‘March of the Penguins’ Producer Bonne Pioche Acquired by Federation Entertainment

Manori Ravindran International EditorEntertainment One has hired Left Bank executive producer Sharon Hughff to serve as creative director of scripted television out of the U.K.In her new role, she will oversee the scripted team and pipeline from the U.K., while spearheading efforts to expand the slate into buyers in the U.K. as well as Europe and Asia.

Ben Croll Fueled in no small part by international streamers looking to entrench their market share, production days skyrocketed across the European continent in 2021. But if the last year marked a gold rush for both service providers and content hungry viewers, independent producers have been feeling the squeeze.“It’s not a golden age when it comes to IP retention,” said Katharina Hiersemenzel, senior VP public policy of German mini-major Constantin Film.

Sony’s Tom Holland/Mark Wahlberg-starrer Uncharted has been dated for a March 14 release in China. The studio’s Weibo account shared the news today with a video message from Holland and Wahlberg and a subtitled trailer, as well as a new poster (see it in full below). This comes at the same time as China has also set a date for Warner Bros/DC’s The Batman, which will go out on March 18.

Paul Merson has slammed Manchester United for their interest in Mauricio Pochettino and insists they should instead be targeting Brendan Rodgers.

Sony will release it’s first movie of 2022, and second Tom Holland title after Spider-Man: No Way Home over the 4-day Presidents Day weekend, Uncharted, in what is expected to be a $70M+ haul worldwide.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentStephane Celerier, a veteran French film executive whose former banner Mars Films co-produced “La Famille Belier,” is joining forces with PGS Entertainment to create a new production company.Celerier is launching Gemma Pictures with Philippe and Guillaume Souter, the founders of PGS Entertainment, a thriving family-owned business specialized in financing and licensing worldwide youth entertainment.The new Paris-based company will look to produce French and English-language films, TV series and TV movies and is already developing a slate of 10 projects with well-known French and international talent. A resourceful and deep-pocketed company, PGS Entertainment will fully finance the development of Gemma Pictures’ roster over the next three years and will handle the back office, while giving Celerier the full reins of the company.

Elizabeth Banks Pic Sells For Protagonist

La Vie En Rose and Netflix’s The Spy producer Alain Goldman has signed an overall deal with Banijay for TV shows and feature films.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBanijay has partnered with Alain Goldman, the French producer of “La Vie en rose” to produce premium scripted series and feature films through his two production entities, Pitchipoï Productions and Montmartre Films.Goldman, whose production company was previously named Legende Films, will work alongside Banijay France. The French producer had been working with nearly every French film studios, notably Gaumont, and has also been collaborating with streamers such as Netflix with “The Spy,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, and Amazon Prime with Caroline Vigneaux’s “Flashback” and Mélanie Laurent’s “The Mad Women’s Ball.” Besides “La Vie en Rose,” which earned Marion Cotillard an Oscar, Goldman has also produced “An Officer and a Spy” (2019), “The Connection” (2014) and “The Crimson Rivers” (2000).

Mauricio Pochettino will target a sensational move for England striker Harry Kane if he is appointed as Manchester United manager this summer - according to reports.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Call My Agent!” producer Mother Production and Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinéma (“Annette”) are joining forces to create TV production label Les Saisons. The outfit will kick off with the series adaptation of Leïla Slimani’s critically acclaimed novel “Le Pays des autres.”Slimani’s novel, which was published in more than 30 countries and sold 670,000 units in France, is part of a trilogy charting the tumultuous love story between a young French woman and a Moroccan soldier.

A number of supporters have reacted to the news that members of the Manchester United first-team squad want the club to install Paris Saint-Germain chief Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent manager.

Komplizen Film, the German indie run by Janine Jackowski, Maren Ade and Jonas Dornbach, has joined The Creatives, an alliance of independent production companies that has a three-year partnership for developing and funding series with Fremantle.

EXCLUSIVE: The production company behind Netflix’s The Kissing Booth franchise is developing a TV drama series inspired by the real life exploits of notorious French opera singer Julie Maupin.

Talk centred around who will be Manchester United’s next manager continues to dominate discussions.