Demi Lovato to Make Directorial Debut on Hulu Original Feature Documentary “Child Star,” About Former Child Stars

Demi Lovato is making her directorial debut…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress will direct the Hulu original feature documentary about former child stars.

Demi LovatoThe film, which currently has the working title Child Star, will “deconstruct the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the lens of some of the world’s most famous former child stars, including Lovato,” and how “their rise to fame, fortune and power affects their futures.”

The other participants in the film have yet to be revealed. Their experience growing up in the limelight will be chronicled through intimate conversations led by Lovato, verité footage, and archival material.

“There is no better film or topic for my directorial debut than this story, which is close to home,” said Lovato. “Our project sheds light on important messages about growing up in the public eye, learning to protect our boundaries, and becoming active advocates of our own destinies. I’m humbled to be able to learn from the individuals who have lived the unique experience of child stardom and share their stories in our film.”

Lovato is co-directing alongside Nicola Marsh.

The documentary is being produced by Michael D. Ratner’s OBB Pictures, a division of OBB Media, whose company also has a multi-year non-exclusive development deal with Walt Disney Television Alternative.

The deal focuses on creating documentaries, docuseries, original specials and unscripted formats that cater to Gen Z and Millennial audiences across Disney platforms. Lovato’s production company, DLG, and Scooter Braun’s SB Projects are also producing.

“With this film we’re setting out to tell a story that is as timely as ever given our evermore connected world and lack of privacy. This story has a deeply rooted shared nostalgia, and is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining,” said Michael D. Ratner, OBB Media founder, president and CEO. “Demi and the talented individuals taking part in this documentary have decided to share their stories authentically, and I’m thrilled to work alongside Demi, Nicola, and the teams at SB Projects and Hulu, in bringing their stories to screen.”

“At the heart of our documentaries are storytellers with distinct backgrounds and perspectives who leave no page of their stories unturned. Demi’s first-hand experience and personal relationships are all on bold display in this poignant and exploratory film,” said Belisa Balaban, Senior Vice President, Documentaries and Unscripted Series, Hulu Originals. “Our audience has long been interested in delving into the nuances of pop culture, and Demi’s story – hard truths and all – uniquely suits her to the kind of stories we feel fortunate to tell at Hulu.”

Lovato, OBB Media, and SB Projects are frequent collaborators, having previously worked together on the documentary series Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which was the opening night headliner at SXSW in 2021. Lovato and Ratner also co-directed the music video for the single, Dancing with the Devil. Most recently they collaborated on the podcast series, 4D with Demi Lovato.

Lovato serves as executive producer for her DLG banner.

J Balvin Returns to Longtime Agency William Morris Endeavor

J Balvin is back with a familiar team…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer, known as the Prince of Reggaeton, has returned to his longtime agency William Morris Endeavor (WME).

J BalvinThe move follows a short stint with United Talent Agency (UTA) that started in May. No reason was given for his departure from or return to WME.

Balvin left WME for UTA in May after postponing his 25-date José tour. The move was surprising considering Balvin’s long and storied history with the agency. WME began booking Balvin when he still an emerging artist, and the agency played an integral role in his global touring and branding, securing early placements for him in major festivals. 

UTA never formally announced its deal with Balvin, but the agency has been growing its Latin roster and currently represents several high-profile Latin stars. Bad Bunny, Balvin’s Universal Music labelmate Karol G and Brazilian powerhouse Anitta are all currently on UTA’s roster.

Balvin has grossed more than $20 million and sold over 300,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All six of the Colombian star’s full-length studio albums — including the collaborative Oasis album with Bad Bunny — have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, with four of them hitting No. 1. He’s charted 93 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including 35 top 10s and nine No. 1s. In every year from 2014 through 2021, he’s finished as one of the year’s top 10 artists on Billboard’s annual year-end Top Latin Artists chart.

Other WME Latin acts include Nicky JamJuanesOzuna and Shakira.

Balvin continues to be managed by longtime manager Fabio Acosta along with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects.

Demi Lovato to Release “Sped Up Remix” of Hit Single “Cool for the Summer”

Demi Lovato is (re)mixing things up for the summer….

The 29-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor is readying to release a remix of their sultry 2015 hit, “Cool for the Summer.”

Demi Lovato

The star took to Twitter on Wednesday, March 30, to share the pre-save link for the “Sped Up Remix” of the song.

The release, of course, comes following the summery hit’s resurgence on TikTok, thanks to a hip-swaying dance challenge and a viral mashup with Ginuwine’s “Pony” from user @kuyamagik.

Upon its release, “Cool for the Summer” peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated September 19, 2015, and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart.

Earlier this year, Lovato bid farewell to their pop music and welcomed a new, rock era. Lovato jokingly shared an image to their Instagram grid posing with both middle fingers up,  joined by music executives from Island Records and manager Scooter Braun. Every person in the picture wore all black. “A funeral for my pop music,” Lovato captioned the brooding image.

Lovato then elaborated via their Instagram Story, with one of the label executives saying, “You put out whatever music you want, whenever you want to. Break the rules.”

Demi then shared two snippets of a new rock song in the following clips.

Lovato’s most recent album, Dancing With the Devil…The Art of Starting Over, primarily featured pop lyrics and production.

The album peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Fans were first given a taste of Lovato’s rock-inspired sound in their first two albums, Don’t Forget and Here We Go Again, under Disney’s Hollywood Records.

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias to Star Opposite Demi Lovato in the Comedy Pilot “Hungry”

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is getting hungry

The 45-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian and actor has been cast as a series regular on NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot Hungry, starring and executive produced by Demi Lovato.

Gabriel IglesiasMulti-Emmy-winning sitcom director James Burrows will helm the pilot, which comes from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills, SB Projects and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Written and executive produced by Suzanne Martin, Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food-issues group helping one another as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

Iglesias will play Danny, a big-hearted big guy who’s the life of the party.

The cast also includes Valerie Bertinelli, Alex Brightman and Ashley D. Kelley.

Hayes, Milliner & Scooter Braun, Scott Manson and James Shin executive produce.

Iglesias recently starred in and executive produced comedy series Mr. Iglesias, which aired for two seasons on Netflix.

He’ll soon make history on May 7 for being the first comedian to perform at Dodger Stadium, which later will stream as a stand-up special on Netflix. Iglesias also stars in Paramount’s upcoming animated feature Blazing Samurai, in which he voices Chuck, set for release in July.

Demi Lovato Teases Return to Their Rock Roots

Demi Lovato is ready rock…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor jokingly took to Instagram to announce their pop music is officially dead.

Demi LovatoLovato shared an image on their grid posing with both middle fingers up, joined by music executives from Island Records and manager Scooter Braun. Every person in the picture wore all black.

“A funeral for my pop music,” Lovato captioned the image.

Lovato shared more insight through their Instagram Story, with one of the label executives saying, “You put out whatever music you want, whenever you want to. Break the rules.” Demi promptly screamed in excitement at the news, and shared two snippets of a new rock song in the following clips.

“Yeah you’re pushing me to the edge/ Prod me, lie to me, ungodly things have been sent/ Here are your tickets to the freak show baby, sci-fi, watch the freak go crazy,” the former Disney Channel star sings over heavy guitar strumming, before a high-energy chorus rolls in.

It’s currently unclear what the track is titled or when it will be available, but the star has an unrelated collaboration with band Winnetka Bowling League titled “FIIMY(F— It, I Miss You) arriving on February 4.

Lovato’s most recent album, Dancing With the Devil…The Art of Starting Over, primarily featured pop lyrics and production.

The album peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

Lovato’s rock-inspired sound was first heard in their first two albums, Don’t Forget and Here We Go Again, under Disney’s Hollywood Records.

Christina Aguilera Among Celebrities Urging U.S. Senators to Stop Gun Violence Now

Christina Aguilera is calling for politicians to take action on the issue of gun reform

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer has joined a roster of celebrities who’ve signed an open letter to U.S. Senators urging them stop gun violence now.

Christina Aguilera

Five years ago, amidst a string of deadly attacks at live music venues including the horrific mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016, the cover of Billboard‘s July 2016 issue featured an open letter to U.S. Congress signed by 200 artists and music industry executives calling for gun reform.

Unfortunately, the need for reform has only grown stronger as shootings have continued around the country at a terrifying rate.

So now, five years later, as venues prepare to reopen after their pandemic shutdown and music fans ready to return to concerts and festivals, we stand again with the music community to ask lawmakers to take swift action to stop the violence. — Hannah Karp, Billboard editorial director

An Open Letter to Senators: Stop Gun Violence Now

As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.

Music always has been celebrated communally, on dance floors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences — going to school or church or work — continues to be threatened, because of gun violence in this country.

The one thing that connects the tragedies like the shootings in Boulder, El Paso, Las Vegas, Parkland and so many other places in America, to the one that happened in Orlando five years ago this June, is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.

We call on the Senate to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than 100 Americans every day and injures hundreds more: Take action on background checks.

Billboard and the undersigned implore you — the people who are elected to represent us — to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music fans, and all of us, at risk.

Sincerely,

Christina Aguilera, Tori Amos, Sara Barielles, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tony Bennett, Selim Bouab, Rob Bourdon, Scooter Braun, Cortez Bryant, Michael Bublé, Vanessa Carlton, Joseph Carozza, Steve Cooper, Tom Corson, Lee Daniels, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Delson, Diplo, Mike Easterlin, John Esposito, Melissa Etheridge, Fletcher, Luis Fonsi, Becky G, Kevin Gore, Julie Greenwald, Josh Groban, Horacio Gutierrez, Joe Hahn, Halsey, Billy Joel, Craig Kallman, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Carole King, Elle King, Adam Lambert, Cyndi Lauper, Kevin Liles, Dre London, Jennifer Lopez, Macklemore, Zayn Malik, Carianne Marshall, Ricky Martin, Paul McCartney, Julia Michaels, Guy Moot, Jason Mraz, Gregg Nadel, Yoko Ono, Mark Pinkus, Gregory Porter, Prince Royce, Bonnie Raitt, Dawn Richard, RMR, Paul Robinson, Maggie Rogers, Kelly Rowland, Mike Shinoda, Sia, Matt Signore, Britney Spears, Rob Stevenson, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Justin Tranter, Sir Trilli, Sharon Van Etten, Aimie Vaughn-Fruehe, Eddie Vedder, Andrew Watt.

If you’re interested in signing the letter, you can email guncontrol@billboard.com.

Demi Lovato to Chase UFOs on Peacock Four-Part Series

Demi Lovato is on the hunt for intelligent life…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer, who recently opened up about her struggles with drugs and sexual abuse in a YouTube docuseries, will be chasing UFOs for her next television project.

Demi Lovato,

Peacock has ordered the four-part series Unidentified with Demi Lovato (w/t), which will see the singer, her skeptical best friend Matthew and her sister Dallas attempt to help uncover the truth about the UFO phenomena.

While consulting with leading experts, the trio will investigate recent eyewitness encounters, uncover secret government reports and conduct tests at known UFO hot spots.

This comes after Lovato revealed on her Instagram page in October that she spent a few days in Joshua Tree with Dr. Steven Greer, who claims to be one of the “world’s foremost authorities on the subject of UFOs, ET intelligence and initiating peaceful contact with ET civilization” and witnessed “the most incredibly profound sightings both in the sky as well as feet away from me.”

“If we were to get 1% of the population to meditate and make contact, we would force our governments to acknowledge the truth about extraterrestrial life among us and change our destructive habits destroying our planet,” she wrote.

It’s Lovato’s latest project with the NBCUniversal family; she’s starring in and executive-producing Hungry, a food-issues comedy that was given a pilot order by NBC.

Unidentified With Demi Lovato is produced by GoodStory Entertainment in association with SB Projects. Lovato will executive produce with Scooter Braun, Scott Manson and Allison Kaye for SB Projects and JD Roth, Adam Greener and Sara Hansemann for GoodStory as well as Andrew Nock also executive produces and is showrunner.

NBC Gives Pilot Order to Demi Lovato’s Comedy Series “Hungry”

Demi Lovato is officially hungry

NBC has handed a pilot order to the 28-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer’s Hungry.

Demi Lovato

Lovato is starring in and executive producing Hungry, a single-camera comedy that follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group who help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

It’s written and executive produced by Will & Grace writer and Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. It comes from Hazy Mills and SB Projects in association with Universal Television. Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner & Scooter BraunScott Manson and James Shin executive produce.

Hungry’s pilot order comes as Lovato’s recent documentary series Dancing with the Devil recently aired on YouTube. The four-parter documented Lovato her eating disorder as well as use of heroin and crack cocaine.

Demi Lovato to Release New Album “Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over” in April

Demi Lovato is starting over musically…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has announced plans to release a new album Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over, which will come out on April 2.

It’s a “deeply personal album,” according to Lovato’s reps, and is executive produced by Lovato and her manager, Scooter Braun.

Lovato’s latest album will be supported by a four-part documentary series, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which will stream on YouTube from Tuesday, March 23, and wrapping Tuesday, April 6.

The album and the series are interconnected. Both will explore Lovato’s near fatal overdose in 2018, and her journey back.

Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over will feature the song “Anyone,” which Lovato performed at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

The album is the follow up to Tell Me You Love Me from 2017, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

News of Lovato’s forthcoming seventh album comes soon after she came out, telling Glamour,: “When I started getting older, I started realizing how queer I really am.”

In a clip from the upcoming online series, Lovato admits she’s lucky to be alive. “I’ve had a lot of lives — like my cat, you know? I’m on my ninth life,” she says. “I’m ready to get back to doing what I love, which is making music.”

Pre-order Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over here.

Demi Lovato to Star in the NBC Scripted Food Issues Comedy “Hungry”

Demi Lovato is hungry for new projects…

The 28-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress will return to scripted television in a food issues comedy in the works at NBC.

Demi Lovato

Lovato, who got her break in the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock franchise and starred in Sonny with a Chance, is to star in and executive produce Hungry, which has received a put pilot commitment from NBC.

The single-camera comedy is being written and exec produced by Will & Grace writer and Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. It comes from Hazy Mills and SB Projects in association with Universal Television.

Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

Lovato, herself, appeared in a guest role in the final season of Will & Grace, her first role since guest starring on Glee in 2013. The singer, who has battled bipolar disorder and addiction, is the subject of a YouTube Originals doc series Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which will premiere at SXSW.

Lovato and Martin will exec produce with Hazy Mills’ Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner and SB Projects’ Scooter Braun, James Shin and Scott Manson.