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The harrowing but ultimately hopeful story of the FlyDubai airline hijacking incident last month is being developed as a narrative film by Dori Media Group and India’s Sphereorigin. The Sept. 30 incident is believed to have been a terror plot by the co-pilot of the FlyDubai plane that was bound for Ben-Gurion International Airport in […]
“Zodiac” with sex clubs, but a case also seen from the POV of the perpetrator and a victim, “The Castle” “El Castillo”) a big hit at San Sebastián, marks the series creator debut of Isabel Peña, part with Rodrigo Sorogoyen of one of the most exciting tandems not only in Spain, but Europe, behind “The […]
Gersh is stepping up its international content ambitions with the launch of Victoria House, the new identity of Emmy-winning Spanish production outfit You First Originals, as the U.S. talent agency completes the integration of You First under its global brand on Oct. 15. The move gives Victoria House access to Gersh’s international talent network and […]
As Mipcom, the annual content market and conference in Cannes, wound down on Wednesday, Lucy Smith, the event’s chief, revealed attendance figures for this year’s edition. Total attendance this year was 10,100 delegates, down approximately 500 from last year, of which 3,150 were buyers – that’s 34% of the total delegate number – down approximately […]
Finnish production company Whatever Pictures has signed a new global sales deal with ORF-Enterprise, part of Austrian braodcaster ORF, which has acquired international distribution rights to the comedy drama “Crème de la Crème.” Commissioned domestically by Finnish broadcaster YLE, the show is written and directed by showrunner Jukka Vidgrén, Topi Koljonen, Henna Rinnekangas, Juuso Laatio […]
Step outside Le Palais des Festivals in Cannes this week, where Mipcom is in full swing, and you might do a double take. Because nestled between the conference center and the French Riviera is an exact (well, 90% scale) replica of Paramount Studios’ iconic Bronson Gate. The model arch, affixed via cleverly concealed aluminium and […]
Dutch international distributor Skoop Media has launched a new crime label Dutch Noir. Bowing at Mipcom, it’s a new international label for premium Dutch crime content spanning organized-crime drama, psychological thrillers, urban crime and heist series. The label kicks off with 17 titles from six producers, including four new Videoland Original series. “As one of […]
In what looks like a coup for both parties, Skydance and Movistar Plus, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD operator, are expanding their strategic alliance, strengthening Skydance’s deal in distribution on Movistar Plus and taking it to the next level by including co-branded orginal series. The two-year deal continuation of the distribution of HBO Max and […]
A theater and film studies’ graduate, it was eventually Kaan Haylaz’s lifelong love for gummies that led him to commercial success, and the birth of the ‘IvyBears’ vitamins brand and IP. “IvyBears was never simply a consumer brand that suddenly decided to venture into entertainment,” he told Variety in an online interview in the wake […]
Since their series debut in 1976, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets have attained an iconic status in pop culture, as evidenced by the four Emmys this picked up last month for Disney+’s “The Muppet Show” special featuring Sabrina Carpenter. It’s an achievement that is all the more impressive given […]
Propagate Content, the production and talent powerhouse founded by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, and The Natural Studios have launched “Adventure Garage With Bear Grylls,” an eight-episode adventure series featuring survivalist Bear Grylls and “Top Gear’s” Rutledge Wood. In the new series, Grylls and Wood transform ordinary vehicles into extreme adventure machines, then push […]
Banijay Entertainment, the production and distribution behemoth that now encompasses All3Media, is considering an expansion into the highly competitive U.S. scripted space, having gained major financial firepower through the recent merger. Speaking alongside chair Jeff Zucker in a conversation with Variety’s co-editor-in-chief at Mipcom Cannes, Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti said he saw an opportunity for […]
Bela Bajaria oversees 27 local teams around the world who produce content in 50 different languages for more than 50 countries. The secret to the Netflix content chief’s success is finding the right people — and letting them shine. “My superpower is I hire really great people and I let them do their job,” Bajaria […]
Beta Film’s “Queen Silvia” is world-premiering at Mipcom. Inspired by the real-life romance between Sweden’s Crown Prince Carl Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath, a German-Brazilian interpreter who became Queen of Sweden, it’s directed by Miguel Alexandre and stars Alicia von Rittberg and Edvin Endre. “Even though it’s a very European story, people will see that it’s […]
Andrea Riseborough is heading to the moon, “The Voice” is bound for Estonia and a much-loved U.K. natural history host is coming back to tell more fish stories. ITV Studios kicked off the Mipcom market in Cannes on Monday morning with a breakfast gathering to show off its broad slate of new and returning scripted […]
The four founding members of The Jackson 5 not named Michael are coming together for their own documentary for the first time. Workerbee (part of Banijay UK) and Paper Route Studios have secured exclusive access to Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon Jackson for a 90’ feature-length film, also available as a three-part doc series, set […]
Chile’s Quijote Films, behind Cannes Un Certain Regard prizewinners “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo” and “The Settlers,” is venturing into scripted series with the launch of a new in-house series development arm. Based out of Chile and Los Angeles, the company has already invested up to $250,000 in development ahead of Mipcom, which Quijote […]
Banijay Entertainment will debut “Cooking Grandmas,” a feel-good cooking competition format from Banijay Italia, its Italian production arm, at content showcase Mipcom in Cannes. “Cooking Grandmas,” commissioned by Sky Italia’s TV8, is an original new primetime format that sees grandmothers compete in an uplifting culinary contest. While traditional family recipes and regional specialities are at […]
Studiocanal has boarded “kiDnap Game,” a survival thriller series created and directed by Japan’s Yusuke Kato (“Last Friends”) which unfolds across seven cities in Asia. Produced by Kato for Fuji Television, Hong Kong’s MakerVille and South Korea’s Simstory, the 11-part series will be presented to buyers at Mipcom in Cannes this week. Canal+ has also […]
Audiovisual from Spain, ICEX Spain Trade & Investment’s umbrella brand, will bring some 50 companies and institutions to Mipcom this year, showcasing the breadth of the country’s film, TV, animation and production industries. Taken together, the companies heading to Cannes highlight where much of the Spanish business is moving: toward multiplatform IP, remake-ready formats, producers […]
