Filmnation TV UK Hires BBC Studios Productions’ Commercial Scripted Chief Martin Rakusen

EXCLUSIVE: BBC Studios has named formats veteran Nicholas Oakley as SVP, Unscripted Development in LA, as the outfit seeks the next generation of hits.

EXCLUSIVE: Buchwald is bolstering its unscripted efforts with the hire of Ivo Fischer as Head of Unscripted Talent and Content. Fischer will also focus on Buchwald’s relationships with talent, as well as content creators and producers in the unscripted space.

Snake-hipped Will Mellor has revealed his tactic to win the BBC dance show after topping the leaderboard in the first week. The Coronation Street heart-throb, who played villain Harvey Gaskell in the soap, wowed viewers and judges with his sensational moves as he wiggled his way across the dancefloor on Saturday night.

Marsai Martin, the sports fantasy film follows Callie A. Coleman (Martin), who discovers that she can magically control her father’s (Omari Hardwick) performance as a running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Along with Martin and Hardwick, the film stars Kelly Rowland, Rome Flynn, Elijah Richardson, Hanani Taylor, Abigail Killmeier, Tyla Harris and Isac Ivan. “Fantasy Football” is produced in partnership with The SpringHill Company and Genius Entertainment. Based on an original screenplay by Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Loethen and Tim Olgetree, the film is directed by Anton Cropper and written by Zoe Marshall, Dan Gurewitch and David Young. LeBron James, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, Marsai Martin, Joshua Martin and Timothy Bourne produce, while Maverick Carter and Jamila Jordan-Theus serve as executive producers.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Headed by ex-HBO exec James Costos, Los Angeles and Madrid-based Secuoya Studios and Colombia’s Caracol Television have closed a framework deal to jointly develop, produce and finance scripted series over the next year.  The agreement seals an alliance between two of Latin America’s powerhouses, with large international ambitions. Amazon’s Prime Video and now Mediawan have boarded Secuoya Studios’ flagship series “Zorro,” starring “Elite’s” Miguel Bernardeau and Renata Notni, directed by “Money Heist’s” Javier Quintas. Producer of iconic longer-format series, Caracol TV’s “La Reina del Flow” Season 1 sold to over 100 countries; “El Rey; Vicente Fernandez” Season 1 bowed on Netflix Sept. 12 , shooting to No. 3 in global non-English charts. 

EXCLUSIVE: Keshet International has secured rights to Cuba Libre, a buzzy drama about a follower of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara that’s being billed as one of Portugal’s most ambitious television series ever. The six-part biopic, based on the life of Ana Maria Silva Pais, will form part of KI’s slate at Mipcom Cannes next month.

EXCLUSIVE: Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans), Famke Janssen (X-Men) and Stefani Martin (The Last Kingdom) have been set to star in sci-fi action horror movie The Experiment, which is underway at Rebellion Studios in the UK.

Martin Hancock has shared what soap fame feels like the second time around following his return to the cobbles in the summer. Coronation Street fans were thrilled to see a much-loved character back on the cobbles 19 years after his exit from the ITV soap.

A sexual assault complaint has been filed against Puerto Rico pop star Ricky Martin, who recently sued his nephew over what he said were false allegations of sexual abuse.

Ricky Martin will make sure to clean his name and now has taken legal action against his nephew. Months ago, a judge in Puerto Rico dismissed all accusations and temporarily lifted the previous restraining order on the singer after Dennis Sanchez Martin accused him of harassment, claiming a romantic relationship.“The situation has continued despite the defendant voluntarily withdrawing from an action he had commenced against Plaintiff based on falsehoods, during which he admitted under oath that he had never been sexually assaulted by Plaintiff,” Martin’s lawyers wrote in the docs, as reported by People.According to the 50-year-old star’s complaint, Sanchez Martin — son of Ricky Martin’s sister — got upset because the singer didn’t follow him on social media and “ignored” him when he requested to create a social media account for his three children.

Just over a month after Ricky Martin escaped a restraining order or potential felony charges over sex abuse allegations in Puerto Rico, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca ” singer now has struck back with a $20 million lawsuit against his accusing nephew.

previously accused the Latin singer of abuse — to the tune of $20 million.The “La Vida Loca” singer filed suit on Wednesday in San Juan against Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, claiming his nephew was attempting to “assassinate” the singer’s reputation, according to TMZ.The lawsuit comes after the 50-year-old singer was slapped with accusations that he was romantically involved with Sanchez, and allegedly harassed the young man after their relationship ended.In July, Martin’s 21-year-old nephew claimed he was a victim of domestic abuse and incest at the hands of Martin and was granted a restraining order against the singer.Martin’s attorney denied the “disgusting” and “untrue” accusations, saying the accuser has “mental health challenges.” Eventually, the case against Martin was dropped, but according to the latest legal action taken by Martin, Sanchez hasn’t stopped there.In fact, Martin claimed one month after Sanchez withdrew the restraining order, that he bombarded Martin with messages via social media, TMZ reported. He even vowed to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” if Martin didn’t cough up some money.Sanchez once boasted about being Martin’s nephew, the new lawsuit alleges — that is, before he made claims of incest and domestic violence.

Playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh is up to more deliciously fiendish tricks in The Banshees of Inisherin, a simple and diabolical tale of a friendship’s end shot through with bristling humor and sudden moments of startling violence. It world premieres in competition at the Venice Film Festival Monday. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and the small handful of supporting players make the most of the author’s vibrant prose in McDonagh’s first film since Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri five years ago.

The mordantly comedic assault on the politics of revenge used to be the province of English/Irish playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh. In more recent years, the writer/director has turned his probing eye towards compassion, forgiveness, and redemption and the unanswerable question of whether his problematic protagonists are worthy of either.