News round-up: S4C & Ryan Reynolds’ Welsh partnership; CreativeChaos & Above The Clouds team; FilmRise orders ‘Statute Of Limitations’

Ryan Reynolds

S4C & Ryan Reynolds strike Welsh language partnership

S4C has signed a commercial output deal with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds for his Fubo channel.

Beginning tomorrow, 28 June, The Welsh language broadcaster S4C will provide with six hours a week of Welsh language content curated by Reynolds for the Maximum Effort channel, streamed on “Welsh Wednesdays” in a weekly takeover.

The Maximum Effort Channel is a partnership between streaming platform Fubo and Maximum Effort, producers of the Deadpool films and Welcome to Wrexham series.

The channel is available to watch in the United States and the commercial deal will create income to invest back into the creative sector in Wales.

Welsh language television channel S4C will supply Maximum Effort Channel with weekly programming including dramas, documentaries and entertainment formats in this long-term partnership.

The programmes launching Welsh Wednesday are drama series Bang, Petrol Head – Pen Petrol, Red Wall – Y Wal Goch, Wrexham Our Club – Wrecsam Clwb Ni, Vets – Y Fets and Gareth Bale: Living the Dream – Gareth Bale: Byw’r Freuddwyd.

“As many have noted, there is an alarming lack of Welsh content available for American viewing pleasure. That stops today. Well, actually Wednesdays,” said Reynolds.

“We’re so grateful to S4C for helping bring Welsh programming to a broader audience. And to that broader audience, don’t worry, I am told there will be subtitles.”

This Is Planet Z

CreativeChaos & Above The Clouds team for activist doc

CreativeChaos (Casting By, This Changes Everything, Bleed Out) has partnered with Above The Clouds (Lansky, Five Fingers for Marseilles) to produce feature-length doc This Is Planet Z.

The film follows a diverse group of youth climate activists who conceptualized, organized and mobilized youth across the United States to speak up and incite change. Leading an effective movement across the nation, these passionate stewards of the planet – mostly young women of color – inspired communities around the world to protest and push for a climate revolution.

Their actions culminated in 7.5 million people striking on September 20, 2019, encouraging young voter turnout that influenced the 2020 presidential election and key races across the U.S.

This Is Planet Z goes behind the scenes to show how a movement blossoms to epic proportions and can serve as a blueprint for global activism.

Directed by Tom Donahue, This Is Planet Z is produced by Ilan Arboleda, Jeff Hoffman and Tom Donahue and executive produced by Russell Gray and Jessicya Materano.

Statue of Limitations

FilmRise orders ‘Statute Of Limitations’

FilmRise has ordered Statute Of Limitations, a new true crime docuseries hosted by Jersey Shore alum Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, and produced by Grinning Dog Entertainment.

Sorrentino hosts the show in which everyday people confess to the non-violent crimes they have committed – and gotten away with.

FilmRise has all rights the 10 x 30-minute series worldwide, with CEO Danny Fisher and Max Einhorn, SVP of acquisitions and co-productions, serving as executive producers, alongside Adam Kaloustian and Brian Ferretti for Grinning Dog Entertainment and Puraj Puri and Kyell Thomas for Octagon.