CMG Racks Up Sales for Cesar Zelada’s Animated Tale ‘Kayara’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Ron Howard is bringing the incredible true story of the 2018 cave rescue of a group of young soccer players to the screen with his latest project, “Thirteen Lives”.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAs Paramount+ prepares for its splashy, star-studded U.K. and Ireland launch in London on Monday, Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan spoke to Variety about the rebranded company’s global streaming biz expansion that, besides being powered by original content, stands out in the field for its diversified model.This model involves a mix of platforms and partnerships, combining direct-to-consumer and a la carte offerings with a market-by-market approach.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor Anil Kapoor, known globally for his roles in “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” has a raft of projects lined up.First up is Viacom18 Studios and Dharma Productions’ “Jug Jugg Jeeyo,” directed by Raj Mehta (“Good Newwz”), which is due a June 24 release. The film follows a father and son pair who are considering divorcing their respective spouses, but hold the news back because of impending family festivities.“Sometimes in a serious situation, you feel it is serious, but the way it has been written, the way the storytelling is, it’s very funny,” Kapoor told Variety.

Lise Pedersen France’s animation industry is thriving, according to the latest figures published by the country’s national film center, the CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée), during the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival.The country’s animation production levels in 2021 were the second highest ever, at 357 hours of programs, surpassed only by 2006, which reported 395 hours.French animation, whose long-established reputation of excellence and know-how has been a draw for international co-productions for decades, has proved increasingly attractive to international co-productions thanks to its generous tax rebate for international projects, which was revised upwards from 20% to 30% of spend in 2015.

Lise Pedersen Six teams of budding animation professionals have pitched their projects at the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival as part of a new mentoring program for women from France and Africa launched by Les Femmes s’Animent (LFA), an organization that supports women in animation.The aim of the initiative, entitled “A Woman’s Journey,” is to help women who want to create short animated films but are not part of, nor have access to, the animation industry.

Emiliano De Pablos Suggesting an appreciable recovery in the dynamism of international film markets, Madrid-based Latido Films has unveiled a raft of deals on its Cannes line-up, led by standout sales for Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Cannes Premiere player “The Beasts.” The Spain-set rural thriller was acquired by Movies Inspired in Italy and Imagine in Benelux. Co-produced by Spain’s Arcadia Motion Pictures and Sorogoyen’s Caballo Films with France’s Le Pacte, “The Beasts” has also been taken by Kino Mediteran in former Yugoslavia territories and Transilvania Film in Romania.Meanwhile, fruit of Latido’s strengthening of its remake rights sales strategies, the company has optioned Mexican movie adaptation rights on Nicolás Postiglione’s drama “Immersion” to Paloma Negra Films and Whisky, as a French redo of Gastón Duprat’s Spanish-Argentine drama “Masterpiece” is moving into production.  Also, Latido is in advanced negotiations on further remake rights deals in France, Italy and Mexico, among other territories.“Our sales expectations are beginning to approach pre-pandemic levels,” said Antonio Saura, Latido Films managing director.“We saw a market with multiple signs of dynamism but, at the same time, we feel that less and less risks are being taken,” argued Juan Torres, head of international sales. “Projects with a commercial vocation today attract the attention of many buyers more quickly,” he explained. “On the other hand, films that are more fragile from a commercial point of view but which previously managed to find acceptance in various territories today seem destined more than ever for festivals or minor online exhibition,” he added.Regarding signs of dynamism, Saura points out, “we see that independent distributors,

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentBack in Japan after his Korean-language drama “Broker” won two prizes at this year’s Cannes festival, Kore-eda Hirokazu appeared as a press event in Tokyo on Tuesday to announce the launch of a group of industry professionals who aim for structural reform of the Japanese film industry.The group calls itself the “Association for the Establishment of a Japanese Version of CNC.” The reference is to France’s government-backed oversight body, the Centre National du Cinema et de l’Image Animee. Kore-eda noted the low incomes and long working hours of freelance filmmakers and emphasized the need for reform.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaUniversal’s “Jurassic World Dominion” continues to cast a shadow over the worldwide box office.The film opens in 57 new markets this weekend, including China, where it’s grossed $15.3 million. The international haul for the sequel stands at a healthy $95.1 million.China, which has not been that receptive to Hollywood films, was a bright spot.

Ted Sarandos To Be Named Entertainment Person Of The Year At Cannes Lions

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentCharades has closed a raft of deals on “Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be,” an animated feature which world premiered at Cannes in the Special Screenings section and will go on to compete at Annecy festival. Directed by Benjamin Massoubre and Amandine Fredon, “Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be” is based on author René Goscinny and New Yorker cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé’s popular children books from the 1960’s which have been translated into than 30 languages.

Birmingham restaurant where Johnny Depp said he had eaten the 'best curry ever' said the reaction had been 'crazy' since his visit. The Hollywood actor rocked up at Varanasi off Broad Street on Sunday evening - ahead of a performance at the Symphony Hall on Monday. The star of Pirates of the Caribbean spent around four hours at the popular Indian restaurant, arriving at the secret back entrance at around 7.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSouth Korean TV network MBN is to give a weekly primetime slot this summer to a localized version of studio-based reality show “Mystery Duets.”The concept sees the nation’s most famous singers and celebrities perform a duet without knowing with whom they share the stage. It is only in the middle of the song that they discover each other’s identity as the screen between them rises.

So, this is what you do when you just won $10.35 million?!

Johnny Depp.On Sunday, June 5, an Indian restaurant in Birmingham, England, closed down to the public so the actor and 21 of his pals could dine without interruption. According to TMZ, Johnny spent about $60,000 on the meal at Varanasi.Mohammed Hussain, the restaurant's Operations Director, said Johnny was pleasant and humble during the visit. Johnny has been riding high in Europe since winning his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is said to have splashed thousands and left a "large tip" for star-struck waiting staff at a curry house down south.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorFox Corp. and NBCUniversal have started to write early deals in TV’s upfront market, a sign that networks and at least one large media buyer have started to come to terms on pricing that could govern the flow of millions of dollars of investment from Madison Avenue.Publicis Media, part of France’s Publicis Groupe, has started to wrap some business in this year’s market for advance advertising commitments, according to four executives with knowledge of current negotiations. These people noted that Publicis, which recently won the U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentParamount+ has partnered with Italian and German public broadcasters RAI and ZDF on coming-of-age TV series “The Gymnasts” from Italy’s Indigo Film (“The Great Beauty”) to be directed by Cosima Spender (“Palio”) and Valerio Bonelli.Also on board as a key partner on “The Gymnasts” — which was recently presented at the Series Mania Co-Pro Pitching Sessions — is London-based super-indie All3Media International, which will be handling international sales of the show in territories not covered by its main broadcasters.The project is part of The Alliance, the production pact forged among continental Europe’s leading public broadcasters to co-finance innovative, high-profile TV series for the international market. But, in an interesting twist, “The Gymnasts” will be premiering as a Paramount+ original in Italy and across France, the U.K., Canada, Australia, Latin America and South Korea.Based on Italian author Ilaria Bernardini’s bestselling novel “Corpo Libero,” the six-episode series revolves around a team of elite female teenage gymnasts engaged in an international competition high up in the snowy Italian Alps.During what is the most important week of their lives, rivalries are fierce and relationships become complex as the young athletes vie for a chance at making the Olympic team.