Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock with you in London, where the TV world has decamped this week for a series of screenings. Read on, and sign up for the newsletter here.
Unpacking The BritBox Deal & London TV Screenings
Beeb bags BritBox: As we expected, the big news in international entertainment came out of London this week. However, while we were assuming the biggest deal would be a program package emerging from the London TV Screenings (more on that below), BBC Studios and ITV surprised everyone this morning with some tasty M&a. A regulatory statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed the BBC’s commercial arm had paid £255M ($322M) to acquire ITV’s 50% shareholding in their joint venture, best-of-British streamer BritBox International. This, we hear, is the biggest single transaction in BBC Studios’ history and marks a new direction for the seven-year old streamer, which is profitable and has...
Unpacking The BritBox Deal & London TV Screenings
Beeb bags BritBox: As we expected, the big news in international entertainment came out of London this week. However, while we were assuming the biggest deal would be a program package emerging from the London TV Screenings (more on that below), BBC Studios and ITV surprised everyone this morning with some tasty M&a. A regulatory statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed the BBC’s commercial arm had paid £255M ($322M) to acquire ITV’s 50% shareholding in their joint venture, best-of-British streamer BritBox International. This, we hear, is the biggest single transaction in BBC Studios’ history and marks a new direction for the seven-year old streamer, which is profitable and has...
- 3/1/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
British TV shows fetched a record £1.85B ($2.25B) in 2022-23, new stats reveal.
Sales to streamers boomed and finished tape deals came back into fashion to help exports grow 22% year-on-year, Pact’s UK TV Exports Report revealed.
Demand for shows such as The Ipcress Files, Frozen Planet II and This England built even as the international TV business faced a brutal economy, a battered TV ad market and major buyers withholding spend. Half of respondents said their business was impacted by the period of austerity and cost management at large U.S. companies.
For the first time, over half of programmes (53%) were sold to international streaming and VoD platforms, up from 39% last year. This could be connected to the growth in finished program sales, with streamers more likely to license as they pulled away from costlier original content spend.
Finished programmes accounted for 60% of sales, up by 11% to hit £1.11B,...
Sales to streamers boomed and finished tape deals came back into fashion to help exports grow 22% year-on-year, Pact’s UK TV Exports Report revealed.
Demand for shows such as The Ipcress Files, Frozen Planet II and This England built even as the international TV business faced a brutal economy, a battered TV ad market and major buyers withholding spend. Half of respondents said their business was impacted by the period of austerity and cost management at large U.S. companies.
For the first time, over half of programmes (53%) were sold to international streaming and VoD platforms, up from 39% last year. This could be connected to the growth in finished program sales, with streamers more likely to license as they pulled away from costlier original content spend.
Finished programmes accounted for 60% of sales, up by 11% to hit £1.11B,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Inspiration can start at home.
For the panel of executives at this year’s MIPCOM Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch, an annual get-together of the female movers and shakers in the international television industry, their first role models were their own mothers.
“My mother had a master’s degree in physics, to give you an idea of the brilliance of her mind,” noted The Hollywood Reporter‘s co-editor-in-chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody when asked about her first mentor. “She was also one of the first Black engineers in New York. She was brilliant. She really wanted me to got into maths or science, but I was always attracted to words. I always wanted to talk about stories and tell other people’s stories.”
The answer echoed that of the other members on the Power Lunch panel: Ruth Berry, ITV Studios’ managing director of global partnerships, and Universal International Studios and UCP president Beatrice Springborn,...
For the panel of executives at this year’s MIPCOM Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch, an annual get-together of the female movers and shakers in the international television industry, their first role models were their own mothers.
“My mother had a master’s degree in physics, to give you an idea of the brilliance of her mind,” noted The Hollywood Reporter‘s co-editor-in-chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody when asked about her first mentor. “She was also one of the first Black engineers in New York. She was brilliant. She really wanted me to got into maths or science, but I was always attracted to words. I always wanted to talk about stories and tell other people’s stories.”
The answer echoed that of the other members on the Power Lunch panel: Ruth Berry, ITV Studios’ managing director of global partnerships, and Universal International Studios and UCP president Beatrice Springborn,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Vigil’ Season 2 Sells To Peacock & Others
Vigil Season 2, one of the most hotly-anticipated BBC dramas of the year, has sold to Peacock in the U.S. and a slew of other territories, along with revealing first-look images. Deadline revealed several months ago that Suranne Jones’ lead character will take to the skies in Season 2 of the show that became the most-watched new drama launch in the UK since Bodyguard when it aired in 2021. Peacock, which also bought Season 1, has pre-bought alongside the likes of Bell Media for Canada, Arte for France and Germany and a number of Scandi territories. BBC Studios Anz has acquired the show for Australia, Tvnz for New Zealand and Now TV for Hong Kong. “It’s a huge privilege to take Vigil across the globe and to find that many partners have been so thrilled with the first season, they want to support the second,” said Ruth Berry,...
Vigil Season 2, one of the most hotly-anticipated BBC dramas of the year, has sold to Peacock in the U.S. and a slew of other territories, along with revealing first-look images. Deadline revealed several months ago that Suranne Jones’ lead character will take to the skies in Season 2 of the show that became the most-watched new drama launch in the UK since Bodyguard when it aired in 2021. Peacock, which also bought Season 1, has pre-bought alongside the likes of Bell Media for Canada, Arte for France and Germany and a number of Scandi territories. BBC Studios Anz has acquired the show for Australia, Tvnz for New Zealand and Now TV for Hong Kong. “It’s a huge privilege to take Vigil across the globe and to find that many partners have been so thrilled with the first season, they want to support the second,” said Ruth Berry,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: ITV Studios is seeking a VP of Global Content to work with natural history and premium doc labels including Tiny World indie Plimsoll.
A job ad was put out last week for the newly-created post, which will see a senior exec join EVP Global Content Julie Meldal-Johnsen’s team. Meldal-Johnsen’s division focuses on co-production, development, strategy and marketing across labels to “secure the content pipeline for ITV Studio’s international distribution business.”
The successful person will “account manage natural history and factual production companies, and ITV Studios labels both in the UK and internationally; meaning overseeing the pipeline of programming from them into the distribution business, both commissioned and at development stage,” according to the ad.
ITV Studios is seeking someone with “significant experience working in natural history sales,” who has a proven track record in deal-making and a capacity for “entrepreneurial thinking.”
The move to strengthen Meldal-Johnsen...
A job ad was put out last week for the newly-created post, which will see a senior exec join EVP Global Content Julie Meldal-Johnsen’s team. Meldal-Johnsen’s division focuses on co-production, development, strategy and marketing across labels to “secure the content pipeline for ITV Studio’s international distribution business.”
The successful person will “account manage natural history and factual production companies, and ITV Studios labels both in the UK and internationally; meaning overseeing the pipeline of programming from them into the distribution business, both commissioned and at development stage,” according to the ad.
ITV Studios is seeking someone with “significant experience working in natural history sales,” who has a proven track record in deal-making and a capacity for “entrepreneurial thinking.”
The move to strengthen Meldal-Johnsen...
- 5/23/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
In a significant play for audience growth at Telefonica’s Movistar+, Domingo Corral has been promoted to the position of director of fiction and entertainment at the company, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD service.
The move, which in some ways echoes the larger oversight of ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry, marks further recognition for the former director of original fiction who has spearheaded Movistar+’s notably successful drive into scripted production, begun with its first releases in 2017.
Playing off Corral’s innate flair at forge talent relationships his passion for premium entertainment and willingness to explore flexible market models, Movistar+ has created some of the most lauded and prized series in Spain, such as Canneseries double winner “A Perfect Life,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “Riot Police” and “Offworld,” chosen by Variety as one of its best international TV shows of 2022.
Most recently, Alberto Rodriguez “Prison 1977” has bowed on Movistar+ to become...
The move, which in some ways echoes the larger oversight of ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry, marks further recognition for the former director of original fiction who has spearheaded Movistar+’s notably successful drive into scripted production, begun with its first releases in 2017.
Playing off Corral’s innate flair at forge talent relationships his passion for premium entertainment and willingness to explore flexible market models, Movistar+ has created some of the most lauded and prized series in Spain, such as Canneseries double winner “A Perfect Life,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “Riot Police” and “Offworld,” chosen by Variety as one of its best international TV shows of 2022.
Most recently, Alberto Rodriguez “Prison 1977” has bowed on Movistar+ to become...
- 4/26/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes — News of the death of Mip-tv looked greatly exaggerated if the 2023 edition, which played out over April 17-19 in Cannes, was anything to go by, with Lucy Smith, director of MipTV and Mipcom, Cannes two TV trade fairs, announcing final figures of 5,560 participants, including 5,510 on-site delegates.
That said, attendance was sizeably down on pre-pandemic levels – 9,500 attendees in 2019 – with major European drama sales companies literally counting the cost of attendance and exhibition space versus Mip-driven sales. In a fast-evolving TV landscape, the future and identity of MipTV still remains uncertain. 10 takeaways from this year’s edition:
MipTV: The Impact of Brute Market Forces
Two major macro market trends, both presented by Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson’ in an early MipTV panel, go a long way to explaining 2023 MipTV. Global streaming commissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 were the lowest in over two years; unscripted represented 30.35% of streaming commissions last quarter 2019, 50.3% Oct.
That said, attendance was sizeably down on pre-pandemic levels – 9,500 attendees in 2019 – with major European drama sales companies literally counting the cost of attendance and exhibition space versus Mip-driven sales. In a fast-evolving TV landscape, the future and identity of MipTV still remains uncertain. 10 takeaways from this year’s edition:
MipTV: The Impact of Brute Market Forces
Two major macro market trends, both presented by Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson’ in an early MipTV panel, go a long way to explaining 2023 MipTV. Global streaming commissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 were the lowest in over two years; unscripted represented 30.35% of streaming commissions last quarter 2019, 50.3% Oct.
- 4/19/2023
- by John Hopewell, Marta Balaga and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
While scripted TV tends to get more attention than unscripted programming, the executives gathered in Cannes this week for the 60th MIPTV international television market know that formats like reality TV and game shows help pay the bills.
And with budgets for high-end TV tightening worldwide, making more money off of those formats has never been as important as it is now.
For giant ITV Studios, home to a 90,000-strong catalog of more than 250 titles, including global formats Love Island, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice, extending established brands across different platforms has become a key to future growth.
ITV Studio veteran Ruth Berry, giving MIPTV’s Media Mastermind keynote on Tuesday, talked up how the group has pushed its non-scripted shows into the multiverse, with I’m a Celebrity jungle trials in Fortnite and metaverse extensions of The Voice.
“I’m so fortunate...
And with budgets for high-end TV tightening worldwide, making more money off of those formats has never been as important as it is now.
For giant ITV Studios, home to a 90,000-strong catalog of more than 250 titles, including global formats Love Island, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice, extending established brands across different platforms has become a key to future growth.
ITV Studio veteran Ruth Berry, giving MIPTV’s Media Mastermind keynote on Tuesday, talked up how the group has pushed its non-scripted shows into the multiverse, with I’m a Celebrity jungle trials in Fortnite and metaverse extensions of The Voice.
“I’m so fortunate...
- 4/18/2023
- by Liza Foreman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Earlier this year ITV Studios, which reps shows ranging from “Love Island” to “Schitt’s Creek,” revealed it was merging its global distribution and entertainment arms. On Tuesday afternoon, Ruth Berry, the woman who was appointed to lead the now joint arms, set out the strategy behind the move during a keynote discussion at Mip TV in Cannes.
“I think we’re bringing together the formats and the finished programming businesses to create a singular multi-genre multi-brand multi-dimensional commercial business to the heart of the studio,” Berry explained. “Be that deficit financing and licencing rights to brilliant scripted slates, rolling out new formats like ‘My Mum, Your Dad’ and ‘Scared of the Dark,’ merchandising ‘Schitts Creek’ products, selling ‘Love Island’ water bottles, moving into the Metaverse, you know, all these things, having them in one place.”
Berry’s new role, she added, is to “to try and get my arms around...
“I think we’re bringing together the formats and the finished programming businesses to create a singular multi-genre multi-brand multi-dimensional commercial business to the heart of the studio,” Berry explained. “Be that deficit financing and licencing rights to brilliant scripted slates, rolling out new formats like ‘My Mum, Your Dad’ and ‘Scared of the Dark,’ merchandising ‘Schitts Creek’ products, selling ‘Love Island’ water bottles, moving into the Metaverse, you know, all these things, having them in one place.”
Berry’s new role, she added, is to “to try and get my arms around...
- 4/18/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
ITV Studios has forged a Global Partnerships division combining formats and finished tape, helmed by the newly-promoted Ruth Berry, who detailed her new role, the Plimsoll acquisition and Fast opportunities.
Berry said the move to rebrand Global Distribution and Global Entertainment is “emblematic of the inspiration for us to partner in a broader, deeper way with more content across our portfolio.”
“There is a fair amount of overlap in our clients looking at both formats and scripted,” Berry told Mip TV.
“If we can bring that all together we can really focus these conversations and look at how we can leverage the breadth and scale of our portfolio with what our buyers need.”
Berry, who now oversees a 90,000-strong catalog with more than 250 formats, took on the newly combined finished tape/formats role late last year, at which point Arjan Pomper departed the business. Soon after, former Film and TV...
Berry said the move to rebrand Global Distribution and Global Entertainment is “emblematic of the inspiration for us to partner in a broader, deeper way with more content across our portfolio.”
“There is a fair amount of overlap in our clients looking at both formats and scripted,” Berry told Mip TV.
“If we can bring that all together we can really focus these conversations and look at how we can leverage the breadth and scale of our portfolio with what our buyers need.”
Berry, who now oversees a 90,000-strong catalog with more than 250 formats, took on the newly combined finished tape/formats role late last year, at which point Arjan Pomper departed the business. Soon after, former Film and TV...
- 4/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here penning the weekly mailer a day after Cannes revealed its long-awaited lineup. Read on for all the details and plenty more, and sign up to the International Insider here.
Cannes Lineup Roars
Few surprises: Zac Ntim here reporting on Cannes …Cannes General Delegate Thierry Frémaux announced 52 titles Thursday morning that will debut at the festival’s 76th edition, which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera. There were few surprises in the Official Competition lineup, with festival favorites such as Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti and Hirokazu Kore-eda vying for the Palme d’Or alongside long-rumored entries from Alice Rohrwacher, Jonathan Glazer and Aki Kaurismäki. The festival did, however, clock six films with women filmmakers playing in competition, a new record for Cannes. With 19 competition titles announced, however, six still remains far below that elusive 50% parity mark. Progress has been slow. This year’s...
Cannes Lineup Roars
Few surprises: Zac Ntim here reporting on Cannes …Cannes General Delegate Thierry Frémaux announced 52 titles Thursday morning that will debut at the festival’s 76th edition, which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera. There were few surprises in the Official Competition lineup, with festival favorites such as Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti and Hirokazu Kore-eda vying for the Palme d’Or alongside long-rumored entries from Alice Rohrwacher, Jonathan Glazer and Aki Kaurismäki. The festival did, however, clock six films with women filmmakers playing in competition, a new record for Cannes. With 19 competition titles announced, however, six still remains far below that elusive 50% parity mark. Progress has been slow. This year’s...
- 4/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
After five years of quietly gathering steam within the international TV community, the 2023 edition of the London TV Screenings is its biggest outing yet.
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
- 2/27/2023
- by Tara Conlan
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Love Island distributor ITV Studios has hired a Disney sales exec on the eve of the London TV Screenings.
Cristina Brun has been named VP of Sales for France, Italy and Iberia with the ITV Studios Global Distribution team.
She’ll report to David Wilcox, SVP Emea, who in turn reports to Gisela Aimus-Minnbergh, EVP, Emea. Brun will mainly focus on France and have two manager-level execs report into her. Her new role is a new one, we hear.
Brun previously spent 12 years in Disney’s international distribution team, rising to Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and Nordics. She also spent 12 years at Paramount Global predecessor Viacom in various sales roles, including Head of Sales, Emea.
For ITV Studios, the hire comes ahead of its Festival-branded events next week during the London TV Screenings. The company is splitting its Wednesday event in the UK capital into formats, non-scripted and drama sections.
Cristina Brun has been named VP of Sales for France, Italy and Iberia with the ITV Studios Global Distribution team.
She’ll report to David Wilcox, SVP Emea, who in turn reports to Gisela Aimus-Minnbergh, EVP, Emea. Brun will mainly focus on France and have two manager-level execs report into her. Her new role is a new one, we hear.
Brun previously spent 12 years in Disney’s international distribution team, rising to Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and Nordics. She also spent 12 years at Paramount Global predecessor Viacom in various sales roles, including Head of Sales, Emea.
For ITV Studios, the hire comes ahead of its Festival-branded events next week during the London TV Screenings. The company is splitting its Wednesday event in the UK capital into formats, non-scripted and drama sections.
- 2/24/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insider team, Max Goldbart here. It has been a wild ride of a week with Berlin drawing to a close. Read below for a good ol’ recap.
A Year At War
Commemorating: A year is a long time in anyone’s calendar but, for the people of Ukraine, the 12 months that have followed that dreadful day on February 24, 2022, must have felt like a lifetime. Commemorative programs dominated the schedules yesterday and today as the global community marks the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion by highlighting the plight of an embattled nation, and considering what’s to come. In the U.S., our political correspondent Ted Johnson had this handy rundown of all the major coverage from the news networks, which was preceded by Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine. “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,...
A Year At War
Commemorating: A year is a long time in anyone’s calendar but, for the people of Ukraine, the 12 months that have followed that dreadful day on February 24, 2022, must have felt like a lifetime. Commemorative programs dominated the schedules yesterday and today as the global community marks the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion by highlighting the plight of an embattled nation, and considering what’s to come. In the U.S., our political correspondent Ted Johnson had this handy rundown of all the major coverage from the news networks, which was preceded by Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine. “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The cost-of-living crisis is wreaking havoc and the global TV industry is not immune.
As hundreds of buyers and sellers descend upon the UK for the annual London TV Screenings, distributors are looking closely at how they can adapt their catalogs and work in tandem with clients in the face of the incoming recession.
However, the task is not an easy one. Numerous distributors tell Deadline they have had contingencies in place for a long time to deal with such a macro fiscal event – contingencies that came to the fore during Covid-19. These are frequently being shaped by the world around them, not just by recession, they say.
“The ongoing strategy we have and the way we approach the market is constantly evolving,” says Ruth Berry, ITV Studios’ Managing Director of Global Distribution, who was recently promoted to lead the outfit’s combined Distribution and Entertainment arms. “Thinking about these...
As hundreds of buyers and sellers descend upon the UK for the annual London TV Screenings, distributors are looking closely at how they can adapt their catalogs and work in tandem with clients in the face of the incoming recession.
However, the task is not an easy one. Numerous distributors tell Deadline they have had contingencies in place for a long time to deal with such a macro fiscal event – contingencies that came to the fore during Covid-19. These are frequently being shaped by the world around them, not just by recession, they say.
“The ongoing strategy we have and the way we approach the market is constantly evolving,” says Ruth Berry, ITV Studios’ Managing Director of Global Distribution, who was recently promoted to lead the outfit’s combined Distribution and Entertainment arms. “Thinking about these...
- 2/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Crime shows look for a new angle, argued Berlinale Series participants on Monday.
There is no shortage of new offerings, from Berlinale Market Selects’ “Two Sides of the Abyss,” Serbia’s “The Fall” or South Africa’s “Donkerbos,” created by Nico Scheepers, to China’s melancholic, decades-spanning “Why Try to Change Me Now,” with Golden Bear winner Yinan Diao attached as executive producer.
But while there is still an appetite for traditional detective stories, producers and broadcasters are venturing out of the “damaged, middle-aged white detective slot on a Sunday night,” suggested All3Media International’s Rachel Glaister. They are also thinking about their younger audience.
“[‘The Gymnasts’] wasn’t born as a pure crime show. We were also attracted by other themes, including coming-of-age,” said Carlotta Claori of Indigo Film when discussing the series about a tournament in the Italian Alps, gone horribly wrong.
With “The Gymnasts” adding a female detective, absent...
There is no shortage of new offerings, from Berlinale Market Selects’ “Two Sides of the Abyss,” Serbia’s “The Fall” or South Africa’s “Donkerbos,” created by Nico Scheepers, to China’s melancholic, decades-spanning “Why Try to Change Me Now,” with Golden Bear winner Yinan Diao attached as executive producer.
But while there is still an appetite for traditional detective stories, producers and broadcasters are venturing out of the “damaged, middle-aged white detective slot on a Sunday night,” suggested All3Media International’s Rachel Glaister. They are also thinking about their younger audience.
“[‘The Gymnasts’] wasn’t born as a pure crime show. We were also attracted by other themes, including coming-of-age,” said Carlotta Claori of Indigo Film when discussing the series about a tournament in the Italian Alps, gone horribly wrong.
With “The Gymnasts” adding a female detective, absent...
- 2/21/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
“I think we need to find a way to avoid the U.S. brainwash,” said Newen Connect CEO Rodolphe Buet at this morning’s Berlinale Series Adapting to the Market session.
The head of the French distributor urged global buyers to stop “copying too much from the U.S. audience” as he cited research that showed the streamers have far more U.S. and UK shows on their platforms locally than they do from the rest of the world.
Ruth Berry, ITV Studios Head of Global Distribution, struck a more positive tone when she said stories in foreign languages have become “far more accessible” due to audiences being more willing to watch dubbed or subtitled shows, which is “clearly an exciting opportunity.”
And Zdf Studios Vice President of Drama Robert Franke is “not too afraid” of “U.S. brainwash” as the market over the past decade has turned from “push to pull.
The head of the French distributor urged global buyers to stop “copying too much from the U.S. audience” as he cited research that showed the streamers have far more U.S. and UK shows on their platforms locally than they do from the rest of the world.
Ruth Berry, ITV Studios Head of Global Distribution, struck a more positive tone when she said stories in foreign languages have become “far more accessible” due to audiences being more willing to watch dubbed or subtitled shows, which is “clearly an exciting opportunity.”
And Zdf Studios Vice President of Drama Robert Franke is “not too afraid” of “U.S. brainwash” as the market over the past decade has turned from “push to pull.
- 2/20/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios’ head of global distribution Ruth Berry has been promoted to lead both of the company’s global commercial divisions.
ITV Studios’ global distribution and global entertainment arms have been brought together under a single leadership and organizational structure, led by Berry, who will work closely with COO David McGraynor. Due to the restructure, Arjan Pomper is stepping down as managing director of global entertainment, ITV Studios said.
The rejig will enable ITV Studios “to align more closely with buyers and reflects the evolution of the global market with the growth of the streaming platforms, on-going market consolidation and the adoption by many buyers of a single buying approach across all genres,” the org said.
Berry will now lead the distribution and monetization of a catalogue of 90,000 hours, including 285 formats spanning “Love Island,” “My Mum Your Dad,” “Maternal,” “The Voice” and “Line of Duty.” The sales teams will remain...
ITV Studios’ global distribution and global entertainment arms have been brought together under a single leadership and organizational structure, led by Berry, who will work closely with COO David McGraynor. Due to the restructure, Arjan Pomper is stepping down as managing director of global entertainment, ITV Studios said.
The rejig will enable ITV Studios “to align more closely with buyers and reflects the evolution of the global market with the growth of the streaming platforms, on-going market consolidation and the adoption by many buyers of a single buying approach across all genres,” the org said.
Berry will now lead the distribution and monetization of a catalogue of 90,000 hours, including 285 formats spanning “Love Island,” “My Mum Your Dad,” “Maternal,” “The Voice” and “Line of Duty.” The sales teams will remain...
- 1/27/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
There’s change afoot at Love Island seller ITV Studios.
Current ITV Studios Managing Director of Global Distribution Ruth Berry has been upped to lead a unified global commercial division. This will comprise her Global Distribution arm and ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
Arjan Pomper, currently Managing Director of formats division ITV Studios Global Entertainment, is stepping down.
ITV Studios says uniting the units under single leadership “will enable ITV Studios to align more closely with buyers and reflects the evolution of the global market with the growth of the streaming platforms, on-going market consolidation and the adoption by many buyers of a single buying approach across all genres.”
In effect, this means formats such as Love Island, My Mum Your Dad and The Voice will sit alongside finished series such as Line of Duty and LItvinenko. The catalog will comprise 90,000 hours and 285 unique formats.
Dedicated format and finished programming teams will remain in the Netherlands,...
Current ITV Studios Managing Director of Global Distribution Ruth Berry has been upped to lead a unified global commercial division. This will comprise her Global Distribution arm and ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
Arjan Pomper, currently Managing Director of formats division ITV Studios Global Entertainment, is stepping down.
ITV Studios says uniting the units under single leadership “will enable ITV Studios to align more closely with buyers and reflects the evolution of the global market with the growth of the streaming platforms, on-going market consolidation and the adoption by many buyers of a single buying approach across all genres.”
In effect, this means formats such as Love Island, My Mum Your Dad and The Voice will sit alongside finished series such as Line of Duty and LItvinenko. The catalog will comprise 90,000 hours and 285 unique formats.
Dedicated format and finished programming teams will remain in the Netherlands,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios reports it has sold Harry: The Interview, Prince Harry’s chat with ITV from his home in Los Angeles, into 77 international territories, including across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The global pre-sales for the 90-minute program follows the Duke of Sussex’s talk with Tom Bradby, journalist and ITV News at Ten presenter, first airing in the UK on Jan. 8 on ITV1. The controversial interview aired in the UK two days before Prince Harry’s memoir Spare was published on Jan. 10.
ITV Studios said it scored deals for Harry: The Interview with TF1 for France, Rtl for Germany and The Netherlands, Discovery for Italy, TV2 for Denmark and Dpg for Belgium. Elsewhere, Network Seven took the rights for Australia, Tvnz did the same in New Zealand, Globo in Brazil, Now TV in Hong Kong, while Discovery scooped the interview program for Poland.
And a pan-African deal was...
The global pre-sales for the 90-minute program follows the Duke of Sussex’s talk with Tom Bradby, journalist and ITV News at Ten presenter, first airing in the UK on Jan. 8 on ITV1. The controversial interview aired in the UK two days before Prince Harry’s memoir Spare was published on Jan. 10.
ITV Studios said it scored deals for Harry: The Interview with TF1 for France, Rtl for Germany and The Netherlands, Discovery for Italy, TV2 for Denmark and Dpg for Belgium. Elsewhere, Network Seven took the rights for Australia, Tvnz did the same in New Zealand, Globo in Brazil, Now TV in Hong Kong, while Discovery scooped the interview program for Poland.
And a pan-African deal was...
- 1/11/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
ITV’s interview with Prince Harry has aired in 77 territories after a series of pre-sales deals before its broadcast.
Harry: The Interview has been seen in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and parts of Asia and South America this week, following the hard-hitting 90-minute special’s broadcast on ITV1 and Itvx in the UK on Sunday.
The tell-all interview was seen by 4.1M in the UK, which, while being ITV’s fourth biggest overnight title of the year, was markedly smaller the 11.1M who watch Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan Markle last year. That simulcasted on CBS in the U.S. and this week an Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes special did 10.5M on the U.S. network, well down on the 17.1M who tuned in to the Oprah scoop.
The numbers suggest at least some audience fatigue is setting in around the Harry-Meghan media circus, but ITV Studios...
Harry: The Interview has been seen in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and parts of Asia and South America this week, following the hard-hitting 90-minute special’s broadcast on ITV1 and Itvx in the UK on Sunday.
The tell-all interview was seen by 4.1M in the UK, which, while being ITV’s fourth biggest overnight title of the year, was markedly smaller the 11.1M who watch Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan Markle last year. That simulcasted on CBS in the U.S. and this week an Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes special did 10.5M on the U.S. network, well down on the 17.1M who tuned in to the Oprah scoop.
The numbers suggest at least some audience fatigue is setting in around the Harry-Meghan media circus, but ITV Studios...
- 1/11/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios has announced a predictable raft of sales on its interview with Prince Harry.
The 90-minute special, entitled “Harry: The Interview,” sees the Duke of Sussex discussing some of the revelations in his new memoir, “Spare,” with journalist and ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby. The interview covers Harry’s past drug use, the fractured relationship with his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William, and his problems with the British tabloid press.
“Harry: The Interview” has now aired in 77 territories across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada and Brazil. It first aired on Sunday night in the U.K. where it scored an average audience of 4.2 million viewers.
Filmed in California, where Harry now lives, the special went on air in the U.K. two days before “Spare,” on Tuesday, hit the shelves in British bookstores.
In the ITV interview,...
The 90-minute special, entitled “Harry: The Interview,” sees the Duke of Sussex discussing some of the revelations in his new memoir, “Spare,” with journalist and ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby. The interview covers Harry’s past drug use, the fractured relationship with his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William, and his problems with the British tabloid press.
“Harry: The Interview” has now aired in 77 territories across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada and Brazil. It first aired on Sunday night in the U.K. where it scored an average audience of 4.2 million viewers.
Filmed in California, where Harry now lives, the special went on air in the U.K. two days before “Spare,” on Tuesday, hit the shelves in British bookstores.
In the ITV interview,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes — The four-part drama “Litvinenko,” starring Scottish actor David Tennant, has sold to more than 80 international markets, ahead of its debut on the new ITV streaming service, Itvx in the U.K., and on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and the Baltics.
AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the drama, and Prime Video has taken the series in Canada.
In Europe, “Litvinenko” will air on M6 in France, ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany, and Sky Italia, amongst others.
In the Asia Pacific region, Seven Network Australia, Tvnz (New Zealand), and Now TV in Hong Kong are amongst those to have picked up the rights, along with Viacom 18 which will make the title available on the Indian subcontinent. BookMyShow will hold the Tvod rights in India, through its platform BookMyShow Stream, and M-Net has taken the drama for pan-Africa.
AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the drama, and Prime Video has taken the series in Canada.
In Europe, “Litvinenko” will air on M6 in France, ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany, and Sky Italia, amongst others.
In the Asia Pacific region, Seven Network Australia, Tvnz (New Zealand), and Now TV in Hong Kong are amongst those to have picked up the rights, along with Viacom 18 which will make the title available on the Indian subcontinent. BookMyShow will hold the Tvod rights in India, through its platform BookMyShow Stream, and M-Net has taken the drama for pan-Africa.
- 10/17/2022
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
The David Tennant-starring “Litvinenko” has sold into AMC+ and Sundance Now in the U.S., along with a host of other buyers in 80 international markets.
The drama has pre-sold ahead of its debut on ITV’s forthcoming U.K. streaming service Itvx, which launches this fall, and Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and Baltics.
Written by George Kay (“Lupin”) and produced by Patrick Spence, ITV Studios and Tiger Aspect Productions, the drama tells the story of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer, whose death from polonium poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the drama, while Amazon’s Prime Video has taken the series in Canada.
In Europe “Litvinenko” will air on M6 France,...
The drama has pre-sold ahead of its debut on ITV’s forthcoming U.K. streaming service Itvx, which launches this fall, and Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and Baltics.
Written by George Kay (“Lupin”) and produced by Patrick Spence, ITV Studios and Tiger Aspect Productions, the drama tells the story of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer, whose death from polonium poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the drama, while Amazon’s Prime Video has taken the series in Canada.
In Europe “Litvinenko” will air on M6 France,...
- 10/17/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Few people working in television feel the ebb and flow of market dynamics as keenly as international distributors. These executives are on the ground of market consolidation and buyers’ fluctuating fortunes — harsh realities that can have a deep impact on what they can acquire and sell. Today, distributors are more than just traders of shows — they’re a significant part of the production process and in talks as early as conception stage in order to provide the financing many international dramas rely on to become a reality. Yet as a recession looms and the perennial streaming partners of recent years quietly put their purses away to recalibrate their strategies, how are distributors conducting business? Why are we seeing so much distributor consolidation? (Banijay acquired Beyond International just weeks after this discussion took place.)
Variety’s inaugural international TV distribution roundtable delved into these questions. Participants included Jens Richter, Fremantle Intl.
Variety’s inaugural international TV distribution roundtable delved into these questions. Participants included Jens Richter, Fremantle Intl.
- 10/14/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
In 2020, one of the first indications that all wasn’t right for a global TV industry just waking up to the threat of Covid was the Chinese delegation of buyers pulling out of the BBC Studios Showcase.
As revealed by Variety on Feb. 5, 2020, around 20 Chinese companies skipped the early February event due to travel bans in place for parts of China following the coronavirus outbreak, whose death toll had just surpassed that of Sars.
Two years later, world events are again affecting London Screenings. Several senior distribution sources have told Variety that most representatives from Russian streamers, broadcasters and distributors, as well as Ukrainian media companies, have canceled their trips to the U.K. for London Screenings this week due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While travel is bordering on the impossible due to bans on Russian flights in the U.K. airspace, there’s also a growing chorus...
As revealed by Variety on Feb. 5, 2020, around 20 Chinese companies skipped the early February event due to travel bans in place for parts of China following the coronavirus outbreak, whose death toll had just surpassed that of Sars.
Two years later, world events are again affecting London Screenings. Several senior distribution sources have told Variety that most representatives from Russian streamers, broadcasters and distributors, as well as Ukrainian media companies, have canceled their trips to the U.K. for London Screenings this week due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While travel is bordering on the impossible due to bans on Russian flights in the U.K. airspace, there’s also a growing chorus...
- 2/28/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
A palpable sense of excitement has settled upon the English capital’s TV community as the London Screenings prepares to welcome hundreds of buyers next week.
With optimism over the future of Covid and restrictions now virtually all at an end, senior sources say the number of buyers coming from mainly Europe, the U.S. and Australia is exceeding expectations from when the event was first being planned late last year, at a time when Omicron was raging.
“A few weeks ago, the organizers were thinking ‘Oh shit’ but now everyone is excited,” one senior distribution source states plainly. “It’s a snowball effect. When buyers realize the competition is coming, they all want to come.”
The Screenings are organized by a quintet of some of the world’s biggest distributors and are taking place from Monday February 28.
All3Media International, Banijay Rights, ITV Studios, eOne and Fremantle will each host a separate event for buyers,...
With optimism over the future of Covid and restrictions now virtually all at an end, senior sources say the number of buyers coming from mainly Europe, the U.S. and Australia is exceeding expectations from when the event was first being planned late last year, at a time when Omicron was raging.
“A few weeks ago, the organizers were thinking ‘Oh shit’ but now everyone is excited,” one senior distribution source states plainly. “It’s a snowball effect. When buyers realize the competition is coming, they all want to come.”
The Screenings are organized by a quintet of some of the world’s biggest distributors and are taking place from Monday February 28.
All3Media International, Banijay Rights, ITV Studios, eOne and Fremantle will each host a separate event for buyers,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Sarajevo Director Exits After 27 Years
Mirsad Purivatra, the founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival, is leaving the Sff Director position after 27 years. Purivatra will assume the role of President of the Obala Art Centar Association, the umbrella organization behind the Sarajevo Film Festival. Purivatra’s successor will be Jovan Marjanović, previously in charge of the Sff Industry Department and the Festival Co-director. Said Purivatra: “I am proud of everything we have accomplished over the last 27 years. We started from nothing, when our city was under siege, and today we are a globally renowned institution attended by filmmakers and film industry professionals from the region and the whole world. We have faced many challenges on this journey. Our recognizable strong teamwork has turned challenges into successful projects by always setting and attaining high standards. All along we have been dedicated to our mission to discover, support and promote local and regional film authors and industries.
Mirsad Purivatra, the founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival, is leaving the Sff Director position after 27 years. Purivatra will assume the role of President of the Obala Art Centar Association, the umbrella organization behind the Sarajevo Film Festival. Purivatra’s successor will be Jovan Marjanović, previously in charge of the Sff Industry Department and the Festival Co-director. Said Purivatra: “I am proud of everything we have accomplished over the last 27 years. We started from nothing, when our city was under siege, and today we are a globally renowned institution attended by filmmakers and film industry professionals from the region and the whole world. We have faced many challenges on this journey. Our recognizable strong teamwork has turned challenges into successful projects by always setting and attaining high standards. All along we have been dedicated to our mission to discover, support and promote local and regional film authors and industries.
- 2/14/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman, Tom Grater and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios has landed a major content deal with WarnerMedia Latin America for HBO Max.
The deal, which covers both premium scripted and factual titles, includes seasons 1 and 2 of “Romulus,” about the creation of Rome from producers Cattleya (“Gomorrah”), seasons 1-3 of “The Bay,” which will premiere for the first time in Latin America on the service, and the first three seasons of U.K. comedy drama hit “Brassic.”
Also included in the package is “April Jones: The Interrogation Tapes” and “Bump,” a comedy drama starring Nathalie Morris (“Black Christmas”) about a teenage girl who unexpectedly gets pregnant.
Christina Covarrubias, director of Latam Sales, global distribution at ITV Studios, said: “Latin America is a burgeoning and diverse market and I’m excited that HBO Max has launched in the region and picking up this great slate of dramas and comedy from Italy, Australia and the U.K. demonstrates quality programming can travel anywhere.
The deal, which covers both premium scripted and factual titles, includes seasons 1 and 2 of “Romulus,” about the creation of Rome from producers Cattleya (“Gomorrah”), seasons 1-3 of “The Bay,” which will premiere for the first time in Latin America on the service, and the first three seasons of U.K. comedy drama hit “Brassic.”
Also included in the package is “April Jones: The Interrogation Tapes” and “Bump,” a comedy drama starring Nathalie Morris (“Black Christmas”) about a teenage girl who unexpectedly gets pregnant.
Christina Covarrubias, director of Latam Sales, global distribution at ITV Studios, said: “Latin America is a burgeoning and diverse market and I’m excited that HBO Max has launched in the region and picking up this great slate of dramas and comedy from Italy, Australia and the U.K. demonstrates quality programming can travel anywhere.
- 1/19/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Global sales of British TV shows in 2020/21 declined 3.3% to £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion), the TV Exports Report from U.K. screen sector trade body Pact reveals.
Covid-19 affected production in the U.K., but producers enjoyed robust back catalogue sales. Library content more than four years old accounted for a third of sales, a 22% uptick from the previous year.
Drama proved to be the most popular genre, accounting for 53% of export revenues, an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. “I May Destroy You” and “It’s a Sin” were among the most popular titles. Factual shows accounted for 15% of exports with shows like like “Masterchef,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and “Dragon’s Den” remaining popular.
Sales to streamers accounted for 44% of all finished program sales, up from 38% in 2019/20, with more than half of distributors surveyed having sold a program to Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
The U.S. remains the U.
Covid-19 affected production in the U.K., but producers enjoyed robust back catalogue sales. Library content more than four years old accounted for a third of sales, a 22% uptick from the previous year.
Drama proved to be the most popular genre, accounting for 53% of export revenues, an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. “I May Destroy You” and “It’s a Sin” were among the most popular titles. Factual shows accounted for 15% of exports with shows like like “Masterchef,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and “Dragon’s Den” remaining popular.
Sales to streamers accounted for 44% of all finished program sales, up from 38% in 2019/20, with more than half of distributors surveyed having sold a program to Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
The U.S. remains the U.
- 12/20/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
‘Chernobyl,’ ‘His Dark Materials’ Drive U.K. TV Exports to Record $1.97 Billion, Reveals Pact Report
Scripted dramas drove U.K. TV exports to a record £1.48 billion ($1.97 billion) in 2019/20, a 6% year-on-year increase, according to a report from producers’ trade body Pact.
Dramas like “Chernobyl,” “His Dark Materials,” “The War of the Worlds,” “The Feed” and “Doctor Who,” produced by U.K. companies, were the key export drivers and accounted for 48% of all revenue. Factual programming, including “Seven Worlds,” “One Planet” and “The Planets,” increased its share from 23% to 28% year-on-year.
The U.S. continues to be the most important market for U.K. exports contributing 32%, or £466 million ($622.5 million) of all revenue in the 2019/20 financial year, an increase of £22 million ($29.3 million) year-on-year, the report states. France, with £102 million ($136.3 million) and Australia with £98 million ($131 million) complete the top three markets for U.K. TV exports.
China was identified last year as a market with growth potential and revenues out of the territory increased by 25% to £40 million (53.4 million).
Looking ahead...
Dramas like “Chernobyl,” “His Dark Materials,” “The War of the Worlds,” “The Feed” and “Doctor Who,” produced by U.K. companies, were the key export drivers and accounted for 48% of all revenue. Factual programming, including “Seven Worlds,” “One Planet” and “The Planets,” increased its share from 23% to 28% year-on-year.
The U.S. continues to be the most important market for U.K. exports contributing 32%, or £466 million ($622.5 million) of all revenue in the 2019/20 financial year, an increase of £22 million ($29.3 million) year-on-year, the report states. France, with £102 million ($136.3 million) and Australia with £98 million ($131 million) complete the top three markets for U.K. TV exports.
China was identified last year as a market with growth potential and revenues out of the territory increased by 25% to £40 million (53.4 million).
Looking ahead...
- 11/23/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
As Mipcom Pivots Online, 10 Sales Chiefs Tell Us How Coronavirus Has Changed TV Distribution Forever
Exclusive: As dawn breaks on October 12, TV executives from around the world should be rising to the lapping shore of the French Riviera. Instead, for most, they will be greeted by the four walls of their bedrooms. This is the reality of 2020, a year in which coronavirus has robbed an intensely sociable industry of its ability to come together.
Mipcom is among the grandest of these calendar fixtures. A truly global gathering, Cannes is the setting for a jamboree of TV trading, a place where people converge to inject some heat into the market. But this year, the heat will be the glow of our collective computer screens, as Mipcom goes online for the first time ever.
Deadline has spoken to 10 distribution chiefs in Europe and America for their view on virtual Mipcom, as well as their reflections on how Covid-19 has reshaped television sales. The conclusions are clear: the...
Mipcom is among the grandest of these calendar fixtures. A truly global gathering, Cannes is the setting for a jamboree of TV trading, a place where people converge to inject some heat into the market. But this year, the heat will be the glow of our collective computer screens, as Mipcom goes online for the first time ever.
Deadline has spoken to 10 distribution chiefs in Europe and America for their view on virtual Mipcom, as well as their reflections on how Covid-19 has reshaped television sales. The conclusions are clear: the...
- 10/12/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
With Mipcom cancelled as a physical event, one might think that British distributors would be fearful about the business impact of not travelling to Cannes for their busiest TV show market of the year.
Far from it. While Brit distributors lament not being able to meet with clients over a glass of French rosé in October, most say they are gearing up for a busy month full of online video pitches amid heightened demand for content from broadcasters and streamers in the Covid-19 era.
Because of uncertainty about whether Mipcom would or wouldn’t take place, ITV, for example, has run its own three week-long event, the Fall Festival, a series of virtual sessions for buyers that began on Sept. 14.
BBC Studios has also launched its own virtual sales portal, BBC Studios Connect, to host its content catalog during the Mipcom period. The site opened on Sept. 28 for three weeks,...
Far from it. While Brit distributors lament not being able to meet with clients over a glass of French rosé in October, most say they are gearing up for a busy month full of online video pitches amid heightened demand for content from broadcasters and streamers in the Covid-19 era.
Because of uncertainty about whether Mipcom would or wouldn’t take place, ITV, for example, has run its own three week-long event, the Fall Festival, a series of virtual sessions for buyers that began on Sept. 14.
BBC Studios has also launched its own virtual sales portal, BBC Studios Connect, to host its content catalog during the Mipcom period. The site opened on Sept. 28 for three weeks,...
- 10/10/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
International content remains on a distribution roll despite Covid-19, three leading European TV distribution execs maintained at a Mipcom Online Plus market intelligence panel, aired on Monday, and hosted by Guy Bisson, executive director at London-based research company Ampere Analysis.
That’s despite new scripted commissions taking a huge hit under Covid-19, production shutdowns and the decimation of TV advertising, the executives argued.
Acquisition budgets have gone down dramatically at the free-to-air channels, Beta Film managing director Moritz von Kruedener said. But, he added, Covid-19 has also opened up “huge holes and open slots on free-to-air channels and platforms.” To fill these gaps, given that major studios are holding back product for their own platforms, there’s more of a demand for European independent content, Kruedener said.
To serve this demand, big European independents are also investing in other production-distribution companies, Banijay Rights acquiring EndemolShine being a stellar example.
“There are huge opportunities for us.
That’s despite new scripted commissions taking a huge hit under Covid-19, production shutdowns and the decimation of TV advertising, the executives argued.
Acquisition budgets have gone down dramatically at the free-to-air channels, Beta Film managing director Moritz von Kruedener said. But, he added, Covid-19 has also opened up “huge holes and open slots on free-to-air channels and platforms.” To fill these gaps, given that major studios are holding back product for their own platforms, there’s more of a demand for European independent content, Kruedener said.
To serve this demand, big European independents are also investing in other production-distribution companies, Banijay Rights acquiring EndemolShine being a stellar example.
“There are huge opportunities for us.
- 10/5/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
ITV Studios has become the latest player to decide against participating in the physical Mipcom market in October, opting instead to launch its own sales event.
Other distributors to have pulled out of physically attending the Cannes TV market include BBC Studios and Fremantle, who have also opted for a digital presence as fears of a second wave of coronavirus haunt the continent.
“Although we will not have a physical presence at Mipcom this year, we look forward to showcasing our incredible slate through an enhanced digital experience,” a Fremantle spokesperson told Variety.
A BBC Studios spokesperson told Variety, “In order to give certainty to customers and colleagues, we have now confirmed that while BBC Studios will not have a physical presence at Mipcom 2020, we will be fully supporting the event through digital delivery. We will share further details of our slate and activity in the weeks ahead. We look...
Other distributors to have pulled out of physically attending the Cannes TV market include BBC Studios and Fremantle, who have also opted for a digital presence as fears of a second wave of coronavirus haunt the continent.
“Although we will not have a physical presence at Mipcom this year, we look forward to showcasing our incredible slate through an enhanced digital experience,” a Fremantle spokesperson told Variety.
A BBC Studios spokesperson told Variety, “In order to give certainty to customers and colleagues, we have now confirmed that while BBC Studios will not have a physical presence at Mipcom 2020, we will be fully supporting the event through digital delivery. We will share further details of our slate and activity in the weeks ahead. We look...
- 7/28/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: ITV Studios will handle global sales for the sixth season of Line Of Duty, the hit BBC police corruption drama made by Bodyguard producer World Productions.
ITV Studios will distribute the new series — which was in production until the coronavirus pandemic shutdown British film and TV shoots in March — following the collapse of Kew Media Distribution earlier this year.
The situation regarding the international rights to the first five seasons of Line Of Duty remains messy. Kew Media Distribution’s library was acquired by Quiver Entertainment last month, and Quiver believes it is entitled to keep selling Seasons 1-5 globally.
Deadline understands that ITV Studios would like to represent all six seasons, but would not comment on whether it is in talks with Quiver over cutting a deal. Deadline understands that other producers, with shows once represented by Kew Media Distribution, are having discussions over extracting their rights from Quiver.
ITV Studios will distribute the new series — which was in production until the coronavirus pandemic shutdown British film and TV shoots in March — following the collapse of Kew Media Distribution earlier this year.
The situation regarding the international rights to the first five seasons of Line Of Duty remains messy. Kew Media Distribution’s library was acquired by Quiver Entertainment last month, and Quiver believes it is entitled to keep selling Seasons 1-5 globally.
Deadline understands that ITV Studios would like to represent all six seasons, but would not comment on whether it is in talks with Quiver over cutting a deal. Deadline understands that other producers, with shows once represented by Kew Media Distribution, are having discussions over extracting their rights from Quiver.
- 6/9/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Berlin — ITV Studios push into European drama has been boosted by pre-sales on “Romulus” and a slew of deals across a burgeoning slate of non-English language productions as ITV Studios aims to position as a world-class player in global content production.
Announced at this week’s Berlinale Series Market, the sales play off ITV Studios acquisition of stakes in European companies – such as France’s Beaubourg Stories, a label at ITV majority-owned “Profilages” producer Tetra Media Studio, and its minority stake in Italy’s high-flying Cattleya (“ZeroZeroZero”) – as well as early partnerships on single titles from fast-escalating production forces in Europe, such as Telefonica’s Movistar Plus.
Produced by Cattleya, Groenlandia and Sky, shot in archaic Latin, and reworking Rome’s creation story into ambitious high-end drama, “Romulus” has been acquired by HBO Europe and Sbs in Australia.
The Sbs deal takes in two further crime procedurals from Cattleya, one...
Announced at this week’s Berlinale Series Market, the sales play off ITV Studios acquisition of stakes in European companies – such as France’s Beaubourg Stories, a label at ITV majority-owned “Profilages” producer Tetra Media Studio, and its minority stake in Italy’s high-flying Cattleya (“ZeroZeroZero”) – as well as early partnerships on single titles from fast-escalating production forces in Europe, such as Telefonica’s Movistar Plus.
Produced by Cattleya, Groenlandia and Sky, shot in archaic Latin, and reworking Rome’s creation story into ambitious high-end drama, “Romulus” has been acquired by HBO Europe and Sbs in Australia.
The Sbs deal takes in two further crime procedurals from Cattleya, one...
- 2/25/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
U.K. Screenings, once the haphazard market piggy-backing off the glam BBC Showcase, has at last become an establishment in its own right.
This year’s edition of the week-long event, where a range of global broadcasters and streamers descend on Liverpool and London to peruse the latest wares from international distributors, stands to be the biggest yet, with new entrants such as French VOD Salto and Disney Plus firmly in the mix, and a refreshingly keen interest in non-English language projects.
U.K. Screenings has traditionally revolved around the Liverpool-set BBC Showcase, which kicks off on Sunday and will host up to 700 buyers. On the back of its success, London-based international distributors have banded together, coordinating as early as last summer to draw up a schedule and maximize buyers’ time when they travel down to London from Liverpool. The event, which runs from Feb. 9 to 14 (schedule below), has become...
This year’s edition of the week-long event, where a range of global broadcasters and streamers descend on Liverpool and London to peruse the latest wares from international distributors, stands to be the biggest yet, with new entrants such as French VOD Salto and Disney Plus firmly in the mix, and a refreshingly keen interest in non-English language projects.
U.K. Screenings has traditionally revolved around the Liverpool-set BBC Showcase, which kicks off on Sunday and will host up to 700 buyers. On the back of its success, London-based international distributors have banded together, coordinating as early as last summer to draw up a schedule and maximize buyers’ time when they travel down to London from Liverpool. The event, which runs from Feb. 9 to 14 (schedule below), has become...
- 2/7/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
ITV Studios has snapped up Endemol Shine executive Lisa Perrin, appointing her as the new managing director of international production.
Perrin joins the company from Endemol Shine Group (Esg) where she served as CEO of Creative Networks. Her exit comes as the business prepares to merge with Banijay Group, resulting in the departures of a number of long-time execs, such as head of Endemol Shine International Cathy Payne.
Reporting directly to Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, Perrin will form part of the senior management team, overseeing the day-to-day operation of ITV Studios’ production labels outside the U.K. and U.S., developing business strategy and vision as well as identifying growth opportunities in new and existing markets.
She will work closely with the managing directors of ITV Studios Australia, France, Germany, Middle East, Netherlands Finland, Sweden and Norway as well as Tetra Media Studios in France, Talpa and Imago in Germany,...
Perrin joins the company from Endemol Shine Group (Esg) where she served as CEO of Creative Networks. Her exit comes as the business prepares to merge with Banijay Group, resulting in the departures of a number of long-time execs, such as head of Endemol Shine International Cathy Payne.
Reporting directly to Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, Perrin will form part of the senior management team, overseeing the day-to-day operation of ITV Studios’ production labels outside the U.K. and U.S., developing business strategy and vision as well as identifying growth opportunities in new and existing markets.
She will work closely with the managing directors of ITV Studios Australia, France, Germany, Middle East, Netherlands Finland, Sweden and Norway as well as Tetra Media Studios in France, Talpa and Imago in Germany,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Hulu has acquired Sky comedy drama Brassic, while Acorn TV has picked up BBC’s Julia Ormond-fronted drama Gold Digger.
Both deals were unveiled by ITV Studios at Natpe.
Brassic stars This Is England’s Joe Gilgun, Ripper Street’s Damien Molony and Our Girl’s Michelle Keegan as well as Dominic West. Gilgun plays Vinnie, a man from the north of England with bipolar disorder and his best mate Dylan, played by Molony, whose girlfriend Erin, played by Keegan decides to leave town. Dylan is faced with the impossible decision between a fresh start with the love of his life or staying behind with his inseparable gang of mates that he can’t live without.
The series, which is produced by Calamity Films, the company behind Renée Zellweger’s Judy Garland biopic, was co-created by Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst, the writer behind Netflix’s Michael C Hall-fronted thriller Safe.
Both deals were unveiled by ITV Studios at Natpe.
Brassic stars This Is England’s Joe Gilgun, Ripper Street’s Damien Molony and Our Girl’s Michelle Keegan as well as Dominic West. Gilgun plays Vinnie, a man from the north of England with bipolar disorder and his best mate Dylan, played by Molony, whose girlfriend Erin, played by Keegan decides to leave town. Dylan is faced with the impossible decision between a fresh start with the love of his life or staying behind with his inseparable gang of mates that he can’t live without.
The series, which is produced by Calamity Films, the company behind Renée Zellweger’s Judy Garland biopic, was co-created by Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst, the writer behind Netflix’s Michael C Hall-fronted thriller Safe.
- 1/22/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios Global Entertainment has racked up pre-sales for its leading Mipcom title “Noughts and Crosses”, and has unveiled a number of other deals on its drama slate.
“Noughts and Crosses” has been acquired by M-Net in Africa, Russia’s More TV, Tvnz in New Zealand and on BBC First across Benelux prior to its launch on BBC One in the U.K. next year.
Based on Malorie Blackman’s novel of the same name, “Noughts and Crosses,” is a love story set in a parallel 21st century Britain, where black people – Crosses – are the ruling race while white people – Noughts – are the lower class. It’s produced for the BBC by ITV-owned Victoria producer Mammoth Screen.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment managing director Ruth Berry said: “I believe Noughts & Crosses is a brand-defining piece of television and I’m delighted that broadcasters across the world are already coming on board.
“Noughts and Crosses” has been acquired by M-Net in Africa, Russia’s More TV, Tvnz in New Zealand and on BBC First across Benelux prior to its launch on BBC One in the U.K. next year.
Based on Malorie Blackman’s novel of the same name, “Noughts and Crosses,” is a love story set in a parallel 21st century Britain, where black people – Crosses – are the ruling race while white people – Noughts – are the lower class. It’s produced for the BBC by ITV-owned Victoria producer Mammoth Screen.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment managing director Ruth Berry said: “I believe Noughts & Crosses is a brand-defining piece of television and I’m delighted that broadcasters across the world are already coming on board.
- 10/14/2019
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Huanxi Premium has acquired BBC drama World On Fire as ITV Studios Global Entertainment unveils a raft of sales at Mipcom.
The Chinese platform is one of a number of sales for the Helen Hunt-fronted drama, which will air on PBS Masterpiece in the U.S. The Mammoth Screen drama has also been picked up by Rtl in Germany, Telefonica in Spain and BBC First across Australia and Benelux, as well as Roadshow in Australia and in Korea on Channel A for linear and KT Corp for Svod.
Separately, Noughts and Crosses, the adaptation of the Malorie Blackman novel, has been bought by M-Net in Africa, Russia’s More TV, Tvnz in New Zealand and on BBC First across Benelux prior to its launch on BBC One in the UK next year.
Martin Freeman factual drama A Confession, written by the Oscar-nominated Jeff Pope and has been sold to Seven in Australia,...
The Chinese platform is one of a number of sales for the Helen Hunt-fronted drama, which will air on PBS Masterpiece in the U.S. The Mammoth Screen drama has also been picked up by Rtl in Germany, Telefonica in Spain and BBC First across Australia and Benelux, as well as Roadshow in Australia and in Korea on Channel A for linear and KT Corp for Svod.
Separately, Noughts and Crosses, the adaptation of the Malorie Blackman novel, has been bought by M-Net in Africa, Russia’s More TV, Tvnz in New Zealand and on BBC First across Benelux prior to its launch on BBC One in the UK next year.
Martin Freeman factual drama A Confession, written by the Oscar-nominated Jeff Pope and has been sold to Seven in Australia,...
- 10/14/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“Big Brother” creator John de Mol is exiting amid a restructuring at ITV, the U.K. broadcaster that forked out £355 million ($436 million) for his firm Talpa Media. Variety understands that de Mol had three opportunities built into his deal to exercise his earn-out option at ITV and that he has chosen to do so at his second opportunity.
“John De Mol has chosen not to exercise his option to extend the earn-out period for a further three years as part of the Talpa Media acquisition and has decided to focus on the further development of his company Talpa Network as of 2020,” ITV said in a statement. “He will continue to provide management services to Talpa Media until the end of April next year.”
ITV said it would work with the formats impresario after his deal with the company ends. “ITV Studios has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with John De Mol...
“John De Mol has chosen not to exercise his option to extend the earn-out period for a further three years as part of the Talpa Media acquisition and has decided to focus on the further development of his company Talpa Network as of 2020,” ITV said in a statement. “He will continue to provide management services to Talpa Media until the end of April next year.”
ITV said it would work with the formats impresario after his deal with the company ends. “ITV Studios has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with John De Mol...
- 10/1/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The Voice creator John De Mol is exiting ITV four years after the British broadcaster and producer acquired his company Talpa Media. This comes as ITV Studios has reorganized its international sales and formats business in a move that will see the closure of his Talpa Media brand.
Big Brother creator De Mol has chosen not to exercise his option to extend the earn-out period for a further three years. He will instead focus on the further development of his company Talpa Network, which owns a raft of broadcast networks in Holland, as of 2020, although he will continue to provide management services to Talpa Media until the end of April next year.
The company said that it wished De Mol well and will continue to work with him via a first-look deal in relation to future formats.
ITV Studios, which sells shows including Love Island, has unveiled a new three-tier structure,...
Big Brother creator De Mol has chosen not to exercise his option to extend the earn-out period for a further three years. He will instead focus on the further development of his company Talpa Network, which owns a raft of broadcast networks in Holland, as of 2020, although he will continue to provide management services to Talpa Media until the end of April next year.
The company said that it wished De Mol well and will continue to work with him via a first-look deal in relation to future formats.
ITV Studios, which sells shows including Love Island, has unveiled a new three-tier structure,...
- 10/1/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios now has a controlling stake in Monumental Television, the production company that makes Hulu series “Harlots” and that was founded by Oscar-nominated film producers Alison Owen and Debra Hayward. ITV first bought into the company in 2015 and has upped its stake from 26% to 51%.
Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said: “Alison and Debra have proven to be a fantastic fit within the ITV family over the last four years. They’re outstanding creatives with fantastic talent relationships, and I can’t wait to work even more closely with them as they start the next phase of Monumental’s growth.”
Owen and Hayward work in both film and TV. Owen’s movie credits include “Saving Mr Banks.” Hayward, formerly head of film at Working Title, is a producer on the upcoming adaptation of “Cats.”
Speaking about their Monumental deal with ITV, the pair said in a joint statement:...
Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said: “Alison and Debra have proven to be a fantastic fit within the ITV family over the last four years. They’re outstanding creatives with fantastic talent relationships, and I can’t wait to work even more closely with them as they start the next phase of Monumental’s growth.”
Owen and Hayward work in both film and TV. Owen’s movie credits include “Saving Mr Banks.” Hayward, formerly head of film at Working Title, is a producer on the upcoming adaptation of “Cats.”
Speaking about their Monumental deal with ITV, the pair said in a joint statement:...
- 7/18/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
ITV has increased its investment stake in Harlots producer Monumental Television.
The company, via its production division ITV Studios, has increased its stake in the British production company from 26% to 51%, giving it a majority stake. The deal will see the indie, run by Alison Owen and Debra Hayward, become more of an integral part of the larger group.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment will continue to distribute Monumental shows.
The company recently produced three series of Hulu’s Harlots and BBC One comedy Ghosts and it is in “advanced development” on several other scripted series.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios and Maxine Gardner, ITV Studios UK Finance Director, join Owen, Hayward and Ruth Berry, Managing Director Itvs Ge, on the board.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios, said, “Alison and Debra have proven to be a fantastic fit within the ITV family over the last four years. They’re outstanding...
The company, via its production division ITV Studios, has increased its stake in the British production company from 26% to 51%, giving it a majority stake. The deal will see the indie, run by Alison Owen and Debra Hayward, become more of an integral part of the larger group.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment will continue to distribute Monumental shows.
The company recently produced three series of Hulu’s Harlots and BBC One comedy Ghosts and it is in “advanced development” on several other scripted series.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios and Maxine Gardner, ITV Studios UK Finance Director, join Owen, Hayward and Ruth Berry, Managing Director Itvs Ge, on the board.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios, said, “Alison and Debra have proven to be a fantastic fit within the ITV family over the last four years. They’re outstanding...
- 7/18/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
At Variety’s first European TV Summit on Thursday, held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel, headline speakers Ricky Gervais, the creator of global successes including “The Office” and “Afterlife,” and Sharon Horgan, the force behind hit comedies “Catastrophe” and “Divorce,” shared their insights, alongside a host of industry leaders. Here are some of the takeaways.
Make It Personal
Gervais, who revealed that he has a first-look deal with Netflix, said he bases his shows on personal experience and strives for honesty. “As I get older, I don’t want to try to be bigger or richer or win more awards. I just want to go: Is this the most honest I have ever been? That is what drives me now,” he said. Gareth Neame, executive producer of “Downton Abbey,” said something similar: “You should be making a show for yourself; you have to love it.”
Talent In Control
One...
Make It Personal
Gervais, who revealed that he has a first-look deal with Netflix, said he bases his shows on personal experience and strives for honesty. “As I get older, I don’t want to try to be bigger or richer or win more awards. I just want to go: Is this the most honest I have ever been? That is what drives me now,” he said. Gareth Neame, executive producer of “Downton Abbey,” said something similar: “You should be making a show for yourself; you have to love it.”
Talent In Control
One...
- 6/14/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Two of the U.K.’s most acclaimed creative talents, Ricky Gervais and Sharon Horgan, are headlining the inaugural Variety European TV Summit, which takes place on June 13.
Gervais, the creator of global successes including “The Office” and “Afterlife,” and Horgan, the creator of hit comedies “Catastrophe” and “Divorce,” are taking part in keynote discussions at the conference.
Both Gervais and Horgan reflect a growing industry trend for top talent to not only star in shows, but to write and produce, too — delivering programs that bear the clear hallmarks of their creators.
At the summit, they will explore the business from a creative’s point of view, sharing their thoughts about the opportunities and challenges they face at a time of ever increasing demand for top level talent by both streamers and traditional TV broadcasters.
The one-day summit will focus on the intersection of content and tech within the TV industry.
Gervais, the creator of global successes including “The Office” and “Afterlife,” and Horgan, the creator of hit comedies “Catastrophe” and “Divorce,” are taking part in keynote discussions at the conference.
Both Gervais and Horgan reflect a growing industry trend for top talent to not only star in shows, but to write and produce, too — delivering programs that bear the clear hallmarks of their creators.
At the summit, they will explore the business from a creative’s point of view, sharing their thoughts about the opportunities and challenges they face at a time of ever increasing demand for top level talent by both streamers and traditional TV broadcasters.
The one-day summit will focus on the intersection of content and tech within the TV industry.
- 6/4/2019
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Huanxi Media Group Limited has bought the exclusive broadcasting right in the mainland for the forthcoming sci-fi TV series “Snowpiercer” from ITV Studios Global Entertainment. The show is based on South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho’s film of the same name and is set to debut on TBS in the U.S. in the spring of 2020. Netflix has licensed the international Svod rights outside of China and the U.S.
The series stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) and Tony Award-winner Daveed Diggs, and is produced by Tomorrow Studios, a joint venture between its CEO, Marty Adelstein, and ITV Studios. WarnerMedia announced last week that it has already ordered a second season even before the first season has hit screens.
The Huanxi deal covers both seasons. The Chinese company also recently secured the mainland rights to terror thriller “Bodyguard,” produced by World Productions, an ITV Studios company.
The series stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) and Tony Award-winner Daveed Diggs, and is produced by Tomorrow Studios, a joint venture between its CEO, Marty Adelstein, and ITV Studios. WarnerMedia announced last week that it has already ordered a second season even before the first season has hit screens.
The Huanxi deal covers both seasons. The Chinese company also recently secured the mainland rights to terror thriller “Bodyguard,” produced by World Productions, an ITV Studios company.
- 5/21/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
TBS’ Snowpiercer is heading to China after ITV Studios Global Entertainment struck a deal with Huanxi Media Group.
Huanxi Media Group is to broadcast the first two series of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series exclusively in China after WarnerMedia handed the series a second season. This comes as it moved from TNT to TBS ahead of its spring 2020 debut.
The Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs-fronted series is based on the film of the same name from director Bong Joon Ho. Snowpiercer is set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. It centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.
In addition to Connelly and Diggs, season one of Snowpiercer stars Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand and Jaylin Fletcher. Rowan Blanchard has been...
Huanxi Media Group is to broadcast the first two series of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series exclusively in China after WarnerMedia handed the series a second season. This comes as it moved from TNT to TBS ahead of its spring 2020 debut.
The Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs-fronted series is based on the film of the same name from director Bong Joon Ho. Snowpiercer is set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. It centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.
In addition to Connelly and Diggs, season one of Snowpiercer stars Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand and Jaylin Fletcher. Rowan Blanchard has been...
- 5/21/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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