U.K. Theaters Urged to Improve Accessibility Via Digital Innovation – Global Bulletin

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCJ ENM Hong Kong has secured the first and exclusive Pay TV, pay-per-view, video-on-demand and over-the-top (OTT) rights in key Southeast Asia markets to a slate of current and upcoming South Korean films. These are to play on the tvN Movies channel in Southeast Asia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWarner Bros. Discovery has partnered with energy company Shell for an adrenaline-filled show, “Dare to Ride,” that has begun airing on Discovery in Southeast Asia and India. “Dare to Ride” showcases some of Asia’s most accomplished riders as they attempt to conquer the region’s most iconic routes with just their bikes, their wits, and their technical knowhow.

Naman Ramachandran Sky original drama series “The Lovers,” starring Johnny Flynn (“Beast”) and Roisin Gallagher (“The Fall”) has commenced production. The six-part series, written by playwright David Ireland (“Cyprus Avenue”) and directed by Justin Martin (“Together”), follows Janet (Gallagher), a foul-mouthed, disaffected Belfast supermarket worker and Seamus (Flynn) a self-centred, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life and a celebrity girlfriend.

Berlinale Calls For Acquittal Of Filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga Following Protest Arrest

Naman Ramachandran The Berlin International Film Festival has called for the acquittal of Zimbabwean author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga (“I Want a Wedding Dress”) who served on the international jury of the festival earlier this year. Dangarembga was arrested in July 2020 at a protest in Harare along with journalist Julie Barnes, where both were calling for the release of journalists and for institutional reforms.They are being charged with inciting public violence, disturbing the peace and bigotry, and with violations of COVID regulations. The women have since been released on bail, but they have also been subpoenaed 26 times.

Naman Ramachandran Apple TV+ and Disney+ were the major gainers in the U.K. subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market, a survey from BARB, the country’s television audience measurement currency, has found.

Spain’s drive to consolidate as one of the world’s foremost big shoot locales, Shooting Locations Marketplace has confirmed dates for its second edition which will run over Oct. 20-21, taking place once again at the Feria de Valladolid, an hour’s train ride north of Madrid.The Marketplace looks set to repeat its original format which welcomes first and foremost location scouts, as well as producers, line producers and representatives of film commissions in and outside Spain.Revolving around one-to-one meetings, where commissions and service companies present potential shoot destinations to location managers, the Marketplace also features panels and presentations analysing industry trends as well as success stories and factors that tip the balance when picking one destination over another.

Naman Ramachandran Global streamers immensely helped the growth of documentaries and allowed the genre to take risks, panelists at a discussion at the ongoing Sunny Side of the Doc market said on Tuesday.“We should really be thankful to the platforms for bringing so much attention to our genre – it was completely under represented,” said Patrick Hoerl, MD of German producer and distributor Autentic. “The platforms no doubt showed us the potential of documentaries and also the diversity that’s possible within that genre.

Naman Ramachandran Seven international broadcast majors have teamed to launch a call for documentary proposals at the ongoing Sunny Side of the Doc market.The international documentary coproduction unit of France Televisions is uniting with partners ZDF (Germany), Channel 4 (U.K.), CBC (Canada), SVT (Sweden), ORF (Austria) and ABC Australia, seeking proposals for high-end documentaries dealing with subjects in two categories. The first category focuses on ancient civilisations, archaeology, paleontology, geology and space exploration and the second on the subject ‘How cutting-edge science can provide solutions to save the planet.’Proposals should ideally be “an epic scientific adventure with international scope, following groups of international scientists in their fieldwork,” with “wide and international audience appeal” and “factual clarity combined with an engaging and emotional approach, creating a sense of awe” and are “visually spectacular, using the best of modern image-making techniques,” according to the broadcasters.

Naman Ramachandran Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise, faced a shrieking Mandrake plant as he unveiled Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, a fan-favorite set from the films, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. The new expansion opens at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on July 1, and is part of a new feature titled “Mandrakes and Magical Creatures,” which will run through Sept.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAs Paramount+ prepares for its splashy, star-studded U.K. and Ireland launch in London on Monday, Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan spoke to Variety about the rebranded company’s global streaming biz expansion that, besides being powered by original content, stands out in the field for its diversified model.This model involves a mix of platforms and partnerships, combining direct-to-consumer and a la carte offerings with a market-by-market approach.

Naman Ramachandran Wildlife and nature programmer Love Nature has greenlit five-part natural history series “Evolution Earth” in co-production with PBS and Arte. The series, produced by Passion Planet and shot in extreme locations around the world, is an examination of adaptation stories that illustrate the rapid pace of change happening across Earth, while providing a look at nature’s ability to thrive.The series includes five films, each showcasing a different extreme landscape including Earth, Islands, Ice, Heat and Grasslands. It will debut across Love Nature’s branded linear and streaming platforms around the world, PBS in the U.S., Arte in France and Germany and on Sky Nature in the U.K.

‘Evolution Earth’ Greenlit By PBS, ARTE, Sky Nature and Love Nature

Naman Ramachandran Streamer Paramount+ is set to make a splash at its U.K. launch in London on June 20, with a galaxy of stars from its original shows set to feature at the hot ticket event. Graham Norton (Paramount+’s “Queen of the Universe”) will host the event which will feature stars from Paramount’s series and films including Gillian Anderson, Viola Davis and Michelle Pfeiffer (“The First Lady”); Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon (“George & Tammy”); Miranda Cosgrove (“iCarly”); Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”); Tawny Cypress and Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”); Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris and Bill Nighy (“The Man Who Fell To Earth”); Joey Essex, Chloe Ferry, Bethan Kershaw and James Tindale (“All Star Shore”); Matthew Goode and Juno Temple (“The Offer”); Shelley Hennig, Tyler Hoechlin, Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed and Holland Roden (“Teen Wolf”); Faith Hill and Tim McGraw (“1883”); Sonequa Martin-Green (“Star Trek Discovery”); Natascha McElhone and Pablo Schreiber (“Halo”); Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek Prodigy); David Oyelowo (“Bass Reeves”); and Sylvester Stallone (“Tulsa King”).

Naman Ramachandran Paramount‘s free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) provider Pluto TV has launched four new channels in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). The new channels will bring SPT content to Pluto TV across Europe and the U.K.

Reelz & Paramount+ Among Pre-Buyers Of Princess Diana Doc

Naman Ramachandran U.K. TV producer Content Kings and production finance broker and distribution agent Silverlining Rights have revealed a raft of international pre-sales for “Diana: The Ultimate Truth” (1×60’), a documentary which investigates the circumstances leading up to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, 25 years ago.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterCAA’s strategic consulting service CAA Social Impact has struck a partnership with global sustainability company Aspiration to provide sustainability services, carbon reduction services and customer-centric climate impact solutions to corporate, sports and entertainment industry brands, Variety has learned exclusively.Per the companies, “CAA Social Impact and Aspiration recognize the importance of sustainability as a winning business strategy and the opportunity for sports and entertainment to play a critical role in influencing culture, to build public will for solutions in the face of a deepening climate crisis.”With an increase in companies’ awareness and focus on their sustainability efforts, “the partnership enables CAA Social Impact and Aspiration to combine their expertise and resources to develop sustainability and carbon mitigation strategies for leading brands and organizations.” Additionally, Aspiration is working closing with CAA on its own carbon reduction efforts. Run by Aubree Curtis and Judee Ann Williams, CAA Social Impact has led philanthropic work for companies including KPMG, Walmart, PGA TOUR, Continental (Germany), Volvo (UK), and AppHarvest, and helped shape strategies for organizations including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Alzheimer’s Association.“Businesses urgently need clear and comprehensive solutions to curb their emissions and improve their impact on the planet,” Curtis said.

Marti Noxon & Frank Doegler Among Showrunner Speakers For Series Mania And Beta’s Seriesmakers Initiative As It Opens For Submissions