AMC Networks Swings to Q4 Profit As International Losses Narrow

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLena Headey will star in and executive produce the Spectrum-AMC Networks series “Beacon 23,” which hails from Zak Penn, Variety has learned.The series is described as a sci-fi psychological thriller. It follows two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe.

Former Game of Thrones star Lena Headey has been tapped as the female lead in Beacon 23, Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks’ psychological thriller series based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Hugh Howey. Headey will also executive produce through her production company, Peephole Productions, as part of her first-look deal Boat Rocker Studios, which co-produces Beacon 23 with Spectrum Originals.

AMC Networks and Alliance of Women Directors have partnered to launch High-Octane Episodic Directing Series, a program of five master classes centered on directing actions and thriller content in scripted television.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichelle Selene Ang has signed with Buchwald, Variety has learned exclusively.Ang is best known for her role on the popular Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.” During her time on the show, she played the role of Courtney Crimsen, who is one of the titular reasons that Hannah (Katherine Langford) commits suicide in Season 1 after Courtney spreads lies about her around their school.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Norway’s 84-year-old King Harald V will remain on sick leave from his ceremonial duties until April 11 after successful leg surgery earlier this year, the palace said Friday.In January, the ageing monarch underwent a surgery for torn tendons above the knee and was “in good recovery and continues treatment and training,” the palace said.The sick leave is one of several for the popular king in the past two years.

Dennis Harvey Film CriticThough it will forever be associated with one brief mid-1970s heyday, the disaster-movie genre has made a stealth comeback in recent years, being a natural fit for a cinematic era dominated by CGI-laden action fantasies. Of course Hollywood has kept its hand in, with efforts like “San Andreas” and “Pompeii.” But there have also been parries as far afield as China, whose enjoyably ridiculous, volcano-centric “Skyfire” from late 2019 only reached the U.S.

Naman Ramachandran Deborah Turness, president of NBC News International, the global arm of U.S. news network NBC News, will join the U.K.’s ITN as CEO from April 19.Turness replaces Anna Mallett who joined as CEO in 2019 from BBC Studios, and will now join Netflix as VP of physical production for the U.K.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentPopular actor-turned-filmmaker Aissa Maiga and co-director Isabelle Simeoni discussed with Variety about their searing documentary feature examining the lack of representation of Black actors in films and series across France, Brazil and the U.S.

Alissa Simon Film CriticCould this be Norway’s year at the Oscars? An unprecedented number of Norwegian productions and co-productions are on this year’s shortlists, exciting the domestic media, industry and audiences.“Recognition from the Oscars is a great inspiration for all of us who have an ambition to reach outside our own borders,” says Yngve Saether of Motlys, who served as executive producer of Norway’s shortlisted international feature submission “Hope.” “And it builds confidence.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorIn a world focused on streaming, A+E Networks isn’t turning off the traditional TV.The company, jointly owned by Walt Disney Co. and Hearst, is placing emphasis on original TV series aimed first at linear TV, with a vow to increase original hour of programming by 50%.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has bought all international rights to writer-director Nikole Beckwith’s second feature, Together Together, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Annika Pham Keshet International has come on board as sales agent on the drama-comedy “Pørni.” The six-part Norwegian show, produced by Monster Scripted for NENT Group’s streamer Viaplay, is world premiering as part of Berlinale Series Market Selects.“Lilyhammer” actor Henriette Steenstrup makes her debut as creator/writer on top of headlining the show. Gunnar Vikene (“Occupied”) and Charlotte Blom (“Next Summer”) serve as co-directors.

The past year has been tough on so many people. In the US alone (the rest of the world has been in a similar situation, of course), more than 500,000 people have died, businesses have been shut down (with many never reopening), and millions have lost their jobs, all the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s response to the deadly virus.

AMC Networks, the cable networks company that operates AMC, IFC, WE tv, BBC America and SundanceTV, has reported better-than-expected streaming subscriber growth for 2020 and better-than-feared U.S. advertising trends in the final quarter of the year.

Norwegian director Maria Sodhal made her first feature, Limbo, a decade ago and her second makes the reason for the long time gap dramatically clear: She developed lung cancer, which then metastasized and spread to her brain, a virtual death sentence. But she fought back and lived to make a film about it, the closely observed Hope, which is all she had going for her as she faced almost certain oblivion.

AMC Networks chief operating officer Ed Carroll said Friday popular series Better Call Saul will likely return in the first quarter of 2022 after Covid-19 delays.

AMC Networks ended 2020 with more than 6 million subscribers for its AMC Networks streaming services across recently launched AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK– up 157% year-on-year.

Guy Lodge Film CriticPhilippe Lacôte’s career in film began at the end, rather than the beginning, of the cinematic life cycle: as a projectionist in a small regional theater in Toulouse, France, where the Ivory Coast-born director had moved to study linguistics.