Untitled Entertainment are in merger talks. I'm not certain they are going to join forces, but they are exploring it seriously. The potential mix of assets of the two companies is intriguing. 3 Arts — run by Erwin Stoff, Michael Rotenberg, Howard Klein, David Miner…

M. Night Shyamalan has set the second feature to be made through his genre producing banner Night Chronicles. The project comes as Shyalaman promotes development exec Ashwin Rajan to president of production for the Media Rights Capital-backed genre label. Shyamalan and MRC set Chris Sparling to write Twelve Strangers…

EXCLUSIVE: GK Films partners Graham King and Tim Headington have re-cemented one of GK Films’ most important relationships, re-upping Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil production shingle for another three years. Depp signed his first deal with King in 2004. Under the new deal, GK Films will fully finance and co-produce…

Gena McCarthy has joined Lifetime as SVP reality & alternative programming. McCarthy will start on July 6, overseeing the development and production of unscripted series for the female-centered cable network and reporting to JoAnn Alfano, EVP entertainment. The top reality post at Lifetime has been vacant since the…

Lionsgate has formally announced its acquisition of North American rights to Machine Gun Preacher, the fact-based drama about Sam Childers, a reformed badass who established an orphanage in war torn Africa and then supervised a militia to protect the kids. The film stars Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael…

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran Brillstein Entertainment Partners TV executive Becky Clements is being tapped as president of the as-yet-unnamed new TV production company from Shawn Levy and Marty Adelstein. It will be based at 20th Century Fox TV with a 2-year overall deal that is now being finalized. The pact may also include a…

BREAKING: In a surprise move, Tory Metzger will leave her post as president of film production for Media Rights Capital when her contract expires at the end of the month. MRC co-CEOs Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu are starting an immediate search to replace her with one or two seasoned studio-level production executives…