Banijay Boards Reality Show ‘The Hotel’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great and Small) is the newest addition to Lionsgate’s remake of the 2008 horror The Strangers. She joins an ensemble led by Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez which also includes Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath, as previously announced.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent CANNES — Framing one of the first independent series co-productions between Brazil and Portugal, Ventre Studio, Coral Europa, Canal Brasil and TVI are co-producing “Godless John,” with Brazilian acting legend Marco Nanini as John of God. Directed by Marina Person (“California”), the three-part series’ boasts a powerful Brazilian cast which has gained international recognition: Bianca Comparato,  star of Netflix hit “3%,” Karine Teles (“Second Mother”) and Antonio Saboia (“Bacurau”). Two Portuguese actresses will be confirmed shortly.

Katie Price is preparing to make her reality TV comeback alongside her fiancé Carl Woods – a move that has left those in her close circle feeling concerned. We can reveal the 44-year-old has spent the last few weeks secretly filming the follow-up to her reality series Mucky Mansion. As scenes will show, Katie appears more united with Carl, 33, than ever.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent CANNES  —  Paramount+ has revealed a premiere date – Nov. 3 – as well as trailer and key art for “Bosé,” a biopic of the famed Spanish singer-songwriter Miguel Bosé which is shaping up as one of Spain’s biggest and most anticipated series of 2022.  Shared in exclusivity with Variety, the trailer, like the version glimpsed at Iberseries in one of that market’s biggest sneak peeks, captures Bosé’s art – a mix between David Bowie glam and sexual ambiguity and softer Italian melody.  It also drive into what looks like the emotional heart and narrative structure of the story, showing Miguel Bosé (played by Iván Sánchez and José Pastor), in a present-day timeline during the promotion of his multi-platinum album “Papito,” as he debates becoming a father. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix has come on board for the second year to support the Short Film Camp, a film industry training program for professionals from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The SFC is led by Purin Pictures, a film funding body backed by the Purin Foundation. The event, running for ten days (Dec. 2-12, 2022) in Bangkok, Thailand, will involve 12 teams of directors and producers. The 24 participants will receive mentoring that aims to hone their writing, producing and directing skills. The workshop culminates in a live pitch of their short film projects, where four winners will receive funding and post-production support to produce their short films.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Fremantle has acquired international distribution rights to “East Side,” the latest series from “Shtisel” producer Abot Hameiri, starring Yehuda Levi, a Series Mania 2022 best actor winner for “Fire Dance.” Taking 100% ownership of Abot Hameiri last year, Fremantle, which also co-financed the series, will bring “East Side” onto the  market at this next week’s Mipcom trade fair and conference in Cannes. To debut on Israel’s Kan 11 channel, “East Side” turns on Momi,  a former Israeli secret service agent hired to take over a Palestinian neighbourhood, one home at a time. He attempts one last sale in order to set up for life his 18-year-old daughter Maya who is on the autism spectrum. The challenge is to wrestle ownership of a grand hotel which dominates entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City. Whoever controls the entrance controls the City, Momi is told. But the owner, the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, says he is not for selling.  

Now that it’s been in theaters for three weeks, one would hope the firestorm surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling” would have been doused and done away with. If we were only that lucky.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent To be released worldwide Nov. 4 on Prime Video, Amazon Original “El Presidente: The Corruption Game,” from Academy Award winner Armando Bo, is a Latin American series about how a Brazilian, João Havelange, wrestled control from Europe of the biggest sport on earth. In a neat historical echo, backed by Bo, “Narcos” producer Gaumont TV, Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula (“La Jauría”) and Argentine powerhouse Kapow (“La Jauría”), the second season in the “El Presidente” series saga of soccer business high jinks and low morals now looks set to become one of the biggest soccer titles released in the countdown to the greatest show on earth, the FIFA World Cup. 

Marta Balaga Winter is coming, but not at Netflix, as the streamer will be launching its reality show “Summer Job” – produced by Banijay Italia – before the end of the year. “I am proud, because it’s an original show made for Italy,” said Tinny Andreatta, VP of content for Italy, at MIA Market on Wednesday. Netflix has been eager to expand its unscripted content. “We know our members love it. It’s a really exciting and growing area for us,” added Larry Tanz, VP of content for EMEA. Mentioning some recent successes from “Young, Famous & African” to “I Am Georgina,” both coming back for a second season, as well as new Spanish offering “Who Likes My Follower?”

Zack Sharf Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour was chaotic, to say the least. In a new interview with Elle magazine, Wilde expressed disappointment in how the media took all of the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film and “minimized [it] into bite-size TikTok points,” adding, “This film is trying to ask big questions, but [it’s] ‘Let’s just focus on this sideshow over here.’” Rumors circulated for months that Wilde and her “Don’t Worry Darling” lead Florence Pugh feuded on set. Social media users spent much of the film’s press tour hunting for confirmation wherever they could find it, be it Pugh’s lack of social media promotion for the movie or the duo keeping their distance during the film’s Venice Film Festival world premiere. Then drama erupted around Shia LaBeouf’s exit from the film, with LaBeouf leaking a video of Wilde trying to get him back despite clear reservations from Pugh over working with him. And don’t forget about the video of Harry Styles allegedly spitting on Chris Pine (both of their reps denied such an act took place).

Following his exit from the popular soap Eastenders, Danny Dyer is set to present a Channel 4 show that sees celebs denied light for days on end. Back in January, Danny revealed that he would be leaving the fictional borough of Walford after playing Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter for a glorious nine years. Many fans wondered what would be next for the 45 year old actor after previous roles in films The Football Factory, The Business and Human Traffic.

Sara Lee, winner of Season 6 of the WWE’s reality series Tough Enough, died today at age 30, her mother said. No cause was given.

Hollie RichardsonBeloved Detectorists star Toby Jones was not the first actor in his family. His grandmother Doreen (AKA “Dorki”) was entertaining troops in France just as the Nazis invaded. That stressful tale of escape – as well as the truth behind grandfather Reggie’s war wound – are revealed in the last episode of this emotional series.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Daniel Goldhaber’s heist thriller “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” has been boarded by Paris-based world sales banner Charades following its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. The breakout film played in the competitive Platform section at Toronto and was acquired by Neon for North America in a deal negotiated by CAA Media Finance. Based on Andreas Malm’s controversial manifesto tackling the climate crisis, the film stars Ariela Barer (“Runaways”, “Atypical”), who also produced and co-wrote with Jordan Sjol. It was edited by Daniel Garber (“CAM,” “Some Kind of Heaven”). “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” follows a group of young environmental activists who set out to sabotage an oil pipeline in a timely thriller that’s described as “part high-stakes heist, part radical exploration of direct action as climate activism.”