BBC Studios Inks Multi-Year Content Deal With Italy’s Mediaset – Global Bulletin

Fremantle Boosts Revenue By 25% For RTL Group

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s Stand By Me and RAI have partnered on “The General’s Men,” a high-end drama that delves into the country’s battle against Red Brigades terrorism by portraying a special paramilitary unit set up by a high-ranking police official played by Sergio Castellitto.Castellitto (first look image above) plays General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, the heroic chief of the Carabinieri paramilitary police force who in 1974 set up the Nucleo Speciale Antiterrorismo, a unit of elite young officers, to fight Red Brigades terrorists who were running rampage. In 1978 the Red Brigades abducted and killed then Italian prime minister Aldo Moro.“They are all young [both the terrorists and the elite police officers] and they represent two distinct groups who have decided to be on different sides of history,” said Stand By Me chief Simona Ercolani.

Naman Ramachandran Singer-songwriter Sam Ryder will represent the U.K. at the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Turin, Italy in May 2022 with the song “Space Man.” With over 12 million followers and 100 million likes on TikTok, Ryder is currently the most followed U.K. music artist on the platform.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcasters Channel 4, ITV, BBC, STV, UKTV, S4C and Paramount U.K. have teamed to create access and inclusion passports aimed at removing barriers and supporting better inclusion of disabled people and other colleagues at work.

Holly Willoughby has shared a behind-the-scenes look at her new BBC TV show with fans.This Morning presenter Holly, 41, is set to appear on a new BBC One challenge show, Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof, which will follow famous faces as they take on some epic mental and physical challenges set by “The Iceman” himself - Dutch extreme athlete and cold-water therapy advocate, Wim Hof.The star will present the show alongside comedian Lee Mack as several celebrities go on “once-in-a-lifetime, epic adventure”. Posting a photo of herself and the 53 year old comedian grinning as they wrapped up warm in winter gear, Holly wrote: “And so the adventure begins… Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof, coming soon to BBC One and @bbciplayer”, before tagging some of her co-stars.

Naman Ramachandran Premium documentary titles featuring iconic musicians including John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Tupac Shakur and Amy Winehouse have sold widely for BBC Studios.Rogan productions’ feature-length documentary for BBC Two, “Freddie Mercury: The Final Act,” charts the final chapter of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s life story. International sales include the U.S.

Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kumzin has spoken out about his fears for his grandmother who is currently in Ukraine.

Fremantle International Bolsters Scripted

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentGiancarlo Giannini, who was the late great Lina Wertmüller’s muse, helmer Gabriele Muccino (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), and Teresa Saponangelo, star of Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” are among top honorees of the seventh edition of Filming Italy — Los Angeles, the bridge between Italy and Hollywood set to run as a hybrid event Feb. 28-March 3.The celebration of Italy’s top film and TV titles is headed by longtime Italian industry promoter Tiziana Rocca, a former chief of the Taormina Film Festival.

Stanley Tucci stars in his own BBC food show where he travels across Italy to discover the country’s regional cuisines.

Nancy Dell’Olio has signed up for ‘Celebrity MasterChef’. The former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ contestant - and ex-girlfriend of former England football manager Sven Goran-Eriksson - is said to have joined the line-up for the star-studded BBC cooking competition, according to the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column. That is despite the 60-year-old lawyer once admitting she "doesn't enjoy cooking much".

Garden Rescue viewers have slammed the latest episode as the 'worst' makeover they've ever seen.

K.J. Yossman Sky have released first look images for a new Sky Original drama, “Unwanted.”Inspired by the book “Bilal,” an investigative book from journalist Fabrizio Gatti, the eight-part series tells the story of an undercover human rights defender who is helping migrants journey from Africa to Europe as they battle human traffickers and government officials.Stefano Bises (“Gomorrah”) created and wrote the series in collaboration with with the collaboration of Alessandro Valenti, Bernardo Pellegrini and Michela Straniero.

Tunisian-French film producer Tarak Ben Ammar has finalized a deal to purchase Studios de Paris, the production facility outside the French capital which recently housed the Netflix series Emily In Paris and Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2, Deadline can confirm.

Resembling more of a personal tribute than exhaustive biography, Pietro Marcello‘s Lucio Dalla documentary, “For Lucio,” takes its title as an invitation. A rambling eulogy that is just as often confusing as it is profound, Marcello’s wisp of a film (running less than 80 minutes) may be missing key context for those not already versed in the life and music of the politically-oriented Italian singer-songwriter.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentTarak Ben Ammar has finalized his acquisition of the Studios of Paris, the vast studio facility located on the outskirts of Paris where Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler are currently filming Netflix’s “Murder Mystery 2.” The deal is estimated in the $35-million range.Ben Ammar, who co-founded the Studios with “Valerian” director Luc Besson a decade ago and owned a 25-percent stake in it, completed the acquisition via Eagle Pictures France, a subsidiary of the Italian production and distribution powerhouse.The businessman has taken full ownership of the Studios from its shareholders, including Besson, who owned a 9.9% stake in the complex through his holding company Frontline. The other shareholders who are set to exit the studios are EuropaCorp, Besson’s former production banner which is now mainly owned by Vine Alternative and has a 40% stake in the property, as well as Euromedia, a broadcast facilities provider who has a 25% stake.