News round-up: Drag Race expands global reach; CJ ENM shows land on Tubi, Roku; Big Light names apprentice

Secret Celebrity Drag Race

Drag Race expands global reach

Brazil, Germany and Mexico have become the latest countries to order local versions of World of Wonder’s Drag Race franchise.

The shows will become available on MTV and Paramount+ in their respective territories, while fan favourites from around the world will be able to enter the first ever Drag Race Global All Stars, which will debut exclusively on Paramount+ globally.

“World of Wonder is delighted to expand its partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios,” said Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, CEOs of World of Wonder. “Drag Race is about universal themes of love, self-expression, and acceptance – and there has never been a more important time than now for these ideas to be expressed internationally.”

Additional developments for the franchise will see the US series of RuPaul’s Drag Race head to MTV for season 15 from Friday, 6 January at 20.00ET/PT, while RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race will return for season three next year on VH1.

CJ ENM shows land on Tubi, Roku

South Korea’s CJ ENM has struck a deal with Fox-owned streamer Tubi that will seemore than 500 hours of shows becoming available on the service.

The partnership will launch with over 75 Korean films, dramas and K-Pop series, including Squad 38, Reply 1994, The K2 and Squad 38.

CJ ENM has been striking numerous content partnerships of late, having launched K-Contents by CJ ENM on Pluto TV, CJ ENM Picks on Peacock and CJ ENM Selects on Apple TV.

Most recently, it made its movies and dramas available via Roku by rolling out About K-Content by CJ ENM, a FAST service that launched in November. Dramas such as The K2 and Emergency Couple are available.

Anna-Lena Theobold & Frank Spotnitz

Big Light names apprentice

Frank Spotnitz’s Big Light Productions, the firm behind Leonardo and The Man In The High Castle, has announced the recipient of its annual writers’ apprenticeship programme.

Anna-Lena Theobald will join Big Light for a three-month placement next year, offering hands-on practical experience in a writers’ room, collaborating on local and international projects and new series development.

The scheme is now in its sixth year and is aimed at aspiring screenwriters who have already made “a considerable commitment” to the development of their practice, Big Light said.

Theobald was selected for the programme following completion of the prestigious Serial Eyes postgraduate television training programme for TV writers and producers in Berlin, where Spotnitz is a founding tutor.