Sky Italia Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

K.J. Yossman ITV took a gamble when they snatched the U.K. broadcast rights to the Oscars away from Sky after two decades and it looks like the gamble paid off.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Euro Gang Entertainment, the company launched last year by Hollywood veterans Gianni Nunnari (“300,” “Immortals”) and Simon Horsman (“Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers”) is ramping up operations in Italy through a partnership with Rome-based Alfred Film, the young shingle co-founded by experienced producers Roberto Amoroso and Maria Theresia Braun.

EXCLUSIVE: Sky Studios and Groenlandia are readying feature film director Sydney Sibilia’s first TV drama series. Someone Killed Spiderman – Accidentally Famous (working title) is for Sky Italia and is about a non-conformist teenager who becomes on half of successful musical duo 883.

Gary Barlow of Take That has opened up on the importance of artist identity.The singer of the 90s pop group – who have landed 28 Top 40 songs in the UK Singles Chart, including 12 Number Ones – has previously released music as a solo artist. Barlow has shared that creating your own music is an integral part to forming your own voice as an artist.In an interview with Sky Italia (Per Music News), Barlow said: “Identity is everything for an artist and I feel like when you’re a songwriter you give everything its identity, because you are coming up with the music.

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has hired an original productions chief for Max in Italy and Iberia, an intriguing move that completes the local content team ahead of the streaming service’s launch in Europe next year.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Japanese manga series “Tiger Mask” is being adapted into a live-action feature for the international market by Italy’s Fabula Pictures and Brandon Box and Japan’s Kodansha. The popular manga, which follows a ruthless professional Japanese wrestler named Naoto Date who after making it big in the U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sky Italia is launching a high-profile documentary series with international ambitions titled “The Overlooked Serial Killer,” reconstructing a true-crime case that has gripped millions of Italians. The documentary investigates the connection between Elisa Claps, an Italian teenager who disappeared in 1993, and Heather Barnett, a British woman whose mutilated body was found in Bournemouth in 2002.

Recently launched European distribution and production studio Vuelta Group has added to its stable with Italy’s Indiana Production and France’s Pan.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Emmy-nominated “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore will play the Venice Film Festival’s master of ceremonies in the upcoming second season of the Italian version of “Call My Agent,” which will also feature a cameo by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera. Impacciatore, wearing a red gown, disembarked from a water taxi at the Excelsior Hotel pier on the Venice Lido on Saturday welcomed by Barbera, as cameras rolled for a key scene in the show.

Mubi has snapped up rights across multiple territories for Sofia Coppola’s upcoming feature Priscilla ahead of its world premiere in Competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

“The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore is ready to dive into her next project.

The White Lotus actress Sabrina Impacciatore is set for Call My Agent‘s second season on Sky Italia.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sky Italia celebrated its 20-year anniversary on Tuesday by announcing a rich slate of upcoming originals, including a second season of the Italian adaptation of “Call My Agent,” which will see “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore joining the cast. The Sky Italia originals slate comprises previously announced high-end drama “M. Son of the Century” by British director Joe Wright, alongside less lavish shows in various stages – most of which have international potential. It underscores how the Italian unit of the Comcast-owned pay-TV service continues to be a major Italian industry driver. While Sky’s German unit, which is believed to be up for sale, has put production on pause, Sky Italia is cranking out Italian originals through the platform’s Sky Studios unit at a steady pace, showing no signs of a slowdown.

Manchester United have allowed David de Gea's contract to expire and may have to move to replace him in the transfer market.

Several Manchester United supporters have welcomed the prospect of the club signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana in this summer's transfer window.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France TV Distribution has scored a raft of deals across its slate of flagship shows, notably Noé Debré’s political satire “Parliament,” whose second season was picked up by Topic in the U.S. “Parliament,” produced by Paris-based Cinétévé, was created by Debré, whose screenwriting include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.” The series is set at the European parliament in Strasbourg and follows a young assistant working for a newly elected member, juggling his ethics, job and love life. The 10-episode series features a young cast from across Europe, including Xavier Lacaille, Liz Kingsman and Philippe Duquesne. The daring show shot partly on location in both French and English languages.

Sky Studios CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz has called the plethora of shows on the market “really confusing” for viewers.

EXCLUSIVE: Sky Italia and CBC are among the international buyers swooping for Gallic content following last week’s inaugural French TV Screenings.

Italian writer, journalist and political commentator Roberto Saviano is due to head to court in Rome on Tuesday (November 15) for the first hearing in a defamation trial brought against him by Italy’s newly installed, right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

ITVX and Viaplay four-partner Litvinenko, which will see David Tennant playing the doomed Russian dissident, has sold into 80 territories ahead of its launch. AMC+ and Sundance Now have taken rights in the U.S., while Prime Video bagged Canada from distributor ITV Studios. 

Liza Foreman CANNES  —  The four-part drama “Litvinenko,” starring Scottish actor David Tennant, has sold to more than 80 international markets, ahead of its debut on the new ITV streaming service, ITVX in the U.K., and on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and the Baltics. AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the drama, and Prime Video has taken the series in Canada.  In Europe, “Litvinenko” will air on M6 in France, ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany, and Sky Italia, amongst others.

Manori Ravindran International Editor The David Tennant-starring “Litvinenko” has sold into AMC+ and Sundance Now in the U.S., along with a host of other buyers in 80 international markets. The drama has pre-sold ahead of its debut on ITV’s forthcoming U.K. streaming service ITVX, which launches this fall, and NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and Baltics. Written by George Kay (“Lupin”) and produced by Patrick Spence, ITV Studios and Tiger Aspect Productions, the drama tells the story of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer, whose death from polonium poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

International co-productions are all the rage right now, and Europe’s top players are looking to the U.S.

Hollywood no longer holds the same allure for top Italian film and TV talent as a result of Italy’s recent renaissance as a production hub, Fremantle exec Andrea Scrosati told a panel at Rome’s MIA market on Tuesday.

FIFA+ & Others License Football Doc ‘Brazil 2002: The Real Story’

Naman Ramachandran Collective Media Group and Entourage Sports and Entertainment‘s soccer documentary feature “Brazil 2002: The Real Story,” recounting the story of the 2002 World Cup on its 20th anniversary, has sold a raft of territories worldwide. The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian soccer player Juliano Belletti during the tournament, and also features interviews with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Gilberto Silva from the World Cup winning Brazil team; and, from the opposing teams across the tournament, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Oliver Kahn, Hasan Şaş and Marc Wilmots as well as referee Pierluigi Collina. FIFA has taken the film for its own streamer FIFA+, for territories including Asia (excluding Japan), Turkey and New Zealand. This is complemented by deals confirmed by distribution partner Abacus Media Rights including: Canal+ Group for Canal+ Foot and myCanal (France); Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg); Sky Italia (Italy, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Capodistria, Montecarlo and Italian speaking Switzerland); DBS Satellite Services (Israel and West Bank); Supersport Africa (for Africa); NOS Portugal (Portugal and PALOPs); Movistar Plus+ (Spain); and Stan Entertainment Pty (Australia).

Milena Zajović “Hotel Portofino,” starring Natascha McElhone, has returned to Croatia after a summer break to finish filming its second season. It is so far the biggest project filmed in Croatia this year, Film New Europe reports. The producers of the period drama, created by Matt Baker and directed by Adam Wimpenny, are making use of Croatia’s 25% cash rebate for the second year in a row. Sixty filming days are planned, according to the Croatian Audiovisual Center. Tanja Ladović Blažević, head of Filming in Croatia, a department within the Croatian Audiovisual Center, told FNE: “We are especially proud to see an exceptional amount of Croatian professionals engaged in the project. There are 135 Croatian crew members, including 13 out of 14 heads of departments. In addition to that, more than 800 extras have been engaged in filming.”

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s top pay-TV broadcaster Sky Italia has sealed a significant agreement with live sports streaming service DAZN under which the DAZN app, which carries the bulk of Italian Serie A soccer, will become available on Sky.The deal comes after DAZN last year, with backing from local telco streamer Telecom Italia, had plunked down more than $1 billion per season for a three-year contract for the bulk of Italian Serie A rights, displacing Comcast-owned Sky and breaking the hold Sky previously had for roughly two decades on the beloved sport in Italy.The disruptive DAZN and Telecom Italia soccer deal marked the first time a streamer had nabbed exclusive rights to a major domestic league in its native territory. But, a year later, it didn’t reach the targets that Telecom Italia had set.

EXCLUSIVE: The second season of hit Australian drama RFDS, which portrays the modern heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, has been sold by Banijay Rights across Europe and the Middle East.

EXCLUSIVE: French distributor Newen Connect has struck its first ever deal with North American streamer Topic, selling the exclusive North American rights to four European shows.

Veteran international media exec Kathryn Fink has become Director of Television at public broadcaster SBS in her home country, Australia.

Sky Studios has hired CBS Studios international co-pros chief Meghan Lyvers as it seeks to significantly scale up its original UK drama output.

Naman Ramachandran Gabriella Carriere has joined Fremantle as group head of strategy, reporting into Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO continental Europe. Carriere joins from Sky Italia where she held the positions of Sky Wifi marketing senior director, media and commercial partnerships director and strategy director since joining in 2016. She replaces Van Truong, who held the position for five years and is now head of special projects, reporting into Scrosati and working closely with CEO Jennifer Mullin and the rest of the leadership team.Scrosati said: “Gabriella is an exceptional talent.

Cineflix Rights Goes On Scripted Sales Spree

Fremantle has appointed a Group Head of Strategy to support growth after striking a range of partnerships and buying up labels over the past year.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian actor-turned-director Andrea Di Stefano, who helmed well-received U.S. indie thrillers “Escobar: Paradise Lost,” with Benicio del Toro, and “The Informer,” is set to make “L’Ultima Notte di Amore,” his Italian-language debut.Universal Pictures Intl., Focus Features, and Italy’s Vision Distribution have worldwide distribution rights on the pic, which toplines Pierfrancesco Favino (Cannes competition title “Nostalgia” from Mario Martone).The film’s title, which translates as “The Last Night of Love,” is a play on words.