Sky Studios Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Gucci family saga isn’t quite over.Just months after the release of Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” — a film that could see Lady Gaga nominated for her second Oscar — a TV drama and documentary focusing on the Gucci family is in the works from Comcast-backed Sky Studios.The company is in early stages of development on a high-end TV series, and is in pre-production on a documentary series, both of which will tell “the story of a great family and a great brand,” says producer Nils Hartmann, senior VP for Sky Studios Germany and Italy.Both projects were brought to Sky by Leone Film Group, which has an agreement with several members of the Gucci family, including Alessandro Gucci, Guccio Gucci Jr. and Giorgio Gucci.

EXCLUSIVE: Stephen Land, who founded Snapped producer Jupiter Entertainment, has launched a new production company after exiting the Sky-backed business.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentWhen HBO Max drops the fifth and final season of Neapolitan gangster saga “Gomorrah” on Jan. 27, it will also mark the end of a convoluted seven-year journey for Italy’s most widely exported TV show.“In Italian TV, there is a before and after ‘Gomorrah,’” says Nils Hartmann, senior VP of Germany and Italy for Sky Studios, the production arm of the pay TV operator that originated the gritty, hyperrealistic crime skein.Besides attaining megahit status in Italy, the show has traveled to 190 countries, including the U.S., where it ran into snags due to the misdeeds of Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Co.’s 2018 bankruptcy.“It was a big mess,” says Oliver Bachert, sales chief at Germany’s Beta, which was selling the show.

William Earl Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Variety International Achievement in Television Award, to be presented at global content market MipTV in Cannes in April. Frot-Coutaz was the Head of EMEA at YouTube and CEO of Fremantle before joining Sky Studios last year.The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the international television marketplace.

Comcast and ViacomCBS have appointed a CEO for soon-to-launch JV streamer Sky Showtime.

Sky Sets ‘A Town Called Malice’ Cast

Sky Original Comedy ‘Bloods’ Second Season

EXCLUSIVE: Domina and The Terror actor Matthew McNulty has joined Sky’s supernatural crime thriller The Rising. McNulty replaced actor Daniel Ings in pre-production with filming ongoing in the UK on the series.

EXCLUSIVE: A feature doc on one of Formula 1’s most dramatic moments, the row between Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, is the first project to emerge from Finding Jack Charlton producer Noah Media and Sky Studios’ multi-year partnership, with F1 driver Mark Webber set to exec produce.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSky Studios and leading Nordic producer Sagafilm have renewed their multi-year development and distribution deal following the recent success of the Icelandic drama series “Sisterhood.”Sagafilm entered a partnership with Sky Studios, the European production and commissioning arm for Sky Original, back in 2019.

Naman Ramachandran Sky Deutschland has revealed plans for three new original series, which are part of a wider slate of 60 German and international series that will air in 2022.“Autobahn,” a 10-part series, will follow a pair of police officer brothers as they keep their cool while chasing suspects at high speed. Shot across Bavaria, the series is from producer Action Concept in association with Sky Studios.

Naman Ramachandran Sky Studios has appointed Preethi Mavahalli to the newly created role of creative director, drama, reporting into chief content officer Jane Millichip. She will join in Jan.

Comcast-owned Sky has revealed multiple commissions, including a Gemma Arterton comedy based on Nick Hornby novel Funny Girl.

Comcast and ViacomCBS are partnering on a new SVOD service, SkyShowtime, which will launch next year in 22 European territories. The joint venture will be co-owned by the two publicly traded corporations.A price point for SkyShowtime will come later.SkyShowtime will include programming from Showtime, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ Originals, Sky Studios, Universal Pictures, and Peacock.

Manori Ravindran International EditorComcast and ViacomCBS have teamed up to launch a new streaming service in more than 20 European markets.The new platform, which is called SkyShowtime, will reach 90 million homes and convene entertainment, movies and original series from NBCUniversal, Sky and ViacomCBS brands, including titles from Showtime, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Plus originals, Sky Studios, Universal Pictures and Peacock.

People working on Sky originals must undergo workplace respect training and will have access to a safeguarding representative under strengthened procedures introduced by the Comcast-owned European broadcaster following the Noel Clarke scandal.

In an unprecedented move, streaming giant Netflix and Comcast-backed pay-TV operator Sky are teaming up with “Sex Education” and “Ms. Marvel” writer Bisha K Ali to create a screenwriting fellowship for six U.K. writers that will provide them with financial aid, a support network and ultimately a job in a writers’ room for either a Netflix or Sky program. For Variety, Anne Mensah, VP of U.K. Original Series, and Jane Millichip, chief content officer for Sky Studios, discuss their vision for

Manori Ravindran International EditorYouTube executive and former Fremantle boss Cécile Frot-Coutaz has been named CEO of Sky Studios, the heavy-hitting production and development arm for Sky.Frot-Coutaz takes the reins from current chief executive Gary Davey, who launched Sky Studios in 2019.

Comcast's European pay giant Sky is working on a new eight-part supernatural crime thriller. The Rising —which starts filming in the U.K.'s Lake District next month —marks the first series produced entirely in-house by Sky's production arm Sky Studios, which is is working with exec producer Julian Stevens, who produced BBC dramas The Fall and Informer.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky commissions supernatural thriller “The Rising” and Channel 4 and Peacock wage “The Undeclared War”; The Garden, BBC Studios Productions and Constantin Film Development reveal senior appointments; Rakuten TV expands AVOD offering; and Disney India picks up kids series “Dr Tenali Rama HMKD” from Cosmos-Maya.COMMISSIONSSky original series, supernatural crime thriller “The Rising,” is the first series produced entirely in-house from Sky Studios,

Clara Rugaard, the Danish actress who starred in Netflix’s I Am Mother, is to lead the cast for Sky’s The Rising, a supernatural crime thriller that was originally inspired by Belgian drama Hotel Beau Séjour.

Sky Studios has named Gabriel Silver its director of commissioning for drama, a new role created following the departure of drama director Cameron Roach earlier this year. Silver is currently senior commissioning editor and executive producer for Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast's European pay TV giant Sky, and oversaw such hit dramas asChernobyl and Gangs of London.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorSky Studios, the pay TV network’s production arm, has promoted Gabriel Silver – who oversaw the commissioning of “Chernobyl” – to the role of director of commissioning, drama in the U.K., overseeing a broad slate of ambitious projects.Silver, who is currently senior commissioning editor and executive producer at Sky Studios, takes up his new role with immediate effect, reporting into chief content officer Jane Millichip.Most recently Silver has

Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast-owned European pay TV giant Sky, has upped Jane Millichip to chief content officer across Europe, expanding her remit from just the U.K. to all of Sky's markets and overseeing the teams behind Sky original shows, including I Hate Suzie, Zero Zero Zero, Gangs of London and Babylon Berlin.

Natalka Znak, who recently produced Fox competition series Ultimate Tag, is setting up a new venture.

Manori Ravindran International EditorLong-time Sky executive Jane Millichip has been promoted to chief content officer for Sky Studios, overseeing all of Europe.Millichip, the former managing director of distributor Sky Vision, was tapped as the studio’s chief content officer for the U.K. in July 2020.

Manori Ravindran International EditorComcast-backed Sky Studios has launched a new production outfit.

Sky Studios is teaming with French major Gaumont on comedy The Wasp, which is being produced for Sky Deutschland.

Naman Ramachandran Sky Studios and Gaumont have teamed on “The Wasp,” the first Sky original comedy to be produced for Sky Deutschland.The six-part series follows Eddie Frotzke, a fallen professional dart player who, after a prolonged career slump, wants to return to his former glory.

Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast-owned European pay TV giant Sky said on Monday that its CEO Gary Davey would step down next year. He will continue to lead the team until a new CEO is appointed and leave the company next summer.

Manori Ravindran International EditorGary Davey, CEO of Sky Studios, is stepping down from the post in 2021, with plans to retire.Davey — a long-time veteran who first joined the company upon its launch in 1989 — was appointed CEO of Sky Studios in June 2019, famously telling the industry that “we only have one rule and that is ‘no rules'” in regards to the fledgling studio’s strategy under new owners Comcast.

Gary Davey, the CEO of Comcast-owned Sky Studios, has announced his decision to retire in summer 2021 after more than a decade with the company.

Naman Ramachandran The U.K.’s Film and TV Charity has launched the Whole Picture Program, a two-year initiative designed to to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the 200,000 people who work behind the scenes in film, TV and cinema.The Film and TV Charity has now secured £3 million ($3.87 million) in funding from Amazon Prime Video, Banijay U.K., BBC, BBC Studios, Channel 4, IMG, ITV, Sky, Sky Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia to

Naman Ramachandran HBO Max will be the exclusive U.S. home for drama comedy “I Hate Suzie,” originally commissioned by the U.K.’s Sky Studios, with Bad Wolf (“His Dark Materials”) producing.

BAFTA-winning writer and producer Anil Gupta has joined Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast-owned pay TV giant Sky, as creative director for original comedy in the U.K. Gupta’s credits include Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorAnil Gupta, the BAFTA-winning executive producer of the UK version of The Office, is joining Sky Studios in the newly-created role of creative director of comedy.Gupta will focus on boosting in-house comedy production at the Comcast-owned company and will report to Jon Mountague, Sky Studios’ director of comedy.As well as Ricky Gervais’ The Office, his credits include Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.