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Variety has announced Emmy-winning producer and actor Bill Hader; producer-director James Wan; producer-actor Nick Kroll; Nintendo of America president and COO Devon Pritchard, and Sony Pictures Television chairman Keith Le Goy as headlining speakers for its annual Entertainment and Technology Summit, presented by EY, held in Los Angeles on Sept. 17.
Hader will speak about his strong connections with fans in his storytelling, including his Emmy, Directors Guild and Producers Guild award-winning work as co-creator of “Barry” and as star and executive producer of the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures Animation upcoming the film “The Cat in the Hat.” Hader recently completed production on his feature film debut, the horror/thriller “They Know,” in which he stars and also wrote.
Wan is pioneering world-building as a blockbuster filmmaker spanning franchises such as “Aquaman,” “The Conjuring,” “Insidious,” “Saw,” “Mortal Kombat” and “M3GAN.” Following producing the breakout smash “Backrooms,” his 2026 releases as a producer include “Insidious: Out of the Further” and “Other Mommy.” His directing credits include “Furious 7,” “Aquaman,” “Malignant” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
Pritchard will share perspectives on delivering experiences to Nintendo customers in North America through Nintendo’s games, characters and worlds.
Kroll, comedian, writer, producer, director, and actor, will discuss his creative vision across entertainment. He is an executive producer of FX’s critically acclaimed sitcom “Adults” and has served as EP and voice actor for several Netflix animated series, including “Mating Season,” “Human Resources,” and Emmy-nominated “Big Mouth.” He co-created and stars in Netflix’s upcoming series, “A Hundred Percent.”
Le Goy will detail his leadership vision across Sony Pictures Television, which produces, distributes and carries programming worldwide in every genre for every platform, including top game shows “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy” and series such as “The Boys,” “The Last of Us,” “Shark Tank,” “Pluribus,” “Lord of the Flies,” “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” “Dark Matter,” and many more.
In other highlights, Vamsi Duvvuri, technology, media and entertainment and telecommunications AI leader, EY Americas, and Simon Robinson, president, global experiences and studio operations, Warner Bros. Discovery, will participate in the panel discussion, “Beyond the Screen: How AI is the Catalyst for Next-Gen Experiences.”
Also added to the day’s slate is “Entertainment and Media in the Age of AI,” a conversation with Kathleen Grace, chief AI officer, Lionsgate; Roberta Thomson, CEO, Sixth Wall, Hasbro; Mira Lane, VP, technology and society, Google; Hannah Elsakr, VP, GenAI new business ventures, Adobe; Girish Balakrishnan, senior director, creative innovation, Netflix; and Annaka Vasquez, SVP, sales, Teads, about the success of recent AI integrations driving new business opportunities and breakthrough growth.
“EY is proud to serve as the presenting partner of Variety’s Technology Summit, a convening that brings together the executives, creators and innovators shaping the next era of entertainment,” said Javi Borges, EY Global and EY Americas media and entertainment leader. “As AI, gaming, streaming, creator marketing, immersive experiences and fandom-driven engagement continue to transform how audiences discover, experience and connect with content, this year’s conversations come at a critical moment for the industry. We look forward to joining Variety and the leaders across Hollywood and beyond to explore the technologies and strategies defining what’s next.”
Clancy Collins White, president, creative affairs, Warner Bros. Television; Simran Sethi, president, scripted programming, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment; Rahul Purini, president, Crunchyroll; and Abhijay Prakash, president, Blumhouse Atomic Monster, will speak to evolving their programming across screens to best connect with today’s audiences in the “Trailblazers of the Content Industry” panel.
“The New Era of the TV Business” features Jimmy White, managing director and head of large customer sales, Samsung Ads; Puja Vohra, chief marketing officer and EVP, advertising sales, Fox Corporation; Gina Reduto, EVP, strategy, advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal; and Josh Mattison, EVP pricing, planning and operations, Disney Advertising.
Additional featured speakers include Natalia Premovic, chief consumer products and experiences officer, Mattel; Ed Bobrin, Microsoft AI and data leader, EY Americas; Maya Rogers, CEO, Tetris; Nicole Wyskoarko, president and head of urban A&R, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; Ivo Gerscovich, head of SEGA Brands and chief business and brand officer, “Sonic the Hedgehog”; and Sean Atkins, CEO, Dhar Mann Studios
Ernst & Young is the presenting partner of the event. AMC Global Media, Havas Play, IRCODE, Spotify, and Teads are supporting partners of the summit.
Space is limited, reserve your ticket at variety.com/enttech.
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