PRODUCTION
“The Masked Talent,” a new format from Korea’s MBC, creators of global hit “The Masked Singer,” is currently in production.
Unlike the celebrity-driven “The Masked Singer” and spin-off “The Masked Dancer,” where the focus is on who is behind the mask, “The Masked Talent” is a non-celebrity masked audition format concentrating on singing skills and talents. Two episodes, to be broadcast on the MBC channel during the Chuseok Korean Thanksgiving holidays, invites the audience to participate.
“The purpose of the show is to present the audience with the unique experience to become the masked hero and perform their showmanship,” said Park Jeong-Kyu, chief producer of “The Masked Singer” and “The Masked Talent.” “With prejudice and bias out of the way, the contestants will be judged solely by their genuine voice and talent.”
The show was co-developed by MBC and France’s Herve Hubert, the production house for the French “Mask Singer,” both seasons of which were successes on TF1.
“The Masked Singer” is now licensed to 54 countries worldwide.
Netflix
Meanwhile, filmmaker Vasan Bala (“Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota”) has commenced principal photography on Netflix original film “Monica, O My Darling,” in which a young man desperately tries to make it big with some unlikely allies and hatches a plan to pull off the perfect murder.
Written by Yogesh Chandekar (“Andhadhun”) and produced by Matchbox Shots, the film features an ensemble cast including Rajkummar Rao (“Shahid”), Huma S. Qureshi (“Army of the Dead”), Radhika Apte (“Sacred Games”), Sikander Kher (“Aarya”), Bagavathi Perumal (“Super Deluxe”), Akansha Ranjan Kapoor (“Ray”), Sukant Goel (“Ghost Stories”) and Zayn Marie Khan (“Feels Like Ishq”).
Paul Anderson
Byron Studios
APPOINTMENT
Following a 17-year career with Network 10, where he was most recently CEO Network 10 and executive VP Viacom CBS Networks Australia and NZ, Paul Anderson has joined Byron Studios as its new CEO.
Anderson will work alongside founders Will Gammon and Mark Holden to position and grow Byron Studios as a key driver in creating a sustainable creative industry in the region. Located in the idyllic Northern Rivers, Byron Studios is the first and only film studio in the area with four studios across locations in Byron Bay and Alstonville.