In today’s Global Bulletin, Netflix announces July 23 Season 2 release date for “Sky Rojo”; Mexican animated feature “Cranston Academy: Monster Zone” sells in key territories; Tern Television hires David Marshall as head of entertainment; Channel 7’s Australian Ivan Milat docu-series heads abroad; ITV preps for the 100th anniversary of Poirot’s first appearance; and Channel 5 commissions “Wonderful Wales with Michael Ball” from Wildflame Productions.
STREAMING
Netflix Spain has announced that the already-confirmed second season of its most recent breakout hit “Sky Rojo” will premiere worldwide on the platform on July 23.
Season 2 will see Coral, Wendy and Gina continuing their chaotic flight for freedom from the vile trio of Romeo, Moisés and Christian, the pimps and club owner who have been trafficking the girls for years. The danger promises to ramp up as increasingly difficult obstacles pop up in the girls’ path, but the trio soldiers on in the face of adversities which threaten their loyalties to one another.
Season two will follow the same format of its predecessor using eight, 25-minute episodes to pack a hefty punch. The series is produced by Vancouver Media, founded and operated Álex Pina, who teamed with longtime partner Esther Martínez to create and write “Sky Rojo,” having previously created Netflix’s most successful Spanish-language series to date, “Money Heist,” and the Ibiza-set narco-drama “White Lines.”
According to research done by Whip Media’s TV Time, in the week after its release, “Sky Rojo” was a top-five most watched SVOD originals in key MENA markets, out-performed Disney Plus’ “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in Spain, and tied with the Marvel series as TV Time’s No. One Show on the Rise for the week of March 15.
ANIMATION
Leading Latin American animation studio Ánima’s latest feature film, “Cranston Academy: Monster Zone,” recently nominated by the Quirino Awards as one of the year’s best Ibero-American animated features, is heading to Australia and New Zealand for a theatrical release on April 7, following a raft of global sales deals handled by sales agent Double Dutch International. Other territories where the film has already sold include Mexico, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, CIS and the Baltics, Vietnam, the Middle East, the U.K. and South Africa.
Produced by Ánima founders Fernando De Fuentes Sainz, CEO, and José C. Garcia de Letona, COO, “Cranston Academy,” takes place at a secret, prestigious boarding school where newcomer Danny looks to unseat top student Liz, accidentally opening a portal to a world of monsters in doing so. The film’s top-notch voice cast in headlined by Jamie Bell (“Snowpiercer”) and Ruby Rose (“Batwoman”).
HIRING
Factual production house Tern Television, a Zinc Media Group company, has appointed BAFTA-nominated producer David Marshall as its new head of entertainment in a move to further diversify the company’s unscripted business. He will begin at Tern on April 6, reporting to managing director Harry Bell.
Marshall joins Tern from Glasgow-based Beezr Studios, where he was head of factual entertainment and formats working in both production and development to grow that company’s format catalog. His producer credits include the popular BBC One quiz show “Impossible” and Tern’s dating format “Love Song.”
DISTRIBUTION
Abacus Media Rights, an Amcomri Media Group company, has secured the distribution rights to true crime series “Ivan Milat: Buried Secrets,” a deep dive into the previously untold story of serial killer Ivan Robert Marko Milat, and has already confirmed several key international sales for the program.
Having recently aired on Channel 7 in Australia, the series, from EQ Media Group and Bannaby Productions, has now been picked up by A+E Networks U.K. for it’s Crime+Investigation channel in the U.K., Central and Eastern Europe, Greece, Benelux, the Middle East and Africa, and RTL Crime in Germany.
ANNIVERSARY
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first literary appearance of Agatha Christie’s most enduring character, super sleuth Hercule Poirot, ITV has commissioned King of Sunshine Productions to produce “Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime,” presented by Oscar-nominated actor Richard E Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me,” “Gosford Park”).
With contributions from her family and a host of famous fans, the program will revisit the life and experiences of the author, drawing parallels between her own stories and those she put to page. Among those making appearances are Joanna Page, Stephen Fry, celebrity chef Marcus Wareing and Christie’s grandson James Prichard.
UNSCRIPTED
Channel 5 in the U.K. has commissioned Welsh indie label Wildflame Productions to produce “Wonderful Wales with Michael Ball,” the latest such commission in what has been a fruitful relationship between the companies. Most recently, the broadcaster boarded Wildflame’s “Yellowstone: Super Volcanoes,” its first commission for Discovery Plus.
“Wonderful Wales with Michael Ball” sees the famous Welsh singer return to to his maternal family’s ancestral homeland to explore the history, traditions and picturesque landscapes of the country.