“Homeland” creator Ran Tellem, whose hit thriller “The Head” was released across Asia this June, stressed the importance of nurturing local talent and placing faith in writers during his Conecta Fiction keynote. During an online conversation with “Vendetta” executive producer Raffaella Bonivento, the head of The Mediapro Studio’s international content development arm said that finding
Month: September 2020
No telecom in Europe has driven into original production with such energy as Spain’s Telefonica. Since its first series, “Velvet Collection,” bowed in Sept. 2017, its pay TV operator, Movistar Plus, has produced 21 original series, 13 returning seasons and one original film, Alejandro Amenadbar’s “While At War.” These titles include quite possibly the biggest
Five agents formerly with Paradigm have launched a new agency called TBA that represents The War on Drugs, Courtney Barnett, Chvrches, Jose Gonzales, Guided by Voices, Jay Som, Yaeji, Omar Apollo and many other artists. The company, which has offices in New York and Los Angeles, was founded by agents Marshall Betts, Avery McTaggart, Amy
Renowned punk musician Viv Albertine’s memoirs will be adapted as a TV series by Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley’s Number 9 Films (“Carol”) and Rachael Horovitz’s (“Patrick Melrose”) West Fourth Films. Albertine has written two memoirs detailing her upbringing in the ‘70s and rise in punk music as guitarist for all-girl band The Slits (1977-1982)
Leslie K. Barry’s upcoming novel “Newark Minutemen” has been optioned by Fulwell 73, the independent production company behind “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” John Niven and Nick Ball are attached to pen the screenplay. “Newark Minutemen” is based on an incredible true story. It centers on a Jewish boxer who goes undercover for
Jed Mercurio’s hit police procedural “Line of Duty” has resumed shooting its sixth season, complying with U.K. government COVID-19 protocols. The series is made for BBC One by World Productions. Simon Heath, executive producer for World Productions, said: “It’s been almost six months since we stopped shooting, but following our implementation of all the industry
Pierce Brosnan will star in “The Last Rifleman,” to be directed by Terry Loane (“Mickybo and Me”). The U.K.’s WestEnd Films has acquired worldwide rights and will be representing the project to buyers at the upcoming Toronto film festival. WestEnd is co-representing U.S. rights with CAA. “The Last Rifleman” will follow a World War II
The Busan film festival’s Asian project market will be held online this year on Oct. 12-14. Some 22 projects from around Asia will vie for production funds during the market. These include “Love Life,” from Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada who won the Un Certain Regard jury prize at Cannes in 2016 for “Harmonium,” and “A
Over the last five years, presented by industry icons such as Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman and Vincenzo Natali, the Sitges Pitchbox has been built up by its organizers, Filmarket Hub and the Sitges Festival, into the industry centerpiece of Sitges itself, a pilgrimage destination for fantastic film creators and fans worldwide. A movie project
Tim Davie has stepped into the top job at the BBC, where he takes over from Tony Hall. “It is a tremendous honor to be taking on the role of director general today,” Davie said. Davie is spending the day in Glasgow, meeting the BBC teams there. He will lay out his blueprint regarding the
Curzon Artificial Eye has acquired distribution rights in the U.K. and Ireland for “Apples,” the feature directorial debut of Greece’s Christos Nikou, which opens the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival on Sep. 2. Madman Entertainment has also scooped up rights for Australia and New Zealand. The film, which was also selected to
Actor Johnny Depp has filed documents at the Fairfax Country, Virginia, court to delay the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, so that he can proceed with filming for his role in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3” in London. Depp sued Heard in March, 2019, over an op-ed piece she wrote
Hipgnosis Songs has acquired the music catalog of Motley Crue bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx, one of the most successful rock bands of the 1980s. Hipgnosis have acquired 100% of Sixx’s writer’s share of PRO income and writer’s Sound Exchange royalties for the cataog, which contains 305 songs. Further details were not disclosed. With
“Critical Thinking” is one of those up-from-the-streets high-school competition movies where just mentioning the true story it’s based on kind of gives the game away. Set in 1998, it’s about the five chess wizards from Miami Jackson High who became the first inner-city chess team to win the National Championship. Boom! But, of course, it’s
Based on a ’70s manga by Japanese master Osamu Tezuka, a bored writer’s affair with his beguiling young muse gets the live-action treatment in “Tezuka’s Barbara.” Primarily concerned with the story’s excursions into erotic surrealism and the occult while playing down its social and political themes, this handsomely packaged item isn’t deep or meaningful but
As larger-than-life rock stars go, St. Vincent may be a slightly slippery character, but Annie Clark, the woman who records under that name, isn’t so much so. At least that’s the impression you’ll take away from the new audio project that has just been released as one of the pilot projects for Audible’s new Words
Social media giant, Facebook says that it would rather cut people’s access to news in Australia than comply with the country’s proposed law which would make it pay local news publishers. On Tuesday local time Facebook said that it would stop allowing news publishers and individuals in Australia from sharing local and international news via
Michael B. Jordan has shared a touching tribute to his “Black Panther” co-star Chadwick Boseman, following the actor’s shocking death due to colon cancer on Aug. 28. The two starred together in the blockbuster “Black Panther,” which made Boseman a household name, in addition to the star of Marvel’s first Black superhero film. Jordan played
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Amy Hill packed her bags in Hollywood and returned home to her family in Hawaii, thinking she would quarantine there. But the actor-comedian’s short-lived break from production came to an end with a surprise Zoom call in April. Hill, 67, stars in director Quentin Lee’s sci-fi feature