Month: February 2020

Liberty Global, the European cable operator conglomerate headed by chairman John Malone, announced a multiyear deal extension with Netflix covering its European footprint. The renewed distribution agreement will run for three years. Under the pact, Liberty Global’s will continue to offer 11 million TV customers across six countries in Europe (under the Virgin Media, Telenet
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February 10, 2020 7:00AM PT BBC Studios’ Science Unit will team with environmental activist Greta Thunberg for a documentary series focusing on the young activist’s international campaign. The commercial arm of the British broadcaster announced the project at the BBC Showcase trade show on Monday, emphasizing Thunberg’s worldwide renown and busy travel schedule as key
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Blink Film, the BAFTA award-winning production outfit specializing in non-fiction entertainment, will premiere its two latest animal-focused documentaries on PBS’ primetime science showcase NOVA on Feb. 12 and 19. Written and directed by Pete Chinn (“How the Earth was Made”), the films “Cat Tales” and “Dog Tales” will each run 60 minutes, and will include
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The 2020 Oscars In Memoriam segment memorialized late Hollywood icons such as Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, and Kirk Douglas, who died last week at age 103. But the Academy left off a few notable names, including Luke Perry, Cameron Boyce and Sid Haig. Orson Bean, the 91-year-old “Being
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As the world applauded the Oscar success of Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” the film’s producers had further reason to celebrate following a record-breaking theatrical release in the U.K. over the weekend, pushing its worldwide cume to new heights. The tragicomedy about social inequality in modern Korea scored £1.4 million ($1.81 million) for its opening weekend,
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BBC Studios has signed a licensing deal with Mumbai-based network Viacom18 – a joint venture between ViacomCBS and TV18 – to broadcast season 27 of “Top Gear” in India. The latest instalment of this motor-TV institution, which aired on BBC Two in the U.K. in June, will play on Viacom18’s premium English-language channel Colors Infinity
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France-based Banijay Group has completed its refinancing drive to raise €2.3 billion ($2.5 billion) for the acquisition of Endemol Shine Group. Banijay announced its $2.2 billion deal for Endemol Shine back in October. The pact, which is expected to receive anti-trust approval this summer, would make the merged entity the largest non-U.S. player in the market, with
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Family entertainment specialist CAKE has signed a worldwide deal for an animated series based on streaming sensation “Lucas the Spider.” Partnering with Warner Bros. subsidiaries Cartoon Network and Boomerang, CAKE will handle international distribution for the show, which has a planned season order of 78 seven-minute instalments. Produced by Canadian outfit Fresh TV, the CGI
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Subscription streamer Starz Play Arabia has partnered with Fremantle to exclusively carry its high-end shows “Baghdad Central,” “The Luminaries,” and “Dublin Murders” across 20 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, as the Starz-branded OTT service continues to ramp up operations in the region. The deal provides Starz Play Arabia with the bulk
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After weeks of awards campaigning and hundreds of interviews, “Parasite” began Sunday as a successful and well-appreciated movie. Yet its Academy Awards wins for best picture and for Bong Joon-ho as best director were shocks that thrilled the Asian movie industry. “I’m so happy for all the Asian Film industry. It has now created bigger
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Lead produced by Working Title Television, distributed internationally by Fremantle and coming soon to BBC Two, period thriller “The Luminaries” has initiated a global roll-out, closing pre-sales to Australia, France, Russia, Poland and Greece. Given the freshness of the sales, the identity of the buying broadcaster partners remains to be revealed soon. Pre-sales to more
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February 9, 2020 11:08PM PT “Parasite” made history at the 92nd Academy Awards, winning a total of four Oscars, including best picture and director for Bong Joon Ho. It was also a big night for Neon, the film’s distributor, which went home with a total of four trophies. “Parasite” also scooped up original screenplay honors
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The 92nd annual Academy Awards quickly lost its own plot amid a million distractions courtesy of ABC’s frenetic, often baffling production decisions. But then, through the sheer pleasure of the groundbreaking winners of “Parasite” breaking through the expected narrative to triumph, the show became something far more beautifully chaotic than the show’s producers could have
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February 9, 2020 10:04PM PT Bong Joon Ho’s acclaimed South Korean thriller “Parasite” became the first foreign-language film to win best picture at the Oscars, and the historic win had Hollywood heavyweights like Ava DuVernay, Sandra Oh and Priyanka Chopra cheering. “MASSIVE! HISTORIC! LANDMARK! PARASITE! The world is big and it is beautiful and films
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In a stunning upset, Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy “Parasite” almost swept the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday night, making history along the way. “Parasite” became the first foreign-language film to win best picture. Its victories in the international feature film, director and original screenplay categories were also a first for a South Korean movie. The
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Just as the 92nd annual Academy Awards were starting to feel utterly predictable, Bong Joon Ho was announced as best director over perceived front-runner Sam Mendes. A few minutes later, “Parasite” made history by becoming the first foreign-language film to ever win best picture. It not only defied expectation, it triumphed after the PGA Award
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