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VUDU GREENLIGHTS “LEGACY,” A DOCUSERIES FROM WHISTLE AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DWYANE WADE, STARRING WADE AND SPORTS LEGENDS EVANDER HOLYFIELD, RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, AND THEIR CHILDREN

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The eight-episode docuseries will follow the children of famous athletes including Zaire Wade, Evan and Elijah Holyfield, and Vashti Cunningham, with additional names to be announced

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2020 — Vudu, Walmart’s digital video service, and entertainment and sports media company Whistle, today announced Vudu has ordered the eight-episode docuseries, Legacy, from Whistle. The new Vudu Original will star 13-time NBA All-Star, Dwyane Wade, who will also serve as an executive producer on the series through his production company 59th & Prairie Entertainment. Legacy will chronicle the lives of gifted young athletes who all have one thing in common – they are the children of famous athletes, and they are working toward living up to the name on their back while also building their own athletic identity.The docuseries will be available for free exclusively on Vudu in 2020.

“Legacy is a part of Vudu’s commitment to invest in creating premium and compelling original content for families to enjoy together,” said Jeremy Verba, vice president and general manager of Vudu. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Whistle and Dwyane Wade, and bring this motivational series to life.”

The docuseries will follow Dwyane Wade’s son, Zaire Wade, as he navigates his senior year of high school as a Division I basketball prospect; and Randall Cunningham’s daughter, Vashti Cunningham, who is a track and field athlete specializing in the high jump and a contender to win gold at the 2020 Olympics. The series will also shadow Evan and Elijah Holyfield, the sons of former heavyweight world champion boxer, Evander Holyfield. Evan is following in his father’s footsteps and pursuing a professional boxing career, while Elijah has chosen a different path as an NFL running back. Additional names will be announced in the coming months.

“I’m proud to executive produce Legacy and bring my son’s unique athletic journey to other aspiring young athletes,” said Dwyane Wade. “I hope this docuseries leaves viewers feeling inspired through showing the hard work and dedication needed to turn your dreams into reality.”

Legacy will be directed by Emmy Award winner Jonathan Hock (Through The Fire, Unguarded) and Mark Ciardi (The Rookie, Secretariat) will serve as an executive producer. This marks the second project Hock and Ciardi signed onto with Whistle following the announcement earlier this year of the series Benedict Men. Legacy was developed by Mike Basone, Whistle’s VP of development, premium originals, and he will also serve as an executive producer on the project. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) brokered and packaged the deal on behalf of clients Whistle and Dwyane Wade. Additionally, the marketing and production company Tiny Horse will executive produce.

“We are thrilled to partner with Vudu to create premium content that harbors family values consistent with Whistle’s brand,” said Dominic Ianno, EVP and head of Whistle’s growth and new initiatives group and executive producer on the project. “We have assembled a stellar team to bring these stories to life and provide a source of inspiration for adolescents as they face the daunting task of making decisions that will impact their futures.”

Legacy will join Vudu’s slate of original content including series Mr. Mom and feature film Adventure Force 5.

About Vudu

Vudu is Walmart’s digital video service, offering over 10,000 titles for free, including premium original movies & series and 150,000 titles to rent or buy, including the newest releases.  Watch the latest movies & TV shows anytime, anywhere, on your favorite smart TV, Android and iOS device, game console, Blu-ray player, and more. At home or on the go, online or offline, Vudu delivers a premium entertainment experience to millions of users every month with the latest in digital video and entertainment technology, including 4K Ultra High Definition, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos Cinema Sound. For more information, visit www.vudu.com/aboutus

About Whistle

Whistle is an entertainment and sports media company that creates, curates and distributes highly engaging, brand safe original content. Backed by data driven insights, Whistle connects with young audiences across social platforms, digital streaming and linear cable networks through relatable programming that aligns with audience passion points. Join Whistle and its LA based studio, New Form, and the recently acquired mobile-first content studio, Vertical Networks, to discover everything from scripted and unscripted shows to the latest social video trends. For more information, visit teamwhistle.com.

1980’s Comedy ‘Mr. Mom’ Revived as Digital Series by MGM, Vudu

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Repost via   and Variety:

 

The 1983 comedy “Mr. Mom” is being revived as a digital series by its home studio, MGM, as part of a new partnership with Walmart-owned streaming platform Vudu.

 

Vudu made the announcement Wednesday at the NewFronts West just days after revealing its partnership with MGM, which is intended to create a slate of short-form scripted content adapted from a library of classic intellectual property that offers the opportunity to serialize everything from James Bond to “The Pink Panther.”

 

Execs explained the choice of “Mr. Mom” as an attempt to capitalize on the nostalgia parents have for the entertainment choices they grew up with, and their desire to share that content with their children.

 

“As parents, we want to share with kids the TV shows and movies that we grew up with,” said Julian Franco, head of AVOD content and advertising, at Vudu. “They made us feel something. The reality is we want our kids to feel the same thing too.”

 

“Mr. Mom” was a hit film that featured Michael Keaton as a father who bumbles his way through stay-at-home parenting when his wife (Teri Garr) returns to the work world. “Mr. Mom” was written by John Hughes, who would go on to create classic 1980s fare including “Sixteen Candles.”

 

The series will be a continuation of the baby Megan’s story, when as a grown adult, she wants to go back to the workforce and her husband must go on parenting duty.

 

Of “Mr. Mom,” Franco commented, “We thought it would be a good first step for us. We’re going to reboot it. It’s an American classic. Anybody that remembers it loves it.”

 

The series will be featured on Movies On Us, the name of Vudu’s ad-supported platform. It’s intended to cater to Walmart’s family-friendly audience and feature “shoppable” ads.

 

MGM senior VP of digital platforms Sam Toles joined Vudu on stage to share his enthusiasm for the project. “There is definitely a hunger and a passion for established IP,” he said.

 

 

Vudu Adds Sony TVs To Growing List of 4K UHD-Compatible Devices

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Sunnyvale, CA, September 11, 2018 – Vudu has released version 4.2.52 of their Android TV app, enabling Sony television owners to watch hundreds of Vudu UHD movies, from every major studio, in the brilliance of 4K with Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 support.

 

With four times the pixels of HD, and the richer, more life-like color of High Dynamic Range technology, Vudu 4K UHD gives viewers with compatible 2016-2017 Sony televisions the ultimate picture quality, clarity, and color range on their Sony TV, and the best possible cinematic experience at home. Users will also discover a refreshed interface.

 

If your Android TV has auto-update enabled, you don’t need to do anything to update to the latest version of the app, users can simply sign back into their accounts to enjoy all the benefits of Vudu 4K UHD. If not, users can simply update to the new app from the Google Play Store and sign back in to enjoy all the benefits of the new app.

 

With the addition of Sony televisions, Vudu continues to expand its list of 4K UHD-compatible devices.

 

“4K and HDR represent the best possible cinematic experience at home – and we want to be able to deliver that exceptional experience to as many people as possible, across as many devices as possible. So, we’re continuously working to bring Vudu 4K UHD capability to more devices – no matter the platform,” said Kristine Lopes, Sr Manager, Product Marketing.

 

Specific models that benefit from this update include:

 

  • 2016 X830/800/750/700D, S850D, and Z9D series
  • 2017 X850/820/800/750E, X950/940/930E, and A1E series

 

Vudu already supports 4K UHD on many of the most popular TV brands; streaming devices like Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku; Xbox One S and X, and Nvidia Shield game consoles, and more.

 

Find more information on Vudu 4K UHD, here.

 

About Vudu

 

Watch the latest movies & TV shows anytime, anywhere, to your favorite smart TV, Android and iOS device, game console, Blu-ray player, and more, with Vudu. Buy or rent over 150,000 titles, including the newest releases weeks before they’re available on disc, and even watch over 5,000 titles for free. At home or on the go, online or offline, Vudu delivers a premium entertainment experience with the latest in digital video and entertainment technology, including 4K Ultra High Definition, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos Cinema Sound. For more information, visit vudu.com/aboutus.