‘Fort Boyard & ‘Survivor’ Producers Set Up Banijay France Drama Label

Brad Pitt is making his movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button seem like a documentary because the actor appears to be aging backward. Last week the 59-year-old was spotted on set in France filming a new commercial, and he looks incredible.

The fall fest season is revving up.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Alexia Laroche-Joubert, the well-known French producer behind some of the country’s longest-running unscripted hits, has been named CEO of Banijay France. Taking over from Francois de Brugada, Laroche-Joubert will be spearheading the French portfolio which comprises 15 labels spanning non-scripted and scripted, and will be tasked with evolving and diversifying the pipeline, attracting new talent, identifying new areas for growth, and driving collaboration with the wider group internationally to maximise on exploitation opportunities. The appointment takes effect from Sept. 1. Laroche-Joubert has been at Banijay since 2016 and she has served as CEO for Adventure Line Productions (ALP). She recently launched the scripted label Screen Line Productions.

Banijay France has found its new CEO.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So, we’re going to do the hard work for you.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is moving into the contemporary UK thriller space with the greenlight of a series based on Alex Dahl’s parents-worst-nightmare novel Playdate.

Two of the most successful specialty films of the year expand this weekend and a handful of others jump into an arthouse market that’s seen few new entrants in recent weeks as wide release piled on wide release.

The OceanGate Expeditions submersible en route to the Titanic wreckage site has now been missing for four days, and fears are growing that the 5 passengers aboard could have already run out of oxygen.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Francois de Brugada, the long-running boss of Banijay France, will be stepping down in September to lead FL Entertainment’s newly created division dedicated to live events. Named Banijay Events, the division will build on Banijay’s parent company FL Entertainment’s recent investment in The Independents, a global marketing and communications group for luxury and lifestyle brands, as well as Banijay’s acquisition of Balich Wonder Studio, the Italian entertainment group. FL Entertainment said Banijay will be able to seize opportunities within the live event industry as it “remains largely unconsolidated and has a business model very similar to that of content production and distribution.” Banijay reached €3.2 billion ($3.5 billion) in revenues for 2022.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Prince Aden,” a new drama by Italian directing duo Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio, known internationally for their immigration-themed “Seven Acts of Mercy,” is among projects selected by Locarno’s Alliance for Development initiative. The platform, now in its 8th year, is geared towards fostering co-productions between France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Inspired by the book “Partigiani d’Oltremare,” by Italian historian Matteo Petracci, the De Serio twins’ new colonial-era film follows the vicissitudes of a 16-year-old Somali named Aden Sicré who in 1935 becomes a soldier in the Italian army that invaded Ethiopia on Mussolini’s orders. In an unexpected turn, he becomes hailed as a war hero by the Fascist regime. Then a few years later Aden and other African fighters play a pivotal role in the partisan struggle against fascism in Europe.

Hit U.S. Gameshow ‘Password’ Coming To ITV

Leigh Francis has announced that for the first time in decades he is ditching his Keith Lemon alter ego for his first ever UK tour. The 50-year-old Celebrity Juice star will embark on an 18-date tour entitled My First Time, which kicks off in Bath on March 6, 2024.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Netflix, the world’s preeminent animation producer by production volume, outlay and awards, has set out a roadmap at Annecy for how it is looking to invest in the future of animation. Sketched by John Derderian and Karen Toliver, Netflix animation heads of series and film respectively, the gameplan takes in building on Netflix’s strengths, in adult animation, and genre and anime in series; maintaining a vast diversity of shows and movies; and looking in every project for a creator’s vision which Netflix will seek to connect with the right audience, at the right price. Derderian and Toliver talked to Variety at France’s Annecy Animation Festival whose Netflix’s panel this Wednesday June 14, From Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget to Blue Eye Samurai – See What’s Next @ Netflix, promises to be one of Annecy’s most talked-about highlights.

Escape to the Chateau's Angel Strawbridge looks like she's putting the recent drama surrounding the axe of her Channel 4 show behind her.The 45 year old posed for a beaming selfie with one of her pals, posted to Instagram, and she didn't look like she had a care in the world as she smiled for the camera. Her hair was coloured its usual flaming red, and Angel had made sure she had her trademark quiff, as she used numerous hair clips to keep it in place.

is: the wider, the better.It's been over 10 years since seemed to be the only pants one could wear to any occasion. Whether they were styled with a low waist, super high waist, or a rolled-up leg, the skinny jean was our trusty companion—until we discovered baggy jeans, a wide waistband, and the convenience of relaxed silhouettes.

K.J. Yossman “One Day” producers Drama Republic have restructured their C-suite, Variety can reveal, upping chief creative officer Jude Liknaitzky to co-CEO alongside Roanna Benn. Benn’s former co-CEO, Greg Brenman, will take on a co-founder role. Brenman will continue to stay involved in the growth and development of the company with a focus on his own slate of projects. Brenman, Benn and Liknaitzky founded London-based Drama Republic, which specializes in high-end drama, in 2013 after the trio left Tiger Aspect. Drama Republic is part of the Mediawan group, with the French conglomerate taking a majority stake in 2021.

EXCLUSIVE: The animation indie behind Netflix’s Trash Truck and My Dad the Bounty Hunter has been acquired by France Télévisions’ studio arm.

EXCLUSIVE: Subscription streaming outlet MHz Choice, which brings prestige international television to North American viewers, has set its summer slate with the U.S./Canada premieres of 15 series and nine returning shows. Included among them are French period mystery Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games: The ‘70s and Don’t Leave Me, an Italian police drama from the creators of Gomorra.

Beta Film, Germany’s ZDFneo and France Télévisions have boarded Gaumont’s Ukrainian war drama In Her Car.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Banijay Rights has closed a major sale on its French drama series “Serial Lover” to Spanish broadcaster Atresmedia. “Serial Lover” marks the debut series for Banijay France’s label Shine Fiction, which is co-producing with Amaury Fournial from Sibaro Films. Written by Alice Den Broek and directed by Fred Berthe, “Serial Lover”‘s synopsis bills the show as “the story of a shrewd man who lives many different lives – a pilot, a surgeon, a broker, a journalist; developing a new personality for every identity and deceiving experts in each field. Handsome, charming, and attentive, exhilarated by his power, the deception becomes an art form as he manipulates all those around him, especially women who he targets and steals from. How many women have fallen in this trap?”