Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNetflix, still in the early days of its video-game strategy, continues to expand the selection of games in its mobile apps — and later this month, the streamer will bow its first first-person shooter.Since launching games worldwide in November, Netflix has rolled out 14 titles, available for no additional charge (and no ads) in its mobile apps. Those have ranged from casual puzzle and card games to scrolling arcade-style titles.Now Netflix will soon introduce “Into the Dead 2: Unleashed,” a zombie-apocalypse shoot-’em-up described as the “ultimate runner/shooter hybrid.” It’s still too soon to tell whether Netflix games are moving the needle as execs hypothesize — in terms of attracting and retaining subscribers — but the addition of the first-person shooter title shows that the company wants to appeal to a broad segment of gaming enthusiasts.
Netflix Unveils 3 APAC Series; IFTA Rising Star Nominees; BBC Studios Sells Doc Pair – Global Briefs
04.03.2022 - 13:47 / deadline.com
Netflix APAC Commissions
Netlfix has unveiled a trio of new series from the APAC region. Boy Swallows Universe, from Australia, is an adaptation of the book of the same name and will be turned into an eight x 1-hour show. John Collee (Master and Commander) is penning the adaptation, which comes from Brouhaha Entertainment Australia. The novel is a coming-of-age story set in Brisbane’s violent working class suburban fringe.
Separately, the streamer has set Copycat Killer, an adaptation of Japanese crime novel Mohohan penned by genre fiction writer Miyabe Miyuki. The project comes from Taiwan and will be directed by Chang Jung-chi and Chang Heng-ju, with a cast that include Wu Kang-ren, Alice Ko, Ruby Lin. It will be produced by Greener Grass Production, which was behind Netflix’s Chinese-language series The Victims’ Game.
Finally, Netflix has set Let’s Get Divorced from Japan. The family sitcom is written by Kankuro Kudo, who penned Ikebukuro West Gate Park, and Shizuka Oishi. Tori Matsuzaka and Riisa Nak star. Fuminori Kaneko, Ryosuke Fukuda, and Takuya Sakaue are directing. The show will release in 2023.
IFTA Rising Star Nominees
The Irish Film & Television Academy has named the five nominees for its 2022 Rising Star Award, which will be revealed during the virtual IFTA Awards on March 12. They are: Benjamin Cleary (Writer/Director – Swan Song); Colm Bairéad (Writer/Director – An Cailín Ciúin); Hazel Doupe (Actress – You Are Not My Mother); Kate Dolan (Writer/Director – You Are Not My Mother); and Sam Keeley (Actor – Kin). Previous winners include Saoirse Ronan and Michael Fassbender.
BBC Studios Sells Amy Winehouse & Freddie Mercury Docs
BBC Studios has struck a raft of deals for documentaries about Freddie Mercury and Amy
Christina Ricci To Star In Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series In Return To Addams Family Universe
EXCLUSIVE: This is the news Addams Family fans have been hoping for since the new Netflix series Wednesday was first announced — Christina Ricci, the actor most closely associated with the title character, will be a major part of the live-action show from Tim Burton.
UK Comedy ‘Seize Them!’ Unveils Cast; Matteo Garrone’s ‘Io Capitano’ Underway; Rasika Dugal Wraps UK Shoot – Global Briefs
Aimee Lou Wood Leads UK Comedy Cast
HBO Max Unveils ‘The Thaw’ Trailer; ITV ‘Searching For Michael Jackson’s Zoo’; Channel 4 ‘The Great’; Edinburgh New Voice Awards – Global Briefs
HBO Max Unveils ‘The Thaw’ Trailer
Ahad Raza Mir Cast in Netflix ‘Resident Evil’ Series (EXCLUSIVE)
Naman Ramachandran Popular Pakistani-Canadian actor Ahad Raza Mir has been cast in Netflix original series “Resident Evil,” Variety has confirmed. Netflix has not yet revealed details of the character Mir will be playing in the series.“Resident Evil” is a live action, scripted series that will tell a new story building on Capcom’s hit video game franchise. Lance Reddick is set to star as Albert Wesker and the cast also includes Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, and Paola Nuñez.Constantin Film, which previously produced the six-feature film franchise based on the games, will serve as the studio behind the series.
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
Fremantle Boosts Revenue By 25% For RTL Group
Sharon Horgan & Michael Sheen To Lead Jack Thorne’s ‘Best Interests’; ‘The Witchfinder’ Cast; Sky Super League Trailer; ‘Downton Abbey’ Podcast; BBC Studios Creator Residencies – Global Briefs
Sharon Horgan & Michael Sheen To Lead Jack Thorne’s ‘Best Interests’
Meg Ryan Teams With Netflix To Direct Movie Adaptation Of Novel ‘A Lady’s Guide To Selling Out’
EXCLUSIVE: Meg Ryan is set to direct a feature adaptation of well-received novel A Lady’s Guide To Selling Out for Netflix.
Blink49 Studios To Adapt ‘Things To Do When It’s Raining’; Danish Format ‘Love Raft’ Sails Around Europe – Global Briefs
Blink49 Studios To Adapt ‘Things To Do When It’s Raining’
Ciarán Hinds Joins Netflix Spy Drama Series ‘Treason’
EXCLUSIVE: Fresh from his Oscar nomination, Belfast star Ciarán Hinds is joining Netflix spy drama series Treason.
Speakers Unveiled For Mip TV & Series Mania; Armoza ‘Drive Therapy’; Sky’s ‘Devils’ Trailer; ‘Race Against The Tide’ – Global Briefs
Speakers Unveiled For Mip TV & Series Mania
Rising Star Noms Kodi Smit-McPhee & Harris Dickinson Brought Their Girlfriends to BAFTAs 2022!
Kodi Smit-McPhee and Harris Dickinson both had their girlfriends by their side for the BAFTAs!
Netflix Unveils 2022 French Originals Lineup, Will Invest More Than $220 Million This Year
Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNetflix unveiled its 2022 slate of 25 French Originals, as well as projects including the second and third opus of its action movie “Lost Bullet,” and “En Place,” a comedy series created by Jean-Pascal Zadi (“Tout simplement Noir”) and Francois Uzan. The company said it will invest more than €200 million ($220 million) in 2022 in France.
LADstudios Behind ‘Lens On Ukraine’; STV Studios Buys Mighty Productions; Viaplay’s ‘Meaning Of Life’ – Global Briefs
LADstudios Behind ‘Lens On Ukraine’
‘One Piece’: Morgan Davies, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino & Aidan Scott Among 6 Cast In Netflix Live-Action Series
Netflix continues to round out the cast of its upcoming One Piece live-action series, adding Morgan Davies (The Evil Dead), Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Aidan Scott (Action Point), Jeff Ward (Hacks), McKinley Belcher III (Ozark) and Vincent Regan (Troy). They join Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar. The 10-episode series comes from Tomorrow Studios and One Piece publisher Shueisha.
‘One Piece’ Netflix Live-Action Series Adds Six to Cast
Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “One Piece” live-action series at Netflix has added six new cast members, Variety has learned.Morgan Davies (“The End,” “The Evil Dead: Rise”), Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (“The Sex Lives of College Girls,” “Me Time”), Aidan Scott (“Action Point,” “Between the Devil”), Jeff Ward (“Brand New Cherry Flavor,” “Hack”), McKinley Belcher III (“Ozark,” “The Good Lord Bird”) and Vincent Regan (“300,” “Troy”) have all joined the series.They join previously announced cast members Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar. The new cast members will appear as the following characters: Davies as Koby, Paulino as Alvida, Scott as Helmeppo, Ward as Buggy, Belcher as Arlong, and Regan as Garp.
ScreenSkills Invests £10M In UK High-End TV; Mo Abudu Series Mania Gong; HBO Max Euro Launches; Big Deal Diverse Animation; BBC Studios Academy – Global Briefs
ScreenSkills Invests £10M In UK High-End TV
Madhuri Dixit Talks Netflix Indian Hit Series ‘The Fame Game’
Naman Ramachandran Madhuri Dixit, one of the brightest and most enduring Bollywood stars, is basking in the success of her streaming acting debut, Netflix’s “The Fame Game.”The series bowed Feb. 25 and is among the top 10 Netflix shows in Mauritius, Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka and the U.A.E.In the series created by Sri Rao, and directed by Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli, Dixit plays top Bollywood star Anamika Anand, who at the height of her fame, disappears without a trace.
Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury, John Lennon, Tupac Shakur Documentaries Sell Wide for BBC Studios
Naman Ramachandran Premium documentary titles featuring iconic musicians including John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Tupac Shakur and Amy Winehouse have sold widely for BBC Studios.Rogan productions’ feature-length documentary for BBC Two, “Freddie Mercury: The Final Act,” charts the final chapter of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s life story. International sales include the U.S.