Banijay Asia Adds ‘Vertige’ Adaptation as Growth Plans Become More Ambitious (EXCLUSIVE)

Naman Ramachandran Toronto-headquartered animation outfit Paperboat Animation Studios has revealed a new slate.The slate is led by “Kabuliwala: Man from Kabul,” a 3D animated feature based on the classic short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The story, which has already been adapted several times as live-action features, tells the story of the bond between a 6-year-old girl from Kolkata, India, and an immigrant hawker from Kabul, Afghanistan.Paperboat co-founder and chief creative director Soumitra Ranade, whose credits include “Bombay Rose” and “The World of Goopy and Bagha,” adapted the story and will direct.

Edwin van der Sar has lavished the praise on Erik ten Hag ahead of his imminent arrival at Manchester United.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will not celebrate winning the Eredivisie title with Ajax in Curacao as he prepares to turn his attentions straight to the Old Trafford rebuild. Ten Hag has brought his time at the Amsterdam helm to an end after four-and-a-half successful years.

Netflix’s upcoming Indian musical drama The Archies from director Zoya Akhtar has set its cast. The ensemble, who play characters from the iconic Archie Comics franchise, includes emerging talent such as Mihir Ahuja (Bard of Blood), Khushi Kapoor (The Garhwal Rifles) and Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan in a but role.

When Erik ten Hag takes a break from the demands of managing, he will often turn to a book and he has a keen interest in tomes on sports psychology. Among his own collection, the 52-year-old enjoys The Winner is Seen, by Dutch sports psychologist Peter Blitz and Effect by Norwegian skater Johann Olav Koss.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefIndian activist filmmaker Pa. Ranjith is to begin production later this year on “Vettuvam” (aka “The Hunted”), a linked film and TV series about standing up to injustice and which is largely set in a prison.The projects are backed by Golden Ratio Films, the film production arm of Vistas Media Capital, and Neelam Studios.The story involves a rural gangster, who is a modern day Robin Hood to his people, but who turns himself in to the police in order to avoid his enemies.

Selome Hailu ABC’s untitled drama pilot from “This Is Us” and “Queen Sugar” writer Kay Oyegun has cast Sendhil Ramamurthy, Johnny Simmons, Rachel Hilson, Demitrius Grosse and Rahnuma Panthaky.The pilot follows five therapists at the Mindful Insight Therapy Group in Philadelphia who find unique ways to solve problems in their patients’ lives while grappling with their own. Ellen Roman, the owner of the practice and a brilliant therapist, has her life shockingly turned upside down when she begins working with a sociopathic patient who may hold the key to the disappearance of her sister five years earlier.Ramamurthy will play Amit, a big-hearted and well-respected relationship therapist.

Ajax are close to appointing Alfred Schreuder as Erik ten Hag's successor at the Johan Cruyff Arena, according to reports.

Disney delivered spectacular streaming gains, adding nearly 20 million new subscribers to Disney+ in its fiscal second quarter.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of their Oscar win for The Long Goodbye, Sound Of Metal and Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed and Surge director Aneil Karia are confirmed for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which is being launched by WME Independent at the Cannes market.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBanijay, Stéphane Courbit’s TV production and distribution powerhouse behind “Survivor” and “Peaky Blinders,” is set to go public and enter the stock exchange in Amsterdam through a newly-created special purpose acquisition company or SPAC.Named FL Entertainment, the listed banner will comprise Banijay and Courbit’s online gambling group Betclic. It will merge with a second SPAC called Pegasus Entrepreneurs which was formed by Tikehau Capital and Financière Agache, LVMH founder Arnault’s investment company, according to the Financial Times.

Banijay, the company behind series such as Survivor, Peaky Blinders and MasterChef, is going public through an agreement with a SPAC investment group.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe sports rights and media businesses in the Asia-Pacific region are experiencing a post-COVID rebound that could continue at 6% annually until 2026. But the past domination of broadcast TV is being eroded.

Brighton and former Ajax defender Joel Veltman believes Erik ten Hag is the 'perfect match' for Manchester United, but he warns the Dutchman must be given time to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag is on the verge of meeting his new players at Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag has claimed his Ajax players have retained their focus despite the hysteria surrounding his appointment as Manchester United manager.

Naman Ramachandran Rohit Shetty, the filmmaker known for his Singham cop franchise, and Reliance Entertainment, will produce a biopic on one of Mumbai’s most revered top cops and former commissioner of police, Rakesh Maria.The biopic will be based on Maria’s 2020 memoir “Let Me Say it Now” and will be mentored by Shetty. A director and cast have yet to be finalized.As deputy commissioner of police (traffic) in 1993, Maria cracked the Bombay serial blasts case. He was later deputy commissioner of police (crime) and then joint commissioner of police (crime), of the Mumbai police.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival has added two more films to the Official Selection of the 75th edition, which will kick off on May 17. Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “As Bestas,” a French-Spanish movie, has been added to Cannes Première, the new section dedicated to world premieres for movies that are slightly more mainstream, similarly to the out-of-competition strand.

Amazon’s top U.S. and international execs are banking on even bigger things in India after launching the streamer’s biggest ever slate in the country.