Beta Film Execs Outline Plans for Growing Central and Eastern Europe Market (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSky has unveiled the official trailer for the fifth and final season of “Gomorrah,” Italy’s cult crime series produced by Sky Studios and ITV-owned Cattleya in collaboration with Germany’s Beta Film, which is the show’s international distributor. “Gomorrah” 5 is set to air locally on Nov.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentViaplay, the ambitious Scandinavian streaming service from NENT Group, is about to grow its footprint in several key markets around the world.The company, whose recent hit shows include “Porni,” “Those Who Kill” and “Honour,” just unveiled its plan to launch in the U.K. in the second half of 2022, and in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria in 2023.

Constantin Inks RTL Licensing Deal

Morten Steingrimsen Guest ContributorPeter Mullan (“Westworld,” “Top of the Lake”) and Charles Dance (“Mank,” “The Crown”) have joined the cast of “The Hanging Sun,” based on Jo Nesbø’s bestselling novel “Midnight Sun.”Frederick Schmidt (“Angel Has Fallen”) and Raphael Vicas (“Grantchester”) are also boarding the production.The Sky Original film is a U.K.-Italian co-production from Sky, ITV Studios’ Cattleya and Groenlandia.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentViacomCBS’ Pluto TV, the fast-growing, free, ad-supported, linear TV-style streaming service, is set to launch in Italy on Oct. 28 with 40 thematic channels spanning multiple genres.Pluto TV’s Italy launch will expand the service’s European footprint, segueing from successful bows in the U.K., Germany, France and Spain.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaSaban Films is getting in the Nicolas Cage business.The studio has acquired “Butcher’s Crossing,” a frontier epic that stars the off-beat, Oscar winner as a buffalo hunter. The deal covers rights in North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia.Gabe Polsky, who directed the documentary “Red Penguins,” slides behind the camera on this one.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Pitch Perfect” series has been ordered at Peacock with Adam Devine onboard to reprise his role from the film franchise, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is set several years after the events of the films. Devine returns as Bumper Allen, who moves to Germany to revive his music career when one of his songs becomes big in Berlin.Bumper was the main antagonist of the first film and the leader of the all-male a cappella group The Treblemakers.

Naman Ramachandran Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios.

Ann-Marie Corvin Vicente Canales’ Film Factory Entertainment has sold Icíar Bollaín’s San Sebastian Festival-bound Basque reconciliation drama “Maixabel” to Germany, striking a deal with Berlin-based distributor Piffl Medien.The film is set to make its theatrical release in Spain on Sept.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNewen Group, the TF1-owned French production and distribution outfit, has acquired a 51% stake in the German production company Flare Film, whose slate includes the upcoming Sky Original show “Paradiso” and Ildikó Enyedi’s “Balaton Brigade.”Launched in 2008 by Martin Heisler, the Berlin-based company has been focusing on director-driven documentaries and films that have been showcased on the international festival circuit.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorBerlin-based Picture Tree International has acquired worldwide rights to docu-fiction “The Painter,” a collaboration between German director Oliver Hirschbiegel, best known for Oscar-nominated “Downfall,” and German artist Albert Oehlen.The work stars Ben Becker, whose credits include “Brother of Sleep” and “Comedian Harmonists,” and features the voice of Charlotte Rampling.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorProduction, finance and sales outfit Film Constellation has inked new key deals on psychological thriller “John and the Hole,” directed by one of Variety’s top 10 directors to watch, Pascual Sisto.

Kim Petras knows how to make an entrance! The German singer-songwriter arrived in style to the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night alongside Paris Hilton, who drove the pair up to the red carpet in a baby pink convertible.Petras wore a black, latex head-to-toe bodysuit and paired it with a beautifully embroidered mini-dress that featured a floral scene intertwined with crosses and gold and pearl detailing.

Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Lesley-Ann Brandt, D.B. Woodside and Aimee Garcia ahead of the premiere, and they all have strong opinions on whether or not they'd like to revisit their characters if the opportunity arose. «The only spinoff that would not work from the show would be Decker,» German said of her character, Chloe Decker.

Naman Ramachandran Protagonist Pictures has closed sales on several key territories, including the U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent“Ennio,” the hotly anticipated Ennio Morricone doc by Oscar-winning Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore has sold to a slew of territories ahead of its world premiere Friday at the Venice Film FestivalBlock 2 Distribution, which is the sales arm of Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai’s Jet Tone films, has announced sales of the doc to Germany and Austria (Koch Media), Benelux (Periscope), France (Le Pacte), Scandinavia and Baltics (Non Stop Entertainment),

Liza Foreman It’s not often that films shoot in the Occupied Golan Heights, Israel’s contested border territory with Syria and Lebanon.Characterized by sloping mountains and the ruins of more than 100 Syrian villages, destroyed (by Israel) after the Six Day War in 1967, it makes for an atmospheric filming location.