Cannes Winners Vimukthi Jayasundara, César Díaz Among Rotterdam’s HBF+Europe Funding Recipients – Global Bulletin

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief KC Global Media, which operates a string of channels across Asia including AXN, anime channel Animax, South Korea’s ONE and Japanese entertainment channel GEM, has unveiled its first script development of a sci-fi live action series, “Jonesy.” The show is a sci-fi fantasy thriller action-comedy series set in the year 2029, with eight episodes of 15-20 minutes each. Production will be with Singapore-based production agency, Monochromatic Pictures, while development is supported through the Capability Partnership Programme (CPP) operated by the country’s Infocomm Media Development Authority. The show sees an internet crazy shut-in man driven to extremes by violent weather systems which carry with them supernatural beasts intent on devouring humankind. With his imaginary friend, the man learns to navigate the new world alone, confront his fears, battle colorful foes, and become humanity’s new hope when he kills one of the monsters during a livestream.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Superprod studio has acquired The Co-Production Company, the NY-based firm launched last year by former DreamWorks executive Doug Schwalbe for financing and distribution of international productions.

Colombian filmmaker Laura Mora has clinched the Golden Shell in the main competition of the 70th San Sebastian Film Festival with her latest feature The Kings of the World (Los reyes del mundo).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japan’s biggest film group Toho announced that it has taken a controlling stake in TIA (previously Toho Interactive Animation), a production company behind the “100 Nichikan Ikita Wani,” film and anime series “iii icecrin,” “iii icecrin2” “Ninja Collection” and “That Is the Bottleneck.” Originally known as I&A, the company was established in 2017 by ILCA and Anima. The name changed to TIA after Toho bought a nearly 35% from the two founders in 2020. Toho has now bought out Anima’s stake, giving it a 67.4% majority holding and cause to rename the company again, this time to Toho Animation Studio. Deal terms were not disclosed.

K.J. Yossman “Peaky Blinders” is getting a theatrical adaptation with “Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.” “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight has written the theatrical dance show, which is set to be directed and choreographed by Benoit Swan Pouffer, artistic director of Rambert. It is set to premiere on Sept. 27 at the Birmingham Hippodrome, which is co-producing the show, before transferring to Troubadour Wembley Park in London and then a U.K. tour in 2023. Thomas Shelby will be played by Guillaume Quéau and Prince Lyons, who will alternate, while the role of Grace will be rotated between Naya Lovell and Seren Williams.

Lise Pedersen Beginning today, Cartoon Forum, the annual European pitching & co-production event for animated TV projects, is a mirror of the times we live in, according to its general director, Annick Maes.  “This year’s Cartoon Forum will incorporate the transformations we are going through in one form or another,” she told Variety. “There are a lot of projects about the ecology, about living together – quite a few targeting adults and teenagers.  “They really reflect the times in which times we are living. For example, the impact of women is growing, there are more and more female producers and directors. It’s an industry where we’ve pretty much reached gender parity among our participants. You can’t say the same for fiction or documentary.” 

Many members of the royal family will be attending the Queen's funeral today in honour of her memory.

Thania Garcia Although the royal family has yet to confirm the official list of attendees for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, various heads of state have already confirmed their planned attendance at the Westminster Abbey ceremony scheduled for Monday, Sept. 19. Buckingham Palace revealed the full schedule of the funeral plans — which will begin in London and end in Windsor — including the several categories of dignitaries invited: global government representatives, foreign royal families, governors general, realm prime ministers and heads of state. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be present, along with all of the heads of the Commonwealth including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indian President Droupadi Murmu and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Joining them will be President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and the presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Poland, among other representatives.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Winston Duke has recalled working on the sequel without the late, great Chadwick Boseman. Boseman (who played King T'Challa so perfectly across five projects) tragically left us in August 2020 following a battle with colon cancer, yet his legacy will be celebrated in the upcoming MCU blockbuster. "There was no preparing for it," the M'Baku actor told Variety of the early shoot days.

Belgium has selected Lukas Dhont’s Cannes-winning title Close as its official submission to the International Oscar race this year.

Naman Ramachandran HBO Max in Hungary will stream a local version of hit survival reality format “The Bridge.” The competition sees participants tasked with building a 250-metre-long bridge to an island for the chance to win a large cash prize. Presented by Csaba Magyarósi, “The Bridge Hungary” is produced locally by Free Monkeys Production. This is the sixth adaptation of the format, which was created in Spain by Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia and has U.K., Brazil and Australia versions.. Banijay Rights struck multiple deals for the U.K. version with broadcasters in the Netherlands and across Africa and Latin America. The U.K. series also aired on HBO Max in the US, Latin America, and Asia.

Naman Ramachandran Collective Media Group and Entourage Sports and Entertainment‘s soccer documentary feature “Brazil 2002: The Real Story,” recounting the story of the 2002 World Cup on its 20th anniversary, has sold a raft of territories worldwide. The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian soccer player Juliano Belletti during the tournament, and also features interviews with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Gilberto Silva from the World Cup winning Brazil team; and, from the opposing teams across the tournament, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Oliver Kahn, Hasan Şaş and Marc Wilmots as well as referee Pierluigi Collina. FIFA has taken the film for its own streamer FIFA+, for territories including Asia (excluding Japan), Turkey and New Zealand. This is complemented by deals confirmed by distribution partner Abacus Media Rights including: Canal+ Group for Canal+ Foot and myCanal (France); Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg); Sky Italia (Italy, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Capodistria, Montecarlo and Italian speaking Switzerland); DBS Satellite Services (Israel and West Bank); Supersport Africa (for Africa); NOS Portugal (Portugal and PALOPs); Movistar Plus+ (Spain); and Stan Entertainment Pty (Australia).

It was obvious from the opening embers of the 4-0 pre-season win over Liverpool in Thailand that Diogo Dalot was going to play a big role for Erik ten Hag this season.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief