Studiocanal’s ‘Infiniti’ Leads Raft of Canal+ Creation Originale Global Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Actor and talk show host James Corden has opened up about his decision to quit presenting his popular late night talk show The Late Late Show. The British star, 44, has hosted the American talk show since March 2015, becoming a household name in the country, but announced he was stepping down in April this year. He has now said he made the decision to leave after realising that it felt like “a greater risk to stay".

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Rodolphe Belmer, the former CEO of Canal+ Group, is set to join TF1 and is on track to be appointed managing director of TF1, France’s leading commercial channel. Gilles Pélisson, who is currently the chairman and CEO of TF1 Group, will propose Belmer as CEO at an Oct. 27 board meeting. Belmer would then fully succeed Pélisson as chairman and CEO after the following board meeting on Feb. 13. Pélisson will remain at the company as chairman of the Board of Directors until Feb. 13 and will then join the Bouygues group as senior VP in charge of media and development.

Courtney Barnett made an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers this week, tailing her just-finished North American tour with a performance of ‘Turning Green’.The song appears on Barnett’s recent third album, ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’, which arrived last November via Mom + Pop. She performed it with her current backing band of bassist Bones Sloane, drummer Dave Mudie and Warpaint‘s Stella Mozgawa – with whom Barnett recorded ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’ – on keyboards.Both Barnett and Mozgawa play percussion in the performance, with the former playing cowbell and the latter playing tambourine. Have a look at the performance below:Having just finished her tour of North America, Barnett and her band are gearing up for a trek across Europe and the UK, which will kick off in Munich on Friday October 28.

“Cobra Kai” Season 5 has once again clinched the first spot in the Netflix Top 10 in the second week since its premiere, with 95.6 million hours viewed. The top 3 on the English TV list this week was rounded out by “Fate: The Winx Saga” Season 2, which debuted with nearly 49 million hours viewed, and “The Crown” Season 1, following closely behind with 40.8 million hours viewed after news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.Other notable entries on the list included documentary series “Sins of Our Mother,” from director Skye Borgman, which debuted on the list with 24.4 million hours viewed, as well as “The Crown” Season 2, which marked its first entry on the list with 16.7 million hours viewed.

Holly Jones Spain’s Bendita Films (“The Clash”) has scooped international sales rights to twisted and suspenseful production “The Uncle” (“Stric”) ahead of its market screening at the Toronto Festival. “We’re thrilled to represent the brilliant debut feature from David Kapac and Andrija Mardešić, a captivating, oppressive thriller with humorous notes that will surely surprise international audiences with its unsettling atmosphere and inventive narrative structure,” stated Luis Renart, CEO-sales & acquisitions at Bendita Films. Written and directed in tandem by Kapac and Mardešić, the project garnered a special jury mention in July at the Proxima strand which has replaced East of the West at the Karlovy Vary Festival. It marks the first feature effort for the Croatian duo who’ve previously paired to create several festival-showcased short films, including post-war noir comedy “Iris.”

Trinidad Barleycorn Founded more than 25 years ago by Manuel Catteau, independent French producer and distributor ZED has become over the years a major player in the documentary field. At TV market Unifrance Rendez-vous in Biarritz, ZED revealed to Variety the acquisition of three ambitious history documentary projects, which are available for presales. “Ukraine 1933: Seeds of Hunger,” a documentary by Guillaume Ribot, produced by Les Films Du Poisson for France Télévisions, recalls the tragedy experienced by Ukrainians between 1931 and 1933: the Holodomor, the great famine organized by Stalin to punish those who refused the collectivization of the countryside and communist ideology, resulted in the deaths of more than 4 million of them.

James Corden has honored Queen Elizabeth II with a somber, heartfelt tribute. The U.K-born late night host, who earned the prestigious OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) title in 2015 at Buckingham Palace, began his Thursday night broadcast of with a moment of silence. «Good evening,» he began, seated at his desk. «We, of course, heard the news today that Queen Elizabeth had passed away age 96.

From world leaders to her closest family members, there has been a global outpouring of grief at the loss of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. And among those sharing their memories and tributes are a host of celebs, with everyone from Joan Collins to Sting honouring The Queen and her “incomparable legacy”. Dame Joan, who had met Her Majesty and was part of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year, took to Instagram to pay her respects.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Munich-based Beta Film, one of Europe’s biggest truly independent TV-film groups, has licensed to PPCW Media for Hong Kong and Macau International Emmy winner “Atlantic Crossing,” starring Kyle MacLachan and Sofia Helin. PPC Media has also acquired Alejandro Amenábar’s Movistar Plus+ original “La Fortuna,” with Stanley Tucci and Clarke Peters, a tale of piracy, court room battles and historical justice set between the U.S. and Spain. Reaching more remote places, Beta has also closed Mongolia with Hulegu Media, on “Sisi” a mix of sex, politics and period glam from RTL, Beta and Story House, a modern mindset take on a film icon.  

Naman Ramachandran Fresh off a standing ovation for auteur Lav Diaz’s “When the Waves Are Gone” at the Venice Film Festival, the Philippines’ Epicmedia Productions has revealed a global co-production slate. Next up is Swiss co-production “Electric Child” by Simon Jacquemet (“The Innocent”), which was presented at the Venice Production Bridge last year. The story revolves around a couple whose child develops an unusual illness. While the mother and baby drift into their own world, the computer-science professor father develops a pact with an A.I. character on a virtual island to save his child. The project, which is starting production imminently, is supported by the Film Location Incentive Fund of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Zurich Film Foundation, Filmstiftung NRW and TV channels SRF and ARTE.

Survivor will be returning to the UK, the BBC announced at the start of this week.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Carolina Markowicz’s dark satire “Charcoal,” which world premieres on Sept. 11 at Toronto Film Festival, has debuted its teaser trailer with Variety (below). World sales are being handled by Urban Sales. The film, which plays in the festival’s Platform section, centers on a poor family living in a remote area in Brazil, who earn a pittance from their charcoal business. When a shady nurse asks them to host a mysterious foreigner they accept. The home soon becomes a hideout as the so-called guest happens to be a highly wanted drug lord. The mother, her husband and child will have to learn how to share the same roof with this stranger, while keeping up appearances of an unchanged peasant routine.

EXCLUSIVE: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance have renewed the overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios for their Bassett Vance Productions, and have set Heist 88, starring Vance, as the first feature under the new pact.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paris-based Urban Sales has boarded Diego Lerman’s “The Substitute” (“El Suplente”) which will have its world premiere at Toronto followed by San Sebastian. “The Substitute” tells the story of Lucio (Minujín), a prestigious university professor who starts working as a substitute teacher at a high school in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, where he grew up. Through tales, novels and poetry, he tries to distract his class from the harsh reality of their everyday lives. But soon, he must step out of his professional duties when Dylan, one of his students, is threatened by a local drug kingpin. One of Argentina’s leading filmmakers, Lerman won this year’s Locarno’s Silver Leopard award for “Suddenly.” He’s best known for directing “A Sort of Family” which played at Toronto, won best screenplay at San Sebastian and was acquired by Netflix; as well as “Refugiado” and “Invisible” which played at Cannes’ Director’s fortnight in 2014 and 2010, respectively.  “The Substitute” marks his sixth feature.

Harry Styles had a special surprise for his good friend, James Corden. On Monday, during his sold-out show at New York City's Madison Square Garden, the 28-year-old singer led the crowd in a singalong for the host in honor of his birthday. On Tuesday, Corden shared a video of the special moment. “I can’t believe you did this H! It was the best part of my birthday,” wrote Corden, who turned 44 on Monday.

Harry Styles earned himself some major friend points on Monday night.