Anonymous Content, Mediawan’s Paiva Team on ‘Civilizations’ Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International EditorWarner Bros. is reaching out to international exhibitors about a possible late August launch for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” If it takes place, it would mean that the twisty spy thriller, which was expected to be among the highest-grossing summer releases, will have some sort of popcorn season debut.Exhibitors in the U.K., France and Spain have been told by the studio to plan for an Aug.

Erik Barmack, the former Netflix executive who oversaw its game-changing drive into production around the world is teaming with renowned French African artist Nicholle Kobi on “Queens,” a high-concept, stylish animated series about six extraordinary real-life African queens.Set up at Barmack’s L.A.-based Wild Sheep Content, the high-concept “Queens” is an attempt to reclaim for Black people around the world a history and source of inspiration that has been denied them by mainstream media and

Studiocanal, the leading European production, distribution and international sales powerhouse, is teaming with France’s CPB Films (“Savages”) and Leyland Films (“Murder in Provence”) to develop a high-end English-language drama series about the trailblazing African American entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker, whom the partners describe as the world’s first Black global star performer.Studiocanal, part of Vivendi’s Canal Plus Group, will handle international distribution rights

Former TOWIE star Lauren Pope went out on her first family day out on Wednesday with her partner, new daughter and the couple's dogs three days after she gave birth The 37-year-old and her millionaire boyfriend Tony Keterman went out in the car with their baby girl Raine Anais and not forgetting their French Bulldog Cookie.

Naman Ramachandran French broadcaster TF1 will air entertainment show “Good Singers,” hosted by TV personality Anthony Lambert, from July 17.The weekly prime time show is based on Istanbul-headquartered distributor Global Agency’s original format “Is That Really Your Voice?,” created by Izzet Pinto, in which a panel must select the talented singers from a group based purely on their appearance.Pinto said: “The idea for the show came from watching the singer Susan Boyle, who rose to fame on a

Justin Kroll Film ReporterGina Prince-Bythewood is set to direct TriStar Pictures’ “The Woman King,” starring Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis.The film is a historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentThe Jewish Film Institute has selected six projects for its inaugural Completion Grants Program, including “The Wild One,” a documentary by French filmmaker Tessa Louise-Salomé about Holocaust survivor, Hollywood filmmaker and Method Acting pioneer Jack Garfein, who worked with George Peppard, Steve McQueen and James Dean.The funding program supports both emerging and established filmmakers developing “original, contemporary stories that promote

Peter White Television EditorPeacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, launches nationwide July 15 with originals including an adaptation of Brave New World, the original movie Psych 2 and a number of British titles.Bill McGoldrick, President of Original Content at NBCU Entertainment Networks and Direct-to-Consumer, would have hoped that he and his team would have had a few more originals at launch, including reboots of Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster, but these were curtailed by

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSatisfaction Group, Arthur Essebag’s thriving Paris-based production company specializing in non-scripted shows, has acquired 100% of Sony Pictures Television France and its label Starling, creating an exclusive joint venture called Satisfy.Under the deal, Sony Pictures Television has acquired 20% of Satisfaction Group, and will be in charge of the international distribution of the company’s formats, some of which are among France’s highest-rated

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentDanish writer Karen Blixen, whose memoir “Out of Africa” and short story “Babette’s Feast” were both turned into Academy Award-winning films, is now the subject of another big-screen makeover with an adaptation of her short story “The Immortal Story” set to be penned by Argentina’s Daniel Rosenfeld and Lucía Puenzo.Argentine-French actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (“BPM (Beats per Minute)”) and Leonardo Sbaraglia (“Pain and Glory,” “Wild Tales”) have

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentJuliette Schrameck, the former managing director of MK2 Films (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”), will be joining the well-established French production company Agat Films starting Sept.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentColcoa, the Los Angeles-based French film festival, has decided to cancel its 2020 edition due to the continuing health crisis in the U.S.The next edition, which will mark the festival’s 25th anniversary celebration, will be held from Sept. 20-26, 2021.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentEurope’s biggest nation of moviegoers, France, saw its theaters reopen with a bang on June 22 and managed to sell between 850,000 and 900,000 admissions through Sunday.It’s roughly 50% less than an average week in June, but considering the dearth of fresh releases, the heat wave, which plagued most of the country last week, and fears of a second wave of COVID-19, it’s an “outstanding result that is beyond our most optimistic forecast,” said Eric Marti at

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaIFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles,” a documentary about one Isreali chef’s attempts to recreate some of the French Monarchy’s most delicious desserts.The film is the latest work from Laura Gabbert, who previously teamed with IFC Films on “City of Gold,” a look at the late food critic Jonathan Gold and his connection to the culinary scene of Los Angeles.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentCharades has closed a raft of sales on the French comedy “The Speech” which is part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection and is screening at Cannes’ virtual Marché du Film.“The Speech” is adapted from Fabcaro’s novel “Le discours,” and is directed by Laurent Tirard, the popular French helmer of “Little Nicholas” and “Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia.” The movie is one of five comedies which are part of Cannes’ official selection.“The Speech” tells

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorGoogle is prepping a “new news experience” to launch later in 2020 — for which the internet giant will finally directly compensate some publishers of “high-quality content” under a new licensing program.Google’s move follows actions by antitrust regulatory groups in Australia and France calling on Google to pay for news content, as well as complaints by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp that the massive search company has profited off its intellectual property.In

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentSolveig Langeland’s Stuttgart-based sales agency Sola Media has sold CGI animated feature film “Moonbound” to multiple territories.The film, directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi on a production budget of around $9 million, will be released in Germany and Austria by Little Dreams and Warner Bros.

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentBerlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed key territories on its bittersweet portrayal of the end of a relationship “Are We Lost Forever.”The Swedish LGBT drama, the feature debut of director David Färdmar, has been picked up by Outplay in France, Salzgeber in Germany, Peccadillo Pictures (U.K./Ireland), Arti Films in Benelux and Surtsey Fim in Spain.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorEXCLUSIVE: Gaumont, the French production company behind Netflix shows Narcos and F Is For Family, is in the early stages of adapting Gaston Leroux’s iconic novel The Phantom Of The Opera into a six-part TV miniseries.The project is being led out of Gaumont’s UK unit, which is working with writer Anthony Horowitz to reimagine Leroux’s gothic story about a disfigured composer, who lives in the depths of the Paris Opera House and falls for singer Christine Daae