Variety is expanding its international coverage with the appointment of well-respected trade correspondent Alex Ritman as its London Bureau Chief.
Ritman, who is based in London, was U.K. correspondent at The Hollywood Reporter for nine years. During that time, he was nominated for several National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, co-winning in 2017 for a feature about Leonardo DiCaprio and a major international corruption scandal. He was most recently nominated for a profile of Daniel Radcliffe. Prior to joining THR, Ritman wrote for publications including The Guardian, Time Out, The Sunday Times, Esquire, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Times and Little White Lies. He spent several years in the Middle East as the main film writer for The National newspaper.
At Variety, Ritman will contribute to magazine features and web stories with an emphasis on U.K. film and media, production and financial news, as well as industry analysis,...
Ritman, who is based in London, was U.K. correspondent at The Hollywood Reporter for nine years. During that time, he was nominated for several National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, co-winning in 2017 for a feature about Leonardo DiCaprio and a major international corruption scandal. He was most recently nominated for a profile of Daniel Radcliffe. Prior to joining THR, Ritman wrote for publications including The Guardian, Time Out, The Sunday Times, Esquire, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Times and Little White Lies. He spent several years in the Middle East as the main film writer for The National newspaper.
At Variety, Ritman will contribute to magazine features and web stories with an emphasis on U.K. film and media, production and financial news, as well as industry analysis,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
HollyShorts Film Festival, the Oscar-qualifying celebration of short films, has announced the jury lineup for its 2023 edition.
The 18-person jury includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”), Sam Worthington (“Avatar”), Zoey Deutch (“Not Okay”), Alexandra Shipp (“Barbie”), Josh Whitehouse (“Daisy Jones & the Six”), Christina Chong (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Nelu Handa (“Run the Burbs” showrunner) and Jaime Ray Newman (“Skin”). Variety international correspondent K.J. Yossman and Eric Kohn, executive editor and chief critic of IndieWire, will also serve on the jury.
Other industry professionals on the jury include Tom Berkeley and Ross White, whose film “An Irish Goodbye” won last year’s Oscar for best live-action short film; Aneil Kara, whose film “The Long Goodbye” won the Oscar in 2022; as well as short film Oscar nominees Pamela Ribon (“My Year of Dicks”) and Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby (“The Flying Sailor”). Two-time Oscar winner Joanna Quinn (“Affairs of...
The 18-person jury includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”), Sam Worthington (“Avatar”), Zoey Deutch (“Not Okay”), Alexandra Shipp (“Barbie”), Josh Whitehouse (“Daisy Jones & the Six”), Christina Chong (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Nelu Handa (“Run the Burbs” showrunner) and Jaime Ray Newman (“Skin”). Variety international correspondent K.J. Yossman and Eric Kohn, executive editor and chief critic of IndieWire, will also serve on the jury.
Other industry professionals on the jury include Tom Berkeley and Ross White, whose film “An Irish Goodbye” won last year’s Oscar for best live-action short film; Aneil Kara, whose film “The Long Goodbye” won the Oscar in 2022; as well as short film Oscar nominees Pamela Ribon (“My Year of Dicks”) and Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby (“The Flying Sailor”). Two-time Oscar winner Joanna Quinn (“Affairs of...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down scores of film and TV productions as actors hit the picket line. While many sets had already shut down as a result of the WGA writers strike, the actors strike will effectively slow Hollywood down to a crawl as negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers continue.
Read Variety‘s list of newly halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike.
Beetlejuice 2
The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London but was still expected to film one last sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.
The Day of the Jackal
Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch star in this Sky and Peacock series that was shooting around Central and Eastern Europe.
Deadpool 3
The superhero sequel was filming in the U.K., with Hugh Jackman...
Read Variety‘s list of newly halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike.
Beetlejuice 2
The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London but was still expected to film one last sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.
The Day of the Jackal
Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch star in this Sky and Peacock series that was shooting around Central and Eastern Europe.
Deadpool 3
The superhero sequel was filming in the U.K., with Hugh Jackman...
- 7/14/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
“Deadpool 3” has stopped filming as the SAG-AFTRA strike gets underway, with performers joining Writers Guild of America members on the picket lines. The Marvel sequel is one of the first major productions to be impacted by the new strike.
News of the production suspension comes only days after “Deadpool 3” provided audiences with a first look at the set, releasing a photograph of stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman suited up as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. News also recently broke that Jennifer Garner would appear in the film as Elektra, having previously starred in the role in 2003’s “Daredevil” and the 2005 spinoff film “Elektra.”
“Deadpool 3” reunites Reynolds with his “Free Guy” director Shawn Levy. The film will be the first series entry released by the Walt Disney Company, after the studio’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. The threequel has been slated for a May 3, 2024 release in...
News of the production suspension comes only days after “Deadpool 3” provided audiences with a first look at the set, releasing a photograph of stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman suited up as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. News also recently broke that Jennifer Garner would appear in the film as Elektra, having previously starred in the role in 2003’s “Daredevil” and the 2005 spinoff film “Elektra.”
“Deadpool 3” reunites Reynolds with his “Free Guy” director Shawn Levy. The film will be the first series entry released by the Walt Disney Company, after the studio’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. The threequel has been slated for a May 3, 2024 release in...
- 7/14/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming service Paramount+ has swooped for the Canadian rights to Prince Harry’s ITV interview.
The service will be the exclusive Canadian home for “Harry: The Interview,” which aired in the U.K. on Sunday night and drew an average audience of 4.2 million. In the interview, the Duke of Sussex speaks with journalist Tom Bradby about some of the issues broached in his new memoir, “Spare,” including his past drug use; the fractured relationship with his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William; and his campaign against the British tabloid press.
The 90-minute program, produced by ITN Productions, will debut on Paramount+ in Canada on Jan. 10, the same day “Spare” is published.
The Paramount+ acquisition is a coup for the streamer in Canada, where past royal interviews — such as Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s explosive Oprah interview in March 2021 — have generally landed on broadcasters such as Global.
In the ITV interview,...
The service will be the exclusive Canadian home for “Harry: The Interview,” which aired in the U.K. on Sunday night and drew an average audience of 4.2 million. In the interview, the Duke of Sussex speaks with journalist Tom Bradby about some of the issues broached in his new memoir, “Spare,” including his past drug use; the fractured relationship with his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William; and his campaign against the British tabloid press.
The 90-minute program, produced by ITN Productions, will debut on Paramount+ in Canada on Jan. 10, the same day “Spare” is published.
The Paramount+ acquisition is a coup for the streamer in Canada, where past royal interviews — such as Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s explosive Oprah interview in March 2021 — have generally landed on broadcasters such as Global.
In the ITV interview,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Variety won 22 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards at a ceremony in Universal City Sunday night, including a staff win for for entertainment website of the year. The 22 trophies represented the most scored by any publication at the event.
Also scoring top honors were deputy music editor Jem Aswad, winning online journalist of the year, and Elizabeth Wagmeister and Clayton Davis, co-hosts of “Variety’s The Take,” as anchor/hosts of the year.
The 15th annual awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club for work in national and local publications from July 2021 through June 2022, were handed out at the Universal Sheraton Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
Tying for the most wins — four apiece — were Aswad and senior music writer and chief music critic Chris Willman. Close behind was chief correspondent Wagmeister, who scored three wins during the ceremony. Five staffers scored two awards each: senior vice president Tim Gray, executive editor of music Shirley Halperin,...
Also scoring top honors were deputy music editor Jem Aswad, winning online journalist of the year, and Elizabeth Wagmeister and Clayton Davis, co-hosts of “Variety’s The Take,” as anchor/hosts of the year.
The 15th annual awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club for work in national and local publications from July 2021 through June 2022, were handed out at the Universal Sheraton Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
Tying for the most wins — four apiece — were Aswad and senior music writer and chief music critic Chris Willman. Close behind was chief correspondent Wagmeister, who scored three wins during the ceremony. Five staffers scored two awards each: senior vice president Tim Gray, executive editor of music Shirley Halperin,...
- 12/5/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
David Beckham, Sharon Osbourne and “Good Morning Britain” anchor Susanna Reid are among the hundreds of thousands of mourners who have spent hours queuing for a chance to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II while she lies in state ahead of her funeral on Sept. 19.
Beckham told Sky News — who caught up with him while he was still waiting in line — that he had joined the queue at 2 a.m. on Friday morning. “Well, we all want to celebrate our Queen, Her Majesty,” he told the camera crew as the line inched forward. Later that day, at around 3 p.m., the BBC’s livestream of the lying in state showed Beckham, dressed in a black suit and tie, finally entering Westminster Hall. As the soccer star approached the Queen’s coffin, which is sat on a catafalque draped in the Royal Standard flag and the Imperial State Crown, he stopped and bent his head,...
Beckham told Sky News — who caught up with him while he was still waiting in line — that he had joined the queue at 2 a.m. on Friday morning. “Well, we all want to celebrate our Queen, Her Majesty,” he told the camera crew as the line inched forward. Later that day, at around 3 p.m., the BBC’s livestream of the lying in state showed Beckham, dressed in a black suit and tie, finally entering Westminster Hall. As the soccer star approached the Queen’s coffin, which is sat on a catafalque draped in the Royal Standard flag and the Imperial State Crown, he stopped and bent his head,...
- 9/16/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Following news that Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault in the U.K., the producers of one of his new films being shopped at Cannes have issued a statement in support of the disgraced actor.
“While it’s unfortunate that increased negative press is timed with Kevin returning to work, it’s also to be expected,” the producers of “Peter Five Eight” said in a statement to Variety. “There are those who wish for him not to act, but they are outnumbered by fans worldwide who await an artist they have enjoyed for decades returning to the screen. The production has no knowledge or comment on the various swirling allegations, and believe it’s a matter for the courts to determine validity if it exists. ‘Peter Five Eight’ is a film for fans who care more for the art than the scandal.”
“Peter Five Eight...
“While it’s unfortunate that increased negative press is timed with Kevin returning to work, it’s also to be expected,” the producers of “Peter Five Eight” said in a statement to Variety. “There are those who wish for him not to act, but they are outnumbered by fans worldwide who await an artist they have enjoyed for decades returning to the screen. The production has no knowledge or comment on the various swirling allegations, and believe it’s a matter for the courts to determine validity if it exists. ‘Peter Five Eight’ is a film for fans who care more for the art than the scandal.”
“Peter Five Eight...
- 5/27/2022
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Two-and-a-half hours into the Oscars broadcast, the energy at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ London viewing party was dipping. With the U.K. eight hours ahead of L.A, the time was coming up to 3:30 a.m. and even the steady stream of champagne, espresso martinis and miniature bangers and mash couldn’t quell the groans inside the Claridges hotel ballroom when, on the screens dotted around us, an ABC voiceover promised we were entering “our final exciting hour” of the ceremony.
“Another hour?” someone moaned and, to be fair, I could see where they were coming from even though I was having a grand old time. (It’s not every day I get to wear a ballgown to watch TV and eat donuts surrounded by giant Oscar statues.)
Little did we know, ABC was legitimately going to deliver on that promise of a “final exciting hour.
“Another hour?” someone moaned and, to be fair, I could see where they were coming from even though I was having a grand old time. (It’s not every day I get to wear a ballgown to watch TV and eat donuts surrounded by giant Oscar statues.)
Little did we know, ABC was legitimately going to deliver on that promise of a “final exciting hour.
- 3/28/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Production
Debutant Galen Rosenthal‘s “Robber’s Roost,” the last film starring Margot Kidder, has resumed production with the addition of Shiladitya Bora (Platoon One Films) as executive producer. The project is currently filming in Park City, Utah. A psychological thriller set at the turn of the 20th century during the last days of the Wild West, “Robber’s Roost” is the story of a woman who has lived alone in a desolate mountain cabin for decades until one day a mysterious person from her past emerges from the depths of a brutal winter.
Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the “Superman” films, died in May 2018 while the film was still incomplete. Mexican actor Nathalia Acevedo, who debuted in Carlos Reygadas‘ 2012 Cannes winner “Post Tenebras Lux,” stepped in to play a younger version of Kidder’s character to finish the film. The cast also includes...
Debutant Galen Rosenthal‘s “Robber’s Roost,” the last film starring Margot Kidder, has resumed production with the addition of Shiladitya Bora (Platoon One Films) as executive producer. The project is currently filming in Park City, Utah. A psychological thriller set at the turn of the 20th century during the last days of the Wild West, “Robber’s Roost” is the story of a woman who has lived alone in a desolate mountain cabin for decades until one day a mysterious person from her past emerges from the depths of a brutal winter.
Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the “Superman” films, died in May 2018 while the film was still incomplete. Mexican actor Nathalia Acevedo, who debuted in Carlos Reygadas‘ 2012 Cannes winner “Post Tenebras Lux,” stepped in to play a younger version of Kidder’s character to finish the film. The cast also includes...
- 3/24/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Competition
Universal Pictures‘ “Jurassic World Dominion” stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have launched a competition for young U.K. fans of the dino franchise to design a British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) black card. The black card is the card that has the film’s rating and BBFC approval for cinematic screenings.
“This is your moment to put your mark on a piece of film history 65 million years in the making,” Pratt says in a short video released to accompany the competition launch while Howard suggests: “Get as creative as you want.”
As well as seeing their design on the big screen, the winner will also get a goody bag, a framed copy of the black card and the chance to take three people to a special screening of their film. The winning design will be shown before all screenings of “Jurassic World Dominion” which opens in the U.
Universal Pictures‘ “Jurassic World Dominion” stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have launched a competition for young U.K. fans of the dino franchise to design a British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) black card. The black card is the card that has the film’s rating and BBFC approval for cinematic screenings.
“This is your moment to put your mark on a piece of film history 65 million years in the making,” Pratt says in a short video released to accompany the competition launch while Howard suggests: “Get as creative as you want.”
As well as seeing their design on the big screen, the winner will also get a goody bag, a framed copy of the black card and the chance to take three people to a special screening of their film. The winning design will be shown before all screenings of “Jurassic World Dominion” which opens in the U.
- 3/21/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Acquisition
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has picked up South African detective drama “The Cane Field Killings” starring Kim Engelbrecht (“Bullet Proof”) and Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”). The eight-episode series, which launched last year in South Africa, will launch on Channel 4 on Apr. 10. The drama tells the story of a brilliant criminal profiler, Reyka Gama (Engelbrecht), who is struggling to comes to terms with her dark past. Having been abducted as a child by farmer Angus Speelman (Glen), Reyka now channels that traumatic experience to enter into the mindset of Africa’s most notorious criminals. The series follows her investigation into a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of Kwa-Zulu-Natal.
The show is produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions and Harriet Gavshon for Quizzical Pictures. “The Cane Field Killings” is a co-production between M-Net and Fremantle and is distributed internationally by Fremantle.
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has picked up South African detective drama “The Cane Field Killings” starring Kim Engelbrecht (“Bullet Proof”) and Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”). The eight-episode series, which launched last year in South Africa, will launch on Channel 4 on Apr. 10. The drama tells the story of a brilliant criminal profiler, Reyka Gama (Engelbrecht), who is struggling to comes to terms with her dark past. Having been abducted as a child by farmer Angus Speelman (Glen), Reyka now channels that traumatic experience to enter into the mindset of Africa’s most notorious criminals. The series follows her investigation into a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of Kwa-Zulu-Natal.
The show is produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions and Harriet Gavshon for Quizzical Pictures. “The Cane Field Killings” is a co-production between M-Net and Fremantle and is distributed internationally by Fremantle.
- 3/17/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has scored 98 nominations for the 2021 National Art and Entertainment Journalism awards, leading all publications.
The awards are presented yearly by the Los Angeles Press Club.
“Thank you to the Naej for recognizing the hard and wonderful work of our great team of writers and editors. We’re so honored,” said Claudia Eller, editor-in-chief of Variety.
Variety was nominated twice for print entertainment publication, for its “Hitmakers” and “Gamechangers” issues. Variety.com was nominated for entertainment website. Senior vice president Tim Gray and features editor Chris Willman both earned nominations for print journalist of the year, while deputy music editor Jem Aswad is nominated for online journalist of the year.
Variety scored six nominations across the photography and art category, including two nods for cover art, for the “Death of Cable” and “Power of Women” covers. Photo director Jennifer Dorn, former creative director Raul Aguila and photographer Sophy Holland were...
The awards are presented yearly by the Los Angeles Press Club.
“Thank you to the Naej for recognizing the hard and wonderful work of our great team of writers and editors. We’re so honored,” said Claudia Eller, editor-in-chief of Variety.
Variety was nominated twice for print entertainment publication, for its “Hitmakers” and “Gamechangers” issues. Variety.com was nominated for entertainment website. Senior vice president Tim Gray and features editor Chris Willman both earned nominations for print journalist of the year, while deputy music editor Jem Aswad is nominated for online journalist of the year.
Variety scored six nominations across the photography and art category, including two nods for cover art, for the “Death of Cable” and “Power of Women” covers. Photo director Jennifer Dorn, former creative director Raul Aguila and photographer Sophy Holland were...
- 1/19/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Festival
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival (Dec. 6-15), the kingdom’s first full fledged international film event, will close with the world premiere of Kabir Khan‘s Bollywood cricket-themed film “’83.” The film tells the true story of the underdog Indian men’s cricket team led by Kapil Dev, played by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, which defeated reigning champions the West Indies at the 1983 World Cup finals.
Khan, the film’s leading lady Deepika Padukone, Dev and his winning team members Mohinder Amarnath and Krishnamachari Srikkanth will attend the premiere.
The film, produced by Reliance Entertainment, Phantom Films and Kabir Khan Films, will release across the Gulf region on Dec. 23 and worldwide on Dec. 24.
On the eve of the Red Sea festival, Saudi Arabia’s nascent national film commission has revealed its overall plan to kickstart a local film industry in the kingdom where cinemas and filmmaking were...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival (Dec. 6-15), the kingdom’s first full fledged international film event, will close with the world premiere of Kabir Khan‘s Bollywood cricket-themed film “’83.” The film tells the true story of the underdog Indian men’s cricket team led by Kapil Dev, played by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, which defeated reigning champions the West Indies at the 1983 World Cup finals.
Khan, the film’s leading lady Deepika Padukone, Dev and his winning team members Mohinder Amarnath and Krishnamachari Srikkanth will attend the premiere.
The film, produced by Reliance Entertainment, Phantom Films and Kabir Khan Films, will release across the Gulf region on Dec. 23 and worldwide on Dec. 24.
On the eve of the Red Sea festival, Saudi Arabia’s nascent national film commission has revealed its overall plan to kickstart a local film industry in the kingdom where cinemas and filmmaking were...
- 11/29/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Producing
“The Crown” actor Derek Jacobi has boarded David Bartlett’s short film “Mousie” as executive producer, Variety can exclusively reveal. The film, which is produced by Will Poole (“Waffle the Wonder Dog”), tells the story of a seven-year-old Roma girl who seeks sanctuary from the Nazis in a decaying Weimar Cabaret Club.
“’Mousie’ is such a beautiful film – original, heartbreaking, yet also uplifting,” says Jacobi, who played the Duke of Windsor in Netflix’s royal series. “It is so relevant and provocative too. Amid really atmospheric cinematography and art direction, David Bartlett’s exquisite direction has delivered the most arresting performances, led by a remarkable young child. ‘Mousie’ is unmissable.”
Writer and director Bartlett began his career at the BBC where he worked on dramatizations including “The Great Train Robbery” and “The Hitler Diaries.” “Mousie,” which is eligible for Academy Award consideration, has screened at the Dublin International Film Festival,...
“The Crown” actor Derek Jacobi has boarded David Bartlett’s short film “Mousie” as executive producer, Variety can exclusively reveal. The film, which is produced by Will Poole (“Waffle the Wonder Dog”), tells the story of a seven-year-old Roma girl who seeks sanctuary from the Nazis in a decaying Weimar Cabaret Club.
“’Mousie’ is such a beautiful film – original, heartbreaking, yet also uplifting,” says Jacobi, who played the Duke of Windsor in Netflix’s royal series. “It is so relevant and provocative too. Amid really atmospheric cinematography and art direction, David Bartlett’s exquisite direction has delivered the most arresting performances, led by a remarkable young child. ‘Mousie’ is unmissable.”
Writer and director Bartlett began his career at the BBC where he worked on dramatizations including “The Great Train Robbery” and “The Hitler Diaries.” “Mousie,” which is eligible for Academy Award consideration, has screened at the Dublin International Film Festival,...
- 11/12/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Investment
Ex-Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams, former Xix Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and multi F1 Grand Prix-winning motor racing driver Mark Webber are among an eclectic group of investors who have together invested £2 million ($2.7 million) in U.K. production and distribution company Noah Media Group.
Noah’s credits include Grierson award-nominated “Finding Jack Charlton” and Cannes selection “Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans” and the outfit has coming up “Arsène Wenger: Invincible,” a documentary on the soccer manager who changed the landscape of the English Premier League, which will debut on Canal Plus in France and a major streaming platform in the U.K. in 2022.
The funding raised will support the company’s growing ambitions in the filmed content space, under the founding team of chair Barry Smith, CEO and producer John McKenna and film and television directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones. It will also drive Noah’s self-distributing ambitions.
Ex-Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams, former Xix Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and multi F1 Grand Prix-winning motor racing driver Mark Webber are among an eclectic group of investors who have together invested £2 million ($2.7 million) in U.K. production and distribution company Noah Media Group.
Noah’s credits include Grierson award-nominated “Finding Jack Charlton” and Cannes selection “Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans” and the outfit has coming up “Arsène Wenger: Invincible,” a documentary on the soccer manager who changed the landscape of the English Premier League, which will debut on Canal Plus in France and a major streaming platform in the U.K. in 2022.
The funding raised will support the company’s growing ambitions in the filmed content space, under the founding team of chair Barry Smith, CEO and producer John McKenna and film and television directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones. It will also drive Noah’s self-distributing ambitions.
- 10/8/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Commissions
Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.
“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios. The lead writers are Sven Frauenhoff and Andreas Brune. The producers are Heiko Schmidt, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
Set in the year 2036, “Tender Hearts” turns on Mila who orders a humanoid love robot from an advanced tech firm. The eight part series is produced by Odeon Film in association with Sky Studios with Eva Lia Reinegger set to write, with Pola Beck as director. Executive producers are Katja Herzog, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
“Chameleon,” an eight part series, is set in the murky...
Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.
“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios. The lead writers are Sven Frauenhoff and Andreas Brune. The producers are Heiko Schmidt, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
Set in the year 2036, “Tender Hearts” turns on Mila who orders a humanoid love robot from an advanced tech firm. The eight part series is produced by Odeon Film in association with Sky Studios with Eva Lia Reinegger set to write, with Pola Beck as director. Executive producers are Katja Herzog, Andreas Perzl and Frank Jastfelder.
“Chameleon,” an eight part series, is set in the murky...
- 9/20/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary
Bestselling Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain has narrated “For Love,” a documentary feature that centers on the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the Canadian foster care system. Twain is a longtime children’s rights advocate via her Shania Kids Can Foundation.
In May, Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation discovered the remains of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, which thrust the issue of Canada’s past policies of forced assimilation onto the international spotlight, with the number of discovered children’s remains in unmarked graves, rising above 1,000.
The film is directed by artist and filmmaker Matt Smiley. It is produced by Smiley and Mary Teegee of Carrier Sekani Family Services whose previous collaboration, the documentary “Highway of Tears,” pushed the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women into the public dialogue in 2015.
“For Love” was filmed all Canada with various First Nation,...
Bestselling Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain has narrated “For Love,” a documentary feature that centers on the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the Canadian foster care system. Twain is a longtime children’s rights advocate via her Shania Kids Can Foundation.
In May, Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation discovered the remains of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, which thrust the issue of Canada’s past policies of forced assimilation onto the international spotlight, with the number of discovered children’s remains in unmarked graves, rising above 1,000.
The film is directed by artist and filmmaker Matt Smiley. It is produced by Smiley and Mary Teegee of Carrier Sekani Family Services whose previous collaboration, the documentary “Highway of Tears,” pushed the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women into the public dialogue in 2015.
“For Love” was filmed all Canada with various First Nation,...
- 9/17/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Compensation
Visual effects and animation studio Dneg, whose credits include “Dune” and “No Time to Die,” will pay enhanced overtime to its U.K. employees.
From October, Dneg will pay overtime at 1.5x rate to all U.K. staff in non-management positions for all incremental time that they are asked to work beyond the standard 40-hour week. The move will bring Dneg’s U.K. overtime policy in line with its studios in North America and applies across its film and episodic visual effects, Dneg Animation and ReDefine operations, including its artist, production, technology and support teams.
The decision is a departure from the existing U.K. industry norm, where employees are compensated for overtime with paid time off after a project is completed.
Dneg has won multiple awards over the years. In 2021 alone, the company won the visual effects BAFTA and Oscar for Christopher Nolan‘s “Tenet.”
Novator Capital Advisers...
Visual effects and animation studio Dneg, whose credits include “Dune” and “No Time to Die,” will pay enhanced overtime to its U.K. employees.
From October, Dneg will pay overtime at 1.5x rate to all U.K. staff in non-management positions for all incremental time that they are asked to work beyond the standard 40-hour week. The move will bring Dneg’s U.K. overtime policy in line with its studios in North America and applies across its film and episodic visual effects, Dneg Animation and ReDefine operations, including its artist, production, technology and support teams.
The decision is a departure from the existing U.K. industry norm, where employees are compensated for overtime with paid time off after a project is completed.
Dneg has won multiple awards over the years. In 2021 alone, the company won the visual effects BAFTA and Oscar for Christopher Nolan‘s “Tenet.”
Novator Capital Advisers...
- 9/13/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exhibition
Trafalgar Releasing are set to adapt London’s V&a museum’s blockbuster Alice in Wonderland exhibition for theatrical release. “Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser,” which explores the cultural impact of Lewis Carroll’s iconic protagonist on figures from Salvador Dali to Tim Burton, is to be made into a “special cinema event,” the museum has revealed, with a U.K. release date set for Oct. 14. International screenings are set to follow.
Dione Orrom and Matt Askem will direct.
“Alice has been an inspiration for generations and is an icon for today,” said Trafalgar Releasing CEO Marc Allenby. “We’re delighted to be partnering with the V&a to bring this ground-breaking exhibition to a global cinema audience.” – K.J. Yossman
Commission
A+E Networks U.K. has commissioned “Lost Relic Hunters,” the sequel to Sky History channel hit “Lost Relics of the Knights Templar,” from Fired Up Films and Krempelwood.
The...
Trafalgar Releasing are set to adapt London’s V&a museum’s blockbuster Alice in Wonderland exhibition for theatrical release. “Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser,” which explores the cultural impact of Lewis Carroll’s iconic protagonist on figures from Salvador Dali to Tim Burton, is to be made into a “special cinema event,” the museum has revealed, with a U.K. release date set for Oct. 14. International screenings are set to follow.
Dione Orrom and Matt Askem will direct.
“Alice has been an inspiration for generations and is an icon for today,” said Trafalgar Releasing CEO Marc Allenby. “We’re delighted to be partnering with the V&a to bring this ground-breaking exhibition to a global cinema audience.” – K.J. Yossman
Commission
A+E Networks U.K. has commissioned “Lost Relic Hunters,” the sequel to Sky History channel hit “Lost Relics of the Knights Templar,” from Fired Up Films and Krempelwood.
The...
- 7/27/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
French actor Judith Chemla, the 37 year-old French star of “Mes freres et moi,” will not attend the world premiere of the film at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard on July 12 after an alleged incident involving the director of her film throwing a cell phone at her, Variety has learned.
Chemla filed a complaint on July 4 against Yohan Manca, the director of “Mes freres et moi,” who is also her boyfriend. The alleged assault took place on July 3 in the street near Theatre du Rond-Point in Paris.
Chelma’s and Manca’s reps have not responded to Variety’s requests for comments.
According to a source close to Chemla, the actor is alleging Manca, with whom she has a daughter, of throwing a cell phone at her face. A source close to Manca and Chemla told Variety that the couple was having an argument and Manca became very violent. They’ve been dating for five years.
Chemla filed a complaint on July 4 against Yohan Manca, the director of “Mes freres et moi,” who is also her boyfriend. The alleged assault took place on July 3 in the street near Theatre du Rond-Point in Paris.
Chelma’s and Manca’s reps have not responded to Variety’s requests for comments.
According to a source close to Chemla, the actor is alleging Manca, with whom she has a daughter, of throwing a cell phone at her face. A source close to Manca and Chemla told Variety that the couple was having an argument and Manca became very violent. They’ve been dating for five years.
- 7/11/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC has appointed Jon Petrie as its new head of comedy. In the role, he will report to chief content officer Charlotte Moore and be responsible for commissioning all scripted comedy on the BBC, iPlayer and the BBC Comedy Association.
Petrie moves over from Broke and Bones, the Netflix-invested indie owned by “Black Mirror” creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, where he was appointed head of comedy last August. He was previously comedy commissioning editor at Channel 4 where he oversaw “The Windsors,” “Friday Night Dinner” and “Dead Pixels.”
“Jon is a talented creative with a passion for comedy and an impressive track record for spotting new and diverse talent from across the UK and creating mainstream hits,” said Moore. “I’m thrilled he’s joining the BBC as the new director of comedy and can’t wait to start working with him as he leads BBC comedy...
Petrie moves over from Broke and Bones, the Netflix-invested indie owned by “Black Mirror” creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, where he was appointed head of comedy last August. He was previously comedy commissioning editor at Channel 4 where he oversaw “The Windsors,” “Friday Night Dinner” and “Dead Pixels.”
“Jon is a talented creative with a passion for comedy and an impressive track record for spotting new and diverse talent from across the UK and creating mainstream hits,” said Moore. “I’m thrilled he’s joining the BBC as the new director of comedy and can’t wait to start working with him as he leads BBC comedy...
- 7/9/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle has swooped in for Nordic Entertainment Group’s unscripted assets, Variety can reveal.
The Rtl Group-owned “Got Talent” producer will use their new assets — 12 companies in all across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark — to form Fremantle Nordics. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close later this year.
The Scandinavian Nent Group has had its unscripted assets on the sales block since early 2020. The companies included are Strong Productions (Denmark); Grillifilms, Moskito Television and Production House (Finland); Monster, Novemberfilm, One Big Happy Family, Playroom, Rakett and Strix TV (Norway); Baluba and Strix Television (Sweden).
One of the best known formats from Nent’s unscripted roster is “The Farm,” which has aired in 50 territories, and throws a group of men and women on a farm to hack country life.
The companies join Fremantle’s existing Nordic production outfits, which operate as Fremantle in Denmark, Norway,...
The Rtl Group-owned “Got Talent” producer will use their new assets — 12 companies in all across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark — to form Fremantle Nordics. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close later this year.
The Scandinavian Nent Group has had its unscripted assets on the sales block since early 2020. The companies included are Strong Productions (Denmark); Grillifilms, Moskito Television and Production House (Finland); Monster, Novemberfilm, One Big Happy Family, Playroom, Rakett and Strix TV (Norway); Baluba and Strix Television (Sweden).
One of the best known formats from Nent’s unscripted roster is “The Farm,” which has aired in 50 territories, and throws a group of men and women on a farm to hack country life.
The companies join Fremantle’s existing Nordic production outfits, which operate as Fremantle in Denmark, Norway,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming
Discovery Plus will tap into South America’s largest customer base when it launches in Brazil this September. According to Discovery, the streamer’s offer will include original and exclusive content commissioned for the platform, as well as catalog programming from the family of Discovery Channels, TLC, Animal Plant, Food Network and HGTV.
Fernando Medin, president of Discovery Latin America, also announced that Discovery’s Latin American team is working with leading local and global production companies on more than 40 titles that will be released before the end of 2022 and is currently developing more than 150 new shows.
Commission
Channel 4 has signed up the historic family behind the real-life Hogwarts — Alnwick Castle in Northumberland — to star in a six-part series called “The Duchess.” Produced by MGM Television, it will follow the Duchess of Northumberland as she embarks on building a £15 million ‘fairytale village’ called Lilidorei in the castle grounds.
Discovery Plus will tap into South America’s largest customer base when it launches in Brazil this September. According to Discovery, the streamer’s offer will include original and exclusive content commissioned for the platform, as well as catalog programming from the family of Discovery Channels, TLC, Animal Plant, Food Network and HGTV.
Fernando Medin, president of Discovery Latin America, also announced that Discovery’s Latin American team is working with leading local and global production companies on more than 40 titles that will be released before the end of 2022 and is currently developing more than 150 new shows.
Commission
Channel 4 has signed up the historic family behind the real-life Hogwarts — Alnwick Castle in Northumberland — to star in a six-part series called “The Duchess.” Produced by MGM Television, it will follow the Duchess of Northumberland as she embarks on building a £15 million ‘fairytale village’ called Lilidorei in the castle grounds.
- 6/25/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
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