France’s Mediawan to Expand Footprint With Lagardere Studios, Spain’s Good Mood, Germany’s Leonine

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentHollywood super-indie banner Anonymous Content (“Defending Jacob”) is partnering with Païva Studio, a production label owned by French media group Mediawan, on “Civilizations,” an ambitious series based on Laurent Binet’s (“HHhH”) bestselling novel.The series, set to be shot in South America and Europe in several languages, delivers a plausible rewriting of global history in which Christopher Columbus never discovered America and the Incas came to

Jake Kanter International TV EditorDiscovery has acquired the German free-to-air entertainment channel Tele5 from Leonine for an undisclosed fee.The deal also includes a “long-term” content agreement, which gives Discovery Germany access to Leonine’s library of fictional content.

Manori Ravindran International EditorDiscovery Germany has acquired general entertainment free-TV channel Tele 5 from Leonine.In addition, both groups have also struck a long-term licensing deal, allowing Discovery Germany to access Leonine’s library of scripted content.

When the embrace of one’s true self becomes a protest, and when protest is treated by the state as tantamount to treason, small acts of humanity can carry the weight of the world. Director David France wades into this awful reality with his newest documentary, “Welcome to Chechnya,” which tracks a group of activists in Russia and Chechnya who operate an LGBTQ+ Underground Railroad of sorts.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterThe mistreatment and persecution of the LGBTQ community in Chechnya has been an ongoing issue, but in March 2017 a glaring spotlight was put on the Russian republic as reports of gay and bisexual men being abducted, tortured, beaten and even killed at the hands of authorities started coming to the forefront.

Manori Ravindran International EditorMichael Bay-produced pandemic thriller “Songbird” has secured its first international sale out of the virtual Cannes market.European powerhouse Leonine has snapped up rights for German-speaking Europe, Variety can reveal. It’s believed there’s been strong interest on the continent, and that a number of U.S.

Naman Ramachandran Ad-supported streaming service Tubi is set to expand its Spanish language content when it launches in the fall, chief content officer Adam Lewinson revealed while delivering a keynote at the Cannes Virtual Market on Wednesday.The service is also gearing for an imminent U.K. launch and is looking at significantly increasing its Bollywood content portfolio due to strong demand in the U.S.

Like Bavaria's heraldic lions from which it takes its name, Leonine got off to a roaring start. The would-be German mini-major, launched last year with a nine-figure war chest from its owners, New York investment firm KKR, quickly grew from cub to king of the jungle with a series of choice acquisitions, including film and TV powerhouse Tele München Group, indie film distributor Universum, Dark producer Wiedemann & Berg and local small-screen production outfit i&u TV.

Christina Milian melted hearts with a very sweet post that she shared for Father’s Day. The singer and actress shared a picture of her “hubby,” Matt Pokora, holding their son, Isaiah Pokora.

Emilio Mayorga Pablo Stoll’s “Summer Hit,”  Matías Lucchessi’s “Las rojas,”  Joaquín Peñagaricano and Pablo Abdala’s “Mateína” are some of the Uruguayan projects at different stages participating in a spotlight at Cannes’ Producers Network on the Marché du Film’s digital platform on Tuesday 23.Five Uruguayan companies, Tarkiofilm, Cimarrón, Montelona, Nadador and Salado, have been selected by the country’s national film body ICAU to pitch their production slates at the new format French

Andreas Wiseman International EditorEXCLUSIVE: The big Cannes virtual market deal-making is underway. I understand German major Leonine has closed a multi-million dollar deal with STX International for black ops thriller Violence Of Action, starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs.Currently in post-production, the film follows James Reed (Pine), who joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family after being involuntarily discharged from the Marines.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorMediawan, the Paris-based group founded in 2015, has announced the creation of a dedicated French company, Mediawan Alliance, and has submitted a binding offer and entered exclusive negotiations to acquire France’s Lagardère Studios.