Scripted


HBO Max strikes first-look deal with Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa

WarnerMedia’s HBO Max has struck a two year first-look deal with Ventanarosa, the prodco founded by Hollywood actress Salma Hayek. HBO Max will become the first port of call to develop Hayek’s projects at Ventanarosa, which is led by president Jose Tamez and Siobhan Flynn, head of production & development. Hayek, who is CEO at […]

Viu emerges top in Southeast Asia streaming poll, beating Netflix

Asia-focused SVOD Viu has ranked as the leading streaming service in Southeast Asia, according to a new report. Data from Media Partners Asia subsidiary AMPD Research claims that Viu now has 14 million monthly active users in the region, almost two million more than second place Line TV and four million more than Netflix in […]

‘Snowpiercer’ prodco and Adult Swim veteran Weidenfeld team for new animation outfit

Snowpiercer producer Tomorrow Studios and animated TV veteran Nick Weidenfeld have teamed up to launch a new animation studio, Work Friends. Work Friends will be the first primetime TV animation label in ITV Studios’ current US scripted TV studio operation. Tomorrow Studios is also a partnership between ITV Studios and producer Marty Adelstein. ITV Studios […]

China’s Tencent & iQiyi explore Netflix-beating merger, report claims

Chinese media giants Tencent and iQiyi are reportedly exploring a merger that could create the world’s biggest streamer, with more subscribers than Netflix. Tencent is looking to become a majority shareholder in arch-rival iQiyi, according to Reuters, with the strategy designed to reduce both service’s costs and counter competition. iQiyi, which earlier this month hired […]

News roundup: ‘Vlad’, ‘Trotsky’ and more int’l deals with South Korea; CW takes stab at ‘Killer Camp’ format; Hayu Australia inks exclusive ‘Chrisley’ deal; and more…

Eccho Rights strikes int’l deals with South Korean platforms South Korean platforms, including the broadcaster Catch On and Mint Media Group, have picked up international dramas Vlad, The End, Bitter Sweet Life and Trotsky, following deals with international distributors Eccho Rights. Vlad from Romania’s Pro TV and The End from producers Ay Yapim in Turkey, have both been picked […]

Telefónica, Atresmedia launch joint studio to take Spanish drama global

Spanish telco Telefónica and commercial broadcaster Atresmedia have been given the greenlight by the European Commission to launch a new studio joint venture focused on creating Spanish-language programming. Buendía Estudios is a 50:50 JV between the pair and will focus on producing content in Spanish for the global market. The two companies said that Buendia […]

ViacomCBS outlines plans for ‘super-serving’ SVOD with 30,000 hours

ViacomCBS will look to retain more rights to its programming as it prepares to roll out a new ‘house of brands’ streaming service in 2021, CEO Bob Bakish has confirmed. The company initially announced plans to launch a large-scale streamer comparable to the likes of HBO Max and Netflix in February, but the CEO has […]

Hulu & Michael Keaton join up for Opioid crisis drama ‘Dopesick’

Disney’s US streamer Hulu has made a straight-to-series order for eight-part Opioid drama Dopesick, with Michael Keaton attached to star. The show has been written by Danny Strong (Empire) and is being directed by Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man), with Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale) among exec producers. Disney-owned Fox 21 Television Studios […]

AMC explores BBC’s ‘Salisbury Poisonings’ after striking Fremantle deal

US cable network AMC has picked up rights to BBC scripted series The Salisbury Poisonings, which recently became the UK broadcaster’s biggest overnight drama launch in six years. The show, which will debut in the US this autumn, is based on the true story of the 2018 Novichok poisonings and the impact it had on […]