Walter Presents Seals Five-Title Drama Deal With Beta For Australia & New Zealand

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief U.K.-based sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment has picked up international rights to “Grafted,” a New Zealand-set horror film which marks the feature directing debut of Sasha Rainbow. The film is now in production. Mister Smith will launch sales next month in Cannes. The film tells story of a Chinese student who travels to New Zealand to complete the scientific work of her deceased father only to find a new way of achieving popularity, one body at a time.

Emiliano De Pablos Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has struck a VOD deal with Walter Presents to bring noir thriller series “Sequía” (“The Drought”) to the U.S, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. The suspense series is co-produced by Spanish and Portuguese public broadcasters RTVE and RTP, in collaboration with Atlantia Media and Coral Europa.  “The Drought” is set in a small submerged village on the Spanish-Portuguese border that re-emerges from a huge dam built in the 1990s after a severe drought. Two skeletons are also unearthed, revealing evidence of a bloody crime. 

K.J. Yossman Jimmy McGovern’s British prison drama “Time” is returning for a second season featuring a new cast. “The Last of Us” star Bella Ramsey, “Doctor Who’s” Jodie Whittaker and “The Silent Twins” star Tamara Lawrance are all joining the show. The original show featured Sean Bean and Stephen Graham as a prisoner and prison officer respectively. It averaged 11.6 million viewers across a three-part run and won a 2022 BAFTA Television award for best mini-series. The new season, which is comprised of three parts, will be set in a women’s prison. Siobhan Finneran (“Happy Valley”), who also featured in Season 1, reprises her role as prison chaplain Marie-Louise.

Doctors down surgical tools and line the streets outside the hospitals they have spent their burgeoning careers serving. Patients brace themselves for disappointing calls, again postponing long-awaited procedures.

Ashnikko has shared the title track from her upcoming debut album ‘WEEDKILLER’ – check it out below.The singer will release their first LP on June 2 via Parlophone (pre-order here) and it has been previewed by recent single ‘Worms’.“My bioluminescent heart is glowing. My post-apocalyptic fae world is here for you to journey into,” Ashnikko shared of the album in a statement.

J Dilla, born James Yancey, died on February 10, 2006, three days after his 32nd birthday. While he was a successful rapper, songwriter and producer, J Dilla’s net worth was affected by his illness. 

As the heir to the throne, Prince William is keeping calm and carrying on. On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales confirmed that Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, joined the Board of Trustees for the Earthshot Prize, his prestigious environmental award.

Keri Russell stars as Kate Wyler, the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, in the new series The Diplomat.

Beta Cinema has closed its first presales on period drama The Offing starring Helena Bonham Carter. Curzon, Cineart and Madman have joined forces to acquire all rights for UK/Ireland, Benelux and Australia/New Zealand in what is described as a competitive situation. The distributors will work on an aligned campaign across the markets. Beta first launched The Offing at the EFM in February. Filming is lined up for later this year.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Jan Mojto’s Beta Cinema has announced first pre-sales for feature film “The Offing,” which will star and is executive produced by Helena Bonham Carter. Jessica Hobbs, who won an Emmy Award for “The Crown,” directs the U.K.-set English-language project. Distributors Curzon, Cineart and Madman joined forces and acquired all rights for U.K./Ireland, Benelux, and Australia/New Zealand in a multi-territory deal, fending off robust competition. The project was one of the hottest titles at the European Film Market, and further deals in major territories will be announced shortly, Beta Cinema said.

EXCLUSIVE: New Zealand has long been known as a prime destination for big budget films such as Avatar and The Lord of the Rings thanks to its enviable locations, skilled crew base and generous 40% tax rebate. But, earlier this year when Avatar: The Way of Water was on its way to breaking multiple box office records as it climbed to its $2.3BN tally, there was another New Zealand-shot project that was making a dent in the global box office chart. Universal, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s killer doll hit M3GAN amassed an impressive $176M worldwide from just a $12M budget after its January release.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter and Tyler James Williams attended a session on their hit show Abbott Elementary during PaleyFest LA 2023 at the Dolby Theatre on Saturday (April 1) in Hollywood, Calif.

J Dilla documentary is set to be released via the streaming platforms Hulu and TV network FX.The prolific producer is credited for changing the sound of hip-hop, proving influential to many – including the likes of Kanye West – with unique lo-fi style of beat-making and drum programming.A new documentary, called The Legacy of J Dilla, will be a part of The New York Times Presents series, produced with FX, and is described as “an intimate portrait” of Dilla’s life and legacy.‘The Legacy of J Dilla’ original documentary is coming to FX / Hulu on April 7th, courtesy of the New York Times. (via @checktherhyme1_) pic.twitter.com/LA508SBcTU— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) March 28, 2023It has been 15 years since the tragic passing of Dilla, and his family have now given The New York Times Presents full access to his life and story.

Sky and AMC’s upcoming Mary & George adaptation has found its King James I.

A popular boxing and fitness concept from down under will has chosen Salford as the location for it's first club in the UK. UBX Boxing + Strength was co-founded by four time world champion boxer boxer Danny Green and fitness entrepreneur Tim West.

Marvel Studios has been the very model of a modern mini studio. Chief creative officer Kevin Feige and his small stable of executives have reliably delivered an unbroken string of global blockbusters to theaters and, starting in 2021, smash TV shows for Disney+. And they’ve done so while keeping virtually all their behind-the-scenes drama from spilling over into public view. It took just a week for that impeccable reputation to all but collapse, when Disney, Marvel’s parent company, fired Feige’s most high-profile lieutenant, Victoria Alonso, after 17 years with the company, most recently as the president of physical, postproduction, visual effects and animation.

EXCLUSIVE: Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) are attached to star in sci-fi thriller Ash, the sophomore feature from producer, rapper and filmmaker Flying Lotus (Kuso).

HYBE Labels subsidiary ADOR, home to K-pop girl group NewJeans, have opened online auditions for a potential new boyband.Today (March 28), ADOR unveiled several posters and videos on social media and YouTube announcing its ‘The Real Hype Boys’ audition. The label will be accepting online auditions on ador.world from now until 1pm KST on April 14.An unnamed male trainee as well as the members of NewJeans feature in the promotional video for the auditions, which details the online application period and host countries where in-person auditions will take place.Per ADOR’s guidelines, the auditions are open to boys born between 2004-2012.

Sydney Sweeney looks effervescent as she films her latest project in Sydney, Australia.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Documentary specialist Autlook Filmsales closed a raft of sales at a vibrant market during the Copenhagen documentary festival CPH:DOX. “Subject,” directed by Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, got picked up by Sweden’s SVT, Denmark’s DR, Norway’s NRK, Norway’s VGTV, The Netherlands’ VPRO, Israel’s Yes Doc, and Madman for Australia and New Zealand. Dogwoof released the film early this month in the U.K. “Subject” is an examination of the relationship between nonfiction filmmakers and their subjects. It raises important ethical questions during a golden of age for documentaries, when docs are screened by millions of viewers. The film re-visits protagonists of some of the most viewed documentaries of today – “The Staircase,” “The Square,” “Hoop Dreams,” “The Wolfpack” and “Capturing the Friedmans.”