Fremantle Boosts Revenue By 25%; Hyperborea’s ‘Merry Ex-Mas’ & BBC One ‘Wolf’ Casting; Universal’s Buendía Estudios Deal; Off The Fence Sales – Global Briefs

EXCLUSIVE: BBC Studios has optioned the Eve Stranger comic book series and is developing into a TV show.

EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian helmer Joko Anwar (Impetigore) is preparing to make his English-language debut with Fritzchen, an adaptation of the classic short story by Charles Beaumont, which is in development at Village Roadshow.

Lady Gaga received a standing ovation from the audience at the Grammy Awards for her performance of “Do I Love You” from her joint album with Tony Bennett, Love for Sale. Among those in the Las Vegas crowd showing their support on Sunday (3 April) was fellow nominee Billie Eilish, who was captured screaming and cheering at Gaga’s star turn.

Lady Gaga did Tony Bennett proud, we’re sure.

Sasha Urban editorLady Gaga took the stage at the 64th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, performing “Love for Sale” and “Do I Love You” from her album “Love for Sale,” which she recorded with long-time friend and duet partner Tony Bennett.Bennett offered a videotaped introduction for his duet partner, offering a simple and sincere, “Hi everyone, please welcome Lady Gaga!” Gaga then brought the house down with a high-energy rendition of “Love for Sale,” with a big band arrangement of the Cole Porter standard. Gaga, glam in a mint strapless gown adorned with a large bow, then slowed things to belt out a jazzy piano-filled rendition of “Do I Love You.” The video screen in the background showed footage of Gaga and Bennett in the studio recording the record.

EXCLUSIVE: Arrow and The Hobbit actor Manu Bennett is joining Kiana Madeira (Trinkets), Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why) and Matthew Noszka (Star) in YA movie Perfect Addiction.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAfter more than eight years, the weekday and weekend editions of PBS’ signature evening newscast are finally getting together.Washington’s WETA has long produced the venerable “PBS NewsHour,” the show once known as the “McNeil-Lehrer Report” and now anchored by Judy Woodruff, while New York’s WNET has since 2013 produced the Saturday and Sunday editions of the program. Starting April 2, all seven days will be under the auspices of WETA, with Geoff Bennett, a former NBC News and MSNBC correspondent and anchor who was named the program’s chief Washington correspondent in November, taking the reins of a re-titled half-hour “PBS News Weekend.”“I think we are going to build on ‘NewsHour’s’ traditional mix of news and interviews and in-depth features,” says Bennett, in an interview.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Rome Film Festival is under new management following a political shake-up that has led to the appointment of RAI Cinema executive Paola Malanga as the fest’s artistic director and Gian Luca Farinelli, who heads the Bologna film archives, as president.Malanga, who was appointed late on Tuesday, replaces Antonio Monda, the New York based journalist and film academic who during his seven-year stint at the helm of the event secured a steady stream of high-caliber guests such as Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and Angelina Jolie, to mention a few names on the Rome red carpet at last year’s edition.Farinelli –– who has been appointed president of the Cinema Per Roma foundation that oversees the Rome fest –– takes the reins from Laura Delli Colli, a prominent film journo and critic who remains on the foundation’s board. The new Rome fest regime was prompted by the election last October of new Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri.The Eternal City extravaganza, which is the brainchild of former Rome mayor Walter Veltroni, has been undergoing management shake-ups due to Italy’s political spoils system ever since its launch in 2006 with Nicole Kidman on the red carpet and ambitions to rival Venice.While Delli Colli exited gracefully, Monda’s departure has been a bit more acrimonious.

completed its $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM, which co-owns the 007 movie franchise, two weeks ago, it instantly began splitting Bond into many pieces with its evil money-grubbing laser, effectively kicking off the death of a 60-year-old brand beloved by generations.You can smell the British flesh start to sizzle. Last week, Variety reported that Amazon Prime Video and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G.

Tom Hardy has been slowly slipping behind in the Bond odds. Daniel Craig's exit from the James Bond franchise has left fans wondering who would be the best actor to take over after No Time To Die - and Hardy has often been the most popular choice with fans. But not with the bookies.

LOS ANGELES -- James Bond didn’t get an Oscar nomination this year, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be part of the ceremony.It’s the 60th anniversary of the first 007 movie, after all, and the 50th anniversary of “The Godfather” and those landmarks will not go uncelebrated Sunday at the 94th Oscars.“We have some surprises around that. Wink, wink,” Will Packer, who is producing the show, said Thursday.It’s all part of the overriding theme of the year: “Movie lovers unite.”“Movies are the one thing that actually do unite so many of us as a global community,” Packer said.

EXCLUSIVE: Call My Agent! and Marianne writer Quoc Dang Tran has struck a first-look deal with Universal International Studios, becoming the first French writer to sign such a deal with a major studio.

Daniel Craig stepped down from the James Bond franchise late last year after the release of No Time To Die, and ever since, the race has been on for the next potential 007 actor. While the official announcement will likely be given within the next year, the bookies have their ears to the ground on who the best bets will be in the coming months.

Manori Ravindran International EditorUniversal International Studios has struck a deal with one of the hottest players in Spanish-language programming, Buendía Estudios.Under the deal, the company, whose recent credits include the hit dramas “Cardo” and “Veneno,” will co-develop and co-produce Spanish-language series with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. Formed in 2020, Buendía Estudios is a joint venture between Atresmedia and Telefónica’s Movistar Plus, and incorporates the in-house player formerly known as Atresmedia Studios.The company, which is led by CEO Ignacio Corrales, told Variety earlier this year that, in addition to producing for Spain and Latin America, it’s looking to develop projects from the region that are global-facing, in the vein of international Spanish-language triumphs like “Money Heist” and “Velvet.” A slate of around 40 projects across various genres and formats is currently in the works.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe upcoming Los Angeles-Italia Film Fashion and Art Festival will be honoring Italian directors Paolo Sorrentino (“The Hand of God”) and Enrico Casarosa (“Luca”) as well as costume-designer Massimo Cantini Parrini (“Cyrano”) all of whom have scored nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards. The 17th edition of the pre-Oscars event will be held March 20-26 at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre and also online.This year’s opening ceremony will be hosted by veteran Italian-American actor Robert Davi, who is also this year’s president of the event. Sofia Milos (“CSI: Miami”) and Hollywood acting coach Bernard Hiller will co-host.Consul General of Italy Silvia Chiave and Italian Institute of Culture chief Emanuele Amendola will also be introducing honorees both at the Chinese Theatre and during a separate March 25 event being held at the Italian Institute of Culture.