Ireland-based Northern Lights producer Deadpan Pictures has added Roughcut TV and RTÉ alums to its development team, along with a former literary manager. Former RTÉ exec Sam Atwell becomes head of development at the Moone Boy and Can’t Cope Won’t Cope producer, which was founded in 2014 by Paul Donovan and Ailish McElmeel. Atwell, who […]
Dubai-based Starzplay is on the lookout for Arabic scripted shows skewing towards a younger adult demographic as it pushes into original content. Starzplay co-founder and CEO Maaz Sheikh said that that the MENA streamer is particularly looking to appeal to the “17 to 35-year-old segment”, speaking to TBI at the Media & Entertainment Leaders Summit […]
US-based Upgrade Productions has appointed Akshay Mehta as EVP of content strategy and business development and Vanessa Saal as EVP of production and distribution. Mehta will be responsible for Upgrade’s overall content strategy and seeking out new partnership opportunities. He is taking the lead on managing these relationships and structuring the financing for the slate […]
Hulu, Acorn & Viaplay take Love Me A slew of broadcasters and platforms have struck pre-sale deals for the second season of drama series Love Me with UK distributor DCD Rights. Hulu (US), Acorn TV (UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, India), Viaplay (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Netherlands) have all boarded season […]
Warner Bros. Discovery veteran Leslie Cohen is stepping down as SVP of acquisitions for HBO and HBO Max after more than two decades with the company. Cohen joined HBO in 1994 initially as an analyst before rising to become VP of film programming, working with studios and indies on acquisitions. She was also behind HBO […]
Former Amazon Studios and Fox Networks Group exec Sharon Tal Yguado has launched gaming company Astrid Entertainment. The company is currently developing a multiplayer title and is focused on developing fantastical worlds for gamers to experience, after securing a seven-figure pre-seed investment from backers including NetEase Games, Stardom and Tower 26. Tal Yguado previously served […]
Viaplay and SF Studios have snagged remake rights to Swedish crime novels, The Åre Murders, written by The Sandhamn Murders author Viveca Sten. The books will be adapted into a six-part series set to debut on the Nordic streamer in 2024, with Joakim Eliasson (Honour) directing, and Karin Gidfors (Snabba Cash) and Jimmy Lindgren (Honour) […]
Disney is bringing the first two episodes of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor to its ABC, FX, and Freeform TV networks, as well as its other streaming service, Hulu. The Mouse House said that it would be a “special opportunity” for non-subscribers to see the beginning instalments of the series “to help kick off […]
France’s Newen Studios is continuing to expand its production portfolio, this time acquiring Vanessa Djian’s domestic production firm Dai-Dai Films. Djian launched the prodco in 2017 and has since co-produced French and international projects including Alexis Michalik’s Edmond and play adaptation, Adieu Monsieur Haffman. Financial details have not been disclosed. Vincent Meslet, MD of Newen […]
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and CBC/Radio-Canada have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding co-development deal and will work together on two projects from the Kindred ABC/CBC Animation Collaboration. The two pubcasters will co-develop My Shadow Is Pink, a pre-school series for kids ages 3 to 7, from Headspinner/Sticky Pictures and created by Scott Stuart and […]
