The Ankler and Backstage Team Up for Screening Series
A Tom Hiddleston Q&A + Marvel Studios’ 'Loki' screening on April 12, and Prime Video 'Expats' event on May 13 kick off the partnership
The Ankler is teaming up with Backstage, the number-one platform for the world’s best talent and creators, to host a new TV-focused The Ankler x Backstage screening series and Q&A ahead of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Our series kicks off with two high-wattage events.
Our debut event is Friday, April 12th, at Harmony Gold, with a special screening of Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 and a Q&A with the show’s star Tom Hiddleston, who is also an executive producer on the series. Loki season two, which streams exclusively on Disney+, is competing for Best Drama Series and Hiddleston is in the race for Lead Actor (Drama). Please click HERE to RSVP! In anticipation of the event with Hiddleston on the 12th, Disney is hosting a week-long retrospective to celebrate the journey of Loki’s character beginning with Thor starting Monday, April 8th. Please click HERE for more information.
The second event in the series is slated for May 13th with a screening of Prime Video’s Expats, a limited series created by Lulu Wang, starring Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo and Sarayu Blue.
The Ankler x Backstage Screening Series will host five events in total with various partners. Each screening will include a Q&A with key creatives, and will be moderated by a combination of The Ankler and Backstage journalists. Promotion for this event will begin at the end of April.
“As we head into Emmy Season, we are excited to launch this special screening series to showcase some of the best work being done for the small screen today,” says Janice Min, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Ankler Media. “Partnering with the venerable Hollywood institution Backstage opens the door to a wide swath of voters for our screening partners, creating a unique experience to view nominated content and hear from the creatives behind the work.”
“We are excited about this new partnership and expanding our in-person screening capabilities for our clients. We hope to deliver real value to our studio partners with this collaboration,” says David Grossman of Backstage, Co-Head, Talent & Creative Solutions, Cast & Crew.
Described by Vanity Fair as chronicling “Hollywood in all of its naked theatricality, with a mischievous bent and a sardonic regard for the industry’s towering egos," The Ankler has proven an indispensable voice in an anxious industry, speaking clearly and with depth on all sides of the conversation with top-of-class analysis and information. With breaking news, analysis and thoughtful long reads and podcasts, The Ankler reports extensively on the TV marketplace, the film business, labor issues, the big talent agencies and the various repercussions of the moves made by the industry’s top leaders. The Ankler’s podcast has been downloaded 1.3 million times, and its live events convene the most influential members of the entertainment community. In December 2023, Min was named one of CNN’s 11 Most Consequential Media and Technology Figures.
Backstage is the number-one platform for aspiring actors and creators beginning their journey in the entertainment industry. Along with casting calls, the platform provides members with online classes, educational content, expert interviews and industry news. Having grown to more than 100,000 members, Backstage assists entertainment creatives across several different mediums, including film, television, commercials, theater, social media and more. Several notable performers began their careers through Backstage, such as Al Pacino, Denzel Washington and Sandra Bullock.
Additional screenings will be announced in the coming weeks. For sponsorship inquiries, please reach out to London Sanders at London@theankler.com or Kasey Howe at Kasey.Howe@backstage.com.